Chapter 18 Old Friend
The fourth day of the second month, 3:15 p.m.
Shen Kuo went back to the front gate of Daxiangguo Temple. It was just after the lunch market and before the night market. The big market in front of Daxiangguo Temple was in the middle of a leisure period with fewer and fewer customers. However, outside the two or three-story shops around, there were shed builders taking advantage of the lack of customers to build sheds, and the banging and hammering made people very irritated.
Shen Kuo carefully observed the signs of the shops along the street. The shops selling the four treasures of the study, hairpins, perfumes, and fruits were all separated by red lacquer forks. There were also monks sent by Daxiangguo Temple to manage the market sitting on benches, playing chess or drinking tea. It was a peaceful scene. The shops selling food were divided into three categories: seasonal fruits and vegetables, fresh fruit preserves, and cooked food. All those selling similar products were gathered together, and their signs were also bright and ostentatious.
Of course, the properties of Daxiangguo Temple are always in the most conspicuous position. The sign of Xiangguo Temple roasting pig head can be seen from afar, but outside the shed, on a bench leaning against the stove, there is a person who looks like an apprentice lying, seemingly taking a nap.
Shen Kuo went over and saw the man tossing and turning in a rage, probably disturbed by the banging and hammering of the shed nearby. When he saw Shen Kuo, he also stood up quickly.
"Is this Brother Xiaoyi?" Shen Kuo bowed.
"Exactly. Would you like to buy pig ears or pig faces? We don't have hot ones here, but we do have a few packs of cold ones."
"No, no, I want to find..." Shen Kuo looked around and saw that all the benches in the shop were turned upside down on the table, and there were a few raw pig heads on the kitchen table, but no one was there.
"Actually, I'm looking for Master Huailiang."
"Master has gone to buy wine. You don't want to buy pig ears, but you want to carve a seal? Why don't you sit down first and I'll come later."
Xiao Yi quickly stood up and turned over a stool for Shen Kuo to sit on.
Shen Kuo sat down and chatted with the guy.
"I do need a seal, but I have something else to ask Master Huailiang."
"I can see that you are a student of literature, so I know you want to carve a seal. The master will be here in a moment. If you can't wait, you can leave the seal you want to carve first, and leave a small deposit, and come to pick it up tomorrow. The master is good at both Yin and Yang carving."
"No, I'll wait. Brother Xiaoyi, why do the big shops around here need to build a colorful pavilion outside the Huanmen Gate?"
"The guest is not a local, so he must have just arrived in Beijing." Xiao Yi quickly poured Shen Kuo a cup of tea.
"Exactly. I just entered the capital the day before yesterday."
"What is built here is not a colorful pavilion, but a colorful tent for the Lantern Festival."
"The Lantern Festival? Didn't the Lantern Festival already pass?"
"It was indeed celebrated, but on the eighth day of last month, Madam Zhang passed away, so the first month lantern festival was abruptly stopped. Some of the colorful tents were only half-built, and the government felt that the people would miss out on the fun of the Lantern Festival, so it was promised to be held again after the funeral, but it was not called the Lantern Festival, and the people were allowed to form lantern clubs and riddle clubs to have fun."
"Can this Lantern Festival be made up?"
"Hey, right now the capital is in a commotion... a commotion over the hat demon. People are in a panic, and they close their doors at night. The wine shops and theaters are deserted. The court is probably worried that the streets may not be prosperous after the funeral. You know, most of the liquor tax in Tokyo is sold at night markets, so they have this policy."
"Oh, I see." Shen Kuo took a sip of tea as if he had suddenly realized something. "It seems that the case of the hat monster has also caused suffering to the people."
"Who says it's not true... Hey, Master Huailiang said that in the last days of the Dharma, there will be many evil spirits. I just hope to have some good luck. I hope this hat monster comes suddenly and leaves suddenly."
"Brother Xiaoyi, are people in the capital really afraid of the hat monster now?"
"They probably wouldn't be afraid during the day, right? I see that when the ruffians and idlers talk about these things on the streets, they are very excited and spit all over the place. They all say that they are not afraid if they run into them at night. However, the streets are not very busy at night, far from being as prosperous as before."
"oh oh……"
"Look, guests! Master Huailiang is here."
Xiao Yi pointed his finger and Shen Kuo turned around to look. He saw a tall, fat, middle-aged monk twenty steps away holding a gourd and walking towards him with unsteady steps. His face was covered with a greasy beard.
Shen Kuo thought to himself, "Is this the elegant and graceful monk Huai Bing from back then?"
But there is some resemblance between his eyebrows and eyes, and he is also of outstanding height. However, his eyes no longer have that spirit and his body is much fatter.
Shen Kuo stood up and wanted to go to greet him quickly, but he hesitated. At this moment, the gong sounded to clean up the streets.
