When Yang Fan returned to Longqingfang and passed by the Prince of Shouchun's mansion, he felt a little nervous. He was afraid that the gate would suddenly open and a young girl with a scarf over her face and a broadsword in her hand would jump out and yell in a childish voice, "Hey, you untrustworthy general, just obediently follow me and marry to Tubo!"
Fortunately, the main gate of the Prince of Shouchun's mansion was tightly shut. His horse passed through the front gate of the Prince of Shouchun's mansion without any accident.
In front of the Yang mansion, the family members were busy hanging red lanterns on the lampposts. Seeing that the New Year was coming, the lanterns in front of the gate were replaced with two strings of red lanterns. A string of nine red lanterns was hung up, making it look especially festive.
Mo Xuanfei climbed high on a ladder and was hanging lanterns on the pole. Yang Fan dismounted and stamped the snow on his boots. He was about to step into the gate when Mo Xuanfei saw him from the ladder and shouted, "Ah Lang is back!"
Yang Fan grunted. Mo Xuanfei said, "Ah Lang, there is a girl looking for you today."
Yang Fan was a little surprised. He stopped and looked up, asking, "What girl?"
Mo Xuanfei hung the lanterns and quickly climbed down. He scratched the back of his head and said to Yang Fan, "That girl calls herself Li Shiniang. She looks like a young lady from a rich family. She is accompanied by a light carriage and a servant. She is the first guest to visit our house. I don't know her."
"Li Shiniang? I have never heard of her … "
Yang Fan frowned in thought. He did not remember such a person. Yang Fan did not know that Li Chiying was the tenth daughter of the Prince of Xiang and that she was usually called Shiniang among the sisters. Yang Fan thought for a moment but did not know what to say. He asked, "Why did that girl come? Where is she now?"
Mo Xuanfei said, "That girl came at noon. As soon as she heard that Ah Lang was not here, she turned around and left. I did not ask her anything else. That little girl is only about ten years old. It's really strange. I don't know what this little lady wants from Ah Lang. "
When Yang Fan heard this, his heart skipped a beat. A young lady of around ten years of age from a wealthy family. Was there even a need to ask? She must be the daughter of the Prince of Xiang's estate. Didn't she go to his estate at this time and go to the palace instead? Yang Fan had a lingering fear in his heart as he quickly instructed, "Remember, if this lady comes again, regardless of whether I'm here or not, tell her that I'm not here."
"Oh!"
Mo Xuanfei nodded and scratched the back of his head. Suddenly, he remembered something and hurriedly said, "By the way, Ah Lang, there's another guest here today."
Yang Fan turned around and glared at him. "Do you have to speak in halting sentences? Who else is coming? "
Mo Xuanfei mumbled, "That person … seems to be a foreign monk."
"A foreign monk?"
Yang Fan was even more confused. Among the people he had interacted with in recent years, there had never been a monk, let alone a foreign monk. Mo Xuanfei said, "When the monk heard that Ah Lang was not at home, he left without even entering the door. He left a letter for Ah Lang, which is now in the gatehouse. Ah Lang, please wait a moment. I'll go get it."
Mo Xuanfei hurriedly ran into the gatehouse and soon took out a visitation card. Yang Fan opened the visitation card under the door. After reading it, an extremely strange look slowly appeared on his face. He hurriedly rolled up the visitation card, turned around and walked out, saying, "I'm going out for a while."
Mo Xuanfei chased after him and shouted, "Ah Lang, the weather is gloomy. I'm afraid it's going to snow again. Ah Lang, you'd better bring a raincoat. It's already late. Why don't you go to see the guest tomorrow …"
Yang Fan waved his hand behind him and said, "Tell the First Lady that I have something to do tonight and won't be coming back to sleep."
… …
The gloomy setting sun in the sky reflected the majestic and tall gate of the temple. A spire emerged from the temple wall, pointing straight to the sky.
When Yang Fan arrived, the gloomy sky was unexpectedly clear. Yang Fan stepped into the temple under the beautiful setting sun.
