Chapter 42 Chapter One

When we got back to Liye, we had a good rest and had a great time eating, so happy! "Xiucai, why don't you see those two women on the opposite side? Have you already returned to the hometown of Fenghuang?" Tian Gudao always misses those two women. After he reminded me, I miss Tian Xiaomei a little bit. When I went out, I met Ji Sanniang on the street. She was very polite and invited us to play in Duocuilou, with weird eyes. I didn't agree, thinking that her real purpose was to ask us to sing folk songs and match couplets to her. Not long after returning to the studio, there was a knock on the door downstairs.I thought it was Ji Sanniang who came to pester us again, and I was annoyed, and there was displeasure in my tone: "Didn't you just say it?"

When I opened the door, there was a shining bald head standing in front of the door, and a monk looked at me with puzzled eyes.I immediately apologized and said Amitabha. I thought he was here for alms, so I yelled at Tian Gudao to bring some things down. The monk immediately explained that he was not asking for alms this time, but specially invited us to walk the corpse. At this time, the ghost boy shot the monk's bald head with a slingshot from the corridor on the second floor. The monk's face tightened when he was hit on the forehead. It was obvious that the slingshot was powerful and the bullet was very painful.But the monk immediately returned to normal and was not angry.

In my heart, I admired the monk so much that he had practiced so well, and scolded the ghost boy, but the monk stopped me in turn and smiled at the ghost boy upstairs. I welcomed the monk into the room, Tian Gudao took out some broken silver and stuffed it into his arms, the monk quickly said: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding." Tian Gudao showed puzzled eyes, maybe it was the first time he met a monk who didn't want silver.I also laughed, and quickly explained the reason. It turned out that this monk became a monk at Jiashan Temple in Lizhou, and his Dharma name was empty. This time, he was sent by Master to invite us to drive the corpse.

In the past few days, an old monk in Jiashan Temple passed away. The old monk used to be a eunuch in the court, but later became a monk due to some business.The monk who passed away was from the Laifeng family in Hubei.They came here to find us to drive away the corpses, because our location in Liye is very close to Laifeng, and we are familiar with the roads. This monk is also a real person, and he gave another reason for looking for us: He used to find a few morticians, but when they heard that it was a eunuch's corpse, they refused to take the job.In fact, everyone who drove the corpse knew that the corpse of the eunuch was the most difficult to serve.Because the male root below him has been castrated, and the yang energy has already leaked.In addition, after serving as a eunuch for a long time, the yin energy in his body has gradually become stronger, and sometimes he even developed the habit of being cunning, insidious, cruel, vicious, framing the evil, and killing the loyal. Such corpses are even more difficult to drive away. .Generally speaking, morticians would not dare to accept jobs without high morals.If the eunuch's "lifeblood" is not well preserved after the eunuch's death, the corpse of this type of eunuch will most likely not be moved.How to deal with the eunuch's "lifeblood" after being cut off? "The body, hair and skin are the parents, and they cannot be damaged." The eunuchs attach great importance to the "lifeblood", and will not throw it away, but will try their best to keep it properly.The storage method is to put it in a lime powder box first, so as to absorb the moisture of the blood and keep it dry, then wipe it clean with a damp cloth, and then soak it in sesame oil.After the oil has penetrated, put it in a small wooden box and seal it tightly.Choose an auspicious day and hang it on the main beam of your own ancestral hall or home, implying "high promotion", symbolizing that the eunuchs can "promote step by step" in the court, which is the pursuit goal of all eunuchs.

There are also those who send the "life root" into the ancestral hall, because the body is given by the ancestors, and after cutting it off, it must be dedicated to the ancestors.If a eunuch forgot to ask for the "life root" after the operation, it was kept by the swordsmith, and when the eunuch entered the palace and made a fortune, he would redeem it with silver. If it is lost for some reason, a pottery or porcelain penis will be made for burial, or the "lifeblood" of other eunuchs will be rented.After the death of the eunuch, the family will sew the treasure back for him, and burn the castration voluntary letter, as if there is no such thing, so that the deceased can have a face to see the ancestors in the underworld.

We asked about the situation of the eunuch who passed away, and learned that his "lifeblood" is still in the hands of the castrator, and has never been redeemed. I wonder why since we opened, we have been driven by strange corpses.Tian Gudao said aside, this is in line with our purpose of "serving special groups".This is exactly what he wanted, no matter, if I earn more money, I can go to Changsha Prefecture to take the provincial examination as soon as possible. We hurriedly packed up our luggage, and set off with the monk to Jiashan Temple in Lizhou. Gui Zai Yao habitually unfurls the banner of Tianlu Corpse, but Monk Liaokong can't even say it.He said that he was a monk, and it was not appropriate to make it public when he walked with the corpse driver.Anyway, we were in a hurry, so we let him go. Gui Zai Yao put away the Tianlu Corpse flag and hid it on his body.

