Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 607: This road is strange
"When, when, when, when, when"

after all,

Under the instruction of Master Wu Xin, the bells of Jing'an Temple rang nine times again after many years.

The dull and melodious sound of the bell floated from Beishan to the surroundings, and immediately spread throughout the surroundings, startling countless birds, and there was an artistic conception of silence in it.

inside the temple,
All the disciples got up and began to arrange rituals in the back mountain to see the abbot off.

The main hall in front, as well as the monk who was in charge of receiving guests, were all cleared out by Master Wuxin. Only he was left, along with his disciple Fajing, wearing clean plain monk's robes, a rosary, and a string of Buddhist beads in his hands, and nothing else.

Although the monks had doubts, they did not ask any more questions, thinking that the abbot had his own profound meaning.

The two masters and apprentices walked along the bluestone road of the Zen Temple to the gate of Jing'an Temple, and waited quietly for the people from the court. They thought they were about to arrive, and they didn't know what the eldest princess in the back mountain would do.

"Master, why do you arrange it like this? Didn't the abbot just say that he wants you to make good friends with the royal family to reduce the disaster? Although the disciple is stupid, he still knows that the opportunity is rare, so why did you arrange it like this?"

Fajing Wang Zijin looked at the empty temples around him. There was not even a novice monk there. Was he a bit neglectful of the powerful people? How could he resolve the crisis if the Queen Mother was angry?
"Idiot, the disaster is in our Buddhist monasteries all over the world. It cannot be resolved by relying on the charity of the court. We must make peace with it as it comes. Do you still remember Marquis Luo Yun when he was in the south of the Yangtze River?"

Master Wuxin shook his head again and said the Buddha's name,
"Amitabha, how can we resolve the reincarnation of cause and effect? ​​What the Wang family did in the past was the cause, and the annihilation of the family was the result. My acceptance of the Wang family's incense and fire was the cause, and your entry into my family was the result. The Wang family's consequences Such an end is deserved.

The last stroke is like the finishing touch, making the words on the desk come alive, "What is the way of heaven!" The energy of these four words is gathered together, with the strength of a man and the weakness of a woman, and it is indescribable. camaraderie.

Seeing Ning Bian explaining there, Zhang Jinyu's curiosity became more and more serious. Good guy, it is actually a secret realm, and the treasures in the back mountain are not fake at all.

Yu Lan had a wry smile on her face, it was the first time she met such a difficult master.

Today is mainly to protect the Queen Mother and the Queen Mother. If there is no chance, I will go again tomorrow and be sure not to be seen by the Queen Mother and Queen Mother. I heard that the eldest princess and the Queen will not deal with them, and I don’t know whether it is true or not.
And in the carriage ahead,

How could the bells of Jing'an Temple not be heard? Zhang Jinyu was riding a horse and was quite curious. It seemed that all temples had a big bell. Whether the sound was dull or loud, it must be a big bell made of copper. The temple was too fat. , After all, Dawu was short of copper, and this copper bell cost at least hundreds of thousands taels of silver.

Zhang Jinyu looked at the mountains in the distance. The lush and green Beishan Mountain was hidden in the clouds and mist, like a fairyland. The temple was on the top of the mountain, so it was naturally difficult to see clearly. However, the outline of the palace disappeared and appeared, and there was a cave in the sky.

Only the two Yueshu girls beside him understood the meaning. The two girls looked at each other, took out daggers from the cabinet behind them, and put them in the hidden pockets of their sleeves.

Only the woman in red knelt on the ground and said nothing.

The Queen Mother's squinted eyes suddenly opened, and after a moment she asked,

As if the lake in his heart had returned to calmness, Fajing silently followed the interpreter without saying a word.

Zhou Xiangxue picked up the seal and stamped it on the rice paper, then gently put down the ink pen, looked at the woman kneeling on the ground, and asked softly,

And at the foot of Beishan,

"Why are there nine bells ringing from Jing'an Temple? It's inconsistent with etiquette."

