The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 761: Cihang Pudu Enters Qiangtang

The sectarian struggles and political-religious struggles on the Qiangtang Plateau have actually always been very fierce, far from being as peaceful as outsiders imagine. It can even be said that there is no trace of the Buddhist image of being indifferent to the world.

In other words, Buddhism's non-aggression only applies to the Central Plains. This is the result of the Three Wus and One Zong using horizontal swords to chop, and Confucian culture using soft knives to stab.

Plateau Tantric Buddhism has not experienced these things, so it is absolutely impossible for them to be indifferent to the world.

From the original Bon religion, to the combination of Chinese Buddhism brought by Princess Wencheng and Buddhism directly from India, and finally to Tibetan Buddhism, there has been constant struggle for thousands of years.

There have been countless struggles between and within sects, and countless so-called great masters have died.

The political power and the religious sects were so strong that even the Tibetan king could not save his life.

The reason is probably because the benefits are too great.

Religion is the most important part of life in Qiangtang. From body to wealth, a large number of people are controlled in all aspects. This is completely different from the Han temples collecting voluntary or involuntary incense money.

Therefore, the Han people would at most make some minor moves, but in Qiangtang, they would use every possible means, just like conquering the world.

Zheng Xin had been in Xining for ten years and could already speak standard Lanyin Mandarin. His taste had also changed from rice rolls, porridge, rice noodles, braised goose, fish balls, and beef balls to Northwestern Erxi ramen, stuffed skin, and hand-pulled lamb chops.

Therefore, he was very clear about how great the benefits of becoming a respected Buddha in this land would be.

This great Chinese hero in history, after losing the Kingdom of Siam that he had built, learned his lesson and fell into madness for a while. Finally, after painful enlightenment, he found a new goal in life.

That is to replace the Great Perfection Wisdom Master and become the master of the entire plateau. Now that Siam in Southeast Asia is gone, a Buddhist country on the plateau will be established.

For this reason, as soon as Fu Kang'an arrived, Zheng Xin was eager to meet him. After finding out that Fu Kang'an was indeed worthy of his reputation and could deal with the Gurkhas and pacify the plateau, Zheng Xin immediately decided to go all in.

As expected of Chaoshan people, they really work hard and love to gamble, but they just don't use the right means to do things.

The first step after meeting Fu Kangan was for Zheng Xin to invite the great scholar Master Zhenbao to Xining City.

At this time, around Xining, there were two areas belonging to the Great Perfection Wisdom Master and the Treasure Scholar Master, which were called the Master Khenpo’s grazing grounds.

A Khenpo is the closest monk to the Great Perfection Wisdom Master and the Great Treasure Scholar Master, and is almost equivalent to a eunuch around the emperor of the Central Plains.

Among them, the abbot of the Great Perfection Wisdom Master was located in the area of Ulan County in Haixi, Qinghai Province in later generations, and the abbot of the Great Treasure Scholar Master was located in the areas of Gonghe County and Xinghai County in Hainan, Qinghai Province.

This was allowed by the central court and was also one of the means to restrain the two masters.

Because these two grazing lands were nothing compared to the eighteen provinces of Han area, and were extremely poor, but in Qiangtang, they were already quite wealthy. Even with the status of the two masters, they were reluctant to give up such a Kanbu grazing land.

So when the Gurkhas entered Resa with the help of an insider, Master Zhenbao, a great scholar, took his officials and followers to his abbot's pasture, waiting for the court to step in to deal with the Gurkhas.

In response to the invitation of Taksin, the Compassionate and Universal Buddha, the Seventh Treasure Scholar Master Danbei Nyima, who just turned sixteen this year, quickly brought his monks to meet Taksin.

The legitimate father-in-law of the emperor and the number one boss in Chaoshan is so powerful. The two have equal status. It can even be said that Zheng Xin, the Cihang Pudu Zun Buddha who was forced in by the court, is not as good as Danbenima in status and influence. But Danbenima still came quickly without showing off.

"The imperial court is ready to wipe out the rebels, expel the Gurkhas, and restore peace to Qiangtang." Zheng Xin said directly without reservation.

