After Jianxiu Gave The Villain In The Book A Wedding To Bring Him Good Luck - Chapter 10

Because Ning Bumo was ostensibly suffering from an ailment, the Prince’s estate was exceptionally quiet during this period, and Mu Wan truly enjoyed a stretch of carefree days.

However, the task assigned by the system had remained incomplete for a long time. While Mu Wan felt nothing of it, the system was incredibly anxious, urging him to act from time to time.

“What is the rush?” Mu Wan asked. “Is driving someone out of this Prince’s estate such a difficult task?”

“If that is the case, why do you not take action?”

Mu Wan did not reply. He simply examined the dishes, which were identical to yesterday’s, and tapped his cheek in dissatisfaction.

Just as he was about to speak, Ning Bumo approached, pushing his own wheelchair. He was remarkably patient; even at home, he maintained this appearance of being physically incapacitated. Unless he and Mu Wan were truly alone, no one would know Ning Bumo’s true condition.

His gaze fell upon the food, and he frowned. “I will tell Lin Zhong later to put more effort into the meals.”

“How long has Lin Zhong worked in the estate?” Mu Wan asked.

“He has been here since I established the estate in my youth; he was arranged by my father at the time,” Ning Bumo replied coolly. “Ever since I left for the border, he has been in charge of all affairs within the household.”

Mu Wan nodded and said nothing more, while Ning Bumo brought up something he had not mentioned earlier.

“You have been staying in the estate for so long. Are you bored? Would you like to go out for a stroll?”

“Where to?” Mu Wan finally grew interested.

“There is a Yunyin Temple outside the city. According to the devotees, it is very efficacious. Of course, that is not the main point; the main point is that their vegetarian cuisine is excellent.” Ning Bumo paused, then emphasized, “If you do not feel comfortable going there, it is fine. I can just go myself.”

“Why would that be uncomfortable? I do not care about such things.” The cultivation system of a cultivator was different from the current world, so there were no conflicts. As for the vegetarian food, that was what Mu Wan was truly interested in. “What kind of food do they have?”

“Ordinary vegetarian dishes are no different from those elsewhere, but it is said that their vegetarian goose, Arhat’s vegetables, and the Dinghushan supreme vegetable dish are superb. If you like them, we can ask for the recipes so the chef can make them for you frequently when we return.”

He spoke with great conviction. Once he hooked Mu Wan’s curiosity and saw his bright, spirited eyes, Ning Bumo felt immensely satisfied.

His long preparation had not been in vain; Mu Wan was indeed interested. Looking at it this way, it really was not difficult to raise his little immortal.

With the plan in place, arrangements were naturally made. Three days later, the estate’s carriage quietly left the city, heading toward Yunyin Temple.

This discretion was only relative to their status. Ning Bumo clearly did not want to cause a stir, so he did not emphasize his identity as the Prince of Jing and even had the temple cleared of other visitors in advance.

However, for those with ulterior motives, their journey was practically transparent.

“I am not afraid of them knowing; they all know I would do this anyway,” Ning Bumo said with low spirits. “A few days ago, the verdict for the soldiers from the Battle of Lingzhou was released.”

Just as the Empress Dowager had said, the death penalty could be avoided, but living sins were inescapable.

Perhaps because Ning Bumo and the Wolf Cavalry had already built a formidable reputation at the border, the authorities deliberately avoided those areas when choosing a place for exile. Instead, they selected Lingnan, a region filled with miasma and plague-ridden insects.

For soldiers who had never lived there, it was not a hospitable place. Many died shortly after arriving following the long journey.

Even though Du Heguang and the others had saved their lives, Ning Bumo still could not find any joy in it.

All he could do now was to visit them and see them off when they were sent away.

“My itinerary was not meant to be a secret. The Empress Dowager could guess it, the Emperor could guess it, and even those with ulterior motives were well aware.”

But none of them cared. What could a crippled Prince of Jing possibly do? Compared to the former Ning Bumo, he seemed far too pathetic.

Perhaps some people were even happy to see him like this.

Ning Bumo tried to find joy in his suffering as he spoke, but he could not hide his worry.

After all, his own condition had been rescued by Mu Wan, but what about Du Heguang and the others?

Not wanting to burden Mu Wan with his negative emotions, Ning Bumo hid his inner thoughts and looked at the maple leaves drifting past the carriage.

