Chapter 110 Buddha's Resentment

When Ming Huazhang learned from an old servant that the Lu couple had died unexpectedly four years ago, he felt something was wrong. His intuition told him that it was definitely not a fire, but murder.

The couple who had been separated for many years slept in the same room again. They did not move or run when the fire broke out, and did not shout or scream. There is indeed a possibility of coal poisoning, but it is not high.

According to Aunt Xu, Master Lu never needed anyone to watch over him at night, and he had been safe for so many years. He could not have known that the doors and windows should not be closed when sleeping with charcoal burning. Moreover, Lu Du happened to be in the mansion during that time, and was almost burned to death. He was awakened by the servants and escaped safely. This intensified Ming Huazhang's suspicion of Lu Du.

He had met Lu Du, who was a very smart and cautious person, and would never make the mistake of not noticing a fire while asleep at night. Combined with Ming Huachang's statement that the murderer had undergone a major change four years ago, which greatly reduced his psychological pressure, causing him to stop killing and show signs of retiring, Ming Huazhang was almost certain that Lu Du was not unrelated to the death of his parents.

This doubt is easy to check. All you need to do is open the coffins of Lu's parents and let the coroner check whether the two were burned to death before or after death. When Ming Huazhang learned that the courtyard where Lu Du's father lived before his death was Lengjiayuan, he immediately stood up and said goodbye to Aunt Xu, mounted his horse and rode towards Chang'an.

He had a hunch that this place was most likely the scene of the crime. It belonged to both Lu Du's father and Lu Du.

He had left Jingzhao Prefecture secretly, and he was wearing casual clothes, so he did not attract attention. As soon as he entered the city, he immediately rushed to Qingchan Temple. The monks thought he was just an ordinary pilgrim and did not pay much attention to him. Ming Huazhang took advantage of the fact that there was no one on the road and slipped into the Lanka Courtyard. Just when he was wondering if everything was going too smoothly, he unexpectedly bumped into two people.

Still an acquaintance.

Ming Huazhang looked at Ren Yao and Jiang Ling and asked in surprise, "Why are you here?"

Jiang Ling shook his head and asked in surprise, "Didn't Ming Huashang tell you?"

Ming Huazhang stared at the expressions of Jiang Ling and Ren Yao, and the string in his heart snapped. His face was as cold as ice, and the angrier he got, the calmer his voice became: "What's wrong with her?"

No matter how thick-skinned Jiang Ling was, he realized something was wrong. He thought this action was planned by Ming Huashang and Ming Huazhang, but Ming Huazhang didn't know about it?

Well, given Ming Huazhang's personality, if he had known in advance, how could he allow her to take such a big risk.

Jiang Ling hesitated and didn't dare to face Ming Huazhang. Ren Yao interrupted them angrily: "That's enough. Now is not the time to talk about this. She has been taken away by Lu Du. The best thing to do now is to find the switch of the secret room as soon as possible, otherwise, it will be too late to say anything!"

Only then did Ming Huazhang realize that Ming Huashang had come up with an idea to lure the snake out of its hole. She was responsible for following Lu Du, looking for opportunities to talk to Lu Du, and inducing Lu Du to attack her. After the "snake" was hooked, she blew a secret signal to inform Ren Yao and Jiang Ling, and Ren Yao and Jiang Ling came in to take care of it and catch Lu Du red-handed.

The plan seemed fine at first glance, but when it was implemented, a huge omission occurred.

Ming Huashang had been captured by Lu Du, but after Jiang Ling and Ren Yao came in, they couldn't find the entrance to the secret room.

Jiang Ling saw Ming Huazhang's bad face, and he knew he was wrong, so he said with a guilty conscience: "Don't worry, she has many hidden weapons on her, even if something goes wrong, she can protect herself. She just doesn't want to kill Lu Du, and wants to keep him alive as much as possible, so she asked us to catch him in the act."

Ming Huazhang still didn't smile, but he didn't blame Jiang Ling and Ren Yao. He was calm and said, "Let's find the switch first."

