The elite did not migrate south

Chapter 668 Who Avoids Who

Luoyang.

This is a two-story restaurant, very large and busy with people coming and going.

Cao Mao sat by the window on the second floor, looking at the diverse crowd in the distance.

"When I first came here, this restaurant was just a small courtyard. No more than six people could enter, and that was an old man and his child."

“Now that the old man is gone, this restaurant has become so huge.”

Ji Kang sat in front of Cao Mao, looking very interested.

This was the first time he went out privately with the emperor, and he was even a little excited.

With the completion of the great unification, these celebrities today are also particularly obedient, and their previous negative and escapist ideas are gradually being banned.

Even people like Ji Kang no longer have negative things as the core of their works.

He would occasionally write about the prosperity of Luoyang, sometimes about the strength of the Wei army, and sometimes when he was in a good mood, he would start writing about mountains, rivers and lakes.

Many writers were influenced by him, and the works of famous scholars also underwent major changes.

Of course, Cao Mao also contributed a lot to it. He occasionally wrote some poems, and the content was mostly heroic and majestic.

Cao Mao felt that he had single-handedly curbed the decadent trend in the entire world.

Looking at Ji Kang staring out the window in a daze, Cao Mao smiled and said, "Yesterday, I saw the poem you wrote in the palace. I was very excited. I brought you here for dinner today."

"If we talk about poetry in the Wei Dynasty, you are the best."

Ji Kang shook his head. "With Your Majesty here, how dare I claim to be number one? Your Majesty has the talent of Chen Si, which really makes me ashamed."

When talking about this incident, Cao Mao felt a little ashamed.

Although Cao Mao also had literary talent, it would be humiliating to compare his poetry with someone like Ji Kang.

There are many talented people in the Cao family. My great-grandfather Cao Cao was very good at writing poetry, my great-grandfather Cao Pi was very good at literary research, and there is no need to say much about my great-grandfather Cao Zhi, whose literary talent is well-known throughout China.

When the Goddess of Luo River comes out, it is like killing gods who stand in its way.
Cao Mao could not compare with them, and the same was true for Ji Kang. The reason why Ji Kang felt that he could compete with King Chen Si was thanks to Li Bai.

Ji Kang's writing style underwent a great change during these days.

The poem Cao Mao saw yesterday was the mountain and river poem written by Ji Kang. He wrote about Wangwu Mountain, and it was so majestic and heroic.

After reading it, Cao Mao couldn't help but want to take a walk there.

Cao Mao said, "I didn't like the poems people wrote before. Most of them were full of sorrow. They either expressed that they were not given important positions or lamented that there were no talented people in the world. They wanted to be indifferent to fame and fortune and hide away in the mountains."

"I'm finally willing to read poetry nowadays. While describing the same scenery, in the past it was all lamentation, but now it's all praise. It's truly completely different."

Ji Kang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, the mountains and rivers are still the same as before. They have not changed. It is people who have changed."

"In the past, when the Sima family was in power, they suppressed the world's talented people and perverted their ways. The people suffered greatly. Officials were corrupt, bandits were rampant, and they exploited the people. Morality was corrupt, and even beasts devoured people. The talented people were depressed and frustrated. Even if they traveled around, how could they find happiness?"

"Your Majesty has turned the world around, achieved great unification, cleaned up bureaucracy, encouraged agriculture and sericulture, educated the barbarians, and brought peace to the people of the world. Naturally, these mountains and rivers have become magnificent."

Cao Mao couldn't help but burst out laughing.

In the field of literature, the times do influence the overall trend of thought.

Under such changes, the ideas of these literati are gradually changing. Cao Mao feels that in a few years, the original negative style of writing will be completely replaced by the current style of Ji Kang.

It really feels like the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.

Cao Mao was very happy about this.

The two then talked about other famous poems. There are many poems in the world today, and celebrities write poems almost every day and then spread them everywhere.

However, Ji Kang did not think much of these poems.

Just as the two were communicating, there was a commotion and noise coming from downstairs.

The two stopped and looked down from the window.

All I saw was a cheer in the restaurant, and everyone ran out, with some even sticking their heads out to look outside.

Cao Mao narrowed his eyes. Ji Kang couldn't help but look at Cheng Ji who was standing beside him. "Mr. Cheng, please go down and ask what's going on outside!"

Cheng Ji took the order and went downstairs quickly.

A moment later, he came up.

"Your Majesty, I heard he was a Buddhist monk from Chang'an with a very strange name."

Cao Mao was still a little dazed, but Ji Kang suddenly realized.

"Then I know."

"Oh?"

Ji Kang explained, "Your Majesty, I have heard that there was a Buddhist monk named Zhu Fahu. He was a Yuezhi, and his family had lived in Dunhuang for generations. I heard that he studied under the Indians, so he changed his surname to Zhu. He was intelligent and could recite ten thousand words a day. He was proficient in the Six Classics, dabbled in the theories of hundreds of schools of thought, and was fluent in the languages of the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions."

"I heard that he brought back scriptures from the Western Regions. Previously, he was in Chang'an, dedicated to translating scriptures and teaching them to the people."

After Ji Kang said this, Cao Mao understood.

