They prepared to tell the lie. As soon as they returned home from a break, Bai Shan went into his warehouse and finally found a statue of Buddha in one box and a statue of Lao Tzu in another box. They were all made of jade.
There are many Buddha statues, but there are also two statues of Laozi.
Bai Shan compared them carefully and took away the smallest statue of Lao Tzu, which was only one and a half feet tall.
When the steward guarding the warehouse saw the young master carrying out the statue of Lao Tzu, he immediately reached out to protect it and said cautiously: "Master, this is carved from black jade. What are you going to do with it...?"
Bai Shan said: "Send it to someone."
The steward was stunned and asked quickly: "Does the old lady know?"
Bai Shandao: "You will know soon."
Then he wrote down the things he took out on the list, marked them down, and ran away with the things in his arms.
The steward couldn't stop him in time, so he could only quickly take the notebook and stuff it into his arms, then locked the warehouse and ran to report to the old lady.
That statue of Laozi was specially made by the old lady. It was made of rare and fine black jade, which was more than ten times more valuable than the three-foot-tall sapphire statue of Laozi.
The young master chose the best one.
I heard that the old lady took that statue of me as a gift.
Mrs. Liu indeed planned to give the portrait of me to someone, and the person she wanted to give it to was the old man of the Zhang family, a family friend of the Bai and Liu families.
Mrs. Zhang gave the position of clan leader to his son a few years ago and devoted himself to seeking enlightenment.
Bai Shan is about to grow up now. After studying for a few more years, she will definitely have to return to her family, so she has to start running a business in Longzhou, at least to make people who have forgotten and despised their ancestors and grandchildren remember them again.
them, value them.
This way they won't be humiliated when they return to Longzhou to settle down.
She found that piece of black jade before winter last year. She spent a lot of money to buy it, and she also spent a lot of money to hire a famous craftsman to carve it carefully. It took more than two months to carve it.
Mrs. Liu took the book and took a look. It was indeed her grandson's signature and picture. She put it down and asked with a smile: "Who is he going to give it to?"
The steward shook his lips and whispered: "The young master didn't say anything. I just saw the young master going to Miss Man..."
The whole family knows that the Zhou family also believes in me and talks about Master Tianzun from time to time.
Mrs. Liu knew that her grandson and Man Bao were half-believing and half-disbelieving in Taishang Laojun. To be honest, deep down in their hearts, they did not really believe that ghosts and gods would help them; if they were not convinced, they would make wishes to ghosts and gods from time to time.
, and every worship is very pious.
Mrs. Liu shook her head and smiled, and said to the steward: "Forget it, if he takes it, just give it to him."
Those two children, when worshiping Lao Tzu, they would just draw a portrait instead. They even refused to spend 20 cents to get a portrait from the Taoist temple.
Take it away, I'm afraid it may have other great uses.
The steward was startled, then quickly responded, then bowed and retreated.
Mrs. Zheng waited until he left before asking anxiously, "Mom, that birthday gift from Mr. Zhang..."
"Look for other gifts," Mrs. Liu said with a smile: "There is more than one statue of Lao Tzu in the world, and why are you in a hurry? There are still more than two months before his birthday, and the two children may be born in two days.
Just came back."
Not long after, Bai Shan came over and explained to Mrs. Liu. He also knew that the statue of me seemed to be given away for someone's birthday, but he planned to borrow it first and "will return it to grandma in fifty days."
Mrs. Liu frowned and asked, "You still want to take me into the palace?"
Bai Shan nodded, "It's easier to burn incense this way."
Mrs. Liu rubbed her forehead and asked, "Can you bring me in?"
Bai Shandao: "Man Bao asked Eunuch Wu for help. It's not a big problem."
Not only do they have to bring them in, they have to take them out again next time they take a bath, and they have to take them in again when they enter the palace...
Anyway, he just showed enough piety.
As a foreign minister, Zhou Man could occasionally carry the statue of Lao Tzu in and out of the palace. After all, she could use it as an excuse to give it away to others, but such frequent in and out was obviously impossible.
Who knows what she is up to?
Therefore, even the guards who have a good relationship with her will not agree to her carrying such an object in and out after one or two times out of caution.
But it's different with Eunuch Wu's endorsement.
Behind Eunuch Wu stood the prince. It seemed that I was heading towards the East Palace when entering the palace. The prince agreed, so the guards naturally wouldn't stop him too much.
So, when he entered the palace again, Bai Shan held a box in his arms. Eunuch Wu came to pick him up in person, and then registered it at the guard's office, indicating that the statue of Lao Tzu would have to come in and out several times.
This made the guards inspect it more carefully. If not allowed, they would have smashed the jade sculpture to see if there was anything caught inside.
Man Bao felt sympathy for them when he saw them. After carrying the things into the palace, he said to Eunuch Wu: "They are really pitiful. There are so many wonderful and cunning things in the world. If you don't check carefully and something is missed,
Is that their responsibility?"
Eunuch Wu: "...Little doctor Zhou, the person they are examining now is you."
Man Bao was not self-conscious at all, but nodded and said: "I am a good person, and I never bring anything into the palace."
Bai Shan, who was holding the box, nodded slightly, thinking that it was, because everything she wanted to carry could be carried by Uncle Zhou, and it could be used in any way.
It's just that this time they need to show it to others, otherwise he thinks it shouldn't be difficult for Uncle Zhou to bring the jade sculpture into the palace.
Eunuch Wu was also very interested in their statue of Lao Tzu and asked, "Mr. Zhou, why don't you send it to the Taoist temple for consecration, instead of consecrating it yourself?"
Man Bao said solemnly: "I am more sincere and more spiritual."
Eunuch Wu didn't know if he believed it or not. Anyway, he sent her to Chongwen Hall and ignored her, but he still paid more attention to her.
Although I know that Zhou Man should not harm anyone, but after all, it is a matter of relationship, so I still have to pay more attention.
Man Bao and Bai Shan placed the statue of Lao Tzu in the east, then placed the box in front of the statue of Lao Tzu, and twisted three sticks of incense to incense it.
When Bai Shan and Bai Erlang met, they also bowed as usual. After a while, nine sticks of incense were placed in front of my statue.
Bai Erlang asked, "Do you still have to recite sutras?"
"It's okay. I'll recite it for half an hour after I come back and wash up. From now on, I'll just recite it for half an hour in the morning."
Bai Erlang always felt that her attitude was perfunctory, but her behavior was seen as very pious by the people in the palace. Every morning and evening when the maid who served her came to pour her wash water and take out her dirty clothes, she would see Zhou Man sitting on his knees.
Chanting sutras devoutly in front of the statue of Lao Tzu.
She didn't even need to turn over the scriptures. She could read each word very clearly with her eyes slightly closed.
The palace maid thought Master Zhou was very powerful, so within a few days, many people in the palace knew about it.