Chapter 9 Chapter nine

Dozens of water and land offerings have been arranged in the big dining hall under the west building, and all Taoists, practitioners, deacons, etc. in Chaoyun Temple are seated.The actors of Guan Laizi's troupe and Tao Gan sat at a table near the entrance of the restaurant. When Zhenzhi and Daoqing saw Tianshi Sun and Di Gong coming downstairs hand in hand, they hurriedly went forward to salute and welcomed them into the middle table.The host and guest made some concessions and took their seats.The sound of cymbals and silk and bamboo on both sides rang together, and everyone moved their cups one after another.The table was steaming and noisy.

Di Gong and Tao Gan exchanged glances.He found that Mrs. Bao and Bai Meigui did not attend the banquet, and what made him even more puzzled was that Momo at the table of Guan Laizi's troupe did not show up either. After Di Gong had three cups of rice wine, he hated that there was no meat on the table.He smiled and said to Zhenzhi: "After the meal, I would like to pay respects to the temples of Baoguan; Virtue is most revered." Zhenzhi said: "Xiaodao is very happy to accompany Mr. Di to watch the joy, but the underground palace of real person Yujing seems unstable. It is okay to enter in autumn and winter. Now in early summer, the air is humid. In case the golden body gets wet and rots Qi, what should I do?"

Di Gong said nothing. Sun Tianshi said: "Yu Jing is a talented person. He not only has a deep knowledge of classics, is knowledgeable about heaven and man, but also is proficient in poetry, especially calligraphy and Danqing." Di Gong hurriedly said: "I wonder if I can show you a few wonderful works by real person Yujing, so as to satisfy the eyes of the officials." Zhenzhi raised his eyebrows and said: "It's a pity, it's a pity, but his calligraphy and paintings are also buried in the underground palace, and I may not be able to see them for a while. I hope Master Di will forgive me."

Sun Tianshi said: "However, the last picture of the jade mirror is still hanging in the Four Saints Hall on the east side of the main hall. After fasting, it will not be too late for me to lead you to see it. That painting is a cat, and the jade mirror He loved his gray cat very much during his lifetime, so he often used cats as the theme of his paintings.” Mr. Di clapped his hands and drank several more cups of fragrant rice wine. After drinking for three rounds, everyone was slightly drunk, the table was messed up, and people were staggering.Di Gong sat next to Zong Li at the next table, and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you see Mrs. Bao and her daughter Bai Meigui?"

"Her daughter?" Zong Li said drunkenly, "Master really believes that such a beautiful girl like a fairy is the daughter of Mrs. Bao who is like a toad?" Duke Di laughed and said, "Madam Bao may have been very beautiful when she was young." Zong Li said with a stiff tongue: "Mrs. Bao is not a respectable woman, how could Bai Meigui be her daughter?" He hiccupped, shook his head again, and asked with a mysterious expression: "Master thinks Bai Meigui is her daughter?" Rose really wants to become a monk and become a female Huangguan?" Di Gong shook his head: "However, I will ask her myself, where are they at the moment?"

"Maybe eating in their own room, how can a delicate yellow girl mix with this group of obscene Taoist priests?" Duke Di nodded, and said, "I really want to see the golden body of the 'Golden Elixir of Remorse' that you mentioned, but Zhenzhi just said that the underground palace cannot be entered this season, for fear that the golden body will be corrupted by moisture." Li smiled mysteriously: "Is that what Zhenzhi said? He is afraid..." "Master Zong, have you ever been to the underground palace?" "No. But I really want to go down and have a look. Master, Yujing...he died for no apparent reason."

"what?" "That poor old fairy was probably poisoned to death, so it's called 'Golden Pill of Repentance'. Be careful, someone is about to kill you and me..." "Master Zong, you're drunk!" Di Gong said. "Drunk? Haha! But the old fairy was not drunk when he wrote the letter to my father! It was his last letter before he ascended to heaven." Di Gong frowned, and asked again: "Did Yu Jing mention in that letter that his life was in danger?" Zong Li nodded, and sucked up the wine in his glass in one gulp. "Who does he say tried to take his life?"

Zong Li smiled slightly and shook his head. "How can I frame others for nothing? Master, I'll tell you when I get the evidence!" Di Gong squinted at Zong Li, thinking that although this scholar is frivolous and shallow, his father, Zongfa Meng, is a respected gentleman with a clean official voice and outstanding achievements in government. If Yujing really wrote a letter to him before he died Patriarchal family Meng, then, there must be something strange about Yujing's death.And I should be obliged to find out the inside story and find out the truth. Di Gong asked Zong Li again in a low voice: "Could it be that Zhenzhi was involved in this dirty conspiracy? You said he was afraid, what was he afraid of?"

Zong Li smiled slyly, and replied drunkenly: "Master, you might as well ask him yourself! He won't lie to you." Duke Di stood up angrily and returned to his seat.He knew that this scholar was really drunk. Zhen Zhi saw that Di Gong was sitting still, and said: "Look at Zong Li, a dissolute boy who doesn't follow the right path and loves flowers and sleeps wine. He is very different from his father! His father, Zong Gong, is so admired and respected!" Di Gongdao: "Of course. If the officials of the imperial court are like Mr. Zong, why don't you worry about the foundation of eternal peace? The human way is 'like father, like son', but it is not true. Old fairy, I want to ask Yu Jing What disease did the real person die from?"

