In the cold and simple courtyard, Master Mingguang sat facelessly on the steps under the eaves, leaning against the pillar behind him, not knowing whether he was in a daze or thinking.
Although the Huguo Zen Temple widely accepts incense, if the abbot like Xie Yan had not given instructions in advance, ordinary visitors would have to wait outside in an area specially designed to receive pilgrims.
Only when the host agrees to meet, the monk who knows the guest will lead the way.
The yard was quiet for an unknown amount of time.
Master Mingguang frowned, obviously a little impatient.
Only from outside the courtyard gate came the respectful voice of Zhike Monk, "Host, the lady is here."
Master Mingguang said: "Let her come in."
Soon the courtyard door was pushed open from the outside, and a person stepped in.
But the person who came in was obviously not a woman, but a tall man.
Master Mingguang's face darkened, he grabbed the tea cup lying on the ground beside him and smashed it, "Get out."
The person at the door turned to one side to avoid the sudden attack.
The monk Zhike outside the door was also startled. The host always looked like a dignified and enlightened monk. What happened today?
Zhike Monk couldn't help but glance sideways at the lady standing next to him who was wearing a dark blue cloak, even her hair was covered, and only her face was exposed.
A monk should have all four elements empty and six senses pure, but when he saw the lady's faint smile, the monk couldn't help but his heart skipped a beat.
Then he quickly lowered his head, chanted the Buddha's name in his heart, and confessed his sins to the Buddha.
But for such a beautiful woman, no matter how empty all the four things are, she may still be distracted, right? The monk thought to himself with some shame.
Master Mingguang's voice came from the yard again, "Let your dog get out, or get out yourself."
"..." It seems that the presiding abbot is indeed very unhappy. Could it be that he has some grudge against this lady?
The man walking at the front snorted coldly, and moved in to teach the ignorant monk inside.
But as soon as he took a step, he was stopped by a flawless hand.
"Forget it, just wait for me outside." the woman said.
"But..." The people around her naturally disagreed. Although they didn't know why the lady insisted on coming to see this monk, the monk was obviously hostile to the lady.
The woman smiled and said, "It's just meeting an old friend. Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Although they disagreed in their hearts, these people were obviously not used to opposing her orders. After all, they bowed and retreated. Only the tall man gave Master Mingguang a warning look before exiting.
The woman stepped into the small courtyard, stood in the courtyard and looked around the small courtyard, and finally her eyes fell on Master Mingguang.
She is no longer young, but her eyes are still so clear, her eyebrows are like spring mountains, and her starry eyes are shining. Her appearance is still flawless, and there is no trace of the passage of time.
She walked slowly towards Master Mingguang, who was sitting under the eaves, without any rush or rush because she saw an old friend she hadn't seen for many years.
His expression was calm and his demeanor was casual and casual, as if he just came to meet a friend he had just met yesterday.
She walked to Master Mingguang and stood a few steps away, then raised her hand and pulled down the hood of her cloak.
Her hair was pulled up casually, with only a simple and elegant jade hairpin in her hair.
She was wearing a dark blue cloak. She looked elegant and simple to the extreme, but she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
This is a stunning woman who doesn't need fancy clothes or accessories at all, but can still enchant people's hearts.
Even though she has passed her prime.
She knew that the woman who was still feared by Dasheng's powerful people was the sister of Emperor Wu Bai of the Chen Dynasty who competed with Emperor Dasheng for the world, one of the once world-famous Dongling twins, and now one of the princes of the Qi tribe.
Mrs. Mother Rong——Bai Jingrong.
"Ah Chong, I haven't seen you for so many years, how are you?" she asked with a smile.
Master Mingguang glanced at her lightly and said, "Better than you."
Bai Jingrong was not upset by his indifferent attitude. On the contrary, she took a few steps forward and sat down under the eaves like him. She did not feel at all that sitting under the eaves of such a simple courtyard would harm her identity and image.
Master Mingguang asked bluntly: "You dare to take the risk and come back because the Qi people can't stay here any longer?"
Bai Jingrong didn't feel dissatisfied and laughed softly: "I don't believe your nephew didn't tell you anything."
Master Mingguang sneered and said: "Bai Jingrong, do you think I don't know you? If you don't really ask for help when you encounter difficulties, you are not willing to take even the slightest risk. Even if you know I won't do anything to you,
Aren't you afraid that I'll do it?"
