The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 150 The Two Things That Disappeared (Part 2)

Seeing this, Xiao Yinghao raised an eyebrow and immediately played along, feigning surprise as she asked:

“Master Juehui of Garan Temple? I have heard that when the Crown Prince was poisoned by the ‘Heart-Planting Poison,’ it was the Master who suppressed the poison with the Flower-Handing Mudra.”

"Therefore, some time ago, the Prince of Zhenbei invited a master back to verify the identity of the heir apparent..."

She sneered and glanced at the landscape scroll that was still fluttering in the wind.

"What, you ended up inside this landscape painting?"

This time, the gazes below went beyond mere surprise; they instantly erupted into a clamor of discussion.

Ding Xingfeng sat in the corner, tossing a peanut into his mouth, but his gaze was icy cold, lacking his usual enthusiasm for gossip.

Forty-five years ago, in this very Ziji Hall, a similar group of officials gathered, and he too was a bald monk, who pronounced his sentence from Marquis of Yizhou to a disheveled fisherman by the lake.

He raised his head and looked behind the layers of curtains.

However, the curtain was so thick that even the "Martial Saint" could not see through the person sitting behind it, and what they were thinking in the past or at this moment...

The sudden appearance of Master Juehui caught everyone at the banquet off guard, and no one immediately understood the cause and effect.

Gu Yuye deliberately concealed the fact that Juehui had been invited, in order to prevent Gu Fangchen from having a chance to react.

Currently, only a few people inside the hall know about this.

With Xiao Yinghao's intelligence network, it wasn't difficult for her to know about this matter. However, she didn't really understand the details, but that didn't stop her from guessing what happened in the process from the beginning to the end.

Her words helped others understand the situation as well.

The eldest princess subtly turned her gaze back to Gu Fangchen.

Since the matter of the prince consort has been temporarily put on hold due to her own misunderstanding, she can only settle for second best now and help Gu Fangchen secure his position as heir apparent.

Gu Fangchen is Gu Yuye's enemy, and Gu Yuye is her enemy.

While the enemy of my enemy may not necessarily be my friend, she will never let go of any opportunity to strike at the enemy in the present moment!

This time, Gu Fangchen's decisive action made Xiao Yinghao admire her even more, and she became even more certain that Gu Fangchen's playboy behavior was all an act, and that her previous misunderstanding was indeed hers.

This guy must have started planning from the moment Gu Yuye invited Juehui. He's thinking ten steps ahead for every one step he takes; his cunning is immeasurable.

Xiao Yinghao originally thought that Gu Fangchen must be quite smug at this moment.

This is a chance to strike hard against Gu Yuandao and Gu Yuye. They have been planning for so long and have endured for so many years, all for this moment.

No matter how experienced and mature someone is, at this age, there's always a bit of restlessness that can't be contained.

However, to her surprise...

Gu Fangchen's expression didn't change much. Instead, she immediately stepped forward and naturally reached out to support Master Juehui, who was somewhat weakened by the passage of time within the landscape painting.

Even though he was only a sixth-rank cultivator, Master Juehui was a third-rank divine being.

Xiao Ying was taken aback, her beautiful eyes darting around.

In that instant, a strange feeling arose in her heart.

Everyone says Gu Yuandao is a gentleman, but she feels that, judging from the small things, Gu Fangchen is more in line with the image of a "gentleman" at this moment.

Emperor Yong'an also seemed quite interested, tapping his finger on the armrest of his dragon throne, and straightened up, saying:
"Yes, I am also very curious. What exactly happened, and why did Master Juehui say such a thing? Even the eminent monks of the Garan Temple are extremely disheartened..."

"This landscape painting is genuine, it belongs to Gu Yuandao, and it has also trapped Master Juehui."

"Could it be that the scholar I personally selected is two-faced, and has committed this heinous act against the master because of personal grudges?"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning cold:

"The top scholar is a role model for all students, and the academy is a role model for all cultivators. Such a disgrace cannot be tolerated, whether in the imperial court or in the immortal sect."

"How can I believe that someone who harmed a high-ranking monk for personal grudges can be a good official who serves the country and its people?"

"If Gu Yuandao has indeed committed such an unwise act, I will not tolerate it!"

Gu Yuye knelt on the ground. Upon hearing this, he looked at his son, who was still unconscious, pale-faced, bleeding from all seven orifices, looking utterly miserable.

This time, his face was not only unpleasant, but also somewhat gloomy.

Because Gu Fangchen brought up Juehui, it actually wouldn't put any pressure on him in terms of public opinion.

