"This is ......," Zhang Yufang said with some trembling. Although he didn't understand what these eight words meant, he understood the meaning very clearly. This is simply the most noble word, and it can only be used by the noblest emperor in the world to express his power and legitimacy. Turning to the other side, I didn't see anything carved, but I could faintly see carved dragonfish, phoenix birds and other things on it.

"Uncle must have guessed it." Zhang Fan said, "This thing is not owned by ordinary people or powerful families, only human emperors are qualified to use it." ”

"You mean, this is a jade seal?" Zhang Yan exclaimed.

"Exactly, and it's not an ordinary jade seal." Zhang Fan took the jade seal, carefully held it in his hand, and said, "I wonder if my uncle and cousin have heard of the jade seal of the country?" ”

"Heirloom Jade Seal!" Zhang Yufang's father and son said in amazement.

Yes, Zhang Fan suspects that the official heirloom jade seal in his hand that has been missing for more than 500 years is now in his hand.

According to historical records, the jade seal of the country was carved from He's bi, so this square attracted Zhang Fan's attention. Legend has it that after the first emperor destroyed the unification of the six countries, he ordered Prime Minister Li Si to engrave the eight words "ordered by the sky, both longevity and Yongchang", which was also carved by Sun Shou, a jade worker. After the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the jade seal was attributed to Liu Bang, knowing that at the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang usurped power, and wanted the Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan at that time to ask for the jade seal. The Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan was angry and threw the jade seal at Wang Mang, but it fell to the ground and broke a corner, so Wang Mang ordered someone to make up for it with gold. This is consistent with the characteristics of the jade seal in Zhang Fan's hands today.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the princes of the Eighteenth Road crusaded against Dong Zhuo, and Sun Jian, who was the first to enter Luoyang, found the jade seal on the corpse of a palace maid in a well, but used it to exchange a large number of soldiers and horses from Yuan Shu. In the end, Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shu, and the jade seal also belonged to Cao Cao.

In the years that followed, the jade seal passed through the Wei, Western Jin, Qianzhao, Ran Wei, Eastern Jin, Song, Southern Qi, Liang, Northern Qi, Zhou, Sui, until the Tang Dynasty, and then to the Later Liang of the Five Dynasties. Finally, when the Later Tang Dynasty arrived, the late Emperor Li of the Later Tang Dynasty went from Ke to the capital Luoyang, and he had no skills to return to the sky, so he died holding this jade seal of the country, and he did not even leave a nickname after his death, and the jade seal of the country disappeared.

"Fan'er, is this true?" Zhang Yufang was a little uncertain and asked excitedly.

"The little nephew can't be sure, but he's seventy percent sure." Zhang Fan said, "Didn't Sun Zhou say that he picked up this thing in Luoyang, which is consistent with what is recorded in the history books." In addition, this seal looks exactly the same as the heirloom seal from everywhere. It's just that when I opened the Ming Dynasty, this seal was not found, and over the years, many people claimed to have traces of it, but after verification, it was all forged. Now the little nephew is not sure. ”

"If this is fake...... Zhang Yan said, his expression was a little wrong, "Then cousin, your 10,000 taels are not in vain!" ”

"No, no, no." Zhang Fan said in a loud voice, his eyes were still looking at the glittering seal in his hand, "Didn't Elder Yu say just now, this thing has been carved for at least thousands of years." Something from a thousand years ago can still be so crystal clear now, even if it is fake, it is worth it. ”

Zhang Yufang's father and son actually didn't know the cause and effect here, they just understood that this thing was used by the emperor, but it wasn't that they were in the court who didn't understand the deeper meaning that this thing represented. When this thing was not missing, the rulers of the past dynasties believed in this way of attraction "the destiny of heaven", if there was no seal in the hand to ascend the throne, no matter how strong the army was, it was inevitable that the confidence was insufficient. One of Zhu Yuanzhang's big regrets back then was this jade seal.

If Zhang Fan's hand is really the heirloom jade seal, and he is dedicated to the imperial court, then Zhang Fan's contribution is comparable to the peerless merit of opening up the territory and expanding the territory. It's just that over the years, both the emperor and the ministers in the court have been immunized by the fake jade seal. If you want them to admit that this thing is true, you must have countless officials to consult countless classics, and in the end, no one is qualified to make a decision.

