(a)

In the fourth year after the establishment of the new dynasty, Liu Shen chose Mangshan, which has excellent feng shui and beautiful scenery in the northwest suburbs of Yunjing, and began to build the royal cemetery, and moved the tombs of the former kings and queens who were originally buried near Dongcheng. Next to the mausoleum of the former king and his wife, the burial place behind the queen mother of the Wang family began to be built.

Liu Shen cherishes the people's power, although it is a royal cemetery, but everything is as simple as possible, the cemetery is compared with the specifications of the Zhaoling Tomb of Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, only the road leading to the tomb and the relatively simple tomb are built, the two sides of the road are only planted with pine and cypress, some stone men and stone horses guarding the cemetery are placed, and there are inscriptions written by a number of famous artists, recording the life of the tomb owner and the evaluation of the tomb owner by descendants, and that's it. This move was strongly supported by the Empress Dowager Wang. The Empress Dowager Wang has repeatedly praised the emperor's love for the people and frugality, and recognized that the emperor's measures are the real embodiment of filial piety.

Driven by Liu Shen, frugality prevailed in weddings and funerals throughout the country, changing the extravagance and extravagance of the Southern Han Dynasty.

Nine years after the establishment of the new dynasty, the Empress Dowager Wang, who had been in poor health since the founding of the People's Republic of China, was infected with the wind and cold again, and since then she has been ill for several months, and finally died of treatment in the scorching heat of midsummer.

This is the greatest misfortune since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Liu Shen has been dependent on his mother since he was a child, the relationship between mother and son is very close and harmonious, the death of the queen mother made Liu Shen feel very sad, he cried many times in front of his mother's coffin, and made an exception to drop out of the dynasty for seven days, leading the children of the palace to keep vigil for the mother day and night.

Subsequently, a grand state funeral was held for the Empress Dowager Wang. A month after the suspension of the spirit, Liu Shen personally led the harem dependents and hundreds of officials in the court to help the spirit to the Mangshan Imperial Mausoleum, and buried the Empress Dowager Wang on the side of the mausoleum of the old Han King and his wife, and was honored as the Empress Dowager of Our Lady of Mercy.

At that time, Liu Shen and I had already given birth to two princes and were pregnant with our third child. Soon after the state funeral of the Queen Mother, I gave birth early due to fatigue, and after several hardships, I gave birth to the eldest princess. The children in front of Liu Shen are all princes, and they have a daughter for the first time, and they are infinitely happy in their hearts, and they love the beautiful little baby girl like a pearl in the palm of their hands.

(b)

When the eldest princess was 9 months old, there was a smallpox infection in Yunjing City, many infants and young children in the city were infected with the epidemic, the palace was like a great enemy, strictly guarded, not only strictly checked the people who entered the palace and all kinds of materials sent into the palace, but also prohibited unnecessary exchanges between the palaces and hospitals, the hospital went to the palace every day to carry out strict disinfection of clothes, air, utensils, etc., and prescribed a lot of preventive decoctions, so that the palace attendants and female dependents, infants and young children took it every day.

But Rao was so well defended that the prince born to the Tibetan concubine was unfortunately infected with smallpox, and the high fever did not go away for more than 10 days, and unfortunately died. The Tibetan concubine hugged the prince's small corpse and cried, grief-stricken, and Liu Shen was also very sad. Subsequently, another concubine's little princess was also infected with smallpox, although after the desperate rescue of the hospital, her life was saved, but since then her face has been covered with pockmarks, and she has been disfigured, and she has to wear a veil for life. Subsequently, a number of palace maids and chamberlains were infected with smallpox.

Everyone in the palace was suddenly in danger. Liu Shen is very worried about the safety of his children, especially his son.

At this time, a minister of the court reported to Liu Shen that about 20 years ago, there was also an epidemic of smallpox in the area near Yunjing, and the infection rate and mortality rate of young children at that time were also quite high, and the people were panicked.

