When Monk Huiqi returned to the Shanshiyuan in Zhongqing City, he saw a group of monks with anxious expressions on their faces, nervous and worried.
When the monks saw that Hui Qi had finally come back, and he was only wearing a single suit, he felt a little relieved. Everyone gathered around, and they all gave Buddhist salutes and said to each other:
"Master Huiqi is finally back!"
"Abbott, Zhongqing City is no better than anywhere else at this time, you shouldn't leave so carelessly!"
Monk Zhitong looked nervous and said in a deep voice:
"The status of the abbot is not what it used to be. If you go elsewhere in the future, you must be protected by me!"
Hui Qi looked around at the worried monks surrounding him, his mind was a little heavy, and he said casually:
"It's because I'm not thinking clearly. I just didn't want to sleep in the middle of the night, so... just now, I went out for a walk alone."
Huiqi has adhered to strict rules and regulations all his life, and it can be seen that he is not very good at lying. When he makes excuses for himself, his expression is quite different.
But when the monks saw that he had returned safely and saw that Monk Huiqi was unwilling to explain clearly, they had no intention of delving further.
An abbot of a large temple stood up and said to smooth things over:
"Tomorrow is the Dharma Discussion Conference. The master suddenly disappeared. We thought it was... hush, it was just a false alarm. As long as nothing happens, that's fine!"
"Yes, it's fine, Master."
Monk Huiqi bowed and saluted many times, and asked everyone to go back and go to bed early. Then the monks dispersed.
Only the monk Zhitong saw that Huiqi's expression was different, so he stayed until the end.
Hui Qi looked at Zhitong and asked:
"I just go out for a walk, why do I make such a big noise?"
Hearing this, Monk Zhitong put his hands together in a salute and said:
"The junior brother who was on duty at night saw that the lights in your meditation room were not extinguished, and wanted to advise you to take a rest as soon as possible, but then he realized that you were not in the room."
Hui Qi nodded slightly and said:
"You come with me!"
After saying that, Hui Qi raised his legs and walked towards his room.
Seeing that his expression was unusual, Zhitong knew that he had something to ask him and hurriedly followed him.
Entering the Zen room, Hui Qi stared at Zhitong closely, pondered for a moment, and finally said:
"Zhitong, tell me, is there anything else I don't know about before and after the incident at Ganye Temple? Are you hiding anything from me?"
When Zhitong heard this, his expression suddenly changed, his eyes flickered a little, and he said:
"Abbott, where did you hear these rumors from? The incident at Ganye Temple, the reasons behind it, aren't they all already..."
Monk Huiqi looked solemn, put his hands together, chanted the Buddha's name, and interrupted:
"Amitabha, you and I are both monks and we are not allowed to speak falsely. Just now I have violated the verbal precepts in front of the monks, and there will be consequences in the future. Zhitong, do you also want to learn from me?"
Hearing this, Zhitong originally wanted to say something in defense, but it was suddenly blocked in his throat, and he hesitated not knowing how to reply.
In fact, sometimes, talking is useless.
Seeing Zhitong suddenly showing such an expression, Hui Qi understood something in his heart and closed his eyes in pain.
The incident at Ganye Temple was indeed as Nan Jiyun said. It was the intention of the Buddhist sect to rebel, which led the current emperor to launch an encirclement and suppression campaign.
No wonder he has been running around Zhongqing City for so long, but still returned without success. This is absolutely true, how could he find clues to solve the case?
Hui Qi's lips trembled, her body swayed slightly, and finally she closed her eyes sadly and murmured:
"A leaf is blocking the eyes, a leaf is blocking the eyes! I think that I have been practicing for decades, but I still can't escape the harm of the three poisons. I have committed delusions, causing my mind to become dark, and it is difficult to see the truth clearly!"
Seeing Hui Qi's appearance, Zhitong suddenly panicked and quickly stepped forward to support Hui Qi and explained:
"Abbott, my Buddhist sect's prestige in the Yun Kingdom has reached such an extent that I can't help but be feared and suppressed by the previous kings of the Yun Kingdom... I have no choice but to have such an idea!"
Monk Huiqi was trembling all over, but he forced himself to throw away Zhitong, who was supporting him. With a look of disappointment on his face, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Greed, anger, and ignorance are the three poisonous thoughts that harm the body and mind, causing people to sink into the cycle of life and death. They are the root of evil. I, a Buddhist disciple, put the most emphasis on cultivating the mind. As a result, by the end of the practice, all my disciples have become masters of the three poisons.
!If that’s the case, why should we practice Buddhahood?”
Monk Huiqi is one of the few Buddhists with a pure mind. At this time, he naturally felt disappointed with the current actions of Buddhism, and even thought of leaving and never bothering about Buddhism again.
When Zhitong saw Huiqi pushing him away, he became even more anxious and said quickly:
"Abbott, what happened in the beginning was all given by the Master. What else can we Buddhist disciples do besides obey?"
