Why My Domineering Prince Regretted Filing for Divorce?-Chapter 453 - 393: Can One Seek Marriage?

Shang Ruyi slowly walked out of the Great Hero Hall, the dazzling sunlight outside piercing her eyes, causing tears to well up again. She quickly bowed her head, looking at the paper in her hand and the gentle handwriting on it—

People live in the world, nothing but love and hate.

These eight characters both stripped open her bloody wounds and completely stitched up her long-unhealed injuries.

The scar left behind, perhaps hideous, and may ache faintly in future life, but she had ultimately emerged from the pain and from the bloodstained nightmare of that night.

At this moment, Eunuch Yu’s voice echoed from ahead—

"The Empress Dowager is heading back to the palace."

Shang Ruyi lifted her head and saw Empress Dowager Jiang already descending the steps. The officials serving nearby and the monks of Dayan Temple did not expect the assembly to finish so soon and hurried forward; since Empress Dowager Jiang couldn’t speak, she naturally didn’t converse with them, only having Eunuch Yu instruct them briefly, and they quickly fell silent, stepping forward to respectfully see her off.

As she left through the mountain gate, Empress Dowager Jiang turned to look at Shang Ruyi who stood dazed at the entrance of the Great Hero Hall.

In such blinding sunlight, her smile remained gentle as water.

People live in the world, nothing but love and hate.

She was telling her that those who remain have a duty to be happier than those who left.

Therefore, she doesn’t ask.

No matter how despairing she felt during these days, how the unspeakable pain tormented her, and especially after Chu Yang’s death which scattered her spirit.

But, when she saw Shang Ruyi, she had already decided not to ask anymore.

No matter what happened before, no matter how many dreams were stained with blood in Jiangdu Palace, no matter how deep the sword that hurt her was, she would not ask anymore.

Simply because asking would hurt others.

She saw through everything and accepted it all, so she left that hideous scar and kept herself in this world full of wounds.

At this moment, Shang Ruyi suddenly felt that the long-standing shadows on her heart seemed to be lifted.

Not only the blood-stained memories of that night, but even the unspeakable jealousy since knowing Yu Wenye’s true feelings seemed to be let go at this moment.

She stood quietly in place, watching Empress Dowager Jiang’s figure disappear beyond the mountain gate, and then sighed deeply, holding the paper and turning to walk towards the back of the temple.

Before long, she reached the Layman Forest.

She entered but didn’t find Yu Wenye. The rooms arranged by the abbot were empty, with only Cheng Qiao guarding the door. Shang Ruyi asked him where Yu Wenye had gone, and Cheng Qiao softly replied, "The second young master just came to sit for a while but couldn’t stay and left."

"Where did he go?"

"Seems he went to the front hall to see the Bodhisattva."

"..."

It seems even Cheng Qiao knows that Yu Wenye isn’t one to believe in the God Buddha.

So, he didn’t go to worship the Bodhisattva but to see the Bodhisattva.

Shang Ruyi thought for a moment, then nodded and turned back towards the front.

Fortunately, when she was young, she had followed her parents to Dayan Temple, so she wasn’t too unfamiliar with the deities worshipped in the various halls. Although Cheng Qiao was not clear which Bodhisattva Yu Wenye went to see, Shang Ruyi still walked to the Buddhist Hall behind the Great Hero Hall.

If she remembered correctly, this place is where the Western Trinity is enshrined.

Among them is the Bodhisattva.

Of course, it’s not just because of this. As Shang Ruyi approached the Buddhist Hall, she heard the sound of a bell behind her and turned to look. A vermilion pavilion came into view, where the doors and windows were tightly shut like the Great Hero Hall, but unlike it, some faint candlelight flickered inside, shadows swayed, and faint sounds of chanting the Buddhist Scripture could be heard.

That is where the Inner Altar Dharma Assembly is held today, the Scripture Pavilion.

And this Buddhist Hall is the nearest place to the Scripture Pavilion.

While hearing the Buddhist Scripture, she slowly walked to the entrance of the Buddhist Hall and looked up, seeing a tall figure standing in the center.

It was Yu Wenye.

He was indeed here.

At this moment, the Buddhist Hall had only a few oil lamps lit, the weak light casting shadows upon him, making his originally strong body appear somewhat lean, even the aura surrounding him lacked the usual strength, instead carrying an inexplicable tranquility.

And he stood before the Guanyin Bodhisattva, with his head raised, hands behind his back, quietly gazing at the Bodhisattva’s lowered eyes.

It’s unclear what he’s thinking about.

Shang Ruyi had never seen him like this before.

Was he pondering something or pleading for something?

Just thinking this made her inwardly amused—how could someone like Yu Wenye possibly come to the Buddhist Hall to plead for anything?

Just then, someone entered through the side door of the Buddhist Hall, it was the abbot of Dayan Temple, Master Xinzeng.

This business-minded old monk walked in slowly, smiling and putting his hands together in greeting to Yu Wenye, chanting a Buddhist title, then he said, "What is the second young master pleading for?"

Yu Wenye didn’t look at him, still staring at the lofty yet humbly gazing Guanyin Bodhisattva.

