Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 720 Intervene
The man slowly walked over and bent down, immediately smelling the foul odor emanating from Xie Shumi.

It is truly remarkable that Xie Shumi could remain calm in such a large prison.

Xie Yizhi said in a low voice, "I still have a few people outside. You can go find them, and they will tell you what to do."

After muttering to himself for a while, the man's eyes grew even brighter.

“I advise you to deal with the Wang family as well,” Xie Yizhi said. “Since Wang Yan already knows about the existence of the master, he will investigate to the end.”

The man nodded: "I will report Xie Shumi's words to my master."

Xie Yizhi lay back down in the hay, and the man left the cell.

Once the surroundings had quieted down, Xie Yizhi opened his eyes and looked in the direction the man had left. After a moment, he slightly raised his lips and revealed a meaningful smile.

……

In Cining Palace.

The Empress Dowager was listening to Abbess Jingyuan preach.

The incense burner emitted wisps of smoke, and two novice nuns beside her were chanting prayer beads, creating a wonderful atmosphere in the hall. However, the Empress Dowager still couldn't accept any Buddhist teachings. She waved her hand, and the head priest immediately asked the people out, leaving only the Empress Dowager and Jingyuan in the room.

"Stop talking," the Empress Dowager interrupted Jingyuan, her face full of disdain. "After so many years in the temple, you haven't made any progress. Listening to you talk about Buddhism... no one can calm their mind."

Master Jingyuan said in a low voice, "That's because Her Majesty is too worried, so..."

"Alright, that's enough," the Empress Dowager said, throwing her prayer beads onto the table. "If you keep talking, the censors and officials will all submit memorials, and I'll burn you, you vixen, to the ground."

Jingyuan smiled and said, "As long as Your Majesty is well, this humble nun is willing to die."

The Empress Dowager stared at Jingyuan: "I shouldn't have agreed to let you become a nun back then. I should have arranged a marriage for you and let you have children. Now you still have the leisure to think about these things?"

Of course, the Empress Dowager was just saying it. The people around her had been with her through thick and thin, and in the end, all she wanted was to let them be free and do what they truly wanted to do.

Unexpectedly, Jingyuan only wanted to stay in the temple, and the master of ceremonies and the head of the ceremonies also refused to leave the palace.

The master of ceremonies and the person in charge of the decorations are fine; after she dies, the two of them can leave the palace and live a peaceful life. What she is most worried about is Jingyuan; she fears that Jingyuan's personality might cause some trouble.

Sure enough, after just one trip, his ambitions were unchecked. He came to Cining Palace every day, supposedly to preach Buddhism to her... But he wasn't preaching Buddhism at all; he was urging her to reclaim power.

"Speak," the Empress Dowager finally couldn't hold back any longer, "what exactly do you want to do?"

Jingyuan said in a low voice, "This humble nun only saw that everyone was suffering and wanted to save them from their misery."

The Empress Dowager said calmly, "Hasn't the court already sent people there?"

Jingyuan said, "Those people are probably not the only ones causing trouble."

The Empress Dowager was not surprised: "Haven't you seen enough of what I've seen over the years? There will always be more and more people to kill. Today the Privy Councilor colludes with the maritime merchants, tomorrow some Minister or two Envoys might cause trouble. These things will always happen. Just leave it to the Emperor and the officials in the court to handle. You've already done enough." She gave Jingyuan the authority to help Xie Yuyan, and that was enough. She didn't want to interfere in anything else.

Jingyuan looked at the Empress Dowager and said, "What if Your Highness is also part of this?"

The Empress Dowager frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"

Jingyuan said, "The previous dynasty had the emperor and civil and military officials, while the harem has empresses. What if we need everyone to work together to overcome the difficulties?"

A long silence fell over the hall. Suddenly, the Empress Dowager smiled, but her expression grew even more solemn: "Was it Xie who sent you back to persuade me?"

