Chapter 388 Love Letter to the Empress
Chapter 388: Love Letter to the Empress ( words)
The room fell into silence.
Only the scarlet charcoal fire in the copper basin on the carpet in the house flickered.
Zhao Duan sat back on the bed, pinched his brows lightly, and smiled bitterly:
"If that is true, then your Majesty's recent trip to the Shenlong Temple was in fulfillment of the wishes of Da Jing and the Western Regions Ancestral Temple."
At this point, his heart moved:
If Zhen Bao had seen through all of this, why did he still choose to pick trouble in such a high-profile manner? If he simply wanted to vent his anger and demonstrate the authority of the court, there was actually no need to use this method.
Xu Zhenguan sat on a round stool, glanced at him with his phoenix eyes, and smiled slightly:
"That being said, isn't this in the court's interest?"
Zhao Duan blinked his big eyes: "Your Majesty, you mean..."
Xu Zhenguan sighed and said seriously: "On the stance of these two Buddhist sects, the court has always been consistent, that is, it does not want the two to be combined into one."
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly realized.
Yes.
The confrontation between Eastern and Western Buddhism lasted for hundreds of years. What was the attitude of the court of Dayu? On the one hand, the court was on good terms with the Shenlong Temple, and on the other hand, it also maintained trade with the Western Regions.
Because for the Dayu Dynasty, a divided Buddhism is a good Buddhism.
Once the East and the West merge into one, it may very likely mean the emergence of a behemoth, which is definitely not what the empress wants to see.
"The Shenlong Temple has grown in size over the past two hundred years. In terms of strength, it has already caught up with, or even surpassed, the Western Regions' ancestral temple. That's why Xuanyin is obsessed with the task of promoting the merger during his tenure as abbot."
Xu Zhenguan explained softly, with some emotion in his tone:
"The court is openly taking a bystander's stance, neither opposing nor supporting it, but if there is a chance to weaken the Shenlong Temple and balance its power with that of the Western Regions, it wouldn't be a bad thing. Of course, the premise is that the Western Regions can't be too strong."
Zhao Duan understood.
For the empress, Shenlong Temple is an important force to check and balance the Buddhist ancestral temple in the Western Regions.
Shenlong Temple cannot be too weak, but it cannot be too strong either.
"I heard that the Western Regions seemed to have sent people into the territory of Dayu." Zhao Duan suddenly said.
Xu Zhenguan nodded and said, "We should reach the capital in a few days."
"What are they doing here?"
"Two things. One is to represent the Western Regions and discuss next year's trade with the imperial court. Winter has already arrived, and the end of the year is coming soon. These things should be discussed as usual. The other thing is to cause trouble for the Shenlong Temple. We won't fight, but we will definitely have a debate on the scriptures and compare the Buddhist teachings.
It's not the first time that monks from the Western Regions have come to the Shenlong Temple to debate and decide who will win, in order to tell the world who has inherited the essence of Buddhism." Xu Zhenguan explained.
Debate?
Good fellow, just after the old scholar Zhengyang left, another group of monks came... Well, the difference is that the monks are not looking for trouble with the empress...
If the previous guess is true, and Monk Dajing has defected to the Western Regions, then we may not be able to find him through a search. Can we only seek revenge on the monk from the Western Regions?
Ask them for people? Ask them to hand over their ghusl... Oh, that's just a fantasy.
Not to mention that the other party is unlikely to surrender, the fact that "Da Jing surrendered to the Western Regions" is just speculation without evidence...
Zhao Duan frowned slightly, not having a favorable impression of the upcoming Western Region delegation.
"Your Majesty, I don't know much about the Western Regions Ancestral Temple. I only heard that the Ancestral Temple is like the emperor in the small country in the Western Regions. It has the highest authority. The Dharma King is its leader. The monks under the Dharma King seem to be divided into several sects?"
Xu Zhenguan said "yes" and said:
"That's right. The monks under the Western Regions Zutang are divided into five factions, or five sects, distinguished by the color of their hats. They are red, white, green, yellow, and black monks. The leader of the sect is respected as the guru. As for the monks over there, they are called 'Vajrayana practitioners'."
After a pause, she said again:
"The leader of this delegation is the Red Sect Master, also known as the 'Holy Monk'."
Distinguish by hat color?
