Brocade tears

The longer I spend with Princess Xinyang, the more I feel that she is a very lovable person.He is generous, approachable, with excellent vision and very independent. Although he is very intelligent, he is rarely honest and helpful.The help she gave to everyone this time was actually far beyond what everyone thought.

About half a day after everyone hid in Linggu Temple, that is, at dusk on the fifth day of May, the three subordinates sent by Princess Xinyang to pretend to be Meng Kuang, Guo Dayou and Ban Ruhua to distract the pursuers also came to Linggu Temple .After the three people got rid of the pursuers, they got the news from the princess's shop in Nanjing that the princess had taken refuge in Linggu Temple. master confluence.And this news was the night before the princess's departure, he deliberately asked the coachman Lao Li to stay in the shop.I have to say that the princess is really careful and thoughtful.

Of course, this is also inseparable from the important role of the three subordinates, one woman, two men.They are all right-hand men of the princess, and the princess cannot do without them.

The woman's name is Zhao Suzhi, she is the personal maid of the princess, and she has been with the princess since she was a child.Because the princess practiced swordsmanship since she was a child, she also practiced martial arts by her side.Later, because the princess was planning to get married, she was restricted from practicing martial arts and was required to learn the etiquette and norms of boudoir women. However, this maid has been practicing all the time, and her skills can be described as very strong among women.Now the princess is away all year round, and she is the only one to take care of and protect her.Zhao Suzhi wasn't around these few days, although the Princess didn't show it, she was really not used to it.

The other two men, one named Qiu Bai, were the princess's guards and wielded a very powerful lancet.The lancet is the standard saber of the Ming army, named for its resemblance to a willow leaf. It takes 20 years to make it well.In addition to swordsmanship, he is also proficient in all eighteen martial arts. He was born in martial arts, served in the cavalry battalion, and was later transferred to be the personal guard of the Zhou Palace.He is now in his thirties, and he has seen battlefields and led soldiers in his early years. He is a man of knowledge and city management. Because the princess has the great kindness to save his family, he followed the princess wholeheartedly.This person has an unattractive appearance, especially his features are even a bit vicious. The princess usually takes him with him when he goes out to discuss business. With him standing by his side, his aura will be completely different, which can act as a deterrent.

The other one is called Gu Zhongwen, who is a five-year-old in his family, and the princess and others generally call him "Five Masters".This person was in his forties, and his family was poor in his early years. He came out to work very early to supplement the family income. He was a shrewd businessman who worked hard from an apprentice to a shopkeeper of a large commercial firm.When he was an apprentice, he traveled all over the world, and also practiced boxing and kicking kung fu with the master masters in the firm. Although he was not very complete, he was not a banker's style, and he could do a few tricks against Qiu Bai.Although he is getting older now, his shoulders, arms, legs and feet are still strong, his movements are quick, and his thinking is clearer.It has been three years since he helped the princess manage the entire business, and everything has been handled in an orderly manner by him.This person was originally from Liaodong. He followed the princess's uncle to do things, and later the princess went into business independently. At first, he was sent by the princess's uncle to help the princess. Later, because he preferred to follow the princess to do things, He stayed with the princess for a long time, and his family moved to the princess's mansion in Kaifeng as domestic servants.

All this was learned by Meng Kuang and the Princess through private chats. Because the Princess knew her identity as a woman, the two of them, who were disguised as men, developed a feeling of sympathy for each other.On the afternoon of the day when she came to Linggu Temple, Meng Kuang, who had had lunch, walked to the mountain gate alone. She wanted to digest food and exercise her muscles.Her knees are still sore, but she still hopes to have some mobility, and she needs to walk to maintain her flexibility.Then, by chance and tacitly, she met the princess who came alone from the female guest house near the mountain gate. She came to wait for her three right-hand men.

So Meng Kuang sat down with the princess on a stone bench under the shade of the forest near the gate of Linggu Temple and talked, and then learned about the above situation about the princess.Meng Kuang couldn't help but sigh with emotion. In order to save them, the princess sent out her three most trusted right-hand men to lure away the pursuers. She must know that if something happened, she would suffer heavy losses.

