Outside the ancient Gusu city, Hanshan Temple stands quietly, and the bell rings in the middle of the night, echoing in the long river of history. This thousand-year-old ancient temple has witnessed countless changes, but on a calm night, it ushered in an unprecedented catastrophe.
More than 140 monks and pilgrims of the whole temple died overnight, and this shocking tragedy not only shocked Suzhou, but also caused an uproar in the entire Qing Dynasty. But what exactly is the truth behind it? Is it man-made poisoning, or is it a natural and man-made disaster?
How can a seemingly simple mushroom soup become a murder weapon that took 140 lives?
In the turbulent Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, the Hanshan Temple in Suzhou was like a bright pearl, inlaid in the bustling city of Gusu. It has experienced thousands of years of wind and frost, witnessed countless ups and downs, every night is quiet, the long bell from the temple can always make the passers-by involuntarily slow down, intoxicated in that ancient tranquility.
However, in the twenty years of a seemingly ordinary Daoguang, Hanshan Temple staged a shocking tragedy. It was the 60th birthday of the old abbot of Hanshan Temple, which was supposed to be a celebratory and peaceful banquet, but who knew that it had become a permanent parting. The old host invited many believers to the temple to listen to the Dharma, and the people outside the temple also carried their devotion to the Buddha as usual, hoping to get spiritual comfort in this famous temple.
Everything was so calm and peaceful until the next morning, everything changed.
An old man who had been waiting for a long time looked anxiously at the gate of Hanshan Temple. In the temple, the little monks and the prison guards who had always been punctual were nowhere to be seen, and there was a dead silence.
The pilgrims speculated that everyone had overslept after last night's celebration. But as time passed, there was still no movement in Hanshan Temple. Suspicion began to permeate people's hearts, and it was not until someone proposed to report to the officials that everyone woke up from a dream and hurriedly sent people to ask for officers and soldiers.
Soon after, the officers and soldiers broke into the door, and a tragic scene came into view - more than 140 people in the temple, including the people who came to offer incense yesterday, all died violently!
When the prefect of Suzhou received the news, he was shocked and angry. The death of so many people in the temple and the tragic death is not only related to his political achievements, but also a serious social problem. He immediately personally led the team to Hanshan Temple, and his heart was both worried and full of doubts: "What kind of holy person dares to make such a big case in my Suzhou!" ”
The temple was in chaos, with the corpses of monks and pilgrims piled up haphazardly, each with a purple face and a faint blue color, all of whom looked like they had died of poisoning. However, there are no other abnormalities in the temple other than the corpses.
Just when everyone was at a loss, a man dressed in a chef's suit slowly woke up from the kitchen. He is the only survivor of this **. The officers and soldiers immediately realized that he might be the key to finding out the truth, so they immediately brought him to the prefect.
The prefect looked at the chef with a sharp glint in his eyes: "What's your name?" What happened in the temple last night? ”
The chef's voice trembled, recalling everything from last night: "My name, my name is **." Last night was the big birthday, and a banquet was arranged in the temple, and I was in charge of cooking. However, after the meal, I suddenly felt dizzy and didn't know ......”
The prefect listened to the chef's words and frowned. He turned to the pestle beside him and said, "Go check last night's meal to see if it's poisonous." ”
Soon, Kitasa discovers an anomaly - a mushroom soup. These mushrooms are very different from ordinary mushrooms, with bright colors and round spots on the caps. He immediately realized that these mushrooms were most likely poisons.
Faced with the discovery of Kisaku, the prefect's heart sank. He knows that the truth of this annihilation is probably more complicated and terrifying than imagined. And the key to solving all these mysteries lies in these strange mushrooms.
The ** investigation of Hanshan Temple has entered a critical stage. The prefect was suspicious and led the pestle and the officials to investigate deeply. Every detail they found was like piecing together an intricate jigsaw puzzle.
Kisaku returned to the kitchen of Hanshan Temple with a few servants, littered with pots and pans from last night's feast, as well as the ill-fated bowl of mushroom soup. They meticulously examined everything for fear of missing any possible clues.
At the same time, the prefect took a closer look inside the temple's main hall, hoping to find something out of it. When he saw the corpses with painful and distorted expressions, he couldn't help but feel a pang of grief and indignation in his heart.
The prefect followed Kisaku to the temple's backyard, where there was a small clearing, under a few pine trees, where yesterday's deadly mushrooms were. But what is even more shocking is that around the mushrooms, there are several terrifying poisonous snakes.
The pestle pointed to the mushrooms and said to the prefect, "My lord, these mushrooms are bright in appearance, but they are actually highly poisonous. And the presence of these poisonous snakes makes the poison of these mushrooms even more violent. I'm afraid it was these mushrooms that led to the death of Hanshan Temple. ”
After hearing this, the prefect's face was solemn. He knew in his heart that the truth of this annihilation seemed to have come out. But he still has many unanswered questions in his mind, the biggest of which is, why are there so many poisonous snakes in the temple? Is it all just a coincidence?
At this moment, a servant came running in a panic and reported that the chef ** had something important to say. The prefect hurriedly rushed back to the main hall and saw **.
* At this moment, his face was pale, he looked at the prefect, trembled and said, "My lord, I didn't go to the city yesterday to buy mushrooms, I found them under the pine tree behind the temple. I thought it was a gift from heaven, but who knew ......His voice grew quieter and quieter, and finally turned into a sob.
With the deepening of the investigation, the prefect of Suzhou and the pestle gradually unveiled the mystery of the destruction of the Hanshan Temple. They found that all this was not just an accident, but a deeper reason behind it.
The prefect stood in front of the ruins of Hanshan Temple, his heart full of worry and heaviness. "This ** is not just because of a few poisonous mushrooms, there are more complex factors behind it. We must find out the real cause in order to comfort the innocent souls. He said to the pestle.
Kisaku nodded, knowing that the investigation had only just begun. They needed to have a deeper understanding of the history of Hanshan Temple and its surroundings. So, they began to check the history of the temple and ask the surrounding villagers, hoping to find more clues.
After some in-depth investigation, they found that the place where Hanshan Temple was located was a habitat for snakes in the early years. With the continuous expansion of Hanshan Temple, the living space of these snakes was gradually squeezed, and finally chose to gather in the backyard of the temple, and these mushrooms are growing near the snake's nest, so they are highly poisonous.
After knowing all this, the prefect had mixed feelings in his heart. "It turns out that this tragedy is the result of a long-term conflict between man and nature, and these innocent lives are victims of this conflict. His heart was filled with sorrow and guilt.
As for the surviving cook**, after careful consideration, the prefect finally decided not to punish him too harshly. After all, he was also one of the victims of this tragedy. After being released, he left Suzhou and never returned. It is said that he started a new business in a distant place and lived an ordinary and quiet life.
After that, Hanzanji Temple was renovated and the surrounding environment was improved to prevent a similar tragedy from happening again. The prefect also ordered that environmental remediation be carried out throughout the state, and the destruction of natural ecology is strictly prohibited to protect people's lives.
Time passed, and Hanshan Temple once again restored its former tranquility and peace. Every night, the long bell still echoes in the sky over Suzhou, as if telling the dusty past. And those innocent souls may finally find peace and liberation in another world.
As the wheel of history slowly moves forward, the truth of the destruction of Hanshan Temple finally surfaced. It is not only a tragedy caused by human greed and ignorance, but also a profound warning about the harmonious coexistence of man and nature.