Chapter 397 The Missing Zhao Duan
That afternoon, the story that happened in Huangting Lane spread like wildfire. With the help of countless chess players, it seemed to have wings and became a viral sensation in this winter.
A young genius from the Western Regions made his debut, sweeping the chess world. When great masters were defeated, an unknown young man took action and slaughtered the foreign monks...
This story is inherently legendary, especially since it coincided with the arrival of a delegation from the Western Regions in Beijing. The idle citizens of Beijing in the winter flocked to the place to eat melons together.
By the evening, seven or eight versions of the incident had emerged, and the rumor that Princess Wenzhu of the Western Regions was present added a lot of luster to the story.
Zhao Duan stayed at home, pretending that it had nothing to do with him.
During dinner, I listened to my stepmother and sister talking and realized that the news might be passed with the support of the court.
Yes, if you lose, you should suppress the popularity, and if you win, it is natural to buy a hot search.
"Brother, do you know who the young man is who defeated the monk from the Western Regions?"
Zhao Pan, who was becoming more and more elegant and had the temperament of a lady from a noble family, asked eagerly.
Zhao Duan jokingly said, "Why, are you attracted to her? Do you want to get married or something?"
Zhao Pan's eyes widened, and he turned his head away angrily, kicking the Pekingese dog under the table with his feet in anger:
"I won't ask anymore."
Eugene Hua looked disappointed, and the little Pekingese was confused, howling and holding its tail between its legs.
This little incident did not cause any waves in the Zhao family, and the heat did not last long in the capital.
It was soon overshadowed by the news of the Buddhist debate, and for a time, countless people paid attention, not wanting to miss this major event that was likely to go down in history.
Zhao Duan, on the pretext of seclusion to cultivate himself, locked himself in the room for two days to study the pile of scriptures, with the lights in the room kept on all night.
…
In the blink of an eye, two days passed and it was the day of the debate that countless people were looking forward to.
Early in the morning, when it was just getting light.
In the Jinfeng Pavilion where the Western Regions delegation was staying, the monks from the Western Regions had already gotten up, washed and dressed in an orderly manner, and did their early morning exercises.
The "holy monk" wearing a red monk's robe, white ivory beads, and with a skin as dark as an old monkey, held a candlestick burning with a green flame in his hand.
He walked up the creaking stairs, came to a room, and pushed open the door.
Inside the room, the oil lamp on the table was still burning, but the brazier on the ground had gone out.
The young monk Danche was wrapped in a thick blanket, sitting cross-legged on the ground, staring at the chessboard in front of him.
Hearing the sound, he raised his head and looked at his master for a moment, then suddenly said:
"Are we leaving?"
The Red Sect Master pinched his brows with a headache:
"Didn't I tell you last night that you have to get up early for today's debate?"
"So the disciple didn't sleep," Dan Che said confidently, and then muttered softly:
"Besides, it's not me who's going to debate..."
Before the master got angry, he immediately changed his words and praised:
"I've been reviewing that game of chess for the past two days, and I'm deeply impressed by the master's ingenuity. He's seemingly blazing a new trail in the once stagnant world of chess. If the way of chess is also a way, then he's worthy of being the founder of a new school. Do you still not know his identity?"
The Red Sect Master looked at his almost "chess-crazy" disciple, sighed, and shook his head.
"not yet."
Dan Che said "Oh" in disappointment, then asked curiously:
"Master, have you found any clues to the 'wisdom' you're looking for?"
"……not yet."
The Red Sect Master was not in a good mood, but he smiled again and said, "However, when the Buddha descends to the world today, Hui will surely appear."
Dan Che nodded vigorously. In his opinion, his master invested five times the effort in debating, and ten times the effort in searching for wisdom.
It's just for a plate of vinegar dumplings.
"Master, is breakfast ready? I'm hungry." Dan Che stood up wrapped in a blanket.
The Red Sect Master restrained his smile and said, "Not yet."
…
Zhao family.
When the sky in the east was turning pale, Zhao Duan got up early, which was unusual for him, and the family had dinner at the dining table.
Eugene Hua was wrapped in a thick cotton skirt, her lips breathing orchid-smelling air. She took out the steamed white buns from a thick white mist and handed them to Zhao Duan, who immediately pinched his earlobes with both hands because it was too hot.
He said, "Why did Dalang want to eat steamed buns today?"
"Take it as a good omen."
Zhao Duan picked up the soft and hot mantou and opened it without changing his expression. He remembered the word "mantou" he had heard in his previous life. It meant "barbarian head", which was an allusion to taking the head of a barbarian, whether true or false.
Zhao Pan used a large wooden spoon to scoop up a bowl of egg drop soup and said softly:
"Can't we just go and watch the fun?"
Without waiting for Dalang to speak, Eugene scolded his daughter with a fierce face:
"Have you forgotten that the damned monk wanted to kill your eldest brother? Why are you going to watch the fun?"
Zhao Pan complained aggrievedly: "Two different things, they are fighting among themselves..."
Zhao Duan smiled and said:
"You should stay at home. I don't mind you going, but the court has issued a ban this time. Only some invited people can go there.
Don't forget, Buddhism was banned not long ago. This time, allowing both sides to debate openly is already a special favor for the sake of the Western Regions. If ordinary people want to gather, it would be a blatant violation of the court order... and officials' relatives are not allowed either."
After a pause, he explained:
"However, you should be able to see some movement at home. I heard that the debate will be very loud."
Well... he heard it from the "information" sent by Zhang Yanyi.
The mother and daughter both looked surprised and breathed a sigh of relief.
After dinner.
