The Chinese New Year has just passed, and the pattering winter rain has pushed the coldness of this solar term to another climax. Lan
On the wide official road that had just been leveled a few years ago, a team moved forward slowly.
Hui'an opened the curtains of the carriage and looked outside, with a peaceful expression, but there was some worry in his eyes.
As far as the eye can see, the farmland that has just been harvested is covered with a thin layer of frost, and the remaining rice stubble is a bit withered and lifeless, just like this winter.
However, looking at this scene, Hui'an had another experience.
"Although Qianzhong County is at peace for the first time, along the way, we can see that all the prefectures and counties have resumed production. The people are farming in an orderly manner, and business travelers are trading, but there are not many traces of the war."
Taking his head back from the outside, feeling the peaceful atmosphere, Hui An showed a slight smile on his face and couldn't help but sigh.
But then he remembered something, and the smile quickly faded, revealing a hint of complexity. Lan
"Senior brother, doesn't this mean that it was a wise choice for me to wait here?"
Beside Hui'an, there was still a person sitting in the carriage. Like Hui'an, he had shaved off his worries and was wearing a yellow monk's robe and cassock, with a solemn appearance.
The golden sunlight shone in from the outside and fell on the white bald heads of the two people. At this time, they actually felt a bit sacred.
But no matter how sacred the appearance is, there is not much joy in the hearts of the two of them at this time, but more uncertainty and sorrow about the future.
"A smart choice..."
Hui'an chewed on these words, the expression on his face kept changing, and various emotions rushed through him. In the end, he showed some relief and said with a wry smile: "Yes, Huiming, you are right, it is a wise choice. Maybe in the past All of this is a big dream.
We, people from outside the country, have rash thoughts of power and position, rashly meddling in the world from outside the world, getting involved in dynastic disputes in this world, trying to establish a holy land of the Buddha, and finally ended up where we are today. Lan
Not only were the sects separated, but fellow sects were also killed and injured.
The hundreds of thousands of people in Xichuan County who were also affected suffered the same disaster as us and suffered the disaster of the war.
All these sins and sufferings originated from me, Bai Feng Temple.
Perhaps when we supported the Holy King to move from Linhai County to this western land and established the country here, we were destined to face today's difficulties.
Everything was planted at that time and finally bore the fruit today. "
While talking, Hui'an remembered the peaceful days when everyone was in the temple together at Baifeng Temple in Linhai County.
At that time, although Hakuhoji Temple only had a mountain temple, there were only thousands of fellow disciples in the temple. Lan
But everyone relied on their own efforts and opened up thousands of acres of fertile farmland at the foot of the mountains, growing many fruits and vegetables, and living their lives leisurely and contentedly.
Although they are somewhat feared by the Yue Kingdom, there are still many devout believers in various prefectures and counties in Linhai County. The Buddhist lineage is still prosperous there, and there is no danger of inheritance.
But even in such peaceful and peaceful days, in the end, because the people in the temple were moved, they were unwilling to endure the constraints of the court, and wanted to further promote Buddhism, so they finally made the decision to move to the west.
After arriving in Xichuan County, although the place was devastated by war, most of the people were killed or injured, and the rest were poor.
But everyone in Bai Feng's lineage was not afraid of this difficulty and began to build this ideal Buddhist paradise with confidence.
The beginning is indeed good.
After several years of governance, the Xichuan Kingdom gradually recovered from the wounds of the war. The local people were grateful for their kindness and began to convert to Buddhism. Lan
As a result, the Xichuan Kingdom gradually became known as the Buddhist Kingdom, and their leader Ji Hui, the holy monk, was also a secular prince and was honored as the Holy King.
But this seemed like a twist of fate.
It seems to be to punish them for coveting power and position.
The moment the name of the Holy King appeared, war also came to this Buddhist paradise.
The Holy King accepted the invitation of the Chu State and began to conquer the southwest, intending to promote Buddhism here and convert the ferocious, bloodthirsty and murderous barbarians to Buddhism.
The Holy King's actions in the early stage were indeed smooth, and he quickly conquered a small Yi country.
And they, the temple monks, also followed closely. Lan
They built temples and established monks in the conquered lands, intending to establish a Buddhist order just like the Xichuan Kingdom.
Everything seems to be developing towards their ideal world.
