Жениться на государственном служащем династии Северная Сун

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Even if all the gods and demons descended together, Chiba's voice would not be more terrified than it is now.

Under the torches of the Thousand Machines Sect masters, Chiba and Xia Ao rushed over, their faces ashen. Xia Ao, dragging the long iron rod of the Discipline, was completely stunned.

After a long while, Chiba finally came to his senses and said in a deep voice, "Take this woman away..."

A monk with an iron staff immediately stepped forward, grabbed the woman who had fully regained consciousness, and slammed her heavily onto the cold snow. The woman knelt on the snow with her head down, and blood immediately seeped from her knees.

The Vinaya Monastery of the Holy Palace.

The surrounding area was under unprecedentedly tight security.

Today is the day "Bokdo" leaves the pass, and the grand celebration of the New Year is just around the corner. However, all ceremonial activities have been cancelled.

All believers had been instructed to proceed according to their usual routines. Although they had practiced for a long time and were more likely to accept unexpected events than ordinary people, they still felt a deep sense of unease and anxiety. Their "Bokdo" had missed the "Robe-Changing Festival" a month ago, and was now missing the upcoming New Year celebrations. Even the most oblivious person knew that something big must have happened.

Tuosang stood at the head of the disciplinary hall.

Chiba, Xia'ao, and the elder whose age was impossible to discern stood anxiously on either side of him.

Opposite them were Qin Xiaolou, the resident minister, Zhu Yu, the commander of the Imperial Guards, and Zhang Yaoxing, the deputy commander of the Thousand Machines Sect, all of whom could not hide their astonishment.

Qin Xiaolou glared at Zhu Yu, as if asking him what exactly happened.

Zhu Yu glanced at Tuosang with a cold smile: "Lord Qin, you can ask Bokdo about everything. In the name of Buddha, the sacred Bokdo is absolutely not capable of lying."

No one responded; no one even dared to look Bokdo in the eye with his calm gaze. This was the first Bokdo in the history of the Holy Palace to enter the "Discipline Hall," and no one knew what to do, much less dare to interrogate Bokdo on their own.

Qin Xiaolou was also very uneasy. As the resident minister, he never expected such a situation to occur, and he did not believe that he had the right to interrogate "Bokdo" in private.

He pondered for a moment before saying, "Lord Zhu, perhaps..."

Zhu Yu smiled and said, "If Lord Qin finds this difficult, I may presume to take the liberty. Since I have been ordered to investigate, I have the obligation and responsibility to give an account of this matter to the Holy Palace and the Imperial Court..."

He stared at Tuosang: "Bokdo, what else do you have to say to that woman?"

All eyes turned to Tuosang.

Tuosang's expression remained unchanged: "That woman is innocent. Release her immediately."

Chiba and Xia Ao exchanged a glance.

Zhu Yu laughed: "Bokdo lied about being seriously ill and missed the 'Robe Changing Festival,' and then on the last night of his seclusion, he secretly sent a woman out through a secret passage. Is this woman innocent or are you innocent? Who among you believes him?"

Everyone was speechless.

The elder, whose age was impossible to discern, suddenly declared in a loud voice, "I believe it."

Everyone was taken aback and looked at him. Every wrinkle on the old monk's face was like the rings of a thousand-year-old tree, and it was impossible to tell just how old he had become.

The elder said, “The Holy Palace has many disciples, and over the centuries, it is inevitable that there will occasionally be some unworthy individuals who break the precept against lust. The Holy Palace has its own methods to identify these unworthy individuals. I, Bokdo, have clear eyes and a refined appearance, and have absolutely not broken the precept.”

Zhu Yu paused for a moment, then laughed and clapped his hands. Immediately, two men from the Thousand Machines Sect brought in a woman. Zhu Yu smiled and said, "Bokdo, do you recognize this woman?"

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Chapter 135: The Trial at the Disciplinary Court (1)

All eyes were focused on the woman.

The woman stood there blankly, head bowed low, her hair disheveled and barely recognizable. Qin Xiaolou had felt a little relieved after hearing the elder's words, but upon seeing this woman, her heart sank immediately. Although the woman's appearance wasn't alluring, it was clear at a glance that she was no longer the virtuous young woman she once was.

