PFC Chapter 299 Someone is in danger
Chapter 299 Someone is in danger
Chapter 299 Someone is in danger
Shaohua Temple is the most popular temple in the vicinity of the capital.
The main reason is that the late Empress Dowager once worshipped Buddha here.
Therefore, the infamous incident last year in which the prince of Weiyuan Marquis desecrated the Buddhist holy site did not cause much damage to Shaohua Temple.
The side rooms in the nunnery can be used by pilgrims to stay overnight or practice meditation. When Mu Rong dismounted in front of the mountain gate, it happened to be the peak period when pilgrims from the previous day were going down the mountain and that day was the peak period when pilgrims were going up the mountain. The appearance of a man like him here was particularly abrupt, attracting the attention of the female relatives.
The little nun who was welcoming and seeing off pilgrims at the mountain gate saw that Mu Rong's clothes were extraordinary and knew that he was not an ordinary person, so she hurried back to report.
Soon, the abbot came out to greet him. Although this was Mu Rong's first time here as an adult, the abbot recognized him immediately.
"Amitabha, this is the first time I have seen the Marquis since Princess Rongyang died on the battlefield. I never thought that the young man from back then would become so handsome and tall, with quite a bit of the demeanor of the former Marquis Weiyuan." The abbot clasped her hands together.
When Mu Rong was young, he had come here with his mother, Princess Rongyang, to pray for the late Empress Dowager. Thus, he had met the abbot. When he heard the abbot mention the past, he returned the greeting: "I haven't been here for over a decade. I didn't expect you would still remember."
As the abbot spoke, he saw that Mu Rong looked normal, and since he came alone today, he must not be a first-rank military marquis, so he felt a little relieved.
"I wonder if the Marquis has any important business in visiting Shaohua Temple?"
"I'm here to pray for the Empress and offer lanterns. I don't know where the Empress offers the lanterns. Would you mind letting me check it out?" Mu Rong asked. The abbot's heart skipped a beat: "Could it be that the Empress has been feeling unwell recently?"
When the emperor sent people to Shaohua Temple to pray and offer lanterns, he had already said that it was to protect the health of the empress.
Therefore, she did not dare to neglect it and personally selected a useful nun to go and guard it. It had only been a short time, so why did she come to check on the lamp offerings again...
This concerns the Empress, how can she not be panicked?
But Mu Rong did not respond, but simply said, "Thank you, Abbot, for leading the way."
This……
The abbot quickly agreed and personally took Mu Rong to the nunnery to offer lights and pray for the queen.
The little nun who was serving the candles came out quickly and said, "Greetings, Abbot."
Because Mu Rong was a man, she only glanced at him briefly before lowering her head. "How are the Queen's candles?" the abbot asked.
"Your Excellency, Abbot, I have never been negligent in taking care of the lamps and candles of the Empress. I hope everything is fine." The little nun lowered her head and replied.
Hearing the other party's reply, the abbot felt relieved.
She glanced at Mu Rong and asked, "My Lord, do you want to go in and check it out yourself?"
"Yes." Mu Rong nodded and stepped into the nunnery.
Since he was here, he naturally had to see it with his own eyes before he could feel at ease.
This temple is dedicated to the royal family members who are still alive, so compared with other temples, it is less solemn and has a more clear and gentle feeling.
The candles used to pray for the Queen were placed in the middle of the temple.
The lamp oil was clear and free of impurities, the flame was burning brightly, emitting a warm glow, and the wick was also red hot, showing no signs of ever being extinguished. After inspecting the lamp, Mu Rong looked around again.
In addition to the little nun who had just answered the question, there were two other nuns of similar age in the nunnery. They were both busy with their own work, adding oil to the candles used for offerings.
Seeing this, the abbot stepped forward and explained, "Shaohua Temple is following His Majesty's order to pray for the Empress and offer lanterns. Naturally, this humble nun dares not neglect this matter. I have arranged for three people to take care of the temple and ensure that there is always someone on duty to ensure safety..."
Mu Rong nodded upon hearing this and said, "Thank you, Abbot. I will report truthfully to His Majesty and the Empress upon my return."
"Amitabha! Thank you, my Lord."
After leaving the nunnery, Mu Rong did not leave. He searched carefully in the front and back courtyards, bushes, etc., and found nothing wrong.
The abbot was always by his side, not daring to slack off.
She always felt that Mu Rong's visit today was a little strange...
The same thing happened to Mu Rong. After spending half the morning, it was almost noon, so Mu Rong said goodbye and headed down the mountain.
Just as the abbot was about to send the guests away, he heard a commotion outside: "Oh no! Oh no! A pilgrim has fallen off the mountain!"
The abbot was shocked. Without even greeting Mu Rong, she quickly led her people towards the source of the noise.
Mu Rong hesitated for a moment, then followed.
……
Shaohua Temple is built on the mountainside, located halfway up Shaohua Mountain.
Behind the temple is the road leading up the mountain, with cliffs on both sides, so few pilgrims go there.
When the abbot and his men arrived, quite a few people had already gathered there.
In the middle of the crowd, there was a master and servant who were crying with their faces covered. It seemed that the person who fell from the mountain had something to do with them.
The abbot hurried forward, and when he saw the master and servant clearly, he was surprised: "Miss Cheng?"
These two people were none other than Cheng Jintong, the granddaughter of the Minister of Rites, and her personal maid.
This was not the first time that Miss Cheng had come to Shaohua Temple. Normally, Shaohua Temple would arrange for a young nun to accompany such a distinguished guest, but today there was no one accompanying the master and servant.
Could it be that the person who fell down the mountain was a nun in the temple?!
The abbot frowned and asked, "What happened?"
Cheng Jintong was just a teenage girl, usually spoiled, and had never encountered such a misfortune.
She pointed down the mountain, trembling all over...
I cried so hard that I couldn't control myself and couldn't utter a word.
Seeing her incompetent look, Mu Rong frowned.
She looked at her accompanying girl and said, "You tell me."
"The lady's handkerchief was blown outside the fence by the wind, and a girl...a girl went to help the lady pick it up, but...it fell down!" The maid also cried with red eyes.
The abbot was shocked when he heard this: "The one who fell down was not a nun from the temple, but a pilgrim?"
"Yes... that's right..." the maid stammered, "She lives next door to ours. She knew the young lady was coming here to enjoy the spring, so she came along..."
The abbot panicked. If it was an ordinary nun who fell off the cliff, even if something really happened, it would be a matter within Shaohua Temple and would not be a big deal.
But if a pilgrim falls to his death here, I am afraid that the matter will spread quickly. Moreover, now is the time to pray for the Queen. If it gets out of hand, it will probably anger His Majesty, and the Emperor will be furious... I am afraid that Shaohua Temple will be in great trouble!
Just as the abbot was still panicking, Mu Rong had already climbed over the fence and leaned over to look down the mountain.
The mountain forest was dense, and amidst the shadowy branches and leaves, a faint trace of a light pink dress appeared. "The person was blocked by the branches halfway up the mountain and did not fall off the mountain. He must still be alive."
Mu Rong's voice was cold, but to the abbot's ears, it sounded like heavenly music.
The person is not dead!