The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 156 The Master of Ceremonies
"Just leave it here."

Before they even reached the gate, Xiao Yi ordered the coachman to stop and helped the Zen Master Yan Jun out of the carriage.

An Yuanzhen was quite reluctant to part with him and asked, "What are you going to do next?"

"Go to the Court of State Ceremonial to learn court etiquette from Yan Jinqing, and while you're at it, ask him about buying a house for you."

Why learn court etiquette?

"When you become a court attendant, you are responsible for assisting the prime minister with the rites and guiding the procession during the grand court assembly."

"Then I'll teach you."

"Court assembly etiquette may differ from the rules of the inner palace."

“I really do know how,” An Yuanzhen said. “Before I went to the capital, my father specially asked an old female official from Emperor Zhuangzong’s palace to teach me. I have learned everything.”

Xiao Yi didn't quite trust her and said, "What if you teach me wrong and I embarrass myself in front of all the officials?"

"No, I'll wait for you here. I'll teach you step by step when we get back."

"it is good."

"Have you finished tailoring your court robes? Put them on and let me see."

"Understood, I'll take Zen Master Yan Jun back first."

After arranging things in the camp, Xiao Yi finished his duty, but instead of going to Song Garden, he went to Fanlou with An Yuanzhen for dinner first.

An Yuanzhen was very happy and praised him for his romantic nature.

After finishing their meal, Xiao Yi summoned the manager and first mentioned his desire to buy Songyuan Garden, while also inquiring about the rumors circulating in the capital.

He used Fanlou as his information channel, and there was no need to be polite to Yan Jinqing about such matters.

"General Xiao may not ask, but I would like to remind you that at noon, several Imperial Guard generals came over for drinks and mentioned that some of Bai Zairong's deserters wanted to seek revenge on you and Commander Li."

"Thanks for the reminder. Is there any other news?"

"Oh, Your Majesty is looking for someone among the common people."

"Who?"

"I am unaware of this, but there is a portrait. Would the general like to take a look?"

"have a look."

Xiao Yi thought Guo Wei was looking for some stunning beauty, but when he looked at the portrait, he saw a man in his forties with a long beard and a refined appearance.

I haven't met him before, and I've been busy lately, so I can't get involved in everything.

Just as they were about to settle the bill, An Yuanzhen beckoned to the maid behind him and instructed, "Give the old manager a generous reward."

"Thank you, General Xie. Thank you, Madam Xie."

Seeing her capabilities, Xiao Yi waited until they were in the carriage, then pondered and asked, "Do you know that after His Majesty quelled the rebellion of Li Shouzhen, he adopted his daughter-in-law, Lady Fu, as his goddaughter?"

"Of course I know, she's Fu Yanqing's daughter. I even met her when I was a child."

How does your company's strength compare?

"Of course, my territory is larger, and my military strength and resources are greater."

"But your network isn't as good as his?"

“My grandfather doesn’t cultivate connections, and I don’t want to be Guo Que’er’s adopted daughter. However, I’m very happy that you’re helping me with this plan.”

Xiao Yi casually offered some pointers, but seeing that An Yuanzhen had no interest in it, he didn't bring it up again.

To put it bluntly, the reason the two of them can mingle so shamelessly today is entirely because An Shenqi has a strong and well-equipped army. Strength is everything, and he himself still has a lot to learn about how to acquire and maintain that strength.

An Yuanzhen suddenly asked, "Are you saying this because you don't want me to return to Xiangzhou?"

"No, that's not it. For you, Xiangzhou is safer."

"Oh."

This topic made An Yuanzhen, who was originally in a particularly good mood, feel a little down.

But she quickly cheered up again, because when she returned to Songyuan, she wanted Xiao Yi to wear the new court attire and teach him the etiquette of the grand court assembly.

"Look closely, this is the Right Side Gate. You stand here to guide the military officers. Hmm, standing very well, handsome and dashing. The order of entry is: General, Attendant, Duke, Marquis, Prince Consort, Earl, Five Offices and Six Ministries, Miscellaneous Officials. Got it?"

"take note of it."

"Then, you will inspect me and see which etiquette needs to be corrected when I enter the court."

Xiao Yi looked over and saw An Yuanzhen pretending to be serious, but his eyes were always smiling. He placed his hands in front of his abdomen and walked slowly with measured steps.

"stop."

"General Xiao, what is it?"

"Your court attire is inappropriate. When entering the palace, you must hold a tablet and walk upright. Bowing privately is forbidden. Also, why are you not wearing shoes?"

"Hmph." An Yuanzhen stomped on his foot and said, "I'll pass you. Now let me ask you, what should we do if it rains or snows?"

"Getting wet?"

“Fool, officials can have their attendants hold umbrellas, ministers can bring two people, and minor officials can bring one person.”