Good fellow, then the cuckold monks here, wouldn't everyone be cuckolded... Oh, they are monks, that's fine... And the "holy monk", is his surname Tang or Chen? Is there a monkey around?
Zhao Duan complained in his heart and couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Xu Zhenguan did not continue the conversation, but said:
"Well, you don't need to worry about these things. Your priority now is to recover from your injuries. Dajing may not be able to escape. Even if he escapes, I promise you will catch him sooner or later. Before that, you can vent your anger on Nagarjuna."
After a pause, she suddenly remembered something interesting and said:
"This group of monks should be the last group of outsiders before the New Year. You should stay at home and recover from your injuries, and then spend the New Year in peace. However, some generals and dukes guarding the border of Dayu will come back when the New Year comes. When the duke returns, he may look for you."
The Duke of Zhenguo? Master Tang?
The father of “Young Master” Tang Ping?
Zhao Duan was stunned. When he punished the young master in the Shenji Camp, he did not give any face to the Duke Tang who was guarding Xiping Road.
However... I later transferred Tang Ping back to the Shenji Camp, so this matter should be over... right?
"The Zhenguo family is extremely fond of the young master and is the most protective of him." Xu Zhenguan said with a smile.
"…Your Majesty, I think it would be nice to go on a business trip during the New Year…"
"Haha," Xu Zhenguan rolled his eyes and deliberately frightened him:
"You created this mess yourself, so you have to clean up the mess yourself."
Zhao Duan's eyes rolled around and he said:
"Your Majesty, I have issued a military order to capture Zhuang Xiaocheng before the end of the year..."
"You are seriously injured for the country. I will allow you some time. There is no rush now."
"...Ugh." Zhao Duan lost his temper and slumped down, looking aggrieved like an abandoned dog (pretending)
The empress snorted, and pretended to stand up and leave.
"Seeing that you are in good spirits, I am relieved. Stay in the palace tonight. When you are able to move tomorrow morning, go home."
"Your Majesty..." Zhao Duan was anxious and reached out to grab the empress's wrist, which was smooth and soft.
"Huh?" Xu Zhenguan turned around and stared at him unkindly.
Zhao Duan said weakly: "Your Majesty, I feel a little weak and need care."
As he said this, he pretended to cover his chest, but touched the wound. He screamed and grimaced in pain.
Xu Zhenguan panicked and subconsciously walked forward and leaned down to investigate. When he caught a glimpse of the smugness in the eyes of the wailing Zhao Duan, he immediately realized that he had been fooled.
She stretched out her hand angrily, pinched the fat on his waist, and used the woman's innate skill of "twisting".
"Ah - it hurts, it hurts... Your Majesty, please spare my life!" Zhao Duan cried.
Xu Zhenguan sneered, "Are you honest or not?"
"honest."
"Are you okay?"
"No...ah okay okay!"
"Do you want me to take care of you?"
"…I feel that my injury has suddenly healed. Your Majesty is very busy, so please do not waste your time. I respectfully send Your Majesty off!"
Ah!
Can’t cure you?
Xu Zhenguan's lips curled up slightly, with pride in his eyes. He withdrew his hand and turned to walk out the door.
Zhao Duan lay on the bed with a grin, watching the empress walk out of the room, feeling a little reluctant.
But as an emperor, and having just caused such a big fuss with the Shenlong Temple, it is conceivable that by now all the court officials in the capital have probably rushed to the palace to inquire about the situation.
The empress also needs to smooth over the aftermath.
"Alas, I am alone in my empty room." Zhao Duan was lying in the bright and warm room, and then he remembered Eunuch Hai and others who were left behind on the way back to Beijing.
"Well, do Lao Hai and the others know that I was teleported back? Not necessarily... Uh, but after Da Jing monk assassinated me, he must have been in a hurry to escape. Facing the siege of everyone, Lao Hai and the others should not be injured..."
"Tsk, come to think of it, I wonder if the letter I sent back from Huting has arrived yet..."
……
outside the room.
When Xu Zhenguan walked out for the second time, the sky outside was getting darker and darker, and a cold wind blew on her face. She looked at the group of female officials who were waiting outside the door in an orderly manner, and found that everyone's eyes were a little strange.
kindness……
As the women who witnessed Lord Zhao being injured, His Majesty visiting him, and then going to the Shenlong Temple to cause a scene, they all guessed that His Majesty was so angry because of Lord Zhao...