There was a sigh, then silence again.

"Master Marquis, it is also possible. I heard that hundreds of households in the Imperial City Division went to Jing'an Temple overnight to write a letter to Abbot Xuan Nan. I think they are preparing to welcome him."

"Back to the Queen Mother, I think you are here today. Jing'an Temple has been here for almost ten years, and no one from the royal family has gone there, so I understand that the etiquette is a bit strict,"

The old lady beside her opened the curtain and looked outside. She saw many soldiers and armors, but there was nothing strange around her. Then she lowered the curtain and replied,

"I know, let's go again when we have a chance."

Zhang Jinyu didn't think about the temple either. She always remembered the place where the eldest princess lived in seclusion. If she passed by Maple Leaf Valley, she would have to take a look or visit the eldest princess and meet this famous highness.

On the official road not far to the south,

"That's true, it's been ten years, time flies so fast, hey."

"What's going on? Could it be that the abbot of Jing'an Temple knew that the Queen Mother was coming today, so he rang the bell in advance to welcome her."

"Yu Lan, why are you kneeling!"

Only Mrs. Wang's face looked strange. The bell did not sound like a welcome to the Queen Mother, but rather something desolate. Could it be that something had changed in Jing'an Temple?

"It's too domineering. He is such a talented person among the nobles. Well, he is a killer!"

But it’s also strange that the bell is ringing before anyone arrives;

"Master Marquis, Maple Leaf Valley is at the back of Beishan, and we have to take a detour. There is a waterfall and lake behind Beishan, which is where the palace is located, so if you want to get there, you still have to go some distance."

"Your Highness, Marquis Luo Yun said that if I say that I am not worthy, then I am not worthy. Ningguo Mansion is a bunch of stinky shrimps and rotten fish. Anyone who helps him is an enemy of this Marquis. When this servant hears this, the Marquis is determined to add insult to injury. , I just accepted it if I had no choice.”

Beishan Maple Leaf Valley,
The eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue, who was recuperating here, was writing in the study, and in front of the desk, a copy of the copybook slowly appeared, vigorous and heroic.

Ning Bian sat on the horse, listened carefully to the bell, and counted it carefully. The bell rang nine times in total. Nine is the number of extremes. Isn't this too grand?
"Though those monks are knowledgeable, they just don't know where Maple Leaf Valley is, a stunning summer resort that is rumored to be popular in the capital."

"Yes, master."

"Oh, you are talking about Marquis Luo Yun. He is a huge variable. Things in the world are unpredictable. They are not static after all. What did he say?"

As for the other carriages, the ladies of each palace were sitting nervously in the carriages, thinking of having a word with the Queen Mother or the Empress.

The woman in red kneeling on the ground is Yu Lan, the chief shopkeeper of the Red House in Beijing. She looks tired at this time, and the rouge on her face is somewhat spread out. Yishui's hair is even more messy. She obviously came in a hurry.
"Go back to the master, this slave has made the decision without authorization. Regarding the affairs of Ningguo Mansion, this slave has given in."

On the other hand, the corner of the eldest princess' lips curled up. Only Marquis Luo Yun could be so domineering among Ningguo Mansion. The Jia family was so powerful back then, but when it entered his mouth, it turned into rotten fish. She shook her head.

Although Qin Keqing was a little confused, he didn't speak slowly and responded.

; "Yes, mother."

Master Wuxin asked. Fa Jing suddenly fell silent and looked at the master intently. How could he not remember that although he was not raised in the Wang family, he was the legitimate son of the Wang family. The Wang family was wiped out. How could he not remember the culprit? The culprit, Marquis Luo Yun, seemed to be a little resentful, but also seemed to be relieved. His face turned ferocious, and then he quickly lowered his head.
"I understand. How can we forget the hatred of genocide?"