But in the end, a thousand-mile raid from Nanzhao Kingdom completely shattered the dreams of the monks in Baifeng Temple.
The Buddhist capital was destroyed, and the thousands of monks who stayed in the city fought hard, but in the end they were no match for the barbarian masters, and were slaughtered by the barbarian army.
In the end, only a few hundred fellow disciples who saw the opportunity managed to escape from the city and escaped the disaster.
Blood, fire, wailing, death, anger, fear...
Hui'an couldn't help but tremble slightly as he recalled the scene when he escaped from Jinguan City. The decades of self-cultivation he had spent in the past decades were completely reduced to smoke on that day of despair. Lan
And after that day of despair, everything is not the end.
Because those ferocious and powerful enemies of Buddha did not stop their march after conquering the capital of Buddha.
Instead, they were attacking everywhere and killing everything in the paradise.
The monks were killed, the temples were burned, and the devout believers were enslaved. The years of hard work and thousands of years of accumulation in Baifeng Temple were also destroyed in this catastrophe.
Nowadays, the originally prosperous sect with tens of thousands of people now has only three to four hundred people left. At this time, only a few counties in Nanchong Prefecture were left in the Buddhist Kingdom, which had a vast territory and five prefectures. It could only rely on the help of Han Chinese to support itself.
What was a fantasy in the past has now turned into a bloody reality, revealing the cruelest scene in the world.
Whenever he thinks of this, Hui'an feels extremely painful. Lan
I have regretted countless times that I was so full of energy and enthusiasm that I supported the Holy King to move westward and came to establish the Buddhist kingdom in this western land.
Now the disaster in Baifeng Temple and the disaster in Xichuan Kingdom are all his sins.
Hui An couldn't help but shed tears.
Seeing this, Huiming, the junior brother next to him, who had the same experience, how could he not know what his senior brother was thinking, and quickly expressed relief: "Senior brother, the move to Xichuan in the past was a unanimous decision made by everyone in our temple. It was not the decision of senior brother alone." Pass.
And now, fellow disciples in the temple have all sacrificed their lives to face the disaster for their past mistakes.
Now, since we were lucky enough to survive the catastrophe, we are thinking about how to avert this disaster, help the remaining disciples survive, and continue the legacy of Baifeng Temple.
Moreover, there are still 50,000 to 60,000 remaining believers in the Buddhist country. They trust us and are firm in the Dharma. We must also find a way for them to survive. Lan
Now that the Buddha Kingdom can no longer protect them, they have to find someone more powerful who can also protect them.
Isn't this the purpose of coming from Qianzhong County of Chu State? "
Huiming said, looking outside the car.
At this time, the motorcade had passed through the countryside and entered a small town passing by the official road.
This town is not big, with only a few hundred households in it. But there are only a dozen or so shops in the town's only street, which have reopened.
There are people walking on the street, all wearing familiar Dai Viet clothes, no, they should be called Chu people's clothes.
Since the founding of the Xichuan Kingdom, the people have followed Buddhism and both men and women have changed to wearing monk robes. Such clothes are rarely seen in Xichuan. Lan
It was even more emotional to see the familiar scene again after several years.
There were some children running and playing in the rain on the road. Judging from their faces and skin colors, they were slightly different from those of the Chu people. It could be recognized that they should be of Yi people's descent.
However, these Yi children are now wearing Chu clothes. His hair was also tied up in braids, imitating the Chu children.
At this time, in Huiming's eyes, except for the words spoken by the Yi people, which were different from the Mandarin spoken by the Chu people from Jinling, everything else was the same as the Chu people.
The remaining differences will gradually be assimilated as time passes.
By then, there will be no more Yi people here, and the rest will be Chu people.
Seeing this scene, Huiming's eyes were a little confused. Lan
How long has Chu ruled here?
Even if we count from the time the troops were dispatched in July of the fourth year of Shenzhou, it has only been less than a year and a half now.
In less than a year and a half, this barbarian land, which was completely unfamiliar and completely different from the Chu culture, had been built into what it is today?
It not only healed the wounds of the war that lasted for several years, but also restored local production and construction, allowing people to farm with peace of mind and conduct business travel and trade.
Even the assimilation of the barbarians was done so cleanly and thoroughly, leaving no chance at all.
