Shipin Dalizheng

Chapter 264 Auspicious

Emperor Xuanning looked down at him and asked, "Surrender?"

"Your Majesty, this can be understood as a surrender. If I were to encounter a rebellious army, I would prioritize surrendering. Those who refuse to surrender will be killed."

Emperor Xuanning himself didn't want the country to be in chaos and the people to suffer. Otherwise, what would be the point of recovering a shattered land? If he wanted to be an emperor who would go down in history, he had to act like a wise ruler.

"You should go back first and prepare to leave. I will give you an answer before you leave."

Rong Tang knew that he was hesitating. After all, he came from an alien race, and he still needed to consider how much power to give himself so that it would not backfire on him.

It seems that a drastic measure is needed.

He rolled up his sleeves a little, revealing Master Huici's Buddhist beads, took them off and held them above his head. "Your Majesty, do you recognize this?"

Emperor Xuan Ning had seen it when he first met him. It was filled with Buddhist auras and was definitely not an ordinary thing.

"This is?"

He Daban passed the Buddhist beads to Emperor Xuanning's hands. As Emperor Xuanning played with them, he felt calm and suppressed the surging restlessness in his heart.

"This is the relic of Master Huici. As a minister inheriting this legacy, I should also show compassion to all living beings. I hope Your Majesty will always be kind and benevolent, and you will also be rewarded with eternal blessings."

Emperor Xuanning's eyes flickered as he twisted the beads in his hand. "Lord Jian'an, you have so many adventures that you can even obtain a sacred object like this."

Rong Tang bowed, "Your Majesty, I was sent to Jiangnan for medical treatment when I was born. Due to various accidents, my wet nurse and guards all perished. I only carry an ID card with me, which was placed in the Jokhang Temple. Master Huici took me in, and later gave it to my adoptive father, the Master of Chatak Cave. Half a year ago, I was traveling north and passed by the Jokhang Temple. Master Huici had passed away, and he passed on his personal Buddhist beads to me. He once said that destiny is three parts, and human effort is seven parts. Different choices will bring different karmic results. Blessings and disasters will follow. But do good deeds and don't worry about the future."

He used words to constantly hint at the Buddhist karma to Emperor Xuanning, making him believe that a single thought could lead to an unpredictable future.

As expected, people in this world are more or less superstitious, and Master Huici is a legend that is close to a god. Emperor Xuanning did not feel uncomfortable and just stared at the Buddhist beads in a trance.

"Marquis Jian'an, did you know that the Queen Mother is a devout Buddhist?"

Not to mention the capital, the whole world, even the man-eating devils in Guanyin Village, firmly believed that they were devout Buddhists. Rong Tang had seen too much, and for a moment, he didn't know what Emperor Xuanning meant by this.

Emperor Xuanning slowly stood up. "The one in the south is the Empress Dowager's biological son. She has been chanting Buddhist scriptures for years for him. If this string of Buddhist beads can reach the Empress Dowager, do you understand what I mean?"

Rong Zhan couldn't have failed to understand that after this war, one of the two emperors would surely die. Currently, the probability of the southern emperor's death was 99%. To appease the empress dowager, Emperor Xuanning needed to use Master Huici's Buddhist beads to convince her to accept the destiny of heaven.

He could understand it, but found it funny. The Queen Mother supported her illegitimate son to ascend the throne and gave up her own legitimate son in order to continue the glory of her mother's family. It was obviously a choice made after weighing the pros and cons, but she worshipped Buddha all year round and seemed indifferent, but she actually wanted more.

"If a string of Buddhist beads can save even one innocent life, it is worth it. But Your Majesty, please understand that this object is closely related to me. It is a Buddhist heritage and carries too much karma. If the Queen Mother does not truly believe in Buddhism, it is fine for her to take it and enjoy it. But if she does, the Queen Mother should also know that this object is extraordinary. Your Majesty, please do not tell the Queen Mother. I will withdraw and prepare my luggage."

As soon as Rong Tang left, Emperor Xuanning felt that the Buddhist beads were inexplicably hot. It was not right to keep them, nor was it right to give them away.

"This bastard, if you don't want to give it to me, just say you don't want to give it to me. But then you say all these nonsense things, who would dare to keep it?"

He Daban said, "Lord Jian'an must say this. This is a sacred object of Buddhism, carrying the karma of Master Huici for a hundred years. Since it was given to Lord Jian'an, of course he can hold on to it. If someone else takes it, it will probably be a disaster rather than a blessing."

