After Lu Xingzhou had a falling out with the Crown Prince of Jin, he refused to go to the inn where He Zan was staying out of spite in the military camp.
At the same time, Lu Xingzhou sent his shadow guards to secretly investigate the attack on He Zan that day.
Soon the secret guards brought back the news that they had found the real peddler in a warehouse by the Luancheng River.
The peddler's hands and feet were tied and he was thrown into an abandoned warehouse. When the secret guards found him, he was already dying.
The secret guards hurriedly brought him back to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, and Wang Wentian called the palace doctor to treat him.
Under the acupuncture of the court doctor, the man finally woke up.
The peddler woke up and found himself in an unfamiliar environment. He was trembling all over and his eyes were full of fear.
"Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? I don't know anything, nothing!"
The man was so scared when he saw so many strangers around him that he curled up at the end of the bed.
When Wang Wentian heard that the man had woken up, he rushed over.
Fortunately, the man recognized Wang Wentian. After all, Wang Wentian was the Marquis of Zhenbei. He had guarded the northern border for many years and had a certain reputation in the northern border.
Wang Wentian placed his hand on the man's shoulder and said softly, "Don't be afraid. You are safe in the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion now."
The man nodded, but his body still couldn't help shaking.
Wang Wentian was not anxious and waited quietly for a while. The vendor finally calmed down.
The peddler began to talk about what happened that day.
The man called himself Zhang Da. He was a night market businessman. That evening, after he finished his meal at home and settled his wife and children, he pushed his cart out to set up his stall.
But who would have thought that as soon as he walked out of the alley where he lived, a masked man in black suddenly appeared from nowhere. Before he could even scream, he was knocked unconscious by the man in black with a stick.
When he woke up again, he was already in that dilapidated warehouse.
His mouth was blocked with rags, and his hands and feet were tied so that he couldn't move. There was no one else in the warehouse except him.
He wanted to call for help but couldn't make a sound, and he wanted to escape but couldn't move. He stayed like this for a day and a night.
Wang Wentian knew his fear. He was alone in a strange place with his hands and feet tied up. He didn't know what was happening and no one could come to save him.
Zhang was crying with tears and snot all over his face. He was hungry and tired at the moment. He hadn't eaten for a day and a night.
Wang Wentian asked his servants to bring him a bowl of porridge. He had been hungry for so long that he couldn't eat big fish and meat.
Zhang Da cried and said, "I really don't know anything. When will the Marquis let me go back? I have a wife and children at home. I haven't been back for so long. Are they okay? They must be worried sick, right?"
Wang Wentian consoled him, "I've sent someone to fetch your wife and children. They're fine, but your place isn't safe anymore. That person knows where you live, and he'll have been watching you for more than a day or two. Stay at the Marquis' Mansion for the next few days, and I'll let you go once this is over."
Zhang Dalian nodded quickly. He felt relieved when he heard Zhenbei Hou say that his wife and children were safe.
Wang Wentian asked someone to pass the porridge to him, and Zhang Dalian began to wolf it down.
Although it was just an ordinary bowl of white porridge, it was a delicacy for Zhang Da at that moment.
"Think about it again, are there any characteristics on the man in black?" Wang Wentian asked again when he saw that he had almost finished his bowl of porridge.
Zhang Da put down the bowl of porridge in his hand and recalled it carefully.
Suddenly, he remembered something.
"I remember now! That person has a fragrance!"
"Fragrance?" Wang Wentian frowned. What kind of fragrance would a man have?
"I know, that's the fragrance of Fahua Temple!" Zhang Da said excitedly.
"How do you know that it is the incense from Fahua Temple?" Wang Wentian asked.
Zhang Da scratched his head in embarrassment. "I... I've been married for three years, but my wife hasn't gotten pregnant yet. I heard that the Bodhisattva at the Fahua Temple is the most powerful, so during that time, I often took my wife to the Fahua Temple to burn incense and pray. I also brought some incense back to offer as a sacrifice. So I recognize it. It's the incense from the Fahua Temple."
Wang Wentian then asked, "But there are many incense sticks in temples. How do you know that the incense stick is from Fahua Temple?"
Zhang Da explained, "My Lord, you may not know that the incense of the Fahua Temple is famous. I heard that there is a great monk in the temple who is particularly skilled in making incense. This kind of incense is unique to the Fahua Temple and is not available anywhere else."
Lu Xingzhou came from Wangjing City and didn't know about this, but after hearing it, Wang Wentian remembered something and nodded.
“I seem to have heard of it before, but I’ve never been there.”
Lu Xingzhou pondered and said, "Then let's go to Fahua Temple and take a look."
"good."
Of course, it was impossible for the two of them to go there so blatantly. If two people who never believed in Buddhism went there like this, it would definitely arouse suspicion.
On the second day, Lu Xingzhou brought Chen Liyue, Wang Wentian brought Wei Rushu, and the four of them went to Fahua Temple together.
If Lu Xingzhou and Wang Wentian went to Fahua Temple together, they would definitely alert the enemy. However, Chen Liyue and Wei Rushu, one is the Princess of Yi and the other is the wife of the Marquis of Zhenbei, so bringing them along would make a different story. After entering Fahua Temple, they did not behave unusually and worshiped the Buddha devoutly like other pilgrims.
After worshiping the Buddha, Lu Xingzhou found an excuse to send Chen Liyue and Wei Rushu away, and then wandered around the temple with Wang Wentian.
When they walked to a remote wing, they smelled a familiar fragrance, exactly the same as Zhang Da described.
The two exchanged glances and quietly approached the wing room, wanting to check out what was going on inside. However, just as they approached the wing room, a dark shadow flashed by and disappeared from their sight. Lu Xingzhou and Wang Wentian immediately gave chase, but the shadow, like a ghost, quickly vanished.
"It seems that this is their stronghold." Lu Xingzhou said in a deep voice.
"We need to be careful." Wang Wentian looked around vigilantly.
The two decided to return to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion first to discuss the matter. On the way, they discussed their next plan.
"Since it has been confirmed that Fahua Temple is related to this matter, we can start the investigation from here." Wang Wentian analyzed.
"That's right, but we can't alert the enemy. We need to come up with a comprehensive plan," Lu Xingzhou agreed. After returning to the Zhenbei Marquis Mansion, Lu Xingzhou and Wang Wentian decided to send someone to secretly monitor the Fahua Temple.
A few days later, the surveillance personnel reported that a mysterious monk frequently entered and exited the room.
Lu Xingzhou and Wang Wentian believed that this person was likely related to the mastermind behind the incident, so they decided to personally investigate in depth.
At night, under a dark and windy sky, two men dressed in black sneaked into the Fahua Temple...
They came to the wing room, hid in the dark, and waited for the monk to appear.
Soon, the monk appeared as expected. He walked into the room holding a rosary and muttering something.
Lu Xingzhou and Wang Wentian followed him quietly. After the monk entered the room, he lit an oil lamp, knelt down in front of the Buddha statue, and began to chant.
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