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

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Du Ming immediately lost his composure, and his expression changed drastically.

"Hurry up and put out the fire! If anything happens to the Scripture Pavilion, I will hold you responsible!"

As he spoke, he hurriedly got up and rushed over, his eyes filled with panic.

When he arrived, he saw the entire library engulfed in flames, with thick smoke billowing out.

"Quick! Put out the fire!"

Duming shouted urgently, panicked and at a loss.

The disciples carried buckets of water, running back and forth, extremely busy.

But the fire was too intense to be extinguished.

at this time.

The instigator, Zhang Xiaomeng, has already disappeared without a trace.

Feng Yi, who was following behind, had a headache. She thought Zhang Xiaomeng was just bored and went to the library to find scriptures to pass the time.

To everyone's surprise, this guy actually went to burn down the Buddhist scripture pavilion.

Why is he always restless wherever he goes?

Zhang Xiaomeng quickly arrived at the back mountain, first smearing ash on his face, looking quite disheveled.

He immediately ran to the two monks, panicking, and said, "Something terrible has happened! The Sutra Repository is on fire! You must help put it out!"

The two were taken aback by what they heard, but hesitated.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaomeng urged, "What are you two standing there for? The fire is too fierce. The Zen Master ordered everyone to put it out. If you two are not proactive and delay the firefighting opportunity, you will be sinners of Faye Temple, and the Zen Master will not let you off easily!"

"Walk!"

Without further hesitation, the two hurried off.

Zhang Xiaomeng said, "You guys go first, I still need to inform the others."

As he spoke, he ran off in another direction.

They quickly disappeared from sight.

The two then dispelled their doubts and headed straight for the Sutra Repository.

As soon as they left, Zhang Xiaomeng returned with Feng Yi, grinning from ear to ear.

"If they won't let me in, I have plenty of ways to get around it."

Having said that, he swaggered into the back mountain and came to the courtyard.

The door was locked. Zhang Xiaomeng pushed it twice, but there was no response. He had no choice but to ask Feng Yi for help.

Feng Yi hesitated and said, "This is a sacred Buddhist site. It would be a despicable act for us to trespass here, and it would damage the princess's reputation if word got out."

Zhang Xiaomeng said speechlessly, "I went through so much trouble to get in, don't worry about your reputation at a time like this. Hurry up and open the door, they'll be back soon."

With things having come to this point, Feng Yi had no other choice.

He immediately focused his strength in his palm and slammed it down on the door.

boom!

The heavy solid wood door opened with a thud.

Zhang Xiaomeng ran inside quickly, with Feng Yi following closely behind.

When the two arrived at the door of a room and pushed it open, they were completely stunned.

A chilling, cold aura swept over me, devoid of any warmth from the incense offerings of the Buddhist temple, leaving only a bone-chilling gloom.

The scene before my eyes sent chills down my spine.

The room was filled with countless wooden memorial tablets.

On the memorial tablets, each one was engraved with the child's tender birth date and time and the girl's name.

In a corner of the room, dozens of girls aged five or six, and seven or eight, were separated and confined in low wooden enclosures.

They didn't cry or make a fuss, but their eyes were numb and empty, and their thin bodies trembled. Years of imprisonment had worn away all the vitality of their childhood.

In the very center stood a hidden altar, upon which stood several straw figures, their chests and abdomens covered with fine needles.

Various names and birth dates are pasted on the back.

On the table, scissors, silver needles, and a small jade bottle for collecting hair and blood from fingertips are neatly arranged.

Feng Yi, who was usually calm and collected, suddenly had his pupils contract upon seeing this scene, and a chill ran through his heart.

"This is witchcraft!"

Zhang Xiaomeng naturally knew about this technique; he had often seen this kind of harmful evil art in palace dramas in his previous life.

But the scene before me was so shocking that even TV dramas wouldn't dare to portray it like this.

"When I accompanied the princess to wipe out a branch of the Black Lotus Sect, we found a book on witchcraft and sorcery."

Looking at these helpless and desperate little girls, Feng Yi clenched his fist. "The book mentions that young girls have the purest destiny, which can be used to protect people from disasters, transfer illnesses, suppress bad luck, and so on. They are called amulets and talismans."

"Screw those amulets!"

Zhang Xiaomeng was furious and started cursing.

He could understand why women in the harem would use all sorts of underhanded methods to vie for favor.

But he couldn't accept using innocent children as some kind of curse or talisman; it was an utterly depraved and inhumane act.

Feng Yi gave Zhang Xiaomeng a deep look; it was the first time she had ever seen him so angry.

Feng Yi was equally furious. "I never imagined that Consort Wu built the temple to facilitate the practice of witchcraft. This is a taboo in the harem. How dare she do that?"

Zhang Xiaomeng said calmly, "Human nature is inherently ugly. Some people will do anything to achieve their goals."

"We must rescue these children quickly."

"Don't save her."

Zhang Xiaomeng grabbed Feng Yi.

"What do you mean? Aren't you going to do anything about it? When did you become so cowardly and afraid of trouble?" Feng Yi questioned coldly.

"Do you think the two of us can take them away safely? If the truth comes out, not only will we be unable to leave, but they will also be silenced."

Feng Yi fell silent.

I was too impatient and lost my sense of proportion.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Feng Yi's tone softened.

Zhang Xiaomeng closed the door again and didn't look at the children at all.

He dared not look, fearing he might impulsively rush in and release them, alerting the enemy.

"Leave first."

Zhang Xiaomeng turned and left without expression.

He remained silent the entire way, his expression neither happy nor sad, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

The fire in the library was still burning, and all the monks in the temple were pulled away to fight the fire, but the effect was minimal.

When Zhang Xiaomeng returned to his lodgings, the coachman immediately went to greet him, asking with concern, "Young Master, where have you been? I heard the temple was on fire. Are you alright?"

Zhang Xiaomeng instructed, "You two, leave immediately."

The coachman was taken aback.

Didn't we say we were going to take refuge here?

Why are you leaving all of a sudden?

"And what about you?" Feng Yi asked.

"I stayed."

"No! It's too dangerous."

Feng Yi refused outright.

"I have to stay and keep an eye on them," Zhang Xiaomeng said.

"You can't get hurt. I'll stay here, you go and deliver the message," Feng Yi said.

"If I leave, Watari will definitely become suspicious. Only if I stay can I keep him occupied."

"No, the princess has given me a death order, that I must stay by your side at all times. If you stay, I will not leave."

Feng Yi was resolute and strictly carried out Princess Changning's orders.

She turned to the coachman and said seriously, "Zhao Erniu, our survival and the rescue of those children depend on you."

Zhao Erniu panicked immediately, waving his hands repeatedly, "I...I can't do it..."

Feng Yi grabbed his shoulder and said in a deep voice, "The fact that the princess let you come with us this time shows that she trusts you a lot. No one in the princess's residence is cowardly!"