The white walls, the black tiles, the tall bamboos, and the pine trees were all covered with a layer of white snow. The little bridge was winding, and the river under the bridge had already frozen, and the ice was covered with a layer of white snow. A few lonely lotus branches stood upright on the surface of the snow, rustling in the wind. Not far away, there was a rockery. White snow, moss, rocks, and sparse wisteria branches cast a mottled light and shadow, like an ink painting.
This was the Dayun Temple. In the past, the ten eminent monks of Luoyang wrote the Dayun Sutra under the guidance of Xue Huaiyi. They claimed that there was a saying in the sutra, "Goddess Bodhisattva ruled the country with the body of a woman", which referred to the current Empress Dowager. Wu Zetian then ordered all the prefectures to build a Dayun Temple with a built-in Sutra Depository and a copy of the Dayun Sutra. This Dayun Temple was built in Chang 'an at that time.
When Yang Fan walked in the temple, it was dusk and the temple was unusually quiet.
The eighth Japanese envoy to Tang had just arrived in Chang 'an two days ago. This time, the envoy was led by Soda Zhenren as the envoy to Tang, Sakagawa as the ambassador, and Great Envoy Yi Zhi as the deputy envoy. Most of the entourage were monks, so they stayed in the Dayun Temple.
The Dayun Temple was built under the imperial edict to specially store the Dayun Sutra. Most of the temple was not open to the public, so it was very quiet and peaceful. After becoming the residence of the Japanese envoy to Tang, it became even quieter, not a single worshipper could be seen.
Yang Fan walked over the small bridge and saw a monk dressed in Japanese robes, a bamboo hat on his head and straw sandals on his feet. His hands were clasped together, waiting solemnly. Yang Fan suddenly stopped and was silent for a moment. He suddenly quickened his pace and rushed over. The monk in black also quickly walked over, opened his arms, an excited smile on his face.
"Seventeen!"
"Sixth Senior Brother!"
The two of them hugged each other tightly. After a while, Yang Fan let go of his arms, wiped the tears of joy on his cheeks and said happily, "I really didn't expect that the two of us would meet again here."
The monk in black was the rogue monk of the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, Hong Liu. Hong Liu grinned and said with a smile, "Who said it wasn't? I thought that I would never be able to return to the Central Plains and see you again in this lifetime. Hahaha, let's go, master has been waiting for you for a long time. "
Hong Liu pulled Yang Fan and walked along the long corridor with green eaves and red pillars. Along the way, there were two Japanese samurai standing quietly at every corridor pillar, with sharp katanas on their waists. Their left hands were pressed on the hilts of the katanas wrapped in black and white cloth. The back of their hands was red from the cold, but they stood solemnly and meticulously.
Seeing Hong Liu striding over, the samurai all bowed to him, but Hong Liu ignored them and dragged Yang Fan forward excitedly. They came to the front of a quiet room, but before they could reach out to knock on the door, a noise was heard from inside. The door was opened with a crash, and the person who welcomed them was also a monk in black. It was Hongyi.
When Hongyi and Yang Fan saw each other, they inevitably hugged each other tightly. Someone in the room laughed and scolded, "How long do you plan to chat at the door? Come in quickly and let me see Seventeen!"
Hongyi hurriedly let go of Yang Fan and saw a person sitting cross-legged on the couch, wearing a snow-white robe that exposed his muscular chest. He was smiling at Yang Fan, and there were tears in his eyes. It was Xue Huaiyi, whom he had not seen in a long time. Xue Huaiyi looked a little older than before, and his cheeks were also a little thinner. The snow-white skin that he was once proud of had now become slightly darker.
Yang Fan took off his shoes and quickly walked into the room. Xue Huaiyi stood up from the couch and welcomed Yang Fan with a hearty laugh, giving him a strong hug. The two hugged tightly for a while before Yang Fan let go of Xue Huaiyi and worriedly scolded, "Master Xue, you shouldn't have returned to the Central Plains."
