So, this man's life or death didn't matter much to her. However, it was of great significance to the Liang Dynasty. She had no choice but to show concern.
Sanqi retrieved all the silver needles and let out a sigh of relief. Her forehead was covered in dense beads of sweat.
"He's out of danger for now. All he needs is rest. But there's a lot of congestion in the National Preceptor's body. He won't wake up for a while."
This news was only half good for everyone. As the National Preceptor, Cui Qizhou held great power in the court. If this news got out, the court would surely be in turmoil.
Shi Muyuan pursed her lips. "Seal off the news today. Search Baotuo Temple and detain the envoy."
At her words, the people below didn't dare to slack off and immediately took action.
Soon, Baotuo Temple was thoroughly searched. Looking at the panicked monks, Master Sikong was very puzzled. "What is the Empress Dowager doing? Do you think there are some secrets in our Baotuo Temple? All the pilgrims have been scared away. People are in a panic. How can our temple be peaceful?"
Even though the Empress Dowager had been kind to Baotuo Temple before, he wouldn't allow anyone to disrupt the temple's tranquility.
Master Sikong was devout to the Buddha, and Shi Muyuan understood him. She didn't mind his questioning.
"Master Sikong, you've misunderstood. I have no ill intentions. I just sensed something was wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"Anyway, Master Sikong also has the interests of the Liang Dynasty at heart. You'll need to cooperate with me in the following matters, so I won't hide it from you. Actually, not long ago, the National Preceptor discovered something wrong in the temple. The maid brought by the envoy not only kidnapped many court officials but also had other schemes. She injured the National Preceptor and left him in a coma."
These few words made Master Sikong look solemn.
If this was really the case, he needed to think it over.
"Since the Empress Dowager has her reasons, I'll cooperate. What do you want me to do?"
"Arrest the envoy and find the maid."
Just as she finished speaking, Lan Xi was brought in by the guards.
"Empress Dowager, the envoy is here."
Lan Xi was still confused about what was going on. So far, the woman who had always been by his side had suddenly disappeared, and the secret room was empty. He had wanted to leave earlier, but he was afraid of not being able to explain it to the Empress Dowager.
Now, seeing so many people around, he realized the situation was serious. He had to suppress his thoughts for the time being.
Perhaps those two left suddenly for a reason. If the matter was exposed, he had to protect himself first.
After thinking for a moment, Lan Xi blinked his eyes and looked innocent.
"Empress Dowager, you've made such a big fuss. What happened?"
"What happened? Don't you know, envoy?"
The one who spoke was the deputy commander. Just thinking of his master lying on the bed, he wished he could tear the man in front of him to pieces. But in the end, he was stopped by the commander.
"Our master is in a coma now. If you don't want to cause trouble for the Empress Dowager, hold back your anger."
Lan Xi squinted at the deputy commander. He had never seen this man before. This man seemed to be very hostile towards him. Was he someone arranged by the Shi family beside Shi Muyuan?
After thinking carefully for a long time, he decided to wait and see.
"May I ask who you are? Why are you so hostile towards me? I don't think I've ever met you before."
"Who I am is not important. What's important is that you should think about how to explain the matter of your maid to the Empress Dowager."
Sure enough, those two disappeared suddenly for a reason. The matter was exposed, and they just left him behind.
Lan Xi was filled with anger, but he had to be patient to deal with the current situation.
"The maid has been missing for more than a day. I don't know what's going on. Has the Empress Dowager seen her anywhere? If so, please tell me. I'll surely reward you handsomely."
He spoke seriously, as if it were really the case. If they didn't already know the truth, many people would have been deceived by him.
Shi Muyuan sneered. "Envoy, tell the truth. I'll punish you leniently. But if you keep being stubborn, don't blame us in the Liang Dynasty for not showing hospitality."
Hearing this, Lan Xi pretended to be aggrieved, as if he had been wrongly accused.
"I came here with the sincerity of our king of the Western Regions. If the Empress Dowager is dissatisfied with me, please tell our king directly."
He intended to bring up the king first, hoping to avoid this matter today.
However, Shi Muyuan was determined to find out the truth. Even if the gods came down today, she wouldn't change her mind.
"I'll write a letter to your king about this matter today. For safety's sake and for the alliance between our two countries, envoy, please bear with it for a while."
After she finished speaking, the deputy commander didn't give Lan Xi a chance to argue and directly took him away.
It wasn't a good idea to keep him in Baotuo Temple. She decided to take him back to the palace and deal with the matter herself.
"Master Sikong, let's end the consecration here. I need to deal with some important matters first."
"Empress Dowager, do as you please. If we find anyone acting suspiciously, we'll inform you immediately."
"Good. I trust you."
After she finished speaking, she waited for the maids to pack up all the things and then set off back to the palace.
The first thing she did when she returned to the palace was to have Lan Xi taken away. Then she went to the imperial study to find the young emperor.
However, as soon as she walked in, she heard some shocking news.
"Mother, we need to appease the people first. The rumor that you're having an affair with a court official has spread like wildfire in Changjing City. If we don't stop it, it may lead to a big disaster."
Shi Muyuan frowned. "I have a clean relationship with the envoy. How could such a rumor spread?"
Ji Heng still believed his mother. After all, when Shi Muyuan had held power in the court before, she had never done such a ridiculous thing. How could she do it now? There must be something they didn't know.
Just then, Shi An walked in with a gloomy face. His younger sister was in such a big trouble. He couldn't just stand by.
"I heard that someone saw the Empress Dowager and the envoy having a meal at the foot of Baotuo Temple. They went into a private room and didn't come out for a long time."
The person involved listened to her elder brother's words and protested softly.
"We came out very quickly. We didn't do anything else at that time. Why has it changed in these people's mouths?"