The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 77

Initially, Gu Qing thought she had misread it, so she carefully discerned the letters. It truly seemed to be the word “element.”

Although Gu Qing hadn’t studied English in over a decade, relying on her good memory, she recalled that the word meant “element” in Chinese. Coincidentally, she had heard others refer to the person in front of her as Master Yuan Shu.

With such a coincidence, it was hard not to suspect that the person before her was also a transmigrator.

Seeming to notice Gu Qing’s gaze, Master Yuan Shu turned to look at her. Despite being only in her early twenties, she possessed a strangely benevolent and kind aura. She fiddled with the Buddhist beads in her hand, but the words she uttered were completely unrelated to her attire or appearance.

“Changes in parity remain unchanged.”

Gu Qing’s eye twitched. Even if she hadn’t touched high school mathematics in over ten years, some things were etched into her very bones. Without needing to think, she subconsciously blurted out the second half of the mnemonic, “The sign depends on the quadrant.”

Upon receiving Gu Qing’s response, Master Yuan Shu’s smile widened. Meanwhile, the assembly of officials, from both the Geng Dynasty and the Yu Dynasty, looked at the two of them with expressions of utter confusion.

As the Emperor of the victorious Geng Dynasty, Xie Zhibai took the initiative to ask the question everyone was curious about. “Gu Qing, what kind of riddle are you and Master Yuan Shu speaking in?”

Gu Qing was about to say they were old acquaintances to brush it off, but before she could speak, Master Yuan Shu spoke up. “This poor monk sees that General Gu has a kind face and possesses a great affinity with Buddha.”

These mystical words, paired with her Buddhist aura, didn’t make her sound like she was talking nonsense; instead, they lent her an air of credibility. As soon as she spoke, the way the people from the Yu Dynasty looked at Gu Qing changed.

Gu Qing figured that Master Yuan Shu must hold a very high status in the Yu Dynasty. Otherwise, there was no reason for their gazes to shift so drastically just because of a comment about “affinity.”

However, a Prince of the Yu Dynasty scoffed at Master Yuan Shu’s words. “As a general, Gu Qing has killed so many people on the battlefield and has many departed souls under her hand. How could she possibly have an affinity with Buddha? Could the Master have misjudged?”

Gu Qing nodded silently in her heart. Although this Yu Dynasty Prince was an eyesore, his words actually made some sense.

Master Yuan Shu remained unfazed, showing no panic at the Prince’s questioning. Before she could respond, an official from the Yu Dynasty beside her had already rebutted the Prince.

“Your Highness, those words are incorrect. Buddha only looks at affinity, which is an extremely profound thing. Even those who are wicked and evil can possess an affinity with Buddha; otherwise, why would there be the saying, ‘Put down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha on the spot’?”

Gu Qing once again refreshed her understanding of Master Yuan Shu’s status in the Yu Dynasty. She was the one who had beaten the Great Yu Dynasty into a pulp, turning them into a defeated nation, yet these people were willing to speak well of her just because of a single sentence from Master Yuan Shu. It was a bit beyond belief.

The Yu Dynasty Prince was left speechless. Ultimately, he didn’t want to offend anyone. Though he found both Master Yuan Shu and Gu Qing unpleasant to look at, he shut his mouth.

Xie Zhibai, on the other hand, grew interested in Master Yuan Shu’s words. He said half-jokingly, “It is a pity. General Gu is already married. Even if she has an affinity with Buddha, she cannot follow the Master into the monastic life.”

Master Yuan Shu shook her head. Facing Xie Zhibai’s hint of rejection, she smiled with a look that carried a touch of ambiguity. “All living beings are equal. As long as Buddha is in one’s heart, that is enough.”

Despite knowing the other party was likely a fellow transmigrator, Gu Qing still found these mystical words a bit nonsensical. Yet, the people from the Yu Dynasty, and even most of the officials from the Geng Dynasty, were exceptionally respectful to her, as if she truly were some great master.

Seeing Gu Qing’s bewildered expression, a nearby official asked curiously, “Has General Gu not heard of Master Yuan Shu?”

Gu Qing shook her head, puzzled. “Is she very famous?”

She wondered why she should know her. To her, the woman just seemed like a charlatan.

The official seemed to read Gu Qing’s mind. He lowered his head slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper for fear of being overheard. “Does General Gu feel that this person resembles those charlatans who pretend to be ghosts and gods?”

Gu Qing glanced at him. Without speaking, her eyes conveyed the message: Is she not?

The official’s voice dropped even lower. “It is normal that General Gu doesn’t know. After all, when Master Yuan Shu first appeared two years ago, everyone thought she was a fraud. But after two or three of her major prophecies came true, the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty began to treat her as a true master.”

Through the official’s explanation, Gu Qing finally understood why everyone was so respectful. Her prophecies had helped many commoners escape disasters in advance. Hearing this, Gu Qing took a fresh look at Master Yuan Shu. While she knew the woman was likely “faking” it, using plots from the original book, the fact that she had saved people was real.

However, as a fellow reader, Gu Qing admitted her memory was poor. In a novel of hundreds of thousands of words, it was impossible for her to remember every plot point. The fact that Yuan Shu could remember them was indeed impressive.