"Amitabha!" Danbenima put his hands together and chanted the Buddha's name. The monks behind him and some Kashag officials loyal to the court all showed joy on their faces.

"We have finally waited for this moment. All invaders and those who betrayed the court will pay the price!"

The young Danbenima shouted loudly, and his face soon turned red due to excitement and anger.

In Qiangtang, the lineage of Zhenbao scholars has always been very dedicated to safeguarding national unity and being loyal to the central dynasty.

The original reason was largely because the lineage of Master Zhenbao had always been weaker than the lineage of Master Dzogchen Wisdom in terms of strength and influence, so they had to cling to the Central Dynasty to consolidate their position.

Of course, this does not mean that the lineage of Master Zhenbao, a great scholar, is devoted to the country out of practical calculations and has no natural patriotism.

Culture can be passed down and is hereditary.

When many generations of great scholars and masters of the Sutra Library were devoted to the country, their successors were inevitably influenced by this, so that this patriotic style became their most distinctive inheritance.

In history, Danbenima experienced turbulent events such as the Gurkha invasion, but he always firmly maintained national unity and believed that Qiangtang was an inseparable part of the country.

"And before the war begins, I believe that the emperor's edict will arrive soon, requiring the Great Perfection Wisdom Master and the Holy Sage to go to the capital." Zheng Xin continued slowly, obviously hinting at something.

The seventh great master, the great treasure scholar Danbenima, was a little confused, but the monk behind him understood.

Someone looked at Taksin and asked, "Venerable Buddha, the Great Perfection Wisdom Master has gone to the capital, so who will go to Rasa to stabilize the situation?"

Looking at the suspicious looks of these monks, Zheng Xin did not avoid them at all. He stood up and shook his plain golden lotus robe.

“You guessed correctly, the one heading to Resa to take charge is naturally me.

As for the Great Perfection Wisdom Master, I don't think he will have the chance to come back. His Majesty the Emperor is also a Buddhist, and he must be very happy to have the Great Perfection Wisdom Master by his side every day to explain the meaning of the sutras."

Some of the monks were sweating coldly. The Great Master of Wisdom was so difficult to deal with that he made them breathless. If another Buddha with a bigger background, more ruthless methods and more ambitious intentions came along, life would be even more difficult.

Danbenima was also a little shocked, but his reaction was not strong, because since he was recognized as the reincarnation of Lingzhuzi, he has been studying Buddhism and various etiquette and rules for more than ten years, and has spent some years in the capital and Mount Wutai, and has not tasted the sweetness of power.

But the monks and officials behind him were very fierce in their attitude, because the master was a transient official, while they were the permanent government office.

"Respected Buddha, we Tibetans will not obey the orders of a Han Chinese, and we will not recognize a Han Chinese as the Respected Buddha in Tibet." said a monk official wearing a floral robe and smelling of cow dung.

"Bang!" Zheng Xin didn't say anything. Nie Jieren, who was standing beside him, slammed his hand on the desk. "How dare you! The Han and Tibetans are of the same origin and have been one family for three thousand years. Even your Zamp said that the Han are uncles and the Tibetans are nephews. How dare you treat them as two different ethnic groups?"

"Do you want to rebel?" Nie Jieren was the leader of the White Lotus Sect in Hubei. He was strong and brave. He participated in the war to quell the rebellion in the northwest and was the top monk general under Zheng Xin.

His roar brought about a huge pressure, and the monks who had just spoken immediately dared not speak anymore.

"There is no need to be angry, Chief. If anyone does not want to acknowledge that the Han and the Fan are one family, that's fine. Stand up and we will report to the court and will not treat him as one of our own." After Nie Jieren finished yelling, Song Zhiqing came out with his ulterior motives again.

When he said this, the monks felt a chill on their backs. Many of them then remembered that you can't be a Han Chinese just because you want to. The court was willing to recognize that the Han and the Tibetans were one family, but they were actually the ones who benefited.

