The First Lackey Under The Empress

The entrance has begun!

“Dang—dang—”

From within the Shenlong Temple, the deep, resonant sound of the bell echoed throughout the grounds, instantly invigorating the spirits of the officials within the Water-Viewing Pavilion.

Outside the Shenlong Temple, beyond the armored Imperial Guards securing the snow-swept plaza in the chilly wind, a striking group of Western Region monks strode forward.

The procession included the “Five Directions Sangha” under the Western Region Dharma King, monks in robes of black, green, white, red, and yellow. However, the Red Sect Lamas were the most conspicuous among them.

The old monkey-like “Holy Monk” led the group with a solemn and dignified air, while the young Danche, carrying a prayer wheel, followed closely by his side.

This book is first published on the entire network by 𝕥 𝕨 𝕜 𝕒 𝕟 . 𝕔 𝕠 𝕞

The group walked towards one side of the viewing platform, under the watchful eyes of the Imperial Guards and the invited nobles observing the Sutra Debate on the plaza.

Danche glanced around, frowned slightly, and whispered:

“Master, there aren’t many people here.”

The Red Sect Lama kept his gaze straight ahead but was clearly also somewhat disappointed, though not because of the number of spectators…

Having learned about the “Buddhist Prohibition,” he had already guessed that the Sutra Debate would not be observed by a large number of believers. What truly made him frown was—with fewer people, the chances of the “Wisdom” appearing would be much slimmer.

However, since it had come to this, he could only calm himself and whisper in instruction:

“Do not look around haphazardly. Do you think these are all the people present? Hidden within those buildings and structures around us are even more Yu Country people. Today, even the Yu Country Empress is in that Water-Viewing Pavilion nearby.

Moreover, the Sutra Debate is not only about gaining fame but also about competing with the Shenlong Temple, making the monks within the Shenlong Temple realize that the true orthodoxy of Buddhism lies in the Western Regions—that is our real goal.”

Ultimately, today’s Sutra Debate was an internal competition between the Eastern and Western Buddhist sects.

Showing it to outsiders was secondary; vying for the position of “Orthodoxy” was the core objective.

“Dang—dang—”

The bell’s sound reverberated deeply.

After the Western Region delegation stepped onto the plaza, a large group of monks also emerged from the gates of the Shenlong Temple.

Leading them was none other than Abbot Xuan Yin, clad in a brown monk’s robe, draped with a golden kasaya, his figure hunched, and his face aged.

This powerhouse, who had secluded himself in the Buddhist hall for many years, reappeared before the crowd after Xu Zhenguan’s recent show of force against the Shenlong Temple, enduring three swords from the Empress.

Behind Abbot Xuan Yin followed three figures.

They were:

Bianji, dressed in a white monk’s robe;

Bodhisattva Longshu, with a burly physique and a face completely devoid of facial hair;

And Prajna Female Bodhisattva, with her black hair cascading to her waist, a voluptuous figure, and pupils almost transparent.

Behind the three were densely packed monks, numbering over a hundred, each with a solemn and grave expression.

The two sides arrived on either side of the massive circular platform that had been hastily erected on the plaza.

Almost simultaneously, all the monks put their palms together and chanted: “Amitabha!”

The voices mingled together like a great bell, shaking the surrounding buildings on the plaza, causing the tiles to tremble faintly.

The momentum was immense!

Many of the nearby observers changed color, feeling enveloped by a suddenly descending solemn atmosphere.

……

Inside the Water-Viewing Pavilion.

The court officials looked out over the snow-covered plaza, clearly hearing the loud Buddhist chants.

Mochou, as a maidservant, stood beside the Empress, having just filled a cup of water, and her eyelids twitched wildly as she saw the water in the cup on the tea table ripple.

Then, everyone clearly heard the loud voices of the two sides exchanging greetings in the distance.

Roughly, the Red Sect Dharma Master, representing the Dharma King, spoke with Xuan Yin, explaining the purpose of today’s Sutra Debate, to contend for “Orthodoxy,” and so on.

