Prince Duan's Mansion.
Located in the south of the inner city, it was built during the reign of the previous emperor and covers an area of about 60 acres.
It consists of a five-bay main gate, seven-bay main hall, nine-bay wing buildings on each side, seven-bay shrine, and seven-bay back building.
The building is majestic and the decoration is magnificent.
It has everything, including rockery and flowing water, lakes and ponds, winding corridors, waterside pavilions, martial arts training grounds and sports courts.
It was noon.
After lunch, Prince Duan Nangong Ke was playing football on the court with his only daughter, Nangong Xiaoxin.
The football of this era was introduced from western countries. It is quite similar to soccer, but the field is smaller and the number of players can be arbitrary.
Although Nangong Xiaoxin was only nine years old, she was wearing a red outfit, a ponytail, and knee pads. She looked heroic and ran like the wind, as if she had endless energy.
But Nangong Ke was sweating profusely, panting, and could no longer run.
There were seven tall men standing side by side outside the field, the oldest was nearly thirty years old and the youngest was only in his teens, all cheering for Nangong Xiaoxin.
They are all warriors, and at the same time, they are Nangong Xiaoxin’s biological brothers.
Nangong Ke ran for a while, but he couldn't run any more, so he stopped and waved his hand, saying, "Xiao Xin, father can't do it anymore, take a break, take a break."
Nangong Xiaoxin hooked her foot and the ball flew into her hands. She pouted and said, "Father is so useless. Don't come to play with me anymore."
Nangong Ke took the towel handed over by the servant, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with a smile: "Don't be angry, Xiaoxin, let your father rest for a while, and your father will play with you later."
"snort!"
Nangong Xiaoxin turned around and said, "Seventh Brother, you come to replace father."
The 16 or 17-year-old boy immediately stepped forward and said with a smile, "Okay, Xiao Xin, I won't let you."
"Tsk, who knows who will give in."
Nangong Xiaoxin threw the ball in her hand, and it stopped at her foot, then she kicked it out.
Nangong Ke had no choice but to leave. While he was drinking water, a servant came hurriedly and whispered, "Your Majesty, Steward Ning just came to report that the princess of the Southern Kingdom Prince's Mansion has arrived and said she wants to visit you."
Nangong Ke was stunned when he heard this, with a hint of surprise on his face: "Thirteenth brother's daughter?"
He suddenly remembered what happened in Jinchan Temple last time, his expression changed, and he asked, "Besides her, who else?"
The servant whispered, "There is also a young man in a Confucian robe."
Nangong Ke sneered when he heard it, "As expected, you are either here to get your things back or to ask for your reward. Go and tell them that I am taking a nap and I am not feeling well today so I won't see you."
The servant agreed and left immediately.
After taking a few steps, Nangong Ke suddenly said, "Come back!"
Then he murmured again, "If I don't see you, I'm afraid Thirteenth Brother will think too much when he finds out. Forget it, let's go."
After saying this, he gave some instructions to his sons standing beside him and left.
Luo Qingzhou followed Nangong Meijiao into the magnificent Prince Duan's Mansion and waited in the reception room.
Nangong Meijiao sat and drank tea.
And he could only stand by with his hands hanging down.
It doesn’t matter in the Qin Mansion, but outside, you naturally have to follow the rules.
What's more, this is the prince's palace.
Nangong Meijiao took a sip of tea, turned to look at him and said, "Have you remembered all the skills I just taught you?"
Luo Qingzhou said respectfully: "Princess, I remember everything."
Nangong Meijiao said calmly: "Don't tell anyone about what happened today. When you throw lime in the future, don't say that I taught you. Do you hear me?"
"Yes, Princess."
Luo Qingzhou responded respectfully.
Nangong Meijiao put down the teacup and said, "Have you thought about what to do later?"
Luo Qingzhou said: "Adapt to circumstances."
Nangong Meijiao glanced at him and suddenly asked, "Can you really get the Fire Fox Tears?"
Luo Qingzhou said: "Yes."