Zhenzhi sternly said: "The real Yujing passed away without any illness, and became an immortal. He was pure in virtue, flawless in white jade, perfect in three thousand skills, and perfect in eight hundred lines. He finally burned incense and sat down. The light is shining all around, and there are many auspicious clouds in the sky, and they gather leisurely. All the Taoists on the trail and in the temple have witnessed the wonderful scene with their own eyes, and they are very envious in their hearts." Sun Tianshi also nodded. "That scene is really unforgettable. Before the jade mirror ascended to the immortal, the Taoists in the audience talked about the laws of the stars and the river map, and passed on the secret scripts. It took a full hour, and they left with a smile on their eyes. Okay, let's not talk about the jade mirror. , let’s go and see the picture of a cat he painted before he ascended to him! It’s the most sacred object of the concept.”

When Di Gong followed Sun Tianshi out of the dining hall, he whispered to Tao Ganzhi who was sitting at the table by the door, "Just wait for me at the door, I will be back soon." Sun Tianshi led Di Gong into the Sanqing Hall, and four Taoist boys in Qingyi held lanterns as attendants.In the middle of the main hall, there are huge statues of Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, and Taiqing Taishang Laojun.There is a Black Tiger Profound Altar built behind Sanqing Divine Kitchen, which is dedicated to Marshal Zhao Gong.Candles were burning high on the altar, and there was a strange fragrance.On the west side of the main hall, there are twenty-eight star kings.Thirty-three emperors, the other four meritorious officials, spirit officials and generals, Liuliao Liujia, Tiangangdisha, need not be described in detail. They entered the Four Saints Hall through the east door of the main hall.In the Four Sacred Halls are the statues of Emperor Zhenwu, Zhenjun Taiyi, Old Man Nanji, and Emperor Ziwei, and many lamps are lit on the central altar.Sun Tianshi held up a stick to illuminate a delicately framed Sobo painting hanging on the two walls.In the picture, a gray cat is on a carved table in Fuyi, with a flower ball beside it, and a porcelain pot behind it. The thin stone orchid bamboo in the porcelain pot is very elegant. Sun Tianshi said: "Yu Jing likes this cat the most. He has drawn many pictures of this cat. This one should be considered as a masterpiece, and the brushwork is even more perfect." Duke Di didn't take it seriously.He is a connoisseur of ancient paintings and has seen many famous paintings in his life.This picture of cats is a little bright because of the sacred virtue of the jade mirror, but there is nothing superior in the brushwork. "It's a good painting." Mr. Di replied politely. Sun Tianshi said with infinite emotion: "Yu Jing ascended to heaven in the afternoon when he finished painting this picture. After he ascended to heaven, the cat didn't want to eat or drink, and died whining for several days; it was also a righteous creature in the end. Well, Renjie Brother, I'm going to do my evening work. Tomorrow dawn, before you leave, I hope to see you again, to be honest, I like you very much." After Di Gong sent Sun Tianshi off, Tao Ganji came to wait for him outside the gate of the main hall: "Master, Momo still hasn't shown up. Guan Laizi said don't worry about Momo, he is such an elusive person." Duke Di asked, "Nothing unusual happened in the dining hall, right?" "No. It's just that a belated Taoist made a big complaint. He didn't get his own cup and chopsticks, so he had to wait for the other Taoist priests to finish eating and drinking. Quite a few. Oh, Laizi Guan invited me to his room to chat again, so I think it’s better to take the opportunity to find out the background of those actors.” Di Gong said happily: "Let's go now! I'm also going to visit Mrs. Bao and Bai Meigui now. The whereabouts of their mother and daughter always give me an ominous premonition, and their relationship with Miss Ouyang is also confusing. Answer. Yes, Zong Li told me in a drunken banquet just now that Bai Meigui is not Mrs. Bao’s daughter, and she doesn’t really want to come to Chaoyun Temple to practice as a monk. But Zong Li drank too much. It's hard to guess, but Zhenzhi and Sun Yiming despise Zong Li very much, saying that he loves flowers and sleeps wine and doesn't follow the right path. Do you know which room Mrs. Bao and Bai Meigui live in?" "The second floor of the east building, the one at the end of the west corridor." Tao Gan replied. "Okay, I'll come to Guan Laizi's room to find you later." Di Gong turned from the corridor outside the main hall to the east building and went up to the second floor.At this time the night was very deep, the surroundings were very quiet, and it was still raining lightly outside the building.Mr. Dee went around the west corridor and hurriedly walked towards the room at the end. The rustling of his robes was very clear in the silent corridor.Suddenly he felt the rustling of his sleeves getting louder, and he also faintly smelled a greasy fragrance.Just as he was feeling surprised, there was a sudden "collapse", his head shook for a while, gold stars flashed in front of his eyes, and then it was pitch black.Can't see anything, can't hear anything.