(3)
"Although the new Buddha statue has been put in place, according to Master Ling Lu, the Minister, the Buddha statue still needs some time to be repaired."
"There will be many outsiders coming in and out of the Purple Bamboo Forest."
"Tongyun, the emperor named you to be responsible for this matter - to ensure that the Buddha statue is safe and sound before the day of the ceremony."
The right-guard general Huangfu, who had been refusing to meet guests in recent days due to illness, was now reinstated, and the golden mansion began to welcome distinguished guests from the palace again.
The gentlemen at the banquet were chatting, laughing and joking with each other, but one person was particularly dull and worried.
"Mr. Tong, are you thinking about the young lady we met last time? Oh, her father complained to me, saying that Mr. Tong seemed dissatisfied? Or is it that Mr. Tong is well-informed and no longer likes these mortals? A vulgar person? Hahaha..."
Faced with the banquet host's teasing, Tong Yun didn't think of how to respond, and was at a loss, which made people laugh.
"Well, she..."
"Actually, Miss Jiang looks down on me."
"She already has someone in mind, I can't say anything else."
He explained solemnly, then closed his mouth tightly, not intending to continue to struggle, which instead caused others to laugh.
"Is it because of this kind of thing? Tong Gongzi is too old and kind."
"Do you still remember the eldest daughter of the Jiang family? She became a widow at a young age. During that time, Mr. Jiang was afraid that he would become extinct, so he complained to me every day! Who knew that within half a year, another young master would take his fancy, and later he married her? You know, it turns out that Miss Jiang has been hanging out with that young master a long time ago. Look at others, and then look at your worthless look!"
"Tong Gongzi is an infatuated person from the beginning to the end, isn't he~"
General Huangfu was surrounded by flatterers, and with just a few words he managed to stir up Tong Yun's heart. Although he was usually easy-going by nature and by no means a blind and rigid person, he did have his own firm opinions on the matter of marriage. .
"Is there anything wrong with this? Are you going to cheer and applaud me after I steal my love, praising me for not being inferior to you in playing with women's emotions?"
Tong Yun stood up unexpectedly and accidentally knocked over his wine glass, spilling the wine all over the floor.
"I'm sorry that I won't accompany you on such a nasty joke."
He stepped on the fine wine, stepped on the fragrance and noise, and walked away.
The disappointed guest did not dispel the curiosity of others, and even Tongyun's own reaction became the subject of their laughter. For the boring palace life, this was one of the few interesting moments.
"So, this is the reason why I hate nobles and the palace."
Tongyun returned to the mansion sadly, rested for a while, and at three o'clock, he went to the whole team to set up checkpoints and lay up protection on the road to Zizhu Forest.
The work continued until dawn.
The great eunuch Mei Lin arrived first with his entourage to confirm the defense plan and passwords. Then Mei Lin left his entourage and ordered her to assist in the subsequent restoration of the Buddha statue. In fact, she was a supervisor, and then left alone.
After a while, the sculptor and a group of porters transporting tools and materials came to the purple bamboo forest. Soon the temple on the top of the mountain began to clang and tink.
I heard that the supervisor's girl was Mei Xinghe, one of the top courtesans in Jinyang City. Many servants took advantage of their duties and couldn't help but look at her, and many of them secretly expressed their love for her.
Seeing this, Tongyun was afraid of missing the point, so he told Mei Xinghe: "The girl is so beautiful in Jinyang that everyone is attracted to bend over. However, if this continues, the construction period may be delayed... If the girl is willing, I would like to supervise it on my behalf. The girl only needs to Just sit here and listen to my reply."
"Oh~" Mei Xinghe said: "Don't you just want to be alone with me?"
"Girl, I have misunderstood. I already have a sweetheart! I have no objection to the girl. Please put the overall situation first."
After Tong Yun finished speaking, Mei Xinghe immediately agreed. Mei Xinghe sat in the Zen room drinking tea and resting. When the time came, he went back, feeling very uncomfortable.
After all, who wouldn’t want to do this kind of work that requires no effort?
The Buddha statue was placed in the temple, with the body wrapped in gray cloth and only the head exposed. According to the sculptor, this was to change the "sad face" into a "smiling face", so the body was covered and only the head was exposed. .
Tong Yun, Mei Xinghe, and Mei Lin quickly understood what seemed like a natural behavior.
In other words, the process of reshaping the statue is actually the process of recasting the head part. Not only is the construction period short, but it is also relatively simple. Everyone believes that this is a task that is almost impossible to go wrong.
Including Tongyun himself.
What he must do every day: come out of the mansion, look at the Buddha statue in the morning, then go to the foundry to inquire about the progress of the construction period, report back to Mei Xinghe at noon, go back to look at the Buddha statue in the evening, and finally go home to rest, and so on.
Within a few days, the statue's remodeling work was completed, and it went more smoothly than imagined.
Mei Xinghe came to the scene for the first time to see the "new" Buddha statue with his own eyes. The body part was still wrapped in gray cloth, and only the head part was exposed. However, this time it had changed from a "sad face" to a "smiling face", and it was a real smile. Face Buddha.
"It's so exquisite." The beauty smiled, and everyone fell in love with her.
At this time, the sculptor intentionally or unintentionally told Tong Yun: "Sir, if there is nothing important, I will pack up and leave first."
"Yes." After Tongyun said that, he escorted Mei Xinghe outside to rest first, and the others naturally followed.
"Sir, you have been working really hard these days. If you are willing, I can sing a song for you in Guanghan Pavilion to repay your courtesy these days. How about it?" Mei Xinghe said with charming eyes. It captivates people's hearts.
However, Tongyun was still preoccupied and was not happy about the completion of the Buddha statue at all.
"I always feel that it's a little too smooth."
Mei Xinghe asked: "Why do you say this, sir?"
The two of them were silent for a while, watching the leaves fall and the birds disappear in the purple bamboo forest. Suddenly, the only sound left was the sound of porters carrying things.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
It takes a lot of effort to transport so many tools and waste materials down to the Zizhu Forest.
——Tong Yun looked at the workers and said casually.
As soon as he finished speaking, the heartbreaking voice of the sculptor came from the place where the Buddha statue had been placed.
"Things are missing! The Buddha statue is missing!"
"My lord! My lord!"
"It was clearly still there just now, why is it gone!"
Tongyun replied: "Let me be clear first, how could such a big Buddha statue disappear out of thin air?"
"Let's go take a look." Mei Xinghe looked dazed, but he didn't hesitate at all when making his decision.
I saw the "new" Buddha statue for the first time just now, but it disappeared out of thin air the next moment? !
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Mei Xinghe became paralyzed and sat slumped in front of the place where the Buddha statue had just been placed.
——Now, there are only a few wooden shelves left here.
"The villain just ordered the completed things. When he came back, he found that the head was missing! Then he lifted the gray cloth and only a few wooden frames were left! This is simply unbelievable. Did the Buddha statue really disappear before my eyes?"
Tong Yun looked at the shape of the wooden frame, which happened to match the original movement of the Buddha statue. As the former head catcher of Dali Temple, he was keenly aware of something wrong.
"The Buddha statue has been stolen a long time ago."
Mei Xinghe seemed to have fallen into a bottomless abyss. He could only hear the roar in his own heart and couldn't hear Tong Yun's voice at all. He murmured: "I'm going to be finished."
After Tongyun gave an order, the mountain closure and foot ban were immediately initiated.
The purple bamboo forest fell into a dead silence.
