Pawn Crossing the River

Tonight, the Yuxu Palace is brightly lit and its entire body is green and white. Against the backdrop of the stars in the sky, it looks like a fairy palace in the sky.

Among the Three Yuan Festivals, the Upper Yuan Festival is the most solemn, followed by the Zhongyuan Festival and the Lower Yuan Festival.

The Hungry Ghost Festival is the name of Taoism. Folklore calls it the Mid-July Festival and the Ancestor Worship Festival, while Buddhism calls it the Bon Festival. The main customs include worshiping ancestors, placing river lanterns, worshiping dead souls, burning paper ingots, and offering sacrifices to land. This festival can even be traced back to the ancestor worship and related festivals of ancient shamanism.

"The Book of Changes" says: "Repeat the path, and it will come back in seven days, which is the way of heaven."

Seven is the number of yang and the number of days. After the yang energy between heaven and earth is extinct, it can be resurrected after seven days. This is the way of the movement of heaven and earth and the principle of the cycle of growth and decline of yin and yang, so it is also called Ghost Festival.

Because this festival is so special, according to the usual practice, the Taoist sect not only invites many guests, but also all the masters Shenzhi and Pingzhang who are in Yujing will participate. Even the chief master will appear in Yuxu Palace in person to interact with many ordinary Taoist sects. Disciples have fun together and light "river lanterns" together - this is the only opportunity for many low-level Taoist priests to enter the Zifu.

Ordinary people's river lanterns just float along the river. There is no river on Yuxu Peak, so Daomen instead puts out praying lanterns to pray for the sky, using the stars and rivers in the sky as the "river". Many Taoist disciples, regardless of their job rank, can participate in releasing the lanterns, and the Grand Master will personally select a lantern to pray to heaven and reward the owner of the lantern with 777 specially made worry-free coins.

The Taoist disciples compete fiercely for rewards or to show their face in front of the Grand Master. Various prayer lanterns are blooming like a hundred flowers, with more and more patterns. When they are released together, they look like a sea of ​​gorgeous lanterns. The real people above are happy to see this happen. After all, such a scene is in line with the flourishing atmosphere of flowers and flowers, and can better demonstrate the magnanimity of the Taoist sect.

Although the position of Grand Master is currently vacant, the Grand Master on duty is still on duty to select the lucky ones.

There was less than an hour left, and the outside of Yuxu Palace was extremely lively. Many low-level Taoist priests arrived in advance with various kinds of prayer lanterns they had worked hard to make, and the place was crowded.

Precisely because it was such a lively day and it was necessary to embody "having fun with the people", all the high-quality Taoist priests, except for the great master on duty, came on foot without any entourage. Even the great master who is on duty, who represents the face of the Grand Master and the Taoist sect, will streamline the ceremonial guard and follow the simple rules.

The closer you get to Yuxu Palace, the more dazzling the lights are. There is even a huge temporary lantern tower built in front of the gate of Yuxu Palace. It is more than 300 feet tall and decorated with thousands of golden lanterns. It even takes the spotlight. Today's protagonist, Yuxu Palace, that is, Yujing is shrouded by a formation, so that such a lantern tower can be built. If there is no formation, just the wind on Yuxu Peak will blow it down.

When the Three Religions Conference was held a few days ago, there was no lantern tower here. This was because the lantern tower was not built directly, but was built elsewhere first. After the construction was completed, the entire lantern tower was moved here through the formation.

The celebration has not officially started yet, so the lantern tower only lights up some of the golden lanterns, outlining a general outline. It is far from the point where the lights are brightly lit. But even so, the aura of the sky is clearly displayed, and it is actually not fully lit. After that, it will be so brilliant.

According to the rules, the Grand Master will personally climb the tower and light up the golden lamp at the top. Then this lamp will light up other golden lamps in turn through the mechanism, and finally the lamp tower will be completely lit.

At that time, the lantern tower will turn into the thirty-three-story Heavenly Palace of Taishang Taozu, far away from the thirty-three-story Babel Tower deep in Zifu and the statue of Taishang Taozu in Taiqing City.

The guards of the Deng Tower and Yuxu Palace are not tight, because this is the Jade Capital. In addition to the real people stationed in the local Dao Mansion and Dao Palace, almost half of the Dao Sect real people gather here. They are not only the leaders of the Dao Sect, but also Who dares to be the best in realm cultivation? Even if the ancient immortal comes in person, he will die here.

The two masters and apprentices separated after arriving not far from Yuxu Palace. Master Cihang was going to meet other masters Shenzhi, and then entered the palace with the rotating master who represented the great master. Zhang Yuelu, as a third-grade Youyi Taoist priest, If you are not qualified to follow them, you can only enter the temple on your own.

Zhang Yuelu stopped for a moment to admire the towering lantern tower built in imitation of the Babel Tower. He had to admit that this lantern tower was extremely majestic, exquisite and beautiful. But she still somewhat disagrees in her heart. Not to mention how much money it takes to build this lantern tower. If it can exist for a long time and have practical effects, that's it. I'm afraid it will be demolished in less than a year and a half, so what's the point? Is it just to show off Taoism’s face today? This is somewhat different from whitewashing the peace, but in essence it is not much different. There is no need to use this method to inspire people. Now the Taoist sect is quite prosperous and declining. It has reached the time when it needs to be reformed. This move may still cause trouble. When it comes to counter-effects, it can be summed up in four words: "spectacles harm the country."

