My father is Jiajing

Inside the Wuying Hall, a wisp of incense smoke rose vertically and lingered on the beams.

Zhu Zaigui sat on the main throne in the Wuying Hall, his eyes sweeping over the three religious leaders who were coming to meet him again in the hall.

The great living Buddha from the snowy plateau was still dressed as solemnly as last time, wearing a crimson cassock and shaking a gilded prayer wheel in his hand, looking dignified and extremely pious.

There is also Li Zhenren from Wudang Mountain, who is also wearing the most solemn Taoist robe bestowed by the emperor, with a long-standing Tai Chi jade pendant hanging around his waist. He looks as gentle as water and has a bit of an immortal look.

Master Zhang of Mount Longhu is not much inferior to the previous two. After all, in terms of background, the Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu can be traced back to the rise of the Taoist temple in the Eastern Han Dynasty and has been the ancestral temple of Taoism until today. He wears a purple Taoist robe that represents the highest standard of Zhengyi Taoism. Even the thunder pattern embroidery on the cuffs seems to have faint purple light flowing at a glance. It can be seen how impressive the outfit of this contemporary Master Zhang is!

At this moment, the three of them sat at separate tables, keeping a perfect distance from each other.

After Zhu Zaigui's gaze swept over them, it fell on the Living Buddha monk.

Zhu Zaigui asked, "I heard that the Master has recently been translating and annotating the Kalachakra Sutra at Miaoying Temple. Do you have any experience with this?"

The Living Buddha turned the gilded prayer wheel, and the dzi beads on his wrist made a crisp sound. He bowed to Zhu Zaigui and said, "Your Highness, I am grateful for your inquiry. I was just about to report this matter to Your Highness."

"I have recently studied this sutra and gained a lot of insights. The sutra contains the saying 'The Golden Wheel Holy King governs the four continents'. When I was thinking about this sentence, I had a lot of inspiration. Even when I was meditating, I had a lot of Buddha's revelations."

"The Buddha said: The truth is in the East, and the great virtue carries the origin. I pondered for several days, and then I heard that the word "坖" in your name means "upper Yuan and lower Tu". I suddenly understood the true meaning of the Buddha's words. Your Highness is the place where the Buddha revealed the true Dharma in the world to me!"

After saying this, the Living Buddha took out a thangka from his arms and said, "Your Highness, please look at this. This is a thousand-year-old portrait of the Chakravartin. This portrait looks very similar to yours, so I am sure that your Highness is the living master that the Buddha has revealed to me, the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva."

“Therefore, I beg Your Highness to accept the initiation ceremony, rule over the four Buddhist kingdoms, guide the pious people of our Snowland to paradise, and protect the myriad worlds.”

The Living Buddha's words were so corny that Zhu Zaigui couldn't help blushing, but he also couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly.

The snowy plateau is different from other places. If the imperial court wants to rule and manage this place effectively, it must add this layer of mysterious Buddha's revelation and deify the rulers of the Central Plains into the incarnation of Bodhisattva who can replace the Buddha to govern the world.

Otherwise, simply using secular laws to manage and rule these places will never convince ordinary people who have already been devout to the Buddha's teachings to the core.

Therefore, with such a deified identity, he can not only intervene in the affairs of the Snow Region openly, but also become the spiritual leader of the people of the Snow Region, thus completing the preparations for the actual rule of the Snow Region Plateau.

At the same time, Li Zhenren from Wudang Mountain suddenly coughed lightly, swept his whisk across the table, and performed a Taoist bow to Zhu Zaigui.

Li Zhenren said, "Your Highness, I have been praying devoutly to the Great Emperor Zhenwu these past two days. The Great Emperor Zhenwu enlightened me in a dream, saying: Zhenwu should go north, there is a limit, step on a tortoise and snake, and bless the world. Today, when I saw Your Highness, I saw the tortoise and snake under your feet. It can be seen that the words of the Great Emperor Zhenwu foretold me were exactly for Your Highness."

