A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 461 Christmas

Seeing Li Sanniang again, Wu Huaiyu was a little embarrassed.

The last time we met was in Yanzhou, Shuofang. He ruthlessly rejected her and asked his nephew Li De to take her back to Chang'an.

"I haven't seen you for almost a year."

"No, it's 180 for three days,"

Li Sanniang was wearing a blue linen Taoist gown, holding a white dust whisk in her hand.

The two met at Longmen Temple.

Wu Huaiyu also knew that Li Sanniang practiced in Longmen Temple, which is very large, and there is a separate courtyard in the temple, Yuzhen Temple, which is the female crown practice.Although it was close, Wu Huaiyu had never come to see her, afraid that he would not know what to say after meeting her, and even more afraid that it would cause her illusion again.

She didn't expect that she could even remember the date when the two of them parted so clearly.

"How are you doing recently?"

"not good."

The conversation was awkward, and there seemed to be a thousand words, but I didn't know what to say.

They looked like this, even the leader of the Louguan, Qi Pingding, was extremely embarrassed, and coughed twice to break the embarrassing silence.

"Master, please."

Today is a special day, Louguan leader Qi Hui Qiping came to Chang'an to enter the court under the imperial edict, presided over the fasting ceremony, and prayed for the country.

The emperor remembered that since the Sui Dynasty, many corpses that died of war and famine had not been collected, so he ordered people from all states and counties to collect the remains in the wild, buried them in the soil, and invited monks and Taoists to save them.

Not only have seven new temples been established in the seven major battlefields, but seven Taoist temples have also been ordered, and there is a sense of balance everywhere.

The imperial court's sudden and rapid action against the Sanjiejiao hit them hard.

Lou Guan is known as the ancestor of Taoism, the source of immortality, but since the Spring and Autumn Period, the inheritance has not been obvious. Before the Tang Dynasty, the most famous Taoism in the world was the Taoism of Tianshi and the Shangqing School.

When Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty exterminated Buddhism, he also announced the extermination of Taoism. However, he had a good impression of Taoism. He once specially ordered ten high-ranking Taoists in Louguan Taoism to set up special dojos. This continuous spark laid the foundation for the rise of Louguan Taoism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

And Lou Guan can now surpass the Shangqing School, all thanks to the leader Qihui in front of him.

He has a strong political vision. During the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, he publicly declared that he had predicted that the way of heaven would change.

When Li Yuan raised an army, Qihui gave all the food stored in Guanzhong to Li Sanniang as army rations, and even brought more than [-] children to welcome Li Yuan to enter the customs. He also changed his name to Qipingding, implying that Li Yuan would pacify the world.

At that time, all the heroes in the world were vying for the throne, Qi Hui was a bit of a gamble, but he made the right bet, and it can also be said that he has the eyes to recognize heroes.

Louguan is where Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching, and the Li family considers Lao Tzu to be their ancestor.

Li Yuan changed the Louguan to the Zongsheng Temple, dedicated to Lao Tzu, with Qihui as the main temple, and the imperial court funded the repair of the temple.

Lou Guan Dao inherits the Dao of Heavenly Masters, and learns from the strengths of other sects. He practices many alchemy techniques at the same time.

They have always advocated Lao Tzu's theory of transforming Hu's, and they have always played the role of anti-Buddhist fighters, contending with the Buddhists who entered the Central Plains.

This time, the imperial court suddenly launched a ruthless attack on the third-order sect of Buddhism, and it was done by his uncle Qingyangzi, which made Qi Pingding very excited, thinking that the Tao was going to overwhelm the Buddha.

Hearing that the emperor had summoned him, he immediately brought more than a hundred Louguan disciples to Chang'an.

The Longmen School was built at the request of Wuhuai Yushe Residence, and was approved by the emperor. It has also become another important ashram besides Xuandu Temple in Louguan in Beijing.

In particular, Zun Xiaoyaozi of the Longmen School is the founder of the school, and Wu Huaiyu is the current head of the school. He is a high-ranking official in the court, and he has a high seniority in the building. He is Uncle Qihui.

After coming to Beijing, it is natural to stay at Longmen Temple.

This time, they came to not only practice, but also to teach the Tao Te Ching for the emperor. At the same time, they also had to take part in the exam arranged by the court for them, and after passing, they would be awarded a new Daoist certificate.

In addition, there is another big event on this trip.

Wu Huaiyu wants to recruit disciples, direct disciples of the Longmen Sect, this is a major event for Lou Guan.

