The Secrets of the Buddhist Temple Reveal the Past
Chapter Quote:
The secret collection of Cining Buddhist Temple is revealed, and the truth of the old case of the previous dynasty is revealed;
Mother and son meet again, but are separated by Yin and Yang, and from then on they roam freely in the world.
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After the turmoil of the previous night, the Cining Palace seemed unusually deserted. The guards and palace maids had been replaced, leaving only a few elderly eunuchs cleaning the courtyard. Yan Qing presented Huizong's handwritten edict and was allowed unimpeded access to the Buddhist temple.
Inside the Buddhist temple, the air wafted with sandalwood incense, and a six-foot-tall golden statue of Guanyin bore a solemn and majestic appearance. Following Feicui's dying instructions, Yan Qing fumbled around the statue's base, and sure enough, he touched a mechanism. With a gentle press, the statue slowly moved away, revealing a hidden compartment beneath.
In the secret compartment lay a red sandalwood box, intricately engraved with lotus patterns. Yan Qing carefully took out the box and opened it. Inside, he saw three neatly arranged items: a letter, an account book, and a bronze key.
He first unfolded the letter. The beautiful handwriting appeared on the paper. It was the handwriting of the Empress Dowager:
"Wan'er, my nephew: If you see this letter, it means that I have met with an unexpected disaster. Today is the day to let you know the truth about what happened back then..."
Yan Qing read with bated breath, the more he read, the more horrified he became. It turned out the fire in Qinghui Pavilion wasn't the Empress Dowager's order, but a conspiracy between Gao Qiu and Cai Jing! They'd falsely conveyed the Empress Dowager's instructions, aiming to harm more than just Yan Wan...
"...Gao Qiu is a wicked and ambitious man, harboring long-held rebellious intentions. He knew you were pregnant with a prince, and feared that giving birth to a prince would affect his position in the court, so he plotted to harm you. Cai Jing, on the other hand, was trying to cover up his own embezzlement of military funds, a case your father, Yan Hong, was investigating..."
Yan Qing's hands trembled slightly. It turned out that his father, Yan Hong, was actually an imperial censor, secretly investigating Cai Jing's embezzlement of military funds! This was the real reason for the family's demise!
He suppressed his grief and anger and continued reading:
"...When I learned the truth, it was too late. I could only secretly save your life and entrust you to Lu Junyi for upbringing. That account book is evidence of Cai Jing's embezzlement. The key can open a secret room in the Ministry of Revenue's archives, which contains more evidence of their crimes..."
At the end of the letter, the handwriting suddenly became sloppy, obviously written in a hurry:
"...Gao Qiu seems to have realized that I knew something. There have been many incidents in the Cining Palace recently. If anything happens to me, I hope you will bring this evidence to the emperor and seek justice for your parents... Aunt's final words."
Yan Qing held the letter in his hands, tears streaming down his face. The mystery of twenty years had finally been solved: it turned out the Queen Mother had been secretly protecting him, even to the point of killing herself!
He carefully put the letter away and opened the account book again. It recorded in detail every penny of military pay that Cai Jing and his followers had embezzled over the years. The amount was shockingly huge. With this, he could completely eradicate Cai Jing and his followers!
Finally, he picked up the bronze key. It felt heavy in his hand, with the Chinese character "户" (hu) engraved on it. This must be the key to the Ministry of Revenue's secret room.
Just as he was about to leave, footsteps suddenly sounded outside the Buddhist temple. Yan Qing alertly dodged and hid behind the curtain, only to see a familiar figure walk in - it was Huizong!
Huizong came to the Buddhist temple alone, lit a stick of incense in front of the Guanyin statue, and murmured to himself: "Imperial sister... I am sorry for you... and even more sorry for Wan'er..."
Yan Qing was shocked. Imperial sister? Could it be that the Queen Mother was...
While he was wondering, Huizong had already noticed that the statue had been moved. The emperor's face changed slightly, and he quickly stepped forward to check the secret compartment. Seeing that it was empty, he couldn't help but sigh: "After all, I'm a step too late..."
"Your Majesty, what are you looking for?" Yan Qing walked out from behind the curtain.
Huizong was surprised. When he saw that it was Yan Qing, his expression became complicated: "So it was you who took it... Well, it's returned to its rightful owner."
