After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

Under each soft couch were several large jars.

One of the stewards who served the Nian family said that the jar contained the daughter's red wine that the Nian family had buried.

One of the guards tried to move it, but found he couldn't budge it. His arms were stiff and his neck was red, but he still couldn't move it, so he let go, thinking to himself, "No wonder it takes eight people to lift it."

Such a jar was naturally not suitable for hiding people, so the guards withdrew and lowered the sedan chair curtain.

Forced to wear a veil and get out of the sedan chair, Lady Nian Xiyao got back into the sedan chair.

With a little effort, the sedan chair bearers lifted the four sedan chairs and slowly carried them out of the city.

The princes and ministers followed behind, and they all greeted Nian Xialing. Nian Xialing returned their greetings one by one.

Ortai, standing to the side, received many disdainful looks. He smiled bitterly to himself, but did not show it on his face.

These princes and ministers often came alone, or with one or two adult children, or simply with servants to carry their food and water.

Just check if there's any modification or disguise.

Therefore, the funeral procession finally sped up.

After a procession of two or three hundred people passed by, the funerary objects were brought by mules.

Because they dared not use weapons to poke, and Nian Xialing watched from the side, the search for the funerary objects was naturally much slower.

Ortai ordered about ten eunuchs to search the funerary objects on the mules and horses in pairs.

The mules and horses carrying the coins and brocades need to be moved to check if anyone is hiding inside. The carts and the area under them need to be thoroughly inspected.

When a mule cart shrouded in black curtains came by, it was pulled aside. Ortai had several simple tents set up, and the eunuchs were allowed to enter and search the mule carts.

The sky gradually brightened.

At 5:45 AM, Nian Xialing was unsteady on his feet in the wind. Ortai's heart sank, and he quickly ordered someone to bring a chair for the old man.

At 3:45 AM, the search was nearing its end.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

The massive caravan of mules and horses carrying funerary objects had completely left Fuchengmen.

Nian Xialing stood up and addressed Ortai, whose face was ashen:

"My lord, with such a grand display, even if someone were hiding inside the funerary artifacts, they would surely be intimidated by your presence and flee long ago."

Ortai said with difficulty:

"Lord Nian, I have offended you today. Ortai deserves to die."

Nian Xialing shook his head and stroked his beard, saying:

"My lord has done his duty faithfully, there is no need for you to blame yourself. I will now leave the city to see my daughter off."

A black sedan chair was parked outside Fuchengmen, waiting for Nian Gong.

Ortai immediately nodded:

"After Ortai Wan dies, he will be betrothed to Dinghui Temple in the future to copy a copy of the Diamond Sutra for the Imperial Noble Consort Dunsu to pray for blessings and atone for his sins."

"You're too kind, sir." Nian Xialing bowed slightly.

Immediately.

The old man refused the servants' help and slowly walked out of Fuchengmen with a hunched back.

Because of Ortai, the funeral procession was moving very slowly while waiting for the funerary objects to leave the city. Now that they have finally left the city, the procession has finally sped up.

Nian Xialing arrived in front of the sedan chair.

Looking back.

In the distance, inside Fuchengmen, Ortai waved his arm.

"Waaah!—"

A horn sounded from the city gate tower. This was the signal to close the city gate.

Then, a full twenty soldiers rushed up to close the city gate.

After a long string of "click-click-click" sounds.

This is the western gate of Beijing.

It's finally closed.

In the morning mist, after standing silently in the cool breeze for a moment, Nian Xialing sat in the sedan chair and ordered the sedan chair bearers to speed up and catch up with his daughter's golden coffin.

…………

The distance from Fuchengmen to Dinghui Temple is only about ten miles.

But the funeral procession was naturally very slow.

The chanting of sutras and the scattering of paper money continued uninterrupted, with the funeral music procession never stopping.

The funeral procession, numbering in the thousands, formed a white river that slowly moved forward along the official road.

Dinghui Temple was built during the Former Liang Dynasty and has a history of nearly 300 years. It was originally called Shanfa Temple, then Yunhui Temple, and was renamed Dinghui Temple during the reign of the late emperor.

