I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Yang Jian left with a complex expression, and his back was in a hurry.

Pei Xiang drank the last sip of tea unhurriedly, got up and adjusted Luo Qun again, and then prepared to prepare a pair of "special masculine" medicinal powder for the second princess as a "gift", because she is a person who likes "reciprocity". little fairy.

It's just that the plan is not as fast as the change. Both the queen mother and the second princess underestimated the suspicion of an old emperor.Especially the second princess, she thought that Her Majesty the Queen really trusted and favored her, and even wanted to change her as the heir, so she would surpass the princess and give her important responsibilities.

But what the second princess didn't know was that the queen's spies had long been placed beside her, not one, but several, so her every move was under the queen's control.Naturally, the existence and origin of Pei Xiang and the others have long been known to the Queen.

Now that the queen is old and suffering from injuries, she is not very interested in a young and handsome man like Yang Jian, nor is she impatient with an ignorant child like Wuji.She is only interested in Master Kongwen, a monk among the four, because she is now particularly obsessed with praying to gods and worshiping Buddha, otherwise she would not immediately take her trusted junior to the royal temple to pray for blessings because of a strange dream.The subsequent assassination incident made the queen believe in ghosts and gods even more.

Therefore, when Pei Xiang was busy dispensing medicine and arranging formations, the Queen's confidant inner court female officer quietly came to Yingyang Post House and brought the Queen's will.The queen wanted to invite Master Kongwen to enter the palace to explain Buddhism, so as to resolve the confusion and anxiety in the queen's heart.

After hearing the purpose of the maid, Pei Xiang tapped the other's acupoints without saying a word, and fixed her in place, and then pulled Master Kongwen aside to discuss in a low voice.

"Master Kongwen, after Zhenjun and I visited the palace at night, we found that the emperor of Xiliang women's country is very difficult to get along with. No, you can even say that he is the kind of violent and harsh person. The palace servants who serve by her side, She is often severely punished for minor mistakes, and may even lose her life. Although she has been obsessed with praying to gods and Buddhas for the past few years, she has never sought a compassionate heart. If you go to her to explain the Dharma, once it doesn’t suit her I'm afraid it will hinder my life."

"Amitabha, the poor monk understands the worry of Lord Yin."

Master Kongwen sighed softly, turned the beads silently for a while, and then said calmly:

"The poor monk is determined to obtain the scriptures. On the way west, you should really cherish your body and pay attention to your own safety. If you can participate in the grand event of promoting Buddhism with your flesh and blood, it will be the supreme honor of my Buddhist disciples. It's just that the matter is at hand. The monk is not willing to sacrifice the people around him.

"Benefactor Yin, Zhenjun, Wuji, since the queen has issued a decree, and we are staying in her country, naturally we cannot resist the decree, so the poor monk went to the palace to explain the Dharma to the king.

"If the poor monk is lucky enough to escape and return safely, we will naturally leave Xiliang Women's Kingdom as soon as possible and continue westward; if the poor monk is stupid and provokes the Queen's thunder and anger, we will bear it on our own. Some relics of the poor monk were sent back to Tang Dynasty."

Pei Xiang hurriedly helped Master Kongwen who was about to salute her, and said quickly:

"Master Kongwen, the matter has not reached this point, and you don't have to enter the palace. I will set up a formation now to trap the soldiers and palace people outside the door, and then we will set off immediately and leave the Xiliang Women's Kingdom overnight. You Don't worry, with Zhenjun and I here, we won't let the pursuers find us, and of course, Zhenjun and I won't hurt the lives of Xiliang soldiers because of the conflict."

Master Kongwen shook his head, and said slowly: "After this journey, I naturally know the abilities of Lord Yin and Xianshengzhenjun, but it's easy to escape, but the poor monk will feel uneasy and ashamed of the Buddha from now on."

Wuji understood Master Kongwen's thoughts very well, and he added on the side:

"Indeed, if Master Kongwen just left like this, he might have missed an opportunity to unravel the queen, which would be tantamount to disappointing a believer. And, mother, you just said that the queen has a very bad temper and punishes her every now and then. People around you. If Master Kongwen leaves here, His Majesty will definitely be angered, and some innocent palace people will be implicated because Master Kongwen did not follow the order to enter the palace."

