Emperor Yongzheng

Chapter Seven
A light knock on the door awakened Wu Sidao, but when he stood up to listen, there was no movement, only the sound of the wind and rain outside the window.Wu Sidao thought it was a deaf mistake, and was about to go back to sleep when he knocked on the door again.

"Who?"

There was no answer, but the knocker rang twice more.Wu Sidao put on his clothes and stood up. As soon as he opened the door a crack, a dark figure flashed in. He turned around and closed the door again.Wu Sidao opened his eyes wide, but the room was too dark and he couldn't see anything clearly.Wu Sidao chuckled secretly and said, "Why are you acting like this? I am a person who has experienced many hardships and has seen everything."

"it's me……"

The man said something timidly.There was a flash of blue light outside, and the lightning shone in the sky, Wu Sidao saw it clearly, it was a woman!He suddenly felt the blood rushing all over his body, wishing to hit him with a crutch, and said viciously: "You?! Jin Fenggu—get out!"

"I'm not Feng Gu." The man seemed surprised in the dark, and he spoke for a long time, but his voice was a little choked up: "I'm... Feng Gu's stepmother—you must still remember Lancao'er, right?"

Wu Sidao opened his mouth wide in surprise, and sat back on the edge of the bed.Lancao'er is my aunt's dowry girl, and she often came to serve her in Nanjing.Sometimes Wu Sidao and Feng Gu played the piano and recited poems, and she often watched with her needlework dazed.I came to the Jin Mansion all day today, but I didn't see her show up. She sneaked into the room at this time, and the reason is self-evident.Thinking about it, Wu Sidao said gloomily: "Seniors are orderly, men and women are different, you are overthinking things. Today, God knows what you know and I know. Don't say anything, just go!"

"Mr. Wu," Lan Cao'er said, her face could not be seen in the dark, "I am a serious person, and I will not... If you are in trouble, I have to leave immediately!" Wu Sidao's hair stood up all over his body, and he almost wanted to stand up in a state of forgetfulness. He stood up and said after a while: "Why am I in danger?" Lan Cao'er was so anxious that she didn't know what to say, "I don't have time to explain in detail! I can't explain it clearly in just one car! The old dead ghost and the party have decided to send you off at dawn. Shuntian Mansion, I want to be treated as an imperial prisoner..."

Wu Sidao was thinking nervously, he couldn't figure out why this woman did this, so he couldn't tell whether her words were true or not.After a long while, he gritted his teeth and said with a smile: "I will send you to Shuntian Mansion, which is also a place where there are royal laws. The Empress Dowager passed away, and the imperial court gave me an amnesty. How can I get rid of me?" Lan Cao'er was stunned by him, sobbed for a long time and said: "I know you can't believe it... I'm an unclean person... The world is dangerous, and the Shuntian Fucheng is the master's brother; Master Longkodo is also a relative of the Eighth Prince! How can there be any reason? You...you don't believe me...how good..." Before she finished speaking, Wu Sidao had already set up his crutches and said in a low voice: "Don't you Said, I will leave immediately!"

"Amitabha!" Lan Cao'er recited the Buddha, and gently opened the door, a gust of rain swept in, causing Wu Sidao to shiver, but Lan Cao'er let out a sigh of relief, flashed out of the door, and raised his head Looking at the sky with lightning, he waved his hand and said, "Follow me!"

Wu Sidao was soaked as soon as he went out. With difficulty, he used his crutches to follow the erratic figure of Lancao'er, around the hall, and tiptoed through the west flower hall into the garden. He brushed the water on the path between the flowers and walked past a pavilion. Seeing a dark corner door in front of her, Lan Cao'er stopped and took out a bunch of keys and tried them one by one.After a long time, Fang heard a "squeak" sound and the door opened.When Wu Sidao came out to take a look, there was a deserted countryside outside. Lightning flashed one after another, shining like daylight. There was a roar of thunder, lightning, wind and rain all around, turning the world into a chaotic world.Wu Sidao looked up to the sky, sighed, and walked away.

"Wu—Mr. Wu!"

"What?" Wu Sidao asked without turning his head.

"Do you have any money?"

