Chapter 100 Buddha Treasures

Ming Huazhang stood in the dark room, holding a candle, slowly shining it through the drawers of the wooden cabinet. He took off his gloves and walked out. In the meditation room, the abbot saw Ming Huazhang coming out and hurried forward and said, "Amitabha. Shao Yin, this is the place where our temple enshrines Buddhist treasures, but now it has been looted by evildoers. I hope Shao Yin will do us justice."

This is the meditation room of the abbot of Pudu Temple. It is not much more luxurious than the residence of an ordinary novice monk, but it is a little more spacious. Outside is the guest room, and inside there are bedrooms and a tea room. There is also a quiet room on the easternmost side, which contains Buddha statues, mats, wooden fish and other items. This is the place where the abbot chants the Buddha's name.

It looked like a normal meditation room, but on the north wall of the meditation room, behind the golden Buddha statue, there was a secret door. Inside the door was a dark room, which contained many Buddha treasures.

At this moment, the dark room was in chaos, and the Buddhist treasures inside had disappeared.

Ming Huazhang was looking at the secret door and the wall inch by inch. Hearing the words of the abbot, he responded with neither arrogance nor servility: "Don't worry, Abbot. It is the duty of Jingzhao Prefecture to protect the people of Yongzhou. We will do our best. There have been many strange incidents in your temple recently. I need to conduct a thorough investigation in the temple. I hope the abbot will cooperate."

The abbot put his hands together, chanted a Buddhist name, and said, "This is natural. Shao Yin, please do as you please."

Ming Huazhang paced around the room and finally stopped in front of the golden Buddha statue. The abbot saw it and said, "Shao Yin, this is where I practice. The news that the Pudu Temple enshrined Buddha treasures spread out at some point. In fact, Buddha treasures are not gold, silver, or jewels, and have no value in exchange, but many thieves were still tempted by the name of Buddha treasures and flocked to them. In order to live a peaceful life, I could only hide the Buddha treasures in a dark room behind the meditation room and place a Buddha statue in front of the secret door. I chanted scriptures and meditated here every day and personally guarded the Buddha treasures. Unexpectedly, the Buddha treasures were still stolen right under my nose."

Ming Huazhang nodded slightly and asked, "How did the abbot find out that the Buddhist treasures were stolen?"

"After worshipping Buddha last night, I went into the dark room to clean the Buddha treasure and chant sutras as usual, but I didn't expect to find that the Buddha treasure was missing after entering. I searched in the temple all night, and when I was about to report to the authorities today, the Shao Yin came."

What a coincidence, today they came to Bodhi Temple to arrest someone, and last night the abbot just discovered that the Buddhist treasure was missing? Ming Huazhang asked: "Did the abbot move the furnishings in the dark room?"

"No, it was already turned into this state when I entered."

“Does the abbot clean the Buddha treasures every day?”

"That's not the case," said the abbot. "The Buddha treasure is a Dharma instrument that drives away demons and protects the Dharma. It must not be disturbed. I go in once a month to chant sutras, and I never disturb the Buddha treasure at other times."

Ming Huazhang nodded slowly and asked, "Besides the abbot, is there anyone else who knows about this secret room or has entered it?"

"No." The abbot was very sure of this and said, "The Buddha treasure is of great importance. I have never told irrelevant people about the Buddha treasure. Even the two disciples who followed me in cultivation did not know where it is."

"Has anyone entered the abbot's meditation room alone recently?"

The abbot shook his head. Ming Huazhang tapped the scabbard with his knuckles and said, "That's a bit strange. No one except the abbot should know about this secret room, and no one should enter it. But the things inside disappeared, and the furnishings outside were still intact. The abbot did not notice that the door had been moved when he worshipped Buddha every day. The abbot discovered the theft when he was cleaning the dust as usual, which means that the Buddhist treasure was probably lost a month ago."

