Chapter 316 Mid-July
After saying goodbye to Xiaocui in Xishi, Princess Ankang left with the Eighth Prince and Princess Yuanan.
Today is the last day for them to leave the palace. I don’t know what kind of program the Eighth Prince has arranged, but he is so confident that he can definitely bring Princess Ankang and Princess Yuanan to have fun.
Following the Eighth Prince, Princess Ankang and Princess Yuanan arrived at their first destination today.
Dayun Jing Temple.
This is a temple very close to the Western Market. It is very majestic and it obviously took a lot of effort to build it.
"Lao Ba, why did you bring us to the temple?"
Princess Yuanan asked puzzledly.
She originally thought that the Eighth Prince was going to take them to some fun place, but unexpectedly he took them to a temple.
This temple looks really nice, but what fun place can there be here?
Regarding Princess Yuan'an's confusion, the Eighth Prince was not in a hurry to answer it.
"Yuanan, don't be anxious yet."
"As the saying goes, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry. Just follow me today."
The Eighth Prince said this and led them from the front.
He seemed to be very familiar with this place, and the monks at Dayun Jing Temple also treated the Eighth Prince with great respect.
From the looks of it, the Eighth Prince probably wasn't here for the first time, at least he was a regular visitor.
The Eighth Prince took Princess Ankang and Princess Yuanan around the temple.
Needless to say, the scenery here is really good, and wherever you go, you can hear the faint sound of Buddhist chants, which makes people feel peaceful.
Li Xuan looked around curiously in Princess Ankang's arms.
He could feel that the atmosphere inside the temple seemed to be subtly different from the outside world.
But what exactly was different, he couldn't explain why.
It was a mysterious and mysterious feeling.
"Well, this is called Thousand Buddhas Pavilion, which is also a sight in the capital."
The Eighth Prince introduced them.
Everyone stepped into the Thousand Buddha Pavilion and saw that this huge space was densely packed with various Buddha statues. Even the beams, pillars and roofs were engraved with various Buddha sculptures, which looked spectacular.
"Wow--"
Even Princess Yuanan, who had been expressing her dissatisfaction, couldn't help but open her mouth and widen her eyes.
The Eighth Prince was indeed right. The Thousand Buddha Pavilion in front of him was indeed a sight in the capital.
Speaking of which, when the three little ones were playing in the capital these days, they had not had a good look at the scenery in the capital.
Especially famous scenic spots like the Thousand Buddha Pavilion in front of them, they have never been to any of them.
Of course, if Flower Street can be considered a famous attraction in Beijing, then they have already checked in.
The Eighth Prince took them to visit the Thousand Buddhas Pavilion, and from time to time he would introduce to them which Buddha statue was in front of them, and occasionally tell them a few Buddhist stories based on the scriptures.
It seems that the eighth prince has a good understanding of Buddhist allusions.
"This guy won't want to escape into Buddhism in the future, right?"
Li Xuan looked at the gushing Eighth Prince and couldn't help guessing.
"Brother Eight Emperors, I see that there are many places in the temple decorated with lights. What day is it today? Are there any activities to be prepared?"
Princess Ankang asked curiously.
"Haha, Ankang is still careful."
The eighth prince complimented, causing Princess Yuanan on the side to roll her eyes.
Then, the Eighth Prince continued to explain:
"Today is the half of July, which Buddhism calls the Bon Festival and Taoism calls it the Ghost Festival."
"It is one of the three major ghost festivals of the year."
Princess Yuanan couldn't help but asked curiously:
"Three major ghost festivals?"
"That is, Qingming Festival, July Half, and Hanyi Festival." The Eighth Prince continued to explain patiently.
Princess Ankang and Princess Yuanan have both heard of Qingming Festival, but the next two festivals sound a bit strange to them.
But in fact, this is no wonder Princess Ankang and Princess Yuanan, because in the palace, sacrificial activities are mainly carried out only on the Qingming Festival.
There will be no special arrangements for the other two festivals.
And it’s already good that Princess Ankang knows about Qingming Festival.
After all, she has lived in the cold palace for a long time, and she is even more unclear about the affairs in the palace.
In the past, the only way to keep in touch with the outside world was through the monthly gathering in the Royal Garden.
Princess Yuan'an didn't know about the three major ghost festivals, but the Eighth Prince was not surprised.
Just looking at Princess Ankang who also looked confused, he couldn't help but have a trace of compassion flash in his eyes.
But he was quickly hidden by the Eighth Prince.