After saying this, Master Li also took out a volume of the revelation classics of the Great Emperor Zhenwu from his arms and respectfully placed it in front of Zhu Zaigui.

Zhu Zaigui couldn't help laughing when he saw Master Li presenting the classic revelation of the Great Emperor Zhenwu. Although this classic was extremely luxurious, it exuded a feeling that could not be newer.

Obviously, this is the classic revelation of the Great Emperor Zhenwu that Master Li hastily produced within a few days.

But these are not important. What is important is whether this matter can be believed by people. As long as people believe it, even if this revelation classic is new, it is also the real revelation of the Great Emperor!
Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain saw that his two colleagues had spoken one after another, and he certainly couldn't be left behind.

You must know that in the land of Ming Dynasty, whether the Taoist tradition is orthodox or not is decided by the imperial court.

If the imperial court recognizes the orthodoxy of this immortal Taoist tradition, then the force it represents will be the best among all Taoist sects and the leader of all Taoist sects in the world!
Therefore, Longhu Mountain certainly cannot fall behind at this time, otherwise it will let Wudang Mountain steal the limelight and become the immortal temple recognized by the Ming royal family, which will be a huge blow to Longhu Mountain.

After all, more than a hundred years ago, Wudang Mountain was a small mountain and sect that was nothing. However, it took advantage of the potential stock of Emperor Yongle and packaged Emperor Yongle as the reincarnation of Emperor Zhenwu. It emphasized the sacredness of Emperor Yongle's conquest of the north, and thus Wudang Mountain gained unprecedented support.

This led to a popular saying at the time: Build the Imperial Palace in the north and build Wudang in the south!

It can be seen that since the Yongle Dynasty, Wudang Mountain has become a royal Taoist temple that is comparable to the imperial palace in the capital.

Not only was the Great Emperor Zhenwu from the north enshrined there, it also became the most dazzling Taoist temple for gods in the Ming Dynasty.

To be honest, this kind of grandeur makes Longhu Mountain feel a sense of crisis.

After all, before the Ming Dynasty, the head of Longhu Mountain could be called "Heavenly Master". But after Emperor Hongwu established the Ming Dynasty, he had objections to the word "Heavenly Master". Zhu Yuanzhang thought, "How can there be a master in heaven?"

Therefore, the Tianshi Mansion was changed to "Da Zhenren Mansion", and the Tianshi was changed to "Da Zhenren". It was not until the 16th year of the Republic of China that Longhu Mountain changed the gate that Zhu Yuanzhang changed back to its original name "Successor Han Tianshi Mansion"!
It can be seen that during the Ming Dynasty, the status of Longhu Mountain was suppressed to some extent, and it was no longer as glorious as it was during the Yuan Dynasty!

You should know that during the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, named Zhang Zongyan, the 36th Heavenly Master of the Longhu Sect of the Zhengyi Taoism, as the "Successor Heavenly Master of Han Dynasty" and conferred him the title of first-rank official, which made the Heavenly Master's Mansion have the reputation of "the Prime Minister's House in Longhu Mountain".

But unfortunately, the honor of the Yuan Dynasty could not be brought to the Ming Dynasty, so with the rise of the Ming Dynasty, the titles and glory that Longhu Mountain once obtained were also buried in the dust.

Now it is another critical moment, Longhushan cannot let down.

Zhang Zhenren from Mount Longhu also stood up at this moment and bowed respectfully to Zhu Zaigui, and said hurriedly: "Your Highness, I also have the true words that the ancestor has clearly revealed!"

Zhu Zaiqi looked at Master Zhang of Mount Longhu in surprise, "What is the true words of the founder of Mount Longhu?"

Master Zhang of Mount Longhu also immediately repeated what he had been thinking about for several days, and said something similar to what the Living Buddha monk, Master Li of Mount Wudang had said. He swore that Zhu Zaigui was the reincarnation of a true emperor in the Shangqing Heaven, and then he took out a token as evidence!

Zhu Zaigui listened to their words and finally couldn't help laughing.

