At noon, the red sun is in the sky.

Incense was burning in the room, and the aroma was smoky. The scent was similar to the woman's smell, probably because she used it to smoke it, so she had the same smell on herself. Fan Jin sat across from Li, with a dozen delicate dishes and two small wine jugs in front of them.

The woman smiled: "The concubine is a monk, and she can't move meat, and the son accompanies the concubine to eat vegetarian, but she is wronged." As he spoke, he showed a mouthful of teeth like snow shells.

When she was playing Guanyin, she had a very solemn taste. Even if he was born in a small family and can replace the Empress Dowager Li, his own quality is always not bad, and he will not get this errand without this temperament. But at this time, her smile had a bit of charm, which formed a strong contrast with Fang Cai. Fan Jin hurriedly said: "It's okay, this vegetarian wine is also very tasty." ”

"What am I talking about, Childe has Buddha nature and is related to my Buddha. In fact, Fan Gongzi simply entered my Mahayana sect and became a disciple. Let me tell you, Cisheng is a believer in Mahayana, when I have nothing to do, I will go into the palace and talk to Cisheng about the Dharma, if you also enter the religion, then you and Cisheng are considered to be in the same religion, and when you ascend in the future, this identity will also be useful. Moreover, Feng Bao also believed in Mahayana. ”

In the Ming Dynasty of Wanli, the underground sect structure is complex and the mountains are numerous, and from the official level, these sects are counted as the White Lotus Sect, which is also one of the reasons for the flood of White Lotus in the Ming Dynasty. It's not that they want to flood, it's that they all become white lotuses.

For example, the Baowentang Book Company of the Ming Dynasty was too monitored to print the White Lotus Sutra, which was said to be an anti-book and printed in a state agency, but in fact, in the eyes of the government at that time, these books were not regarded as **. Even the repeated prohibition of the White Lotus Sect is also a reason, because some sects are originally legal in the official filing of the Ming Dynasty, so why ban it?

For example, the Mahayana religion that Empress Dowager Li believed in belongs to the Mahayana branch and is known as the Western Mahayana Religion, also known as the Lu Zu Sect. Lu Zu is not Lu Dongbin in the Eight Immortals, but a Lu nun in the Yingzong era. He became a monk in the Huangcun Temple of Huangcun in Shijingshan, and on the same day Yingzong personally conquered, Lu Ni's nine admonitions were not adopted, and finally there was a civil engineering defeat, and Yingzong himself was captured by the Mongols.

It is said that during Yingzong's captivity, he received encouragement from Lu Ni in his sleep, promising that he would be able to ascend the throne again in the future, which inspired Yingzong's confidence. No matter how absurd this legend is, Lu Ni was able to face the monarch nine times, and after the restoration of Yingzong, he crowned Lu Ni as the emperor's sister, and named his ordained monastery as Shuntian Baoming Temple, which shows his extraordinary status and the official background of this sect.

Lu Zujiao took the upper-class route, and there were not many believers among the ordinary people, but there were many people who were Mahayana believers in the imperial family, the eunuchs, and the wealthy Jujiali. For example, there are two big bells in Baoming Temple, one of which is jointly donated and cast by Jiajing's biological mother and Zhengde's biological mother, Empress Dowager Zhang, and the other bell is donated by Wanli's biological mother, Empress Dowager Li, and other nobles such as Cheng, Ding, Ying and Feng Bao. Since these people believed in Mahayana, a large number of eunuchs and maids in the palace also became Mahayana believers. The scriptures used by the thieves are the same as the scriptures used by the official sects, so there is no way to prohibit them.

Backward technology and natural disasters** make people's lives extremely fragile. It is this cruel living environment that stimulates more and more people to choose to join the sect and find spiritual sustenance from the scriptures and teachings. It is not a strange thing that scholars in the Ming Dynasty believed in religion, and there was no conflict between Confucian believers and sect believers themselves. It was Mrs. Li who invited Fan to enter the church, which was not abrupt.

