The Moon Over Tang Dynasty

Chapter 195: Making a bet on impulse (including pink 160 plus update)

Seeing that Xiaotan was about to reach out to open the curtain, Liuli hurriedly grabbed her, pulled her, and then turned to Kang and waved her hand. The respectful voice of the little novice monk came from outside the curtain, "Huixin has seen your Majesty and the Crown Prince."

Master of the Great Buddha Temple, Master Juexuan, is outside? Kang's eyes couldn't help but shine, and he immediately wanted to go out to salute, but he was startled when he saw Liuli standing behind the curtain with a solemn expression, listening to what was going on outside.

The voice that sounded not far away from the curtain was soothing and slightly old, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I don't blame anyone else for this. It's the shameless monks of this temple who brought the case to the court for a small reason. It made me laugh. I have nothing else to ask for, but I wish everyone When the Protectorate is hearing the case, don't allow too many people to listen, so as not to spread rumors and damage the reputation of the temple. As for the rent arrears case, it is best that the Protectorate handles it impartially. Although this temple is outside the country, since it is involved. In this worldly matter, there is no need for the prince to show mercy."

There was a smile in Qu Chongyu's voice, "This is a small matter. The Qu family has made offerings to the Three Treasures from generation to generation, and the Master's orders are all obeyed. Please rest assured, Master, Chongyu will make arrangements when he returns. It's just a matter of Chongyu giving up the scriptures today..."

The leader laughed heartily, "Sacrifice is a great meritorious deed. It's too late for me to thank you, so how dare I say anything?" As he spoke, the footsteps outside the curtain gradually faded away. Liuli was filled with confusion after hearing this meaning. There were monks in the Great Buddha Temple who wanted to file a lawsuit, and Qu Chongyu took the initiative to ensure that no one with "bad intentions" would disturb the Buddhist temple... Could he be talking about Pei Xingjian? Who does he think Pei Xingjian is? This great Buddhist temple is indeed the most prosperous place in Xizhou, but how could Pei Xingjian do such a thing as rip off the temple by filing a lawsuit?

Seeing that Liuli was still in a daze, Mrs. Kang took a step forward, gently touched the back of her hand, and lowered her voice, "Do you know anyone outside?"

Liuli came back to her senses and said, "Exactly, the person talking to the Master outside is the crown prince of Qu Duhu."

Ansaburo naturally knew all about what happened in Xizhou in the past six months, and he also told the Kang family in private: The Qu family cannot be offended, but he must not get involved with anyone or anything related to the Qu family. Kang suddenly understood something, thought for a while and laughed softly, "The Qu family has believed in Buddhism for generations, and I must have come to worship today."

Liuli nodded, and Xiaotan beside him couldn't help but said, "Listening to Prince Ko's tone just now, he is completely different from usual." His usual behavior, especially the contemptuous expression on his wife's face every time he saw it, really made him laugh just by looking at it. People are angry.

Kang said with a smile, "Master Juexuan of the Great Buddha Temple is so prestigious. All believers should naturally be more respectful in front of the master. You don't know how many people in Xizhou are willing to spend hundreds of gold to ask the master to grant Bodhisattva vows!"

Liuli couldn't help but secretly thought, if this were not the case, how could this great Buddhist temple use charcoal in the winter, ice in the summer, and even use gold foil to paste the murals? It was the first time in her life that when she saw a painting, she could only think, "How much is it worth?" "This kind of question.

Mrs. Kang estimated that the prince must have gone far away, and then said, "Looking at this time, Xingxiang may be coming back soon. Madam, do you want to go take a look? Let's go farther and don't crowd with others."

Liuli knew that Kang was a staunch believer in Buddhism, so he couldn't help but brush her off. She nodded and the group of people headed outside the temple.