Everything must be paid back. Let go of the obsessions in your heart and return to my Buddha. This is the great path and the tranquility of the Dharma. Remember this. "

"But Qing, don't rush there when you get there, just stay with me and wait."

No wonder Zhou Xiangxue said that Marquis Luo Yun was a talented killer. He had only been in the capital for a short time. Counting Jiangnan officials, more people had died at his hands than the new emperor had killed in the years since he ascended the throne.

Just thinking,

I saw the maid Liu Yue running in with a panic look on her face, and saw Sister Yu kneeling on the ground. Although she had questions, she didn't dare to ask, so she could only kneel on the ground side by side.
"Your Highness, Master Xuannan, the abbot of Jing'an Temple, has passed away."

"what!"

The eldest princess suddenly raised her head and looked at Liu Yue who was kneeling on the ground. She couldn't believe it. She thought of the desolation and anger when she was just driven out of the capital. Only Master Xuannan used Buddhist teachings to enlighten her. This scene seemed like it happened yesterday. Just go.

Could it be that the bell just sounded was a farewell tribute.

"Where is Master Xuannan now?"

"It is said that it is in the back mountain, and the golden body is ready to sit on the altar, and"

Just when Liu Yue was about to say something, she was stopped by Zhou Xiangxue.
"The two of you change into plain clothes and accompany me to bid farewell to the Holy Master. This can be regarded as my last condolence."

"But Your Highness, the Empress Dowager's chariot is about to arrive. Let's go at this time." Some words were difficult to say clearly. Liu Yue was a little anxious. She had been preparing for this day for many days, but Zhou Xiangxue didn't seem to hear her. She turned back and went into the inner hall to change clothes. , the two were helpless, got up and left together.

Anshui South Bank Ferry,

The soldiers and horses from the two counties of Hedong and Hexi finally crossed the river and arrived at the south bank. Peng Shiying and Leshi looked at the mess of people and horses. They didn't know who was whose soldier. They were crowded together in confusion, making it impossible to unload the baggage of the ferry. They were in a hurry. yelled,
"Mom, what do the generals at the camp head do for food? Look at the chaos. If we get to Jingnan, we have no choice but to run away."

"Second brother, don't worry. I just got off the boat and I'm still confused and confused. Let's light up the camp's flag. Once we see it, we'll know how to come over."

Leshi stood at the bow of the boat and couldn't see clearly who was whose. The soldiers who came first didn't know where they were, so they could only make up their minds.

"You lead the troops down now, raise the flag, go south, and gather the soldiers there."

"Yes, second brother."

Then he looked at Dong Dawang of Hexi County who got off the boat first. He was sitting on his horse looking at the mess. His face was dark and ugly. He thought that the soldiers of Hedong County were not as good as him. But now he saw that he was half-assed. He yelled a few times, but no one answered him.

"General, we can't delay any longer. At the end of the day, it's better for the general to lead the camp flag to the southwest, separate from General Peng, and gather under his command."

"Yeah! It works."

At this time, Dong Dawang also saw that Peng Shiying's general flag had moved south. Knowing what he was thinking, he suddenly said,
"Li Zhe, lead the soldiers around you over there, and then blow the trumpet to let those bastards hear clearly. Anyone who doesn't obey the order will be punished with twenty sticks."

"Yes, General, I will take your orders."

Li Zhe took the order and moved southwest with his troops. Then, the horn sounded,

"Ohh Ohh ohh!"

As the trumpet sounded, all the soldiers stopped their panic steps and looked around. The sharp-eyed ones saw the general's flag and shouted,

"The general is over there."

Then the soldiers from Hexi County swarmed away. On the contrary, the soldiers from Hedong County chased the flag towards General Peng, and then separated the chaotic dock soldiers.

Although the chaotic situation was resolved, the sound of the horn was heard.

Zhang Jinyu, who was on the official road in the south, was shocked again. Good guy, the sounds came one after another. Just now, the bells were ringing, and now, the horns were ringing. What's going on?

"The whole army listens to the order, stop!"

