Chapter Sixty: The Surangama Sutra's Exhortation to Abandon Lust and Evil

  The empress looked at him for a long time, then said solemnly: "Lei Er, I know you trained some guards in Qi Guo for a short period of time and it's said that they're not bad. However, although the opponent claims to be the best under heaven which is somewhat exaggerated, but in Great Qin, they are still top-notch."

  She looked at him with a sympathetic gaze and continued, "Although Grandma has never been in charge of espionage, she also knows that this kind of competition is different from the battlefield. Quantity doesn't matter. What matters is quality, absolute quality. As long as you are slightly inferior to others, everything is meaningless."

  Qin Lei nodded and said in a low voice: "Grandmother, rest assured, I have already figured out a way in the state of Qi, and it will not be worse than that laborer's blood killing."

  The empress dowager looked at the crown prince and smiled: "Do you think Grandma should believe this brother of yours?"

  The prince also smiled and said: "Since my brother wants to do something, as his older brother, I have no objection." The implication is that you can try, but I am skeptical about your results.

  Qin Lei turned his face and sneered at the prince: "Second brother, dare you make a bet with me in front of grandma?"

  The prince got up and walked over to Qin Lei's side, pulling him up, and softly laughed: "What's going on?"

  Qin Lei's eyes rolled, and he smiled lightly: "Second Brother can send out the most elite assassins." He saw the Crown Prince about to deny it, and hastily waved his hand: "Don't say you don't have any."

  The crown prince could only smile helplessly, taking it as a default agreement.

  Qin Lei continued, "Tonight, let them come as they please. As long as they can leave a mark on my body, I'll consider myself defeated. From now on, I won't mention training again. I'll obediently wait for Second Brother to send someone to protect me."

  The Crown Prince smiled and said, "If you win, Second Brother will fully support you in building an elite force that will shake the heavens. Empress Dowager, can I?"

  The Empress Dowager Wen smiled and nodded slightly.

  The two brothers stretched out their right arms and touched wrists tightly, which was considered a binding agreement.

  Why the rush? Because Qin Lei has to report to the Zongren Fu by tomorrow morning at the latest...

  ………

  The two brothers bid farewell to the Empress Dowager and left Cining Palace, each going to Kun'ning Palace and Jinyu Palace to comfort their respective mothers.

  Before parting ways, Qin Lei held onto the crown prince and asked in a low voice: "Just now when the imperial edict was announced, what were you smiling about?"

  The crown prince smiled and looked around before whispering to Qin Lei, "Do you know the full name of that scripture that Empress Dowager asked Ruguifei to copy?"

  Qin Lei shook his head. The crown prince smiled and said: "It's called the 'Mahayana Sutra of the Precepts for the Destruction of Lust', it's a sutra that exhorts people to abstain from lust."

  Qin Lei was speechless with laughter, and it turned out that it was still because of that thing. The Empress Dowager was a clever person, she never mentioned it, but the Noble Consort was embarrassed for half a year.

  Just as he was about to bid farewell, the prince also pulled him back and whispered: "I have a question too, tell me the truth."

  Qin Lei nodded and thought to himself: if it can be said, then say it.

  The crown prince asked in a low voice: "Today, in Rulan Palace, the arrow you shot out, were you so sure it wouldn't hurt Shanyang?"

  Qin Lei thought for a moment and finally scratched his chin, saying: "I can only guarantee that it won't hit you."

  The crown prince stared with wide eyes, unable to utter a word for half a day. He would never know that Qin Lei didn't even have the confidence to hurt him.

  After the two broke up, Qin Lei went to Jin Fei's place, and mother and son had a lot to talk about. After accompanying his mother for dinner, Qin Lei didn't even wait for the prince and hurriedly left the palace.

  With Shen Qing waiting outside the palace for a day, Qin Lei returned to Shuxiang Pavilion.

  At this time, the Shuxiang Pavilion had no palace maids or eunuchs. Qin Lei and the Crown Prince formed a united front last night, and then let Shi Meng expel all the palace staff from the Shuxiang Pavilion.

  They quietly made their way through the silent courtyard and arrived at the entrance.

  When Shen Qing pushed open the door, Qin Lei saw a half-grown child sitting on the table, surrounded by more than ten guards laughing and chatting.

  Upon hearing the sound of the door being pushed open, the guards simultaneously stood up with their crossbows at the ready. Then they saw the dark-faced prince walking in with his hands behind his back.

  The little one who was sitting at the table slid down with a 'plop' and knelt on the ground, not daring to speak.

  Qin Lei walked up to him and kicked his butt, jokingly saying: "Second child, do you think the table in my palace is your family's kang?"