I have heard of this Jiashan Temple for a long time, and I used to imagine that one day I would visit it, but I didn't expect that this visit was actually because of corpses.Thinking about it this way, I feel that driving corpses is really a good job. Not only can I earn money, but I can also visit famous mountains, rivers and places of interest for free. The reason why Jiashan Temple is famous is related to a great monk named Fengtianyu in the temple. The Great Monk Fengtianyu is Li Zicheng, the leader of the peasant rebel army in folklore.Li Zicheng was known as the Grand Marshal of Fengtian Advocacy at the beginning, and the "Fengtian Yu Monk" should have lived with "Fengtian King", probably adding a dot to the word "Wang" to make it a taboo.The saying that the Great Monk Fengtianyu is King Li Chuang is believed by the common people in Jiashan and the western part of Hunan, and there are many legends.

Stories such as "Chuangwang Palace" and "Yuxi Well" spread around Jiashan Temple are even more well-known.It is said that when Li Zicheng withdrew from Beijing, he brought a jade seal from the Ming royal family to Jiashan, and abandoned it for fear of being searched by the government.During the Yongzheng period, a monk in the temple fished it out and offered it to the county magistrate, and the county magistrate handed it over to the imperial court. Later generations called this well "Yuxi well". It is also said that he built a tunnel with a height of two meters, a width of two meters and a total length of more than 100 meters under the Buddha seat of the fourth hall on the central axis of Jiashan Temple. It is said that there are weapons hidden in it.There is no doubt that this is the battle-ready fortification building of Monk Fengtianyu.Now that you have become a monk and become a monk, why do you want to build such a fortification and hide your weapons?It is nothing more than waiting for the opportunity, reviving, and creating the glory of Fengtian's advocacy.

In March of the thirteenth year of Kangxi (1674), the 70-year-old Fengtianyu monk passed away. His disciple Ye Fu feared that the Qing government would learn about digging up the grave and throwing away the corpse. The same empty porcelain altar was used as a cover, and then forty-eight suspicious tombs were piled up 30 miles southwest of Jiashan Mountain.The blue flower altar containing monk Fengtianyu's relics was sent to Luopu Temple, and the dragon robe and crown worn by monk Fengtianyu when he was Emperor Dashun were enshrined in a mahogany coffin and buried shallowly on the west slope of the temple.Ye Fu stayed in Chaoyang Temple on Luopu Mountain for three years.

When we asked Monk Kong about Li Chuangwang's affairs, he was always secretive and unwilling to answer.This made me believe in these legends even more. At this time, Tian Gudao told us a story about "the ghosts protect the Lord" that he had heard since he was a child. Of course, this story is related to King Li Chuang. It is said that several years after the great monk Fengtianyu passed away in Jiashan Temple, someone informed the court that the monk was Li Chuangwang, so the court sent officers and soldiers to dig the grave and whip the corpse.Because whipping corpses is not an elegant thing after all, the court was afraid that it would be embarrassing if it was spread, so the officers and soldiers chose to dig graves in the mountains at night.Jiashan Temple is named Jiashan Temple because it is surrounded by two mountains and connected together.When hundreds of officers and soldiers entered the Jiashan Gorge Road, suddenly, a huge wind blew in the valley, which made people shudder.Then, the leaves on both sides of the gorge made a rustling sound. The sound was a bit abnormal, as if someone was deliberately shaking it.

