Chapter 820: Spreading falsehoods
July 21st, Shaolin.

Ever since the great monk Yuanji died in Xuzhou, the position of the head of the lecture hall has been temporarily taken by Yuanku. Because of his gentle temperament and approachable personality, he is deeply loved by all the disciples.

Early in the morning, Yuan Ku led the "Wu" generation disciples to meditate in the lecture hall. Less than an incense stick of time after they entered into a state of meditation, Guo Xin, a disciple of the "Guo" generation, suddenly came to visit and tiptoed to Yuan Ku's side.

The two of them whispered for a while, and Yuanku hurriedly put down the rosary in his hand, stood up, and quietly left the lecture hall with Guoxin, walking hurriedly towards the abbot's meditation room.

The Zen room was as quiet as ever. A censer of incense was burning on the table, and the smoke was curling up like mist and yarn, slowly lingering in the air. It permeated the mouth and nose, exuding a faint fragrance, which made people calm down and concentrate their minds.

At this moment, Xuanming and Yuankong were sitting cross-legged on the couch, with expressionless eyes and heavy thoughts, as if they had a lot on their minds.

"Greetings, Abbot!"

"Yuan Ku, why did you let Wu Chan follow Liu Xun Yi north when we were at Horyuji?"

“This…” As soon as they met, Yuankong started to question Yuanku, who didn’t know the truth, and was secretly surprised. “I have already reported this matter to the abbot, and the abbot also thinks that there is nothing wrong with this…”

"The princess has devoted herself to the people. She is as strong as any man and deserves the gratitude of the world. It is a blessing for me, the Shaolin disciples, to protect her." Xuanming could not deny it. "If Liu Xunyi hadn't gotten involved, this would have been a great deed. However, this good deed...has brought a lot of trouble to Shaolin now."

Yuan Ku was startled: "Why did the abbot say that?"

"Back in Horyuji, where did you ask Wuchan to escort the princess to?"

"Escort her to the camp in the north of Beijing. There are tens of thousands of Mongolian troops stationed there, enough to protect the princess..."

"Then do you know where Wuchan was actually sent?" Yuankong couldn't hold back his dissatisfaction and angrily interrupted, "If he was only sent to the Jingbei camp, why hasn't he returned yet?"

"This……"

During this period of time, Yuan Ku had been practicing Dharma in the lecture hall and had not paid any attention to the matter of Wu Chan escorting the princess. It was only when Yuan Kong reminded him of this that he gradually realized that something was wrong.

"Wuchan escorted the princess all the way to Mobei." Xuanming seemed to see Yuanku's doubts and said straight to the point, "Not only that, he actually transformed himself into an envoy of the Song Dynasty and started dealing with the Mongols."

"What?" Yuan Ku was shocked. "How dare Wuchan make the decision on his own?"

"Wuchan acted on his own initiative, and I thought he was kind-hearted and could let it go. But after he sent the princess to Mobei, why didn't he return to Shaolin immediately? Instead, he stayed in Mobei for no apparent reason and even became Liu Xunyi's 'colleague' without knowing why." Xuanming said helplessly, "He acted so impulsively, wouldn't that give people something to blame?"

"Humph!" Yuankong laughed in anger, "Now, everyone in the world thinks that Shaolin has surrendered to the imperial court and has become a loyal lackey of the imperial court. In the past few days, various martial arts sects have sent letters to question us, and some have even distanced themselves from us in letters, saying that they would rather die than associate with the imperial court's lackeys. My Shaolin has always been a peaceful and quiet place, but I didn't expect that today I would become the target of public criticism because of a small enlightenment. Since I became a monk, I have been in Shaolin for decades, and I have never seen such a "bustle" as today."

"It's all a misunderstanding!" Yuan Ku said anxiously, "Why doesn't the abbot explain it clearly to all the sects?"

“It’s not that we don’t want to explain, but the current facts make it impossible for Shaolin to defend itself. Even if we jump into the Yellow River, we can’t clear ourselves of the truth.” Yuankong said angrily.

"fact?"

"Six days ago, Liu Xunyi and Wuchan left Mobei." Xuanming explained patiently, "The interesting thing is that they have been traveling together and have not parted ways until now."