This Buddha bathing event was originally held after the statue returned from the pilgrimage. The statue of Prince Sakyamuni was placed on a lotus platform filled with Buddha basins, and bathed with five-color fragrant water. The monks and nuns recited Buddhist sutras and vows, and the musicians played Sanskrit music. Believers scattered flowers to imitate the time when the Buddha was born, taking seven steps in all directions, growing lotuses at each step, raising his fingers and proclaiming "I am the only one in the world", which attracted the scenes of goddesses scattering flowers, gods playing music, and nine dragons spitting water. By the time Liuli and others arrived outside the temple, Xingxiang's team had indeed come from a distance. I saw a large open space in front of the big pagoda, with a sea of ​​people, Buddha flags fluttering, and melodious preaching. From time to time, believers and monks and nuns chanted Buddha's name in unison. The solemn and bustling atmosphere made Kang's eyes filled with tears several times.

Liuli stood at a high place, looking at the statue of Prince Sakyamuni, half of his body soaked in the fragrant soup of flowers, with one finger pointing to the sky and the other pointing to the ground. What came to mind were the words of a later great Zen master, "I If you see me at that time, I will kill the dog with a stick and eat it, in order to bring peace to the world." I couldn't help but feel more and more happy when I thought about it, and finally managed to hold it back.

More than half an hour later, the Buddha bathing ceremony came to an end, but we saw a huge flow of people rushing towards the major temples. When Liuli asked Kang, she learned that large and small temples in Xizhou would hold fasting parties at this time. After the fasting, the faithful men and women could donate money, pray and recite sutras. Why don't we go over there and wait for the aunts?"

Liuli was somewhat thinking about what Qu Chongyu said just now, and smiled at Mr. Kang, "I will take a rest today as promised. I originally said I would go back and make a good meal for him, so I couldn't make him wait in vain."

Kang's eyes suddenly showed a bit of regret and confusion. He hesitated for a moment and then said, "If I go home and copy scriptures today, it will be a matter of immeasurable merit."

Liuli smiled bitterly in her heart, copying scriptures? She would rather engrave Buddhist scriptures to make money! He could only agree with a smile on his face, took Xiao Tan to say goodbye to Kang, and headed home. After walking a few steps, I saw a cloth shed erected in a conspicuous place at the intersection. There were two big characters written on it, "She Jing". The outside of the shed was surrounded by people, and many people squeezed out of it with their hands full. He held a small cloth bag high.

Liuli was so puzzled that she stopped and took a few glances. Xiaotan quickly grabbed a middle-aged woman holding a cloth bag and asked, "Madam, may I ask, what are you doing in that shed?"

The middle-aged woman's face was filled with excitement. She held up the cloth bag with a smile and said, "My dear lady, I know that there are lay people doing good deeds and giving away scriptures in that shed. You can buy one for just one penny. What a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”

Xiaotan blinked in surprise, "Can I buy a copy for one min?"

The middle-aged woman smiled and said, "No, it's good luck to meet you! My family has wanted to buy a sutra book for a long time, but usually a sutra book costs two or three yuan, and it is not as complete as today's sutra books. Fortunately for me today I brought a piece of silk with me, originally intending to give it to the temple after the fast, but I didn't expect that I could get a scripture! If the young lady brought enough money and silk, she quickly went to buy one, and there was not much left in it. Many. Who doesn’t know that the Buddhist statues and scriptures I invited today are extremely auspicious!”

Before Xiaotan could do anything, several people nearby who heard this already shouted, "Is there such a good thing?" He hurriedly took out his money bag and counted it, and two people squeezed in, and there were The two sighed, knowing that they should have brought more coins with them.

Liuli still didn't understand what was going on. Seeing people squeezing in and out of the shed, they were even more brave than when Anjia was selling calendars a few months ago. She just felt that she couldn't laugh or cry: I dare to love what Qu Chongyu said just now: "She Jing" Such a sacrifice, what he said when he went to the Great Buddha Temple turned out to be selling favors and stealing business!

Xiaotan glanced at it for a few times and couldn't help but feel very moved. She turned to Liuli and said, "Madam, should we also buy a copy? I have half a copper coin and three silver coins left here. In total, I can probably buy one. One!"

