The Transmigrated Princess - Chapter 78

Even though Gu Qing had done nothing wrong, her heart instinctively tightened the moment she saw Xie Zhenzhi. She carefully retraced her recent actions, and her lips parted subconsciously to explain, “She almost fell just now. I, I only went to steady her.”

Xie Zhenzhi had encountered this scene just as she was about to head out. However, since they were in front of an outsider, she did not want to embarrass Gu Qing.

She asked Su Juan to go to the academy and inform Meng Jing that she had business this morning and would not be coming, which served as an explanation. Only then did she turn back into the manor.

Gu Qing knew that Xie Zhenzhi was giving her a chance to explain. She hurriedly followed. Seeing her in such a frantic state, so different from how she was moments ago, Yuan Shu’s eyes flickered slightly. She became more certain of her suspicions and began to follow them at a leisurely pace.

The maidservants of the Princess Royal’s Manor did not recognize her, but since she was brought back by the Consort and looked so transcendent, fiddling with her beads and looking benevolent despite her youth, they were left with a profound impression.

Since Su Juan had left, Shao Yao naturally took over her duties, settling Yuan Shu in the main hall.

Xie Zhenzhi reached the rockery near the living quarters. Seeing that no one else was following, she stopped and turned around. “Speak.”

Gu Qing quickly recounted the events of the morning court session and explained the actual situation that had just occurred.

Shao Yao had seen masters with deep Buddhist affinities at temples before, but she had rarely seen a female master. This person, in particular, seemed no different from those highly attained monks; one look at her made one associate her with the image of Buddha.

For this reason, Shao Yao was exceptionally cautious and diligent while serving. She asked in a low voice, “Master, what would you like to drink?”

Facing this enigmatic master, Shao Yao was afraid of being disrespectful. Instead of taking the initiative to serve tea, she asked first.

Yuan Shu touched the bodhi beads in her hand and said calmly, “Plain water will do. I trouble the benefactor.”

These few simple words sounded like the voice of a holy Buddha to Shao Yao, as if her very soul were being cleansed. She stood dazed for a moment before withdrawing to fetch the water.

The Princess Royal’s Manor did not often have visitors, but the tea and refreshments required for guests were never lacking. Although few people requested plain water, Shao Yao made the arrangements, and it was brought up quickly.

Yuan Shu took a sip of the sweet water, then closed her eyes and began to turn her beads while waiting. She constantly chanted, “Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when practicing deep Prajna Paramita…”

Though Shao Yao did not know much about scriptures, she recognized the foundational Heart Sutra. Standing to the side, she felt that even though it was a common sutra, listening to it made her feel purified from head to toe. Regardless of who this master was, Shao Yao was certain she was no ordinary monk. She had never seen anyone else with such profound cultivation.

Before long, after Gu Qing finished her explanation, she and Xie Zhenzhi returned. Gu Qing gave Shao Yao a look, signaling her to withdraw.

Looking at the transcendent figure before her, even though Xie Zhenzhi knew Gu Qing would not lie to her, she could not help but feel skeptical. Does such a person really come from the same place as Gu Qing? Is she truly not some highly attained monk?

“Master Yuan Shu?” Xie Zhenzhi called out.

Seeing Xie Zhenzhi, Yuan Shu’s eyes lit up. She stood up, and seeing there was no one else around, she stowed away her beads and her mysterious aura. “Seeing is better than hearing. The Princess Royal is indeed a peerless beauty. Gu Qing is truly lucky.”

With those words, she was instantly pulled from the heights of a master back into the mortal world. Xie Zhenzhi believed it now.

Seeing the crisis averted, Gu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. The heart that had been hanging in her throat finally settled.

Yuan Shu spoke up at the right moment, continuing the topic from the carriage. “By the way, Gu Qing, what did you do in the modern world? How did you end up becoming a general after coming here?”

In modern society, everyone followed core socialist values. Violent conflicts were things one only saw on television. Who would have thought that Gu Qing, despite being born into a good family in the past, would choose a life of killing?

