Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 704 Robbery from the Rich and Giving to the Poor

Yuan Tao's voice wasn't loud, but through the high monk's magical power, it traveled far and wide, allowing everyone nearby to hear it.

Yuan Tao said unhurriedly, "These treasures will be exchanged for money and provisions in the name of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and used to build charitable halls and support the poor and elderly in the Wei Kingdom..."

Upon hearing Yuan Tao's explanation, Emperor Wei naturally had no grounds for criticism.

Presenting such a treasure mountain to millions of people here today is actually a way of making a clear statement.

Even the Garan Temple has been demolished and rebuilt in this way. It is imperative to regulate other Buddhist temples. This is the will of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Which Buddhist dares to stand up and oppose it?

Even the Buddha himself resided in a simple temple. Which Buddhist monk would dare to be of a higher status than the Buddha and live in a luxurious and magnificent temple to cultivate himself?

If a high-ranking monk were to rely on his status to continue enjoying luxury and wealth, he would likely end up being despised by everyone, ultimately ruining his reputation.

Not only were the eminent monks of the Buddhist sects caught off guard, but even the officials of the Wei court did not expect the transformation of the Garan Temple to be so dramatic.

Upon learning the origin of Baoshan, many believers were deeply moved and became even more devout, marveling that it was truly the legendary Buddha descending to earth to save all sentient beings.

Emperor Wei looked at Baoshan, his eyes subtly shifting.

He raised his hands in a gesture of respect and said slowly, "All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are compassionate and virtuous; we should take them as our role models..."

Emperor Wei turned his head and looked at one of the officials.

"Minister Yang of the Ministry of Revenue, after you return, please have your men draft a memorial proposing to use silver from the national treasury to provide relief to the people and to appropriately reduce or exempt taxes in various localities..."

"From now on, we should pay attention to thrift and avoid extravagance and waste in our daily lives..."

Upon hearing Emperor Wei's words, all the officials quickly echoed his sentiments.

There were also people there who were giving flowery praises of Buddha and Emperor Wei.

It is said that with the emergence of both sages and benevolent rulers, the Great Wei Dynasty will surely rise to become the ruler of the world.

Some of the things they said were even unbearable for the Emperor of Wei.

Just then, a slightly overweight middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes rushed out from the crowd.

He said excitedly, "I am Yang Wansan from Taiyuan County. I am quite wealthy. Now that I have seen the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas give up their golden bodies to save all sentient beings, I am willing to donate one million taels of silver to help the people."

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their heads and looked at Yang Wansan, who had suddenly appeared.

Some high-ranking officials and nobles looked at him with surprise; they knew of this Yang Wansan.

This man is a wealthy tycoon known as one of the richest men in Taiyuan. It's astonishing that he donated a million taels of silver.

In their minds, Yang Wansan was not such a generous person; otherwise, how could he have accumulated such a vast amount of wealth and become a local tycoon?

When did this wealthy man from Taiyuan become so willing to spend money? Is it because of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?

Little did they know that just the day before, Yuan Zhong, leading a group of soldiers and some evidence, went to find Yang Wansan, who was attending the Wuzhe Assembly, and patiently explained some reasons to him, which led to the current scene...

Faced with a choice between life and money, this wealthy man from Taiyuan made a difficult decision.

Despite Yang Wansan's excited and generous appearance, he was actually bleeding inside.

Yuan Tao stepped forward and said leisurely, "To be rich and benevolent is to be virtuous. Good deeds will be rewarded and evil deeds will be punished. I will record your contributions in the Book of Merit, and later erect a monument to your merit, engraving your name on it. Your descendants will be blessed with good fortune."

Yang Wansan thanked him repeatedly, looking extremely grateful.

He dared not ask for any good outcome, only hoping that his merits and demerits would offset each other as previously agreed, and that he would be fortunate to escape unscathed.

Then, Yuan Tao looked at the high-ranking officials and dignitaries nearby, his eyes filled with profound meaning.

Some quick-witted people realized that being rich and benevolent is good, but what if one is rich but not benevolent?

This Crown Prince is clearly looking for an excuse to make them bleed a little too!

Then, Yuan Zhong smiled and took out a booklet, which he then unfolded and presented to a high-ranking official.

Some important figures from Pingcheng felt a strange sense of déjà vu about this scene…

Yuan Chong picked up his brush and wrote down the high-ranking official's name. Then he left a blank space and wrote the three characters "ten thousand taels of silver." He then handed the brush back to the official.

The official's eyes widened in disbelief. How could anyone be forced to donate money like this? Starting with ten thousand taels of silver—he had never seen anything like it in his life.

Seeing that the other party was in a daze, Yuan Zhong said softly, "Lord Li, please hurry up, lest we miss the auspicious time."

Upon witnessing this scene, the Wei emperor hesitated to speak.

