When Xu Fengnian and the old monk came to the herdsmen's camp by the lake, they found that the felt tent that had just been set up had been pulled out, and the carriage was reloaded. It seemed that they were about to migrate to exile again. The monk Nagarjuna, who was walking slowly all the way, turned to Xu Fengnian and asked : "Your Highness, this is already the fourth time to kill, why don't you take action every time?"
Xu Fengnian laughed and said: "Since the old abbot is a holy monk, he can tolerate people who are hard to tolerate in the world with his big belly. Don't everyone say that the Buddha is not angry with dung on his head, so what do you care about with me?"
The old monk took a deep look at the young man who held vengeance, and said with a smile: "Your Highness is a real villain with a quick mind. But it doesn't matter if you want to kill him or not. I still want to ask His Highness to show his heart." That bad breath is also a good time to get together and get away."
Xu Fengnian didn't hide it this time, he restrained his impetuous expression of pretending to be cynical, and said flatly: "The murderous intention is indeed true, I dare not have the murderous intention, for fear of being regarded as a devil by the old abbot who can be punished by everyone, I will return to the Two Zens later. The temple, a sacred place of Buddhism, can crucify me with just a mouthful of saliva. I have seen the mind of a Taoist master. A Zhao Huangchao and a Zhao Xuansu are not good things. I don’t know how to cultivate the realm.”
The old monk sighed softly: "These two great masters of Longhushan, after all, still can't let go of that surname, no wonder they have strayed into a heresy. Just like the old monk, these years, they often can't keep their hearts How can I solve my own attachment without seeking attachment? After I became the host, I couldn’t figure out many things. "In the twenty-fourth chapter, the four words "Tao follows nature" are the most important. Later, the disciple said that he must see his nature clearly and realize Bodhi himself. The old monk also thought it was very good. My son, my apprentice came back from his journey to the west, and only said eight-character comments: beauty is beautiful, but it is not. The brother nodded and said yes, and then passed away. There is also what the Confucian sages said, don’t do evil because it’s small, don’t treat goodness as small. Because, I have exhausted the truth. This trip to Beimang is destined to destroy the so-called Buddha realm in the eyes of the world."
Xu Fengnian frowned and said, "Falling?"
The old monk smiled and nodded, "Let it go."
Xu Fengnian shook his head and said, "I don't understand the sudden enlightenment and instant Buddhahood proposed by the monk in white."
The old monk smiled and said: "I don't know how to play the game very well, otherwise it would be appropriate to talk to His Highness at this time about some Buddhist words that people don't understand."
Xu Fengnian said helplessly: "The old abbot finally looks a bit superior now."
The old monk holding the horse in one hand and the bamboo reed Zen staff in the other said softly: "Even if you say that, I will not give you two Zen pills."
Xu Fengnian hesitated to speak.
The old monk said softly: "It is better to ask yourself than to ask the Buddha."
Xu Fengnian smiled bitterly, and put back the question about Xu Xiao that he didn't dare to know the answer to.
Xu Fengnian then said to himself: "No matter what the intention is, since we are going to fall, the old abbot's trip can be regarded as going to hell if I don't go to hell. The ones who stand tall can only be the gold-plated Buddha statues and clay statues of Bodhisattvas, or the old abbot. Those who are generally willing to go to the common world are the real monks."
The old monk silently reached into the cuff of his cassock and took out a small square wooden box. Seeing Xu Fengnian was confused, the abbot of the Two Chan Temple said solemnly: "As you get older, you always like to be praised."
Xu Fengnian took the wooden box silently, the corners of his mouth twitched, speechless.
Seeing Xu Fengnian and the old monk coming together, the herdsmen were full of surprises. They were surprised that the young Bodhisattva had gone and returned, which made them feel unbearably guilty. They were delighted that the Buddha came to the world again. In other words, it is also a great comfort psychologically.
Huyan Guanyin and Abaoji trotted towards the pair of towering Bodhisattvas together. She stopped for some reason, but the child who was full of joy broke free from her hand and ran over.
Xu Fengnian changed his clothes, asked for a bag of water and food, and continued heading north.
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"Nanbei, do you feel that the branches and leaves of your peach tree of the same age are not lush enough?"
"Master, don't lie to me to urinate and fertilize, can you? If Dongshi and Master find out, I will be beaten to death!"
