Chapter 100 Qingjue Temple, what do they all think of her place as...?
When Jiang Chen received Shen Yujiao's secret letter late at night, he was finishing up the last bit of evidence against Li Lu. After reading the short note, he shook his head and chuckled, then lit the note on fire and watched it turn to ashes.
Just as Jiaojiao said, the emperor was already senile before he even reached a certain age. He had been a wise and virtuous ruler in public for half his life, but he was completely clueless about this matter.
He truly had no idea who was covering up for him the evidence that, once revealed, would utterly humiliate the royal family.
Jiang Chen stood up from his chair, walked to the window, and stared at the carved patterns on the window frame, his eyes slightly narrowed.
Everything was progressing as he had predicted. The emperor believed that finding Princess Yongxian would give Prince Zhao a way to check the power of the Eastern Palace, but little did he know that this plan would probably not be able to proceed at Qingjue Temple.
Princess Yongxian was a woman of her own mind. She was unwilling to help even the Prince of Zhao, so how could she possibly be an accomplice to evil in the matter of the Emperor and Li Lu?
The emperor really didn't know much about his children.
Life and death hang in the balance. The emperor's life is now in his hands. Jiang Chen watched his palms open and close, his brows furrowing slightly. It hasn't come to that yet, and he doesn't want to do such a thing.
"Send a message to the Crown Princess, it's alright, we can just turn the tables on her."
"yes."
Zhu Yu emerged from the darkness and then disappeared back into it; if one did not look closely, no one would even notice where he had just been standing.
As the saying goes, "A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation," and this is certainly true of Mu Jin and Zhu Yu today.
Inside the palace, after learning that she had reached an agreement with Jiang Chen, Shen Yujiao no longer stopped the emperor's underhanded actions. She allowed Feng Xu to handle the arrangements inside and out, and she only needed to stop him and delay him when necessary.
Thanks to her deliberate leniency, the news quickly reached Qingjue Temple.
"No, Your Excellency, please return."
Princess Yongxian showed no respect to the noble guests from the palace, saying only one sentence with a blank expression before signaling the young Taoist to see them out.
The young Taoist priest serving Princess Yongxian was not someone she had brought from the palace and did not know her well. He was stunned upon hearing the order.
After Princess Yongxian became a nun, she returned all the palace maids around her to their status as free citizens and sent them back to their hometowns one by one. Now, the only person in the Taoist temple is an old nanny who came from the palace. She is Princess Yongxian's wet nurse. Apart from that, the temple is full of poor women and children she took in.
Qingjue Temple was a veritable courtyard full of the elderly, weak, sick and disabled, so the young Taoist boy's legs were trembling uncontrollably. The lady was too bold. This was a noble lady from the palace. If she displeased the angel, would their little temple still have a good life?
The so-called angel was none other than Feng Zhang, Feng Xu's godson. Ever since he recognized Chief Steward Feng as his godfather, he had never shown his face before the emperor. This was the first time he had been sent on such an important mission. Who would have thought that Princess Yongxian would not cooperate at all and would not give in to his demands?
This is the Emperor's decree! How dare the princess disobey it?
Feng Zhang was in a real bind. If he really returned to the palace, he wouldn't be able to give a satisfactory answer to what Feng Xu had asked him to do. But if he stayed here... Princess Yongxian didn't seem to be afraid of the emperor's wrath.
Since he was going to die anyway, Feng Zhang thought he might as well delay for a few more days and live a few more days. He absolutely refused to leave, so he immediately stayed at Qingjue Temple.
What's the deal with a eunuch residing at Qingjue Temple? Yongxian tried to get someone to drive him away, but none of the women and children in the courtyard could really hurt him. They managed to get rid of him easily, but he would be back in no time.
After a day and a night, Yongxian could not bear it any longer. Before dawn the next day, she drugged Feng Zhang. When he woke up the next day, he found himself locked in the woodshed of the Taoist temple. He could not move his limbs at all, and his mouth was also tightly gagged.
The young Taoist boy carried a bowl of almond and lily syrup into the inner room of the backyard. Seeing his wife tidying her Taoist robes, he readily put down the bowl and stepped forward to help: "The man has been locked up. Without your permission, no one can release him."
"Hmm, let's talk about it in ten days."
These are chaotic times, and releasing this person would only bring disaster. In order to protect herself in this chaotic world, Yongxian only wants a quiet place to cultivate her mind and character.
After straightening her Taoist robe, Yongxian sat down under the locust tree in the courtyard, sipping the almond and lily syrup in her hand: "Next time, ask Aunt Shan to put less honey in it, it's still a bit too sweet."
"good......"
The young Taoist was about to say something when another Taoist ran in from outside, looking flustered and sweating profusely. She frowned with some displeasure and said, "Why are you being so reckless? Be more composed in front of your wife."
The young Taoist boy who ran in later didn't bother to explain to her. He said urgently to Yongxian, "My lady, no, something bad has happened! A group of soldiers has come outside. They are all wearing armor and have swords at their waists. The man in the lead says he is the King of Zhao!"
The porcelain bowl was slammed onto the stone table. Yongxian's anger was evident in her eyes. What did these two think Qingjue Temple was? She immediately stood up, gave an instruction to the two young Taoist boys, and strode forward.
