Chapter 22 Chapter 20 is finally over

Li Shimin returned to Huoyi in a daze, and saw a burning house when he saw it. When he asked, he was shocked, Faya was imprisoned there! "Who set the fire!" Li Shimin was furious.Cui Jue is dead, if Fa Ya is dead, how can I prove whether the Netherworld is real or illusory? The waiting captain smiled wryly: "Your Majesty, Falla set the fire." Li Shimin was furious, and shouted into the fire: "Faya, you coward, dare not face me!" A Buddhist verse came from the fire scene: "The Dharma is in the world, and you can never leave the world to realize it. Seeking Bodhi after leaving the world is just like looking for the horns of a rabbit. Amitabha!"

Immediately the whole house collapsed, and the rumbling sound covered everything.Li Shimin was at a loss, he knew that he would never have a chance to prove the reality and illusion of the nether world.All traces of these wise men have been mercilessly erased, along with their lives. Li Shimin had no intention of patrolling Hedong again, and hurried back to Chang'an, where he immediately dismissed Pei Ji with a thunderbolt.Cut off half of the city and return it to Puzhou, the city.After so many years of hard work, Pei Ji finally returned to his hometown with dignity.However, Pei Ji's betrayal in this plan deeply offended Fa Ya's believers. A monk named Xin Xing often seduced Pei Ji's family boy, saying: "Pei Gong is talented and looks like an emperor."

The housekeeper ordered Gong to tell Pei Ji what Xinxing had said, and Pei Ji was terrified, so he ordered Gong to kill the house boy in private.Gong Ming didn't dare to kill, but just hid the family boy.Later, Gong Ming offended Pei Ji and reported it to Li Shimin. Li Shimin was furious, and settled the old and new accounts together, and issued an edict saying: "Four of those who have committed death crimes: one is the third prince, and he is intimate with the demon Fa Ya, one crime; after the incident, he is angry, saying that the country has the world, and I Conspiracy is two crimes; a monster says he has talent, but he hides it but does not show it, three crimes; shady killing to silence his mouth, four crimes. I kill without excuse. Almost."

This sentence was later recorded in the "Old Tang Book Biography of Pei Ji" and became Pei Ji's final statement.However, among the four crimes announced by Li Shimin, he was not involved in the killing of Liu Wenjing after all. At any rate, he was spared because of the act of dissipating the family wealth of the Judge Temple.Pei Ji was exiled to Jingzhou, Guangxi. A few years later, Li Shimin recalled him to Chang'an because of his old love. He died soon after at the age of sixty-two. At the same time, this experience of returning from the ghosts deeply affected Li Shimin. Although he always stubbornly believed that it was a conspiracy, he couldn't stop the fear in his heart.And personally issued an edict to repent: "Shi's teachings are deeply benevolent, and the prohibition of killing is the most important thing. Adhering to this principle will increase remorse and fear. Now it is appropriate to count the number of people who have been punished and cut by hand since the conquest. Nearly a thousand of them are all for building a fast and practicing the Tao, sincerely repenting... hoping that the difficulties of the three paths will be liberated because of this.

In the 22nd year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong of Tang was terrified because he killed his brother in the early years, so he asked Xuanzang, the monk he admired the most in his life: "If you want to cultivate merit, what is the most beneficial?" In the 23rd year of Zhenguan, when he was about to die, Li Shimin still asked Xuanzang about karma without reassurance.He never believed that he would die this year, even though his body was extremely weak, he still insisted on taking the elixir refined by the Indian wizard Naluoer Sapomei.Faced with the objections of the ministers, he told them: "I have already received the oracle from heaven, and I still have ten years to live. How can I die because of the medicine of the Hu monk?" Not long after taking the medicine, his body could no longer hold on. He died suddenly.

