kingnovel Chapter 906 The First Year of Dingcheng
Chapter 906 The First Year of Dingcheng
Huiyuan shook his head, somewhat annoyed. "That person's hair was hanging down in front of his eyes, so I couldn't see his face clearly. I don't recognize him. However, judging from the fabric of his clothes, even his undergarments were very exquisite and luxurious. He is definitely not an ordinary person! Moreover, there have been many experts guarding the area around Abbot Yuantong's meditation room recently. I was afraid that if that person woke up and saw me, he would call out and attract others, which would be bad. So I didn't dare to stay any longer and left. Among the people I know, you, Benefactor Zhang, have the highest position, so I came to ask how to handle this matter."
Zhang Ping'an's first thought was that this person was the Second Prince Zhou Shu. He might not have actually escaped, but had been rescued by Yuan Tong and secretly imprisoned in a secret room.
But then again, the two of them were originally in cahoots. If Yuantong wanted to rescue someone, there was no need to tie them up!
It doesn't make sense.
However, Zhang Ping'an first comforted the young monk Huiyuan.
"Alright, I understand. It's a very important matter, so Master Huiyuan, please don't get involved for now. Just let me know as soon as there are any unusual developments, and I'll handle it. I'll let you know the results later, so don't worry!"
"Well, thank you, Benefactor Zhang. I'll head back now," Huiyuan said, getting up.
Just as he was about to say something, he suddenly remembered something and slapped his forehead. "Oh right, there's one more thing. I forgot to mention it. It's what I said before: Abbot Yuantong is having an affair with another woman. That woman came again today, and I heard them talking about... looking for someone or something. The woman seemed to be in a hurry."
"Isn't Abbot Yuantong in a hurry?"
Zhang Ping'an guessed that Sanya must have suddenly realized that she couldn't find her youngest son, Zhongzheng, which is why she rushed to the Daxiangguo Temple for help.
Huiyuan shook his head. "I didn't hear clearly either, but it seemed like he wasn't in a hurry. He even scolded the woman, and she left in a huff."
Zhang Ping'an: ...Emotionally, Yuantong isn't that attentive to his son either!
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for telling me so much today. It was very helpful."
Huiyuan smiled sheepishly upon hearing this, "It's good that I can help Benefactor Zhang."
He then said goodbye and left.
When I went out, the cold wind made me shiver, and I stomped my feet lightly before slowly walking away.
"I'm full!"
"Master, I'm here!"
"You heard what I just said. On the day of the coronation ceremony, find a skilled person to go to Yuantong's meditation room at Daxiangguo Temple and investigate thoroughly. Find out who is the person being imprisoned. As the Imperial Preceptor, he will definitely be going to the palace early that day and will be away from the temple for half a day. That will be the perfect opportunity to make a move."
"Understood!" He nodded after finishing his meal and then left to make the arrangements.
…………
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the coronation ceremony finally arrived.
After a month of reflection, the grief on the face of the new emperor Zhou Pu had lessened considerably, and his complexion had improved significantly. His facial features were still the same, but his demeanor was quite different from before.
Compared to when he was on the verge of collapse after Zhou Ziming's death, he has matured a lot and now exudes a more composed and dignified air.
Wearing a dragon robe and jeweled crown, as he slowly ascended the steps amidst grand music, he already exuded an aura of imperial power.
Zhang Ping'an, standing at the lower end of the table, was secretly surprised. It seemed that the Crown Prince had great potential and was not a hopeless case.
He was overthinking things before.
This enthronement ceremony was simpler than Zhou Ziming's enthronement ceremony in Lin'an, with many procedures omitted.
Zhou Pu didn't say much throughout the entire process.
Therefore, the end time was much earlier than Zhang Ping'an had expected.
From this day forward, the era name will be changed to Teishi, and this will be the first year of Teishi.
Besides the new emperor's ascension to the throne, the biggest event today is the change of officials' positions and the conferment of titles, among which the most prominent are the King of Qin and Cui Ling.
Because of his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, the King of Qin was granted the title of "One-Character King" and was allowed to wear a sword to court, which was considered the pinnacle of his status as a subject. Cui Ling, on the other hand, was appointed as the Protector General of the Nation and was given a gold belt and a gold token granting him immunity from death.
All the officials offered their congratulations.
The powerful families, though itching to see this, still offered a few words of congratulations with restraint.
Everyone else experienced both promotion and demotion.
The only government offices that remained unchanged were the Privy Council and the Secretariat. The officials in these two offices were as usual, making them the most peaceful of all the government offices.
After offering sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple and visiting the Xiangguo Temple, the new emperor hosted a banquet for them in the palace that evening.
However, due to the various events that have occurred this year, and the fact that it is during the national mourning period, the table was set with vegetarian dishes and tea. No one really had any appetite. After eating a little and raising their cups to toast the tea, they gradually quieted down.
This was the most mundane and dull palace banquet Zhang Ping'an had ever experienced in his thirty-odd years of life.
Whether Zhou Pu sensed it or not, he quickly left the table, citing the inappropriateness of indulging in food and drink during the mourning period.
As soon as he left, the remaining officials were naturally eager to leave their seats, put down their chopsticks, and then left the palace according to etiquette.
It was already late when I got home.
Zhang Pingan changed his clothes and went to the study, instructing everyone to come in after they had eaten their fill.
Seeing the expression on his face as if he had eaten his fill, Zhang Ping'an's heart sank. "Didn't it work?"
After finishing his meal, he shook his head somewhat sheepishly, "No, I heard it almost alerted the people guarding outside."
Zhang Ping'an frowned: "How could this be? Wasn't that person supposed to be able to steal things even from the Forbidden City? He couldn't even get into a secret room. What a waste of money to keep him around!"
"Master, please don't be angry. Abbot Yuantong's meditation room looks ordinary, but in reality, there are many experts guarding it in the shadows. This is unprecedented. It seems that the person imprisoned in that secret room must be someone extraordinary. We can only look for another opportunity," Chi Bao comforted him.
Zhang Ping'an naturally understood this principle as well.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Here's what we'll do: tomorrow you go to Qing County yourself and bring Zhong Zheng back."
Having eaten his fill, he knew there must be a reason for this arrangement, so he didn't ask any more questions and quickly left.
Then, the study door was pushed open again, and Madam Xu came in with a tray carrying a bowl of sweet soup. "I came in after you had finished eating and left, so I didn't disturb you. Here, drink the soup to warm yourself up."
"Thank you, Mother!" Zhang Ping'an reached out and took it; he really hadn't eaten well at the palace banquet.
While Zhang Ping'an was eating, Madam Xu started talking about her eldest grandson again, "When do you think Xiaoyuer will come back? He's been away for so long, and the New Year is almost here. He should be back soon."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but smile. "Mother, I thought you could hold back from asking for a long time. Don't worry, he has already set off and will arrive in a couple of days. I heard that he is accompanied by a friend who is a scholar who is taking the imperial examination in the capital with his family."
"Oh dear, you're back in the last couple of days! You silly child, you didn't even tell me beforehand. Didn't you know how worried your mother was? It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back!"
Xu was overjoyed when she carried the bowl out, her steps were much lighter.
Zhang Ping'an was left pondering who the person in the secret underground chamber of the meditation room was.