So, the rumors are true? Your Majesty really has a relationship with Lord Zhao...
"What are you all doing here? Let's go." Xu Zhenguan frowned helplessly, "By the way, pass the order to release all those who were previously confined."
She initially blocked the news of Zhao Duan's injury because she didn't understand what had happened.
Now that we have come clean with Shenlong Temple, there is no need to keep it secret anymore.
"Yes!"
A group of servants bowed and saluted, but saw in the distance a "female prime minister" wearing a cotton skirt and with plum blossom makeup on her forehead, walking hurriedly towards them, holding up her skirt.
Mo Chou looked at the empress with complicated and resentful eyes, lowered her head and said:
"Your Majesty, a secret letter has arrived."
"letter?"
"It was sent by Lord Zhao from Huting. It was delivered a little late due to bad weather."
In fact, it was not too late, but Zhao Duan used "teleportation" to save half the journey, and he arrived in the capital one step earlier than the letter he sent.
Xu Zhenguan raised his eyebrows and reached out to take it.
She tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter paper, which indeed contained what Zhao Duan had seen and heard after arriving at Huting... However, she had already heard all of this orally before, and the empress quickly skimmed to the end and was stunned.
"In addition, I enjoyed the scenery of Jiangnan in the Humble Administrator's Garden, which was different from that in the capital. When I was in a trance, my thoughts were drifting, and I thought of Your Majesty who was also enjoying the scenery in the Imperial Garden at that time.
It was as if I saw a huge amount of gold in an empty valley, and a beautiful woman beyond the white egrets and reeds.
I ask myself, am I moved?
He said to himself: move, move, move, move, move, move..."
Xu Zhenguan stared blankly at the second half of the secret letter which contained a long string of the word "动", and his cheeks suddenly turned red.
Her expression kept changing, and suddenly she gritted her teeth, turned around abruptly, kicked the door open again, and walked in.
Mo Chou and the others were left bewildered, not understanding what had happened.
"Hey, Your Majesty? Why are you back again?" Zhao Duan was distracted when he suddenly saw Zhenbao returning. He was overjoyed. Then he saw her holding a letter in her hand, and the smile froze on her face.
The empress stretched out her hands in shame and anger, and used the "twist" technique again:
"I told you to move, move, move for me, why aren't you moving?"
"Ah... I won't move. I dare not move... I dare not move..."
Outside.
A group of female officials listened in a daze as the vile words coming out from the crack in the door were whispering.
Only Mo Chou felt as if she had been shot in the waist. She looked up at the sky dejectedly and speechlessly, but she felt a sudden chill between her eyebrows, which slowly melted away.
She was startled for a moment, then stretched out her hand, and saw a snowflake falling into her palm. It was snowing.
……
……
To the west of the capital is Xiping Road.
At this moment, the north wind is blowing, and the cold wind is as sharp as a knife.
Snowflakes slowly fell from the sky, and the first snow of the third year of Chaotian Feng in Dayu arrived as promised.
In order to avoid the wind and snow, a long convoy hurriedly arrived at an abandoned temple near the official road.
Along with the shouts, a monk known as a “Vajrayana practitioner” began to lead the horses down from the carriage.
"Master!"
A monk from the Western Regions walked up to a carriage with strange totems painted on the curtains and respectfully explained the situation.
The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and an old monk with dark skin and the appearance of an old monkey walked out. He was wearing a red monk's robe and a red monk's hat, but the style was different from that of the other travelers.
A string of white ivory beads hangs around her neck.
In the sunken eye sockets, the pupils were full of wisdom.
"Master, are we going into the temple?"
Another little monk, probably a teenager, came out of the car.
Wearing the same red monk's robe, he had the typical three-dimensional facial features of a Westerner, but his manners and behavior were different from the wildness of the Westerners. Instead, they were similar to those of the Dayu Dynasty.
At this moment, he was busy stuffing the flag box into the box.
"Well, let's go into the temple." The chief of the Western Regions delegation, the Red Sect's master "Holy Monk" smiled and straightened the little monk's hat.
"Wait a minute, Princess."
The young monk named Danche looked towards the end of the convoy.
