It was night, and the Lu brothers went to bed early. At the fourth watch, they suddenly heard the cold wind howling in the yard and the sound of branches breaking. Lu Zuo couldn't help shivering from the cold. When southerners came to the north, it was indeed colder than the locals. Seeing his younger brother Lu Renxiang shivering in the bed next to him, he remembered the two quilts prepared by the waiter in the wooden cabinet. So he picked up the navy blue hooded cloak and put it on his body. He walked to the cabinet and took out two quilts. One was for his brother to cover, and the other was spread by himself. When Lu Zuo was lying on the bed again, there seemed to be a cool breeze in his ears. He thought that the door and window were not closed, so he got up and closed the window. When he looked outside the long street, it was already lightly snowing outside. I saw that the streets and roofs had been covered with a layer of plain white quilts, and there were several dogs barking on the streets from time to time. There were two watchmen in the alley, carrying two dim red lanterns. The sound of "washing" footsteps accompanied by the sound of "dong-dong, dong, dong" gongs gradually faded away in the snowy night.
Early the next morning, the Lu brothers were awakened by the sound of firecrackers on the street. When Lu Zuo got up and opened the window to look, the snow outside the window had just stopped. Looking at the sky with thick clouds, the streets are already completely white, and there is a chill on the bridges, roads and tile roofs. Lu Renxiang couldn't stand the cold air in the capital, so he quickly asked the store clerk to light a charcoal fire to keep warm.
Lu Renxiang was thinking about the excitement of the lantern market and wanted to buy two lanterns to celebrate the Lantern Festival at night. Lu Zuo obviously knew the purpose of his trip better, "We still have important things to do. The lantern market is so lively, and it's not too late for us to go after afternoon."
"Then where are we going?" Lu Renxiang rubbed his hands and exhaled, "Aren't we here just to take part in the examination?"
"Have you forgotten your old friend Zen Master?"
"Brother, are you saying we go to Kuji Temple today?"
"Exactly! Now is the time to pay a visit to Zen Master Guzhi. The first person we want to see when we come to the capital is him!" Lu Zuo smiled after saying that.
"Then do you want to ask the store clerk how to get to Kuji Temple?" Lu Renxiang put the heater on the table and prepared to go out to ask.
"Don't bother. There are many people going to temples to pray during this festival. Just ask anyone and you will know."
After the two brothers finished combing, they put on their cloaks and went out. Although the snow had stopped on the street, the wind was still blowing coldly, and the snow at this time was already up to his ankles. When Lu Zuo saw an old man in ragged clothes holding a bunch of incense, he stopped him and asked, "Old man, please wait a minute. Are you going to Kuji Temple?"
Seeing that he was a well-behaved scholar, the old man nodded with a smile, "Exactly! I go to Kuji Temple every year. Does your accent sound like a foreigner?"
The Lu brothers bowed and said yes. The old man was happy to see that these two people knew etiquette very well, and said, "You must be the candidates taking the exam! I tell you, there are only two ancient temples in the capital. Although the Huiye Temple in the eastern suburbs is a thousand-year-old temple, it is like this every year. When you burn incense, you have to donate money to the Buddha before you can go to the temple to burn incense. You said that we ordinary people don't have this money, so there are more rich people going there to burn incense. Look!" The old man said, pointing to a few coins in his hand. Incense sticks, "The nine sticks of incense I bought cost a lot of my savings! But fortunately, the Kuji Temple in the western suburbs does not have to donate this troublesome money, and there is also a bowl of porridge given to pilgrims every year."
"Thank you, old man, for bothering me. My two brothers are also going to Kuji Temple to offer incense, so we happened to be there together!" Lu Zuo said with a smile.
The three of them walked together for more than an hour, and finally arrived at Kuji Temple, which was shaded by green trees. When they walked in front of them, they saw their true appearance. Although the temple building is old, it is still relatively new. The two brothers went to the right door, raised their right feet and entered the temple gate. They saw several young monks in thin clothes. Some were sweeping fallen leaves with brooms in the courtyard, and some were making tea and delivering water. Lu Renxiang stepped forward and asked, "Little monk, may I ask if your old Zen master is here?"
