Chapter 397 The Missing Zhao Duan
Chapter 397 The Missing Zhao Duan
That afternoon, the story that happened in Huangting Lane spread like wildfire. With the help of countless chess players, it seemed to have wings and became a hit in this winter.
A young genius from the Western Regions came into the world for the first time and swept the chess world. When the great masters were defeated, an unknown young man took action and slaughtered the foreign monks...
This story is inherently legendary, especially as it happened to be a time when a delegation from the Western Regions came to Beijing. The people of Beijing who had nothing to do in the winter rushed in to eat melons together.
By the evening, there were seven or eight versions of the whole incident, and the rumor that Princess Wenzhu of the Western Regions was present added a lot of luster to the story.
Zhao Duan stayed at home, pretending that it had nothing to do with him.
During dinner, I listened to my stepmother and sister talking, and realized that the news might be passed on with the help of the court.
Yes, if you lose, you should suppress the popularity, and if you win, it is natural to buy a hot search.
"Brother, do you know who the young man who defeated the monk from the Western Regions is?"
Zhao Pan, who was becoming more and more elegant and had the temperament of a lady from a noble family, asked eagerly.
Zhao Duan joked, "Why, are you attracted to her? Do you want to get married or something?"
Zhao Pan's eyes widened, and he turned his head away angrily, kicking the Pekingese dog under the table with his feet in anger:
"I won't ask anymore."
Eugene Hua looked disappointed, and the little Pekingese looked confused, sobbing and tucking his tail between his legs.
This little incident did not cause any waves in the Zhao family, and the heat did not last long in the capital.
The news of the Buddhist debate soon became popular, and for a time, countless people were paying attention, not wanting to miss this event that might go down in history.
Zhao Duan, on the pretext of seclusion and cultivation, locked himself in the room for two days to study the pile of scriptures, with the lights on all night long.
……
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed and it was the day of the debate that attracted countless people's attention.
Early in the morning, when it was just dawn.
In the Jinfeng Pavilion where the Western Region delegation was staying, the Western Region monks had already gotten up, washed and dressed in an orderly manner, and did their early morning exercises.
The "holy monk" was wearing a red monk's robe, white ivory beads, and had a skin as dark as an old monkey. He was holding a candlestick burning with a green flame.
He walked up the creaking stairs, came to a room, and opened the door.
Inside the room, the oil lamp on the table was still burning, but the brazier on the ground had gone out.
The young monk Danche, wrapped in a thick blanket, sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the chessboard in front of him.
Hearing the voice, he raised his head and looked at his master for a moment, then suddenly said:
"Are you leaving?"
The Red Sect Master pinched his brows with a headache:
"Didn't I tell you last night that you have to get up early for today's debate..."
"So the disciple didn't sleep," Dan Che said confidently, and then muttered softly:
"Besides, it's not me who's going to debate..."
Before the master got angry, he immediately changed his words and praised:
"I have been reviewing that game of chess these past two days, and I feel deeply that the man's moves were so exquisite that he seemed to have opened up a new path in the previously gloomy chess world. If the way of chess is also a way, then he is the founder of a new school of Taoism. Do you still not know the identity of that man?"
The Red Sect master looked at his chess-crazy disciple, sighed, and shook his head, saying:
"not yet."
Dan Che said "Oh" a little disappointedly, and then asked curiously:
"Master, do you have any clues about the 'wisdom' you are looking for?"
"……not yet."
The Red Sect master was not in a good mood, but he smiled again, "However, when the Buddha descends to the world today, Hui will surely appear."
Dan Che nodded vigorously. In his opinion, the effort his master put into debating was five, and the effort he put into searching for wisdom was ten.
It's just for a plate of vinegar dumplings.
"Master, is breakfast ready? I'm hungry." Dan Che stood up wrapped in a blanket.
The Red Sect Master restrained his smile and said, "Not yet."
……
Zhao family.
When the sky in the east began to turn pale, Zhao Duan got up early, which was unusual for him, and the family had dinner at the dining table.
Eugene Hua was wrapped in a thick cotton skirt, her lips breathing sweet air. She took out the steamed white buns from a thick white mist and handed them to Zhao Duan, who immediately pinched his earlobes with both hands because it was too hot.
He said, "Why did Dalang want to eat steamed buns today?"
"Take a good omen."
Zhao Du'an picked up the soft and hot man's head and opened it without changing his expression. He remembered the word "mantou" he had heard in his previous life. It meant "barbarian head", which was an allusion to taking the head of a barbarian, whether true or not.
Zhao Pan used a large wooden spoon to scoop up a bowl of egg drop soup and said softly:
"Can't we really go and watch the fun?"
Without waiting for Dalang to speak, Eugene Hua scolded her daughter with a fierce look on her face:
"Have you forgotten that the damned monk wanted to kill your elder brother? Why are you going to watch the fun?"
Zhao Pan complained aggrievedly: "It's two different things. They are fighting among themselves..."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
“You should stay at home. I don’t mind you going, but the court has issued a ban this time. Only some invited people can go there.
Don't forget that Buddhism was banned not long ago. This time, they allowed both sides to debate openly. This was a special favor for the sake of the Western Regions. If ordinary people want to gather, it would be a blatant violation of the court's decree... and officials' relatives are not allowed either."
After a pause, he explained:
"However, you should be able to see some movement at home. I heard that the debate will be very loud."
Well... he heard what Zhang Yanyi said in the "information" he sent. The mother and daughter looked relieved and understood.
After meal.
