Changsheng climbed up the steps amidst the shouts of Taoist Zhike, crossed the threshold and entered the Tianshi Mansion.
A ritual ceremony is being performed in the courtyard of the Tianshi Mansion. It is different from the common salvation rituals in funerals. The old Heavenly Master is a great Taoist scholar and a true Taoist. This time he is riding a crane to perform a grand ceremony. The people in Longhu Mountain are holding a Shangqing ritual ceremony for him. , the atmosphere is solemn and solemn, with little mourning and sadness.
The ritual was carried out from the middle of the courtyard, the host walked from the left, the guests passed from the right, Changsheng walked around the left, and went straight to the Zhengbei mourning hall under the attention of everyone.
When lay people die, their bodies will be laid to rest in the main hall. However, Taoist Master Jiahe prohibits condolences guests from viewing the remains. Therefore, the remains of the old Celestial Master are still left in the Wuji Temple on the top of the mountain, not in the Celestial Master's Mansion at the bottom of the mountain. Only the old Celestial Master is enshrined in the mourning hall. The title tablet of the Heavenly Master.
According to the etiquette, after the guests who came to express their condolences paid their respects, the head of the family must return the favor. Since Zhang Shan's troops had not returned, the head of the family was only Zhang Mo.
Zhang Mo had already heard the call of the Taoist priest and knew that Changsheng had arrived. When he saw him entering the mourning hall with a filial piety belt tied around his waist, he was deeply moved. However, in front of everyone, she couldn't show off. She just glanced at Changsheng and nodded slightly to him. .
The blue dragon cloak has a bright red background. Although it is a gift from the emperor, it is out of place at this time. After entering the mourning hall, Changsheng took off his cloak and handed it to the Taoist boy aside. He then walked to the memorial tablet and knelt down on his knees, kowtowing three times.
There are also rules for condolences. The three knocks are only applicable to close relatives. The so-called close relatives are parents, grandparents, grandparents, and six close relatives of the wife of the wife. Except for these twelve people, no one else is eligible for the three knocks. Uncles and uncles kowtow twice, other elders kowtow once, and outsiders' elders bow.
Although Chang Sheng and Zhang Mo did not consummate their marriage, the emperor's decree granted them marriage and their status was determined. As a son-in-law, he should be a filial son.
After kneeling down, Changsheng walked up to Zhang Mo and took Zhang Mo's place, "Go down and rest for a while."
Zhang Mo had been standing for a long time. Even with his purple energy cultivation, he would still be very tired after standing for a whole day. Hearing Changsheng's words, he nodded lightly, turned around and left.
At this time, the most important thing is respect. Changsheng is the Prince of the Tang Dynasty. All the guests who come to worship are not as distinguished as him. When the head of the family comes to thank him, no matter what generation or status the guest is, he only needs to nod slightly. No need. Like Zhang Mo, he bowed his head and returned the courtesy.
As the saying goes, no one speaks behind anyone's back, and Changsheng is no exception. He was originally a Taoist of the third generation of Longhu Mountain, while Zhang Shan and Zhang Mo were both of the generation of Luo. There was a generational difference between him and Zhang Mo. , although he was granted a marriage by the emperor, he could not avoid being criticized in private. But this time he stood solemnly in the mourning hall wearing a python robe. He was filled with purple energy at a young age. In addition, he had great military exploits and was famous far and wide. Although he lowered his eyebrows and lowered his head, he was not angry. Because of his prestige, no one dared to raise his head and look directly at him.
Those who slander and slander only dare to secretly slander and gossip. When they really see the real master, they are often frightened and silent.
Changsheng performed the filial piety ceremony for the Heavenly Master mainly because of his relationship with Zhang Mo. In addition, he also expressed his sincere gratitude to the Heavenly Master.
People are always grateful when they receive favors and help from others, but as time goes by, the gratitude will gradually fade away, and some may even completely forget the kindness of others. This is a common problem for almost everyone. , but this is not the case for immortality. He will never forget that when he was trapped in Yizhuang, the old master's soul came out of his body and went to rescue him. We will never forget that Master Lao Tianshi restored Master Luo Yangzi's Taoist status as Master Qingtian, making him fully filial and without regrets.
In addition, after the death of his master, his disciples were scattered, leaving him alone and helpless. Without the protection of Longhu Mountain, the Beggar Clan would never let him go, nor would the people in the world who coveted his secret book let him go before he could fully mature. , he would be captured and strangled by these people, and how could he have the glory and achievements he has today.
After Zhang Mo left briefly, he returned to the mourning hall, burned incense and paid tribute, and kept vigil all night.
The news that the Heavenly Master was riding a crane was sent out in the morning. Many guests who came to express their condolences came from afar. Even though it was late at night, there was still an endless stream. Changsheng always stood in the mourning hall, performing the acts of a filial son and performing the rites of a filial son.