The abbot sighed and once again chanted the Buddha's name: "It is because I have not practiced deeply and my merits are shallow that I have encountered disasters."

Ming Huazhang said, "He is so familiar with the mechanisms in the Zen room, it is obvious that he has observed it for a long time. Abbot, do you have any doubts about the candidate?"

Before the abbot could say anything, the novice monk who was serving behind him could not help but said, "It must be Jinghui!"

"Pure wisdom." The abbot still had that compassionate look on his face, and said, "You must not tell lies."

Ming Huazhang scanned the expressions of the master and his disciple and said calmly, "The abbot said that I came here today for Master Jinghui of your temple. If your temple knows anything related to Jinghui, please tell me directly."

The abbot remained silent. Jingzhi said angrily, "We found Jinghui missing two days ago. If he wasn't guilty, why did he run away? I have long felt that Jinghui was not a person who was devoted to Buddhism. He was lazy and sneaky. Several times, fellow disciples saw him wandering around the hall and tampering with the golden instruments. Last time we were going to Qingchan Temple to hold a Dharma Assembly, he insisted on staying behind to watch the door. He must have sneaked into Master's room while we were not in the temple and stole the Buddhist treasures. It was almost time for Master to recite sutras for the Buddhist treasures these days, and he was afraid, so he ran away with the things!"

Ming Huazhang asked, "Abbot, when was the last time you saw a Buddhist treasure?"

"October 20th."

"When did you realize that Jinghui was gone?"

"Two days ago."

Ming Huazhang calculated the time. Today was November 21st. The abbot cleaned the Buddhist treasures every month on the 20th. On October 22nd, the Pudu Temple went to Chang'an to give a lecture. No one was in the temple. If Jinghui sneaked into the abbot's room and stole something when no one was there, it would make sense that he got scared and ran away two days ago, which was November 19th, when the abbot was about to inspect the Buddhist treasures.

Ming Huazhang asked, "Where is Jinghui's room?"

Immediately, a young nun stepped forward to lead the way for Ming Huazhang. Ming Huazhang took two steps and suddenly stopped. He turned around and asked, "Abbot, I don't mean to offend you, but may I ask what exactly is the Buddha treasure?"

The abbot paused for a moment without moving his eyebrows and beard, then put his hands together and said, "All things are impermanent, and are subject to birth and death. When birth and death cease, tranquility is bliss. The Buddha treasure is the instrument that drives away evil spirits, liberates the world's grievances and debtors, and helps them let go of their obsessions, escape suffering, and attain happiness, and be reborn in bliss."

Ming Huazhang was unmoved. He stared into the abbot's eyes and asked persistently, "So what is the Buddha treasure?"

The abbot didn't say anything, and Ming Huazhang didn't give in, as if he was determined to not give up until he achieved his goal.

In the past, the abbot would not be afraid of a secular official, but now Pudu Temple was involved in a murder case, and the slightest mistake might implicate the entire temple. The abbot finally took a step back and said truthfully: "It is a bone trumpet and a bone flute."

Ming Huazhang raised his eyebrows and immediately asked, "What bone?"

The abbot chanted Namo Amitabha, lowered his brows, and said compassionately and calmly: "These are human bones donated by the donor."

Although he was prepared, Ming Huazhang was also surprised for a moment when he heard this, and then he said: "Buddhism is based on compassion. Using human bones as a ritual implement, how can this be called compassion?"

"The donors did this voluntarily, and it is all merit." The abbot bowed his head and chanted the Buddha's name, saying, "The body and mind are illusions, neither true nor false, without birth and death. Birth and death are only for ordinary people, and Buddha has no birth and death, all of which are examples."

Ming Huazhang stared at him closely: "How do you know they volunteered?"

