Holy Bone

Chapter 2019 Daily Life at the Five Organs Taoist Temple and Morning Court Session

The sky darkened.

As night fell upon the bustling capital city, it added to the city's vibrant atmosphere, with cars and people thronging everywhere.

The Bixie carriage stopped in front of the Wuzang Taoist Temple. Jin An stepped down from the carriage. The people who were gathered in front of the Thousand-Eyed Taoist God statue, offering prayers, seeking blessings, or searching for their children, all smiled sincerely and greeted Jin An warmly when they saw him get off the carriage.

Jin An responded to everyone's enthusiasm one by one. Then, like everyone else, he lit an incense stick, offered it to the statue of the Thousand-Eyed Daoist, winked at the statue, and then entered the Five Organs Daoist Temple.

As soon as Jin An entered the Five Organs Taoist Temple, the primordial spirit of the Thousand-Eyed Taoist Lord statue entered the temple. He smiled and said to Jin An, "Taoist Jin An, you are a person of great merit. Your fragrance is that of a mouth that smells sweet and a beauty that is unparalleled."

"I'm looking forward to your incense offerings every day now, Master Jin'an, hahaha."

The Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue flattered Jin An, hoping that Jin An would offer incense to him every day from now on.

Jin An burst out laughing and said, "Go away, what do you mean by 'fragrant breath' and 'beauty that rivals the nation'? Are you describing my incense sticks?"

"After hearing those two idioms of yours, people who don't know the situation might think that your Thousand-Eyed Daoist God statue is describing me, treating me as a woman, and that you have taken a liking to me."

"Two grown men being all lovey-dovey is disgusting to even think about."

As Jin An spoke, he flicked his finger across the air.

The Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue cried out in pain and then rubbed its forehead.

"Daoist Jin'an, don't think that just because you have high cultivation, you can do whatever you want. When you die and go to the underworld, hmph, I will remember this grudge and take revenge on you when you die and go to the underworld."

"This Daoist Lord has both strength and connections in the underworld, and even has quite a few connections in the Jade Capital Golden Palace. Be careful, or I'll have Qingxi Zhenren subdue you, hmph."

The Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue snorted threateningly.

Jin An naturally didn't take the Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue's words seriously, so he flicked his fingers twice more, and two more small fleshy bumps appeared on the Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue's forehead.

"Aah!"

The Thousand-Eyed Daoist statue cried out in pain, then fled outside the Five Organs Daoist Temple. Its primordial spirit returned to the statue's body, rubbing its forehead in agony.

"Hahaha," Jin An and Fatty Li laughed. After offering incense to each of the temples in the Five Organs Taoist Temple, he went to the backyard of the temple.

As soon as Jin An arrived at the backyard of the Wuzang Taoist Temple, he encountered an old Taoist priest sitting on a stone table drawing talismans with a brush, ink, paper, inkstone, cinnabar, and other items. The old Taoist priest noticed Jin An's return immediately and said, "Young brother, please wait for me for a moment. This talisman will be finished soon. I'll go heat up the dishes right away."

The old Taoist priest had been drawing talismans for so many years that he had long since mastered the skill, so even when he was talking, he could still draw talismans perfectly and effectively.

Soon, the old Taoist priest finished drawing the talisman and then went to prepare dinner.

Preparing dinner didn't take too long. When the four dishes and soup were placed on the stone table, Jin'an, the old Taoist priest, Xiaojian, and Fatty Li sat down to eat.

"Hey, old Taoist, your cooking skills have improved quite a bit again. This stir-fried bean sprout is pretty good, not too old or too young, crisp and delicious." Jin An picked up a piece of food and praised it.

Hearing Jin An's praise, Xiao Jian and Fatty Li couldn't help but pick up bean sprouts. Xiao Jian was a quiet person who didn't know how to express his opinion, but Fatty Li kept munching away, picking up several more bites to eat with his rice.

Halfway through dinner, Jin'an brought up the topic of the Locking Dragon Well layout.

"Tsk tsk, this old Taoist priest also saw auspicious omens in the sky above the capital this morning. At that time, many people were talking about how Emperor Kangzhao destroyed the steppe khanate and made contributions to the peace of the Han people for thousands of years. He specially opened the auspicious omens for the ancestral worship ceremony to show that heaven and earth are celebrating together."

“Back then, I didn’t believe in these things. Outsiders may not know who Emperor Kangzhao was, but we do. Emperor Kangzhao was not qualified to receive such auspicious omens from heaven and earth.”

The old Taoist priest shook his head and said.

"I've considered many possibilities, but I never imagined that it was you, young brother, who caused all this commotion. I never thought that after you destroyed the Dragon Locking Well formation, such auspicious omens would arise, sending so many souls of the previous dynasty back to their original lives. This is another great deed."

"Young man, congratulations!"

The old Taoist priest ate his rice while praising Jin'an.

