I, the villainous eldest prince, will suppress everything!

"Candied hawthorn berries—"

"The coal has been sold..."

Before we knew it, it was New Year's Eve. The streets were bustling with people, with dragon and lion dances, the sounds of gongs and drums, and dazzling fireworks lighting up the night sky as if it were daytime.

Locals in Beijing actually prefer to stay at home during the Lunar New Year, having a reunion dinner with their families and staying up late together.

However, as the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the capital city had a population of more than several hundred thousand. Not only locals celebrated the New Year in the capital, but also people from other places who liked to flock to the streets to join in the festivities.

The man selling candied hawthorns and the man selling coal got into a fight for some unknown reason, and no one could separate them.

Inadvertently, the entire bundle of candied hawthorns fell into the coal pile, covered in coal ash, and was clearly no longer edible.

However, some people are eager to eat it, such as children, and beggars...

"Wangju, your brother finally managed to snag a skewer, eat it quickly, there's still more to eat. I remember you loved candied hawthorns when you were little, and this skewer is free, so why not eat it?"

Chen Shoutian held a string of dirty candied hawthorns in his hand and held it to his younger brother Chen Wangju's mouth with an expectant look on his face. As he spoke, he couldn't help but swallow.

His younger brother loved candied hawthorns, and so did he.

However, he always gave all the good things to his younger brother.

His younger brother is the hope of their whole family.

Looking at the filthy candied hawthorn, and then at her brother Chen Shoutian's expression.

Chen Wangju felt a mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.

I felt touched, but also ashamed!

Chen Shoutian disregarded his image and tried to snatch a string of candied hawthorns covered in coal ash, and now it was being offered to him.

He knew his brother meant well, but he, Chen Wangju, was a future top scholar!

If word gets out that he ate this candied hawthorn skewer today, where will he put his face?

"Brother, you eat it. I don't like sweets anymore."

Chen Wangju pressed down Chen Shoutian's arm and politely declined.

"You don't like sweets anymore? When did that happen? I didn't know."

Chen Shoutian reached out and scratched the back of his head, completely baffled.

"Brother, stop asking. Just eat it. If you don't eat it soon, the candied hawthorn seller will come looking for you, and then you won't be able to get any even if you want to."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shoutian, like a thief, grabbed all the candied hawthorns, stuffed them into his mouth, and wolfed them down, his mouth covered in coal dust.

As long as he eats all the candied hawthorns, even if the candied hawthorn seller comes looking for him later, there's nothing they can do; they can't just cut open his stomach.

Before he could savor the sweetness in his mouth, Chen Shoutian hastily wiped his lips and said:

"Wangju, at least the shopkeeper has some conscience. He knows it's New Year's Eve and gave us brothers a day off."

"This capital city is so lively, even more so at night than during the day. By the way, where are we going next?"

"Or, let's go to Jin Guang Temple. I heard that the monks there all came from the Buddhist Kingdom and are all reincarnations of Bodhisattvas. There's free porridge and free steamed buns at the entrance."

Chen Wangju nodded. He had no objection to going to Jinguang Temple, but not like a beggar begging for free porridge.

He was going to visit the Jin Guang Temple to pray for good fortune so that he could become the top scholar in the imperial examination next year.

Before long, the two followed the flow of people to Jin Guang Temple.

The Golden Light Temple was built to be extremely tall and magnificent, its width immeasurable, stretching as far as the eye could see, and it was no shorter than the city walls.

Moreover, with each burst of fireworks in the sky, the golden roof shone with dazzling golden light, making everyone feel as if they were in a Buddhist realm.

"Wangju, are those monks? Why aren't they bald?" Chen Shoutian asked.

In front of Jin Guang Temple, there was a soup kitchen where countless beggars were queuing up to receive soup.

The people standing in the soup kitchen distributing soup didn't look like monks; they had hair, about an inch long.

It's like your hair grew back after you shaved it, and you didn't have time to shave it again.

They all had this hairstyle, which looked strange, unlike them who had long hair.

Chen Wangju looked over and explained, "Brother, you don't know this, but Jin Guang Temple is not a temple native to our Great Zhou. The monks of Jin Guang Temple worship the Buddha of the Buddhist Kingdom. In the Buddhist Kingdom, monks don't shave their heads; they have this hairstyle."

After listening to Chen Wangju's explanation, Chen Shoutian suddenly understood and subconsciously praised him, "Wangju, you know so much! This time, the top scholar title is definitely yours!"

Chen Wangju nodded and was about to walk towards the gate of Jinguang Temple. There were many people queuing up for porridge tonight, but few people going into the temple to burn incense. This was a rare opportunity. Usually, it was not their turn to go into the temple to burn incense. He could make good use of this opportunity.

Although he didn't believe that worshipping Buddha would guarantee him the title of top scholar in the imperial examination, otherwise there would be top scholars everywhere. Becoming a top scholar depends on one's own ability.

