My Brother-in-law is the Prince

  Chapter 314 Pursuing sentient beings

  Zhu Di woke up suddenly in the middle of the night.

   Only the even breathing of Empress Xu can be heard.

  He raised his eyes suddenly, but fell into confusion.

  He seems to be... dreaming of something.

  It’s different from always dreaming about gold and iron horses in the past.

  But what is it that I saw in my dream?

  He frowned, unable to recall for a moment.

  It was only in the middle of the night. Although he had no intention of going to sleep, he still didn't wake up, probably because he was afraid of waking up Empress Xu who was beside him, so he didn't even make a sound.

  In the twilight of the dormitory, he opened his eyes and looked at the beams, as if trying to think about something.

  It was the dawn of the early morning, and the sky turned white. It was just the dawn breaking out of the darkness. At this time, it shone on the glazed tiles of the Forbidden City, reflecting a strange halo.

   This halo passed through the window and sprinkled into the bedroom, making Zhu Di unable to help but close his eyes, and then he gently got up with his clothes and shoes.

  The **** on duty at night obviously did not expect His Majesty to get up so early, and was still curled up in a corner sleeping soundly.

  Zhu Di ignored him, glanced at Empress Xu who was still asleep, and gently opened the palace door.

   Outside the gate of this palace, there were a few more listless eunuchs on duty. When they saw Zhu Di, they immediately turned pale with fright.

  Zhu Di didn't care about this, but raised his head slightly and looked at the sky.

   Then he showed suspicion, and said in his mouth, "Go to Wenlou."

"Yes."

   Hurrying to the Wenlou, Zhu Di was a little sober at this time, except for his slightly red eyes, he couldn't tell he was tired.

  Yi Shiha had already heard the news and came here.

   Seeing that Zhu Di hadn't combed his hair, he took the comb, tied Zhu Di's bun, and put on the Tongtian Crown.

   Then he smiled and said: "Your Majesty, why did you get up so early today, and came to Wenlou in a hurry."

  Zhu Di frowned slightly and said: "It's so strange, I had a dream."

   "I don't know what kind of dream it is?"

  Zhu Di was trying hard to remember again, but finally raised his eyebrows and said: "I can't remember, but I just think of it so far, and my heart feels like a big stone."

   "Dreams are reversed." Yishi Hadui said with a smile: "This must be another auspicious star, and our Daming will be blessed."

   "What if it's not the opposite?" Zhu Di said, "Then I'll cut off your head."

  Yi Shiha's smiling face immediately froze, and hurriedly said: "No... dare not... slave..."

  Zhu Di calmly said: "If you don't know how to interpret dreams, don't you think it's ridiculous to imitate others?"

  Yi Shiha hurriedly said: "Yes, yes, slaves deserve death."

  Zhu Di didn't continue to worry about it, but said: "When it comes to interpreting dreams, I think of Master Yao. Why didn't Master Yao come to see you these few days?"

  Yi Shiha said: "Young maidservant wait a while... ask someone to invite..."

  Zhu Di nodded.

   Not long after, the ministers were summoned to have an audience.

  Yang Rong and the others, compared to the uneasiness of the previous days, are now more settled. Because spring has begun, they are worried that the prevention of plague will delay the spring plowing, so the focus is on persuading farmers again.

  Zhu Di is not interested in farming, but he understands it.

  When Emperor Taizu Gao was there, Zhu Di was sent to Fengyang, the central capital, to study and plow the fields before he became a vassal.

So Zhu Di explained: "I heard that the Taiping Mansion is now going to promote new crops. Don't worry about it. If this kind of seed goes to other places, it may not be a good harvest. Let the people in all counties open an acre and a half acre by themselves. Let’s try it out with some land, teach Zhang Anshi there, and urge the government not to force you.”

"My Daming has been short of food for so many years, and I am not short of food for this year or two. And Deng Jian, if you want to invite Deng Jian, you don't have to stick to the farm. You have to go to various counties to have a look. He is an expert. After he has seen many things, he can only count them in his heart."

