Chu Xiong met her worried gaze and said softly: "This jade pendant is a treasure presented by someone."
"Who offered it?"
"Feng Qingnan."
"General Feng?" The queen frowned: "Has General Feng returned to Beijing?"
As far as she knew, Feng Qingnan had guarded southern Xinjiang for decades, with great military exploits and hard work, and his holy family remained unfaded for decades.
"He asked someone to present it to him." Chu Xiong said solemnly: "I think it's good, so I'll give it to you."
"General Feng must have thought it was good, so he gave it to the emperor as a gift." The queen said hurriedly: "Just like the emperor."
Chu Xiong nodded slowly: "I thought so too before. He who doesn't know is not guilty. He also has good intentions."
The queen nodded slightly.
Chu Xiong snorted: "But if this is really the case, how could Fakong say what he just said."
"Huh——?" The queen was startled and her face changed slightly.
She realized it immediately.
If that were really the case, Fakong wouldn't say that things were not that simple. Since he said that, it means that it is not the case.
"Could it be that General Feng knew the dangers of this thing and did it on purpose?" The queen asked softly: "Why is this?"
She shook her head gently: "He didn't know that the emperor would give me the jade pendant."
"So he is not targeting you, not the emperor, but me!" Chu Xiong smiled coldly.
"This thing shouldn't be able to hurt the emperor," the queen said.
Chu Xiong looked at her.
The queen said: "Master said that the emperor has treasures to protect his body, which can isolate him from harm. It doesn't matter."
"But others don't know." Chu Xiong hummed.
He felt more and more uncomfortable.
This Dharma Kong can actually see his own body-protecting treasure. This is an invisible thing, intangible and without quality.
The Queen frowned: "Could he be sure that the Emperor will give it to me?... He will control the Emperor's son in the future?... If this is really the case, the plan is too far-reaching, and it is scary to think about it."
"What else did Fakong say?" Chu Xiong said.
The queen shook her head gently: "I said nothing more."
Chu Xiong snorted: "This guy!"
The queen looked at him puzzled.
Chu Xiong said: "This is forcing me to go over and beg him!"
The queen smiled: "The emperor wants to find out this, so he really needs to ask the master for advice."
At the time, I felt that Master Fakong’s reminder was a kind intention, but now it seems that it was a distant contest with the emperor.
Master Fakong is also not honest. This is forcing the emperor to ask him for advice in person. Otherwise, he can just tell him the reason directly.
Chu Xiong snorted.
The queen said: "Your Majesty, when the master became the chief minister of the Northern Supervision Department, he has already taken a big step back."
Chu Xiong curled his lips and said, "This is just superficial."
"It's good to be able to do superficial things." The queen said softly: "At least it shows that he is a citizen of Daqian and listens to the emperor."
"Can he listen to me?"
"At least so far, you haven't disobeyed the emperor's orders, right?" The queen said softly: "You can't force him too much now because you are worried about what will happen to him in the future. You have to give in when you should, otherwise you will blindly let the master give in.
, after all, it is not a long-term solution.”
This is what she has always said in her heart, but she has buried it in her heart and has not spoken it out because the time is not right.
I said it before, especially when Fa Kong was not the director of the Northern Supervision Department, Chu Xiong would never listen.
Now is the time to say it.
Fa Kong took a step back. Chu Xiong knew it and was satisfied. At this time, if Chu Xiong took a step back, he would listen and not get furious.
"...Okay, for your sake, just take a step back." Chu Xiong hummed, "I'll go find him tomorrow."
——
In the early morning, Lingkong Temple is bathed in freshness, and the sun shines with golden light, illuminating the inside and outside of Lingkong Temple.
There are faint sounds of chanting sutras and tapping wooden fish in the temple. The sounds have a unique rhythm, which makes you feel calm and peaceful.
After Fakong had a meal, he walked around the city of Shenjing and then came to Lingkong Temple and saw Chu Xiong.
Under the long steps of the Main Hall, Chu Xiong stood next to the huge purple incense burner, standing with his hands behind his hands, looking up at the golden Buddha statue in the temple.
When Fa Kong came in, he was still looking at the Buddha statue with his hands behind his hands.
The guards of the Forbidden Palace all turned into secret sentries, and no one came within a hundred meters of Lingkong Temple.
In the huge Lingkong Temple, apart from the monks from Jingang Temple who were chanting sutras, Chu Xiong was the only one.
Fakong Heshi said: "Your Majesty."
Chu Xiong turned around, his eyes were like lightning.
Fakong smiled: "Your Majesty, please——!"
He then led the way, and the two of them arrived at his abbot's courtyard.
There was a small red clay stove placed on the stone table, gurgling with white gas.
Apparently having calculated his time correctly, the monks in the temple had prepared tea in advance for him to drink when he came.
Chu Xiong sat down at the stone table, took the tea from Fakong, and said calmly: "Ling'er isn't in danger, is he?"
"Yes." Fakong nodded: "She and Qingluo went to Dayun. Dayun is not a kind place."
Chu Xiong frowned.
Fakong said: "How can we achieve the purpose of training without danger?"
"Don't make any mistakes." Chu Xiong said solemnly: "What if something goes wrong and we really lose our lives?"