Gu Qing paused and scratched her head. “In the modern world, I was a cold-weapon enthusiast. My family inherited some ancient martial arts. Coming here was such a good opportunity; I definitely had to learn the essence of our ancestors.”

Although Xie Zhenzhi knew from Gu Qing that most women in her era had their own jobs, she could not understand the conversation, especially terms like “cold weapons.”

“As for becoming a general…” Gu Qing wrapped her arm around Xie Zhenzhi’s slender waist, pulling her back from her thoughts. Seeing the happy, satisfied smile on Gu Qing’s face, Xie Zhenzhi’s unease faded slightly.

Being held like this in front of an outsider still made Xie Zhenzhi a bit uncomfortable. But then she remembered that such actions were perfectly normal in Gu Qing’s era. Now, in front of Yuan Shu, who came from the same place, Xie Zhenzhi unexpectedly did not push Gu Qing away.

“You might have heard about my affairs already. Wasn’t it all to win the heart of the beauty?”

Seeing the intimate behavior between the two, Yuan Shu laughed heartily, looking nothing like a master. She continued to probe, “You’ve been here so long. Don’t you miss your parents?”

She had already learned that Gu Qing was an only child in the modern world. For an only daughter to suddenly vanish, her parents must have been frantic.

The smile on Gu Qing’s face froze. Speaking of her parents was indeed the one thing she was most reluctant to face. Her grip on Xie Zhenzhi’s waist tightened slightly. Xie Zhenzhi frowned, feeling a bit of discomfort, but she did not speak up given the topic. She had thought about it before but had never asked Gu Qing about this.

Soon, Gu Qing’s hand relaxed, realizing she might have pinched her. In a corner where Yuan Shu could not see, she gently rubbed Xie Zhenzhi’s waist before continuing, “Since there’s no way back, thinking about it constantly does nothing but drain one’s energy.”

She gave a bright laugh, not dwelling on the topic. “If my parents saw me now, they would be proud. After all, I’ve learned many things here that they’ve never even seen.”

The martial arts passed down to the modern era were more or less incomplete. She was doing quite well now, except for the fact that she could not take these skills back to the modern world.

Seeing that Gu Qing was open-minded, Yuan Shu smiled and did not say much more. She only added sentimentally, “It’s just that whenever I encounter a harsh summer like this, I can’t help but miss modern air conditioning.”

Although there was ice here, it was a rare commodity, and ice blocks could never compare to the convenience of air conditioning.

Watching the two of them chat about things she did not understand, the smile on Xie Zhenzhi’s face grew a bit stiff. Gu Qing rubbed her thumb against Xie Zhenzhi’s waist and explained in a low voice, “Air conditioning is like an ice mountain that can release cool air at any time. Of course, in winter, it’s a bit like a stove and can release heat.”

Although Xie Zhenzhi still didn’t quite understand the principle, Gu Qing’s initiative to explain made her feel much better.

Yuan Shu noticed their whispering. The two beautiful women, holding each other and whispering intimately, were a perfect match. A faint light flashed in her eyes.

“I also miss mobile phones,” Yuan Shu sighed, her tone full of regret. “Don’t laugh, but when I first arrived, the hardest thing to accept was not having a phone. I didn’t know what to do every day. I was bored to death.”

At the mention of phones, Gu Qing’s smile stiffened. As a modern person, phones were practically part of her blood and bones. She could accept everything else, but a phone…

“A phone is…”

Before Gu Qing could finish, Xie Zhenzhi answered with a smile. Her delicate, smiling face was heart-stirring. “I know. You told me before. It’s a small rectangular box. It looks tiny, but it can do anything.”

Seeing that Xie Zhenzhi knew, Gu Qing responded to Yuan Shu, “To tell you the truth, so do I.”

During the day, she had things to do, so not having a phone was fine. But at night, she couldn’t sleep soundly without playing on her phone before bed. Fortunately, she was young back then and slept a lot; ten hours of sleep helped pass the long nights. Later, as she went through withdrawal, Gu Qing genuinely felt that not having a phone was okay, though she still felt sentimental when she thought about it occasionally.

Why does it feel like a phone was my first love?

