People in the early Tang Dynasty: I compete with Wu Zhao for the throne

Chapter 1725 It’s time to destroy Taizong’s lineage’s prestige in the world
In the Buddhist temple in the backyard of Yulong Garden, Princess Fuchang was kneeling on a cushion in colorful clothes.

Monk Shenxiu stepped forward and lightly touched Princess Fuchang's forehead.

The next moment, a red lotus blossomed between Princess Fuchang's eyebrows.

Ouyang stood up with a look of joy on her face and kept thanking Monk Shenxiu.

Today, Buddhism in the world is divided into three parts: the Southern School of Huineng, the Northern School of Shenxiu, and the Western School of Kuiji.

Now Xia'er has received the blessings of the leaders of the Western and Northern Sects. Now she only needs to get the blessing of the Southern Sect, and she will be able to travel freely throughout the world.

"Amitabha!" Monk Shenxiu clasped his hands together and bowed kindly, but his eyes glanced at King Peng and Queen Peng who were standing behind him.

Li Xuan and Liu Jinyu both had gentle expressions on their faces. Noticing Monk Shenxiu's gaze, they both smiled and bowed in gratitude at the same time.

But in Shenxiu's eyes, he could see the indifference in both of their hearts.

A moment later, in the lotus pond in the backyard.

The moonlight shines down from the sky, casting its shadow on the lotus pond.

Shenxiu stood calmly beside the pond, looking at the moonlight in the lotus pond, and said softly: "Hold the moon in the water in your hands, and let the fragrance of flowers fill your clothes."

Li Xuan looked at Shenxiu in surprise, shook his head, and said, "The Zen mind is invisible, it is real in the present; the self-nature is formless, it appears as the mind wishes."

Shenxiu was slightly stunned, then his expression darkened, he turned sideways to look at Li Xuan and said: "Your Highness has a profound Zen mind."

"It is also because of the guidance of Master and Master Huineng that later generations can benefit from it." Li Xuan nodded slightly to express his gratitude to Shenxiu.

"The body is a bodhi tree, and the mind is like a bright mirror. Wipe it frequently to avoid dust." Shenxiu sighed and shook his head helplessly.

"There is no Bodhi tree, nor is there a mirror stand. There is nothing originally, so where can dust gather?" Li Xuan turned sideways and looked at Shenxiu.

Although he is almost eighty years old, he looks very much like he is in his thirties.

After a short pause, Li Xuan said, "Master, don't blame yourself. Although Master Huineng is at a higher level, as far as Xuan is concerned, Master's words are more meritorious, easier to be accepted by the world, and easier to cultivate. In this way, Master's merits are immeasurable."

Shenxiu looked at Li Xuan in surprise. He didn't expect that Li Xuan would say such a thing.

What Shenxiu talked about was a state of practice, while what Huineng talked about was a kind of enlightenment.

Even if there were countless monks in the whole world, only a handful of people could achieve Huineng's enlightenment in the end, and it would have little effect on the world.

On the contrary, as Shenxiu said, if you wipe it from time to time and have a clear mind, the people in the world who can easily obtain it will not know that they are ordinary people. The so-called immeasurable merits are nothing more than this.

"Your Highness is wise." Shenxiu's expression became much gentler. Although his knot in his heart was still not completely untied, his mood was much better.

Calming his mind, Shenxiu looked at Li Xuan and asked, "From what the prince said and did, he is not disgusted with Buddhism, but why is he so harsh on the White Horse Temple?"

"Buddha means to relieve suffering and do good." Li Xuan raised his hand and motioned Shenxiu to go with him to the stone pavilion on the side, where someone had already prepared herbal tea.

Li Xuan raised his hand and poured a cup for Shenxiu, then poured a cup for himself, and then said: "The sea of ​​suffering in the world is vast and boundless, and Buddha is just a raft. However, if Buddha is mixed with the sea of ​​suffering, then those who step on it are not just stepping from one sea of ​​suffering into another sea of ​​suffering."

"As for the affairs of the Queen Mother, the White Horse Temple was also incompetent and was only forced to do so." Shenxiu shook his head slightly. What could the monks of the White Horse Temple do under the blade of the Queen Mother?

"Back then, Emperor Wu of Liang was the most devoted Buddhist in the world, but in the end, he died of hunger and thirst. Emperor Wu of Northern Wei destroyed Buddhism, which may have been influenced by Emperor Wu of Liang. Of course, Buddhism also intervened in the court's party struggles. In this dynasty, there were also the cases of the hidden crown prince Jiancheng and the deposed crown prince Chengqian, both of whom were related to the worship of Buddhism."

Li Xuan looked at Shenxiu with a gloomy gaze and said softly, "Master, Buddhists do not lie. Was the incident at the White Horse Temple really forced?"

Shenxiu fell silent and could not speak anymore.