Fakong smiled: "They have my Buddhist beads on them. Even if they die, their souls will not be lost. They can be resurrected."
Chu Xiong frowned: "But he only has sixty years to live after he is resurrected."
"Having those Buddha beads will not damage their longevity." Fakong said calmly: "It is more beneficial for them to die once. Only when they see life and death can they truly realize and understand the laws of the world."
"Won't it damage longevity?"
"yes."
"But what if the Buddhist beads are taken away by someone?" Chu Xiong frowned and said, "Wouldn't that damage longevity?"
Fakong said: "Once this Buddhist bead absorbs their souls, it will directly turn into an invisible object and will not be taken away."
"...You are deliberately letting them die." Chu Xiong snorted: "They must feel that they have your protection, so they are relieved and may act recklessly if they dare to let go."
Fakong smiled: "Now we must let them know that they cannot rely on outsiders, and they should be careful themselves."
"They must hate you to death." Chu Xiong said.
Fakong smiled and nodded.
Xu Qingluo and the others all agreed that even Queen Chu Xiong, and even everyone in the world, thought that she would save the lives of four of them at the critical moment and would not let them die.
Once this mindset is formed, it is impossible for them to achieve the goal of training and tempering.
If you don't really fear death, you won't be cautious.
This cannot be attributed to their psychological dependence, which is difficult to overcome on their own and is bound to exist.
Therefore, their caution does not come from fear of death, but from their own instructions.
This is superficial.
More importantly, without truly experiencing death, one cannot have a thorough understanding of heaven and earth.
Although I am able to achieve my current level of cultivation with the help of supernatural powers and Medicine Buddha, it is also inseparable from the fact that I have faced death head-on and experienced death.
Death is both a great fear and a great treasure.
They died unexpectedly, and the impact on them was even stronger. They originally thought that they would appear, but they did not, which will make them remember it clearly for the rest of their lives and cut off their dependence on themselves.
They will completely understand that he cannot be relied on and they still have to rely on themselves for everything.
This will be an important lesson for them.
Chu Xiong said: "They hate you and will lose their dependence on you. Don't you feel sad?"
It feels good to be relied on.
Once you no longer rely on it, you will be very disappointed.
Especially since the four of them were chattering around him all day long, it was very lively. How could he not feel melancholy and lost when they suddenly left?
No matter how powerful he is and how profound the Dharma is, he is still a human being and has seven emotions and six desires.
Fakong sighed: "As a great master, if you can't be mentally independent and don't rely on external things, how can you be diligent?"
"We have to let them be independent." Chu Xiong nodded slowly.
Fakong said: "Your Majesty, are you worried that I will be lost and in pain? There is no need for that. They are all smart children and know my good intentions."
"I know, I know, but I must be sad that I was deceived by you." Chu Xiong gloated a little.
Fakong smiled and said: "I keep reminding them not to expect me to save them at critical moments. They have to find ways to save themselves. If they don't listen to my reminders, there will be nothing they can do."
Chu Xiong snorted: "You have prepared an ambush, you are indeed cunning."
Fakong smiled and nodded: "The emperor wants to ask Feng Qingnan if General Feng is okay?"
"That's right." The smile on Chu Xiong's face faded, and he stared at Fakong solemnly: "Is there anything wrong with him?"
Fakong smiled: "Why don't the Emperor ask the Department of Green Clothes, the Patrol Guards and the Southern Supervisory Department to investigate?"
Chu Xiong snorted and looked at him dissatisfied.
Fakong said: "Even if the emperor knows it from me, he will let them check it out."
"That's right." Chu Xiong hummed, "I have ordered them to conduct a secret investigation. We cannot just listen to what one family says."
Fakong pondered for a moment, shook his head and said, "The emperor can't find anything."
"how do I say this?"
"There is no problem with General Feng." Fakong said: "There is a problem with one of his subordinates."
"what is the problem?"
"One of his subordinates is a disciple of Qianming Sect." Fakong said lightly: "Your Majesty still remembers Qianming Sect, right?"
"Qian Ming Sect..." Chu Xiong frowned in thought.
He finally shook his head.
There is no impression of this sect in my mind.
Fakong said: "This Qianming Sect was a small sect. Later, the imperial court ordered various martial arts sects to destroy it."
"Why destroy it?"
"It is said that it is because the disciples of Qianming Sect practice evil methods and devour flesh and blood." Fakong said.
"That should be destroyed." Chu Xiong said solemnly.
Fakong smiled.
Chu Xiong frowned: "Isn't it right?"
"They were unjustly accused." Fakong sneered, shook his head and said, "I have offended an important official of the imperial court."
Chu Xiong's face turned ugly.
It would indeed be too much to say that a sect was exterminated because of injustice, especially when it came to courtiers.
Fakong said: "A courtier's son fell in love with a female disciple of the Qianming Sect. He wanted to rape her, but he was injured and has been inhumane ever since."
Chu Xiong's expression became increasingly grim.
He could imagine that the courtier must be extremely angry, and the method of revenge was to destroy the Qianming Sect.
This is taking advantage of the power of the imperial court to take personal revenge.
Fakong shook his head and said: "Some Qianming Sect disciples escaped after all. The jade pendant is the secret treasure of the sect, and it is forbidden for disciples to touch it."