Meng Chun's warm sun shines through the screen window of the bamboo forest, clearly shining slantly on his face, which is already burning, but his body is so lazy that he doesn't want to move a finger, as if everything has stopped functioning, and the only sound left in his ears is the crackling of bamboo charcoal. .
There were two people sitting idle in the empty room. They didn't speak at this time. However, voices came from time to time in the halls of Sidan. It was very different from the coldness of the past.
Jiang Wen was sitting in the abbot's monastery, looking at the old monk and frowning slightly. A wisp of sandalwood rose from the Zen room, like a whale or a crane, rising into the sky and into the sea, and gradually drifted into the cold and transparent air of the mountain temple. .
Abbot Hongbian took care of himself and made a cup of tea for each of them. His previously ugly face had recovered a lot. He had kind facial features and kind eyes as well as a majestic appearance. Anyone who saw him would respect him.
"Abbott, your cup of tea has been soaked for too long. It's bitter. Jiang will definitely not drink it."
Of course, the tea does not matter whether it is strong or not, but what matters is the tea drinker. Jiang Wenwen came and went suddenly, obviously the old monk had something to say.
Abbot Hongbian was silent and twirling his Buddha beads. Now Jiang Wen couldn't sit still. He had not recovered from his internal injuries caused by the Six Meridians Divine Sword, but he had no time to accompany the old monk to participate in the bitter meditation here.
What Jiang Wen didn't know was that the old monk in front of him was really afraid of Jiang Wen's mouth. The old monk also hid in the Wei Tuo Hall that day and witnessed the whole process. Knowing that his mouth was open was as frightening as the light. He was stunned. He deceived three arrogant martial arts masters into lameness.
Later, Jiang Wen said that if nothing happened in three days, the world would be peaceful for three days; Jiang Wen asked Abbot Hongbian to calm down, and everything in Xitan Temple would be as normal for a long time. Until today, for some unknown reason, he finally made up his mind to invite Jiang Wen out of seclusion for healing.
But for a moment, I didn’t know where to start. After all, everything changed so abruptly that many people had no time to react.
The masters of the Pingxi Palace worked together to attack the mountain gate. The Xitan Temple was full of old and weak people and there was no danger to defend it. The monks struggled to resist the flow of blood, and were eventually deprived of their treasured classics. This is such a logical thing, no matter when and where Mixed in the rumors, there will be no surprise at all.
However, according to the personal accounts of the pilgrims who wandered around the mountain gate of Xitan Temple that day, the dozens of masters sent by the Pingxi Prince's Palace had not even broken through the mountain gate. Even the four masters with astonishing skills were defeated by a few old men with ordinary appearance. The monk blocked Wei Tuo's hall, and finally paid a heavy price of one injury and three defeats.
Since ancient times, rumors cannot be trusted, and it is reasonable to add exaggerations and many interpretations. People in Dali and other places know it well. Pingxi Palace has attracted so many strange people, even if the Buddha comes in person, a layer of gold powder will be scraped off. How can he be afraid of a small temple?
But when these people anxiously made insinuations, they discovered that even in Prince Pingxi's palace, there were now rumors that the four masters had fallen into disgrace. What's more, three of the masters were not defeated, but were defeated. Transformed by the profound and profound Buddhist teachings, they now put down their butcher's knives and became Buddhas on the spot. Even the advice from the left and right could not make them leave the Sittan Temple. The remaining masters did not have the face to go back to communicate with each other, so they simply stayed in the temple and refused to leave.
Therefore, no matter how unbelievable everyone is, they can only temporarily believe that Sidtan Temple has really turned a corner this time...
"Amitabha, it seems Jiang Tanyue is not addicted to tea."
Abbot Hongbian finally spoke.
Jiang Wen's face darkened. He was holding this cup of unknown soup that was three-thirds darker than traditional Chinese medicine. He didn't understand why the old monk tasted tea so strangely. Just like the old monk himself, it gave people a strange feeling of being made from mud and spread evenly. Feel.
