After being dressed as Wu Zetian's daughter, she was favored by the group

From Shi Qingfeng's perspective, he still couldn't understand why his uncle would deliberately make things difficult for a princess.

Not to mention that the relationship between the two is that of elders and juniors, just deliberately suppressing this point will inevitably feel like the big one is bullying the small ones, and it also goes against the concept of 'pure heart and few desires' pursued by the Taoists.

In terms of single-round martial arts and cultivation, Shi Qingfeng is definitely the leader among the younger generation of Tiandao Sect, but when it comes to dealing with the relationship between Taoism and the royal family, he is like a blank sheet of paper.

Tiandao Sect holds the Holy Seal of Taizong, which is the last shackle restricting the imperial power. However, this shackle is crumbling little by little as Li Zhi continues to consolidate the imperial power.

In the eyes of outsiders, Li Zhi was a mediocre emperor, but in fact he was not.He ascended the throne as the ninth son of Li Shimin and the first thing he did after becoming emperor was to suppress the Guanlong Group headed by his uncle Changsun Wuji. This huge organization that had helped him rise to power and had all the power in the government, In just a few years, it fell apart.

Li Zhi himself suffered from rheumatism and was often unable to review memorials, but he would rather leave it to Empress Wu than delegate power to the prime minister, which shows his obsession with consolidating imperial power.

It was precisely when the leader of Tiandao Sect saw Li Zhi's determination to "strengthen the centralization of power" that he became increasingly aware of the hidden crisis in his sect.

At the beginning, Taizong left the holy seal, giving Tiandaomen the power to restrain the imperial power and bring order to chaos.

However, the conditions for exercising power are based on the premise that the emperor is ignorant and the country is in turmoil and danger.

On the other hand, Li Zhi promoted talents, expanded territory, paid attention to agriculture and commerce, and developed the economy since he succeeded to the throne. The people were happy to rest in Fu'an. Li Zhi's rule also had a legacy of Zhenguan!
From this point of view, apart from Li Zhi having some problems with his life style, he is a qualified emperor in terms of governing the country. Tiandao Sect has no reason to find fault with the emperor, let alone seize the other party's handle, so it will When Ceyin is used on Li Zhi, it doesn't have much effect.

In order to avoid the fate of being boiled in warm water like the Guanlong Group, Tiandaomen was divided into two factions.

One group advocates handing over the Holy Seal, staying away from imperial power, returning to Taoism itself, and truly achieving "quiet and inactive, doing nothing but fighting".

The other faction advocates cooperation and confrontation with the royal family. On the one hand, it uses the power of the royal family to absorb the people and expand the influence of Taoism, while on the other hand, it takes the initiative to show its strength and let Li Zhi throw a thumbs down on the issue of Tiandaomen.

Shi Qingfeng's uncle, Yu Zhenzi, belongs to the group of cooperation and confrontation. They believe that it is difficult to suppress Li Zhi in today's Tiandao Sect, but several of Li Zhi's children... are the next generation's successors. Once they take control Without them, Tiandao Sect will remain standing for at least the next 50 years.

As long as these princes and princesses can be completely tamed, so that they are in awe of Tiandao Sect from the beginning, and feel the supreme power of Tiandao Sect, they will choose to obey.

This move is a long-term one with both risks and benefits, so it’s worth taking the risk.

Now Li Lingyue's compromise has undoubtedly strengthened Yu Zhenzi's determination to suppress the royal family's descendants. She wants to implant the influence of Tiandao Sect among these princes and princesses. Even if someone here becomes the emperor in the future, out of instinctive fear of Tiandao Sect , and dare not have a rebellious mentality.

She closed her eyes with satisfaction and continued to meditate, with a hint of pleasure in taking revenge on Empress Wu in her brows.

………………

Empress Wu, who was still unaware, was sitting opposite Abbot Huijue of Qianxi Temple, drinking tea and discussing Buddhism.

Empress Wu was at the bottom, carefully flipping through a thick account book, which recorded the whereabouts of the money she spent to finance the carving of Buddha statues in Buddhist temples.