"Amitabha, this is exactly what the poor monk is worried about," Kong Wen put his hands together and said, "If the queen really has a heart for the Buddha, I will try my best to enlighten her and spread the mercy of my Buddha. If the queen goes wrong because of obsession The poor monk is willing to use his body as a lamp to illuminate the way forward for those who are lost, and to avoid the intrusion and confusion of demons and obstacles. Moreover, if the poor monk can use the grand mystery of Buddhism to guide the queen to be kind and compassionate, she will be wise, lenient, and caring for the people like a child , is a merit.”

After listening to what Wuji and Master Kongwen said, Pei Xiang nodded thoughtfully:

"I understand Master Kongwen's thoughts. Since this is the case, please follow Master Kongwen's heart. I will wait outside the palace and wait for Master Kongwen's safe return."

"Amitabha, good is good."

After confirming Kong Wen's intentions, Pei Xiang tapped lightly across the air, and neatly untied the acupoints of the lady officer Xuanzhi, and then smiled in the panicked eyes of the lady officer:

"Please tell the Queen of your country that we are from the Great Tang Dynasty in the Eastern Land, and we are escorting Master Kongwen to the Great Leiyin Temple in the Western Heaven to obtain the scriptures. I very much hope that I can leave as soon as possible and arrive at the distant Buddhist kingdom of Tianzhu as soon as possible.”

"This, this... I will write it down," the female officer saw that Pei Xiang could immobilize or move freely with just a wave of his hand, and immediately regarded Pei Xiang as an expert who knew some magic spells, and replied respectfully He said, "Please don't worry, Goddess, the official will report the details to His Majesty, and will also instruct the people in the Yingyang Post House to take good care of everyone's food and daily life."

Pei Xiang nodded, and watched Master Kongwen leave the post house with the inner court lady.

After there were only three people left in the room, Wuji asked worriedly:

"Mother, do you think Master Kongwen will come back safely? Will that moody, suspicious and irritable old lady bully Master Kongwen?"

Pei Xiang raised his eyebrows slightly, and there was a hint of awe in his eyes.

"Perhaps Master Kongwen entered the palace with the intention of sacrificing oneself and helping others, but how can we stand by and watch? If the queen really wants to punish Master Kongwen who did not make mistakes, I will definitely let her suffer the consequences."

Wuji also turned the corner at this moment, he said clearly:

"That's right, Mother and Uncle Zhenjun can come and go freely in the palace, and they will definitely not let Master Kongwen encounter danger. Well, if Master Kongwen cannot be rescued by ordinary means alone, then Zhenjun can also let Master Kongwen come and go. Uncle Jun used the magic of the Immortal Family. Hey, I almost forgot that Uncle Zhenjun was the man who became a god after attaining Taoism."

Yang Jian said: "That is the last resort. I will not use the immortal method until it is a last resort. This time... I guess it is also a test for Master Kongwen. A tough and pure man of great virtue."

Pei Xiang's eyes flickered slightly, thoughtful.

"I also think it's a test. However, I guess the real test is not the danger of life. After all, the dangers encountered on the road before are not fake. There were a few times that almost killed Master Kongwen. But after he was rescued, he did not Weixin was timid, and he still insisted on going to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures unswervingly, which shows that he has put life and death aside."

Hearing this, Wuji asked doubtfully, "What test is more difficult than life and death?"

Pei Xiang and Yang Jian looked at each other, thinking tacitly at the same time, there are more temptations and temptations in life than the test of life and death.Whether it is power and wealth, or beauty and fame, which one is not a sharp weapon to shake the mind?

"Wuji, don't worry, just watch slowly and you will understand."

Wuji let out an "ah", grabbed Pei Xiang's hand and said:

"Mother, let's go to the palace now and see how the queen treats Master Kongwen. If it's too bad, we have to secretly help Master Kongwen."

Pei Xiang shook his head, pushed Wuji to Yang Jian's side, and said:

"I'm busy dispensing medicine. I will leave the safety of Master Kongwen in the palace to you and Zhenjun. After I refine the medicine powder, I will work with you."

Since Pei Xiang would often prepare medicines and pills with various effects, Wuji didn't think much about it.After he obediently responded, he gently tugged Zhenjun Erlang's sleeve.

Yang Jian looked down at the child beside him.

Wuji was about to open his mouth to discuss the matter of Master Kongwen, but suddenly his eyes widened, and he said in surprise:

"Hey, Uncle Zhenjun, did you just take a bath? Wait, I smell it, hey, it seems to have a very light fragrance of flowers, sunshine, streams...it smells good. Uncle Zhenjun, didn't you dislike me for being too particular about taking a bath before?" Have you? Why are you using fragrant toiletries now?"