Jiang Wen originally thought that the old monk Hongbian would blame him for his nonsense a few days ago. After all, he used the fabricated origins of Xitan Temple to deceive outsiders and just blew the Xitan Temple of Zhuguo into Dali Tianlong Temple. Shaolin Wudang listened. They all have to express that they are ashamed of themselves. According to Buddhist teachings, if you die in the tongue-pulling hell, you will not be able to escape.
But now the old monk not only said nothing, but also ordered everyone in Xitan Temple not to make any unnecessary comments. He actually tacitly allowed Jiang Wen to do extraordinary things at an extraordinary time. Nowadays, the more outstanding the performance of Xitan Temple is, the more it can share the pressure faced by Mufu in Lijiang. Monk Daoan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty said, "If you don't obey the ruler of the country, it will be difficult to establish rituals." The journey was difficult, and Abbot Hongbian was determined to do this. This was obviously not the mentality of an ordinary monk.
Silence began to spread again.
Abbot Hongbian has only said one sentence and done one thing so far, but Jiang Wen has been able to keenly hear the hidden meaning. Chewing bitter tea and drinking boiling water, what Abbot Hongbian was clearly referring to was the current situation of Xitan Temple. He quietly asked Jiang Wen that since he "is not addicted to tea", why bother to get out of this muddy water?
Jiang Wen didn't know how to answer. He couldn't tell the truth. He confessed that he was doing this just to have some fun on the mountain and to trouble King Pingxi along the way, right?
The old monk has a heavy burden, and Jiang Wen can understand this. It has been difficult to start a business since ancient times, and it is also difficult to succeed. A Zen temple like Xitan Temple was only established for a few decades, and it is located in Yungui, a place with mixed beliefs. There is no way to stick to the rules. What space is most needed is an eclectic person like Abbot Hongbian.
Sometimes getting to know someone doesn't require much verbal communication. When Jiang Wen was hiding in Fayun Pavilion these days to recover from his injuries, he discovered that Sidan Temple was supposed to be a branch of the Tiantai Sect, but the Fayun Sutra Collection was mixed with many classics of the Southern Zen sects from Linji, Caodong, and Yunmen. Being so inclusive, it seems that he may be from the authentic Dharma lineage. He has many talents, and you know that the old monk is an extraordinary person.
At this time, Jiang Wen felt that he was still a little shallow. Abbot Hongbian had already regarded him as a life-saving straw. Even if he had built three hundred monk soldiers in Sidan before, I am afraid that the other party would not have any objections. The mere thirty-six Tiangang monks would not talk at all. Down.
Thirty-Six Tiangang Monks, this is the stage name Jiang Wen gave to the six old monks who debuted that day. It is just like sending 200,000 troops claiming to be one million, in order to create the illusion of a cloud of masters and make others think "like them" There are still thirty that can be beaten."
In order to make the old monks feel better, Jiang Wen also specially explained that the Thirty-six Tiangang monks refer to the six Tiangang monks who have been monks for thirty years. Any deviation in the understanding of outsiders is their own business.
As for the three masters who were stunned after hearing the story, Jiang Wen didn't know whether the two martial arts were related to the rumored "Eight Steps of Snake and Crane". He just felt that there was a connection between the two, so Deliberately pointing out an extremely dangerous path.
But Jiang Wen was not a devil after all. In the end, he was kind enough to shift the story to the Wudang Clan and Zhang Sanfeng. He expected that if Zhang Zhenren was so arrogant and upright, their exploration would not go astray, and if they could really do this Jiang Wen would never be jealous if he understood unique skills such as Turtle Style Qigong, Wu Kongshu, and Canxiang Fist.
In this matter, the five old monks were the most innocent. They clearly just followed the instructions and sat in meditation that day, and knew nothing about the rest. Jiang Wen would not tell them how many lies he had told on the occasion, and the senior monk When they woke up, they found with confused faces that three martial arts masters had appeared in the Sidan Temple out of nowhere. They regarded themselves as gods and served them in food and daily life. , it really makes people dumbfounded.