At this point, yelling and blaming others will not solve the problem. The most urgent task is to find Ming Huashang.

Ming Huazhang took a deep breath, tried to calm his mind, and thought rationally about where the switch of the secret room would be located.

Jiang Ling and Ren Yao had been groping for common places such as bookshelves and floor tiles. Jiang Ling even lay on the ground and knocked on the bricks one by one. Ming Huazhang stood in the back and watched quietly, then suddenly stepped forward and walked towards the Buddha statue.

Jiang Ling saw his action and put his ear to the ground with great effort, saying, "We checked the Buddha statue and found no organization."

The Buddha statue was fixed to the wall and could not turn left or right. He looked forward with a look of pity. Ming Huazhang stopped in front of the Buddha, looked at him, put his hands over his eyes, and closed the Buddha's eyes.

There was a faint sound of chains turning in the room. Jiang Ling's hand slipped and he quickly moved away. He saw with his own eyes that the bricks in front of him bounced open, revealing a dark hole. He was still in a daze, and a cold wind passed by his eyes. Ming Huazhang had already jumped down.

Jiang Ling was startled and was about to warn him, but then he lowered his voice and said, "Be careful, there's a trap inside!"

At this time, someone grabbed his collar, lifted him up, and threw him to the side mercilessly: "Stop talking nonsense, get out of the way, don't block the road."

Jiang Ling was strangled so hard that he saw stars and stumbled for two steps before he could stand up. He pulled his collar and walked down while cursing: "You don't want to go on such a wide road, but you have to compete with me. You are sick."

Jiang Ling entered the secret room and vaguely heard someone talking. Jiang Ling leaned against the wall, listened carefully for a while, and asked with his mouth: "What is he saying?"

Ren Yao shook his head, signaling him to shut up. At this time, a woman answered, and Jiang Ling recognized it as Ming Huashang's voice. He was still trying to figure out what Ming Huashang said, when Ming Huazhang's eyes suddenly turned cold and he turned around and rushed out.

Ren Yao didn't know why Ming Huazhang suddenly acted, but she believed in Ming Huazhang's judgment and also took action with her gun. Fortunately, they predicted it in advance and stopped Lu Du before he stabbed Ming Huashang.

Ren Yao had suffered so much injustice during his patrols these past few days, and now that he had finally seen the culprit, he was not polite to him at all. Ren Yao swept his silver gun across and hit Lu Du hard in the body. Lu Du bent down in pain, and Ren Yao kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Ren Yao felt that killing such a person with a gun was an insult to their Ren family gun. She threw the silver gun to Jiang Ling and beat Lu Du with her bare hands.

Thanks to Jiang Ling knowing her habit and taking a step back in time, she was not stabbed to death by the silver spear. He was a little helpless: "Can you say hello to me before you throw it?"

Ren Yao was busy swinging his fists, so he didn't care about Jiang Ling. Jiang Ling took Ren Yao's gun and planned to go to comfort Ming Huashang, but when he turned around, he found that Ming Huazhang was holding Ming Huashang, with a stern face and dark eyes, and he was carefully checking Ming Huashang's body and limbs, as if there was no room for another person.

Jiang Ling paused, held his chin, and felt an indescribable weirdness.

It seems normal for a brother to care about his sister when she is in danger. But when he sees their actions, why does Jiang Ling always feel guilty?

Ming Huazhang was the first to rush out, but he didn't go to see Lu Du, but went straight to Ming Huashang. He untied the ropes on Ming Huashang, and without saying a word, he examined her wrists and ankles with a sullen face. Ming Huashang felt a little guilty, and explained weakly: "I brought a hidden weapon. If Sister Ren and the others hadn't come, I would have shot him to death with my hidden arrow."

As she said this, she quickly showed Ming Huazhang the hidden arrow. The arrow head was glowing with a faint green light, and it was obviously coated with medicine. This was a special hidden weapon made by the Xuanxiao Guards. It was small and light, and looked like jewelry, so Lu Du didn't notice it.