“What a loud sound wave…”

Princess Wenzhu’s expression was strange. Although she had been in the Western Regions for many years, this was the first time she had witnessed a Sutra Debate of this scale.

“The array is inscribed around that high platform, and even without deliberately using spells, the sound of the debate can spread far,”

Xu Zhenguan sat upright in the main seat, her expression indifferent, and smiled: “Does Aunt know what kind of debate will take place later? What is today’s theme?”

Princess Wenzhu shook her head: “I do not know.”

After entering the city, she deliberately maintained her distance from the Western Region Sangha. Today, she was sitting here as a “Yu Country Princess,” not in any other capacity.

Xu Zhenguan personally introduced:

“Do you see that high platform? Later, both sides will send people to the stage and jointly summon the projection of the World-Honored One, hanging high in the sky. This time, both sides will debate on ‘What is virtuous conduct?’ The outcome is not determined by man but by the Buddha World-Honored One…

Heh, the World-Honored Buddha is the god of wisdom, the best as a ‘judge’… This is also the reason for competing for ‘Orthodoxy.’ Whichever side’s understanding of Buddhism can gain the favor of the World-Honored One will naturally inherit the Buddhist orthodoxy.”

The reason she was so familiar with this was because Sutra Debates in history were not uncommon.

But to witness one in person was a rare sight in her life.

The struggles in the religious world are no less gentle than the imperial power of the mortal world. Turning the pages of history, which sectarian struggle has not erupted in blood and fire?

……

While slightly distracted, the “pleasantries” on the plaza ended.

“Master…” Danche looked at the old monk beside him, only to see the latter gently stroking the little monk’s head with his large hand.

The Red Sect Lama stepped forward, walked onto the high platform, straightened his robes, and sat down cross-legged.

Looking at the opposite side, he said loudly: “Please!”

On the Shenlong Temple side, Abbot Xuan Yin sat in the chair in front of the monks. As a powerhouse in the Celestial Human Realm, according to the rules, he would not participate in this Sutra Debate.

The voluptuous and beautiful Prajna Bodhisattva looked at the other two and smiled with a complex expression, sitting down on the empty chair on Xuan Yin’s right hand side.

As one of the three Bodhisattvas of Buddhism, Prajna and Xuan Yin have never gotten along. This time, Xuan Yin had personally ordered her not to participate.

Everyone’s gaze fell between Bianji and Bodhisattva Longshu.

However, in the end, Bodhisattva Longshu, who was highly expected and should have been the number two figure in Shenlong Temple, still snorted and turned around to sit down on Xuan Yin’s left hand side.

First, Tianhai was defeated, then the misty lakeside… After Bodhisattva Longshu returned to the capital this time, his power was severely cut back by the furious Xuan Yin.

Therefore, today, the one representing Shenlong Temple in the battle ultimately fell to Bianji, whom Xuan Yin relied on the most and who was extremely skilled in eloquence.

Bianji walked step by step onto the high platform and also sat down cross-legged.

With his seating, suddenly, without any warning, dark clouds gathered in the sky above the plaza, and the prayer wheel in the little monk Danche’s hand abruptly began to spin wildly on its own.

On the Shenlong Temple side, the unfathomable old monk Xuan Yin had already spread out his palm at some unknown time and gently tossed a “卍” Buddhist symbol into the sky.

“Boom!”

With an almost thunderous roar, ripples of Buddhist light suddenly spread out in circles in the sky, accompanied by the chanting of Buddhist scriptures by hundreds of monks on the plaza.

Amidst the rolling sound of chanting scriptures, an astonishing scene appeared!

A large hole split open in the clouds in the sky, and from within, a towering, vast Buddha head with a blurred face, in a posture overlooking the earth, bathed in Buddhist light, looked towards the Sutra Debate platform!

“World-Honored One!”

Around the plaza, those observing nobles, as well as the court officials and scholars in the nearby buildings, were excited and dazzled.

