After the family fell, I wanted to lie down

Chapter 122 Two People with a Tension

New Year's Eve has passed, the ancestor worship has ended, and the officials who were on holiday are still on vacation. It is said that this year's annual leave is especially long. Prime Minister Ji said that Your Majesty is young and needs rest, but in private, everyone knows that it was Hu Gongye who took His Majesty to Huangjue Temple.

"I should be able to see the Imperial Master this time, but I don't know if he will come to the capital."

It was a cold winter day. Several horses were galloping in the wilderness. Leading the group was a man wrapped in a huge cloak. The wind blew his sail hat, revealing his face. This man was Hu Gongye.

A timid voice from the cloak called out, "Uncle, are we going to the same temple as last time?"

Hu Gongye looked ahead and replied, "You are wrong. Huangjue Temple is just the incarnation of Buddha. Every time we find him, he changes a lot. I don't know where he is this time or what he looks like. Also, Your Majesty should call me Hu Gongye." He looked down at the little emperor who was wearing the same cloak as him.

The little emperor exclaimed.

The guard beside him interrupted their conversation at the right time and said, "Sir, there is a temple ahead."

When Hu Gongye heard the guard's reminder, he looked up and forward, and sure enough, there appeared a deserted temple in a desolate place. The Huangsi Temple is connected to the divine vein. It is said that every year on the eighth day of the first lunar month and the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, if one walks north with a reverent heart, he will be able to find the Huangsi Temple.

"I hope we will have better luck this time and be able to find the Imperial Master, so that we can return earlier."

The little emperor beside him was also happy. Even though there were people serving him when walking in the wild, it was not as comfortable as staying in the palace. Hu Gongye did not take the carriage, but got off the horse alone. He also asked the emperor to get off the horse and walked behind him. It was cold in winter, and people would suffer even more when the wind blew.

Hu Gongye walked towards the temple. The two guards behind him looked at each other and said, "I remember that the temple in front of us seemed to be called Jing'an Temple."

The guards were very familiar with the places near Shangjing. Another guard nodded and said, "Huangjue Temple is not a temple. Wherever there are people, there is Huangjue Temple."

They galloped and soon arrived at the temple. The temple did not look very big and was rather shabby. The area around the temple was also somewhat desolate, except for a few peach trees planted there. If they had come in spring, it would have been a different scene, but at this time it seemed somewhat deserted.

At this time, the door of the temple was closed. The guards dismounted and stood around. They did not go forward to knock on the door, but were waiting for Hu Gongye.

Hu Gongye dismounted alone, picked up the little emperor who was riding the same horse with him, and helped him tidy up his clothes.

The little emperor was a little timid about the upcoming scene and swallowed unconsciously.

"Don't worry, you are the emperor."

Although this didn't have much effect, the little emperor still nodded obediently. Hu Gongye would not argue with a child, and took his hand and walked forward. When they reached the temple gate, they looked up and saw that there was nothing on the temple gate plaque. Hu Gongye smiled and said, "It seems that we are lucky this time. May I ask if the Emperor Zhixing is here?"

The voice was low and distant. Before it faded away, the temple door creaked open and a voice of "Amitabha" interrupted Hu Gongye's voice.

Hu Gongye looked at an old monk standing in front of him. He was wearing a bright golden robe, holding a staff in one hand and a Buddhist crown on his head. He looked solemn and kind. Behind him, circles of golden halos seemed to emerge, like a thousand-foot-long light.

If Yingge were here at this moment, he would definitely say something very rude.

This Buddha was so dazzling that it blinded everyone's eyes, especially his face which was exactly the same as Zhixing's.

But Hu Gongye did not feel the slightest bit unfamiliar with that face, "Emperor Master, long time no see."

"Yes."

Hu Gongye pushed the little emperor, who was a little dazed because of nervousness, in front of Zhixing and said, "Go and see the imperial teacher."

The little emperor looked at the golden monk in front of him and said in a somewhat humble voice, "Greetings, Imperial Master."

Zhixing looked at him with a smile and said, "Okay."

"Your Majesty will be eight years old after the New Year. Can the Imperial Master keep him?"

"No." The imperial teacher was a man who valued words like gold, like a master who practiced Zen in silence.

This did not cause Hu Gongye any discomfort. He was obviously already familiar with it. He just pushed the little emperor in front of him again and asked, "What did your Majesty say before you came?"

The little emperor swallowed his saliva and said, "I want to learn how to govern a country. I would like to ask the imperial teacher for guidance."

The Imperial Master did not answer him but just said, "Let's eat." He did not say anything else and just turned around and walked inside.