Nangong Meijiao asked: "Can you tell me which friend it is?"
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and said, "No."
Nangong Meijiao narrowed her eyes and said, "Why? I won't tell anyone."
Luo Qingzhou said: "I promised my friend not to tell anyone else. A man without integrity cannot stand. Princess, I'm sorry."
"snort!"
Nangong Meijiao snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Another moment passed.
A middle-aged man in a brocade robe and with an extraordinary demeanor came in from the door, surrounded by the housekeeper and servants. He said with a smile on his face, "My dear niece, how come you have time to come to my house today?"
Nangong Meijiao quickly stood up, bowed and said, "Uncle Eighteen, to be honest, I came here today to ask for a favor."
"oh?"
Nangong Ke's eyes flashed and he looked at the young man behind her.
Luo Qingzhou bowed his head and said, "I am Luo Qingzhou, nice to meet you, Your Majesty."
Nangong Ke retracted his gaze and ignored him, smiling and saying, "My dear niece, if there is anything that Uncle Eighteen can help you with, just let me know."
Nangong Meijiao did not beat around the bush and said directly: "I heard from my father that there is a Xuantian Jade Girl tree in Eighteenth Uncle's house. My cousin is seriously ill and is still short of a medicine, which happens to be the morning dew of the Xuantian Jade Girl tree, so I came to bother you today. If it is convenient for Eighteenth Uncle, I hope you can help me."
"Morning dew from the Xuantian Jade Girl Tree?"
Nangong Ke was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then frowned and said, "Which liar told you that this is just one medicine?"
Nangong Meijiao said: "Master Wukong from the Golden Cicada Temple."
When these words came out, Nangong Ke was shocked and his face changed color. He said, "Master Wukong? Did you see Master Wukong last time you went there? How is this possible?"
Nangong Meijiao said: "Indeed, I saw it. The abbot had people ring the bell continuously to invite Master Wukong to come out, not because of an enemy invasion."
Nangong Ke was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and then suddenly said, "So that's why. No wonder I sent people to investigate, but found that there was nothing serious up there, and there were no enemies. At that time, I was still wondering why the bell kept ringing."
Then, with a face full of curiosity and disbelief, he said, "My dear niece, how did you invite Master Wukong out? I have been there many times, but I have never even seen the abbot. Even when the late emperor sent people to invite him, he did not see him. Yet, you managed to invite the master out the first time you went there. If you hadn't told me this, I would never have believed it."
Nangong Meijiao raised his head and glanced at the other people behind him.
Seeing this, Nangong Ke waved his hand and said, "Everyone, please step back. Anyone who dares to say a word about the conversation just now will be beheaded!"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The housekeeper and the servants retreated immediately.
Nangong Ke said: "Don't worry, my dear niece. They are all old people in the mansion. They are loyal and dedicated. No one will tell this matter to others."
Nangong Meijiao then said, "Uncle Eighteen, the abbot, the elders, and Master Wukong were able to come out to see us, all thanks to Luo Qingzhou."
Nangong Ke was stunned when he heard this, and looked at the young man behind her again, saying, "Is it because of those Buddhist verses? But it's unlikely. If the abbot came out for those Buddhist verses, it's possible. But Master Wukong hasn't seen guests for a hundred years, so he shouldn't come out easily. Boy, how did you do it?"
Luo Qingzhou said respectfully: "Your Highness, after Your Highness took those Buddhist verses away, I wrote another one."
Nangong Ke's face darkened when he heard this, and he said unhappily, "Boy, you need evidence to speak. When did I ever take a few Buddhist verses from you? Who can prove it?"
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and said, "I was wrong. What I meant was that after the prince took away the Buddhist verses that I gave to him, I wrote another Buddhist verse for the Jinchan Temple."
After hearing this, Nangong Ke showed a satisfied smile on his face, and then asked curiously: "What other Buddhist verse did you write? I don't believe there is a better Buddhist verse than the one about the body being a bodhi tree."
Nangong Meijiao suddenly interrupted and said, "Uncle Eighteen, can you give us the morning dew from the Xuantian Jade Girl Tree?"
