Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 424 A bit interesting

The Empress Dowager did not respond immediately after hearing Lady Gao's words.

But Madam Gao knew that the Empress Dowager had taken her words to heart. As for the outcome, she dared not ask further. The Cining Palace had its own rules for doing things, and they could not be changed for the sake of one matter.

"Leave the reliquary in Cining Palace," the Empress Dowager said after a long pause, "and send it back to the Shen family tomorrow."

Madam Gao rose and took her leave upon hearing this.

The lady-in-waiting brought over a bowl of cheese, but the Empress Dowager had no appetite. Instead, she spoke to the master of ceremonies beside her: "Ayu is a clever child, but she has been burdened by Fourth Sister's affairs over the years, which has worn down her spirit."

The "Ayu" that the Empress Dowager mentioned is Lady Gao. When Lady Gao was young, she was often summoned to the palace by the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager once said that when it came to needlework, there were few people in the Imperial Workshop who were better than Lady Gao.

"On the day Fourth Sister went missing, A-Yu was embroidering at home," the Empress Dowager sighed. "She lost both her children because of this incident, and A-Yu blamed herself for it all. From then on, she never touched embroidery again."

The Empress Dowager stood up as she spoke: "The screen that sits beside my bed was also embroidered by A-Yu back then."

The master of ceremonies knew this. The Empress Dowager particularly liked the screen. The screen was damaged after a long time of use, but she was worried that if Madam Gao picked up the embroidery needle, she would think of her two children. So she entrusted the Imperial Workshop to repair it.

Based on this, the emcee thought that the Empress Dowager would also help Lady Gao put her mind at ease.

The emcee said, "Otherwise, let someone go and invite Abbess Jingyuan."

“Very well,” the Empress Dowager said, “the matter of Yunqi Temple must be resolved.”

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager walked up to the reliquary and examined it closely: "It is indeed much more vibrant than ordinary porcelain."

"This is fired in a coal kiln."

The master of ceremonies said, "This is what the Shen family said: the porcelain made by the merchants, besides the reliquary, also includes many other shapes, all of which came from the coal kiln."

The Shen family focused all their attention on the Buddha's miraculous appearance, while the Empress Dowager seemed more concerned with the firing of the reliquary.

Is it possible...

Thinking of this, the master of ceremonies tentatively asked, "Does Your Highness not believe what Jingxuan said?"

The Empress Dowager asked, "Has Buddha manifested himself?"

The emcee nodded.

The Empress Dowager gently lifted the lotus-shaped lid of the reliquary and saw a Buddha statue sitting inside.

The emcee also saw it clearly.

"I have been in the palace for many years and have heard and seen too many auspicious omens," the Empress Dowager said with a slight smile, "but in the end... it's all just the same old thing."

The master of ceremonies tried to decipher the Empress Dowager's meaning, but he couldn't figure out whether she meant that auspicious omens were useless, or... that she thought they were all fake.

The Empress Dowager's eyes flickered: "I usually don't think about whether it's true or not." She only looks at whether what is done is real or not.

"Instead of believing those things, it's better to see another meaning."

The emcee listened attentively.

The Empress Dowager said, "The Buddha is unwilling to appear because sentient beings have little merit, and the Bodhisattva is temporarily not manifesting."

The emcee nodded subconsciously, indicating that this was the meaning, which is why most people could not see the Buddha.

"Let's go into more detail..."

"In this turbid world, it is difficult for good laws to be manifest."

Upon hearing this, the master of ceremonies' expression immediately changed, and he bowed deeply: "The Great Liang Dynasty is currently in a golden age. If the person who made this porcelain truly had such thoughts..." Who can say that this is a corrupt era? Wouldn't that be cursing the Great Liang Dynasty to not last long?
When the Empress Dowager saw the master of ceremonies' flustered appearance, she couldn't help but smile: "The person who said these words is not afraid, so what are you worried about? Even if someone blames you, it won't be your fault."