"Abbott, don't worry about those people sneaking into the temple. As the saying goes, there will be no fish if the water is clear. If you want your temple to live a comfortable life, their support is indispensable now."
Jiang Wen talked about other things in a hurry. The three people he deceived the most were one with high eyes, one with a brave and aggressive attitude, and one with a nagging look. They didn't look very normal in the first place. , it is no one else’s business to fall ill in the Sidtan Temple.
After Abbot Hongbian heard this, his expression immediately became solemn. He whispered the Buddha's name and waited for Jiang Wen to continue explaining amidst the increasingly noisy people in the temple.
"Jiang Tanyue, if you have any advice, it's okay to say it."
But Jiang Wen smiled and said nothing.
In the past few days, Sidtan Temple has fallen into an incredible calm, like a pool of clear water without a breeze.
From the perspective of Xitan Temple, after resolving the crisis of martial arts practitioners coming to seize Buddhist scriptures and fabricating rumors of a martial arts resort, Jiang Wen told the abbot to behave as usual, and the Taohua Temple still welcomed pilgrims from all directions.
In the past few days, guests have been arriving at Xitan Temple like clouds. The previous scenes of hungry monks had ended long ago. There was an endless stream of incense from all directions. The guest house that had been vacant for a long time was once again full, but there were also many people with familiar faces mixed in. The wealthy merchants in the world spent huge sums of money, but the Sidtan Temple accepted it with a calm smile.
Abbot Hongbian now has the capital to be calm and leisurely. This is an unbreakable achievement obtained by Jiang Wen's plan. No matter how many elders have doubts, they can only put them aside for the time being. Even the martial arts people under the command of Pingxi Prince's Palace, A lot of them sneaked in in the temple——
Waiting for the other party to make the first move is the key to adapting to the ever-changing situation. Anyway, everyone knows that this matter is not over yet. The fisherman with the fishing rod is still peeping at the water's edge, waiting for the fish to relax their vigilance.
"Abbott, I see that the number of people entering the temple today is twice that of the day before. It is very lively. Is there some kind of religious ceremony going on in the temple?"
Jiang Wen said nonchalantly, wanting to give the old monk reassurance.
"There is no need to worry about the many people in the martial arts who are testing the truth. The more they work hard to find out the truth, the more beneficial it is to us. After all, they cannot find something that does not exist in the Sidan Temple. Let them be suspicious of ghosts and everything is good. ”
According to Jiang Wen's observation, the proportion of martial arts people entering the temple is still growing. Although there are people who are loyal to the Prince of Pingxi to the death, there are also people who are obviously looking for a chance to learn martial arts. Seeing a group of masters defeated, they are not ashamed to come back. It is in line with the style of people in the world to hang orders in temples and explore opportunities.
Abbot Hongbian still couldn't believe why Jiang Wen insisted that Wu Sangui would not take this opportunity to send troops to attack and was willing to let this drama continue.
Jiang Wen's expression at this time was also quite malicious. The world only knew that Wu Sangui came with the unstoppable force of sweeping across the Central Plains, and after taking control of Yunnan, he arrogantly and domineeringly eclipsed the authority of Governor Li Guohan, and then used thunderbolt means to deal with the chieftain Mu's family. They all thought that he was a arrogant and proud military general. There is absolutely no way to rub the sand, and Sidtan Temple who dares to resist will only have to face the wrath of thunder in an instant.
But only Jiang Wen here clearly understood that Wu Sangui was extremely ambitious, and that some unknown masters suddenly appeared like Xitan Temple, just like the enemy who entered the urn showed signs of an ambush. No matter how you say it, Wu Sangui is a famous general in the world, and he will never raise an army out of anger.
In the north, the Qing court is eyeing the vassal, and in the south, Yongli is waiting for an opportunity to counterattack on the Yunnan border. The land of Yunnan and Guizhou is even more dangerous and the people are not attached to it. Wu Sangui is a person who knows how to combine hardness and softness. When it is difficult to wield a hard knife, he will definitely Take out the soft knife.
In the final analysis, these are still issues of understanding and vision.
