The Song Dynasty was the king for thirteen years before he knew that he was Tianlong.

Chapter 44 Tianlong Temple

In the evening, Zhao Ti took Zhou Tong out for a stroll.

Along the way, we saw people clapping and singing, and young men and women singing and dancing.

Dali has many ethnic groups and is considered a barbarian land in the Central Plains. The etiquette and customs are quite different. Men and women walk hand in hand on the streets, flirting and laughing as if there is no one around, and no one thinks it is strange.

Zhao Ti thought to himself, everyone says Duan Zhengchun is passionate, the people of Dali are lively and enthusiastic, and he is a member of the royal Duan family, so it is no wonder that he is passionate.

Then he went to look for Wuwei Temple, thinking that he could return her dark horse when Mu Wanqing came in a few days. He asked along the way and found out that it was an ancient temple. It was not too popular, but there were people coming and going.

Zhou Tong said, "Sir, the temples in Dali close later than those in the Central Plains. You can go in and take a look."

Zhao Ti nodded, then went in. He saw believers in the main hall burning evening incense in twos and threes, so he asked Su Da to buy a bouquet and present it personally.

Then he left the temple, walked around to familiarize himself with the city's terrain, and went back to the inn to rest.

The next morning, after packing up, Zhao Ti said, "You two will follow me to visit Tianlong Temple."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Tong hurriedly said, "Sir, Tianlong Temple is the royal temple of Dali. It is not open to the public on weekdays. There is a public lecture every month. I see that the day has not come yet. I am afraid it will be a wasted trip if I go there now."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Guang Zu is too honest. I already have a way to get in."

Zhou Tong blushed and said, "Sorry for making fun of me, sir."

When Zhao Ti went to Wuwei Temple last night, he had already figured out a way to enter Tianlong Temple, and he also thought of someone.

According to the time calculation, the Great Wheel King Jiumozhi of the Great Wheel Temple in the Great Snow Mountain should be here soon.

Jiumozhi sent a yellow, white and gold note to Tianlong Temple, saying that he wanted to use precious gifts to obtain the Six Meridians Divine Sword Manual, and burn it in front of the tomb of his old friend Murong Bo.

Because the Dalun Temple was extremely famous in the Western Regions and Tianzhu, and Jiumozhi was even more famous, the Tianlong Temple acted as if it was facing a great enemy. They were unsure and even talked about protecting the scriptures and the temple. They invited Baoding Emperor Duan Zhengming to practice the Six Meridians Divine Sword.

In that case, can I find a way to fish in troubled waters?

He was not interested in the Six-Meridian Divine Sword. After all, unless he robbed it by force, there was no chance that the Tianlong Temple would give it to him on its own initiative. Moreover, he could not use the thing even if he got it because too much internal energy was required.

As for the One Yang Finger, it was different. After all, there was the example of Master Yideng, who not only passed it on to Wang Chongyang, but also to the four others: Fisherman, Woodcutter, Farmer and Scholar. However, he was more interested in the One Yang Finger and wanted to compare it with the Huan Yin Finger.

Exit the inn and head straight out of the city. Dali Tianlong Temple is located in the north of Dian Cang Mountain, with Cang Mountain on its back and Erhai Lake in front. It is huge and magnificent inside, with three pavilions, seven floors, nine halls and a hundred buildings, and the architecture is exquisite.

Many emperors and royal family members of the Duan family became monks here, so Tianlong Temple is the ancestral temple of the Dali royal family and the most respected among all the temples in Li State.

The three of them rode their horses to the outside of Tianlong Temple, where they saw the tranquil scenery and vast and elegant buildings.

After tying up the horses, Zhou Tong went over and knocked on the door. Soon a young monk came out and said, "This is a royal temple and we don't accept outsiders. Please go back, three donors."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "Go and report to Abbot Benyin, and tell him that Master Lingde, a descendant of the Song royal family and a good friend of the abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple in Tokyo, wants to see him and discuss Buddhism with him."

The young monk was stunned when he heard this. Dali and the Song Dynasty were friendly. Although they had no vassal relationship, they sent gifts to the Song Dynasty every few years, hoping to become a vassal. Although they were repeatedly rejected by the Song Dynasty, they persisted for a hundred years. At this time, Daxiangguo Temple was the leader of all temples in the world. It held lectures every year, and temples all over the world flocked to it. Famous monks gathered to discuss scriptures and inner classics, and all left with joy and praise.

The young monk hurriedly said, "The three distinguished guests, please wait a moment while I report to you."

