The Great Wei Music Bureau

Chapter 175 First Meeting with Xiao Yongming

Last time, we talked about how the Crown Prince of the Southern Liang Dynasty, Xiao Zongqing, was not panicked at all when faced with the assassination attempt. He handled the scene casually and then continued to ride his horse to Tongde Temple with Li Yi. So how will the story develop next? Let's read on.

After turning another corner, Xiao Zongqing pointed to a tall tower and said, "Li Yuefu, under that tower is Tongde Temple. It's time to decide the winner!"

Li Yi took a look and saw that it was an eight-sided, nine-story Chinese-style attic-style pagoda, the tallest building in Jiankang City. At this time, Xiao Zongqing began to sprint, but Li Yi did not, because he was about to walk on the main street and he was worried that there would be pedestrians.

After the assassination just now, Li Yi judged that this Southern Liang Prince Xiao Zongqing was a ruthless person, scheming, courageous, and most importantly, ruthless. If he were allowed to inherit the throne, he would definitely start a war, and then the people of Liang and Wei would not have an easy life.

Of course, war is inevitable. If you want to end the Three Kingdoms and the confrontation between the North and the South, a war of unification is inevitable. Li Yi wants to end the troubled times as quickly as possible with a war, and then let the people rest and live a peaceful life for decades. It is a beautiful dream to want to be in a prosperous era forever.

Throughout history, our Chinese civilization has completed a large-scale land annexation approximately every 60 years, in other words, there will be turmoil every 60 years. If those in power do not kill a group of vested interests, either their own position will be lost, or the people will suffer and rebellion will continue.

Let's go back to Li Yi. Most of the people living between Xuanwu Gate and Tongde Temple are royal relatives and high-ranking officials. Although there are people on the main street, it is not as prosperous as Zhuque Avenue in the main city. Xiao Zongqing galloped on his horse, waving his whip and shouting to get out of the way, dispersing pedestrians, while Li Yi walked slowly.

Arriving at Tongde Temple, Xiao Zongqing bowed and said, "Thank you, Li Yuefu, for letting me win this one."

Li Yi returned the greeting and said, "Your Highness is an excellent rider. I am ashamed to be inferior to you."

The two men dismounted and walked to the gate of Tongde Temple. The two young monks came forward and saluted, saying, "Donor Xiao, is this the person that Master Da Yi wants to see?"

Xiao Zongqing performed a Buddhist ceremony and said, "Amitabha, that's right."

The two young monks bowed to Li Yi and said, "Please come in, benefactor."

Li Yi bowed and nodded, then followed the two little monks into the Tongde Temple. This was also a large temple, but not as grand as the Lingyin Temple. There were only about 500 monks, but the scale and style of the buildings were much more grand and luxurious. This was normal, after all, it was a royal temple.

Two young monks led Li Yi to a side hall. There were two martial monks guarding the door. The young monk stepped forward and bowed and greeted them. The two martial monks saluted Li Yi. One of them pushed the door open and said, "Please come in, sir. Master Dayi has been waiting inside for a long time." Li Yi returned the greeting and went in. The monk closed the door casually.

Li Yi looked around the side hall. There was no Buddha, Bodhisattva or Arhat statues. There was a large Buddhist character hanging on the wall, which was written quite majestically. You should know that in calligraphy, writing large characters is much more difficult than writing small characters. And such a large Buddhist character would definitely not work without a certain level of skill.

Under the word "Buddha", Xiao Yongming was sitting cross-legged in meditation. He didn't open his eyes when he heard the door open. He just kept reciting the sutras and moving the rosary beads in his hand. A serious Buddhist practitioner couldn't just recite half of the sutras, so Li Yi didn't interrupt him and sat aside without waiting for Xiao Yongming to speak.

When Xiao Yongming finished reading the scriptures, he opened his eyes and looked at Li Yi, who bowed and said, "Amitabha, I am honored to meet Master Da Yi."

Xiao Yongming nodded and said, "Xiuyuan, do you know why I want to see you alone?"

Li Yi shook his head and said, "Master, please explain clearly."

Xiao Yongming said, "Bodhidharma has been imprisoned in Tongde Pagoda by me. I have punished him to sweep the pagoda and recite sutras every day. He has committed many crimes and I don't know how to punish him. I called you here to listen to your advice."