They had been traveling day and night and were indeed a little hungry. Hu Gongye bowed and thanked him, then led the little emperor inside. The guards wanted to follow, but Hu Gongye stopped them, saying, "Huangsi is the safest place. There is no need to follow."

Upon hearing this, the guard stopped and looked around. Jing'an Temple was indeed the Yellow Temple. You should know that there were originally more than ten or twenty monks living here. The guard closed the door and stood guard on the side.

There was a simple table in the side hall of the temple. Hu Gongye and the little emperor also walked in. At this time, the imperial teacher had taken off his Buddhist crown and put down his staff. On the table were a bowl of soup, a bowl of tofu, a bowl of rice cakes and three bowls of porridge.

The little emperor had never eaten such a simple meal since he was a child, but Hu Gongye sighed, "I haven't eaten the imperial teacher's meal for a long time. I miss it so much. The taste remains the same." He even shed tears when he was moved.

The little emperor didn't dare to say that he didn't want to eat, but he ate very slowly, chewing bit by bit and bite by bite, as if the imperial teacher didn't see anything, and he just ate the meal quietly. After a while, he said, "You can go back."

Hu Gongye looked at the imperial teacher and said, "Your Majesty is no longer a child."

Zhixing looked at the little emperor who was eating slowly in front of him and said nothing. The little emperor looked a little nervous because he was being watched. He was chewing something with his cheeks bulging. Hu Gongye looked a little displeased.

Zhi Xing said, "It's still young, it's still young, no rush, no rush."

Hu Gongye wanted to fight for it again, so he called out "Emperor Master". Zhixing turned around and looked at him. When their eyes met, Hu Gongye said, "Yes."

Zhixing said, "You can also teach him." These words evoked Hu Gongye's memories, and his eyes were slightly wet. You know, when the late emperor was studying, the imperial teacher also taught him. Thinking of this, he called the imperial teacher again. Zhixing smiled and turned to walk into the inner hall.

Hu Gongye knew that no matter how many words he used, he would not be able to force the emperor to leave, so he could only lead the little emperor out.

"The food at the Imperial Master is delicious."

The little emperor didn't dare to speak, but just silently chewed the dried tofu in his mouth that he couldn't chew no matter how hard he tried.

Hu Gongye pointed to the half bowl of porridge on the table and said, "Drink it." The little emperor was about to cry, and he didn't dare to resist. He could only sit upright, holding the bowl and drinking it mouthful by mouthful.

As the sun rose, Hu Gongye led the little emperor out. The guards hurried forward and asked, "Sir, why don't you stay a little longer?"

"It's better than last time. I've left some food for you this time." He lowered his head and glanced at the little emperor and said, "Since the Imperial Master says you're still young, let's come back later. People can't stay young forever. Your Majesty will eventually have to learn from the Imperial Master."

When he grows up, he will have to live and study with the imperial teacher. The little emperor shed tears when he thought of this, but he had no choice but to hold Hu Gongye's hand and said, "Uncle, Hu Gongye, let's go back."

Hu Gongye carried him onto the horse, looked back at the temple, and galloped away.

The temple was still as quiet as ever, and only when the sun rose did a passing villager wonder, "Why is the gate plaque of Jing'an Temple gone?"

This was a big deal. The temple's door plaque was their face. Several villagers shouted in panic and walked inside. They were shocked to see a dozen monks tied up. The tied people were still whimpering and begging for mercy, while the abbot was stripped of his clothes, leaving only his shorts and sleeves, and lying on the side.

With a click, a door plaque fell down, and then the tied-up abbot woke up. What was going on? Could it be that Jing'an Temple had been robbed?

Jing'an Temple was robbed, and a cry echoed through the wilderness.

An old man was walking briskly in the wilderness, retching and muttering as he walked, "The ghost's vegetarian food is so disgusting. Anyone who can eat that ghost thing is not a human. Who wants to eat that? My wine is better and my meat is delicious."

As if he had recalled some tragic past, he walked even faster, muttering to himself.

It was cold in the first month of the lunar year. Zhixing reached out and patted his bald head, feeling a cool breeze. He took out a messy head of hair from his arms and put it on his head. His hair, which was as messy as dead grass, fluttered in the wind. The old man walked staggeringly and seemed unstable, but he disappeared in a short while.

The Lantern Festival in Mo City had passed, and after a burst of excitement during the Lantern Festival, the festive atmosphere had dissipated. Schools of all sizes had started classes, and the provincial academy had also begun classes. Yingge, who had usually sat alone in the thatched cottage, now felt that the excitement was waning.

Xiao Taohong came running over and said, "Master, Master, everyone in the market is saying that the exam date has been set."

"when?"