Zhao Duan, who had been recuperating at home, stepped out of the house. After the person left, Zhao Pan suddenly realized:
"Mom, isn't my elder brother wearing his official robes?"
…
Imperial Palace.
After the sky was completely bright, the sunlight shone on the towering palace walls, casting large shadows.
Xu Zhenguan rode in a low-key carriage today, bringing only Mo Chou and a few other close followers with him. He left the bedroom and met up with his "aunt" who lived in the palace city to watch the excitement of the battle between the East and the West.
The Empress and Princess Wenzhu, aunt and niece, rode together and quietly left the palace, heading along the street towards the Shenlong Temple.
"call……"
Princess Wenzhu lifted the curtains of her carriage and looked out at the morning streets of the capital. Many people hurried out of incense and candle shops, holding yellow incense sticks and incense burners under their cotton-padded jackets. Some were carefully holding Buddha statues. She frowned.
"These are the Buddhist men and women in Beijing, right?"
Xu Zhenguan didn't need to look, his mind swept over and took in the awards outside, his expression calm:
"Yes. Some time ago, after the ban on Buddhism was issued, prohibiting the burning of incense in Buddhist temples, the business of buying and selling Buddha statues, incense, and candles, as well as worshipping Buddha at home, became very popular in the city. The Buddhist faith has taken root in this land for longer than the reign of the Yu Kingdom, and it has many believers.
The imperial court could ban gatherings and cut the land and money of the major temples, but it was difficult to eradicate faith."
Princess Wenzhu looked at her niece in surprise and said with emotion:
"Your Majesty doesn't seem angry."
Xu Zhenguan smiled:
"What's there to be angry about? These people did nothing wrong. The Buddha has been around for a long time, so he is certainly not wrong. It's just some people who are wrong.
News of today's debate has already spread, but these people are unable to witness it in person, so it seems they are preparing to hold a memorial ceremony and watch from home."
Princess Wenzhu remained silent.
From her perspective, one can see the court's dilemma over Buddhism.
On the one hand, the Shenlong Temple and the Western Regions need to check and balance each other. They can only "ban Buddhism" but cannot "destroy Buddhism".
On the other hand, they are also wary of the growing power of the Shenlong Temple, not only because of the power of practitioners, but also because of the believers and the many temples rooted in various places.
Including the Empress's low-key visit today, it was also the result of a choice.
She needs to make a symbolic appearance, but doesn't want to make a big fuss. This is similar to the last challenge from the Zhengyang School. The difference is that the empress can ignore Zhengyang, but must pay attention to the ancestral court in the Western Regions.
Soon, the carriage arrived at a pavilion near Shenlong Temple.
It was still some distance from the temple, and the pavilion was surrounded by imperial guards and the streets nearby were filled with carriages.
The White-robed Empress and Princess Wenzhu ascended the pavilion, only to see a group of court officials already standing and saluting.
"Welcome, Your Majesty!"
At a glance, important officials such as Li Yanfu, Yuan Li, and Xue Shence were all present.
A little further down, heads of the imperial yamen like Ma Yan were also standing in the corner.
"No need to be so polite, gentlemen. Please take a seat." Xu Zhenguan smiled and nodded. He glanced around but didn't see Zhao Duan.
It was a bit strange, but I was surprised that this guy didn't seem like he would miss such a lively atmosphere.
But he did not ask any questions. Instead, he sat down leisurely. Princess Wenzhu was arranged to sit in the seat closest to the empress.
The seats in the entire pavilion are also arranged in order according to the official rank.
"This Guanshui Tower is located on the side of Shenlong Temple and Jizhao Temple. It's cold in winter, and the ministers in the court are not as good as those practicing monks, so it's enough to take a look here."
The empress sat down, still holding Princess Wenzhu's hand, giving people the impression that the relationship between the monarch, minister, aunt and niece was very good. At this moment, she explained with a smile.
Princess Wenzhu was also dressed in gorgeous attire, her elegance and grace second only to the Empress. Looking up, she saw a large open square outside the Shenlong Temple in the distance.
But at this moment, the square was also surrounded by imperial guards to prevent unauthorized people from entering.
Inside, a huge circular platform had been built at some point, with seats similar to those in the grandstands placed on both sides.
At this moment, a monk was standing in the wind, and there were also some nobles from the capital who were symbolically present.
With this as the center, in the buildings about the same distance away, some scholars gathered and looked into the distance together with the officials.
In terms of specifications, it is not inferior to the original Buddhist and Taoist competition.
"Wait a moment, it seems like it's almost time," Xu Zhenguan didn't really care about arriving early, and was happy to chat with his ministers.
Only then did he ask curiously, "Is Zhao Qing not here?"
Upon hearing this, familiar faces like Li Yanfu and Yuan Li all turned their eyes to Ma Dugong, who stood clearly apart from the other officials and was unwelcome.
The corners of Ma Yan's slender and cold face twitched, and he bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, I sent a letter earlier. Perhaps Zhao Jisi's injuries haven't healed yet, so he neglected the time. Should I send someone to summon him now?"
"No need," Xu Zhenguan said with a smile, "No need to rush him."
Princess Wenzhu stood by without saying a word, her brows furrowed, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with this treacherous minister whom she had yet to meet since coming to the capital.
This guy... He's just a concubine, but he's too arrogant. All the officials have arrived, but Zhao Duan is still not here.
Ma Yan hesitated to speak, but in the end he said nothing. As his direct superior, he suddenly felt a little uneasy for no reason.
At this time, a low and mighty bell sound was heard from the Shenlong Temple. Everyone was alert and looked towards the square in the distance. They were the first to see that the Western Region delegation had already entered.
——
Prelude chapter, next chapter will be updated before midnight
(End of this chapter)
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