Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 701 The Meaning of Buddha

"If you have anything to say to the chief priest or anyone else, I can deliver a message or a letter to you."

Kong Yu looked calmly at Gongyang Ming. Although Gongyang Ming had just said some hurtful things to him, he was not so sure that he would turn against his friend of many years because of this.

Of course, Kong Yu felt that the relationship between the two had become much more distant than before, and they seemed to have become strangers.

Kong Yu was aware of the situation in the Northern Region, but he was not optimistic about it.

The two are currently on different sides and neither can understand the other at the moment. There is really no need to argue about this matter endlessly, lest the remaining friendship be completely worn away.

Upon hearing this, Gongyang Ming pulled out a thick stack of booklets and said, "These are some policies on governing the country that I wrote based on the actual situation in Qi. I trouble you to give them to the Chief Minister, hoping that he can advise the court..."

Kong Yu's eyes flickered slightly as he picked up the heavy policy document and began to read it. His eyes were immediately drawn to some extremely straightforward words, and the policy guidelines were clear, detailed, and comprehensive.

Unlike the lengthy essays on the Qi state's imperial examinations, this is a different writing style.

After watching for a while, Kong Yu couldn't help but say, "It seems you really did learn something new over there..."

He had never encountered many of the terms and theories in this content before.

Gongyang Ming smiled slightly and said, "One is never too old to learn. There is so much knowledge in this world. I only hope that what I have learned in my life can be truly put to practical use, so as not to fail the aspirations I made before the sages and worthies."

Kong Yu silently put away his things, then asked, "Any other letters?"

Gongyang Ming said, "That's all."

Kong Yu couldn't help but whisper, "The Gongyang family's side..."

Because of Gongyang Ming's departure, the Gongyang family has been feeling uneasy and under a lot of pressure lately.

Gongyang Ming was considered the biggest pillar of the Gongyang family at the moment, but he went to the Northern Region, which was a big blow to the family.

If someone were to cause trouble behind the scenes and attack the Gongyang clan, it would have an even worse impact.

Gongyang Ming remained calm and said, "They will understand me in the future. Besides, fledglings will eventually leave the wings of their parents to face the vast and stormy sky."

Having spent a long time in the Northern Region and encountered various characters, Gongyang Ming changed his previous way of speaking. He no longer always quoted classics and nitpicked over words, but preferred to express what he wanted to say in simple and easy-to-understand language.

This is also a way of communicating with people that Gongyang Ming learned from Lu Zheng and the others.

Hearing Gongyang Ming say this, Kong Yu had no choice but to say, "Since that's what you think, then so be it."

Gongyang Ming smiled and said, "I hope you will have some free time in the future to visit the Northern Region and see it for yourselves."

Kong Yu's expression was somber as he said in a low voice, "That place is ultimately not Qi. Some of the ideals you pursue are impossible to realize in Qi. Whether you go or not, it doesn't really make much difference..."

Some of the strategies that Gongyang Ming gave him were somewhat useful and could be tried to be implemented in Qi, but to think that he could promote pure ideals like "the world belongs to all" in Qi was nothing but wishful thinking...

Gongyang Ming sighed inwardly upon hearing this, knowing that Kong Yu was different from him. This Kong Yu did not have so many pure ideals, and had more concerns and was more realistic.

The two teachers from Jixia Academy remained silent for a while, and in the end, neither of them said anything. They both bowed silently and said goodbye, and then went their separate ways.

Gongyang Ming suddenly shifted his gaze and saw Lu Zheng and the other two, along with a Taoist priest, approaching from not far away.

Qingwan glanced at Kong Yu's departing figure, blinked, and approached Gongyang Ming, asking, "Was that a great Confucian scholar from the academy?"

Qingwan had met Kong Yu when someone introduced some distinguished guests at the Garan Temple earlier.

Upon hearing this, Gongyang Ming did not hide anything and told him about Kong Yu's visit.

Qingwan clicked her tongue in amazement and said, "Is this what the people of the Confucius family are like now? They really care about their reputation, they've even forgotten the teachings of their ancestors..."

Yun Xiao, standing nearby, said leisurely, "After all, he is a great Confucian scholar of the Confucius family. Every word and action represents the Confucius family of Qi. People like him pay more attention to the gains and losses of their family and themselves. They would not give up the huge benefits they already have for your kind of illusory dreams."

Qingwan glared and said, "What do you mean by 'illusory and ethereal'? Daoist Master, how could you think that way? Your thinking is incorrect!"

Yun Xiao coughed lightly and said in a low voice, "Ahem, it's not just me who thinks so, it's that most people think you're wasting your time. Of course, I still support you!"

Yun Xiao felt that Lu Zheng and his group were quite capable, and at least they could really create a peaceful world in the Northern Region.