Nangong Ke smiled and said, "Don't be impatient, niece. Wait until I finish asking questions."
Luo Qingzhou said respectfully: "Your Highness, the last Buddhist verse is indeed better than the one about the body being a bodhi tree, and it is specifically designed to answer this Buddhist verse."
"oh?"
Nangong Ke suddenly became excited and quickly walked up to him and said, "Read it! Read it out loud for me to hear!"
Then he suddenly said, "Wait, let's write it down."
Then he took out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone from his sleeve, placed them on the table next to him, ground the ink himself, and said impatiently: "Come, write on this paper!"
Luo Qingzhou glanced at the ruby ring on his finger, walked over, picked up the pen, waited for a moment, dipped it in ink and wrote down.
Nangong Ke stared with eyes wide open, and when he finished writing the last word, he said excitedly, "Name! Write your name too!"
Luo Qingzhou hesitated for a moment, then wrote down the word "Qingzhou".
Nangong Ke picked up the rice paper and read it several times, muttering: "There is no Bodhi tree, and the bright mirror is not a stand. There is nothing in the first place, so where can dust gather? No wonder, no wonder..."
Then he looked up at the young man in front of him and said, "No wonder the old monk was willing to come out to see you. These two Buddhist verses can indeed become the treasure of his Jinchan Temple!"
Then he suddenly sighed and said, "What a pity, what a pity... This picture of mine is not Chu Mo, ah..."
Luo Qingzhou held the pen in his hand and said, "If Your Majesty likes Buddhist verses, I have a few here that I have never written."
As soon as these words came out, Nangong Ke's face was full of surprise: "Really?"
Luo Qingzhou nodded, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and wrote it down.
Nangong Ke hurriedly ground the ink himself and moved closer to him to watch intently.
"The Buddha does not see the body but knows that it is the Buddha. If there is knowledge, there is no Buddha..."
“The law is originally the law without law, and the law without law is also the law. Now when it is handed over to the lawless, how can the law be the law…”
"The mind is like the realm of space, showing the law of space..."
Luo Qingzhou wrote five poems in a row, his pen moving as fast as a dragon and completing them in one go.
Nangong Ke was watching at the side with bated breath, his face full of excitement, and he couldn't help but read it out loud.
Nangong Meijiao stood aside, looking at that handsome and serious face, and couldn't help but secretly said in her heart: No wonder Wei Mo is so devoted to him, and everyone in the Qin family dotes on him. He really has the ability and qualifications...
Luo Qingzhou put down his pen.
Nangong Ke couldn't wait to pick up the rice paper on the table, blowing the ink while reading it over and over again. He immediately smiled and couldn't stop smiling: "Qingzhou, good, well written, wonderful! These five Buddhist verses are all rare good poems, I won't be polite."
After saying that, he blew on the ink a few more times and then put it away, as if he was afraid that he would change his mind.
Luo Qingzhou bowed and said, "Your Majesty, could you give us some of the morning dew from the Xuantian Jade Maiden Tree?"
At this time, it is justified to ask for things.
Nangong Ke seemed to have just remembered this matter, and said with some embarrassment: "Qingzhou, my dear niece, I also want to agree to this matter. But the Xuantian Jade Girl Tree is planted at my daughter's place. No one can go there except her mother. Even I can only go there once a month, and every time I go, I am disliked. They say that I am vulgar and will affect the growth of the Xuantian Jade Girl Tree. I can only watch from a distance and cannot get close to it. Alas..."
After a pause, he continued, "Well, Xin'er is playing football in the back, and you two can go with me. If you can convince her, there will be no problem."
Luo Qingzhou and Nangong Meijiao looked at each other.
Nangong Meijiao asked: "Uncle Eighteen, besides playing football, does Xin'er have any other hobbies?"
Nangong Ke smiled and said, "Let's go, and talk while we walk. The things that girl likes are all very strange and weird, and most people won't like them."
The two followed behind him, out of the reception room, and headed towards the court at the back.