However, Ming Huazhang was not comforted. The reason why he was in a difficult situation now was because Cen Hu was dead. They had no evidence and could only let Jingzhao Yin change the murderer. If Lu Du was also dead, how could Ming Huazhang overturn the case?

Ming Huazhang knew very well that she would never trigger the arrow unless it was absolutely necessary. That was why he felt even more guilty.

After Ming Huashang finished speaking, she was expecting her second brother to scold her. She had already thought of a tricky excuse, but she didn't see Ming Huazhang questioning her. Ming Huashang asked cautiously, "Second brother, don't you blame me?"

After Ming Huazhang confirmed that Ming Huachang was not injured, he found that his fingers were cold, his heart was beating very fast, and the blood in his body seemed to be flowing backwards. Of course he was worried about her, but she risked her life for him, so how could he have the face to be fierce to her?

Ming Huazhang looked at the bruises on her wrists, feeling distressed and blaming himself: "I am incompetent. This case has nothing to do with you. If I could find evidence, you wouldn't have to get involved in this."

Ming Huashang heard this and said hurriedly, "Second brother, don't say that. This is a mission for Shuangbi. I am not only helping you, but also fulfilling my duty. If I were a weak woman with no power, it would be fine, but I can obviously find the murderer. Am I going to stand by and watch him kill innocent girls one after another while I stay in the mansion and enjoy my life?"

Ming Huazhang also knew that this was what Ming Huashang wanted to do, but he couldn't get over himself: "I am too useless. If I could have found this place earlier, if I could have solved the rotten stalls in Jingzhao Prefecture, you wouldn't have had to get involved."

"Brother, no one in the world can know it in advance." Ming Huashang held his fingers tightly and said, "Investigating the case is not only your business, but also mine. I want to be a useful person. A person who doesn't want to take risks will not be useful."

Ming Huashang and Ming Huazhang were talking when suddenly they heard a deliberate cough. Jiang Ling interrupted them and said, "How about you go and see that man first, and then talk about brotherly love when you get back? It seems like he was almost beaten to death by Ren Yao."

Ming Huashang was startled and turned around to look. Lu Du was a gentle, fair-skinned man with a graceful demeanor. Wherever he went, he was a respectable young man from a famous family and was very popular with women. But now he was bruised and begging for mercy. How could he still have any demeanor?

Ming Huashang felt relieved when she saw this, so she jumped down from the stone platform, ran over and said, "Sister Ren, please move aside and let me beat him up."

Jiang Ling heard this from behind, his face twitched, and he looked at Ming Huazhang. Ming Huazhang, who was the most upright and upright, did not react at all to this behavior, but instead looked at her calmly, as if no matter what Ming Huachang did, he would follow behind to help her clean up the mess.

任遙打出了一身汗，她松了松手腕，側身說：“真是不經打，沒意思。你小心點，別髒了手。”

“我明白。”明華裳說着，就提起裙子狠狠踹了他一腳，動作不文雅極了。

盧渡沒料到看着乖乖巧巧的明華裳竟會做出這麽粗俗的動作，沒防備被她踢了個正着。而且因為明華裳準頭不夠，鞋尖踢到了盧渡臉上。

盧渡狼狽倒地，手捂住下巴，憤恨盯着明華裳。明華裳抻了抻手臂，說：“怎麽，覺得被我打很屈辱嗎？可是，你就是這樣一個弱小、無能的人。雖然你的身體已長大成人，可是你的心還停留在十三歲。你永遠是那個面對惡行不敢反抗，只會消極逃避的孩子，只能靠欺淩比你弱小的人獲得滿足感。盧渡，我發自真心可憐你。”

盧渡先前被任遙拳打腳踢還能維持體面，但聽到明華裳這句話後，他仿佛被戳到痛處的海蜇，整個人都扭曲起來，瘋了般沖過來，卻被任遙一腳踹回去。

後背狠狠撞在濕冷的地板上，震得他心肺劇痛，盧渡擡頭，正好看到任遙居高臨下，狹長鳳眸裏滿是睥睨不屑：“老實點，別動。再動彈別怪我不客氣。”

