That year, that cicada, that sword

Chapter 1089

Today is the last day for Xu Beiyou and Xiao Zhinan to stay in the Buddhist ancestral court. They have already decided to leave tomorrow to return to the imperial capital. After all, it has been a long time since they left. Especially Xiao Zhinan, as the regent princess, has the duty of training the government and supervising the country , it is not good to leave the imperial capital for too long.

What's more, the affairs on the Buddhist side have been dealt with almost, and it is meaningless to stay here any longer. During this period of time, Xu Beiyou has listened to the lectures of the abbot Qiuyue and the six chiefs respectively, which is of great benefit As for how to go to the next level in the future, that is his own business, and it doesn't matter whether he stays in Buddhism or not.

At this time, the Buddhist ancestral court's guest house was empty, only Xu Beiyou and Xiao Zhinan were sitting cross-legged on the futons, and in the middle was a small red sandalwood table with red radiating from the inside. The plates, bowls and chopsticks are all the best made by the Dachu official kiln, especially the two porcelain bowls, which are both blue celadon porcelain, as thin as rice paper. , placed in an ordinary aristocratic family, I am afraid that it will be enshrined as a rare antique, and it will not be used directly to serve rice. Although the chopsticks are more common, they are also made of ivory, with a golden color. Inlaid with silver, the palace is no more than that, so it can be seen that the depth of Buddhism is far better than those so-called aristocratic families that have only been passed down for more than a hundred years.

Xiao Zhinan ate very quietly, chewing slowly, the chopsticks and dishes would not collide for a minute, and there was no sound in between, elegant and dignified.

On the other hand, Xu Beiyou is not rude, but he has nothing to do with an elegant word. They all say that they can't eat or sleep, but Xu Beiyou grew up in the village, and he also had the experience of sitting on the threshold to eat, so naturally he didn't develop this After getting used to it, even Xiao Zhinan broke the unshakable iron rules of the previous 20 years.

As usual, it was Xu Beiyou who took the initiative to speak, and said with a smile: "According to the calculation, I haven't had such a serious meal for more than a year, and I drank a lot of wine. I ate a vegetarian meal in Buddhism today. It can also be regarded as being smeared with the Buddha's compassion and Buddha spirit, so as to eliminate the evil of killing on the body."

Hearing this, Xiao Zhinan put down the rice bowl in her hand. Although she broke her rules of not talking when eating, she still wouldn't speak while chewing. She didn't speak until she swallowed all the rice grains in her mouth, and said, "This is yellow rice. The hair is long, the grains are thicker than white sorghum, and the harvest is less, it is not resistant to floods and droughts. The food is delicious, surpassing all kinds of sorghum. It is known as bamboo root yellow. It can be regarded as a blind medicinal material. Washing with mountain spring water and soaking in snow-capped mountain water from the Buddhist ancestral garden neutralizes the irritability, and then steams it in a pot. Using sandalwood as firewood, it does not produce smoke and at the same time makes the aroma soak into the rice grains. Put a bowl of rice outside, even a thousand taels of silver is hard to find."

Xu Beiyou picked up a few crystal-clear rice grains with his chopsticks, and said, "It costs so much just for rice, let alone these vegetarian dishes. Wouldn't it cost tens of thousands of taels of silver for a meal between you and me?"

Xiao Zhinan put a mouthful of rice into his mouth, chewed it slowly for a long time before swallowing it.

At this moment, she suddenly understood in her heart why her father wanted to get through the Taoist sect back then.In the 21st year of Taiping, the Qinghe River flooded five counties in one breath, and the victims were hundreds of thousands, but the imperial court had no money to relieve the disaster, and asked Xiao Bai to go to Jiangdu to raise money and food.Although the imperial court has tens of millions of taxes every year, there are more places where the imperial court spends money, such as military salaries, weapons and armor, military rations and horses, city embankments, disaster relief food, hundreds of officials' salaries, royal expenses, etc., which do not need money.

The imperial court has no money, and the common people also have no money. If it catches up with a disaster year, there are many people who sell their children and daughters and leave their homes.

The people have no surplus food, and the treasury has no surplus. Where does the money go?

