Chapter 88

The old monk in black, surnamed Yang and named Taishui, was born into the top-ranking Yang clan of Dongyue. From a young age, he was studious and well-versed in various schools of thought. At thirteen, he shaved his head and became a monk, thoroughly reading the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. He was particularly skilled in yin-yang and numerology. Although a monk, he learned Taoist techniques and military strategy from a Taoist priest at Qingxu Palace. At twenty-four, he traveled to Longhu Mountain, where he was scolded by the Great True Man Qi Xuanzhen. Yang Taishui was not angry but rather delighted, and was later recommended to serve the crown prince in the capital. He recited scriptures for the deceased empress dowager, presided over the imperial Yongfu Temple, and assisted the previous emperor in securing the throne. During this time, he took several high-ranking eunuchs as disciples in the Bodhisattva precepts.

With the empire stabilized, the old monk in black, who preferred black clothing, politely declined the title of National Preceptor. He devoted himself to the study of Buddhism at Yongfu Temple, having long severed ties with his family and the current nobility. At the Xilei Wall, he had strongly advised Xu Xiao not to kill the scholar Fang Xiaoli, but to no avail. It was rumored that he and Xu Xiao had severed ties. For nearly a decade, he lamented the chaos and lack of clarity in the Zen tradition, creating the theory of mutual complementarity and authoring works such as "The Eight Schools' Original Meaning" and "The Brief Sutra to Save from Delusion." He never participated in any Buddhist debates, styling himself as the "Non-Contentious Elder." Despite his contributions to the state, he chose a life of solitude, serving only as a tutor to the crown prince and other royal descendants. Three years ago, he resigned as the abbot of Yongfu Temple and the chief monk of the imperial palace, traveling alone across the south and north of the Yangtze River, appearing and disappearing like a dragon.

Today, he appeared in Tai'an City to escort the Prince of Beiliang into the capital. However, after seeing the old monk in black, Xu Xiao insisted on walking into the city, leading to this scene. Xu Xiao, dressed as a wealthy old man, with his hands in his sleeves, strolled leisurely down the main street of the capital, smiling and said, "Yang Taishui, I heard you took a disciple who went to the Shangyin Academy? I want to make it clear, if it turns into a big deal, neither of us should interfere. Also, the Red Armor Spirit Warriors were used by your disciple, right? Don't do it again. I'm curious, the Red Armor Spirit Warriors were already stripped and skinned by your Bodhisattva precept disciple, Han Daoshi. How did you suddenly have five more? What sinister plans are you making, old bald monk? Are you still sulking? You have a small heart, like a woman. Isn't it just because I didn't agree to spare those six hundred scholars back then? We've been friends for decades, and you want to end it just like that?"

The old monk in black sternly replied, "None of it is my doing."

Xu Xiao squinted, observing the somewhat unfamiliar capital, and pouted, "Give me a hint, is that kid the illegitimate son of someone? Otherwise, how could he get the Red Armor Spirit Warriors from Han Daoshi, and make that man-cat bow and serve as a slave?"

The old monk frowned, his already fierce and stern appearance becoming even more intimidating. No one could approach him and Xu Xiao in the bustling market, as if they were fish gliding through water.

Xu Xiao smiled, "You don't deny it, so I'll take that as a yes."

The old monk remained silent, his mind as calm as an ancient well. Xu Xiao joked, "Yang Taishui, sometimes I really admire you. Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. If you live another twenty or thirty years, you could assist three emperors, and everyone would treat you like a Bodhisattva. Look at Longhu Mountain, where they go to great lengths to secure the position of National Preceptor. An old man even sacrificed two lifetimes of longevity and used the power to change fate. You, on the other hand, do nothing, just eat vegetarian and chant sutras. When you get tired of the capital, you go out for a walk. That's the life of a deity. Old bald monk, when will you meet my eldest son, Fengnian? He's different from me; he believes in Buddhism, and you two might get along."

The old monk shook his head and softly reminded, "We're here."

At the end of the road, the main gate of the southern imperial city was visible.

According to the law, the court held a morning assembly every ten days. Xu Xiao arrived a bit late, and outside the gate, only carriages and servants were parked, with no high-ranking officials in sight.

This first gate of the imperial city had three arches, with a large eave and a heavy roof. On either side were a pair of white jade lions and dismounting stones. A couplet, written by a founding scholar, hung on the gate, reading, "The sun and moon shine brightly, the mountains and rivers are majestic." North of the gate were 110 corridor rooms, known as the Thousand-Step Corridor, with a continuous eave and a heavy roof, protecting the Hall of Preserving Harmony, also known as the Golden Hall.

The old monk in black, Yang Taishui, sighed, "Are you going to court dressed like that?"