"Shao Yin, I am a monk and I do not commit murder." The abbot said calmly, "The bones of the bone horns and bone flutes are only made from dead people. The bones of girls who died in vain, women who died in childbirth, or those who died in battle are the best. Those who died in one body have the deepest resentment, and those who died in battle and exposed to the wilderness have angry and fierce looks, so their bones are made into magic tools to help them get rid of their obsessions and go to heaven. If Shao Yin has any doubts, you can go and check. The Buddhist treasures stored in Pudu Temple are all donated by donors with piety, and there has never been any sin of killing."

Ming Huazhang looked at him intently and said, "Abbot, could you please write down the names of the donors? After all, human bones are unusual. Only after asking the relatives can I confirm that it was a donation and not a murder."

The young nun in the house showed an unhappy look: "How dare you! Our abbot is a great monk. Many pilgrims have come from thousands of miles away just to see the abbot. How dare you speak to him like this?"

"I know that the abbot is a master of Buddhism, but unfortunately I am the junior governor of Jingzhao. I only believe in justice, not gods and Buddhas." Ming Huazhang's tone was calm and calm, but there was thunder in the silence. "The abbot hesitated for so long, is it because he is guilty?"

The monks all looked angry. The abbot calmly chanted a Buddhist verse and said, "Everything I have done has been guided by the Buddha, and I have a clear conscience. Since Shao Yin is suspicious, I will write it down. However, there are many wealthy and powerful families who donated the Buddha's bones. I'm afraid these donors don't want their ancestors' privacy to be inquired."

Ming Huazhang chuckled and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Abbot. Just write it down. If anyone asks for blame, I will take full responsibility."

The abbot had no choice but to write down the names of the families who donated Buddha bones. Ming Huazhang was not in a hurry to leave, so he stood by and waited patiently for the abbot to finish. When the abbot put down his pen, Ming Huazhang said slowly, "Abbot, I will visit the families who donated bones one by one. The list should be complete, right?"

The abbot paused, then clasped his hands together in a gentle and kind voice: "Of course."

Ming Huazhang put away the list and left without saying a word. He had no concerns about offending people or offending the Buddha. He would investigate the escaped monk "Jinghui" and the Buddhist treasures of unknown origin.

When Ming Huazhang entered Pudu Temple, he had his men surround Jinghui's house. When he heard that Pudu Temple had been robbed, he split his men into two groups. He led his men to check the abbot's place for Buddhist treasures, while the other group searched Jinghui's room.

Ming Huazhang came over, and the yamen runners saluted him. Ming Huazhang swept through the messy bedding in the room and asked, "Did you find anything?"

"Reporting to Shao Yin, all the valuables in the house are gone. It seems that they are planning to escape. No trace of Jinghui was found, but this was found under his bed." The yamen runner ran over and presented Ming Huazhang, "Shao Yin, take a look."

Ming Huazhang took the silver ingot, turned it over, and saw the official seal of Qingzhou.

At that time, silver mining was limited and silver was not circulated in the market. Most of it was offered as tribute to the imperial court to make silver ceremonial objects. Such large ingots of silver were exclusively owned by the government-run offices. If private individuals had silver ingots, it was either because of collusion between officials and businessmen to smuggle, or because robbers robbed the government silver.

The yamen runner next to him said, "How can a monk like him have such a large amount of silver?"

"What kind of monk is this? Didn't you see that the official seal on it hasn't been melted off? He must be a fugitive or a robber who stole the monk's documents and fled to Chang'an. No wonder he dared to kill so many people, it turns out he is a villain."

"Then why didn't he take the silver with him?"

"Didn't you see he took it out from under the bed? He probably dropped it when he was running away in a hurry."

"It turns out he is a notorious thief who has been hiding in a Buddhist temple for five years. How terrifying."

The yamen runners chatted with each other, and although they were filled with righteous indignation, their brows were somewhat relaxed. The headless fly was busy for two months, and finally found the person. Ming Huazhang looked at the silver ingot, scanned Jinghui's room, and said, "Come here."

Everyone immediately stopped talking, clasped their fists and said, "Shao Yin."