北衙禁軍管巡邏治安，任遙這段時間抓了不少犯夜惹事、偷雞摸狗之徒，對付犯人輕車熟路。等任遙将盧渡綁好後，明華章問：“五年前的女乞丐，四年前的黃采薇、雨燕，今年十月的程思月，是你殺的嗎？”

盧渡先前還人模人樣，現在卻完全被擊垮了，頹然道：“是我。”

“十月二十二那日，你是怎麽作案的”

“我先前就發現清禪寺的帷帳會影響顏色，所以那日我故意和住持、沙彌等人說話，讓別人記住我來過。等法會開始時，我讓穿藍衣的随從假冒我跪在單間裏，我趁亂走到外面，帶程思月到我的禪房，騙她喝下加了迷藥的茶，然後把她帶到這裏。”

明華章問：“你如何抛屍的？”

“我的馬車停在院子裏，等結束後，我将她的身體搬到馬車上。我自己換了身衣服，讓随從先回家，我獨自駕車去城南，找了個地方将她抛掉。”

明華裳記得清禪寺的小沙彌說，二十二那日盧渡走時，他還幫盧渡拉了車。原來那個時候，在一簾之隔的地方，就放着一具屍體。

地上是隆重莊嚴的法事，地下是血跡斑斑的罪惡場，佛祖雙眼半開半阖，是否也是不想看到人間荒唐？

明華裳問：“清禪寺的住持、和尚知情嗎？”

盧渡搖頭：“他們不知道。”

“那普渡寺住持呢？”

“他以為我只想栽贓給岑虎。那個人是江洋大盜，潛伏普渡寺已久，他早就不放心了。”

明華章接過話，問：“四年前你的父母在火災中亡故，是你蓄意謀殺嗎？”

盧渡靜了許久，竟然笑了出來。他雙手被縛，無法做出合手的動作，便只念了句佛號：“是我。這是我做過最好的事情。”

“他們是怎麽死的？”

“下毒。”盧渡毫無保留，通通都說了出來，“是砒霜。”

明華章記下，冷淡道：“我奉勸你，不要心存僥幸。我會去盧家祖墳開棺驗屍，你說的任何一句謊言，都會被我找出來。”

盧渡只是閉眼，低聲默念佛經，仿佛已進入另一個世界。明華章在地下取證，明華裳和任遙、江陵走出密室，陽光從長窗灑入，耀眼的宛如極樂世界。

江陵問：“你剛剛是真被捆住了？”

“對啊。”明華裳說，“不這樣，他怎麽會說出作案過程？放心，我心裏有數的，他捆我時我神智清醒，特意調整了袖箭位置，保準一擊必中。”

任遙聽着都覺得心驚肉跳，問：“你就不怕出現什麽意外，而你又失去了行動能力，發生危險嗎？”

這一點明華裳倒很自信，平靜道：“不會。他那麽自卑自負又愛表現的人，一定會在獵物清醒的情況下慢慢折磨她們，享受她們得到希望又破滅的表情。所以在我醒來前，他不會對我做什麽的。何況，不入虎穴，焉得虎子。”

任遙本來想說你這樣做太瘋狂了，但她嘴張合幾次，最後只餘一聲嘆息：“你們兩人做事一模一樣，都是不達目的誓不罷休。難怪你們是兄妹。”

明華裳對此只是輕輕一笑，低不可聞道：“或許，這就是命運吧。”

命運浩浩湯湯，奔流不息，很多人在洪流中走散了，還有些人，兜兜轉轉，總會被命運送往同一個地方。

·

十二月十六，除夕假在即，所有人都心不在焉，哪怕有禦史睜大眼盯着，宣政殿上衆臣還是昏昏欲睡，毫無精神。

照例是冗長無聊的早朝，但是今日，卻發生了一個小插曲。

早朝過半，尚書念完常規文書和節度使請安奏折後，太監問：“衆愛卿還有何事啓奏？”