Zhu Yu asked, "Bokdo, do you know her?"

Tuosang nodded: "But she is innocent, release her immediately!"

"You're saying Yangjin is innocent?" Zhu Yu laughed. "Yangjin, look up at the person in front of you. Do you recognize him?"

Yangjin finally raised her head, her face pale. She glanced at Tuosang a few times and whispered, "I recognize her."

"Tell me, who is he to you?"

Yangjin lowered her head again, her voice trembling, "Bokdo is my lover. All the mistakes are mine alone. He has nothing to do with it. Please let him go..."

She was already sobbing uncontrollably, and knelt down, repeatedly kowtowing her head to the ground until it was covered in blood: "It's all my fault, please let him go..."

Tuosang sighed inwardly.

Zhu Yu gave him a cold look: "You two are truly a pair of lovebirds in the same boat. Even at this point, you're still pleading for each other..."

"Is that really what you think, Lord Zhu?"

Tuosang glanced at him calmly, and Zhu Yu suddenly felt a little afraid to meet his gaze, so he immediately turned his head away.

The elder shook his head. Both Chiba and Xia Ao felt there was something strange about this, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it. Chiba said sternly, "Yangjin, do you have any evidence for what you're saying?"

Yangjin lowered her head timidly, and after a long while, she tremblingly pulled a red flower from her inner pocket. The flower was already withered, but Yangjin still treasured it so much, which sent a chill down everyone's spine; it was clearly a token of her love.

"Yangjin, tell me, where did these flowers come from?"

Yangjin was already in tears: "It was a few days before the Robe-Changing Festival. Bogdo and I were playing in Namcha Barwa, and he picked it from the cliff and gave it to me..."

Zhu Yu stared at Tuosang: "These flowers, did you give them to 'her'?"

He didn't say, "These flowers are from you to Yangjin," but rather, "These flowers are from you to her."

Tuosang recalled Junyu's unique smile when she received the little red flower, and a faint smile appeared on his face as well. He nodded and said firmly, "Yes, I gave it to 'her'! Those mistakes were all my fault, and I should be punished by Buddha, but Yangjin is innocent. Please spare Yangjin's life!"

Zhu Yu didn't let her guard down at all: "From the initial love letter to your repeated outings, it was all because of 'her'? During this period of seclusion, 'she' has also been in your secret room the whole time?"

"Yes, it's all because of her! She was with me in the secret room during my seclusion."

The monks and Qin Xiaolou were all ashen-faced. They knew that "Bokdo" had been away for quite some time before the Robe-Changing Festival, which was why he hadn't been able to return in time and missed the festival. All of this was for the woman before them, and now, the woman had presented them with the flowers as a token of their love, and "Bokdo" himself had admitted it.

What's even more astonishing is that this woman actually stayed in Bokdo's meditation room for almost a month, a room that even Bokdo's mother wasn't allowed to enter.

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Chapter 136: The Trial at the Disciplinary Court (2)

A monk on duty with an iron staff and a master from the Thousand Machines Sect escorted Yangjin away.

Zhu Yu's laughter sounded very tired: "Alright, my mission is complete, Lord Qin, Chief Steward Chiba, that's how it is."

The group looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed.

Tuosang looked at the group of believers and said in a deep voice, "You may all leave now. Lord Zhu, please stay a moment."

Qin Xiaolou, Zhang Yaoxing, and the other monks all looked at him. He remained as solemn and dignified as ever, his status and demeanor as a "Bokdor" unchanged. The group dared not disobey and immediately left.

Everyone had left, leaving only two people standing in the empty disciplinary hall.

The two exchanged a glance, and Tuosang calmly said, "I don't know how you got Yangjin into my secret room, and I don't want to know, but she worked for you, so you should at least try to save her life."

Yangjin publicly admitted to her "affair" with Bokdo. Now, no one had any doubts. Regardless of her identity or purpose, according to the Holy Palace's principles, she was doomed.

"You should think about your situation first."