Gu Qing shook her head, throwing the strange thought out of her mind.

The topic ended there, and Yuan Shu did not continue. She shifted the conversation to Xie Zhenzhi. “I heard the Princess Royal has opened an academy?”

Xie Zhenzhi gave a slight nod in response.

Yuan Shu seemed very curious about the academy and took the initiative to ask for a visit. Xie Zhenzhi frowned, feeling that although the person before her carried a Buddhist aura, she gave her a very bad premonition.

However, the other party was Gu Qing’s compatriot and a guest of the Geng Dynasty. There was nothing in her academy that couldn’t be seen. In fact, as long as it didn’t affect the students’ classes, she hoped more people would see and pay attention to it. Therefore, despite her lack of fondness for Yuan Shu, Xie Zhenzhi nodded and agreed.

The three took a carriage. Along the way, Yuan Shu did not mention modern things again. Instead, she looked at the local customs of the Geng Dynasty and asked Xie Zhenzhi about them.

The academy was very close to the manor, and they arrived quickly. Meng Jing was surprised to see Xie Zhenzhi, as Su Juan had already informed her that Xie Zhenzhi might not come. Unexpectedly, she had arrived with Gu Qing and someone who appeared to have a deep Buddhist affinity.

Almost instinctively, Meng Jing stood straight and bowed to Yuan Shu. Gu Qing took on the role of the introducer, presenting her to Meng Jing while omitting the modern details.

Upon learning Yuan Shu’s identity, Meng Jing was struck with solemn respect. Who hadn’t heard the name of Master Yuan Shu? The person closest to Buddha in this world was now standing before her.

Just then, Gu Yin finished a class. She was about to come out and ask Meng Jing to prepare for the next lesson when she saw them. She was not a big believer in Buddhism, so she was not as excited as Meng Jing.

This class was originally supposed to be Gu Qing’s. If Gu Qing hadn’t come, Xie Zhenzhi would have substituted, but since Gu Qing was here, she naturally took the stage herself.

Meng Jing pulled Yuan Shu aside and asked many questions. Since it was rare to meet such a master, she specifically asked her to calculate her daughter’s health and whether she would have a smooth life. The result was that while she wouldn’t be extremely wealthy, she would live a worry-free life. Meng Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She was about to ask more when Yuan Shu, with a faint smile and a gentle tone that showed no sign of impatience, declined. “This old monk has something to ask the Princess Royal. If this benefactor has any questions, you can come to the Princess Royal’s Manor to find me next time.”

Meng Jing was stunned. She hadn’t expected the legendary master to speak such words of rejection. If it were anyone else, Meng Jing would have felt they were annoyed by her. but facing a master with a Buddha-like face who was revered by all, Meng Jing felt no dissatisfaction. Instead, she felt she was in the wrong. The Master must have something important to discuss with Xie Zhenzhi; how could she block the way?

Meng Jing instinctively stepped back to make room and said dazed, “Zhenzhi should be in the study. I will take the Master there.”

Yuan Shu smiled, her narrowed eyes bearing a three-part resemblance to a Buddha statue—not in physical appearance, but in spirit.

At the study, Meng Jing pointed to the door and then left to prepare for her next class.

Xie Zhenzhi was in the study, about to read. Before she could finish a few pages, she heard a knock on the door. She said softly, “Come in.”

Hearing the creak of the door, Xie Zhenzhi looked up. Her eyes met Yuan Shu’s smiling face. In front of Xie Zhenzhi and Gu Qing, she never pretended to be enigmatic.

“What business brings Master Yuan Shu here?” Xie Zhenzhi felt a strange hostility toward Yuan Shu, perhaps because she and Gu Qing were from the same place. The two of them had many common topics to discuss, while Xie Zhenzhi was left completely unable to understand, relying on Gu Qing’s explanations.

Yuan Shu seemed to sense the hostility. She smiled and walked over to sit in the chair in front of Xie Zhenzhi. “Why is Your Highness so guarded against me? I am not a bad person.”