"Is the land of Daliang necessarily prosperous everywhere?" the Empress Dowager said. "Just listen to these words and let them go. I'm not deaf or blind."

"Furthermore, if the facts are not as they seem, we are not afraid of being judged. On the contrary... listening to those flowery words all day long is useless."

Having served the Empress Dowager for so long, how could the master of ceremonies not understand the meaning behind her words? At least, the Empress Dowager now believed that it was deliberate.

The emcee still felt it was unlikely. After careful consideration, she realized that to accomplish something like this, one would have to plan meticulously from the very beginning. However, regarding the case at Yunqi Temple, she couldn't discern much deliberate arrangement.

“That’s interesting,” the Empress Dowager said. “Have someone inquire about that merchant and find out her background. If she’s interesting, tell me about it.”

The master of ceremonies responded.

The Empress Dowager hadn't shown such interest in anything in a long time. The master of ceremonies looked at the reliquary again. Regardless of whether the Buddha's manifestation was real, it had at least given the person who made the reliquary an opportunity.

She would do what needed to be done without the Empress Dowager giving any instructions.

……

The case at Yunqi Temple caused a great uproar in Bianjing, angering the emperor. Seeing this, the ministers dared not delay and quickly reached a decision.

Xia Mengxian, the Minister of Justice, quickly received approval from the Secretariat for his resignation. He then took off his official robes and awaited trial at home.

In addition, news also spread that the nuns of Yunqi Temple were colluding with merchants and officials to commit evil deeds. As a result, the gates of Yunqi Temple were closed, and the nuns were placed under guard and handed over to the Buddhist Registry for disposal.

Xie Chengxin emerged from the Ministry of Justice prison dejectedly, and the Prince of Huai immediately went to greet him: "How is it? Have you seen Erlang?"

Xie Chengxin first bowed to the Prince of Huai, then shook his head: "Still no one will be allowed to see him." He had said all the right things, and even with the Prince of Huai's face, he still couldn't see him.

“Don’t worry, eldest son,” said the Prince of Huai. “I just asked the clerk and found out that second son has nothing to do with the demon cult. The whole thing may only involve the deal with the nun from Yunqi Temple. Fortunately, it hasn’t been done yet. Even if it was, the crime is not serious. He should be out soon.”

Xie Chengxin nodded: "Father, Mother and younger sister are all very anxious and hope that my second brother can come out soon."

After they finished speaking, the two mounted their horses and headed towards the Xie residence.

Prince Huai said, "Second Brother is just unlucky. He just happened to get involved with Yunqi Temple at this time."

Xie Chengxin trusted the Prince of Huai, so he made no attempt to hide anything: "My second brother's misfortune is also related to the Xia family."

Minister Xia will definitely not be able to escape this time. Many people from the Li and He families have also been arrested and imprisoned. The Xia family's business in Bianjing over the years has been ruined by at least half.

Prince Huai knew all these things, and that wasn't what he wanted to know.

"Has Dalang heard Erlang say what kind of background the merchant who runs the perfume shop outside Yunqi Temple is?" Prince Huai asked. "Recently, there have been some rumors at the South City Wharf that the Guo family's fleet and that perfume shop are backed by the same owner."

"The owner was a woman."

Xie Chengxin hadn't heard this. He'd been preoccupied with his second brother's affairs lately and hadn't paid attention to anything else. Besides, what did that employer have to do with the Xie family?
Xie Chengxin shook his head.

The Prince of Huai said, "Hearing this rumor, I am reminded of someone: the Xie family of Daming Prefecture."

Xie Chengxin still looked bewildered.

The Prince of Huai then brought up another matter: "You must have heard the rumors of the Buddha's manifestation in the reliquary. Now it's not just the people of Bianjing who are curious about that reliquary."

"Even the envoys from the Western Regions wanted to see it."

There are still today