Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 613 The Queen Mother leaves and returns

North Hill,

Jing'an Temple,
The Queen Mother and the Queen Mother led a group of people to the top of the mountain long ago, but looking at the temple, everything was quiet, not even a Zhike monk was seen.

The mountain gate was empty, and I felt something was wrong. I stopped and said to Queen Jiang Yuqing,
"Don't worry, follow the Ai family and wait a moment for Marquis Luo Yun and Feng Jianshi. What's going on at the foot of the mountain? Are there any rebels coming?"

"Back to the Queen Mother, the rebel army at the foot of the mountain seems to have been defeated by the soldiers and horses under the command of Luo Yunhou. I saw from the hillside that the people of the Marquis have already reached the other side, so they should be fine."

Imperial City Guard Jianshi Ma Mengquan stood on one side and reported. Although he could not see clearly the specific situation below the mountain, Luo Yunhou's men were so elite that it would not be difficult to deal with their traitors.

"That's good, just wait a while, don't be in a hurry."

The Queen Mother was leaning on crutches and stopped at the mountain gate. Many married women in the capital did not dare to say anything, as they could not get into trouble with the Queen Mother, either because she was too tired.

After waiting for a long time,
Zhang Jinyu and the others led the troops to the middle of the mountain. They were exhausted and out of breath. Even though the mountain was not high, climbing it was really tiring.

"Master Hou, we're almost there. We're almost at the top of the mountain."

With Ning Bian's reminder, Zhang Jinyu raised his head and looked up. There were still figures a hundred or so steps away, but his legs were still a little trembling and sore.

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Zhang Jinyu had just come up and had no time to look at the so-called Jing'an Temple. When he looked forward, he saw that the spacious temple and the magnificent buildings gave off a faint golden light in the mist. That was the light reflected by the golden tiles in the main hall. Good guy, it's worthy of the praise. It is the number one temple in the world.

Just a sound,
On the top of the mountain, everyone's eyes were focused on the steps. They saw a group of soldiers and horses rushing up. Luo Yunhou's left arm was wrapped in brocade cloth, and there were blood stains on his body. There were actually several clusters of broken arrows stuck in his body. The soldiers behind him Not to mention, it looked like they had been through a bloody battle, and some people's faces were covered in blood.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, you will know if there is anything inside Jing'an Temple. Anyone who comes, please go in and search!"

This is not bragging. Outside the customs, all armor-piercing arrows are used. If someone is really nailed, they will still be pulled out with flesh and blood. Especially the Jurchens' riding arrows, with their horse-speed arrows, have extremely strong penetrating power. .

But as soon as the Queen Mother said this, the frightened ladies in the capital early in the morning were like frightened birds.

"We'll discuss this later. How are you doing?"

"Back to the Queen Mother, my minor injury is much better than outside the customs."

Only others have not seen it, eyes full of worry,
"My lord, Zhang Jinyu paid homage to the Queen Mother and the empress. The bandits at the foot of the mountain fled on their own. I am useless. I only saw a few corpses and one living person. Queen Mother, this matter is not simple."

Seeing everyone gasped, especially Qin Keqing, tears welled up in distressed eyes. He wanted to go up to check, but was grabbed by Mrs. Wang. Mrs. Wang was also nervous, thinking that her son was injured, but after a closer look , the broken arrowheads left on the body were all hanging on it. The blood stains on the faces of the soldiers behind them left finger prints. Obviously they were not their own, but they looked like they were touched by themselves. This made something strange. The two girls Yueshu I also saw it.

The Queen Mother did not say what she was thinking just now, for fear of causing a disturbance. After all, there was an ambush at the foot of the mountain, and no one knew what was on the mountain. But when she saw Marquis Luo Yun coming with troops, she no longer had any worries.

"Once you get there, don't be anxious and don't let any flaws slip. This arrow can't be wasted."

But there was no one around, and there was no movement in the temple. The monks who were eating fast and chanting Buddha seemed to be nowhere to be seen, not to mention the abbot and abbot came out to greet them. It was obviously different from usual.
Just when everyone was looking at the temple, Zhang Jinyu secretly looked in the direction of Mrs. Wang and Qin Keqing. Seeing several people's eyes looking this way, Zhang Jinyu grinned and shook his head. Qin Keqing then smiled and said, "It's okay." Mr. Lang is fine.

After a while,

The Queen Mother looked at Zhang Jinyu's left arm with concern. There were some dried blood on the brocade cloth wrapped around it. There was actually a look of distress in the Queen Mother's eyes.

The soldiers around him nodded, and Zhang Jinyu led the people to continue climbing without any further delay.

One of the Forbidden Soldiers shouted,
"Report, Marquis Luo Yun is here."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

A flash of light flashed in the Queen Mother's eyes. She was still alive. She didn't know whether it was true or not. This boy was really fierce. He dared to kill even if he was ambushed. He was indeed a natural-born general. How could those soldiers be compared with Marquis Luo Yun? There was a huge difference.