Xue Huaiyi said, "What Master Xue? Master Xue is already dead, and there is no Xue Huaiyi in this world anymore! I have now restored my ancestor's surname, and my name is Feng Xiaobao. Don't worry, no one will know who I am. Other than you, I won't be seeing any old friends on this trip. "
The few of them sat down on the couch. The four walls of the room were empty, and the walls were painted snow-white. There were two tall paper candles on the ground, and there were bamboo leaves painted on the lamp paper, which made the four walls look blurred, as if they were standing in the shadow of the bamboo. There was a sunken stove on the ground, and it was level with the ground, with steam rising from it.
Yang Fan said, "There was a letter from the South Sea, saying that Master was not happy living in the South Sea, and after only a year or so, he insisted on leaving. In the end, he left without saying goodbye, and no one knew where he went. Today, I suddenly saw the letter from the Japanese envoy, and saw the words' the person who shaved for you '. It really gave me a fright. "
Xue Huaiyi laughed and said, "If I don't do things that shock the world and make people look at me, then would I still be Feng Xiaobao? Since you're here, don't leave tonight. Let's have a good drink. "
As Xue Huaiyi said this, he clapped his hands three times, and the wall behind him suddenly opened with a 'hua la' sound. A beautiful girl wearing a light blue kimono with large floral prints walked in gracefully. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and there were three 'hairpins' in her hair.
Her kimono was tied with a large bow, which made her small waist in the plain kimono look a little lively. A pair of snow-white cotton socks were faintly visible under the kimono. She walked in small steps to the front of Yang Fan, bent her knees, and put down a red lacquer plate.
There were a few dishes and a small jar of wine on the lacquer plate. The girl's eyebrows were like crescent moons, and her eyes were as pure as colored glass. She smiled shyly at Yang Fan, and then poured wine for them. As she moved, her pure white sleeves with light yellow edges revealed her fair wrists, and her posture was extremely elegant.
Yang Fan didn't expect that there would be a Japanese girl in this temple, and he couldn't help but reveal an astonished expression. When the girl poured wine for Hongyi and Hongliu, the two respectfully accepted the wine cup and said to the girl, "Thank you, Master's wife." Yang Fan was even more unable to close his mouth after hearing this.
Seeing his expression, Xue Huaiyi couldn't help but laugh, "Seventeen, I'll introduce you to her. Her name is Ruoxiang, and she's my woman!"
Xue Huaiyi scratched his bald head and said proudly, "Hehe! If you're capable, you'll be able to do well wherever you go. Uh … By the way, I have to clarify that this time, I, Feng Xiaobao, didn't rely on a woman, but on my own ability to achieve what I have today. "
The girl pursed her lips and smiled at Yang Fan. She put her hands on her knees and bowed her head, and said softly and slowly, "Please enjoy!" After saying that, she picked up the empty plate and slowly retreated. After a while, she came back and washed her hands in a basin in the corner of the room. She took out a guqin and sat down cross-legged. Her white hands gently plucked the strings, and a melodious tinkling sound flowed out.
Yang Fan was secretly surprised. His master, Zhang Kuo, had clearly said in the letter that when Xue Huaiyi left the South China Sea, he only brought Hongyi and Hongliu with him. He didn't have a single penny on him. Yang Fan didn't know how Xue Huaiyi arrived in Japan and what kind of fortuitous encounter he had. Suppressing his curiosity, Yang Fan raised his cup and congratulated, "Congratulations to Master for returning to the secular world and marrying such a gentle and virtuous mistress."
Hongliu laughed and said, "Seventeen, you're wrong. Our master didn't return to the secular world. Not only did he not, he even founded the Honbō Sect in the Fusang Country's capital. He built a Honbō Temple and declared himself the Pope of a sect. He's very impressive."
This fake monk, Xue Huaiyi, could actually create his own sect and become the Pope?
Yang Fan almost couldn't believe his ears. Hongyi and Hongliu explained in detail one after another before Yang Fan finally understood.
