Hundreds of monks, wearing bamboo hats and monk's robes, came to the outside of Zhongqing City under the leadership of an old monk wearing a cassock and a solemn treasure.
The old monk looked at the majestic city in front of him, slightly dazed, and there was a look of reminiscence in his eyes. He clasped his hands together and sighed in a low voice:
"When I first achieved success in my practice, I came to the capital of Yun Kingdom with my brothers and sisters. I didn't expect that more than forty years would have passed in such a blink of an eye!"
This old monk is none other than the abbot of Taning Temple, Monk Huiqi.
The monk on the side stepped forward, clasped his hands together, and said softly next to Hui Qi:
"Abbott, you need to be more careful when coming to Beijing on this trip!"
Hearing this, Huiqi turned around, looked at the monk who was speaking seriously, and asked:
"Zhitong, what do you need to be careful about?"
Hearing the words, He, named Zhitong, coughed lightly and said:
"The abbot is the only remaining ninth-level master of our Buddhist sect. He is a highly respected person. He is responsible for the Buddhist monks and the hope of all believers. He is now the recognized leader of our Buddhist sect. He has a great relationship. Naturally, we must be more careful!"
Ninth-level masters are the top masters who dominate each sect and are the core deterrent force. As Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, and Legalism are among the most prominent schools in the world, there are only two or three ninth-level masters in each school.
Following Huikai's death and the destruction of Ganye Temple, there was no longer a ninth-level master in Buddhism. But Huiqi, who happened to break through the death barrier at this time, naturally became the last pillar of Buddhism.
In fact, if they were not helpless, the Buddhists would never dare to send Hui Qi to Zhongqing City.
The Buddhist leader Hui Kai died. Ganye Temple was charged with treason and killing Hui Kai and was exterminated. Thousands of monks and soldiers were still detained.
These monk soldiers have a Buddhist background, but in name they bear the name of Ganye Temple. If they cannot get rid of the charges of Ganye Temple, then there is no chance for these monk soldiers to come back.
In addition, Buddhist disciples killed their leader Master Huikai, and Ganye Temple, the head of Buddhism, is so harboring filth and evil. How do ordinary people and believers view the other Buddhist temples?
When Buddhism's vitality is greatly damaged, its reputation will inevitably be greatly damaged.
Therefore, this matter must be investigated!
It's just that if the Buddhist sect sends an eighth-level master to conduct a thorough investigation, it is estimated that even if they find something, they will disappear quietly in Zhongqing City.
In desperation, the Buddhist sect had no choice but to invite Hui Qi. He hoped that with his prestige and status, His Majesty would be able to have some scruples.
At the same time, Buddhism also gathered hundreds of elite Buddhist masters to protect Hui Qi, thinking that even if His Majesty secretly sends someone to attack, with the protection of these people, plus Hui Qi's ninth level cultivation, he can be kept safe and sound.
When Hui Qi heard this, he frowned slightly and said:
"Lao Na knows that you are extremely vigilant because of the death of senior brother Huikai. But with you and other disciples guarding you, Zhongqing City is the capital of our country, the most virtuous place, and has a large army stationed there. Even so, how can anyone else be able to
Will it hurt me?"
Having said this, Hui Qi paused and asked again:
"Zhitong, are you hiding something from me?"
When the monk Zhitong heard this, he pondered for a moment and then explained:
"The abbot has been in seclusion for a long time and doesn't know how complicated it is. But it's not just the murder of Master Huikai. Even the destruction of our Buddhist Ganye Temple is also quite strange. The abbot is devoted to practice and has a clear mind. It is better to avoid the dark things in it.
Pay too much attention to avoid damaging your realm!"
Hui Qi, the abbot of Taning Temple, insisted on cultivating wholeheartedly and not caring about the secular world. He did not even dare to let Hui Qi know about some of the scandalous things that Buddhism had done, for fear that he would give up his work in anger.
Faced with Huiqi's questioning, Zhitong had no choice but to explain in a roundabout way.
