Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 301 The Unpredictability of Human Hearts
"You're saying the mistress has been using witchcraft to harm me?"

Inside the room, after listening to Ding Cang's report, Zhang Dai was momentarily doubtful whether he had misheard and quickly asked again. He had heard similar stories before, but always considered them as tales of curiosity, never imagining that he would one day be connected to them.

"Yes, there used to be a monk named Faneng living in Changshou Temple who was proficient in all kinds of witchcraft and sorcery. Last year, the mistress secretly ordered the servants to search for him and secretly plot to harm Alang. Later, something happened at Changshou Temple, and Faneng settled in a temple in Yongning County. The monk that the mistress sent people to search for recently was this monk."

Ding Cang had been working tirelessly on this investigation, but he finally got the details and immediately reported back: "I visited his old acquaintances at the temple and, after learning of his whereabouts, I brought him back to Luoyang. After the evil monk Fa Neng was captured, he knew he couldn't escape, so he confessed everything. Now, the evil monk and some amulets are stored in Changshou Temple."

"Let's go take a look!"

To avoid alerting the monk, Zhang Dai decided not to bring him into his home first. Instead, he went out with Ding Cang and the others and headed straight for Changshou Temple.

Although Changshou Temple suffered a major blow last year, it gradually recovered its prosperous state after various famous monks moved in. However, the famous pawnshop in the capital changed hands and is now managed by the palace eunuchs.

Another difference is that there is a Pure Land Courtyard in the temple. Unlike other monasteries, the Pure Land Courtyard does not frequently hold Dharma assemblies or recruit believers. It only occasionally holds free medical clinics, medicine distributions, and porridge distributions. Although it operates in a low-key manner, the Pure Land Courtyard is quite popular among the monasteries of Changshou Temple.

On the one hand, the monastery has an elegant environment, and the garden is very beautiful when the lotus flowers are in full bloom. On the other hand, the various statues and designs here attract many wealthy donors to inquire about them.

After renovations, the Pure Land Monastery is now completely transformed compared to previous years. All matters within the monastery are back on track, and thousands of palace officials are involved in the long-term statue-making project.

The money and silk collected were used on the one hand to maintain the construction of the Gaoping Junwang Cave in Wanfogou, Dongshan, Longmen, and on the other hand to purchase properties and build mountain villas in the surrounding mountains of Wan'an Mountain.

When Zhang Dai arrived and saw how well the Pure Land Monastery was managed, he was quite satisfied. However, he had other matters to attend to and did not have time to learn about the details of the monastery's operation. After a cursory tour of the monastery, he was led by Ding Cang into a room in a corner of the monastery.

"Layman Ding, please spare me! I've already confessed everything. I truly didn't intend to harm you..."

As soon as Ding Cang entered the room, a disheveled monk dressed in robes, tied to the bedside, begged for mercy.

Ding Cang didn't hold back, stepping forward and kicking him first, angrily saying, "Shut up! My master is already here, answer whatever he asks. If you hide anything or lie, you'll get a beating!"

"I will, I will... Please spare my life, young master!"

The monk then saw Zhang Dai following Ding Cang into the room, and immediately kowtowed repeatedly to Zhang Dai, begging for mercy.

Zhang Dai didn't ask any questions first. Instead, he searched the monk's luggage and found that he was a monk with a proper ordination certificate, not a privately ordained monk. He immediately frowned and said, "You wicked monk, if you have a proper background, how dare you do such a vicious thing? Who is your master? Do you have any fellow disciples? Do they know about the evil deeds you have committed?"

"This old monk is from Shannan. My master has long since passed away, and my fellow disciples have scattered to various places. I learned the incantations I had while traveling in Ruzhou, in a wild temple. I know in my heart that incantations are vicious, so I dare not spread them..."

Upon hearing the question, the monk hurriedly answered in a trembling voice.

Zhang Dai didn't find any more clues in his luggage, but he did find a thick stack of runes and pictures related to witchcraft and incantations. He couldn't recognize the symbols that looked like talismans, but he could barely make out some of the characters mixed in. He found that there were quite a lot of different kinds, some for praying for children, some for warding off evil spirits, and some for curing diseases or harming people.

Among them were several talismans related to himself, using the name of the young Zhang Luonu. They depicted small figures with nail heads and feet and ferocious features, with various vicious curses written next to them.

Even though Zhang Dai didn't believe in these things, after looking through them, he couldn't help but feel uneasy and creeped out. He then asked in a deep voice, "Who asked you to use a curse to harm me? Tell me honestly!"

The monk dared not deceive him any longer and honestly explained the situation. He himself lacked profound Buddhist cultivation, and in order to attract believers, he often used incantations and spells to confuse people.

Zheng was a very famous and generous patron of Changshou Temple. Naturally, he wanted to befriend and flatter Zhang Dai. The two hit it off immediately and began to use various spells to curse Zhang Dai starting last year.

The process wasn't particularly strange, and the monk also instructed that in addition to performing the ritual outside, he should also hide some amulets in the Zhang family mansion to complement the ritual, so that they could corroborate each other.

After listening to the monk's explanation, Zhang Dai pondered for a moment and then asked, "To whom else would you like to complain about this?"

