Datang beauty walk

Chang'an Qingdu Temple, the Taoist temple where Bier is still living.

This afternoon, Bi'er went to Guanmen. She went to a benefactor's house in Chang'an City to pray and chant scriptures for the benefactor's hundred-day-old child.

Not long after she came back, the master Wang Yuanzhi sent Xiaodao to call her.Bier came to the teacher's room in the next courtyard, met the master and saluted.

"Master, why did you call the disciple here?"

Wang Yuanzhi picked up the feather fan on the low table beside him, and said while shaking the fan:

"This time I went to the palace to meet the emperor and the empress. During the conversation, the empress mentioned you. She told me to let you go to the palace to meet her. Get ready, someone will pick you up tomorrow."

Bi'er, who was standing opposite him, was a little surprised when she heard this:

"Master, the empress wants to see her disciple, why?"

"The queen only said that she wanted to see you, and nothing else."

"Master, this..."

"Don't worry, the empress admires your talent very much. You just need to be careful with your answers and you'll be fine."

Seeing what the master said, Bi'er had no choice but to reply: "Yes, the disciple understands." She bowed to the master again and left the room.

The next morning, Bi'er put on a Taoist robe, and holding a whisk in her hand, she entered the city and the palace. Guided by the maids in the palace, she came to the empress's chamber and waited outside the bead curtain for summons.

Empress Wu was sitting by the Feng table, holding a vermilion pen in her hand, writing something next to a pile of watch folds, and there were two or three court ladies standing beside her.

The court lady who led Bi'er came, entered the bead curtain, stepped forward and said:

"I want to inform you, Madam, that Master Daojing, the female crown of Qingdu Temple outside the east gate of Chang'an, has arrived."

"Let the mage come in." The empress said.

When Bi'er heard that she was summoned, she quickly stepped inside, came a few steps in front of Feng's case, and knelt down:

"Pin Dao pays homage to Empress Empress Qiansui Sheng'an."

"Master, please." The Queen said.

"Thank you madam."

"Show the mage a table and serve tea."

After hearing this, Bier hurriedly said:

"Your Majesty, I don't dare to be poor."

The queen is amiable:

"Masters don't need to be formal, please sit down and talk."

"Yes."

Bi'er sat on the embroidered pier that the maid moved over and put it beside her. When she saw a court lady serving tea to the queen and also put a cup of tea on the incense table beside her, Bi'er owed the queen slightly again. Get down.

Bi'er saw that Empress Wu was wearing a queen's casual dress, with a golden phoenix on her head, and under her slender and beautiful moth eyebrows, there was a pair of bright and divine phoenix eyes. Her skin was smooth and delicate, her complexion was rosy, and she was full of energy. Generous and elegant, in line with etiquette, it is more graceful and luxurious than what I saw when I painted the queen's portrait last time.

Bi'er was secretly admiring in her heart, at this moment, the queen put down the teacup that had sipped two sips of tea, looked at Bi'er and said:

"Hasn't it been almost half a year since I last met you, Master?"

"Going back to your mother, it's been more than five months." Bi'er replied.

"I wanted to summon the mage earlier, but there were too many things in the palace, so it was delayed until today. May I ask the mage, where is the lay family from?"

"Pindao has been separated from his parents since he was a child, and he still can't remember his parents' names and birthplaces. Before he entered Taoism, he lived with my master's family in Chang'an most of the time."

"Why did the mage leave the master's house to enter the Tao?"

Billy replied calmly:

"At that time, after I married my young lady, because I didn't want to be forced to be a concubine by the new uncle, my young lady helped me escape. I had nowhere to go, so I escaped into the Taoist sect."

After taking another sip of tea, the queen looked at Bi'er and asked:

"How long has the mage been a monk?"

"It's been 24 years." Beer replied.

"I am very envious of seeing the master with a refreshing expression and an immortal demeanor. I also want to practice Taoism like the master, but the emperor's dragon body is weak, and all the affairs in front of me have to wait for me. Let’s deal with it, I’m entangled in common affairs and can’t escape.”

Bier said humbly:

"Why does the empress have to practice Taoism in the remote mountains, forests, and ancient temples? As long as the empress has the Tao in her heart, she can still practice the Tao even in the palace."