Hui Qi frowned slightly when he heard this. But given his character, seeing that Zhitong was unwilling to elaborate, and he was unwilling to press for further questions, he could only nod his head and said in a deep voice:
"In this case, I will go and check it myself!"
Zhitong breathed a long sigh of relief, quickly bent down to salute, and said:
"Thank you, abbot, for your understanding."
At this moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from a distance.
Dozens of people dressed as Imperial Guardsmen were escorting a man dressed as a palace attendant as they came from the front.
Zhitong suddenly looked back, his eyelids twitched, and he immediately protected Hui Qi.
All the monks immediately became alert and stepped forward to protect Hui Qi.
Hui Qi looked around at the Buddhist disciples who were protecting him, and when he saw such a sudden movement among them, his already relaxed brows furrowed again.
Regardless of the fact that these monks are all soldiers, the destruction of Ganye Temple has made them wary and wary of the current emperor. It can even be said to be fearful. They are afraid that if they are not careful, they will fall into Xiao Cheng's plan again.
He ended up with a ruined reputation and an unjust death.
On the contrary, when the eunuch headed opposite saw a group of monks from a distance, his face suddenly lit up and he said:
"Quickly, stop quickly and go see if those people are there!"
A group of imperial guards immediately protected the eunuch and came towards Huiqi and his group.
The war horse neighed and stopped in front of a group of monks.
The leading eunuch got off his horse, bowed slightly to the monks, and said:
"I would like to ask you eminent monks, is Master Huiqi, the abbot of Taning Temple, among them?"
Zhitong's heart skipped a beat and he hesitated to answer.
Hui Qi, who was protected by a group of monks, heard the eunuch's words and raised his right palm. The soft power from his palm overflowed. With a slight movement, the gentle force immediately gently touched the monks blocking him.
Push away.
"Abbott!" Zhitong said anxiously.
Hui Qi walked out, shook his head slightly at him, then turned to look at the eunuch army opposite, clasped his hands together, chanted the Buddha's name, and said:
"Amitabha, Huiqi of Taning Temple, I have met all the donors! I don't know why you came here to look for me after all this commotion?"
When the leading eunuch heard that it was the rightful owner, he couldn't help but smile gently and said:
"My servant Chu Li is an errand in the palace. Now Tian is a regular attendant. I have met Abbot Huiqi."
Feng Bao not only needs to serve Xiao Cheng, but also needs to take care of Gu Dongchang's affairs. Naturally, he is a little hard to concentrate on matters in the palace.
Chu Li had previously covered up some things for Xiao Cheng when he was dormant, and later informed Xiao Cheng about the secret passage in the palace, which laid the foundation for him to conquer the Ailao tribe and made contributions.
Chu Li had been in the palace for a long time and was more familiar with palace affairs than Feng Bao. Naturally, he was promoted to the rank of regular attendant and took over the affairs of the palace.
Therefore, in name, Chu Li's rank in the palace was higher than that of Feng Bao.
But in the eunuch profession, the measure of status and ability all depends on whether the emperor trusts you and what errands are given to you. Nothing else matters.
When Hui Qi heard that it was someone from the palace, he looked at him in surprise, then made a Buddhist salute, nodded and said:
"I've met Eunuch Chu."
Chu Li chuckled and bowed slightly, which was regarded as a half-curtain in recognition of the favor. Immediately, he raised his hand to the forbidden soldiers beside him. The forbidden soldiers immediately took off the package from behind, took out a wooden box, and gave it to Chu Li.
Chu Li took it, opened the wooden box and handed it over.
Hui Qi looked up and saw a thick stack of documents neatly placed in a wooden box.
Chu Li smiled and explained:
"There was a rebellion in Ganye Temple before, so now in Zhongqing City, the officers of the yamen, the imperial army, the city defense camp, and the patrol camp officers are inevitably a little wary of the Buddhist disciples. Your Majesty knows that the abbot will arrive in the capital soon, and he is worried that the abbot will be offended.