In the summer of the third year of Zhenguan, Xuanzang returned to Chang'an, hung in Hongfu Temple, and then made a petition to Li Shimin again, asking for permission to travel westward to Tianzhu.In the first year of Zhenguan, he ignored it, but this time it was different. Li Shimin summoned Xuanzang in person and asked him the purpose of his westward journey, and Xuanzang stated them one by one. Li Shimin was full of admiration, and said with emotion: "Compared with Fa Ya, Master's way of seeking Buddha is the right way of the Tathagata! The Master is willing to go far into the vast sea, travel hundreds of countries, and seek the true Dharma of the Tathagata for my Tang Dynasty. The reason why you don’t like it? It’s just that the mage knows that the Western Regions are unstable now, and the Eastern Turks dominate the desert, and their iron hooves invade from time to time. Since the reign of Wude, in order to strictly prevent secret spies and capitalize on the enemy in the name of business travellers, the imperial court ordered the blockade of the pass, and everyone waited. Nothing like salt, iron or cloth is allowed to leave the customs."

Xuanzang smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty knows the origin of the poor monk. He is definitely not a secret spy, and he will not carry salt, iron or cloth." "Of course I know." Li Shimin also smiled, but his face was serious, "But the mage has traveled all over the country, and he has a great understanding of the truth and reality of various places in the Tang Dynasty. I am afraid that if the mage is captured by a foreign race, then you will be a living map! Besides, you are a famous monk in our country, if you fall into the hands of the barbarians, how can I tell the people of the world? I know the great wish of the mage, and I will wait for a few years, and when I recover Hexi and defeat the Eastern Turks, I will definitely let the mage go west."

Xuanzang is speechless, wait until he recovers Hexi and defeats the Eastern Turks?Then when will I wait, maybe even my beard will turn white and I won't be able to get out of the bed.He begged again and again, but Li Shimin finally refused, so Xuanzang had to return to Hongfu Temple disconsolately. When we arrived at the mountain gate of the temple, suddenly there was a voice behind me calling out in a low voice: "Brother Xuanzang..." Xuanzang trembled all over, turned his head hastily, and saw a beautiful girl standing among the pilgrims, it turned out to be Luluo! "Miss Luluo," Xuanzang was surprised and delighted, "Why are you here? That day Xingtang Temple was underground, and then the temple collapsed. The poor monk thought that something bad happened to you."

"Are you happy that something happened to me?" Lu Luo asked coldly, "I won't pester you anymore, are you very happy?" Xuanzang smiled wryly. A look of mourning appeared on Luluo's face, and she murmured: "That day after you jumped into Huanyang Lake with Your Majesty, I met my father, and then he arranged for someone to send me to Jinzhou overnight, until three days later, I Only then did I know what happened to Huo Yi, the Xingtang Temple collapsed, my father died, my mother died, and even my stepfather died... I am alone in this world, and I have no relatives anymore. Fortunately, I have the help of the magistrate. It was just behind the Judgment Temple in Huoshan that my parents and stepfather were buried. Later, when I heard that you had come to Chang’an, I came all the way to look for you, and finally found out that you lived in Hongfu Temple.”

Xuanzang was full of pity, this girl's life experience is really miserable, he sighed: "What will Miss Luluo plan to do in the future?" Luluo shook her head, with a blank expression on her face: "Since I found you, I will follow you!" Xuanzang was stupid, but Luluo did what she said, and she followed Xuanzang ever since.She couldn't live in Hongfu Temple, so she rented a house opposite. Cui Jue arranged her future very well, and she didn't need to consider living expenses at all.This little girl ran to Hongfu Temple every day, and she was called Shangxiang, but she was actually staring at Xuanzang.