There were two roads to Yunyin Temple. One was for devout pilgrims who chose to climb the stairs step by step to the summit. The other was for pilgrims with limited mobility or those who found the path too difficult; this road was filled only with ornate carriages.

At this time, the maple leaves were in full bloom, painted like fire. Ning Bumo thought Mu Wan would be attracted by the scenery, but he did not expect Mu Wan to be lost in thought, completely indifferent to the view.

Ning Bumo wanted to ask, but feared interrupting his thoughts. When Mu Wan finally returned to his senses, he asked nonchalantly, “Does the scenery outside not suit your taste?”

Mu Wan followed his gaze outside and replied in surprise, “No, I think it is quite lovely.”

He was simply thinking about what Ning Bumo had just said.

When he was still in the modern world, people traveling between two places with different climates would suffer from acclimatization; in an era where conditions were not as advanced as in the future, if they really went to Lingnan, it was uncertain if they could adapt.

However, Mu Wan had not met the soldiers Ning Bumo spoke of, so he did not know if he could help. He decided not to speak immediately to avoid giving him false hope.

He felt he had been quite considerate, and his answer had no issues, yet the man beside him reacted coldly, seemingly displeased.

He wondered where he picked up such a foul temper day after day.

Mu Wan had no desire to understand the melancholic inner world of a young man. If it were truly something important, he would not keep it bottled up inside; if he did, he could just digest it himself.

Furthermore, the ancient temple had already appeared in the distance. Having arrived at Yunyin Temple, he had no more time to probe Ning Bumo’s thoughts.

Although everything was kept simple, acting alongside other pilgrims, the temple could not treat Ning Bumo like a common guest.

Their living quarters had been arranged well in advance, cleaned and waiting for their arrival. The guards from the estate had already surrounded the area.

As for praying and offering incense, one of them could not physically do so, and the other had no habit of burning incense or worshipping Buddhas, so they kept it simple. Ning Bumo did not skimp on the incense money, and he had the reception monk invite someone to chant sutras, fulfilling the surface requirements.

The vegetarian cuisine of Yunyin Temple lived up to its reputation. The vegetarian goose was rich in sauce, the Arhat vegetables were flavorful, and the Dinghushan vegetable dish was sweet and crisp. Every dish was perfectly suited to Mu Wan’s taste.

Ning Bumo saw his expression and knew he was satisfied. After lunch, and with his permission, he had his people learn the culinary techniques from the chef, while he and Mu Wan strolled through the hills behind the temple.

Because the terrain made it inconvenient to go up and down the mountain, Yunyin Temple had its own vegetable gardens and tea plantations to save labor. Beyond that, Mu Wan also saw several fields of medicinal herbs.

“Are those medicinal herbs that you cultivate yourselves?” Seeing his interest, Ning Bumo asked the monk beside them.

“They are planted by us. If the Prince is interested, you may go and have a look,” the monk replied.

“May I pick some?” Mu Wan asked out of curiosity.

“Of course.” It was only a few herbs, nothing precious, so Yunyin Temple was naturally not stingy.

The monk took a step forward, reached the fence of the herb field, and called out to a monk in plain clothes who was tending the field: “Senior Brother Liaowu, could you come over for a moment?”

The monk named Liaowu raised his head. He paused upon seeing the three of them from afar, then strode over.

As he approached, the monk, who had been lowering his eyes, finally caught a glimpse of the people before him. At this sight, he froze in place, staring fixedly at Mu Wan, unable to tear his eyes away.

“What are you looking at?” Ning Bumo asked, his tone displeased.

Mu Wan looked at him in surprise. “Why are you being so fierce? He probably just thinks I look familiar.”

This single sentence left Ning Bumo choked.

The monk was acting suspiciously, staring at Mu Wan without blinking. Who knew what sinister intentions he had? Yet this person did not care and was turning around to be fierce with him.

The more Ning Bumo thought about it, the more restless he felt, yet he did not know where this feeling of grievance came from. Not wanting to vent it on Mu Wan, he could only stare at the monk in deep dissatisfaction, determined to find something wrong with him.

He looked to be in his forties, his appearance decent, and he did not look like a wicked person. Moreover, after the brief exchange, the monk no longer stared directly at Mu Wan, as if his earlier lapse had been an illusion.

Yet, this only made his behavior seem more suspicious.

The reception monk likely sensed that something was wrong and quickly eased the atmosphere. “Senior Brother Liaowu, these two honored guests would like to pick some herbs. Could you guide them?”