After the gong sounded, dozens of tall horses slowly approached the market, and the riders were all carrying bows and swords, looking very impressive . The guards in black clothes at the gate of Daxiangguo Temple came down the steps and greeted them with a bow. There were four people holding a sign of avoidance behind the horse team, and behind them was a sedan chair carried by four people. This sedan chair was not unusual. It was just that the ceremonial procession was a little unusual, and behind the sedan chair was a horse team following closely.
Shen Kuo had also seen high-ranking officials traveling, some with great pomp, but none with cavalry guards or sabers and bows and arrows. He thought that such a grand ceremony must be the return of the Privy Councilor Di Qing. Di Qing was born a frontier general, so he naturally did not have runners to lead the way when he traveled, so he had the airs of a military general.
He turned his head slightly and saw Monk Huailiang not far away. He found that Monk Huailiang was still a little drunk just now, but now his brows were furrowed and he was staring fiercely at the sedan chair as it arrived at the gate of the mansion. The guards surrounded the sedan chair so tightly that he could not see a thing.
After a moment, the sloppy, fat middle-aged monk turned his head, his sharp eyes gone, and he had returned to his calm and lazy state. Then he unexpectedly saw Shen Kuo.
The two looked at each other for only a moment, and both noticed that the other's expression changed slightly. This fat monk was obviously not an ordinary person, and he seemed to have found something from the depths of his memory.
"Master Huai Bing." Shen Kuo put his palms together and said.
"Ha, you are that..." He walked over and looked at Shen Kuo carefully, "the kid who got to the bottom of things?"
He had already recognized Shen Kuo. What an amazing memory. Shen Kuo was only ten years old at that time. Fourteen years had passed, so naturally there was a huge difference in appearance.
"That's right. I came to Beijing on official business, so I wanted to meet you and ask for the answer to the question of the two balls falling to the ground from the wooden pagoda fourteen years ago."
Monk Huailiang was overjoyed and grabbed Shen Kuo's arm and led him to the shop: "Sit down first, Xiaoyi, cut a plate of meat for me. This young man and I have a great affinity, so we have to drink a couple of cups."
"Master chef, we only have cold pork."
"What are you talking about? Cut a plate first. Then go to Granny Lai's next door and get some seasonal fruits and vegetables to make wine."
"Okay."
The two of them sat down in the shop. The monk opened the wine gourd and poured a cup for Shen Kuo first.
"Master Huai Bing has a good memory and still remembers me."
"As a boy grows up, his appearance changes a lot, but his expression changes little. Although I don't have a photographic memory, I remember people very clearly."
The monk poured himself two cups of drink as he spoke.
"Master..."
"You asked me about the question on the wooden tower? I can only tell you that any heavy object falling, whether it is a feather or a hammer, moves at the same speed."
"Light and heavy at the same speed?"
"Let's not discuss this in detail. I still have something to ask you. I remember that you introduced yourself as a child of an aristocratic family. If I remember correctly, it was... the Shen family of Qiantang. At that time, your father was the magistrate of Mingzhou Prefecture and went to the capital to report on his work. He temporarily lived in the home of Lord Yang, the spring official of the Sitianjian, who was a family friend?"
"That's right. Lord Yang is now the Junior Minister of the Imperial Observatory." Shen Kuo had to admire Huai Bing's memory. He remembered everything that happened fourteen years ago clearly.
"So you should be twenty-four this year."
"Exactly."
"When we first parted, I heard you vow to travel around the world?"
“I have indeed traveled to many places.”
"Have you ever been to Beijing in the past ten years?"
"Not really."
"So..." The monk pondered for a moment, "Are you here this time because of the strange things that happened in the capital after Madam Zhang passed away?"
Shen Kuo was stunned, wondering how the monk could guess all this.
"Why did you say that, Master?"
"Hahaha..." The monk laughed loudly, "I have some small magical powers."
"Master, why are you keeping me in suspense?" Shen Kuo asked anxiously. He felt like the little kid who broke the casserole again.
"Listen to me and let me explain it slowly to see if it makes sense...Mr. Shen hasn't been to the capital for more than ten years. His sudden return must be a big deal."
"Uh-huh."
"It's midwinter now, not the time for exams, so he's not going to take the exam. When you sat down just now, there was something protruding from your collar, three inches long, two inches wide, and three inches thick. I often walk in the market outside Donghua Gate, and I've seen many eunuchs coming out of the palace to buy things carry palace badges, also hanging around their waists, of the same size, but I still can't be sure. And when I saw a piece of yellow silk ribbon sticking out of your collar, I was sure it was a badge to enter the palace."
Shen Kuo quickly lowered his head and discovered that although he had hidden the badge well, a square outline appeared on his thigh when he sat down. It was also because the clothes he borrowed from the Yang family were a bit narrow, and when he sat down, the outline of the badge was visible, and a long yellow ribbon also appeared from the lapel.