Before Jingyuan could speak, the Empress Dowager continued, "Otherwise, why would she have you escort the prisoners back to the capital? She's incredibly shrewd, managing to use everyone to her advantage." "She can leverage the power of myself and the Wang family, and she can also persuade the demon cult, laborers, and common people. Such a clever person can be a merchant and even get involved in court cases. From Daming Prefecture to Bianjing, a woman who was kidnapped and sold into slavery became the head of the porcelain guild in Bianjing and even figured out her true identity. Even I probably couldn't have done that."

"If we're talking about something extraordinary, she's the first one."

Jingyuan wasn't in a hurry, and waited for the Empress Dowager to finish speaking before saying, "When I first met Lady Xie, I felt that she was extraordinary. Later, I followed her and did some things..."

"The nun felt more and more that she resembled a person."

The Empress Dowager raised her eyes, and their gazes met. Jingyuan nodded: "Your methods and style are not like those of a merchant. Your far-sightedness is more like that of Your Majesty the Empress Dowager."

“At that time, I thought that if she was willing to enter the palace, perhaps I would have something to do in the next few decades.”

Anger flashed in the Empress Dowager's eyes: "I think you're tired of living."

“This humble nun is simply willing to speak the truth before the Empress Dowager,” Jingyuan said, chanting a Buddhist prayer. “A nun does not lie.”

The Empress Dowager laughed in exasperation: "So, you've already started plotting for her in private?"

Jingyuan shook her head: "Madam Xie must not want to enter the palace, otherwise the current emperor..."

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager threw the jade pendant in her hand, which hit Jingyuan squarely.

Jingyuan wisely shut up: "In short, Madam Xie didn't mean that. Wealth and power don't seem to interest her. She seems to have no curiosity at all, which makes me feel that... she has already seen through these things, and her state of mind is exactly the same as the Empress Dowager's now."

The Empress Dowager naturally understood Jingyuan's meaning. After a lifetime of fighting in the palace, she found it all to be truly boring.

Jingyuan continued, "But it is precisely this kind of person who would rather risk using himself as bait to capture those people."

"The Empress Dowager is right. She has used every available person around her, and if even that cannot capture all those people..."

"Doesn't this also prove that those people have gained power, and if we let them continue like this, won't they become a threat in the future? In such a situation, is it worth the Empress Dowager intervening?"

The Empress Dowager's expression softened somewhat. She picked up the tea in front of her and took a sip. She truly did not want to ask about the affairs of the previous dynasty anymore, because the Emperor and the civil and military officials no longer needed her.

"I am far removed from court politics," the Empress Dowager said calmly. "From now on, I only wish to spend my days peacefully in the Cining Palace."

“But… if anyone makes Cining Palace unsafe, I must let them know that the Great Liang still has an Empress Dowager.”

Just as Jingyuan was about to say something more, the Empress Dowager stood up first: "Leave the palace. Do not return without my summons." She could not bear it for a moment longer and wanted to send her away immediately.

After Jingyuan left, the head servant brought some refreshments into the inner hall. She had just overheard Jingyuan's words outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, please don't listen to Jingyuan's nonsense. I've heard some news that the mission in Fujian is going smoothly, and several officials have already been escorted to the capital."

"I heard that the Xie family is going to buy the Demon Sect's big ship. Judging from this, she will become a big merchant in less than two years."

"Just now, Lady Wang visited Xie Yuyan's courtyard in the capital, which shows that the Wang family also approves of this marriage. Once Wang Yan and Lady Xie return to the capital... everything will be settled. It's not as dangerous as Jingyuan described."

In her view, it was all a good thing.

Wang Yan will be promoted because of this assignment, and Xie will return to the Xie family and become the real Xie Wenjing. Although Xie Yizhi made a mistake, it will not implicate Xie's family. As the second wife, Xie will also inherit a considerable amount of land and property from the Xie family. When the Wang and Xie families unite by marriage, won't there be endless joyous occasions?

The main problem is that I've offended quite a few officials.

Since they've received the benefits, they should also accept these things. Do they expect the Cining Palace and the others to be completely accommodating? That would be asking for too much.

(End of this chapter)