Liuli didn't even glance at her, and said angrily, "Go home!"

Xiaotan was a little stunned. She had to follow Liuli step by step, and then she slapped her forehead violently after walking a long way. "My maid is confused! We don't have anyone who believes in Buddhism, so what's the use of bringing home a sutra book?" ?”

Liuli rolled her eyes silently. Xiao Tan probably doesn’t understand what it means to be free and impulsive, but that Koji Peacock must understand it very well!

From the Great Buddha Temple in the north of Xizhou to Qushui Fang in the south, it was originally only a mile. Liuli and Xiaotan were mixed in with the bustling crowd, but it took a full quarter of an hour to walk there. After entering the courtyard gate, Liuli's forehead was slightly sweaty, and Xiao Tan repeatedly asked the maid in the courtyard to quickly bring some well water to quench her thirst and relieve the heat.

Ayan heard the voice and poked her head out of the kitchen, "My lady is back." Then she smiled at Xiaotan and said, "It's only been a few months and you're already so hot. It's really going to be summer. Let's see what you do." Pass!"

Liuli smiled and said, "Dig another well and let her live in it!"

Xiaotan sighed sadly, "That's right. I heard that it's summer. Let's put an egg on the roof here and it will be cooked in just one stick of incense. But there's not even an ice basin in this Xizhou city. If you buy it from anywhere, you will have to live in a well."

Liuli shook her head, "Who said we don't have ice here? It's not difficult for you to use ice!"

Xiaotan looked at Liuli in surprise, and Liuli said seriously, "As long as you shave off your black hair and go to the Great Buddha Temple to become a bhikshuni, won't you have ice? Aren't you going to ask for sutras today? It shows that there is a Buddha It’s fate!”

Xiaotan was speechless, remembering that she had just heard today that the Great Buddha Temple is the only place with an ice cellar in Xizhou City, and couldn't help but said angrily, "Madam, you are teasing me again!" She paused and muttered, "That's the Great Buddha Temple, not a nun." An!”

 Everyone in the courtyard suddenly laughed.

Liuli asked Aqin if the cold dishes for lunch were ready. Seeing Aqin nodded, she prepared to go to the upper room. But Aqin suddenly said "Oh!" "Alang went out to have a vegetarian meal. He said it was the prince's invitation!"

　　Peacock? Liuli couldn't help but frowned, why was this person so haunted? Do you have to think of a way to make him so angry that you can live a quiet life for a few days?

　　…………

In Puzhao Temple, which is separated from the Great Buddha Temple by a wall, the vegetarian meal has already been served in the front yard, and every table is packed. However, the Zen room in the backyard is quiet. There are three or five pilgrims sitting in each room, all dressed up in extraordinary ways. In the innermost Zen room, four or five exquisite vegetarian dishes were placed on the table, and in a small silver pot, there was home-brewed wine. There were only two men sitting beside the table. The one wearing a beige robe and a purple gold belt was holding a pot with elegant movements to fill the wine cup in front of him with wine, but suddenly paused in his hand.

The man sitting on the futon opposite him unconsciously picked up the wine glass in front of him, looked at the wine inside, and nodded, "The color is like amber, and the fragrance is like orchid and musk deer. The prince is right, this is brewed by Puzhao Temple." The wine is truly a rare treat. ”

Qu Chongyu smiled faintly, and a shiver suddenly appeared on his back just now, but the feeling came and went away quickly. At this time, he didn't have time to think too much, and still poured the drink into the glass steadily, with his head He didn't raise his eyebrows and said, "Chang Shi is not from Xizhou. Naturally, he doesn't know that although Puzhao Temple is small, it has the best vegetarian food and drinks in Xizhou. Therefore, on this day every year, I first go to the Great Buddha Temple to offer offerings, and then come here." This is for fasting.”

Pei Xingjian smiled and nodded, "The prince's vision is indeed accurate." Qu Chongyu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly, with a trace of self-mockery in his eyes, "Is Chang Shi making fun of me?"

