Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

The result of the discussion among the Taoists was to request to enter the palace for an audience.

Zhu Youjian also attached great importance to this and met with the representatives of the Taoist Association:

Zhang Jiugong and Wang Changyue.

One of them is the 51st Heavenly Master of the Zhengyi Sect, and the other is the 7th Master of the Longmen Sect of the Quanzhen Taoism. They represent the two major mainstream sects of Taoism today.

Zhu Youjian had met Zhang Jiugong before and was quite curious about Wang Changyue who had just arrived in the capital. He asked:
"Isn't the lawyer of Longmen Sect Zhao Fuyang?"

"Why didn't you come this time?"

Wang Changyue looked somewhat nostalgic and replied:
"The master's time is coming to an end. He taught his disciples the secret method and retired to Mount Wangwu."

"Maybe he has already passed away and is no longer in this world."

When Zhu Youjian heard this, he immediately said it was a pity because he heard that Zhao Fuyang had become the sixth generation lawyer of Longmen School during the Jiajing period and was now over a hundred years old.

Such a long-lived Taoist priest might have some secret health-preserving methods. He also wanted to learn from them so that he could live longer.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Fuyang passed away this year, leaving him no chance to see him.

Thinking of what Wang Changyue said about the secret method, Zhu Youjian wanted to test it, so he said to Gao Shiming, who was serving beside him:
"Gao Qing, I heard that you once wrote "Yi Hua Yuan Zong" and called yourself the master of Yi Hua Yuan Zong."

"Today, I will exchange ideas with the two Taoist friends to see how good our Taoism is."

Although Gao Shiming was a devout Taoist, he did not dare to express his views in this unclear situation. He smiled and said:

"How dare I, with my humble cultivation, compare myself with you two fellow Taoists?"

"It is the former eunuch Wei Xueyan who is fond of pornography and has many eccentric disciples."

"Although I have been deceived by alchemists many times, I never get tired of it even when I am old."

"He has a lot of insights into the art of internal cultivation and external elixir, and he should be able to share some of his insights with the two Taoist friends."

When Zhu Youjian heard that there were such eunuchs in the palace, his brows slightly frowned, and he felt that the eunuchs were greatly influenced by religion.

The Hongyang Sect, which is now declared an illegal religion, was spread with the support of eunuchs.

So he was very concerned about this matter and asked about it carefully.

After learning that Wei Xueyan was already over 80 years old and still in very good health, he became interested in this person and ordered:

"Please ask Wei Xueyan to come over and discuss Taoism with us."

Gao Shiming was also asked to take the lead in discussing Taoism with Zhang Jiugong and Wang Changyue.

Gao Shiming couldn't refuse, so he had to discuss it with the two of them.

He had compiled Taoist classics, so his level was certainly there. Moreover, the book he compiled, Yihua Yuanzong, was also a book on health preservation, which suited Zhu Youjian's taste quite well.

Although he didn't understand most of what they said, Zhu Youjian knew that these three people were quite capable. They were not fake Taoist priests like Song Xiance who could only play tricks.

After the three of them stopped, he asked:

"I want to learn some health preservation methods. How can you teach me?"

Zhang Jiugong and Wang Changyue were both delighted when they heard this.

What they feared most was that the emperor had no desires and did not need them at all.

It is a very good phenomenon that the emperor asked them for advice on how to maintain health.

They can be said to be very good at this method, and it is far less risky than teaching the emperor to cultivate immortality.

Wang Changyue wanted to promote the Three Pure Ones belief to the emperor, so he took the lead and said:

"The best way to preserve life and prolong life is to read the Great Mysterious Spiritual Treasure Sutra to Eliminate Disasters and Protect Life."

"Your Majesty, if you study the scriptures diligently, you will naturally understand the method of maintaining health."

Zhu Youjian frowned slightly when he heard his explanation. He felt that what the "Life-Protecting Sutra" said was too mysterious and not what he wanted.

Just as he was about to ask for more specific methods, Wei Xueyan, who had just arrived, said:

"The method of your Quanzhen Sect is first and foremost based on the word 'discipline'."

"Your Majesty is busy with state affairs and has to continue his lineage. How can you keep the precepts?"

"I personally think that Lu Xixing's method is the most suitable for your majesty to practice."

After saying this, Wang Changyue's expression suddenly changed.

Lu Xixing is also a Neidan Sect, but different from Quanzhen Sect. He is good at the Renyuan Dan method of Yin and Yang dual cultivation, which can be said to be a bedroom art.

This school is quite different from the Southern School passed down by Zhang Ziyang and the Northern School passed down by Wang Chongyang. Because Lu Xixing was from Yangzhou, it is also called the Eastern School.

It is now quite popular in Jiangnan and is loved by scholars and officials who like to indulge in sensual pleasures.

Wang Changyue considered this method to be unorthodox and would never mention it in front of the emperor.

But he heard that the emperor seemed quite interested in this, so he could only remain silent.

Anyway, it’s good enough to arouse the emperor’s interest in Taoism.

Taoism needs the emperor's approval to survive this disaster.

Zhu Youjian was quite interested in the dual cultivation of yin and yang, but he was more interested in Lu Xixing.

Because as far as he knew, the author of "The Investiture of the Gods" was most likely Lu Xixing. Xu Zhonglin was only the editor, not the original author.

After realizing the harm of "Water Margin", he ordered people to collect the novels that were currently circulating, intending to revise them to avoid causing harm.

He attached great importance to the novel "Investiture of the Gods", which almost laid the foundation for the later immortal system. He even planned to use this novel as a carrier to promote the re-established immortal system.

Now after hearing Lu Xixing's name, he asked:

"I heard that Investiture of the Gods was written by Lu Xixing. Is the system of gods and immortals in it recognized by Taoism today?"

Zhang Jiugong replied:

“I don’t know who wrote this book, but it contains many errors.”

"The so-called immortal system is also nonsense!"

Wang Changyue also holds the same view and does not agree with the system of gods in "The Investiture of the Gods".

Zhu Youjian nodded slightly and understood the current attitude of Taoism towards "The Investiture of the Gods".

He was somewhat dissatisfied with the immortal system in this novel, but the novel had a great influence, so he said:
"In that case, then we should revise novels like Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West that involve gods."

"We need to revise this type of novel based on the system of gods and immortals determined by the court."

"All novels involving gods and immortals need to be reviewed by the Taichang Temple and the Religious Association."

After confirming this attitude, Zhu Youjian specifically mentioned one thing, which was reported by the Jinyiwei Public Opinion Department when it investigated and dealt with banned books:

"There is a novel called 'The Legend of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl', in which the Cowherd stole the Weaver Girl's clothes and slandered the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl."

"The Taoist Association should pay more attention to this in the future and not let anyone arbitrarily stigmatize the gods."

Zhang Jiugong and Wang Changyue looked at each other in bewilderment when they heard this. They wondered why the emperor was so interested in this kind of erotic novel.

Little did they know that because of the spread of this novel in later generations, Niulang's reputation became the same as Dong Yong's, and he was regarded as a despicable man who stole clothes and forced women.

When Zhu Youjian learned that the story of Cowherd stealing clothes originated from a novel written by Zhu Mingshi during the Wanli period, he was shocked and determined to revise the book to prevent the reputation of the Cowherd from being ruined and misrepresented among the people.

He wants people to know that adaptation is not random editing, and that gods cannot be arranged arbitrarily. (End of this chapter)