"Since last month, the people in the Imperial Palace have been in a state of panic. Recently, there was a solar eclipse, and the collapse of the altar has made things even more uneasy. At this time, a talented person from outside can come and go freely. They are either Taoists or monks who can perform rituals, or they are talented people who understand Qimen and Dunjia, and are good at deducing and knowing attack and defense. The young master's family is a family friend of Yang Chunguan of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Yang Chunguan's book "Jingyou Dunjia Fuying Jing" specializes in Qimen attack and defense. Therefore, it is inferred that Young Master Shen's visit to the capital this time is most likely for this matter."
"Master is truly an amazing person." Shen Kuo exclaimed sincerely, "Years ago, Junior Minister Yang predicted that a solar eclipse would come and also calculated that the nemesis star would hit the star of Gouchen, which would definitely lead to a major incident. He felt that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was short of people, so he recommended me to come to the capital for such an official mission and gave me a temporary assignment as a student in the Bureau of Secretary of the Imperial Academy of Astronomy. In fact, it was just an apprenticeship to help observe celestial phenomena."
Shen Kuo did not dare to tell the truth, saying that he was investigating a case. He could only make up a small story about Zhan Shi of the Hanlin Academy of Astronomy to cover up the truth and give a reasonable explanation for the part that was seen through by Huai Liang.
In fact, his original plan was to ask Huai Bing for advice on this matter in a roundabout way, which was also the reason for his visit today. It was really difficult to figure out the principle of the hat monster's flight, but this matter was too important to tell directly, so he could only find out whether Huai Bing was still as magical as he was in the past, and then ask Bao Zheng for advice, and let Bao Zheng make the final decision.
"I am not a god. If it weren't for this badge, I wouldn't have guessed so much. But..." Monk Huailiang leaned his head over and sniffed at Shen Kuo's side, "I guessed one thing wrong."
"I would like to hear the details?" Shen Kuo couldn't help but be secretly surprised. He was worried that he would be exposed if he told a lie in front of the master.
"Although you are only an apprentice of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau in Beijing this time, helping to observe the celestial phenomena and predict good and bad luck for the current emperor, you also have some additional official business."
"Extra business trip?" Shen Kuo was secretly surprised.
"I do this business, and I often go to the Pig Slaughter Alley in the outer city. The faint fishy smell on you is from there. Hehehe...even the pigs from other places that come ashore directly at the Four Mile Bridge outside Dailou Gate don't smell like this. The stone slabs of the Pig Slaughter Alley are mixed with not only pig food and pig feces, but also pig blood and lard. I can still distinguish the smell that is both greasy and fishy."
Shen Kuo had nothing to say.
"If you are just a student of the Astronomical College, copying and writing during the day and drawing star maps at night, why bother going to that smelly place?" Huailiang sat there thinking, and smiled again after a moment: "Or maybe it is more like a mystery than astronomy? You don't have to tell me the truth. Huailiang is an idle person outside the world, and it is against the rules to speculate on other people's privacy, whether it is right or wrong, and he should be punished. Come, have a drink first."
He poured himself a drink and drank another cup, as if drinking was not against the rules. Xiao Yi came back from the neighboring shop and brought a plate of roasted quail and a plate of green bean cakes.
Shen Kuo was at a loss for words for a moment and did not dare to continue talking about this topic. He could only find other topics to talk about.
"Master Huailiang..."
"Master, please wait. I will call the monk Huailiang."
"Master Huailiang, I'm new here and don't know the details. Why did this Daxiangguo Temple become a government office?"
"I know about this. No need to ask Master." Xiao Yi at the side interrupted, "Last year, the residence of the Privy Councilor Di Qing outside the city was damaged by a flood. So he needed to find a place to live in the city."
"Is that so?"
Shen Kuo pretended to be confused. Huailiang put down his chopsticks, grabbed the pig's ear with his hands and stuffed it into his mouth, then rubbed his greasy hands on his dirty robe.
"Master Huailiang, I have never heard of such a privy envoy."
"It's not just that you haven't heard of it. Since ancient times, there has never been a court official occupying a temple. Only in our Song Dynasty has such a bizarre thing happened." Huai Liang said indignantly.
"Yes, it is indeed strange. I remember my master taught me: everything that is incomprehensible must have its own reason."
"Others may not know the truth behind this, but I do."
"Oh, Master, you know this again?" Xiao Yi also sat down and listened.
"How do you say you know? It's as if I'm lying to you, then I really know it. The only ones in the world who know about this are me and Di Qing." Huai Liang said loudly, not only without any fear, but also seeming to show off.
"Tell me about it quickly." Xiao Yi urged.