Oh, Tang Wei Monk, right?

So he is a monk who returned from seeking Buddhist scriptures.

Cao Mao frowned, lost in thought. Ji Kang continued, "I've heard that in Yongliang, there are many believers, and many call him Yuezhi Bodhisattva. Buddha is most widespread in the Western Regions. The Western Regions Chief Historian once said that the kings of Cheshi all believed in Buddha and even summoned their men to build Buddha statues, often conscripting tens of thousands of people."

Cao Mao suddenly asked, "What about the situation in the Central Plains? Are there many believers?"

Ji Kang pondered for a moment. "I can't say too much, but it's not nothing either." Ji Kang suddenly looked at Cao Mao. "Your Majesty, do you think there's anything wrong?"

Cao Mao shook his head. "No problem. This Zhu Fahu is a master who is well versed in the Six Classics and knows the knowledge of hundreds of schools of thought. I would like to meet him."

Ji Kang was stunned and said hurriedly, "Your Majesty! This Buddhist doctrine has no place in the ceremonial hall."

Cao Mao laughed. "Don't worry, Lord Ji. I just want to ask about the situation in the Western Regions and India. Hasn't he been to those places and is familiar with the local languages?"

"There are many people like him who are proficient in many languages of the Western Regions and have been to India. How about this, Cheng Ji, you go and bring him over!"

Ji Kang stood up hastily and said, "Your Majesty, I'll go. If Cheng Jun goes, I'm afraid this man won't be able to return alive."

Cao Mao nodded, and Ji Kang walked out immediately.

Cheng Ji said at this moment: "Your Majesty, these people are no different from Zhang Jiao and others back then. They are all gathering followers and recruiting them. I think this guy is the same as Zhang Jiao. It is better to arrest him and execute him directly!!"

Cao Mao glared at him.

"I finally found a talent who is proficient in the Western Regions and India, and you want to take his life?"

Cheng Ji smiled awkwardly and scratched his head, "Then it won't be too late to kill him after you've finished asking questions."

Cao Mao glared at him and said nothing more.

Too many temples are not a good thing for the world. A large number of laborers become idle and do not engage in farming. They act like powerful families, ruling the local areas and seizing land and money. Therefore, there have been many incidents in history where emperors took the lead in suppressing Buddhism.

The Jin Dynasty was indeed an era when Buddhism entered the Central Plains on a large scale and rose rapidly.

Cao Mao was drinking alone. After waiting for a while, Ji Kang came up with someone.

The guards led by Cao Mao blocked the door and kept the curious people outside. When they found that they could not see anything, they dispersed.

Cao Mao was looking at the monk in front of him at this moment.

He does have hair, but it's short, not the familiar bald head. However, even with such short hair, he can attract onlookers in the Central Plains.

If he was bald, wouldn’t it be scary?

He was not very old, had dark skin, looked tired, dressed very simply, and was rather thin.

He saluted Cao Mao.

"Greetings, gentleman."

Cao Mao just looked at him without answering.

This person was not angry at all, and stood in front of Cao Mao calmly and calmly.

Cao Mao suddenly asked, "I heard that you are proficient in the languages and scripts of the Western Regions, including those of India?"

This person said, "I know a little bit."

"Then sit down."

"Don't dare."

"Why?"

"If I don't kowtow in front of Your Majesty, it would be disrespectful. How dare I sit with Your Majesty?"

Cao Mao was stunned and looked at Ji Kang. Ji Kang shook his head and said, "I never told you."

Cao Mao was very curious, "How do you know my identity?"

"Your Majesty has an extraordinary appearance, a natural emperor's appearance, and sitting on the throne is terrifying."

"to be frank!"

Cao Mao interrupted him rudely.

The man smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, I know Ji Gong. I can't think of anyone else besides Your Majesty who would have Ji Kang standing by and serving him."

Ji Kang then burst into laughter. "Then what you just said about the emperor's appearance, were you deliberately trying to deceive His Majesty?!"

Zhu Fahu hurriedly shook his head, "How dare I? I'm just afraid that Your Majesty will blame me."

Cao Mao waved his hand and said, "Well, please sit down."

Only then did Zhu Fahu agree to take a seat.

Cao Mao suddenly asked, "I've heard that many temples have been built in the Western Regions and even in Yongliang, and that many of them have Buddha statues. If I were to see a Buddha statue, who would give way to whom?"

Zhu Fahu answered without hesitation: "Of course it is the Buddha who gave way to Your Majesty."

"Why?"

"Your Majesty has unified the country, appeased the people of the world, and practiced benevolent governance. Such merits would be accorded to even the ancient sages, let alone a Buddhist monk."

Cao Mao was overjoyed.

"No wonder you have so many followers. Your eloquence is truly remarkable. How many disciples do you have now?"

"I heard that when Zhang Jue was preaching in various places, he had more than thirty disciples following him. You must have fewer disciples now, right?"

Zhu Fahu only felt his legs tremble slightly.

"Your Majesty, I have never accepted any disciples."

"Oh? You never accepted a disciple?"

"Your Majesty, I only translated the classics to inform the world. I have never accepted any disciples, nor have I done anything that violates the law."

(End of this chapter)