The lamplight flickered inside the cave, blurring the lines between day and night.
Dao Ci stood up and put on the new kasaya he had retrieved.
Adjust your appearance and posture.
He has become much thinner these past few days, and despite wearing several layers of clothing, his robe still appears oversized.
Long shadows swayed with the lamplight, reflected on the cave walls.
He reached out and took the staff from Qingyan's hand.
"Senior brother".
Qingyan followed him for a few steps and couldn't help but speak.
"How about we wait a little longer, until Benefactor Qi returns?"
He didn't know why he would place his hopes on Qi Su at a time like this.
"Don't worry," Dao Ci smiled gently at him.
"I have some chips in my hand, I'm not in dire straits yet."
Look at all the snowfalls, it's happened so many times.
The chaos of war in Yongzhou is likely to come soon.
In the southern border region, the war between the Yan Dynasty and the Chu Kingdom has been raging for three years and has yet to be resolved.
Since the beginning of winter, Beiting has once again stirred up war on the border. If the northwestern Yongzhou is embroiled in conflict, Wei Zhao will be unable to spare the time to reopen the battlefield.
Yongzhou was without a ruler and became an exclave.
This was the trump card he had been waiting for.
Since the Buddha cannot save people, then we will use worldly methods to save them.
…
Dao Ci gently patted Qing Yan's head, his gaze tender.
According to layman's calculations, you have not yet turned fifteen.
Qingyan's eyes reddened. "Senior brother, you still remember all this."
Dao Ci: "After I leave, study Buddhism diligently under Master Xu Putuo. The scriptures I have translated are still at Huatan Temple. I will find an opportunity to retrieve them and send them to Baita Temple in Dongdu, where someone will check and correct them."
Qingyan agreed to each one.
"Does Senior Brother have any other instructions?"
Dao Ci shook his head, took his staff, and walked out of the cave alone.
Countless eyes watched him leave.
But no one could change his mind.
He went on to pursue his path.
.
As the last rays of the setting sun were about to be swallowed by darkness.
The crisp sound of the Zen staff breaking the silence of Huatan Temple.
The white-robed monk walked through the many halls and pavilions, and arrived outside the main hall, where he put his hands together in prayer.
Recite the Buddha's name continuously:
"Amitabha."
The hundred or so monks who were sitting cross-legged in front of the hall also put their hands together in prayer.
With a compassionate sigh, he cried out, "Amitabha Buddha—"
To obtain the Great Law, one is willing to sacrifice oneself in hell.
Life is death, and death is life.
…
Eunuch Wang opened his murky eyes.
He looked at Dao Ci with a forced smile.
"Where has Your Highness gone? This old servant carried His Majesty's decree, but even that could not keep Your Highness here."
Afternoon temperatures dropped, and a brazier of charcoal was already placed at his feet.
The monks of Huatan Temple spent the entire afternoon sitting cross-legged on the stone ground.
The Qin merchant standing nearby laughed and said, "As expected of Zen Master Daoci, he has a compassionate heart. How could he bear to let all the monks in the temple suffer because of him?"
Eunuch Wang sneered, "This is all thanks to your brilliant idea."
The young monk in white robes held a staff, his clear gaze passing over Eunuch Wang and landing on Qin Shang.
"You are of noble birth and possess the bearing of an emperor; why make things difficult for yourself?"
Qin Shang's eyes flickered, and he smiled:
"Master, I don't understand what you're saying."
The white-robed monk said, "It's getting late, and my fellow disciples have been sitting for quite some time. Could we ask them to return to their rooms for now?"
Qin Shang laughed and said, "Of course, it has delayed the evening lessons of all the masters."
Eunuch Wang stared at him with a sinister look.
"Now that you're back, you must have figured out what to do, right?"
The white-robed monk bowed to him with his hands clasped in respect.
"Poor monk, I would like to return to the imperial capital."
Qin Shang laughed and said, "Look, after all the twists and turns, the master has finally understood."
Eunuch Wang sneered.
"Very well. This will also teach you that no matter how capable you are, you cannot escape His Majesty's divinely bestowed power."
.
Now that Dao Ci has changed his mind, there is no need for him to stay in this dilapidated temple any longer.
Eunuch Wang then planned to take Dao Ci away that very night.
Although we are going to leave, it will take some time to prepare the carriages and horses.