Yang Rong smiled and said: "Your Majesty, this is also my suggestion, but...the current affairs of the Taiping Mansion, the imperial court is not easy to care about it. If there is too much, Wei Guogong is afraid that he will complain about the imperial court's management. Ask him to take care of it."

Zhu Di smiled, and then said: "His words are not unreasonable. The court only checks and accepts the results, and intervenes a lot. Who will be counted if there are credits and faults? Well, all the orders to persuade farmers bypass Taiping Mansion and Ningguo Mansion, let them make their own decisions about these two mansions."

  The Grand Maesters exchanged a wink.

Hu Guang said with a smile: "I heard from the Ningguo Mansion that...after the beginning of spring, they have begun to take charge of farming. Farming is the foundation. Princess Jian took this matter and personally wrote a "Book of Persuading Farmers". "

  Zhu Di said: "Why didn't you hear about the plague situation there?"

  Hu Guangdao: "There is no report. Your Majesty's order is that the affairs of the Taiping Mansion and Ningguo Mansion should not be asked. They may report or not. Anyway, let them go."

  Jin Youzi thought for a while and said: "After all, Ningguo Mansion is a bit remote, unlike Taiping Mansion and Yingtian Mansion, which are densely populated. If we deal with it properly, the plague will be gone before we cross the border."

  Zhu Di thought for a while, then nodded and said: "That's right, Jian Qing has always been steady."

  Zhu Di couldn't help being happy, so he said: "Anyway, it's a good thing to have nothing to do, and it's also good to let them compete. It's good for the common people."

  After discussing for a while, Zhu Di seemed to think of something else, so he suddenly raised his head and glanced at it, but he was disappointed.

  Yi Shiha stood aside, and hurriedly said understandingly: "Your Majesty, Master Yao... is gone."

  Zhu Di frowned and said, "Missing?"

  Yi Shiha said hesitantly: "Master Yao is from a foreigner, maybe...maybe..."

Before Yi Shiha could finish his words, Zhu Di sighed: "He, with all his abilities, thinks about how to protect himself wisely every day. After all, he despises my tolerance. But... let him travel for a few days, and then he will be free." Will come to see me."

  Yi Shiha said: "Yes."

  …

   At this time, the bustling market was full of people and bustling.

This is the vegetable market. Qixia’s vegetable market is always overcrowded. After all, here, the previous tradition of self-sufficiency has long since disappeared. In order to catch up early, not only women come to buy some vegetables and meat, but also all kinds of breakfast along the street. food stall.

   At this time, the sun was rising and the people had gradually become thinner.

   Opposite this mutton soup shop, there are still people killing chickens and geese, and two monks are standing here.

  Yao Guangxiao was dressed plainly, while the old monk sitting opposite seemed anxious.

  The storekeeper was looking at the mutton soup and vegetable buns, while sneaking a glance over, he felt very strange to these two strange monks.

   "Have you ever eaten meat?" Yao Guangxiao looked at the old monk and asked.

  The old monk was silent and just kept chanting.

Yao Guangxiao sighed with emotion, "I was a monk in my early years, just like Emperor Taizu Gao, because my family was poor and I had nowhere to go. At that time, I was able to enter the temple, and I finally had something to eat. There are people who naturally want to escape into Buddhism, it’s just that some have nowhere to go, and some are just greedy for the Western Paradise.”

  The old monk continued to chant scriptures in a low voice, and he became more and more nervous.

  Yao Guangxiao said: "So I have never eaten meat in my life. I used to be unable to afford it. When I could afford it, I entered Buddhism. But when I smell the smell of meat, I can't help but move my index finger. Look..."

   As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed lightly at the busy people outside the store.

  Even though the flow of people is much thinner, there are still only a few people. There are people leaving in a hurry, a woman bargaining with a vegetable vendor, or a girl holding her brother's little hand.

Yao Guangxiao seemed to be watching an interesting scene, with a hint of a smile on his face, and then said: "The poor monk has been thinking about what the Western Paradise looks like. Is it already the Land of Ultimate Bliss? The poor monk has thought about it for many years, but he can't think of a clue."

  The old monk was finally attracted by his topic, looked at Yao Guangxiao with piercing eyes and asked, "Why?"

