Chapter 56: The Great Zhou Dynasty (V) Update
North of the outer city of Yucheng.
The monk who said goodbye and left from the street in front of Xiguan Houfu arrived outside the Yanyun Temple in the north of the city in the afterglow of the setting sun.
If it weren't for the sound of the temple bell that had just been heard, even this monk who had traveled all over the country would not be able to recognize from a distance that there was a small temple hidden here.
The wooden temple gate, long exposed to the elements and lacking the maintenance of a varnish, had cracks in the doorposts, only to be filled again by the wind and sand that had blown in. A few small grasses and wildflowers stubbornly sprouted in the cracks, seemingly blending seamlessly with the ubiquitous loess of Yucheng.
Above the wooden door hangs a plaque with a black-gray paint base, inscribed with three large characters: "Yanyun Temple".
The monk stepped forward and knocked lightly on the wooden door. Unexpectedly, the door was not locked at all, but only slightly closed.
He raised his hand and knocked, and the wooden door creaked loudly, opening a crack.
Since that was the case, the monk simply pushed open the two doors of the temple and stepped in. In the middle was a courtyard several meters wide and narrow, covered with wild grass and unknown wild flowers. In the two corners of the courtyard, there were two man-made fruit trees.
Among the weeds, there is a path about four or five feet wide, leading from the gate all the way to the green steps in front of the first temple door opposite the temple.
The monk walked along the path and when he arrived at the door, he vaguely smelled the extremely faint and familiar scent of incense in the summer evening breeze.
The monk looked up and saw that in the main hall, there was a statue of Bodhi sitting on a lotus.
The wooden Buddha statue was once meticulously carved, and even though the wood had become increasingly sparse over the years, the Buddha's majestic presence remained undiminished. On the table before the statue sat a small incense burner, within which three half-burned incense sticks were emitting curls of green smoke.
This is the source of the smell of incense that the monks smell outside the courtyard.
Since the incense was still half lit, the temple was occupied. The monk knelt on a cushion placed in front of the incense table, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and bowed to the Buddha.
After a while, the monk opened his eyes again and saw an old monk in a gray robe standing beside the incense table.
The wandering monk stood up, faced the old monk, and saluted with his palms together. The old monk also returned the salute in the same way.
The wandering monk then said, "I have come here and would like to stay at the Treasure Temple for a while. Is it a good deal?"
As he spoke, he took out a letter of ordination from the bag in his bound sleeve and handed it to the old monk in the gray robe to read.
The old monk lowered his eyes and took the certificate, asking for it to be opened calmly.
Although Xiguan Border County is remote and Yucheng has a small population, from time to time, there are still people from the city who come to burn incense, or a few times a year to receive monks who travel here. The old monk is not surprised by this.
However, when he opened the certificate and saw the monk's Dharma name printed on it, this so-called calmness and indifference was rudely broken with a bang.
The old monk looked up in astonishment, looking at the tall, skinny, plain-looking old monk standing only two or three steps away. He asked in disbelief, "Are you... Master Xuan Jing?"
The monk clasped his hands together and confirmed, "It is Xuan Jing."
The old monk Du Yan's calm and composed look just now completely disappeared into thin air.
"Xuan Jing, Great Master Xuan Jing! You've actually traveled all the way to the border counties of Xiguan! I've heard that the abbot of the imperial Buddhist temple in Yanjing, your most senior disciple, has been inviting you to Yanjing for years to preach to His Majesty and the Crown Prince, but to no avail! This... my humble temple is so shabby, yet it's actually been able to receive you, Great Master Xuan Jing!"
After Du Yan finished speaking, he quickly called out to the back of the main hall, "Jingchen! Hurry to the front of the main hall! Put on your monk's robes and Buddhist beads!"
A younger voice responded from the back of the hall.
During this moment, Du Yan once again spoke with an extreme enthusiasm that was completely inconsistent with that of a Buddhist: "Master, may I ask how long you plan to stay in this temple?"
Xuan Jing remained calm, as he had been before, and replied, "If one has a deep connection with the Buddha, it's possible to hover for half a year or even several years."
After hearing this, Du Yan was even more shocked.
Half a year was already enough to surprise him, and what Master Xuan Jing was implying was that he might stay here for several years!?