Pei Xingjian raised his head and looked at Qu Chongyu, "Where is it? Just now I passed the intersection and saw the prince's shed where he left the scriptures. I was really impressed."

Qu Chongyu's eyes became more sarcastic, "What a trivial skill! In terms of foresight and foresight, I can't compare to Pei Changshi. Changshi came all the way today, don't you know that people in Xizhou now view Changshi as well as Buddhist scriptures?" No big difference? Chongyu admires Chang Shi's ambition and strategy every time he thinks about it. "

Pei Xingjian shook his head, "Your Majesty, why should you be too modest? When Pei arrived here for the first time, he just did a few shocking things. It was inevitable that everyone would talk about them more for a while, but seriously speaking about his foundation and popularity. But he is far away from the prince. I remember that even the boy in the village knew the prince's kindness. In the past few months, Pei had seen that the prince put Xizhou first in everything, and he really admired him. Although there are many officials, there are very few who can be kind-hearted and love the people as their sons."

 Qu Chongyu glanced at Pei Xingjian and saw that his expression was extremely serious. He didn't know what to say for a moment, so he could only say casually, "Thank you, Chang Shi," and then raised the cup in his hand, "Please, Chang Shi."

Pei Xingjian took a sip and nodded slightly, "It's really mellow and long." Seeing that Qu Chongyu didn't say anything, he drank and ate as he pleased. He occasionally commented a few words and talked and laughed calmly, but he never asked why Qu Chongyu came to invite him to the restaurant. , it’s really like just coming to the temple for a small gathering with friends.

Seeing that the wine jug had been moved to the second one, Qu Chongyu couldn't help but move his knees slightly, and said casually while filling Pei Xingjian's wine, "Just now when Chongyu was at the Great Buddha Temple, he met Master Juexuan, and the Master also asked about it. , the case involving monks from the Great Buddha Temple, when will the trial be held by the Protectorate and how will it be held, but I don’t know what Chang Shi’s plan is now.”

Pei Xingjian also looked unconcerned, "I haven't asked too much about this case. I heard from Zhu Canjun that this matter is just a small dispute over property. But since it involves the Great Buddha Temple, you still have to be more cautious." , it would be better to try it openly like a cattle theft case, so as to convince the public.”

Qu Chongyu sneered in his heart, with a look of worry on his face, "Isn't that appropriate?"

Pei Xingjian was a little surprised, "In your opinion, how should this case be tried?"

Qu Chongyu said seriously, "The long history should also know that there are many believers in Xizhou, and the great Buddhist temple has a transcendent status. Now there are reports of monks in the temple fighting for property and slandering each other, which has greatly damaged the reputation of the Buddhist temple."

Pei Xingjian frowned slightly, "Your Majesty, do you mean to suppress this matter?"

Qu Chongyu shook his head and said, "Since the Duhufu has received the complaint, is there any reason not to try it? But the intention of the Duhu and Master Juexuan is that in order to avoid talking about it, when the case is tried, the relevant people should be removed and the It's better to stay away." After saying that, his eyes fell on Pei Xingjian's face, quietly waiting for his rebuttal.

Pei Xingjian's face indeed showed some confusion, "Does the Protector mean that in the future, all cases involving monks and nuns will be handled in this way?"

Qu Chongyu felt relieved, "The Protector has no such intention. This case is actually a little different. Two people from outside the country are arguing over some words and property in the court. It is really inappropriate for the believers to see it. As for the This does not have to be the case for other cases. It is also a case involving the Great Buddha Temple, such as the rent arrears case. Chang Shi will hear it as usual, without worrying about the Great Buddha Temple. "Did Pei Xingjian want to set a trap for him? He doesn't know how to drill!

Pei Xingjian pondered for a moment and nodded, "What the prince said is indeed true. I will instruct Zhu Shenjun to do this when I get back."