This disciple's name is Yin Wencao, and his background is not small.

Born in Tianshui, Longxi, his ancestors were officials for generations. His great-grandfather Yin Hong was the governor of Shangzhou in the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

On the day of Shengyi, he was only six or seven years old and already able to know and recite Laozi and Xiaojing, and he was very interested in Lingbao Jing and Xisheng Jing at a young age.

Wu Huaiyu asked to build Longmen Temple, and Empress Changsun specially searched Daolin to seek sages to come in. Hearing that Yin Wencao was young and famous, she specially asked the emperor to order him to officially become a monk at Longmen Temple.

This Yin Wencao came to Longmen Temple and performed really well, very intelligent and savvy.

Ever since, now Wu Huaiyu wants to accept Yin Wencao as his disciple, who will inherit the mantle of the Longmen School in the future.

This time, Maoshan Taoist Wang Zhiyuan, who happened to be in Beijing under the imperial edict, also came to watch the ceremony.

That Maoshan Taoist priest, like Qi Pingding, was a man who recognized heroes with his eyesight. In the Sui Dynasty, he was highly respected by Yang Guang, but at the end of the Sui Dynasty, he claimed to follow the order of the old monarch and foretell Li Yuan's talisman.

When Li Shimin attacked Wang Shichong in Luoyang, Wang Zhiyuan was in Luoyang City. Li Shimin and Fang Xuanling made a private visit. As a result, Wang Zhiyuan directly said that Li Shimin was a saint.

At the time when Li Shimin and Li Jiancheng fought fiercely, Buddhists headed by Falin and Faya supported Jiancheng, while many Taoists headed by Wang Zhiyuan supported Li Shimin, and the two sides fought fiercely.

In the end, the winner of Li Shimin became king, and when he was about to ascend the throne, Wang Zhiyuan refused the high-ranking officials and rich salary and returned to Maoshan.Li Shimin ordered Maoshan in Runzhou to build Guanyu, and Taoist priests became monks. He issued an edict to reward him and named him Yinqing Guanglu doctor. This also allowed Maoshan Shangqing School to continue to sit firmly in the mainstream of Taoism.

There are Louguan in the north, Shangqing in the south,
Now the two great leaders came to watch the ceremony with their own eyes.

The main reason why these two great leaders can come to watch the ceremony is not that Wu Huaiyu is the prime minister, but because of his Taoist status as a disciple of Yinxian Xiaoyaozi and the current head of Longmenlou.

Although there are two martial arts to destroy Buddhism, the power of Buddhism is still far ahead of Taoism. Although Taoist priests such as Tai Shiling Fu Yi in the court have always advocated the destruction of Buddhism, it has no effect.

As soon as Wu Qingyang made a move, he crippled the third-order sect. With such strength, they all saw hope by coincidence.

The dispute between Buddhism and Taoism is fierce and cruel. For hundreds of years, the two sides have fought to the death and life, and the fights have been broken again and again, but there has never been a possibility of reconciliation.

Right now, no matter Lou Guan or Shang Qing, they all hope to take advantage of the opportunity of Li Jiazun Lao Tzu as the ancestor, and take advantage of the royal throne to suppress the Buddhist family.

The two leaders came to Beijing with a mission, so naturally they didn't have time to read the rumored stories about Wu Huaiyu and Li Sanniang.

The auspicious time has arrived.

Witnessed by Lou Guan and Shangqing, the 15-year-old Yin Wencao, dressed in Taoist robes, formally apprenticed to Wu Huaiyu, the head of the Longmen,
Li Cheng,

Yin Wencao also became a disciple of the Fenyan branch of the Yin Xilou Guan Sect, and his seniority is Qihui's junior.

The emperor also sent an envoy to bestow upon the head disciple of the Longmen sect Daoguan, Xiapei, Buddha dust, and Daojian four things, and bestowed on him Xuandelang, the official seventh-rank official.

Yin Wencao is the same age as Li Yifu, another student of Wu Huaiyu's. He is tall. Although he has taught Taoism since he was a child, he has good kung fu.

When a sword dances, it looks as startling as light, graceful as a swimming dragon, but it is not that kind of show, but it can really bring out a bit of sword energy.

Wu Huaiyu previously taught the origin of the old Taoist Qi Body at Longmen Temple, and he understood it the fastest.

Inside a side hall of Longmen Temple.