Zhang Yuelu looked away and sighed softly: "How can there be other principles and principles that can be deceived by just whitewashing them?"

After saying that, she started walking again and was about to enter Yuxu Palace.

At this moment, several Confucian scholars who had been invited walked over and blocked Zhang Yuelu's way.

After these few Confucian scholars took the lead, more and more Confucian scholars followed, first a dozen people, then dozens, and soon there were hundreds of people.

Those who come are guests. The so-called hospitality method, coupled with the fact that the Taoist sect has always advocated preferential treatment to the Confucian sect, no one dared to take any action immediately.

So there was an extremely funny scene. Hundreds of Confucian people surrounded a Taoist woman in Yujing, the core of the Taoist sect, with a fierce attitude. It seemed that they were the masters here, and the woman was just an unwelcome outsider. .

Most of these scholars are young people who were invited to Yujing to participate in the Ghost Festival celebrations with their teachers. They have a scholarly spirit. Some of their elders have already entered Yuxu Palace, and some are watching from a distance, although they are talking about it. I also gave some advice, but most of them just looked on with cold eyes, or even deliberately condoned it.

After all, since the dispute between Taoism and Buddhism, the Taoist sect has repeatedly elevated the status of the Confucian sect in order to win over the Confucian sect. In order to implement the concept of uniting Confucianism and subduing Buddhism, the Taoist sect has mostly treated the Confucian sect with appeasement. If a Taoist sect disciple conflicts with the Confucian sect, the Taoist sect will Not only will they not favor their own people, but they will favor the Confucian disciples. The alliance between the Taoist sect and the Confucian sect is the most important thing in everything. The Confucian sect has long been used to being indulged by the Taoist sect, making these young Confucian sect disciples confident even in Yujing.

Furthermore, in such a battle, it would be unjustifiable to say that no one is secretly cooperating behind the scenes and adding fuel to the flames.

Collusion between the inside and outside, and attacks from both sides, put Zhang Yuelu in such an embarrassing position.

Zhang Yuelu faced hundreds of people alone, and he was not at all panicked, nor at all pitiful, and he never became angry because of shame. He could only face it calmly. This was probably the calmness in the face of important events.

Zhang Yuelu stood up straight with his hands behind his back, motionless.

The Confucian scholars thought that Zhang Yuelu would be afraid after seeing the momentum on their side, and then take the initiative to avoid it. They would be able to win back the victory, but they did not expect that Zhang Yuelu would not retreat.

This woman is so bold!

It was enough to speak nonsense at the conference of the three religions, but at this time, there was no intention of repenting at all.

This made the Confucian scholars even more angry.

Today, I will press this woman's head hard and make her swallow back what she said.

One of the leading Confucian scholars asked loudly: "Zhang Yuelu, just because you have read some high-level sermons and learned some specious teachings, you still dare to talk about Confucian principles and give advice on benevolence, justice, etiquette, and wisdom?"

Zhang Yuelu did not refute and remained silent, but he never lowered his stance.

In fact, this was the first time for many people to meet Zhang Yuelu. If Zhang Yuelu hadn't said those words criticizing Confucianism when discussing Taoism, if they had met him by chance, with such a handsome appearance and such a family background, they would have been shocked. , even a heartfelt admiration. Especially today, Zhang Yuelu is wearing the crane cloak of a third-grade Youyi Taoist priest, and the Five Mountains crown, also known as the Five Mountains Spirit Picture Crown, which is in the shape of a bucket with the "True Shape Picture of the Five Mountains" engraved on it. Inviolable dignity.

If they weren't outnumbered, they wouldn't dare to act so righteously.

Zhang Yuelu ignored the Confucian scholar and looked around, trying in vain to find the person who was watching the show behind the scenes, and couldn't help but sigh.

As the youngest third-grade Youyi Taoist priest in decades, she is too popular and too hot. As the saying goes, anything beautiful in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. Someone must suppress her limelight and cool her down. , this encounter is reasonable and even more expected.

Fortunately, she was a woman, so she just found a group of Confucian scholars to block the road. If she had been a man, it would have been even more despicable.

For example, if it were Qi Xuansu, a woman with a child would rush over and hug his legs. The child would call him daddy, the woman would scold the person who betrayed his heart, and in the end, he would admit the wrong person. Regardless of whether it is true or not, the bad reputation has spread, and in the end, he has become a negative person who has been criticized verbally and written by the female champions.

This is the advantage of being a woman. You can't find a man to bring a child to call you mother. You can't hide a pregnancy in ten months from others.

This approach may seem ridiculous, but it actually works. In the previous dynasty, with the strict etiquette of Confucianism and the strict rules of the royal family, rumors of "a black-hearted prime minister lying on the dragon's bed" could be spread. It was just because the new policies harmed the interests of others. It can be seen that it is not difficult to tarnish someone's reputation. .

At this moment, another Confucian scholar shouted loudly: "Zhang Yuelu, you are uttering arrogance, saying that you are crazy about etiquette and are deceitful and hypocritical. It shows that you are also a person who does not follow etiquette and law. You have no king and no father, and you have abandoned the country. Abandon home.”

"To have no king and no father is a huge accusation." Zhang Yuelu smiled, "That's why I said, you Confucian disciples always regard the world as one family and the relationship between everyone and the world as the relationship between father and son. Either find yourself a father, or be someone else's father. There has to be someone who can kneel down. I force you to kneel down, and you force me to kneel down. Haven't you ever thought that people can sit down and talk about each other? "