Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 132: The vicious and cruel monk kills Lu!

Although it was a sunny day, the winter wind in the south of the Yangtze River was still very cold.

When the wind blew over, it felt like a sinister knife piercing every part of the body.

A monk in a black cassock was walking in the cold wind, followed by several guards.

At this time, Yao Guangxiao was already the highest-ranking monk in the Ming Dynasty, surpassing Zuo Shanshi of the Monks' Registrar's Office.

The old monk's face showed neither sadness nor joy.

Perhaps only he himself knew that in the short time he had just met the emperor, he had experienced at least four life-and-death crises.

If he had responded inappropriately, Yao Guangxiao would have been a corpse by now.

The response seemed nonchalant, as if it was just ordinary people chatting about family matters.

In fact, there is no unnecessary gossip, and murderous intentions are lurking everywhere.

Zhu Yuanzhang was an emperor who was very suspicious and even more murderous.

He is different from Yang Shiqi.

In Zhu's eyes, Yang Shiqi was a scholar invited by Zhu Yunhuan to help him and an upright counselor.

Lao Zhu does not have much intention to kill this kind of people.

However, Yang Shiqi wanted to use the opportunity to meet the emperor to pave the way for Zhu Yunhuan and defeat the emperor, which put himself in danger.

Yao Guangxiao is different.

As a monk, working for the King of Wu, he would naturally be suspected of misleading the future king.

He is not dancing on a knife's edge.

But from the very beginning, Lao Zhu raised his butcher knife and stared at him.

If Yao Guangxiao said something wrong, he would be beheaded immediately.

However, the old monk managed to survive the crisis safely.

not only that.

Today, the old monk also cut a new knife for Zhu Yunhuan, clearing the last obstacle for him to become the crown prince.

Yang Shiqi used the people's hearts to make Zhu Yuanzhang suspicious of the Lu family.

But Old Zhu never touched Lu, but watched quietly.

It’s not that Zhu was so good to Lu, but that he doted on his grandson too much.

After all, Lu was the mother of three imperial grandchildren.

Old Zhu would not touch her easily, nor would he want to touch her easily.

Yao Guangxiao had no idea what would happen at Lu's birthday party.

But he is very clear about the principle that those who strike first will win, while those who strike later will lose.

Lu and Zhu Yunwen have been planning for so long, once it is launched, it will definitely be a big deal.

Old Zhu wanted to wait and see what Lu and Zhu Yunwen would do, and how Zhu Yunhuan would respond.

But Yao Guangxiao was unwilling to wait.

This would bring unexpected risks to Zhu Yunhuan's path to becoming the crown prince.

The best approach is to take the initiative and let Lao Zhu make up his mind in advance.

That's why Yao Guangxiao revealed "Lü's conspiracy" to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Would Lu really risk her own death to frame Zhu Yunhuan and help her own son Zhu Yunwen?

In fact, the old monk didn't know either.

The most unpredictable thing in the world is the human heart.

Even the Buddha can only advise people to practice and be good.

Even Buddha can only save those who are devoted to Buddhism.

Even Buddha cannot change people's hearts.

Besides, he is just a monk.

But Yao Guangxiao could throw the possibility of this happening in front of Zhu.

This forced Lao Zhu to change his mind and decide to continue observing.

After all, Lu was just an outsider, not a close relative of Zhu.

After this blow, will Lu still have a chance to survive?
Yang Shiqi planted the seeds of doubt in the emperor's heart, while Yao Guangxiao was forcing the emperor to kill people!
Although the old monk has the heart to save all living beings, he has never been a good person.

On the contrary, he is a sinister and vicious monk.

If a few people were killed, the obstacles in the way of the former King of Wu could be cleared and the King of Wu could ascend the throne.

The old monk would swing his knife without hesitation.

I will not show mercy even if I kill a thousand or ten thousand people!

He didn't even discuss this matter with Zhu Yunhuan in advance.

Because he was worried that Zhu Yunhuan would take into account Lu's love for raising him and would not want to kill her.

He made his own decision and then acted decisively in front of His Majesty the Emperor.

