The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Chapter 1814 A Moment of Solitude

Ge Dongqing acted as if he were being forced! Shang Xi felt nauseous just looking at him. "Who is Mu Kong?"

Just then, a woman with exquisite makeup walked steadily out of the meditation room where Ge Dongqing had just come out.

Yu Hua exclaimed in surprise, "Han Muran!"

Han Muran was still putting on an act at this moment. It seemed that she originally did not want to show her face, but seeing that Shang Xi had stopped Ge Dongqing, she was afraid that things would escalate, so she put on airs and came out. She put her hands together and said slowly, "This humble monk is Mukong! Greetings to the two benefactors!"

Shang Xi only glanced at Han Muran once; she felt disgusted even looking at him again!

Shang Xi chuckled and looked at Ge Dongqing, "Uncle Ge, were you listening to her preach just now?"

Ge Dongqing's face flushed again, and he gave a barely audible "hmm" in his voice.

Shang Xi, still indignant, stated bluntly, "Han Muran has only been a nun for a few days, yet she can already comprehend Buddhist teachings? There are countless eminent monks at Lingchen Temple. Even when the Emperor was listening to sermons, Uncle Ge was too lazy to listen. How come she suddenly became interested at Tingfeng Nunnery? The meditation room in the front hall is completely empty. Isn't the meditation room the proper place for preaching and expounding the Dharma? Why are you all using the spacious and bright meditation room instead of the meditation room where you're staying to preach and expound the Dharma?"

Ge Dongqing's old face flushed again: "Niece-in-law, Uncle Ge doesn't understand the rules of the temple. I just do whatever the monks tell me. They took me to the meditation room to listen to the sutras, so I had no choice but to comply!"

Obedience? The knowledge? This person was just showing off his knowledge inside the house! She thinks Shang Xi is deaf.

Upon seeing this, Shang Xi realized that this person was beyond saving, so she didn't hold back her words, "Uncle Ge is more suited to discussing bedroom secrets with her. No wonder the atmosphere at Tingfeng Nunnery is so bad. It turns out that Han Muran is stirring up trouble here. I really need to investigate how this person became the abbot!"

Han Muran suddenly knelt on the ground: "Aunt!"

"You pretended not to know me just now, but now you've opened your eyes. This princess can't accept that!" Shang Xi flung her sleeves and left!

Han Muran angrily slammed his fist on the ground. Ge Dongqing jogged after Shang Xi, as anxious as a monkey, calling her "niece-in-law" repeatedly and explaining incessantly!

Shang Xi wished she could plug her ears.

Shang Xi's carriage stopped at the main gate; otherwise, she would have definitely left through the side gate. Thinking about the pot of fried yellow flowers in the dining hall and the scene she saw in the Zen temple, she felt a foul atmosphere surrounding her, making it hard to breathe!

Shang Xi strode forward, her steps quick and powerful, but she couldn't shake off Ge Dongqing behind her. When she was almost at the main entrance, the two nuns who were sweeping the floor were sitting under a tree massaging their legs. They looked very old and were probably the older nuns here!

Shang Xi said to Yu Hua, "Go and call those two here, I have some questions for them!"

Yu Hua walked over. Fearing that these two might be just as arrogant as the previous group, she revealed her identity first, "Our princess wants to see you. Come with me to the front to talk!"

Upon hearing this, the two elderly monks and nuns glanced at the man and woman in the distance, nodded slightly, and then the younger nun helped the older one up.

Their monks' robes had long been faded and white from washing. They lightly patted the dust off their bodies, straightened their robes, and then walked behind Yu Hua.

Upon seeing Shang Xi, the two clasped their hands together, their voices calm and soothing.

"The poor nun cherishes solitude."

"The poor nun Jingtan".

"Meet the princess!"

Shang Xi didn't beat around the bush, "How many years have you been here?"

Huaiji looked at the roof tiles of the main hall, his expression distant, as if his thoughts had already flown out of Tingfeng Nunnery. "Since the existence of this Tingfeng Nunnery, I have been a nun here. I became a nun at the age of seven, the youngest disciple to sweep the floor. Later, I gradually rose to the position of manager, never having a single selfish thought, never betraying the original intention of cultivation. I have been cultivating for fifty-seven years! Jingtan came a little later than me, but she has also been in the nunnery for more than twenty years. Like me, Jingtan has never stopped cultivating for a single day, even if she were to become a sweeping monk again!"

Looking at the two people with calm expressions but sorrow in their eyes, Shang Xi went straight to the point, "Since you have been in the temple for so many years and have even become managers, you must be highly respected monks and nuns. Do you just turn a blind eye to those young nuns receiving male guests in the monastery?"

Huaiji knelt on the ground, "This humble nun is incompetent and cannot manage the monks and nuns in this courtyard. I beg Your Highness's forgiveness!"

Seeing Huaiji kneel down, Jingtan also knelt down.

Jing Tan said, "Your Highness, please forgive me. That Abbot Mu Kong has too much influence. She seized the power of the abbot within half a month of entering the temple, and another half month later, she ruined the atmosphere of the temple. I don't know where she brought a group of young girls to become nuns in this temple. They spend their days in the backyard soliciting male customers to make money! Everyone wants the former abbot to expel her from the temple, but no one can do anything about her!"

"What kind of background could make them so helpless?" Shang Xi asked. "What about the original abbot of this academy?"

"It is this poor nun!" Huaiji's eyes were filled with unconcealed sorrow! She felt deeply guilty for the state of the temple.

Shang Xi looked at Huai Ji and calculated that she was already sixty-four years old. She had lived longer than Han Muran. How was her power taken away?

Shang Xi thought about it more and more and felt it made no sense. "She took away your power as abbot in just half a month. Do you think the other nuns in the monastery will submit to her!"

Mentioning this, Huaiji's eyes regained their calm. "It was someone from the Buddhist Registry who appointed him!"

Shang Xi's expression changed repeatedly. "The Han family's reach is far too far; they've even extended their influence into the Buddhist Registry!"

When Shang Xi said this, her eyes were on Ge Dongqing, who was standing next to her.

Ge Dongqing lowered his head, unable to utter a single word! All he could think about was himself, and how the Emperor would punish him if this matter were exposed!

Jing Tan, who was kneeling on the ground, boldly said, "The forces behind this are not only the Han family, but also the Prince Pang's mansion!"

Shang Xi clenched her fists. "Those Han family! They dare to use my Prince Pang's Mansion as a front. How dare they ruin the reputation of my Prince Pang's Mansion? I'm determined to handle this matter."

Huaiji and Jingtan said in unison, "Thank you for your wise judgment, Your Highness! We hope that Your Highness will restore peace and tranquility to the temple as soon as possible!"

Shang Xi looked at the two nuns in front of her and, after figuring out that they were not with Han Muran, reached out to help them up. "Get up first. Please bear with it a little longer. Once I have investigated, I will definitely punish these lawbreakers severely."

"Thank you for your wise judgment, Your Highness!"

The two were about to kneel again when Shang Xi quickly stopped them, "Are you two the only elderly people left in the temple?"

Huaiji said, "Some have already left the city for other temples. There aren't many left, only thirteen in total!"

"Where are the others? I can't see a single one!"

Jing Tan said, "In the morning, we followed Abbot Huaiji to chant sutras and worship Buddha, and cleaned the temple. After we finished doing these things, we went out to beg for alms. If the Princess wants to see us, we will be back in another hour!"