In autumn and August, Chang'an, Guandong, Henan, Longyou and other border states were hit by frost and hailstorms. The crops were cut off and hungry people were everywhere. Where are you going. One day Xuanzang heard that there were a large number of disaster victims going west to Longyou, and his heart was moved: "If you mix in with the disaster victims, can you get out of the border and go west to Tianzhu?" He moved as he said, packed his bags, completed the formalities for leaving the temple, and left Hongfu Temple. Unexpectedly, before he reached the mountain gate, Luluo came to meet him with a food box.Seeing him carrying a bag and dressed as if he was going on a long trip, he couldn't help being surprised: "Brother Xuanzang, where are you going?" Xuanzang had no choice but to talk about his plan to get out of the border and go west to Tianzhu.Luluo immediately burst into tears, fell to the ground helplessly, and cried, "Brother Xuanzang, tell me, why is it so difficult to find someone to rely on in this world?" Xuanzang let out a long sigh: "You are too persistent. You have never appreciated the splendor of the world. You just pinned your ignorant hopes on a monk. You are undoubtedly looking for fish on the edge of a tree, looking for a rabbit to find a corner. Miss Luluo, you go behind the poor monk. Look, the world is so colorful, you haven't seen it at all!" "I don't want to watch!" Luluo was furious, jumped up and stomped her feet, "I just want to wait for the day when you change your mind!" She looked up at Xuanzang, and suddenly pulled out an ice blue scimitar from her bosom, coldly Tunnel said, "This is Bo Luoye's scimitar. I have always carried it with me. If I can't get you, I will use this scimitar to end my own life. I killed Bo Luoye and used his Knife, pay for his life!" Xuanzang was sweating all over his head, but he didn't know how to relieve it. He said anxiously: "But the poor monk will be swallowed by the vast sea in all likelihood, and he won't be able to come back at all!" "I don't care!" Luluo resolutely said, "I can't stop you if you decide to go, but tell me when you come back, and I'll wait for you! If you don't come back when the time comes, I will use this knife, Cut my neck!" Xuanzang was helpless, and suddenly saw a huge pine tree in front of him, with branches and leaves pointing westward.He pointed to the pine tree and said decisively: "After I go, maybe three or two years, or maybe five or seven years, but if the pine branches in the mountain gate face east, I will come back. Otherwise, I will definitely not go back." Luluo looked at the pine tree and nodded calmly: "Brother Xuanzang, I remember. I will always wait here, waiting for the day when the branches turn east..." Xuanzang was speechless, and left in a daze with his bags on his back.Until his back disappeared, Lu Luo still stood under the pine tree in a daze, looking up... Xuanzang carried his bags and traveled westward alone. He did not know how many days he had walked. On this day, passing through a village in Qinzhou, he suddenly saw a group of villagers surrounded by a group of villagers listening to a man under a big willow tree next to a well at the head of the village. Talk about Bianwen.Bianwen has just emerged in recent years, full of stories, can be told, can be sung, the content is mostly Buddhist scriptures, and is very popular among the people at the bottom.A group of villagers surrounded the man with three floors inside and three floors outside. Although there were many people, everyone held their breath and listened to the man's lecture and singing. Xuanzang had never heard of the Bianwen story told by that man, and only heard a hoarse voice: "The emperor said in surprise: "Recalling the three to five years of Wude, I collected sixty-four smoke and dust. Personal conquests, no battles, no battles, no battles, no experience, the number of murders is large. The crimes in the past were deep, but now I have suffered the crimes. How will I return to the way of life?' Worried and drunk..." Xuanzang was startled suddenly, Wude three years, collected sixty-four smoke and dust, doesn't this mean that he is the emperor of the dynasty?He stopped and listened quietly, but he heard the man keep talking and singing: "The emperor stood still in front of the Xiao gate, and a general said loudly: "The soul of Li, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, has been arrested today." A ghost soldier led the emperor to the gate of the hall. Let's do obeisance, but the emperor doesn't do obeisance. There is a high-ranking person in the hall who shouted: "Li, the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, why don't you do obeisance?" , I am only worshiped by people, but I am not used to worshiping people. I am the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and King Yama is the head of the ghost group. Why do you ask me for worship?" ? Qing approached and said lightly.' The judge said: 'My surname is Cui and my name is Jue...'" Xuanzang was shocked when he heard this. What this man was talking about was actually the part when Li Shimin visited the Netherworld!Even Cui Jue was among them.He hurriedly picked up a man who was listening with great interest, and asked, "Dare to ask the benefactor, what are you listening to?" The man didn't turn his head back, and hurriedly said: ""The Record of the King of the Tang Dynasty", this