The Wu Sangui in Jiang Wen's eyes is the Wu Sangui who will be judged by later generations. He knew beforehand that Wu Sangui wanted to open a vassal and establish a palace in Yunnan this time. In his eyes, a Xitan Temple that had been established for many years and had many masters was naturally an extremely important political force, and its importance was self-evident.
In the eyes of others, Wu Sangui is the Wu Sangui in Wu Meicun's "Yuan Yuan Qu". Even if the world has never seen his true face, they all know the story of "The six armies are all in mourning, but the beauty is the beauty in anger". That is a man who can say "A man can't protect a woman, how can he see others" Wu Sangui.
There are many things that are inconvenient to explain, so it would be better to leave the lake alone, which would save a lot of mishaps and details. Abbot Hongbian didn't believe it at first, but the changes in Prince Pingxi's palace in the past few days made him admire Jiang Wen's accurate judgment.
The two chatted for a few more words. Jiang Wen suddenly noticed the sound of someone breathing and moving behind the screen, and slowly turned his gaze to that direction.
Abbot Hongbian didn't say much. Seeing that there was not a drop of strong tea in front of Jiang Wen, he clapped his hands and saw a short, dark-faced old monk walking out of the secret room of the monastery. He turned out to be the man who had been seriously injured and had been unconscious for a long time. Master Anren.
"Amitabha, the old monk is lucky enough to survive thanks to the help of Donor Jiang. It's just because he hasn't said thank you for several days. I'm really ashamed."
Master Anren's voice was deeper and hoarse than that of Abbot Hongbian, and his pale complexion, which was seriously injured and bleeding, had softened a lot. It was obvious that the fumigation effect of the medicine pool was outstanding, and now there was no longer any fear for his life.
Jiang Wen quickly stood up to greet him, and then looked at the abbot thoughtfully. Master Hongbian led his junior disciple to his seat, and finally revealed the true purpose of today's meeting.
"Jiang Tanyue, I have already ordered people to prepare the amethyst, tortoise shell, antlers, angelica and other things you needed earlier and put them in the stone chamber on the back cliff. Junior brother has been working hard for several days, but he knows that it is difficult to make such a small contribution. If you are so kind to me, Tan Yue should not refuse."
Jiang Wen slapped his thigh, and as expected, the old monk came forward and happily expressed that he had no intention of refusing.
If Luo Shuang'er's internal injury on the Eight Extraordinary Meridians is to be cured, external treatment must be used. Master An Ren is a living example in front of him. Jiang Wen is also full of expectations for the effect of the fumigation of the medicine pool.
But for some reason, Abbot Hongbian's expression was even more serious than before, even though he was reciprocating his love. After looking at Master Anren, he told his junior brother: "Junior brother, you will make arrangements for Jiang Tanyue to enter the stone chamber. I will give instructions." No monks or laypeople of Xitan Temple are allowed to go near Shigu Peak."
Seeing Master An Ren's solemn nod, Jiang Wen noticed that it was particularly strange, but an even more inexplicable arrangement was yet to come.
Abbot Hongbian relieved his doubts and continued: "Not only that, the old monk will also hand over Xu Hongzu's manuscript that Tan Yue wanted to see to the end for safekeeping. As long as it is not taken out of the temple, Tan Yue can read it."
This condition undoubtedly made Jiang Wen more excited, but it didn't make him ignore his doubts.
"Abbott, what I heard from you is that you plan to let Master Anren live with us recently?"
Abbot Hongbian shook his head slightly and took the lead in denying Jiang Wen's speculation.
"Tan Yue Mingjian, my junior brother is a monk, so he naturally has to live in a monk's dormitory. How can he live with pilgrims and believers?"
Then he said, "...Actually, the old monk wants to ask Tan Yue and his two brothers to move out of the monastery and live with Junior Brother An Ren in the mountain house in front of Shigu Peak."
Jiang Wen was puzzled. Old monk Hongbian was not a fool. There was no reason to think that Master Anren could spy on him, so he would use such a hasty strategy, right?
"...Did King Pingxi make a move?"