"No, no, that's all. How could this old monk dare to boast about such a harmful technique? I was only coerced and threatened by Madam Zheng and dared not disobey. Fearing that it might really harm someone, I left a backup plan in the death curse, so, so the young master was not injured..."

Upon hearing this, the monk quickly added his own words.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dai snorted coldly, "Damn it, I should thank you for showing mercy."
"Disguise him and take him home. Tell anyone who knows about this to keep quiet!" Zhang Dai instructed after thinking for a moment.

Although the matter surprised him, given the extent of Zheng's resentment towards him, it was not surprising that she would do such a thing.

However, how should I put it, this matter is just too dirty! Witchcraft and sorcery are already a rather sensitive matter, and if you add the ethical element of a stepmother using witchcraft to kill her illegitimate son, and it happens to be a family like the Zhang family, if the situation were to spread, it would probably spread throughout the entire city in an instant.

Even if Zheng could be convicted of a heinous crime based on this incident, Zhang Dai, as one of the main characters in the story, would likely find it difficult to maintain the image of a pure and innocent victim amidst the widespread public outcry. There would certainly be people questioning or slandering him about how unfilial and unjust he was, which would force his stepmother to resort to such a vicious scheme!

Moreover, as a politician, or someone who aspires to achieve something in politics, it's best to stay far away from witchcraft and sorcery, and not get involved easily. Last year, his grandfather, Zhang Shuo, was dismissed from his post as prime minister, one of the charges being that he associated with sorcerers.

In short, even if this matter could lead to Zheng's death, it would still have a very serious negative impact on Zhang Dai and the Zhang family. Therefore, it is best to keep it quiet and handle it discreetly within the family.

He secretly brought the witness and evidence back to the Zhang family mansion. Based on the confession of the monk Faneng, he dug up some small coffins with bloodstains and straw figures with his birth date written on them in a hidden place near Jicui Tower, which further confirmed that Zheng wanted to murder him.

Even though Zhang Dai didn't firmly believe in these things, seeing these eerie and sinister objects placed before him still sent a chill down his spine. He had already made up his mind to take this opportunity to completely eliminate the Zheng family.

He knew that if he confronted Zheng, even if the other party had a guilty conscience, they would definitely turn around and slander him when they saw the irrefutable evidence.

After all, in terms of ethical relationships, Zheng's status naturally puts her under pressure, so it would be best to find someone who can use their status to suppress her and then make a move against her. And that person is readily available.

He packed up the relevant items, put them in a bundle, and had Ah Ying carry it to the back room to find his grandmother.

Inside the main hall, Madam Yuan was chatting with several women from her household and her youngest daughter. This young Zhang had been staying at her parents' home for quite some time, hoping to secure a better official position for her husband, Lu Zheng. However, the Zhang family's fortunes had changed, and Zhang Shuo was not particularly enthusiastic about it, so nothing had come of it yet.

When Madam Yuan saw Zhang Dai enter the hall, she smiled and said to him, "In the blink of an eye, this young man has already been appointed to an official post. Remember to visit your grandmother often during your time off!"

Zhang Dai readily agreed with a smile, then turned apologetically to the people in the hall and said, "I have some personal matters that are perplexing and difficult to resolve that I would like to ask my grandmother for advice, but I am afraid that my aunts will find them laughable..."

"Is Liu Lang perhaps in love with some woman?"

Upon hearing this, the women all stood up, laughing and joking as they took their leave.

After everyone else had left, Madam Zhang remained seated. Seeing that she showed no intention of leaving, Zhang Dai immediately said, "Please, Aunt, also step aside for a moment."

"What is so important that you would even expel me from the hall?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhang frowned and said unhappily. She felt that the family had changed a lot since she returned home, and she was not as comfortable as in previous years. She attributed all the changes to Zhang Dai, who was usually a nobody in the family, and she disliked him a bit.

"Why are you arguing with your son? Go away, come back tonight!"

Knowing that Zhang Dai was mature beyond his years and wouldn't drive everyone away without a reason, Madam Yuan immediately waved her hand to send her reluctant young daughter away. Then, she looked at Zhang Dai, whose expression had turned serious, and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

Zhang Dai gestured for A Ying to place the bundle containing the cursed items in front of Madam Yuan's table. Madam Yuan opened it and her face changed drastically. She leaned back repeatedly and asked urgently, "Where did you find these evil things?"

“It was dug up near my dwelling in the house. My mistress had it buried to curse me.”

Zhang Dai no longer concealed anything and immediately told the truth.

Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan's expression changed drastically again. She lowered her voice and said urgently, "You child, don't talk nonsense! Although she lacks the grace and magnanimity of an elder, she is still your legal mother and a woman from the prestigious Zheng family. How could she do such a sneaky thing..."

“I didn’t believe it at first, but there are witnesses and physical evidence. The evil monk who cast the curse on me has been captured at home. I dare not tell anyone, so I can only ask my grandmother what should be done.”

Zhang Dai spoke again in a deep voice, and after the initial shock, Madam Yuan's expression also turned serious. She slowly nodded and said, "It was right not to make a fuss. Investigate carefully! If it was really her doing, bringing these evil spirits into the door with the intention of harming my beloved grandson, how can we let her off! Whatever sins she has committed, she shall have to bear them herself!"

(End of this chapter)