Everything happened as he expected, and Old Zhu believed it.

In other words, His Majesty the Emperor had to believe it.

Because even if what Yao Guangxiao said had only a very low probability of happening, as long as it was possible, it was a risk that even Zhu Yuanzhang could not afford.

His Majesty the Emperor has no choice at all!
"Amitabha!" Yao Guangxiao chanted the Buddha's name with a compassionate face.

Then he strode like flowing clouds and headed straight towards the Prince of Wu's palace.

Along the way, many pedestrians looked sideways at the strange-looking monk in black.

The old monk was completely unaware.

After entering the Prince of Wu's Palace, he went straight to see Zhu Yunhuan.

"This poor monk is guilty of death!"

In the study, Yao Guangxiao bowed down before King Wu.

"Your Highness Prince Wu does not need to attend Concubine Lu's birthday party."

Zhu Yunhuan was slightly stunned.

The old monk raised his head and said calmly: "I have already advised Your Majesty today to execute Concubine Lu!"

Whoops!

Zhu Yunhuan, who was drawing with a brush, suddenly trembled and the brush immediately drew a heavy stroke on the paper.

All the efforts made in drawing the picture were wasted.

……

Tianjie Temple.

After reciting the scriptures and eating the vegetarian meal, Lao Zhu strolled leisurely and came to the pavilion in the backyard of the temple.

Following behind him were a group of eunuchs and attendants, as well as Zen Master Zong Le.

The ancient trees are lush and tall.

When the wind blows, the branches sway slightly, the leaves flutter, and a rustling sound is made.

The shadow reflected in the pool beside the pavilion also ripples.

The waves are surging.

The goldfish in the pond were swimming around freely and contentedly.

Old Zhu grabbed a handful of fish food from the stone box held by the young eunuch who was following closely behind him and scattered it down.

In an instant, countless fishes scrambled to grab it.

Green water and red scales dance as the sun and wind sway.

The scenery in front of him was peaceful and pleasant. A slight smile appeared on the corner of Lao Zhu's mouth.

"Pen and ink are at your service!"

He gave a calm order.

Immediately, a young eunuch brought the four treasures of the study and placed them one by one on the stone table in the pavilion.

Yoshigaki hurried over to grind the ink.

Old Zhu picked up his brush and wrote with iron and silver strokes

"Although I know how vast the universe is, I still pity the green grass and trees!"

A few big characters were written quickly.

Zong Le put his hands together and said: "Amitabha!"

"Your Majesty, these two lines of poetry are of the highest level, the pinnacle."

"Your Majesty's heart of benevolence and righteousness is evident, and you can be called the true Buddha in the world."

Old Zhu laughed and said, "You are flattering the wrong person."

"These two lines of poetry were written by our grandson, but not by us."

Zong Le's eyes lit up and he asked, "Could it be His Royal Highness the King of Wu who wrote 'The Rolling Yangtze River Flows East'?"

"Who else could it be except him?" Old Zhu put down the brush and said to Yoshigaki beside him: "Put away this calligraphy, take it back to the palace, and hang it in our study."

"Yes!" Yoshigaki quickly and carefully put it away.

Zong Le sighed, "Your Highness the Prince of Wu is a man of great talent and compassion. The Ming dynasty has a successor. The people of the Ming dynasty are fortunate, and so are the people of the world!"

Old Zhu turned his head and looked at him and said, "Do you also think that he is the most suitable heir among our descendants?"

Zong Le was stunned for a moment, and clasped his hands together in greeting: "Your Majesty, please forgive me, I spoke too much!"

Old Zhu smiled faintly and said, "It's okay! You just said it out of emotion, it's not a big deal."

He suddenly changed the subject and asked, "You were the one who recommended Daoyan to the court, right? What do you think of him?"

Zong Le was silent for a while before he said, "Dao Yan has a magnanimous bearing and a calm and peaceful nature."

"I have been practicing Buddhism for many years, concentrating on the inner classics, and have gained its profound insights. I have learned a lot and have a broad understanding of Confucianism and all the schools of thought."

