Jiang Qing

The land in the west of Shanxi has many deep mountains and lush forests, and it is very easy to hide its tracks.

When Meng Yilin and Zou Xue led the rest of their troops to retreat inland from the Northland, they were forced to hide on the Yueshan Mountain in Jianzhou under the siege and interception of Liang soldiers.

Originally, the incense burning at Qianfo Temple and Chuuxue Temple on the mountain was the busiest during the Spring Festival, but few people came due to the entanglement of the war.

Since Yanzhou left the city, Meng Yilin spent most of his days gathering troops, protruding from the encirclement and sending letters to Pingdu. He took a breath while hiding on the mountain, and realized that this war was planned by Qin Chengtao for a long time, even in Li There are his internal support in the country.

When the flames of war ignited in Yanzhou, after Meng Yilin temporarily withdrew from the city, he immediately sent people to gather the army in the north, but the signal he sent was completely ignored, and he felt that there was something wrong with the two lieutenants he had placed in Yanshouguan up.

After receiving the news, several generals who came over were ambushed on the way, and when they met Meng Yilin, the troops in their hands were more or less damaged.

Meng Yilin was the Marquis of Zhenbei who was granted the title during the time of the first emperor, and there are many frontier generals in the north who are more senior than him. In the past, such people Meng Yilin liked their marching experience and relied heavily on them, but now something happened. It was only then that I realized that I had only cared about border guards all these years, and hadn't been vigilant in the rectification of internal generals.

The rejection of such large-scale soldiers was definitely premeditated, and even Qin Chengtao extended his hand in Li Guo, waiting for such an opportunity to break Li Guo's border defense in one fell swoop.

Especially when he heard the news from the front that Yanzhou was slaughtered and his son was captured, Meng Yilin regretted it even more, wishing he could lead his troops back immediately.

Fortunately, the border defense at Han Queguan was still stable, Jiang Guo did not take advantage of it, and the Liang soldiers also directly attacked from Yanzhou to the southwest, intending to break through the three western Shanxi prefectures that were still under temporary control.

"Benefactor." Two or three light knocks on the door brought Meng Yilin back to his thoughts, he came back to his senses and answered, an old monk came in and closed the door behind him.

"Master Xiaoshan." Meng Yilin clasped his palms together, performed a Buddhist salute to him, and said, "Thank you for taking me in, Master. I don't know what's going on outside?"

Xiaoshan sighed and said: "Early this morning, Jianzhou has been captured. Now that Liang soldiers have entered the city, what is the general's plan?"

"What?" Zou Xue said in surprise, "So fast..."

Counting the first Yanzhou and the current Jianzhou, Li Guo has already been conquered by the five states.Except for the original Yanzhou, where there was any resistance in the other four states, they simply gave the land under their feet to Liangbing.

"How is the condition of the people in the city?" After experiencing the tragedy of the Yanzhou massacre, Meng Yilin was really terrified.

"Qin Chengtao led the troops here in person, and he looked very virtuous, and the people in the city didn't suffer much." Xiaoshan said: "It's just that he has settled down the people, and it looks like he's about to go up the mountain, I think. , he came prepared."

Meng Yilin was silent for a moment, and understood Xiaoshan's meaning, probably because Qin Chengtao knew the news that they were on Yueshan Mountain, and now led soldiers to search the mountain.

"Since that's the case, we are troublesome to the abbot in the mountains, so let's go now." After Meng Yilin's words fell, the soldiers behind him stood up one after another.

"Where can you go now?" Xiaoshan frowned and said, "It's cold in the mountains. You can't hide for a few days, and the soldiers will catch the cold. What's more, since the prince of Liang Kingdom came to search the mountains, everyone in the mountains The passage must be guarded by someone, the general may not be able to escape."

"What I mean is, please, generals, please move to the apse." Xiaoshan couldn't bear it, glanced at the wounded soldiers behind Meng Yilin, and explained: "In the apse are Buddha statues that haven't been painted with gold powder. , the middle is still empty, just enough to hide people. What I mean is that the wronged generals take refuge in it."

"We are hiding inside, how will you and the monks in Chuuxue Temple deal with Qin Chengtao?" Zou Xue asked anxiously.

Since Qin Chengtao came here, he must have got accurate information, and he couldn't just dismiss it with a few words.Although it was rumored in the outside world that the Yanzhou Tucheng was the work of Qin Chengze, the new young prince of Liangguo, but Qin Chengtao's mother's family is so powerful, without Qin Chengtao's signal, who would dare to go over him to do such a thing?

