TGCFNM -Chapter 328 The Old Lady’s Reckless Tossing Around

Wan Sanjin was carrying a wooden chest, and Chu Ling was holding a meditation mat and a wooden Buddha as they walked over. Everyone immediately paused what they were doing to watch them.

Su He was somewhat shocked. “You don’t even spare a rundown manor like this?”

Chu Ling replied, “…Just happened to come across it.”

Su He looked unconvinced and silently added more fuel to the fire.

Wan Sanjin glanced at Chu Ling and said, “You know, the Wan family has a treasury. Why not store it together?”

Chu Ling nodded vigorously.

Uncle Hong frowned, his senses alert—something about the way these two were looking at each other felt off, as if they had done something they shouldn’t have.

“Uncle Hong, after we enter the capital tomorrow, let’s head to the bank first,” Wan Sanjin suddenly said.

Uncle Hong waved them over, then without another word took the wooden chest, looking at Chu Ling. “I want to see it.”

Chu Ling nodded. “Please, take a look.”

Uncle Hong stared at the two curiously, then opened the chest—and then closed it again…

“Uncle Hong, you’re done so quickly?” Wan Sanjin was taken aback.

Uncle Hong’s face turned pale. He gripped the chest tightly, pointing a trembling finger first at Chu Ling, then at Wan Sanjin. “I knew you two were outrageous, but I didn’t expect you to be this brazen!”

Wan Sanjin stepped aside. “Not my business.”

Chu Ling reached out and pulled Wan Sanjin back, looking Uncle Hong in the eye seriously. “It is his business.”

Just as Uncle Hong was about to speak, he glanced at the furious-looking Buddha Chu Ling was holding. In disbelief, he reached out. “Let me see that.”

Chu Ling handed over the angry Buddha and curiously said, “This Buddha looks fierce, but it smells nice.”

Uncle Hong held back a sharp gasp, nearly fainting. “Because this is a tribute incense Buddha—the Fragrant Tan Angry Buddha. By rights, it should be in the Empress Dowager’s possession.”

Chu Ling clicked her tongue. “The old lady really loves tossing things around. She lost a delicate chessboard, and now an incense Buddha too.”

Uncle Hong furrowed his brow. “A delicate chessboard?”

Wan Sanjin nodded. “That has nothing to do with me. We found it in an abandoned courtyard. After finding it, we intended to sell it to my brother, but he said it needed to be hidden away.”

“Your eldest brother didn’t touch it?” Uncle Hong asked seriously.

Wan Sanjin looked confused. “Why would my brother touch it?”

Uncle Hong, feeling that at his age he might suffer a heart attack, decided to give them a stern lecture. But then he noticed the meditation mat Chu Ling was holding. He took it, examined it carefully, and let out a long sigh.

“That’s right… it’s Pan Si incense mat.”

Although Chu Ling didn’t know whether the mat was valuable, seeing Uncle Hong’s expression—like he was about to cry—she guessed it probably also belonged to that old lady. “…So, the old lady really does love tossing things around?”

Uncle Hong took a deep breath, looking at them sternly. “Now, stand properly!”

Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin immediately stood at attention, but both looked at Uncle Hong oddly, not understanding what was going on.

“Although I don’t know the full story, from the delicate chessboard to this abandoned courtyard’s Fragrant Tan Angry Buddha, I can be certain of one thing: someone did this intentionally.” Uncle Hong composed himself, his gaze grave as he looked at them. “The Empress Dowager is not the emperor’s biological mother, but she devoted herself wholeheartedly. And since the emperor’s real mother has long passed, the emperor respects her greatly.”

“And every year, the best tributes sent from all over the country would go straight to the Empress Dowager’s palace. She has her own ‘Phoenix Treasury,’ where every item is rare and valuable. So, the treasury has dedicated attendants, and nothing could ever go missing—unless the Empress Dowager herself took it out.”

Chu Ling exclaimed, “Then this old lady must be ridiculously rich!”

