The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 363 The Return of Dongming, the Spread of Buddhism Eastward

Overseas, Dongming Island.

The large ship was anchored in the harbor. The distant sea was calm, with only gentle ripples creating waves. On the rocky shore, two figures stood firm, unmoved by the crashing waves and the gentle breeze that lifted their skirts.

These two women, one a graceful and beautiful woman and the other a youthful girl, bore a striking resemblance. They were none other than Shan Meixian and her daughter, who were now in power on Dongming Island.

Shan Meixian gazed into the distance, a faint sadness appearing in her gentle eyes. "Wanjing, Mother plans to return to the Central Plains."

Shan Wanjing was surprised that her mother would have such a thought, and immediately asked, "Mother, we are doing well on Dongming Island, why do we want to go back?"

Shan Meixian raised the corner of her eye slightly, her voice light and cheerful, "Mother's enemy is dead. Although Dongming Island is our base, it's too small, far from our homeland in the Central Plains. It would be fine if I were alone, but how can I let you stay on this small island in the future?"

“You’ve been to the Central Plains before, and its prosperity is incomparable to that of Dongming Island. From now on, we’ll be living there.” Her words were filled with hope for the future.

God knows how relieved she felt when she saw Bian Bufu's head. The resentment that had been building up in her heart for decades finally erupted. That day, she cried, which was rare for her, and cried for a long time.

But she deeply understood that she was able to take revenge not because of Dongming Island, but because of that person who fulfilled his promise in just a few years, something she couldn't have imagined at the beginning.

She was well aware of the power of the Yin Kui Sect. Bian lived up to his name as the Demon Hidden One, and he was not so easy to kill. In her opinion, even if that person was highly skilled in martial arts and had the Song Clan backing him, she might not be able to kill him easily.

The world is vast, and if someone is determined to escape and hides in the deep mountains and forests, finding him is as difficult as climbing to heaven.

She never expected that the Song Clan uprising would happen so quickly, sweeping across the country in less than a few years and becoming another unified nation after Yang Jian. With such a powerful force as its backer, even the Yin Kui faction had no choice but to submit.

With just a few words, Zhu Yuyan had no choice but to obediently offer up his head.

When she learned the news, she felt like she was dreaming, as if it were unreal, and her long-cherished wish had been fulfilled.

After Bian Bufu's head was delivered, she did not let him go just because he was dead. Instead, she had his skull made into lacquerware, so that he would never be able to rise again. Only in this way could she relieve her hatred.

Hearing her mother describe the future, Shan Wanjing's bright eyes lit up with hope, but then she shook her head. "But Mother, we've finally managed to take control of the Dongming Sect. Are we really going to give up now?"

Shan Meixian patted her little head and smiled, "Now, it's time to tell you your mother's true identity."

As she spoke, she recounted her background and experiences word by word. While she spoke, she was very calm, without resentment or distortion, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

"Mother, I never knew you had it so hard..."

Upon hearing this, Shan Wanjing's eyes were already filled with tears. She threw herself into her mother's arms and cried loudly. She had never imagined that her mother had such a painful past. Thinking of Zhu Yuyan and that man, she felt a deep hatred in her heart.

She and her mother had to survive on this island because of them, and she felt even more sorry for her mother's hardships.

Shan Meixian hugged her daughter, patted her back gently, and comforted her, "It's alright, it's all in the past. Bian Bufu is dead, and your mother can take you back to the Central Plains with peace of mind. No one will care about us anymore."

Previously, she rarely ventured into the Central Plains, fearing that she might encounter Bian Bufu again. If that demon knew she had a daughter, he would certainly not let it go. For those in the demonic path, a mother and daughter sharing a meal was not a difficult task.

After crying for a while, Shan Wanjing finally suppressed her emotions, wiped away her tears, and asked worriedly, "Mother, if we go back to the Central Plains, won't that woman come looking for us? What if she comes knocking on our door again?"

Upon hearing this, Shan Meixian revealed a cold smile. "Even if they come knocking on our door, so what? The Yin Kui Sect is not the same as it used to be, and I am not the same as I used to be. They won't dare to touch me. On the contrary, they will have to treat us with utmost respect."

"Why?" Shan Wanjing blinked, looking completely bewildered.

"Have you forgotten where all the weapons we've built over the past few years have been sent?"

With a gentle remark, Shan Wanjing suddenly realized, "That's right, with the Song family backing us, that woman wouldn't dare to do anything to us."