Moreover, the Lü Zu Sect is a regular sect that has been sealed by the emperor, and after each new emperor ascends the throne, the Lü Zu Sect will inevitably send people to ask the Son of Heaven for the title in order to support it. It shows that it attaches great importance to the imperial court, and it is an official sect in the true sense, and officials and students will definitely not be affected by the entrance to the church, nor will they be implicated in any shoe teaching.

Fan Jin thought for a while and said with a smile: "Don't hide it from Mrs., Xiaosheng is a greedy appetite, so he talks about eating and drinking." Besides, it is the only son in the family, who has been passed down for several generations, and Gao Tang still expects me to spread the branches and leaves of the family, which is a matter of joining the church...... It's a bit of a struggle. ”

Li sneered, "Fan Gongzi, your speech is weird and interesting, if you join the church, you don't need to do anything, just tell jokes to our parishioners, it will be a great credit." We have many Mahayana disciples, and not all of them are vegetarians. Let's just say Feng Bao, he doesn't dare to touch meat in front of me and Cisheng, who can stop him when he eats meat in private? Most of the people in the church are eunuchs, and then there are rich businessmen and concubines, is it possible that they are all vegetarians? Except for the important days of the Buddha's birthday, don't you open your mouth to eat on other days? I'm leaving home for the Queen Mother, and I don't like to eat meat, otherwise no one cares. As for marrying ......"

Her eyes rolled slightly, "Fan Gongzi is such a talent, he should find a beautiful woman like a flower, and he knows some people with good concubines, and there are some famous ladies in it, or daughters of noble families." I dare not say that my appearance is stunning, and I can also call it a talent, which is enough to match a gentleman. Do you want me to draw a red line for Fan Gongzi? ”

Fan Jin smiled: "Thank you Madame for your kindness, it's just that the student is just a person at the moment, and he has never been tested to dare to say that it is a family matter." As for joining the church, it's the same, you can't be too hasty, you have to finish the imperial examination, calm your mind, and then think about it slowly. ”

Li nodded, "That's a good thing, for scholars, the Spring Festival is the first priority, but for people, there are more important things than the imperial examination." Ordinary people can't cultivate the realm, and the word fame and fortune can't be broken. Our Mahayana sect doesn't engage in that set of vain things, and we don't need to lie to fool people. Futian must be accumulated, the next life must be looked forward to, and this life must be passed. Fan Gongzi, your writing book and this Danqing kung fu are of great use to this sect, and I will treat you as a person in this sect from now on. What's more, your portrait now is also for the sake of the church, and the church can't let you suffer, who did you paint for...... Don't ask, just draw well. After the painting is done, it is not difficult to achieve fame. ”

Fan Jin is not a fool, so he naturally guessed that Mrs. Li used herself as a model, and what she actually painted must be the happy face of the current Empress Dowager Cisheng. The two are close relatives, and most of them look very similar, with her as the template painter, the difference should not be outrageous. It is said that there is a special painter in the palace, and if you don't pull yourself, you don't know what medicine is sold in the gourd.

At this time, the second painting had been completed, and Mrs. Li's requirements were also harsh, and she looked at the painting for a long time, and put forward some revisions, and then the retouching process. When he was painting, the two chatted while painting, and the conversation was very speculative, and Fan Jin also had a general understanding of the situation of Mrs. Li.

She got married at the age of fourteen, and her husband died soon after she got married, and she left no heirs, so she was not happy in her husband's family, and she was often beaten and scolded, reciting scriptures and believing in Buddhism, which began at that time.

Later, her cousin became the imperial concubine, and her status was higher. At this time, if the husband's family wants to make up for the relationship with him, it is too late. Empress Dowager Li herself does not support her family to use her name to run rampant, but many times, the parties do not need to express their positions, and their subordinates will contribute to them. As soon as a few people in the palace came forward to threaten him, the husband's family, who was born as a merchant, decisively confessed and took a sum of money as compensation, and there was no contact with the Li family, and no one cared about anyone's business.