"Oh? Ask the mage to teach you." The queen asked with interest.

"I don't dare to be poor, my lady. There are big and small ways. What a poor man cultivates is just a small way, and he just sits and cultivates his body, clears his heart, or strengthens his body, performs scriptures and chant, this is only for himself. And the lady You can practice Taoism for the people of the world, and the so-called Taoism is practiced in the world. So, how can the small way of the poor be compared with the great way of the empress?"

Empress Wu stood up, moved to Bi'er, and said:

"Then how do we cultivate the Tao for the people of the world?"

Bi'er has also got up with the queen, she bowed first, and then said:

"As long as the empress cares about the people of the world, she has benevolence and righteousness in her heart, and she doesn't disturb the people, so that the people can give birth and rest naturally. In politics, the virtuous can only be appointed, the poor are supported, and the officials and the people are trustworthy; in punishment, rewards and punishments are clearly defined. , do not carry out conquests, do not allow killings, light punishments, and light corvees. Make the government clean, the world is peaceful, and the common people in the world are kept warm. That is, the so-called virtue reaches the world and turns into grass and trees. This is to practice Taoism for the people of the world.”

"The mage is right, please sit down." The queen sat down again, and said: "I have another matter to ask the mage for advice. Recently, when the Japanese palace is dealing with some political affairs, I often have some doubts in my heart, and it is always difficult to make a decision. Some things should or shouldn’t be done.”

Billy thought about it and said:

"According to the empress, it's okay to do it for the people of the world; if it's for your own benefit, you can't do it."

"What can be done for the people of the world, but what can't be done for oneself? Well, I know how to do it. Thank you Master for your kind words."

"The poor Taoist spoke nonsense for a while, and the nuisance saint listened."

"Master, you don't need to be overly humble. The emperor has been weak and sick for a long time. This palace is temporarily handling the important affairs of the country for the emperor. It takes a lot of time for me to deal with these many big and small matters every day. I want to keep the mage at home. In the palace, how does the mage think about refining the longevity elixir for the palace?"

Bier bowed again:

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam, may I ask you, Madam, have you seen that in the hundreds of years since the creation of alchemy, there are people who take the golden elixir and live forever?"

The queen shook her head and said:

"This palace has never personally seen a person who has lived to be a hundred thousand years old by taking the golden elixir."

Bill went on to say:

"It's just that people in the world think that taking alchemy with gold and stone can lead to a long life, but they don't know that among the many health-preserving techniques of Taoism, the method of inner alchemy is the least harmful and the most superior."

"What is the method of inner alchemy?"

"Using gold and stone to make alchemy is called the outer alchemy method, but the inner alchemy method uses the body as the cauldron, uses the essence, energy and spirit in the body as medicine, uses the body's ears, eyes, mouth, nose and other openings as the furnace door, and uses the energy of heaven and earth , the way of the five elements, reconcile medicine, balance yin and yang, and finally unify the whole body with spirit, this is the inner alchemy. If you practice this inner alchemy for a long time and persist for a long time, you will be able to lighten your body and prolong your life."

The queen was very interested and said:

"The mage can teach this inner alchemy to Bengong to practice."

In the next few days, when the queen spared time to discuss inner alchemy with her, Bier explained the methods of inner alchemy luck to the queen one by one.The queen practiced according to her guidance, and she really felt good, her body was much lighter and her energy was more abundant.

Bi'er returned to Qingdu Temple only after the queen had fully mastered the method of inner alchemy.

Three months later, when Bi'er was preaching scriptures to the young Taoist priests in the Sanqing Hall, two eunuchs and several court ladies suddenly came to the temple. The eunuch preached:

"The Queen's order is to call Master Guan Daojing of Qingdu to enter the palace immediately to have an audience!"

Bi'er didn't know what happened, and she didn't dare to ask further, she hurriedly brought her belongings and entered the palace with these people.

In a short period of time, Bi'er came to the palace again.The eunuchs and maids led her to a palace, which was magnificent, with green tiles and red pillars, and the eaves of the palace were upturned and towering, straight to the sky.Standing under the foundation of the palace and looking up, there are three majestic characters "Hanyuan Hall" on the plaque above.