This was the first time Fatty Li had heard the truth about auspicious omens, and he was greatly surprised.

After discussing the layout of the Lock Dragon Well, Jin An then talked about Young Master Yiyun, mentioning that he had already met Young Master Yiyun that day.

"Young brother, you've finally met with Young Master Yiyun! This is truly a rare occurrence. Since returning to the capital, Young Master Yiyun has been incredibly busy every day. It's not easy to see her." The old Taoist priest became interested and quickly ate a few mouthfuls of rice. After finishing his dinner hastily, he pressed for details of the conversation, asking what they had discussed that day.

Jin An ate his dinner at a leisurely pace, recounting the contents of his conversation that day.

Upon hearing Jin An's words, the old Taoist priest's expression changed, and he exclaimed in a low voice, "Young brother, did you really confront Young Master Yiyun directly about the Southern and Northern Coins case?"

Upon seeing Jin An nod, the old Taoist priest stood up and paced back and forth in the courtyard. After circling around two or three times, the old Taoist priest sighed and said, "Young Master Yiyun is a smart man. Today, young brother, you went to her and asked about the details of the Southern and Northern Coins case. In my guess, Young Master Yiyun may have already guessed some of your thoughts."

"Young Master Yiyun may have already guessed that you suspect her, young brother."

"After all, you mentioned peace amulets, saying that they were popular in Japan, and even asked her if she had ever been to Japan. It's quite obvious that you suspect that Young Master Yiyun is the real mastermind behind the South Money North Money Case. The thirteenth prince's power grab and rebellion, his looting of the people in Japan, the emptying of nine out of ten villages, the widespread suffering of the people, and the creation of the South Money Case are just scapegoats, not worthy of the real story."

"what!"

"Isn't the thirteenth prince the real culprit behind the Southern and Northern Money Case?"

"Yes Yes……"

Li Pangzi had not heard a word from Jin An before and was unaware of many details. Today was the first time he had heard so many details, and he was completely dumbfounded. His face was filled with astonishment and disbelief. He forgot to eat and just stood there holding his rice bowl, lost in thought.

Jin An ate his dinner in an orderly manner and slowly said, "Old Daoist, I have already anticipated all of what you have said. It is precisely because I have anticipated it that I questioned Young Master Yiyun face to face."

"Firstly, to resolve my inner doubts, I want to know whether the Southern and Northern Coins case is related to the Prince Zunyi's Mansion; secondly, I don't want there to be any estrangement between us, so it's better to be open and honest than to keep things hidden."

The old Taoist priest sighed and said, "That's true, but I feel you've been too hasty, young man. It would be better to explore and investigate gradually."

"Your question today has surely aroused suspicion in Young Master Yiyun's heart. If suspicion arises in people's hearts, trust will be lost. I'm afraid that you and Young Master Yiyun will never be able to trust each other as you did in the past."

Jin An nodded and said, "Yes, I understand."

"But I still prefer to be open and honest; it's better for everyone." "At least I've now gotten the answer I wanted."

The old Taoist priest asked suspiciously, "Young brother, are you referring to... the real mastermind behind the Southern and Northern Money Case?"

"Then do you think the culprit behind this Southern and Northern Coins case is the Prince Zunyi's Mansion?"

"What do you think, old Taoist?" Jin An did not answer truthfully, but instead asked the old Taoist a question in return.

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest opened his mouth several times as if to speak, but finally sighed and said, "To be honest, I still don't want the Southern and Northern Coins case to involve the Prince Zunyi's Mansion. Such an outcome would not only be bad for the world, but also for you and Young Master Yiyun."

“Hmm, you have a point,” Jin An said, still without giving a clear answer.

The old Taoist priest looked at Jin An, opening his mouth several times as if to speak, but then sighing and stopping himself each time.

Even the old Taoist priest was in a state of turmoil, unsure of where to begin his thoughts. In the end, feeling utterly bored, he sat down at the stone table, looking at the silly sheep and the big blue ox in the sheepfold, sighing incessantly, appearing deeply troubled.

"Fatty Li, if you don't eat soon, the food in your bowl will get cold. Eating is the most important thing in the world, so eat first," Jin An said to Fatty Li with a smile.

"Ah...oh, oh oh oh." Fatty Li snapped out of his daze and started eating the rice in his bowl half-heartedly, finding it tasteless.

He glanced at Jin An several times, opening his mouth to speak each time but stopping himself. He was also very curious whether the culprit behind the Southern and Northern Coins case was involved with the Prince Zunyi's residence. However, considering the unusual relationship between Jin An and Young Master Yiyun, he was too embarrassed to pry too much, worried that it would put Jin An in a difficult position.

Not to mention Fatty Li, even the usually taciturn Xiao Jian couldn't help but glance at Jin An a few more times. However, Xiao Jian was naturally reserved and usually kept to himself, so he wouldn't speak up at this time and could only eat his dinner by himself.

