Bian Lang rushed in, pushed open the door, and saw that the person lying on the bed was actually a paper figure.
To be able to control so many paper figures at the same time and have them perform circus acts in various parts of the capital simultaneously—that's truly a master.
Bian Lang destroyed all the paper figures and sent a message to Shen Sanmu, indicating that they could now arrest people.
As expected, all the people arrested by the Ministry of War were paper figures.
They were clearly alive when they were captured, but in the blink of an eye, they turned into paper figures—it was extremely bizarre.
The circuses performing throughout the capital were all under the supervision of the Ministry of War. When the order to arrest someone was given, they acted almost simultaneously, so it was impossible to alert the suspect.
But the fact that everyone turned into paper figures only shows that the mastermind behind the scenes was extremely clever.
That guy is hiding in a safe place. He only needs to manipulate those paper figures to plant nightmares in the minds of the people in the capital.
Shen Sanmu and Nian Tianfu were both well-informed and had never heard of anyone in the world who could do this.
Although Bian Lang felt a bit of a headache, the fact that this matter had become so interesting excited him.
In the days that followed, some believers appeared in the capital.
They worshipped the monk who appeared at the end of the nightmare.
The monk had a kind and benevolent face, like a reincarnation of Buddha, and could easily win the heart of Bai Xin, who was plagued by nightmares.
Some people even discussed whether they should contribute money to build a temple specifically to enshrine that eminent monk.
Although the high monk's Dharma name is unknown, many people have memorized his appearance, so it would not be difficult to commission a Buddha statue to be made.
But they only talked about it in private; they wouldn't dare actually do it.
If the Empress were to find out about this, it would certainly be a capital offense punishable by death.
The matter has escalated to this point, and the Empress has not come forward to refute it, causing widespread panic in the capital.
"Honey, is it really okay to just let this go?" If Shangguan Hongyu were in charge of making the decision, she would have already taken action against those leaders of the populace who were spreading rumors and misleading the public.
Bian Lang told her to calm down and not to do anything unnecessary.
Seeing Shangguan Hongyu pouting, clearly feeling a lump in her throat that she couldn't clear up, Bian Lang said with a smile, "Wife, since the people want to build a temple and erect a statue for that monk, why don't you issue an imperial decree to do it? I believe the people will be grateful to you."
"I..." Shangguan Hongyu's eyes widened, feeling that Bian Lang's terrible idea was too outrageous.
Bian Lang laughed and said, "Listen to me, you can't go wrong."
"Forget it, if it really doesn't work out, I can just leave." Shangguan Hongyu just wants to live a good life with Bian Lang now, and doesn't want to be the empress at all.
The next day, when Shangguan Hongyu went to court, he issued an imperial decree to sculpt a golden statue of the monk in the hearts of the people, build a temple for him, and make him a good monk.
Upon hearing this imperial decree, the civil and military officials looked at each other in disbelief.
Shen Sanmu, however, felt that Shangguan Hongyu's move was extremely clever.
In the nightmares of those people, the monk was a living Buddha who slayed monsters and saved the world. Yet the Empress was able to set aside her prejudices and build a temple for the monk, which shows the Empress's uprightness and integrity.
Seeing that none of the officials spoke, Shangguan Hongyu stood up, waved her hand, and said, "This is an imperial edict." After saying that, she strode away.
Inside the imperial palace, the officials were immediately in an uproar.
The news that the Empress wanted to sculpt a statue of the high monk and build a temple quickly spread throughout the capital.
The people couldn't understand why the empress would do the same thing, even though the monk had killed her when she had turned into a monster in her nightmare.
As time went on, the people began to discuss whether the Empress was more magnanimous and domineering.
Even if they relive the dream every night, it is still just a dream and not necessarily real. Considering what the Empress has done over the years, they really shouldn't doubt her because of a nightmare.
Strangely enough, after learning about the Empress's actions, many people who were previously plagued by that nightmare stopped having it.
Shen Ruhui was the same; she hadn't had any nightmares for two nights in a row, which was really strange.
...
In a dark room, someone sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, making paper offerings.
On the table in front of me, a single lamp burned dimly.
But in an instant, the light suddenly went out.
"As expected of a ten-thousand-year-old vine demon." The man stopped making paper offerings and let out an extremely eerie sneer from his throat.
It's ironic that all that painstaking planning over so long couldn't compare to a temple built by the Empress.
"But it doesn't matter, this game has only just begun. Sooner or later, I will make you kneel down and beg for mercy in front of me." The man tilted his head and chuckled.
He clapped his hands suddenly, and the paper figures that had been made in the room all stepped outside.
...
The Imperial Palace.
Shangguan Hongyu was in a very good mood.
Bian Lang's idea unexpectedly averted a crisis that seemed to be out of control.
"Honey, thank goodness you were here this time." Shangguan Hongyu peeled a grape, held it in her mouth, and fed it to Bian Lang.
Although Bian Lang was smiling, he felt uneasy and said, "We can't let our guard down yet. I suspect that the game that the people behind the scenes have prepared for us has only just begun."
"The crisis will continue until this person is captured," Shangguan Hongyu agreed.
But how exactly to do it is up to Bian Lang to decide.
The Ministry of Works is very efficient; the temple they built for the monk is almost finished.
There were already several dilapidated temples in the city.
Those temples used to be very popular, but gradually the number of worshippers dropped and they eventually fell into disrepair.
Even monks need to survive.
When even three meals a day became a problem, no one wanted to stay in the dilapidated temple any longer.
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