Several young novices sweeping the floor were busy sweeping away the snow. Lu Renxiang felt strange when he saw this. Just when he was about to continue asking questions, a thin novice in front of the palace held a fruit plate and greeted Lu Renxiang, "The two donors are looking for my family. Master?"
"So your master is Zen Master Guzhi?" Lu Renxiang asked curiously.
"Are the two donors named Lu?"
Lu Renxiang was shocked and suspicious, and glanced at his brother, but Lu Zuo just smiled slightly, saluted the novice and said, "Exactly!"
The thin novice monk dragged the fruit plate in his hand, placed it on the incense table in front of the hall, then turned around and walked down the stone steps. The little novice monk looked at the Lu brothers up and down, then saluted and said, "It seems you two are right! Wait a minute, two benefactors. My master said, 'The time has not come yet.' It's not too late to go to the temple to burn incense sticks and see you again." .”
After the little novice monk said this, he turned around and left. After hearing this, the Lu family brothers looked at each other. Lu Renxiang frowned and asked Lu Zuo in a low voice: "What kind of medicine is this old monk selling in his gourd? How did he know that we would come here? Why did he say that the time has not yet come? It's really strange!"
The corner of Lu Zuo's mouth raised slightly, "Just listen to the master's words, you won't be wrong! Come on, let's go burn incense sticks too!"
At this time, more and more pilgrims were coming and going in front of the temple. Lu Zuo knelt down at the side of the temple, raised incense to his eyebrows, and said silently in his heart. After the incense ceremony, he suddenly heard several gongs ringing outside the temple, and Lu Zuo felt strange.
Lu Renxiang turned around and looked at the mountain gate, "Brother, don't these dignitaries all go to Huiye Temple to pray? Why are they here at Kuji Temple?"
Lu Zuo pondered for a moment, then laughed in a low voice: "I think the time the master said is now."
Then I heard shouting outside the temple door, "Get out of the way! Get out of the way!"
Seeing that the officials were using their power, the common people in the temple timidly moved out of the way. Following the middle gate of the temple was an old man with snow-white eyebrows and black beard, wearing regular clothes and a red double-breasted cloak. Behind him was a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Lu Zuo looked at the two men walking vigorously, and they were accompanied by five or six strong men with big shoulders and round waists. He thought they were military men.
At this time, the thin novice monk stepped forward from the back of the hall, clasped his hands and chanted the Buddha's name as a gesture. The old man with white eyebrows cupped his fists and saluted, "I'm here to see Zen Master Guzhi. Please let him come out."
"Master is sitting in meditation, please wait a moment."
The young man next to the old man stood up and said sternly: "You little monk, what nonsense are you talking about? I asked you to call me, just hurry up."
The old man grabbed the young man's sleeve and signaled him not to be anxious.
"Two donors, please wait for a moment, I will go and report them right away!" The young monk turned around and went to the Zen room in the backyard.
Lu Renxiang watched for a long time and asked Lu Zuo in a low voice: "What do you think these two people are like? They are so arrogant!"
"The show is about to begin!" Lu Zuo sneered slightly.
"What?" Lu Renxiang was confused.
"Don't you remember? This is Zhou Zhongwang, the old marshal of the three armies of the Han Dynasty. This time we finally have our first good show in the capital!" Lu Zuo smiled and couldn't help but have some expectations.
"Yes, yes, that's him. I think I saw him when I was a kid." Lu Renxiang said excitedly, then he was confused again, "A good show? What's so good about it?"
Lu Zuo shook his head, but there was a hint of pride in the corner of his mouth, "It's not about watching a show, it's about us acting together later!"
Lu Renxiang looked at his brother suspiciously, but Lu Zuo observed everything in the courtyard with firm eyes.
Zhou Zhongwang looked around. A young man beside him was talking anxiously to the old man. Several big men following him blocked the people coming in from behind the temple gate. The Lu brothers hid behind the gate of the temple's treasure hall.
After about a cup of tea, the thin novice monk led a red-faced old monk out from the side of the temple door. When the old monk saw the Lu brothers from a distance, he smiled and nodded to the Lu brothers. Then he bowed in return. Lu Renxiang on the side looked at his brother with a puzzled expression.
When the Lu brothers arrived at the gate of Debao Hall, they saw the bustle in the courtyard. The old monk clasped his hands and said, "Dear donors, this is a quiet place in Buddhism. I hope all donors will respect themselves."
