The morning mist is hazy and there is a gurgling stream.
It was already the end of the morning hour, the morning bell of Hanling Temple had already rung, and the light in the wilderness was already bright, but it was a little dim in the forest.
The stone steps leading up the mountain are well-built and spacious, with ancient trees on both sides. It does not affect the climbing, but it is difficult to see the scenery in the distance clearly.
Of course, the five hundred imperial guards were walking in the front, followed closely by many officials from the Guanli Hall and the Hanlin Academy, then the students of the Wu Dynasty, then the students from the Three Kingdoms, and finally the five hundred imperial guards were the rear guard.
So the team stretched out very long, winding on the mountain steps like a long dragon.
The students were chattering about the story of Hanling Temple, or perhaps they were amazed by the exotic flowers and plants on the roadside. Suddenly, they heard a roar, turned a corner, and saw a waterfall rushing down like a white dragon into the sea.
Then mist rose up and filled the mountains and fields, moistening the flowers, plants, trees, and people here.
"There's a celestial lake above Hanshan Temple, and the water of this waterfall comes from that celestial lake, hence the name 'Inverted Milky Way.' However, most people who come to Hanling Temple are devout believers, who come to listen to the evening drum and morning bell, and to light a stick of incense before the Buddha, praying for his blessing on their wishes. Therefore, the fame of Hanling Temple's evening drum and morning bell spread far and wide, and these other scenic views have faded considerably."
Fan Tianning brought Ku Chan and Fu Xiaoguan with him. He looked at the waterfall and talked eloquently, "It's a pity that the sun hasn't risen yet. Otherwise, if the sun fell on the waterfall, perhaps we could see the seven-colored rainbow."
Fu Xiaoguan looked at Fan Tianning in surprise, "How did you know?"
"Because I read a lot of miscellaneous books, Hanling Temple is recorded in the book 'Travels of One Hundred and Eighty Temples'. It was written by the eminent monk Yunyou three hundred years ago. He spent his life traveling all over the world and in his later years lived in Nalanda Monastery. He wrote a detailed account of the 180 temples."
So Buddhism is considered to be prosperous in this world, but what about Taoism?
It seemed that he had never heard of it except for the Taoist temple. Fu Xiaoguan thought that he would have to ask his senior brother about this after returning.
Passing through the mist of the waterfall and continuing along the stone steps, the light became brighter and you could vaguely see the red walls and green tiles hidden in the woods. These buildings were quite scattered, and I guess they were where the monks of Hanling Temple lived.
Going further up, the air smells of incense.
Looking into the distance, you can see the smoke curling in the dense forest and faintly hear the monks in the temple chanting their morning prayers.
"That's probably the front hall, where the Heavenly King Hall is located. The main venue for this literary gathering is in the back mountain, next to the Heavenly Lake." Fan Tianning explained to Fu Xiaoguan. Seeing his puzzled look, he smiled and said, "You're very busy, but I'm very free. To be honest, I've already been to Hanling Temple once, the day after you were injured. I came early in the morning, wandered around all day, listened to the evening drums and morning bells, and then stayed in the temple for one night, leaving the mountain the next day."
"For this literary gathering, many new buildings have been built in the back mountain, mainly for living quarters. After all, we need to accommodate thousands of people. How can there be so many guesthouses in the temple?"
"You'll see when we get to the back mountain. It's a fantastic place. The Tianhu Lake is vast, and right next to it, a gigantic Buddha statue has been newly built. When I went to see it, many people were sculpting the golden body of the Buddha. I think it's already finished. It's several times taller than the one at Nalanda Monastery!"
As the free guide Fan Tianning was explaining, a magnificent mountain gate appeared in front of Fu Xiaoguan and others.
There are three big golden characters written on the mountain gate: Hanling Temple!
There is still a couplet engraved on both sides of the mountain gate, which is quite interesting:
Are you here to worship? Suma thinks about how many sins you have committed and bows down to this place.
Who is the preacher? He must break free from personal feelings and speak words that are powerful and shocking to the ears.
"This couplet and calligraphy were written by Princess Zhengyang herself when Hanling Temple was first built. They are truly breathtaking!"
Fu Xiaoguan deeply agreed with this. It seemed that Princess Zhengyang five hundred years ago had a very deep understanding of Buddhist scriptures, otherwise she would not have been able to write such a cautionary couplet.
After passing through this mountain gate and walking about 500 meters, the mountain road forks. The mountain road to the left is wide, while the mountain road to the right is slightly narrow.
"This is the way to the back mountain."
The team walked to the right, and just after turning the ridge, a towering Buddha came into everyone's sight!
It is actually half a body taller than the ancient tree!
At this moment, the sun is rising, and the golden sunlight shines on the golden body of the Buddha, emitting a dazzling light. Against the background of the blue sky, it seems as if there is really a colorful holy light on the back of the Buddha!
"Is it very big?"
Fu Xiaoguan nodded, "It's really fucking big!"
"It's said that it took eight years just to carve this giant Buddha. Emperor Wen was truly ambitious. I wonder how much money it must have cost."
After walking for another incense stick, they arrived at the foot of the Buddha. There was a huge square with a clean and smooth marble floor. Below the Buddha was a high platform, which seemed to be a place for worship.
Behind the Buddha is the Tianhu Lake with mist rising from it.
Fu Xiaoguan looked around and saw many buildings built around the square. They didn't look like temples, but they were quite similar to the buildings in Jinling.
I guess those buildings are where the students participating in this literary gathering live.
Sure enough, when everyone arrived at the square, officials from the Guanli Hall and the Hanlin Academy came to arrange accommodation for these students.
The official walking towards Fu Xiaoguan is Wen Canghai, the Grand Secretary of the Hanlin Academy!
"I am under the orders of Lord Zhou, the head of the Tianji Pavilion, to take you to another place."
As Fan Tianning was looking at him in surprise, Fu Xiaoguan and his party left the square with Wen Canghai, but they did not go to the temple in the front mountain, but walked into the forest on the left.
There was a quiet path here, which passed through the woods again, and it led farther and farther away from the big Buddha. After walking for about three incense sticks, Wen Canghai stopped.
Fu Xiaoguan saw a beautiful villa!
It is located beside Tianhu Lake. There are no ancient pines and trees around it, but there is a pear orchard in full bloom!
They walked to the front door of the villa and looked up to see the lintel on the vermilion door. Fu Xiaoguan was shocked to see four golden characters written on the lintel: Yunqing Villa!
Wen Canghai noticed Fu Xiaoguan's expression and smiled, "This courtyard has been built for five years. Your Majesty comes here every year when the pear blossoms bloom. The environment here is quiet and peaceful, with thirty palace maids and all the necessary supplies... However, Lord Zhou has instructed that it is Your Majesty's wish. If you have time, could you pick some pear blossoms yourself, bring them back, and make a pot of tea for Your Majesty?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
