I, Han Gaozu, actually traveled through Song Gaozong?

Chapter 284 Daxiangguo Temple
Kaifeng Mansion, Daxiangguo Temple.

Since the temple was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty, in the 12th year of Shaoxing, the temple is almost [-] years old.

In the past 600 years, this land has changed countless owners. Since the expansion during the period of Emperor Taizu of this dynasty, the Zhao Guan family of the past dynasties has repeatedly allocated money for construction. By the time of Emperor Shenzong, the Daxiangguo Temple was located in Kaifeng, where every inch of land was precious. The city covers an area of ​​540 acres, is divided into 450 five districts, and has 64 Zen temples under its jurisdiction. It is on the edge of the Imperial Street, with the Imperial City to the north and the Imperial Ancestral Temple to the east... When the Song Dynasty was at its peak, each temple The directors of the hospital are all appointed by Taichang Temple. Speaking of which, this is an errand that earns royal food.

At that time, eminent monks, dignitaries, literati envoys, and ordinary merchants came and went, and it was very lively. There were also Buddhist services, tours, commerce, and entertainment. In the words of Lao Wangtou, Lin'an City was lively enough, right?Not even half as good as Kaifeng!The Daxiangguo Temple is the busiest place in Kaifeng City.Someone once described it, saying that it is "splendid with gold and jade green, clouds and clouds on its face", "thousands of riders, flowing water like a dragon", "it is so magnificent that it deserves to be praised", its grand scene can be seen.

Naturally, during the Jingkang period, everyone in the city was not spared, and was more or less affected. The same was true for the Daxiangguo Temple and its Buddhas. Many gold-plated Bodhisattvas were scratched and their outer layers were scratched. Having said that, many precious scriptures were also brought to the north by the Jin people. If the Jin people didn't recognize the murals Wu Daozi painted on the wall, I'm afraid even the bricks used to make the wall would have to be demolished... Poor those people The Buddhas were all people who had never been involved in farming. They did not have to pay taxes or serve in the Kaifeng Mansion. They were still able to get a lot of money for renting houses and land. They were also treated as spoils of war. With the two emperors His Majesty took them all to the north. No one knows whether they will continue to chant the Buddha's name when they arrive in the north.

The number of people in Kaifeng City now is less than [-]% compared to that of the past. Although Xiangguo Temple has remained, it is indeed much inferior to the grand scene of the past. Moreover, all the land and properties that previously belonged to the temple have belonged to the temple. There are Jin people, Han, Jurchen, and Khitan tribes are mixed in the city, and there are many Taoist priests fighting for food... Anyway, life in this temple is really not easy now. Many times, the masters are even mobilized to go out to beg for alms. Only then can the temples of the five internal organs of the masters be filled.

But today is different. The Daxiangguo Temple today is much more lively.

In those days, on every first and fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year, as well as on every third and eighth day of the year, Daxiangguo Temple would open the temple market, allowing people to come and trade, and the rent collected was quite reasonable, which made many officials who were greedy for money. They put things here for sale, so it had a nickname, "Broken House", so that the Koryo envoy went to see Emperor Shenzong specifically for this matter, hoping that the emperor would allow them, the Koryo people, to I went in and set up a stall, selling ginseng and so on. They said that in the temple market at that time, there was nothing you could not imagine and there was nothing you couldn't buy.

Nowadays, there are fewer people, but the temple market is still open regularly to earn some living money for the Buddhas. Today is the eighth day of May, which happens to be the day when the temple market opens. Birds, cats and dogs, clothes, hats and jewelry, the four treasures of the study, The styles of calligraphy and painting antiques are much smaller, but they are still very rich.

At this time, in front of a stall selling cats, a little novice monk was constantly stroking the heads of the kittens, scratching the chin of the civet cats, and patting the bellies of the tabby cats. The cat hair was all over his body, but he still didn't know. Looking at him, he looked like a playboy who had arrived at a brothel.

The stall owner waited all day without bumping into a customer, and saw that he was dressed in monk's robes. It was difficult to say anything, but seeing that his movements were getting more and more wild, and he was almost crawling into the cage, he finally couldn't help but speak. road:

"Master, if you like it, just write the letter of appointment and just take the cat in. I can also catch the mice that steal sesame oil for you. If you are tired from chanting sutras on weekdays, there is a thing to relieve your boredom, right? . If this raccoon slave is used to your smell if you touch her like this, she may not be able to adapt to it if she goes to another home. This is really unfair to other customers."

People in the Song Dynasty were very particular about raising cats, just like marrying a young wife. Not only did they have to choose a good and auspicious day to welcome the cat, but they also had to prepare a deed to receive the cat, have the gods come to witness it, and finally give a betrothal gift... The vendor said it politely, but that’s what cat owners pay attention to. She’s already given a betrothal gift, so what is she if she’s not a little wife?
It would be uncomfortable for anyone to have their little wife touched like this.

The young monk glanced at him, first put his hands together and said:
"Amitabha, monks are not allowed to marry. The donor asked the young monk to issue a betrothal letter. Isn't he joking with the young monk?"

"This is an important place for Buddhism, so I hope the donors will be careful in what they say."

The vendor choked, waved his hand and said:
"Anyway, just don't touch it anymore. Just watch it from a distance. Watch it for as long as you want. I won't say any unnecessary words."

The young monk saluted him again:
"How can you pick a cat if you don't touch it? How can you keep a cat if you don't pick it?"

"But didn't you say..."

The young monk interrupted him:
"Monks are taboo on marriage and sexual desire, so this young monk really has no shame in treating these cats."

"Then you want to accept it?" The young monk shook his head: "No."

The vendor almost yelled: "If you don't accept it, you can't touch it!"

"How can you pick a cat if you don't touch it? How can you keep a cat if you don't pick it?"

……

The stall owner laughed angrily at him: "Master, isn't this a rogue? Who is your master? Is this how you are taught?"

"Amitabha, Daoji, don't mess around!"

The great monk Fohai appeared behind the young monk in time, knocked him on the head gently, and apologized to the stall owner.

Then he took Xiao Daoji and walked outside.

"You are becoming more and more casual now. Being casual is good, but you have to stick to your heart."

"I know." In just one year, Daoji has grown a lot taller. Although he is only 13 years old, he looks like a person of seventeen or eighteen years old.

"I saw that he had no business, so I talked to him to tease him and tell him not to be so boring."

"You must be bored."

Fohai immediately pointed out his apprentice's lies, but Daoji said very seriously:
"It's really for him, not for me."

"That's all." Fohai was also used to Daoji's style. "Five days from now, it will be Jialan Bodhisattva's Christmas. We will have to come again then. You need to be careful and don't be as willful as you are today. But for."

"Master," Daoji did not agree to him, but asked, "Have you made an agreement with them?"

"It's agreed," Fo Hai lowered his eyelids, "No matter what, this is a place that Zhao Guan's family can't control for the time being. We must be careful in everything we do."

(End of this chapter)