Imperial Master of the Ming Dynasty

At the same time, there was a small temple somewhere outside Nanjing.

The winter snow mixed with cold rain came pouring down, as if it wanted to wash away all the remaining warmth in this cold season.

The evergreen pine trees on the mountain were bent with their backs bent. Without the unintentional help of the umbrella canopy, the snow would not have shaken off.

"Sister, the road on the mountain is slippery, so be careful."

Zhang Anshi held Mrs. Zhang's arm and said with a flattering look on her face.

Mrs. Zhang is now the eldest prince and concubine. Although the princes have not yet been crowned princes or kings, Mrs. Zhang is after all the concubine of the Yan dynasty that Lao Zhu personally appointed during his lifetime. Her status is higher than that of the daughters-in-law of several other emperors. , and gave birth to Zhu Zhanji early. Since Zhu Gaoxu's young and impulsive child died in infancy, Zhu Zhanji has been the serious eldest grandson of the emperor, and no emperor's grandson poses a threat to him.

Logically speaking, Mrs. Zhang should have nothing to worry about.

But now, facing her younger brother's flattery, Mrs. Zhang had a sad look on her face and ignored it. Only when she saw the temple in front of her did her frown relax.

Mrs. Zhang stopped, signaled the maids and eunuchs to spread out, and then lowered her voice and spoke to Zhang Anshi.

"We'll discuss your request for an official post after the New Year."

"But..." Zhang Anshi wanted to say something else.

Looking at this ignorant brother, Mr. Zhang's face darkened and he scolded: "You don't know what's going on in the court now? In the first year of the imperial examination, with the addition of the Beijing Police, your brother-in-law is busy all day and all night He can't take care of his family, and there are so many things to weigh. If he's not careful, he will offend others! What kind of trouble are you causing him at this time?"

Zhang Anshi was stunned for a moment, then realized what he was doing, and suddenly showed a frustrated look.

"Don't blame your brother-in-law. I know you also hope that we can live a smooth life, but your brother-in-law has now reached the most difficult stage. Don't drag him down." Mrs. Zhang's tone was much gentler and she continued to persuade softly. road.

Zhang Anshi sighed: "I understand, but I'm not allowed to join the army. I should have a place to go. Playing with Zhanji every day is not a thing, right? The presiding officer of the Beijing inspection this time is my brother-in-law. I I thought that if I had the chance, it would be a good idea to go to the monastery to gain some experience. Sister, I am not young anymore. Even if I am a relative, according to the rules of the country, I should be an official!"

"hold on."

In fact, even if Mrs. Zhang doesn't know much about the affairs in the temple, she still knows the importance of these matters from the way her husband and the think tanks discuss it every day, and the most critical one is naturally the Ministry of Personnel.

Now, in addition to the officials promoted by Zhu Gaochi, the temple is vaguely composed of the conservatives headed by the Minister of Civil Affairs, Jian Yi. Of course, this is just a vague general term. After all, people from the same gentry class are not necessarily the same. Let's be united. In fact, judging from the history of the Tang and Song Dynasties, it was a normal phenomenon for the gentry to fight among themselves.

Since the Minister of Personnel is the "Heavenly Official" and is in charge of the appointment and removal of all officials in the country, he is also the actual head of the six departments. Well, the nominal head of the six departments is the Ministry of Rites.

In any case, although the reformists are making a lot of noise, if you take a closer look at the temple, you can see that the conservative forces still have an absolute advantage.

Of course, this advantage will definitely gradually change over time. Not only the distant ones, but also the nearby ones, all the six temples will have to undergo major changes by the end of this year.

After the big move, there will naturally be more vacant positions. Someone has to take up these vacant positions, either through promotion from the original department or airborne landing.

After Zhang Anshi dropped out of the military academy, he couldn't go to the Imperial College, let alone the Ming Dynasty Administrative School, which had a longer academic system. This was the path he aimed at, and asked his brother-in-law to find an official position with the emperor.

Zhang softened her tone a little and sighed: "You also participated in the quelling of the chaos in Jiangnan, and now you can be considered to have some credit. When next spring there are not so many things in the court, your Majesty will be in a better mood. I beg you, it should be done." You can be given official positions, so you can have an errand in the future, don't let others laugh at you."

