From Pengcheng to the Southern Dynasty, there are two roads by land and water, if you take the land route, go through Xiapi to Supre and then cross the Huai River to Yanzhou Prefecture of the Southern Dynasty to govern Huaiyin. If you take the waterway, it is more convenient, you can board the boat from Pengcheng Ferry, and go straight down the Surabaya River to Huaiyin.

After consulting with Li Biao, Zheng Daozhao, Jiang Shaoyou and others, Tuoba Shen decided to go by water. Now in the middle of summer, and when the rain is in full swing, the water in Surabaya is faster than usual, and the time can be greatly shortened by boat, and more importantly, the waterway is much more comfortable.

On the third day of Pengcheng, Tuoba Shen and King Ren Cheng went to visit the White Pagoda Temple. Before leaving, the king of the city sent people to bring 200 horses of silk, 200 stone rice, 700 catties of meat and 200 catties of lamp oil as an offering to the Buddha. These numbers don't sound like much, but they are not too small to average them to all the monks in Baita Temple.

Because he was ordered by the emperor to visit the White Pagoda Temple, when he was on the road, Tuoba Shen did some homework and figured out some of the conditions of the White Pagoda Temple.

The first generation of senior monks of Baita Temple is called Seng Song, who was taught in the Western Regions (Tianzhu?) during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Persia? I don't know, some early monks from the Western Regions, there seems to be a situation in the records that confuse Tianzhu and Persia) Famous monk Kumarosh, Seng Song's disciple Seng Yuan has four famous disciples, called Tandu, Daodeng, Huiji, and Huiqiu.

Tandu Tuoba Shen knew that this monk was originally from the Southern Dynasties, and in his early years, he was the master of Xin'an Temple, the royal temple of Liu Song. Liu Yu deposed the emperor Liu Yu after the Song Dynasty was absurd, on the day of the Qiqixi begging festival in the seventh month of the fifth year of his Yuan Hui, Liu Yu went to Xin'an Temple and Tandu to drink, and was killed by Xiao Daocheng after returning to the palace that night.

Xiao Daocheng felt that Tandu had a close relationship with Liu Yu, and dismissed Tandu, Tandu was afraid, so he left the Southern Dynasty and went to Baita Temple to practice with Seng Yuan, and later came to Pingcheng to preach and preach the Dharma, and finally became the queen mother's guest, so Tuoba Shen knew this monk who often went in and out of the palace, but he died in the thirteenth year of Taihe.

The one I want to visit this time is the only one of the four great monks who still remains in the White Pagoda Temple.

Baita Temple is also the first time for King Ren Cheng, he has no obvious inclination towards Buddhism, and he has not been here since he took office because he is busy with government affairs. If it weren't for the emperor this time, he didn't know when he would come.

After Tuoba Shen and King Rencheng worshipped the Buddha, they went to the guest room to wait, and sat for about a quarter of an hour before they saw two novices come out with an old monk wearing gray monk's robes and a white beard.

This old monk is not young! I don't know how old I am.

Tuoba Shen followed behind King Ren Cheng, and after a brief salute with Dao Deng, he sat down, and asked Sha Mi on the side, "The unknown mage is old this year?" ”

When Shami saw the distinguished guest asking, he was about to answer, but he saw Dao Deng and said, "Poor Dao was born at the end of Yixi, and he is now seventy and nine. ”

Listening to the voice is not at all like the dullness that he said a seventy-nine-year-old man should have, it is loud and smooth.

The uncle and nephew glanced at each other, and they were both shocked by the vigor of the old monk. Originally, the king of Ren Cheng planned to move to the old monk to speak, but now that the old monk is in good health, he will sit down peacefully.