A moment later, a monk walked out of the temple and chanted the Buddha's name, "Excuse me, sir, are you really from the Central Earth Emperor Sect?"

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "What's the point of saying that? I am a close friend of Master Lingde, the abbot of the Daxiangguo Temple in Tokyo. I finally managed to leave home once and secretly came to visit Dali. Master Lingde once said that the sutras and teachings of the Tianlong Temple are profound, so I came to visit."

When Emperor Shenzong reformed the system in Yuanfeng, he issued an edict to move the royal family from distant places to Luoyang, the Western Capital, and later to Nanjing Yingtian Prefecture. During the Yuanyou period of Emperor Zhao Xu, the system was relaxed again. Although they did not live in other places, it was very common for them to travel out of the city.

The monks heard this without any surprise: "Please come in, Mr. Zhao. The abbot will be receiving you in the meditation hall."

Zhao Ti smiled and nodded. He was indeed close friends with Monk Lingde of Daxiangguo Temple, but Monk Lingde had never mentioned Dali Tianlong Temple. Not to mention that Daxiangguo Temple did not care about this temple, many large temples in the Central Plains looked down on Dali's temples as remote small temples with shallow Buddhist teachings.

Going all the way to the left, passing the Ruihe Gate, the Huotian Gate, and then the Prajna Terrace, you will come to the side of a long corridor. At the end is the guest reception hall. Two little monks hurriedly opened the door outside, and the monk in charge of receiving guests led Zhao Ti in.

An old monk in his sixties with a ruddy complexion stood up and put his hands together and said, "Mr. Zhao, I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. Please take a seat."

Zhao Ti knew that the old monk was Ben Yin, who was the uncle of Baoding Emperor Duan Zhengming. He smiled and said, "Master Ben Yin is too polite. I heard of your Dharma name in Tokyo, as well as the name of Master Kurong. We met today. You have a dignified appearance and are indeed highly skilled in Dharma."

Ben Yin couldn't help but smile: "Donor Zhao mentioned the royal family of the Song Dynasty, I wonder if it is..."

Zhao Ti had already thought of an excuse. He said that they were from the lineage of King Shang Zhao Yuanfen, and although they were distant relatives at the moment, that was actually not bad. Zhao Yuanfen was the grandfather of Emperor Yingzong, so there was nothing wrong with what he said.

At this time, tea was served. The two drank tea. Ben Yin asked, "Donor Zhao, does the abbot of the Tokyo Daxiangguo Temple also know about me and Master Ku Rong?"

Zhao Ti took a sip of tea and said, "Of course I know that all the people in Tianlong Temple are the abdicated rulers of Dali and members of the royal family. Master Lingde said that those who can give up worldly glory and convert to Buddhism are all very wise."

Ben Yin smiled and said, "I have long admired Daxiangguo Temple, the best of all temples in the world, with a vast Buddhist scriptures and numerous eminent monks. Unfortunately, I have never had the chance to go there."

Zhao Ti smiled and said, "It's not that easy. As long as the masters of Tianlong Temple want to go to Daxiangguo Temple in Tokyo to study Buddhism, I can introduce them to you."

Ben Yin showed some emotion, but then he sighed and said, "Since Mr. Zhao is familiar with Master Lingde, he must be well versed in Buddhism. I wonder if I could ask for your advice."

Zhao Ti knew that he still had doubts in his heart, so he smiled and said, "Of course it's okay."

The two of them started arguing with each other, and after just a quarter of an hour, Ben Yin was sweating profusely.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Zhao Ti was familiar with the abbot Lingde of Xiangguo Temple. After all, the Xiangguo Temple was actually also a royal temple, but no one from the Song Dynasty became a monk there, so the daily management of the Xiangguo Temple was loose. They only wrote inscriptions and eulogies, allocated money for repairs, and the appointment and resignation of the abbots of each temple were approved by the emperor's edict, and they did not interfere much in other matters.

The first time Zhao Ti left the palace, he went to Daxiangguo Temple. Over the years, he had been a frequent visitor there. He was naturally eloquent about Buddhist teachings, far beyond what Ben Yin, a monk from a private temple could do.

Dali has always worshipped Buddhism, especially the royal family. Duan Yu was unwilling to practice martial arts because he had read some Buddhist scriptures incorrectly. At this time, he was speechless and sweating profusely when asked by Zhao Ti, and he no longer had any doubts in his heart.

Just when he was about to ask about some sutra questions that had puzzled him for a long time, Zhao Ti suddenly stood up and said apologetically, "Master Ben Yin, I just remembered something important and have to leave and rush back to the city."

(End of this chapter)