Think of them in comparison?
'Perhaps at that time, we really shouldn't have approved the temple's move to the west and interfered with the secular world. 'Lan
Shaking his head, Huiming also showed a bitter smile like his senior brother Hui An.
The convoy continued to move forward, the carriages making a grunting sound as they pressed against the dirt.
But the two people in the carriage were speechless. They closed their eyes and thought quietly, not knowing what they were thinking.
…
Stone city, palace.
After Lu Yuan reviewed a batch of memorials accumulated in the past few days and dealt with the government affairs, he put down his pen and asked them to take it with him before heading to court, asking them to quickly send it to various ministries. After reviewing and executing it, he stood up and stretched out his arms. A lazy person.
Although he had only handled government affairs for a short two hours, for him, a master and monk, it took him two hours to sit in front of a book. There won't be much physical fatigue. Lan
But there is no physical fatigue, but there is a lot of mental fatigue.
Dealing with government affairs requires a lot of attention. You need to consider all aspects, study the interests of all parties, and then make various balanced compromises based on your own interests.
As the king of Chu, Lu Yuan knew that every idea he had and every decree he signed would affect the interests and fate of millions of people after it was sent to the court.
Therefore, every time he handles government affairs, he is cautious and does not dare to neglect.
"So sometimes I really envy those stupid kings, who don't have to worry about anything, don't have to do anything, just enjoy themselves. Even if millions of people below them die, they don't care.
But although those days were good, my soul from another world could never be so cruel.
Since the people of this world provide me with luck and tax revenue, as a king and father, I naturally have to provide them with protection. Lan
Maybe this is my last bit of persistence in this troubled world. "
Lu Yuan walked out of the main hall and came to the outer corridor. At this time, the winter rain was cold, and the fine raindrops hit the tile eaves above the head, making a crisp sound.
Listening to this natural voice, the frustration accumulated while dealing with government affairs was swept away.
Monks understand the heart of heaven and obey nature. Even if you are a warrior, you still need to understand the world and cultivate your character.
As Lu Yuan, who had achieved some success in both the immortal and martial arts, standing here, his body and mind had already integrated with the surrounding nature and integrated into one.
It was as if I had become the rain, constantly beating the earth with the changes of the wind, bringing revival to all things.
After squinting at the rainy scene for a long time, feeling that his body and mind were emptied, Lu Yuan let out a long sigh of relief. Lan
Then with a smile on his face, he turned around and headed towards another palace.
Today's political affairs have been dealt with. According to the time plan he set, after lunch, he will start practicing in the afternoon and continue to comprehend the magical runes of the Yellow Turban Hercules.
Since the breakthrough in condensing energy in early December last year, Lu Yuan has been studying the magical power of the Yellow Turban Warrior. Now that one month has passed, he has gained some experience.
Although it is still not enough to refine the Yellow Turban Warrior based on this, it is a big step forward from that goal.
I think in two months, after a hundred days of enlightenment, I can try to refine the Yellow Turban Warrior.
And by that time, Da Chu will also have another innate figure, and the defense gap of Xichuan County among the four counties will also be completely filled.
Everything was changing for the better, and everything was progressing smoothly, which naturally made Lu Yuan feel happy. Lan
These days, I have always had a smile on my face, and the atmosphere in the palace has become much more relaxed.
After finishing his lunch in a happy mood, Lu Yuan was ready to take a short break and then start practicing.
But at this moment, the chamberlain hurriedly came to report.
"The envoy from Xichuan Kingdom has arrived and wants to see me?"
Lu Yuan couldn't help but be slightly surprised when he looked at the chamberlain who came to deliver the news.
He had already known about the news that Xichuan Kingdom had sent an envoy.
Those envoys were able to pass smoothly all the way through Qianzhong County without any obstruction, and they did not need Lu Yuan's instructions. Lan
"Back to your Majesty, according to the official who came to deliver the news from Honglu Temple, the two envoys from Xichuan Kingdom immediately asked for an interview after arriving at the hotel arranged by Honglu Temple.
Honglu Temple has already tried to persuade him, but the other party still insists on this. He only said that there is an important matter and he must meet the king in person and cannot delay it.
Therefore, Honglu Temple had no choice but to send people to the palace to spread the news and ask the king to judge this. "
The waiter below said this.
