Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 429 Become famous
In all the years that the master of ceremonies had served by the Empress Dowager's side, he had seen too many people reach out to the Cining Palace, all trying to ask the Empress Dowager for some benefits or to borrow power from the Cining Palace.

They achieved their goal, but made the Cining Palace bear the consequences.

If a small-time merchant harbors such thoughts, she must be taught a lesson, and those behind her must be brought to justice.

To avoid giving those people the impression that the Cining Palace is easy to bully.

Even though the Empress Dowager has stopped managing affairs, many people still won't give up. The Empress Dowager may be too lazy to punish them, but as someone close to the Empress Dowager, she can't let those accusations be leveled against her.

The master of ceremonies stood up and said, "I'm going back to the palace now."

She came to Ciyun Temple under the pretext of offering Buddhist scriptures, and could not stay too long.

Since Xie was coming to the nunnery to do business, it was as if she had come right under the nose of Cining Palace. It wouldn't be difficult for them to keep an eye on her every move.

Therefore, there is still a long way to go.

……

On the teahouse.

Liu Erlang and Zuo Shangying were talking among a group of people.

"I heard that the reliquary came from Daming Prefecture."

This is why everyone was surrounding Liu Erlang and Zuo Shangying; they wanted to find out about the relic box.

Liu Erlang nodded and said, "After Baode Temple was renovated, a Buddhist ceremony was held. The temple was filled with Buddhist porcelain that was made by Lady Xie. The reliquary was one of them."

Upon hearing this, someone continued, "Yes, that's exactly what they said. There was a merchant in the capital who said just that. He also went to that religious ceremony and even saw the Buddha's light with his own eyes."

Everyone looked at Liu Erlang again, and Liu Erlang nodded subconsciously.

There were exclamations.

"There really is."

"The merchant also said that when he glanced at the reliquary, he seemed to see the Buddha sitting on an upturned lotus."

"He also witnessed the Buddha's manifestation?"

“I don’t know,” the speaker said, unfolding his fan. “There are at least several dozen people who claim to have seen the Buddha. If you ask around, you’ll find out that most of them have never been to Daming Prefecture. Some even claim to have dreamed of the reliquary.”

"Nowadays, many people want to see the reliquary to verify whether they have a connection with Buddhism."

After everyone chattered away, they turned their attention back to Liu Erlang and Zuo Shangying.

"Liu Erlang, have you seen the Buddha?"

Liu Erlang looked at Zuo Shangying. They had indeed attended the Buddhist ceremony and seen the Buddhist porcelain, but what they saw was how Madam Xie was making the porcelain from the new kiln famous.

Moreover, the Buddha's light appeared on the Buddha statue, not on the reliquary. After the ceremony, the reliquary was enshrined and never appeared in public again.

Therefore, Liu Erlang only had a vague impression in his mind.

"It seems I saw it," Liu Erlang said, seeking confirmation from Zuo Shangying.

The more controversial something is, the more it can arouse people's interest, especially since this matter is not complicated, it is just about figuring out whether the Buddha is outside or inside the reliquary.

Even if the reliquary is in front of people now, Zuo Shangying believes that many people will see the Buddha sitting cross-legged in the lotus.

and so……

He naturally chose to make everything more mysterious, as this would be most beneficial to Madam Xie.

Zuo Shangying shook his head and said, "I don't think I saw the Buddha statue. I only glanced at it briefly and can't remember it clearly."

The two people gave completely opposite accounts.

It piqued everyone's curiosity.

The more you inquire, the stranger it becomes; it's better to see it for yourself.

When can we see the reliquary?

"We can't see it now, and it will be even harder to see it once it's enshrined in a temple." "Someone went to the South City Wharf, but they didn't see it either. I heard it has been temporarily enshrined in the Daxiangguo Temple."

"Wasn't it supposed to be Ciyun Nunnery?"

"As a result, Lady Xie's residence was robbed, and she was taken to the yamen yesterday."

A look of surprise flashed across Zuo Shangying's face: "Is that so?"

“Yes,” the man said, “but… we didn’t succeed… you didn’t even look at what it was, yet you dared to steal it?”

After saying this, someone said, "It seems we will only be able to see it when it is officially enshrined."

"I'm afraid it won't be possible to get in then," Liu Erlang knew some things, "There are many families who have lost their children who go to worship the relic box."

Recently, besides preparing for the palace examination, Liu Erlang and Zuo Shangying have been investigating the case at Yunqi Temple. Liu Erlang sent out a servant of the Liu family to inquire about the situation.

Most of the women rescued by Xu Huaiyi survived, and the He and Li families, who were involved in the trafficking of women, were imprisoned. In any case, at least recently there will be fewer cases of trafficking women.

Those who suffered were grateful to Lord Xu and also to the miraculous reliquary.

"Do the Xia and Xie families have any connection with the kidnapping and trafficking?"

I don't know who asked.

A moment of silence fell over the area.

Xia Mengxian was imprisoned and interrogated, but he would be released sooner or later. Moreover, Xie Shumi was perfectly fine in the court. Who would dare to discuss them in public?

"Have some tea, have some tea." Finally, someone changed the subject.

"After saying so much, why don't you guess how many of you here have passed the imperial examination?"

……

In the elegant room, Xie Chengrang lowered his eyes and stroked the teacup in his hand.

He was released after being detained for seven days.

Only his elder brother came with a servant to welcome him back. After entering the house, his father scolded him, and then he learned the news that he was to be betrothed to the Xia family.

He was plotting to marry Xia Erniang in place of his elder brother, hoping to elevate his status within the Xie family through this marriage.

But now, this marriage has become a burden.

If this marriage had gone through under his arrangement, Xia Erniang would have married him, a son born out of wedlock, because she valued his character and virtue. But now, this situation is one of helplessness.

The result is the same, but the fundamental differences are different.

One was willing, the other was forced to submit.

Upon hearing this news, Xie Chengrang felt that life was even harder than being in prison, but he had no way to back out of the marriage proposal.

Fearing he might refuse, the Xie family exchanged betrothal gifts with the Xia family before he even returned home.

He shot himself in the foot. If he hadn't had this intention, his elder brother would have become the Xia family's son-in-law long ago.

So much has happened these past few days.

Xie's identity was confirmed, but no one came to cause her any trouble.

Xie Chengrang's throat itched, and he couldn't help but cough a few times. The illness he contracted in prison hadn't fully healed yet. He had gotten himself into this mess because of the Xia family's involvement, but this was the result.

Was Xie's good luck, or was someone secretly helping him?
As Xie Chengrang was thinking, a commotion arose outside, and he immediately looked down from the window.

On the street, a man and a woman, one older and one younger, were surrounded by people. The older man was wearing monk's robes, while the younger man, although also dressed as a monk, had not yet been ordained, indicating that he was a lay disciple.

These two men came from Baode Temple in Daming Prefecture. Their arrival in Bianjing meant that the reliquary would be enshrined in the temple.

……

Yan Sui looked at the crowd that was gathering around him and reached out to tug at his master's monk's robe.

"Master," Yan Sui said in a low voice, "Don't you think there are... a lot of people? Do they recognize us? Or are we mistaken?"