Today's Buddhism is vaguely divided due to Xiao Cheng's tactics. Many abbots of major temples have coveted the position of leader of the Buddhist sect.
But the situation in Buddhism back then was different from today’s situation.
At that time, the great master Huikai's cultivation reputation was unmatched by anyone in the Buddhist sect. He was a recognized leader. The power of Ganye Temple was even more oppressive to all the major temples in the country. Everyone in the Buddhist sect bowed their heads and obeyed orders. Even if Ru Hui
An eminent monk like Qi, who is dedicated to pure cultivation, is unwilling to participate in the establishment of a Buddhist kingdom on earth, but he cannot stop the people of Huikai.
Therefore, what Zhitong said at this time was indeed one of the reasons, but it was not entirely an excuse.
Seeing that Huiqi didn't reply, Zhitong gritted his teeth, knelt down in front of him with a thump, and said in a trembling voice:
"Abbott, now that things have happened, for the sake of the reputation and prestige accumulated by eminent monks and masters over the past hundreds of years, even if we know the reason behind it, we can only send people to investigate. Moreover, Master Huikai did not die because of feelings.
It is in the hands of the monks of the Ye Temple to find out the cause of Master's death, which is related to whether our Buddhist sect can survive this disaster!"
At this time, Buddhism had failed miserably in two consecutive bets. In such a situation, no one thought that just bowing their heads and surrendering would allow Xiao Cheng to let him go. It was found out that Huikai did not die at the hands of the monks of Ganye Temple, although it could not be changed.
What a situation, but it was the same as Hui Qi's previous plan to die at Xiao Cheng's hands.
Through the rumors between the government and the public, and among the people, the current emperor was able to restrain himself a little when he attacked Buddhism, so as to gain a glimmer of hope.
When Hui Qi heard this, he couldn't help but think of himself who had wanted to die before, and he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
No matter what, he could not just watch Buddhism collapse.
"Get up!"
Hui Qi waved his right hand, and his strength poured out, directly lifting Monk Zhitong up.
He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"His Majesty, the current emperor, is different from the previous kings of the Yun Kingdom. He has a very high prestige in the government and the public through his personal expedition. He has great righteousness, is resourceful, and has sharp methods. He must not be his enemy."
Hearing this, Zhitong couldn't help being stunned and said:
"But if Ganye Temple commits such a crime, can the emperor still tolerate my Buddhist sect?"
"Yes!" Hui Qi said decisively.
Hui Qi saw clearly that if the current emperor really couldn't tolerate his Buddhism, then Nan Jiyun would never show up to meet him tonight, let alone talk to him so much.
Moreover, Buddhism has been the foundation of the Yun Kingdom for six hundred years. Balancing the conflicts among the various ethnic groups in the Yun Kingdom depends entirely on Buddhist belief. If Buddhist belief is completely eradicated, how will the conflicts within the country be alleviated in the future?
Zhitong looked at the monk Huiqi in front of him. After hesitating for a while, he finally gritted his teeth, bowed and said:
"Please abbot, please save my Buddhist disciples so that my Buddhist heritage can be continued!"
"Okay!" Hui Qi said firmly.
--------------------------
A tent that occupies an extremely large area but is quite simple was built at some point. Thousands of Yun Kingdom's forbidden troops were mobilized to guard this place.
In front of the tent, the atmosphere was slightly solemn. Countless people dressed in various costumes stood here, with nervous expressions and a hint of excitement, looking closely at the closed tent door, waiting for the door to open.
.
"Has it started yet?" Someone stepped on his feet and looked ahead.
"It's almost done!" Someone from the front immediately answered.
"Why are there so many people today? I have never noticed that there are so many scholars from the Yun Kingdom in the past!"
Someone asked a question, and someone else responded casually:
"Today's test is about imperial examination qualifications. There are no qualifications. Naturally, everyone comes to join in the fun."
The people gathered here at this time were only dressed in uniforms. In addition to these scholars, there were also people from the Jianghu, ordinary people, and merchants.
The imperial examination system was founded, and it was held for the first time. It was still a bit crude, and there were almost no qualifications for the initial examination. In feudal society, being an official was the way to get ahead and jump up the social class. With such a way to become an official in front of you, who wouldn't be tempted?
Everyone who knew a few words signed up at this time, so there were naturally more people.
And not all of the people gathered here at this time are from the imperial examination. After all, there are people who have fun everywhere, and many people really come here just to watch the fun.
At this time, I suddenly heard the crowd at the front surging like boiling water.
I heard someone shouting loudly:
"Oh, it's open, it's open!"
Suddenly, the crowd started to make a noise and was about to push towards the camp gate.
From the wide open camp gate, a group of forbidden troops suddenly poured out.
Zhang Zhao, the Prime Minister of the Secretariat, who was wearing official uniform, walked out solemnly under the protection of the Imperial Guards.