The emperor wished to be buried with Consort Nian after his death, but the Tai Mausoleum was not yet completed, so Consort Nian's golden coffin was temporarily placed in Dinghui Temple.

Everyone at Dinghui Temple has been awake since last night.

At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), the abbot of Dinghui Temple led a group of monks, both young and old, out of the temple several miles to greet them.

The fog slowly dissipated, and the sky gradually turned white.

The sun gradually rose higher.

Noon passed.

When the sun begins to set in the west.

Consort Nian's coffin finally arrived within the grounds of Dinghui Temple.

It seems she feels sorry for her granddaughter.

Nian Xialing alighted from the sedan chair early and said, "Please, Princess, take good care of your health and sit in the sedan chair for a while."

After a moment of silence, Burbuza hummed in agreement and got into the sedan chair...

"Clang...clang...clang..."

The sound of the bell from Dinghui Temple could be heard from afar.

There was no sound inside the sedan chair.

After a while...

We are getting closer and closer to Dinghui Temple.

Burbuza, Nian Xiyao, and Nian Xiyao's wife, Madam Li, all alighted from their sedan chairs and proceeded with the funeral procession.

Nian Xialing waved his hand and said to one of the Nian family stewards:

"Move the sedan chair to the back of Dinghui Temple, so it doesn't block other people's way."

The family steward hurriedly said:

"Yes, sir."

The four sedan chairs were carried away one after another.

Dinghui Temple occupies a large area, with hundreds of cells of various sizes within the temple grounds alone.

Four sedan chairs arrived one after another behind the red wall of Dinghui Temple.

The steward, who had a mustache, waved his hand and took out a fifty-tael silver ingot.

He threw it at the lead sedan bearer and said:

"Go to Shili Village ahead for a meal. No drinking allowed. You can divide the remaining silver among yourselves. Be back before Shenshi (3-5 PM)."

The sedan chair bearers, beaming with joy, kowtowed in thanks and hurried away.

After the sedan chair bearers left.

The steward looked around.

Then he walked to the sedan chair of the elderly woman and lifted the curtain.

He reached out and lifted the white curtain on the top of the sedan chair.

A semi-sloping trapezoidal top is exposed.

The steward reached out and pushed again, and the slightly tilted wooden plank on the roof of the sedan chair was pushed open.

A person in a Taoist robe let out a breath and fell out.

The steward of the Nian family said:

"Come out quickly."

The young man in the Taoist robe was sweating profusely, his stomach churning. He wiped his sweat and said:

"Thank you, Uncle Nianyao."

The manager nodded, his face stern, and said nothing more.

He went out and then pushed open the trapezoidal mezzanine top of the other sedan chairs.

…………

"This is a smokescreen."

Chen San pointed to the sedan chair and said,

"Because of the white curtain covering it, the height is uneven, with the outside lower and the inside higher, so you can't tell the true height."

Chen San then lifted the soft couch inside the sedan chair.

There were three large jars of wine lying horizontally inside, each weighing about forty or fifty pounds.

Chen San opened the middle jar.

The sedan chair was immediately filled with the aroma of wine.

Ning Nan glanced at it; the liquor was clear.

Chen San probed inside with his finger, but it seemed to quickly reach the bottom, only two knuckles could be inserted.

Chen San said, "Actually, only the top inch or so is wine; the bottom is empty. It was designed by Miss, separated by a black wooden board."

He grabbed the jar opening again and shook it.

But it wouldn't budge.

"The young lady had me drill holes in the bottom of the jar with nails, and then nailed it in so it couldn't be moved. That way, even if the sedan chair carriers outside felt the jar was too heavy, or if other people outside thought the jar was too heavy, we'd still have an explanation."

Inside the courtyard house separated by a wall.

Chen San led the three of them over an alley and they saw the sedan chairs.

"call……"

Chen San let out a breath, as if finally relieved, and looked at Ning Nan and the other two, saying:

"These four sedan chairs were custom-made by the Nian family for their own use. They are temporarily parked here. In a little while, Nian Yao, the steward of the Nian family, will lead a group of sedan chair bearers to retrieve them."