Qu Chongyu couldn't help being surprised, and after a pause he said, "That's very good, thank you Chang Shi." Looking at Pei Xingjian, his eyes showed a little doubt.

Nearly a month has passed since the debt was burned. The Pei Changshi in front of him is actually calmly handling official duties in the government office every day. The government orders issued every day are either to build water conservancy projects or to supervise state schools. , as if he had not even thought about trying to prepare military rations, while the servants around him were running around, wandering into the market, and missing from sight every now and then. Naturally, he was a little confused until he learned a few days ago that the lawsuit between the monks of the Great Buddha Temple had been widely spread, while another very simple case of the Great Buddha Temple suing tenants for rent arrears had been delayed again and again. Only then did he vaguely feel that something was wrong - in terms of financial resources, the Great Buddhist Temple was naturally No. 1 in Xizhou. Could it be that Pei Xingjian had his mind set on this, and therefore deliberately wanted to embarrass the Buddhist Temple? But if that was really the case, how could he agree so happily?

Pei Xingjian took a leisurely sip of wine, raised his eyes and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, are you suspected of being a traitor? Don't worry, Your Majesty, although Pei does not believe in Buddhism, he will not deliberately embarrass the Buddhist temple. He will definitely enforce the law impartially and will never cause trouble." Buddhist temples and believers are heartbroken.”

Qu Chongyu suddenly felt a little bored and had to smile, "What did Chang Shi say? Everyone knows that Chang Shi is dedicated to serving the public good."

Pei Xingjian looked at him for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Your Majesty, you are still a little worried about the military rations when you ask me this, right? Yesterday I informed the governor that the Xizhou Prefecture soldiers have limited manpower and not many officers. Pei will not be able to get enough military rations this autumn." I plan to hand it over to Xizhou merchants to purchase and transport it, and the soldiers will **** it. The governor has also agreed, so there is no need to worry too much about this matter. "

Qu Chongyu was slightly shocked. Did Pei Xingjian actually want to make it clear? He nodded casually and said, "Chang Shi's idea is wonderful." Naturally, he already knew about this matter. If he were to take charge of this matter, he would handle it in the same way. With the extraordinary skills of the merchants in Xizhou, as long as they can make a profit, they are more reliable than the government. However, in this case, where should the money come from? He couldn't help but squint his eyes, "It's just that Chongyu has something he doesn't understand, and I'd like to see Chang Shi for advice."

Pei Xingjian seemed to have been prepared, and smiled very calmly, "Your Majesty, it's okay to say nothing."

Qu Chongyu's eyes were fixed on the calm face opposite him, "I wonder how Chang Shi plans to prepare the money to pay for the military rations?"

Pei Xingjian was startled for a moment, then laughed, "The prince turns out to be worried about this." He raised his glass and took a sip, his eyebrows relaxed, "Pei has already calculated this matter. Before this autumn, there will be nobles from Xizhou who are generous." We don’t have to worry about it, we just have to prepare the money.”

 What is this word? Qu Chongyu couldn't believe his ears. Did Pei Xingjian treat him as a three-year-old child? Others can't see through his tricks, but you can't see through it yourself? From Bai San's **** disaster to Han Si's self-inflicted trap, behind all the mysteries are unfathomable scheming and calculations! He still thought that he was like those stupid people and believed those lies? The money needed to prepare this military ration is at least 20,000 to 30,000 yuan. The top wealthy people in Xizhou were taken to Chang'an by the Tang Dynasty more than ten years ago. Now they can only recuperate for a few years. There are only a few who can afford it. Who would be crazy enough to take out this money automatically?

Qu Chongyu couldn't help but sneered, "Chang Shi really has a big chest! It's just that Xizhou is not as good as Chang'an. He can donate hundreds of thousands of coins with just a wave of his hand like Chang Shi. Qu hasn't heard of it yet, and Chang Shi refuses. It’s okay to ask for advice, but don’t use false words to excuse it!”

