Chapter 46: Blue-Robed Monk

"Then he should have mobilized troops early and fought you to the death." Zhu Zhi sneered, lifting his foot to leave: "The Middle Attendant has probably gone mad."

"Pah." Guo Shi spat at Zhu Zhi's retreating back: "Even a mad dog knows how to write the character for 'mad' — truly strange."

Seeing Zhu Zhi leave, Guo Shi's adopted son, who had been guarding at a distance, only then lowered his head and approached.

Guo Shi stepped out of Weiyang Palace's palace gate and saw a child of similar age to Liu Qi walking over, accompanied by palace attendants.

Guo Shi smiled amiably and bowed: "Has Fifth Prince come to pay respects to His Majesty?"

Fifth Prince Liu Cheng nodded lightly, his expression somewhat tense.

"What is Fifth Prince afraid of?" Guo Shi still smiled: "Did you just run into Sixth Prince? Sixth Prince is going to the Southern Regions alone and doesn't seem afraid at all; Fifth Prince is several months older than him, and can stay in the capital to accompany the Sovereign Father — what is there to fear?"

Fifth Prince nodded lightly again, striving to make himself appear less tense, and entered Weiyang Palace with the palace attendants.

Guo Shi glanced back at the boy's retreating figure, and as he lifted his foot, he sighed: "In terms of appearance and courage, he truly cannot compare to those raised in Jiaofang Dian."

His voice was very low, as if speaking to his adopted son: "However, a heroic ruler cuts off his own heirs..."

The current Emperor can indeed be called a heroic ruler.

In his youth, he followed the Former Emperor to conquer the realm, possessing both courage and strategy.

Conquering the realm consumed ten-odd years, the Former Emperor reigned for eight years, and by the time His Majesty ascended the throne he was already middle-aged; moreover, because he had spent his youth enduring the bitter days of battlefield campaigns, his body had accumulated some old ailments.

Such an Emperor, thirteen years since ascending the throne, has seen Great Qian's national power multiply several times over; just as the rebellion of the vassal kings of different surnames is about to subside, and many grand ambitions and great undertakings are still in the planning stage — how could he not care about the length of his lifespan?

Therefore, this heroic ruler began building an immortal palace, believing in ghosts and gods, taking elixirs, and embarked on the path of pursuing longevity; once a person starts setting his sights on longevity, his vision becomes extraordinarily far-reaching, and his vigilance toward potential threats suddenly multiplies several or even dozens of times.

Thus came about these matters, one after another...

Therefore, Guo Shi actually looked favorably on this Fifth Prince: "As a heroic ruler's son, being mediocre is not necessarily a bad thing."

He also hoped his future master would be a bit mediocre, a bit obedient; as a eunuch, though he dared not dream of longevity, he still had to leave himself the chance to live seventy or eighty years.

Guo Shi headed straight for the Shaofu to arrange matters for Sixth Prince's impending journey south.

The Shaofu manages the imperial household finances, royal clothing, food, daily necessities, travel, and hunting; Guo Shi explained the purpose to the officials there, having them pick some clever inner attendants to accompany and serve Sixth Prince, and all other expenses were to follow the Commandery King system — they must not slight him.

The officials busily went to arrange it; before long, a row of ten-odd inner attendants stood with heads bowed in the Imperial City corridor, and Guo Shi personally inspected and selected them.

After selecting the inner attendants, a monk was brought over; he pressed his palms together and bowed to Guo Shi, and Guo Shi smiled and nodded.

This middle-aged monk was tall in stature, with thick eyebrows and deep-set eyes, a completely bald head, draped in blue monk's robes.

This man was half Xiongnu, half Western Regions by blood; about ten years ago, the Xiongnu invaded the Western Regions, and he fled all the way to Luoyang; the people of Luoyang had never seen a "monk" before, and although China has always had abundant products, it has also always been curious and yearning toward novel things, so Luoyang officials presented this man to His Majesty as a rare treasure.

The Ren Emperor was a studious ruler; in his leisure he would summon this blue-robed monk to inquire about foreign matters, or have him translate Western Regions scriptures together with other officials.

But this blue-robed monk was single-mindedly intent on spreading the Buddhist path; his words often smuggled in private agendas, and at the slightest provocation he would sit and expound Buddhist law, discoursing at length to persuade people toward goodness and non-killing, and even attempted to admonish the Emperor to tonsure and become a monk, joining his disciples... The Ren Emperor found it intolerable, and gradually became unwilling to summon him.