One word reminded Wu Sidao: I didn't take the bag.After thinking for a while, she said: "No." Lan Cao'er groped in her bosom, handed over a bag, and said: "This is for me, the matter is too urgent, I haven't had time to prepare, you... don't dislike... Wu Sidao took the silver in a daze, and the silver was still warm, carrying the body heat of Lancao'er, and a wave of heat like blood surged up.Just as she was about to speak, Lancaoer asked again: "Where are you going? Is there somewhere to go?"

"I don't know." Wu Sidao stared blankly at the sky, shook his head and said, "Let's go and see!"

"Someone from Siye's residence has come to inquire about you, you should go to him." Lan Cao'er said softly, "You...are disabled, have no relatives, and someone in the capital harmed you, I am afraid that only Siye can protect you well .”

Wu Sidao glanced at Lancao'er in surprise, and his heart moved. He thought of the steady and steady "emperor merchant" in Hongqiao Restaurant. He didn't expect that he was the emperor's elder brother Yin, and he didn't expect that he was always thinking about him!Thinking about it, he murmured: "...This is fate..." "What did you say?" Lan Cao'er asked. "I didn't say anything." Wu Sidao came back to his senses, stared at Lancao'er and asked, "I want to know, why did you save me?"

"..."

"Do you want me to guess forever?"

"Mr. Wu..."

"Well, huh?"

"I...I am the most shameless... miserable woman in the world." Lan Cao'er sobbed, almost letting out her voice, "You...you...can you...kiss me?"

There was another thunderous sound, and the wheels circled above the two of them as if they were running over a stone bridge.Wu Sidao remained silent and came closer to take a closer look at Lan Cao'er's face.When the lightning shines down, it seems that she is still as charming, innocent and foolish as she was ten years ago.He didn't say anything, but gave her a deep kiss on her wet cheek, and said softly: "Smash this lock, go back and collect my robe..." After that, he turned around and disappeared into the vast rainy night.

Wu Sidao walked with one foot high and one foot low through the deserted basil. He passed a section of mass graves, then went around a pond full of reeds, then descended from the official road and gradually entered the street.He really wanted to calm down and think about what happened at night and what to do now, but the rain was too heavy and his heart was too confused. An almost numb dullness clung to his heart, and he didn't know where the energy came from in his body. You have to go fast—it seems best to just keep going until you die.Suddenly three dull cannon shots were heard in the rain, and Wu Sidao realized that it was Gongchentai telling the time. It was already midnight in Zizheng.He wiped his rain-covered forehead and looked forward. A row of lights flickered faintly in the rain curtain.When I got closer, I saw that it was an ancient temple. The mountain gate had flying eaves, hanging brackets and painted arches, which was very spectacular.In the center is a large clay gold plaque with a coiled dragon, which reads "Edict to build Dajue Temple". Four huge white gauze palace lanterns hang under the eaves, swaying miserably in the wind, but there is no sound, except in the temple. There was a faint sound of drums and cymbals chanting.Wu Sidao walked from the rainy ground to the temple gate and entered a populated area. He stepped on the dry brick floor, as if he had just had a nightmare. He stared at the lights, feeling dazzlingly bright. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and fell over. Under the pavilion of the mountain gate, nothing is known.

When he woke up again, Wu Sidao found himself lying in a narrow, dilapidated house.Because of the overcast sky, the room was very dark, and there was a row of mottled steles embedded on the walls blackened by smoke—it was obvious at a glance that this was a monk's house rebuilt from a stele corridor, which had been in disrepair for a long time and had been abandoned.The rain outside is not so scary anymore, but it is still falling endlessly, there are bursts of thunder from time to time, and the raindrops drifting in from the broken window lattice with the wind fall on the face, with a cool sweetness, very comfortable.Wu Sidao raised his head, but still felt dizzy and unbearably dizzy, so he lay down and closed his eyes to rest his mind, thinking to himself: I don't know who saved him.He suddenly heard a rush of footsteps, and hurriedly opened his eyes again.