"You have the guts not to go to the Golden Summit to quarrel, causing Master to travel thousands of miles all the way, and your saliva weighs eight catties if not ten catties, so you don't feel guilty?"
"I'll cook later."
"Savvy doesn't seem to be enough."
"Master, just tell me what to do."
"My wife said this morning that she counted her fingers, and it is not suitable to do laundry in the past few days."
"understood."
"Then what are you still doing?"
"Didn't you just knock on your back for half an hour? It's only a stick of incense."
"Oh. It seems that my comprehension is getting better, not bad."
"Master."
"kindness?"
"Mistress brought things down the mountain to buy rouge powder again. Mistress said a few days ago that there were many rich knights who pursued her, and she also said that if she just married one of them, she would buy a box of rouge for dozens of taels of silver without blinking an eye." Yes, it's not like now."
"Is that so?"
"kindness!"
"Well, master's master is not in the temple. His old man has a few sets of Buddhist scriptures in his collection. You can steal them and go down the mountain to pawn them for money. Anyway, when he returns to the temple, he is willing to beat me and he is not willing to beat you."
"Master, this is a violation of the precept."
"You've fallen in love with the girl, and you've vowed not to be that Buddha, why are you afraid of this?"
"Master, the weather is fine, I went to do the laundry."
"Go, go, savvy is not enough."
The little monk ran to carry the wooden basin to get the washboard, and sat on the small bench under the sun.
At the Beiliang Prince's Mansion back then, half a catty of red makeup was put on Dongxi's face. His Highness Shizi may have good intentions and didn't want to hurt her heart, but Stupid Nanbei really thought it looked good at that time. After that, she felt more and more that if she wanted to become a Buddha, she would be able to burn relics, so that she could buy more rouge and gouache. But Dongshi had a dream, and now he can't dream of becoming a Buddha.
Stupid Nanbei lowered his head and scrubbed his clothes, feeling very sad.
※※※※
On Mount Longhu, which is as holy as the Two Zen Temples, a skinny, withered young man beat the black tiger under Qi Xuan's frame to the ground. After a fight that shook the ground, he rode the tiger down the mountain.
※※※※
Northern Liang Palace, Tingchao Pavilion.
A cool mountain, neither wind nor rain.
Li Yishan was writing at his desk in the dark and damp top floor about the ups and downs of the struggle for imperial power in the past dynasties. He has written about the current emperor and Zhang Julu. He shook his wrist and accidentally dropped a few drops of ink on the rice paper, watching it slowly dissipate. The chief aide of the palace, who has lived in the attic for twenty years, suddenly vomited, quickly covered his mouth, picked up the wine gourd at his feet, and swallowed the blood rushing up his throat with a mouthful of green ant wine, put down the wine bottle , with dim eyesight, at the end of the volume, "Since ancient times, the faint ruler has been lazy and has been the ruler of power. How strange it is that this dynasty's famous minister assists the diligent ruler." There are only twenty words, and the writing is a bit distorted, losing the consistent structure.
Li Yishan sighed softly, put down the hard pen, put it on the pen holder, and exhaled a thick turbid air mixed with the smell of wine and blood. Li Yishan casually opened several copies of the dynasty geography compiled and depicted by five or six maids in Wutong Garden. After looking at it for a few moments, he put it down, stood up with difficulty, pushed open the door, walked to the corridor under the eaves, thought for a while, and walked downstairs for the first time, Bai Hu'er face followed behind him for some reason, and walked to the first floor together, And after leaving the Tingchao Pavilion, they came to the lake where thousands of precious koi were kept. The servants guarding the pavilion were all shocked, and immediately notified the King of Beiliang. Li Yishan stood on the edge of the attic platform, crumbling, and waited until Xu Xiao ran to sit down with difficulty. Xu Xiao sat next to this national scholar who was called the right-hand man with Zhao Changling back then, and put the old fox fur on his body on Li Yishan. Frowning on his body, he said, "Yuanying, you can't catch the cold, why did you come out of the building?"
Li Yishan covered his mouth and still couldn't stop coughing, Xu Xiao quickly patted his back softly, the Spring and Autumn Nationalist looked at the lake peacefully, and said with a soft smile: "General, how many years have I been with you?"
Xu Xiao sighed: "Thirty-two years. Back then I was a savage from a humble family background. Few scholars were willing to be my subordinates. They all disliked shame and humiliated the lintel. It's just you and Changling who are stupefied. I came here foolishly one after another, and I thought at the time that you two were either out of your mind or with malicious intentions. It was only later that I found out that I had picked up the treasure."