往常這種時候就意味着散會，不出意外的話，太監下一句就會接“無事退朝”，然而今日，卻當真有一個穿深緋色獬豸長袍的年輕官員站出來，擡手說道：“臣京兆府少尹明華章，有事啓奏。”

站在最前方的宰相八風不動，定力差些的臣子紛紛回頭看。蘇行止也擡眼，看向那道清豔側影。

明華章在衆多打量中從容坦蕩，不卑不亢道：“國子監國子學博

士盧渡，疑和長安連環挖骨案有關，臣建議重查此案。現在臣已将嫌疑人緝拿，為保公正，望陛下派大理寺、禦史臺監督，旁聽京兆府審訊。”

此話一出，滿朝嘩然。衆人不顧禦史交頭接耳，就連站在第一排的六部宰相也睜開眼，朝明華章瞥來一眼。

京兆尹站在明華章前方，臉色顯著難看起來。

案子是他定的，如今都已經送到禦史臺了，只是不知察院出了什麽問題才一直拖着。眼看事情都結束了，明華章卻在早朝上，當着滿朝文武的面說重新查案，還讓禦史臺來旁聽審問過程。他這是什麽意思？

魏王對這些事興趣寥寥，又是争權傾軋而已，每年都有些不知死活的小官試圖挑戰上級，換自己上位，無聊的緊。魏王正微微出神，忽然背上一寒，仿佛被一柄利劍指住。

魏王順着直覺望去，發現明華章正看着他，他目光沉着冷靜，帶着洞悉一切的從容，恍惚間都讓魏王生出種錯覺。

仿佛此刻站在他面前的不是一個年輕不知事的少年，而是多年前那位故人。

明華章凝望着武承嗣，這位不姓李的郡王，說道：“臣還有一事，關系魏王，不敢定奪，望陛下決斷。”

魏王怔了下，臉色沉下來。高臺上人影晃了晃，那個女人高坐在金銮座上，帝王冕旒在她面前晃動，看不清她的神色。

太監吊着嗓子，長長唱道：“奏。”

“自五年前女乞丐死亡，長安共發生四起類似案件。其中盧渡已承認第一案、第二案、第四案是他所為，但第三案青樓女子楚君案并不是。臣派人在平康坊蹲守，數日前兇手被案件已破的假消息迷惑，去青樓尋歡作樂，正好被臣捕獲。審問後，此人已承認他是模仿四年前的兇手作案，而此人，正是魏王的門客。”

長安城外，青煙袅袅，梵音陣陣。明華裳站在門檻前，凝望着面前的大日如來。江陵從外面進來，問：“你不上炷香嗎？”

明華裳緩慢搖頭：“佛祖不能渡現世的苦難，唯有自己才能。我既然不信，何必上香。”

“就當圖個吉利兆頭。”

明華裳仰頭看着禪香上浮，遮住了佛陀的眉眼，他的神情變得模糊不清。她緩緩道：“拜佛者熙熙攘攘，但求的俱是功名利祿，長命百歲，兒孫孝順。我對這些都沒有執念，而我想求的，恐怕佛祖做不到。”

“你想求什麽？”

“無他，唯公平而已。”明華裳說，“女子和男子同樣生存行走的公平，貧者和富者同樣受尊重的公平，名門大族和寒門草根，同樣能靠自己改變命運的公平。”

謝濟川正從外面走近，聽到這裏停下來了。江陵聳聳肩，說：“行吧，那你求着吧，我要去找密道了。任遙做事太猛，沒人看着她，她定能把地皮都翻一遍。”

江陵轉身，看到謝濟川，問道：“你怎麽來了？名冊清點清楚了？”

謝濟川微笑道：“我做這種事情，不需要這麽久。”

明華裳、任遙四人活捉了盧渡後，明華章立刻忙起收尾事宜。京兆府完全在京兆尹的把控下，明華章沒人可用，只能借用禁軍的人手。好在江陵和任遙都是校尉，雖然官不大，但手下還是有幾個人的。

Ming Huazhang worked all night last night and finally finished writing the file. He brought it to the morning court today to report. Xie Jichuan was very angry when he heard about this and asked why they didn't call him when they took action. Ming Huazhang had no choice but to entrust Xie Jichuan to do something that might offend people, such as checking the Pudu Temple.