, specially issued an ultimatum and ordered me to deliver it immediately."
When Chu Li said this, he breathed a long sigh of relief and said:
"I hurried and hurried slowly, for fear that I would be late and miss His Majesty's instructions. Fortunately, fortunately, I delivered it before the abbot entered Beijing!"
"An ultimatum?" Hui Qi asked doubtfully.
When Chu Li heard this, he quickly explained:
"Ah, this ultimatum is the identity certificate prepared by Your Majesty for Buddhist disciples. Previously, bandits and thieves often pretended to be monks in the country and ruined the reputation of Buddhism. The local governments wanted to investigate strictly, but they were worried about offending the eminent monks. So,
Your Majesty, issue an ultimatum to verify the identity of the monks once and for all. Those who hold this ultimatum do not need to serve or pay taxes. When traveling in the Yun Kingdom, they can prove their identity so that the officials in various places will not be in trouble."
The ultimatum is also the product of Xiao Cheng's copying work. This thing appeared in the Northern and Southern Dynasties and was a means for those in power to restrict religion.
On the surface, the certificate looks good. It can prove one's identity, does not require military service, and is tax-free.
But in fact, the issuance of ultimatums is in the hands of the imperial court. As long as the court is willing, it does not need any other excuse. It only needs to strictly investigate the fake monks who do not issue ultimatums, and it can attack Buddhism.
Of course, these monks have not yet realized how powerful this thing is.
When the monks behind Hui Qi heard what Chu Li said, their eyes lit up and they couldn't help but look at the wooden box.
Those who do not need to serve or pay taxes are the original privileges of Buddhist disciples, and they are nothing. However, Buddhist disciples are either practicing hard, traveling, or doing things for temple masters, and they often need to travel around the world.
If you go up, you will inevitably encounter some troubles. If you have an ultimatum, you will naturally avoid a lot of troubles.
On Hui Qi's side, his eyelids moved slightly.
He quickly motioned to Zhitong to take it, and he just reached out and took out the top document of the ultimatum in the wooden box, opened it and took a look. The top one happened to be Hui Qi's ultimatum.
On the small document, Hui Qi's Buddhist name, the temple where he practiced, and his appearance were written down. The details made Hui Qi secretly shocked.
Just looking at the number of documents in the wooden box, it should match the number of disciples he brought.
The disciples Hui Qi led were not elites secretly cultivated by Buddhism, but they were all elites transferred from major temples in Yun Kingdom.
In such a short period of time, we can find out their names, origins, and facial features. Just from this, we can see how powerful the spy agency under the current emperor is!
Hui Qi took a deep look at the certificate in the wooden box, but said nothing more. He saluted Chu Li again and said:
"Amitabha, on behalf of all the disciples of Buddhism, I would like to thank you very much, Eunuch Chu."
Chu Li did not dare to accept the courtesy at this time, and quickly gave in, waving his hand and saying:
"This is your Majesty's order. I'm just an errand boy. Abbot, if you thank me, I still need to express my gratitude to your Majesty for your kindness."
Hui Qi immediately faced the direction of Zhongqing City, bowed respectfully, and said:
"Old man, thank you for your grace!"
Chu Li smiled broadly and said:
"Although Ganye Temple happened before, Your Majesty still has great faith in the great virtues of Buddhism. Now that Ganye Temple does not exist, Your Majesty has established Shanshiyuan in order to facilitate the stay of Buddhist monks. When I came, there was already
Many eminent monks are staying here. The abbot can also go there to settle the stay. If His Majesty is free, he might even personally pick up all the eminent monks."
Hearing this, Zhitong was puzzled and asked:
"There are many eminent monks? May I ask my father-in-law, where do these eminent monks come from?"
Chu Li chuckled lightly when he heard this and said:
"You can go and see for yourself and you will know!"
Zhitong's heart tightened and he quickly said:
"Forget it! I'll find a place to stay soon, thank you..."
