The gate of Qinglong Temple opened wide, and all the people from Dalu Temple, along with the escorting carriages, entered the temple.

  Kosami's gaze changed noticeably when she saw another woman entering.

  Jing Wan'er's eyes met those of the young monk, and she smiled calmly.

  Kosami obviously looked down somewhat uncomfortably.

  Pei Tan looked at the carriage until now, and it was still quiet inside. The imperial edict said that as long as they escorted the carriage to Qinglong Temple, their mission would be over.

  Xiaoyi said at this time: "Everyone is tired from traveling, the temple has prepared some clean water, please follow me to the temple to have a drink first."

  Pei Tan's eyes were dim and he said, "Isn't this inappropriate?"

  Xiaoyi saw Pei Tan's gaze, his eyes flickered, and he clasped his hands together. "Please rest assured, Qinglong Temple has twelve guardian deities protecting it. Once the carriage enters the temple gate, there will be no problem. I will notify my fellow monks to come and handle the situation immediately."

  Jing Wan'er watched, feeling that the monks of Qinglong Temple were so strange, and the escorting imperial edict was also incomprehensible.

  Kosami has already taken the lead and is walking ahead.

  Jing Wan'er couldn't help but glance at the place known as the Datang Guardian Temple, perhaps it was just her imagination, but she felt that the young monk's eyes were evasive and darting about, and it absolutely didn't seem to be because she was a woman.

  They arrived at a spacious courtyard, where water was flowing and two young monks were reciting scriptures in the empty space. In the courtyard, there was a clear spring, and a young monk fetched water and handed it to the waiting official. No one knew that the weather would be so hot, and they were really thirsty.

  When it was Jing Yuanyuan's turn, Xia Shami lowered her head.

  Jing Wan'er took over the water and saw that it was clear enough to reflect her shadow. She took a sip and found it sweet and smooth, flowing down easily.

  It's indeed good water, with this kind of water, tea would be elevated to a higher level.

  A yamen runner whispered beside him: "I heard that drinking a mouthful of water from the Green Dragon Temple can add ten years to one's life..."

  After all, it is the Datang Guardian Temple, and the incense received every day includes people from all over Datang who come to pray for blessings. In the hearts of many ordinary people, Qinglong Temple

  It's a temple situated in the mortal world, where every blade of grass and every tree is extraordinary.

  Jing Wan'er saw that the young monks who were reciting sutras in the courtyard suddenly looked terrified, and they all bowed their heads towards the gate.

  "Have met Master Hui Gen."

  A monk appeared at the gate, with a clean white face and extremely handsome features. Unlike the little monks in the courtyard who were only wearing gray monk robes, he was draped in magnificent kasaya, with a string of Buddhist beads wrapped around his white jade fingers.

  Judging from his appearance, he looks like a high-ranking monk who has attained enlightenment from the Qinglong Temple.

  "Amitabha." The monk who suddenly appeared smiled on his face.

  The little monk who was fetching water hastily came forward: "Shifu Hui Gen, what instructions do you have?"

  "As the young master's cleverness, Shang Youyou slowly opened his mouth: 'The wing room prepared for you has been cleaned up. I was ordered by my master to bring all of you gentlemen there to rest.'"

  Jing Wan'er stared at this strange monk, didn't Qinglong Temple even prepare a side room? It's a bit too considerate.

  Huigen said: "Going forward is the inner courtyard, please put down your weapons and there will be someone to take care of them for you."

  Even emperors have to dismount and undress here; the status of a third-rank official is truly nothing.

  "Everyone, put down your weapons."

  Lian Pei County's guards all had cold faces, glanced at Pei Tan, then slowly unbuckled their own swords from their waists.

  Two little monks came up and separately picked up the heavy weapons on the ground, heading towards a door in the courtyard that was open.

  Hui Gen and Shang said quickly: "Please follow me, gentlemen."

  It seems that after entering the temple gate, no one paid attention to the horse carriage and the people inside.

  All the young monks they met on the way bowed their heads respectfully when they saw Huigen, and this young monk seemed to have a very high status in Qinglong Temple.

  Hui Gen pushed open the door in front of him, revealing a courtyard.

  "There are nine rooms in this courtyard, please choose one by yourself." Hui Gen smiled with a full face, "The monk will take his leave now."

  He left, and the yamen runners all looked at each other in dismay. Pei Tan instructed, "Two people per room, rest on your own."

  The adults have spoken, and the yamen runners no longer think twice about it. Automatically and naturally, two of them form a team and quickly enter the five-room house.

  Pei Tan turned and walked towards one of them, and Jing Wanyu and Pei Shih Wei naturally followed him.

  Open the compartment door, inside is fragrant with sandalwood, tables and chairs are complete, on the bed, even the bedding is neatly stacked.

  "It's as if they knew the adults would come." Jing Wanyu glanced at Pei Tan.

  Pei Shuaiwei walked in, stretched out his hand to carefully examine the surroundings of the table and chairs, then looked towards the bed and said: "This is Qinglong Temple, there shouldn't be any mechanisms."

  Pei Shuaiwei raised his head: "It's still better to be careful." This Qinglong Temple doesn't allow bringing in weapons, what if we encounter danger?

  After checking, Pei Shuaiwei re-emerged.

  "The young master had originally planned to go to the Green Dragon Temple and return immediately. Why did he agree with the people of this temple to come to the side room?"

  This was also what Jing Wan'er wanted to ask, and she saw Pei Tan take out the edict from his sleeve, gently shaking it back and forth.

  He glanced at his guard and Jing Yu'er.

  As expected, it's related to this secret edict. It can only be opened at the Green Dragon Temple, making this imperial decree even more mysterious.

