The female thespian looked meaningfully at Luo Ning and then spurred the yaks into the city.
The moment she turned around, she seemed to sneer faintly.
Huh? Luo Ning frowned slightly.
After all the Meiduo White Class entered the city, Luo Jiaban and Qian Sibaan's caravan followed them in unhurriedly.
The city entry tax per person...one penny of silver!
Songyuan City is the capital of Shunzhou. The city has a population of hundreds of thousands, and 10,000 to 20,000 people enter the city every day.
After calculation, Songyuan City’s small city entrance tax alone costs 500,000 taels of silver every year!
After entering the city, the first thing you see is a pine tree hill. On the pine tree hill stands a large Huanghuang temple, overlooking the whole city.
The first temple in Shunzhou: Dajinpeng Temple!
A huge prayer flag and pagoda stands at the entrance of the temple. Colorful prayer flags and hada are flying on it, which is very eye-catching.
Every pine tree on Pine Tree Hill is hung with colorful prayer flags and khatas.
"Dang——dang——"
The sound of bells was accompanied by chanting and chanting, and there were bursts of Sanskrit sounds.
A group of black-necked cranes circled over the temple, lingering in the thick smoke of cigarette smoke. Their chirps blended with the chanting and chanting, becoming part of the Sanskrit sound.
Everything you hear and see gives people a solemn and holy feeling.
All this makes the noisy market seem empty and mysterious.
It seems that the miracles of Buddha are within it.
But Luo Ning knew that the real gods and Buddhas had long since died, and there were only demon kings wearing cassocks.
All the big shots understand this.
But they pretended not to understand.
"Let's go directly to the Dajinpeng Temple." Luo Ning said, "The big stage is right there."
The Dharma Assembly Hall of Dajinpeng Temple is also the largest theater in Shunzhou.
In addition to grand Dharma gatherings, various performances are also held there, and the most frequently performed plays are Buddhist stories.
The Tubo opera performers have a high status because many of them are lamas.
This year is the Year of the Wood Rat in the Tubo calendar, and the Shoton Festival performance is particularly grand. Although there are still three days until the performance, the Grand Jinpeng Temple is already very lively.
"Woooooooo-" Outside the high red temple wall, dozens of on-duty monks were blowing conchs and ten-foot-long Tongqin horns.
Thousands of Tubo people knelt from the foot of the mountain to the temple gate, each with a pious expression, and many of them were holding prayer wheels.
The weather is so hot and the ground is getting hot from the sun, but it cannot stop people from worshiping the Buddha.
"What a pity." Lu Pianpian in the carriage uttered two words while drinking.
The people of Tubo are obsessed with Buddhism and worship Buddha devoutly, producing a large amount of incense and incense vows every year.
However, such huge incense and wish power did not create a prosperous Buddhist kingdom.
I didn’t see any Buddhas or Bodhisattvas coming to rescue people from disasters and save all sentient beings.
So, where did the vast incense power like the sea go?
It’s unlikely that all of them will be used by lamas and temples for cultivation.
Lu Pianpian was sure that there was some kind of mysterious, weird and terrifying existence that was devouring the power of incense and desire in the world.
Most of the Tibetan people's incense and vows to worship gods and Buddhas were eaten up by that terrifying existence.
In fact, most of the incense and wish power of the Zhensi Sect have also been swallowed up by some kind of existence.
It seems that there is a formless loophole in this world, which misses out the power of incense and aspiration in the world, causing the great cause of faith to gradually decline.
This is an eternal secret that even the top leaders of the Zhensi Sect have not found out.
"In another thousand years, these Tubo people will no longer fear Buddha." Lu Pianpian looked at the dark crowd and said to Su Chuo.
Su Chuo said: "So what? I don't think it's a pity. I think it's a bit fanatical and a bit ignorant."
"What you said is really light." Lu Pianpian shook his head, "Human beings are the leader of all living beings and are loved by heaven and earth. If people completely lose their sense of awe, the world will be destroyed."
"What is a human being? On the one hand, he is like a god, and on the other hand, he is like an animal. When everyone loses their sense of awe, and the beast's heart bites back, everyone becomes like a demon."
"It's alarmist." Su Chuo retorted, "In the final analysis, worshiping gods and Buddhas is for profit. Since you have the intention of benefit, you still seek external causes and consequences."
"In the end, it's still a transaction. It's just a transaction with gods and Buddhas. How can it be sacred?"
"Without the heart of awe, we can instead seek within, cultivate ourselves, abandon interests and harms, and have a clear mind. I am the gods and Buddhas. Isn't this more noble than worshiping the gods and Buddhas, and paying respect to the true worshipers and evil gods?"
"Hee." Lu Pianpian sighed after hearing the words, "Your idea... is too difficult. You think too highly of people's hearts! People are actually very mean, very selfish, and very short-sighted. Not many people can do what you said.
"
"The vast majority of people who can't do it will turn the very few who can... into ashes, and the former will become a hell for the latter."