Listening to his sister's consolation, although Zhang Anshi understood that this was a rational choice, he felt very aggrieved and couldn't help but muttered: "My brother-in-law has no choice but to become a prince. My sister is pregnant again. Our Zhang family is about to take off." , who would laugh at me?"

Mrs. Zhang frowned slightly and scolded: "The more you talk, the more outrageous you are!"

She turned to caress her swollen belly, her eyes revealing a kind of maternal kindness and love.

Seeing the change in Zhang's expression, Zhang Anshi quickly apologized and admitted his mistake, then changed the subject and said: "Sister, let's go in. It's cold, don't freeze the child."

Mrs. Zhang hummed, and with the help of Zhang Anshi, she raised her legs and walked into the temple.

This small temple is quite large in scale and has a rather primitive architectural style. The surrounding walls are all made of blue bricks. Because it is winter, the inside of the temple is even more desolate. The trees are withered and the outermost tiles on the roof are incomplete and damaged.

When I walked to the door, an old monk wearing gray-brown monk robes came out and saluted with his hands clasped together: "Hello, two benefactors."

Mrs. Zhang nodded and said, "Hello, Master."

Although the rules of this small temple are not big, it is the rule that many dignitaries come to ask for. However, I heard that it is very effective, so Mrs. Zhang also came to ask for a fortune for her unborn second son.

According to the internal sects of Buddhism, this temple should belong to the Vinaya sect, which has many rules and has declined very much. If there is no interference from the historical line, the Vinaya sect would not start its precepts in Qixia and Lingyin until around the Wanli period. , nectar and other ancient temples, and then gradually revived.

Therefore, in the current Ming Dynasty, Zen, Tiantai, Huayan, Pure Land and other sects are still in a dominant position. As for Tantric Buddhism, which will shine in the future, it is still in a corner.

At this time, Ms. Zhang pointed her hand at her younger brother Zhang Anshi and said to the monk, "This is my incompetent younger brother. I asked him to ask for a fortune today, so he came to ask for a fortune as well."

The monk looked at Zhang Anshi and asked with a smile: "Master Zhang, why do you want to sign?"

"There is indeed something I want to ask Master to clarify." Zhang Anshi bowed respectfully.

Zhang gave another warning and left first. There would be a host over there to receive him.

The monk smiled kindly, led him to a side room on the side of the Buddhist hall, sat down, and ordered someone to bring him tea and snacks.

After the two of them sat down, Zhang Anshi couldn't wait to ask: "Master, if I am sincere about this sign, will it work?"

Looking at the young man in front of him who didn't look very smart, the monk was stunned for a moment, then smiled and shook his head and said: "There is no destiny in the world. Some things depend on fate, but they also depend on manpower. But even if it seems It is indeed an illusory thing, and there is also luck involved in it. I wonder what the donor wants to know?"

The monk's words of "listening to your words are like listening to your words" obviously temporarily confused Zhang Anshi. He said bluntly: "Master, I want to find a future."

The monk thought for a moment and said: "Let's do this. I will recite Buddhist scriptures for the donor first. If the donor's heart really calms down, the donor will then decide whether to ask for it."

"Thank you, Master."

Zhang Anshi stood up, bowed with his hands clasped together, and then waited patiently.

Not long after, Zhang Anshi heard a clear call from the Buddha.

He followed the sound and saw the monk sitting on a futon in the Buddhist hall next to him, across the door of the wing, holding a rosary in his hand, closing his eyes, and reciting something silently, but he couldn't hear the sound.

Gradually, the monk's expression became much more solemn, and as his lips moved, he let out a low chanting sound.

This was a very profound and difficult Buddhist scripture. Zhang Anshi didn't understand it after listening for a long time, so he simply sat cross-legged quietly and continued to listen.

"Amitabha."

Finally, when the monk finished reciting, Zhang Anshi's eyelids were already a little heavy, but he still managed to open his eyes and said with a look of joy: "It is indeed wonderful!"

The monk brought him a small jar with the signatures in it. Zhang Anshi calmed down, took a breath, and rubbed his palms again before taking it out.

