Chapter 121 Master Huiyuan
In Daning, there is a custom of having the imperial teacher chant sutras.
On the night when the old and new years ended, the imperial preceptor led the monks from the temple to chant sutras and pray in the palace, accompanying the emperor in worshiping their ancestors.
From midnight on New Year's Eve until midnight on New Year's Day.
Twelve full hours.
An abbot wearing a monk's robe, who looked young and had a peaceful face, walked in with a group of monks.
I chanted: "Amitabha."
The emperor nodded slightly: "Let's start praying."
It turns out that there is such a thing happening in the Daning Palace.
However, today, the abbot who took the lead had a burning look in his eyes, as if he had something to hide.
He knelt on the ground with a plop and took off his robes.
"I am a poor monk, I cannot pray today, please allow me to return to secular life..."
"Ah? What's the reason?" The emperor was confused.
At this moment, the abbot walked towards Zhao Zhuoxi and Jiang Jiu with square steps.
He first bowed to Zhao Zhuoxi, and then pulled Jiang Jiu away from Zhao Zhuoxi in full view of everyone.
Suddenly, he pulled Jiang Jiu's arm and took a look at him, then pinched Jiang Jiu's chin and took another look.
His eyes gradually turned red and he smiled with relief.
"My child, I finally found you..."
Jiang Jiu was completely stunned...
This monk is actually the original owner’s father?
Even Zhao Zhuoxi was confused. He investigated a lot, but couldn't figure out how this monk could be Jiang Jiu's father...
Jiang Jiu pushed him away.
"Who are you? I don't know you? Let go..."
The monk chanted "Amitabha" again.
"Sixteen years ago, I met your mother Jiang Qiuyue in Suzhou, Jiangnan. A year later, your mother came to Beijing. I originally told my parents that I wanted to marry your mother, but who knew..."
"You were actually opposed by your family, and your mother disappeared overnight. Xiaojiu, you were born on the ninth day of the ninth month of the nineteenth year in Ningze. Because your number has three nines in it, I named you Jiangjiu."
"But in fact, your last name is Chang, and I am your father... When I found your mother, she had already died of illness. I could only ask my guards Zhao Qing and his son to look for you and Nanny Qian. Zhao Li is Zhao Qing's son..."
Jiang Jiu was even more confused.
Looking at the hall again at this time, Chang Mingyuan stood out from the crowd.
"Second brother, you..."
Abbot Huiyuan pulled Jiang Jiu and knelt down before the emperor in the main hall.
"Your Majesty, in the twenty-year agreement,
Completed. Now that my daughter has been found, please allow me to return to secular life..."
When the emperor saw that things had come to this, he did not pursue the matter. Instead, he asked, "If you return to secular life, who will come to pray for you tonight?"
Abbot Huiyuan pulled out a child of seven or eight years old from among the many monks.
"He is the Heavenly Master who came from heaven. For the next twenty years, he will pray for Daning."
The hour of midnight was approaching, and the emperor ordered the monks to go to the altar of land and grain to offer sacrifices to heaven, earth and ancestors.
Abbot Huiyuan said he would return to secular life, and he even changed his clothes and brought Jiang Jiu directly into the banquet, where he sat behind Chang Mingyuan.
Jiang Jiu always felt that there was something weird about Abbot Huiyuan.
She made a gesture to run away to Zhao Zhuoxi and was about to leave when she found that Abbot Huiyuan had locked her wrist with a lock without her knowing.
The other end of the chain was worn on Abbot Huiyuan's own hand.
This is to prevent her from escaping.
Jiang Jiu is not someone who would give in easily.
Abbot Huiyuan's appearance was so strange, without any sign at all.
Something feels a little off about today's banquet. Is the Emperor so generous to an abbot?
Jiang Jiu took out a silver hairpin from his hair, put it to the lock, and with a little skill, it opened with a "click".