Although the old Celestial Master was a Shangqing Celestial Master, the Three Pure Ones had the same spirit. Taoist friends from Yuqing and Taiqing also came to express their condolences after hearing the news. People were still coming and going in the Celestial Master's Mansion until the fifth watch.
At dawn, Zhang Shan finally came back after a long journey. The Heavenly Master should have met him before he came back. After returning, Zhang Shan didn't ask or say much. He tied up his filial piety belt and stood at the head of Changsheng.
Different from Zhang Mo's sadness, Zhang Shan was very calm about the departure of the old heavenly master. It was not because of his lack of filial piety, but because he had been enlightened for a long time and had a high state of mind. He had already seen through life and death.
"Thank you for your hard work." Zhang Shan said to Changsheng during the interval of thanking him.
Changsheng didn't know what Zhang Shan meant specifically, so he shook his head slightly and didn't answer.
Zhang Shan added, "The reason why those spirited aliens intercepted Zhang Mo was to take her and threaten me to retreat. Fortunately, you arrived in time, otherwise we would have been controlled by others."
"How is the battle going?" Changsheng asked.
"No," Zhang Shan said in a low voice, "Hanzhong City has high walls and many soldiers. It is difficult to attack. Yang Shouliang searched for helpers and recruited many demons and ghosts to act as helpers. We suffered more than 30,000 casualties in this battle. But they only captured a few barbicans under Hanzhong City."
Hearing Zhang Shan's words, Changsheng suddenly frowned. Zhang Shan only had one hundred thousand soldiers and horses, and he lost 30% of his troops in a tough battle. He had not yet captured the main city, so it would be even more difficult to fight next.
"Brother, the way of heaven is vast and clear, and each of the six realms has its own destiny. How dare those aliens and ghosts who have become spirits dare to help the tiger and do evil, so they are not afraid of incurring divine punishment?" Changsheng asked in a low voice.
"You only know one but not the other," Zhang Shan said. "As long as they are invited by others, they can come down from the mountain and participate in the world."
Without waiting for Changsheng to speak again, Zhang Shan said again, "If you want to conquer Hanzhong, you must first capture those demons and ghosts. After the funeral, I will lead the Longhu Mountain Taoists to Hanzhong. You don't have to worry about me. Concentrate on dealing with those Japanese, I have exchanged letters with Tongchen, and according to what he said, there are many unparalleled masters among those Japanese, you must be more careful and don't underestimate the enemy."
Changsheng frowned and nodded.
"Leave the affairs here to me. Don't delay here. Leave quickly." Zhang Shan said.
Changsheng turned to look at Zhang Mo, who winked at him, and the two left the mourning hall and went to the west side room.
There are seats here, as well as simple snacks and tea. The two of them sit across from each other, and Zhang Mo holds a pot to pour tea for Changsheng.
"I know you have something important to do. Drink some water and leave early." Zhang Mo said.
Changsheng picked up the teacup and took a sip, then put down the teacup and said, "I don't know why, I've been feeling flustered for no reason recently. You must pay attention to safety and never put yourself in danger."
"Don't worry, I will take care of myself," Zhang Mo said softly, "Although we are not together, I have been paying attention to your news. Years ago, you traveled in a hurry and encountered an ambush from the Four Mountain Villas on the way. After that, you were in Shu The state and the Japanese are fighting each other, the battles happen too frequently, and every time you win a bloody battle, it is inevitable to be panicked, don't be anxious, calm down, sort out and adjust."
Although Changsheng is extremely smart, he is still young and has an unstable mind with many ups and downs. Hearing Zhang Mo's words, he felt much more at ease. Although the two of them had already settled down, Zhang Mo was his uncle. This was It was an unchangeable fact that he might not listen to what others said, but Zhang Mo's words had a great influence on him.
When Chang Sheng nodded, Zhang Mo said again, "You have been in Chang'an for a long time. You will definitely feel uncomfortable if you leave suddenly. It is normal to feel flustered and confused. Adjust slowly."
Changsheng nodded again. After looking around, he couldn't find anything suitable, so he reached out and pulled out the hairpin from Zhang Mo's head. After injecting spiritual energy, he reinserted it into the bun. "If you encounter any danger, please inform me in time."
Zhang Mo naturally knew what Changsheng had done, so he smiled and nodded, "Don't worry."
Chang Sheng drank tea from the cup again, then put down the cup and stood up, "Okay, I'll leave first."
"I won't see you off." Zhang Mo stood up.
Changsheng nodded, walked out of the side room, took off his filial belt, put on his cloak again, left the Tianshi Mansion, and returned to the ancient town of Shangqing...