The princess smiled and said: "I didn't have time to think too much at the time. One is that there are only three of them by my side who are the most suitable to pretend to be you, and the other is... I also trust their ability, and I will definitely complete it satisfactorily. But to be honest, you know that I am a businessman, and I have the nature of a businessman. To put it bluntly, I have the idea of ​​taking a gamble. If I can see the investment this time, maybe I will make a lot of money."

Meng Kuang's face was covered with a white cloth, although it was very stuffy, it could serve the purpose of covering her lips.Her voice was high and low, but only the princess next to her could hear clearly, and she couldn't tell whether she was talking from a distance.Just listen to her:

"Our group is nothing more than two little royal guards and a group of women who were hunted down by the royal relatives. I am afraid that Guo Dayou and I have already been blamed in the court and become fugitives. Forgive me To be blunt, princess, I really don't see how you can make a lot of money in this deal."

Zhu Qingpei said with a smile: "You are hunted down, that means you hold great value. What the royal relatives want to destroy must be what I want."

"Why? You said that you only asked for three things: the safety of your loved ones, the smooth flow of business routes, and the country's no major disasters. Could it be that these three things cannot be realized because of the royal relatives?" Meng Kuang was really puzzled.

"Isn't that true, Meng Baihu... Let me call you Thirteenth Master, let's not be so smug. Thirteenth Master, think about it carefully, your relatives will not be safe, the business roads will not be smooth, and the country will not be peaceful. Isn't it because of the presence of these royal relatives?"

Meng Kuang recollected her words carefully, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion, and said, "Princess...no, Mr. Shiba hits the nail on the head, and Meng admires it." Reciprocal courtesy, the princess called her "Master Thirteen" ", she called the princess "Eighteen Masters", and she went out to hide her identity.Of course, in the past, she didn't speak, and she didn't have to think about addressing her.

Zhu Qingpei shook his head and said, "It's not easy to realize the three things I want. First of all, the first big difficulty is to let my business firm survive the oppression and exploitation of the royal relatives. How easy is it? Ten Third Master, you are also a child of a commoner family. Jin Yiwei often travels abroad. I think you understand the hardships of the common people. Do you know how difficult the life of the common people is now? Floods, droughts, locust plagues, hurricanes, hailstorms, and snowstorms over the years Year after year, disaster relief by the imperial court is a drop in the bucket, and the national treasury is empty. Where does the relief money come from? The direct result is that starvation is everywhere, the plague is scattered, the number of refugees from all over the country increases, and quite a few go straight to the capital at the foot of the emperor. You came from the capital, so you should be very clear. Those who can’t survive are forced to become bandits. Now there are more and more bandits on the hills, and it’s not safe to travel outside. We businessmen run around all the year round. Isn't it scary to bet once? I've been robbed many times too. Fortunately, people are fine, and if the goods are damaged, they will be lost.

Even in affluent areas, people can feel that the common people are overwhelmed by the heavy taxation, although because of the influx of a large amount of silver, the commerce and trade in the affluent areas in the south of the Yangtze River is much more convenient, and everyone is doing business.But you can still clearly feel that ordinary people cannot spend money to buy things.For an ordinary family of five, it is considered pretty good to be able to maintain daily food and clothing. White rice and white noodles are rarely enough to eat, let alone meat. If you can eat some meat and live in the city, you have to buy it, so you can't afford it at all.People who make new clothes every new year and save energy are enviable. Often, a piece of clothing is new for three years, old for three years, and sewed for three years.Sigh... the common people are suffering, and I am also a member of the royal family, so I can understand what kind of suffering it is.

Over the years, I have always wanted to help a group of disaster victims and refugees, but my strength alone is limited, and my own business is also very difficult.Donating porridge and setting up shops can only be done within our means, and that is not my job at all.In order to ensure the smooth flow of business routes, I hired masters who are capable of fisting, kicking, knives and guns. All the clerks in the business firm have to learn kung fu, riding and shooting, and they can at least protect themselves if they don’t want to protect their goods.I thought that these difficulties would be over after a while, but now there is another war, and the Japanese pirates are about to call again.I also have nowhere to go, and I have to go the wrong way. "

"With fugitives like us, aren't you afraid of being labeled a rebel?" Meng Kuang asked.

"Hahaha, rebels... If you really reach that step, what if you rebel? Who else can come to clean up this old country." Zhu Qingpei couldn't help smiling wryly.

