Chapter 1: Imprisonment

It is said that the Third Prince is graceful in his movements, charming in demeanor, and frequently visits scholars and learned individuals.

Xia Ji looked at her

Xia Xiaosu nodded: "Mm, I will help my brother borrow it."

Two years ago, my elder brother was placed under house arrest here due to his illicit relationship with a demoness, spending day and night reciting scriptures as a form of atonement

Xia Xiaosu : ? ? ?

The Son of Heaven nearly roared in disdain: "Xia Ji, as a prince of the Shang Dynasty, how dare you consort with a demoness, tarnishing the dignity of my royal family? What punishment do you deserve for this!"

The second princess, with her graceful demeanor, entered the esteemed sect of Haoran Dao and practiced the Nine Heavens Treasure Mirror. Last year during the New Year, although I was unable to attend the royal banquet, I still witnessed the second princess in her white attire, resembling an immortal, ethereal and transcendent.

Xia Ji murmured to himself, and then sat back down under the green lamp to continue reciting the unfinished Buddhist scriptures

Having traversed through time, I have been in this ancient dynasty of another world for a full seventeen years, yet what have I truly gained?

The eighteen town prisons are derived from the "Kṣitigarbha Sūtra"

Therefore, it will not be toxic

If it were not for this, mother would not have died, would she

In the attic, a young man in a dark robe is sitting cross-legged beneath the bookshelf, with the recently closed "Heart Sutra" beside him.

The Ninth Princess glanced here and softly said: "They are truly snobbish. In the past, the Sutra Repository housed many cultivation methods, and now it is bustling with visitors, as many princes and nobles are eager to enter and view the royal collection of techniques.

Why does one's innate talent only manifest at the age of fifteen?

Xia Xiaosu's eyes lit up: "Are you saying that a sparrow cannot know the ambition of a swan? Sitting alone in a small building for two springs and autumns, is it not possible to astonish the world with a single cry?"

Thoughts return

Mother ... . ... Mother was killed by the assassin in order to protect him

The Great Merchant Dynasty, the Imperial Capital

The Ninth Princess, lost in thought, rubbed her eyes, and tears began to flow uncontrollably. Not wanting her elder brother to see, she leaned down and turned her head away, quietly sobbing.

Xia Xiaosu: "Waa waa waa ... ... "

Here.

Xia Xiaosu then knocked on the door and pushed open the attic door

Although the entire palace is vast, she feels that her only relative is her elder brother

Xia Xiaosu walked quickly to sit beside him, taking the lamb soup out of the lunch box, "Brother, eat it while it's hot; I made it myself"

The sound of a young man's chanting is coming from the pavilion

Xia Xiaosu suddenly deflated, pouting and humming as she leaned on her elbow, "Forget it, my brother always endures everything."

Xia Jihai laughed heartily and ruffled his younger sister's hair, "I have almost finished reading the Buddhist scriptures here. Can you help me find some new Buddhist texts next time?"

But with such a commotion, her tears could no longer flow

Xia Ji smiled and said, "No, what I mean is that with such heavy snow and such cold weather, should we have a cup of wine as well?"

Thus, Xia Ji put down the bowl of mutton soup and began to speak at length.

Xia Ji closed her eyes and let out a gentle sigh

Moreover, the Fifth Prince, known for his chivalrous demeanor in a green robe, surprisingly collaborated with the Black Water Platform to investigate the case, personally beheading the notorious bandit Zhang Xuehe, which earned him considerable fame among the young heroes of the Shang Dynasty

In the scripture repository, the sound gradually fades away

At this moment, the Chief Eunuch subtly reminded, "Your Majesty, there are indeed many extraordinary skills and techniques in the Royal Library of Scriptures..."

She softly replied, "Hey, when the snow stops, I will go to Leiyin Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings, and I will ask the monks there to lend me some books"

The flying snow howls like a fierce tiger in the north wind, rampaging through the streets and alleys, yet upon reaching this imperial palace, it is significantly weakened by the countless deep palace walls and myriad glazed tiles that obstruct its path

Will I also not be placed under house arrest here?

The Ninth Princess stared wide-eyed.

She carefully lifted the lid of the box and took a look; the lamb soup was still steaming, which made her happy again

Three months ago, the Crown Prince led an army of one hundred thousand to the border to confront the Guifang Kingdom. Clad in golden armor and exuding immense power, he set out for battle, while the ministers in the court unanimously believed that this was the moment for the Crown Prince to achieve immortal merits.