"Hey, what are you doing? We are disciples of Buddhism, monks. Don't act like Shengfa Company's thugs. Back off!" After being scared, Zheng Xin came out and pretended to stop them.

It would have been fine if he hadn't stopped them, but once he did, the monks became even more frightened. Shengfa Company was a trading company run by Chaoshan people in Hanchuan (Lower Burma), specializing in human trafficking, secretly smuggling dark-skinned Indians from Calcutta to Southeast Asia to work as laborers.

In order to control these coolies, whips dipped in pepper water, pig cages, tiger benches, and even chopping off hands and feet were commonplace. Those who lost their ability to work would be thrown directly into the sea.

Over the past five years, they have used this method to enslave and control more than 100,000 people, of whom five to six thousand were thrown into the sea.

Later, the Jinyiwei investigated and found out. The emperor was furious and chopped off more than 30 heads of Shengfa Company, exiled more than 200 people from Zhanzhou, dealt with three Chaozhou military heroes involved, and abolished the fiefdoms of two gentlemen.

His notoriety was so great and so infamous that everyone knew about it. Even the people on the Qiangtang knew about his bad reputation.

The thugs of Shengfa Company are not thugs at all. They are the ghost messengers from hell and the man-eating Yakshas from the Asura world.

Seeing that he had frightened the people enough, Zheng Xin put on a very kind look and said, "I naturally know that many Tibetans do not understand the court's policies and have doubts and resistance. That is normal.

Therefore, I need your help even more. As long as you are willing to assist me, I can not only introduce your children to the Imperial College in the capital, but also win rewards from the great emperor for you.

Zheng Xin deliberately dragged out his voice, "Not only will the Great Perfection Wisdom Master always be by the emperor's side, but the Holy Sage will be too. Moreover, he is still so young, and it is unknown whether he can adapt to the climate and environment of the capital.

If something goes wrong, who will rule Mobei? I guess we'll still choose from the most loyal, brave, and highly respected families in Neizang."

After hearing this, the monks were immediately tempted. Letting their capable sons and nephews enter the court was definitely a good way out. The emperor was very rich, and any reward he gave them would be enough for them to live on.

As for the last one, the imperial court will not touch the highly respected Great Perfection Wisdom Master because it involves too many people.

However, although that sage is one of the five great Buddhas, his status cannot be compared with that of the Great Perfection Wisdom Master at all. In addition, the sage of this generation is only eight years old and there is a possibility that he will die young.

Then the imperial court wanted to kill a chicken to scare the monkeys, to let the people of the world see that if the so-called respect for Buddha offended the imperial court, it would also end in a miserable end, and the sage was the best chicken.

The last words of the Buddha Cihang Pudu were hinting that if the sage venerable one was gone, then the next sage venerable one, Lingzhuzi, would be reincarnated into the family of these people.

"Great Benevolent and Compassionate Venerable, after the imperial court drives out the invaders, will our master still return to the Zhalunbu Monastery?"

Zhalunpo Monastery is located near Shigatse and is the residence of the great scholar Master Zhenbao. The monks asked this question, which meant that after Zheng Xin entered Resa, would he continue the pattern of the previous two masters.

Zheng Xin did not express his opinion immediately. Instead, he looked at the seventh generation of the Treasure Scholar, the Grand Master Danbei Nima, and said, "Master, I would like to suggest to the court that you move your seat to Anguo City (Bukhara) or Yili City. Is this acceptable?"

Without waiting for Danbei Nima's agreement, Zheng Xin immediately added, "Of course, I will write to His Majesty and ask him to allocate a khenpo grazing area in both the Jinsha River Valley and the Ili River Valley for the master. I will also transfer 20,000 silver dollars annually for the master to use in the four provinces of Anxi to appease the country and the people."

The four Anxi provinces, especially the Beiting Province in the Kazakh steppe and the Hezhong Province in the Transoxiana region, are at the forefront of religious confrontation, so the disputes in this regard will definitely be fierce.

Then Dayu naturally cannot give up religion. The White Lotus Sect has now established its influence in Anxi and will definitely make great use of it.

Although Danbenima has been studying, he is not stupid and even has high political wisdom. He immediately realized that this is a very good opportunity for him.

