Ye Tianqing said, "The historical records of the founding ancestor are accurate; how could they be mistaken? When the founding emperor wanted the twelve golden statues placed in the Lingtai Temple's Hall of Bodhidharma for public veneration, the twelve eminent monks disagreed. So, a strange figure was brought in to construct an underground hall in this temple. Naturally, the twelve golden statues were placed here."
"His Highness Prince Tianqing speaks correctly. The twelve golden statues were indeed placed here," Master Lingyin nodded in agreement.
"Then why aren't they here now? Were they moved?" Ye Tianyu asked, puzzled.
Ye Tianqing turned to Qian Yan, who had been waiting outside with his head lowered. His previously urgent and harsh demeanor softened as he warmly asked, "Master Qian, please come in and examine this. Is there any other hidden mechanism or door that could be concealing those twelve statues?"
"Understood!" Qian Yan bowed and stepped inside.
When he initially unlocked the mechanism, he'd felt a surge of excitement, but upon further thought, he sensed something was off. It felt as if someone had tampered with it during his attempt, which made it unexpectedly difficult at first but then remarkably easy. While others might not have noticed, his keen senses, honed from years of studying mechanisms, made him suspect that someone inside was manipulating it. Considering the individuals within were the renowned Heir Jing and the famously unlettered Miss Yun, he deduced it had to be the former. As these thoughts crossed his mind, he suppressed them quickly. He dared not speculate further, especially regarding Lord Jing. With a calm expression, he entered and began a meticulous inspection of the now empty hall.
After about half an hour, Qian Yan had found nothing.
This time, Ye Tianqing showed no signs of impatience and waited quietly. Ye Tianyu also held his peace, and Master Lingyin remained silent as well.
Another half hour later, Qian Yan suddenly focused on a small, uneven spot on the ceiling, drawing a hint of hope from Ye Tianqing and a flash of interest from Ye Tianyu. Even Master Lingyin looked in his direction.
Pressing his body against the ceiling, Qian Yan scrutinized the spot closely and noticed faint traces of an impact in the dust. Excited, he pressed it and waited, as did everyone else below.
After a stick of incense's worth of time, there was still no movement.
Qian Yan, bewildered, pressed it twice more and continued waiting. But after a long while, there was still no response. The marks appeared fresh, yet no mechanism was activated. Then he recalled the shattered jade bracelet and broken hairpins that Ye Tianqing had picked up earlier, his mind racing with sudden thoughts he dared not voice.
"How is it?" Ye Tianqing finally asked, unable to hold back any longer.
Qian Yan remained silent, deep in thought as he studied the ceiling. Logically, this spot should have triggered a mechanism, but it hadn't, suggesting someone had skillfully sabotaged it. He'd already examined every inch of the hall without finding another mechanism. Whoever had tampered with this was not only proficient in mechanisms but far surpassed him in skill. Images of Rongjing surfaced in his mind—someone of such renown could conceivably master mechanisms too. But if Rongjing had indeed hidden the statues here... he cut off the thought immediately. Some matters were beyond his reach or knowledge.
"Master Qian, is there a flower on the ceiling for you to keep staring at?" Ye Tianyu joked.
Jolted back to the present, Qian Yan suppressed his astonishment. Before descending, he pressed the same spot twice more, erasing the barely noticeable marks left by Rongjing and Yun Qianyue. Finally, he addressed Ye Tianqing, "I may have been mistaken. This is not a mechanism."
"Is there another hidden mechanism somewhere on the ceiling?" Ye Tianqing asked, frowning.
Qian Yan shook his head. "I haven't found anything."
"I told you, the twelve golden statues might not even be here," Ye Tianyu said, looking at Ye Tianqing. "Does this place look like it held statues? It's just an empty hall. Perhaps the founding emperor, though willing to make the statues, couldn't find the gold and only built this hall."
"Impossible!" Ye Tianqing shook his head and commanded Qian Yan, "Search it one more time!"
"Understood!" Qian Yan, now driven by a personal desire to uncover the truth, moved inch by inch along the ceiling, examining every spot. After thoroughly inspecting it, he confirmed there were no hidden mechanisms. He landed back on the floor and reported to Ye Tianqing, "Your Highness, there is indeed no other mechanism here."
"How can that be?" Ye Tianqing seemed reluctant to accept it. "Check again!"
Qian Yan, however, decided to abandon his curiosity. He bowed respectfully and said, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I fear my skills are too limited. I believe there is no other mechanism, and even with further checks, there would be none. If you do not trust my judgment, you could seek another expert."
Ye Tianqing frowned.
"Brother, in matters of mechanisms, Master Qian is second to none. If he claims there is nothing here, then there is indeed nothing," Ye Tianyu commented.
"Too many wise and capable people exist for me to claim the top position," Qian Yan responded hastily, looking genuinely humbled.
YOU ARE READING
The Dandy's Duchess
ChickLit"The Dandy's Duchess" tells the story of the youngest and most talented general of the National Security Bureau, who sacrifices his life for his country and finds his soul transported to another world, where he is reborn as Yun Qianyue, the only leg...
