Nongmen Shenjue

The journey was fairly smooth, and it was evening when we arrived at the town.

There is an inn in the town, Mu Qingyan and others went to lodge first.

After a brief freshening up in the room, I took a stroll in the town.The Fairy Temple has to close its doors at dusk, and because they are all women, they seldom entertain pilgrims. Occasionally, they are all female guests, so it is forbidden to enter and leave after nightfall.To see the Fairy Temple, have to wait until tomorrow.

The main street in the middle of the town is paved with bluestone slabs, neat and spacious, the sky is getting dark, the lanterns are lit one by one, people come and go, it is extremely lively.If you don't look up and see the surrounding green hills and dense forests, it's hard to imagine that this is a town in the mountains.

"What do you think about the Fairy Temple?" Walking on the Qingshiban street, Mu Qingyan chatted with Wen Jixue, still thinking about it. The Tang and Lou families have a solid foundation, so they want to pave such a long road with bluestone slabs. Streets, and the planning of the town in a decent manner, not only consumes manpower, but also consumes financial resources.

If it is said that during times of war, it is normal for the family to find mountains and forests to live in seclusion, but now that the world is stable, the Tang and Lou families are still entrenched in the small Feixian Town.

"You can take a look at the fairy aunts and mothers-in-law of the past dynasties. If I guess right, their surnames are either Tang or Lou." Wen Jixue pointed out the foundation of the fairy temple.

Mu Qingyan also felt it earlier, although he didn't check it out, but after hearing about the "flying fairy and two phoenixes", he could get a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg about the struggle between Tang and Lou's family for the successor of the Fairy Temple.If it's just the person in charge of a small temple in the mountain, how can it be worth fighting for two generations?It must be profitable.Fairy Temple has a foundation, owns five nearby mountains, large and small, and earns a lot of money every year.

However, the Tang and Lou families are not bad in confidence, they have land and shops, and although no one in their own family is an official, they have official in-laws.

This is also the reason why Feixian Town and even the Fairy Temple can always be safe.

"Sun Yuzhu's suicide is unquestionable. Whether Tang Fengfei and Lou Fengyang committed suicide or homicide is just speculation. The three deaths were all separated by a year, and they were all fairy girls. It's no wonder that Lin Jia put the three incidents together. However, Sun Yuzhu This matter is a bit different. First, she died in full view, and second, her surname is Sun, and she is just a fiancee of the Tang family. If Shuangfeng is involved in a conflict of interests, Sun Yuzhu has no qualifications."

Mu Qingyan analyzed from the most conspicuous places at first, there seemed to be various similarities, but in fact there were many strange things.

They have just arrived and they are new faces. It is not easy to explore the secrets of the locals.

After thinking about it, Sun Yuzhu, who is also an "outsider", is a good breakthrough.

The Sun family is in the town, but Sun Yuzhu entered the Fairy Temple at the age of 12. I am afraid that the people in the temple know Sun Yuzhu better than the Sun family.In addition, things outside the temple had to be investigated, some things were easier for the officials to handle, Yuan Cheng was in Xiyun County, but the other party had spoken, and he thought there were good friends in Wunan County, so he could trust him.

The next day, Gao Tian and Jiao Li were arranged, and Mu Qingyan and Wen Jixue left the inn to have breakfast.

The inn also serves tea and rice, which is very simple. They just wanted to see the town, so they decided to eat outside.

There is a porridge shop next to it. The big pot is placed on the stove. The heat is steaming, and the porridge is fragrant.There is also a large pan to spread pancakes, a large tub of green vegetable batter, brush with a little oil, the pancakes spread out are burnt and soft, a bowl of porridge, and a plate of tender sour bamboo shoots are really comfortable.

After breakfast, it was still early, but there were quite a few people in the town.

There is a small market at the east end of the town, not only people from the town, but also people from nearby villages come to buy and sell, so you have to go to the market early.Furthermore, there are still many people who come for the Fairy Temple. To burn incense and worship Buddha, you must be devout, so naturally you have to go early.

The two walked up the stone steps, and there were people who went to burn incense and ask for a lottery. There were poor people, rich businessmen, local people, and people from other places.Some people come to ask for marriage, some come to ask for children, and some come to ask for a harmonious family house and a good rank in the imperial examination.We all know that the fairy temple is the most efficacious for marriage, but people pray to gods and worship Buddha just because they are in a hurry to go to the doctor, thinking that since they ask for marriage to be efficacious, other things may also be efficacious.

Even if it is the same god and Buddha, the temples are different, and the reputation is also divided into big and small.

Feixian Mountain is not very high, it is long and has a gentle slope, and the town is at the foot of the mountain.The Fairy Temple is built on the top of the mountain, with a mountain gate. The temple occupies a large area, and its internal layout is similar to that of ordinary Taoist temples.There are several pagodas parked in front of the temple gate, which are used to build a chair with two poles and carry people up the mountain, or add a simple roof, mostly for female guests.

The gate of the temple is wide open, and pilgrims come.

Entering the gate, there is a marriage tree on the left side of the front hall. The tree is full of red silk plaques, and there are also incense candles under the tree. Many people squat there to pray and mutter.This scene is very familiar, and many temples and Taoist temples have it.On the right side is the place to invite incense. The two went to the countryside to do as the Romans did, and asked for some incense.

If there is any difference between the Fairy Temple and other Taoist temples, it is the difference in enshrining.

