My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

Chapter 149 Nighttime Visit to Ci'en Temple

During the day, Ci'en Temple is bustling with worshippers, and when the bell rings, all the devout men and women in the city feel that Buddha is very busy.

Ci'en Temple at night is completely different from its daytime appearance.

The mountain gate was closed, and lanterns hung under the eaves, swaying slightly in the wind. The sound of a wooden fish drum came from inside the red walls, each strike sending a hollow echo through one's heart.

As I stood in front of the mountain gate, I suddenly remembered my first visit to Ci'en Temple.

At that time, Qiu Tang arranged for the incense offering carriage, and Xiao Lingyi used the tranquility before the Buddha to deliver a message: we were investigating Fang Zhoushi, Xiao Shitou, and the half-book of secrets left behind by the Yongning River case.

At that time, I felt that the temple was unclean.

I didn't expect it to be unclean.

It's too clean.

It's so clean that any silver, old clothes, or even a dead body can be covered with incense ash.

Zheng Huaien arrived in the same car.

He did not object to entering Ci'en Temple at night.

This is strange.

A person who truly wants to procrastinate will use every possible method to drag things out until dawn.

But he agreed.

They agreed even faster than I expected.

I watched him get off the bus, and suddenly I understood.

He wanted to come too.

Or rather, he wanted us to come.

Ah Liu sidled up to me and whispered, "Young Master, has Minister Zheng gone mad? Why did he actually come?"

I said, "He's not crazy."

"What is that?"

"He was prepared."

Ah Liu immediately looked back: "What about us?"

"We have that too."

"What?"

I thought about it.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Ah Liu looked at Xiao Lingyi.

Xiao Lingyi stood in front of the temple gate, holding the piece of charred blue-patterned cloth in her hands, her face as cold as a piece of jade offered before the Buddha.

Ah Liu nodded.

"This one is definitely more useful than the smaller one."

I looked at him and said, "You don't have to be so honest."

There were quite a few people visiting Ci'en Temple this time.

The Censorate's servants, the Princess's guards, the Imperial Guards, the Ministry of Revenue's servants, and Lu Wenjing and Ma Cheng, who were escorted from Qinghe Granary.

Ma Cheng didn't say a word the whole way.

His face was deathly pale, as if he knew that Zheng Huaien had abandoned him.

Sometimes, those who are abandoned are more useful than those who die for their cause.

Because suicide soldiers are not afraid of death.

Those who are abandoned are afraid.

Fear makes you want to live.

The mountain gate opened quickly.

The person who came out to greet them was Mingjue, the abbot of Ci'en Temple.

He was around forty years old, thin, wearing a monk's robe, with kind eyes and brows.

If I hadn't just seen his name in the merit book of Qinghe Yicang, just looking at his face, he really looked like someone who had cultivated compassion for many years.

Mingjue put his hands together in prayer position.

"Amitabha. It's late at night and the wind is strong. Your Highness and the other officials have arrived suddenly. What brings you here?"

Zheng Huaien spoke first: "There are discrepancies in the grain accounts of Qinghe Yicang, which involve the water and land merits of Ci'en Temple. Lord Shen wants to check the merit book."

Mingjue looked at me.

"Lord Shen?"

I nodded.

"Master, there's no need to be surprised. There's not much to investigate today."

Ah Liu whispered from the side, "Young Master always says he doesn't say much, but he always ends up saying he doesn't say much."

I continued, "The general register of merits, the record of the incense ash cart's entry and exit, the rice donation account of Qinghe Charity Granary, the record of old items burned at the Water and Land Ritual, and the things we plan to burn tonight."

Mingjue's expression remained unchanged.

"The Buddhist temple is a pure land, where there is absolutely no place for filth or defilement. If Lord Shen wishes to investigate, this humble monk will certainly cooperate."

They were so cooperative.

Their coordination is so bad I want to sigh.

I'm not afraid of anyone stopping me now.

I'm afraid people will laugh and say I'm just going along with it.

This usually means that he has hidden away anything he shouldn't have let me see.

Mingjue led us into the temple.

The incense at Ci'en Temple was very strong at night.

Inside the main hall, monks were chanting sutras, the lamps were flickering, and the Buddha statue sat high with its eyes lowered.

Even if a few people starve to death in the human world, the Buddha statue will not frown.