"Oh."

"I'm going into the hall now. You can correct my position. The steps are over here, and that's the imperial desk."

"Okay, put your hands on your waist, move away from the middle, and come here."

With a pull from Xiao Yi, An Yuanzhen softly leaned into his arms.

He guided her hands to her waist, which was so slender it could be encircled by one hand.

"Has this been a breach of etiquette before the Emperor?"

"I just want to get close to you, give you a little hug."

These words were clearly spoken by An Yuanzhen, but in the end, it was she who got angry, and she even gave him a light push on the chest.

"You scoundrel, are you still going to learn or not?"

"You teach me."

"Then I will dress up as the emperor. Xiao Sheren, help me to the imperial bed first."

"The interpreter does not need to support the emperor."

"Are you going to help him up or not?"

"I won't help."

Xiao Yi picked An Yuanzhen up in his arms.

She was both embarrassed and delighted, buried her head in his chest, and scolded, "How dare you! You've really lost your composure!"

"Your Majesty, please be seated."

An Yuanzhen reached out to touch his face, and suddenly burst out laughing.

"Oh, I suddenly thought of something, which is such a spoilsport, but I really want to say it."

"Just tell me."

“I don’t act like Guo Que’er, but I do act like Liu Chengyou. If he saw you, he would definitely pinch your chin like this and say, ‘What a handsome interpreter, I like him.’”

“I am not handsome, and I am far from being as good as Hou Kuangzan and Guo Yunming.”

"But I like you just the way you are, and you... have a beautiful body."

As An Yuanzhen spoke, her voice softened, and her cheeks flushed red.

The atmosphere, which had been slightly interrupted, quickly intensified.

Xiao Yi felt his belt being tugged.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Yours is beautiful too."

An Yuanzhen was extremely embarrassed and covered her face, shrinking to the side.

"Go away."

"The minister obeys the order."

Just as Xiao Yi was about to walk away, she hooked his waist with her foot.

"Who told you to leave? Come here."

As they come and go, their affection grows stronger.

After a long while of entanglement and hesitation, An Yuanzhen suddenly let out a long breath, her body tense, and pressed herself close to him, holding him tightly and not letting him move.

"take it easy."

"I...I'm not nervous." "What's wrong?"

"It feels so good..."

After a while, An Yuanzhen bit him and whispered, "It's such a strange feeling, especially... you know? I used to watch palace maids go through all that back and forth, and now I realize that's how they end up."

Xiao Yi leaned closer and said, "What's the point of just grinding? Let me teach you something more comfortable."

An Yuanzhen, however, refused to listen. She drew circles with her finger and pleaded softly, "How about I come back tomorrow after I've had some wine?"

"Ok?"

"I've learned so much today, isn't that amazing?"

"..."

In short, I worked hard to learn court etiquette.

Over the next two days, Xiao Yi prepared himself to serve as a court attendant and also to attend the small court assembly.

On the 24th of January, he arrived at the palace gate early in the morning to wait.

Yan Jun was also affected, cooperating and calm, like a cloud, letting the wind blow it.

From afar, a young eunuch approached him; it was Zhang Dejun.

"General Xiao, thank you for introducing me to my godfather. I have now changed my name to 'Wang Ji'en'. I will always remember your kindness in giving me a second chance."

"congratulations."

Xiao Yi had finally managed to remember a name, but now he had to change it again. There was nothing he could do; people of that time loved to change their names. If the emperor's name was Guo Yanchao or Guo Yande, countless people would avoid it.

As they were talking, Wang Ji'en quietly handed over a note and whispered something.

“A palace maid entrusted a servant to deliver it to the general.”

"Thank you."

Xiao Yi was worried that Zhang Wan or the lantern and candle wick might be using such an unreliable method to send a message. He unfolded it and saw that the handwriting was clumsy; it turned out to be Guo Xin's handwriting.

Just four words, concise and to the point.

"I'm going to beat you up."

Suddenly, a frightening sound came from behind.

What are you looking at?

"Lord Wang, someone is threatening me."

Xiao Yi obediently unfolded the note.

Wang Jun glanced at her coldly and said, "Nonsense! From now on, you must never associate with Fifth Sister again!"

"Thank you, Lord Wang, for protecting me from being beaten."

"Humph."

Wang Jun turned to Yan Jun, his gaze sharpening. After observing for a while, he put his palms together and asked, "Master's Dharma name?"

"severe."

"Indeed, he is a highly virtuous monk. Please have a seat in the side room outside the hall."

"Yes."

Yan Jun's answer was brief, but Wang Jun was quite satisfied. He beckoned to Xiao Yi and asked, "How did you manage to invite him?"

"After much persuasion, Minister Wang actually recognized him as a high-ranking monk at a glance?"