Looking at the increasingly chaotic crowd in front of him, Zhang Zhao frowned and shouted:
"Quiet! Line up and come forward. No noise or crowding is allowed. Anyone who disobeys will be disqualified from the imperial examination!"
The punishment of being disqualified from the imperial examination is naturally extremely serious. However, the noise of the crowd at this time obviously drowned out Zhang Zhao's words. The crowd could not hear Zhang Zhao's words clearly and continued to push forward.
Seeing this, the imperial guards around him hurriedly stepped forward and shouted:
"Quiet! Quiet!"
The people taking the exam saw the Imperial Guards shouting loudly and tried to stop. However, the unidentified crowd at the rear continued to push toward the front, and the scene became increasingly chaotic.
Seeing the scene that was gradually getting out of control in front of him, Zhang Zhao's face darkened.
The imperial examination is something that your Majesty attaches great importance to. If something happens due to the inability to maintain order, then Zhang Zhao will be blamed for his death!
Thinking of this, Zhang Zhao shouted:
"Quiet! Stop!"
When Zhang Zhao's voice became louder and his heart became more urgent, an invisible force from his body suddenly overflowed from nowhere.
Somehow, there is some kind of aura power that is connected with the heaven and the earth.
In the line of sight that ordinary people cannot notice, a milky white light appears behind Zhang Zhao, condensing into a looming shadow whose appearance is unclear.
"quiet!"
The next moment, there was a sound of scolding, like the sound of a piano, the clear sound resounded all around, penetrated into people's hearts, and brought the originally chaotic crowd to a standstill.
As soon as the shouting voice finished, in the line of sight that ordinary people could not see, the milky white shadow shook violently, and then could no longer solidify, and immediately dissipated and turned into nothingness.
Zhang Zhao was in a trance for a while, but when he came back to his senses, he saw that the crowd in front of him had been stopped by him, and they were standing there, all looking at him.
He frowned slightly, feeling a little dizzy in his head. Just now, there seemed to be a force echoing his order.
That feeling was something Zhang Zhao had never experienced before, and it made him feel quite amazing.
However, even though Zhang Zhao was still experiencing the wonderful power he had just mastered at this time, he still did not forget his responsibilities at this time. He put this matter behind his mind for the time being, coughed lightly, and said loudly:
"Ahem, line up and come forward. No noise or crowding is allowed. Anyone who disobeys will be disqualified from the imperial examination!"
The crowd who had calmed down at this time heard Zhang Zhao's words clearly and did not dare to disobey them. After looking at each other, they all formed a queue and looked at Zhang Zhao eagerly.
Zhang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and said:
"Come one by one. After the first three thousand people verify their names, place of origin, and school of thought, they can enter and take separate exams. The rest of the people will wait for a while, and no noise or trouble will be allowed!"
The road to becoming an official is really exciting. Anyone who knows a few words is rushing here. The number of people taking the exam in front of me is probably close to ten thousand people. This temporary tent set up for the imperial examination obviously cannot accommodate it all at once.
.
But fortunately, this exam is for preliminary screening, and the test is on Tie Jing, that is, dictating text. You only need to randomly select a few paragraphs from hundreds of classics, and there is no need to set questions in advance. Therefore, the exam can be divided into batches.
No need to worry about leaking the topic.
Zhang Zhao gave an order, and the long queue formed temporarily and slowly moved forward.
The candidates at the front, after registering their information and receiving the admission documents from the Li Cao officials, slowly walked into the examination room. The candidates at the back were looking forward to it, secretly whispering below, and not daring to make a loud noise.
In the distance, Sang Pan led his three disciples, staring blankly in the direction of Zhang Zhao, his brows almost twisted into knots.
Seeing this, Shi Chengwen couldn't help but ask:
"Sir, what's wrong with you?"
Purple light flashed through Sang Pan's eyes, he shook his head with a wry smile and said:
"I don't know either. That person just now obviously doesn't know martial arts... Sigh, after entering this Yun Kingdom, there are really more and more things that I can't understand!"
When the three disciples heard this, they all didn't understand why Sang Pan said this.
Sang Pan waved his hand and said:
"I'm afraid only the mountain master can tell me something about this, so you don't need to worry about it! Go, Yun Country is already prosperous. This is the opportunity you have been waiting for, so you must seize it."
Hearing this, Shi Chengwen and the others immediately bowed to Sang Pan and said:
"Thank you, sir! Students, go ahead now."
Sang Pan nodded and said:
"Okay, after the exam, you can go back on your own. You don't need to look for me. I want to go see the excitement!"
"Watching the excitement?" The three of them were stunned.
Today, is there anything more important than the imperial examination?
Sang Pan curled his lips, showing a look of gloating, and said:
"Buddhism over there is also having a Dharma discussion conference today. Emperor Yun Guo probably chose this day on purpose. Hahaha, my Yin Yang family has suffered losses at the hands of Buddhism in the past. Now they are having fun.
It’s great to see, but it’s impossible not to go!”
Please remember the first domain name of this book: ._