Traveling through ancient times: starting with live streaming

Chapter 171 Forced Donation

Three days later, in front of Jingming Palace, the yellow umbrella was facing the wind and the banners were fluttering.

The "coffin blessing" ceremony officially began.

A few days ago, Concubine Qin Sun heard that only the jewelry "pressed" in the queen's coffin needed to be contributed by the concubines in the harem.

Unexpectedly, who was so shameless and flattering as to drag others down with him and suggested that male relatives and important ministers should also donate their treasures to serve as a "coffin pressure" for the emperor's coffin.

Isn’t this a disguised form of “forced donation”?

Not donating is unfilial, and donating too little is insincere.

However, Prince Yi's mansion was extremely poor, and Zhou Chang was really anxious for two days. However, Prince Yi's consciousness was as quiet as a chicken this time, as if it had nothing to do with him.

Finally, it was Prince Rong who sent a green jade bamboo folding fan, saying that he was worried that Prince Yi would be disrespectful.

Zhou Chang took the folding fan and played with it for a while. He thought it was a toy loved by scholars and writers. It might not be conspicuous among a pile of jewels and jades, but it was better than nothing. He was grateful to Prince Rong Fengduo from the bottom of his heart.

But he couldn't think of any gift in return, so he simply picked two baskets of fruit from the trees on both sides of the main courtyard and gave them to them.

Zhou Chang presented a green jade bamboo-knot folding fan. One can imagine the looks of others, but she really didn't care. Instead, she was happy to see an "acquaintance" at the ceremony.

The abbot of Dafu Temple, Master Yuanjue, and Shuchen’s senior brother, Master Shusheng.

Although Shuchen's memory is vague, the general framework is still there.

According to his memory, he didn't know whether Master Yuanjue was superstitious or not, but Shusheng was a firm believer in this. The last time "the Buddha appeared and took back his golden body" happened, it was thanks to Shusheng's vigorous publicity that everyone knew about it.

According to the ritual, there are 49 eminent monks who will chant sutras continuously on the temporary altar set up in front of the Jingming Hall for 49 days.

The emperor only needs to come and burn incense and worship on the first and last day.

The rest of the royal family, and concubines would come to pray and recite scriptures on odd and even days.

Zhou Chang mixed in with them, opening his mouth without making any sound, which did not take much effort, but the sound of "ding, ding, ding..." from the viewpoint system constantly placing orders rang in his ears, making him so annoyed that he had no room for rest in his heart.

Seeing the two golden nanmu coffins like two glaring mouths swallowing so much gold, silver, jewelry, antiques and jade, her heart really bleeds.

Sneaking out from the ceremony site, Zhou Chang, in the spirit of "a thief never leaves empty-handed", decided to take advantage of the bustle of the place and the lack of people in other public places to take a look around.

Just as he turned towards the imperial kitchen as usual, he ran into the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards, Sun Chuliang, and the inspector Tang Mao behind him.

Sun Chuliang and his sister, Concubine Qin Sun, have similar eyebrows and eyes, but Sun Chuliang has a wider nose and face, which makes him look more majestic. When he saw Zhou Chang from a distance, he hurried over and said, "Your Highness Prince Yi, I haven't thanked you in person for what happened last time."

Zhou Chang took a moment to realize that the other party was talking about Yaoyuefang, and he quickly flattered him: "No, no, I want to thank the imperial guards for their great help, otherwise the batch of frostbite cream would not have been completed so quickly. It's all because of the commander-in-chief's good management of the army."

Sun Chuliang's peach blossom eyes, which were the same as his sister's, smiled even more brightly, and he cupped his hands again: "Because a high monk from Dafu Temple is coming to the palace to perform a ritual, the palace has been tripled in martial law. Where is Your Highness Prince Yi going? He needs to be escorted by the imperial guards to prevent anyone from bumping into Your Highness without knowing the situation."

"Uh..." Zhou Chang couldn't say that he was going to the imperial kitchen to "take advantage" of the situation. When he heard that the imperial guards had been tripled, his heart skipped a beat. "Triple martial law? So many people will be in and out of Jingming Palace every day for the next month or so. Lord Sun is really amazing."

Sun Chuliang's expression became more relaxed and friendly: "That's right. Although Jingming Hall and Baohua Hall are close to each other, Baohua Hall is also adjacent to the harem. Now the monks of Dafu Temple need to be relocated to Baohua Hall to rest. How can the imperial guards not keep a closer watch on them?"

"Thank you, Commander-in-Chief." Zhou Chang also bowed, "I will not cause any more trouble for you, Commander-in-Chief, and will leave the palace directly."

"Farewell, His Royal Highness Prince Yi." Sun Chuliang bid farewell.

After reciting the sutra in this dry way for a few days, Zhou Chang felt depressed.

So-called opportunities are created by people.

On the eighth day, originally, male members of the royal family were not required to come and recite scriptures, but Zhou Chang brought Skinny Monkey into the palace again.

When we arrived in front of the Jingming Hall, behind the sandalwood bamboo curtains on both sides, we could see that the concubines in the harem and the noble ladies who had been granted titles in the outer palaces had already sat up early and were reciting scriptures in a low voice.

Zhou Chang came to Shusheng's side, put his hands together, and asked loudly: "Master, may I ask, I had a dream last night where a fairy lady gave me some advice. She said that if I have any wish, as long as I sincerely offer my beloved things to the Buddha within the 49 days, it will come true. May I offer it?"

The monks at Dafu Temple also take turns blessing and chanting day and night. The abbot Yuanjue Zen Master usually presides over the ceremony on odd days, while Shusheng presides over the ceremony on even days.

Shusheng was mumbling something in his mind, and only opened his eyes when Zhou Chang asked him something. Knowing his identity, he welcomed everyone who came to him: "Amitabha, good, good, all those who have a clear mind will be illuminated by the Buddha's light."

"Master Shusheng, do you know whether the dream I had yesterday was true? The fairy lady was not like the Bodhisattva I usually saw in the temple." Zhou Chang pretended to be skeptical.

Shusheng replied: "Amitabha, I have countless incarnations of Buddha. As long as you are sincere, you can get the Buddha's protection."

"Okay, okay, that's good." Zhou Chang said as he placed the most expensive gold and jade belt that Prince Yi usually wore on the altar in front of Shusheng.

The altar was filled with incense, candles, and various scriptures. Behind the altar were two golden nanmu coffins placed side by side. All the treasures were now quietly displayed at the bottom of the open coffins, covering three layers.

Zhou Chang glanced at him, not daring to look any further, and stepped back.

Then he knelt on the cushion in front of the altar, clasped his hands together, and silently recited a few words towards the golden Buddha statue on the altar before stepping back and leaving.

Another seven days passed, and it was the fifteenth day of the forty-nine days.

Zhou Chang came again and shouted to Shusheng: "Master, seven days have passed, why hasn't the Buddha appeared yet?"

When she asked this, the chanting on both sides and below stopped abruptly.

Shusheng was stunned by the question: "How does Your Highness Prince Yi want the Buddha to show his power?"

Zhou Chang pointed at his gold-inlaid jade belt and said, "The Fairy Goddess came to me in my dream that day and said that if it worked, the Buddha would take it away as an offering, as a sign of destiny. Now my belt is still lying here, doesn't it mean that the Buddha and the Fairy Goddess are unwilling to show their power?"

Shu Chen once said exactly the same thing, and the miracle happened on the night when he was on duty in Baohua Palace.

"This..." Certain memories immediately entered Shusheng's mind. "Research and discover. If you persist in research, you will discover;

After reading, if you keep reading, you will have reading;”