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when practicing deeply the profound perfection of wisdom, perceives that all five aggregates are empty, thus transcending all suffering and distress. Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form; form is precisely emptiness, emptiness is precisely form; sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness are also like this ... ...

Xia Ji was sipping on warm lamb soup, and it was clear that his sister knew his taste preferences well. With each sip, the milky broth seemed to warm his very insides. After another sip of the warm liquor infused with ginger, it felt as if his hands and feet were ignited with warmth.

Xia Xiaosu stood quietly at the door, listening to his chanting. Her face, which was always tense and fearful, slightly relaxed, for it was her full-blooded brother, the Seventh Prince Xia Ji, who was reciting the scriptures.

She tidied up the lunchbox, bid farewell to her brother who was wholeheartedly reciting Buddha's name, then pushed open the door and stepped into the heavy snow that engulfed the entire imperial city, quickly walking away while tightly clutching her fur coat.

Xia Ji took a sip of strong liquor, the potent drink breaking his heart, and then reached out to gently stroke the hair of the princess across from him, pointing towards the window.

The "Kṣitigarbha Sūtra" is an ordinary Buddhist scripture

Xia Ji carefully pondered for a moment and then casually remarked, "By the way, although the Eighth Princess is only seventeen years old, she is remarkably knowledgeable in astronomy and geography. Even the Grand Master of the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring continuously praises her, stating that she is a rare talent in the art of divination, one that appears only once in a century"

Now, Father has taken away all the martial arts techniques, leaving only the Buddhist scriptures for my brother, truly... it has severed all prospects for my siblings and me

The sky outside the window, with flying snow carried by the wind, sometimes transforms into a soaring eagle, and at other times into a dragon emerging from the water, freely sweeping between the north and south

Not enough, I understand too little about this world, so let's wait a little longer for the Sutra of the Tathagata

Xia Jidao: "It would be best to borrow the 'Now Like Tathagata Sutra', after all, it is not some divine skill of cultivation."

Ready

This is the Eighteen Towns of Hell Power of the Ninth Layer, derived from the great vow of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, "I vow not to attain Buddhahood until hell is empty." Its strength can lift the earth and pull the heavens, unmatched even by the power of dragons and elephants

Xia Ji casually raised his left hand, and suddenly, a terrifying manifestation of a hundred ghosts in the night appeared above that hand, causing the entire palm to enlarge several times, appearing exceptionally frightening, and then, with a snap of his fingers, it all vanished.

And Xia Xiaosu was chattering in his ear

Xia Xiaosu : ? ? ?

The young boy, with his淡然 eyes, seemed completely unfazed by being confined here; it was only upon seeing the girl walk through the door that he revealed a smile

A hint of melancholy appeared in Xia Xiaosu's eyes, but she could see that her elder brother genuinely seemed to enjoy reciting scriptures and chanting Buddha's name. He truly accepted things as they came and endured the circumstances. Perhaps this is for the best; this is the fate of the two siblings.

Princess Xia Xiaosu hurriedly walked with a redwood lunchbox in hand to the eastern side of the Scripture Pavilion in the outer hall

I am willing to be confined in the Sutra Repository for three years

His awakened talent, or what one might call a "golden finger," is quite simple: to extract skill orbs from all written words and directly reach the ninth level

The elder brother had no hope of inheriting the throne, so is it not possible to cultivate martial arts and become a carefree prince capable of self-protection?

Five years ago, when the Empress Dowager accompanied the Emperor on a tour of the realm, she was assassinated and died

The Ninth Princess took out a bottle of wine again, "Here."

The Son of Heaven coldly said: "Everything has been moved away, leaving only the Buddhist scriptures for this ungrateful child!"

Xia Ji smiled, began to eat meat, drink soup, and consume wine

A scene from two years ago at the Golden Throne Hall surfaced in his mind

How could he treat us this way, how could he do this

Xia Ji took another sip of fine wine and sighed: "Later, I saw the Fourth Princess again. She was charming and graceful, elegant and refined, standing by the Huaqing Lake, lost in her own reflection. Her appearance could truly be described as a beauty from the North, existing in solitude, with a smile that could captivate a city, and another smile that could enthrall a nation. If she were in ancient times, she would surely be the heroine of the feudal lords during the era of the beacon fires."