Pei Xingjian glanced at Qu Chongyu in surprise and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, what you said is wrong. Although Pei is not talented, when has he ever used false words to prevaricate others?"

Qu Chongyu sneered and said nothing. Pei Xingjian sighed, "My lord, if you really don't believe it, why don't we make a bet?"

 Bet with him? Qu Chongyu raised his head warily, but Pei Xingjian continued talking to himself, "Before this autumn, if the nobles of Xizhou do not donate this money and silk, Pei will no longer interfere with the political affairs of Xizhou and write a letter of apology on his own. , Prince, what do you think?"

Qu Chongyu couldn't help laughing, "There is no need to say more about the long history. Before this autumn, I want someone to help me grow the history. How dare I not believe it?" He is a powerful character, and his net worth will not be too small. The An family has a deep foundation. It will not be difficult for each family to collect some and come up with two or three strings, so there is no need to rely on the nobles of Xizhou with false promises.

Pei Xingjian shook his head and said with a smile, "Is it possible that the prince thought that Pei would raise money on his own or ask his relatives to help him? This is indeed a good idea, but according to Pei's calculation, the person who helped him was of noble status and was well known in Xizhou. , The prestige is extremely high, and Pei is absolutely unmatched. If it weren’t for the help of such people, Pei would have lost this round!”

Qu Chongyu frowned slightly. He was of noble status and kept his word. Could it be that he was talking about his father? But why would his father give him this money? After lowering his head and thinking for a moment, he couldn't help but said, "If there is such a person helping Chang Shi, what does Chang Shi want Chongyu to do?"

Pei Xingjian smiled slightly and said, "Meeting a close friend over wine is a happy event in life. The feeling of greeting the prince from thousands of miles away will never be forgotten by Pei. If Pei wins this round by chance, as long as Pei invites the prince to drink in the future, the prince will not lie. Just push back."

Qu Chongyu looked at Pei Xingjian in surprise. He never expected that he would propose such a simple bet and drink with him? He was not the maid of the Liu family, so what was his plan?

Pei Xingjian was not in a hurry. He just lowered his head and slowly took another sip of wine. He looked at Qu Chongyu and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, if you have any doubts or fears, why don't you speak up?"

Qu Chongyu was silent for a long time, and suddenly raised his eyebrows, "Chongyu really wants to drink with Shou Yuan! No matter how you want to drink with Shou Yuan, Chongyu will accompany you!" As he said that, he drank down the wine cup in his hand, his eyes widened. He looked at Pei Xingjian without saying a word, his eyes half provocative and half evil.

Pei Xingjian lowered his eyes and looked at the wine cup in front of him, and smiled lightly, "Your Majesty, please remember what I said today."

His voice was clear and calm as always, but Qu Chongyu felt that the inexplicable chill just now seemed to suddenly rush up his back again, and the word "good" was stuck in his throat, making him unable to say it or swallow it. Just as he was feeling uncomfortable, there were suddenly two gentle knocks on the door, "Your Majesty, the Protector-General is here to deliver a message. Please come back to the Protector-General's Mansion as soon as possible."

The Christmas Eve update and the Christmas update are simply put together. From now on, Datang's daily update time will be changed to a few minutes after 0 o'clock every morning - this way I can force myself to finish writing before 12 o'clock. In the past two months, most of the time I have gone to bed after 12 o'clock. Yes, sometimes it’s past 1 o’clock, I’m evolving into a giant panda!

　　　It won’t matter whether you are used to watching it in the morning or in the morning.

I’ve been very happy these past few days. Thank you all for your gifts. I also wish you all a Merry Christmas!

p.s. The man mentioned in the article who claimed that he wanted to beat Sakyamuni to death and feed him to the dogs was Zen Master Wen Yan, the founder of the Yunshan Sect of Zen. The original meaning of this statement was that only by killing the confused Buddha can one see the true Buddha in the heart.

Pink tickets will be doubled on the 29th. I want to ask for the pink ticket on that day, hehe.

 (End of this chapter)