“I know better than you,” Wang Jun said calmly. “My eyes have recognized the true emperor before.”

His arrogant attitude made Xiao Yi not want to flatter him at all, for fear that he would become arrogant.

Ascending the steps to the Zichen Hall, Guo Wei was already there, reading memorials, while the other officials had not yet arrived.

"Has Your Majesty made up your mind?"

"I am not afraid to speak frankly with Brother Xiufeng about my concerns."

Guo Wei glanced up, as if Xiao Yi didn't exist, and started talking to Wang Jun.

His tone was calm, like a heart-to-heart talk with an old friend.

“Monks and powerful figures are not so scary. If they dare to cause trouble, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop. What we fear is losing the hearts of the people. We fear losing the support of Buddhism and the common people. If the Great Zhou loses its legitimacy, the people of the world will turn around and support Liu Chong, Gao Baorong, Li Jing, and Meng Chang.”

Wang Jun disagreed, saying, "When did Your Majesty become so hesitant? Abundant funds and provisions are essential for a strong army to quell the chaos. This is the most practical thing. In my opinion, there is nothing to discuss today about whether or not to suppress Buddhism! The only thing to discuss is how to suppress Buddhism."

Guo Wei closed the memorial and let out a sigh of frustration.

Xiao Yi, however, was more understanding of Guo Wei's feelings than Wang Jun. After all, it was Guo Wei's first time as emperor, and he had only been in power for less than a month. How could he make a decision on the spot?
He sensed that Guo Wei wanted to be a good emperor, but fearing that in the short term, it would have a huge impact on the emperor's reputation for virtue, he would not feel at ease even if he made a decision without addressing this concern.

After thinking for a moment, he spoke.

"I dare to offer my advice."

"You've offered your advice again. Speak."

"I believe that the people's hearts are set on practical benefits, not empty fame. The people seek Buddhism for a peaceful and prosperous life, not to be exploited by the Buddhist community. Your Majesty's worries are temporary. I may have a way to relieve Your Majesty's worries."

"What can I do?"

Xiao Yi requested to leave the palace.

Once outside the palace, he looked around, grabbed a handful of snow from the stone railing, and jogged back to the Zichen Palace.

"Please extend your hand, Your Majesty."

Guo Wei stretched out his large, calloused, and scarred hands.

Xiao Yi placed the melting snow water on it.

"This is?"

"You brat!" Wang Jun shouted, "Still daring to cause trouble? Get out of here!"

"Fleeting fame melts away like ice and snow; why should Your Majesty worry about it?"

Guo Wei chuckled and cursed, "You idiot, what nonsense you're spouting."

Xiao Yi said, "These are Zen sayings that I heard during my recent visit to a high-ranking monk, and I find them very insightful."

Guo Wei squeezed the ice and snow into water droplets. Although he didn't agree with what he said, his expression was much more cheerful.

"You brat, go and bring that high monk here so I can meet him."

Guo Wei was clearly a discerning person. Upon seeing Zen Master Yan Jun, he immediately became much more refined and said, "Amitabha, please bring a stool for the master."

"Your Majesty, please ask your question. This humble monk will answer and then depart."

"Alright, Master, what is your opinion on their remarks about suppressing Buddhism?"

"Your Majesty neither understands Buddhism nor can you destroy it."

"what for?"

"If the Buddha resides in your heart, how can you extinguish that heart? If the Dharma is emptiness, how can you extinguish emptiness?"

"I will demolish all temples in the land and confiscate all temple property."

"What does this have to do with Buddha?"

"I hereby order all monks in the land to return to secular life."

“The monks are already in the secular world. If there are people in the secular world who turn to the Buddha, the Buddha is there; if there are no people who turn to the Buddha, the Buddha is still there.”

Guo Wei let out a long sigh, raised his hand and pointed, exclaiming, "This is a highly virtuous monk!"

He clearly realized that the matter wasn't as serious as he had imagined.

Yan Jun said, “The emperor governs the country, while Buddhism governs the mind. Now that Your Majesty has finished questioning, this humble monk will take his leave.”

After saying this, he put his palms together in a gesture of respect and walked outside.

Guo Wei nodded repeatedly, agreeing with this statement, and did not order Yan Jun to be stopped. He glanced at Xiao Yi.

"You're quite diligent. I give you one task, and you do a whole series of things."

“Your Majesty, I invited Zen Master Yan Jun here not to persuade you, but to debate the scriptures on your behalf in his name.”

Guo Wei's eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with Wang Jun.

Wang Jun immediately turned around and ordered, "Invite the master to the Privy Council and treat him well."

Thus, before the small court council even began, the determination and legal principles were established. Afterwards, when the ministers arrived, they only needed to discuss the specific procedures and then proclaim the edict during the grand court assembly.

(End of this chapter)