Princess, something terrible has happened! The prince consort has attempted suicide again!

Zhang Xiaomeng harbored a bellyful of thoughts of causing trouble.

However, Feng Yi's eyes were fixed on him, leaving him no chance to take advantage of the situation.

He could only suppress his restlessness and go out to find something to eat to fill his stomach.

However, the vegetarian meals at Faye Temple were all plain and bland, dry and hard to swallow.

Zhang Xiaomeng took a couple of bites but lost his appetite. He turned to Feng Yi, who was sitting and eating beside him, and asked in a pleading tone, "Sister Feng, did you bring any meat with you?"

Feng held the bowl and chopsticks in one hand, her movements calm and composed. Without even raising her eyelids, she uttered two words indifferently: "Didn't bring any."

Zhang Xiaomeng deflated instantly, his face crumbling as he sighed, "We've only been here one day, and we're already eating this bland, watery food every day. How are we going to get through the rest of the day?"

Despite his endless complaints, Feng Yi remained unmoved, eating her vegetarian meal with a blank expression.

Zhang Xiaomeng couldn't bear the hardship any longer and suddenly stood up: "No, I have to go to the back mountain to find some wild game. If I keep eating like this, I'll starve to death sooner or later."

He had considered many ways to die, but the one he found most unacceptable was starving to death.

Feng Yi had no choice but to get up and follow him.

The two were strolling along the path behind the temple when they were suddenly stopped by two figures.

"stop!"

The two monks were burly and wielded heavy wooden clubs. Their fierce and sharp eyes and menacing demeanor exuded a chilling martial aura, showing no trace of the compassion and solemnity expected of monks.

"This is a sacred and sacred Buddhist site; unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from trespassing. Please leave immediately!"

Feng Yi's gaze sharpened slightly, and he instantly recognized that the two men possessed solid martial arts skills and were martial monks who were specially assigned to guard the temple.

She reached out and gently pulled Zhang Xiaomeng, signaling him to turn back and not cause trouble.

But Zhang Xiaomeng's gaze had already passed over the two of them and landed on the independent courtyard behind them.

The courtyard was surrounded by high walls and locked gates. It was quiet and deserted, completely hidden away, like a secluded forbidden place isolated from the world.

His curiosity grew even stronger, and he put on a harmless smile: "Please forgive us, masters, we just want to find some rabbits and pheasants in the back mountains to satisfy our cravings. Would you be so kind as to do us that?"

The monk's face was cold and hard as he sternly rebuked, "This is Buddhist territory! What business is this with wild game? Stop talking nonsense!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xiaomeng immediately took out two heavy silver ingots and handed them over.

The bribery tactics that used to work every time are now completely ineffective.

The two monks didn't move an inch, their wooden staffs held horizontally in front of them, their eyes flashing with a fierce light, their tone full of warning: "If you dare to cause any more trouble, don't blame us for being ruthless!"

Zhang Xiaomeng was about to speak again when Feng Yi quickly stepped forward to apologize, "We've disturbed you, we'll leave now."

As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed Zhang Xiaomeng and turned to leave.

Away from the forbidden area in the back mountain, Zhang Xiaomeng frowned and whispered, "Something's not right."

Feng Yi didn't take it seriously: "All the major temples have secret restricted areas that ordinary people are not allowed to enter. What's so strange about that?"

In her view, Zhang Xiaomeng was just unwilling to accept that he hadn't found any wild game, so he deliberately picked a fight.

Zhang Xiaomeng gently shook his head, his eyes resolute: "Ordinary forbidden areas uphold rules, but they uphold secrets. Most importantly, these monks don't accept money."

Feng Yi rolled her eyes speechlessly.

So, in his eyes, all monks in the world are greedy for money?

"For a monk to refuse the silver and stand firm, there must be a huge secret hidden in this courtyard," Zhang Xiaomeng said with certainty, his eyes full of inquiry.

"That's none of our business." Feng Yi warned solemnly, "Faye Temple is no ordinary temple. You should just stay here and take refuge. If you cause trouble, it will be difficult to clean up the mess."

Zhang Xiaomeng became intrigued and pressed for details: "What's so special about this temple?"