"Tell me, if you are in hell, can you still cultivate yourself and become enlightened?"
"This world is bustling with people, and everyone is seeking benefits!"
"So there must be a strict hierarchy, distinction between high and low, and suppression at all levels. Whether it is worshiping Buddha, worshiping gods, or being loyal to the emperor, there must always be reverence and rules!"
While the two women were talking secretly, Luo Ning had already entered the Jinpeng Temple, which was filled with palaces and pagodas.
When the monk Zhike saw Luo Jiaban, who was under the banner of Naqin Mansion, he directly led everyone to the guest house to rest.
Dajinpeng Temple is not a temple of the Huanxi sect, and the monks do not practice Huanxi Gong. Otherwise, Luoning would not be able to stay.
Many people have already come to the huge guest house.
They are all lords, monks and dramatists who came from other places.
The Mei Duo day class stayed opposite the Luo family class.
Luo Ning took a look and found that including the Luo Family Troupe, there were already more than a dozen opera troupes.
There are both white mask and blue mask troupes. Except for Luo Ning, the other troupes are all Tibetan.
"Aji Luoningla!" came a familiar voice. Luoning took a look and saw who it was if it wasn't Naqin.
Head Naqin has been waiting for Luo Jiaban to arrive for a long time.
Luo Jiaban represented the Nachin family and starred in "King Gesar".
"Aji Nachinla!" Luo Ning walked over with a smile while smoking a dry pipe, "Tashidele!"
"Tashi Delek!" Chief Naqin also said hello, "I knew that even if you become the princess's retainer and the lord of Longcuo City, you will come to participate in the performance."
"Aji Loningla, you are a trustworthy and reliable friend!"
Compared with the previous courtesy, Naqin leader was more warm and familiar this time, and completely regarded himself as a friend.
Luo Ning said sternly: "Since I promised Aji Nachinla, I, Luo Ning, must fulfill my promise. I have been stuck in Dawalin in my house for so long, and I have not repaid your kindness."
The two of them chatted for a while, and then the leader of Naqin pointed to the courtyard where Mei Duo stayed during the day shift, "Have you seen that female opera singer? Her name is Gesang Mei Duo, and she was originally the opera singer who promised me to act in place of Naqin Mansion."
Luo Ning understood, "Is she the one who broke her promise, abandoned the Naqin family, and represented the Yanshi Temple instead?"
Head Naqin nodded, "Yes, that's Kelsang Meiduo!"
"Even though she is a beautiful actress, she is actually a bitch who even a male would find coquettish!"
The leader of Naqin lowered his voice, and his words were as poisonous as the eggs laid by scorpions.
"A few months ago, she was a perfect eighth-grade opera artist. But now, she is already in the early stage of seventh-grade. Unless——"
"Unless she has practiced double cultivation with the lama of Yanshi Temple, learned the Joy Technique, and become a sun-harvesting goddess, it would be impossible for her to break through to the seventh level so quickly..."
Luo Ning felt a little uncomfortable. Why, I also broke through the seventh level so quickly. Could it be that I also learned the Huanxi Gong, which collects yin and replenishes yang?
When Naqin said this, he suddenly felt something was wrong and immediately explained: "After all, she cannot have your qualifications. You can break through the seventh level so quickly, so of course you are different from her."
He changed the subject and said, "Goddess Caiyang is quite evil, especially for a beautiful young man like you, so be careful. If she wants to harm you, she has a lot of conspiracies and tricks that are hard to guard against."
"In this acting competition, you are competing against her. You are a competitor. It is difficult not to attract her attention."
Luo Ning nodded and said: "I understand, thank you for reminding me. Don't worry, if she wants to pluck me...it's impossible!"
Luo Tianxia's tone was very confident.
"Don't be careless." Naqin reminded again, "I found out before that she looked at you several times. Who can guard against thieves for a thousand days?"
Luo Ning laughed, feeling that Naqin was a bit alarmist.
The two talked for a while and then broke up, and Luo Ning went to the guest house again.
And in the upper courtyard of the guest house, a distinguished guest has already moved in.
It is none other than Dorgon Anda of the Jin Kingdom’s Jiubele, Luoning!
When the guard at the door saw Luo Ning, he immediately saluted and then reported back to his master.
"Luoninganda!" Dorgon's familiar voice sounded, and then a tall young man with a money rat tail appeared in front of Luoning.
"Dorgon Anda!" Luo Ning also smiled happily.
As soon as Dorgon came up, he was greeted by a Jurchen hugging his waist.
Although Luo Ning was a little uncomfortable with it, he couldn't refuse.
Anyone who meets them can tell that the two are good friends.
Dorgon said while taking Luoning into the guest courtyard:
"...The princess does not want to leave three hundred soldiers and horses to garrison Longcuo City. She also knows that she will not get any benefits from the dowry leadership..."
"...She likes King Gesar. If you put on a good show, she might agree to keep three hundred troops when she is happy..."