Chapter 41
The crowd in front of the temple suddenly started making a commotion.
Today is the last day of the Unobstructed Gathering. The money on the ten large carts is almost gone, but there are still many people queuing up to receive it. The monks maintaining order advised the people at the back not to queue anymore. Upon hearing this, the people at the back not only did not back down, but instead rushed forward.
"The cart carrying the alms is about to leave!"
A shout rang out from the queue, and the others immediately erupted in excitement, crowding around the cart in layers, stretching out their arms to scramble for the alms.
There was a commotion around the truck, and several men were fighting each other, creating a chaotic scene.
Standing at a distance, A-Yu immediately stepped forward and gestured for Lu Huaying to retreat to the corridor.
Lu Huaying took a few steps back.
Xiao E stood in front of her, glanced at the crowd of people scrambling for money in front of the cart, and shook his head.
“Third Sister, look at these people. They are scrambling and begging for alms, behaving in a very ugly way. When the granaries are full, people know etiquette; when they are well-fed and clothed, they know honor and shame. These people are illiterate and only think about their immediate interests. They don’t understand honor and shame. But we have studied the classics of sages since we were young. We are not fools.”
Lu Huaying naturally understood the implication in Xiao E's words.
Xiao E felt that the common people did not understand etiquette and should be educated by sages. It was understandable that they did not know honor and shame. However, Wei Mingsu had read many books, but he lost his integrity for power and was more detestable than ignorant men and women.
Lu Huaying looked at the crowd.
These people from Xizhou, who have lived on the border their entire lives, may never have been to Chang'an or Luoyang.
They were a foolish man and woman in Xiao E's eyes.
All men and women are born as follows: at the age of four, they are called "young"; ... sixteen, they are called "middle"; at the age of twenty-one, they are called "adult"; and at the age of sixty, they are called "old".
In the eyes of the imperial court, the common people were an endless stream of people to be driven around. The court demanded that the common people pay money and silk, perform corvée labor, work diligently in the fields, be obedient and respectful, maintain a clear distinction between superior and inferior, and adhere to the principles of ruler and subject, father and son, and the Three Cardinal Guides and Five Constant Virtues.
What about the common people?
All I want is peace and stability.
Regardless of who provides this sense of security.
Coups in the court are inevitably accompanied by bloodshed.
Emperor Taizong forced his father to kill his brother and executed all his nephews.
The brothers Li Chengqian and Li Tai fought for the throne, and the crown prince plotted a rebellion.
Changsun Wuji used Fang Yi'ai's rebellion case to implicate members of the imperial clan.
Emperor Gaozong forced his maternal uncle, Changsun Wuji, who had supported his ascension to the throne, to commit suicide. When he changed the crown prince, he ordered the death of his eldest son, who had been designated as the crown prince...
In their struggle for power, members of the royal family turned on each other, unleashing wave after wave of bloodshed.
The Empress's purge of the royal family was merely a power struggle for control.
The breathtaking power struggles at the top, the life-or-death battles in the court, and the bloody fratricide in the palace all took place among the powerful nobles and officials.
Ordinary people at the bottom of society were not qualified to participate in the struggles between powerful families. They could not influence the infighting among aristocratic clans. They could only silently pray that the emperor was wise, that the civil and military officials were virtuous, and that the officials in the government offices were good officials.
Xiao E was born into an official family and studied Confucianism from a young age. His ideas were deeply ingrained, and he had never experienced hardship, so he was unaware of the suffering of others.
He underestimated the suffering of the people and overestimated their aspirations.
People from different backgrounds often find it difficult to understand each other's thoughts.
Lu Huaying did not refute Xiao E's words, but asked, "Brother Xiao, have you ever gone hungry?"
Xiao E was slightly taken aback.
Lu Huaying turned back and smiled at him: "Brother Xiao, for simple men and women, being able to eat their fill is like living in paradise. I have experienced hunger and thirst. When I was starving, if someone was giving alms on the roadside, I would have loved to take the money."
Xiao E looked at Lu Huaying, who was pale and dressed simply, and felt a pang of pity.
His expression calmed down, and he no longer wanted to argue with Lu Huaying.
Speaking of Wei Mingsu, the conversation shifted: "Third Sister, you've really suffered these past few years! What are your plans after returning to Liucheng?"
Lu Huaying currently has two plans: to find a way to redeem herself from her bondage and to save money.
However, she didn't want to discuss these matters with Xiao E in front of her, and said in a light tone, "I want to focus on finishing writing the 'Dan Jing' first."
Xiao E said, "Third Sister, just tell me what you need. Don't..."
If you find it difficult to ask, I will definitely do my best to help you.
Lu Huaying lowered her veil: "Thank you, Brother Xiao."
Xiao E regretted mentioning Wei Mingsu, smiled, and said, "I wonder what fortune sticks Su Niang and the others drew. Let's go take a look."
"Dr. Xiao?"
Several monks emerged from around the corner of the corridor, saw Xiao E, and walked over.
Xiao E had no choice but to stop and talk to them.
Lu Huaying did not follow them. Seeing them discussing a scripture, she silently walked away, casually entered a courtyard, passed through a narrow alley, and arrived at a quiet courtyard.
The courtyard gate was ajar.
Lu Huaying glanced back at the alleyway, worried that Xiao E might be waiting there, then turned and pushed open the courtyard gate.
The courtyard was probably a storeroom used by the temple to store miscellaneous items. It was in a mess, with stone carvings of Heavenly Kings and Bodhisattvas, Pure Land transformation scenes, stone pagodas, and broken lotus seats scattered haphazardly in the snow. The murals depicting preaching scenes on the walls on both sides were only half-painted, and prayer flags and Buddha statues of various sizes were carelessly thrown on the ground, all covered with a thick layer of dust.
