flstandardbreds Chapter 173: Surrender into a move
Chapter 173: Surrender into a move
After she finished speaking, Abbess Bilian stood there neither humble nor arrogant, her eyes slightly lowered, as if everything that followed had nothing to do with her.
"Your Highness, spare me! I really don't know what happened. I've never seen any Uncle Cheng, nor do I know him, and I don't know anything about any child. Since I came to Qinglian Temple, I've never left the temple except to help the abbess buy medicine. Your Highness, please spare me..."
Han Dong, kneeling to the side, promptly continued to cry and beg.
The Crown Prince's gaze fell on Abbess Bilian, and he gave a faint sneer, speaking indifferently: "If you are a person beyond worldly affairs, then why are you so obsessed with elixirs and have such close ties with the families of many officials in the palace and the capital? If you are so detached, why don't you meditate day and night to comprehend the Dao and cultivate in seclusion? If I remember correctly, the pearl on your lotus crown was a tribute from two years ago, wasn't it? And your gauze Daoist robe costs a hundred taels per foot. Is this how detached you are?"
Master Bilian's lowered eyelids twitched violently, and the fingers gripping the whisk almost slipped.
She stiffened slightly for a moment, gripped the whisk tightly in her hand, and continued to keep her head down and remain silent.
"What? Even the nun doesn't want to listen to me?" The prince's voice suddenly turned cold.
Master Bilian's legs went weak instinctively, and she knelt on the ground, bowing her head and replying in a deep voice, "This humble nun dares not."
"Dare not? Since the nun doesn't concern herself with worldly affairs, why would she be afraid of death?"
Upon hearing the Crown Prince's words, Abbess Bilian lowered her head even further.
"Ahem," the eldest princess saw this and wanted to speak up to smooth things over, but just then, a report came from outside the door, "Eunuch Qi has arrived!"
A eunuch who looked to be in his thirties hurriedly stepped through the door. He glanced at the scene before loudly announcing, "By order of the Empress Dowager, summon Abbess Bilian and Fairy Shangshan to the palace. They shall depart immediately without delay."
As soon as he finished speaking, Eunuch Qi respectfully bowed to the Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess: "This servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince and Your Highness the Eldest Princess. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings and peace!"
Then, smiling, he said to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, as you can see, the Empress Dowager is urging us to come quickly. I heard that you are handling a case here, so I didn't want to disturb you. I'll take the two Taoist priests into the palace first. What do you think, Your Highness?"
"Qi Lu," the crown prince called out.
"Your Highness, this servant is here. Please give your orders," Eunuch Qi replied respectfully.
"What did the guards outside tell you when you came in?" the prince asked.
"Your Highness, how could this servant dare to delay your investigation? But these two Taoist priests, as you know, are people that the Empress Dowager is used to. They absolutely cannot have anything to do with the case, do you agree? Please do me this favor, so that the Empress Dowager won't have to wait too long."
With a forced smile, Eunuch Qi bowed to the Princess again: "Your Highness, you know these two Taoist priests best. The Empress Dowager can't do without them. These past two days have been hot and dry, and the Empress Dowager isn't feeling well. We must ask Abbess Bilian to come and take a look. Tomorrow's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet can't be delayed, don't you think?"
The eldest princess looked at the crown prince, but before she could speak, she heard the crown prince raise his hand and say, "Pei Ji, what did I say again?"
"No one may leave Qinglian Temple until the case is solved," Pei Ji replied.
"Go and add another sentence: without my order, the body must not leave Qinglian Temple even a step before the case is solved," the Crown Prince said calmly.
Eunuch Qi's legs went weak, and he almost fell to the ground.
Cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead.
"Eunuch Qi, I'm investigating a case here. Who are you taking with you?" The Crown Prince looked at him.
Eunuch Qi, sweating profusely, replied, "This servant can wait, this servant can wait, how could I delay Your Highness's important matter?"
After saying that, he didn't dare to utter another sound and stood to the side.
The Crown Prince leaned back in his wheelchair and said in a calm voice, "Pei Ji, proceed with the interrogation."
Pei Ji walked to Han Dong's side, but before he could make a move, Han Dong was so frightened that tears streamed down her face. "Your Highness, Your Highness, I really don't know, I really don't know..."
Pei Ji, expressionless, broke off her five fingers one by one. Han Dong curled up in pain and crawled towards the Crown Prince, pleading, "Your Highness, Your Highness, I... I didn't..."
The crown prince didn't even lift his eyelids.
Pei Ji drew his longsword directly, and as soon as it landed in Han Dong's hand, Han Dong panicked completely, desperately shrinking back: "I'll talk, I'll talk, I really don't know! I was just responsible for giving the money to Uncle Cheng to buy the child from him. I really don't know where the child went. It was the nun, it was the nun who instructed me to do this. I was just following orders. I'm just a disciple of her medicine furnace, not even a maid. I really don't know anything..."
"You're talking nonsense! When did I ever order you around!" The previously silent Abbess Bilian raised her head with a twisted expression, looking sharply at Han Dong: "Why are you slandering me!"
After speaking, Abbess Bilian suddenly realized that her attitude had been somewhat excessive, and hurriedly looked at the Princess: "Your Highness, I am devoted to alchemy and have never bothered with such trivial matters. I have no idea where this slander came from. What use would I, a nun, have for children? Your Highness, please understand, I do not accept this slander!"
Eunuch Qi kept giving the eldest princess meaningful glances, but this time the eldest princess kept her eyes down, pretending not to see them, and even a hint of disgust flashed in her eyes.
I originally thought this kind of thing had nothing to do with Qinglian Temple, but now I'm really proven wrong. They would do such a heinous thing, it's disgusting.
Seeing this, Han Dong simply endured the pain and rolled up her sleeves, revealing the bruises all over her arms: "What I said is true. The nun has a bad temper and often beats and scolds us Daoist disciples. I was just following orders. I really don't know anything else. Your Highness, what I said is true!"
"Shameless!" Abbess Bilian's chest heaved with anger, her eyes widening like copper bells, making her already somewhat serious face instantly terrifying. She shouted indignantly, "I have never asked anyone to buy any children! I stay in the alchemy room day and night, what use would I have for those children! You say I asked you to buy those children, where are they? Where are they?"
"How would I know..." Han Dong said weakly and pitifully.
"If you can't find the person, are you going to slander and frame me based solely on your words?" Abbess Bilian's face trembled with extreme anger, and she couldn't help but raise her head to question the Crown Prince sitting at the head of the table, "Your Highness, are you going to slander me and force a confession without any evidence?"
"Forced confession?" The Crown Prince looked at her. "If you really want to be beaten, I'll grant your wish."