"Wake up! Brother Li Fu—come and see!" Two scholars and a Toutuo came in, and they saw Wu Sidao looking at everyone suspiciously at a glance, and a square-faced scholar knelt down in surprise and greeted: "This dog-meat monk What a wonderful doctor——according to the group of bald donkeys in the temple, you have already been burned to ashes in the Zuojiazhuang Huarenchang! Tsk tsk! Life and death are as fleshy as bones, and your sexual voice is really a good method!" That one is called Li Fu He approached Wu Sidao, looked at Wu Sidao's face and said: "I really met you. Last night I thought it was hopeless! Sir, your surname is Taifu? If it weren't for Tian Wenjing and Xingyin, I'm afraid it would have been useless long ago. You've been in a coma for three days, you know?" "Three days?" Wu Sidao trembled all over, "I slept here for three days?" He said, and glanced at the Toutuo named Xingyin.

Xingyin was wearing a tattered earthen monk's uniform, greasy, and looked about 30 years old, with a black iron ring knife dragging heavily around his waist, weighing thirty to forty catties, but he had a hippie smile on his face.Listening to Li Fu and Tian Wenjing's words, he ignored them, pulled out a piece of fat and oily wax goose from his arms, and bit it, and said with a smile: "Mr. You are a human being in two lives, how can you repay my monk?" Wu Sidao opened his eyes wide and said nothing, Tian Wenjing couldn't help asking: "So you two have known each other for a long time?"

Wu Sidao shook his head and asked in a weak voice: "Monk, where are you hanging up and how do you recognize me, Wu Sidao?" Xingyin chewed the goose meat loudly, smacking his mouth, and said with a smile: "Are you looking for the root of the dish? I am the judge under Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. I don’t criticize you. Your name is not in the book of life and death! Monks have nothing in all the four elements, and I don’t ask you to repay them. They are not comparable to the two of them. They meet every night, write eight chapters every day, and have a single mind to be great. He won the first prize in the world and fell headlong into the world of mortals, not afraid of being filled with mud! It's a shame... But there is also a monk who is inferior to others. He has no relatives to vote for, and no marriage to rely on. Naturally, there is no woman to vote for. Hugs and hugs, kisses and secret love in the rain..." After saying this, he burst into laughter.Wu Sidao was stunned by his crazy words.Li Fu and Tian Wenjing only smiled.Tian Wenjing said: "I have never seen such a monk. He eats chicken, duck and goose every day, and eats dead cats with dogs. He is really disrespecting the Buddha and desecrating the mountain gate! At night, he gnashes his teeth, farts and snores. Well, if I hadn't stayed in a thief's shop with brother Julai on the road and had no money to pay, there would be nothing I could do. Who would be huddled together with you and suffer?" After saying that, he pulled Li Fu and said, "Let's do the questions we were given yesterday. Article, ignore him!"

"Amitabha! You two are really wealthy people, and you don't know the Sixth Patriarch's way of keeping in good health!" Xingyin saw the two of them rubbing ink and laying paper on a broken table in the north, and chased after him with a smile, "My farting is like you are making a fuss , that's kung fu—it's not a child's body, I'm afraid I can't practice it!" After saying that, he got up and yawned lazily, and sat cross-legged next to Wu Sidao with his hands clasped together, and he seemed to be a different person in an instant, with a solemn face With a look of respect, he said frankly: "Close your eyes, don't think about things, don't use force, I will cure you." Wu Sidao was also really tired, closed his eyes and said: "Wu has read all three tombs, five classics and eight books." Jiuqiu, the Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine has also studied the Golden Chamber Essentials, and I have never heard of such a cure. Don't make trouble, I don't believe it..." Xingyin sat upright with his hands together, and replied coldly: "My Buddha uses the emptiness Jishi has collected 30 volumes of Mahayana scriptures, I am afraid that you have not read them all——Amitabha, the great way is like the sea, how can there be any limit?"