They were in awe of witnessing the descent of one of the world’s most powerful deities, the Buddha World-Honored One!

Not only them, this time, even outside the Imperial Guard blockade, nearly half of the ordinary people in the capital glimpsed the golden light in the sky.

Those closer, the believers living near the Shenlong Temple, looked at the World-Honored One appearing in the distance in their home courtyards and knelt down one after another.

Chanting: Amitabha.

“Your Majesty… it’s about to begin.” Mochou took a deep breath and handed the teacup to the Empress.

Upstairs, including Xu Zhenguan, all the officials were also staring unblinkingly at the Sutra Debate location, imagining the upcoming war of words between the two sides.

However, just as the Sutra Debate was about to begin, suddenly, a discordant voice came from somewhere, breaking the solemn atmosphere.

“Heh heh, looks like I’ve arrived just in time!”

In an instant, people looked around in astonishment, only to see a figure appearing on the roof ridge of a two-story building near the plaza!

Zhao Doan was wearing loose robes, his hair casually tied behind his head, holding a flag in his hand that had been hastily and crudely made from some shop.

Standing against the wind, his smile was disdainful.

In the astonished gazes of the people, Zhao Doan vigorously threw the flagpole in his hand forward! He leaped into the air.

Then, like a dragonfly skimming the water, he leaped out more than ten zhang, stepping on the flagpole to borrow strength and leaping towards the towering Sutra Debate platform!

“Bang!”

The flagpole under his feet was like a spear, emitting a sharp sound of tearing through the air with borrowed force, wrapped in a fierce wind, and slammed into the center of the high platform!

“Whirr…”

The flag wrapped around the flagpole unfurled in the wind, with the two large characters “Challenge” written in a flamboyant style!

Then, Zhao Doan landed gracefully on the stage amidst the stunned expressions of the crowd, glanced at the Red Sect Lama and the white-robed Bianji sitting cross-legged, and sneered:

“Eastern and Western Buddhism? Debating Buddhist teachings? A bunch of blockheads, clearly on the wrong path, yet daring to presumptuously contend for the Buddhist orthodoxy, simply laughable!!”

Silence!

The originally solemn and tense Sutra Debate scene seemed to be paused, and whether it was the monks on the plaza, or even the watching nobles and the surrounding Imperial Guards, all had stunned expressions.

In the distance, inside the Water-Viewing Pavilion.

The court officials were even more collectively sluggish, and then with a buzzing sound, it exploded.

“Lord Zhao? He… how did he run onto the stage?!” An official exclaimed in surprise.

“This kid… is crazy…” Ma Yan’s forehead was covered in cold sweat.

“Secretary Zhao… what’s going on? Lord Yuan?”

Xue Shence was also stunned for a moment and turned to look at the Grand Secretary in blue beside him, only to see that the Censor-in-Chief, who was always calm in the face of change, also had a slightly sluggish expression.

However, Zhao Doan’s old rival, Chancellor Li Yanfu, after a moment of daze, suddenly turned his head to look at the Empress in front.

Then, the other officials also came back to their senses and looked at the Empress one after another.

A guess arose in their hearts:

Could it be that this was arranged by Her Majesty? It must be arranged by Her Majesty, right?

“Zhao… how could he…” Mochou was dumbfounded, and almost dropped the teapot in her hand.

Princess Wenzhu was the most composed. After a moment of astonishment, she blurted out:

“Is he that Zhao Doan?”

Saying that, she looked at the figure standing on the high platform in the distance and suddenly felt somewhat inexplicably familiar, but she clearly had never met this person before.

Turning her head to look at her niece beside her, she saw Xu Zhenguan sitting woodenly in the chair, with faint blue veins rising slightly on her forehead.

Xu Zhenguan’s beautiful eyes reflected Zhao Doan’s figure, and she gritted her teeth:

“What are you up to… you guy?”

This plot is much harder to write than I expected… Holding my head, I will definitely be able to finish it tomorrow.