And so, everyone ate dinner with their own thoughts on them. The dinner was quickly finished. As Jin'an and the old Taoist priest were clearing away the dishes, a knock came from the Wuzang Taoist Temple in the middle of the night.

"Who is it? It's so late at night, the temple is closed for the night, why are you disturbing our peace and quiet?" The old Taoist priest said this, but he still went out to open the door.

As a Taoist temple, we occasionally encounter some tricky situations, so we help whenever we can.

Jin An looked up at the entrance of the Wuzang Taoist Temple and said with slight surprise, "It's an eunuch from the emperor's side."

“Old Taoist priest, let me go with you. At this time, the eunuch has come to my door. He must have something important to discuss with me. I just don’t know what Emperor Kangzhao wants to see me about at this time.”

"Huh, a eunuch by the emperor's side?" the old Taoist priest exclaimed in surprise.

They nodded and went out together to meet the eunuch.

……

The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict this time was still a familiar face.

"Commander of the Criminal Investigation Department and Supervisor of the Three Departments, Marquis Shenwu, receive this decree."

"Your Majesty is always concerned about the state of the country. I have heard that the Criminal Investigation Department has recently been involved in a case involving tunnels, resulting in casualties. I am very concerned about the Criminal Investigation Department and have ordered Marquis Shenwu to meet with me at the morning court tomorrow to report on the details of the case. I hope that Marquis Shenwu will not delay."

After the eunuch finished reading, he smiled at Jin An and said, "Marquis Shenwu, you must not forget His Majesty's imperial decree. Be sure to attend the morning court on time tomorrow."

Jin An had no interest in the emperor's favored ministers, and simply nodded and gave a soft reply.

On the contrary, the old Taoist priest, who was well-versed in human relationships, smiled and said to the eunuch, "Thank you for your concern, Your Excellency. My little brother will definitely attend the morning court on time tomorrow, he will definitely."

After saying that, the old Taoist priest gestured towards the Five Organs Taoist Temple and said with a smile, "Would the eunuch like to come in and sit down for a while, rest your feet, have some tea, and soothe your throat?"

The eunuch laughed and said, "There's no need to go in and sit for a while. I still have to go to the next place to deliver the imperial decree."

The old Taoist priest, out of curiosity, asked, "Oh, which one is it?"

The eunuch said, "Which one could it be? Of course, it's the Prince Zunyi's residence. His Majesty is going to hold an ancestral worship ceremony, and patrols, guards, and security are of paramount importance. His Majesty wants to discuss the details with the Prince Zunyi and the security arrangements for the day of the ancestral worship ceremony."

"Alright, I'll be going now. See you again tomorrow, Marquis Shenwu."

Afterwards, the eunuch, along with his entourage of eunuchs, boarded a carriage and departed.

Only after the eunuch had left and the carriage was out of sight did the old Taoist priest say with a hint of surprise, "It's really strange. How did Emperor Kangzhao find out about the incident at the Ministry of Justice so quickly? He even sent someone to summon you to the morning court, young man."

"Strange, this is really strange."

"Could it be that the new Imperial Advisor Yuan Yiban is whispering in Emperor Kangzhao's ear again?"

The old Taoist priest shook his head and said.

After pondering for a moment, Jin An said, "Perhaps Emperor Kang Zhao was too nervous about the ancestral worship ceremony and didn't want any mistakes to happen."

"Didn't you hear what that eunuch just said? He's going to Prince Zunyi's residence to invite Prince Zunyi to the palace to meet the Emperor and discuss security matters for the ancestral worship ceremony."

After thinking for a moment, the old Taoist priest shrugged and said, "Perhaps."

Then the group returned to the Wuzang Taoist Temple.

……

Nothing happened that night. The next day, before dawn, Jin'an took a Bixie carriage to the palace to attend the morning court session.

This morning court session proceeded smoothly without any complicated procedures. Emperor Kangzhao merely inquired about the details of the tunnel case and expressed his hope that Jin'an would solve the case as soon as possible, as he did not want any mishaps to occur during the ancestral worship ceremony.

Jin An accepted the order without saying much.

However, a small detail occurred during this period: Emperor Kangzhao questioned the details of the case meticulously, leaving no stone unturned, and asked so many questions that it delayed the morning court session.

Although Jin An was somewhat puzzled as to why Emperor Kangzhao was so concerned about this case, he did not ask for the reason. He simply answered whatever Emperor Kangzhao asked.

At this morning court session, Jin An naturally saw the new Grand Tutor Yuan Yiban again.

However, after the unpleasant experience last time, when the court session ended and the officials were leaving, the new Grand Preceptor Yuan Yiban left with the other civil and military officials, and this time he did not seek out Jin An for leisurely conversation.

Jin An shrugged, somewhat disappointed that he hadn't been able to chat with the new Grand Tutor Yuan Yiban. He then left the palace to handle the day's cases at the Criminal Investigation Department.