Bai Jingrong tilted her head and looked at him, smiling sweetly: "I know you won't do anything. Speaking of which, your nephew... really gives me a headache. If I could have expected that Yao Yun could give birth to such a son...
…”
"Bai, Jing, Rong." Master Mingguang read calmly.
When Master Mingguang was cold and angry, Bai Jingrong smiled gracefully.
When Master Mingguang calmed down, Bai Jingrong stopped laughing.
She looked at Master Mingguang for a while, then sighed softly and said: "Ah Chong, you almost killed me back then, but I didn't bear any grudge, so why are you still grudge me? How much trouble has your nephew caused me over the years?
What if I tell you?"
Master Mingguang said: "Then do you think I can kill you a second time?"
Bai Jingrong said: "I know that since you didn't kill me back then, you wouldn't have done anything to me. But... you have been a monk for so many years, and you are still so violent. It is strange that Xie Bian did not take you with him when he died.
I admit that I was at fault for what happened to the Yao family back then, but isn’t it a bit too much for you to blame me alone? Didn’t the Xie family also refuse to save them? And your precious sister... Thinking about it this way, I was wronged
.”
Master Mingguang glanced at her lightly, "You are still so eloquent. It's hard to live under the control of others in the Qi tribe. You really need to practice hard."
Bai Jingrong's originally perfect smile suddenly showed a crack. She paused for a moment, and her soft voice was filled with annoyance, "Can ridiculing me make you feel better? Of course I am living under someone else's roof. Is it possible for you, Mr. Yao?"
Live a prosperous life? Can't I just devote myself to this small temple and act like I don't care about the world so that Xie Bian can feel at ease? Even my own nephew..."
Bai Jingrong covered her lips and smiled, and said: "If Yao Yun wasn't such a waste that he couldn't even raise a son, I'm afraid you wouldn't recognize him, right? Tell me, how could such a waste be as famous as me back then?"
Master Mingguang lowered his eyes and said nothing.
"Ah Chong, I have already said that we are a match made in heaven. If you were willing to help me back then, why would you be like this now?" Bai Jingrong said.
Master Mingguang stared at Bai Jingrong without answering. Bai Jingrong frowned slightly, "Why is Ah Chong looking at me like that?"
Master Mingguang said slowly: "For so many years... I have always wanted to ask you a question."
"You ask." Bai Jingrong said, "I will definitely tell you everything I know."
"Really?" A faint smile suddenly appeared on Master Mingguang's lips. The smile on Bai Jingrong's face, who looked sideways at him, was slightly suppressed, and a bad feeling arose in her heart.
Master Mingguang said leisurely: "I heard that Bai Kun died to save you. Did he know before he died that his good sister betrayed him?"
The smile on Bai Jingrong's face disappeared in an instant. She stood up suddenly and looked down at Master Mingguang, who was still sitting against the pillar. Her eyes were completely cold, but there was no trace of the tenderness and beauty she had just now.
"Yao, Zhong." Bai Jingrong called softly, with a bit of chill in his voice.
Master Mingguang put his hands together and recited a Buddha's name: "Donor, abstain from anger and you will grow old quickly."
Bai Jingrong's eyebrows finally couldn't help but twitch a few times, and she snorted softly: "Ah Chong, don't make me angry."
Master Mingguang said: "Just talking, it was not a poor monk who killed Bai Kuan. Why did Mrs. Rong behave like this? Besides, Bai Kuan was brave but not resourceful. At least three-thirds of the credit for being able to compete with Xie Bian must go to Miss Bai." .It’s okay if you don’t want him to live. It’s just that...even though Bai Kuan is a reckless man, he is also a rare and famous general. Without the prestige of Emperor Wu of Chen to suppress him, how can you defeat Xie if you only rely on colluding with Ji Sui of the Qi tribe? Where are the famous generals and counselors under Bian's command? Donor, the poor monk told you in the early years that conquering the world depends on strength, not conspiracy."
Bai Jingrong was obviously not an ordinary person. Even though he was stabbed in pain, he quickly calmed down.
She looked down at Master Mingguang and said coldly: "Thank you for your advice. I have reflected on it seriously over the years. Yao Chong, do you know what I hate most about you?"
Master Mingguang smiled and said nothing.
Bai Jingrong said: "You obviously have status and ability, but you have never had great ambitions. You only know how to indulge in the beauty and prosperity. Do you know that as a woman... how difficult it is to get what you want in this world? ?But you...you clearly have something within your reach, but you drop it like a pair of worn-out shoes with disdain."
