It was night, and the Lu brothers rested very early, and when it was the fourth watch, they suddenly heard the cold wind howling in the yard and the sound of tree branches breaking. Lu Zuo couldn't help but shiver a little, the southerners came to the north, and it was indeed colder than the locals, looking at the younger brother Lu Renxiang shivering in the quilt, he remembered the two quilts prepared by the guys in the wooden cabinet. So he took the navy blue hooded cloak from the quilt and draped it over his body, walked to the cabinet, and took out two quilts from the cabinet, one for his brother to cover, and the other for himself. When Lu Zuo was lying in the quilt again, there seemed to be a cool breeze in his ears, thinking that the doors and windows were not closed, so he got up to close the window, and when he looked out of the long street, it was already sparsely snowing outside, and he saw that the street and the roof had been covered with a layer of plain white quilt, and there were several dogs barking on the street from time to time. There were also two groomers in the alley, carrying two dim red lanterns, and the footsteps of "gargling" accompanied by the sound of gongs "knock-knock, knock, knock" faded away in the snowy night.

The next morning, the Lu brothers were woken up by the sound of firecrackers on the street. When Lu Zuo got up and opened the window to look, the snow outside the window had just stopped. Looking at the clouds on the horizon, the street was already white, and the bridges, roads, and tiled roofs were all cold. Lu Renxiang really couldn't stand the cold in the capital, so he hurriedly asked the shopkeeper to burn a charcoal fire to keep warm.

Lu Renxiang was thinking about the bustle of the lantern market, and wanted to buy two lanterns to make a Lantern Festival at night. Lu Zuo obviously knew the purpose of his trip better, "We still have important things to do, this light market is lively, and it's not too late for us to go after the afternoon." ”

"And where are we going?" Lu Renxiang rubbed his hands and sighed, "Aren't we here to participate in the exam?" ”

"Have you forgotten the old Zen master?"

"Brother, did you mean that we should go to Kuji Temple today?"

"Exactly! Now is the time to visit the old Zen master, and the first person we want to meet in the capital is him! Lu Zuo said and smiled.

"Then do you want to ask the shopkeeper how to get to Kuji Temple?" As he spoke, Lu Renxiang put the stove on the desk and prepared to go out to ask.

"Don't bother, there are a lot of people who go to the temple to pray for blessings during this year's festival, just ask one."

When the two brothers finished grooming, they put on their cloaks and went out. Although the snow on the street has stopped, it is still cold and windy, and the snow is no longer up to the ankles. Lu Zuo saw that there was an old man in ragged clothes holding a handful of incense, so he stopped and asked, "Old man, please slow down, are you going to Kuji Temple?" ”

When the old man saw that he was a well-behaved scholar, he nodded with a smile, "Exactly!" I go to this Kuji Temple every year. Do you sound like a foreigner? ”

The brothers of the Lu family bowed down and said yes. The old man saw that these two people knew how to be polite, and he was happy, "You should be candidates for this exam!" I tell you that there are two ancient temples in the capital, although the Huiye Temple in the eastern suburbs is a thousand-year-old temple, but at this time every year, the incense has to donate the silver money of the Buddha to enter the temple to burn incense. You see! The old man said and pointed to the few pillars of incense in his hand, "I bought these nine incense sticks and spent a lot of savings!" But fortunately, the Kuji Temple in the western suburbs does not need to donate these troubles, and there is a bowl of porridge for pilgrims every year. ”

"Thank you, old man, that trouble, my brothers and sisters are also going to Kuji Temple to incense, just go together!" Lu Zuo said with a smile.

The three of them walked for more than an hour, and finally arrived at the Kuji Temple, the Kuji Temple shaded by green trees. Although the temple building is old, it is still new. The two brothers went to the door on the right, raised their right foot and entered the temple gate, and saw a few small novices in thin clothes, some of them holding brooms to sweep the fallen leaves in the courtyard, and some of them were making tea and delivering water. Lu Renxiang stepped forward and asked, "Little monk, may I ask if the Zen master is there?" ”

A few little novices who swept the floor lowered their heads to sweep the snow, Lu Renxiang saw that he was strange, and when he was about to continue to ask, a thin novice in front of the treasure hall greeted Lu Renxiang with a fruit plate, "Are the two donors looking for my master?" ”

"So your master is the old Zen master?" Lu Renxiang said curiously.

