Chapter 569: The Empress Enters the Dream, Guarding the Temple Mountain Lord
Chapter 569: The Empress Enters the Dream, Guarding the Temple Mountain Lord
Beijing.
On the same night, as the sun sank into the horizon, the dark red palace walls were gradually filled by the blue sky.
The palace maids picked up lanterns and lit lamps in important places in the palace as usual.
In the Yangxin Palace, several palace maids held bamboo poles and hung lanterns while looking out in the distance at the brightly lit imperial study, and whispered:
"Your Majesty has been eating later and later lately."
"They should be worried about the war ahead and concerned about the progress of the Huaishui rebels."
"I think it's not necessarily true. I noticed that since the Mid-Autumn Festival, His Majesty has been distracted occasionally. He even has a poem framed in his study, which he keeps by his side, and he reads from time to time.
Speaking of which, I don’t know which great poet wrote that poem, I only happened to catch a glimpse of a few lines, it’s really amazing.”
"Tsk, what do you know about poetry? You can tell it's amazing?"
Suddenly, a palace maid coughed lightly and winked at her companions frantically.
Several palace maids looked in the direction of the sound and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. They were as obedient and frightened as quails, lowering their heads, squatting halfway, and saluting with lanterns in their hands:
"His Majesty……"
The Queen of Yu State, Xu Zhenguan, was walking along the corridor at some point.
Her stunning face had a calm expression.
Upon hearing this, she just said "yes" softly, and walked out of the Yangxin Palace on her own, as if she didn't hear the discussions of the palace maids.
However, after the empress passed by, the older female official following behind her stopped, looked at the palace maids coldly, and said in a cold voice:
"You will be punished later. Don't think you can slack off now that Miss Mo is not in the palace."
"I know my mistake."
……
Xu Zhenguan left the Yangxin Palace and did not go for dinner, but went straight to the Wugong Palace.
"Your Majesty." When Eunuch Hai saw the empress, he bowed and went out to greet her.
"He hasn't come back?" Xu Zhenguan asked.
Eunuch Hai shook his head and said:
"No. This is probably the critical time when the imperial army is heading south to suppress the Yunfu rebels. I'm afraid he won't be coming back for a while."
Xu Zhenguan nodded, with a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Doesn't she understand this truth?
Need Hai Chunlin’s reminder?
Even because of the talisman bell that had been installed before, she didn't need to ask in person whether Zhao Duan would come back.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival that day, the atmosphere in the capital changed. In the past few days, people from the government to the public were paying attention to and discussing the war on the west front of the Huai River.
Everyone understood that now that Zhao Shixiong had surrendered, the next step would be a major battle with the Yunfu rebels. Could they successfully recapture half of the Huai River?
To alleviate the urgent need for increasingly scarce supplies at the imperial court?
Countless eyes were staring.
As for capturing Xu Jingtang and wiping out Yunfu in one fell swoop... not many people expected it.
That's a bit of wishful thinking.
Zhao Duan's reputation in the city is growing, but with it comes danger.
Xu Zhenguan knew very well that since Prince Mu dared to rebel, he must have someone to rely on. Even if Zhao Shixiong turned against him, it would still be dangerous to go south to Jingchuan Town.
She originally wanted to give Zhao Duan some detailed instructions on this matter.
Unexpectedly, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Tianzilou was drunk. After the two of them had some contact, this guy left a poem that could be said to be handed down from generation to generation, and then fled back to the front line.
Xu Zhenguan had no means to contact Zhao Duan quickly, and could only wait for him to come back and report the situation.
"understood."
The empress nodded, but did not leave. She walked deeper into the martial arts hall and stepped onto the fourth floor of the small building.
open the door.
On the candle racks in the room, candles lit up by themselves, and the orange candlelight spread out, dispelling the darkness.
It shows "Zhao Duan" sitting cross-legged and motionless beside the stone wall.
The empress glanced at the puppet substitute, then looked away, staring at the stone wall in a daze.
The moonlight poured in from behind, shining on the floor and illuminating the hem of her skirt.
Xu Zhenguan sighed softly:
"How are you now? Have you arrived at Jingchuan with the army?"
