Records of Mysterious Things in the Southern Dynasties

Chapter 285 Joint
After returning to the palace, Xiao Hong first changed his shorts, and then lay on the bed, gasping for breath.

While helping him change his clothes, Jiang Wuwei asked curiously, "Is your Highness possessed by an evil spirit? Why are you so frightened?"

"Is it a ghost? It's more like seeing a ghost." Xiao Hong said with a face full of fear: "It's a miracle that I can come back alive today..."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Wuwei flashed his big eyes that had not been polluted by knowledge.

"..." Xiao Hong wished that the whole world didn't know what he had done, so how could he tell her? He waved his hand and said, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you, so leave me alone."

Jiang Wuwei pouted and left with an unhappy look on his face.

The world finally quieted down. Xiao Hong lay on the bed, listening to the desperate cicada calls outside, and carefully reviewed the whole incident.

Although what the third brother said sounded fine at first, the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.

Because he remembered clearly that he had met the Third Sister-in-law at the beginning, and it was he who killed the Third Sister-in-law's soul in the end. On the contrary, Xiao Yuyao had never done anything from beginning to end, so why did the Third Sister-in-law think that it was her who did it and forgot about him?
Xiao Hong didn't know whether his sister-in-law was really distracted and had forgotten, or whether his eldest brother didn't want the family's disgrace to be made public, so he tried to calm himself down first and settle the score later.

After thinking it over, he felt that the latter was more likely... Whenever he recalled the expression on his third brother's face when he asked the question, Xiao Hong shuddered, and felt that the tremendous anger was not just directed at Xiao Yuyao.

This speculation made him fall into fear again. He was restless and confused for a while.

After pacing back and forth in the hall until dark, Xiao Hongcai solemnly instructed the prince:

"Go to Qixia Temple and offer seven golden flowers."

"Yes." Xiao Zhengyi responded from outside the door.

~~
Seven days later, Xiao Hong came to Qixia Temple.

Qixia Temple is located on Qixia Mountain, 20 miles outside Jiankang City. Qixia Mountain is adjacent to the Yangtze River to the north, with beautiful scenery and maple trees planted all over the mountain. Every late autumn, the bigwigs in Beijing would come here to climb the mountain and enjoy the autumn.

But it was too early to enjoy the maple leaves, and no one would come to visit the mountain in the scorching heat. In addition, Qixia Temple had cleared the area in advance for his arrival, so the entire Qixia Mountain was empty, without a single person in sight.

Qixia Temple was first built in the seventh year of Yongming in the Qi Dynasty, and was donated by Ming Sengshao, a lay Buddhist from Pingyuan. It has a longer history than Tongtai Temple, but its status is far from being comparable to the world's number one temple, and the monks in the temple naturally do not have the arrogance of Tongtai Temple. Abbot Zhende led the crowd to welcome Xiao Hong at the gate early.

"Amitabha, Your Majesty, welcome to visit us again." Master Zhende clasped his hands together and bowed respectfully.

"Master, you are too polite." Xiao Hong said amiably, "This prince and Qixia Temple share weal and woe. It is time for me to go home."

"Yes, yes, welcome home, Your Highness." Zhende followed suit and led Xiao Hong up the mountain and into the temple.

After burning incense in the Main Hall, Xiao Hong went straight to the Thousand Buddha Rock on the cliff behind the Wuliang Hall.

This place is known as the "Yungang in the South of the Yangtze River" and is the only grotto in the Southern Dynasties. It is said that after Ming Sengshao died, his son and the abbot Fadu carved the Buddha of Infinite Life and the two Bodhisattvas Guanyin and Shizhi on the two walls of the West Peak.

After the Buddha statue was carved, it shone brilliantly on the top of the niche. As a result, the nobles of the Qi and Liang dynasties heard about it and carved Buddha statues on the stone wall according to the height, depth and width of the rocks, with five or six or seven or eight statues in a niche, which was called the Thousand Buddha Rock.