  The second child, who arrived late in the afternoon, was so scared that she burst into loud wails: "Your Highness, I just knew you were Your Highness. You can't drive me away, I don't want to go back." Then she went to hug Qin Lei's leg.

  Qin Lei propped his left hand on the table and reached over Erwa's head. Shen Qing moved a chair over for him. After Qin Lei sat down, he looked at Erwa who was trying to climb over again and scolded with a smile: "You little brat, if you dare take another step forward, I'll fork you out."

  The second child was lying there quietly, not daring to move. Qin Lei smiled at him and said, "Get up and go do what you need to do."

  The second child got up with a sound of "oh", but stood there motionless. "Your Highness, I don't know what to do either."

  "Then go catch a few big roosters, alive, get out." Qin Lei waved his hand.

  The second daughter knew they had something to discuss, although she wanted to listen, but seeing the prince's impatience, she reluctantly moved towards the door.

  Qin Lei waved his hand and he was so scared that he slipped out of the door. As for where to find the chicken, it was no longer Qin Lei's concern.

  Qin Lei hinted to the guards to guard the door well, and then looked at the old guards standing in two rows inside the house. He got up and patrolled twice, then said in a low voice: "Do you think you've arrived in the middle of the capital, can you take a rest?"

  The guards shook their heads desperately. Qin Lei saw their resolute denial and burst out laughing, the guards also followed suit, thinking to themselves that it seemed the prince wouldn't get angry after all.

  Qin Lei suddenly turned cold and said: "Hypocrisy!!"

  Suddenly, the crows and sparrows made no sound. Qin Lei stopped in front of the guards and said seriously: "Why are so many of you not on alert in the courtyard? Why is there no one hiding behind the door? Why are all of you gathered together?"

  Three "whys" left the guards speechless and hanging their heads in shame. As Qin Lei's personal bodyguards, how could they not know these principles?

  Shi Meng was just about to open his mouth when he saw Shen Qing staring at him fiercely from across the room, and quickly closed it again.

  Qin Lei stretched out his right hand and shook his index finger: "I'm very disappointed, I don't want to hear any explanation."

  The guards knelt down in terror and said in unison: "Please punish us, Your Highness."

  Qin Lei waved his hand and Xiao Suo said: "You are all my sworn brothers, with me through thick and thin. How could I easily punish you?"

  After finishing, he retreated to the side of the chair, sat down dejectedly, and said slowly: "Whoever wants to live a peaceful life, go to the right. Although our situation is not good at present, I will not treat you unfairly. At least I will let you have no worries about food and clothing for the rest of your life."

  The guards did not expect the prince to have the idea of dispersing, seeing his painful and regretful face, they couldn't help but burst into tears, shouting: "Your Highness, don't send us away!" "Your Highness, is it not enough for us?" "Your Highness, I really can't leave you." The last sentence was said by Shi Meng.

  Qin Lei stood up, his face heavy with emotion: "You nineteen are all trained by me personally. If the future weren't so perilous, I wouldn't have the heart to drive you away, sparing your lives."

  He said this, and the guards became even more agitated, with some people already beginning to cry bitterly.

  Qin Lei knew the principle of "it's better to be late than never", he paused for a moment, pretending to be extremely reluctant, and finally sighed: "Forget it, I'll give you another chance. Get up."

  The guards were overjoyed and one by one stood up with red eyes and flushed faces.

  Qin Lei hummed with a seemingly amused yet unamused tone: "However, it's not that easy. I have conditions."

  The guards had been fooled by him several times and had already become obedient, hearing this they nodded their heads and said: "We will completely follow your orders." Who dared to discuss conditions anymore.

  Qin Lei stopped being ambiguous and pointed to the rooftop, saying loudly: "Tonight, before the rooster crows, at any time, there will be elite troops from the Crown Prince's mansion disguised as assassins attempting to attack me. The number of people is unknown, the time is unknown, the frequency is unknown. Your mission is to protect me well and not let me get attacked. Everyone use wooden weapons and apply white powder."

  Finally thought for a moment, and said to Shen Qing: "You use the real thing." Still feeling uneasy, he smiled at the guards and said: "You guys also wear the real thing on your bodies, damn it, when did I become so timid?"

  The whole room burst into laughter, and the awkward atmosphere just now was swept away. Qin Lei finally said seriously: "Remember, this time we won, I will give you a big surprise. But if we lose, all of you get out. Disband." After finishing speaking, he turned around and went into the inner room.

  Qin Lei only found out on the second day he moved in, which was also the day Nian Yao got hurt, that his room was inside, and the outer room was where the palace maid who served at night lived. That day, he really did get into the wrong bed.

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