From beginning to end, all he did was ask Juehui to come back, so that with that drop of heart's blood and a wisp of divine spirit, he could investigate whether Gu Fangchen had been possessed.

Gu Yuye did not reveal any of his intentions.

The person who took Juehui to Jian Ge was Gu Yuandao.

It was Gu Yuandao who inadvertently discovered Juehui's purpose, turned against Juehui, and imprisoned him in the Landscape Painting.

If Gu Yuandao is indeed found guilty of this crime, then it is only because of his own moral failings.

It has nothing to do with Gu Yuye!
Gu Yuye's gaze returned to his hands, and without realizing it, he had clenched his fists.

No one knows him better than he does.

If he truly loved his son, he would never have let him suffer outside, living that so-called impoverished life, and even calling it "training" him...

He is willing to sacrifice others to save himself in any situation that could harm his interests.

Ultimately, it was Gu Yuandao's own fault for being so useless...

Juehui clasped his hands together, bowed upwards, and solemnly recounted what had happened:

"Your Majesty, please understand that the Prince invited this humble monk here that day to prove whether the Crown Prince had been possessed by someone else, so as to set the record straight."

He reached out and took out the box containing his heart's blood and soul.

Everyone immediately turned to look at Gu Fangchen.

During this period, Gu Fangchen's changes were indeed unexpected, to the point of being unbelievable.

Besides his deliberate concealment and disguise, there is indeed a possibility of him possessing another's body.

No wonder the Prince of Zhenbei sent someone to invite Master Juehui over; it turns out he wanted to use this method to verify his identity...

Gu Fangchen's expression remained unchanged, her eyes unblinking, not even glancing at the box, showing complete confidence.

They seem completely unafraid of this so-called verification.

But he held onto Juehui's hand tightly, not daring to let go for even a moment!

Gu Fangchen knew that this high monk was indeed a man of noble character and integrity. He was penniless, carrying only the two items from that box.

Those two items, having been suppressed under the Buddha statue and bathed in the Buddha's light for many years, can already be considered Dharma treasures.

If he were to steal it now, he would definitely succeed...

However, a moment later, Gu Fangchen's expression became somewhat strange.

[You had physical contact with [Juehui] for 5 minutes and successfully stole a string of Buddhist prayer beads!]

wrong……

Gu Fangchen was slightly taken aback.

This string of prayer beads is just an ordinary string of prayer beads, not some kind of magical treasure.

With the "Golden Mother Bead" active on him, it was theoretically impossible for him to produce the Buddhist beads first... Gu Fangchen suddenly had a guess in her mind.

However, I need to sneak a peek one more time.

Fortunately, Gu Yuye's cronies were quite capable; realizing things were going badly, they all rushed to his rescue.

They kept trying to exonerate Gu Yuandao.

[You had physical contact with [Juehui] for 5 minutes and successfully stole "a copy of the Diamond Sutra"!]

After Juehui recounted the whole story amidst a flurry of questions, Gu Fangchen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Confirmed...

There was no trace of the original body's heart's blood or spirit in Juehui's box.

Gu Yuye's cronies have been working very hard.

But it was clear that Gu Yuandao's behavior at the time suggested he was acting out of a guilty conscience.

Anyone with a modicum of common sense would not think he was being misled or that there was some misunderstanding.

After all, the people from those seven sects were quite certain that they had a private agreement with Gu Yuandao to use the great formation.

If Gu Yuandao truly had a clear conscience, then he could have simply explained things clearly. Why did he have to take action directly, and why did he not release Master Juehui after the matter was over?

It's obvious that they intend to use the Mountain and River Map to take Juehui's life!

Moreover, these people couldn't question what Juehui said at all.

Putting aside this eminent monk from the Garan Temple, who has truly devoted himself to Buddhism in recent years and has been diligently practicing at the Garan Temple.

There wasn't a single clue.

More importantly, what these Buddhists are best at is... debating Buddhist scriptures.

Furthermore, no matter how good Gu Yuandao's reputation is, he is just a rising star. How can his reputation in a short period of time compare with Juehui's?

The eminent monks of the Garan Temple are all living Buddhas who have accumulated the merits of at least 100,000 people and are enshrined in the stupa.

Moreover, Juehui had also cultivated "telepathy," enabling him to distinguish between true and false intentions, making him a renowned monk with a worldwide reputation.

Not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be called a master.

Gu Fangchen's move was to use magic to defeat magic!
Now, despite Gu Yuye's best efforts, he has failed to salvage Gu Yuandao's reputation.

Even the academy was dragged into it.