For a time, Qianfoyan became a place where princes and nobles competed with each other for strength. Anyone who did not carve a niche of Buddha statue here would be embarrassed to go out and see people.

As the richest man, Xiao Hong naturally wanted to show his strength. He not only carved the largest and most magnificent Buddha statue, but also donated gold to dress all the Buddha statues in Qianfoyan. Qianfoyan became golden and resplendent, and Xiao Hong also became the honorary abbot of Qixia Temple.

At this moment, the honorary abbot said that he wanted to meditate by the wall under the Thousand Buddha Rock. Master Zhende quickly had people set up the futons, incense burners, and wooden fish, and then led everyone to retreat.

"I won't disturb His Majesty's meditation."

~~
Under the gaze of thousands of Buddhas, Xiao Hong sat cross-legged on a cushion with his eyes slightly closed, like an old monk in meditation.

The mountain breeze is blowing, the summer heat is not intrusive, the Buddhist chants are ringing, and the dust in the heart is gradually washed away...

But he was too upset to concentrate. He sighed and slowly opened his eyes, and saw a man in a black robe, a pure white mask, with gray hair and a thin and tall figure, who appeared in front of him without him noticing.

Xiao Hong's heart tightened. With his Nine Apertures supernatural power, he was not aware of it at all. It can be seen that the other party is really as the legend says, already half man, half god.

"Why are you so nervous, Your Majesty? Didn't you invite me here?" The person who came was Xiao Baoyin. He landed gracefully in front of Xiao Hong, lifted his robe elegantly, and sat down cross-legged.

"It's just that the place they chose is not very good. Not only did they imitate those idiots from the Northern Dynasties to build statues on the stone wall, but they also covered it with a layer of gold foil, which is even more vulgar." Xiao Baoyin commented casually, "I remember there was no such layer of gold foil back then..."

"..." Xiao Hong almost fainted, and after a while he said in a muffled voice: "I packed it..."

"Haha, it does have a unique charm if you look closely." Xiao Baoyin laughed and said, "I didn't expect that someone like the prince is a devout Buddhist."

"I don't believe in Buddhism. If I did, I would go to hell." Xiao Hong said calmly, "I'm just trying to please my third brother."

"This is human nature. However, everyone says that your brother is a devotee of Buddhism, but from what I have seen, there are not many more Buddhist temples in Jiankang City than in the past?" Xiao Baoyin smiled casually.

"The imperial court is so poor that they have to use iron as money. How can they build large-scale projects and establish many Buddhist temples?" Xiao Hong said calmly.

"Yes, if the prince is as rich as him, how can the court not be poor?" Xiao Baoyin nodded.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Hong said unhappily, "You've tried to ask me out several times, just to say a few sarcastic words?"

"Of course not." Xiao Baoyin smiled apologetically and said, "Don't blame me, Your Majesty. People of a fallen country can't help themselves."

"Do you still want to restore your country?" Xiao Hong glanced at Xiao Baoyin coldly.

"I no longer have that thought." Xiao Baoyin spread his hands and said frankly, "How could I not know that the fate of the Great Qi has come to an end? Besides, I don't have the ability to go against the will of heaven."

After a pause, he said in a deep voice: "I just want to avenge my royal brother and take Xiao Yan's life, and then I will never return to the Southern Dynasty."

"Is it really that simple?" Xiao Hong looked at Xiao Baoyin.

"Well, actually I came here by imperial order." Xiao Baoyin sighed and said, "After the Six Garrisons Rebellion, the Northern Dynasty fell into civil strife. Not only did local heroes rise up, but there were also constant coups in the capital. I was recalled to Luoyang last time, and I have a better understanding of the crisis in the Northern Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is as precarious as an egg on the brink of collapse."

After exposing his own shortcomings, Xiao Baoyin then stated his purpose: "The Northern Dynasty is currently unable to fight the Southern Dynasty, so I have been entrusted by the Queen Mother and Prince Gaoyang to negotiate peace with the Southern Dynasty."

(End of this chapter)