Could this old monk know the Taoist method of health preservation, otherwise how could he be so energetic? Tuoba Shen looked at Dao Deng and thought

King Ren Cheng looked at Dao Deng so old, but his spirit was not reduced by fifty, and he only felt in his heart that this old monk was a master, and he must have extraordinary abilities. He had a desire to ask in his heart, and took the initiative to talk with Dao Deng, from the incomprehension of Buddhism to the difficulties he encountered after he took office as an assassin. The old monk is almost eighty, and the king of Rencheng is only twenty-seven, and he has lived in Pengcheng for a long time, and the local situation is clearer than that of the king of Rencheng, so he not only solves the doubts of the king of Rencheng in Buddhism, but also says some methods and some experiences he has heard of in the past, only to let the king of Rencheng sigh that he came too late and did not come to listen to the teachings earlier.

Tuoba Shen looked at the state of King Ren Cheng, afraid that he would also become a Buddhist, so he had the heart to interject, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't understand Pengcheng's affairs, and he was obviously not as good as the old monk, so he opened his mouth several times and closed it again, so he had to watch them talk.

Although he could only watch in a hurry because he couldn't speak, Tuoba Shen obviously noticed that when the old monk was talking to King Ren Cheng, he looked at him many times, and his expression was very different, as if his biggest secret had been seen through by him. This made Tuoba Shen a little uncomfortable, so he had to sit upright and listen quietly without squinting.

"Your Majesty loves "The Theory of Success" very much, and often plays with it. If the mage can go to Pingcheng, His Majesty will definitely reserve a seat for the mage in the palace. King Ren Cheng didn't know how many times he expressed his admiration for the old monk's erudition, and said.

As soon as Tuoba Shen saw that King Rencheng had the idea of introducing the old monk to the emperor, he hurriedly got up and said: "The mage is eighty years old, I'm afraid it will be embarrassing to travel far, the little nephew has come here all the way, and hundreds of people have served before and after, and they all feel difficult, not to mention the number of mages!" Jingjing, Taihang, is a daunting path for the mage, so let the mage stay here to preach the Dharma, right? What if something goes wrong along the way? ”

When King Ren Cheng heard this, he also felt that what Tuoba Shen said was reasonable, although Dao Deng looked very good, but in the end he was eighty years old, and Pingcheng was indeed a daunting road for him. If there is an accident on the road, isn't it his bad karma?

The old monk listened to Tuoba Shen's words, neither nodded nor shook his head, closed his eyes and was silent.

King Ren Cheng said a few more words before he and Tuoba Shen said goodbye, and promised to visit again in a later day before coming out.

Waiting for King Ren Cheng and Tuoba Shen to walk out of the guest room, Dao Deng closed his eyes and chanted for a moment, and the temple master Hui Lin walked in, walked in front of Dao Deng, sat down and said, "Just now Ren Cheng Wang wants to invite the master to go to the capital to meet the driver. If the Dharma could be granted to the Son of Heaven, wouldn't it be a hundred times better than sitting on this place? If the Master can go, it will also be beneficial to teach the Dharma to my Baita Temple. ”

Dao Deng opened his eyes, did not answer Hui Lin's words, and asked, "The temple master has just seen the prince, can he get anything?" ”

Hui Lin was stunned for a moment and replied, "There are few early wisdoms, not as good as ordinary people. What did the mage say about the prince? ”

"The old Taoist has been involved in Buddhism for more than 60 years, and he also knows numerology and medicine. There are thousands of people who have been observed, and there is no one who is as different as the prince. ”

"What does the Master mean by this? If the disciple doesn't know numerology, can the mage give advice? ”

Doodon was silent, shook his head and said, "I know it in my heart, but I can't say it in my mouth." The old way doesn't know what to say. If you say it strongly, you can use four words that are expensive and unspeakable. ”

"The meaning of the mage is ......" Hui Lin said: "The second prince can come from behind?" ”

"The old way is not peaceful, and I am afraid that there may be "legal difficulties" in the future. I don't know why I have this worry. Dowden didn't answer Hui Lin's question, but said to himself, got up and walked out of the room, leaving Hui Lin and a few novices standing still.