Zhang Fan thought of this, and the excitement in his heart cooled down temporarily, and he decided not to report this matter to the capital for the time being, and to talk about it later. However, he still tied the jade seal with a strong silk cloth and tied it to his waist, for fear of losing the slightest.

The elated three returned home under the escort of a large group of brocade guards, and these people did not leave, but stood guard around Zhang's house. Although they didn't know what was going on, they didn't dare to obey the command.

Back in the room, Yingyue was staying there, and when she saw Zhang Fan walking in with a spring breeze on her face, she couldn't help but be surprised: "Brother Fan, why are you so happy today, what happy things have you encountered?" ”

Zhang Fan did not cover it up, but took out the jade seal and handed it to Yingyue. Yingyue played with it in her hand for a while, and said, "This thing is very beautiful, but it is not beautiful when it is carved so boxy." After speaking, he returned the jade seal to Zhang Fan.

Zhang Fan put away the jade seal, did not blame her, and only sighed in his heart: "The woman's opinion." "That's it.

"By the way, why didn't you and Ting'er go shopping today?" Zhang Fan asked.

"It's a little hot in the city today, and these ladies are not in the mood to go out, so I can't go alone." Yingyue said.

Closer to May, the summer weather in Yangzhou gradually began to appear, but it was a lot hotter.

Zhang Fan looked at her and suddenly said, "Since I came out of the capital, I have been busy with official business, but I haven't been with you well." In a few days we will leave for Yingtian, there is something you want to go here, I will go with you to have a visit. ”

"Let your lord accompany my little girl to play, Yingyue is really flattered!" Yingyue laughed at Zhang Fan, then thought about it and said, "I really have a place I want to go." ”

"Oh, where?" Zhang Fan asked.

"Daming Temple." Yingyue replied.

"When did your Miao family convert to Buddha?" Zhang Fan asked.

"No, I want to ......" Yingyue was a little confused, "I heard that Daming Temple is a Guanyin Temple again, it is very effective, I want to go and worship." ”

"What do you want to ask for?" Zhang Fan asked curiously.

Yingyue's face was slightly flushed, but she said coquettishly: "I won't tell you." ”

Looking at Yingyue's rare appearance of her daughter's family, Zhang Fan was a little confused. However, as soon as he thought of the previous days, he felt uncomfortable for a while, so he didn't ask any more questions, and said, "Since you want to go, choose a day, and I will go with you." ”

"Well, Brother Fan is so good." Yingyue was very happy to see Zhang Fanken accompany her, took a sip of incense on his face, and ran out happily.

Zhang Fan felt the warmth on his face, lost his mind a little, and muttered to himself: "You and I have made an oath, why don't you tell me clearly!" ”

Daming Temple is located in the northern suburbs of Yangzhou on Shugang Mountain, this ancient temple built in the Southern Dynasties period has been more than 1,000 years ago, when the East Ferry Fusang propaganda Buddhism Jianzhen is from this temple.

Zhang Fan only came with Yingyue this time, and there was no one else with him. There were quite a few guards accompanying him.

Yingyue didn't dress up as a maid today, but wore the clothes of an ordinary daughter. Looking at the many guards around her, Yingyue asked a little puzzled, "Brother Fan, why do you have to take so many people with you." You weren't scared in the face of so many fierce Tartars at that time, why do you ...... now?"

"Be prepared!" Zhang Fan said casually.

After the mountain gate hall, but see a very open courtyard, which is the ancient wood towering to the sky, there are hundred-year-old cypress in the east, rare hundred-year-old boxwood, among which there are two Baoding. The perennial worship is filled with cigarette smoke here, but it has a bit of a quiet fairyland. A granite road to the main hall, the main hall of Daming Temple at this time is not the "Daxiong Treasure Palace" built in the Qing Dynasty in later generations. The hall is dedicated to the Buddha Shakyamuni, flanked by his ten disciples. On the back is the South China Sea Guanyin. There are also eighteen Arhat statues on both sides of the main hall. Inside the hall is a piece of law **, the appearance of incense is vigorous, but it looks slightly defeated.

It's just that in the world of Daming today, the business of Daming Temple with the same name is not very good. Zhu Yuanzhang himself has been a monk, and he is well aware of the bad behavior of the temple occupancy. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty strictly controlled the temples and Buddhist temples, and if you want to become a monk, you have to go to the capital to take the exam. Nowadays, there are not many monks in the rather large place of Daming Temple.

