Li Chengqian of the Tang Dynasty: Please say long live His Majesty

Chapter 288: Xuanzang Returns, Will Wukong Be There? (Part )
As dusk fell, Li Chengqian sat on a sedan chair and headed towards Tongxun Gate.

The smile on his face was always difficult to conceal.

Li Chengqian couldn't help laughing when he thought that Li Zhi might suffer the same treatment as he did in his previous life.

Li Zhi was patient enough, but Li Baiyao did not really want to be the Chief Secretary of Prince Jin.

He went to teach him.

Any slight mistake may result in reprimand.

After a long time, can Li Zhi continue to endure?
As the sedan chair passed through Tongxun Gate, Li Chengqian's expression completely calmed down.

It’s not enough, one Li Baiyao is not enough.

If this is the case and Li Zhi endures it, then he will get extra points in the eyes of Li Baiyao and even the emperor.

Many ideas flashed through Li Chengqian's mind in an instant, but in the end, he completely cut them off by himself.

It’s enough. It’s enough to have Li Baiyao admonishing Li Zhi.

Li Baiyao was the Minister of the Imperial Clan. If Li Zhi had really endured it, it would have been enough to let Li Baiyao go back to being the Minister of the Imperial Clan.

As long as they leave the Prince of Jin's Mansion, Li Chengqian has enough ability to wake Li Baiyao up.

It was enough that Li Zhi did not cause him any trouble before the emperor returned.

Of course, if Li Zhi was restless and continued to make small moves, that would be better, and he would die faster.

Calming his mind, Li Chengqian returned to the backyard of the East Palace.

Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly and said, "Let's go to Yichun Palace."

"Here!"

……

In Yichun Palace, Li Chengqian played with his son Li Yu for a while before letting the wet nurse take Li Yu down.

Su Shu had dinner prepared, and then she sat next to Li Chengqian, and the two of them ate together.

Just as she picked up her chopsticks, Su Shu turned sideways to look at Li Chengqian and asked, "Your Highness, I heard that a great Buddhist monk is about to return from the Buddhist kingdom of the Western Regions?"

Li Chengqian paused slightly, then nodded gently.

Although Xuanzang had not yet returned to Chang'an, the Buddhist community had already begun to build momentum for him.

Today in Chang'an City, almost every household knows the news that Xuanzang is coming back.

People from Buddhist sects all over the world have entered Chang'an City one after another.

Su Shu asked softly, "Is this monk very powerful?"

"Yes." Li Chengqian nodded, put down his chopsticks, and said, "Traveling west from Chang'an for 30,000 miles, overcoming countless hardships and dangers, obtaining the true scriptures from India, and then traveling tens of thousands of miles again to bring the true scriptures back to Chang'an, even if it took hundreds of years, only a few people could do it."

"How many people?" Su Shu looked at Li Chengqian in surprise and asked, "Isn't this eminent monk the only one?"

"No!" Li Chengqian shook his head slightly, then said seriously, "There are dozens of people who have traveled west to India to seek Buddhist scriptures, and there were three people in total, including Master Xuanzang, who successfully returned."

"Three, is that so many?"

"Not much." Li Chengqian shook his head and said, "The earliest pilgrimage to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures was by Zhu Shixing during the Cao Wei Dynasty, known by the Buddhist name Bajie. He journeyed west to seek the original text of the Great Prajna Sutra, but he went to Khotan in the Western Regions and copied the sutra. However, due to the conflict between the Mahayana and Hinayana schools, he was unable to return to his homeland. However, his disciple brought the sutra to Luoyang."

Su Shu nodded slightly.

"Then there was the Eastern Jin Dynasty monk Faxian. Eleven of them journeyed to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. It took them fourteen years, and they survived many dangers. In the end, only Master Faxian returned home." Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh and said, "Master Xuanzang was inspired by him."

"I see."

"Another one was from the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Twenty-five people from Northern Yan went to the West to obtain Buddhist scriptures. Five of them returned home. Unfortunately, by the time they returned, Northern Yan had been destroyed by the Tuoba clan of the Northern Wei. Fortunately, the 'Avalokitesvara Sutra' and the 'Chronicles of the Past Kingdoms' serve as witnesses, otherwise their history would have been completely obliterated."

"Yeah!" Su Shu looked solemn and admiring.

"The last one is Master Xuanzang." Li Chengqian took a deep breath and continued, "Master Xuanzang was different because he went to India alone. Unlike Faxian and Tan Wujie, who either had the support of the court or companions, he left Chang'an alone, experiencing life and death several times. It was not easy."

"So that's how it is." Su Shu's expression relaxed. Li Chengqian's words made her admire Xuanzang less.

There are only so many records that can be found in history about the journey to India. Who knows how many people there were who were not recorded in history and did not arrive in India alive, or even died on the way?

Li Chengqian shook his head slightly and said, "The reason why Master Xuanzang is revered by the Buddhist community of his time is not only because of his courage in navigating countless hardships and dangers alone, but most importantly, after arriving in India, he not only studied various Buddhist scriptures, but also won debates with Indian monks, earning him an extremely high reputation." After a brief pause, Li Chengqian sighed, "Master Xuanzang's profound knowledge of Buddhism is unmatched even in India. When he wanted to return to the Tang Dynasty, even the Indians were unwilling to let him go. Later, he successfully returned to the Tang Dynasty under the pretext of spreading the Dharma. It can be said that there is no other monk in the world who can surpass him."