Even if it doesn't last very long, it will still leave a valuable experience for future generations.

Qingwan said, "It's normal that so many people don't understand. After all, the truth is always in the hands of a minority. What we need to do is spread the truth and let people understand the real principles."

Yun Xiao laughed and said, "Tsk tsk, such high level of awareness at such a young age, I think you have the potential to become a saint in the future!"

Qingwan snorted. She didn't really appreciate such flattery; she preferred to be down-to-earth.

Beside him, Lu Zheng said to Gongyang Ming, "Mr. Gongyang, you don't need to worry too much about family matters. More people from our Northern Region will come in the future, and even members of the Shu Kingdom's royal family will come. When the Northern Region is full of talent, it will be difficult for others to make a fuss about your current choices. If someone deliberately targets the Gongyang family, we will not stand idly by."

Gongyang Ming smiled and said, "My Gongyang clan still holds some status in Qi, so I have nothing to worry about. I am currently in charge of affairs in the Northern Region, and I will do my job well and not be distracted by anything else."

Gongyang Ming paused, then asked curiously, "What's the story behind the Shu royal family?"

Qingwan pulled Yunxiao aside and introduced him, "This Taoist priest is Master Yunxiao of the Qingyang Palace in Shu Kingdom. He's an old acquaintance of ours. We even met the Emperor of Shu and Empress Furong when we visited the capital of Shu Kingdom, Furong..."

Qingwan gave a brief account of the relationship with the Shu Kingdom.

Gongyang Ming was surprised to hear this, thinking that Lu Zheng and his group really had a wide network of connections. They could meet important people wherever they went, and even the emperor and empress of the great dynasty could be connected with them.

Moreover, this relationship isn't something that means you know someone just because you've met them.

The fact that Empress Furong was willing to send royal children to train simply because she had read the call to arms and heard some rumors about the Northern Region shows that she had an extraordinary level of trust in Lu Zheng and his companions.

Gongyang Ming thought about it again and realized that Lu Zheng could find connections to all sorts of people, so it wasn't surprising that he knew such a person.

……

In a courtyard, representatives from various Buddhist sects emerged.

These people had serious expressions and a hint of solemnity in their eyes; none of them smiled.

In a quiet room in the courtyard, Yuan Tao, with a pleased expression, said softly, "These old fellows have finally agreed to back down and make concessions. They really won't bow their heads until they see Buddha..."

After a lengthy negotiation, Yuan Tao, representing the imperial court and Buddhist forces, reached a series of agreements with many other Buddhist representatives.

It not only established Mahayana Buddhism as the orthodox tradition and made Buddhist sects abide by the new precepts, but also made those sects and temples give up a lot of benefits.

For example, the numerous servants, farmland, houses, mines, and so on under his name originally belonged to the State of Wei. However, over the years, Buddhist sects have used various methods to seize a large amount of these resources.

This also involves the vested interests of powerful families in various regions.

In addition to cracking down on Buddhism, Yuan Tao's actions were also aimed at local powerful clans and gentry.

This is the perfect time for all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to manifest their divine power, and Yuan Tao plans to make a big effort to rectify the prevailing atmosphere.

Otherwise, once this storm passes, those monsters and demons of Wei will start to run rampant again.

Just then, someone came in from outside.

"Your Highness, His Majesty summons you..."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao quickly snapped out of his joy and followed the visitor to the main hall of the Garan Temple.

Yuan Tao entered the Buddhist hall alone and saw Wei Guo sitting on a futon in front of the Buddha statue, softly reciting scriptures.

After Emperor Wei finished reciting the sutra, Yuan Tao stepped forward lightly and bowed respectfully.

"My son, please see your father!"

Emperor Wei slowly raised his eyes, his eyes bright and spirited.

"Have you reached an agreement with them?"

Yuan Tao bowed and said, "It's settled. They are willing to help purge the unorthodox Buddhists and are also willing to hand over a portion of their property as a contribution to promote the orthodox teachings of Buddhism..."

After listening for a while, Emperor Wei slowly interrupted, saying, "There's no need to tell me so much. What I want to see is the result."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao's expression shifted slightly, and he hesitated, as if he wanted to speak but then stopped.

Emperor Wei then said calmly, "A few old foxes have died, but the rest are still old foxes. There are still many old foxes hiding in Buddhist sects all over the country. You are still young, so you can't just believe whatever they say. It can't be considered a harvest until there are results. Now is not the time for you to be complacent."

Yuan Tao's expression turned solemn, and he quickly said in a low voice, "Father's teachings are correct, I will remember them."