Qin Chengze just borne a violent crime for him in vain. He was scolded by the Emperor Liang for this matter just after he recognized his ancestor and returned to his clan, and his reputation was almost ruined.

Qin Chengtao, a brainless person like Qin Chengtao, couldn't come up with such a sinister idea, and it was probably his mother's plan behind it.

Xiaoshan smiled slightly when he heard the words, his eyes were calm, and he said softly: "The generals are in good health, and the people of Li Kingdom are in good health. The eighteen monks in Chuuxue Temple will not regret it."

The words have come to this point, and it is clear that Xiaoshan wants to exchange his life for the lives of Meng Yilin and his party.

"No." Meng Yilin almost blurted out.

"Chuixue Temple was originally orphaned, relying on the incense of the people, and having a meal to eat. Now that they have entered the Buddhist gate, they are not allowed to wear armor and hang up. Killing the enemy to repay kindness. But it can block the wind and snow blowing into the gate of the temple for the generals. Send the generals to see His Majesty early, express your feelings and save the people, so that you will live up to your heart and body." Xiao Shan closed his eyes and said reverently: "I will not live up to my master's teachings, and I will not disgrace my master."

"You are worthy of Master's teaching, but you are not worthy of my senior brother's support for many years!" A slightly angry voice sounded.

Immediately afterwards, there was the tugging sound of two young novice monks, but unfortunately they tugged for a while, and the door still opened, revealing a face with the same appearance as Xiaoshan.

Xiaoshan sighed and didn't look back, "Brother made a great wish back then that he would never enter the gate of my Chuuxue Temple in this life, but he still came."

Xiaoci is wearing cassock, holding Buddhist beads, and the snowflakes on the cloth shoes have not yet melted.

Xiaoshan lowered his eyes, glanced at the snowflakes stained on Xiaoci's body, and looked melancholy at the snowflakes that had just fallen outside, but after a while, it had already covered the ground thinly.

"I still remember when I discussed Buddhism with my brother at the master's knee, how freely I expressed my feelings." Xiaoshan softly talked about the past, "Later, shortly after the master left, the two of us also had a rift because of the debate on Buddhism. At that time, when the first emperor searched for the art of longevity in the dynasty, there were many natural disasters and man-made disasters in the Li country. I said that practicing Buddhism is to save all living beings, and all living beings are suffering. The "Spiritual Buddha Stick Technique" handed down by the master should be used as the livelihood of the people, so take up the butcher's knife to save the people."

Jianzhou has high mountains and lush forests, but it is not like the plains like Nanyang where there are many green forest bandits. I don't know that it is not because of the monks from Chuuxue Temple who have been here for these years.

"But senior brother said that one should cultivate one's body before cultivating Buddhism. Too much blood is stained, which is not done by Buddhist disciples. Therefore, we live in separate temples. Senior brother will be your Buddhist disciple, and I will be my martial monk. The two have nothing to do. This It’s something we haven’t been able to tell right from wrong for decades, brother, do you still want to tell me right now?”

"Can you survive the bandits in Jianzhou, and all the villains in this world? Nanyang is not full of bandits, and even the Marquis of Nanyang was killed by bandits and replaced by bandits. Who can you save? Who?" Xiaoci sternly said, "Everyone in this world has their own hardships. The people you speak of suffer. Are those bandits born bandits? How did they embark on the road of becoming bandits step by step? It's black and white, and there's no distinction between good and evil. Don't you think it's absurd to use a mortal heart to be a scale for the world's mortal bodies? One person's life, all kinds of times, right and wrong are already heavy , Can you distinguish the experiences of so many people? Do you dare to say that all the people you killed over the years were purely bad people, and all the wine you saved were good people with a Bodhisattva heart? Karma and effect in the world have retribution, naturally All things are not just people, but you only see people in your eyes, so how can you cultivate the Dao and understand the Buddha's heart?"

"Brother, do you think you are a Buddha? You are also a human being, so as a human being, you don't overcome the hardships of others. Do you feel that there is any difference between you and these mediocre people?" Xiao Shanshen Taking a breath, he said: "I don't want to argue with senior brother any more. Senior brother wants to be your Living Buddha, so please go back to your Thousand Buddha Temple to do it."

Xiaoci stared at him deeply for a long while before saying, "You forgot what Master said when he named us?"