"Yangjin is innocent!"

“Yes, Yangjin is innocent, many people are innocent, only you are the culprit!” Zhu Yu stared at him angrily. “You are a ‘Bokdo’ yet you do not abide by the rules. You entered the Buddhist order at a young age, so why are you still impure in your six senses? It is none of my business if you have worldly desires, even if you like a thousand women, it is none of my business. But why do you have to have those delusional thoughts about ‘her’?”

Tuosang closed his eyes, feeling as if needles were piercing his heart.

This was the first time Zhu Yu had seen such an expression on his face, and his heart, which had long been filled with despair and coldness, suddenly felt a great sense of pleasure. He laughed: "Tuosang, Yangjin is going to be executed, and it's all your fault, you culprit. You've spent your life worshipping Buddha and saving lives, and now, you've watched someone die right before your eyes, making someone else a victim of your breaking of the precepts. How do you feel?"

“Yangjin is innocent, you must not execute her.”

"Now, who can protect the life of the woman who ruined 'Bokdo's' reputation? If Yangjin is innocent, who is guilty?" Zhu Yu's smile was crueler than ever before, but her voice lowered: "If Yangjin doesn't die, do you want the real 'her' to die?"

Tuosang was startled.

Chapter 137: The Trial at the Disciplinary Court (3)

"What, are you scared? Do you feel wronged?"

Tuosang stared at him, shook his head, and smiled, "I was prepared to accept Buddha's punishment long ago. I am grateful to Buddha for his kindness and compassion, which allowed me to spend many wonderful times with her! The day of punishment has actually come very late. I am very happy now because I will never let 'her' name be disgraced in this lifetime."

Zhu Yu was also shocked and speechless for a long time.

After a long while, Zhu Yu raised her head, looked around the gloomy disciplinary hall, and said calmly, "You and 'her' are the same kind of people. I am a villain. From now on, we are not on the same page and will not work together."

Tuosang did not answer, but only said, "Zhu Yu, you can leave now."

Zhu Yu turned around and left.

Tuosang returned to his palace.

Besides a few personal attendants, several armed monks with iron clubs stood guard outside the palace. He knew he was now completely under house arrest.

A servant entered, and seeing that he was alone, Tuosang asked, "Where is the other person?"

The attendant replied in alarm, “Reporting to Bokto, he has passed away peacefully.”

Tuosang nodded: "I understand, you can go now."

The deceased personal attendant was the only one who knew the secret passage. If he hadn't leaked the secret, how could Zhu Yu, no matter how capable he was, have found the passage and even secretly sent Yangjin into the secret room, setting up an ambush for Zhu Yu to fall into?

He also had a slight admiration for Zhu Yu. This person was able to track down Namcha Barwa and arrange everything in such an unfamiliar, icy and snowy place, and then hold his breath and wait in the secret passage for several days. He really didn't know how much effort he had put in and how much suffering he had endured.

Tuosang sighed deeply. No matter how much he had planned, he had once jumped into the avalanche ravine for Junyu and even risked his life to save her.

Tuosang had never understood the various conspiracies and tricks, nor could he imagine the Thousand Machines Sect's various bribery, framing, and slander. So he didn't think too much about why his personal monk had leaked the secret, and quietly sat down to meditate.

The residence of the resident minister was brightly lit all night long.

Qin Xiaolou walked around with his hands behind his back.

Despite being the deputy commander of the "Thousand Machines Sect" and having seen all sorts of storms, Zhang Yaoxing still felt somewhat uneasy in the distant residence of the minister.

Zhang Yaoxing looked at Zhu Yu, who was standing blankly by the only window: "Lord Zhu, what do we do now?"

Zhu Yu coldly said, "You should first arrange the aftermath, find a suitable time to formally announce the abolition and installation, and then proceed with the execution."

Qin Xiaolou angrily retorted, "Bokdo is no ordinary person; you have no right to handle him without authorization. Any mishap could cause chaos..."

"It is your duty, Lord Qin, to handle the aftermath." Bokdo has already confessed to his crimes, and I believe that the followers have no reason to cause any further trouble.