Chapter 307 Three Thousand Monks
Tzu-Kuang Mountain.
The imperial edict has reached the mountain.
The mountain seems to be very peaceful and harmonious.
Wuzhen heard that they would go to the East Palace to perform a ritual tomorrow, and that all of them would go to the palace together.
After he finished watering and pest control in the vegetable garden, he returned to the yard with breakfast.
"Master, we are going to the palace tomorrow. What should I prepare?" Wuzhen was holding a vegetarian bun that was half the size of his face.
Master Mingdeng drank his porridge slowly:
"You don't have to prepare. Everything that needs to be prepared is already prepared."
"Do you still want me to sprinkle incense ashes this time? I can sprinkle incense ashes while chanting scriptures." Wuzhen still remembered the time when he went to the palace to sprinkle ashes a few years ago.
Mingdeng: "You don't need to scatter ashes or recite scriptures."
Wuzhen was surprised: "Then what should I do?"
Mingdeng looked at Wuzhen:
"Wuzhen, you don't have to go tomorrow."
Wuzhen paused in his attempt to grab the bun, thinking he had misheard:
"Master, why? I am very good at chanting now. I can chant as fast as my fellow practitioners. I never fall asleep while chanting again."
Wuzhen knew that almost everyone in the temple would go to the palace tomorrow. He wanted to be with his master and fellow brothers and did not want to be left alone on the mountain.
Ming Deng shook his head: "Hey, Wuzhen, we are both so fat, and we will take up a lot of space in the carriage. We are going with so many people tomorrow, and there may not be enough space in the carriage."
"You're still a child, so don't squeeze in the car."
Wuzhen looked down at himself and had to admit that what his master said made sense.
But he said seriously, "Master, I can stand on the carriage, I don't have to sit... I don't have to ride the carriage, I can just walk along. And Brother Wukong and Brother Wujing will be willing to take turns riding with me.
"I can walk a long way and walk around the palace for a long time without getting tired."
"I can still endure my hunger and eat after the ritual is finished."
Wuzhen said a lot of things and insisted on going with them.
Ming Deng listened to Wu Zhen's mumbling, silently finished his bowl of porridge, raised his head and said:
"If you want to go so badly, then let's go together. But you must listen to me. When I tell you to go, you must go."
Wuzhen didn't know where his master wanted him to go, but when he heard his master agreed, he smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed into two slits:
"Okay, I'll definitely listen."
…
Heishan Prefecture.
Hao Ren was a little excited today.
I can't sit in the chair for a while and have to stand up.
He paced around the mansion, visiting every corner of the huge house.
As he paced, he put his hands behind his back, and the fingertips hidden in his fists trembled slightly.
He rarely felt so overwhelmed.
Tomorrow. That's tomorrow.
This was a little different from the timing they had originally agreed on.
The original plan was to wait until the Black Mountain Army was about to reach the capital before taking action, but Tiele Khan's attack and the Ning'an marriage stimulated Murong Yu and Murong Zhen to fall prematurely.
The imperial decree to summon monks to perform rituals came earlier than expected.
When Pei Shu hinted to the Queen Mother in the palace, she did not expect that Murong Yu, who had always been delaying the matter, would issue an order so quickly.
But no matter what, the decree has been made and there is no turning back.
Three thousand monks entered the palace. Yuan Chi led the Left Guards to guard outside the palace. The masters of the Black Mountain Mansion met them at the agreed location...
The villagers of Heishan Mansion watched Hao Ren wander from the front yard to the back yard, and then from the back yard to the front yard.
Wu Yingniang simply stuffed the broom into Hao Ren's hand:
"Ah Ren, I know you can't calm down. Just in time, you can sweep the front and back yards."
Hao Ren picked up the broom and swept the floor. As he swept, the floor became clean and his fingertips stopped shaking.
Su Zhizhi returned from the martial arts school today.
She also knew that tomorrow was an extraordinary day.
Su Zhizhi and Xue Che asked Hao Ren:
"Are we going to the palace tomorrow?"
Hao Ren: "Tomorrow the palace will have enough manpower, and the palace is in chaos. You should not enter the palace, and I will not go in to cause trouble."
What he needs to do is to arrange the manpower, plan strategically, and not act impulsively.
When things are done, you will see what you should see.