Zhao Duan, who had been recuperating at home, stepped out of the house. After the person left, Zhao Pan suddenly realized:
"Mother, isn't my elder brother wearing his official robes?"
……
royal palace.
After the sky was completely bright, the sunlight shone on the towering palace walls, casting large shadows.
Xu Zhenguan rode in a low-key carriage today, bringing only Mochou and a few other close followers with him. He left the bedroom and met up with his "aunt" who lived in the palace city, and went to watch the excitement of the battle between the East and the West.
The empress and Princess Wenzhu, aunt and niece, quietly left the palace and headed along the street towards the Shenlong Temple.
"call……"
Princess Wenzhu lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at the streets of the capital in the early morning. Many people hurried out of the incense and candle shops, holding yellow incense and incense burners under their cotton-padded clothes. Some were holding Buddha statues carefully. She frowned:
"These are the Buddhist men and women in Beijing, right?"
Xu Zhenguan didn't need to look, his mind swept over and took in the awards outside, his expression was calm:
"Yes. Since the ban on Buddhism was issued some time ago, the business of buying and selling Buddha statues, incense and candles, and worshipping Buddha at home has become very popular in the city. The Buddhist faith has taken root in this land for a longer time than the reign of the Yu State, and there are many believers.
The imperial court can ban gatherings, cut the land and money of major temples...but it is difficult to eradicate faith."
Princess Wenzhu looked at her niece in surprise and said with emotion:
"Your Majesty does not seem angry."
Xu Zhenguan smiled:
"Why should I be angry? These people did nothing wrong. The Buddha has been in the world for a long time, so he certainly did nothing wrong. It's just some people who are wrong.
The news of today's debate has already spread, but the people cannot go to witness it in person, so it seems that they are preparing to worship and watch at home."
Princess Wenzhu remained silent.
From her perspective, one can see the court's entanglement with Buddhism.
On the one hand, the Shenlong Temple and the Western Regions need to check and balance each other. They can only "ban Buddhism" but cannot "destroy Buddhism".
On the other hand, they are also wary of the growing power of the Shenlong Temple, not only because of the power of its practitioners, but also because of the believers and the many temples rooted in various places.
Including the Empress's low-key visit today, it was also the result of a trade-off.
She needs to show up symbolically, but doesn't want to make a big fuss. This is similar to the last challenge from the Zhengyang School. The difference is that the empress can ignore Zhengyang, but must pay attention to the ancestral temple in the Western Regions.
Soon, the carriage arrived at a pavilion near the Shenlong Temple.
There was still some distance to the temple, and the pavilion was surrounded by imperial guards and the streets nearby were filled with carriages.
The White-robed Empress and Princess Wenzhu ascended the pavilion, only to see a group of court officials standing up and saluting:
"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
At a glance, important officials such as Li Yanfu, Yuan Li, and Xue Shence were all present.
A little further down, heads of the imperial yamen such as Ma Yan were also standing in a corner.
"No need to be so polite, gentlemen. Please take a seat." Xu Zhenguan smiled and nodded. He looked around but did not see Zhao Duan.
It was a bit strange, but surprisingly, this guy didn't seem like someone who would miss such a lively scene.
But he did not ask any questions. Instead, he sat down leisurely. Princess Wenzhu was arranged to sit in the seat closest to the empress.
The seats in the entire pavilion are also arranged in order according to the official rank.
"This Guanshui Tower is located on the side of Shenlong Temple and Jizhao Temple. It's cold in winter, and the ministers in the court are not as good as those practicing monks, so it's enough to take a look here."
The empress sat down, still holding Princess Wenzhu's hand, giving people the impression that the relationship between the monarch, subject, aunt and niece is very good. At this moment, she explained with a smile.
Princess Wenzhu was also dressed in gorgeous attire, her elegance and grace second only to the Empress. Looking up, she saw a large open square outside the Shenlong Temple in the distance.
But at this moment, the square was also surrounded by imperial guards to prevent unauthorized people from entering.
However, at some point, a huge circular platform had been built inside, with seats similar to those of grandstands placed on both sides.
At this moment, a monk was standing in the wind, and there were also some nobles from the capital who were present symbolically.
With this as the center, in the buildings about the same distance away, there were also some scholars gathered, looking into the distance together with the officials.
In terms of specifications, it is not inferior to the original Buddhist-Taoist competition.
"Wait a moment, it seems like it's about time," Xu Zhenguan didn't really care about arriving early, and was happy to chat with his ministers.
Only then did he ask curiously, "Zhao Qing is not here?"
Upon hearing this, old faces like Li Yanfu and Yuan Li all turned their eyes to Ma Dugong, who stood clearly apart from other officials and was unpopular.
The corners of Ma Yan's slender and stern face twitched, and he clasped his hands and said:
"Your Majesty, I have sent a letter before. Perhaps Zhao Jisi has not recovered from his injury and neglected the time. Should I send someone to summon him now?"
"No need," Xu Zhenguan said with a smile, "No need to rush him."
Princess Wenzhu stood by without saying a word, her brows furrowed, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with this treacherous minister whom she had yet to meet since coming to the capital.
This guy... He's just a lover, but he's too arrogant. All the officials have arrived, but Zhao Duan is still not here.
Ma Yan seemed to be hesitant to speak, but in the end he said nothing. As his direct superior, he suddenly felt a little uneasy for no reason.
At this time, a low and mighty bell rang from the Shenlong Temple. Everyone was alert and looked towards the square in the distance. They were the first to see that the Western Region delegation had already entered.
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Prelude chapter, next chapter will be updated before midnight
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(End of this chapter)