After a long time, he said in a deep voice, "What can the Bodhisattva give me?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

His words remained indifferent and aloof, causing Shang Ruyi to furrow her brows, but Master Xinzeng didn’t find them inappropriate, only smiled and said, "The Bodhisattva can save seven difficulties, unbind three poisons, respond to two requests."

He said this while assessing Yu Wenye, then smiled and said, "The second young master is extraordinarily born, naturally gifted, gaining fame young and brimming with vitality. I imagine the Bodhisattva need not save seven difficulties or unbind three poisons for the second young master. Only the two requests—"

"What can be requested in the two requests?"

"Seeking a son, seeking a daughter."

"..."

"For ordinary people, having both a son and a daughter is considered one of life’s great joys."

Yu Wenye paused for a moment and suddenly said, "Can you seek a marriage alliance?"

"...!"

Standing outside the Buddhist hall, Shang Ruyi’s breath suddenly constricted.

It seemed Master Xinzeng was taken aback for a moment, then lightly chuckled, "Quite right, Second Young Master."

"..."

"To wish for both a son and daughter, how could one not first have a marriage alliance?"

"..."

"However," he glanced at Yu Wenye with some confusion and said softly, "Hasn’t Second Young Master already married? In my humble observation, the Young Madam is beautiful and wise, a peerless woman. Why then seek another marriage alliance?"

"..."

Yu Wenye remained silent for a long time before he slowly said, "If mutual affection cannot be attained, it is not a good marriage alliance."

"...!"

Shang Ruyi’s heart trembled slightly.

As if responding to her heartbeat, the distant Scripture Pavilion echoed with a clear sound of a bell, followed by murmured voices. Though they chanted Buddhist scriptures, from afar it sounded quite noisy.

The two in the Buddhist hall obviously heard it too.

Master Xinzeng’s eyes, filled with calculative gleam, flashed briefly. He then smiled and said to Yu Wenye, "Second Young Master, do you hear? Is it the bell that’s noisy, or is it people’s voices?"

"..."

Yu Wenye replied with a semblance of a smile, "Are you suggesting that it’s my heart that’s noisy?"

Master Xinzeng clasped his palms together and smiled, "Second Young Master has a connection with Buddhism."

Normally, anyone hearing this would feel somewhat proud, but Yu Wenye’s gaze grew even more indifferent. He sneered, "Master, you truly waste no effort, so eager to draw me into the Buddhist Sect."

"..."

"Is it because the Buddhist Sect lacks a member that you feel the need to bring in another?"

As these words fell, the atmosphere in the Buddhist hall turned heavy.

Even the previously steady oil lamp seemed to slightly dim its flame at this moment.

Shang Ruyi gently turned her head to look towards the Scripture Pavilion.

Inside, the Inner Altar Dharma Assembly was still ongoing. The sound of the bell, whose profound statement it responded to, was unknown. As was the speaker of the Buddhist Law’s intricacies, but the voices indeed did not bring peace of mind.

Instead, they stirred the heart.

As her breath began to falter slightly, Master Xinzeng’s eyes twinkled, and he suddenly smiled again, saying, "Second Young Master indeed connects with Buddhism, yet it doesn’t mean the previous answer was correct."

"Oh?"

Yu Wenye raised his eyebrow slightly.

Though he wasn’t a believer nor did he chant Buddha’s name, he wasn’t ignorant of Buddhist teachings. The widely known story of wind moving, banners moving, yet ultimately the heart moving, could not be unknown to him.

So, Master Xinzeng’s question barely required thought for an answer.

Yet he was told it was wrong.

Yu Wenye looked at the old monk before him, brimming with worldly shrewdness, almost smiling as he asked, "Then, Master, what exactly is disrupted?"

Master Xinzeng laughed, "Nothing is disrupted."

"..."

"Only Second Young Master, speaking contrary to his heart, wishes it disrupted."

"...!"

Yu Wenye’s expression grew serious.

And by then Master Xinzeng had already clasped his palms together and quietly recited a Buddha’s name, then turned towards the door. Shang Ruyi was unable to avoid—indeed, she didn’t attempt to avoid, instead standing by the doorway, meeting Master Xinzeng’s smiling eyes. He unexpectedly greeted, "Young Madam."

"...!"

Yu Wenye’s back went rigid as he turned his head.

Shang Ruyi looked at him, then bowed her head lightly to Master Xinzeng, who was already saying, "The Dharma Assembly in the Scripture Pavilion will last a while longer, you may wish to rest here."

Having said this, he adjusted his long monk’s robe and walked away.

Shang Ruyi turned her head, watching as his figure disappeared ahead. Upon returning her gaze, she was met with a pair of deep black eyes, faintly flickering with an unusual gleam. Unbeknownst to her, Yu Wenye had already walked to the entrance of the Buddhist hall, looking down at her.

Shang Ruyi instinctively felt unsteady, lowering her head.

But even without meeting his gaze, Yu Wenye’s eyes continued to focus intently on her face, not missing the slightest fluctuation.

He said, "You cried?"