Li Yishan withdrew his hands, clenched his fists and put them on his knees. With an open smile, he said softly, "General, Zhang Julu is a minister of power with more ambition and talent than Zhao Changling and me. Are you tired of having such a rival in the temple?"
Xu Xiao patted the back of his old partner for more than thirty years, and said with a smile: "With you here, what am I afraid of? Anyway, I have always been the one to lead the charge. Who have you ever been afraid of when you strategized?"
Li Yishan said with a wry smile: "You hands-off shopkeeper, what a rascal."
Xu Xiao laughed and said: "As a rough person like me, apart from the shoe-making work I learned from Lao Song back then, I can still do it well. If I cheat a daughter-in-law back, I won't be able to do other fine work."
Li Yishan smiled calmly, squinted his eyes, glanced at the sky, and said slowly: "Back then, many people advised you to become emperor yourself. I was one of the very few who disapproved. If you listened to my bullshit, you let so many soldiers Han Xin, decided to disarm and return to the field, and even many people turned against you. You can come back today after cursing."
Xu Xiao shook his head and said, "It's such a big deal, besides, I know that I will not be the emperor, and it has nothing to do with you."
Li Yishan coughed a few times, and said: "Zhang Julu is very powerful. In just a few years, everyone in the court has a new pattern and a new atmosphere that everyone is excited about. Although he often breaks taboos and provokes criticism, it is really due to the community, and there is a wise king. Sitting in the dragon chair, he has no worries. Especially in the matter of raising borders, he has achieved amazing results. Several wars between the two countries ended in failure, but the eastern border of the two dynasties reversed the situation under his arrangement, and the border defense collapsed. Gradually made up for it, and selected a large number of young and strong generals who are good at fighting to go to the frontier to defend against the enemy. What is rare is that Gu Jiantang was persuaded to add two servants to the Ministry of War to fill up the lack of border guards. Military academies, either filthy or unappreciated relegated officials, have now become popular, which shows the sewing skills of Zhang Julu, the imperial papermaker. General, but Zhang Julu is not perfect, this purple-bearded blue-eyed He is gentle in small things, but conceited and domineering in big things. It can be said that others and colleagues are disobedient and broken. Although the foundation has been laid down, there are still two groups of scholars on top, and most of the leaders of these two powerful elites were forced to resign from office, expelled from the cabinet, or retreated bravely, using the excuse of returning to their hometowns to recuperate. This is why the recent Guozijian right sacrifice He plays the flute, squeezes his eyes, plays the drums, and plays the pipa, but he scolds fiercely, and he still doesn't know Zhang Julu's intentions, this chief assistant of the dictatorship clearly wants to ruin his reputation after the death of one person, in exchange for eternal peace."
Li Yishan was suddenly in high spirits, his snow-white face began to turn red, and he continued: "Bi Yaner wants to see the Xu family's defeat in his lifetime. I, Li Yishan, have not accomplished enough. Some of the failures are more than enough, but I still have sixteen strategies to deal with." .Besides that, there are six books on politics in Beiliang, totaling 34 proposals, all of which have been written and left to Fengnian."
Bai Hu'er stood behind the two old men all the time, silent.
He knew that this haggard national scholar was already terminally ill and would not last long.
Xu Xiao said softly, "Stop talking."
Li Yishan let go of his fists, his palms were scarlet, smiled, and stopped coughing, but blood oozes from the corners of his mouth. Extremely tired, he closed his eyes and said, "Mr. Nangong, Li Yishan asks you for one thing. It is difficult, but 300,000 iron cavalry cannot be rescued, I implore you to help me once."
Bai Hu'er said in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, sir!"
"I can't see clearly."
Li Yishan, whose vision began to blur, raised his arms tremblingly, and pointed his fingers in the air, as if playing a game of black and white with his young prince all those years ago.
His face full of vicissitudes seems to be a bit regretful. Back then, he was too harsh on this child, scolded too much, and praised too little.
This man, who died of illness or old age, leaned his head heavily towards the general who was sitting side by side, and murmured: "Finally I can sleep well."
Go to sleep this time and never wake up again. How great is life and death, how small is life and death.
Bai Hu'er turned his head away, unable to bear to look any further.
Xu Xiao, king of Beiliang, just gently helped him close up the fox fur that was about to fall off.