"The Marquis has an order, stop."

"The Marquis has an order, stop."

The ordering soldiers quickly rushed to the front army to convey the order.
immediately,

The advancing convoy stopped one after another, and the leading general, Duan Hong, was on guard at the front.

"Master Hou, what did you find?"

"Well, something feels wrong. There are bells and horns. Why is it so lively on this official road?"

Zhang Jinyu rode a horse and led people to a mound at the east end of the official road. He stood on a high place and looked ahead. There was some hazy fog. Although the fog was thin, it affected the line of sight. In this way, it was impossible to see Qing, naturally there are doubts in my heart.

"Have you explored the road ahead?"

"Go back to Lord Marquis and check it out. There is nothing strange."

"Well, let Duan Hong lead the three thousand people to clear the way first and go straight to the foot of Beishan to guard on the spot. We will go over later."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ningbian accepted the order, and then asked the soldiers behind him to pass the message,

Zhang Jinyu went to the Queen Mother's residence.

As soon as the procession stopped, the noble lady in the carriage couldn't sit still. She opened the curtain and looked around, but she couldn't see anything strange.
The Queen Mother sat firmly in the carriage, feeling it as soon as the carriage stopped, and asked;
"What's going on? Why did it stop?"

"Go back to the Queen Mother. This is an order from Marquis Luo Yun. Just now there seemed to be a horn sound from ahead."

The grandmother beside her listened carefully, vaguely heard it, and replied.

It's just that the Queen Mother is old and her ears are a little deaf, so she didn't pay attention. After thinking about it, there was a horn sound ahead, which must be an army gathering. However, after thinking about it, except for Luo Yunhou's soldiers, the capital did not send most of the imperial troops out of the city. ah.

"Since there is a problem, ask Luo Yunhou what happened."

"Yes, Queen Mother."

The old grandma responded and prepared to get up. Outside the window, Zhang Jinyu and others had already arrived and replied,

"To report to the Queen Mother, I'm here. I just heard the sound of a horn coming from the direction of Beishan. I thought I should be more careful, so I sent the cavalry over first to be on guard. After a while, I will set off immediately without delaying the Queen Mother's incense ceremony."

"Well, the Ai family can rest assured that Marquis Luo Yun is doing something, but what if something unexpected happens ahead."

The Queen Mother couldn't help but worry, she hadn't been outside the city for a long time, and she was followed by all the ladies of the court. If something happened, the whole world would be in an uproar.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I can deal with it no matter it is there or not. The eight thousand elite men under my command can kill anything."

Zhang Jinyu was not modest either. After finding out the elite combat power of each army, he didn't pay attention to the ordinary soldiers at all. That kind of confidence and publicity made the Queen Mother feel at ease.

"That's good."

With the Queen Mother, Zhang Jinyu couldn't really wait too long. After seeing that the back of the former army was a little blurry, he continued to shout,

"move on."

"The Marquis has orders, keep moving forward."

"The Marquis has orders, keep moving forward."

The messenger went to deliver the order again, but the general leading the way was replaced by Yingbian.

"Sister, Luo Yunhou's soldiers are so arrogant now. They dare to go there with only three thousand people. When I heard the horn sound, I didn't know how many people were there."

Princess Dong was from a small family, but entering Prince Dong's Mansion opened her eyes. In her early years in Jiangnan, she had seen military formations.

Princess Zhen glanced at Mr. Bian and said with a smile,

"That's what my sister said, but Luo Yunhou's subordinates are arrogant. They also have the capital of arrogance. During the great competition in the capital, they overwhelmed all the soldiers and horses. Even if there were a lot of soldiers in front, this is the boundary of the capital. There are also soldiers and horses of the imperial court. Sister, think about it. ”

"you,"

Bian suddenly wanted to get angry. He couldn't get the upper hand even after speaking several times. He was not as good as others but he was humiliating himself.

"My sister is so eloquent, I admire her!"

(End of this chapter)