Xiaoshan's brows moved slightly, and he pursed his lips.

"Master said, there is no such thing as great mercy, great kindness or great evil in this world. No matter how great a person's good or evil is compared with the changes in the sea, why does God compare the short-term insignificance with the long-lasting eternity?" Put it in one place? Because human life is endless, but human beings are endless. Hundreds of reincarnations, thousands of reincarnations, the little kindness and compassion you have done in this world, the little good and the little evil have become Great kindness and great compassion, great kindness and great evil. So before the death, Master told us not to be attached, as long as we do a little kindness, a little kindness, that's enough." Xiaoci said.

"If the master is really determined, why did he pass on the "Jing Buddha Stick Technique" to me?" Xiaoshan asked: "Even if life is endless, and there are hundreds of thousands of reincarnations, I will admit all the sins to me. Brother, you don’t need to persuade me anymore, the mountains are snow-slippery, although the two temples are not far apart, brother, it’s better to go early.”

Xiaoci sighed softly, with compassion in his eyes, he murmured: "Dharma in troubled times, warrior monks in prosperous times... Warrior monks in troubled times, Buddhism in prosperous times."

Suddenly such an upside-down and disorderly question popped up in his mind, do people in troubled times need Buddhism to place their grief more, or do they need monks to uphold justice for them?Do people in the prosperous age need Buddhism more to look forward to the next life, or do they need monks to solve the injustice of the current world?

It was vaguely as if he had asked someone this question, and that person seemed to have given him an answer, but he didn't.

No solution.

It's all unsolvable.

He muttered to himself several times, but he still didn't understand the meaning. He subconsciously wanted to touch the string of Buddhist beads on his wrist, but when he touched his bare wrist, he remembered that he had already given it away.

Or the Taoist priest who gave him the Buddhist beads was right. There is no perfection in the world, and few people can think everything through before they die. He can't understand Buddhism, but he can confirm that he can't let his junior brother die.

He can't get out of the world of mortals, can't let go of family affection, and can't realize the Tao.

When he changed into his cassock after hearing the news and rushed over in order, he had already made an end for himself.

Suddenly, his Lingtai became clear, and he understood Wuwo's ​​fortune telling for him.

Consummation, not a happy ending, is really a prophecy.

Gain my Dharma perfection, lose my physical body and die well.

He saw through the end of his life, and he suddenly relaxed, and even laughed softly.

It turned out to be so, it turned out to be so.What he can decide, what he can achieve is his own life and death.

With a peaceful gaze, he glanced at everyone in the hall, and landed on Xiaoshan again.

Perhaps the younger brother is right, what people need is always a human being, not a lofty Buddha, whether it is a prosperous or a troubled world, it is the same.

Only the same kind can resonate.

"Junior Brother..." Xiaoci approached him, held his hand for the first time in decades, and then took advantage of his inattention, and suddenly covered his mouth and nose.

The strange fragrance from the cuffs poured into Xiaoshan's mouth and nose all at once, and his whole body went limp, only at the last moment of his unconsciousness, he heard Xiaoci's voice of sighing and sighing.

"From today onwards, you are me."

Everyone in the hall was amazed, but Xiaoci handed Xiaoshan to the monk who followed him, put his hands together again, and finished what Xiaoshan hadn't said before to Meng Yilin, "Generals, please move to the back hall."

One night, the heavy snow blew through Yueshan Mountain, and the people of Jianzhou, who were huddled in their homes, saw the Liang soldiers going up the mountain, and they didn't go down the mountain until dawn.

In the deep mountains covered with heavy snow, there is nothing but a vast expanse of whiteness.

A dumb little white fox seemed to be afraid of the cold, it ran in the forest for half a day, and crashed into the Chuuxue Temple.

In the courtyard, there is a head of a Buddha statue that is taller than the temple standing in the middle, blocking most of the sunshine after the snow clears.

The monks kneeling on the ground were all clasped together, kneeling on the ground, their heads fell in twos and threes in the snow, and most of them were buried.

Xiao Ci was hanging in the midair of the Buddha statue, with his eyes closed, his face was serene, and while the birds were circling around, the tiny sunlight covered his broken body.

The golden light illuminated half of his face, and then shone further down the Yueshan Mountain, as if the golden light was still shining, saving all living beings.

There is no Chuuxue Temple in the world anymore, and the Sanskrit sounds of thousands of Buddhas illuminate the Buddhist scriptures.