"I will take you around the nearby temples and Taoist temples during the day, and then choose a satisfactory place to participate in the July Half activities in the evening."
"At that time, people from nearby areas will also come to participate. It will be very lively."
It turns out that this is the program arranged by the Eighth Prince today.
If it weren't for him, the two princesses wouldn't know that today is July and a half.
Next, the Eighth Prince took Princess Ankang and Princess Yuanan to visit nearby temples and Taoist temples.
Dayunjing Temple, Ximing Temple, Chongsheng Temple, Jianfu Temple, Xuandu Temple, Daxingshan Temple, Chongji Temple, Ci'en Temple...
They haven't visited all the temples and Taoist temples yet.
They no longer have time to go to the more remote temples.
At noon, I randomly found a temple and had a vegetarian meal.
Not to mention, it's just a clear soup with little water and no oily smell, but it's also full of flavor.
Li Xuan was used to eating big fish and meat on weekdays, and occasionally some vegetarian food gave him a big surprise.
There are indeed many temples and Taoist temples in the capital, and they all have their own characteristics.
According to the Eighth Prince, only temples with profound heritage can build pagodas.
As they looked along the way, they saw only two or three pagodas, and they were all very high.
More importantly, Li Xuan sensed the presence of many masters in these temples and Taoist temples.
"Sure enough, there are always many masters hidden in Buddhism and Taoism."
These people have been practicing all their lives, and compared to secular people, they have fewer distracting thoughts and can concentrate more on their practice.
After a day of visiting temples and Taoist temples, the sun soon set.
But the activities in July and a half have just begun.
Finally, they decided to attend the half-July event at Ci'en Temple.
According to the Eighth Prince, Ci'en Temple is the most famous and magnificent Buddhist temple in the capital.
Therefore, it is also the busiest place in the capital during the July Half Festival tonight.
"This Ci'en Temple was built by Emperor Daxing Shengzu. In order to commemorate his biological mother and pray for blessings, and to repay his loving mother for her kindness, he ordered the temple to be built, hence the name Ci'en Temple."
The Eighth Prince made this introduction and stared blankly at the plaque in front of the temple with a complicated expression.
Even Princess Yuanan, who had been talking back all the way, listened obediently and did not disturb the eighth prince's introduction.
"Let's go in."
The Eighth Prince invited them both to go in together, and the group walked into Ci'en Temple in a grand manner.
Night had just fallen, but Ci'en Temple was already overcrowded.
People are rushing to offer a stick of incense from Ci'en Temple to their ancestors.
I heard that the incense from Ci'en Temple is very effective. Honoring ancestors can protect future generations from illness and disaster.
Various small activities are arranged in the temple, including offering incense and praying for blessings, worshiping ancestors and burning paper, and river lanterns to pray for lonely people.
Ci'en Temple also held a grand ceremony to worship the ghosts of heaven and earth.
Although half of July is the Ghost Festival, the atmosphere is very joyful.
The street outside the temple is even more lively. There are not only dragon and lion dance parades, but also various performers. It is as lively as the Chinese New Year.
Originally, the three little ones thought that the atmosphere of the Ghost Festival would be dull, but it was completely different from what they imagined.
Perhaps, this is a lively drama performed by the living for the dead.
The purpose is to make the deceased no longer worry about them.
Led by the Eighth Prince, a group of people walked through the crowd.
Since there were eunuchs in colorful clothes leading the way, they did not suffer from the crowds and easily participated in and tried many July and a half activities.
At the end, they came to a pond in the backyard of Ci'en Temple.
This is a place specially arranged to put river lanterns.
The river lantern is in the shape of a lotus. After being placed in the pond, it will slowly drift with the current.
The pond in Ci'en Temple leads to the outside world, flowing all the way to the moat outside the city, and then along the moat to further places.
According to the introduction of the Eighth Prince, the purpose of setting up river lanterns is for purification and prayer.
According to legend, the road from the underworld to the human world is very dark. It is impossible to see the road without a lamp, so putting out a lamp is a good deed.
In this way, the innocent souls lingering in hell and struggling to be resurrected can drag a river lantern to find a way and finally be resurrected.
Humans are always so romantic about death.
Li Xuan was able to detect this through these customs that were similar to those in his previous life.
Princess Ankang held a beautiful lotus lantern, then closed her eyes and prayed silently, and finally carefully sent it into the pond.
Looking at the lotus lanterns slowly drifting away in the pond with the water waves, Princess Ankang's eyes slowly became mist-filled.
This was the first time in so many years that she put out river lanterns for Concubine Xiao.
