Chapter 350: The Enlightened Monk
Sandalwood was burning in the hall. In the light mist, the old monk in front of the Buddha had a compassionate face. The complicated and profound scriptures came out slowly from his mouth. His unhurried voice seemed to be tinged with a bit of tranquility.
At first, Tang Ning was still thinking about what Xin Deng had said to him before, but after a while, he was also immersed in the mysteries of Buddhism.
When the temple bell rang, the old monk in front of the hall dropped the hammer on the wooden fish.
The morning lecture has ended.
"Master Xindeng is indeed worthy of being a great monk. Even I, who don't understand Buddhism, seem to have understood what he said. The Buddhist scriptures are not as boring as before." Qian Qiyue said in a low voice.
Madam Qian glanced at her and said, "Master Xindeng is naturally unique. He was originally the prince of a small country in the Southern Territory. He was born with a natural talent for wisdom and had a connection with Buddhism since childhood. He asked to become a monk when he was a teenager. However, he never lived in a temple in the Southern Territory. Instead, he traveled on foot to various countries in search of the mysteries of Buddhism."
Tang Ning was surprised: "Then why did he come to Wei?"
Madam Qian shook her head. "I don't know. I just heard that the small country he came from was destroyed a long time ago. He traveled around the world to spread Buddhism and was highly respected. Later, he entered Lingyun Temple and was highly regarded by Emperor Taizu."
Taizu?
Tang Ning hadn't expected to hear the name of the Great Ancestor: "Did he already enter Lingyun Temple when the Great Ancestor was still alive? How old is Master Xindeng?"
Mrs. Qian said, "I don't know about that."
But Madam Fu, who was following beside her, suddenly said, "He is already over 80 years old."
Qian Qiyue widened her eyes in shock. "Odetox", doesn't that mean that the old monk just now is actually over eighty years old?
Not to mention Qian Qiyue, even Tang Ning beside her was slightly stunned. Although Master Xindeng looked old, he did not have the slightest sign of hunchback, and his voice was full of energy, which did not sound like an eighty-year-old man at all.
Madam Fu explained, "When I was still young, Master Xindeng lectured on Buddhism in the capital. Emperor Taizu was still alive at that time, and Master Xindeng looked to be nearly thirty years old. He later lectured in various countries for ten years, and it has been more than thirty years since he entered Lingyun Temple."
"However, he has rarely given lectures outside in recent years. He only appears occasionally when there are state affairs or guests from the palace. On weekdays, most of the affairs of Lingyun Temple are handed over to Master Liaowu who is by his side."
Old Madam Fu seldom comes to Lingyun Temple. Although she has a compassionate heart, she is not very devoted to Buddhism. She has a fear of gods and Buddhas but does not believe in them. She only cares about having a clear conscience in her daily actions. However, her daughter-in-law likes to pray to gods and Buddhas and often goes to Lingyun Temple.
Tang Ning listened to Madam Fu's words thoughtfully.
Rong Yue stood aside and said, "Tang Ning, why are you suddenly interested in Master Xin Deng?"
Tang Ning said, "I'm just a little curious and want to ask him for Buddhist teachings later."
Madam Fu smiled and said, "Then you'll probably be disappointed. Master Liaowu is organizing the Dharma Assembly tonight, and Master Xindeng is too old to come out."
Tang Ning just smiled when she heard that. She always felt that Master Xindeng looked at her as if he knew everything, and she and Master Xindeng would probably meet again, and it wouldn't be for too long.
After leaving the main hall, the elderly Madam Fu was the first to feel tired. Before going back to rest, she pulled Tang Ning aside and warned him, "You offended Princess Ji just now in the hall. The Ji Palace is very protective of its people. I'm afraid they will bear a grudge against you for what happened today. You should be more careful these next two days."
Tang Ning smiled and said, "They have lost so much face that they can't even hide. Besides, there are so many people in the temple that they dare not act openly."
