Princess of the Past and Present

After Mo Shuang returned to Lingyun Mountain, before he had time to rest, he entered Xu Changdao's dormitory.

Sitting cross-legged on the couch, he has a long, gray beard and gray hair, and his eyes are full of vicissitudes.

"Shuang'er, come here." A deep voice called out.

Mo Shuang walked over, raised her front and knelt down in front of him, "Master."

Daoist Xu Chang looked at the people on the ground, "How have you been doing during the half a year in Beijing?"

"Thank you, master, for your concern. My disciple is doing well."

Daoist Xu Chang nodded, "That's good, that's good."

Then he sighed softly, "You have been weak and sick since you were a child, but your cultivation talent is extremely high. If you persevere, you will definitely be ranked among the immortals. It's a pity, a pity..."

"Fate is determined by the sky, Master need not be sorry."

"It's important to have a confidant who is ordained by heaven, but, Shuang'er, you must also remember that good fortune and misfortune go hand in hand, if you lose something, if you reap it, you will be rewarded after suffering."

"The disciples respectfully follow the teachings of the master."

Daoist Xu Chang sighed again, "I have no children all my life as a teacher, and I have been lonely for most of my life. I have already regarded you as my own life. I have nothing else to ask for in this life. As long as you can be safe and sound, I will die as a teacher."

The tone of the last sentence was very long. After finishing speaking, the eyes slowly closed, and the wrinkled face was very peaceful.

Mo Shuang didn't notice his breath, so he knew he had left.Put your palms on the ground and knock to the bottom.

In the dimly lit room, a white-haired old man in Taoist robes was sitting cross-legged, and he had already gone west.A man in white knelt on the ground and did not get up for a long time.

At night, the Lingyun Temple on the mountainside is completely silent, and even Lingyun Mountain is shrouded in the long night.

There are no stars and no moon tonight. Standing in front of the window and looking up, you can only see the endless black color.

Someone knocked on the door and came in. The man in white standing in front of the window turned his head and met the person who came in.

"I want to talk to you." The man standing at the door said.

Mo Shuang nodded and followed him out the door.He is Li Chen, the third generation disciple of Daoist Master Xu. He has passed his thirties, and now he is in charge of Lingyun Temple.

Two lanterns hung on the side of the stone table in the courtyard, illuminating the surrounding things dimly, and the two sat down one after another.

Li Chen picked up the teapot on the table and poured him a cup of tea, "How are you doing in the Prince's Mansion?"

"very good."

"You can deceive Master, but you can't deceive me." Li Chen took a sip from his teacup, put it down again, and looked at him, "After you entered the Prince's Mansion, I sent someone to inquire about it."

Mo Shuang looked calm, "It's up to you to decide whether your life is good or not, and no one else can control you."

Li Chen chuckled lightly and said, "This is really like your desireless temperament."

Mo Shuang pursed her lips and remained silent.

"After Master left, I was in charge of Lingyun Temple alone, and I was too busy with many affairs. You should come back and share my worries for me."

Mo Shuang's face was a bit bitter, "How can I come back when I say it?"

"The marriage between you and the prince was just a name. Could it be that you still..."

Mo Shuang paused and understood the meaning of Li Chen's words, "His Royal Highness is not broken."

"He's not, and neither are you. Why do you bother to live your life so far-fetched." Li Chen said: "Besides, when he ascends the throne and becomes emperor, you will be the empress. This..."

"In my opinion, you should stay in Lingyun Temple, and I will help you deal with the rest."

Mo Shuang remained silent, looking at a cluster of flowers under the lantern not far away, with a calm expression in her eyes.

Beijing.

in the hall.

The 30 taels of official silver transported to Lingzhou to build the palace was robbed by bandits and bandits. Afterwards, the bandits and bandits disappeared with the official silver. The emperor was furious and called a group of ministers to discuss countermeasures.

Shangshu ordered Yuan Gang to come out and said, "Your Majesty, I think this matter is very strange."

"Where does Ai Qing think the strange thing is?"

"Most bandits and bandits live on the mountain, sitting on the top of the hill and robbing money. The officers and soldiers found out that there were no bandits within a hundred miles of the place where the official bank was robbed, and they had never seen even the cottage. Ordinary bandits and bandits."

Prime Minister Yin Sheng said disdainfully: "Master Yuan's words are really superfluous. Those who can rob officials and money are naturally not ordinary bandits."

"Master Yin, I haven't finished speaking yet."

The emperor on the dragon seat looked at Yuan Gang, "Yuan Aiqing continued."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Yuan Gang continued: "30 taels of silver is not a small amount. If it were not for the use of cattle and horses, it would be difficult to transfer, and the bandits would disappear after robbing the silver. This, I think, is also suspicious."

Yin Sheng said: "Bandits and thieves are not stupid. After robbing the silver, they will naturally hide somewhere. Master Yuan didn't even think of this, did he?"

"This..." Yuan Gang was speechless.

Mu Jin couldn't stand it any longer, so he came out and said, "Father, since the matter of the official bank being robbed is full of doubts, I implore Father to allow me to investigate this matter."

The emperor nodded thoughtfully, "Okay, then I will leave this matter to you to investigate."

"My son will do his best."

Yuan Yuzhi heard that Mu Jin was going out of Beijing, and immediately rushed from the mansion to the Prince's Mansion.