The solemn and dignified Buddha statue, its compassionate face covered in dust, evokes a sense of the impermanence of life and the vicissitudes of existence.
Lu Huaying was lost in thought, staring at the Buddha statue, when a soft sound came from the west. Suddenly, the gate at the other end of the alley leading to another direction was pulled open, and two tall figures walked in one after the other.
The man walking in front was tall and strong, wearing a Hu hat and Hu boots, and a Hu robe with a cross-collar. His beard was so thick that his facial features were not visible, and he looked like a Hu merchant.
The man behind him wore a round-necked blue robe and a turban. He was slender and upright with a cold expression. When he looked up, a glint of silver flashed between his neatly trimmed sideburns.
Lu Huaying froze for a moment, then subconsciously took a few steps back and scurried behind a stone tower in the snow, hiding there with a hunched back.
The stone tower conveniently concealed her slender figure.
Wei Mingsu and Hu Shang did not see her and stepped into the corridor.
They didn't stop when they reached the door.
Lu Huaying glanced around and saw two figures getting closer and closer. She couldn't help but groan inwardly. If they took just a few more steps, they would see her hiding behind the stone tower.
She pressed herself against the stone tower, glanced around, bent down, and crouched down, using her peripheral vision to observe where Wei Mingsu had gone, while carefully moving her feet to the other side little by little.
Lu Huaying felt like a naan bread stuck to the oven wall.
The bearded man in the corridor suddenly stopped, looked up, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light, his gaze like a knife, and raised his hand.
A beam of white light flew from his hand and toward the stone tower.
"Third Sister!"
Just as the white light was about to pierce Lu Huaying, A Yu, who was standing on the other side of the road, shouted anxiously.
Lu Huaying heard a whoosh of wind behind her head and then heard A Yu's reminder. Her heart skipped a beat. Without turning around, she lunged forward and fell face down in the snow. This dodge just in time to avoid the white light.
With a "bang," the white light fell onto the snow.
Lu Huaying raised her face, stared intently, and a bead of cold sweat slid down her cheek.
It was a sharp short sword, its blade reflecting the cold light of the snow, revealing the chilling killing intent that had just been there.
A blue shadow suddenly swept across the cold blade.
A pair of boots quickly descended the steps and stopped in front of the short sword.
Lu Huaying snapped out of her daze, looking at the hem of the man's blue robe, and felt a little guilty.
Are you hurt?
His voice was serious and hoarse.
Lu Huaying remained silent.
The hem of his green robe fell into the snow. Wei Mingsu squatted down and reached out to lift Lu Huaying's veil.
Under the veil, Lu Huaying blushed deeply with embarrassment.
Wei Mingsu frowned, his expression stern. He scanned Lu Huaying from head to toe, but found no wounds. His expression softened.
He picked up the short sword from the snow and threw it back.
Clang.
The short sword fell into the corridor and landed at the feet of the foreign merchant.
Hu Shang narrowed his brown eyes, picked up the short sword and tucked it back into his sleeve. A smile played on his lips as he said, "She was hiding behind the stone tower, acting suspiciously."
"I thought it was an assassin."
He was speaking in the Hu language.
Lu Huaying understood what he was saying, but she didn't know his identity. Fearing that her explanation would cause trouble for Wei Mingsu, she lowered her head and didn't react.
Wei Mingsu also said in the Hu language, "She is not an assassin."
The merchant from Hu casually leaned against a Buddha statue by the door and asked with a smile, "Then who is she?"
Wei Mingsu did not answer.
Why were you hiding behind the stone tower?
He looked at Lu Huaying and asked in a deep voice.
Lu Huaying felt increasingly embarrassed as she recalled her unconscious action, and blurted out, "You don't want to see me... I'm afraid you'll be upset if you see me..."
Wei Mingsu lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Lu Huaying didn't dare look at him, flustered and said, "I'll leave right now..."
She stood up to leave.
My arm tightened.
She turned around and froze.
Wei Mingsu's pale hand gripped her arm.
She glanced at Wei Mingsu's hand, her gaze slowly moving upwards.
Wei Mingsu lowered his eyes and remained silent.
"My lord."
A series of footsteps sounded, and A Yu strode over, bowing to Wei Mingsu.
He had been following Lu Huaying. When he saw Wei Mingsu and Hu Shang approaching from afar, he thought there was no need to avoid them, so he didn't go forward. Unexpectedly, Lu Huaying suddenly disappeared behind the stone tower. He was completely baffled and hesitated when Hu Shang released a hidden weapon. He was too far away, so he quickly called out to warn Lu Huaying.
Wei Mingsu released Lu Huaying's arm and instructed, "Check if there are any internal injuries."
Ayu responded with a "yes".
Lu Huaying just wanted to get out of Wei Mingsu's sight as soon as possible, so she turned and left.
"Watch it right here."
Wei Mingsu's words were unquestionable.
Lu Huaying and A Yu were both stunned for a moment.
The foreign merchant in the corridor raised his eyes, his gaze shifting from Wei Mingsu to Lu Huaying's face.
Ayu came to his senses, smiled at Lu Huaying, examined her face, asked her to raise her hand, took her pulse, and shook his head, saying, "There is no internal injury."
Wei Mingsu nodded, turned around and walked up the steps.
Knowing that he and Hu Shang must be discussing something, Lu Huaying left the courtyard with A Yu.
Hu Shang dusted himself off and said, "Although I didn't use my full strength with that sword just now, most assassins wouldn't be able to dodge it. Yet this Third Sister was completely unharmed. She must have learned martial arts. So it turns out that women of your Han ethnicity also learn martial arts."
Wei Mingsu turned around and watched Lu Huaying's figure disappear behind the door, his expression calm.
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