Wu Sidao closed his eyes and wanted to refute, suddenly felt a cool and numbing air flow from the Yongquan acupoint, directly soaking into the Niwan Palace, and suddenly his heart was like an autumn wind passing by, and all worries were washed away, and his heart Xia Qingliang kept silent but couldn't speak anymore.He suddenly understood that this Lai Toutuo really possessed unique skills.Busily followed the instructions to gather his mind, and when he squinted his eyes slightly, Xingyinmuzao seemed to have settled down by accident, but he was still meditating as usual, there was no difference.At this time, Wu Sidao felt that the airflow was gradually warming up, getting stronger and stronger, rushing and reversing in the body, where the five viscera were making noises, all kinds of stagnation were shaken, tossed, and disintegrated by the airflow, and the limbs were all skeletal Feeling peaceful and beautiful suddenly, Wu Sidao couldn't help being surprised.

"Okay." After a long time, Xingyin said, "Open your eyes and sit up!"

Wu Sidao blinked, his eyes were clear immediately, he tried to support himself with both hands, and he sat up straight without any effort, but he didn't speak, just stared at Xingyin who had become smiling again.Xingyin put on a strange face, and said with a smile, "How about it, don't you thank Luohan?" Li Futian Wenjing had just finished an essay and was reading manuscripts in turn, and turned his face away when he saw this scene.Li Fuwu held a dripping pen in his hand, and said in surprise: "It's really a fairy method! A few days ago, I used the palm to give Qi to cure Mr. Wu's illness. Since this method is available, why not use it earlier?" Xingyin laughed and said: "Shen Yan doesn't need emergency medicine, he needs to be able to endure it! Don't you know that it's easy to fart and difficult to receive fart?" Wu Sidao asked in a daze, "You follow me all the way, save me, why?"

"I have a fate with you." Xingyin said, "I came from the previous life at the Longhua meeting!" Seeing that he refused to say anything, Wu Sidao had no choice but to let it go, and asked Tian Wenjing: "What kind of topic do you two stereotypes do? Can you see the teacher?" What?" "Oh," Li Fu said, "there are two papers that break the topic, and the title is 'Yin You Sanren'." After speaking, he handed over the two pieces of paper.Wu Sidao read Tian Wenjing's first, and wrote:

There are many paths in the way, and if it returns to benevolence, then the wrong path leads to the sage, whether it is loyalty or forgiveness, it does not conform to the principles of heaven and man.

Wu Sidao nodded and said: "Brother Tian's breaking point is reasonable, but it's not very relevant, and it can't stand the examiner's scrutiny. 'Three benevolence' is mentioned in the question. If you don't mention a word, how can the 'devil kings' Forgive you?" After finishing speaking, he looked at Li Fu's writing, but it was all in block letters, written beautifully and charmingly, but it was:
The three sons have different ways, but they are one in benevolence.Benevolence is nothing more than that, why bother?
Wu Sidao couldn't help sighing: "The words are concise and to the point, and they can be regarded as penetrating. It's just that this writing has no bone in it, and there are slight flaws - but compared with the two volumes, this one naturally has the upper hand." After finishing speaking, he sighed faintly. With a sigh of relief, he suddenly thought of himself, even if he could write colorful articles, would he still be able to compete like Li and Tian in the Longmen?Xingyin laughed beside him and said, "I don't find it interesting to hear what you're talking about. What is the use of this kind of stepping-stone article to the world?"

"At the beginning of Long live's ascension, stereotyped writing was decreed to be abolished, because it was really not beneficial to the world. But there is no other good way to imprison heroes - without this stepping stone, you will not be able to knock on this door. It’s usefulness!” Wu Sidao said politely, “But the text is for everyone’s use, and this article is not all empty talk. For example, the two articles just broke the topic and talked about the way of benevolence and righteousness. They are all for the sake of benevolence and love for the people. Strict, harsh, and violent—benevolence is fundamental. But when it comes to "benevolence", everyone takes a different path. The way of the world is ruled by lenient usage, gentle and civilized; Cutting, you are still benevolent! Xingyin, you have read 30 volumes of Buddhist scriptures, do you understand this?" Xingyin said with a smile: "Where have I read 30 volumes of Huangzi? Just lead to this grand theory of yours! Everything is doomed, and you scholars can’t figure it out, but donkeys can know?” Wu Sidao looked up at the sky and murmured: “That’s true. Everyone can say the same thing about the principles of governing the world, but they still do it the same way. I don’t understand—you listen, the thunder in the sky, some people say it’s the drum of the sky, some people say it’s the sound of nature. In short, it’s the might and wrath of heaven, but who has ever seen a wolf, tiger, leopard, poisonous snake and beast killed by lightning? ! God, is he fair?" As he spoke, there was a real burst of thunder in the sky, which made everyone shudder, and Wu Sidao's eyes were filled with tears.