  "Your Majesty said in the letter that we need to stay one more night at Qinglong, and tomorrow, a person of high status will follow us back to Chang'an."

  "An important person?" Jing Wanyi asked in surprise.

  It's indeed worthy of being a temple of the Great Tang imperial family, from the entrance, it exudes an eerie atmosphere everywhere.

  "Who exactly is the person who was escorted here today?" Until now, they have not had a chance to see the face of this person who has been following them all along, let alone their identity. Could it be that this person is also a "noble"?

  "Tomorrow's returnees to Chang'an should have nothing to do with today's arrivals," said Pei Tan.

  Otherwise, Zhong Zong would not have issued such a boring decree. It's just that this time's task really gives people an unexplored feeling.

  "You should also go find a room to rest." Pei Tan said to the guard. Since you've come, then stay.

  There are nine rooms here, and even if they occupy one more room, it will be enough. It's just past noon now, and even if they leave early tomorrow morning, they still have several hours to stay in this quiet temple.

  Pei Shuaiwei glanced at Jing Yuane'er with a faint expression and didn't say much before turning around to leave.

  The remaining Jing Wan'er saw Pei Tan looking at her and said with a smile: "Wan'er, you should also go find a room to rest."

  "Have you ever been to Qinglong Temple before?" Pei Tan asked.

  Jing Wan'er pretended to be silly: "What did the adult say?"

  Pei Tan looked at her, he didn't know if it was because he knew this girl too well, and it was easy to see that something was off about her. "Just now when the little master was leading the way, before he even turned the corner, you seemed to already know where we were going."

  Jing Wan'er opened her mouth and blinked twice, then quickly said: "Sir, you're worrying too much. I'm just like everyone else, it's my first time coming to Qinglong Temple, so I'm curious."

  She quickly bowed her head slightly to Pei Tan and went out after opening the door.

  Pei Tan didn't stop her, because there was no reason to stop her. He relied on his intuitive understanding of Jing Yu'er. If Jing Yu'er had been to the Qinglong Temple before, it was naturally impossible for her to have done so after becoming a palace maid.

  Jing Wan'er came to a vacant room next door, just stretching out her hand to push it open, and turned her eyes towards the gate of the courtyard.

  She slowly looked towards Pei Tan's room door, and after a moment, she retreated backwards step by step, tiptoeing away very quietly.

  Pei Shuaiwei sat cross-legged in the house, his face somewhat cold as he stared at the door.

  Jing Wan'er returned to the courtyard where they had entered earlier, and saw that the horse carriage was still parked there. The courtyard was so quiet, but in just a short while, the people inside the carriage were gone?

  She looked around slowly, this was a sacred place in the hearts of the people of Tang Dynasty, but she didn't trust this temple at all.

  It was as if heaven had given her a premonition of what was about to happen, but left her powerless to do anything but watch.

  Jing Wan'er slowly walked towards the carriage, looking at the thick curtain door, her hand was about to touch...

  "Miss, are you lost?" a teasing voice sounded from behind Jing Wanyan.

  She immediately withdrew her hand and turned around to see a monk with clear eyebrows and bright eyes.

  It's really a narrow road encounter, it's that clever root.

  Jing Wan'er smiled calmly and stared at Hui Gen, "Where did the people in the carriage go?"

  She just heard it very clearly, and there was no one's breathing inside anymore.

  Huì Gēn gazed at her face, the curve of his mouth that seemed to smile but not quite made him look more like a noble young master strolling through Chang'an City than a high-ranking monk who had attained enlightenment.

  "Since I saw you just now, I felt a bit familiar, and it wasn't until just now that I remembered, you are actually an old acquaintance."

  Jing Wan'er stared at Hui Gen without saying a word.

  The monk faintly hooked his lips: "Miss wants to inquire about the people in the carriage, I'm afraid it's not quite proper. The Buddha once said, 'To know is to know, not to know is not to know', that's what is meant by knowing."

  Jing Wan'er looked at Hui Gen's pretentious behavior and turned to leave the yard. Since there was no one she wanted to find in the carriage, and Qinglong Temple had 84 meditation rooms and 36 arhat doors, it was impossible for her to find anyone by herself.

  Hui Gen looked at Jing Wanyan, everyone who came to his Qinglong Temple, even the Emperor himself today, all bathed and dressed in fasting clothes, respectfully calling him "Sheng Seng" to point out the way. Hui Gen knew that he didn't have such great abilities to command respect, but his master, Xuanlian Dashi, was already famous throughout the Tang Dynasty.

  This allusion was also known to Jing Yuanner, and almost all the emperors of the Tang Dynasty were sons of heaven. And that Master Xuanlian was said to have been able to predict the rise and fall of the Tang Dynasty's fate a hundred years ago. Thinking carefully, why did Qinglong Temple become a national temple after Zhongzong ascended the throne?

  "Actually, I also have a question," Hui Gen's eyes sparkled, "You're here for the person in the attic, aren't you?"

  Jing Wan'er originally wanted to step out of the courtyard, but she drew her foot back. She frowned and looked at Hui Gen: "What attic?"

  Hui Gen didn't say anything, but he looked at Jing Yuanyuan for a long time, seemingly judging her true intentions.

  ——

  After returning from the courtyard, Jing Wanyi directly returned to her boudoir and didn't come out until evening.

  Until the time of lighting the lamps in the evening, several young monks came to add oil for them. Huigen stood in the yard and said to them: "Please, everyone, do not move around in the temple at night, tomorrow morning, someone will come to send breakfast to all the distinguished guests."

  Jing Wan'er looked through the door gap at Hui Gen's figure in the courtyard, whose face was still shrouded in mystery. She never thought that this would be the last time she saw Hui Gen.