"Are the two donors surnamed Lu?"

Lu Renxiang was shocked and suspicious, and glanced at his brother, but Lu Zuo only smiled slightly, and saluted to Shami: "Exactly! ”

The thin novice dragged the fruit bowl in his hand, placed it on the incense table in front of the temple, and then turned and walked down the stone steps. Xiao Shami looked the Lu family brothers up and down, and then greeted him, "You two seem to be!" The two donors were slow, and my master said, 'The time has not yet come'. And it's not too late to go to the temple to put incense on the pillar and say goodbye. ”

Xiao Shami turned around and left, and the Lu brothers looked at each other when they heard this. Lu Renxiang frowned, and asked Lu Zuo in a low voice: "What kind of medicine is sold in this old monk's gourd?" How did he know we were here? How can you say that the hour has not yet come? Truly strange! ”

The corners of Lu Zuo's mouth raised slightly, "If you listen to the master's words, you won't be wrong!" Let's go, let's go to the pillar incense too! ”

At this time, the pilgrims in front of the hall gradually increased, Lu Zuo knelt down on the side of the hall, raised his eyebrows with incense, and recited silently in his heart.

Lu Renxiang turned to look at the mountain gate, "Brother, don't all these dignitaries go to Huiye Temple to pray for blessings?" How did you come to Kuji Temple? ”

Lu Zuo pondered for a moment and laughed in a low voice: "Now is the time for the master to come and say." ”

Then I heard a shouting outside the temple gate, "Get out of the way!" Get out of the way! ”

The people in the temple saw that it was the official family, and they all timidly got out of the way. Following the door of the temple, there was an old man with snow-haired white eyebrows and black beard, wearing regular clothes and a red cardigan cloak, followed by a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. Lu Zuo looked at the two of them walking vigorously, and with five or six strong men with big shoulders and round waists, he thought that they were soldiers in the army.

At this time, the thin novice stepped forward from the back of the hall again, and folded his hands to chant the Buddha. The white-eyed old man clasped his fists and saluted, "The old man is here to see the old Zen master, please let him come out." ”

"The master is sitting in meditation, please wait a while."

The young man next to the old man stood up and said sharply: "Where is the nonsense of your little monk, let you call it, just hurry up." ”

The old man grabbed the young man by the sleeve and signaled him not to be in a hurry.

"So the two donors wait a while, and I'll go and tell you!" The little monk turned around and went to the meditation room in the backyard.

Lu Renxiang watched for a long time, and asked Lu Zuo in a low voice: "What do you say these two people are coming from?" Such arrogance! ”

"The show is about to begin!" Lu Zuo sneered slightly.

"What?" Lu Renxiang didn't know what to do.

"Don't you remember? This is Zhou Zhongwang, the old marshal of the three armies of my Han Dynasty. This time, we finally have the first good show in Beijing! Lu Zuo smiled, and couldn't help but have some expectations.

"Yes, yes, it's him, I seem to have seen it when I was a child." Lu Renxiang said excitedly, and then he was confused, "Okay? What's the show? ”

Lu Zuo shook his head, but there was a hint of pride at the corner of his mouth, "It's not to watch a play, let's act together later!" ”

Lu Renxiang looked at his brother suspiciously, but Lu Zuo observed everything in the courtyard with firm eyes.

Zhou Zhongwang looked around, and a young man beside him was anxiously talking to the old man, and several entourage men behind him stopped the people who came in behind him outside the temple gate. The Lu brothers hid behind the gate of the temple's treasure hall.

About a tea time, the thin novice led a naked-faced old monk out on the side of the temple door, and when the old monk saw the Lu brothers from a distance, he smiled and nodded to the Lu brothers, and Lu Zuo bowed down to return the salute. Lu Renxiang on the side looked at his brother with a puzzled expression.

When the Lu brothers arrived at the gate of the Debao Palace, they saw the bustle in the courtyard, and the old monk folded his hands, "Donors, the quiet place of Buddhism, I hope that the donors will respect themselves." ”