is the latest Bianwen, and it is about the current Majesty!" Xuanzang was dumbfounded. At this moment, a dignified young woman suddenly walked over from a distant village leading a two or three-year-old boy with a thick head and a thick head. He walked outside the crowd and said with a smile: "Chen Lang, it's time to go home for dinner." !" "Oh, the lady of the Chen family is here!" The men around laughed together, and they all stepped out of the way. The man who was talking about Bianwen walked out of the crowd, took the hand of the lady and his son, and said with a big laugh: "That's it for today, go home go for meal!" The couple led their children and laughed happily all the way to the village. Xuanzang looked at the man's back, as if struck by a thunderbolt, he was dumbfounded.Even if it takes ten years or a hundred years, no matter how the whole world changes, he will never forget that face, because that face is his best memory since he was ten years old, accompanying him through the most difficult time in his life, leading him to the Buddha the way home, and with the same blood that runs through his body! ——That was the elder brother he had been looking for for a long time, Chang Jie! "That young woman is the third lady of the Pei family, right? That child is my nephew..." For a moment, Xuanzang burst into tears, his gratitude and joy made him unable to control his emotions. At this time, he remembered Cui Jue's words before he died: "If you see Chang Jie later, tell him, I thank him, and I will never hate him again." It was Chang Jie who eloped with Pei Xiang and attracted the attention of the court, which made Cui Jue's situation extremely difficult.In order to prevent the court from seeing his appearance and keep his secrets, he even peeled off his entire face, and then made a human skin mask to wear on his face again! It is this pain of being forced to disfigure that makes Cui Jue hate Chang Jie deeply.But it happened that he was disfigured a few years ago, and Li Shimin finally captured him, but he couldn't determine his true identity.Resurrection from the ghosts has become a lingering nightmare in the emperor's heart forever!Faya and Cui Jue narrowly succeeded!It is precisely because of this that Cui Jue finally let go of his hatred for Chang Jie and forgave him before he died. Li Shimin's menacing words sounded in Xuanzang's ears: "As for your second brother, one is that he retreated bravely, which is considered interesting, and the other is that I can't find him. You, just hope that I will never find him. !" "Second brother," Xuanzang murmured, staring at Chang Jie's back with misty eyes, "I wish you never let the emperor find you!" He let out a long laugh, wiping away his tears.In the wind and sand everywhere, the lonely figure embarks on a long journey westward. I don't know how many years have passed, the Tang Dynasty has been strong for a while, and Chang'an City has become the greatest city in the world.The girl with bright eyes and kind eyes in the past is now haggard and her gray hair has grown prematurely, but she still guards Hongfu Temple and the old ancient pine in the temple.She came to the pine tree every day, looked at the branches and leaves of the pine tree pointing westward, and kept saying: "Brother Xuanzang, you promised me that it will be three or two years, or five or seven years, but look at the pine branches in the mountain gate." Xiangdong, you will come back. Now two five or seven years have passed, why don't you come back..." Pedestrians and pilgrims under the tree stared at this crazy woman in panic, and walked around one by one, whispering non-stop: "This crazy woman is here again!" "Why does she go around under this pine tree every day?" "You don't know yet? It is said that this woman has been wandering around under this tree for sixteen years. I heard from the monks in the temple that she has been wandering under this tree every day since the third year of Zhenguan. Now it is the nineteenth year of Zhenguan. Isn't that sixteen years?" "Is she crazy or stupid? What's going on?" "No one knows, she never talks to people, but wanders around under the tree every day, muttering to herself. No one can understand what she is talking about." Suddenly the crowd became noisy, and everyone looked up: "Look! That woman has climbed a tree!" Everyone stared dumbfounded, only to see that the woman was holding a scimitar with a cold light in her hand, climbing onto the tree trunk, and slashing desperately towards the branch that was pointing westward.The scimitar had a strange pattern on it, and it looked extremely sharp. When the knife was slashed, the arms-thin branches fell off in response.The woman seemed to be crazy, and she yelled, "You lied to me! You lied to me! Why haven't you come back—" She was crying as she chopped, and in the blink of an eye, the branch was cut to pieces.Immediately, he jumped down from the tree and stared at the ancient pine infatuatedly: "Brother Xuanzang, you said, but if you see that the pine branch in the mountain gate is facing east, I will come back. Look, the pine branch is facing east..." Everyone looked in surprise, and they saw that after the thickest branch was cut off, there was only one pine branch facing east... The woman hugged the tree trunk and slowly fell to the ground, looked up at the pine branches and smiled foolishly: "Brother Xuanzang, you are finally back..."