Even if people swallow tens of thousands of taels of relief funds, the Buddha statue will not reach out.

Therefore, hiding silver in front of the Buddha is the safest place.

The donation room is located behind the main hall.

Mingjue had the young novice monk light a lamp, and then personally took out several books.

"This is the general register of merits from the Water and Land Offerings for the past three months, this is the register of rice donations from the Qinghe Charity Granary, and this is the register of incense carts entering and leaving. You gentlemen may refer to these records."

The books were neatly arranged.

The paper is clean and the ink is clear.

I opened the master ledger.

The books look beautiful.

How much rice was supplied by Qinghe Charity Granary? How much porridge was distributed by Ci'en Temple? How much incense was used for the Water and Land Ritual? How much was used to pray for the disaster victims?

Every stroke matches perfectly.

That's spot on perfectly.

I asked Ah Liu, "What did you see?"

Ah Liu glanced at it nervously.

"I don't understand."

"very good."

He was stunned.

I said, "I don't understand it either."

Mingjue smiled slightly.

Zheng Huaien looked at me and said in a gentle voice, "If Lord Shen is not familiar with the Buddhist merit account, he can ask the Ministry of Revenue's accountant to check it."

I closed the notebook.

"Minister Zheng has misunderstood."

"Oh?"

"It's not that I can't understand the accounts."

I pointed to the book of merits that was so clean it was unbelievable.

"I don't understand how a temple can keep accounts that are more complete than those of the Ministry of Revenue."

Zheng Huaien's expression remained unchanged.

Mingjue clasped his hands in prayer: "Buddhist accounts are subject to offerings from pilgrims from all directions, so we must be careful."

"It's better to be cautious."

I nodded.

"Then the investigation will not be conducted carefully."

Mingjue looked at me.

I asked, "Is there a Buddhist ritual performed tonight?"

"have."

"Burning old things?"

"burn."

"What are you burning?"

"Paper offerings, old curtains, incense ash, and other miscellaneous items to pray for the disaster victims in Jiangbei."

"Take me to see it."

Mingjue did not hesitate.

"please."

They're still so cooperative.

I felt even more uneasy.

The water and land ritual is held in the backyard of the temple.

Before I even got close, I could smell a burning odor.

It doesn't smell like burnt paper normally.

There was a smell of burning fabric inside.

Ah Liu also smelled it and said nervously, "Young Master, it seems to have already burned."

We quickened our pace.

Sure enough, a large copper basin was set up in the open space in the backyard. The fire in the basin had not been completely extinguished, and a few charred corners of cloth were visible in the ashes.

Two young monks knelt beside him, too frightened to look up.

Mingjue sighed, "Lord Shen has arrived too late. The old artifacts from the land and water have already been burned."

Zheng Huaien looked at me.

"pity."

I looked at the pot of ashes.

It's a real shame.

It's a pity, it's like a well-prepared pity.

Xiao Lingyi took a step forward.

Her face was pale, but she did not lose her composure.

Qiu Tang helped her up.

"Your Highness."

Xiao Lingyi raised her hand, indicating that she didn't need to.

She stared at the charred cloth in the ashes, her voice icy.

"It was all burned?"

Mingjue joins his palms in prayer.

"Old items are meant to bless the deceased; when burned, they are purified, and may all souls find peace."

Xiao Lingyi looked at him.

"Do you know what's in here?"

Mingjue lowered his eyes.

"This humble monk only knows that it is an old item."

"What if it's my mother's old clothes?"

Mingjue then looked up.

The surprise was perfectly timed.

"The late Empress's old clothes? Your Highness, how come such old items are at Ci'en Temple?"

I almost wanted to applaud.

He acted very well.

He is better than many people in the Ministry of Revenue.

I walked to the copper basin and squatted down.

The ashes were still hot.

The guard brought out a pair of iron clips, and I picked up a piece of burnt cloth.

The cloth was burned so badly that the patterns were no longer visible.

But there is a red line on it that is not completely burned off.

The red thread of the old palace needle.

Xiao Lingyi's breathing became slightly heavier.

Mingjue said, "Lord Shen, after the old cloth is burned, there will inevitably be loose threads left behind."

"Yeah?"

I took out the red thread.

At the end of the thread, there was a small piece of unburnt paper ash.

The ashes were curled up, with charred edges.

I asked Ah Liu to fetch some clean water, and then I asked Qiu Tang to gently pry it open with a silver needle.

