“Where did it come from?” Shao Wanru said.
“I don’t know where it came from. Anyway, it’s very effective, especially for women,” Zhang Qilan said and looked around again. When no one noticed them, she leaned in and whispered in her ear, “It is said that the Noble Ladies who live in the palace are all well-destined. If they can get the protective talisman in the palace, they can become Noble Ladies or be protected by these Noble Ladies in the palace!”
Shao Wanru looked at Zhang Qilan in shock.
“Yes, that’s what they said, but it’s all legends. I don’t know if it’s true or not!” Zhang Qilan nodded and said affirmatively again, fearing that Shao Wanru would not believe it.
Shao Wanru was silent for a while and suddenly realized something. There was such a rumor about the protective talisman. No wonder the beauties of this draft picks had tried so hard to get one. “Then… where did they get these protective talismans?” Shao Wanru asked differently.
“The Buddha hall!” Zhang Qilan asked in puzzlement. She remembered that Shao Wanru had asked it just now.
“Who hosts the Buddha hall?” Shao Wanru raised her eyebrows.
“Pushan Nun! Weren’t you in Yuhui Nunnery before? Could it be that you didn’t know that Pushan Nun of Yuhui Nunnery entered the palace and gave lectures to Empress Dowager? She temporarily lived in Buddha hall. There were several nuns in Buddha hall before. But they were not as good as Pushan Nun.” Zhang Qilan knew about this, and she thought Shao Wanru should know it too. Didn’t she live in Yuhui Nunnery?
Pushan Nun? Shao Wanru’s heart jumped, and her eyes darkened. She continued to ask, “Are Pushan Nun’s two disciples in the palace?” “Of course. Pushan Nun certainly has someone to wait on her. Even if she didn’t bring her two disciples over, nuns are serving in the Buddha hall of the palace!”
Zhang Qilan looked at Shao Wanru with confusion and asked, “Fifth Miss, do you know something?”
“I’m wondering why did a good person like Pushan Nun take in two poor disciples?” Shao Wanru changed the subject calmly.
“Really? Her disciples are not good?” Zhang Qilan asked with wide eyes.
“Do you remember the nun who embarrassed me when we first met? She was one of Pushan Nun’s two disciples!” Shao Wanru reminded her with a smile.
As soon as she said it, Zhang Qilan immediately remembered it. She was stunned. After a long time, she said, “She was not very good. I can’t believe she is Pushan Nun’s disciple. How did Pushan Nun take in such a disciple? She should be kicked out long ago!” Although she had experienced it, she hadn’t noticed the details.
The two talked softly, but they were very comfortable. Some of the ladies who learned the rules did not learn well, and they were scolded by the Nanny in-charge. At this time, they started to cry, and it was pitiful. They slowed down the progress more and more. While the two of them talked with each other happily, Shao Yanru was also very intimate with a young lady. From time to time, she looked up at Shao Wanru. If Zhang Qilan or Shao Wanru met her eyes, she smiled at them slightly. She looked friendly and gentle.
The last part in the morning was drawing lots about the time for painting. The morning passed very quickly, and when it was time for lunch, they went back to lunch separately.
Shao Wanru had just finished lunch when she heard a knock at the door. She asked Yujie to open the door, and saw Shao Yanru standing at the door with a smile. “Eldest Sister!” Shao Wanru stood up.
Shao Yanru nodded and stepped inside. “Please sit down!” Shao Wanru pointed to the chair beside her, and Wan Yanru sat down with a smile. Yujie cleaned up the table quickly and served two cups of tea.
Then, like Shuqi, she retreated behind her master. “Fifth Sister, I have one thing to tell you today,” Shao Yanru said gently.
Shao Wanru said nothing and lowered her head. She picked up the teacup for two sips, and then slowly put it down. With a distant smile on her face, she looked at Shao Yanru and waited for her to continue. She didn’t think there was anything between them that needed to be discussed in private. Why was Shao Yanru here today?
“Fifth Sister, do you know that Pushan Nun is in the palace?” Shao Yanru said cheerfully and her face was full of joy. Shao Wanru nodded, narrowed her eyes to observe Shao Yanru’s expression, and waited for her to continue.
“When I went to cultivate in Yuhui Nunnery, I learned painting with Pushan Nun, but then I had to go down the mountain for something, and I never had the chance to learn again. Now when I’m in the palace, it is a good opportunity. It happens that we have nothing to do in the afternoon. I wonder if you can accompany me to visit her. If I go over alone, I’m afraid it will cause misunderstandings!”
Shao Wanru lowered her head. She knew what the misunderstandings Shao Yanru was worried about. If she hung around, others would mistakenly think that she was deliberately trying to hook up with someone. There were only a few princes in the palace beside the emperor. No matter what others thought about it, it would be bad for her. “Why don’t you go to Third Sister?” Shao Wanru looked at her and asked. She neither refused nor immediately agreed.