The puppet could not answer.
Xu Zhenguan shook his head, gathered his thoughts, sat cross-legged on the cushion, and prepared to visualize "The World".
Because Zhao Duan did not enter the stone wall, Xu Zhenguan knew that even if he entered the scroll during this period, he would not be able to encounter the "chapter return".
But she had no interest in politics today. She felt vaguely uneasy and came here guided by her intuition.
I thought to myself that if I couldn't find that chapter, then I wouldn't look for it. I might as well explore that world more during this time.
especially……
The empress was still thinking about the "poems" from that world that she had asked Zhang Hui for when she entered the scroll last time.
"When will the bright moon appear..." Xu Zhenguan recited softly, chewing on the lyrics Zhao Duan gave her, secretly competing in her heart.
I thought that I must go to that world and find a good song to scare him.
Considering that that world also has a history and culture similar to Dayu, there should also be poems handed down from generation to generation.
Although I am not very familiar with the writing of that world, the worst that can happen is that I can learn it or find someone to recite it to me.
Well, it would be best if it was a Mid-Autumn Festival poem, so that we can compare... The empress admitted that her idea was a bit childish, and that she was secretly fighting with Zhao Duan, but since this guy could write such a poem, he must be a lover of poetry...
It is also a kind-hearted idea to "copy" a few poems myself and give them to him as a reward when he comes back.
With a woman's inhumane and scattered thoughts in her mind, Xu Zhenguan once again sank into the world of "The World".
……
……
In Jingchuan Town, the bright moon shines down, casting a thin veil over the entire city.
Due to the tense war situation, a curfew was imposed in the city at night, so the streets were empty and every household closed their doors.
"Amitabha, I have been waiting for a long time."
Zhong Pan suddenly tightened the reins, and the one-horned white horse stopped walking with a hiss, staring anxiously at the monks standing side by side in the middle of the road ahead.
Zhao Duan's gaze pierced through the open car curtain and his face darkened slightly.
A monk from Shenlong Temple? !
Under the moonlight, the two monks blocking the road ahead were one fat and one thin, and they were obviously two ascetics.
Both of them were wearing the robes of an abbot, and their bald heads were very eye-catching.
The fat monk holds one hand together, and with the other hand he holds a gold-painted tin staff, which is bright yellow in color, with spiral threads and a dense array of metal rings decorating the top.
The thin monk also put one hand together, but the other hand was holding a golden alms bowl. The surface was smooth and clean, without any patterns or decorations.
"Guangyuan, diabolo!"
Zhao Duan blurted out two names!
Before leaving the capital, Zhang Yanyi had told him that the Shenlong Temple was located west of the Huai River, and there were two masters who needed attention. Later, he read relevant information in the documents library of the imperial court, so he recognized the identities of the two monks just by their signature dress and the magic weapons in their hands.
Inside the carriage, the three people who came from the Tianshi Temple also recognized the bald donkey who blocked the road.
They looked at each other and had a bad feeling in their hearts - it was reasonable for the masters of the Shenlong Temple to secretly help Prince Mu's Mansion.
But why did the other party suddenly appear here? The words "I've been waiting for a long time" gave people a psychological hint that they were ambushed.
"What's going on? Has our whereabouts been leaked?" Yuxiu curled up in the car with a grim look on her face.
Immediately, Zhao Duan sneered, his eyes sharp:
"Don't be scared by this bald donkey. If our whereabouts were revealed, would the Embroidered Clothes Envoy have been so foolish as to enter the Huai Palace?
I'm afraid that these two bald men are in the same group as the Embroidered Uniform Envoy, just one in front and one behind. I just thought that the Embroidered Uniform Envoy only brought hundreds of soldiers with him, how could he have the courage to break into the palace and kidnap Xu An? This is too much of an underestimation of the Huai Palace...
Now I finally understand that he was just walking in front and this bald donkey was following behind.
If my guess is correct, the Embroidered Clothes Envoy intends to send out a signal to summon Bald Donkey to help if the negotiations fail... After all, it is better not to use the people of Shenlong Temple if it is possible to do so openly."
Is that right?