A few people were in a daze, when they heard the faint sound of drums and cymbals coming from the meditation hall in front of them, with the monks chanting scriptures and hitting the chime "Tuo Tuo", the endless wooden fish knocked on the mountain, which was very inconsistent with the atmosphere in the room.Tian Wenjing smiled and said, "Matsushita yelled, gluttonous food by the side of the qin—it's a shame, and I want to hear Mr. Wu's talk again! And who's going to do the funeral?"

"Zhang Shiping is dead. The third son of Zhang Tingyu, the prime minister of the current dynasty." Xingyin said indifferently, "This is what the Zhang family did. Didn't you hear the "Curse of Rebirth" recited by the monks?" "Zhang Tingyu?" Li Fu thought with his head tilted. After thinking about it, "The great Confucianists of the Zhang family for generations, the disciples of Confucianism, also converted to Buddhism?" Tian Wenjing laughed and said, "You are really dumb! Which princes and ministers don't believe in Buddhism nowadays? Even the fourth elder brother, Tianhuang nobleman Golden branches and jade leaves are also Buddhist disciples! When it comes to Confucianism, Zhang Tingyu's father Zhang Ying is one of them. Zhang Tingyu is a kind-hearted Jinshi, but he is honored by his ancestors."

Li Fu sighed: "Today's affairs cannot be based solely on the imperial examinations. We think that those who get high in the exams are Confucian scholars. Zhang Tingyu's talent and learning are considered to be among the best among the ministers. In the early days of the country, when Han literati were recruited, the examiners at least had an article that they could read briefly. However, it is indispensable to have a reputation. Mingzhu has been the prime minister for 20 years, but he is just a fellow Jinshi; Gao Shiqi was born as a rogue, and as soon as he came to Longmen as a juren, he immediately became the prime minister! I often think about it when I am free, this is an opportunity. Then At that time, there were no heroes in the world, so Zhuzi became famous, but now it is reversed. Tigers in the mountains travel in groups, and monkeys dare not come down from the trees!" After saying this, he smiled.Tian Wenjing said: "Zhang Tingyu is still honest, which is rare. Since we can't make it by that time, we have to accept our fate. In the last subject, Beiwei, Wang Hongxu and Kuixu were the examiners. I heard that none of the examiners in the eighteen rooms below were... Black room?! This Third Young Master Zhang, I heard that Prime Minister Zhang did not allow him to take the path of Enyin. He was so pressed for homework that he died of illness from exhaustion. If a prime minister has such a heart, he may not suffer in this subject. There isn’t even a single household left, right?”

"You're too honest." Xingyin smiled and said, "I just believed Steward Zhang's fart! This Shiping is really mad, but it's not for homework, but for a woman, a real love! The Zhang family just wants to hide their ugliness, and let such a wind, this is Zhang Xiang's cleverness." Li Fu's eyebrows trembled slightly, and asked: "What's going on?"

Xingyin glanced at Wu Sidao, and said: "Last year when Mr. Zhang went to Jinling, Zhang Shiping also went with him. Somehow, he fell in love with a servant named Guier from Xiaoyuelou. When Mr. Xiang returned to Beijing, Zhang Shiping gave her He redeemed himself and hid in the deck to take back to Beijing. Not wanting to be found out by Zhang Tingyu on the way, he pinned the third master down in the official boat and whipped forty leather whips. Jing is going to die." Li Fu didn't say anything after hearing this, Tian Wenjing asked, "Where's that woman?"

"The woman is very violent." Xingyin had no expression on her face. "At that time, I fell on Zhang Shiping and wept bitterly. I got up and bowed to Zhang Xiang, saying: 'I seduced the third young master. Xiangye, I Forgive the mistake of taking your life against the third master!' After saying that, he slammed his head on the iron anchor... Amitabha, sin!"