Where on earth did this little abandoned temple of theirs have such a predestined connection with the Buddha that it could actually receive such a Buddha's light!
Du Yan was a little incoherent for a moment: "Master...you are going to stay for so long? Ah, no, I don't mean to think that you will bring trouble to our temple. No matter how long you stay in our temple, it will be prosperous. It's just...it's just...you have seen the situation of this temple. I am just worried that I can't receive you well..."
The monk named Jingchen from the backyard rushed over and saw that his master was in an unusual state.
"Master, what's wrong?"
He cast a puzzled look at a strange monk standing opposite his master.
Xuan Jing was just clasping his hands together again at this moment, and said to Du Yan, "As a Buddhist disciple, even a small amount of shelter is a blessing from the Buddha to our temple. How could Xuan Jing be so picky?"
So Jingchen just happened to hear the self-proclaimed part of this sentence - Xuan Jing.
In an instant, he stared at the unprepossessing wizard with eyes as big as bells, just like his master.
"Master Xuan Jing!!"
His shout almost scared his master Du Yan off. When Jingchen wanted to stretch out his hands to feel whether the person standing in front of him was a real person, Du Yan grabbed his hands back in time.
Du Yan was furious at his disciple for embarrassing himself, and yelled at Jing Chen, "I asked you to come here to pay your respects to the Master! Then quickly go clean up that room for the Master to stay in!"
After Master's roar, Jingchen finally stopped being so unreliable and quickly assured with shame, "Disciple knows, Master. Please let me go, Master!"
Du Yan let out a long sigh, his disciple having long since lost his Buddhist heart in anger. But in front of Master Xuan Jing, this wasn't the right time to lecture him. He released his grip on Jing Chen's left ear and clasped his hands together again in apology.
This time, Jingchen behaved honestly and met Master Xuanjing just like his master.
Although he wanted to take a closer look at this Buddhist disciple on earth, his master was staring at him so hard that his eyes were about to fall out. He had no choice but to go back to the backyard, clean up the meditation room that he and his master usually lived in, and leave it for Master Xuan Jing to live in.
The master's wooden bed was left here, and his own bed was moved out directly. He also cleaned up another room where food and miscellaneous items were stored.
This was originally a spare room for the monks. It was usually vacant because it was shaded and cool, and there were few monks living in Yanyun Temple. However, the wooden bed frame was still there. From then on, the master and disciple lived in this room together.
The Buddha has been consecrated!
He actually met the Great Master Xuan Jing! He was even about to sleep next to the Great Master Xuan Jing for several months!
·
Qingcheng.
Du Hui picked up the tea in front of him and took a sip calmly under the stares of Fuyu Changqing and Qingcheng official Xicao.
After his throat cleared a little, Du Hui asked, "Chief of the Fuyu clan, what do you think?"
"Of course, this decision is certainly a significant one, and you don't have to answer me directly. I will await the final decision after thorough discussion with your clansmen."
After he finished speaking, he turned to the Qingcheng official Xicao and said, "Lord Xicao, this is why I came here today. I will find a place to stay in Qingcheng myself, so I won't bother you any further."
After saying that, Du Hui stood up calmly and said goodbye to Xicao.
Xi Cao didn't react for a moment, and subconsciously said, "Are you leaving now? I have a guest room in the backyard of my official residence. If Mr. Du doesn't mind, why don't you stay in my official residence?"
Du Hui smiled and declined, "No. Although I am honored to be a teacher at the Xiguan Marquis' Mansion, I am still just a commoner. How can I violate the rules and live in an official residence? I appreciate the kindness of Master Xicao. I will come to visit you again another day. Farewell!"
He turned to Fuyu Changqing again and said, "Chief Fuyu, I am in the city, waiting for your news."
Fu Yu Changqing stood up, looked at Du Hui, and calmed down and said, "Okay, goodbye, sir."
After leaving the Qingcheng official residence, Du Hui stood on the streets of Qingcheng and looked around. He finally decided that, like their young master had done the last time he came to Qingcheng, the first thing he would do was to walk through the city himself.
The overall style of Qingcheng is similar to that of Yucheng, but the city is smaller in scale.
Because of the actions of their young marquis last winter, most of the houses in Qingcheng have undergone a renovation of dilapidated houses and have all been replaced with newer and more solid double-sided sloping roof tile houses.