Zhu Zaigui asked: "How can I be so great and capable that I can be the incarnation of so many immortals and Buddhas?"

The three of them looked at each other and bowed together, "Your Highness, the immortal Buddha's Dharma is boundless and illuminates the myriad worlds. You are the living immortal Buddha!"

The hall suddenly fell silent, and the other Ming officials who were accompanying them could not help but be secretly amazed. These religious masters were really extraordinary. They could be so humble, more open-minded than these senior bureaucrats who were striving for advancement.

However, it is fortunate that these masters cannot participate in politics or interfere in government affairs, otherwise, with their abilities, they can even say that the dead are alive!
Zhu Zaigui raised the corners of his lips slightly. This was the situation he had been expecting.

Now these three religious leaders seem to be saying different things, but in fact they are all putting their chips in front of him, trying to gain more support and recognition from the court.

Zhu Zaigui waved his hand and asked someone to present the treasures presented by the three religious leaders. He stretched out his hand and unfolded the thangka. The portrait of the Chakravartin with the seven treasures was indeed shining with golden light and extremely heavy. "Master, you are thoughtful."

Zhu Zai's fingertips stroked the wheel of gold powder, and he said to the Living Buddha: "I heard that the initiation of Tantric Buddhism requires complete instruments. I wonder what instruments they are?"

The Living Buddha put his hands together and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, please understand. The Manjusri wisdom initiation requires a golden bottle, a silver mirror, and glass prayer beads."

As he mentioned each item, he took the corresponding Dharma instrument from the accompanying lama and placed it on the table. Finally, he took out a five-Buddha crown inlaid with lapis lazuli and said, "This is the Dharma crown worn by Manjushri Bodhisattva in the legend. Please judge for yourself, Your Highness."

Not wanting to be outdone, Li Zhenren of Wudang Mountain pulled out a scroll of silk from his sleeve and said, "Your Highness, this is the Tai Chi Diagram written by Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of Wudang Mountain. I would like to present it to Your Highness to help him comprehend the Way of Heaven."

Seeing these two colleagues making such a great effort, Zhang Zhenren of Longhu Mountain took off the jade seal from his waist and presented it to them respectfully, "Your Highness, this is the seal of Yangping Zhidu Gong, which was handed down by the ancestor Tianshi himself. It can suppress the fortune of mountains and rivers."

Zhu Zaigui looked at the increasing number of sacred objects on the table and suddenly chuckled.

He stood up and walked to the gilded bronze crane incense burner, adding a spoonful of ambergris to the burner: "The three masters all have treasures, and I don't know what to do."

As the incense mist rose, the Living Buddha suddenly leaned forward and bowed to Zhu Zaigui: "Your Highness, the leaders of 180,000 households in the Snow Region have jointly written a letter, wishing to respect Your Highness as the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva."

After saying this, he took out a roll of yak skin paper from his cassock and covered it with vermilion fingerprints.

When Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain and Master Li of Wudang Mountain saw that the Living Buddha monk actually played like this, they were both stunned for a moment.

After all, the famous mountain temple where they are located is not like the snowy plateau where the Living Buddha monk is located, which can influence local governance.

So at this moment, Longhu Mountain and Wudang Mountain seem somewhat dwarfed by comparison.

Zhu Zaigui looked at the Living Buddha and suddenly asked, "Master, if I receive the initiation, how should I treat the believers on the snowy plateau?"

The Living Buddha's eyes sparkled, and he immediately bowed again and said, "It should be as Master Tsongkhapa said, 'The unity of politics and religion benefits all sentient beings.'"

After listening to the Living Buddha's words, Zhu Zai looked at Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain and said, "Master Zhang, it is said that the Upper Pure Land Purple Thunder Method can communicate with ghosts and gods. Can it ensure good weather and good harvests in the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhang Zhenren of Mount Longhu stood up solemnly, bowed to Zhu Zaigui, and said respectfully: "Your Highness is the living god of the Shangqing Emperor. Wherever the Five Thunders command, demons and monsters will surely be exposed. The Ming Dynasty will surely have good weather and peace in the world!"

