kvmb Chapter 172 Little Nun
Chapter 172 Little Nun
"us……"
The county magistrate of Liduan stepped forward, but was stopped by Lu Yangyang. Lu Yangyang reached out and pulled the jade pendant hanging from her waist, saying to the guard, "We are the Princess's people. His Highness the Crown Prince and our Highness are investigating a major case in the temple. They asked us to come and ask about the progress."
The guard stepped forward and saw clearly that the token Lu Yangyang was holding was indeed a unique token of the Princess's residence. He then bowed and stepped aside.
"His Highness sent me to ask, have you searched all the places in this temple where people could hide? Have you searched this area as well?" Lu Yangyang asked the guard.
"His Highness the Crown Prince ordered us to search with all our might, but we have not yet found any relevant clues," the guard replied.
“Alright, let’s look around the area first. We won’t wander off, so we can report back to His Highness later,” Lu Yangyang said.
The guard nodded.
Lu Yangyang pulled Princess Liduan to a quiet, open space.
Princess Li Duan asked impatiently, "Yangyang, how did you know that my second cousin would send people to search the mountain first? Did you tell him that those children might be hiding in Qinglian Temple? Also, Qinglian Temple is so big, why are we looking for people here? You've confused me."
Sheng Yunjiao also looked puzzled: "I don't understand either."
“His Highness the Crown Prince is meticulous. He will definitely have Uncle Cheng interrogated again. Uncle Cheng has already confessed about Qinglian Temple during the first interrogation. If he is interrogated again, he will definitely find out how and where he traded with Qinglian Temple. Therefore, he must have suspected earlier than us that the children bought by that little Taoist nun from Qinglian Temple are likely hidden in Qinglian Temple. He ordered the entire Qinglian Temple to be sealed off, not only to find that little Taoist nun, but also to take the opportunity to find those hidden children.”
“The entire Qinglian Temple, including the whole mountain, has been searched by people sent by His Highness the Crown Prince. So it would be a waste of time for us to search again. Only this place, which seems very dangerous and impossible to hide in, will not be searched carefully. That’s why I wanted to come and take a look.”
Lu Yangyang looked at Princess Liduan and said, "It was you who reminded me that Qinglian Temple is guarded by soldiers everywhere, and there are also military camps patrolling nearby. If they want to send the child to Qinglian Temple, they can't go through the main gate. They can't go through other places unless they keep bribing the guards. But the guards have to keep changing shifts. The more people know, the more dangerous it is. This route is not realistic. So, this is the only place that seems the most dangerous and has no guards."
Princess Liduan looked at the cliff not far away and rubbed her arms: "But this place is nowhere to hide anyone."
Lu Yangyang observed the condition of the cliff. Just as Princess Liduan had said, it was impossible to hide anyone. The surrounding rocks were towering, and this part was particularly steep. Looking down, it was like looking at a sea of clouds, bottomless, impossible to go down or come up.
Of the people His Highness the Crown Prince sent to search, only two are guarding this place.
Having probably assessed the terrain, they left only two guards and sent the others elsewhere.
On the edge of the cliff, there are two large ancient trees standing side by side. They have been growing for countless years, lush and verdant. One half is on the cliff, and the other half is outside the cliff.
Lu Yangyang ran to the guards and asked, "Did you bring ropes?"
The guards were puzzled. Lu Yangyang then said, "I need a large bundle of rope right now. Can you help me find some?"
"Please wait a moment." A guard nodded and ran off. A short while later, he returned with a bundle of thick hemp rope and handed it to Lu Yangyang.
"Young lady, what do you need the rope for?" the guard asked uncertainly.
Lu Yangyang didn't say anything, but grabbed the rope and quickly climbed up the ancient tree, heading towards the edge of the cliff.
"Girl, what are you doing?" The guard was startled.
The others were terrified at the sight. Princess Liduan and Sheng Yunjiao shouted together, "Yangyang, what are you doing? Come down here!"
"Don't be nervous, I'm just taking a look, it'll be fine." Lu Yangyang found the right spot, quickly wrapped the rope around a thick tree branch, tied a knot, and started climbing down.
"Yangyang!"
Princess Li Duan cried out anxiously, stamped her foot in frustration, and gritted her teeth, shouting, "I'll risk it all!"
Then I climbed up too.
"Princess!" Sheng Yunjiao called out urgently.
"Don't make a sound, don't scare me!" Princess Li Duan poked her head out of the tree, then looked at Lu Yangyang while holding onto a branch: "Yangyang, hold on tight, I'll keep an eye on things for you!"
Lu Yangyang looked up and saw the fearful yet determined Princess Liduan. Suddenly, she felt a warmth in her heart and regretted her impulsiveness. She dared to take the risk because she had just calculated the distance from the cliff face to the bottom of the cliff. In addition, she had good control over her strength. Even if something unexpected happened, she could grab the wall in time to avoid falling.
She had climbed cliffs and precipices before when she was collecting herbs in the mountains, so she was experienced and knew what she was doing. She wouldn't really risk her life.
But Princess Liduan was different. Although she was very scared, she still climbed up to protect her because she was worried about her.
Afraid of scaring her, Lu Yangyang could only call out, "Lie still and wait for me!"
Princess Li Duan suddenly became much more confident: "Good!"
Lu Yangyang gripped the rope, climbing down while peering towards the cliff face. It wasn't that she was suspicious; she had seen the nests built on the cliffs by people in the deep mountains to escape war. She had heard from the hunters in the village that during the war, many people in Qinghe Village had survived the most turbulent times by hiding on the cliffs deep in the mountains.
……
Inside the main hall, time passed slowly.
After an unknown amount of time, the person who had taken Uncle Cheng to identify the person finally brought in a young Taoist nun and a nun with silver-gray hair.
"Your Highness, we've found her. The one who bought the child from Uncle Cheng is this Daoist nun, Han Dong." Pei Ji pushed out the young Daoist nun, who looked to be in her early twenties and had a pretty face.
Han Dong was so frightened that she knelt down on the ground, trembling and crying out, "Your Highness, spare me! Your Highness, spare me!"
The princess's gaze lingered on Han Dong for a moment, then fell incredulously on the nun behind her: "Nun Bilian, how could it be you?"
Master Bilian was the most skilled Taoist nun in medicine at Qinglian Temple. She was also a frequently used female doctor by many high-ranking officials and nobles. She was also skilled in gynecological treatment and was highly respected by noblewomen in the capital.
The heart-nourishing pills from Qinglian Temple that the Empress Dowager used every month were made by her.
She had served as a female physician in the palace for over twenty years, and after leaving the palace, she stayed at the Qinglian Temple.
Abbess Bilian respectfully bowed to the Crown Prince and the Princess, her expression calm: "I have been a nun for many years and have long since ceased to concern myself with worldly affairs. I know nothing of this case. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Highness."