Yan Qing knelt down and presented the wooden box with both hands: "Your Majesty, please make a decision for my parents!"
Huizong took the wooden box and carefully read the contents of the letter. His hands trembled and tears streamed down his face. "I... I have been deceived by these treacherous ministers for twenty years!"
He helped Yan Qing up, sobbing uncontrollably: "Child... did you know that the Queen Mother is your great-aunt? Your mother is her niece!"
It turns out the Queen Mother and Yan Qing's grandfather were siblings! No wonder the Queen Mother was willing to risk her life to protect him!
Huizong stroked Yan Qing's face, his eyes full of love: "You look so much like Wan'er... your eyebrows, your expression... I knew it the first time I saw you..."
Yan Qing finally understood why Huizong had said "resemble, really resemble" when they first met, and why he had risked taking him back to the palace. It turned out that all this stemmed from his deep longing for his mother.
"Your Majesty..." Yan Qing's voice choked.
"Your Majesty?" Huizong smiled tearfully. "There's no one else here. Call me Father, please."
Yan Qing opened his mouth, the name lingering in his throat, but he didn't utter it. Twenty years of life in the martial arts world had long since accustomed him to a free and unfettered existence. This deep palace was not his final resting place after all.
Seeing his expression, Huizong understood and sighed, "Yes... I forced you to do it. You grew up outside the palace and are not used to palace life."
He pulled a gold medal from his bosom and pressed it into Yan Qing's hand. "This is my personal token, enabling me to mobilize three thousand imperial guards. Since you do not wish to remain in the palace, I will not force you. But if you need me, you can always come to me."
Yan Qing kowtowed and thanked him: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Huizong helped him up and said sternly, "I will punish Cai Jing and his followers severely. I will also bring justice to your parents for their wrongs!"
At this point, he suddenly remembered something: "Oh, there's one more thing... This morning, Lu Junyi said goodbye to me, saying he was going to take the people of Liangshan back to Daming Prefecture. Do you want to go with him?"
Yan Qing nodded: "I was just about to bid farewell to His Majesty."
Although Huizong was reluctant to let Yan Qing go, he knew that forcing him to stay was useless. He personally escorted Yan Qing to the palace gate, where Lu Junyi and others had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Yan Qing coming out, all the heroes came forward to greet him:
"Brother Xiaoyi, is everything done?" Lu Junyi asked with concern.
Yan Qing nodded and briefly explained what had happened in the palace. Everyone sighed after hearing this.
Lu Zhishen patted his chest and said, "From now on, with me here, let's see who dares to bully Brother Xiaoyi!"
Wu Song also said: "That's right! We Liangshan heroes live and die together!"
Yan Qing looked at these loyal brothers, and a warm current surged in his heart. This was the life he wanted - wandering the world with his close friends and brothers, doing justice.
Just as they were about to set off, a rider suddenly galloped up. The rider shouted, "Master Yan, please wait! His Majesty has a command!"
But Wang Duzhi came hurriedly holding a brocade box. "His Majesty specially gave you this, saying...it's your mother's legacy."
Yan Qing opened the brocade box and found a jasper hairpin inside. The hairpin's head was intricately carved with a swallow holding a flower. He recognized the hairpin—he had seen it in his mother's portrait!
"Thank His Majesty for me." Yan Qing solemnly put away the jade hairpin and got on his horse.
As the sun set, the group left Bianjing and headed towards Damingfu. Yan Qing looked back and saw the majestic imperial palace gradually becoming blurred in the setting sun.
The palace turmoil in this life has finally subsided, and his parents' blood feud has been avenged. From now on, he is no longer the Yan Qing who carried a blood feud, but a wanderer who can truly roam freely in the world.
In front, Lu Junyi said with a smile: "Xiao Yi, this time when we go back, let's drink for three days and three nights!"
Lu Zhishen immediately agreed: "Exactly! Don't go home until you're drunk!"
Yan Qing smiled and whipped his horse: "Okay! I won't go home until I'm drunk!"
The sound of horse hooves faded away at the end of the official road. Yan Qing's new life had just begun...
What they didn't know was that on a distant hill, a figure was silently watching them leave. The figure gently stroked the other jade hairpin in his hand and murmured to himself:
"Wan'er, our child... has grown up."
The wind blew up her veil, revealing a face that was seven points similar to Yan Qing.
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Chapter 64 End
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