Yang Jian, who specially bathed with floral dew, pursed his lips, unnaturally avoided Pei Xiang's joking gaze, and left without saying a word, carrying the nagging children around him.

The large and small figures quickly disappeared, but Wuji's questioning voice was still faintly heard in the air:

"Uncle Zhenjun, the fragrance on your body smells very good, it's faint and warm, um, it smells better than mine, you use..."

Pei Xiang, who was left behind, smiled, and she gently sniffed the faint fragrance in the air, and she was sure that it was the scent of the bathing dew she gave Yang Jian before, remembering that he was still "disgusted" at that time.

Before dawn, Pei Xiang finished mixing the flavored medicinal powder as a "gift", and then used the medicinal powder on the second princess when the sun was rising, and there was not any left.

A day later, Wuji returned to Yingyang Station with a strange expression, and said to Pei Xiang who was reading a book:

"Mother, don't worry, Master Kongwen was not embarrassed by the queen. On the contrary, he only spoke a few words with the queen, and he received a very grand reception. The queen liked listening to the Buddhist principles explained by Master Kongwen very much. many of his valuables.

"Also, yesterday afternoon, that annoying second princess entered the palace, and... she was chased away by the queen without saying a word. Hehe, mother, do you know why? Because that second princess has a It has a very unpleasant sour smell. When you get close to it, it makes you dizzy and nauseated. The smell... is really terrible. I think the flowers are wilted wherever the second princess walks. .”

Putting down the book in his hand, Pei Xiang looked behind Wuji and asked strangely:

"Where is Zhenjun? Why didn't you come back with you?"

Wuji rolled his eyes and whispered:

"After Uncle Zhenjun sent me to the gate of the post house, he went to soak in the hot springs in the valley a hundred miles away. Mom, let me tell you, Uncle Zhenjun was really unjust. When the second princess just showed up, Uncle Zhenjun disappeared immediately without even reminding me. Hmph, he must have smelled the unpleasant sour smell first by relying on his cultivation base and high nose spirit, so he avoided it in a hurry. Until The second princess left the palace, and he returned slowly."

After hearing his son's "complaint", Pei Xiang frowned, and asked his son in a gentle voice:

"Why didn't you go to the hot spring with Zhenjun?"

Wuji immediately replied sweetly: "I was planning to go together, but I missed my mother, so I reluctantly gave up the opportunity to soak in the hot spring and came back to accompany my mother."

"That's it, Na Wuji is so obedient, my mother is very happy."

Wuji smiled brightly, clever and proud.He coquettishly next to Pei Xiang for a while, and whispered a lot of things in his heart, and then left bouncing away.

He decided to tell his mother the truth after dinner. The reason why he didn't go to the hot spring was because he missed his mother on the one hand, and on the other hand, it was because Uncle Zhenjun didn't want to when he heard that he wanted to try that scented body wash. I took him to play together, it was really stingy.

Five days later, Wuji, who returned from the palace again, told Pei Xiang that Her Majesty the Queen intends to confer Master Kongwen as a national teacher, and asks Master Kongwen to promote Buddhism and preside over Buddhist affairs in the Xiliang Nvguo. Build a new temple, build pagodas in the new temple, enshrine Buddhist treasures, build golden Buddhas...

Hearing this, Pei Xiang finally put away his relaxed expression.She got up, walked to sit down opposite Yang Jian, and said in a low voice:

"This is the real test. I don't know if Master Kongwen will agree to the queen. After all, learning the scriptures has to go through hardships and dangers, and the future is uncertain. If he agrees to stay in the Xiliang Women's Kingdom, Master Kongwen will not only enjoy the fame and status, but also give the Queen With the spread of my own understanding and views on Buddhism, coupled with the support of the Queen of Xiliang, Master Kongwen became a holy monk respected by everyone in the Xiliang Women's Congress."

Yang Jian gently held Pei Xiang's hand, and said in a low voice:

"Master Kongwen didn't immediately agree to accept the title of national teacher, nor did he refuse decisively. He must have hesitated."

Pei Xiang sighed: "This is human nature. However, if Master Kongwen decides to give up seeking the scriptures, we will give up halfway."

Wuji looked at Pei Xiang, then at Yang Jian, not understanding what the two elders were worried about, so he said bluntly:

"I don't think Master Kongwen will give up going to the West to learn Buddhist scriptures. He told me that when he left Tang Dynasty, he made a great wish before the Buddha. There are many puzzles about Buddhism. If you stay here halfway, the puzzles in Master Kongwen’s heart will never be answered. In that case, what’s the point of becoming a national teacher and a holy monk? Anyway... If it’s me If so, no matter what happens, I will go on unswervingly.”