“Third Sister didn’t like Pushan Nun very much before. If I ask her to go with me, she will be in a bad mood, and even deliberately say something inappropriate.” Shao Yanru shook her head and said bluntly.
“Third Sister has always been generous. Why didn’t she get along with Pushan Nun? Besides, Pushan Nun is your master of painting. Why doesn’t Third Sister like her?” Shao Wanru looked at Shao Yanru.
Shao Yanru couldn’t answer the question for a while. After some hesitation, she shook her hand and smiled bitterly. “This is Third Sister’s personal affair. Maybe they were incompatible in character. It was related to painting. Third Sister went up to the mountain to ask for a painting, but Pushan Nun didn’t agree. It was not a big deal.” She was very vague about it, but it was related to Shao Caihuan, so it made sense.
“Fifth Sister, when we entered the palace this time, my grandmother and father hope that one of the daughters of our Duke Xing’s Mansion will go to Prince Yue’s Mansion or Prince Zhou’s Mansion. But which one of us will go or what position we will be given is not something we can decide. I hope that during this period, we three sisters can let go of the past and stick together. You know, if something happens in the palace, our family will be easily implicated!” Shao Yanru said with a straight face.
She had a good point. Even if they were sworn enemies outside, they should work together in the palace at this time. Otherwise, no one was sure whether their family would be implicated if something happened.
Shao Wanru was silent for a while. She looked a little hesitant because of the deep grudges between them and family expectations of them. These expectations were well-known in the mansion. On this point, Shao Yanru did not lie, but her meaning was slightly different.
Duke Xing’s Mansion did hope that a lady would be selected, but the candidate had been selected and it was Shao Yanru. She sounded so genuine that she couldn’t tell if it was true or not.
“Sister, I’m afraid I can’t accompany you. The lot I drew earlier is in the front.” Shao Wanru thought for a while and spoke.
“Which lot did you draw?” Shao Yanru asked. Everyone had left after they drew the lot, and they didn’t go together. So Shao Yanru didn’t know Shao Wanru’s number!
“It’s 22, and it’s coming soon. There is only one lady before me.”
“What a coincidence. I’m 32, and we’re not in a hurry. I heard that the painters are not fast. It takes at least two or three days to paint a lady. We will go in a while, Okay?” Shao Yanru smiled casually.
“Although it takes some time to paint one lady, I heard that if there is an accident, the lady behind will fill in. If they look for us and we are not there, that would be too bad!” Shao Wanru shook her head and refused.
Seeing Shao Wanru’s repeated rejections, Shao Yanru sighed helplessly. “Since you say so, then I will go alone. I just hope that if someone asks, you can explain it for me!” Shao Yanru stood up and said.
“How do I explain?” Shao Wanru also stood up.
“Well, you can just say I went to visit Pushan Nun!” Shao Yanru hesitated.
“Okay!” Shao Wanru nodded. Regardless of how they were outside the palace, Shao Yanru’s incident was reasonable. Besides, she had refused to go with her, so it’s not a big deal to just help her explain it. Even if it was to make up for her previous refusal, she should agree to do her the favor now.
“Thank you, Fifth Sister!” Shao Yanru bowed to her, turned around, and walked outside. Shuqi followed her closely. When she reached the door, Shao Yanru seemed to have thought of something, and suddenly stopped. She turned around and said, “Fifth Sister, I made an appointment with Miss Wang in the afternoon. If Miss Wang comes over later, please entertain her for me!”
“Miss Wang?” Shao Wanru didn’t understand who she was referring to.
“It’s Miss Wang who spoke to me in the morning. We had a nice talk in the morning, just like you and Miss Zhang. We made an appointment in the afternoon. But now I have to go to visit Pushan Nun. I’m afraid I won’t be able to receive Miss Wang!” Shao Yanru said apologetically.
“All right!” Shao Wanru nodded. It was just a small favor. It was the same as explaining Shao Yanru’s whereabouts. It was not a big deal. Anyone would agree to it. Shao Yanru smiled and saluted Shao Wanru sideways, and then took Shuqi away.
When they left, Yujie frowned and said, “Miss, why do I feel that something is wrong! What the hell is she here for?”
Shao Yanru had said a lot and asked her to do her favors, and she looked very sincere. She seemed to have explained everything about Duke Xing’s Mansion clearly. She had confided in her. But after thinking about it, she felt that it was such a trivial matter. Why did Shao Yanru especially visit her? She was a little too cautious.
Shao Wanru smiled slightly and her eyes darkened. Shao Yanru had made such a big fuss for only one purpose. “She did it for Miss Wang!”