The fairy temple only enshrines "fairies", and the front hall is the place of worship.

The hall is very spacious, and in the center is a statue of a real-life scale. There is no visible material, it is painted, and it is only made very finely. At first glance, it looks lifelike.This "fairy" water cup is enshrined on a high platform, but there is a light yellow tulle hanging down on it. Although the gauze curtain is lifted up and tied to the pillar next to it, it happens that the vacant part covers the face of the "fairy". Those who worship can only see the part below the neck of the statue.

This should be intentional.

Although it was to pay homage to the Taoist nun, she was a woman after all, out of various considerations, it was "unnecessary".

On the contrary, Mu Qingyan's intentions were not pure, so he purposely took a few more glances, but fortunately, it was just a layer of tulle, which was semi-transparent, so he could see it clearly even if he looked carefully. The face of the "fairy" looks like she is in her thirties. She is dressed in a white dress, a lotus flower crown, a green gauze scarf, a golden girdle, and a green cloak. She has one hand on her waist and the other holds a sword.She has a clear face and a dusty temperament. There seems to be a faint smile on her lips, and she looks directly at the door of the palace, as if she is looking at the endless sky.

This statue is very unique, especially the sword in hand, which made Mu Qingyan curious.

I don't know what kind of strange woman that Taoist nun is.

Thinking about it, it is also reasonable, if not for some skills, how can a lonely and weak woman protect herself?Let alone protecting others.

Wen Jixue also looked at the statue a few more times, thoughtfully.

In front of the fairy statue is an altar, on which are placed fresh melons and fruits, an incense burner, a stick, and a merit box.There are two rows of futons in the hall. Those who come here either simply ask for incense, or donate some incense and ask for a signature.There are tables and chairs on one side of the main hall, and an elderly Taoist nun is sitting there, who is dedicated to interpreting the signatures.

This Taoist nun is not dressed as a fairy girl, but is wearing a real blue Taoist robe, with a kind face, and there is a little fairy girl standing beside her, who seems to be specially taking care of this Taoist nun.

Wen Jixue said: "It should be a Taoist nun with an official degree. Although the Fairy Temple is different, it was originally a Taoist temple, and the women who built the temple were also Taoist priests, so anyone who is a monk can place an order in the Fairy Temple. In view of the special nature of the Fairy Temple, the monks Taoist priests usually don't come here, they are all nuns or female crowns. In addition, the fairies of this fairy temple will leave when they reach the age of 20. If they don't want to leave and they can't be their successors, then there is nothing Is there a way?"

Mu Qingyan understood the meaning: "To be a Taoist priest?"

To put it bluntly, the Fairy Temple is like a "women's college". Only every successor to power is a Taoist priest who has truly entered the degree. Before that, they just lived here, learning various skills, and adding chips to themselves. When the age comes, go home and get married.For Tang and Lou, it is through this method that they compete fairly for the power of the Fairy Temple.

There are always exceptions to everything, and there are always women who don't want to marry and don't want to go home.

Wen Jixue said: "If there are such people, the Fairy Temple Fair will send them to other Taoist temples. After several years of formal practice, they will be transferred back to the Fairy Temple. The female Taoist priest who released the lottery should be like this. "

In this way, it is already different in dressing.

There are very few such people, not that the women are unwilling, but that it is difficult to break free from the shackles of their relatives and families.Life in the Fairy Temple is like a fairyland for women, even if they don't marry for a lifetime, there are always people who are tempted, but the reality is often so cruel.

The fairy temple was originally to protect women, but now it is "gold-plated" for women, which is like adding value to commodities.However, this is not necessarily a completely bad thing. Everything has two sides. The worst thing is that it has been clean and beautiful for several years. Marrying later means giving birth later, which is already a great benefit for women.

The two went out of the palace gate and walked around casually.

Occasionally, you can see the figures of fairies in white clothes, most of them are young girls of twelve or thirteen years old, and the older ones are mostly in the back. As you go in, there are fewer male guests and more female guests.

Mu Qingyan noticed that Wen Jixue would glance at those fairies from time to time, and asked strangely, "What's wrong?"

"The patterns on their girdles are very unique." I noticed it when I saw the fairy statues, and when I looked at the other fairies, they all used the same decoration.

Mu Qingyan's eyesight is very good, and he can see clearly after just two glances, but he can't see the clue: "What's so special?"

The pattern looked pretty, and the embroidery was good, but he couldn't tell what kind of pattern it was.

The girdles of the fairies have a light gold background, and patterns are embroidered with silver thread on them. The branches and leaves are continuous, and the flowers are clustered. It is very complicated and exquisite, but because of the color selection, it does not appear crowded. Workmanship, embroidery work is not good, you can see it as soon as you do it.

"It's like a brocade of flowers." Seeing that he didn't understand, Wen Jixue explained: "In the early and late dynasties, this kind of pattern was very popular among nobles, and they were mostly used in clothing. The so-called blooming like a brocade means that the flowers and leaves are dense. , continuous, pay attention to bright colors, appear rich and luxurious. Of course, there are also like fairy temple girdles, low-key treatment, but it is still very luxurious and exquisite. At first it was the favorite of the former court, and gradually spread, but the fairy The one in the temple seems to be a little different."

The last sentence is not quite sure.

Mu Qingyan looked surprised: "You know so much about clothing patterns?"

Wen Jixue chuckled: "Back then there was a lawsuit in the capital because of this."