"The sea of ​​suffering is boundless. Even Buddhists cannot avoid being contaminated by others. After this, let these fallen Buddhists return to the sea of ​​suffering completely and sink with all living beings." Li Xuan raised his head and said softly, "Perhaps, this is what they want."

"The bright mirror is covered with dust and no longer shines." Shenxiu sighed softly and couldn't help but smile bitterly in his heart. The purpose of his coming to Prince Peng's Mansion today was almost completely destroyed by Li Xuan.

“But the White Horse Temple is the ancestral temple of Buddhism after all, with hundreds of years of inheritance. I hope King Peng can give Buddhism a chance, so that the vast Buddhist sect will not worry about destruction.” Shenxiu clasped his hands together gently in front of Li Xuan.

"Master, since you have spoken, it would be my fault if I don't give you any face." Li Xuan took a deep breath and said, "How about this, the masters who stay in the White Horse Temple are allowed to recruit three disciples each. As for food and clothing, the White Horse Temple has plenty of rooms to rent to the scholars who will participate next year. There are also meals. The White Horse Temple is huge, so you can be self-reliant."

All the fertile land of the White Horse Temple was taken away by Li Xuan and then given to residents far away.

All the fields near the White Horse Temple were sent by Li Xuan to the people in Luoyang City, far away from the White Horse Temple.

As for the people living near the White Horse Temple, Li Xuan was afraid that they would defect to Buddhism again, so these people were forcibly relocated to other places, far away from Luoyang.

For a time, fundraising for the White Horse Temple almost completely stopped.

"If Buddhists all over the world are willing to hold a 36-day water and land ceremony for the Tang people who died or were injured in the wars, what do you think?" Shenxiu put forward the conditions.

"Will the master lead it personally?" Li Xuan stared at Shenxiu.

Shenxiu fell silent, then he nodded solemnly and said, "Okay!"

"Princess Fuchang is a Buddhist spiritual child." Li Xuan continued to increase the conditions.

"Yes!" Shenxiu did not hesitate this time.

"Okay!" Li Xuan nodded and said, "If this is accomplished, the White Horse Temple can accept disciples again, according to the laws of the Zongzheng Temple. The land will not be returned to them. If someone else joins, it will be the business of the White Horse Temple and Luozhou Prefecture. But if they interfere in government affairs again, then even if the master is in charge of the White Horse Temple, I will force him to change to Qingyang Temple."

"One lesson is enough." Shenxiu bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Majesty has strict rules and clear mind. I admire you."

"It's all for the people of the world. The harmony of the people is the great wish of the country." Li Xuan shook his head and said, "I will send you off, Master!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Shenxiu bowed slightly.

……

In the main hall, Li Xuan returned to the bedroom.

Liu Jinyu was holding Xia'er and carefully examining her. When she saw Li Xuan, she whispered, "Shenxiu didn't do anything, did he?"

"He doesn't dare." Li Xuan waved her hand slightly and said with a smile: "If his hands and feet were even slightly crooked just now, I would have issued an order to destroy Buddhism. He would not want to try."

Liu Jinyu nodded slightly. She believed that Li Xuan was capable of doing such a thing.

"Is Shenxiu coming back this time for the matter of White Horse Temple?" Liu Jinyu easily guessed Shenxiu's purpose.

"Yes!" Li Xuan nodded, sat down beside the bed, and held her daughter in her arms, whispering, "White Horse Temple is the core of the Buddhist sect in the north. Shenxiu wants to establish the Northern School of Buddhism in the north to compete with the Sixth Patriarch Huineng in the south. A strong White Horse Temple is necessary."

"Will my husband allow the White Horse Temple to be rebuilt?" Liu Jinyu looked at Li Xuan curiously. "Under the current situation, if the White Horse Temple can be rebuilt according to my husband's plan, it is not a bad thing. I am just afraid that they will be unwilling to accept it." Li Xuan pointed out in one sentence.

"Princess!" Liu Jinyu nodded. It would have been impossible for Princess Taiping to sneak out of the White Horse Temple quietly without the cooperation of the White Horse Temple and the monks.

"So they also have a plan this time." Liu Jinyu's eyes turned cold.

"That must be the case." Li Xuan hugged Xia'er tightly and said, "But Shenxiu should not know about it, and the famous monks he summoned should also not know about it, so if Shenxiu keeps an eye on Xia'er, nothing will happen. As for their real goal... I'm afraid it's still a means of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west."

"Where is that?" Liu Jinyu looked cautious.

"Songshan!" Li Xuan said confidently, "In the whole of Luoyang, there are not many places where I can let down my guard, and Songshan is one of them."

"Songshan is the territory of Taoism?" Liu Jinyu was a little surprised.

"My lady, you forgot about the Shaolin Temple." Li Xuan smiled and said, "However, the Shaolin Temple will not intervene directly. They will secretly do something in Taishi Mountain. But it's okay. Those things from that year happened to be in Songshan, so we can uncover them together."