Xu Xiao laughed, "I'll change into some clothes in the carriage. I haven't had the chance to wear them in Beiliang. I've been living a life of luxury and have gained a lot of weight. I don't know if they'll fit. If they don't, it'll be a problem."

The old monk had a rare look of headache and helplessness.

Xu Xiao laughed heartily and walked towards a carriage with only a few close attendants from the Wang residence. The iron cavalry under the Wang banner could not be brought to the imperial city walls, as it would be improper. Yang Taishui in black did not move, still standing a hundred paces away from the gate, looking desolate. Back then, he was a monk seeking fame and fortune, while Xu Xiao had already led six hundred black-armored soldiers out of Jinzhou. He advised the previous emperor, while Xu Xiao served as the vanguard. One was a strategist, the other a warrior, complementing each other. At that time, the previous emperor regarded them as his left and right arms. They had climbed the Hall of Preserving Harmony together, drinking and discussing the affairs of the world under the moonlight. Xu Xiao, who read little, was always forced to recite poetry, which was crude and vulgar, and always laughed at. After drinking, he would lie down carelessly, regardless of who was lying on whose arm. The last time they met was when Xu Xiao returned from conquering the Western Chu and was granted the title of Grand Pillar. They only spoke to each other, no longer as carefree as before. After that, he no longer involved himself in politics, only discussing Zen and poetry.

Later, the previous emperor instructed him to have a farewell drink with Xu Xiao.

This led to a unique woman entering the palace alone, dressed in white. After that, he no longer had the face to see Xu Xiao.

Xu Xiao was not far from the carriage when a carriage came galloping towards him. The driver was sweating, and Xu Xiao waved to indicate that his fellow disciple, Han Laoshan, should not be concerned. He sidestepped to avoid the hooves of the two high horses, and only signaled a high-ranking person from the Wang residence to fetch a pre-prepared outer robe from the carriage to wear for the morning assembly.

However, as the saying goes, a good horse is often ridden, and a good person is often bullied. Xu Xiao did not mind the carriage collision, but the driver from a noble household found this hunched old man obstructive, mistaking him for a servant of some official. The master inside the carriage was already late for the morning assembly due to illness, and the driver had been scolded repeatedly, making him extremely angry. In a fit of rage, he lashed out with his whip. Xu Xiao smiled, but Han Laoshan grabbed the whip, pulled the driver down, and stomped on his chest, breaking two ribs with a crack.

A middle-aged scholar in a fourth-rank civil official's attire stepped out of the carriage. Seeing his servant suffer a terrible fate, he was furious. He recognized the old man as a stranger and, forgetting his manners, shouted in anger, demanding to know which official's servant dared to act so arrogantly outside the imperial city. He pointed at Xu Xiao, demanding his name, and threatened to impeach him before the emperor. His anger was intense.

This scholar held a fourth-rank position, equivalent to a provincial governor, and was the Left Attendant to the Crown Prince, a highly coveted position in the Eastern Palace. His father, Liu Binzhong, was a Grand Scholar of the Dongge Pavilion, a key minister of two dynasties. The pinnacle of the civil service in the current dynasty was the three halls and three pavilions, and the Dongge Pavilion, though last in rank, was one of only four, including the Wuying, Wenhua, and Wenyan pavilions. As one of the four, Liu Binzhong was extremely honored. His brother, Liu Tiren, was a Silver Qing Guanglu Doctor, and the three of them served in the same court, a matter of great pride. If not for this, he would not have dared to threaten impeachment at the imperial city gate, as the officials who attended the morning assembly were not ordinary people.

Xu Xiao watched the fourth-rank Left Attendant of the Eastern Palace spout saliva, smiling and ignoring him. An attendant from the carriage jumped down, opened the package, and revealed a corner of an official's attire. The Liu family scholar glanced at it and was momentarily stunned. Was this old man an official? But he had never heard of such an official attire for civil or military officials. In the empire, the use of official attire was more strictly regulated than the size of one's residence. If discovered, it would result in imprisonment and exile. When the package was fully opened, the Liu family Left Attendant's eyes widened. A dragon robe? A blue silk robe embroidered with a five-clawed dragon?

A dragon robe, since ancient times, has been a symbol of the dragon, similar to the nine-five dragon robe worn by the emperor, but with one less claw. It is embroidered with "river teeth and sea water." In the current dynasty, only princes can wear nine dragons with five claws, and only the royal family can use bright yellow, golden yellow, and apricot yellow. Dragons and dragons have five postures: bent and standing water, straight and standing water, standing and lying three rivers of water, standing and lying five rivers of water, and fully lying water. Each rank has strict regulations on which posture to use, with fully lying water being the most prestigious, known as a round dragon.

The Liu family scholar watched the old man put on the dragon robe with the help of his servants, swallowing hard.

A round dragon dragon robe.

Nine dragons with five claws, even more