Yuxiu and others were stunned for a moment, then suddenly felt that it made sense.
Zhao Duan deliberately raised his voice so that the two monks, Guangyuan and Kongzhu, who were far away, could also hear it. One fat and one thin, they frowned.
They didn't expect that Zhao Duan was so smart and could tell the truth in one sentence.
They had indeed come here tonight to support the Embroidered Uniform Envoy, and had just noticed from afar that something was wrong in the direction of the palace.
He then glimpsed the carriage approaching and recognized the iconic means of transportation of the "Little Heavenly Master", so he acted on his own initiative.
The stout and sturdy monk Guangyuan stepped forward:
"Amitabha, I haven't heard of Mr. Zhao's name for a long time. I heard that Mr. Zhao personally led people to destroy the main altar of the Shenlong Temple in the capital. Did Junior Brother Fanlong also die at your hands?"
At this time, as the carriage stopped, Zhao Duan and several others came out one after another, jumped out of the carriage and stood on the ground.
Upon hearing this, Yuxiu raised her slender eyebrows and said loudly:
"Monk Fanlong violated the covenant of the righteous path and disguised himself to join the Yunfu Army to fight and kill mortals. As the leader of the righteous path, I will personally kill Fanlong. If you want to seek revenge, I will accompany you!"
Zhao Duan was stunned. The female Taoist nun who always emphasized the principles of taking action with him was actually so proactive?
"Junior Sister Yuxiu has some issues with Guangyuan and Kongzhu."
Zhong Pan waved his hand and patted the white horse's butt. The unicorn neighed and pulled the carriage far away. Then he walked to him with a big sword as big as a door panel on his back and whispered.
Ah, this... Zhao Duan looked at the little Taoist priest with a ferocious and ugly appearance and wearing a priest's robe in surprise.
Monk Guangyuan was indifferent:
"Donor Zhao destroyed my Shenlong Temple, Donor Nie killed Fanlong unjustly... They both made great enemies with my Shenlong Temple. Now that we meet today, we should seek justice."
Yuxiu sneered: "Just the two of you?"
Monk Guangyuan raised the staff in his hand heavily, then dropped it again: "Where are the disciples of Shenlong Temple?"
The words trailed off.
In the darkness behind the two of them, in the alleys on both sides, there were dense footsteps.
About several dozen monk soldiers, with half their chests naked, holding long sticks, wearing long trousers and monk shoes, rushed out in the moonlight and lined up behind the two men like a tide!
"Soldier monks..." Zhao Duan thought to himself that it was bad luck.
The martial arts of monk soldiers are generally not strong, most of them are in the range of nourishing qi and divine chapters.
But dozens of monk soldiers, forming a formation and charging forward, were enough to shake or even kill a warrior in the mortal world.
It’s not over yet!
Master Guangyuan looked solemn and said, "Please invite the divine tiger again!"
"Yes!"
The monks shouted together.
Then, in full view of everyone, Zhao Duan clearly saw the front row of monks make way, and two warrior monks, one on the left and one on the right, came out holding a plaque!
In the night, the details of the plaque are not clear, but you can vaguely see the word "Temple" on it.
"The temple-guarding divine tiger!" Zhong Pan's pupils suddenly narrowed, and this young Taoist priest, whose magic had already reached the pinnacle of the world, finally revealed a trace of solemnity.
"What is that?" Zhao Duan was stunned and looked at the little Taoist priest anxiously.
Among the group, Zhong Pan undoubtedly has the strongest cultivation and is also his greatest reliance. Judging from his past battle records, even if Zhong Pan has not reached the level of a half-step celestial being, he is not far behind.
But a plaque could make the little Taoist priest so serious?
"A talisman, a special talisman raised by a wild god," Zhong Pan explained in a deep voice:
"Those with great powers in Buddhism can subdue dragons and tigers. In the deep mountains and old forests, there is a wild god called 'Mountain King'. Buddhism has a secret method to capture the mountain king and seal it in the temple plaque. Only when the wild god is sealed in a temple with prosperous incense can it have a chance to be tamed and become a talisman.