Great Qian follows the Daoist faith; even Confucianism has to take a back seat, let alone a foreign Buddhism with no foundation whatsoever; the blue-robed monk has hit walls everywhere for years, yet never gave up his aspiration to propagate Buddhist law and develop disciples.

"Sixth Prince has suffered a tremendous upheaval; I fear his temperament may go astray." Guo Shi said to the blue-robed monk: "If the Master can admonish him from the side, guide Sixth Prince to let go of his heart's knot, in the future His Majesty will remember the Master's merit..."

Guo Shi spoke to here, smiling and pointing toward the direction of Xian Tai Gong.

The blue-robed monk's eyes instantly shone with light; he felt a magnificent Buddhist blue temple already faintly visible before him.

He recited a Buddha's name, solemnly and devoutly making his promise: "This monk will not fail His Majesty's entrustment; I will surely make Sixth Prince put down the anger, resentment, and fear in his heart as soon as possible."

After inquiring in detail about Sixth Prince's age, the blue-robed monk grew even more confident; he was still a mere child, precisely the right age to listen to admonition and receive guidance.

Three days later, at the moment of departure, the blue-robed monk saw Liu Qi.

That black-robed boy dragging a lame leg had a cold, gloomy aura all over; when he raised his eyes to look, his originally quite pretty brows and eyes actually held a few threads of cold, ruthless ghost qi.

The blue-robed monk couldn't help but step back: "..."

Before expounding Buddhist law, he planned to first recite a passage of the Golden Vajra Subduing Demon Mantra to protect himself.

The blue-robed monk observed secretly and saw several imperial clan children had come to see off this Sixth Prince, but this Sixth Prince's attitude was distant; he boarded the carriage directly, not willing to accept even a shred of sentiment.

Lu Hou Fu also sent servants to see him off, bringing quite a few precious medicinal materials.

This was Lu Hou's idea.

Feng Xu had tried to persuade: "Father, at this time one should perhaps avoid suspicion..."

But Lu Hou waved his hand: "That day it was I who protected him at the palace gate, and it was I who injured his leg; if I show no gesture now, it would seem strange instead. His Majesty also knows what sort of character I am; if I suddenly change my style and don't seem like a living person, I'm afraid that would make me a dead man instead."

Lu Hou, though grown more steady with age, still at his core does not stand on ceremony.

Think back to when Great Qian was first founded, rules were lax; he often went to court drunk, and after a few words of quarrel with someone would draw his sword and slash wildly, even damaging several pillars in the great hall — the Former Emperor cherished those pillars dearly, the realm had just been conquered and was originally poor!

Thus the new dynasty began to seriously rectify customs and established many rules.

The Ren Emperor has always been relatively tolerant toward this aging founding elder; some things he often turns a blind eye to.

That night at the palace gate, Liu Qi drew his sword intending to kill his way up, and was precisely injured by Lu Hou who rushed from behind — using an exquisite copper hand crossbow, no more than four inches in length and height, the short bolts fired were thin and small, yet the force was not weak.

The situation was urgent at the time; to stop Liu Qi, Lu Hou aimed at the leg where there were no vital organs, and at the thigh — this was the safest position; but whether because this child in his grief and rage refused to properly recuperate and take medicine, he still had not recovered after several months... I fear it will leave a permanent ailment.

Lu Hou felt some guilt, so he prepared these many medicinal materials.

Everyone in the Feng Family knows Feng Xu's temperament is moderate and simple, he never takes risks in his actions; but Lu Hou insisted on sending them, and he dared not disobey, so he could only sigh and agree.

But Liu Qi did not accept them; he sat upright inside the carriage, eyes closed, and said: "Please convey to Lu Hou that his kind intentions, Liu Qi has accepted in his heart."

Liu Qi's attitude toward those seeing him off was all reported to Guo Shi's ears.

Guo Shi was not on duty today, in plain clothes trimming flower branches at his residence; hearing this he sighed: "This child probably resents Lu Hou for injuring his leg — this is becoming obstinate."

A child who is overly obstinate and cannot adapt will never accomplish anything.

Lu Hou heard that Liu Qi had refused the medicinal materials he sent; he nodded silently, not saying much.

At this moment, the carriage procession had already left the city, heading south all the way.

【The moment the blue-robed monk saw Liu Qi: ┌(。Д。)┐ My goodness, I've taken on a huge job.】

【(Chapter End)】