Li Yi was surprised and said, "What? Your Majesty, you locked Master Bodhidharma in Tongde Pagoda? He is a great monk in the Buddhist country and the heir of the Buddha's mantle!"

Xiao Yongming said solemnly: "There is no Liang emperor, nor Wei music director here, only the Buddhist monk Da Yi and the secular disciple Li Xiuyuan."

Li Yi shook his head and said, "Yes, Master, you are right, but no matter what, we cannot lock up the descendant of Buddha! What crime has he committed?"

Xiao Yongming replied: "His battle with King Shura Donghai caused many riverbanks in Liang to burst, thousands of people were affected, fertile fields were flooded, and countless houses were destroyed. Isn't this a heinous crime?"

Li Yi said in embarrassment: "If that's the case, it is indeed a mistake, but his original intention is good after all! If we leave King Shura alone, who knows what kind of trouble will arise."

Xiao Yongming said: "If his original intention was not good, I would have made him die long ago to pay for his karma."

Li Yi scratched his head and said, "Master Da Yi, since it was his battle with King Shura that caused the suffering of the people, then he should be punished to pray for the deceased and lead Buddhist monks to rebuild houses for the affected people to make up for the losses. What do you think of this?"

Xiao Yongming said unhappily, "Why should the monks of Liang help him atone for the trouble he caused?"

Li Yi cursed in his heart: How dare you say such a thing? It's obvious that you don't want to contribute money for disaster relief! Put the blame on Bodhidharma. If it weren't for the evil cult of Shura Palace in your Nanliang, how could the Shura King be born in the world? How could this disaster come about? In the final analysis, the responsibility still lies with you, the emperor! Oh, I see, you became a monk now just to avoid the limelight! You want to wait until the disaster subsides before returning to the court! Are you still a human being?

Li Yi shook his head and sighed, "Master Da Yi, monks are compassionate and money is just a thing outside of their bodies. As a high monk, can you bear to watch the people suffer?"

Xiao Yongming shook his head and said, "Of course I can't bear to see it, so I recite scriptures day and night to pray for the deceased to be reborn and to pay for my sins!"

Li Yi cursed in his heart: Damn, you are so shameless! As an emperor, you don’t think about ways to raise money for disaster relief, but you just chant sutras in the temple. What’s the point of chanting sutras at this time! People are dead, and you are still praying for their salvation! Just chanting those sutras a few times can make them suffer less! I am really impressed! It’s a good thing that you are an emperor, otherwise I would have crushed you to the ground! And I have to rub you so hard that sparks will fly!

Li Yi thought about it again and again and asked: "Master Da Yi, I think Master Bodhidharma has profound Buddhist knowledge. Maybe he has other ways to repay karma. Why don't I go ask him?"

Xiao Yongming glanced at Li Yi, then closed his eyes and said, "Okay, then go ask him, and come back to me if you have a good idea. Deguan, give my magic tablet to Xiuyuan, and let him come in and out of Tongde Temple as he pleases."

Deguan walked out of the side hall, holding a wooden sign in both hands and handed it to Li Yi. The righteousness in the latter's body instantly responded that this monk Deguan was not a good person! Li Yi took the wooden sign and glanced at Xiao Yongming, who was chanting with his eyes closed, and then glared at Deguan with his Vajra eyes.

Deguan suddenly saw the fierce look of Acala, and felt the murderous intent. He was so scared that he fell to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly. Deguan's kowtow made Xiao Yongming open his eyes, and he asked, "Xiuyuan, why don't you go and ask?"

Li Yi bowed and said, "I will go right away. I will go right away."

After Li Yi left, Xiao Yongming asked Xiang Deguan: "A mere Venerable Realm frightened you like this?"

Deguan wiped the sweat off his head and said, "Uncle Master, he is not an ordinary Venerable! His killing intent just now was too strong. I will never be able to survive a single move in front of him!"

Xiao Yongming said contemptuously: "You are just exaggerating. Do you want me to call your master back?"

Deguan scratched his head and smiled: "Master, you are really amazing. Nothing can be hidden from you."

Xiao Yongming shook his head and smiled, "Okay, since Master Miaoyin is Li Yi and he is in Jiankang, your master can come back."