"When writing essays, his writing is grand and rigorous; when writing poems, his poetry is elegant and simple, both are beyond the ordinary world!"

"Even famous scholars and great men cannot compare to him."

"His talent is rare in the world."

Old Zhu stared at him with his eyes wide open, then laughed and said loudly, "You are really good at praising your fellow disciples!"

"Amitabha!" Zong Le chanted the Buddha's name again and said, "Monks do not tell lies. Your Majesty asks me, and I will tell you the truth."

"Speaking the truth!" Old Zhu walked to the edge of the pavilion and looked up at the treetops and the sky: "I think he is a demon monk."

"A vicious and ruthless monk who is good at strategy."

Old Zhu recalled what Yao Guangxiao had said before.

The intention is obvious!
He knew all of this clearly.

However, the court was full of twists and turns, and none of the ministers were easy to deal with. It might not be a bad thing to have such a treacherous monk full of conspiracies and intrigues assisting Zhu Yunhuan.

Originally, Old Zhu was a little worried that his grandson had been deceived by a charlatan.

But later on, thinking carefully, Zhu Yunhuan first promoted Yang Shiqi and then recruited Yao Guangxiao.

Both of them are shrewd and calculating old foxes.

This is enough to show that the grandson has an eye for judging people and knows their abilities and capabilities well.

Then you won’t be cheated by anyone.

As for future generations.

Zhu Yunhuan is still young, but Yao Guangxiao is very old, so there is nothing to worry about.

Zong Le did not expect that the Emperor would have such an evaluation of Yao Guangxiao, and for a moment he did not know how to respond.

Fortunately, Lao Zhu spoke again soon.

"Daoyan swore before the Buddha today that he would never return to secular life in this lifetime."

"We think he is talented, and he assisted the King of Wu, checked the accounts of the Ministry of Revenue, and helped the court to find out the corrupt official Zhao Mian, which is a great contribution to the court."

"Devoting one's heart to Buddhism is commendable."

"We have already appointed him as the Grand Secretary of the Imperial Household, and we will also appoint him as the Grand Monk. What do you think?"

Zong Le was stunned again.

Senggang means the person in charge of the monks.

The Great Sangha is the great monk who is in charge of all monks in the world.

His position is even higher than Zuo Shanshi.

However, this is a virtual number.

Yao Guangxiao has already entered the court as an official, so it is impossible for him to come to the temple to manage all the monks in the world.

If you are just a Buddhist, what’s the point of having a real job?

A false title is enough.

His Majesty the Emperor had previously said that Yao Guangxiao was an evil monk, which made him think for a time that the Emperor wanted to punish Yao Guangxiao.

Unexpectedly, he was rewarded so heavily the next moment.

God’s power is truly unpredictable!
"I thank Your Majesty for your grace on behalf of Senior Brother Daoyan."

Of course Zong Le didn't ask the reason and quickly expressed his gratitude.

Old Zhu waved his hand and said, "You can go down now."

"I'm leaving now!" Zong Le bowed and left.

After his figure disappeared, Lao Zhu's expression gradually became solemn.

The smile on his face had disappeared without a trace without him noticing.

He looked at the sky, then at the writing brush and ink on the stone table.

I slowly closed my eyes and recalled the words, "I have realized the vastness of the universe, but I still pity the green grass and trees."

All the past events are replaying in my mind.

The expression on his face was ever-changing.

It was extremely quiet all around.

The eunuchs who were accompanying him held their breath and dared not make the slightest sound.

Only the wind is still blowing gently.

After a while, Lao Zhu's dragon eyes suddenly opened, and murderous intent suddenly emerged.

His face calmed down again.

"Let's go to the East Palace!"

Old Zhu's old and steady voice sounded calmly.

"Since the death of the crown prince, Concubine Lu has missed her husband so much that she has lost her appetite all day long. She has become ill from worry and is plagued by various diseases. Today, she has finally followed the crown prince."

Yoshigaki, who was serving nearby, was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out.

But he didn't ask a single question, just bowed and turned away.

There is still a gentle breeze in the courtyard.

The golden carp was freely blowing out bubbles in the pond water.

……

(End of this chapter)