Emperor Wei said, "You are in full charge of this matter; I will not intervene. If you need anything, you can tell me now, and I will do my best to provide it to you."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao hesitated for a moment before nervously saying, "Your Majesty, I wish to obtain a portion of the military power in various prefectures and counties. I don't need too many troops, just enough to deal with the powerful local clans and Buddhist sects..."

Emperor Wei's eyes flickered, but his expression remained unchanged as he said, "Very well, I will have someone draft an edict upon my return. Anything else?"

Yuan Tao was immediately relieved. "Your subject also intends to reform the system and establish a new imperial examination system to recruit useful talents for the Great Wei..."

Emperor Wei frowned and said, "Let's focus on the present matters first. Don't try to take on everything at once, or you'll end up with nothing. Great Wei can't withstand so much turmoil. Everything must be done in moderation. Whether this matter with Buddhism will bring misfortune or fortune is still unknown!"

Yuan Tao couldn't help but say, "Your subject will obey Father's arrangements."

Emperor Wei sighed inwardly. He was not as optimistic as Yuan Tao. Although the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas had manifested their divine power, the future of the Great Wei was full of uncertainties, and no one could predict its future rise and fall.

Emperor Wei looked at the statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas before him and said in a low voice, "Why is it that even though the Buddha and all the other Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifested their power, they didn't leave a trace of Buddhist spirit here?"

Yuan Tao paused for a moment, looking at the dazzling Buddha statues.

He suddenly understood why Emperor Wei seemed unhappy; he was uneasy because he didn't see a real Buddha enshrined here.

Yuan Tao's mind raced, and he explained, "It is the Buddha's will that the Garan Temple will be rebuilt later, and then all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will be invited to receive incense offerings."

He hadn't thought about this before, so now he could only try to make amends; he couldn't very well say that he didn't know the situation either, could he?

"Is this so..."

Upon hearing this, the Emperor of Wei nodded. "Indeed, it needs to be changed. Among the Buddhas in heaven, there were some that I was unaware of. I don't know when they stopped being worshipped. We should invite them to enjoy the incense offerings of the Great Wei and protect the Great Wei..."

Emperor Wei then slowly rose to his feet. "Alright, have someone take care of the reconstruction of the Garan Temple. When you invite the Buddha, send someone to inform me. I'm returning to Luoyang now."

The news of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas manifesting their divine power will soon spread and reach Luoyang.

The Wei emperor still needs to go back and take charge of the situation.

Yuan Tao quickly followed behind Emperor Wei, watching as Emperor Wei and his entourage disappeared towards Luoyang.

Afterwards, Yuan Tao hurriedly led his men to find Lu Zheng and the others.

"What? You want to rebuild the Garan Temple and invite the true essence of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas down to enjoy their incense offerings?"

Qingwan was slightly surprised when she heard the purpose of Yuan Tao's visit. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Yuan Tao said awkwardly, "I didn't expect this to happen. I thought the Buddhas would manifest and stay behind..."

Yuan Tao couldn't help but ask, "Is it difficult to invite them?"

Lu Zheng replied, "It's not difficult."

Yuan Tao couldn't help but mutter to himself, "He speaks so casually, it seems Lu Zheng and Buddha are really close."

Yuan Tao said, "That's good. We'll need to discuss with you how to arrange the new Buddha statues..."

Qingwan's eyes darted around, and she said, "That's easy. Just arrange them like they were in the sky before. Oh, right, renovate all the Buddhist temples and melt down all the golden statues and replace them with stone ones! This will not only save the people money, but also accumulate a lot of money to be used where it's needed."

“That’s what we should do! Look, even one temple like the Garan Temple is being done like this. There are so many temples in Wei, if we replace all of them with stone statues, how much money will that generate? It would be much better to distribute it to the poor…”

"Yes, that's right, that's it! Garan Temple will serve as a model, and this will be promoted throughout the entire Wei Kingdom. From now on, the Buddha statues you enshrine in your homes must also be carved from stone. This is the Buddha's will!"

Yuan Tao's expression was hesitant, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't, thinking to himself, "This really isn't what you meant?"

Qingwan said in a serious tone, "What kind of eyesight do you have? If you don't believe me, go ask Buddha. I've already spoken to him."

Qingwan had indeed discussed some conditions with Buddha before, but she hadn't gone into such detail. However, she was capable of making a decision for Buddha on matters like this.

Yuan Tao was speechless; he didn't have the right to ask anyway.

Yuan Tao then said, "As for this matter, I'm afraid no one would dare to destroy those Buddha statues."

After all, everyone had just witnessed the manifestation of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, so who would dare to lay a hand on the Buddha statue's head?

Qingwan smiled and said, "So afraid of trouble? We're experts at this; we can help you melt those gold nuggets at the Garan Temple." (End of Chapter)