Shan Meixian looked at her with doting eyes, "You can refer to yourself as the Song Clan here, but once you reach the Central Plains, you must refer to yourself as the Imperial Court, understand?"

Shan Wanjing stuck out her tongue and said playfully, "Mom, I know."

"I don't plan to keep Dongming Island and Dongming Sect anymore. I fought here just to give my daughter and me a place to live. Now that our enemies are dead, there's no point in maintaining this."

As she spoke, Shan Meixian turned and looked into the distance, where the Dongming Sect's headquarters were located.

"I plan to offer this place to the imperial court, along with the weapon forging and smelting technology of the Dongming Sect. With these, my daughter and I will have more security. With two Grandmasters in charge of the imperial court, anyone who wants to touch us will have to think twice."

Shan Meixian, having risen from a solitary woman to become the leader of the Dongming Sect, naturally possessed both courage and vision. For her, any foundation was meaningless; only imperial favor and the court's protection were real. The Dongming Sect was the first force to support the Song Clan, and now that the Song Clan had transformed itself into a nation, they would not treat them unfairly.

However, feelings always fade with time. It's uncertain whether Song Que, as a monarch, will remember them. Giving away the foundation of the Dongming Sect will increase his bargaining power.

and……

Thinking of this, she looked back at her silly daughter and sighed softly, hoping that she could find her ideal husband in the Central Plains.

"Mother, don't worry. Even if the imperial court doesn't care about us, no one will dare to touch us because of our friendship with those two boys." A thoughtful look flashed across Shan Wanjing's face as she thought of the two people.

"them?"

Two ragged figures appeared in Shan Meixian's eyes. Years ago, she had met them by chance and, out of compassion, had rescued these two thugs. But who could have imagined that life's encounters would be so bizarre?

The two petty thugs of yesteryear have now transformed into some of the most prominent figures in the world. One is Emperor Song Que's personal disciple and a powerful general in the court, while the other is the disciple of the number one person in the world and a universally acknowledged Daoist disciple.

Thinking about all this gave her a feeling of unreality. These changes were too bizarre; it would be hard for anyone to believe if she told them.

At this moment, she looked at her daughter again, and a thought suddenly popped into her mind: it would be great if her daughter could marry one of them. But the next moment, she shook her head inwardly. It might have been possible in the past, but now the gap between their statuses was too great, and it was impossible.

"Let's go, Wanjing, let's go back."

... Several days later, a series of large five-toothed ships docked beside Dongming Island. People dressed in official robes stepped down from them, and Shan Meixian and her daughter led the Dongming Sect members to complete the handover.

Then, she returned to the Central Plains with her daughter and dozens of maids, carrying the wealth she had accumulated over the years. As for the remaining members of the Dongming Sect, it was no longer her concern; Dongming Island would belong to the imperial court from then on.

……

Luoyang, Zhenguan Hall.

Song Que lay on the table, saw a memorial, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

With the world newly settled, he had no choice but to temporarily put aside martial arts and devote himself to politics. When he saw the memorials from his subordinates that mentioned the Dongming Sect, he suddenly remembered the time when the Song Clan rose to power.

Without the weapons supply from the Dongming faction, the Song clique would not have been able to successfully expand its army and then take over Shu as its base.

He always remembered this kindness, and since the other party was so understanding, he was generous with his reward.

"Someone is coming."

The next moment, a palace servant stepped forward to greet him, "Your Majesty."

"The Ministry of Personnel was ordered to draft an imperial edict, bestowing upon Lady Shan the title of Lady of the Eastern Sea, a fifth-rank official."

"promise."

Just as Shan Meixian and her daughter returned to Luoyang, they received an imperial decree, which overwhelmed them with immense joy. The title of Fifth-Rank Imperial Lady meant that Shan Meixian would now have an official status, and with this protection, their lives would be much more secure.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, Shan Meixian kowtowed repeatedly towards the direction of the palace. After the palace servants left, she burst into tears of excitement. Ever since that incident years ago, she had never felt safe. Only now, with this imperial decree, did she finally feel at ease.

……

A small island in Japan.

Ships docked one after another, and then monks dressed in monastic robes disembarked. A young novice monk looked at the desolate island and asked in confusion, "Master, why do we risk crossing the ocean to come to this barbaric land overseas?"

Upon hearing this question, the old monk sighed deeply, “Amitabha, the Central Plains has become a land of trouble, and calamity has befallen Buddhism. Only this barbarian land can worship my Buddha.”

The young novice nodded as if he understood, and imitated his master by chanting the Buddhist mantra, "Amitabha."

