Chapter 568 The Seduction of the Evil Taoist Priest
Qing’er, who was about to turn around and leave, stopped.
“Yujie, why do you say that?” Shao Wanru tilted her head and asked with a smile.
“I think… I think…” Yujie recalled what had happened yesterday, as she chose her words carefully. “The girl fell and then rushed over with plenty of servants. If they really seized us, they would definitely beat us up, and we would inevitably neglect the paintings. Even if we lost the two paintings, you could do nothing about it when seeing us badly battered!”
“Besides, I asked the nuns of the Yuhui Nunnery about it later. They all said that no one made a scene. In this case, if we were robbed of the two paintings at that time, we wouldn’t be able to find them, right? It was a remote place, and no one else was around. Even if they did anything, no one would know it as long as they kept it a secret!”
In fact, Yujie didn’t have any real evidence. If it weren’t for Qing’er’s words, she wouldn’t even have been able to think of this possibility. But now she found it quite mysterious.
An overbearing Miss, the servants who rushed out to chase after her and Qu Le instead of protecting their master, and their disappearance later, all of these made it mysterious.
Yujie thought that they must be after something, but there was no real evidence, so she was very upset.
“If they went after the painting, there was no need to do that. Pushan Nun intended to send the painting to the First Miss. They could just ask the First Miss for it directly. There was no need to make such a scene, right?” Qing’er asked in confusion.
“Could it be possible that they thought that our Miss got the painting and seemed to be about to send it down the mountain, so they became anxious and did that?” Yujie said, but even found herself unconvinced after saying that.
Shao Wanru fell silent. She stood up, walked up to the window, took out the painting she copied from the painting vat on the side, unfolded it on the table and looked at it carefully with a frown. She had looked at it for a long time yesterday, but did not find anything wrong.
However, the current situation indicated that there was a secret in the painting, a big secret.
“Let’s go to the place, where you and Qu Le met the girl yesterday, and have a look!” After looking at the painting for a long time, Shao Wanru, who still found nothing, put down the painting and said. Since she could not find anything, she could only put it aside for the time being!
“Yes, Miss!” Yujie said and nodded, and then went out after Shao Wanru.
There was still no one in the remote place. The conflict yesterday left no trace at all, making Yujie feel like it was just her dream. They went to the small hall behind to have a look. After walking around the altar several times, they found nothing unusual. Everything was normal, as if Yujie’s speculation was wrong.
However, Shao Wanru felt that there was an invisible thread connecting all of these, but she couldn’t find it for the time being. After going back and thinking for a while, she instructed Yujie to go down the mountain with the painting to tell Chu Liuchen about what had happened to Yujie and Qu Le and what Qing’er had seen when following Shao Yanru and leave the painting to him.
At this moment, Qu Le came back, so Yujie got in the carriage and went down the mountain.
“Miss, I came back late because I heard some news on the street and inquired about it,” Qu Le said. She, who came back with some things Great Elder Princess instructed her to bring for Shao Wanru, was tired out and out of breath after putting them down.
Qing’er handed her a handkerchief. She took it and wiped off her sweat.
“What news?” Shao Wanru asked.
“They have found out what has happened in the Baiyun Taoist Temple. I heard that it’s influential and the whole capital city is in an uproar. Some families, who have invited Taoist Priest Xiushui to their mansions, are seething. Numerous ladies locked up in the Baiyun Taoist Temple were rescued. Some of them have been locked up for several years!”
Qu Le took a breath and said. This time, it was really shocking to not only common people but also aristocratic families. The Misses and Mesdames, who were the most distinguished, had always stayed in the backyard and seldom went to the front yard. Ordinary people could not see them at all. However, the evil Taoist priest not only entered their mansions, but also was said to be rather close to several Mesdames. Their mansions were inevitably shocked by this.
“What about Duke Xing’s Mansion?” Shao Wanru asked. The result was as she expected, but she didn’t expect that Wen Xichi would find out the truth so quickly and conclusively in such a short time and then reveal it directly without mercy.
In the last life, although the truth had also been found out and revealed, it took a longer time with more consideration. Some public opinions had been secretly suppressed, and some big aristocratic families had distanced themselves from the case.
The sooner he solved the case, the more difficult it was for the case to have interfered. Of course, it was partly because of Wen Xichi’s talents, while it was partly because of Wen Xichi’s status. In view of his status, although he revealed the truth, no one could do anything to him.
He was a newly appointed high official valued by the Emperor, while all forces feared the Deputy Prime Minister.
“They said that the news went out from Duke Xing’s Mansion. The evil Taoist priest, who has won a following with strange doctrines, colluded with someone in Duke Xing’s Mansion in an attempt to send the Fifth Miss to the Baiyun Taoist Temple by smearing the Fifth Miss’s bracelets and longevity lock with honey and attracting the ants in the Yuhui Nunnery to gather on them. The ants on the mountain are bigger than those down the mountain and look very creepy!”
Qu Le said.
She went down the mountain last night and was supposed to come up the mountain early in the morning after staying at the foot of the mountain for a night. However, when she got out of the Princess’s Mansion, she heard people talk about it on the street. So she immediately asked the coachman to stop the carriage and went to a teahouse, where she sat down and listened to the gossip.