"Zhang Wu, take five people with you and this silver ingot to Gyeongju and ask the governor of Gyeongju if there were any robbers who stole the government silver five years ago and have not yet been caught. If there were, bring back all the information and have the locals draw a portrait. Zhao Lian, take the rest of the people and search the surrounding mountains."

Everyone agreed, Zhang Wu counted the people and left. Zhao Lian asked, "Shao Yin, aren't you going to keep an eye on the official road?"

Ming Huazhang clenched his fingers and stood with his hands behind his back. His eyes were dark and deep, as if shrouded in mist, and it was impossible to tell the depth at a glance: "No need. If he is really a robber, he will never risk taking the official road. The mountain road is his first choice. If I am not mistaken, he should be found in the mountains."

Zhao Lian thought so too, so he responded and left. After everyone left, Ming Huazhang stood alone in the cold and simple meditation room, sighing silently.

·

After Fanyin Temple confirmed that the monk Jinghui of Pudu Temple was an impostor, Jingzhao Yin took it very seriously and sent a large number of people to search the southern suburbs, and even invited the imperial guards of the northern yamen. Finally, three days later, a body smashed into a pulp was found at a narrow and dangerous pass. Judging from the clothes and appearance, it was the fake Jinghui.

It was Jingzhao Yin's men who found the body and were the first to notify the police. By the time Ming Huazhang received the news and rushed over, Jingzhao Yin had already taken over the entire scene. Ming Huazhang, the first person to discover the clue, became an outsider.

Ming Huazhang was stopped outside by Jingzhao Yin's men and vaguely heard the coroner's autopsy: "Many bones were broken, but there were no external injuries. He was definitely killed by a fall."

Jingzhao Yin stroked his beard and said complacently, "It seems that he accidentally fell off the cliff while escaping. So he must be the murderer!"

Ming Huazhang frowned. The original case had not been restored yet, and Jingzhao Yin had come to such a rude and arbitrary conclusion? Amidst the flattery, Ming Huazhang asked in a clear and cold voice, "Coroner, are there any knocks or drug residues on his body? If someone knocked him out, or drugged him, and then pushed him off the cliff, the body would have appeared to have died from the fall."

The followers stopped flattering and looked at Ming Huazhang. Jingzhao Yin looked a little guilty and ordered the coroner in a stern manner: "Check if there are any signs of knocking or scuffling on the body of the deceased, and if there is anything suspicious on the body."

The coroner did as he was told and replied after a moment, "Reporting to Jingzhao Yin, his fatal injury was a fractured skull at the back of his head. The occipital bone broke into pieces and pierced into his brain. He must have hit a rock when he fell. If he had been hit by a human force, it would have been difficult to cause such a deep wound. Apart from this, there were no other external injuries. He had nothing on him except the bone flute and the certificate of ordination. I used a silver needle to test his mouth and nose, and the silver needle did not turn black, and there was no strange smell in his mouth, so it should not have been caused by drugs."

Jingzhao Yin said calmly, "We can rule out knocking and poisoning. This place is deep in the mountains. He is a fake monk and would not drink the tea or food passed to him by others. The possibility of drugging is very small. It seems that he was definitely killed by falling."

People on both sides immediately praised Jingzhao Yin for his meticulousness and careful thinking, but they were just copying Ming Huazhang's suspicion. Ming Huazhang noticed that Jingzhao Yin's people were always blocking him, and Ming Huazhang just thought it was ridiculous. The case was not solved yet, but they were already thinking about taking credit?

It would be great if they put more thought into investigating the case.

Ming Huazhang didn't want to stay here and watch the Jingzhao Yin show off his power, so he quietly withdrew from the crowd and walked towards the place where the body fell.

This is a rocky beach with a narrow path on top. The path is rugged and very easy to slip on. The fake Jinghui slipped down a slope and fell on the rubble. When Jingzhao Yin brought people over, they thought it was difficult to walk down the cliff, so they ordered people to move the fake Jinghui's body to flat ground.

