In the afternoon, Li Zhiyun took two soldiers to the county government office, found the county prime minister Ding Guoyi, and asked him to call Han Zuo over. After several people walked out of the county government office, Li Zhiyun said: "Ding County Cheng, please take us a shortcut to Zhou Shen's home."
Although Ding Guoyi didn't know what he was going to do, he still led the way. Li Zhiyun looked around while walking. As they entered a narrow alley, he suddenly shouted: "Wait a minute! This is it."
This is an alley that can only be passed by one person, only about ten feet long, with walls of houses on both sides of the alley. Li Zhiyun pointed to a wall and said, "Look, what is this?"
When everyone took a look, they saw a lot of purple-black stuff stained on the wall. Ding Guoyi stared at it for a while and said, "It looks like blood."
"It was blood spattered on it," Han Zuo confirmed, "it's been several days."
"Why is there so much blood splattered on this wall?" Ding Guoyi asked in confusion.
Li Zhiyun said: "This should be the scene where Zhou Shen was killed."
"Ah?" Ding Guoyi was horrified, "King Chu, how did you know?"
Li Zhiyun did not answer, but said to Han Zuo: "Inspect the site and make a record. Let's go to the people next door to inquire." The door of the house on the left opened not far from the alley. Li Zhiyun led several people into this house. An elderly couple lived in this house, and they were sitting in the yard weaving baskets with bamboo strips. Li Zhiyun walked over and said, "Old man, I would like to ask, did you hear any unusual movement in the alley between the second and third watch on the fourth night of this month?"
The old man said: "We are young and old. We went to bed early and didn't hear anything." The old woman on the side said: "He was asleep and didn't hear anything. I heard it."
"Oh? What did you hear?"
"At midnight that night, I heard a bang in the alley, like an ax hitting something, and I heard someone shouting, but then there was no sound. It was too dark that night, and I didn't dare to go out. When I inquired about it the next day, nothing happened. I also told the old man about it, but he probably didn’t remember it.”
Li Zhiyun asked someone to record what the old woman said, asked her to sign it, and then thanked her. They returned to the alley, and the inspection and recording of the work had been completed. Li Zhiyun asked casually: "Does this alley have a name?"
"Yes. It's called Qi Chi Alley."
When they left Qi Chi Alley and walked back, Li Zhiyun suddenly found that the street was much livelier than the previous few days. There were many villagers carrying yellow bags embroidered with "Buddha" on their backs, walking in twos and threes on the street. He asked in confusion: "Why are there so many pilgrims here all at once? Is there any Buddhist festival?"
"The King of Chu doesn't know something," Ding Guoyi said. "In three days, Magistrate Xu will hold a fasting party in the county town, and these people are here to participate in the fasting party."
"Oh? Is there anything else?"
Li Zhiyun did not return to the inn, but followed Ding Guoyi to the county government office and found Xu Tiecheng. Xu Tiecheng said apologetically: "Your Highness, King Chu, I have been busy with chores recently and have not been able to take the time to pay a visit to the post house. Please forgive me."
Li Zhiyun waved his hand nonchalantly and said, "Mr. Xu, I came to you today to ask if you will hold a fasting party in three days."
"Yes. The King of Chu knows that there are frequent wars and desolate lives. The official wants to hold a fasting party and invite the monks from Yinhua Mountain to come down to pray for the people of Xia County and prevent disasters." Xu Tiecheng said, "Is there anything wrong? Where?"
"No, no, I was just asking casually." After Li Zhiyun said that, he chatted with Xu Tiecheng for a few more words and then left.
After Li Zhiyun returned to the inn, that night, he called Zhang Zheng to his guest room and whispered to him.
The next morning, a wandering monk appeared on the stone path of Yinhua Mountain. He wears a Vairocana hat, cassock, and mango shoes, with a string of Buddhist beads hanging around his neck and a yellow sash hanging on his shoulders. After the wandering monk climbed halfway up the mountain, he walked forward along a branch road. After walking for about a stick of incense, he saw a temple appearing under a huge ancient locust tree in front of him.
The wandering monk walked to the temple and saw that the environment here was quiet and there were not many pilgrims. He walked into the temple's Buddhist hall, walked around the Buddha's seat, and walked toward the back. Not far away, he met a short, fat monk. The other party stopped and said, "Who are you looking for?"
"The poor monk wants to see the host."