Although Su Zhizhi and Xue Che wanted to enter the palace, they knew that this was a major event that had been planned for a long time, and if they acted recklessly, it might disrupt the plan.
Xue Che: "Okay."
Su Zhizhi suddenly asked, "If there's chaos in the palace tomorrow, the imperial guards in other parts of the capital will also be in chaos when they hear about it, right?"
Hao Ren nodded: "Yes."
News from the palace will spread quickly, and the entire Chang'an city will be in chaos.
Su Zhizhi fluttered her eyelashes and made a plan: "If I don't need to go to the palace tomorrow, then I won't go. Dad, you guys take care of yourselves. I'm going to go somewhere else."
Xue Che turned around and met Su Zhizhi's eyes, as if he knew where Su Zhizhi wanted to go:
"I'll go with you."
Wu Yingniang came over at this time, and seemed to have guessed what Su Zhizhi was thinking:
"It's going to be chaotic outside tomorrow, so Mom will go with you."
Su Zhizhi: "Okay."
Hao Ren was a little confused at first, not knowing where his daughter was going.
But when it was evening, he saw that the whip tied around Zhizhi's waist had been changed.
The snake skin whip was replaced with a golden dragon whip.
In the moonlight, the golden dragon whip glowed coldly.
Hao Ren understood, his throat moved slightly, and he instructed Zhizhi:
"Be careful when you go out tomorrow, and get some rest tonight."
The nights in early autumn are no longer hot.
The cool breeze is very comfortable.
Su Zhizhi was lying on the bed, holding the Golden Dragon Whip in her arms, sleeping soundly.
But many people did not sleep that night.
The night at Ciguang Temple seemed particularly long.
When the monks on the mountain and on the foot of the mountain sleep, they just close their eyes, they are not sleeping.
Mingdeng lay on the bed, watching the dark night dissipate little by little.
The weather was a bit like when he escaped from the palace.
That night was also very long, so long that he once thought that he could not escape the clutches of the night even if he tried his best.
The dim morning light shone in through the window lattice and fell on the monk's robe with a bright lamp.
Mingdeng closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Wuzhen's round face coming towards me.
"Master, wake up. We need to get up. We have to go down the mountain to the palace today." Wuzhen shook his master's arm.
Wuzhen went to bed early last night and got up early today.
The master promised to take him to the palace, so he couldn't fall behind.
"Master, I'll go get some water to wash your face, and you'll be more awake."
As Wu Zhen fetched water, he murmured, "Fortunately, I woke up early, otherwise Master would have overslept."
Mingdeng: ...
It was completely daylight.
Three thousand monks poured out from every corner of Mount Ciguang.
The palace servants sent from the palace led a long procession towards the palace city, like a gray river winding into the palace.
When they arrived at the palace gate, all the monks were checked one by one to ensure that they did not carry any sharp weapons.
Among the monks' team, there was also a large Buddha statue pulled by several horses.
The imperial guards who were conducting routine inspections looked up and saw golden light shining from the Buddha's head. The Buddha's face was compassionate yet majestic, and he couldn't help but bow down if he looked at him for a second longer.
The imperial guards recognized it as the treasure of Ciguang Temple.
During the Chinese New Year, he went to Ciguang Temple with his family to burn incense and worship Buddha, but he could only see the big golden Buddha statue from a distance.
Unexpectedly, when the monks of Ciguang Temple were performing a ritual, they actually moved out all the treasures of the temple.
The imperial guards chanted a few words of "Buddha's blessing" in their hearts, then respectfully walked around the Buddha statue and continued to check the monks behind them.
There were three thousand monks to check, and they did not check very carefully, so the monks at the back just searched roughly and passed.
After all the trouble, by the time they entered the palace, the sun was already at its zenith.
The palace walls were illuminated by the warm sunlight, making them look red.
The monk, with his hands clasped together, looked straight ahead, his robe brushing against the white marble steps, and followed the palace servants who led the way into the East Palace.
The Crown Prince is still in the East Palace and has not woken up. The Queen Mother and Murong Yu also came to the East Palace today to watch the ritual together.
"Master Mingdeng is here. Today, I'll have to trouble all the masters to eliminate disasters and misfortunes." The Queen Mother said to Master Mingdeng.