"When I was young, I traveled to the south. I saw that the mountains there were high and the slopes were steep. Although there was a lot of rain, it could not be stored. Farming was difficult and people's lives were extremely miserable. At that time, I vowed to use what I had learned in my life to find a highland irrigation technique to facilitate terraced fields. Until a few years ago, I borrowed the upper part of "Wood Classic" written by Yu Hao from his descendants. Based on it, I studied water wheel tankers and wanted to teach this technique to the villagers..." When he said this, Huai Liang's face became gradually solemn, as if he was returning to unbearable memories.
"I thought I had mastered the skills, so I went to Yelang to teach what I had learned. Unexpectedly, Nong Zhigao rebelled at that time. Nong Zhigao repeatedly defeated the government troops, so the court sent this Lord Di Qing. Lord Di was a master of military strategy, and he besieged the rebels in Huzhou City with several surprise attacks. At that time, I saw that the city would be broken and people would be killed. I went to the army and offered to surrender to the rebels in order to stop the war quickly and kill as few people as possible. Most of those who followed Nong Zhigao in the rebellion were poor people. If it weren't for the years of famine, they would never have joined the bandits. Di Qing agreed on the surface, but what could he do..."
"Di Qing broke his promise?"
"I entered the city to persuade the rebels, thinking it was a meritorious deed, and hurried out of the city to report to Di Qing. But he pretended to surrender, opened the city gates, and ambushed into the city, killing tens of thousands of rebels. He still refused to forgive, and piled up tens of thousands of heads into a Jingguan to show his great military achievements."
Shen Kuo and Xiao Yi were also shocked when they heard the news. Who would have thought that the Privy Councilor would be so cruel.
"I went to his headquarters again and advised him to tear down the mausoleum and bury the bodies quickly to prevent the spread of the disease. He refused to listen and just laughed at me, a mere monk who had never seen the world." Huailiang slammed the wine glass down.
"What happened next?" Xiao Yi asked.
"However, from that day on, Lord Di Qing often had nightmares. He dreamed that the gates of hell opened and evil spirits came out to take him away. He wanted to run but was scratched on the back by the evil spirits. After waking up from the dream, he looked for people to interpret the dream everywhere, and finally found me. He told me the dream, and I advised him to get close to Buddha to get rid of the inner demons, and to demolish the Jingguan to eliminate the karma. But he only listened to the first half of the sentence. From then on, he could feel at ease by setting up his headquarters next to the temple, but his murderous intentions never disappeared. He led his troops to continue to pursue Nong Zhigao and killed his entire family, not even sparing his 70-year-old mother. The troops chased all the way to Dali and forced Duan to hand over Nong Zhigao's head. After he returned to Beijing, he was given a high position with unlimited honors, but a carbuncle appeared on his back, which was exactly the place where he was scratched by the evil spirit in the dream that day, so he was even more frightened. Others don't know why he, a great privy envoy, occupied the property of Daxiangguo Temple, but I know that his inner demons have not been eliminated..."
After Huailiang finished speaking, he shook his head and found that there was no wine in the wine gourd, so he threw the wine gourd to Xiaoyi who was concentrating on listening to the story. Xiaoyi tactfully went out to get some wine.
"When I was traveling in Huzhou, the locals all hated Lord Di and said behind his back that he was the reincarnation of a vicious dog from hell. I think that makes sense. Although he is an outstanding martial artist, he is difficult to educate. The court asked him to quell the civil unrest, but he didn't know that the root cause of the civil unrest was harsh politics and famine, and he only thought of killing and suppressing. I advised him to get close to Buddha, but he didn't know that respecting Buddha is in the heart, in action, and in faith, and never in occupying temples. Now he hides in the front hall of Daxiangguo Temple, but in fact he is afraid that the evil spirits will catch him, alas..."
Huailiang sighed and shook his head.
"Master, you have had such experiences over the years. Every time I think of how you were admired by everyone at the riverside..." Shen Kuo sighed.
"There is no need to talk about the past. That Huai Bing is no longer with us. When I was young, I was frivolous and arrogant. I always set great ambitions and made great wishes. I said that I wanted to understand the way the world works so as to help the people and protect our Song Dynasty. But I didn't know how ridiculous such an ideal was."
Huailiang smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"So, Master, you have been selling pig heads since you returned to Tokyo?"
"Hey, do you know who can comfort me whenever I feel discouraged?"
"Is he a master from the other world?"
"It's not a person, but this pig's head." He looked at the pig's head on the chopping board.
"this……"
"Whenever I was alone at night, sighing and drinking, I would see the smiling pig head on the chopping board and feel that it was laughing at my stupidity and my obsession. It was so peaceful and indifferent that I felt it was a close friend who understood me..."
"master……"
"There is no Bodhi tree, nor is there a mirror stand. There is nothing at all, so where can dust gather? When you have finished with birth and death, the four elements are all empty."
Huailiang's words began to become strange. Maybe he had drunk too much, or maybe the rumored madness was not just a rumor.