Zhang Fan and his entourage have been informed that the abbot of Daming Temple, Abbot Xiangci, has already known, but Zhang Fan did not feel that he should let his family close down, but just received himself, so now there are still many people who come to worship the Buddha.

When the abbot of Xiangci saw Zhang Fan and the others coming in, he also greeted him out, but the moment he saw Zhang Fan, he lost his mind a little and almost knelt down. But he looked at Zhang Fan's face carefully, and couldn't help but be puzzled. Zhang Fan thought that he was just old and had bad legs and feet, so he didn't care.

"Abbot Xiangci, this time I came to disturb, there is a lot of disturbance." Zhang Fan said very politely.

"Amitabha." Xiang Ci made a Buddha name, bowed to Zhang Fan, and said, "The donor doesn't have to be like this, this temple is for people to come to worship, and there is no place to bother or disturb." ”

"Thank you, Abbot." Zhang Fan said.

Xiang Ci was also used to seeing big scenes, and didn't care that Zhang Fan brought many people here, and continued: "The donor is here to ...... this time."

"The abbot misunderstood." Zhang Fan said, "It's not that I want to come here to worship, it's that the female relatives of the next family want to come here to worship the Buddha." As he spoke, Zhang Fan gestured to Yingyue.

Yingyue also came forward to greet Xiangci. Xiangci didn't wonder that Zhang Fan came to the Buddhist temple but didn't worship the Buddha, but he was still rare to be an official who didn't believe in Buddhism. "Maybe he's really a good official, or maybe he's just a man who isn't afraid of anything." Xiang Ci said in his heart.

Over there, Yingyue began to worship the Buddha, while Zhang Fan watched the scenery on the mountain from the side. Xiangci walked over and said to him: "Master Zhang, you are interested in coming to the old man's meditation room." The spring water of this Daming Temple is also a unique in the world, and please come and taste it. ”

"That's what I mean." Zhang Fan did not refuse him.

When they came to Xiangci's meditation room, the two sat down. Zhang Fan took a look, there were not many furnishings in this small meditation room. It's just that there are tables, chairs, futons, and wooden fish. There is a word "Zen" written on the wall, and the pen is full of power, revealing a quiet artistic conception.

Xiangci poured a cup of tea for Zhang Fan, and suddenly a fragrance came to his face, mixed with a smell of Buddha incense, which made people feel comfortable. Zhang Fan took a sip of tea, slightly bitter but with a sweet taste, I don't know if this tea is better or this water is better!

Seeing Zhang Fan's satisfied expression, Xiangci smiled and said, "Lao Qu doesn't have any good tea here, but he just relies on the spring water in the west of Pingshan Hall. ”

"I've heard of it below." Zhang Fan said, "I also saw the Tang Dynasty Zhang Youxin's "Sencha Water Story" when I was in my spare time, and the spring water here can be rated as the fifth in the world. At that time, Ouyang Xiu, a great poet, also said in his "Daming Temple Spring Water Record": "This well is the beauty of water." ’”

"Huh." Xiangci laughed happily, but he didn't seem to go too far, and still had the bearing of a monk, and said, "This is also the reputation of the world." Lao Qu came here to become a monk when he was young, and he was proud of the elegance here. But over the years, I have seen through it. ”

The two of them drank tea like this, and after a while, Zhang Fan found that Xiangci had been observing him, and couldn't help but be very curious, and asked, "Why does the abbot keep watching?" ”

Xiangci heard Zhang Fan's question, and said slowly: "Is the donor's surname really Zhang?" Isn't he a member of today's royal family? ”

Zhang Fan was shocked when he heard it, he didn't know why Xiangci would say this.

"Don't be surprised, don't be surprised." Xiang Ci looked around and said in a low voice, "The old man Guan benefactor is very rich and noble, but he has no intention of winning the Ninth Five-Year Plan. Why is there a faint imperial aura surrounding the donor, but it is not like the donor himself. ”

Zhang Fan listened to his words, not that he suspected that Xiang Ci was deceiving himself, he thought about it, suddenly understood, and said: "I know it, maybe it's the reason for this thing." As he spoke, Zhang Fan took out the jade seal that he didn't know whether it was true or not.

Xiang Ci suddenly saw this thing, and his calm heart, which had been cultivating Buddha for many years, was beating violently, and he muttered involuntarily: "This...... It's ......"

Zhang Fan looked at him and said, "I still want the master to identify the authenticity of this thing." ”