While talking, Zhao Suzhi, Qiu Bai, and Gu Zhongwen came back. The princess saw them entering the mountain gate at a glance, and immediately took Meng Kuang to greet them, and introduced them to Meng Kuang one by one.After seeing the ceremony, the three of them brought the latest news in the inner city of Nanjing.

Lu Wang has already left Nanjing City, and he took the waterway when he left. The direction should be that he took the waterway and went south along the canal. He might go to Suzhou, Hangzhou and other places. Tang Fu'an should be with Lu Wang. The Nanjing Weaving Bureau confirmed that Tang Fu'an had left to Nanjing.At present, the Yingtian government office is cleaning up the chaos in Nanjing City. The common people have not been greatly affected, but rumors are flying all over the sky, and there are all kinds of opinions, which can confuse the public on the contrary.

Meng Kuang asked if they had ever seen an old man with a terrible scar on his face, and all three of them shook their heads and said they hadn't.

After the exchange, Zhu Qingpei stopped a monk and asked him to lead the three of them to the guest house to stay and rest.She herself accompanied Meng Kuang and wandered slowly in the temple.Not long after, the two came to the Wuliang Hall, since they entered the temple, there was no reason not to come and worship the Buddha of Infinite Life.It's just that Meng Kuang doesn't believe in Buddhism, and now she suddenly worships Buddha, and she feels a little uncomfortable, and she doesn't know whether the Buddha will accept her sincere kneeling.

This Beamless Hall is actually called "Wuliang Hall".After paying homage to the Buddha, the two happened to meet Master Jingfa who was adding oil to the oil lamp at the side of the Wuliang Hall.Zhu Qingpei and Meng Kuang came forward to salute and said:

"Is the master still adding fuel to the Buddhist hall every day?"

Master Jingfa put his palms together and said: "Cultivation is nothing more than the accumulation of the past, adding oil and dust, and always seeing your own heart."

"Master Gaoxiu."

Master Jingfa shook his head modestly, and then cast his eyes on Meng Kuang again.Meng Kuang was not very comfortable seeing him, so he simply broke the situation, clasped his hands together and gestured and asked:

I don't know what advice the master has?

There was no one to translate for her, but Master Jingfa could discern her meaning at a glance and said:

"Almsgiver, forgive me for talking too much, you have a lot of evil spirits, you need to practice the purification method as soon as possible to get rid of the evil of killing, otherwise sooner or later you will bring disaster to your relatives."

Meng Kuang frowned, staring at Master Jingfa.Master Jingfa continued calmly:

"The benefactor has accumulated killing karma year after year, and he should be afraid and disgusted in his heart. Then the benefactor should think carefully about whether to kill for himself, for others, for relatives, or for everyone. If you have to kill, don't To kill all living beings and reverse the root of samsara. The so-called ignorance means that you don’t know how to pass through this world, don’t know other worlds, don’t know the truth, don’t know samsara, and don’t know suffering. Kill ignorance, and you can see the light of western bliss. It is not the body of five aggregates visible to the naked eye of the benefactor. If the benefactor has to fall into hell and suffer from the endless fire of karma because of the heavy killing karma, it is not what I would like to see in the Pure Land practice. The old monk knows that the benefactor has an extraordinary status and has accumulated killing karma It is not what you wish. But I have made 48 great vows in the Pure Land Dharma School, and I wish to save all living beings in the three thousand worlds. The donor and my Buddhism are predestined."

For a moment, Meng Kuang felt that someone had hit him head-on with a big stick, and he froze on the spot.

"Amitabha, forgive me for taking my leave first." Master Jingfa saluted again, and slowly walked out of the Beamless Hall with a lamp oil bucket.

Zhu Qingpei at the side looked at Meng Kuang who was in a daze, and didn't know what to say for a while, and she finally comforted her after a long while:

"Master Thirteen, you don't have to pay too much attention to Master Jingfa's words, you know, that's how they are monks."

"No..." Meng Kuang shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, you are also a Buddhist practitioner. I don't quite understand the words Master Abbot said just now. Can you explain to me?"

Seeing her asking this question, Zhu Qingpei felt a chill in his heart, and couldn't help but wonder if this person suddenly had an epiphany and was going to escape into Buddhism.Then she didn't know whether it was a sin or a merit for bringing Meng Kuang into the temple.