Since the serial murder case is to be reexamined, the Pudu Temple, as the crime scene, must not be left alone. How to deal with the Pudu Temple has to wait for the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to discuss, but before that, the number of people and property in the Pudu Temple must be counted first to prevent someone from taking the money and running away.

Buddhism is a place outside the mundane world, but it cannot be a place outside the law.

Ming Huazhang went to court today. Xie Jichuan, Ren Yao, and Jiang Ling, who were too low-ranking officials to attend the morning court, led their men to seal off the Pudu Temple. Ming Huachang heard Xie Jichuan's voice and turned around to ask, "Brother Xie, have the personnel and property been counted?"

Xie Jichuan nodded: "Yes."

"Where is the abbot of Pudu Temple? I want to go and see him."

Xie Jichuan glanced at her and said, "Let's go, they are here."

After the imperial guards brought people to seal the temple, the monks were restricted in their movements, and the abbot of Pudu Temple sat alone in a meditation room chanting. When Ming Huashang entered the room, Xie Jichuan stayed outside the corridor, waiting for them to finish talking.

Ming Huashang did not have the intention to charge the abbot with a vengeance, but politely bowed to the abbot, who calmly returned the greeting. Ming Huashang sat on the mat opposite him and asked, "Abbot, when you first heard from Lu Du about his father's bestiality, why didn't you report it to the authorities?"

The abbot was silent for a moment, and said, "Buddhism is a secular place, and it has nothing to do with the government. Donors come to Buddhist temples to meditate because they want to find a quiet place without being disturbed by the secular world. If the poor monk hears the donor's prayer and reports to the government, then is he a secular person who helps the poor and the needy, or is he an eye, eye, and claw of the government?"

"But if you had reported the case to the police at the beginning, Lu Du's sister would not have died, and Lu Du would not have slid into the abyss step by step in despair and finally become a murderer. If you had done something at the beginning instead of persuading Lu Du to accept the status quo afterwards, many people would not have had to die."

The abbot was silent again, and after a long while he said, "Everything is determined by fate, so we should do more good deeds and accumulate merit for the world."

"If it's fate, should we just accept it? If we haven't tried, fought for it, or resisted it, what right do you have to say that it's the fate of all living beings?"

This time the abbot was silent for a long time, bowed his head and chanted Amitabha to Ming Huashang, and did not answer. Ming Huashang knew that the conversation was over, so she stood up and walked towards the sunny sky.

She walked down the stairs, smiled at Xie Jichuan, and said, "I don't know what's going on with my second brother. Let's go. It's time to go back."

·

Autumn of the first year of Shengli.

I finally passed the military examination and became the court official I had always dreamed of. Not the kind of official who served the empress in the inner court, who was called a female official but was actually a palace maid, but an official who actually patrolled, guarded, and performed duties.

When I was training in the inner palace, I thought that as long as I passed the military officer exam, all my difficulties would be solved. But when I really got to this step, I found that, for a woman who wants to inherit the family business, standing at the starting line is only the simplest step.

When on duty, my superiors would intentionally let me do the easier tasks. When I was doing drills, other male soldiers would stare at me. When I was eating, sleeping, changing clothes... they reminded me all the time that I was a woman.

I could only get up earlier and do more to prove that I didn't need to be treated differently. The maid didn't understand and asked me why I was so stubborn. As the daughter of a marquis, I didn't need to be treated coldly.

Maybe it's because there's always a fool who will keep me company, swearing and yawning, no matter how early I get up. Everyone around me is questioning, but he's the only one who doesn't say a word, which makes me willing to believe that my persistence is meaningful.

I originally thought that this road would be long and arduous, but when I took the first step, I discovered that it was actually not that difficult.

The road is long and difficult, but we are still searching for it.

Ren Yao was on duty at night in the Yulin Army of the Northern Yamen.

——The fourth case, “The Buddha’s Complaint of the Lost Soul,” is finished.