Yunrui and Yunfang exchanged a glance, and finally couldn't help but laugh.
"Have some snacks later, then you can go and have a look around. I'll wait here," An Ran said.
Yunlan and the other two were puzzled. With such a good opportunity, and Anran having never been before, wasn't she curious at all?
“Mirror Lake and Lotus Pond here are famous scenic spots. If you’re tired and don’t want to go far, you can take a look at these two places.” Yunfang hurriedly persuaded her, “You’ve finally come out, and if you stay cooped up in the courtyard, it’s not much different from being at home.”
An Ran showed a hint of hesitation.
It wasn't that she was tired or had been in the carriage for too long, or that she was feeling unwell because she remembered the frightened horse. She just had a bad feeling and thought that staying in the courtyard was the safest place.
Yunlan and Yunrui, who were standing nearby, also tried to persuade her.
An Ran couldn't refuse, and not wanting to seem too out of place, she had no choice but to agree.
They each brought two maids with them, and there were also old women following along. With so many eyes watching, it would be difficult for anything to go wrong. Third Sister had brought her out out of kindness; if she didn't go anywhere, wouldn't she be betraying their good intentions? And she wouldn't be able to explain it to Third Sister when she got back.
"Then it's settled. We'll have some snacks and soup later, and then we'll go out for a stroll." Yunlan, being the eldest, asked the three of them, "Where would you like to go?"
An Ran just wanted to wait in a safe place until Third Sister finished speaking and returned home... She muttered these words to herself, but she didn't say them out loud. She just smiled shyly and said, "I've never been here before. I'll just follow you."
"I'm going to the Stele Forest. Does anyone want to come with me?" Yunlan asked.
Before she could finish speaking, Yunrui was the first to speak up. She was indignant about Yunfang mocking her for falling asleep in front of the Stele Forest and insisted on going there herself to see for herself to prove that Yunfang's words were not true.
"It's not too far, Ninth Sister, why don't you come along too?" Yunlan invited Anran with a smile.
An Ran glanced at Yun Fang again, and seeing that Yun Fang also agreed, she naturally had no objections. It would be safer with more people around.
Before long, two maids from the Prince's residence came in carrying two large food boxes.
"This was ordered by the Crown Princess to be bought by me, for the young ladies to use." A round-faced madam smiled and said, "The Crown Princess also instructed that the young ladies should just try it for the novelty, but since it is something made outside, they shouldn't eat too much."
Yunlan smiled and agreed, then quickly instructed her maid to bring out two strings of copper coins as a reward for them.
The maids opened the food boxes and brought out the snacks, soups, and other dishes inside, filling the table to the brim.
An Ran chuckled inwardly upon seeing this. No wonder these concubine's younger sisters-in-law all spoke highly of Third Sister; it was all thanks to Third Sister's usual straightforward and generous nature.
These snacks were just for fun; each of them took a few bites before putting them down and giving them to the maids.
After a short rest, the four decided to head to the stele forest at the back.
"Should we put on the veil?" An Ran asked Yun Fang and the other two, holding the veil she had worn when she got out of the carriage.
Yunrui pouted, somewhat reluctantly saying, "Ninth Sister, you're being too cautious! Second Sister-in-law also said there are no men around right now." Wearing a veiled hat is quite inconvenient, making it impossible to enjoy the trip properly.
“It’s always good to be cautious.” Yunlan glanced at Anran and said to Yunrui, “Although the area is sealed off from today and no outsiders are allowed in, there’s always someone who might be there.” She suggested a compromise: “How about this, let the maids take it.”
An Ran smiled and agreed.
Stepping out of the courtyard gate, one sees towering ancient trees lining the path, creating a cool and shady trail. The distant sounds of bustling people outside the courtyard further accentuate the temple's secluded and solemn atmosphere, inspiring reverence.
The four of them even lowered their voices to talk.
"We've arrived." Apart from two or three young monks carrying brooms, we hadn't seen a single person along the way. It seemed that Third Sister had given prior notice, asking everyone else to stay away.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
An Ran chuckled inwardly at her own overthinking; it was just a routine outing. No one knew beforehand that Third Sister was going to do what Commander Wang requested, so what kind of conspiracy could they possibly have?
When it comes to appreciating calligraphy by famous calligraphers, An Ran's level of appreciation is limited to simply looking at something nice. If asked to elaborate on the specifics, she would be completely stumped.
Yunrui was young and only insisted on coming because she was angry with Yunfang; to be honest, she wasn't very interested. As for Yunfang, she wasn't particularly interested in calligraphy and painting either, but she couldn't refuse since her sisters were all there.
In the end, only Yunlan truly appreciated and found it delightful.
Yunlan was still watching with rapt attention, but Yunrui was getting restless.
"Sister, look over there!" Yunrui stretched out her fair little hand and pointed to a white tower in the distance.
Yunfang was already somewhat absent-minded, but when Yunrui called her, she quickly said, "That is the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, which houses nearly a thousand Buddha statues, all of which are beautiful in appearance and elegant in expression. It is very famous in the north."
"Let's go take a look!" Yunrui had long been bored of looking at the statues and said impatiently, "I've never seen so many Buddha statues together before!"
Upon hearing this, Yunlan turned around and looked at her two younger sisters, both amused and exasperated.
"Alright, alright, you can all go now. We don't want Ninth Sister to laugh at us here," Yunlan said helplessly. She turned to look at Anran, who was smiling with her lips pursed, and said, "It's more peaceful for Ninth Sister and me to watch, so you won't have to make a fuss."
"Ninth Sister, I'll take you to a great place later, a hundred times better than the Thousand Buddha Pagoda they went to. Let them be envious."
An Ran's smile froze.
Rather than quietly looking at these rubbings with Yunlan, she would much rather be with Yunfang and Yunrui. However, Yunlan had put it this way, and if she refused, it would be a clear loss of face for Yunlan, making it difficult to have any dealings with them in the future.
Knowing that she wouldn't be able to go back anytime soon and would have to stay at the Prince Yi's residence for a while, An Ran could only smile and nod in agreement.
"Then Rui Niang and I will be leaving now." Yun Fang glanced at An Ran helplessly, then took Yun Rui's hand and left with the maids.
Yunlan called them back and assigned her maid to them. In the manner of an older sister, she earnestly instructed, "Fangniang, keep an eye on Ruiniang and don't let her go crazy. Today, it's Second Sister-in-law who brought us out, so don't cause any trouble."
Yunfang and Yunrui were used to this, and they waved their hands impatiently, taking the people along without objection. The group left in a hurry, leaving only Yunlan and Anran, along with Huaping and Qingxing, who were holding veils.
The four people stood in front of the stele forest, and even in the early summer, Anran felt a bit of a chill.
It's her psychology at play!
"Ninth Miss, are you cold?" Huaping asked hurriedly when she saw Anran seem to shiver. "Should I go get you a cloak?"