AWB Chapter 362: Praying at Wanguo Temple
Chapter 362: Praying at Wanguo Temple
Seeing how fast Gu Jianchu was slipping away, Xie Ci'an couldn't help but chuckle. He then lay down and pulled Gu Jianchu into his arms. He lowered his head and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Achu, don't worry about me. If you're not sleepy, I'll chat with you for a while."
Gu Jianchu leaned in Xie Ci'an's arms, slowly revealing her furry little head from the quilt. The red at the corners of her eyes still hadn't faded. She looked at me eagerly like a soft and adorable little rabbit. "In two days, we will go to Wanguo Temple to pray for blessings. My husband should go as scheduled this year, but why don't you change the date so that I can make arrangements in advance."
I have been busy with the affairs of Dongli Kingdom recently and forgot about praying at Wanguo Temple.
Xie Ci'an stroked Gu Jianchu's back from time to time with his fingers, "Achu is pregnant now, it's not easy for her to go through the tiring journey, so let's forget about it this year."
After Xie Ci'an finished speaking, he noticed that Gu Jianchu's eyes were gradually filled with disappointment, so he turned around and asked, "What are your plans, Ah Chu?"
"Praying for blessings is a big deal. How can my husband cancel it just like that? If there is no good weather next year, the people and the civil and military officials will blame the emperor for not going to pray for blessings. What's more, this is a rule left by our ancestors. I also want to go to the Wanguo Temple to pray for our children. I want to pray that they can grow up healthy." After Gu Jianchu finished speaking, she looked into Xie Ci'an's eyes cautiously.
The emperor has now dismissed all the concubines from the palace, although it was not for her, but those ministers will naturally put the blame on her. If the prayers at Wanguo Temple are cancelled again this year because of her pregnancy, if there is any natural disaster next year, they will naturally put the blame on her and say that she is a concubine who brings disaster to the country. Even the emperor will probably be blamed by the civil and military officials and the people.
In the face of nature, humans will have more faith in gods and Buddhas.
Xie Ci'an was only worried about Gu Jianchu's health. Moreover, when he went to pray for blessings last year, he encountered an assassination attempt. He would not allow Gu Jianchu to be involved in any danger. It would be best for her to stay in the palace and rest assured until the birth.
Gu Jianchu said this.
Xie Ci'an didn't insist on his own opinion. "I'm just afraid that Ah Chu's body won't be able to bear the tossing and turning."
"Doctor Lin said that my pregnancy is stable and there is nothing serious." Gu Jianchu leaned in Xie Ci'an's arms and added softly.
Xie Ci'an held Gu Jianchu's hand tighter, "Listen to you, Achu. Leave the rest to Achu. Remember, take good care of yourself and don't overwork yourself. I'll be heartbroken if you tire yourself out. Also, the journey to Wanguo Temple is long. I'm afraid it will take a whole day just to go there. I'm really worried that your body won't be able to handle it."
"I am not made of paper. When I was a child, I followed my father to Liaodong and practiced riding and shooting all day long. It's no big deal." Gu Jianchu wrapped her arms around Xie Ci'an's neck like lotus roots and took the initiative to put her red lips against his and kissed him.
Xie Ci'an just gave him a light kiss. He was afraid that if he got too close to Gu Jianchu, the evil fire in his body that he had suppressed with great difficulty would be rekindled.
Xie Ci'an pressed Gu Jianchu's forehead and tucked him back into the bed. "Okay, it's getting late, let's get some rest."
Hearing this, Gu Jianchu rubbed his arm for several times before adjusting his posture and falling into a deep sleep.
Xie Ci'an looked at Gu Jianchu's peaceful sleeping face, with a gentle smile on his lips. With the help of moonlight, he moved Gu Jianchu's body closer to him, and his arm naturally rested on Gu Jianchu's waist. He fell asleep in a short while.
Praying for blessings at the Temple of Wanguo was a big event. Not only the emperor and empress had to go together, but also the prime minister, the great minister and important officials of the court had to accompany them.
A few days ago, the eldest lady accompanied County Lady Wan Ning back to her hometown and could not come back for a while, so she could only send a letter to the Emperor and Empress. They would not come to pray for blessings. In addition, Miss Xie Qingzhi was only focused on Dean Jiang and did not want to come at all. But Xie Qingrou was really bored in the capital, so she proposed to Gu Jianchu to go to Wanguo Temple to pray for blessings.
In addition, Xie Ci'an selected the Minister of the Central Secretariat, the left and right prime ministers, Xiao Conghe, the three ministers of the Ministry, and some minor officials to accompany him.
In order to ensure safety, Xie Ci'an specially arranged for the Imperial Guards and people from the Imperial City Bureau to accompany him.
Soon it was the day to go to Wanguo Temple to pray for blessings.
Wanguo Temple was far outside the capital, and the journey alone took nearly a day. Zhuxia and Zhuxi were afraid of bumpy roads, so they laid a thick blanket in the carriage and placed a charcoal brazier.
In addition to the blanket, two layers of soft quilts were placed on the area where the emperor and empress rested.
Ever since Gu Jianchu became pregnant, she was easily hungry. In addition to asking the small kitchen to prepare more pastries, the two little girls also brought two cooks from the imperial kitchen so that there would be someone to cook for her at any time in case Gu Jianchu got hungry on the road.
In the bumpy carriage, Gu Jianchu leaned lazily in Xie Ci'an's arms, covered with a thick blanket. Because the blanket was relatively thick under his body, he did not feel the bumps.
Gu Jianchu was holding a travel book in his hand. He had found the Beijing-style books boring to read recently.
Xie Ci'an put his arms around Gu Jianchu, massaging his shoulders with his hands. After massaging for a while, he raised his hand and picked up a cake placed beside him and brought it to Gu Jianchu's mouth. "Are you hungry, Ah Chu? Do you want to try this cake? It's your favorite yam cake."
Even though she was already three months pregnant, Gu Jianchu still had no appetite. Even if she was hungry, she couldn't eat much and could only eat small meals frequently to supplement her nutrition.
Gu Jianchu smelled the yam cake and quickly pushed Xie Ci'an's hand away, "I don't want to eat it."
"Then don't eat. What do you want to eat, Ah Chu? I'll have someone make it for you." Xie Ci'an asked softly.
"I don't want to eat anything now. Let's talk about it later. My husband doesn't have to worry about me all the time. If I'm not hungry, I definitely won't be able to eat anything." Gu Jianchu sat up and put the yam cake in Xie Ci'an's hand back on the plate.
"If you're not hungry, don't eat. I'll continue to massage Ah Chu." Xie Ci'an said, putting Gu Jianchu's legs on his knees and massaging Gu Jianchu with his hands from time to time.
Gu Jianchu did not refute and let Xie Ci'an massage her. She lifted the curtain on the side with her fingers, and snowflakes floated straight into the carriage with the breeze. She looked outside in surprise and found that it had started snowing without her knowing when.
The dead grass on the road was covered with a layer of white.
The date was calculated in advance by the Imperial Observatory, but unexpectedly, the snow came before the Wanguo Temple.
A breeze blew by, making it even cooler. After a while, Gu Jianchu couldn't help but shiver.