Soon, it came time for the familiar task of arranging accommodations. Normally, a respected figure like Master Yuan Shu should have been settled within the Imperial Palace. However, she declined Xie Zhibai’s suggestion. Fiddling with her beads, she said, “This poor monk has an affinity with General Gu. If Your Majesty does not mind, could I be temporarily settled at General Gu’s residence?”

Xie Zhibai was stunned and instinctively glanced at Gu Qing.

Gu Qing’s first reaction was to refuse. After all, the last two guests had caused her so much trouble she ended up sleeping in trees and sacrificing herself. She was practically traumatized. But when she noticed the many gazes falling upon her due to the Master’s request, she hesitated.

The previous two had pestered her because of so-called debts of gratitude, and she didn’t think she was that lovable. Surely a Master wouldn’t pester her like they did? Moreover, with the title of a Master, she shouldn’t be capable of the things those two did.

Furthermore, this Master Yuan Shu was truly her compatriot. Having stayed in this world for eighteen years, although Gu Qing had grown accustomed to it and treated it as her second home, she still missed her former home dearly.

Besides, Gu Qing looked at the way the people around her were watching. It seemed that if she refused, she would be seen as ungrateful, especially since such a Master claimed to have an affinity with her. She paused, then finally cupped her hands and accepted. However, she only accepted Master Yuan Shu; she couldn’t be bothered with the Yu Dynasty Prince and his officials.

But the Yu Dynasty people were dissatisfied. “Master Yuan Shu is from our Yu Dynasty. If she stays alone in your manor, who knows if you will do something to her?”

Having unexpectedly agreed to take someone home, even a compatriot, Gu Qing hadn’t yet figured out how to explain this to Xie Zhenzhi. Now, hearing the Yu Dynasty official prattling on, she grew annoyed.

She let out a cold snort, her eyes flashing with killing intent. With a single sweep of her gaze, the official who had been speaking felt the chill of death. Had someone not been supporting him from behind, he would have collapsed. Only then did he remember who stood before him. This was Gu Qing, the one who had crushed them so thoroughly they became a defeated nation. How did he dare speak to her like that?

At this moment, Xie Zhibai also grew displeased. He respected Master Yuan Shu, but that respect was for her alone and had nothing to do with the Yu Dynasty. Now, before the Master herself had even said anything, this man was being so insolent.

Xie Zhibai snorted coldly, his tone losing its previous warmth. Even at his young age, he exuded imperial authority. “It seems to me that your Yu Dynasty’s desire for peace is not very sincere.”

The official suddenly remembered that before leaving the Yu Dynasty, their Emperor had repeatedly exhorted them, even sending Master Yuan Shu along, for the sole purpose of seeking peace and showing weakness to the Geng Dynasty. And yet, he had just insulted their general.

He wiped away cold sweat, trying to explain. At that moment, the Yu Dynasty Prince stepped forward with flattering words. “How could that be? General Gu is of noble character and could never do such a thing. We hope the General and His Majesty can be magnanimous; this servant simply doesn’t know how to speak.”

As he spoke, he didn’t forget to kick the official. Though the official felt wronged, he knew he had to endure it. He fell to the ground from the kick and didn’t dare get up, instead kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly. “This official misspoke! May Your Majesty and the General forgive my sin!”

The thumping sound of his head hitting the floor was completely genuine. Not until his forehead was bleeding and he was feeling dizzy did Master Yuan Shu speak up to plead for him.

“Your Majesty, he did not mean it. Everyone knows General Gu’s character; she would never do such a thing. This man was simply overwhelmed by concern.”

With Master Yuan Shu pleading for him, Xie Zhibai’s expression softened slightly. He looked at Gu Qing, leaving the decision to her. “General Gu, what do you think?”

In an instant, everyone’s eyes were on Gu Qing. To her, it didn’t really matter. She had only meant to scare him. Had his words not sounded slightly contemptuous of the Geng Dynasty in this setting, she wouldn’t have bothered with him at all.

Having received Gu Qing’s forgiveness, the Yu Dynasty official finally breathed a sigh of relief. He slumped to the ground before quickly scrambling up and standing with his head bowed, his legs still trembling.

After the court session adjourned, Gu Qing took Master Yuan Shu away. Since they weren’t well-acquainted yet, it wasn’t appropriate to take her directly to the academy, so she brought her to the Princess Royal’s Manor.

Along the way, they exchanged personal information. Gu Qing learned that Master Yuan Shu had transmigrated two years ago. Her real name was Yuan Shu, and she had arrived in this world only eighteen days after Gu Qing. This meant they were truly from the same era. Initially, Gu Qing had worried there might be an eighteen-year age gap between them.

During this time, Gu Qing asked the question she was most curious about. “Did you memorize the entire novel?”

Yuan Shu scratched her head. The down-to-earth gesture made her look less like a transcendent master and more like a big sister from next door. “I’ve had a photographic memory since I was a child. A mere novel of several hundred thousand words is no challenge for me.”

Gu Qing was envious.

They soon arrived at the Princess Royal’s Manor. Gu Qing was the first to jump down from the carriage, needing no footstool. Yuan Shu, however, still required one. Perhaps out of carelessness, Yuan Shu lost her footing on the stool. Just as she was about to fall, Gu Qing instinctively stepped forward and caught her hand, saving her from the tumble.

Having steadied Yuan Shu, Gu Qing turned around to enter the gate, only to see Xie Zhenzhi, who was just about to head out.

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