Drawing lots, as one of the long-standing blessing activities in China, was originally a Taoist practice, but now it is very popular in Buddhist and Taoist temples. This method randomly draws a long stick with prophecies, blessings and persuasion. The method of answering questions has been widely recognized by the people during the long-term superstitious process.

In fact, in many cases like drawing lots, it doesn’t matter what you draw. What matters is that you prayed, and the lot you drew can guide the direction of your future life.

Zhang Anshi took a closer look and saw that it was a lucky draw.

“Beware of the ancients when running to the palace, you don’t need to boast about your ability to ride a horse at the beginning.

Who is willing to follow the defeated army? It is said that Ming Cong is afraid of hardship. "

This lottery is easy to interpret. It uses the allusion of "Meng Zhi rebelled against the palace master", which refers to the great defeat of Lu State and Qi State in the Spring and Autumn Period. Meng Zhi rebelled and stayed behind to prevent a larger-scale attack. loss, and not taking credit for it.

The monk explained: "Those who seek this fortune should be patient with others, do not argue with others, and should cultivate virtue and accept things with a tolerant mind. This way, bad luck can be turned into good luck."

Zhang Anshi breathed a long sigh of relief and thanked: "Thank you Master for your guidance!"

The monk nodded slightly and said: "The donor has a predestined relationship with the Buddha and is willing to worship the Buddha. This is a good deed. The poor monk gave this sutra to the donor and asked the donor to take it back and copy it."

After saying that, he took out a Buddhist scripture from the bookshelf in the side room, tied it with a red rope and handed it over.

Zhang Anshi took it and took a look. He saw that the writing was neat and the ink was fragrant. It was obvious that the writer had written carefully.

He gratefully bowed his hands to the monk, then left, preparing to wait for his sister to finish, then return home to copy the scriptures for reference.

Not long after, Mrs. Zhang also walked out.

"If your brother-in-law and His Majesty agree, let's name our children 'Yong' in the future."

Mrs. Zhang didn't know what kind of lottery she had asked for, so she sighed leisurely and said as if she was relieved.

Zhang Anshi was startled when he heard this and said, "Is this Zhu Zhanyong?"

For the third generation of the Lao Zhu family, the first two characters are naturally determined, and the last character must also be next to the character "tu". For the eldest son, the emperor must have decided this last character himself, but for the second son, This power is left to the parents by default.

Zhang's only expectation for her unborn son is that he can follow the golden mean and live his life peacefully.

However, before this child was born, he was destined to not be so safe.

Under the protection of their attendants, the two of them were about to hand over the sesame oil money with their own hands, but they saw that the main hall that had been closed just now suddenly opened. The situation was a bit strange.

An old monk in monk's robes sat on the futon, clasping his hands and chanting something in a low voice. In front of him, there was an offering table filled with items.

On the futons on both sides of the altar table, there were five monks standing, one of whom had his head lowered.

The old monk closed his eyes. Judging from the expressions of the five monks, the scriptures he was chanting seemed to be filled with endless magic power, making the listeners obsessed with it and forgetting the passage of time.

Although the Zhang siblings didn't hear any clues, they still stopped unconsciously.

"Do you still remember the oath you took when you entered?"

In the silent Main Hall, the old monk's eyes fell on the face of the young monk whose head was buried low, and he asked slowly.

The young monk lowered his eyebrows respectfully and said, "Disciple, remember."

"What if I can't do it?"

"Kick me out of the door and return me to the world."

The old monk narrowed his eyes slightly, his face seemed to be a bit sultry, but he seemed to return to normal in an instant. He said: "Then, have you done it now?"

The young monk shook his head silently and opened his mouth to say something else, but the first word had not come out yet.

"enough."

The old monk interrupted the young monk's words and said indifferently: "You have lived up to my expectations as a teacher. No matter how much I punish you, it is meaningless. Just go, leave here, and never come back."

The old monk's words made the young monk stunned. After a while, he came back to his senses and looked at the old monk.

"Master!"

The young monk suddenly fell to his knees in front of the old monk and said: "Master, I beg you, let me stay!"

However, the old monk's next words pierced his heart like an ice pick.