"Faye Temple was built with funds from Consort Wu of the palace, specifically for the royal family to pray for blessings. It is said to be very effective and its incense is extremely popular."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaomeng's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

In his view, the more royal family was involved, the more undercurrents were hidden.

What he fears least in his life is causing trouble; he's only afraid that the trouble is too small to cause any trouble.

Upon learning that Faye Temple was backed by the imperial family, Zhang Xiaomeng instantly hatched a plan.

A sly smile curled at the corner of his lips, and he turned to leave.

Upon seeing his familiar expression, Feng Yi instantly became wary: "What are you planning to do now?"

"Let's go to the Sutra Repository." Zhang Xiaomeng smiled leisurely. "Since I have nothing to do today, I'll go and discuss Zen principles with the Buddha."

At the same time, inside the meditation room of Faye Temple.

Master Duming sat upright on the futon, his usual calm and compassionate demeanor long gone.

A travel-worn monk stood in the hall, beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead, clearly having rushed back to gather information.

"How is the situation?" Du Ming asked in a low voice.

The monk, catching his breath, bowed and reported: "Reporting to the Zen Master, it has been verified that Liu, a member of the Marquis of Yongwu's household, has indeed been convicted of hiring someone to ambush and kill the heir apparent, and has been sentenced to exile to the frontier. This case was supervised by Zhang Xiaomeng under imperial decree. He exposed Liu's crimes in public, causing her to lose her reputation and be divorced by the Marquis of Yongwu in court. She is now a laughing stock in the capital."

Du Ming listened quietly, his expression gradually darkening.

What a valiant Marquis! To protect himself, he was so ruthless.

And then there's Zhang Xiaomeng, who keeps saying that he was framed by his second brother Zhang Ling, which led him to misjudge Liu.

If that were the case, he could have simply arrested Liu directly; there was no need to expose her in public.

This was clearly a personal vendetta, deliberately intended to embarrass Liu.

So, he's lying!

"Anything else?" Du Ming asked again in a deep voice.

The monk continued to report: "I have investigated the background of that Benefactor Shen. This person is not called Shen Nian'an at all. His real name is Zhao Erniu. He is just an ordinary groom in Princess Changning's residence. His ancestral home is Hekou County. He only came to the capital to make a living in the last two years."

click-

A soft, crisp sound suddenly rang out in the quiet meditation room.

The prayer beads that Zen Master Duming was holding tightly broke into pieces, and the beads rolled all over the ground and scattered in all directions.

At this moment, all doubts were resolved.

The whole "recognizing the father and asking for help" act was a complete scam!

"How dare you mock me, you brat!"

Duming's eyes were wide open, his face was ferocious, like an angry Vajra, and his whole body was filled with fierce energy, no longer showing any of the demeanor of a high monk.

Upon seeing this, the monk quickly added, "I also discovered that during Zhang Xiaomeng's investigation, he found that Qian Deming, the Minister of Revenue, was corrupt and had committed embezzlement. Qian was killed on the spot. The official story was that he was killed by his son, Qian Youkang, after a falling out with his father. After Zhang Xiaomeng finished the case, he hid in my Faye Temple overnight. There must be something fishy going on here."

Du Ming's eyes turned cold, and he instantly saw through the truth: "It must have been Zhang Xiaomeng who did it. He offended the forces behind Qian Deming and knew he couldn't escape retaliation, so he hid in my temple, hoping to use the tranquility of Buddhism to avoid danger."

The monk's expression changed: "Qian Deming has powerful backers? Doesn't that mean...?"

"Shut up!" Du Ming raised his hand and sternly stopped him. "This is not something you can discuss without permission."

The monk dared not speak further and quickly bowed, asking, "Master, what are your plans regarding Zhang Xiaomeng?"

A murderous glint flashed in Du Ming's eyes, and a sinister smile curled at the corner of his lips as he spoke coldly, "Stepping into my territory is tantamount to walking into a trap!"

Just then, a sudden burst of hurried and chaotic running and shouting came from outside the door.

Immediately afterwards, a monk stumbled in through the door, his voice trembling and his face filled with terror:

"Master! Something terrible has happened! The Sutra Repository is on fire!"