Finally, Zhu Zaigui looked at Li Zhenren of Wudang Mountain and asked, "If the Great Emperor Zhenwu guards the north, can he protect the territory of the Ming Dynasty forever?"

The old Taoist flicked his whisk and said, "Your Highness has a tortoise and snake under his feet, and has prepared a million divine soldiers. The territory of the Ming Dynasty will be immortal under your rule! It will catch up with the ancient prosperity!"

Zhu Zaigui suddenly clapped his hands and laughed.

He turned and walked to the "Complete Map of the Territory of the Ming Dynasty" hanging in the center of the hall, and traced his finger over the winding nine-border defense line: "In this case, I will not refuse any more."

"From now on, Master can be the Grand Master of Protecting the Nation, receive the golden seal and purple ribbon, and take charge of the Snow Region temples; Wudang Mountain will allocate one million silver to expand the Zhenwu Great Emperor's dojo; Longhu Mountain will be awarded the golden plaque of 'Legendary Thunder Method'!"

When the three religious leaders heard Zhu Zaigui’s meaning, they immediately showed expressions of great joy on their faces.

The three of them bowed together: "Your Highness, thank you for your grace!"

Then Zhu Zaigui said: "But I still need you to do three things."

The three religious leaders held their breath at the same time, bowed respectfully to Zhu Zaigui again, and continued to listen to the prince's edict.

Zhu Zaigui said: "First, all temples in the Snow Region should set up the Great Ming Dragon Flag, chant sutras and pray for the good fortune of the country on the first and fifteenth days of each month. And convey the good news and grace of the Great Ming Emperor to the people of the Snow Region, so that the people of the Snow Region can enjoy the grace of the emperor just like the people of the Han area!"

The Living Buddha monk immediately bowed and said, "I will obey the Holy Order!"

Then Zhu Zaigui looked at Zhang Zhenren of Longhu Mountain and said, "Secondly, Longhu Mountain must pray for blessings and fasting at the Longhu Mountain Taoist temple before the frost falls every year, praying for good weather and good harvests in the Ming Dynasty and peace and prosperity for the world. In the name of the emperor, the people around Longhu Mountain should be blessed and exempted from one-third of the rent for the land they rented and cultivated in Longhu Mountain."

After hearing this, Master Zhang of Longhu Mountain gritted his teeth and accepted it. The farmland of Longhu Mountain accounts for nearly one-tenth of the entire Jiangxi Province. If one-third of it was exempted, it would be a huge number.

But in order for Longhu Mountain to last longer, he still bowed deeply to Zhu Zaigui: "I will obey the imperial edict!"

Zhu Zaigui then looked at Master Li of Wudang Mountain, his eyes slightly fixed, and he said softly: "Third, after the expansion of the Zhenwu Great Emperor Taoist temple in Wudang Mountain, the statue of Zhenwu Great Emperor in the main hall must be newly sculpted based on the image of Emperor Chengzu, and the statue in the back hall must be re-sculpted based on my face."

After Zhu Zaigui finished speaking, Li Zhenren of Wudang Mountain bowed respectfully without any hesitation: "I will obey the imperial edict!"

Zhu Zaigui looked at the three people bowing to him, and suddenly he felt a heavy sense of responsibility on his shoulders.

Although Zhu Zaigui did not like to deify himself in this way so as to gain more power and popular influence.

But that was the limitation of the times, and he couldn't practice atheism in the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, throughout the dynasties, there are many cases of deifying emperors as certain gods or bodhisattvas.

Even for a little cutie like Chongzhen and a stamp expert like Qianlong, it is clear that this kind of thing is a political need and there is no question of the unity of politics and religion.

What's more, the legal system of the emperors in the Central Plains does not require this. They only need to complete their legal rule over the border areas through this deified method.

As for the real means of ruling, it should still be based on the secular orders issued by the central government!

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Ask for monthly ticket~~(End of this chapter)