"You have no connection with my Buddha."

When the young monk heard this, he froze on the spot, dumbfounded, and murmured: "Why, why."

What he asked was not why he was expelled from the temple, but why he made such a mistake.

"Amitabha."

The old monk chanted a Buddha's name and said: "The origin and destruction of everything are all the will of God."

Zhang, who was watching the scene, couldn't help but asked: "Master, why is this?"

The old monk didn't intend to break the precepts and lie, and he couldn't bear to ruin his disciple's possible future, so he just shook his head.

When Zhang and others presented the sesame oil money, returned to the main entrance, and met the maids and eunuchs waiting outside.

I saw this young monk standing barefoot in the snow, without even a pair of shoes. He was staggering down the mountain in single clothes and a bag on his back.

Zhang Anshi had just inquired about it, and found out that this man had not made any big mistake, not even the drama of begging for a son that he imagined, but had violated the drinking prohibition, but the rules of the Vinaya Sect were strict, so he was not allowed to do so.

Mrs. Zhang had just asked for a fortune for her unborn child and was in a good mood. She hesitated for a moment and still ordered: "This monk is pitiful. There is a shortage of people in the house to offer incense to the Buddhist shrine. I asked him if he would like to go."

The young monk listened to the servant's message, how could he be unhappy? I agreed repeatedly, but I felt that I had great luck and met a noble person.

So when the group returned to the eldest prince's house, there was one more person.

But the Zhang siblings don't know that a moment of kindness will bring them endless trouble in the near future.

——————

However, Jiang Xinghuo could not find anyone in Nanjing at this time. When he asked the servant boy, he learned that Cao Duan, Gao Xunzhi, and Kong Xilu had gone to Mochou Lake to watch the snow. .

Where does it look like snow is not snow? Jiang Xinghuo shook his head and had no choice but to skip work for half a day and go to Mochou Lake.

At this time, on Mochou Lake, there are pavilions by the lake.

Mochou Lake is located on the west side of the Qinhuai River and is connected to the Qinhuai River. It is the second largest lake after Xuanwu Lake and has the reputation of "the first scenic spot in Jinling". If the historical line is not disturbed, in a few years the imperial court will If it is moved, the lake will become the private property of the Duke of Wei, but now it is a public area with more than ten pavilions and pavilions around it.

Nowadays, when snow falls, which is rare in the south, in Jiang Xinghuo's previous life, it would have become an undoubted "Internet celebrity check-in point", and I don't know how many young men and ladies come here because of it.

But at this time, reputation in the literary world is all about reputation. This seat is really not something that anyone with money can sit in. Fame and power are more important than money.

The three of them sat diagonally opposite each other. Next to the table were various fruits, pastries, and delicious drinks.

At this time, the young and energetic Cao Duan unconsciously drank a glass of wine and said.

"Mrs. Gao often spends money."

At this time, Kong Xilu, who had a small quilt on his knees, twitched the tip of his nose, which was red from the cold, and exhaled. He felt that the air was indeed very fresh. He was not happy to be pulled out, but the two of them looked at him like this. My condition was not good and I kept sulking in the house every day, so I forced myself to come out.

Mmm, it smells so good.

Today, admiring the snowy scenery by the lake makes me feel more open-minded, and the warm sound of the stove makes me feel a little smoky.

Gao Xunzhi was the host today. He raised his glass and said, "Come and drink from this cup."

The three of them clinked glasses and drank, and Cao Duan asked curiously: "Mr. Gao often laughed, but I would like to ask, what is the origin of Mochou Lake?"

Reading a lot does not mean that he knows all the local customs. It is normal for Cao Duan, a Henan native, not to know the lake in Nanjing city.

Regardless of whether it was the introduction handed over by Cao Duan pretending to be humble, Gao Xunzhi didn't mind. At the wine table, if you have nothing to say, just find something to talk about.

"There is no Mochou Lake in this world."

Gao Xunzhi slowly introduced: "During the Six Dynasties, the Yangtze River flowed along the west side of Nanjing City and merged with the Qinhuai River under the Stone City. Later, as the Yangtze River changed its course and moved northward, it left behind a large siltation land and a series of swamps, ponds and Among the lakes, Mochou Lake is the largest. In the Southern Tang Dynasty, it was called 'Hengtang'. Because it is close to Stone City, it was also called 'Shicheng Lake'."