Before he finished speaking, Hui Qi suddenly interrupted:
"In that case, please ask your father-in-law to lead the way!"
When Zhitong heard this, he was suddenly startled. He quickly pulled Hui Qi's cassock and whispered:
"Abbott!"
Abbot, although you are older than my grandfather in terms of age, you are inexperienced and have no sense of vigilance. We must stay away from His Majesty the current Yun Kingdom!
Hui Qi looked calm, shook his head lightly, and said:
"How can you live up to your majesty's good intentions?"
Zhitong was very anxious and wanted to persuade him again. But when he saw Chu Li, who looked like a smiling tiger beside him, he closed his mouth angrily.
Seeing Zhitong's worried look, Hui Qi became even more aware. This made the Buddhists extremely fearful. The person behind the incident at Ganye Temple was indeed the current Emperor of Yun Kingdom.
But even so, Hui Qi still had no fear. Because he knew that if he wanted to find out the truth behind Ganye Temple, it would be impossible to hide from the emperor.
Instead of approaching him later, it would be better to be invited into the Shanshiyuan. After all, it was the emperor who invited him. If something happened to him inside, wouldn't it be even more embarrassing?
Hearing Hui Qi's words, Chu Li couldn't help but look at him and said with a smile:
"In that case, then please do it!"
The monks immediately headed towards Zhongqing City under the leadership of Chu Li.
Since entering the city, Hui Qi couldn't help but look at it silently.
Hundreds of monks entered the city together, and the city defense troops guarding the gate were indeed facing a formidable enemy. Even Chu Li, who was dressed like a palace attendant and accompanied by imperial guards, did not let the soldiers at the city gate slack off and insisted on attacking a group of monks.
The monks questioned him severely.
It wasn't until Hui Qiyi Zhitong showed the certificate he had just received and it was carefully checked by the city defense army that he was allowed to leave.
After entering the city, all the people kept looking at their strange team of eunuchs, imperial guards, and monks, and whispered to each other from time to time.
It is not that ordinary monks have never enjoyed the attention of a crowd of people.
However, the eyes of the common people that the monks met in the past showed respect and faith, and they came to pay attention, which greatly benefited the monks.
But the eyes of the people I met today were filled with suspicion, curiosity, and exploration. Even vaguely, some offensive joking laughter could be heard.
These gazes made the monks feel uncomfortable, a feeling they could not feel anywhere else in Yun Country.
Public opinion war is still very useful!
Thanks to the efforts of the novelist disciples in various restaurants and teahouses, monks have appeared in many stories.
The relatively serious teahouses and restaurants are just like the Jianghu romances, either with an evil monk who kills people and commits heinous crimes, or with a fiery personality who kills people out of righteous anger and then escapes into Buddhism to protect himself.
A meat-and-wine monk who was accused by the government.
Well, if it were a non-serious wine shop, lamps, grass, monks, and stories about life and death would be quite popular.
In addition, there are many rumors in the market about monks killing people and stealing goods, and asking for temples.
Subtly, although the foundation of Buddhism has not been truly shaken yet, it can be said that the future is promising!
Feeling the sight of all the people, Hui Qi's eyelids twitched, but his expression remained calm, and he couldn't see anything strange.
At this moment, the sound of hurried footsteps came.
Everyone followed the sound, and all soldiers from the patrol battalion wearing armor came quickly.
A man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks followed the leading general, pointed at Hui Qi and the others, and said:
"General, this is what the common people are talking about! They are all monks, and their behavior is quite suspicious!"
The general nodded and said:
"Okay, if there is something really fishy, you will be rewarded for reporting it!"
The corners of Hui Qi's eyes twitched, and his face finally couldn't help but darken.
In the land of Yun Kingdom, for hundreds of years, have monks ever been treated so badly!
Is this because Ganye Temple has done so many bad things that the people have lost their hearts? Or is there someone with good intentions behind it, deliberately trying to guide public opinion?