"Wuji, people's thoughts are not static," Pei Xiangwen said, "However, what you said is also reasonable. We really shouldn't worry too much about it. Master Kongwen has a clear heart. No matter what choice he makes, he must He has his reasons, let's wait patiently for now."

Compared with Pei Xiang's calmness and Wuji's optimism and purity, Yang Jian is unwilling to just wait silently.Because this trip to the west to learn scriptures, on the surface, is the pursuit and persistence of Master Kongwen, but in fact, it is also related to Pei Xiang's death and a turning point in his fate.It's just...he really can't forcibly intervene in this matter.

After thinking for a while, Yang Jian suggested:

"I'll send Wuji to Master Kongwen. There is no need for Wuji to deliberately persuade him. As long as he whispers his thoughts beside Master Kongwen as usual, I guess Master Kongwen will be very determined to learn from the scriptures." Faith."

Pei Xiang thought about it, and felt that this was indeed one of Wuji's magical effects, so he readily nodded in agreement.Therefore, the child who was naturally passionate about Buddhism was sent to the palace.

Three days later, Pei Xiang and Yang Jian received an invitation to a banquet in the palace.According to the inner court lady who passed on the rumor, this palace banquet is a practice banquet prepared by His Majesty for Master Kongwen.That is to say, Master Kongwen rejected the position of Xiliang female national teacher, and chose to continue to go to the West to learn scriptures.

Hearing this news, both Pei Xiang and Yang Jian breathed a sigh of relief.

After the two sat down at the palace banquet, they suddenly found that Wuji, who hadn't seen him for three days, had already become a little celebrity in the palace.Princess Jiahe shouted one brother at a time around him, and several other royal girls all looked at Wuji with bright eyes. These eyes were warm and friendly, without the predatory and possessive desire of adults at all.

Not to mention how the queen at the banquet did not want to part with Master Kongwen, and how she earnestly exhorted them when they parted, but only said that Wuji and Princess Jiahe also had a sincere parting message.

"Brother Wuji, you... When you grow up, you must take a shower and change your clothes and socks frequently. Don't, don't be like other stinky men. Don't get the smell of my second aunt. That's too much It was terrifying, even scarier than the days when I was trafficked."

Wuji raised his chin proudly, and assured him: "Don't worry, there is no boy who loves cleanliness more than me."

Princess Jiahe agreed with this very much, even though she had only seen Wuji a boy.

"I heard from my mother that you don't want to make a marriage contract with me, not because I'm not cute, but because you want to become a monk, so I don't blame you. It's good for you to be my brother, We never had boys here, and now I'm the only one who has a brother, and none of them."

Wuji sensibly closed his mouth at this time, resolutely not saying anything more.

So, Princess Jiahe went on to say: "Brother Wuji, when you grow up, you must come to our place again. I should grow up then, and I will treat you well."

Wuji nodded and said with a gentle smile, "If I want to pass by here, I will definitely come to Xiliang Girl Country to visit you."

After Wuji and Princess Jiahe said how much they valued each other, the four of them set off to leave Xiliang Women's Kingdom.

On the way, Wuji asked Pei Xiang casually, when will the smell of stinky socks on the second princess's body disappear?

Pei Xiang smiled and said, "I gave the antidote to the Queen Mother. It is estimated that the second princess will be able to get the antidote when the Queen Mother is firmly on the throne."

Wuji gave a ambiguous "hmm", and put the matter behind him in a blink of an eye, and started talking to Yang Jian and Pei Xiang about his wonderful experience in the palace for three days...

Going west, it went from early spring to midsummer, and then from the cicadas singing to the summer moon to the crisp autumn.However, before it had cooled off for a few days, the four people who were on their way gradually felt that the surrounding area was getting hot again.

Wuji wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said with bright eyes:

"The weather suddenly changed, the heat is everywhere, and the plants are getting rarer and rarer. Will we soon reach the Flaming Mountain that Uncle Hu Er mentioned?"

Pei Xiang calculated the distance and time, and said with a smile:

"According to what Hu Erlang said, if we go another sixty or seventy miles, we will indeed meet the eight hundred miles of Flame Mountain. However, if we want to pass through the Flame Mountain, we have to go to the Bajiao Cave in Cuiyun Mountain. Princess Iron Fan borrows her fan."