"Then why was it later called Mochou Lake? According to this time, the name should have been changed during the Song Dynasty?" Cao Duan, who is young and has no qualifications, appropriately played the role of praise he should have.

"There is indeed an allusion here. "Taiping Huanyu Ji" of the Northern Song Dynasty records: Mochou Lake is outside Sanshan Gate. In the past, there was a prostitute named Lu Mochou who lived here, hence the name."

Cao Duan smiled when he heard this. This kind of thing in the romantic field does have a great impact on humanities and landscapes. People at this time didn't think anything of it, but took it as a refined thing.

"Then our pavilion also has allusions?" Cao Duan asked again.

"Of course there is."

Gao Xunzhi laughed and said: "Emperor Taizu Gao and Zhongshan King Xu Da played chess here. It was originally a famous chess building. It was named 'Tang Muyi' and was given to the Xu family. This is the Xu family's property."

Cao Duan didn't speak this time and nodded, with some suspicion in his mind.

"Come, let's eat hot pot."

This hot pot is not that hot pot, and it is not the same as the Sichuan and Chongqing hot pot of later generations, but generally speaking, it still cannot escape the category of copper pot shabu-shabu.

In fact, hot pot was a very common way to eat it among the people during the Northern Song Dynasty. The taverns in Bianjing must have hot pot on the market in winter. The recipe of "Shan Jia Qing Gong" written by Lin Hong in the Southern Song Dynasty clearly mentions hot pot. How to make it, so it is not a strange thing, and it is not the turn of time travelers to invent it in the early Ming Dynasty. The biggest difference is probably that the hot pot at this time used pheasant and other game as the main ingredient.

It has to be said that although the hot pot at this time was not as sophisticated as later generations, some ingredients were more authentic than before.

I saw Cao Duan taking the chopsticks, picking up a piece of meat and putting it into his mouth, tasting it carefully, with an intoxicated look on his face, and praised: "It's tender and juicy, and the aftertaste is endless."

"If you like it, you can eat it with open belly." Gao Xunzhi said boldly.

"Then I'll be shameless!"

Cao Duan unceremoniously reached into the bottom of the hot pot, took out a few chopsticks of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing and eating, narrowing his eyes with satisfaction.

As a farm boy, I have never eaten any delicacies from the mountains and seas since I was a child, which is understandable.

After a while, Kong Xilu, who had just come back to his senses while looking at the scenery outside the window, suddenly remembered something, turned around and said, "By the way, how is your philosophy research going?"

Hearing this, Cao Duan suddenly paused, as if he was organizing his sentences.

Then, Cao Duan swallowed the meat in his mouth and said, "Still studying."

After saying this, he suddenly felt that the meat in his mouth no longer tasted good.

"oh."

With Kong Xilu's status, of course he didn't want to deliberately attack Cao Duan, but just asked when he suddenly remembered.

"Mr. Kong, what's wrong?"

Kong Xilu took a sip of wine, put down the glass and said, "I'm thinking about a few questions. I wonder if you and Xiao Gao can answer them."

Cao Duan was slightly startled and said cheerfully: "Of course, I will tell you everything I know."

"Tell me, when did this 'person' begin?"

Seeing that Cao Duan and Gao Xunzhi didn't seem to understand, Kong Xilu simply said it more accurately: "When I was studying cells before, I was thinking about these issues. For example, 'people' are from birth, he/she Is it counted as a 'person', or is it counted as being in the mother's belly? If it is counted as being in the mother's belly, then what is the sign to judge it? How many cells does it count as a 'person'?"

Cao Duan: "."

Gao Xunzhi: "."

Seeing that the two smart scholars couldn't understand it, Kong Xilu sighed.

Seeing the old man sigh, Cao Duan couldn't bear it, but he really couldn't understand this kind of question, so he could only tentatively say: "How about we change the question?"