The officers and soldiers continued to move forward, and when they approached the tomb, many mountain beasts sprang out from both sides of the road, among which there were many ferocious beasts. Spitting out a red poisonous tongue, the appearance is very terrifying... The leader of the official government saw this and ordered arrows to attack and fire before repelling the beasts. Going forward, you will arrive at the tomb of King Chuang.The officers and soldiers were preparing to dig the grave with their swords. At this time, plumes of green smoke suddenly appeared from other surrounding graves, and then curled up, and then there were will-o'-the-wisps everywhere.Because of the order of the imperial court, the commander of the army had no choice, otherwise he would not be able to pay the job, so he forcibly ordered the grave to be dug. The soldiers didn't dare to disobey the military order, so they dug bravely. As soon as they dug, there was a scream suddenly. It turned out that one soldier dug down with a hoe, but dug it on the foot of another soldier beside him, and smashed the opponent's foot. The soles of the feet were all cut off from the ankles, and blood was splashed all over the place. The wounded man let out a horrific howl, which echoed in the tomb, adding to the gloomy atmosphere.Soon, the wounded man was carried away, and the soldiers continued to dig the grave, and then something even more terrifying happened. They either dug someone else's body, or the hoe in their hand seemed to be dragged from behind, unable to move.In the end, someone actually dug his companion's head, which was horrible.The officers and soldiers were terrified, they didn't dare to continue, they ended hastily, and went back with the gong... Later, people said that it was the ghosts of those dead guards and soldiers of King Chuang who were loyal guardians. Seeing that Monk Kong is quite taboo about Li Zicheng's affairs, it's not easy for us to ask further. Along the way, there was no material to talk about, and it was even more boring. After all, we had to find some topics to pass the time. "Master Liaokong, your Jiashan Temple is a Buddhist school, how can there be eunuchs in the temple?" Tian Gudao asked cautiously and tentatively.I was also very curious about this topic, but I didn't ask more questions just out of courtesy. "It's a long story, and I have to start with Tian Yi, the great eunuch of the Ming Dynasty." Monk Liao Kong didn't seem to mind this topic.Through his narration, we know some branches and leaves. After the death of court eunuchs in the past dynasties, they were generally buried in the west of Shuntian Mansion in the capital, where there is a large-scale group of eunuch tombs.The tombs of eunuchs are generally difficult to preserve well. For example, the luxurious tomb of Wei Zhongxian was destroyed by the order of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.Why can the tomb of a Ming Dynasty eunuch be preserved to this day?The main reason is that Tian Yi, the owner of the tomb, has a good reputation, so he did not encounter the fate of other great eunuchs who were majestic during their lifetime and were digged out of their graves after their death. This Tian Yi gradually became a powerful figure in the court from a poor boy in the countryside. During his sixty-three years of court career from entering the palace at the age of nine to his death, he experienced three emperors, Jiajing, Longqing and Wanli. He was the highest eunuch in the Ming Dynasty, and Emperor Wanli trusted him very much. Tian Yi's highest official position is the palm seal of the supervisor of rites, and he is a fourth-rank official.According to regulations, his salary should have been two hundred and eighty-eight stones a year, but due to the repeated rewards from the emperor, it gradually increased to more than six hundred stones in the end.In terms of this number, it is equivalent to the annual salary of a second-rank official, which is amazing. Ordinary eunuchs, once they have power, will do everything possible to interfere with the government and exclude loyal officials.However, Tian Yi became more loyal to his duties and worked cautiously as his position was continuously promoted, so he was appreciated by Emperor Wanli.He is a good eunuch who is upright and dares to speak out.In order to persuade Emperor Wanli to abolish exorbitant taxes, Tian Yi once argued hard.Emperor Wanli was so angry that he drew his sword to kill him, but he refused to retreat. Although the remonstrance ended in failure, Emperor Wanli still spared his life.In the 33rd year of Wanli, Tian Yi was ill, and Emperor Wanli sent a special medical officer to see him, but he died in the end.Emperor Wanli was very sad, especially for him to stop the court for three days, and within five days, he sent three people to sacrifice to him, and rewarded him with a lot of money, and ordered the craftsmen to dig an underground palace for burial, and special trees and stele pavilions for permanent sacrifice. Rare grace. With his own character, Tian Yi became a model for the later eunuchs to admire, and the eunuchs spontaneously kept watch for him. According to the palace regulations, once the general low-level eunuchs lose their ability to serve, they will be expelled from the palace. After they leave the palace, they generally will not return to their hometown.One is because people don't think very well of eunuchs, and the other is that eunuchs don't make much money, so they can't return to their hometowns, so they will find another place to stay.Some are engaged in antique sales, because the eunuchs are familiar with the objects in the palace and have certain identification advantages, so they are easy to be favored by antique shop owners. There are also those who return to their old profession and serve as servants and housekeepers for others. They still have their own uniqueness in serving people.Most eunuchs choose to live in temples in their later years. There are about 20 eunuch temples in Shuntian Prefecture, the capital.These eunuchs who were expelled from the palace built a temple next to Tian Yi's tomb because they admired the great eunuch Tian Yi's character. Later, monks from Jiashan Temple in Hunan traveled here, and they also respected Tian Yi, so they provided convenience for these southern monks and allowed them to go to Jiashan Temple to become monks.Therefore, there began to be more monks who had been eunuchs in Jiashan Temple. Monk Liaokong said that there are now seven or eight monks who used to be eunuchs in Jiashan Temple. Tian Gudao asked in an aggressive manner: "Master Liao Kong, you have never been a eunuch, have you?" Monk Liao Kong shook his head without any expression on his face.