Qi Pingding, Wang Zhiyuan, and Wu Huaiyu were sitting in the hall talking, while Yin Wencao poured tea beside them.

What the three of them are planning is how to take advantage of the current momentum to push Taoism to a higher level and completely overwhelm the Buddha.

Qi Pingding had a plan, and wanted to push the emperor to honor Lao Tzu as the emperor Taishang Xuanyuan.

The royal family respected Lao Tzu as the distant ancestor of the Tang Dynasty. The royal family can use the identity of the Taoist leader Lao Tzu as a descendant to emphasize the legitimacy, legality and rationality of Li Tang's success in the country.

And Taoism can also use the national power of the royal family and the court to suppress the Buddhism that has always been above them.

Qi Pingding even asked Wu Huaiyu, "Can you use the excuse that Laozi is the ancestor of Li Tang, so that officials at all levels below the princes and princes can learn "Laozi", and even list "Laozi" as a classic in the imperial examination?"

Confucian classics, in the early days, mainly consisted of the Six Classics, Poetry, Book, Ritual, Music, Book of Changes, and Spring and Autumn. The Music Classic was lost during Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and only the Five Classics remained. The Doctor of the Five Classics was established in the Han Dynasty.

Later, the Eastern Han Dynasty, which emphasized the rule of filial piety, designated the Analects of Confucius and the Classic of Filial Piety as must-read scriptures.

Up to now in the Tang Dynasty, there are mainly six subjects in the imperial examination. Among them, the Mingjing subject mainly examines the nine classics, "Yi", "Poetry", "Book", "Rituals", "Zhou Li", "Book of Rites", "Zuo Zhuan", "Gongyang Zhuan", "Gu Liang Biography", and there are two must-read Analects and Xiao Jing, called Concurrent Classics.

There is no "Lao Zi" in the Nine Classics and the Two Jianjings.

Laozi is the Tao Te Ching, with a total of [-] words. It stands side by side with "Zhuangzi" like two peaks. It is a famous ideological masterpiece in ancient China.

Now Qi Ping would like to take advantage of the court's admiration for Lao Tzu, and add the Tao Te Ching to the Ming Jing examination scriptures. In this way, scholars all over the world must read Lao Tzu, even if it is only included in the Concurrent Classics. For Taoism, its influence will also be greatly improved.

Both Qi Pingding and Wang Zhiyuan were at the leader level, and since they began to actively bet on Li Yuan at the end of the Sui Dynasty, they knew that their vision was farther away.

Building Taoism into a home-teaching family, mythology of Lao Tzu, and at the same time, it will naturally make Taoism a higher level.

"If you don't follow the ruler, there will be no law."

This is the common understanding of the two leaders.

Now that the opportunity comes, you have to strike while the iron is hot.

Sitting here, Wu Huaiyu is not only the head of the Longmen sect, but also the uncle of Louguan leader. Of course, he is also the prime minister of the court and the emperor's special envoy.

Wu Huaiyu is very clear about the demands of Taoism, but he is not entirely on their side. He still has one foot in the court. Wu Huaiyu is also willing to push the emperor to issue an edict to honor Lao Tzu as the emperor Taishang Xuanyuan, but he also makes demands on them.

But there are still some small problems.

Take this opportunity to rectify and rectify, pass the exam, eliminate some unqualified Taoists, standardize Taoist priests, issue Taoist ultimatums, and even set up yamen and officials to manage Taoist priests in various states and counties, and select some Taoist priests to assist in management.

These are very necessary.

"I'm planning to write a book recently. The title of the book is tentatively named "Taishang Laojun Shengji". It sorts out various theories about the changes in Laozi's miracles since its creation, and compiles it in a chronological style by collecting various historical books, Laozi's biographies and other fairy tales about Laozi's myths and stories."

"Wencao is helping me sort it out. Once the draft is finalized, it will be presented to His Majesty at that time. If it is approved, it will be engraved and printed and published throughout the world."

"I also plan to write a letter to the sage, please take Lao Tzu's birthday on February [-] every year as Christmas, and the whole country has a day off."

When Qi Pingding and Wang Zhiyuan heard about it, they were overjoyed and expressed their willingness to contribute. They also agreed with the rectification of Taoist temples in the world and were willing to fully cooperate.

"I don't know when the Taishang Laojun Sheng Ji will be completed?"

"soon!"

"If block printing is required, we, Lou Guan and Shangqing, are willing to bear all the costs."

(End of this chapter)