Because the system in Qiangtang has been formed for thousands of years, the masters come and go, but the monks and officials remain unchanged and have long been unshakable. Although he is a master, he can only follow the rules and act within the system that benefits the monks and officials.

But if he gets to Hezhong, everything will be ready. Although the court will definitely intervene to a large extent, he can still break away from the mold and make his own decisions on many things.

Moreover, the four provinces of Anxi are not only much larger in territory than Qiangtang, but also much richer. Not to mention the climate and products, the annual pension of 20,000 silver dollars at one's own disposal is not something that Qiangtang can provide.

"Respected Buddha, the Great Emperor is the sun in the sky and the Buddha on earth. As long as he gives the order, Danbenima is willing to go anywhere!"

"Hahaha, good!" Zheng Xin laughed. Danbenima was indeed a hero. He figured it out so quickly. Now that he had given in, the monks had no excuse to object.

But in order to do things perfectly, Zheng Xin finally snorted coldly, "During this riot, there will definitely be a large number of people who fail to see the situation clearly and betray the country. Whether they are individuals or families, they will be punished most severely.

Of course, those of you who are loyal to the court and the country will receive great rewards from the great emperor."

The monks understood that a large number of people were destined to lose power this time. No matter whether they were a thousand-year-old family or a ten-thousand-year-old tribe, as long as they disobeyed the court, they would be crushed.

As long as they are obedient, willing to assist Zheng Xin and support the court, a large portion of these people's property will be given to them.

"Respected Buddha, we are all willing to support the court. We are all the most loyal minions of the Great Emperor!"

The monks laughed. If they didn't support such a great benefit, they would be fools. No, not only would they be fools, they would also be killed by the court along with the rebels.

. . . .

Taksin's memorial was quickly delivered to Mo Zi Bu, who handed it directly to Queen Taksin's grandson, the second son A Yu, and Du Qin (Rama II).

Zheng Shishi still didn't quite understand. She was just not cut out for politics. A Yu said with a bitter face, saying that he was her grandson after all.

Only Du Qin looked at it, his eyes shining.

"Tell me, what do you think of the father-in-law's arrangement?" Mo Zi Bu asked Du Qin. Although Phraya Chakri (Rama I) launched a rebellion, the relationship between the Zheng and Du families was not affected much.

The Zheng family even had to thank Phraya Chakri's rebellion, which was equivalent to helping the Zheng family get out of trouble and avoid subsequent conflicts with the emperor.

"The Buddha of Mercy and Universal Duity has finally regained his former confidence. He has become the brave and invincible King Zheng again."

Du Qin sighed sincerely and said, "This arrangement is very good. The Buddha Cihang Pudu is not of Tibetan origin. This trip to Resa will make it easier to smash the thousand-year-old bad habits in Qiangtang and let the court's governance and your majesty's benevolence penetrate deeply into the people.

At the same time, since the Buddha was not a local, it was impossible for him to gain 100% respect from the locals, and he had to rely on the court.

Moreover, the imperial court has the Great Perfection Wisdom Master at its disposal. Even if the locals support him, future Buddhas will not dare to have second thoughts.”

“As for having Master Zhenbao go to the four provinces of Anxi, that would be even better.

The Han people make up the majority of the population in the four Anxi provinces. They will respect the great scholar and master Zhenbao, but they will not follow him blindly, and a situation like that in Qiangtang will not occur.

The imperial court could rely on the religious power of Master Zhenbao to consolidate the foundations of the four Anxi provinces, preventing them from being too far away from the Divine Land and causing the people to convert to the Muslim religion, as the Mongols who migrated there did.

Mo Zibu thought about it and felt that this was indeed a genius idea. What was even more difficult was that Zheng Xin was willing to contribute, and Danbenima also had a heart for the country.

The plan has some imperfections, but they can be corrected slowly. If combined with the Golden Bottle Lottery, it will be even more powerful.

"Du Qin, go to Xining and tell the father-in-law to let him go ahead and do it. I support him!"

(End of this chapter)