The corpse was surrounded by people, but the real crime scene was empty. Ming Huazhang carefully examined the bloodstains on the stone. After three days, the blood had turned black and red, and solidified on the stone surface with frost, which looked very scary. There was a place where the blood was extremely thick. Ming Huazhang wore gloves and carefully lifted the stone to look at it.

The shape matched the wound on the back of the fake Jinghui's head, so this must be the murder weapon. Ming Huazhang called the yamen runners and asked them to leave a mark at this place and take the stone back to Jingzhao Prefecture as evidence.

The yamen runners were busy on the rocky beach. Ming Huazhang took a step back and looked around, and noticed a piece of white debris.

Ming Huazhang picked it up. The object was smooth and white, and the material looked like stone and jade. Ming Huazhang identified it quickly.

These are bones, human bones to be exact.

Why were there human bones near the spot where the fake Jinghui fell? Ming Huazhang searched nearby and actually found quite a few broken bones.

Ming Huazhang picked up a relatively intact piece of it, and this time he could clearly identify it as a leg bone. The abbot of Pudu Temple said that the fake Jinghui stole the Buddha treasure and ran away. It seems that these are the so-called Buddha treasures.

Ming Huazhang looked at the slender, white tibia in his hand and couldn't help but look up at the cliff.

Zhao Lian came over from behind and said, "Shao Yin, the body is over there, what are you doing standing here?"

Ming Huazhang retracted his gaze, his expression cold and calm, and said, "Just take a look. Is there anything new to discover around the body?"

"No, it's too cold here, and it's hard for the coroner to investigate. Jingzhao Yin has ordered the body to be dragged back to Yizhuang, and then we will go to Pudu Temple for questioning."

"What do you want to ask?"

"What can I ask? It's naturally the fake Jinghui's identity."

Ming Huazhang responded with a hum and said nothing more. Zhao Lian carefully looked at Ming Huazhang's expression and said, "Shao Yin, are you worried about the case? Indeed, the fake Jinghui was discovered because of you who asked people to check the certificate of ordination. You have the greatest contribution in solving this case, but this matter..."

Zhao Lian was embarrassed, not knowing how to tell Ming Huazhang. This was the unspoken rule of the government. When a new official took office, he would do things for his predecessors. When he had gained seniority, he could receive respect from the newcomers. It had always been this way, for a daughter-in-law to become a mother-in-law after many years.

Ming Huazhang looked indifferent. He looked up at the cliff, as if he had not heard what Zhao Lian said. He said, "Zhao Lian, do you think your bones will be broken if you fall from such a high cliff?"

"Of course I can." Zhao Lian said without even thinking, "This height is enough to smash you into pieces."

"That's because people have the weight of flesh and blood." Ming Huazhang murmured softly, "What if it has no weight and is just a dry bone?"

Zhao Lian frowned. He had never experienced such a thing. No one would grow only bones without flesh. Zhao Lian said, "It should be able to break. The fake Jinghui took the Buddhist treasures and ran away. She accidentally fell down and broke so many bone flutes and trumpets."

Ming Huazhang stared at the bone fragment in the crack of the stone without saying anything. Zhao Lian saw that Ming Huazhang looked a little strange and said, "Shao Yin, are you too suspicious? He was a bandit who robbed houses and looted government money and pretended to be a monk. It is normal for him to kill people and dissect bones. We have been investigating for so long, and everyone else is fine, but he ran away. If he didn't feel guilty, why would he run away? Shao Yin, don't worry, he will definitely not be wrongly accused. You don't need to be too serious about the details."

Was he too genuine? Ming Huazhang stared at the broken bones in his hand without saying anything, and suddenly said to Zhao Lian, "Bring the evidence bag, and take away all the bone fragments on the beach, no matter how big or small."