"This……"

"I don't know what kind of magic potion Liu Xunyi gave Wuchan? He actually made this kid so devoted and unwilling to return." Yuankong muttered indignantly, "If this continues, Wuchan will go to Lin'an to receive rewards and official titles."

"Yuan Ku, take a look!" Xuan Ming took out a thick stack of letters from the box and said with a wry smile, "These are letters sent by various martial arts sects, and most of them are related to Wu Chan. Some question whether we have surrendered to the court. Some are more subtle, asking if we have other plans. Others are more rational, advising us to recall Wu Chan as soon as possible, because Liu Xunyi is about to return to the Central Plains, and various forces have been ready and waiting for a long time. They are worried that when chasing Liu Xunyi, they will accidentally hurt the Shaolin disciples and cause misunderstandings with us."

"Yuan Ku, if you hadn't asked Wu Chan to help escort the bride back to Horyuji, there wouldn't be so much trouble today." Yuan Kong complained, "You are just too kind-hearted. Liu Xunyi thought you were easy to bully, so he secretly plotted to drag Shaolin into it."

"This... can't be?" Yuan Ku frowned, incredulous. "You mean... this is all a conspiracy designed by Liu Xunyi?"

"certainly……"

“Impossible!” Yuan Ku said, shaking his head. “At Horyuji Temple, Liu Xunyi had just escaped from danger and was too busy to take care of himself. How could he have the energy to plot against us? What’s more, when he arrived at Horyuji Temple, he had no idea that Wuchan and I were also in the temple.”

"you……"

"Forget it!" Xuanming interrupted the argument between Yuanku and Yuankong, thinking, "It's too late to say more. The most urgent task is to find Wuchan as soon as possible. Only by keeping him away from Liu Xunyi can Shaolin clear its name. If he stays with Liu Xunyi all the time, even if we give a great reason, other sects will not believe a word of it."

"The country has its laws, and the temple has its rules. Since this matter was caused by me, I should solve it. Abbot, I am willing to go down the mountain and bring Wuchan back to take responsibility for my crime." Yuan Ku felt guilty and volunteered, "If I cannot bring Wuchan back, I am willing to accept the punishment..."

"I'd better go!" Yuankong hesitated, "I've thought about it, and the only way now is to strike first. Let us take action to deal with Liu Xunyi. As long as Liu Xunyi dies in the hands of Shaolin, all the rumors will be broken..."

"Amitabha! What a sin! What a sin!" Yuan Ku's face changed, and he tried to dissuade him, "Buddhism has strict rules and regulations. No matter how wrong Liu Xunyi was, he still has a life. As a monk, how can you have the intention to kill him?"

"I violated the precept of killing for the sake of Shaolin's reputation. Could it be that I would let the abbot's reputation be ruined by Wuchan?" Yuankong defended, "What's more, Liu Xunyi plotted to murder the leader of the martial arts world. Anyone who is a hero in the world can kill him. Killing him is equivalent to eliminating harm for the people..."

"How can you, a pure land of Buddhism, say such absurd things?" "I..."

“Stop arguing!” Xuan Ming’s tone was deep and intimidating. “I have made up my mind. Let… Yuan Ku go and find Wu Chan. As for killing Liu Xunyi… that is not necessary. We will neither participate in the pursuit nor shield him. As for whether Liu Xunyi lives or dies, I believe that fate has its own destiny.”

"The abbot is wise!"

"Yuan Ku, this time you go down the mountain, you only need to bring back Wuchan, and you must not interfere in other matters." Xuanming patiently reminded, "Now, Wudang, Kunlun, Qingcheng, Emei, Kongtong, Lu family, Tang clan, and all the heroes in the martial arts world are eyeing Liu Xunyi covetously. Once he shows up in the Central Plains, it is bound to cause clouds to move in all directions and attacks from all sides. At this critical moment, anyone who approaches him will not have a good ending. Shaolin is now in trouble because of Wuchan's rash behavior, so we must not provoke criticism again. I... really don't want to wade into this muddy water."

