The palanquin stopped in front of the main gate of the shrine. Court Lady Xu pushed away the curtain from the window and told Bai Yaling to come out. Bai Yaling nodded her head and stepped out of the palanquin.
Bai Yaling walked ahead, followed by the Court Lady and General Wang. The maidservants, soldiers, and the carriers stayed outside of the shrine.
Entering the stupa, Bai Yaling was instructed by the monk of the shrine about offering the prayer to Lord Buddha. She first lit an incense stick and put that inside the cauldron filled with the ash of the previously burned incense sticks. She joined both of her hands in front of the idol.
She then sat down on the floor and closed her eyes to listen to the monk chanting religious text– a kind of meditation that would relax her.
Outside the stupa center, Court Lady Xu and General Wang waited for Bai Yaling.
Court Lady Xu thought to inform General Wang about Bai Yaling's weak state of mind. "General Wang, if you allow, then may I ask something?" She asked humbly.
"Of course, Lady Xu," General Wang answered.
"Princess Bai cried while we were coming to the shrine. She had this blank stare and it felt that she had lots of regrets. Isn't it concerning?" She wanted to know General Wang's opinion on that.
"Since the Princess has lost her husband, it will not be easy to recover from the loss for her," Wang Hao replied.
"No one ever tried to take his or her life in the Han Dynasty. Princess Bai took a drastic step without thinking of the consequences," Court Lady Xu asserted.
"That decision was in a rush. The emotional and mental breakdown that Princess Bai is suffering from, is difficult to understand for us. She lost her husband within a month and that's the main reason that she took that step," Wang Hao explained his point of view to Court Lady Xu on that. He had nothing much to say about that.
After an hour, Bai Yaling came out of the main stupa. Court Lady Xu helped her by helping her wear the socks and the shoes. She went to the well to wash her hands which were on the backside of the shrine.
"I am grateful to General Wang for saving my life," Bai Yaling said and bowed.
"It was my duty, Princess Bai," Wang Hao stated. Bai Yaling looked into his eyes. "Princess Bai jumped in the lake and now she is grateful to me for saving her life. Isn't this weird?" Wang Hao asked her.
"I had only one thought in my mind at that time. I would have gotten free from this life. If General Wang had been at my place, then he would have understood it," Bai Yaling remarked.
"I am not a coward, Princess Bai. If I had been at your place, then I would not have taken such a step. Life is given only once by the mighty heaven. No matter how tough a situation it is, a person shall fight with it. Many women lose their husbands at a young age, but that does not mean they stopped living their lives. Princess Bai shall not cling to the dead Prince, who never cared for her," Wang Hao advised her and looked into her eyes.
Bai Yaling blinked a few times. Tears formed in her eyes. "What could I possibly do? I am a woman who can do nothing except mourning for my dead husband and then follow the path of virtuousness," Bai Yaling stated.
"Your dead husband is not worthy of your mourning. He tried to kill four people at once. Also, I got to know that he used to beat you. Don't you think you should have come forward and told this to His Majesty? He might have stopped if you had revealed his truth," Wang Hao asserted.
Tears poured from the eyes of Bai Yaling.
"Don't tell me that you could not say that because no one had believed you. Accept the truth that you have hidden his crime because you thought he would cherish you one day. Your silence gave him the strength to make an evil plan. We all were aware of Prince Yongzheng's nature. However, we were not aware that he pretended to turn good," Wang Hao proclaimed.
"The Crown Princess knew about that," Bai Yaling replied.
"I know but that was too late. Prince Yongzheng had already made plans. Don't mourn for him. Also, even if you are a woman, you should learn to find your dignity. Don't let it get harmed," Wang Hao opined.
He saw Court Lady Xu had returned. "We shall head back," Wang Hao told her and walked away. Bai Yaling looked at Wang Hao. His words hit her hard.
"Princess Bai, let's go back," Court Lady Xu told her. She hummed and left the shrine.
~~~~~
Nianzu, after getting ready into a clean dress, came back to his chamber. He saw his mother was waiting for him. He recalled whatever Huo Jin had told him about Deng Hui.
Seeing her son, Deng Hui went to him and hugged him. Nianzu pushed her away and it befuddled her. "Prince!" She peered at him with a confused expression.
"You made plans with Gu Zhenya to kill my wife. You tried to kill the Emperor. Am I right?" Nianzu asked her.
Deng Hui was shocked to know about that. She had not imagined that Sheng Li would tell all this to her son.
"I hate you, Mother. How could you be so selfish after becoming the Empress?" Nianzu questioned her in a fit of rage.
"I-I… son, I had lost my mind but not anymore. I have regretted that and also suffered," proclaimed Deng Hui.
"Leave! I do not want to talk with you. The respect I had for you, does not exist anymore," affirmed Nianzu and averted his gaze from her. He called Eunuch Chung in, who came inside quickly.
"Escort the Imperial Mother to her chamber," Nianzu ordered him.. Deng Hui could not say anything and left the chamber with Eunuch Chung.
