As the year draws to a close, Yingyang City is bustling with activity, especially the West Market in the outer city, which is always crowded with vehicles and people.

Liu Li and Li Molin have been staying in Yingyang City for the past few days. Zhang Chao chose a suitable time to recommend Yu Ke to Emperor Rui. Yu Ke was a smart man and wanted to curry favor with Emperor Rui, so a few days later he was promoted to Langzhongling, the highest position among the guards protecting Emperor Rui.

At the moon-viewing banquet that day, the ten beauties that Yu Wanghao presented to Emperor Rui were extremely pleasing to the emperor. The lowest-ranking among them had already been granted the title of Beauty. Among them, the one Emperor Rui liked the most was Jiang Tao'er. She was granted the title of Lady and bestowed with the honorary title of Lady Peach Blossom.

Since Lady Peach Blossom entered the palace, Emperor Rui has become increasingly fond of the inner palace and neglected state affairs. As the saying goes, "The spring night is short and the sun rises high, and from then on, the emperor no longer holds court in the morning."

When Xuan Yuanhao told Liang Yihan about the situation, Liang Yihan just smiled nonchalantly, looking completely at ease and as if everything was under control.

--

The meditation room behind the palace.

The sound of the wooden fish brings peace to the mind, and the entire atmosphere of this meditation room is calm and peaceful, completely different from the dull and oppressive atmosphere of the surrounding palaces.

The meditation room, located in the most secluded corner of the woods, is the quietest because it is surrounded by trees.

Upon opening the door to the meditation room, one sees an incense table directly opposite the door, with a Buddhist shrine in the center. On the shrine sits a statue of the Buddha, and in front of the statue are fresh offerings and a sandalwood lotus incense burner. Several incense sticks, half-burned, are inserted in the burner, and the wafting sandalwood fragrance permeates the entire meditation room.

Several prayer cushions were placed on the ground in front of the incense table. At this moment, only four people were sitting on four of the four cushions: Yuanjue from Jinyuan Temple, Huiyan from Pudu Nunnery, and Shi Ning and Shi Chan from Bodhi Temple.

These four people are clearly among the most outstanding disciples of Buddhism in the Central Plains.

There were four prayer cushions, two on each side. Yuanjue and Huiyan sat on the left, while Shining and Shichan sat on the right.

Yuanjue looked worried and said in a low voice, "...Although the current emperor has not rejected Buddhism, he does not believe in Buddhism as much as the late emperor. The elders of Jinyuan Temple are living in the palace now, but they are only nominally noble."

Shi Chan looked puzzled and asked, "But I once heard my master say that when the current emperor was still the crown prince, he was a devout follower of Buddhism and spent his days chanting scriptures and worshipping Buddha. My master said that this was a blessing for Buddhism... How come it has become like this now?"

Yuanjue shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed, "The elders of my Jinyuan Temple only recently realized that when the current emperor was still the crown prince, he was merely feigning faith in Buddhism. The late emperor was a devout follower of Buddhism, so he was naturally close to the elders of my Jinyuan Temple, even heeding their every word. Thus, the current emperor pretended to believe in and worship Buddhism to deceive the elders. It was because of this that the elders repeatedly praised the crown prince to the late emperor, saying that he would be a good emperor after ascending the throne, which is why he was able to hold onto his position as crown prince. Now that he has ascended the throne, his cruel nature has been fully revealed, and the elders deeply regret it!"

Shi Chan paused for a moment, then shook his head and sighed.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha." Shi Ning chanted the Buddha's name, then shook his head and said, "This is the law of karma; everything is predetermined. Moreover, people's hearts are hidden behind their skin. The desires of ordinary people are often different from their outward appearance. Although we are monks who have left home to cultivate, we have not yet seen through the word 'emptiness' and have not attained the Arhatship. Naturally, we cannot see through people's hearts. Brother Yuanjue, please comfort the elders."

Yuanjue clasped his hands together, nodded, and smiled, "Yes."

Huiyan looked worried and shook his head, saying, "If that's the case, then the Imperial Seal of the State may be out of reach of Buddha."

Yuanjue smiled bitterly and said, "My master said that the Imperial Seal of the State can only be left to fate."

Shi Ning shook his head helplessly and sighed softly, "But for the sake of all living beings, we still need to do our best to fight."

"Yes." Huiyan nodded, her voice filled with worry. "Before I left the mountain, my master earnestly instructed me. He spoke of a prophecy left in the mortal world by the Buddha before his Nirvana. The prophecy stated that the first ten thousand years after the Buddha's Nirvana would be the Dharma Age. During this Dharma Age, although the Buddha would no longer be in the world, the Dharma would still exist, and there would be many who believed in the Buddha. At the very end of the Dharma Age, the Buddha's radiance would shine upon the earth, and our Buddhist sect would be at its most powerful and have the most followers... However, after ten thousand years, there will be another ten thousand years of the Imitation Dharma Age. In this age, fewer people will believe in the Dharma, and only the image of the Buddha will remain as a representative. The transition between the Dharma Age and the Dharma Degenerate Age will be the time when our Buddhist sect's power begins to decline..."

Huiyan paused for a moment, and Yuanjue, with a solemn expression, continued, "The 100,000 years after the Dharma-image era will be the Dharma-ending era. In the Dharma-ending era, the number of people who believe in Buddhism and diligently practice will gradually decrease, and there will be no more people who have attained sainthood. The Dharma will be submerged by worldly heresies and material desires until, after a long period of time, the future Buddha Maitreya will descend to earth, spread the Dharma again, and save all sentient beings!"

After the Pratyekabuddha finished speaking, the meditation room remained silent for a long time. The four people simultaneously put their hands together, their faces filled with compassion, and chanted the Buddha's name in unison: "Namo Amitabha Buddha!"

The prophecy left by Shakyamuni before he attained Buddhahood is a heavy burden on the hearts of all Buddhist disciples, especially now that ten thousand years have passed, and it is the time of transition between the True Dharma Age and the Semblance Dharma Age.

After a long silence, Master Shi Chan, with a resolute expression, firmly declared: "If I attain enlightenment in the future, I vow not to return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. I wish to remain in this world as a Buddha, using my own strength to guide people, and to do my utmost to protect the Dharma in this degenerate age, while awaiting the arrival of Maitreya!"

Yuanjue's heart trembled, and he was suddenly moved. He stared at Shichan's young and resolute face for a while, and said sincerely, "Amitabha, well said! Brother Shichan has such a great aspiration, he will surely become a Buddha one day!"

Shi Ning smiled gently and said softly, "Brother Shi Chan's devotion to Buddhism is the most steadfast, and he is also the most insightful disciple in my Bodhi Temple."

Looking at the expression on Shi Chan's face, Huiyan thought to himself, "Even the Buddha, who has attained enlightenment, might not dare to say such a grand aspiration. Shi Chan is so young, and has only been practicing Buddhism for at most twenty years, yet he has such a thought. It is truly not easy! In the end, what all Buddhist disciples do with their wholehearted practice is to transcend the mundane world and return to the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."