In fact, Xuanming's last sentence had another meaning. He had long known that Luo Tianjin's death was related to Qingfeng and Ling Xiaoxiao, and was not Liu Xunyi's fault alone, so he was unwilling to wade into this muddy water.

"Don't worry, Abbot. I know what to do."

"There is no time to lose. You must go down the mountain immediately and take Wuchan away from trouble before the heroes of the world take action."

"I accept your order!"

……

July 26th, noon.

Liu Xunyi and Feng Tianba were worried that Ding Qinghong would be the first to file a complaint, so they rode at full speed, traveling day and night.

It took them more than a month to walk from the Jingbei Camp to Helin, but only ten days to come back.

In a sense, Hexi was the last stop for Liu Xunyi's "smooth sailing" and "safe journey". Going further south, the Mongols were weak and the Han people were powerful, and Liu Xunyi's troubles and enemies were bound to increase day by day.

As the "Song Dynasty's envoy to make peace", Liu Xunyi should, according to both reason and emotion, go to the Beijing North Camp to visit "Hexi King" An Chen and "Xijing General" Sui Zuo, explain to them the causes and consequences of the "Nadam Festival" and discuss the details of going south to collect the "100,000 shi of rice".

Chen and Sui Zuo had already received the secret report from Hu Lie, so they were not surprised at Liu Xunyi's arrival. Instead of making things difficult for him, they welcomed him warmly and treated him with courtesy.

After an afternoon of secret talks, the two sides finally reached an agreement on the main issue.

Chen ordered people to prepare a banquet and tried again and again to persuade Liu Xunyi to stay.

There was really no way to refuse, so he had to decline. After three rounds of wine and five dishes, when Liu Xunyi and his companions were escorted out of the Jingbei camp with burps, it was already dark.

"Lord Liu, it's getting late. Why don't you rest in the camp for a night and continue on your journey tomorrow?"

"Thank you, King Hexi, for your kindness!" Liu Xunyi declined politely, "It's not that I don't understand human feelings, it's really the emperor's order, I dare not delay. Tonight, I am grateful for the hospitality of King Hexi!"

"Hey!" An Chen smiled nonchalantly, "The princess of the Song Dynasty has become the princess of the Mongolian Empire. The Mongolians and the Han are one family. Why should we be polite?"

"What the King of Hexi said is very true!" Liu Xunyi bowed and said goodbye, "After sending you a thousand miles, we must say goodbye! It's getting late, the King of Hexi should go back and rest early, and we should also set off."

"In that case, I will not force you to do anything. Everyone, take care of yourselves, and we will see you later!"

"Take care, King Hexi. We'll take our leave!"

After the greetings, he spurred his horse and whipped it. A burst of crisp and loud horse hoof sounds suddenly resounded in the vast night sky. An Chen smiled and watched Liu Xunyi and the others go farther and farther until they disappeared at the end of the darkness.

However, when Liu Xunyi and the others walked away, the smile on An Chen's face strangely froze gradually.

"gone?"

At some point, Sui Zuo came to An Chen's side, holding a letter in his hand.

"Let's go!" An Chen responded in a complicated tone, "They have been in the limelight in our territory, and now it's our turn to go to their territory... and get closer to them."

"This is a secret letter sent by Commander Wang." Sui Zuo handed the letter to An Chen and explained, "Commander Wang's meaning is... he has already taken action, and now he orders us to spread the news that Liu Xunyi has returned to the Central Plains, and attract people from all walks of life to kill him."

"Oh!" Chen's answer was neither positive nor negative, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.

"Why am I a little confused? The prince asked us to treat Liu Xunyi as a distinguished guest, but Commander Wang asked us to harm him secretly. Is Liu Xunyi a friend of Mongolia or an enemy of Mongolia..." Because of his repeated mistakes before, Sui Zuo no longer dared to be reckless and impulsive. He was extremely cautious when encountering things. "This matter...what should we do?"

"What do you mean?" An Chen suddenly turned around, staring at Sui Zuo, who was in a dilemma, with a pair of sparkling eyes. "Treating him as a 'guest of honor' does not mean treating him as a 'friend'. Now that Commander Wang has given the order, you and I... must obey his orders."

……

(End of this chapter)