Could Gu Yuandao alone possibly mobilize the seven sects to cooperate with him?
There must be some high-ranking members of the academy endorsing him!

Juehui said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, my death is nothing to regret. But I fear that if it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince's intervention, countless people in the four southwestern regions would have perished!"

"Your Majesty, we implore you to thoroughly cleanse the court and the public of its discipline, and to investigate whether any more people are involved in this matter!"

Gu Fangchen released Master Juehui's arm and stepped forward, saying loudly:

"If you still don't believe me, I have the testimonies of the seven sects here, as well as the blueprints of the 'Dragon and Serpent Rising from the Land' formation. It's a complete set of witnesses and evidence!"

"This formation clearly bears traces of Confucian principles, and it was created by harnessing the power of mountains and rivers. It must have been created by a Confucian!"

"Gu Yuandao is a disciple of a sage, how could he be so incompetent? I think there must be a traitor within the academy, colluding with the demonic sect!"

He squinted, looked around, and found no one daring to meet his gaze.

"Do you think so?"

Naturally, no one responded. The situation had escalated from Gu Yuye's family matter to a problem between Confucianism and the imperial court.

This is a burden that not everyone can bear...

But everyone's expressions became very subtle. He said it in a very tactful way, but the meaning was all too clear.

Gu Fangchen is not colluding with the Demonic Sect; it is Gu Yuandao who is!
"I am deeply saddened by this, and naturally I cannot have a good attitude towards such a two-faced, hypocritical, and shameless person!"

Gu Fangchen lamented with regret, and spoke with great conviction:

"Throughout my journey, every time I think of Jian Ge, the innocent people of the four southwestern regions, and the seven sects incited by the Demonic Sect, my heart aches!"

He spoke with great passion and fervor:
"What's wrong with simply letting him fend for himself?! To be attacked by the Prince of Zhenbei is utterly absurd!"

Gu Fangchen looked at Gu Yuye and grinned, saying:

"Or were you and your son in cahoots from the very beginning?"

Gu Yuye did not answer, but said coldly:
“Your Majesty! Everything should be considered separately. Even if my son was misled by the Demonic Sect and did something wrong, it does not prove that Gu Fangchen did not collude with the Demonic Sect!”

"Please, Master, fulfill the task I entrusted to you that day! I want to see just who this fellow is!"

He has completely abandoned Gu Yuandao's reputation and is determined to confirm that Gu Fangchen colluded with the Demonic Sect or was possessed by someone from the Demonic Sect.

Gu Fangchen's expression remained unchanged as she looked at Master Juehui.

I wonder... what Master Juehui, who didn't bring those two items at all, would say?

He truly didn't understand why Juehui wouldn't bring those two things...

Either someone foresaw something and told him not to bring it.

Either he couldn't bring those two things with him, or... they disappeared.

Juehui clasped his hands together and said calmly:

"There's no need for verification. This humble monk can testify that the young master is indeed himself and has not been possessed by anyone else."

He looked at Gu Fangchen, raised the box in his hand without changing his expression, and said:
"This blood from the heart and the soul from the spirit do not actually need to be fused with the body to verify whether it is the person's soul. If the soul has changed, this humble monk would have noticed it long ago in the Garan Temple."

"After all, the flower-picking mark left by this humble monk is still on the young prince's body, and has not been stripped away or covered up!"

Gu Yuye's expression grew increasingly grim.

Gu Fangchen twitched her lips.

I never imagined that Master Juehui would lie through his teeth...

What happened to the rule that monks don't lie, Master?
Gu Fangchen felt a complex mix of emotions, but outwardly she clasped her hands together in prayer.
"Thank you, Master, for clearing my name!"

Juehui shook his head, while Gu Fangchen heard the telepathic transmission:

"Your Highness, there's nothing else to report. If it's convenient, could you please return the prayer beads and Buddhist scriptures to this humble monk?"

Gu Fangchen: "..."

He said sheepishly, feeling guilty:
"Yes, I will definitely pay it back."

They were too close, Juehui had too few belongings, and he was still conscious, so escape was indeed not easy...

Gu Fangchen then said:
"Wouldn't that be enough to prove my innocence and convict Gu Yuandao?"

"Gu Yuye, is there anything else you want to say? You'd better say it now, otherwise you won't have a chance to make amends later..."

Gu Yuye clenched his fists, took a deep breath, but suddenly heard someone exclaim:
"Look! Look! On that landscape painting!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I'll revise it later. If there are any errors or omissions, I'll refresh the page. Starting tomorrow, I'll still offer a reward and will definitely update three times a week! I'll wash away the name of "Haki Knockout"!
(End of this chapter)