Looking at it today, a Buddhist ancestral home, with nearly ten thousand monks, does not do production, but it can still be so luxurious. It is just a meal, plus bowls, chopsticks, and dishes. I am afraid that it will cost 10,000+ taels of silver. No matter how rich the entire Buddhism is, I am afraid that the Mu family, who has owned the three northeastern states for nearly a hundred years, can't hold a candle to it.

Not to mention the Taoism which is better than Buddhism.

These sects are established in the world, and they are even more powerful than those wealthy families. Not to mention the two Buddhist sects, even the Jianzong, which is far inferior to the past, is also sitting in the south of the Yangtze River with billions of dollars in wealth.

At the beginning, if the father allowed the Daoist sect to continue to expand, it would not be a compliment to be so rich as to rival the country.

Thinking of this, Xiao Zhinan couldn't help but sigh softly.

The number of people in the sect is just a drop in the bucket of the people of the people, but the wealth in their hands can surpass that of the people of the people. Whose fault is this?Is it the court's fault?Is it the sect's fault?Is it the fault of Taoist Buddha who preached?Or is it God's fault?
Xiao Zhinan didn't dare to think about it anymore, her father and brother had already died on the word "Heaven", she didn't want to and dare not repeat the same mistakes.

At this moment, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the abode, and then someone knocked on the door and asked, "Are your Royal Highness the eldest princess and Sect Master Xu here?"

Xu Beiyou put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, got up from the futon, and asked, "Who is it?"

The visitor from outside replied respectfully: "Report to Sovereign Xu, Governor Zha Qingcha has arrived at the temple, and wants to ask to see His Royal Highness the Eldest Princess and Sovereign Xu."

Xu Beiyou turned his head to look at Xiao Zhinan.

It so happened that Xiao Zhinan also looked towards Xu Beiyou.

The two looked at each other, silent.

The people outside the door waited quietly, not daring to say more.

After a while, Xu Beiyou said, "Please ask Governor Zha to come over."

After the person outside the door promised, he immediately turned and left.

Not long after, Zha Qing pushed the door open and entered, first put the wooden box in his arms aside, then knelt down and kowtowed: "The guilty minister Zha Qing kowtows to the regent princess, and kowtows to the elder Xiaoge."

At this time Xiao Zhinan also got up from the futon, went to the chair facing the south and north of the abode and sat down, raised his hand and said, "Dudu Zha, please get up."

Zha Qing promised, stood up slowly, then bowed his head, holding the wooden box with both hands.

Xu Beiyou stepped forward to take the wooden box from Zha Qing's hand, and said warmly, "This time, the governor of the three northeastern states and one capital has been pacified, and the governor of Zha has made great contributions. Please take a seat."

After Zha Qing thanked him, he sat upright without squinting.

Xu Beiyou handed the wooden box to Xiao Zhinan.

Xiao Zhinan didn't pick it up immediately, but looked at Zha Qing, with a slight tremor in his tone, and asked knowingly, "What is this?"

Zha Qing got up immediately and replied: "Reporting to Her Royal Highness, what is contained in the box is...Mu Tangzhi's head."

Zha Qing is a thoughtful person. He knew that Mutang had a close relationship with the Xiao brothers and sisters since he was a child, so he didn't add the phrase "anti-king" at this time, so as not to offend Xiao Zhinan who was hurt by the scene, and he didn't He didn't call him the King of Liao, so as not to appear that he was still remembering his old master and was afraid of the old man of Xiaoge, but he was called Mutang, which is impartial and not offending.

After hearing this, Xiao Zhinan finally showed a sad look on his face, and did not pick up the wooden box.

Since she didn't want to look at it, Xu Beiyou did it for her. He pushed open the lid of the wooden box, and there was a lifelike human head lying in it. Shut up, the corners of the mouth curled up slightly, as if smiling, the entire head has been disposed of, so there is no trace of blood.

Xu Beiyou condensed for a long time, then sighed softly, "Brother Mu, we meet again."

Naturally, the head in the box will not reply.

Then he closed the lid of the box and returned the wooden box to Zha Qing's hands, "It's time to check the governor, please also ask the governor to collect the corpse of King Mu for a proper burial, so as not to hurt Mu's family."

Zha Qing took the wooden box, promised heavily, and then slowly backed away.

After Zha Qing left, Xiao Zhinan said quietly: "There will be no war in Jiangbei from now on."

(End of this chapter)