Chapter 177 Stealing the House
Inside the imperial tent, Emperor Kangxi and his five princes were still discussing how to prevent Jebtsundamba Khutuktu from getting close to Yinreng. This Living Buddha, whom Kangxi described as "cunning," had already approached Yinreng while they were not paying attention.
The hustle and bustle of the camp was left behind. Yinreng strolled to the tranquil grassland. Xiao Wu flew around him. After being teased by Xiao Wu for always giving himself away, Xiao Liu stopped flying and followed closely behind.
The two little ones chattered noisily, but Yinreng paid them no heed, leisurely letting his thoughts wander.
Just then, a figure in a crimson monk's robe came into view. The newcomer was none other than Jebtsundamba Khutuktu. His face was serene, but his eyes held a profound insight, and a faint smile played at the corners of his lips.
"Your Highness, I have long admired your name. It is truly an honor for this humble monk to meet you today," Jebtsundamba Khutuktu spoke first, his voice deep and resonant, as if carrying the ethereal aura of distant snow-capped mountains.
Yinreng smiled slightly, showing no surprise, and politely cupped his hands in greeting: "You are too kind, Living Buddha. I have long heard of your esteemed reputation and know that you are highly respected on the Khalkha grasslands."
Jebtsundamba glanced at the two "strange beasts" following him, his eyes sparkling with interest, and asked in a gentle voice, "This humble monk finds that Your Highness's two companions are no ordinary beings, which reminds me of some Buddhist stories. On a whim, I would like to discuss Buddhism with Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness has the time?"
Yinreng raised an eyebrow. The moment to test the true value of his "Buddha's disciple" (to boost his character's image) had arrived. So he readily agreed: "That's exactly what I was thinking. Please speak, Living Buddha."
Jebtsundamba Khutuktu immediately launched into a witty remark: "All things possess a spirit, and that spirit resides within the heart. I wonder how Your Highness perceives the connection between this spirit and Buddhahood?"
After a moment's thought, Yinreng calmly replied, "In my opinion, spirituality is perception, while Buddha-nature is transcendence. Using spirituality to comprehend Buddha-nature is like using a boat to cross a river. Only by perceiving the joys and sorrows of the world can one find the way to liberation."
These words caused a flash of surprise in Jebtsundamba Khutuktu's eyes. He then posed several obscure questions, to which Yinreng answered fluently and with unique insights.
Jebtsundamba became increasingly convinced that Yinreng was indeed a reincarnation of the "Buddha's Child" after undergoing tribulations.
How could a Buddhist disciple not enter the Buddhist order? The thought of recruiting him into Buddhism grew wildly in his heart.
But Yinreng was, after all, the Crown Prince of the Qing Dynasty, bearing heavy responsibilities for the country. Jebtsundamba Khutuktu dared not act rashly, but smiled and probed again: "Your Highness has such wisdom. If you can devote yourself to Buddhism, you will surely achieve the supreme enlightenment. However, there are many worldly entanglements. Has Your Highness ever been torn between two options?"
Yinreng smiled nonchalantly: "Living Buddha, I live in the mortal world and bear the responsibilities I should bear. My understanding and practice of Buddhist principles are not necessarily contradictory." After speaking, he gently stroked Xiao Wu's feathers, seemingly unaware of Jebtsundamba Khutuktu's deeper meaning.
Jebtsundamba gave him a deep look, showing no eagerness to achieve results.
After Jebtsundamba Khutuktu left, Little Six kept squeaking as he watched his retreating figure.
[As expected of a living Buddha, his performance in front of him really boosted his image. Of course, it's mainly because you, Master, are amazing!]
Having spent so many years in the Little Prince's household, Xiao Liu felt that his art of speaking had reached a new level, never forgetting to praise his master.
Yinreng chuckled lightly, trying to cover up his true feelings: "What's all this about acting? I'm not some Buddhist monk from the Beijing circle. I'm the Crown Prince, Amitabha."
...
On the grasslands of Dolonnor, colorful flags fluttered as the alliance meeting commenced in a grand and solemn atmosphere.
From Yinzhen to Yinsi, the five princes were like loyal guards, closely following Yinreng and never daring to relax for a moment. No matter how Yinreng tried to persuade them, they were unwilling to leave him to go out and play.
There's no time when we can't play, but right now we can't! They have to protect our second brother; he belongs to them!
As they walked along the road, Yinzhi saw Jebtsundamba Khutuktu approaching from afar in a red robe, exuding an extraordinary air. Yinzhi's eyes narrowed, and he quickly grabbed Yinreng's arm with a smile and said coquettishly, "Second brother, there are some newly presented fine horses ahead. I've heard they are all top-quality steeds, one in a thousand. Let's go take a look."
Yinzhen and the others worked together, stepping forward to surround Yinreng and block his view. "Exactly, it would be a pity to miss it."
"Yes, Yinzhuo wants his own pony."
Yinyou chimed in, "Yinyou wants one too."
Yinreng nodded indulgently: "Alright, then your second brother will take you to pick some out."
"Okay, okay."
Yinqi was the most flustered, and he eagerly grabbed Yinreng's hand. The group immediately surrounded Yinreng and walked in the opposite direction.
Jebtsundamba Khutuktu stopped with regret, seemingly lost in thought: "Are these princes wary of me?"
Having roughly discerned the intentions of Yinzhen and the others, Jebtsundamba became even more enthusiastic. What does this mean? It means that the Buddhist disciple definitely has a heart devoted to Buddhism! Otherwise, why would they be so wary?
No, he must save the Buddhist disciple; the Buddhist disciple belongs to the Buddhist community!
And so, this scene repeated itself over the next few days.
Yinreng seemed to finally be unable to contain his doubts, and followed them back into the tent, asking, "What's wrong with you all? Why are you deliberately keeping me away from the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu?"
Good heavens! When did my second brother find out about that guy?! No, no, now that we know his name, am I going to get scammed next?!
He couldn't recall at all that, as the Crown Prince, Yinreng could not possibly be unfamiliar with the attendees.
The five were in grave danger, exchanging beaded sweat on their foreheads as they frantically tried to come up with a plausible excuse. In short, they couldn't let their second brother and Jebtsundamba Khutuktu speak to them!
Yinzhen cleared his throat, about to speak, when Yinsi interrupted, "Second Brother, this...it's just that I'm afraid that with so many people around, things might get chaotic, and if something goes wrong, you might get hurt."
Yinzhu nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, there are too many people, it's always better to be careful."
Yinreng suddenly realized and reassured him, "Oh, so that's what he was thinking. However, the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu is not a bad person. After all, he facilitated the Khalkha tribes' submission to the Qing Dynasty, so he is a meritorious person. You don't need to be nervous."
"Second brother, you can know a person's face but not their heart."
Yinzhen couldn't say much bad about it, so he could only offer this advice. The four people beside him nodded vigorously in unison, thinking that the so-called Living Buddha was definitely up to no good!
"Huh?" Yinreng blinked, looking completely innocent. "No, I talked to him on the first day he came. We discussed Buddhism, and I felt that he was devoted to Buddhism, which is good."
"What??"
These words struck him like a bolt from the blue. Yinzhen asked, his lips trembling, "The first day? Second brother, you met him on the very first day?"
“Yes,” Yinreng continued, seemingly oblivious to their embarrassment, “I met him while I was taking a walk outside the camp when Father Emperor summoned you.”
The plan to protect my second brother was compromised before it even began?
The five people looked at each other in a daze. Sure enough, Jebtsundamba Khutuktu was full of tricks. How despicable!
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