Emperor Xuanning glared, "Could it be that even I, the Son of Heaven, cannot suppress him?"

"Oh my Lord, why are you suppressing it? Suppressing it is countervailing, counteracting it. With your immense fortune, you should be forging ahead unwaveringly towards your great cause. Simply finding an object to counteract your power is a loss, isn't it?"

Emperor Xuanning thought that the Buddhist beads were even hotter, so he threw them on the imperial desk. But then he thought it was too disrespectful, so he picked them up and held them in his hands. He was in a dilemma.

"What should we do now? It's become a hot potato."

He Daban was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. This was the emperor's sudden decision. He wanted to covet Master Huici's Buddhist beads, but now he was uneasy about keeping them, and he didn't dare to destroy them. He was stuck in a dilemma.

"Your Majesty obtained it under the banner of the Queen Mother, so of course you should give it to her. However, Your Majesty, you must also explain the interests involved to her. Afterwards, whether the Queen Mother wants to keep it or send it back is her business."

"Well...if I don't say it..."

He Daban advised, "You must tell me. If Your Majesty doesn't tell me, the Queen Mother will not know the consequences and will happily stay. She will be fine, but Your Majesty will have to bear the consequences. It's better for you to stay."

Emperor Xuan Ning wanted to curse. It was the first time in his life that he was greedy and wanted to take away a Buddhist rosary. Why was it so uncomfortable!

Rong Tang once said, "Those who don't believe in Buddhism can keep it and play with it, but those who do know that they can't bear the consequences and dare not keep it." The Queen Mother kept it, which means that she pretended to believe in Buddhism in this life and dared not keep it, so she had to return the treasure obediently.

Emperor Xuan Ning had a prank-like pleasure on his lips. They had been pretending to be mother and son for decades, each getting what they wanted. If I'm not happy, then neither should you.

Before handing it over, He Daban comforted him, "Your Majesty, although this treasure is precious, it cannot be eaten, drunk, or used like silver. If it is not used properly, it may bring disaster. Please treat it as a lucky charm. It doesn't matter who holds it. After all, the Earl of Jian'an is a minister of Dai Viet. He is here to assist Your Majesty. This treasure will bring blessings to Dai Viet, whether directly or indirectly."

He Daban's words comforted Emperor Xuanning, who waved his hand to let him go, saying that he wanted to rest.

When Rong Tang walked out of the Qinzheng Hall with his hands behind his back, Rong Zhan discovered that his Buddhist beads were missing.

"Master, where are the Buddhist beads?"

Rong Tang paused and said, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

The two walked in the corridor, and Li Dequan stood at a corner and waved.

"Eunuch Li, what's the matter?"

"It's Concubine Xie who wants to see you."

Li Dequan sweated a little. "When you meet the imperial concubine later, you must be extra careful with your words. She...she looks kind and has a good temper..."

Rong Tang had also heard of Concubine Xie. Her beauty was secondary to her otherworldly aura, and her appearance had remained unchanged for ten years, making her the most favored concubine in the harem.

He stopped and felt that this trip was not simple. Although he was related to the Xie family by blood, the Xie family gave him the feeling of being an enemy rather than a friend.

"Eunuch Li, where is Concubine Xie meeting me?"

If it was the inner palace, he would rather offend his favorite concubine than go.

"In the Imperial Garden."

"Then you have to go with me. If you don't go, Xiaotang won't go either!"

Li Dequan smiled bitterly. He could understand the caution of the Earl of Jian'an. According to the rules, a foreign minister could not meet with the concubines without being summoned. Rong Tang had entered the palace several times, but had never met the virtuous concubine in private.

He also couldn't understand why Concubine Xie wanted to see Earl Jian'an, but as the emperor's favorite concubine, he also knew the consequences of disobeying Concubine Xie. Too many innocent people were thrown into the mass grave outside the north city.

As soon as we left the Qinzheng Palace, there were palace maids from the Lanyue Palace waiting to take us there. As we walked along the road, we saw so many palace servants that they were even more impressive than Emperor Xuanning.

When they saw the pure white palace decoration of the Fish Viewing Pavilion in the Imperial Garden, the guards suddenly became fewer. The palace maid stopped Rong Zhan and Li De and said, "Wait a minute, the imperial concubine is only allowing the Earl of Jian'an to enter."

Li Dequan was in a very difficult situation. He wanted to stay with Rong Tang, but he didn't dare to disobey Concubine Xie.