"Brother Mu Jin, I heard from Dad that you are going on a long trip."

Mu Jin was reading the official documents in the study, and he didn't raise his head from the moment Yuan Yuzhi entered the door, "Yes."

"How long are you going?"

"I don't know."

"I really don't understand. It's just a loss of money. Why do you have to do it yourself? Is it possible that the officials below can't handle such a trivial matter after they get their salaries?"

Mu Jin continued to read the official document, Yuan Yuzhi shook his arm, "Brother Mu Jin, can you not go, I don't want to be separated from you for so long, besides, there is still more than a month before the Mid-Autumn Festival, you and I are going to have a wedding, How can you still travel far at this juncture."

Mu Jin withdrew his arm from her hand, "As the prince, I should put business first."

"But..." Yuan Yuzhi looked aggrieved, "Could it be that the major events in your own life are not important?"

Mu Jin glanced at her and said, "These are two different things and should not be confused."

Yuan Yuzhi pursed her lips, "I know that it's only natural for brother Mu Jin to devote himself to state affairs, but I just want brother Mu Jin to focus on our marriage before we get married."

"This palace can't do it."

With tears in her eyes, Yuan Yuzhi bit her lip and endured it. Looking at Mu Jin's stern profile, she knew that the two of them would quarrel again if they continued to be stubborn.Yuan Yuzhi thought over and over again, and had to compromise, "Then I will wait for brother Mu Jin to come back."

Mu Jin glanced at her and said nothing.

The next day, Mu Jin took a group of people out of Beijing.

A few days later, when I settled down in a restaurant, I happened to hear someone talking about Lingyun Temple.

"You have heard that Taoist Priest Xu Chang of Lingyun Temple drove west a few days ago."

"After living for 130 years, it should be time."

"That's right. There are not many ordinary people who can live to his age for thousands of years. Now he is in charge of Taoism. His No. 30 six disciples, I heard that they are still very young, so they have just arrived."

"It's normal, Taoist Master Xu has only accepted two disciples after he turned a hundred years old, and he is the oldest one who is still alive. In terms of seniority, everyone in the Taoist temple who is over [-] years old will call him "Master" uncle."

Mu Jin was at the table behind them, sipping wine.Before Moshuang, he had never heard of Lingyun Mountain, but now that someone mentions it, he has a different feeling.It's as if someone mentioned the location of their relatives, and naturally there is a touch of intimacy.

When he arrived in Lingzhou, the local officials presented the topographic map of this area, and Mu Jin knew that Lingyun Mountain was not far from here, and it was only a day or two away.

The magistrate of Lingzhou led His Highness the Crown Prince to see the palace under construction, but saw nothing but empty shelves.The 30 taels of official silver allocated by the imperial court was robbed. Without the taels of silver, the construction of the palace was delayed.

Then he led them to the place where the official bank was robbed. Mu Jin found that there were many flat lands in this area. Even if there were mountains, they were just hills and not high.

Liu Fushan, the governor of Lingzhou, pointed to the flat ground ahead and said: "The officers and soldiers who escorted the official bank were resting here that day. The dry food and water bags were all drugged, and the officers and soldiers passed out. When they woke up, the official bank was gone. .”

Mu Jin frowned, "Then how can we judge that it was done by bandits and bandits?"

Liu Fushan hesitated for a while, "I heard from the officers and soldiers who are still somewhat conscious that they are indeed bandits."

Mu Jin pondered for a moment, he was able to put medicine in the dry food and water bag, and no one noticed it, maybe it was done by an insider.If it was really done by an insider, it is very likely that there are countless relationships hidden behind it.

Mu Jin went back to the Governor's Mansion again, summoned the officers and soldiers who had transported the official silver, asked a few words, did not find out what was wrong, and asked them to disperse.

Thirty boxes of 30 taels of silver were packed, and there were nearly eight carriages in four boxes.

According to Liu Fushan, within two hours after the official bank was robbed, a large number of officers and soldiers came to search the mountain, but nothing was found.

It is impossible for the bandits to take the official bank by the trail.There is only one official road in the vicinity leading directly to Lingzhou City, and the other is to go back. Where did the bandits go after they robbed the official bank?

Or, as Yin Sheng said, after the bandits robbed the official bank, they hid it somewhere first, and wanted to come back to get it later?

At night, Mu Jin was sitting in his room reading a book when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Someone opened the door and came in, cupped his hands and said, "See Your Highness."

Mu Jin put down the book and looked at him, "What's the matter?"

"The humble staff led people to observe secretly in the prison, and did not find anything unusual."

After the official bank was lost, the officers and soldiers escorting the official bank were temporarily put in prison for the crime of dereliction of duty. Early this morning, Mu Jin arranged for someone to secretly observe their every move and report in time.

"You continue to investigate, and if you find something wrong, report it immediately."

"Honestly obey orders."

The guard was about to turn around and go out, Mu Jin said: "Wait."

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Mu Jin pondered for a while, "Send someone to Lingyun Mountain again to find out about the Crown Princess."

"Yes."

"Go down."

"Retire from humble office."

The guard went out and closed the door by the way.Mu Jin picked up a cup of tea and took a sip, thoughtfully. Daoist Lingyun has been away for half a month. Did that person return to the capital or stay in Lingyun Mountain?