Madam Qian said, "You'd better be careful. Xie Yuyan is vicious and cruel. She committed murder to snatch her marriage. She is narrow-minded and vicious..."
Having said this, Mrs. Qian couldn't help but look at Qian Qingran, and suddenly felt that worrying about Tang Ning was not as good as worrying about her son.
She glared at Qian Qingran unhappily.
It’s all because of this brat who attracts so many women. She is almost annoyed by everyone she sees in Prince Ji’s Mansion recently.
Qian Qingran's face was full of helplessness. He had no idea that he would offend Princess Wenqing just because he saved the Fourth Prince that day. It was obvious that he was not the only one who saved people at that time.
Princess Wenqing seemed to have made up her mind and didn't even care about her female modesty. She would run into him every now and then and call him Mr. Qian all the time. She would either sprain her ankle or feel dizzy, and she was almost throwing herself into his arms.
He's annoying too, okay?
Tang Ning knew about the Qian family's affairs. Qian Qiyue had also told her about it before. Seeing Madam Qian's gloomy face, Qian Qingran felt depressed and couldn't help but chuckled: "Don't worry, auntie, I will be careful..."
Pause:
"Brother Qian, be careful too."
Qian Qingran: “…”
She was making fun of him, wasn't she? She was actually laughing at him!
Seeing Qian Qingran looking up at him, Tang Ning smiled and blinked, his face full of mischief.
Qian Qingran was silent. She was indeed making fun of him!
…
After the morning lectures are over and most people rest after lunch in the temple, the Dharma Assembly will begin when it gets dark. Different from other Dharma Assemblies, the Ullambana Festival is more "lively". Not only does it involve cleaning the altar, circumambulating the scriptures, offering orchid basins, and monks receiving food, but after the festival, they will also burn Dharma boats, spirit houses, and release river lanterns for blessings.
There is a large open space behind Lingyun Temple, and a deep pond next to it, where the Dharma Assembly is held.
After Tang Ning went back to rest on the pretext of being tired from getting up early, Rong Yue took Xue Ru, who was visiting the temple for the first time, to the Lingbi Hot Spring in the back mountain. Hang Li brought people to protect them, while Tang Ning stayed in the room and read the Buddhist scriptures she had just borrowed from the monks in the temple.
She had long expected the visit of the Fourth Prince's wife.
Tang Ning clasped his hands together and held the Buddhist scriptures in his hands: "What advice do you have for the Fourth Prince's wife?"
In one sentence, the Fourth Prince's wife knew that Tang Ning was angry with her.
The Fourth Prince's wife pursed her lips slightly and asked, "Are you blaming me for not stopping Princess Ji and the eldest princess this morning?"
Tang Ning looked at her indifferently. Although the woman in front of him was dressed as a woman, she was actually not very old. She was even younger than Princess Wenqing.
Although the Fourth Prince's wife's appearance was not the best and could only be described as average, she had a dignified temperament and was humble and gentle. At this moment, her eyes, filled with apology and grievance, seemed particularly sincere.
"I know I was walking with them in the palace earlier, and I should have stopped them. But the Princess is well aware of the Princess's temper. A few words to vent her anger would be fine, but if I stopped her, I'm afraid she would do more. If things got out of hand, it would be the Princess who would be in trouble. And I didn't expect Princess Wenqing to suddenly attack."
Tang Ning leaned against the couch, his expression indifferent: "So, I should thank the Fourth Prince's wife for always thinking of me?"
"County Lady..."
"Fourth Prince Consort, do you think I'm stupid?"
Tang Ning propped up his chin with a cold expression on his face. "You can't stop them from making trouble, but you can stop me from making things difficult for them. Last time on Qixi Festival, you stepped on me to please Princess Leyang, and I just ignored you for the sake of my brother's face. This time, you used me to save face in front of Leyang and Prince Ji's Mansion."
"Why, Princess Consort of the Fourth Prince, do you think that just because my brother chose you, I can let you abuse me?"
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