It turned out that the Western Regions delegation was divided into two ends, with the group of monks in the front and another group of Western Regions people dressed as warriors with scimitars on their waists in the back.
They complimented a carriage together. At this moment, a strong female warrior from the Western Regions came out of the carriage.
He is tall and wearing leather armor, with loose braided hair, rough and reddish skin, a scimitar at his waist inlaid with gems, and sharp and vigilant eyes.
After the female warrior got off the car, she said something, and then another woman got off the car.
He is actually a typical Yu person.
The woman was about forty years old, wearing a dress in the style of the Yu people, and her black hair was dotted with many colorful gems.
However, it could not conceal the woman's appearance which had been aged with time but was still outstanding.
The woman had a gentle demeanor, yet had an air of dignity. She was not at all nervous in front of a group of warriors. Instead, the warriors saluted her respectfully.
"Princess Wenzhu..."
The old monk wearing a red hat and ivory Buddhist beads said with emotion, "I am traveling with the princess who is returning to Yu State to visit her relatives. Danche, do you know what this means?"
The little monk carrying a bamboo box shook his head honestly:
"I don't know."
The old monk said with his hands behind his back:
“In previous years, when discussing trade with the State of Yu, we only had to send an official from the Western Regions.
This year, Princess Wenzhu went back in person, presumably because of the struggle for the throne within the royal family of Yu. Oh, a married princess shouldn't be concerned with her parents' affairs, but blood is thicker than water, so how could she not care? "
Dan Che was at a loss: "Disciple doesn't quite understand."
The old monk smiled and did not explain.
He just clasped his hands together towards the princess in the distance, who was sent to the Western Regions for marriage during the previous emperor's time because the old emperor disliked her, and who had since then been stationed in the Western Regions and gradually became a leader.
Princess Wenzhu also bowed to him with a smile.
The two sides did not talk to each other. After the greetings, the two groups walked into the large temple.
Snowflakes fell and the north wind howled.
When the monks and warriors entered the temple, they each occupied a distinct area and skillfully made fire and boiled water.
The old monk looked at the broken statue of the earth god in the temple, shook his head, raised his hand and waved it lightly, and the dust on the ground disappeared as if it were new.
Soon, a fire was lit and outside the temple, snow fell and the sky turned dark.
Dan Che put down the bamboo box and took out a Go board and two boxes of black and white chess pieces.
Afterwards, he knelt on the ground, picked up the chess pieces one by one with his hands, and reviewed the game according to his memory, preparing to restore the half game of chess that he had just played with his master in the carriage.
If there were a chess master here, he would definitely be greatly surprised.
This young monk who grew up in the Western Regions had an incredibly strong memory. Although he was reviewing the game seemingly without any method, every chess piece he placed was exactly the same as the sequence of steps in the previous game.
Moreover, the game has almost reached the late stage, and the board is so complicated that even the great players in the capital would treat it with caution.
However, the monks around were not surprised, as they knew that Danche's chess skills were extremely strong in the local area.
But no one knows exactly how powerful it is.
But considering that Go was introduced from the State of Yu, he subconsciously felt that Dan Che's Go skills must be far inferior to those of the people of Yu.
Only the old monk knew how terrifying Danche’s chess skills were, just as terrifying as his deep knowledge of Buddhism.
"Master, you said it was strange that Princess Wenzhu led the team, but it was also strange that you were willing to lead the team to the Kingdom of Yu," Dan Che said in a low voice while reviewing the situation.
“In the past, you were always unwilling to come out of the mountains.
When we went to Yu State this time, everyone said that it was because the Shenlong Temple had lost the battle and its momentum was waning, so we, the orthodox ones, had to go there to debate and teach the people of Yu State that it was not Buddhism that lost, but only the Shenlong Temple. The orthodox Buddhism is in the ancestral temple...
Your Buddhist teachings are the most profound among the five directions, probably second only to the Dharma King, but I always feel that there are other reasons why you are willing to come out of seclusion. "
The old monk sat cross-legged on the ground, drinking milk tea, looking at his disciple in surprise, thinking for a moment, and nodded solemnly:
"Yes, Master, I am going to the Kingdom of Yu for a debate, but the more important purpose is to find 'wisdom'."
Dan Che knelt beside the chessboard and said blankly:
"Master, what exactly is your so-called wisdom?"