The two young Taoist boys were terrified. Seeing their mistress so majestic and recalling her earlier instructions, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. It seemed the rumors were true; their mistress was indeed someone of great importance.
King Zhao arrived with his troops, but he wasn't in a hurry when he didn't see anyone. He went straight into the guest hall, sat down, and even poured himself a cup of tea.
But before the teacup even touched his lips, he heard a familiar voice from outside the door: "This tea is not a rare variety; Prince Zhao, be careful, it will hurt your throat."
These words angered King Zhao so much that he gritted his teeth, then tilted his head back and drank the tea in his cup in one gulp. The small cup was slammed down on the table with a loud thud, causing Princess Yongxian to frown.
She stepped forward to cross the threshold, but was blocked by the guards. Princess Yongxian didn't bother to say anything to them; she simply glanced at them, and the guards reluctantly made way for her, bowing respectfully.
"We're all born from the same mother. If you can drink it, why can't I?"
Princess Yongxian stepped into the guest hall, swept the chair with the whisk in her hand, and then chose a chair that was relatively far away from Prince Zhao to sit down. While combing the whisk, she said, "I have now become a nun and a Taoist priest, and dare not address Your Highness as brother or sister anymore."
Having said that, she ignored the King of Zhao's ashen face and asked, "Your Highness, what brings you here today? Your troop of soldiers standing here is frightening to the pilgrims. Those who don't know better might think that my little Taoist temple has done something against the laws of the Great Xia. If Your Highness has something to say, please say it quickly. If not, please take them away as soon as possible. This is not a place for them."
"So, your Taoist temple isn't open to the world?"
“I would certainly welcome them if they came dressed in coarse linen, but look at them, all of them in armor and with long swords. I’m already being lenient by not having them thrown out.”
King Zhao glanced sideways at the soldiers at the door, his face somewhat embarrassed. He was indeed in the wrong on this point, so he asked, "Have any people come to see you in the palace these past few days?"
“What palace people?” Princess Yongxian’s face turned completely cold: “Aren’t you from the palace? Your Highness may not believe in Taoism, but you should at least have some reverence for it.”
Normally, it wouldn't matter if word got out that someone from the palace had come, since she was a royal princess and it was impossible to hide her identity. It wouldn't matter if people found out, but what's the situation now?
At a time when everyone in the capital is living in fear, if someone from the palace comes to Qingjue Temple, will Qingjue Temple still be able to remain peaceful in the future?
She stood up, smoothed her Taoist robe, and said coldly, "Qingjue Temple is not a suitable place for you all to stay for long. If Your Highness has nothing else to do, please leave first. My little Taoist temple still needs to open its doors to welcome worshippers."
“Yongxian,” King Zhao’s expression was not good either. He stood up and took a few steps forward to grab Princess Yongxian, who was about to leave. He lowered his voice and said, “If anyone comes, you must remember to tell me. This is very important to me.”
"What is unimportant to Your Highness? There are far too many things that are important to Your Highness, how could I possibly remember them all?" Princess Yongxian's gaze slid down to the way Prince Zhao was holding her wrists, and she hissed, "Let go!"
Sensing her genuine anger, the King of Zhao's tone softened somewhat: "The temple is bustling with people every day, and you are still in the capital region. I don't believe you don't know the current situation in the capital. If you can bring me news, then you can—"
He took a breath and sighed softly, "You can save my life."
“Your Highness’s words are truly laughable,” Princess Yongxian forcefully shook off his restraints and sneered, “Since Your Highness has put these words on the table, then let’s speak frankly.”
"I have indeed heard about the situation in the capital, but it is precisely because I have heard about it that I want to ask: do you expect me to exonerate you from such a crime? Not to mention that I do not have that ability, even if I could exonerate you, have you considered me?"
King Zhao stepped forward: "If we can survive this calamity, I will do everything in my power to protect you!"
Seeing her brother's angry expression, Princess Yongxian looked helpless and impatient: "Your Highness, wake up. Don't always do things beyond your capabilities."
"Besides, I have never seen the person from the palace you mentioned. If you know who this person is, why don't you go and ask him? You won't find anything here."
Seeing that Princess Yongxian was completely unmoved by reason, King Zhao gave up the idea of getting entangled with her any further. He put his hands on his hips and nodded: "Fine, if that's how you put it, then don't blame me for not considering our sibling relationship. Whether we can find her or not, we have to find her."
"Line up—"
"drink!"
The guards who had just respectfully retreated to the side were now standing in neat rows, as if they were about to massacre Qingjue Temple at any moment. Princess Yongxian was so angry at this behavior that she laughed. She turned around and asked King Zhao, "I'll only ask you this once, are you sure you want to break the rules in my Qingjue Temple?"
"Either you say it—"
"Very well!" Princess Yongxian interrupted him, calling out loudly, "Someone come here! Welcome our guests!"
"What?"
King Zhao was somewhat bewildered by her shout, but before he could react, the sound of orderly footsteps came from outside the guest hall, interspersed with the clanging of metal weapons. He glanced at Princess Yongxian suspiciously, then stepped out of the door.
Upon seeing this, King Zhao nearly ground his teeth to powder: "The Crown Prince is currently very busy, how come he has time to stroll around here?"
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