With this money, Li made friends with several famous nuns in Beijing, and began to study the scriptures. When Emperor Li Guifei became Empress Dowager Li, she naturally became the incense master of the Western Mahayana Sect in the capital.

The Lu Zujiao is not a gang, its organizational structure is relatively loose, and there is no so-called leader. The incense lords everywhere are the highest leaders. The authority of the incense lord is not to determine life and death, but there are always a lot of resources and property at hand, and life is comfortable.

Although Empress Dowager Li's status is high, she joined the church later than this cousin, and she does not understand the scriptures and teachings. Mrs. Li often entered the palace as the queen mother**, and the two widows had some common language, and they could understand each other's pain, and soon she said that the Empress Dowager Li was a monk.

Once the Empress Dowager became a monk, it was too much to do, so Mrs. Li could only replace the Empress Dowager Li in Baoming Temple to practice. He became a monk without shaving, and still grew his hair, and was mostly called Li Ni among the Beijing teachers.

There is a sermon in the year of Hongwu, and those who are under the age of forty are not allowed to be nuns, but at present, young nuns everywhere are grabbing a handful, and no one has asked about this at all. What's more, this is the queen mother's stand-in nun, who will trouble her? She was originally the daughter-in-law of a merchant family, and her temperament was free from her penchant for traveling, and after having this identity, the circle of communication was more extensive. The gentry and the Confucian or the noble family, she has dealings.

No matter how stubborn the Confucian believers are, if they don't associate with the three aunts and six wives, they can't refuse Li Ni to enter his inner house. After all, she is the substitute for the Empress Dowager Li, and to refuse her is to offend the Empress Dowager. is because she has a very good reputation in Beijing and a lot of energy in her social circle, so it is not necessarily a big statement to say that she contributed to Fan Jinke's examination.

Fan Jin hurriedly said: "Thank you Mrs. Li for your love, but you can't do this." The imperial examination is a grand ceremony for the imperial court to pick talents, and the customs are very strict, and Tang Yin, a genius in the south of the Yangtze River, was involved in the imperial examination fraud case and was not allowed to end for life. Xiaosheng's future is insignificant, Mrs. is an outsider, if it damages Mrs. Qing's name, Fan will not be able to atone for his sins. ”

Li pursed his lips and smiled, "In the end, he is a scholar, and he speaks one by one, which makes people happy when he listens." You're from Guangdong, and you don't know much about the rules of Beijing. This matter of the imperial examination may seem bigger than the sky to you, but for the people of Beijing, this is what it is. Which time did the imperial examination fail to do something? Tang Bohu's fate was not good, he caught up, and he didn't meet a good friend. If you burn the right incense and worship the right God, there is nothing you can't do. Since Mrs. Ben has answered you, she has her own way, you don't have to think about it. ”

Then Fan Jin improved for another afternoon, and it was generally passed. However, Mrs. Li is a very picky character, and there are still some parts of this painting that are not satisfied, so she points out a few places on the painting. Since it was getting late, we had to talk about it later. Fan Jin lived here, and Li went out to get into the sedan chair and came to a small courtyard not far from here.

This is the temple property of Lu Zujiao, because of the upper route, the sect has abundant funds, and the living environment is also excellent. The room was burning with a dragon on the ground, and the heat was blowing on the face. As soon as they entered the door, the two girls took the woman's big coat and cloak and changed her underwear.

The woman stood in front of the mirror and turned her body back and forth, and asked the two women again: "Look, is Mrs. Ben old?" ”

The two maids in Tsing Yi smiled and said, "Where did Madame say that, you are a famous immortal, where will you be old?" When we sisters stand with you, we are one day and one place away, and you look a year or two older than us. ”

Li snorted, "The two little girls can talk, and they have followed me in vain for the past few years." You say, if I use my brain vividly on Fan Jin's book, can I follow my heart? Will he think I'm old? ”

The two pretty maids are both confidants and clansmen of the Li family, and they are not shy about speaking. One Humane:

"If Madame belongs to him, it is the creation of this poor scholar who has cultivated three lives, and it is too late to rejoice, where is his turn to pick and choose. But in the past few years, we have seen a lot of talented people with excellent appearance, and my wife's heart has never wavered, how can I ...... now? Want to make an exception for a Cantonese barbarian? If this matter is made to make a fuss, Mrs. Yu's face will be unfavorable, and it will be a big mess if it is not good. ”

Li sighed: "You guys, you are too tender and unmarried, so you naturally don't understand my difficulties." What is the use of scenery in front of people? What's the use of worrying about food and clothing? Don't you know what sin I suffer every night? Is it easy for me to go from 14 to 30? If it is a woman from a common people's family, she can find a husband to marry. But with such an identity, there is no hope for this way, so I have to find a man to get along. I don't like it in general, and if I look at it, I may not dare to touch me. If I really dare, I have to weigh it again, whether I will be ruined. Let me tell you, when I was a girl, I wanted to find a scholar, but unfortunately my family was poor at that time, and it was not my turn to call the shots. Now that I can be my own master, I want to find a talented man and taste the taste of a scholar. The last time I tried it, the foundation of the Holy Mercy was not stable, and I didn't dare to move it. Now that the world is peaceful, it's time for me to be happy. Fan Jin...... I think he is very knowledgeable about current affairs, and he has such a good talent, and he is a painter...... Now when I think about him painting me, my heart is still pounding. Talking to him, I felt that the hours flew by, and in the blink of an eye it was dark. It hasn't been a feeling in years, and I don't want to miss him. ”

The two women saluted together: "Congratulations to Mrs. Ruyi Langjun, with the strength and beauty of the husband, as long as you say a word, you are not afraid that he will not obey." ”

"With my benefits, you will naturally be indispensable, and you can also get a piece of the pie when the time comes, so that you can know the benefits of being a woman. Now, any of you will work hard for me, go and send a message to Feng Baona, and say that Mrs. Ben said that she wants to promote Fan Jin to a jinshi. The big words have already been spoken, but I can't do it, so I can only ask Father-in-law Feng to give me a round. ”

The day of the examination was on the ninth day of the second month, and tonight it was the seventh day of the second month, and the atmosphere in the Beijing division was already very tense. Outside the Tribute Academy, a large number of soldiers in armor blocked the Tribute Courtyard to protect the examination room. The eyes and ears of the Six Gates, Jinyiwei and even the East Factory were all mobilized, and any fraud related to the imperial examination was the focus of the current crackdown. Every time there is an examination, some officials will be dismissed, and some people will lose their qualifications for the examination because they are involved in fraud cases.

As the chief examiner who controls the fate of scholars, Zhang Siwei and Shen Shixing were locked in the Gongyuan early. Since the imperial examination has not yet arrived, there is nothing to do, nothing more than drinking and writing poems with other fellow examiners, and entertaining himself internally. It wasn't until today that the two of them began their work in earnest, going through the books before the exam and deciding on the topics for the nine-head exam in early February.

Like the Township Examination, the General Examination also has three questions of four books and four questions of the scriptures, while the examiner has to choose twenty-three questions. Just halfway through the decision, a lieutenant in Tsing Yi walked in with a food box in his hand, and inside was a supper given by Ci Shengci.

After thanking the Holy Grace, Shen Shixing removed the lid of the box and saw a fish inside, which was very different from the usual practice. He knew it, and said to Zhang Siwei: "Brother Fengpan, this dish is Fan Yu, which was originally only used in the Jiangling Xianggong Mansion, and I don't want to even have it in the palace now." ”

Zhang Siwei looked at the fish and didn't speak, looked at the fish blankly, and after a while, he suddenly laughed. "Haha, what a fan fish! Yaoquan, you have to use some thought to eat this fish, you can't eat it in a hurry, but you have to taste it carefully, and you can't live up to the painstaking heart of the saint. If my estimate is not bad, in the next few days, we will have this fan fish to eat. Only after eating Fan Yu can he have the strength to do things, not only for the long live Hengwen, but also to be single-minded, and not to live up to the emperor's grace. ”