With one hand she heals, and the other hand she kills, the princess vows to rule the world!

Chapter 722: The face is not faded, but the hair is white

The sandalwood seemed to have burned out, and the fragrance in the air became lighter and more elegant.

Baili Moqing opened his mouth and asked, "What does the Queen think is desire?"

She looked up at him, was silent for a moment, and then said, "I think that pursuit, forcing, demanding, and all kinds of 'wanting' that go against nature can all be considered desire, right?"

"So, Her Majesty the Queen believes that people should have no desires or demands?" Baili Moqing's voice sank slightly, his eyes passing over the eunuch Yang Cai who was standing behind the Queen.

"Prince Li, you heard me wrong. I said less desire, not no desire."

Baili Moqing's expression remained unchanged, and he maintained a proper smile. "Then, may I ask, Your Majesty, are you currently in a state of 'no desire' or 'less desire'?"

A moment of confusion crossed the Queen's face, but she quickly returned to normal. "What do you mean, Prince Li?"

Baili Moqing chuckled and picked up the tea that was offered to him. He said casually, "Your Majesty, I'm just curious. For someone like you who has worshipped Buddha for so many years, do you still have any desires in your heart? Or perhaps, is there any knot in your heart that you can't untie?"

The queen stopped moving her hands, her expression became a little melancholy, and her eyes revealed a hint of sadness. Then there were some changes, but Shu He did not catch it.

She seemed to be aware of her mood change, and immediately put down the ice pack, clasped her hands together, lowered her head reverently, and recited Buddhist scriptures.

Yi'er looked at her, very curious.

"Empress, what are you doing? What do you mean by 'the six desires are abolished, the three poisons are eliminated'? What are you chanting?"

"Yier, don't ask too many questions." Shu He spoke out to stop her, fearing that Yier would disturb the queen's meditation.

For some reason, she felt a natural affinity for the queen. Even though she knew she had done many things behind her back, she still couldn't feel any disgust or aversion towards her.

Even she herself found this feeling baffling.

The queen opened her eyes, unclasped her hands, and smiled at Yi'er as she explained, "Grandmother was just reciting the 'Purifying Heart Sutra.'"

"The human spirit desires clarity, but the mind disturbs it; the human heart desires tranquility, but desires pull it away. If one can constantly let go of desires, the mind will naturally be tranquil. If one can purify the mind, the spirit will naturally be clear. Naturally, the six desires will not arise, and the three poisons will be eliminated."

"This sentence means that people's hearts yearn for peace and tranquility, but are often disturbed by desires. If we can eliminate desires, our hearts will naturally be calm, the six desires will not arise, and the three poisons will be eliminated, thus achieving a state of tranquility."

"Grandmother is reminding herself not to be disturbed by her inner desires and to always remain clear-headed and calm."

"Child, you are still young and don't understand these things. Maybe when you grow up, you will understand what these words mean."

Yier nodded ignorantly. Although she didn't understand, she didn't ask any more questions.

Seeing this, Baili Moqing asked, "What bothered Her Majesty just now? And what did I say that disturbed Her Majesty's practice?"

The queen looked at him with a deep yet gentle gaze.

She seemed to see through something, but just didn't say it.

"Prince Li, do you think Buddha really exists in this world?"

"Your Majesty, don't you think so?" he asked.

If she herself doesn't believe that there is Buddha in this world, why does she worship Buddha so devoutly?

She brought a plate of snacks from the table next to her, handed it to Yier, and motioned her to eat the snacks.

Yier didn't hesitate to take a mung bean cake and started eating it in small bites.

Seeing her lovely appearance, the queen couldn't help but smile happily.

He raised his head and looked at Baili Moqing again, his eyes becoming a little softer. "The so-called 'worshiping Buddha' is just a way for sentient beings to find inner peace. Buddha exists if you believe in him, and does not exist if you don't. It can exist or not..."

Baili Moqing's expression was serious. "My Lady, I take it that you mean that you don't believe in the existence of Buddha in this world, and that you live in the Buddhist temple all year round just to find a peaceful place for your heart, right?"

The Queen looked at him with a half-smile in her eyes. After a moment, she nodded calmly, "You can think so."

"Then I don't understand. Your Majesty has been living in the Buddhist temple all year round, not caring about worldly affairs and not interacting with the outside world. What could be the reason that can keep your heart from being at peace?"

"How many people don't have a knot in their hearts that they can't get over?" She didn't answer the question, but instead asked him, "Prince Li, do you have such a knot in your heart?"

Without waiting for his answer, she continued, "Four years of exile. Even if you haven't turned to Buddhism, can those countless moments that felt like an eternal night help you untie the knot in your heart?"

Baili Moqing was silent. How could those days help him untie the knot in his heart? It only turned his knot into a demon in his heart!

As if she could see what he was thinking, she sighed, "Although I live in this luxurious palace and worship Buddha every day, if I could just rely on chanting sutras and reciting Buddha's name to resolve the knot in my heart, then I wouldn't stay in this cold Buddhist temple forever."

It is precisely because she cannot break free from the shackles and knots in her heart that she needs to imprison herself every day and force herself to calm down, otherwise, she will go crazy!

When she finished her last sentence, Shu He caught a hint of hatred in her indifferent eyes.

But soon, that trace of hatred disappeared, as if it had never appeared.

"The Queen's knot in her heart is..." These words came out of Shu He's mouth.

After she said it, she realized that she had asked a stupid question.

The Queen could be said to be from their opposing camp, so how could the enemy open their heart to the enemy?

However, to her surprise, the Queen actually spoke, "My child..."

She touched Yi'er's little head, with remembrance and longing in her eyes, as if she saw another person through Yi'er.

"When Yao'er was this old, she was just like this child, like a porcelain doll, with a gentle personality. When she smiled, she was so adorable. What a pity..."

She stopped talking halfway when she saw Yi'er.

Shu He looked at her, and for some reason, she seemed to be infected by the sadness in her voice.

She even felt a little sorry for the woman who was in a high position but dressed simply just to force herself to calm down.

Her face has not aged, but her hair has turned white. How much pain must she have experienced to have gray hair at such an old age?