The impact of the Wu Kingdom's suppression of Buddhism was enormous, and its influence on Buddhism was unprecedented. Previously, the suppression of Buddhism by Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei and Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, Yuwen Yong, was merely an act of separatist regimes.

Even the suppression of Buddhism by Emperor Wuzong of Tang and Chai Rong of Later Zhou was carried out by a portion of the northern regimes, which made the suppression of Buddhism very incomplete.

However, this time, Song Que, as the founding monarch of a unified country, promoted this matter. Even though the officials below him made mistakes in implementation, under the general trend, the power of Buddhism suffered an unprecedented blow.

Whether in the south or the north, officials everywhere were investigating temples and their land, confiscating temple funds and grain, and forcing young monks to return to secular life. In the south, the government carried out the investigation even more thoroughly, because this was where Song Que started his career.

Coincidentally, the South is where Buddhism is most powerful. This can be traced back to Emperor Wu of Liang, who was a devout Buddhist. His line, "Four hundred and eighty temples in the Southern Dynasties, how many pavilions are shrouded in mist and rain," speaks volumes about the rise and fall of the world and also shows the strength of Buddhism.

However, these situations have now been contained. The money, food, population, and land of the Buddhist temples can greatly supplement the financial deficit of the new dynasty. Even if some officials believe in and worship Buddhism, few can remain calm in the face of these gleaming gold and bronze Buddhas.

What is Buddha compared to money?
May I ask the Buddha, how many teachers did he have?

Even if the imperial court took the lion's share and the lower-level officials took a smaller share, it was still a considerable income. This was the grand and powerful force, and with everyone working together, the will to suppress Buddhism was thoroughly implemented.

It could be said that when Buddhism fell, the imperial court ate its fill.

The wealth accumulated over hundreds of years could not be offered to Buddha; it all benefited the imperial court.

Such a generous gift is rare and hard to come by. This is a one-time opportunity to harvest the wealth of Buddhist monks. It will be very difficult for Buddhist monks to accumulate so much wealth and resources in the future. It is just like since the Song and Ming dynasties, no monarch has set his sights on Buddhism.

Why? It's simply because it's not worth it. The Buddhist community's coffers have been nearly depleted by previous emperors. Even if some temples are very wealthy, it's not worth risking the people's hearts for that money.

When faith is prevalent, it becomes, to a certain extent, part of the people's sentiments.

Originally, the Taoist sect was also capable of doing this. With the phrase "The Azure Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise," they brought down the Eastern Han Dynasty. Later, with the Five Pecks of Rice sect, the Taoist sect gradually became complacent, focusing on the upper class. Those who wanted to stay at home stayed at home, and those who wanted to refine elixirs refined elixirs.

If the Song dynasty had revered Taoism and suppressed Buddhism, there would have been no Yellow Turban Rebellion like in the Eastern Han dynasty, because the Taoist community would now be fragmented, with major sects such as Louguan Taoism, Maoshan Sect, and Celestial Master's Mansion.

These sects all follow different paths, making it difficult for them to unite as one. Naturally, they cannot instigate rebellion, and Taoism has lost its popular support, making it utterly incapable of achieving anything. Therefore, Song Que was not worried that Taoism would become a hidden danger.

Of course, it wasn't without its flaws. If a successor ruler of Wu were to become obsessed with alchemy and immortality cultivation, it would be entirely possible that he would neglect state affairs. However, once such a figure appeared, even if the Daoist sect did not flourish, it wouldn't change anything.

Thus, against the backdrop of the Wu Kingdom's suppression of Buddhism, Buddhism from the Central Plains spread eastward, bringing the dawn of civilization to this desolate island in Japan.

When the holy monk arrived, Japan rose to prominence; when Buddhism arrived, Japan enjoyed peace.

Upon hearing that a large number of monks from the Central Plains were crossing the sea to Japan, the various separatist forces in Japan disregarded the ongoing war and rushed to send people to welcome the eminent monks. In Japan, people from the Central Plains were considered superior and were seen as symbols of civilization.

However, the monks who were able to cross the sea to the east used to live in wealthy temples. They were literate and had all sorts of life skills, which, in a sense, were exactly what the backward Japanese people needed now.

Without the influence of the Central Plains, even after thousands of years, this small island in Japan would not have developed a brilliant civilization. Their vision was limited, and their knowledge was confined to a small area, so naturally they could not have nurtured a profound cultural heritage.

Thus, after leaving the Central Plains, Buddhism took root in this land and profoundly influenced Japan in the future.

(End of this chapter)