Ever since Lu Yuan returned to Shicheng from the front line and handled government affairs in the palace here.
Behind him, in the capital of Baling, various ministries and agencies in the DPRK and Central Government gradually mobilized a group of people to come to Shicheng to form a temporary court to assist him in handling government affairs sent from all over the country.
Therefore, although this place is only a temporary palace, the rules and regulations are the same as those in Baling City. At most, it is just a little simpler due to lack of manpower. Lan
But now after these envoys arrived, they did not follow the rules first, but slowly waited for an interview under the arrangements of the accompanying Honglu Temple officials.
On the contrary, as soon as he arrived in Shicheng, he immediately asked for an interview, which was really unexpected.
This is indeed quite difficult for the people of Honglu Temple.
"Is it something important?"
When Lu Yuan heard this, he frowned slightly, thought about it carefully and said, "Since they want to see me so much, let's meet them. Go to Tongchuan Honglu Temple and let them bring the envoy of Xichuan Kingdom over. I am alone. See them here."
"yes."
The waiter responded and then went down to deliver the order. Lan
After the chamberlain left, Lu Yuan continued to sit at the head of the palace, frowning and thinking, thinking about the purpose of these envoys from Xichuan Kingdom.
…
The wait didn't take long.
After sending someone to convey the message, the two monks Hui'an and Huiming, who had been waiting to be received, quickly entered the temple under the leadership of the chamberlain.
"The foreign minister has met the king."
When they arrived at the palace, Hui'an and Huiming, who had already stepped into the secular world and could not be considered as monks, saluted and said hello to Lu Yuan according to the etiquette of foreign envoys.
"No courtesy." Lan
Lu Yuan nodded slightly, then glanced at the two envoys below who were still dressed as monks. He sighed secretly that the Xichuan Buddhist Kingdom was indeed well-deserved, and then asked: "The envoys have come thousands of miles away. After arriving at Shicheng, they are eager to meet Yu Gu. , I don’t know what’s going on?”
The two monks Hui'an and Huiming below had carefully observed Lu Yuan since they entered the hall.
Looking at each other, the two of them just felt like they were looking at the heaven and the earth, as if there was no such person in the hall, only nature.
Just seeing each other for the first time, the two of them felt a chill in their hearts.
Born in the Holy Land of Buddhism, their vision is naturally much higher than that of those mediocre people.
Knowing the temperament and state of the King of Chu in front of him, it is clear that his cultivation has reached an extremely high level. Just like the legend, he has begun to return to his original nature and blend in with nature.
This is a state that even their Holy King has never reached. Lan
'I heard that the king of Chu was heroic and wise, and had been blessed by the immortals. In just ten years, he had achieved innate talent and reached the realm of a holy king. He was a true genius.
Now that several years have passed, King Chu's cultivation has surpassed that of the Holy King. Could it be that he has reached the second level of Xiantian's cultivation? '
Hui An had this suspicion in his heart, and at the same time he was frightened, but also felt a little happy.
The King of Chu is stronger, which is a good thing with no harm to them for the purpose of their trip, so they are naturally happy about it.
Therefore, with these thoughts in mind, he could not help but respectfully reply: "Back to your Majesty, the foreign ministers are here this time on the orders of the Holy King, to apply for admission from the State of Chu, and to surrender."
After these words fell, Lu Yuan's breathing suddenly stagnated.
what's the situation? Lan
Invited as a member of the family, came here to surrender?
The Nishikawa Kingdom wants to surrender to itself and then annex the whole country?
After clarifying the meaning of the other party's words, Lu Yuan's stagnant breathing finally recovered, and then he took a deep breath and asked seriously: "The envoy is not kidding, did King Xichuan really ask you to come and surrender?"
As he spoke, he stared at Hui'an closely, trying to get clues from the other person's expression.
However, facing Lu Yuan's scrutiny, Hui'an looked calm and replied calmly: "Your Majesty, there is no need for foreign ministers to say this. The Holy King actually intends to surrender his land. This is the household registration album of Xichuan Kingdom, and foreign ministers have also Bring it, so the king can review it himself.”
After finishing speaking, Hui'an lowered his head, took out an atlas from his arms, raised his hands high above his head, his posture was extremely humble.