Eunuch Wang then waited by the fire inside the main hall.
A young eunuch brought in a cup of hot tea and a plate of snacks.
Seeing that no one was around, he then spoke.
"My lord, that Qin merchant is merely a commander of a thousand, yet he is so arrogant and dares to threaten you."
The official originally intended to take advantage of the monk's departure to quietly eliminate him and forever prevent any future trouble from affecting His Majesty.
Unexpectedly, the embroidered-clothes commander refused.
They threatened that if the monk could not be found, they would write to the court to inform that Lord Wang had intentionally let the monk escape.
He did indeed grasp some clues, forcing the adults to relent.
Eunuch Wang sneered.
"He's incredibly audacious, clinging to his own merits and even dreaming of promotion. Just wait and see. He's definitely going to be accused of using the lives of the monks of Huatan Temple to force a Buddhist disciple to return to secular life."
Once we get to Kyoto, it's uncertain who will be sacrificed to the heavens.
Eunuch Wang spat and picked up his teacup.
Perhaps because the weight had been lifted from my heart, the tea tasted exceptionally good.
"Your Majesty still had some doubts about whether the Black Bird Guards were in Yun Zheng's hands."
The young eunuch was taken aback.
"The Black Bird Guard? The most secretive secret guard of the former Zhou Dynasty royal family?"
The new dynasty was founded only eight years ago.
What happened the week before last is still fresh in my mind.
The Xuan Niao Guard of the Great Zhou Dynasty is subordinate to the emperor and is said to be the most elite force in the entire Zhou Dynasty. They only obey the emperor's summons and handle some private matters.
Occasionally, one would hear of the Black Bird Guard in some border war or a major corruption case involving the imperial court.
Normally, one can only hear his voice but never see him.
After Emperor Ai of Zhou committed suicide by drinking poison, the Xuan Niao Guard disappeared without a trace.
Emperor Xian of Zhou was a puppet emperor supported by His Majesty, so naturally he had no Xuan Bird Guards by his side.
Eunuch Wang took another sip of tea, feeling pleased.
"If he had the Black Bird Guard in his hands, why would he jump into this fire pit again? It seems we still have to look for the rebel king Yun Heng who fled to Southern Chu."
.
It was already November.
It's still a bit warm when the sun is out during the day, but at night, the cold wind howls and the chill is biting.
The night in the deep mountains is especially difficult to endure.
A group of people came down from Qingyun Mountain and hurried towards Jincheng in the darkness of night.
This group of people was accompanied by only one carriage.
Inside sat Eunuch Wang and his trusted confidants.
As for Daoci, Eunuch Wang was annoyed that he didn't know what was good for him, so he ordered someone to specially select a skinny horse for him.
The saddle was hard and worn, making it uncomfortable to ride.
The monk, still wearing the same robes he wore during the day, silently accepted all the arrangements.
The Embroidered-Robe Envoy's men and horses whipped their whips and charged forward, rampaging recklessly.
The young monk among them was surprisingly good at horsemanship.
…
Two hours passed, and as they approached Jincheng, the caravan gradually slowed down.
The darkness before dawn is exceptionally thick.
The Qin merchant spurred his horse forward from the rear of the caravan, standing shoulder to shoulder with Dao Ci.
"The weather is cold, and the monk must be tired from traveling all night. Have some water to warm yourself up."
He took a small bottle of wine from his saddlebag and handed it to him.
The white-robed monk remained silent for a moment before accepting the wine jar.
She quietly took a sip.
When the Qin merchant saw that he had indeed broken his vow of abstinence by drinking, he smiled.
"What does the monk think of the taste of this wine?"
The young monk lowered his eyes slightly: "What Benefactor Qin gave me is certainly good."
Qin Shang smiled and shook his head.
"No, what good wine could Jincheng possibly have? When we return to the capital, I will definitely invite the master to Xinghua Village to taste the fine wine."
Dao Ci remained silent and did not reply.
Qin Shang smiled and said, "I haven't congratulated the Master yet."
Dao Ci countered with, "What brings you joy?"
Qin Shang: "Didn't Lord Wang tell the Master that His Majesty intends to bestow a marriage between the Master and Princess Anle? Speaking of Princess Anle, she used to frequent the palace, and I'm afraid she and the Master are childhood sweethearts."
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