Ming Deng stepped forward and said, "Amitabha, we monks and I have seen the prince trapped by evil spirits, as if he were drowning in a sea of suffering. We should rescue him from his suffering. This is the duty of Buddhist disciples."
Murong Yu sat on the couch in the hall, coughing from time to time, and his face looked no better than Murong Zhen who had fainted.
Outside the hall, an altar had been set up in the spacious courtyard, with incense, candles, and offerings placed on it. The monks rolled the large golden Buddha statue to the center of the altar.
Three thousand monks entered the venue, lined up around the altar, and sat cross-legged. Suddenly, the sound of Sanskrit filled the East Palace.
They sat in several circles around the altar.
Wuzhen's position was not next to the master, but behind his senior brothers, at the very periphery and back.
Blocked by the senior brothers, people couldn't see that there was a little monk sitting behind him.
Wuzhen's expression turned a little strange, and his body bent a little.
My stomach hurts.
He could endure tiredness and hunger, but he couldn't endure the stomachache and the urge to go to the toilet.
He was afraid that he would be hungry this morning, so he ate an extra vegetarian bun. I wonder if that was why he had a stomachache.
Wuzhen sat on the ground, twisting his body left and right like a fat caterpillar.
I really can't help it.
He stood up and walked towards the palace servant closest to him:
"Sir, which way is the toilet?"
The palace maid also thought Wuzhen was very rare and cute.
There was a little monk following behind so many monks, just like a little monk was given away as a gift when you bought something.
"Little Master, the toilet is that way, then turn left..."
Wu Zhen noted the location: "Thank you, benefactor."
Wuzhen left in a hurry.
On the altar, incense and candles are burning brightly, and the Buddha statues are majestic.
Master Mingdeng was wearing a cassock and sitting in front of the Buddha.
Murong Yu, the Queen Mother, the Crown Prince and some other palace maids were all in the hall.
Murong Yu leaned listlessly on the couch by the window, his eyes falling on Master Mingdeng.
For some reason, although he was meeting Master Mingdeng for the first time today, he felt as if he had seen him somewhere before.
When I think about it carefully, I can't figure it out.
In sight, Master Mingdeng stood up and walked into the hall step by step.
The Queen Mother sat in the carved chair at the head of the hall, her eyes inquiring:
"Why didn't the master recite anymore?"
Master Mingdeng smiled and said, "I would like to ask the Queen Mother, why do you believe in Buddhism?"
The jade beads in the Queen Mother's hand reflected the luster:
"Of course it's because of the Buddha's mercy."
Master Mingdeng nodded: "But there is cause and effect in this world, and the Buddha will not protect those who do evil from suffering."
The Queen Mother's face froze, and Murong Yu, who was standing by the window, also looked serious.
The Queen Mother noticed that Master Mingdeng was a little abnormal today.
Master Mingdeng continued to ask, "Is the Queen Mother able to determine the source of this evil aura within the Eastern Palace?"
The Queen Mother frowned and said coldly:
"Master, please don't forget your limits. I invited you to the palace to dispel the evil spirit. As for the rest, please don't interfere."
The Empress Dowager glanced at Aunt Gui and signaled her to take the palace servants to ask Master Mingdeng to leave.
Nanny Gui understood and walked towards the bright light.
"Amitabha."
Master Mingdeng sighed deeply.
"To exorcise this evil spirit from the Eastern Palace, it will take more than just three thousand monks performing rituals. There's one more thing."
"Master, please tell me what you need. If it's money for incense, I will give you any amount -" The Queen Mother said halfway, and the words got stuck in her throat.
Squeak——
The sound of the knife tip piercing through clothes and flesh suddenly rang out.
When Aunt Gui walked in front of Master Mingdeng, her eyes bulged out in fear and a stream of blood flowed out from her open mouth.
The compassionately smiling Master Mingdeng holds a sharp blade.
The sharp blade had already pierced into Aunt Gui's chest.
Nanny Gui's chest rose and fell rapidly, her body fell heavily, and blood spread on the ground.
For a brief moment, the hall fell into deathly silence.
In silence.
Master Mingdeng looked up and met the Queen Mother's eyes again.
Nanny Gui's blood splattered on his robes. His hands were covered in blood, but he clasped his hands together and chanted "Amitabha".
"If you want to drive away the evil spirits and achieve a clear and bright future, you must pay blood debts with blood."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