Wan Sanjin agreed, “She’s probably even richer than the Emperor.”

Uncle Hong: “……”

“I didn’t know that the Eldest Young Master had already taken the Exquisite Chessboard. So tell me carefully—where exactly did you find it?” Uncle Hong asked, frowning.

Chu Ling recounted how they had obtained the Exquisite Chessboard. At the end, she looked at Uncle Hong curiously.

Uncle Hong furrowed his brow. “I honestly don’t know whether to say you’re audacious beyond measure, or cursed with terrible luck.”

Chu Ling thought for a moment and asked, “Which temple in the capital is considered spiritually potent? We plan to go offer incense together.”

Uncle Hong couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head helplessly. “You should definitely go offer incense and draw a fortune stick… but I also need to tell you some things.”

Wan Sanjin put on a docile expression. “What things?”

Uncle Hong looked serious. “If something from the Phoenix Treasury shows up outside, there’s only one explanation: the Empress Dowager herself took it out. The Exquisite Chessboard was a gift from Prince Su; the Xiangtan Raging Buddha and the Xiangpu incense were gifts from Prince He.”

“If the place where the Exquisite Chessboard is found shows remains of the dead, it must be because someone used the chessboard as a symbol of the Empress Dowager to lure people there.”

“The Raging Buddha appeared there, and that house collapsed; everyone vanished without a trace. Over the years, no one dared to enter further, and nothing was taken—so this, too, was tacitly permitted by the Empress Dowager.”

Wan Sanjin listened in confusion. So… the old lady really just randomly discarded things?

Chu Ling, however, seemed frozen in place, because Ghost Scholar had already reacted, giving a bitter laugh as he explained.

“Back then, regarding the Former Crown Prince, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor quarreled several times, and the whole court knew. The Emperor wanted to execute everyone in the Crown Prince’s household, believing the Crown Prince planned treason. But the Empress Dowager thought the Former Crown Prince wouldn’t do that, and argued to protect his line.”

“But in truth, from start to finish, the Empress Dowager stood with the Emperor and never opposed him.”

After laughing bitterly, Ghost Scholar looked utterly helpless; even the corners of his eyes bled tears. “Those who believed the Empress Dowager would save the Crown Prince… when they were lured there, they didn’t see hope—they saw hell.”

With that, Ghost Scholar’s figure flickered, and Bai Su immediately steadied him.

Uncle Hong looked at Chu Ling but didn’t explain further. He only said, “I once held certain positions and knew some things, but now I’m just an attendant of the Wan family. I came to the capital on the Eldest Young Master’s orders to help you as best I can, so you can trust me.”

Chu Ling took a deep breath, looking at Wan Sanjin, then at Su He, Xiao Hua, and Zhang Dong. She slowly began to explain:

“This matter is deep and complex; it can’t be explained in a few words. But ever since you said you were coming to the capital together, I believe you’re prepared for this.”

Everyone nodded. They knew what coming to the capital meant—and they had come.

Chu Ling continued, “Simply put, the Former Crown Prince was deeply loved by the people. The Emperor feared for his throne and schemed to kill the Crown Prince. But the Crown Prince had many followers, so the Emperor and Empress Dowager pretended to quarrel loudly several times.”

“The Raging Buddha and the chessboard were the Empress Dowager’s possessions. She took them out to lure the Crown Prince’s followers. Those people thought they saw hope, that the Empress Dowager would help clear the Crown Prince’s name. But in truth, going there was a death sentence.”

“Leaving these two items in their original places was meant as a warning. The Empress Dowager wasn’t afraid of others knowing her methods. From beginning to end, she and the Emperor were on the same side.”

Chu Ling finished and looked at the Raging Buddha again, feeling it was almost laughable.

She had once speculated endlessly, thinking it was the Crown Prince’s brothers who were plotting against each other.

But in truth, it was the Empress Dowager herself who acted.