Jiang Wen reacted instantly.
Abbot Hongbian nodded slowly and explained carefully: "Recently, the number of pilgrims staying in our temple has increased day by day. The old monk originally made up his mind to let Jiang Tanyue live alone in the bamboo forest monastery without being disturbed by outsiders - but who knows that things in the world are unpredictable. Pingxi The palace sent people here today, and now I am afraid that even other pilgrims will be expelled from the temple..."
Jiang Wen raised his eyebrows and said, "What did Wu Sangui say? Could it be that he also issued a letter of war to the abbot?"
Master Hongbian sighed, his expression was particularly focused when he twisted the beads, and his eyebrows were a little more worried.
"Didn't Tan Yue ask before why there are so many tourists in Sidan Temple today? It's because of this letter from King Pingxi."
Abbot Hongbian took out a broad piece of paper from the monk's sleeve, and it was written very neatly on it, requesting the monks of Sidan Temple to hold a large prayer meeting for heaven and blessing, praying for the increase of Bodhi of all living beings, praying for blessings, peace and tranquility in heaven and earth, and inviting all directions. All the Buddhas of the three generations will pray for the current saint. At that time, the Prince of Pingxi will also send people to offer incense and pray for blessings, and a separate courtyard will be built for residence.
"King Pingxi of the Qing Dynasty is really magnanimous. He can bear to put away the hard knife and take out the soft knife."
Jiang Wen praised Wu Sangui repeatedly and had a high opinion of Wu Sangui. In the chaos of San Francisco that followed, it was no wonder that only Wu Sangui could shake half of it.
He had failed to use force before, but this time he came in the name of holding a Dharma conference in Pingxi Palace. Not only did he cover up the fact that Pan Huan Xitan, a master of the palace, did not dare to return to his life, but he also got an opportunity to intervene openly in the affairs of Jizu Mountain and test it out along the way. Let’s look at the attitude of these monks.
This move has been used for twenty years, but now it can only outwit the enemy. Abbot Hongbian chose to hide Jiang Wen and Luo Shuang'er in Anren's residence to prevent the matter from being exposed - but Wu Sangui's move obviously has a follow-up, no I know what he will do through this great prayer ceremony.
"Understood, Abbot, I will start moving out with Sister Shuang, and go to the stone chamber medicine pool to fumigate as soon as possible, in order to restore a little more strength before King Pingxi's people arrive."
Jiang Wen glanced at the cold tea, stood up majestically and prepared to leave. He leaned against the mountain through the window and looked at the main hall of the mountain gate. The place was already being cleaned and tidied up for rituals, and people were being persuaded to move away. However, tourists outside were crowded with each other. It turned out that each wave was densely packed and outnumbered the other.
These people were obviously wearing silk, gold, silver and jade, but they were crying and shouting like hungry refugees, begging the young monk Pinzhao to accept them into the temple.
You must know that when the gate of Sidan Temple was opened, they hesitated and looked around. Now when they were involved in the incident, they seemed to have changed. It was as if they would die suddenly if they stayed outside the gate for a while, completely ignoring the little monk's earnest explanation. , Sidtan Temple is already full, and there is no room for anyone else.
"Little master, I'll pay you fifty taels, just give me a woodshed!"
"What? Then I'll pay you a hundred taels, and I'll live in the stable!"
"The price is five hundred taels, so the toilet must be empty!"
Jiang Wen resisted the urge to sell tickets and asked in a low voice.
"Abbott, what's causing trouble? Do they not know that King Pingxi will send someone soon, or do they think it's too troublesome to live and want to take a shortcut to Lingshan?"
Abbot Hongbian sighed helplessly when he saw this.
"Amitabha, all this happened because of this letter. King Jun of Pingxi held a Dharma conference, but he was commanding troops on the front line and could not come. Therefore, some people say that the person sent by the palace to pray for blessings was probably Princess Chen of Pingxi. …”
"...Huh? It's not a waste of time for Jiang to do good deeds and accumulate virtue for half his life. Come on, tell me more about this Chen family!"
