The pupil constricts in the same light.

The silent appearance of Prince Ding put him under tremendous psychological pressure.

Although everyone in the court thought he was just an idle prince with nothing but a pretty face.

But Tongguang had been in charge of the Golden Lotus Society for many years, and he vaguely sensed that this prince was not as simple as he seemed.

Almost instinctively, Tongguang wanted to call on the disciples who were on guard outside to come for support.

Prince Ding asked with a smile: "Who are you looking for, Master? A disciple outside?"

Tongguang's heart sank, realizing that things might have gone beyond his control.

"Unfortunately, the imperial guards have imprisoned all the monks of the Huguo Temple. No one will come to rescue the master." Prince Ding sighed regretfully.

"This is impossible!" Tong Guang roared, his voice full of despair and unwillingness.

Tongguang took two steps back and stared at Prince Ding's position.

Prince Ding shook his head and said, "Master, don't struggle any more. You have already lost everything. The account book is in the hands of the emperor. No one from the Golden Lotus Society can escape."

Ledger?

Isn't it burned?

No, no, no!

Tong Guang's face was distorted.

There is still a chance, there must be!

As long as he could escape to the back mountain, the chivalrous men he hired at a high price would definitely protect him.

Tongguang continued to retreat.

"Do you want to escape to the courtyard and seek help from those gangsters?"

Prince Ding's mouth curled up into a teasing smile, "Don't worry, with Commander Fang Rong'an here, none of them can escape."

Fang Rongan, the number one expert of Chen State and the commander of the imperial guards, is here too!

Tongguang had completely given up hope and looked as pale as death.

In the dim room, the oil lamp was blazing, and the only sounds in the air were sparks and breathing.

At this moment, Prince Ding said something strange.

"How about we discuss a deal?"

Prince Ding smiled slightly.

He took the box filled with banknotes from Tongguang slowly and said, "Just pretend you never had this box, and I will save your life."

Tongguang frowned and questioned, "Why does Prince Ding want this box?"

Prince Ding said, "Money is never too little. Even the emperor would be tempted by tens of thousands of taels of silver that came out of nowhere, let alone me."

In the flickering light and shadow, his face flickered with the flickering fire.

The same is true of Prince Ding himself, half of him is as clear as jade, and half of him is treacherous and mysterious.

This money does not need to be deposited in an open account.

——That is to say, outside the emperor’s sight, Prince Ding had huge financial needs.

What is it?

A group of hidden staff? Or an anonymous army?

An indescribable fear surged in Tongguang's heart, like a cold undercurrent rapidly running through his blood.

Prince Ding tilted his head and asked, "Master, what do you think?"

Tongguang gritted his teeth and nodded.

He had no choice but to cooperate with Prince Ding.

Prince Ding had anticipated this.

He nodded and said, "In that case, I would like to trouble you to go with me first."

When Fang Rong'an returned to Huguo Temple, all the monks in the temple had been controlled by the imperial guards, and Abbot Tongguang had also been captured by Prince Ding.

According to the imperial guards, they found a large number of romantic tools in the monks' quarters.

During the report, the imperial guard had an unspeakable expression, revealing deep embarrassment and confusion.

"Commander, what exactly is this Huguo Temple..." He hesitated, not knowing how to continue.

"Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask." Fang Rong'an said coldly.

“Yes, yes, yes…”

The imperial guards lowered their heads and decided to have someone burn the things they had obtained from the Huguo Temple as soon as they returned home.

Tongguang was tied up and thrown on the open space in front of the monks.

Without the blessing of light and the gold-carved robe, he looked like just an ordinary middle-aged man.

Although the magic anti-aging drug is extremely effective, it cannot truly stop the aging of the body.

As the moisture drained away, Tongguang's face gradually became loose, and the sagging wrinkles were like ancient tree bark, revealing his true age.

The little monks who usually didn't dare to look him in the eye now cast curious glances at him.

They were whispering and talking among themselves.

"Why is the abbot so different now than he is during the day?"

"Yes, he has indeed aged a lot."

“Why did you tie up the abbot?”

The imperial guards standing nearby sneered and mocked, "He's just a charlatan. Can't you see that?"

He pointed at the limp Tong Guang on the ground and continued, "If this so-called great monk is really that powerful, how could he be easily subdued by us without any chance of fighting back?"

The monks looked at each other, not knowing what to do for a moment.

They grew up in the temple and were accustomed to the blind worship of Tongguang.

Yes, if Abbot Tongguang was really an accomplished monk, how could he be lying on the ground in such a miserable state, unable to fight back at all?

For the first time, doubt appeared on the faces of the little monks.

On the other side, Fang Rong'an returned with a sword in his hand, and a strong smell of blood emanated from his body.

Prince Ding seemed to be uncomfortable with the bloody smell and took a step back.

"Commander Fang, thank you for your hard work." Prince Ding frowned.

In front of everyone, he was that incompetent prince again.

Fang Rong'an shook his head and said, "The courtyard in the back mountain is simply a filthy place. It's a blessing that the prince didn't go there."

"The courtyard is divided into upper and lower floors. The upper floor looks like an ordinary farmhouse, but it is actually a secret base for torture of disciples. The lower floor is used to detain disobedient disciples, and there are many torture instruments."

"Tongguang kidnapped children from all over the place and trained and brainwashed them here. When these disciples grew up, they were sent to the homes of members of the Golden Lotus Society under the guise of 'teaching scriptures' for their enjoyment."

Hearing this, Prince Ding nodded: "It is indeed an unforgivable crime."

He changed the subject lightly and turned to talk about the Empress Dowager and Concubine De.

The Empress Dowager and Concubine De have been practicing in the Buddhist temple at the foot of the back mountain. Now that such a big scandal has occurred in the Huguo Temple, they have to set off to return to the palace.

Prince Dingqin said: "Huguo Temple was originally a pure place, but now it has become a place of filth and dirt. It is really not worthy of the name of a national temple. But the Queen Mother has been practicing here. If she suddenly leaves, it will inevitably cause a lot of speculation and discussion from the outside world."

Fang Rong'an immediately clasped his fists and saluted, saying respectfully, "Please let your Highness make it clear."

Prince Ding said calmly, "The temple was flooded in broad daylight, and the damage was heavy. The most urgent task is to repair it. In addition, Abbot Tongguang is seriously ill and needs to rest. It is not appropriate to receive pilgrims. Therefore, the Huguo Temple will no longer be open to the public."

Fang Rong'an lowered his brows and eyes and responded.

Prince Ding said with a smile, "Commander Fang, there is no need to be so reserved. You and I often meet in the palace. Although we are not close friends, have I ever been distant from you?"

Fang Rong'an knew that this was an attempt to win him over, so he didn't reply.

Prince Ding coughed and said helplessly, "I have no other intentions. The commander has misunderstood. To be honest, I want to ask you about someone."

He paused and continued, "I wonder if the commander has heard of Lady Wu in the palace?"