The paper was badly shredded, leaving only half a character.

"and."

Ah Liu stared at it for a long time, then whispered, "The 'He' in 'Qinghe Yicang'?"

I didn't answer.

Because not necessarily.

It could also be something else.

For example, the story of "clearing old accounts" and "An Chaogang" in "An Chaogang" also refers to peace.

Zheng Huaien looked at the half-word and said gently, "Lord Shen, the ashes left over from the fire are probably not sufficient as evidence."

I looked up at him.

"Minister Zheng is very knowledgeable about evidence."

"Even when the Ministry of Revenue handles matters, evidence is required."

"Alright then."

I stood up.

"Don't look at the dust, look at the person."

Mingjue calmly asked, "Whom does Lord Shen wish to ask?"

"Who's going to light the fire tonight?"

The two young monks trembled.

One of them cried out, "It was...it was this humble monk who ordered it."

"Who told you to order?"

"Supervising Master".

Mingjue nodded: "It was this humble monk's instruction. The time for the ceremony has come, so the cremation should proceed."

"Who sent these used items?"

The young novice looked at Mingjue.

Mingjue said, "Many old items come and go in the temple every day, and this humble monk may not remember them all."

I laughed.

"The merit record was kept so clearly just now, but the person who burned the offerings doesn't remember it at all."

Mingjue clasped his hands in prayer: "Accounts are accounts, and miscellaneous matters are miscellaneous matters."

I nodded.

"Where's the miscellaneous tasks log?"

He was silent for a moment.

It was in that instant that I realized there was something wrong with him.

"Bring it here."

Mingjue sent someone to fetch it.

Soon, a miscellaneous tasks book was delivered.

I opened it and saw that this pen had been written tonight:

The old curtains of Qinghe Yicang were burned on both land and water.

Escort: Qinghe.

The temple received Mingjue.

I showed the ledgers to everyone.

"Qinghe has been here."

Mingjue said, "When the maid from the Imperial Wardrobe came with the old curtain, this humble monk did not find anything unusual."

Where is she?

"He left after giving away the old things."

"Which way?"

"I don't know."

Ah Liu muttered under his breath, "I don't know either."

I asked, "The old curtained carriage?"

"Yes."

"Where's the car?"

"Returned to Qinghe Yicang."

I looked at Yan Xiaoyi.

Yan Xiaoyi immediately turned around to investigate.

A moment later, he returned.

"There are only two tire tracks at the back gate."

Mingjue's expression changed slightly.

I looked at him.

"Three old carriages, two tracks. Master, is it considered complete for your Buddhist sect to have one less carriage?"

Mingjue finally stopped laughing.

Zheng Huaien also fell silent.

I continued flipping through the miscellaneous tasks book.

Just then, Ma Cheng suddenly knelt down with a thud.

"Lord Shen, I have something to say!"

Zheng Huaien suddenly looked at him.

That look was cold.

Ma Cheng shuddered, but still gritted his teeth and said, "Qinghe didn't leave! She's at the temple!"

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Mingjue's expression changed drastically.

Zheng Huaien said coldly, "Ma Cheng, do you know what you're saying?"

Ma Cheng didn't dare look at him, he just stared at me.

"I know. Qinghe didn't escort three cartloads of old curtains, but two cartloads of old curtains and one cartload of people!"

Ah Liu gasped.

I stared at him: "Who are you?"

Ma Cheng's voice trembled.

"Disaster victims in Jiangbei"

My heart sank.

Disaster victims?

Ma Cheng continued, "There's a group of disaster victims listed as 'already resettled' on the charity granary register, and their names are recorded as donations to the Ci'en Temple's Water and Land Offerings. In reality... in reality, they were sent here to falsely count the number of people receiving porridge. We were originally going to transfer them away tonight."

I asked, "Where are you going?"

Before Ma Cheng could speak, a loud bang suddenly came from behind the temple.

It looked like a door had been kicked open.

Immediately afterwards, a woman's shrill voice rang out from outside the backyard.

"Fire!"

"The woodshed is on fire!"

Flames suddenly shot up from a corner behind the temple.

Xiao Lingyi's expression changed.

I looked at Mingjue.

Mingjue's face finally turned completely white.

I immediately rushed toward the fire.

Ah Liu called out from behind, "Young master, aren't you afraid to die?"