Yao Guangxiao said: "Because I have too little knowledge. I was born in the troubled times at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Human life is like a mustard, and there are white bones everywhere. The Tartars want to eat people, the government wants to eat people, and the scholars also want to eat people. Don't say it." It is they, even the monks in the temple, who also want to eat people. Otherwise, where do you think the temple products of many big temples come from?"

Yao Guangxiao looked very calm, and talked eloquently: "At that time, I was still young, but I was thinking that the so-called Western bliss must be a world without military disasters, bandits, and robbers. At least...not in the middle of the night, Suddenly someone breaks in, no matter if this person is Yuan Da, a bandit, a bandit, or even a street rogue. No one will disturb your sleepiness, rush in, give you a knife, and then insult you wife and daughter, and throw your youngest son into the well."

  The old monk sighed, his eyes turned red, as if recalling something extremely painful, his lips trembled a little: "I have seven members in my family, and I am the only one who survived."

Yao Guangxiao went on to say, "At the time of Emperor Taizu Gao, the world was finally at peace. The poor monk thought he had reached bliss, but he felt that people were still suffering. The poor monk couldn't help but have a new question, what does the Land of Ultimate Bliss look like?"

  Yao Guangxiao said: "The poor monk couldn't find the answer. I went down the mountain in the past few days and took you here for a walk. You come here to eat meat and meet all living beings. Do you know why?"

  The old monk didn't speak, but shook his head.

Yao Guangxiao said: "If there is bliss, then at least here, it may be closer to bliss. If you and I can become Buddhas right now, then you and I are sitting here right now, enjoying the delicious food here, looking at the All sentient beings, after becoming a Buddha, probably enjoy such peaceful happiness every day."

   While speaking, yokan was delivered, and there was also a plate of vegetable buns.

  Yao Guangxiao said: "Eat."

  The old monk shook his head and only picked up the steamed bun.

  Yao Guangxiao didn't take it seriously, and started eating mutton soup.

  He eats indecently, making the sound of Baz, Baz.

  If you look carefully, it is not difficult to find that there is a little smile on Yao Guangxiao's lips.

  While tasting the taste in his mouth, he said: "As expected, as expected, the joy of becoming a Buddha is unimaginable."

  Old monk: "..."

  Yao Guangxiao squinted his eyes, looked enjoying, and sighed authentically: "If there is a Buddha in the world, it must eat a bowl of yokan every day."

  The old monk was chewing on the dried vegetable bun.

  Yao Guangxiao on the side was eating and eating, with tears in his eyes: "If back then, if there was such a bowl of yokan every day, there would never be Yao Guangxiao today in the world."

  The old monk finally couldn't bear it and said: "You broke the precept."

  Yao Guangxiao glanced at him, and said calmly: "The Buddha is in my heart, but the Buddha is only on your lips."

  The old monk moved his index finger, his greed was gone, and he subconsciously wiped away the remaining stains around his mouth.

  After eating, Yao Guangxiao stood up, took out a dozen copper coins, and solemnly placed them on the side of the table.

   Then he said: "Let's go, let's take a look again, and see all living beings again."

  The two, one in front and one behind, wandered through the streets and alleys of Qixia.

  Perhaps it was because there were many monks from Jiming Temple.

  That's why the shops and people here are not very friendly to monks. Sometimes Yao Guangxiao passed through the alley and stopped for a while, and someone would close the door with a bang and curse: "Unlucky."

  The old monk sighed: "People's hearts are not ancient!"

  Yao Guangxiao said with a very understanding look: "They didn't come to beat us after cheating them of so much money, but just turned us away. They are really too gentle and polite."

  Old monk: "..."

  Yao Guangxiao said again: "If this is a world of bliss, the poor monk would like to stay here for the rest of his life."

  The old monk said with a look of disapproval: "There is too much filth here."

  Yao Guangxiao said with a smile: "But its streets are very clean."

   "The filth in my heart is too heavy."

  Yao Guangxiao shook his head: "You still haven't cultivated enough!"

   "Master Yao, you have eaten wine and meat, and practiced all your life..."