After half a cup of tea, Empress Wu closed the account book, handed it back to a young monk behind her, and then said to Abbot Huijue on the main seat:
"Master is very thoughtful. The details of the recorded accounts are clear. There is no need to check further. I came to visit the master today. I still have some confusion. I would like to ask the master to explain it!"

Master Huijue clasped his hands together, nodded and said, "Amitabha, please speak to me. If this poor monk can answer, he will definitely know everything!"

Empress Wu immediately asked: "I was born in the human world and grew up in the human world. I seek Buddha, chant Buddha's name, and respect the Buddha in the human world, all because the Buddha said that all living beings are equal. I dare to ask the master, what are all living beings? What is equality?"

Master Huijue thought for a while and replied: "All sentient beings are sentient beings, whether asuras, evil ghosts, kings, or animals. They are all in the three lives and six paths, reincarnation and reincarnation. This is called equality!"

"In that case, are there distinctions between high and low, noble and low, men and women?" Empress Wu continued to ask.

Master Huijue looked at Empress Wu, smiled and shook his head and said: "There are no differences in the existence of spirits in the world. Only people can distinguish between high and low, high and low, and the so-called all things are equal. It varies from person to person. , that’s the truth!”

Empress Wu nodded thoughtfully. Master Huijue's words convinced her that the reason why she believed in Buddhism was not because of Yang's influence, but because of the Buddhist idea of ​​equality of all living beings. This was very consistent with her belief in Buddhism. view of the world.

"That being the case, may I take the liberty to ask, are Buddha and I equal?" Empress Wu was a little excited in her heart, but she had a calm expression on her face.

"Amitabha!" Master Huijue clasped his hands together: "Buddha has no physical entity, but exists in people's hearts. If you have Buddha in your heart, you can become a Buddha. A poor monk can be a Buddha, and a queen can also be a Buddha. Buddha and all things in the world are the same. Birth, death, and equality!”

After Master Huijue said this, the confusion in Empress Wu's heart was solved. She stood up, clasped her hands together, and gave the disciple's salute to Master Huijue: "Thank you, master, for clearing up the confusion. Disciple, take my leave!"

Empress Wu's trip to Qianxi Temple was full of rewards. She asked Master Huijue for advice on the issue of "equality of all living beings". In fact, she was looking for a goal that could be proven feasible.

The answer she wants is not that all living beings are equal, but that in this feudal era where men are superior to women, the status of men and women is equal.

Because of this, three years later, when the Longmen Grottoes were excavated and Empress Wu personally lifted up the yellow cloth covering the face of the Lucena Buddha, countless monks and people were surprised to find that the Lucena Buddha His appearance is exactly the same as that of Empress Wu.

Of course, at that time, she was already what people called a 'diva'.

…………

On the other side, Li Lingyue held "The Beginning of the Dongxuan Lingbao Three Cave Fengdao Kejie Camp" and read it from noon to evening, and her voice gradually became inaudible from the loudness at the beginning.

Her legs kneeling on the bluestone were already sore, but she still gritted her teeth and continued to persevere.

Gong'er beside her couldn't bear it for a long time. The little girl knelt on the ground and cried a dozen times. After each cry, she stubbornly stood up and stayed by Li Lingyue's side.

The master and the servant knelt from day to night, exhausted physically and mentally, hungry and thirsty. The disciple of the deacon in the front yard went back to rest very early. There was silence in the large Taoist temple, and the dim moonlight shone on the ground, revealing a sense of Sen Leng.

Gong'er held the book and said to Li Lingyue with an aggrieved look on her face: "Princess, it's already midnight, why haven't they come to tell us to go back to rest?"

Li Lingyue, who was reading the Bible, did not raise his head, but replied leisurely: "Don't think about it tonight, they have made it clear that they want us to suffer some pain, no matter how hard it is, we have to endure it!"

Hearing this, Gong'er threw the book away angrily and cursed: "It's unreasonable. They dare to do this to the princess. Aren't they afraid that the empress will chop off their heads when she finds out?"