“Miss, everyone was guessing it was Old Madam or Madam of Duke Xing who did this. Some said it might be the Third Madam or other Misses. Anyway, their words were all extremely offensive. Some said that the evil Taoist priest hooked up with one of the female masters in Duke Xing’s Mansion with his good look and thus to cause such a farce!”
Hooked up with a female master with his good look? Shao Wanru showed a slight smile. These words were meaningful. The evil Taoist priest of the Baiyun Taoist Temple was a man. If he hooked up with a female master with his good look, the male masters of Duke Xing’s Mansion could be suspected of being cuckolded.
It was a scandal for every family.
It seemed that Duke Xing’s Mansion had no choice but to respond to it!
Wen Xichi had done her a favor by solving the case in such a short time and making it so significant.
“Miss… besides, I heard that…” Qu Le said again, but hesitated for a while.
“What did you hear?” Shao Wanru looked at her and asked in a good mood.
“I heard that Duke Yong’s Mansion… is among the families close to the Baiyun Taoist Temple. It’s said that they have been extremely close to the Baiyun Taoist Temple for many years!” Qu Le stammered for a while, but still said it clearly.
“How many years?” Shao Wanru froze for a while and asked. She hadn’t thought of Duke Yong’s Mansion for a long time. It seemed that since Qin Yuru married into Duke Yong’s Mansion, she no longer paid attention to Qin Yuru’s life there. In that case, Qin Yuru wouldn’t be able to live a good life after marrying into Duke Yong’s Mansion.
“I heard that it has been more than ten years. It’s said that… the Baiyun Taoist Temple was able to establish itself in the capital city at the beginning because of Duke Yong’s Mansion,” Qu Le said. Most of the news she heard was about Duke Xing’s Mansion and Duke Yong’s Mansion. Duke Xing’s Mansion was at the center of the trouble, while Duke Yong’s Mansion offered the Baiyun Taoist Temple the greatest support at the beginning.
One of them had a connection with the Baiyun Taoist Temple at the beginning, and the other had a connection with the Baiyun Taoist Temple at the end. Compared with other aristocratic families, they induced more gossip.
At the thought that it actually had something to do with Duke Yong’s Mansion, Shao Wanru was extraordinarily astonished. However, she didn’t focus on Duke Yong’s Mansion, and only lifted the corners of her mouth and said after hearing that, “What has Duke Yong’s Mansion done has nothing to do with us, and I won’t get involved in Qin Yuru’s affairs. I’m afraid that Duke Xing’s Mansion will send someone to express their goodwill later!”
“Miss, shall we prepare for it?” Qu Le asked.
“No, close the door of my silence room after you and Qing’er leave. Tell them that I won’t come out today until I finish chanting and copying three scrolls of scriptures. They can’t interrupt me when I’m observing mourning for my parents. If Duke Xing’s Mansion sends someone here to meet me, just reject the request!”
Shao Wanru thought for a moment and said. At this time, she was unwilling to meet anyone sent by Duke Xing’s Mansion and even more unwilling to explain to others about what had happened in Duke Xing’s Mansion. She should show Duke Xing’s Mansion that she was practicing and they should not disturb her if there was nothing important.
She had stayed on the mountain for so many years, during which Duke Xing’s Mansion had always been indifferent to her, as if she didn’t exist. Now they intended to get her involved in this.
“Yes, I got it!” Qu Le said, nodded and left with Qing’er in a hurry.
Qing’er continued cleaning up the courtyard, while Qu Le went to the wing room to fetch her embroidery and begin to work on it leisurely. Shao Wanru had told them that they shouldn’t be anxious, while some others should be!
The servants sent by Duke Xing’s Mansion came quickly as Shao Wanru expected. Qu Le heard some sounds from outside even before finishing embroidering a flower. She looked out of the window, only to find there came more people than she expected. She saw Nanny Sheng, who was followed by four maids. They were all sent by Madam of Duke Xing!
“Is the Fifth Miss inside?” Nanny Sheng asked with a smile in an extremely amiable tone.
Qing’er looked at her blankly and then looked at the four maids holding gift boxes behind her, and said after a long while, “My master is chanting and copying the Buddhist scriptures for the heir and the infanta inside. No one is allowed to disturb her.”
“Madam instructed me to bring some food and necessities for the Fifth Miss. I won’t interrupt her for long,” Nanny Sheng said with a smile.
“No, the Fifth Miss has given an order that no one is allowed to disturb her. Otherwise, it could be considered disrespect for the heir and the infanta!” Qing’er stood in front of the door and insisted.
As a slender girl, she couldn’t block Nanny Sheng’s way. However, she stood in front of the door with her big broom, making it impossible for Nanny Sheng to go over.
Nanny Sheng did not dare to bear the charge of disrespect. Moreover, Madam of Duke Xing obviously intended to express her care for Shao Wanru, so she could not force her way in. If it was seen by others, it would cause new trouble.
She suppressed the anger in her heart and continued saying to an inferior maid amiably, “When will the Fifth Miss come out?”
“At dinner time if things go well. Otherwise, she will come out at midnight. She needs to chant and copy several scrolls of scriptures, and can’t be interrupted halfway,” Qing’er said seriously, as she put the broom in front of her in an attempt to keep anyone away from the room. Nanny Sheng was so angry as if there was smoke curling above her head.
There had never been an inferior maid daring to be so rude to her…