"Then tell me, where did this 'human' come from? The myth says that Nuwa, the empress, kneaded the soil to create a human. When she got tired of squeezing, she threw some clay out to create a human. But I have studied it. No matter what kind of soil it is, it can be put under a microscope. Observation is completely different from the human body. Even if there are moving objects in the soil, they are just small bugs (microorganisms) attached to it, but there is no such thing as a 'cell'."

Cao Duan pondered for a moment, but this time he gave his own answer: "Perhaps, people are just people? It doesn't mean where they come from, but they are born and have existed since ancient times."

Gao Xunzhi thought about it and said the same thing.

Kong Xilu looked at the two of them with disappointment.

After taking another sip of wine, Kong Xilu sighed and said regretfully, "It's a pity. If I had known this, I wouldn't have had to come all the way."

After hearing what he said, Gao Xunzhi asked curiously: "What?"

"Everything goes silent in winter, and animals such as snakes and bears will fall into a death-like dormancy. There must be some truth in this. What a pity! What a pity!"

Kong Xilu said nothing in detail, then drank and ate food without mentioning anything else, but it was obvious from his expression that he was not very happy, which made Cao Duan a little at a loss. It was his idea to take Kong Xilu out. Now the old man became even more depressed, and Cao Duan also felt helpless.

Gao Xunzhi didn't mind this. He picked up the wine glass and said, "Wouldn't it be a pity if we didn't enjoy the snowy scene today? Come on, drink up this glass!"

At first glance, he looks like an old drunkard.

"Come!"

Cao Duan was stunned and drank all the wine in his hand. After a while, his face started to turn red.

Kong Xilu seemed to have let go of something at this time, and he responded cheerfully: "Then come again!"

Only Cao Duan's expression moved slightly, as if he was thinking about something. It was not until Gao Xunzhi urged him to come back to his senses that he picked up the wine cup and took a sip, then refilled it.

Seeing this, Kong Xilu and Gao Xunzhi both thought he was drunk and laughed.

However, Cao Duan just smiled without explaining anything and continued to raise his glass. He knew in his heart that although he was a little drunk, he could still stay awake and was not really drunk.

But he suddenly figured out a proposition.

At this moment, the door of the cubicle was suddenly pushed open. Gao Xuzhi was about to say something, but he saw that the person who came was none other than Jiang Xinghuo.

"Why are the Imperial Masters here?" Gao Xunzhi asked in surprise.

After hearing this, Cao Duan and Kong Xilu suddenly stood up.

Jiang Xinghuo said with a smile: "There are no idle people in the world, only people with a leisure heart."

He saw the three of them drinking wine and eating hot pot. The stove in the cubicle was burning red, and a window was open facing the snowy scenery of Mochou Lake. They were living like gods, which made Jiang Xinghuo envious.

Jiang Xinghuo didn't say what was going on, just as if he was on duty and just sneaked out to drink.

A moment of effort.

Jiang Xinghuo had already drank four or five cups, but he was still in high spirits and not drunk at all. Instead, he pointed at the lake view in front of him.

"The sky and clouds, the mountains and the water are all white, and the shadows on the lake are just a trace of the long embankment, a pavilion in the center of the lake, a small boat, and two or three people in the boat. Such a beautiful scenery, why don't we do something important that will leave a name in history? Isn’t it a pity?”

Of course Gao Xunzhi and the others knew that unless there was something really important, the Imperial Master, who was usually busy with everything, would never ask them to drink. At this moment, their spirits were all shaken.

In fact, Gao Xunzhi could just sit back and watch, but he saw that since the three debates on "Wang Ba, Righteousness, Ancient and Modern", Cao Duan and Gao Xunzhi were studying excitedly every day as if they were on a drug. This state has lasted for nearly half a year now, and it has just begun to calm down.

And if Jiang Xinghuo is compared to a chess player, he has left these two chess pieces dry for so long, and now he comes to the door, which means he wants to use them again. And it doesn't look like he is going to take an ordinary chess path. I'm afraid he is going to do it. Killing move.

But now in the Ming Dynasty, it is December of the first year of Yongle, and the end of the year is coming soon. What will Jiang Xinghuo do? Gao Xunzhi couldn't understand it anyway.

Jiang Xinghuo directly revealed the answer without him having to guess.

"I want you to publish two articles."