It turned out that Japanese monks had many sects that allowed them to marry by eating meat. Many monasteries were passed down from father to son, son to grandson, and passed down from generation to generation. The monasteries were like family businesses. With such an amazing monastery, not only did it have its own armed forces, a large amount of land that didn't need to be taxed, and a large number of believers, it could even be an independent region and interfere with the political affairs of the daimyo.
The samurai in the corridor just now were Xue Huaiyi's private soldiers. In fact, not only did some sects of Japanese Zen forbid marriage, but there were also some sects with strict discipline. It was also an open secret that the high monks of their sects had affairs with women. It was precisely "Sometimes there are rivers and sometimes there are mountains. Outside the world, Taoists seek fame and fortune. Every night, mandarin ducks sleep on the Zen bed, whispering amorous words."
Xue Huaiyi established his own sect, so he naturally had the final say in all the rules. His sect didn't forbid alcohol and women. It was particular about wine and meat passing through the intestines. The Buddha sat in the heart and pointed directly to the human heart. Its doctrine was similar to the "enlightenment" of the Sixth Patriarch, Huineng, but only in appearance.
At that time, there were many nobles and people in Japan who worshiped and believed in Buddhism, but there were very few monks who were truly proficient in Buddhism. Xue Huaiyi used the half-baked Buddhism that he had heard in the White Horse Temple to open up a situation in Japan and established a great foundation.
After saying that, Hongliu said proudly, "Seventeen, you can't imagine Master's prestige in Japan now. Not only are all the daimyo respectful to Master, but even the King of Japan treats our Master like a distinguished guest!"
Hongyi added, "Master brought the two of us from the South China Sea to Japan and built up this family business with our bare hands."
Xue Huaiyi scratched his bald head and tried to show a humble expression, but the big grin on his face revealed an indescribable pride. Yang Fan laughed and said, "I didn't expect this, I really didn't expect this! Haha, Master, you're now drinking wine, getting drunk with beauties, and practicing Zen. This kind of freedom is really enviable. "
When the Japanese girl who was playing the zither heard this, she gently bit her plump red lips and a charming smile appeared on her face. Her bright eyes quickly glanced at Yang Fan, then at Xue Huaiyi charmingly. She flicked her slender finger and played a glissando, full of shyness and lingering feelings of a young girl.
Xue Huaiyi laughed heartily and said, "If you're envious, then follow Master to Japan. Master will still give you the position of First Seat. With your ability, the two of us, master and disciple, will definitely be able to move unhindered in Japan. We can be independent like Curly Beard and live a carefree and happy life. Isn't it better to stay here and suffer the filthy anger of that old woman?"
Yang Fan's eyes flashed and he asked warily, "Master, do you still hold a grudge against her?"
Xue Huaiyi shook his head and stopped smiling. He replied indifferently, "Do you think I came here with the intention of revenge? Haha, for a woman, she has long received her retribution for not being treated sincerely by a person in her life. I know it's my fault, so why should I take revenge on her? "
Xue Huaiyi looked at Ruoxiang with a gentle gaze and said emotionally, "If I have the time, I might as well use it to cherish the people in front of me. When I came to Japan from the South Sea, I was penniless and down on the streets. It was Ruoxiang who took me in. When a man is down on his luck, he will only know who truly loves you and who truly treats you as a friend. Love may not develop after a long time, but it will definitely show a person's heart! "
Xue Huaiyi raised his cup and said to Yang Fan, "Everything in the past has already turned into smoke for me, except for you. Seventeen, I came this time because I wanted to come back and take a look. If I don't come back, I won't be able to rest easy. I've been to Luoyang and White Horse Temple. Now, I've come to Chang 'an because of you. If it's possible, you should be like me and live a free and unfettered life. This temple … is really too filthy! "
Yang Fan raised his cup and said with deep emotion, "Master Xue has already let go of everything that should be let go. That's why I can live a free and unfettered life today. But I still have many people and many things that I can't let go of! Perhaps one day, I will also live a free and unfettered life like Master Xue, but not now. In the future, when I can let go of everything, I will definitely travel the world. At that time, I will bring my family to Japan to see you! "
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