  Yao Guangxiao said calmly: "The Buddha I cultivate is different from yours. What you cultivate is a Buddha statue made of gold lumps, while I cultivate the Buddha of sentient beings."

After a pause, Yao Guangxiao continued: "The first time I came here, I was in an inn. I saw that it was very lively at that time. There were many people eating and drinking. They were very poor, but the more they were like this, the more they ate. Xiang, I remember seeing a father at that time, he hurriedly scraped together some money, and when he came here, he was very cautious. The little girl who came with him was so happy."

Speaking of this, Yao Guangxiao's eyes were a little moist, and he continued: "I don't know how the father and daughter are now. But... I know that they must be safe and happy now. You see, there are many people here. Just like women, the Qixia we live in today is different from the Qixia back then, and has changed. It has only been a few years, and it has changed again, and it has become better."

  The old monk was unmoved by this. He felt that he was an outsider, and he should stay outside, detach himself, and abandon the stinky skin in order to achieve a positive result.

  Yao Guangxiao sighed and said: "I still remember the father and daughter, and the way the girl laughed when she ate the meat. She laughed so happily that the poor monk is still happy for her."

   "Okay." Yao Guangxiao suddenly turned his head: "Let's go, let's go where we should go."

  His face suddenly became numb, like a walking dead, and he walked to the pier step by step and bought a boat ticket.

   When they got on the boat, they found that the boat was empty. The boatman asked, "What is the monk doing in Ningguo Mansion at this time of year?"

  Yao Guangxiao said: "See all living beings."

  The boatman shook his head, wanted to say something, but finally closed his mouth, shook the boat and left.

   Disembark from a ferry, compared to Qixia just now, this ferry is pitifully sparsely populated, with very few pedestrians.

  Several officials patrolling, seemed to have spotted the monks, looked them up, but seeing them wearing tattered monk clothes, they seemed to lose interest all of a sudden, and left in a hurry.

  Yao Guangxiao chose a small path, and the old monk followed closely.

  To a village, it was already dark, and there were not many lights in the village.

   But in the distance, there was a faint cry.

  In the dark of the night, hearing such crying suddenly makes people feel bleak for no reason.

   Entering Zhuangzi, Yao Guangxiao looked up, saw a firewood house was lit, and knocked on the door.

  The door opened, but it was a man.

Seeing that it was two old monks, the man not only didn't want to drive them away, but was overjoyed at this moment, avoided his body, let them in, and said: "Are the two Zen masters going to stay overnight? Stay here, my place is small. Zen master, don't be disgusted, I will give you a fast food."

  Yao Guangxiao entered the dim thatched hut, which was empty, but a little girl was lying on a short bamboo couch.

  The little girl remained motionless, only covering her face with yellow paper.

  Yao Guangxiao said: "Amitabha."

The man stood aside, as if he could no longer control himself, tears streaming down his face, and said: "I have bad luck, and my own child has also suffered. She was sick and passed away yesterday. Zen master, you Please do me a favor, give her a little extra, and I would like to add some money."

  Yao Guangxiao said: "Why is there no mourning hall?"

The man cried and said: "The coffin is not prepared yet, and the child is young. Besides, the people in the clan don't agree with it, saying it is bad luck. I will find a place for her to bury tomorrow. She committed crimes in her previous life and was reincarnated in the My house, woo woo woo..."

  The man began to whimper, crying very sadly.

  Yao Guangxiao sighed: "What's wrong?"

   "I don't know." The man said: "Go and invite... the doctor, but the doctor... was conscripted to the Fucheng, which is too far away from the Fucheng."

  Yao Guangxiao said, "Let me save you."

   As he spoke, he sat in front of the girl, in the dark, and recited scriptures.

  He read sonorously.

  The man seemed to be infected all of a sudden, and wept with joy.

  Yao Guangxiao stopped chanting sutras at this moment, and said, "Why are you laughing?"

  The man said sincerely: "The Zen master's scriptures are very authentic, and if the Zen master can save him, this child will be reborn in the next life, and he will be able to go to a good family, and he will definitely enjoy endless blessings."

  Yao Guangxiao said: "Yes, you met the right person, the poor monk is an eminent monk."