"Since I have nothing to do, I am accompanying the Ai family to Jing'an Temple to offer incense. It's a bit strange. Why is the temple so quiet? It shouldn't be."

The sound of dull footsteps sounded, and the soldiers under his command rushed towards the temple with long swords. Just after passing the mountain gate and heading towards the temple gate, there were two figures blocking the way inside the main entrance of the temple. They saw a large number of people. Soldiers come,

Master Wuxin explained the name of the Buddha,
"Amitabha, Buddhism is a kind place, and evil things do not need to enter the temple."

The leading captain didn't care so much and wanted to break in, but Wuxin Chan used his strength to knock down the leading captain. The others immediately drew their weapons, scaring Fa Jing to the point where he broke out in cold sweat. This scene happened to be Zhang Jinyu, who was rushed over, saw

"Wait a minute and do it."

"Master Hou, he is an old monk."

"I saw this, put away the knives."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Zhang Jinyu was confused, why did this old monk look so familiar? Even though they were both bald, they always felt like they had seen him before before, but the young monk next to him looked unfamiliar. In doubt, Master Wuxin took a step forward.
"Amitabha, I have met the Marquis. The Marquis is fine and his demeanor remains the same."

Hearing the old monk say this, it meant that he had met him before and was an acquaintance. Zhang Jinyu stared at this person and couldn't figure out where he had met him.

"May I ask the interpreter where we have met?"

Master Wu Xin was unhurried and had a smile on his face. He stroked the white monk's clothes and said with a smile,

"The Marquis is a noble man who often forgets things. The poor monk once met the Marquis at Hanshan Temple in the south of the Yangtze River. Now that we meet him, it is also the guidance of the Buddha."

Jiangnan, Hanshan Temple?
Zhang Jinyu thought about it for a moment, and it was true that he was the one behind the old monk, Abbot Xuanci. That was not right. There was Jiangnan and the capital. How could he change places as a monk?

"It's hard to say whether it's because of the Buddha's advice or not. I recognize you, so tell me. If you don't stay in Jiangnan, why are you here?"

"Amitabha, Lord Marquis, the master of the poor monk is Xuan Nan, the abbot of Jing'an Temple. It is also appropriate to return to the temple now. Why did he stay in Jiangnan."

Master Wuxin explained that although the explanation was clear, Zhang Jinyu still had questions in his mind, but it was not appropriate at the moment, so he asked no more questions.
"In this case, the Queen Mother came here to offer incense. Why was there no one in the temple to greet her? Where did the abbot go?"

This is the main thing. Since the Queen Mother is offering incense, why not finish the incense offering?
"Amitabha, today, the poor monk, the master, has gone to the Western Heaven to serve the Buddha. Now the poor monk is the abbot of Jing'an Temple. The Queen Mother offers incense, and the poor monk, master and disciple, are accompanying them all the way, and they have nothing to do with the rest."

Zhang Jinyu didn't understand for a while what it meant to go to the West to serve the Buddha. It suddenly occurred to him that after the abbot of the temple passed away, he not only went to the West, but also today, thinking about the sound of the bell,
"In that case, it's okay to put the knife away and the interpreter to get out of the way. Don't slack off on your guard duty."

Seeing that the Marquis understood what he meant, Master Wuxin gave way and the soldiers in front of him rushed in. After waiting for a while, his lieutenant came to report, "Master Marquis, there is no one in the temple."

"Okay, in that case, please explain, please."

Zhang Jinyu led Master Wuxin to the Queen Mother.

"Your Majesty, unfortunately today, Master Xuannan, the abbot of Jing'an Temple, has passed away, so his disciple Wuxin Chan Master will accompany him in offering incense, so everything is kept simple."

The Queen Mother did not criticize too much. Birth, old age, illness and death are determined by fate. No one knows when the destiny will come.

"That's not the case with the Ai family. Keep things simple. Go and offer incense first and pray to the Buddha for good weather in Dawu. Let's go."

After the Queen Mother finished speaking,
He led everyone forward slowly. There were green trees on both sides of the avenue. At the end of the avenue, an antique temple appeared in front of them. The blue door was clearly visible, and the carved mythical beasts and dragon patterns looked exquisite and gorgeous.

The door was open, and there was silence inside.

Entering the temple gate,
The ground paved with bluestones is spotless, and a huge statue of Maitreya Buddha stands among them with a kind expression.

There is also a lotus pond under the seat with clear water. On the front is the Mahavira Hall. On both sides of the inner hall are gorgeous glazed tiles, hanging hook paintings and exquisite murals, which are breathtaking. The golden body of Buddha is sitting on the lotus throne, and the Buddha's light is ethereal. , looking solemn and solemn.

It is indeed the best temple in the world. This scenery cannot be compared to Hanshan Temple.

"It's been a long time since I've been here, and it's still the same. The Ai family remembers that there used to be goldfish in this pond."

The Queen Mother stood by the pool, looking at the clear water in the pool, as if she was nostalgic. That was the scene when she and the Prince came together. Now things have changed, the scenery remains the same, but her beloved son is nowhere to be seen.