"To be honest... they are really not afraid, girl! You still can't guess who the master that Senior Brother Lingyun is talking about is?" Li Lingyue asked curiously as she turned the pages of the book.

"Ah! That's right! Who is that master?" Gong'er suddenly realized and asked belatedly.

Li Lingyue rolled her eyes and said casually: "Who else could it be? An old acquaintance, the Taoist nun who almost forced Zhao Shi to commit suicide and forced me to kneel down to beg for mercy. The uncle Shi Qingfeng mentioned!"

"Ah! It turns out to be her! Then princess, aren't we here..." Gong'er was halfway through her words and did not dare to continue. Her little face turned pale with fright, knowing that she had fallen into a tiger's den.

Li Lingyue smiled with interest and said: "Haha, you know you're afraid, you still have time to leave now!"

Gong'er was indeed frightened. For a heavenly master who holds the Holy Seal of Taizong, even the emperor would have to show courtesy when he saw her. Killing her was as easy as squeezing an ant to death. How could she not be feared!

Picking up the book on the ground again, Gong'er suppressed her fear, shook her head and said, "I'm not going anywhere. No matter how scary the Heavenly Lord is, I will swear to accompany the princess to death!"

Just after he finished speaking, the conversation suddenly changed and he asked worriedly: "Princess, do you think she will have murderous intentions towards us, such as poisoning the food, or find someone to secretly strangle us to death while we are asleep?" .”

Li Lingyue held the book and hit Gong'er on the head, then laughed and cursed angrily:
"You are stupid. No matter how shameless I am, I am still a great heavenly master. Do you think I can have trouble with a little girl like you? Even if she doesn't like this princess, she can just use the Tiance Seal. There is no need to murder us. To put it another way, what good would it do her to kill us? Once people die in her Taoist temple, do you think I, Aye Aniang, will let them go?"

"But she is persecuting us now?" Gong'er murmured, "Forcing us to kneel here, denying water and food, she clearly wants to starve us to death!"

Li Lingyue was waiting for a few words of relief when a familiar and cold voice came from behind:
"If you talk about uncle Shi behind your back, according to the rules of the sect, you will be punished by kneeling for three days and facing the wall to think about your fault!"

When Li Ling Yueguang heard this voice, he was so angry that he suddenly turned his head and shouted at the person behind him:
"You bastard, it's none of your business what we say, get as far away as you can!"

"Princess, how did you..."

Li Lingyue's sudden curse made Gong'er shiver. Following her gaze, she saw a man in white standing not far behind her.

The man was even prettier than the woman, with skin like snow, hair like waterfalls, and a tall figure that highlighted his extraordinary temperament. Under the moonlight, he was bathed in a silvery halo, as if he had descended from an immortal.

Gong'er recognized the man as Shi Qingfeng, whom the princess hated so much that she gritted her teeth.

Shi Qingfeng turned a deaf ear to Li Lingyue's insults and continued to approach.

This time, there was no sword in his hand, but a bowl of biscuits in his left hand and a teapot in his right hand.

"Son of a bitch, you're deaf, did I let you come over?"

Li Lingyue's expression became more and more excited. Seeing that Shi Qingfeng was indifferent, she was about to stand up!
Unexpectedly, as soon as he raised half of his body, he felt his thighs go numb and his feet were completely out of control. He twisted his body and fell to the ground. He prostrated himself on the ground with his hands. Instead, he knelt down and bowed to Shi Qingfeng. .

Damn it, I'm embarrassed in front of this bastard again!

Li Lingyue clenched her fists and wanted to beat the ground. She only regretted that she had knelt for too long and her legs were numb.

"Princess, are you okay!" Seeing Li Lingyue fall, Gong'er quickly crawled over to help her.

The embarrassed appearance of the master and servant did not cause any ripples on Shi Qingfeng's face. He just walked three steps away from Li Lingyue, squatted down, placed the biscuits and teapot in his hands on the ground, then stood up and left without saying anything else. A nonsense sentence.