Xie Zhenzhi’s hand tightened on the page she was turning, her fingertips turning white. Yet she maintained the same smile and asked with a look of confusion, “Master Yuan Shu must be mistaken. Everyone knows you are a model for those in monastic life. Although the Yu Dynasty was defeated, it does not affect your status at all.”

Although her tone was gentle, her words carried a hint of sarcasm.

Yuan Shu did not mind. She touched her beads. “Is the Princess Royal not at all curious about what the world Gu Qing and I came from looks like?”

Xie Zhenzhi’s face turned cold. “If I want to know, Gu Qing will tell me herself.”

It was just that there were too many new things from that era. Xie Zhenzhi had only learned a little from Gu Qing. The mindset of her current era limited her imagination, making it impossible for her to conceive of advanced technology like light bulbs, telephones that could connect across a kingdom, or the powerful functions of smartphones.

Yuan Shu was not concerned with the hostility. She looked up to meet Xie Zhenzhi’s eyes and asked, “Then do you know what the world you live in looks like in the eyes of Gu Qing and me?”

Xie Zhenzhi’s delicate brows furrowed slightly, not quite understanding what she meant.

Seeing this reaction, the corners of Yuan Shu’s mouth curled up with a hint of malice. As she suspected, Gu Qing really hadn’t told Xie Zhenzhi about this.

“I wonder if the Princess Royal has ever read storybooks?”

Xie Zhenzhi nodded with a puzzled look. What does this have to do with storybooks?

“In the eyes of Gu Qing and me, the world Your Highness lives in is the world within a storybook.”

A world… of storybooks?

Initially, Xie Zhenzhi didn’t quite understand, but soon she seemed to think of something. She answered hesitantly, “You mean, you didn’t travel to the past, but into the world of a book?”

The word “transmigration” was also something Gu Qing had taught her.

Yuan Shu nodded. Seeing that Xie Zhenzhi still looked skeptical, she spoke. “You are the female lead of this book, and Yin Lang is the male lead. The two of you are supposed to be a couple. In the original book, Yin Lang treated you very well, and you never suffered such hardships.”

She touched her beads and continued, “I imagine that when Gu Qing first met you, she surely showed you kindness. After all, you and Yin Lang are the core of this world. To put it bluntly, the two of you are the reason this world exists. Gu Qing surely wanted to cling to your support.”

Xie Zhenzhi still found it hard to believe. When Gu Qing said she came from thousands of years in the future, she didn’t feel much. But now, Yuan Shu was telling her that her world was fake, and that Gu Qing had approached her with an agenda from the very beginning.

This was difficult to accept; it felt as if her worldview were collapsing.

“I… I don’t believe what you say.” She would not believe a stranger’s words and doubt Gu Qing. Whether it was true or false, she would ask for herself.

Yuan Shu had already anticipated this reaction. She lowered her eyes and said calmly, “Do you know why I can predict disasters? Because I have a photographic memory. I remember every word in the book. Some serious disasters, as plot points, are written in it.”

As if to prove her words, Yuan Shu opened her mouth and began to recite. “On this day, Yin Lang learned of the sudden flood in Anzhou. After returning to the manor, his brow remained furrowed. Xie Zhenzhi did not know what had happened, only hearing that he had not left his study. She asked Su Juan to brew a pot of tea and brought it to the study…”

Her memory was indeed excellent. She recited over three thousand words at once until Xie Zhenzhi told her to shut up.

Xie Zhenzhi rushed out of the study, wanting to find Gu Qing to verify this. But when she heard the voices coming from the classroom, she stopped.

“So, what is eleven plus five?”

“It’s sixteen!”

“How did you calculate it?”

“Split eleven into ten and one…”

Gu Qing was still in class. Whether what Yuan Shu said was true or false was still unknown; she could not let such matters interfere with the children’s learning.

Just then, Meng Jing came over. She was surprised to see Xie Zhenzhi looking so lost. “Zhenzhi? What happened to you?”

Xie Zhenzhi did not answer. She only said quietly, “When Gu Qing finishes class, tell her to find me in the study.”

With that, she walked back to the study looking desolate, while simultaneously turning Yuan Shu out.

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