Wu Sidao's heart sank when he heard it, and he couldn't help but think of himself: How could he not be lucky enough to meet such a fierce woman?Feeling desolate in his heart, he could only lower his head and remain silent.Tian Wenjing laughed and said, "It's a pity that Mr. Zhang San died because of love. Pu Liuxian of Shandong Province heard about this, and he must write it into "Liao Zhai". There is another good article to read." Li Fu said seriously: "Actually This woman is even more pathetic. If she can't keep her body like a jade, she doesn't have to seek death. If she really wants to die, she shouldn't have been in a brothel in the first place. This chaste woman is not like a chaste woman, and a prostitute is not like a prostitute. Even if you write an epitaph, it will be difficult to scare literati. "Wu Sidao listened more and more heart-piercingly, such a tragic story, just commenting, it's just a joke!"Because of standing up, he said: "Taoists are picky about people, and they are not inferior to the examiners. How many perfect people are there in ancient times who are perfectly combined with the principles of nature and human feelings? Confucius should really write the word 'last resort' in "The Doctrine of the Mean". Middle." After saying that, he walked out with his crutches, and walked south along the stele corridor.

The back of the Dajue Temple was in tatters, but the further forward it became, the neater it became. When Wu Sidao turned around the Great Compassion Hall, his eyes suddenly lit up with the splendor.The seated bronze statue of Tathagata standing in the center of the Great Compassion Hall is five feet high. The two accompanying Bodhisattvas are also made of bronze. On the back wall of the seat are five hundred arhat statues painted with gold, each of which is lifelike. solemn.The west wall of the verandah is painted with water-gold powder, depicting Buddha, companions, dolls, trapped people, and ghosts. They are all dressed naked, wearing shoulder pads, headbands, flower crowns, earrings, bracelets, and necklaces... He was showing his teeth and claws in a weird expression, and I didn't know what the story was.On the east side, the wall is full of gold and purple, painted with canopies, pipas, pestles for subduing demons, nine-tin rods, floating clouds, leopard tail spears, bull-ear knives... and other precious flags, cloud heads, fancao, orbs, square flags, wind The wheel of fire is actually the image of Maudgalyana rescuing the Buddha, and there are also images of the Tathagata cutting meat on the snowy mountain to feed the eagle. There is no benefit in all the chaos.On the contrary, the 28 gods in the wild geese in front of the Buddha, some are kind and kind, some are thoughtful, some look sad, some are laughing, some are old, some are gentle, some are powerful and ferocious, which is quite thought-provoking. .Wu Sidao said that a person who has just recovered from a serious illness will feel weak and sweaty after tossing and turning, and he will feel a little hungry in his stomach.Because there were few tourists on a rainy day, I knew there was no place to buy anything to eat, so I wandered out of the temple thoughtfully, only to see that outside the Zhaifang Jingshe in the east, there were plain curtains and white curtains, spiritual flags hanging high, and a white spiritual shed with paper flowers and gold foil in the breeze. Shivering, as if crying for someone leaving.Wu Sidao knew that this was the place where Zhang Shiping's coffin rested. Thinking of the conversation between a few people just now, he felt sad, but unable to shed tears, so he walked over and stood leaning against the pillar, his face looking like sadness and joy.

The ritual seemed to be coming to an end.Several family members standing in front of the mourning altar, wearing pockmarked shoulders, staggered against the shed pillars, stretched and yawned one after another, looking exhausted.A man who looked like a butler brought out a large plate of offerings, and placed it on one end, while yelling at everyone: "Are you going to die? Today is a serious day! The old lady will arrive soon, and the prime minister may also accompany her. It’s not done well, so carefully peel off the skin! Look at the paper horses on the side, some have broken legs, some have no tails, and the paper sedan chairs are also wet. Hurry up and straighten the sacrifices under the porch—anyway. After today, my wife must have a holiday, and there will be a time for you to stand up!" Everyone gathered together to tidy up.Wu Sidao was about to leave when suddenly a person from the west staggered over with his face covered in his hands, weeping loudly.Wu Sidao was stunned for a moment, and when he fixed his eyes, he was even more surprised: it turned out to be Li Fu!

(End of this chapter)