However, he ultimately said nothing, turning his gaze forward as if he had seen nothing.

After all, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have donated their golden statues, so what's wrong with you people contributing a little money?

Now, in front of a million people, who has the face to refuse?

So, a certain Lord Li wrote down a number with trembling hands.

With a smile on his face, Yuan Zhong went to another person.

The officials and nobles looked at Yuan Zhong as if they had seen the King of Hell holding the Book of Life and Death, which filled them with dread.

If I had known this would happen, I should have pretended to be sick and not come.

They even suspected that this was a setup orchestrated by the Wei emperor and the Buddhist community.

They only came to accompany Emperor Wei in his Buddhist worship, but the entrance fee is so high...

High? When it comes to robbing the rich to help the poor, no amount of robbing is considered high.

Not far away, Yun Xiao watched in amazement, thinking that Lu Zheng and the others' method was really quite effective. They could even do such a thing, which really broadened his horizons.

A moment later, Yuan Chong, satisfied, took the roster and stepped aside.

Of course, this wasn't the end of it. After paying homage to the Buddha, he would go and find other wealthy people.

Yuan Tao said slowly, "The money you all donated will be used for the benefit of the people, to develop agriculture, build roads, and construct water conservancy projects... This will benefit the country and the people, and will also bring blessings to future generations..."

Yuan Tao's words, however, could not bring back the smiles that some people had when they first arrived.

However, Yuan Tao didn't care about these things. He wasn't just saying these things to a small group of people.

Yuan Tao gestured again, and in the blink of an eye, the treasure mountain was moved away by a master.

Afterwards, Yuan Tao asked Emperor Wei to go ahead and pay homage to Buddha at the main hall of the Garan Temple.

Under the watchful eyes of millions, the group arrived at the Buddhist temple.

The main hall of the temple is completely different from what it was a few days ago. Lifelike statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas stand there, no longer magnificent and tall, nor do they have any jewels.

Each ancient Buddha and Bodhisattva has a kind and benevolent face, and looks at people with a friendly expression.

Looking at it this way, Emperor Wei felt that such a Buddhist temple was indeed more acceptable to people.

He quickly stepped forward and, as usual, bowed to the Buddha and offered incense to show his piety and respect.

It is said that the founding emperor of the Great Wei Dynasty dreamed of the Buddha, which inspired him to support the establishment and promotion of Buddhism...

As for whether the emperor actually dreamt of the real Buddha or for some political reason, it's hard to say.

However, now... a light flashed in Emperor Wei's eyes. He could sense that there was indeed a trace of Buddhist intent in the Buddha statue before him.

The Buddha statue in the hall shimmered with light, and a hazy figure emerged.

Everyone lowered their heads slightly, glancing at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

It was discovered that it was the Buddha's intention, exactly the same as the Buddha who had manifested in the heavens a few days earlier.

Emperor Wei saw the Buddha again and bowed once more. The officials and nobles who had come with Emperor Wei from Luoyang, as well as those who had come from all over the country, saw this and had no more doubts that the Buddha's thoughts had truly remained in the Garan Temple.

In a short time, millions of people flocked to worship Buddha.

Unconsciously, countless thoughts converged at the Garan Temple from all directions, flowing towards the true meaning of the Buddha.

Meanwhile, in a place unknown to everyone else, in Lu Zheng's little world.

The Taiping Codex rippled, and a lotus flower mark appeared on it. The immense power of heaven and earth, formed from the wishes of all beings, surged forth and returned to the Codex.

I assist all Buddhas, and all Buddhas assist me.

Lu Zheng remained calm and accepted the help offered by Buddha.

Inside the Buddhist temple, the Buddha's true meaning gradually dissipated and settled into the stone statue.

Emperor Wei wanted to consult the Buddha, but seeing that the Buddha had no intention of saying anything to him, and with so many people watching, it was not appropriate to speak directly.

Emperor Wei then offered incense to the other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas before leading his entourage out of the Buddha Hall.

He first sent some of his entourage back to Luoyang, while he himself strolled around the new Garan Temple to see what it was all about.

Some of the wealthy and powerful in Luoyang were quite frustrated. Although they had indeed seen the Buddha, they felt it was a shame to have spent so much money...

Emperor Wei arrived at a side hall and found that it was very different from before, with many of the enshrined objects having been replaced.

Emperor Wei couldn't help but ask, "I remember there were several statues enshrined here... Where did they go?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao whispered, "They are all in a side hall. Only after careful investigation and confirmation that they have contributed to the country and Buddhism can they be allowed to continue receiving incense offerings."

"Hmm? Who... what is Buddha's will?"

A flicker of emotion crossed the Emperor's eyes.

Yuan Tao nodded and said, "From now on, Buddhist temples will no longer worship useless Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats."