When Du Hui walked on the street, he could imagine that under each roof tile, there were Wei-shaped triangular beam support frames, which were of different sizes but uniform in shape.
At the Dingmao position of the wooden structure, you can definitely find the flywheel and lightning marks left by the Prince of Xiguan.
What arises spontaneously in my heart is a flourishing sense of accomplishment.
Every time he passed a Qingcheng workshop, or even the ordinary people he saw on the roads, some were using stone pushers and curved plows to open up and clear wasteland. In other shops, they were manufacturing various production equipment parts according to the drawings and patterns passed down from their mansions.
Fuyu Changqing is a man of his word and handles clan affairs with ease.
When the drawings were delivered to Fu Yu Chang Qing, several requirements were put forward. First, each workshop must be divided into groups according to the structural drawings of some parts. The final structural assembly must be handed over to the craftsmen assigned to this place by the Xiguan Marquis Mansion, and this must be used as a unified shipping channel. The Xiguan Marquis Mansion will not take a commission on this matter. Fu Yu only needs to pay the local craftsman according to the agreed wages; second, the minute wheel and lightning icon must be engraved in the set position according to the standard pattern.
When Du Hui traveled up and down Qingcheng, everything he saw was indeed in accordance with their original agreement.
But no one is perfect.
Whether it is Xiguan County or Qingcheng, one of the cities.
They are all places that are almost isolated from the outside world. In the absence of unrest and war, the border residents living here can stick to the experience of their ancestors unchanged for an infinite period of time.
If it weren't for the great disaster like last winter, or if it weren't for the overly eye-catching performance of the young marquis's farm tools at the beginning of spring, it would have been impossible to win over and impress Fu Yu Changqing.
But.
If they cannot shake Fu Yu Changqing's ideas and will, if they cannot completely pull her under the banner of the young Marquis of Xiguan like Fu Shi did, then their subsequent actions in Xiguan County will not be able to be as the young Marquis said, that is, to pull together as one, so that the young Marquis can focus on doing what he wants to do.
After walking in Qingcheng for nearly two hours, the sky gradually darkened.
Du Hui arrived at an empty house that the Qingcheng craftsmen had arranged for them in advance at their Marquis' residence.
Just a moment ago, I sat down in the middle of this house and ordered a pot of tea.
The next moment, there was a knock on the door.
Du Hui looked up and saw Fu Yu Changqing standing there in the dim light, with her little nephew who was seven or eight years old beside her.
As he looked over, Fu Yu Changqing said, "Mr. Du, I'm sorry to bother you."
"How can you say I'm disturbing you? I've been waiting for Chief Fuyu all the time. Please come in, Chief Fuyu!" Du Hui stood up and walked to the door to greet the two of them.
When he saw Fu Yu Changqing's nephew Fu Yuqing, he smiled and asked, "Is this your nephew?"
"Exactly."
Fuyu Changqing nodded: "Qing'er, meet Mr. Du."
After hearing Fu Yu Changqing's words, Fu Yuqing immediately used his half-childish, half-mature emphasis to look at Du Hui and said, "Hello, Mr. Du."
"Okay, you too."
Du Hui responded with a smile, then welcomed the two into the yard.
"Come on, who has placed the tea on the table? Please take a seat, Chief Buyeo."
The two men sat down in the yard. Fu Yuqing couldn't help but look around curiously. After looking around, he focused his attention on the two tea bowls in front of him. Holding one in each hand, he began to direct and choreograph a fight between the two sides.
Fu Yu Chang Qing took the first cup of tea handed to him by Du Hui and said slowly, "Mr. Du, regarding the matter you raised today, Fu Yu's opinion is that we agree."
"only……"
Fu Yu Changqing paused and said, "I personally want to propose a condition."
Du Hui didn't seem surprised that Fuyu Changqing would eventually agree to his proposal. When he heard that she had another condition, he immediately said, "What condition? Please tell me, Fuyu clan leader."
Fuyu Changqing turned his gaze towards Fuyu Qing, who was sitting at the tea table playing with two teacups, and said to Du Hui, "Changqing would like to ask Mr. Du if he could spare a moment from his busy schedule to give my nephew some guidance."
"oh?"
Du Hui was a little surprised.
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