But if you can go in and pay your respects, you should. It's better to believe in something than nothing, and it's good to seek some peace of mind.

"Wangju, the people queuing for porridge are over there, where are you going?"

After taking only two steps, Chen Shoutian grabbed Chen Wangju.

"Brother, you go join the queue, I'm going into the temple to pray!"

"Let's meet at the door in a bit."

"it is good."

The two brothers then went their separate ways.

They each went to do what they liked.

Upon entering the temple, Chen Wangju felt good.

The monks of Jin Guang Temple did not look at him with strange or disgusted eyes because of his tattered clothes with patches on them.

Not only did he not do that, but whenever he met monks, he would also nod to them very politely.

Here, Chen Wangju felt respected like never before.

At the same time, he also learned why a foreign Buddhist temple could become the number one Buddhist temple in the Great Zhou Dynasty, with countless believers.

After entering the main hall and paying homage before the golden Buddha statue, Chen Wangju strolled around the temple for a while before leaving, wondering if Chen Shoutian had gotten his porridge yet.

However, just as Chen Wangju was about to leave Jinguang Temple, he was caught up and stopped by three monks from behind.

The leading monk's attire was clearly different from that of the two younger monks behind him.

The two young monks were wearing the most ordinary gray robes, with the lead monk wearing an extra brownish-red kasaya over his gray robe.

Moreover, he was older, like a steward in a Buddhist temple.

"Please wait, benefactor!"

The leading monk clasped his hands together and bowed slightly to Chen Wangju.

Chen Wangju imitated the monk's posture and returned the greeting.

"Esteemed benefactor, this is Venerable Wuliang, the Dharma Master who preaches at our Golden Light Temple!"

A young monk behind him, fearing that Chen Wangju might not recognize him, took the initiative to introduce the monk's identity.

"Oh, so you are the Venerable Master Wuliang! I've heard so much about you!"

Chen Wangju clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect once more.

He wasn't unfamiliar with the person, he just hadn't seen them in person.

Several of the shop assistants in the rice shop were believers of the Jin Guang Temple.

During their breaks, they would always talk about everything at Jin Guang Temple, saying that there were twelve Dharma Masters who preached the sutras there, each of whom was highly accomplished. Master Wuliang was one of them, and a shop assistant in the rice shop was his loyal follower. He would come to listen whenever Master Wuliang preached the sutras.

"Why are you stopping me, Master?"

Chen Wangju asked.

Master Wuliang, his hands rubbing together prayer beads, said with a kind and benevolent expression, "I observe that you possess considerable wisdom. Would you be interested in joining my Jin Guang Temple to study Buddhism?"

"what?"

Chen Wangju was stunned.

Join Jin Guang Temple, study Buddhism, and become a monk?

He never had such a thought.

He studied diligently for years, determined to become the top scholar and bring glory to the Chen family.

How can someone become a monk and still achieve the highest rank in the imperial examinations? I've never heard of a monk becoming a top scholar, but I have heard of top scholars becoming monks.

"Thank you for your kind offer, Venerable Master, but my ambition lies elsewhere. I aspire to pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom!" Chen Wangju politely declined.

After saying that, Chen Wangju was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, the two young monks wouldn't let him go, blocking his way and saying:

"To tell you the truth, our monks have foreseen that you will face a bloody disaster. Only by joining our Golden Light Temple can you escape this calamity. We hope you will consider this carefully."

Upon hearing this, Chen Wangju laughed, a laugh born of anger.

Bloodshed? He didn't offend anyone, so what bloodshed is there to worry about?

If we have to say who he offended, it would only be Cao Quan, a fellow villager, but Cao Quan has been away from the rice shop for a long time.

Moreover, based on his understanding of Cao Quan, even if Cao Quan became successful outside, he wouldn't come looking for trouble.

If you wanted to cause him trouble, you should have done it back in your hometown. Why wait until now?

"Don't disbelieve me, benefactor. Our monks practice the supreme Dharma of the Buddha's realm and can glimpse the secrets of heaven."

"Heavenly secrets cannot be altered by human power; what is, is. You, benefactor, are truly destined for bloodshed!"

"The monk cannot bear to see you suffer such a calamity, and urges you to consider this carefully!"

The two young monks earnestly advised him.

If it weren't for not having the monk's permission...

They were probably going to forcibly drag Chen Wangju into the main hall and cut off his long hair.

Chen Wangju looked at the two young monks, then at Master Wuliang, and his anger subsided once again.

He waved his sleeve and said, "I appreciate the Master's kindness, but I have no intention of becoming a monk. Even if there is bloodshed involved, I accept it. Farewell!"

After saying that, Chen Wangju turned and left without a trace of regret.

I was in a good mood when I came to pay my respects, which boosted my confidence in becoming the top scorer in the college entrance examination.

Who knew that such a terrible thing would happen when we were about to leave the temple.

Will there be bloodshed as well? That's practically cursing him.

His impression of Jinguang Temple plummeted!

He will never come again.