Deguan immediately bowed and said with a smile: "Yes, Uncle Master, I will go and inform Master right away!"

We switch the camera to Li Yi, who arrives at the Tongde Pagoda. There is no one guarding the pagoda, but he can sense an unusual force, and immediately uses the Confucian Qi-gazing technique to check. Li Yi then discovers that the entire pagoda is enveloped in a layer of golden energy, and a golden dragon is coiled on top of the pagoda.

Li Yi took a deep breath and thought: Damn it, this is impossible! How can an emperor like Xiao Yongming who treats his people like grass be worthy of possessing the dragon energy of the emperor? How can he, what right does he have, what virtue and ability does he have, this is impossible! Oh my God, you are kidding!

Li Yi couldn't understand how a tyrant like Xiao Yongming could have any good influence on future generations, so he shook his head helplessly and raised the wooden sign Xiao Yongming gave him. The golden dragon on the top of the tower glanced at him, flicked its dragon whiskers, and the golden light in front of the gate of Tongde Tower made way.

Li Yi sighed and pushed the door open. He shouted, "Master Bodhitara? Are you there?" After calling out several times without any response, Li Yi had no choice but to climb up floor by floor until he reached the top of the tower. Only then did he see Bodhitara with a wandering hairstyle, the same hairstyle as Monk Sha.

Li Yi stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Amitabha, this disciple Xiuyuan greets Master Bodhidharma."

Bodhidharma smiled and gestured to Li Yi to keep quiet, then pointed to the top of the tower and whispered: "Xiuyuan, watch me tease this golden dragon!" As he said that, he opened his right hand, and a golden lotus appeared in his palm, which he then threw upwards.

The lotus flew directly through the ceiling, and then the entire Tongde Pagoda began to tremble, shaking off a lot of dust. Then Bodhitara smiled and picked up the broom and began to sweep.

Li Yi saw this and scratched his head and said, "Master, what are you doing? Do you want to go out? You can go out anytime, right?"

Bodhidharma casually handed a broom to Li Yi and said, "It's so dusty. Don't talk. Help me clean this place first."

Li Yi sighed helplessly and accompanied Bodhidharma to sweep the pagoda. Li Yi was impatient, so he swept the large surface in the front while Bodhidharma was picking the gaps in the back. It took more than an hour to sweep the pagoda.

Li Yi sat under the Buddha statue, rubbing his waist and said, "Master, how many days have you been sweeping here?"

Bodhidharma counted on his fingers: "One, two, three, oh, it's been four days."

Li Yi said unhappily, "No, Master, you are already here sweeping the Four Heavenly Pagodas, why is there still so much dust? Didn't you know I would come and wait for me to help you sweep it?"

Bodhidharma pointed at Li Yi and said with a smile: "You are indeed a very perceptive boy! You have to come again tomorrow. This pagoda is too dirty and I can't clean it myself."

Li Yi shook his head and said, "Master, I can't clean it up either. As long as the tower is still standing here, it can't be cleaned up. The wind is strong and the dust is heavy here."

Bodhidharma smiled and said, "Buddhism also went through a similar situation back then. The king used the Buddhist temples to oppress the people, manipulate their hearts, and incite public resentment, almost destroying our Buddhist sect."

Li Yi asked: "How did Buddhism survive?"

Bodhidharma smiled bitterly and said, "A bodhisattva went into the palace alone, killed the king, and then passed away to pay for his karma."

Li Yi scratched his head and said, "No way, a king needs a bodhisattva to pay for his karma? Has that bodhisattva returned to Buddhism now?"

Bodhidharma looked at Li Yi and shook his head, saying, "He can never return to Buddhism, or he can never listen to the Buddha's teachings again."

Li Yi asked in confusion: "Master, which Bodhisattva are you talking about? Which sutra talks about this?"

Bodhidharma shook his head and said, "Because he broke the precept of killing, the Buddha expelled him from the Buddhist sect, so he could not return to Buddhism, and the scriptures never mentioned him again."

Li Yi asked: "Oh, is that so? Then which Bodhisattva is he?"

Bodhidharma smiled and said, "Miaoyin Bodhisattva."

Li Yi was surprised and asked, "What? Miaoyin Bodhisattva? How could it be Miaoyin Bodhisattva?"