In the face of the desperate and frightened people, Zen Master Guangji said: Poor monks can only sit in meditation, not cure diseases. But where the people were willing to believe, the Zen master said, "That's good, the poor monk will sit in meditation and pray for all sentient beings."

So, Zen Master Guangji sat cross-legged in the temple behind closed doors and entered Shending.

After a day and a night, the sky suddenly rolled with black clouds, and then there was no day, and then lightning and thunder, the sky cracked, and it began to pour down, and the heavy rain stopped for a long time. After the rain stopped, the clouds cleared and the sky was clear and blue, and the sun was exceptionally bright. After the heavy rains, the spread of smallpox, which was rapidly contagious throughout the region, stopped, and the infected patients gradually recovered one by one, and there was no new case of infection or death or disability.

As a result, Zen Master Guangji was revered as a holy monk by the people.

The minister told Liu Shen that now, the Zen master Guangji, who quelled the spread of the plague, is serving as an abbot in the Bodhicitta Temple deep in the mountains. If you want to stop the spread of smallpox in Yunjing, you might as well try it and then turn to Zen Master Guangji.

Liu Shen feels that this is also a way in the middle of no way, so he might as well give it a try. However, as the emperor of a country, there are still many inconveniences to ask for help from Zen Master Guangji in person.

Therefore, Liu Shen discussed with me, and I took the son, on behalf of the emperor, to make a noise, hide my identity, and not disturb the local officials and people, quietly went out of the city, sneaked to the Bodhicitta Temple to meet the Guangji Zen Master, expressed my wishes, expressed my sincerity, and begged the Zen Master to help save the people from fire and water.

When I heard about Bodhicitta Temple and Zen Master Guangji, I remembered that Wu Shun had told me that you had stayed here on your way back to Yunjing to say goodbye to me, and that you had a conversation with this Zen Master. I also wanted to meet this Zen master and learn more about your meeting, so I gladly accepted it.

Under the escort of Fu Tianliang and Xie Shuangcheng, I took my son out of the city in a low-key manner, and secretly went to the Bodhicitta Temple to pay homage to the Zen master with Liu Shen's will and royal gifts.

(c)

At the first glance of meeting Zen Master Guangji, I understood that he had already understood our true identity and the purpose of this trip, and it was superfluous to show it again.

When Zen Master Guangji saw me, he immediately understood that I had already understood his insight.

As a result, the two sides tacitly agreed and saved a lot of rhetoric.

After settling in the nearby mountains and rivers for the prince, who was not yet 10 years old, I made offerings to the temple and monks on behalf of the royal family with a number of rare treasures treasured by the royal family.

Zen Master Guangji then invited me to the abbot for a deep discussion about the purpose of this trip. Zen Master Guangji said that he had learned about the resurgence of smallpox in the area near Yunjing, and promised to lead the monks in the temple again to collectively play a "Zen Seven" (meditation for seven days) to pray for the people to repent and expel the plague.

After talking at this time, Zen Master Guangji looked at my expression and said, "The poor monk has agreed to Madame's invitation, why is there still no joy on Madame's face, but Qi Rong is still the same?" ”

He said, "Madame, you think you are unlucky. ”

I said, "Yes." Shinnu lost her parents when she was a child, and then suffered a series of setbacks and humiliation, then an unsatisfactory marriage, and finally, the death of a loved one. I do feel unlucky. ”

The Zen master said, "But, ma'am, you have sound senses, complete limbs, good looks, a good life, a noble position, and plenty of leisure time, and you don't have to work hard, you don't have to be hungry and afraid all year round. Compared to countless other creatures, you live comfortably and are the envy of them. Don't you think it's a waste to spend your time lamenting your misfortune with so many privileged conditions in life? ”

He said, "Madame, why don't you try and spend your time helping to alleviate or eliminate their suffering, which is less than yours?" Taking time to lament your own misfortune can only make you feel worse and worse, but taking time to relieve the pain of other lives will make you feel better and better, and it will make others feel better and better. Life is short, time is precious, how do you think you can use it to be more worthy of yourself? (To be continued.) )