He then turned to Mu Wan and Ning Bumo. “This is Senior Brother Liaowu, who is in charge of the herb fields. He knows these herbs best. If you have any questions, you may ask him.”

“There is no need,” Ning Bumo rejected him directly. “We will go over ourselves.”

He still felt this monk was acting strangely, and since Mu Wan wanted to go, he naturally had his own goals. It was best not to let others disturb them.

The reception monk did not try to persuade them further. Once the two picked up their baskets and entered the herb field, he looked at Liaowu with a sense of worry. “I forgot to tell you that the Prince of Jing and the Prince Consort were coming today. What should we do now?”

“It was my own lapse; it has nothing to do with you.” Liaowu shook his head, sighed while watching Mu Wan’s thin back in the herb field, and asked, “Is this Prince Consort the child from the Mu family?”

“You don’t know?” The reception monk was surprised. “The Emperor bestowed the marriage some days ago, and the engagement fell upon the eldest son of the Mu family.”

Upon reflection, it was normal. Senior Brother Liaowu rarely interacted with the outside world; aside from going down the mountain once a month to buy seeds, he basically ignored outside affairs. Thinking about it, he was not due to go down the mountain for another ten days, and he was completely unaware of these events.

“Since they were choosing a consort for the Prince of Jing, why did it fall upon the eldest son?” Liaowu asked, clearly anxious.

“It is said that they initially wanted the young lady of the Mu family, but it was evaded by the Mu official.”

The reception monk sighed with emotion. They often dealt with pilgrims and naturally heard many stories about the nobility. Take Master Mu Zhe, for example; he had been praised by everyone as a good husband, people said he and his wife were harmonious, and they praised him for raising his simple-minded eldest son with such great effort. All these things had earned him a good reputation and helped his career.

But all of this had come to nothing after this marriage bestowal. Everyone said that Mu Zhe had selfish motives; otherwise, he would not have pushed his eldest son into a pit of fire at such a time.

Having heard this, Liaowu could no longer suppress his anger. He gritted his teeth as if wanting to say something, but out of consideration for the people around him, he remained silent, though his fists were clenched so tightly he seemed ready to beat Mu Zhe up.

When Mu Wan and the others came out, they found that Liaowu had vanished.

Mu Wan did not care; he was just a strange passerby. Even if he had malicious intent, he posed no threat to Mu Wan.

However, he did not expect to meet the monk again that night.

Mu Wan was currently grinding the herbs he had picked during the day. Each herb turned into powder under the pestle, blended with honey into a fresh, elegant-smelling paste.

Ning Bumo had been keeping him company, but he had to prepare for the departure at the long pavilion the next morning, so he had reluctantly left. It was then that the courtyard door was knocked upon.

The guard was a bit surprised, but opened the door under Mu Wan’s signal. He had not gone to the herb field that day, so he did not know Liaowu, and thought it was a monk with a message, so he brought him to Mu Wan.

“Master Liaowu?” Mu Wan raised his head and called out the name in surprise.

Seemingly shocked that Mu Wan recognized him, Liaowu froze for a moment before grinning. “Yes!”

There was an inexplicable intimacy to his manner. Mu Wan paused his mortar and looked at the others. “You may leave first.”

“Your Highness?!” The guard hesitated, but Ning Bumo had instructed them to follow Mu Wan’s orders before he left, so he could only depart with a worried expression.

Once they were alone, Liaowu looked at Mu Wan—who looked clever and had no trace of simple-mindedness—and asked, “Young Master, can you remember things?”

He did not call Mu Wan “Prince Consort” or “Your Highness” like the others, but used the term “Young Master.”

Seeing that Mu Wan did not respond, Liaowu grew anxious, but worried that Ning Bumo might return soon. He hastily pulled a silk pouch from his robe, shoved it into Mu Wan’s hand, and whispered, “Young Master, keep this with you. Remember, do not wander around the Prince’s estate freely.”

“If you wish to leave the Prince’s estate, go to the Qian family’s medicine shop in the city…” Time was tight, and he could not worry about whether Mu Wan understood these words. He only had time to add, “Remember, do not speak of this to anyone, especially Mu Zhe, do you understand?”

When Mu Wan nodded, a smile finally appeared on his face. Hearing approaching footsteps outside, Liaowu could not stay any longer. After giving Mu Wan one last reluctant look, he turned and hurried away.

Only Mu Wan remained, looking at the pouch in his hands, and eventually pulled the drawstring open.