"That's me. What do you want from me?"
The wandering monk put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, the poor monk is a wandering monk who came to the temple and wants to stay for a night."
"Since you are a wandering monk, come with me." The host led him to a row of houses in the backyard, opened the door of a room and said, "You can stay in this pure room. The dining hall is opposite. If you are hungry, I'm going to have a vegetarian meal." The wandering monk quickly thanked me. The host nodded, turned and walked away.
The wandering monk entered the room and took a look. The furnishings in the room were very simple. There was only a bed, a low table and a few benches. There was a quilt on the bed.
After he settled in, he found that the courtyard was very quiet, with few people walking around. He only met some monks when he was eating fast. As soon as the fasting time passed, the monks disappeared without a trace, as if they had crawled into the cracks in the ground. In the whole yard, there was only one monk in shorts and trousers, busy in the kitchen.
The wandering monk thought that the monks in this temple probably had another place to live. However, in order not to arouse others' suspicion, he could not wander around and could only stay in this courtyard. At sunset, the monk came back from carrying water from outside the courtyard. Probably because the bucket was too heavy, he was unsteady and staggered.
The wandering monk hurriedly ran over and said, "Master, let me do it!" After saying that, he took the burden and, under the guidance of the other party, carried the bucket into the kitchen and poured it into a water tank. This water tank is very big. After pouring down the two buckets of water, the water tank is only half full. It is estimated that it will take two or three more trips to fill the water tank. Help people to the end. The wandering monk decided to help the other party fill the water tank, and said: "Master, where is the source of water?"
"Go straight out of the courtyard. There is a mountain spring a mile away."
After a few trips, the wandering monk filled the water tank. He put the bucket and pole in the corner, took the towel handed by the monk, and wiped his sweat while saying: "Master, I see you are old, why do you still do such heavy work?"
"Hey, who dares not to be in charge of the assignment? There are thirty or forty people in this temple, and I am responsible for the daily water intake, which is very difficult." The monk said with a bitter face, and then asked, "Where are you from? ?”
"Baoshan Temple."
"Where is Baoshan Temple?"
"More than a thousand miles from here."
"Yuanyuan? I've never heard of strange ways." The monk said, "You are quite smart. If you help me like this, I won't treat you badly. Just follow me." The monk said, and will The other party pulled out of the kitchen and came to a clean room.
The wandering monk walked into the room and took a look. The furnishings of the room where the monk lived were also very simple, similar to the one he lived in. The serving monk brought two plates of seasonal fruits from the Buddhist niche and placed them on the table. He also conjured up several bowls of dishes. Although they were vegetarian, they were all delicious. While placing dishes and chopsticks on the table, he asked the other party to sit down.
"It's so delicious, how can it be without something to accompany it? Just wait." After that, the wandering monk turned around and went out. After a while, he brought out a huge gourd and showed it to the other party.
"What's in this?"
"Smell it, does it smell good?" After the wandering monk said it, he opened the stopper and put the gourd mouth under the other person's nose.
The monk wrinkled his nose and said, "How can a monk drink alcohol?"
"Shh——!" The wandering monk put his index finger to his mouth and whispered: "There are only you and me in this courtyard. Lock the door. Who knows?" After that, he walked over and locked the door, came back and sat at the table, and gave it to me. Pour wine into the other person's bowl. The monk had been tired for a day and wanted to drink a few sips to relieve his fatigue, so he didn't stop him.
The two of them were drinking and chatting. The monk drank two large bowls without knowing it and was already seventy or eighty percent drunk. The wandering monk said: "Master, I heard that the county magistrate will hold a fasting party in the future, and the monks on the mountain will all come down from the mountain. What does this say?"
The monk looked at the door and whispered: "Pass your ear over and I'll listen to you." The wandering monk quickly stretched out his ear, and the monk put his mouth next to his ear and whispered. got up.
At the second watch that night, two monks were walking on the stone path from Longxing Temple to the Lotus Temple. One was the strong abbot of Longxing Temple, Gao Tansheng, and the other was a thin man holding a lantern. Handyman. The handyman followed Gao Tansheng step by step, lighting up for him.
The two of them stopped in front of the gate of Lotus Temple. Gao Tansheng said to the busboy, "Go back. Don't come to pick me up tonight." The busboy clasped his hands and said "yes", turned around and walked back. .