"I just want to show you that without you, I, Bai Jingrong, can still get everything I want." Bai Jingrong said coldly.
The smile on Master Mingguang's face gradually faded, and at this time, the two of them looked equally solemn.
After a long time, Master Mingguang said: "Because I refuse to listen to you and help you conquer the world, you designed to destroy the Yao family?"
Bai Jingrong smiled and said: "I said, I did some manipulation, but the situation that the Yao family is in is not caused by me alone."
Master Mingguang was not furious because of this. He said solemnly: "Even if I choose again, I still won't help you."
"Why?" Bai Jingrong asked.
Master Mingguang raised his eyes to look at her, but his eyes passed through her to the sky farther away.
"Six months before you went to Xinzhou to find me, I went to Yanzhou once. At that time... it was summer, and Bai Kuan and Luo Yun were fighting in Yanzhou."
Bai Jingrong suddenly seemed to remember something, and her expression suddenly changed.
Master Mingguang looked at her with a hint of ridicule in his eyes, "I saw with my own eyes that you and Bai Kuo ordered to dig up the dam of the Changming River to flood Luo Yun's army downstream. That should be the only time General Luo suffered a major defeat.
Bar?"
Bai Jingrong said coldly: "So what? On the battlefield, do we still pay attention to the kindness of women?"
Master Mingguang said: "Luo Yun got the news before the embankment was completely breached. He had the opportunity to lead the army to retreat immediately and attack your flanks, but in the end he divided his troops into two groups and attacked the main force of the army and the troops stationed on the river embankment from the front.
Soldiers and horses went all the way to evacuate the people downstream. Even so, they still could not prevent the embankment from bursting. The people of Zeguo along the Changming River were filled with mourning for thousands of miles. Donor Bai, did you remember at that time... Yanzhou has always been the territory of your Bai family, and it was the people of Yanzhou who
Provide for you?"
Bai Jingrong was silent for a long time before saying: "Just because of this... later I went to ask you for help, and you just kicked me out? Or even broke off the engagement with me?"
Master Mingguang did not answer this question, but asked: "Later, when we were in Suzhou, you obviously occupied the top at the beginning. Do you know why the battle at Jialuo Mountain was a disastrous defeat?"
"Why?" Bai Jingrong asked.
Master Mingguang said: "There was a young man who fled from Yanzhou to Suzhou five years ago. His family fortune was scattered, his relatives died, and he was forced to become a slave. He was responsible for doing coolies near Jialuo Mountain, and he accidentally discovered your
Traces of the march. Afterwards, he endured the cold wind and lurked near Jialuo Mountain for half a month, and then fled to Dasheng Military Camp."
Bai Jingrong stood silently in the courtyard. Although her expression was calm, the knuckles of her right hand hanging by her side had turned white.
Although they had completely fallen behind during the battle of Jialuo Mountain, if they could defeat the main vanguard of Dasheng's troops in that battle, and the Qi people had already stationed troops on the border at that time, even if they could not completely make a comeback, there would not necessarily be no room for improvement.
.
Who would have thought…
The voice of Master Mingguang rang in her ears, "Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it."
Bai Jingrong quickly came to her senses and said coldly: "Did you just want to mock me when you saw me today?"
Master Mingguang said: "Then why did you come here to see me?"
Bai Jingrong said: "I originally wanted to talk to you, but since you said so...it seems that we can't talk. Mr. Yao is so upright and upright, I admire him. But...Yao Zhong, even if I, Bai Jingrong, lose, I will definitely leave my name in the future."
Annals of history. And you...Xinzhou Yaolang, you are amazingly talented, compassionate and compassionate. In the final analysis...you are just an old monk in the temple."
Master Mingguang didn't care, "So what?"
Bai Jingrong slowly exhaled and said with a smile: "You are right, people who are different do not agree with each other. I have nothing more to say to you, I want to see Xie Yan."
Master Mingguang sneered, "Who do you think you are? Do you want to meet me just as you say? Since you claim to be the queen of the Qi tribe, you should abide by some rules. If you want to meet the regent of Dasheng, go to the court and come to my small temple.
What?"
Bai Jingrong said: "I know, he brought the new princess here today."
Master Mingguang didn't care, and said: "Maybe I went to the back mountain to enjoy the flowers, you can do whatever you want. Go slowly, I won't send you off."
Bai Jingrong stood there and stared at him for a while, then turned and walked out without saying anything.