"It's said to be on the eighth day of the second month." She counted on her fingers as she spoke, "There's still more than half a month left. Time flies."

"Yes, time flies by so fast. I am finally going to take a step towards a goal in my life plan."

Xiao Taohong sat down, tilted her head, held her face in her hands and asked, "Master, are you nervous?"

"Yeah, nervous."

Xiao Taohong giggled, "So the young master can get nervous too."

"Because I am a human being after all."

Zhixing, who happened to walk in, heard this and said, "Why aren't you a god descending to earth at this time?"

Ah, it's Mr. Zhixing. Yingge quickly got up and walked over, calling him "Sir". Zhixing walked in from outside the door. Xiao Taohong was not unfamiliar with this old man. After all, he always came to the door to beg for food. Xiao Taohong got up and said, "Grandpa, there is still a fish. If you want to eat it, I will go and heat it up for you."

Zhixing was overjoyed and said quickly, "Hot it up, hot it up, hurry up, forget it, I can eat cold food, I'm starving."

Little Peach Hong jumped and ran away. Yingge said, "I thought the teacher was too nervous to come back and would not show up until the exam was over."

"How can I be missing from such a fun thing?" He said with a chuckle.

Yingge thought his smile was a little strange, but she didn't know why.

Zhixing pretended to cough again, adjusted his appearance and said, "Don't be nervous. There are many people who are more nervous than you. Why are you nervous?"

Hey, this sounds weird, is there really something wrong with it?

After the Lantern Festival, the weather gradually became warmer. Mr. Zichun, who was walking to the prefectural yamen with his servant, had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead due to the heat.

Inside the government office, Liang Jingtian was reading official documents in one hand and holding a fan in the other. When he looked up and saw Mr. Zichun approaching, he fanned himself even faster. "Why are you here again?"

Mr. Zichun said, "You think I want to come. I came here to ask you how your preparations are going. You must not make any mistakes, otherwise we will all be in big trouble."

"You are approaching the exam, and if you keep coming to my place, that will cause problems. Don't worry, I have arranged people in Chang'an County in Mo City."

Liang Jingtian is the prefect, so he is naturally responsible for the prefectural examination. This time, the county examination is presided over by the county magistrate of Chang'an County, so the prefect does not need to show up. The same is true for future provincial examinations, which is extremely convenient. Mr. Zichun couldn't help but sigh at the arrangement of the examination, and guessed, "Could it be that the adult has already arranged for her to take the imperial examination?"

Liang Jingtian said, "Of course not. I just want to take care of her. A poor kid who lives in someone else's house doesn't need the prefect to make friends with him. Let's see how a kid who can make Mo City a mess will do in the county exam." Liang Jingtian fanned the fan in his hand vigorously, and the cool breeze blew, which was very comfortable. "I haven't told her about her yet. Let's see if she goes well in the county exam this time."

"I took some time to read the essay she wrote for Mr. Zhou. She should have no problem taking the county exam."

Liang Jingtian said, "That is not about the essay. What's the point of the essay? It's just a county exam. I have already told the county magistrate there that he should be more relaxed during the search." You should know that at that time, clothes and socks had to be taken off.

Mr. Zichun said, "It must be arranged."

"Don't worry, it has been arranged long ago." Although he said that, he still fanned the fan in his hand to the maximum.

Mr. Zichun did not speak again, and his expression did not show any sign of relaxation, but he felt a little puzzled. The two looked at each other and then looked away. No matter what, they were all people who had been working in the court for decades and had seen all kinds of scenes. Even though they were not that nervous about the incident a few years ago, they were not that nervous either, and they were not that nervous when they heard that the princess was still alive.

Liang Jingtian comforted him again, "The exam is only one day long, it will be over soon, just bear with it."

"The most difficult part is the exams and examinations next year. The further you go, the harder it will be."

Liang Jingtian couldn't help but said irritably, "Why are you talking about that? Let's take care of the present first." At this point, he seemed to remember something and said, "Oh, by the way, the most important thing is whether that kid will come to take the exam."

Mr. Zichun smiled and said, "Your Excellency is right. She has never thought about entering the examination room to take the exam, and she has even thought of a way to deal with it. But I have also informed Mr. Pei a long time ago and told her how to deal with it."

Hearing Lord Pei, Liang Jingtian remembered the time when he was knocked unconscious by her. "I hope she will be more reliable this time."

The two men were not talking. They sat opposite each other in the hall. A servant outside the hall stuck his head out to look in, thinking that maybe it was because Mr. Zichun drank up all the prefect's wine last time and he was angry. Otherwise, why did he even serve him tea this time? Their relationship seemed a little tense.