As a disciple, the boy knew that his master suddenly came out of seclusion around spring and summer and claimed that he "saw" "wisdom" descending in the east.
From then on, the "holy monk" who was a giant among the five religions in the Western Regions seemed to be possessed and had the idea of setting off for the State of Yu.
The old monk looked at the snow outside the temple and said softly:
"The Buddha is the 'World Honored One'. The World Honored One is the god in charge of wisdom. His incarnation in the human world is 'Wisdom'."
Dan Che was surprised:
"You mean, the incarnation of the Buddha came to the human world? In the capital of Yu State? But...isn't the incarnation of the Buddha the Dharma King?"
"Of course not!" The old monk turned his head and glared at him:
"That's what ignorant people who don't understand Buddhism say. How can you believe it? The Dharma King only believes in the Buddha. He is the reincarnation of the prophet who was the first to be enlightened and received the Buddha's inheritance... but he is not the god himself, let alone the incarnation of the god."
Dan Che shrank his neck, knowing that once he talked about these things, his master would start to talk nonsense:
"But if it is the 'Hui' incarnated by the Buddha, why did he appear in the capital of Yu State? Is it because the Shenlong Temple is there? It is obvious that our ancestral temple is the orthodox one..."
The holy monk shook his head and said, "I don't know about that either. I only saw that Hui descended there in the spring of this year."
Dan Che asked curiously, "How do we find Hui?"
The holy monk said: "When wisdom comes to the world, it must be extraordinary, just like a bonfire shining brightly at night. Just look for the person who has made a name for himself in the capital this year, and you will find him naturally."
Dan Che asked curiously again: "What happens after we find it?"
The old monk's eyes suddenly burst into a fanatical look, like a converted believer:
"Hui is the incarnation of the Buddha and represents the Buddha's will. As believers, we should follow him."
"Then after following..."
"Shut up and play your chess. Aren't you dreaming of challenging the national champion of Yu State?"
"……Oh."
The young monk put down the last black piece, put aside all distractions, and entered the world of chess.
……
The other side of the ruined temple.
The tall female warrior brought the hot food to Princess Wenzhu, who was sitting by the campfire and looking at the snow outside the temple.
"Princess, please have your meal."
Princess Wenzhu retracted her gaze and said with a smile, "You can sit down and eat too."
The female warrior did not refuse and sat on the ground. She did not know how to use chopsticks, so she ate her portion with a spoon:
"Princess, we should be able to reach the capital in a few days."
"Yes." Princess Wenzhu, who was known in the Western Regions for loving her people like her own children and was very popular, was a little distracted and said softly:
"Three years ago, when the news of my brother, the crown prince, and Jianwen's death came, I was dissuaded from going back. Two years ago, when the news of Zhenguan's coronation as emperor came, I was tied up in trivial matters and did not go back. This year, I can finally go home."
After a pause, the princess, who was over forty years old, sighed:
"But the house is already deserted."
The female warrior was confused and asked, "If that's the case, why do you want to go back?"
Princess Wenzhu was silent for a long time before she shook her head and said:
“I don’t know either, but I want to persuade Zhenguan. Many of his relatives have died, and he cannot continue to die.
I heard that Yunyang has been confined and locked up, apparently because of a lover. She also tried to reduce the power of the vassal and took action against other uncles. I am worried that... Zhenguan was bewitched by treacherous officials and did something unwise. "
The female warrior said:
"Mianshou... does it mean a man's concubine? The one with the surname Zhao? I've heard of him before. It's said that in the Buddhist-Taoist competition, he defeated Tianhai of Shenlong Temple while holding the sword of Emperor Taizu of Yu."
Princess Wenzhu nodded and said worriedly:
"This is what I am worried about. How can an unknown concubine hold the ancestral sword?
It must be Zhenguan who helped secretly... Even if it was for the royal family, but giving the ancestor's sword to a concubine to use, if the ancestors of all generations knew about it in the afterlife, how indignant would they be?
With Zhenguan's personality, he shouldn't have done such a ridiculous thing. I'm afraid he was deceived by the treacherous minister named Zhao."
After a pause, she said solemnly:
"When we get to Beijing, I want to see how this concubine brings disaster to the country and the people."
……
(End of this chapter)