The eighteenth day of the first lunar month in the third year of Tiande.
The Lantern Festival atmosphere in Guanyun City has not yet dissipated, but the city of Chang Geum of Fan State has gradually returned to normal.
The evening drum of the White Horse Zen Temple has sounded, and the bells are melodious. It has been like this for thousands of years. The people in Jang Geum City have long been accustomed to it. Even the birds outside Jang Geum City seem to know that it is time to return to their nests.
Xu Yunqing came to the White Horse Temple at the moment when the evening drum sounded. She was not coming to stay overnight, but to see someone who was afraid to see her.
A man who should have been dead.
She stood in front of the open gate of the White Horse Zen Temple. Facing her was an old pine tree and a gray-white pagoda hidden behind the old pine tree.
She looked around and saw the ground paved with white marble, a huge pond for releasing animals, and high red walls surrounding the temple.
There is a carved couplet on both sides of the gate:
There are thousands of teachings, but their nature is the same. One cannot adopt the teachings, abandon the teachings, or make them illegal or non-illegal.
The Buddha originally has one vehicle, but its roots are different, so there are the lower vehicle, the middle vehicle, the higher vehicle, and the highest vehicle.
Horizontal banner: All things are one!
Xu Yunqing smiled broadly, her face filled with pride - this was written by her son Fu Xiaoguan at the Wuchao Literary Conference, and now it was actually engraved at the entrance of the largest temple in Fan State.
This is naturally the highest honor for her son, and as a mother, she feels deeply proud of it.
Thinking of Fu Xiaoguan, after this trip, it’s time to go to Wu Dynasty to meet him formally.
This kid is much better than his father. In just two years, he managed to manage the Wu Dynasty in an orderly and prosperous manner.
His ten wives were also very good. Now he has nine children, and he himself has nine grandchildren. She is not very good at taking care of grandchildren, but she can learn.
If that fat guy can lead it, then of course I can do it better.
But the guy inside chose to become a monk... What was he thinking?
Just as the last echo of the evening drum faded away, and just as she gathered her thoughts and stepped into the gate, she suddenly stopped.
She was standing at the door of the gate, and she heard another melodious bell ringing.
“Bang…!”
The sound of the bell seemed to hit her chest, making her frown suddenly. Then she saw two familiar people walking towards her - Emperor Fan Zigui of Fan State and Queen Hui.
"Long time no see!" There was a hint of sadness on Fan Zigui's fat face!
Xu Yunqing frowned slightly and looked at Queen Hui, who had a faint, forced smile on her face.
"Long time no see... Where are they?"
Fan Zigui extended his hand and said, "Please come in!"
Fan Zigui walked ahead, while Empress Hui and Xu Yunqing walked side by side. She whispered, "You probably don't know, but he was severely injured in the avalanche that year. He wasted so much time in the Wu Dynasty that his injuries worsened. He hasn't recovered in the past two years under the care of the Sect Master."
Xu Yunqing's face grew serious, his heart tensed, and he glanced at Empress Hui: "So when the Sect Master came to the Taoist temple last year, he was already dying?"
"Well, he was almost done by then."
"But why didn't the Sect Master tell me?"
The words were spoken so loudly that the tranquility of the temple was broken and several birds nesting in the woods were startled.
"Yunqing, I don't know why the Sect Master didn't tell you. I guess he didn't want the Sect Master to go looking for you."
Queen Hui also turned to look at Xu Yunqing at this moment, "What kind of conflict did you two have?"
“…We have no conflicts.”
Queen Hui withdrew her gaze. Xu Yunqing took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Am I already too late?"
Queen Hui nodded, "Just one step too late."
…
…
In the monastery at the backyard of the White Horse Zen Temple, there was a pitch-black coffin.
The coffin was not new and looked to be a year or two old.
Many monks were sitting around the coffin, beating wooden fish and chanting Buddhist hymns. The sect leader slowly stood up and came to Xu Yunqing's side. "Go to the meditation room and sit down."
"I'll burn some yellow paper for him first."
Xu Yunqing walked over, grabbed a handful of yellow paper and threw it into the brazier. Tears finally fell from her beautiful face. She looked at the coffin, her shoulders twitching twice, and whispered, "This time... I'm afraid you're really dead."
"Wu Changfeng, are you using this method of death to make me feel guilty for the rest of my life?"
"You're wrong. I know you're not happy. Haven't you always wanted to know the truth? It's a pity that you don't know anything."
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? I was going to tell you everything, but now you won't understand even if I tell you. Go ahead, I will live well."
She threw another handful of yellow paper into the brazier, stood up, counted her breaths in silence, turned around and followed the sect leader into the meditation room.
"My condolences!"
"Wu Ai, how did he spend his last days?"
"Rise at three o'clock in the morning, change clothes, cleanse your face, and recite the Diamond Sutra. At five o'clock, ring the morning bell at the White Horse Zen Monastery. At six o'clock, meditate for an hour. At noon, eat. At noon, feed the fish in the Merit Pond or weed in the flower garden. At noon, after lunch, take a short half-hour nap and stroll through the courtyard. At noon, occasionally chat or play chess with His Majesty, or write or read in the study. At the evening drum, eat, recite the Nanhua Sutra, and at the end of the night, bathe and turn off the lights."
"That's about it."
Xu Yunqing pursed his lips and took a deep breath. "What were his last words?"
"He passed away peacefully, without leaving behind a single last word."
Xu Yunqing frowned, "I want to take him back."
"Where to go back to?"
"Back to the Wu Dynasty... He died, and his son is worshipping the empty coffin in the Wu Dynasty imperial mausoleum. Such a big thing must be made known to his son, so that he can see his remains with his own eyes."
The master of the sect fell silent for a moment before he slowly said, "In that case...how about waiting for this ritual to be completed and then I personally send him off?"
"Okay! How long will the ritual take?"
"Jiutian, you can live here or in the palace."
"Is this the Zen room he lived in?"
"Exactly."
"Then I'll live here."
"Okay, I won't bother you anymore."
"Thank you, Sect Master!"
Queen Hui walked in and sat in front of Xu Yunqing. "This place... is too quiet. Why don't we go to the palace?"
"Forget it. I didn't spend much time with him when he was alive. Now that he's dead, let me fulfill my duties as a wife."
Empress Hui bowed her head. "Let go of what happened in the past. Don't worry about it. You still have a lot of things to do. I won't bother you any more. If you're willing, come to the palace, or send someone to tell me I'll stay here with you."
"good."
"Goodbye!"
“No!”
The door closed, Xu Yunqing raised his head and exhaled a breath of foul air, but his eyes tightened and a hint of sarcasm appeared at the corner of his mouth - the nine-day ritual, set off for Wu Dynasty on the 27th of the first lunar month, and arrive in late February.
The spring flowers are in full bloom, but Guanyun City should not be too cold.
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