HCB Chapter 1818 Wan Lianxing Asks Yu Hua
Chapter 1818 Wan Lianxing Asks Yu Hua
Wan Lianxing flicked his robes and sat down again in the chair he had just been sitting in, and said sternly, "Ge Dongqing, stop lying on the ground pretending to be dead, get up and explain yourself to me!"
This was the second time the Emperor had addressed him by his full name. Each time, Ge Dongqing's heart trembled. He scrambled to his feet and knelt again at Wan Lianxing's feet! As soon as he opened his mouth, tears streamed down his face, "Brother, as you know, I admire talented people. I want to get to know any exceptionally talented individuals I know!"
"Get to the point!" Wan Lianxing didn't want to listen to his nonsense!
Ge Dongqing had no choice but to get straight to the point, saying the most important thing: "Someone told me that Abbot Mukong of Tingfeng Nunnery is exceptionally talented, skilled in singing and dancing—no, I mean, capable of composing poetry. Upon hearing this, you became interested in learning more. When I went to Tingfeng Nunnery and met Abbot Mukong, I discovered that she was actually Han Muran from the Han family. She took me to the backyard under the pretext of giving a sermon. Brother, I never imagined she was that kind of woman. She... ah... I don't want to live anymore!"
Wan Lianxing raised his hand and pinched his brow. "Dongqing, Dongqing! What can I say to you? It's one thing to linger in brothels, but you actually went to a nunnery to meet nuns!"
“Brother, I wasn’t the only one who went. Vice Minister Wang of the Ministry of Revenue is a regular visitor, as is Assistant Minister Liu of the Ministry of Justice, and Vice Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Rites. The first time I went, it was Vice Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Rites who took me! He said that Mu Kong is proficient in secret arts and has a knack for serving people. I originally didn’t plan to go, but he dragged me along!”
Wan Lianxing glanced at Ge Dongqing and said, "Say what you should say, and go back and say what you shouldn't say. There are still women here!"
The woman in question was Shang Xi. Shang Xi didn't care. "Uncle, I just came back from Tingfeng Nunnery. I happened to run into Uncle Ge in the meditation room discussing scriptures and Taoism with Abbot Mukong, who had taken over the place. At the same time, three young masters from noble families also came out of the meditation room. They all brought generous gifts and fine wines."
Wan Lianxing slammed his folding fan on the table. "This is outrageous! The rules of this temple have been broken. How is the Buddhist Registry in charge?"
Shang Xi couldn't hold back any longer and said, "I looked into it at the temple, and it turns out that the Buddhist Registry took over after Han Muran had been there for half a month and appointed him as the abbot!"
Mentioning the Han family, Wan Lianxing's face darkened immediately. "Did they treat the former abbot with utter disregard for human life?"
Shang Xi shook her head. "No, the old abbess entered the nunnery at the age of seven and led the monks and nuns in their celibacy for fifty-seven years. The old abbess was already there when this Tingfeng Nunnery was built. Now she has become a cleaning disciple at Tingfeng Nunnery. Every day she not only has to clean, but she also has to take the monks and nuns from the original temple out to beg for alms!"
"Begging for alms?" Wan Lianxing was shocked time and time again!
“That’s right, because they’re making big dishes of fish and meat in the vegetarian hall. When we went there, they were frying small yellow croakers! Your Majesty can ask Yu Hua if you don’t believe me.”
Yu Hua had been waiting outside the Crown Prince's residence since returning. When her name was mentioned, Yu Hua entered and knelt before the Emperor, saying, "This commoner, Yu Hua, greets Your Majesty!"
"Get up and talk!"
Yu Hua stood up, looking somewhat indignant. "I can testify that the vegetarian restaurant at Tingfeng Nunnery fried small yellow croakers today, and I personally saw two nuns eating them. Moreover, those nuns had a very heavy makeup smell on their faces. When we went to the meditation hall to investigate, several nuns came out and tried to drive the Princess and me away, acting like they had the upper hand. We wandered around Tingfeng Nunnery for a full hour. There were hardly any female worshippers there, mostly male worshippers like Lord Ge. They didn't offer incense in the main hall or give sermons in the quiet room; all the male worshippers went directly to the meditation hall at the back. When the Princess and I entered the meditation hall, the nuns were singing songs, and Lord Ge and the others were reciting poems. The atmosphere was completely corrupt!"
Yu Hua thought for a moment, "That's right, what's most infuriating is that the Han family has extended its influence into the Buddhist Registry, all under the name of Prince Pang's Mansion. Han Muran is running rampant at Tingfeng Nunnery, and I don't know where she recruited a group of young nuns to sell their bodies and make money with her. Is this what people often call 'opportunistic money-making'? Anyway, the nuns all think that Prince Pang's Mansion is backing up the Han family! Han Muran has not only ruined the atmosphere of Tingfeng Nunnery, but also the reputation of Prince Pang's Mansion! Prince Pang's Mansion will not bear such a bad reputation. I urge Your Majesty to send someone to investigate this matter, restore peace to Tingfeng Nunnery, and clear the name of Prince Pang's Mansion!"
Yu Hua's words made Wan Lianxing look at her with new respect. Shang Xi felt that Yu Hua's words saved her trouble. Sending someone from the Emperor would be faster than her own progress!
Wan Lianxing looked towards the inner room and lowered his voice, "This is not the place to talk. Come outside with me and let's not disturb my sister-in-law."
Yu Hua glanced at Shang Xi, then at the Emperor, and asked softly, "Should I go out with Your Majesty to talk?"
Wan Zhixing nodded. "I see that you are an honest person and would not lie."
Yu Hua nodded. She was indeed not one to lie. "I always speak the truth and say what I see. I would never embellish or exaggerate. Everything I have said today is true."
Wan Lianxing nodded slightly, realizing that the woman before him was someone who couldn't keep things to herself and had to speak her mind. "Then accompany me for a walk. I think the Little Tingfeng Nunnery is quite a hidden gem. Seeing that you still seem unsatisfied, why don't you tell me everything you've seen today?"
Upon hearing that she would be speaking to the Emperor alone, Yu Hua was understandably nervous. However, considering the reputation and innocence of the Prince Pang's Mansion, she felt compelled to report what she had seen and heard to the Emperor truthfully. "Your Majesty, the Tingfeng Nunnery is indeed a hidden paradise. The couplets in the main hall were even written by Lord Ge himself!"
For the sake of the Prince's reputation, Yu Hua disregarded Ge Dongqing kneeling there. Besides, not telling the truth would be deceiving the emperor, a crime she could not bear.
Wan Lianxing knew Ge Dongqing would show off wherever he went. "What is he writing?"
Yu Hua shook her head: "Lord Ge's handwriting is so flamboyant, I can't understand it!"
Wan Lianxing smiled and stepped across the threshold! The two voices inside the courtyard grew fainter and fainter, fading into the distance.
Ge Dongqing remained kneeling on the ground, too afraid to get up. He turned to Shang Xi and said, "Niece-in-law, Uncle Ge only wrote a few poems at Tingfeng Nunnery. That's all! You can trust Uncle Ge!"
Shang Xi was annoyed, but her expression remained calm. "Uncle Ge, you don't expect me to put in a good word for you at a time like this, do you? Can't you see? The Emperor isn't listening to you or me. He's started questioning Yu Hua! The Emperor is probably afraid that I'll cover for Uncle Ge!"