An honest person will not be punished. Li Lingyue could not bear such humiliation. She broke away from Kai Gong'er's pull, crawled to the food, picked up a biscuit in the bowl and threw it at Shi Qingfeng.

"I will starve to death and won't eat the food you gave me!"

The Hu cake was thrown out by Li Lingyue, drawing a parabola in the air, and finally hit Shi Qingfeng accurately on the back.

The two of them were stunned at the same time, this scene looked a bit familiar!
Outside the wooden house, Li Lingyue also threw away the golden sore medicine given by the other party, but in the end she shamelessly picked it up.

Will it be like this again this time?
"Leave it there if you don't want to eat it. Don't waste the food!" Shi Qingfeng did not turn around, but said coldly with a sideways look, tiptoed, and flew away.

After this episode, Li Lingyue could no longer calm down. She tried to read scriptures, but no matter how hard she tried, it was difficult to calm down. Her mind was filled with fragments of being humiliated by Shi Qingfeng. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. The more unwilling you are.

At this moment, Gong'er handed over a Hu cake and begged:
"Princess, this biscuit is still warm, how about...eat one!"

"Take it away!! This princess is annoyed just by looking at it!" Li Lingyue pushed Gong'er's wrist away and refused to eat!

"Princess, it smells delicious. Just take a small bite!"

Before Gong'er could persuade him any more, an angry Li Lingyue grabbed the Hu cake in his hand, threw it out again with a "pop"!

"Eat, eat, eat! You just know how to eat! Do you still have any backbone!"

Li Lingyue was angry that she wouldn't fight, and scolded Gong'er. The little girl drooped her head, tears welling up in her eyes, and they might fall at any time.

Hey, I'm scared of you!

Li Lingyue's heart softened, she picked up the last cake in the bowl, stuffed it into Gong'er's hand, and comforted her with kind words:
"Girl, be good, don't cry. I'm really not hungry. Why don't you eat this cake for me?"

"Princess..." Gong'er burst into tears.

"Stop it!" Li Lingyue slapped her forehead. She couldn't stand the girl crying: "I order you to eat it now, otherwise you won't be able to stay here!"

Gong'er quickly wiped her tears, not daring to disobey Li Lingyue's order. She held the fragrant Hu cake in her hand, hesitated again and again, and finally took it to her mouth and took a bite.

After comforting Gong'er, Li Lingyue continued to kneel down and recite sutras, but as he chanted, a sound of "吭姧""吭姧" came from his ears.

She glanced at Gong'er and saw that this little girl was eating so deliciously. The biscuits were actually deep-fried, crispy on the outside and crispy on the inside. After eating it, he licked his fingers, feeling like he still had more to eat.

I have to admit that one person’s eating habits can easily infect another person.

Li Lingyue suddenly felt a gurgling sound in her stomach, and a huge sense of hunger hit her whole body. She squirmed her throat and asked awkwardly:
"Um...are the Hu biscuits delicious?"

"Back to Princess, it's delicious, sweet and crispy in the mouth!"

Gong'er smashed her mouth, and while talking, she looked at the other two biscuits not far away, and couldn't help but muttered: "I don't know what the two thrown away taste like!"

"Go and pick it up!" Li Lingyue encouraged from the side.

"Ah!" Gong'er turned to look at Li Lingyue, and asked with some expectation but uncertainty: "Did the princess say... pick it up and eat it?"

Li Lingyue wiped her nose awkwardly and explained: "I was impulsive and wasted the food. Fortunately, the bluestone floor is still clean. If I pick it up and wipe it, it is still edible. Don't waste it! "

As soon as these words came out, Gong'er felt like he was being amnesty, like a turtle running towards the sea, waving his hands, he quickly leaned over to pick up the two discarded cakes, then patted the dust on them, and repeatedly rubbed them on his sleeves. After wiping it, he handed it to Li Lingyue.

Looking at the Hu cake in front of her, Li Lingyue swallowed the saliva in her mouth and fell into a painful tangle.

In the end, hunger defeated her face. Li Lingyue took the cake, put it to her mouth and took a bite...

"Oh! It smells so good!"