This made Princess Ankang feel that she was somewhat unfilial.
He even looked at the river lantern that kept moving away from him, and thought of Concubine Xiao who was on the hospital bed that day.
Suddenly, the originally fuzzy memory began to become clear, which stung Princess Ankang hard.
"Your Highness."
Yu'er gently pressed Princess Ankang's shoulders and let out a worried cry.
Princess Ankang shook her head and smiled slightly, but the tears in her eyes also fell away.
"Nothing, I just..."
"Meow"
Li Xuan stood up from Princess Ankang's arms, stuck out his tongue, and gently licked away the tears on Princess Ankang's cheek.
Princess Ankang felt an itch on her face. Looking at Li Xuan and Yu'er who were full of worries, the smile on her face became a little brighter.
"I just miss my mother and concubine a little."
The three little ones all turned their heads silently and looked at the river lantern that was gradually disappearing. They all thought of Concubine Xiao's appearance.
Speaking of which, Concubine Xiao is really a very special person.
When Li Xuan was still a kitten, Concubine Xiao often hugged him and said unintelligible words.
Even though she looks like a mother, in daily life, she looks like a little girl.
But Concubine Xiao occasionally became serious and looked very reliable.
But later on, her illness became more and more serious, so severe that she didn't even have the strength to talk to Li Xuan anymore.
Princess Ankang's habit of always talking to Li Xuan was also learned from Concubine Xiao.
At first, they didn't know that Li Xuan could understand human speech.
Even so, there are endless things to say to Li Xuan every day.
Neither the Eighth Prince nor Princess Yuanan bothered the three little ones, but each placed their own river lanterns.
The Eighth Prince, like Princess Ankang, closed his eyes deeply before sending the river lantern away, and reluctantly pushed the river lantern into the pond after a long time.
Princess Yuanan simply sent the river lantern into the water and simply completed the ceremony.
At this time, the huge pond of Ci'en Temple was filled with dim lights, like a bright galaxy falling on the water.
There were many people releasing river lanterns, but until the river lanterns were invisible, many people could clearly distinguish the river lanterns they had put down in the lights.
The three little ones silently retracted their gazes, and the river lanterns that Princess Ankang had put down earlier had flowed out of the pond.
Just looking at the scene in front of them, no one wanted to leave.
Even for Princess Yuanan, this was a rare beauty.
The vast number of lotus lanterns gently sank and floated on the water, gradually drifting away, and no one could stay.
They looked for a long time before the Eighth Prince said, "Let's go. It's time to go back." Princess Ankang and Princess Yuan'an were about to agree when suddenly another commotion came from not far away. A long black shadow stood in the direction of the commotion. "It seems to be the direction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Let's go and have a look." The Eighth Prince frowned and said. The Big Wild Goose Pagoda is the pagoda in the Ci'en Temple. It is a square cone with seven floors. Even in the capital, it is a very conspicuous building. "This place is usually not open to the public, and it should be the same today." "Let's go and see what happened." After the Eighth Prince said this, Li Xuan also became interested. "It's usually not open to the public." "Interesting." "Could there be some treasure hidden?" Li Xuan's eyes lit up immediately. The group hurried to the direction of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, and found that the Big Wild Goose Pagoda was brightly lit and many people gathered here. These people can be seen as two clearly divided parties. On one side were warrior monks wearing monk robes and holding wooden sticks. They were probably from Ci'en Temple.
These warrior monks were all muscular, with strong muscles and extraordinary aura. They were obviously masters with great cultivation.
The person who was confronting the warrior monks on the other side looked familiar.
The way he dressed and his temperament were exactly the same as Xu Lang and others.
"Hmm? It seems to be the flowery eunuch?"
Li Xuan saw it at a glance and felt strange.
"Why did the flowery eunuch have a conflict with the monks from Ci'en Temple?"
"Could it be a prince or princess?"
During this period, the only ones who wandered around the capital with the flowery eunuchs were the princes and princesses who participated in the Imperial Garden Trial.
Apart from this, Li Xuan could not think of any other possibilities.
At this time, the monks of Ci'en Temple shouted in unison:
"Ci'en Temple is a forbidden area, outsiders are not allowed to trespass!"
This was said to the flowery eunuch who was originally confronting them, and also to Princess Ankang and others who had just arrived.
Princess Ankang, the Eighth Prince, and Princess Yuan'an immediately stopped their steps and did not move forward easily.
Before things are clear, it is better not to get involved in the dispute at will.
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The depression after indulgence is so uncomfortable...
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