As he spoke, Li Xuan lowered his head to look at Xia'er, with a hint of ruthlessness involuntarily flashing in his eyes.

Liu Jinyu gently held Li Xuan's arm and nodded seriously.

What happened that year involved the biggest scandal in the royal family.

If that matter were revealed, then Li Zhi's lineage would completely lose its prestige in the eyes of royal families all over the world.

If Princess Taiping rebelled at this time, it would be difficult for people all over the world to tolerate Li Zhi's lineage.

Even including Li Chongjun.

"it's time!"

"it's time!"

……

In the Government Affairs Hall, Li Xuan is on duty.

A large number of official documents were placed on the desk. Li Xuan opened one and began to read it carefully.

There are three hundred states and three hundred provincial governors in the world.

The three hundred powerful provincial governors have always been Li Xuan's biggest concern.

However, after more than half a year of trial, analysis and mastery, Li Xuan finally divided the world's provincial governors into four categories.

The area under the governorship of Xiazhou was poor and the government affairs were complicated, so they had little time to think about changes in the central government, and the local government of Xiazhou did not have much power to support their rebellion.

The governors of Zhongzhou are in a slightly better position and have some spare energy, so they can keep an eye on changes in the central government. Many of them even have the ability to intervene, but the local families are complicated, and it is not easy for the governors of Zhongzhou to unify the local areas. Only a dozen governors have this ability.

The governors of upper provinces have great authority, and some of them can even command the local soldiers within the prefectures and counties. Moreover, they have been in officialdom for many years and have close connections with the central government. These are the people Li Xuan really needs to be wary of.

Fortunately, most of these provincial governors were related to the prime minister, the secretary, the aristocratic families, the royal family, and the relatives by marriage.

There are also some people who have reached where they are today entirely through their own abilities.

Wu Zetian's confidants had basically been eliminated, and the confidants left by Li Xian were hiding in Li Xuan's hands. There were not many left who were completely loyal to Li Zhi.

Most of them subconsciously agreed that the world should be ruled by the descendants of Emperor Taizong. However, many of these people only entered the officialdom during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and at that time they were only minor officials, so the grace of Emperor Taizong was not deep.

But they haven’t been exposed to much political struggle, there aren’t many such people.

What Li Xuan needs to do is to control these states and counties at the critical moment.

In this way, even if there is unrest at that time, it can be controlled.

The key is Hebei.

On the contrary, the governor of Hebei is not important. Most of them are local chief secretaries and military officers, and most of them are from Hebei. Once they have disloyalty, Hebei will immediately be corrupted.

Hebei has always had extremely heavy taxes, but it is not advisable to shake the tax system easily.

Li Xuan had taken hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland from the Zheng, Cui, and Lu families this time, and had distributed them gradually this spring. The people in Hebei, at least those near the Taihang Mountains, had calmed down a lot, but...

"Thump, thump, thump..." A heavy sound of footsteps sounded outside the door, and Li Xuan raised his head slightly.

Li Lang stopped outside the door and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, the White Horse Temple Water and Land Assembly has begun!"

"Keep an eye on them!"

"Here!"

……

In early August, the autumn harvest is abundant.

"Your Majesty, the harvest is plentiful this autumn and the granaries are overflowing." Lu Yuanfang bowed solemnly to Zheng and said, "I wish the Great Tang Dynasty a long life and the world peace."

Li Xuan, Ouyang Tong, Liu Jingxian, and Li Yuanjia all cupped their hands at the same time and said, "I wish the Tang Dynasty a long life and the world peace."

In the brand new Zhenguan Hall, Zheng nodded with satisfaction and said, "It is rare that the emperor has been on the throne for more than half a year and the country is stable. I have done my best to repay the late emperor."

"May the Queen Mother be blessed with long life and good health, and may the country be governed with peace." Everyone bowed in unison.

Zheng nodded in satisfaction and was about to continue speaking when she suddenly caught a glimpse of the eunuch Jiang Jiao standing respectfully in front of the palace gate.

"What's the matter?" Lu raised her head slightly.

Jiang Jiao walked into the hall respectfully, bowed to Lu and said, "Queen Mother, today, at the end of the White Horse Temple Water and Land Assembly, a colorful glow appeared in Songshan, which seems to be an auspicious sign."

Lu Yuanfang, Li Xuan, Ouyang Tong, Liu Jingxian, and Li Yuanjia looked at each other, but then they clasped their hands and said, "Your Highness congratulates the Queen Mother. May the world be prosperous, and may the Heaven bless you!"

Zheng smiled and waved her hand slightly, looking at Li Xuan and said, "I know about the White Horse Temple incident. This may be something the monks of the White Horse Temple did. Since this incident was caused by King Peng, tomorrow King Peng, King Han, King Huo, the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and the Imperial Household will go to Songshan to offer sacrifices together to show the prosperity of the world."

"Your Majesty, I obey your order!" Li Xuan bowed slightly, his expression cold!

(End of this chapter)