   After finishing speaking, continue to chant sutras.

   Nothing to say all night.

  In the early morning of the next day, many people in the Zhuangzi learned that an eminent monk had come, and many of them were overjoyed. This family invited Yao Guangxiao to go, and that family also invited them. If Yao Guangxiao was willing to come, their faces would glow red.

  After a few days, Yao Guangxiao was greeted with a glowing face. When he left Zhuangzi, he had already rescued seven families. Even before leaving, people rushed to send money and food.

  There was not much money and food, and someone even offered the last bit of rice in the rice jar, and wailed: "Master is a great virtue, a good woman can't repay you, please take these, master."

  Yao Guangxiao accepted it.

  The old monk couldn't bear it. After leaving the village, he said to Yao Guangxiao: "That is their last ration, and they may starve tomorrow."

  Yao Guangxiao said indifferently: "I know."

  The old monk didn't understand, so he asked, "Then why do you still accept it?"

Yao Guangxiao sighed, and said: "If I don't accept them, they may starve two days later, but although they can go hungry two days later, they just don't feel at ease. They will be hungry sooner or later, but at least Before starving to death, they still have hope."

  The old monk sighed: "In their next life..."

   "If there is an afterlife..." Yao Guangxiao interrupted him: "If they are still like this, they will still starve, suffer cold, and be bullied."

Just as I was talking, there were people beating gongs and drums ahead, but a long line of servants came, some leading cattle, some escorting rice-carrying corvees, and more people riding around one by one. The official of the donkey.

  Yao Guangxiao and the old monk hurriedly stood respectfully by the side of the road, waiting for the team to pass.

  The civil official riding on the donkey stopped and got off the donkey. He walked up to Yao Guangxiao and the others with his big belly, and said, "Monk, did you just come from Chenjiazhuang?"

  Yao Guangxiao said: "Yes."

  The civil official looked at him dissatisfied, then his eyes fell on the bag in the monk's hand, and said, "What's in the monk's bag?"

  Yao Guangxiao said: "This is a private property."

The clerk obviously saw something, and said displeasedly: "This Chenjiazhuang is too outrageous. What do the local chiefs do? Ask them for money for the plague, and they all cry and say that they are going to starve to death." However, the money and food given to the monks are generous, and the unreasonable people don't understand the general situation, so it has reached such a point."

  The person behind him, obviously the head of the village, quickly nodded and bowed to the clerk and said, "Sili Liu...you've tried your best."

The civil official said angrily: "I also know that the people in your village are not easy to collect, but the plague money is related to the county's big plan. The county magistrate loves the people like his son, and for the sake of the county's long-term stability, he only collects money and food. It is to control rats. It can be pushed three times and hindered four times. What is the reason? Is it true that the county magistrate has a kind heart and refuses to use punishment?"

  Li Chang said: "This time I will definitely be able to collect it, I will definitely..."

The clerk glared at Yao Guangxiao, and said coldly: "Monk, you need to keep the money and food on your body. It's not because we are disrespectful to Buddhism, but the superiors are urging you hard. If I can't make up the money and food in full, I will be punished." It's me."

  Yao Guangxiao shook his head: "This is not possible, this is the sesame oil money from good men and women..."

  The civil servants were even more displeased.

   Before he could give orders, an officer at the side stepped forward as if asking for credit, and slapped Yao Guangxiao directly.

Snapped…

  With a clear and crisp sound, Yao Guangxiao was beaten until his mouth was covered with blood, and he suddenly swayed.

  The officer scolded angrily: "Fake monk, I don't think you are a good person. You are on business in the county. How dare you make a mistake and be so bold that you don't know how to die?"

   After finishing speaking, let's go to **** Yao Guangxiao's burden.

  Yao Guangxiao clutched his hands tightly.

   But soon, he was thrown to the ground and snatched away the burden. Immediately, copper coins and rice grains were scattered all over the floor.

The clerk had already gone back to ride the donkey, and he told the officer: "Don't bully him, just take the money and food away. The county lord and the local gentry said that someone must have committed crimes during this plague, so you must not commit crimes, let alone kill."

  (end of this chapter)