This tiger in the plaque devours the temple's incense for food day and night, and listens to the monks chanting scriptures and correcting their minds. It takes sixty years of hard work to raise a divine tiger to guard the temple. The power of the divine tiger is related to the gestation period and the incense it eats.
This fat and thin monk is the abbot of Jinshan Temple. Jinshan Temple is a large temple on the Huai River. After years of breeding, I am afraid that a terrible beast will be raised. "
Zhao Duan was stunned for a moment, then asked seriously, "Senior Brother can't defeat him?"
Upon hearing this, the little Taoist priest smiled and said in a bold and confident tone:
"If it was a tiger raised by the Shenlong Temple in the capital, I might be a little wary, but it's just Jinshan Temple... Even if we raise a tiger for a hundred years, it will only take a little more effort to subdue it."
Zhao Duan breathed a sigh of relief silently, feeling at ease.
As long as you can beat him, that's fine.
"But..." Zhong Pan paused, his eyes deep as he said:
"These two men saw me here and dared to block my way. I believe they have more than just this tiger in their hands. When we fight later, remember to be careful and don't underestimate the enemy."
Zhao Duan's heart tightened and he secretly held his breath. Seeing Lang Shiba and Ji Yue looking nervous, he quickly told them the information he had read about the two monks:
"The fat one is Guangyuan, a martial monk who practices physical training and is very resistant to attacks. The records show that he has mastered the Golden Bell Cover to the highest level and can withstand military formations and move freely. He is at a high level in the world.
The thin one is a diabolo, and his martial arts are relatively weak, but he is a Buddhist master who controls magic weapons. The vegetarian bowl in his hand is said to be as heavy as a thousand kilograms, and is famous for its strong magic power... It is also a high-quality product in the world."
As they were talking, tensions were already high between the two sides.
Ji Yue heard that it was the temple guardian tiger and two high-ranking ones, and she was a little scared and couldn't help but cheer herself up...
She had been suppressed in the Houhu Lake in the capital for several years, but her strength had not been improved and was a bit lacking.
Lang Shiba also felt a sinking feeling in his heart and felt a lot of pressure, but as a soldier from the northern frontier army, he had his own blood and blood.
At this moment, he suddenly pulled down the wine gourd behind him, smashed the cork with one hand, tilted his head back, and "gulp", the clear wine poured into his mouth, wetting the soldier's chest and blue stubble.
"boom!"
Lang Shiba threw the wine gourd to the ground, his long messy hair fluttering in the wind, his mouth wide open, his right hand already pulling out a scimitar:
"My lord, please lead the rear, and I will test the depth... and shallowness of this bald donkey!!"
When he shouted the word "bald", he had already taken a step forward, and when his foot stepped out, the ground cracked with a "crack".
When he pronounced the word "Qian", he was like an arrow shot from a bow, leaving an afterimage. With the lightness skill of "eight steps to chase a cicada", he closed more than ten feet in an instant, and the scimitar flashed a pool of green light under the moonlight.
He chopped off Monk Guangyuan’s bald head!
Monk Guangyuan stood still like a mountain, neither dodging nor evading. Facing the fierce knife, he did not activate the Golden Bell to protect his body. Instead, he slowly raised his huge arms and used the golden staff in his hand to "woohoo" to block the wind.
"clang!!!"
With the two of them as the center, spider-web-like cracks appeared on the ground, and a circle of dust spread out in all directions.
Lang Shiba only felt his palms numbing, as if a bolt of lightning followed the scimitar and passed back to his palms. His cheeks turned red, and the qi in his body churned. He was horrified to realize that a terrifying force was continuously pouring into his meridians.
His face was distorted, and he suddenly kicked out with both feet in the air, hard kicking Guangyuan's big belly, but it was like kicking a iron plate, almost breaking the bone, but he also took the opportunity to distance himself.
What a tough guy... Lang Shiba fell backwards with his head raised, supporting himself with his left hand. He turned his body 180 degrees on the spot, and slashed towards Guangyuan with his scimitar at a strange angle!
This knife is extremely clever!
But Guangyuan just smiled and said, "Put down the butcher knife and become a Buddha right now."
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Correct typos first and then correct them
(End of this chapter)