Jiang Jiu raised an evil smile at the corner of his lips, and turned around to lock the lock on the leg of the low dining table.
Having gained freedom of movement, Jiang Jiu left quickly.
Seeing this, Zhao Zhuoxi also left quietly.
The two of them ran all the way from the palace to outside the palace, and Jiang Jiu was panting from exhaustion.
Finally seeing Zhao Zhuoxi's carriage, Jiang Jiu was about to climb on.
Little did they know that Zhao Li was following Jiang Jiu closely.
"Girl, go back. Your master will be very unhappy if you do this."
Zhao Li was chasing relentlessly, and Jiang Jiu understood that the reason why Master Huiyuan did not catch up was because he had a subordinate named Zhao Li.
Suddenly, Jiang Jiu pulled out the sword from Lu Ming's waist and pointed it directly at Zhao Li.
"You said you were sent by my mother to look after me? Actually, you were sent by him, right?"
Zhao Li said sincerely, "Yes, Master Huiyuan is my master."
Jiang Jiu smiled coldly: "Okay, okay, I don't care who your master is, anyway, don't follow me anymore, otherwise, you will die an ugly death..."
Zhao Zhuoxi winked and Lu Ming and Zhao Li started fighting.
Jiang Jiu got on Zhao Zhuoxi's carriage and wanted to return to the Ninth Prince's Mansion, but after thinking about it, he said.
"Go to the other courtyard."
Zhao Zhuoxi was puzzled: "Did you know about Master Huiyuan and your mother after going to the other courtyard?"
Jiang Jiu had a bad feeling in his heart at this moment.
"Don't you think it's strange? How can a monk just leave the secular world and give birth to a child with my mother..."
Zhao Zhuoxi naturally knew that everything was weird.
"Not necessarily. The abbots of our dynasty can marry and have children."
Jiang Jiu was even more surprised: "Why? Aren't monks supposed to abstain from sex and alcohol? Why do they still need to marry and have children?"
It turns out that Daning's national teacher selection system is different from the Buddhism that Jiang Jiu knew.
No one knows since when, the Imperial Preceptor is not only allowed to read the stars and predict the country's destiny, but also has the responsibility to find the next Imperial Preceptor.
Especially when looking for the next national teacher, it is necessary to use the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to calculate the time and place of the national teacher's appearance.
The people of Daning believed that the imperial preceptor could bless the Daning Dynasty with prosperity and longevity.
Therefore, in everyone's mind, the imperial teacher is actually more important than the emperor.
He even has the ability to replace the emperor on the spot.
For example, tonight, Master Huiyuan will tell everyone that the current emperor must be replaced by Zhao Zhuoxi, and if he is not replaced there will be a major disaster, etc.
Maybe everyone will agree to change the person, and the emperor will no longer be the emperor, and Zhao Zhuoxi will become the emperor.
Jiang Jiu was confused: "How could he have such great power? Why did you work so hard to recruit soldiers and rebel? You could just bribe him and let him give you the throne..."
Zhao Zhuoxi hesitated for a moment and said, "He is not someone who will be easily shaken."
Jiang Jiu thought of Master Huiyuan's sharp eyes and uttered three words after a long while: "I don't believe it."
"I think what happened tonight is incredible. It must be a huge conspiracy, a conspiracy that neither you nor I know about."
Therefore, Jiang Jiu could not go to the Ninth Prince’s Mansion, she had to go to the other courtyard.
Sure enough, Jiang Jiu and Zhao Zhuoxi had just returned to the villa.
Master Huiyuan followed.
"Come back with me."
Jiang Jiu of course refused: "I don't know you at all. If you say you are my father, then you are my father. I am not that easy to fool..."
Master Huiyuan took another step forward and said, "It doesn't matter whether you admit it or not. We are related by blood."
"Come back to the temple with me and cultivate your character. When the time is up, I will let you go back."
Jiang Jiu was shocked: "Go to the temple? Cultivate your body and mind? What does that mean?"