This Hanyuan Hall is in front of the side hall where Bi'er met Empress Wu last time, and the actual distance between the two halls is actually very close.Although Bi'er has been in and out of the palace for two or three times, she has not walked the same road every time, so she is still not familiar with the palaces in the palace.

The last time I went to the empress's palace, the maid led her along a secluded alley in the palace. There were not many guards at the palace gates, and there were only eunuchs and maids at some gates.But this time, what they passed was a tall palace gate. There were majestic palace guards guarding the gate and on both sides of the sidewalk.

Step by step, Bi'er climbed up to the base of the main hall with carved columns of white marble.There are dragon embroidered silk banners on each floor of the white marble columns, and there are guards standing guard beside the colorful silk banners.Ascending to the main hall, Bi'er stood sideways at the main entrance of the main hall, waiting for the summons. She could hear the emperor discussing state affairs with the ministers in the main hall.

While waiting outside the gate of the hall, she turned her head and looked around, which surprised her very much. Standing here and looking at it, most of the shape of Chang'an City came into her eyes, from the nearby green glazed tile covered The palace, the squares in front of and behind the palace, and the symmetrically distributed and neatly arranged square official offices and residential squares outside the palace in the distance, as well as several avenues running through the east, west, north, south, north, and south of Chang'an City, and each square All the cross paths in the village are in front of her.Looking to the east, there are scattered houses and temples outside the imperial palace, large fields, and distant mountains in the distance.

This majestic and magnificent Hanyuan Hall is like a high mountain at the head of Chang'an City. Standing here and looking up, you can see the imperial palace in Chang'an City and the city square houses outside the palace wall.

This is the first time that Bi'er has stood at such a high place in Chang'an City. The Chang'an City she saw was so magnificent and magnificent. It was completely different from the Chang'an City she saw when standing on Chang'an Avenue. picture.

Bi'er was waiting quietly at the entrance of the hall, when suddenly she heard a loud voice from inside the hall:

"Master Xuan Daojing has an audience!"

After hearing this, Bi'er hurriedly entered the hall.

In the tall and resplendent hall, a few thick red pillars stand upright like heavenly soldiers and generals, reaching the top of the hall; in the hall, there are civil and military ministers in brocade clothes, jade belts, and neat hats.

Bier stepped forward step by step.

On the large dragon chair in the north of the main hall, sitting at the high end is the emperor wearing a dragon robe and a dragon crown. Next to him is a queen wearing a phoenix crown, an ocher yellow phoenix robe and a necklace.Behind the emperor and queen, there are court ladies standing with fans, and eunuchs are waiting for them at any time.

Bi'er knelt down under Dan Chi, and said:

"Pindao kowtows to my emperor, long live, and empress, thousand years old!"

"Pingshen." The emperor said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The emperor's voice sounded again in the hall:

"I heard that the master has learned from the past and the present, knows astronomy and calendar, masters the six classics, and is well versed in Taoism and morality. He teaches the law for Xinglong. I bestow the title of master as the true master."

Bi'er quickly knelt down and leaned over, and replied:

"How can a poor Taoist be called a 'true master' in order to steal his reputation?"

"Master, you don't have to be modest, the servants will announce the decree." The queen said.

The eunuch next to him took two steps forward, unfolded the yellow silk scroll in his hand, faced the ministers, and read aloud:

"Nvguan Daojing's purpose: Since the creation of the holy religion, it aims to enlighten ignorance, cultivate good roots, and promote success. Profound, extensively cultivated the field of blessings, and enlightened to the wondrous way, now Daojing is specially appointed as the abbot of Dongdu Dongxiao Palace, and given the title of Master Zhizhen, who is of the same rank as the third rank, and given the goldfish bag, respectfully!"

Bi Er hurriedly said:

"Pindao is sincere and fearful, how can the abbot of Dongxiao Palace be competent, please ask the emperor and queen to choose someone else."

The queen said:

"Ai Qing, don't refuse again and again. This palace already knows your talent, and the emperor has already understood it. You are definitely qualified for the position of abbot of Dongxiao Palace. You go back and make preparations, and arrive on time within the deadline."

Bi'er didn't dare to say any more, so she had no choice but to thank her and leave.

☆, night crossing