"When I return to the Queen Mother, I have fish raised, and now they have been released into the lake at the back of the mountain."

Master Wu Xin put his hands together and explained. The Queen Mother listened and murmured;
"That's fine, being trapped here is like a cage."

Everyone continued to move forward and went to the Main Hall.
Without deliberately making a big show of it, the Queen Mother just took some incense, lit it for the Buddha, and then went to the apse. Then the Queen Mother also picked up a bunch of incense and lit it.

In this gap, I arrived at a candlestick in the apse. The old lady beside the Queen Mother skillfully took out a brocade cloth from the base on the third row of the candlestick and stuffed it into her sleeve. Seeing no one around, she walked to Beside the Queen Mother,
"Master, I got it,"

"Yeah. Regardless of whether it's true or not, it's a pain for that girl. Although it's inconvenient to meet, the Ai family agreed to her request."

"Yes, master."

As the Queen Mother nodded, the old nanny took out a black cloth strip from her sleeve, stuffed it into the base of the original candlestick, and then carefully returned to the Queen Mother. Everything was fine.
In the eyes of outsiders, the Queen Mother was just reminiscing about the scene. Even the Queen Mother, who had been paying attention to the Queen Mother's actions, did not notice anything wrong with the Queen Mother. After offering incense, she also went to the back hall and walked around. No difference,

"Chunhe, have you found anything?"

"Go back to your Majesty, there is nothing strange."

Chunhe looked around at the surrounding interiors. Apart from the lit candlesticks and the murals on the walls, there was nothing different.

Empress Jiang was confused as to why the Queen Mother had spent so much effort to come here just to offer incense. Also, where the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue was, no one could see her.

Thinking of how quiet the temple was, not a single monk was seen, and she was nowhere to be seen.

at this time,

Both the Queen Mother and the Empress had already offered incense, and the ladies of the capital were relieved and rushed to offer incense to the Buddha to bless him. Qin Keqing also followed the others, lit a bunch of incense, knelt in front of the Buddha, and wished his husband a safe life. A child, after reciting it secretly, kowtowed respectfully,

Only the two daughters, Mrs. Wang and Yueshu behind them, were unmoved. No one paid attention to them despite the crowd. Mother Jia and Wang Xifeng were not left behind either. They knelt there with indescribable piety and no one knew what they wished for.

The old lady of Rongguo Mansion, with the support of Yuanyang, took a bunch of red incense, lit it and inserted it into the incense burner. She knelt on the ground and muttered something spiritual. She thought it was to pray for peace and bless Ningguo Mansion and Jia. Nothing happened at home. If you were close, you could hear that the old lady actually protected the Jia family from losing their titles.

As for Wang Xifeng beside him, he also lit a large bunch of incense and carefully inserted it into the incense burner. Then he knelt on the futon and kowtowed respectfully. He also muttered some words there. He thought he had made a wish and got up. Unexpectedly, Wang Xifeng turned around and took another bunch of incense, lit it, put it into the incense burner again, and said directly,

"Buddha bless you, and the women of the common people wish Jia Lian a safe journey. It's best to achieve military merit and become a general."

After bowing three times, he stood up and carefully came to Jia Mu's side.

"I have made a wish,"

"Um,"

"Just agree. This Jing'an Temple is a thousand-year-old temple. It is said to be quite efficacious. I have to give it a try after all. I know what you are thinking. I hope so."

Jia Mu seemed to have read through Wang Xifeng's thoughts and comforted her, which made Feng girl feel relieved and comforted. However, when she looked back, her aunt, Mrs. Wang, did not kowtow. For some reason, it seemed that her aunt had always disliked Buddhism and Taoism. Home.

All this was seen by Zhang Jinyu outside the palace. He looked around, but there was no movement. Let alone the eldest princess, he could not even see a monk. Maybe he had guessed wrong.

"Master Marquis, the general has taken people to see the surrounding halls. There is nothing strange."

It was Ningbian who spoke. Just when the Queen Mother offered incense, Zhang Jinyu ordered Ningbian to search around with people to see if there was anything fishy, ​​especially a woman. Now it seems that she really didn't come. That would be strange. .

"Where did those monks go?"

"Going back to the Marquis, all the monks in the temple are in the back mountain, chanting sutras for the abbot to see him off. The general took people to see them, but no woman was seen among them."

"That's weird."

Just when Zhang Jinyu couldn't figure it out, the Queen Mother actually sent a message and set off back to the capital.

Let everyone be stunned,
Zhang Jinyu saw that the eunuch who conveyed the message was not lying, so she could only believe that the Queen Mother really came to offer incense.

The group of people went down Beishan again, escorted by soldiers and horses from various ministries. However, the excitement on everyone's faces was no longer the same as before they arrived. They seemed to be a little confused and confused. After all, it was not easy to come out once, and they didn't take a good look.

Zhang Jinyu felt the same, looked at the silent interpreter Wu Xin, and asked accidentally,
"Now I should be called Abbot Wuxin. I dare to ask Abbot what is the difference between the temples in the capital and Hanshan Temple!"

(End of this chapter)