Reborn to marry the emperor, I just want to confuse the emperor and seize the throne

"Wu Yirong spent a lot of money to get the position of prefect of Jiangzhou." Jiang Fenghua held the investigation materials on Wu Yirong in her hand: "His rise through the ranks was all thanks to money. How did he get the money he had?"

Gongsun Ling shook his head. "Although he bought his position, he is not a corrupt official. Our people have investigated him and found that his reputation as a prefect over the years has been quite good, and the people have a high opinion of him. Overall, he is a good official with no loopholes."

Jiang Fenghua disagreed, saying, “The murder that happened in Meihua Village, Jiangzhou two years ago was not committed by the Bai family’s golden toad, nor by the red-eyed golden toad that my aunt saw. Who do you think raised the golden toad to commit evil? If Wu Yirong is really so clean, why would he hide the golden toad murder case and fabricate it as the work of a plague?”

“It’s also possible that Hu San is lying,” Gongsun Ling said. “I also sent someone to Plum Blossom Village to inquire about the plague that occurred two years ago.”

He hesitated, then Jiang Fenghua asked, "What news have you found out?"

"There are indeed rumors that Hu San's entire family was infected with the plague and no one survived. The whole Hu family died, including Hu San himself. The government did handle the aftermath, and the people of Plum Blossom Village did not know about the Golden Toad killing people."

“Hu San is lying, or he’s not Hu San at all,” Jiang Fenghua wondered. “How does he know so many details and dare to go to the Yuzhou government office to post a notice?”

Gongsun Ling acted quickly as well: "When I received the news, I sent someone to inform Prefect Zhang to be wary of Hu San."

Jiang Fenghua said, "He lied about his identity, but the story of the golden toad killing people in Plum Blossom Village is probably true. The fact that he could recognize the golden toad as different means that he has indeed seen the golden toad with tentacles. Besides, how could Wu Yirong allow someone who has seen the golden toad to live in the world? Prefect Zhang's sending people to Jiangzhou to investigate the golden toad case this time is not considered alerting him. Wu Yirong will definitely take action if he knows that a golden toad killing case has also occurred in Yuzhou. He has people keeping an eye on him."

Gongsun Ling said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I have already had someone monitor Wu Yirong's residence the whole time."

Three days later, their carriage entered Jiangzhou. Just then, they heard a melodious and loud bell ringing. Jiang Fenghua lifted the carriage curtain and asked, "Where did that bell come from?"

"Your Majesty, the Living Buddha Temple is just ahead." Xun Yao rode up beside the carriage.

Hongxiu suggested, "Why don't we go and pay our respects to the Living Buddha?"

Jiang Fenghua joked, "Is Hongxiu thinking of praying for a good marriage?"

"Young master, how can you talk nonsense? This servant just wanted to do as the locals do. I heard the local people mention the name of the Living Buddha Temple when I was in town, and I simply wanted to go and pay my respects."

Gongsun Ling and the others were also in another carriage. He looked up and saw that this was the burial ground for thousands of corpses that Hu San had mentioned.

He said, "We should go and pay our respects."

Feng Qingyu and Gongsun Lan also lifted the carriage curtain and looked out. They saw thick smoke rising from the distant sky, and the sound of bells pierced through the thin mist and echoed in the high sky, giving people a deep and heavy sense of suffocation.

There is no living Buddha in the Living Buddha Temple; only the oppressive feeling of the devil makes people feel suffocated.

As soon as the group stepped into the temple, a young monk greeted them with his hands clasped together, "Amitabha, do you wish to offer incense?"

Hongxiu returned the little monk's greeting with a Buddhist salute. "Thank you for your trouble, little monk. My young master wants to come and pay respects to the Bodhisattva. He has heard that the Bodhisattva at the Living Buddha Temple is very efficacious. It is getting late now. I wonder if the Living Buddha Temple has any guest rooms and if we can stay here for the night? We can add more money for incense."

Hongxiu was also very sensible; she took the initiative to hand a bag of silver to the little monk.

The young monk gently weighed the money bag in his hand and found it heavy. He also noticed that the people in front of him had an extraordinary air about them, like young masters and princes from wealthy families.

The young monk immediately became attentive: "The temple does indeed have guest rooms prepared. Please follow me to the east wing after you have offered incense."

After touring the temple, the group found it to be very popular, with large and small bodhisattvas enshrined in their respective places. Jiang Fenghua felt a sense of awe in front of the bodhisattvas and devoutly offered incense to pay homage to the various Buddhas and bodhisattvas.

As for what secrets the Living Buddha Temple might hold, she couldn't figure it out in a short time. She then asked the young monk, "We would like to pay our respects to the abbot. Is that convenient?"

The young monk paused for a moment, then said, "The abbot is chanting scriptures and meditating in the meditation room. I must go and inform him first. Please wait a moment, benefactor."

Jiang Fenghua nodded, "We'll wait here. Thank you for your help, young master."

They may have arrived at the wrong time, and it was indeed late, with no other worshippers in the temple.

There were some monks sweeping the courtyard. When they saw a group of people coming from the temple, they all gathered together and discussed something.

At this moment, another group of people walked towards them from the other side, which immediately aroused the vigilance of Xun Yao and the others.

Jiang Fenghua also saw the person who came. She gave Xun Yao a cold look, indicating that he didn't need to be nervous.

A woman dressed in a white dress walked slowly in. She raised her head, looked straight ahead, and with what she considered the most elegant and proud posture, walked past Xun Yao and the others guarding the door and went straight into the main hall to kneel in front of the Guanyin Bodhisattva who grants children.

Four maids stood on either side of her, and guards stood guard on both sides. The woman in white probably wanted to play the role of a spoiled princess, but little did she know that the more she pretended, the more ridiculous she became.

All I could hear was her murmuring, "May the Bodhisattva bless my father to live a long and healthy life... May the Bodhisattva bless my family to have abundant wealth..."

Hongxiu rolled her eyes. Where did this silly girl from the landlord's family come from? Doesn't she recognize that the Bodhisattva in front of her is someone praying for a child?

She must have worshipped the wrong Buddha!

Jiang Fenghua also looked over, but noticed that the guards' eyes were glancing in their direction, and she became wary.

People who don't recognize the Bodhisattva come to worship the Buddha!

Her guards and maids did not react.

Gongsun Lan looked at the woman in white, and her nostrils twitched involuntarily. This smell was so familiar.

She looked at the white-clad girl kneeling before Guanyin, and wondered why such a delicate woman smelled of decay.

Gongsun Lan didn't know if it was because of her pregnancy, but lately she had been feeling nauseous and wanted to vomit, and she would react strongly to even the slightest unpleasant smell.

Just then, the young monk came again, saying, "Benefactors, our abbot invites you to the meditation room."

Only after they had gone far away did Yue Anying rise from the prayer mat and coldly watch the backs of Jiang Fenghua and the others, slowly saying, "What an exceptionally handsome man! So she is Empress Jiang of the Great Zhou Dynasty. She is even more stunning in women's clothing!"

A young monk also stepped forward and asked, "Would you like to donate some money for incense oil, benefactor?"

Yue Anying glared at him, "Why are you donating money for incense oil?"

The young monk was stunned. Since he had come to the temple, he naturally had to show respect to the Bodhisattva. Looking at the guards by the door, the young monk did not dare to say anything.

Qian Shun took out a few copper coins and handed them to the little monk to send him away, saying, "Go!"

The young monk was stunned; he had never seen such a stingy pilgrim before.

Qian Shun didn't usually worship Buddha and was unaware of these rules in temples in the Central Plains. He simply said, "Miss Ying, do you understand now?"