Chapter 473 A monk sues Luo'er? They'll catch him red-handed!
Changning had no intention of coming to Ningyuan Temple.
But my mother insisted on bringing me along every year.
This year, even his older brother stopped coming, yet he still wouldn't let himself off the hook.
What's so great about running to such a remote and dilapidated temple?
Every year, I would stay there for several days, saying it was for spiritual practice, to cleanse myself of anger and sins.
Aren't the people in the Second Princess's residence kind and gentle enough?
In Princess Changning's eyes, this place was utterly boring.
It's fine that they're far from the capital, but every time they come here, it's just their family.
With no close friends or relatives to accompany him, and only his maids and guards to walk around with him, Changning was nowhere near as fun as the capital.
Therefore, she was now trying her best to point out the disadvantages of this place.
I just hope that my mother won't come next year.
Sure enough, after hearing Changning's words, Zongzheng Zhiyuan's gaze became even sharper and colder.
Jiechi quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, this matter is really not the fault of our Ningyuan Temple."
“A group of merchants suddenly arrived yesterday. We clearly told them that a distinguished person would be visiting the temple today. They said they didn’t mind and wouldn’t disturb the distinguished person before they came in.”
"Our Buddhist community would never turn away those in need of help."
“But these merchants, they’re like robbers and bandits. Not only did the courtyard we had carefully prepared for Your Highness suddenly catch fire, but they also took advantage of the chaos to threaten us with putting out the fire.”
"The courtyards connected to the east wing were all burned down and became uninhabitable."
"Moreover, these merchants later asked for several more rooms, making our Ningyuan Temple a complete mess and chaotic place."
"We are just a group of monks. Not only are we no match for these roughnecks, but even the abbot wants to maintain peace, so we have no choice but to swallow our anger."
"It's just that Your Highness has to go through all this trouble."
As Jiechi spoke, he even pretended to wipe his eyes with a sorrowful expression.
When Zongzheng Zhiyuan heard that it was all because of a group of lowly merchants, he laughed in anger.
"A bunch of businessmen, and you can't even handle them?"
“That Magistrate Wu once received a great favor from your abbot. Don’t you know to report this to the authorities and have him bring these lowly creatures to justice?”
“Your abbot has always been indifferent to worldly affairs, focusing solely on studying Buddhist and Taoist scriptures.”
“You disciples, none of you know how to share his burdens and solve his problems. You even allow those lawless lowly people to bully him.”
"I think you don't even want to be monks anymore!"
The princess was furious, and Jiechi and his group of monks trembled with fear, terrified that they might lose their monkhood altogether.
He immediately knelt down, abandoning even the slightest bit of dignity expected of a monk.
"Your Highness, please calm down. Your Highness, please forgive me."
"That merchant's wife is truly cunning and ruthless. Last night, our little novice monk was on his way down the mountain to report to the authorities, but who knew that he would be intercepted by her people halfway."
"If it weren't for Your Highness's arrival today, our Ningyuan Temple would probably already be completely in her hands."
"We simply can't win—"
Jiechi became increasingly distressed as he spoke, and he actually managed to squeeze out a few more tears.
Zongzheng Zhiyuan sneered: "A bunch of lowly merchants, what can they possibly do to turn the world upside down?"
"But you said, a merchant's wife?"
"This merchant is actually a woman?"
Jiechi: "Yes, look, she's still an unmarried woman."
"Besides an old nanny and a maid, all the others who followed him were men."
"However, this humble monk observes that... these men do not appear to be ordinary servants, but rather... guards."
Guards?
Do you have evidence?
A merchant who dares to keep guards and provoke Ningyuan Temple must be tired of living too long.
Jiechi: "They all carry swords!"
“We all saw them draw their soft swords from their waists last night; they were hidden in their belts and wouldn’t normally be noticed!”
Zongzheng Zhiyuan: "Very good."
"I want to see just how arrogant and despicable this merchant is, daring to be so presumptuous!"
"Guards, bring that lowly merchant's daughter to me for questioning!"
A dozen or so strong and muscular guards stepped forward: "Yes, Princess!"
Jiechi, who had been lowering his head, finally managed a slight upturn of the corners of his mouth.
These despicable merchants!
The humiliation of yesterday must be avenged today!
This time, it's not just the five hundred taels; they'll have to cough up even more money to avert disaster.
No, they can plead for leniency at Ningyuan Temple.
Once they leave Ningyuan Temple, how the princess deals with these merchants is no longer their concern as monks.
A woman who makes a living by doing business will have no place in the capital city in the future. Let's see how she survives!
Jiechi turned his head and exchanged a glance with Jiechen, both of them already determined to get revenge on Li Qingluo and his group.
As Jiechi hummed Buddhist scriptures, preparing to tell Abbot Jiaguan about the matter, he passed a corner outside the hall when a gleaming sword was suddenly held against his neck.
"Master Jiechi, is this lawsuit satisfactory?"
Li Qingluo walked out from behind the pillar with a smile.
But her smile was forced, and the coldness in her eyes was even more chilling than the river water in the twelfth lunar month.
"ah--"
When Jiechi saw her, he screamed in fright.
Li Qingluo stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth.
"Shut up!"
With a swift chop, the fat monk collapsed to the ground.
"Noisy".
Li Qingluo raised her hand behind her back and said coldly, "Drag her away."
Before long, the assassins and guards from the Prince Su's mansion ambushed them from the east and captured them alive from the west. In the blink of an eye, more than 30 of the fifty-odd monks of Ningyuan Temple were silently captured.
Just as Jiechen realized something was amiss, Jiekong came to call him.
"Brother Jiechen, the Second Princess requests your presence there immediately."
Jiechen frowned but didn't get up immediately: "Something's not right. Have you seen Jiechi?"
"And what about Jieyi and the others? Where have they all gone?"
Jiekong scratched his head, still unaware of what was amiss: "It seems the Second Princess ordered them to do something. Senior Brother Jiechen, do you suspect something?"
Jiechen frowned: "Perhaps I'm overthinking it."
Seeing his fellow disciples still around him, he shook his head before asking, "By the way, what does the Second Princess want with me?"
Jie Kong: "Isn't this the same thing that happened years ago?"
"Since the abbot refuses to see her, she has no choice but to force us. This big shot is not easy to deal with."
Jiechen snorted coldly: "We are the softest persimmons in that basket, who else should we squeeze if not us?"
However, he had already discovered a secret.
Perhaps he could make good use of this...
On the way to the side room, Jiechen became increasingly aware that something was wrong.
"Why are so many fellow disciples missing?"
"Did they all go to do errands for the princess?"
Jie Kong: "Yeah, maybe."
Jiechen thought to himself: Why is Jiekong talking so strangely today?
He abruptly turned to look at Jie Kong: "You—"
With a thud, Jiechen fell to the ground.
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