Emperor Wei thought for a moment and couldn't help but say, "Then this can be considered a good thing."

Emperor Wei waved for the others to leave, then turned and said, "Your recent methods have certainly impressed me. Is he here?"

Yuan Tao was taken aback upon hearing this. "Father, are you saying that?"

Emperor Wei smiled and said, "Bring Lu Zheng here. I would like to speak with him alone."

How could Emperor Wei not know what kind of person his own son had been?

If it weren't for the guidance of a master, he wouldn't think Yuan Tao would have changed so much.

The Buddha would certainly not offer guidance on such worldly methods.

As for the staff and subordinates who followed Yuan Tao, they obviously wouldn't come up with such an offensive idea.

Emperor Wei's intuition told him that Lu Zheng was involved in all of this.

After all, he had heard before that Lu Zheng was very good at dealing with those important figures.

Upon hearing Emperor Wei's words, Yuan Tao paused and said, "I will go and invite Mr. Lu over."

After saying that, Yuan Tao quickly left.

Lu Zheng was neither surprised nor taken aback when he learned that the Wei Emperor wanted to see him.

Having met many important figures, he was already used to it.

When Emperor Wei saw Lu Zheng, he couldn't help but look him up and down.

"You look younger than I have in the images I have seen, but you have also lost some weight. It seems you have been overworking yourself lately?"

Lu Zheng smiled and replied, "It's alright."

Emperor Wei smiled and said leisurely, "Young people are capable and energetic, which is indeed commendable. However, as a Confucian scholar, your ability to annotate Buddhist scriptures and attract the Buddha's attention is quite unexpected and unheard of to me."

Lu Zheng said softly, "To be honest, I am not a pure Confucian scholar."

"Oh?"

Emperor Wei blinked and chuckled, "What makes you say that?"

Lu Zheng said unhurriedly, "As the sages said, 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.' My learning is not limited to Confucianism. I have studied the ways of the sages, and I also have a great deal of understanding of the ways of life of ordinary people..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wei said, "It seems you have grasped the essence of Buddhism."

Lu Zhengdao: "Actually, the reason I was able to annotate the true scriptures and gain the Buddha's approval is not because I understand Buddhism so well."

Emperor Wei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why is that?"

Lu Zheng said softly, "Human energy is limited, but knowledge is unlimited. Moreover, no one is perfect. Perhaps there are many people in this monastery who know more than I do. But how much you learn is not important. What is most important is how well you can apply what you have learned... Therefore, Buddha has approved of me."

A glint of light flashed in the Emperor's eyes, and he said softly, "That makes sense, that makes sense indeed!"

Sometimes putting principles into practice is a thousand times more difficult than understanding them.

Emperor Wei considered himself well-versed in the classics of sages, but even as the ruler of a country, it was extremely difficult to act in accordance with the words of the sages.

For example, he was aware of many of Wei's problems, but they were really difficult to correct. One small change could have far-reaching consequences, and those methods of governing the world were very difficult to put into practice.

Rumors circulated that Emperor Wei felt it was only natural that Buddha had manifested his power in the Northern Regions, given Lu Zheng's actions.

Emperor Wei sighed inwardly for a moment, then asked, "Now that the Buddha's will has descended upon the world, and Mahayana Buddhism has been established as the orthodox school of Buddhism, do you think Wei will prosper?"

It should be noted that all these matters are related to Lu Zheng. Emperor Wei wanted an answer from Lu Zheng, an answer that would put his mind at ease.

After all, the relationship between Buddhism and the Wei Kingdom was too close, and this huge change in Buddhism made it difficult for him to judge whether it was good or bad.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Even true immortals cannot clearly foresee the future, so how could I possibly know?"

Emperor Wei narrowed his eyes slightly, "Even Buddha cannot know?"

Lu Zhengdao: "Buddha... Everyone hopes for a peaceful and prosperous world in the future. Such a thing requires the efforts of all of us, especially His Majesty, who holds a high position, should devote himself to it..."

Emperor Wei pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "To be honest, I previously thought that your actions were intended to disrupt our Great Wei, but after seeing you and hearing your words, it seems that I was overthinking it. You are right. As for the state of Great Wei, I still have some ability to change things. Whether it will be a blessing or a curse remains to be seen."

Afterwards, Emperor Wei had a conversation with Lu Zheng about his views on the Wei Kingdom and Buddhism.

Lu Zheng didn't mince words; he explained many things very clearly.

Emperor Wei heard some novel insights and was momentarily astonished.

He never expected that a young man could see things so clearly, and even understand how to govern a country better than some of the civil and military officials in the imperial court.

Emperor Wei exclaimed, "Some of your insights and ideas are quite remarkable to me. I really don't know where you learned them from."

Lu Zheng simply smiled. "The onlooker sees most of the game." (End of Chapter)