Although Li Chengqian kept praising Xuanzang, for some reason, Su Shu no longer had the same attitude of immense respect that she had before.

On the contrary, she heard a hint of meaning in Li Chengqian's words.

"Your Highness doesn't seem to be very interested in Buddhism." Su Shu looked at Li Chengqian in surprise and asked carefully.

"I can't say I'm not interested. I have great respect and admiration for the Buddha, but I don't have much affection for Buddhist monks." Li Chengqian looked at Su Shu and said, "My beloved, you should know that Buddhist temples are often located in busy cities, while Taoist temples are mostly found in the mountains."

"Yes!"

"Buddhist temples are vast and often receive offerings. The Golden Buddha is self-evident. What I truly care about is land and taxes." Li Chengqian sighed and said, "Many wealthy and powerful families often donate hundreds of acres of land to Buddhism. Since the wealthy and powerful donate their land, they naturally don't have to pay taxes, and since the Buddhists have land, they don't have to pay taxes either. As a result, the common people are scrambling to follow their example. The end result is that the richer Buddhism gets, the poorer the country gets."

Su Shu nodded in agreement. This kind of thing was not uncommon in history books.

The fundamental reason for the destruction of Buddhism in every time remains the same.

"I don't dislike Buddha, but as for Buddhist temples, I hope they can be built in some desolate places." Li Chengqian smiled softly and said, "There are many people in the world who worship Buddha. If they can transform the wilderness into fertile fields and make remote places prosperous, it will be good for both the country and the people."

"Your Highness, do you have any ideas?" Su Shu knew Li Chengqian best, and she knew that he never spoke without thinking.

Li Chengqian smiled and nodded, "My beloved concubine knows that the water transportation between Chang'an and Luoyang is difficult. When the Wei River is abundant, everything is fine. Once the Wei River is insufficient, water transportation becomes difficult, and thus the grain and grass from the south of the Yangtze River cannot be transported to Chang'an.

So I once thought about repairing the road between Chang'an and Luoyang, but I never found a good way..."

"So Your Highness wants Master Xuanzang to build a temple somewhere between Chang'an and Luoyang, and then let the dignitaries, common people and monks in the world open up this road." Su Shu looked at Li Chengqian in surprise. This kind of method is probably not something that many people in the whole world can think of.

"My beloved, do you think this is feasible?" Li Chengqian turned around and looked at Su Shu seriously.

"The idea is good, but is Master Xuanzang willing to go to a secluded place?" Su Shu raised a very practical question.

"Maybe not now, but what about in the future?" Li Chengqian sneered. He is still the prince now, but that may not be the case in the future.

If the road between Chang'an and Luoyang can be completely widened, then the Tang Dynasty's control over the world will be greatly increased.

In the long run, it can even enhance the national destiny of the Tang Dynasty.

He didn't want another Anshi Rebellion to happen later, which would have resulted in the Tang Dynasty being bullied by the Hu family and perishing within three hundred years.

Pushing his thoughts back to the bottom of his heart, Li Chengqian looked at Su Shu and said, "These are all matters of the future, we will talk about them later. But right now, I still have some matters that I need your help with."

"Your Highness, please speak." Su Shu relaxed at once. Political affairs and people's livelihood were not her forte.

"It's the end of the year. I have to take care of the people in Chang'an celebrating the New Year. At the same time, there is the annual assessment of the royal family officials all over the country. In addition, there are the transfers of local officials, condolences to the soldiers in the army, and finally, care for the retired old ministers. There are some things I can't take care of." Li Chengqian couldn't help but sigh.

Su Shu nodded. She knew Li Chengqian best. Every day as soon as the palace gate opened, he would go to Wude Hall and would not return from Wude Hall until the palace gate was about to close.

In other words, the Wude Hall is located in the imperial palace and is not suitable for overnight stays. If he really ascends the throne in the future, Su Shu even doubts whether he will live in the Wude Hall.

"I can't take care of the several imperial sisters in the palace, the concubines in the palace, the princesses outside the palace, the children, and even the family affairs of the retired old ministers. My father also ordered me to offer sacrifices at the Xianling Mausoleum. There are a lot of things to do, so I have to trouble my beloved concubine for help with these things." Li Chengqian looked at Su Shu seriously.

Su Shu nodded vigorously and said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. I know what to do."

"Finally, it's the New Year's Eve banquet." Li Chengqian raised his head, looked outside the palace, and said softly, "I plan to follow the example of last year. My beloved concubine will entertain the female relatives in and outside the palace in Lizheng Hall, while I will entertain the princes-in-law, uncles, and brothers in the East Palace..."

"Does it also include Prince Jin?" Su Shu couldn't help but ask.

Li Chengqian smiled, nodded, and said, "This also includes Prince Jin. Although Zhinu has some thoughts, he is still my younger brother after all, and we must still consider the brotherly relationship."

"Okay." Su Shu sighed helplessly, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.

Li Chengqian reached out and gently held Su Shu's hand, whispering, "Don't worry, everything is under my control."

"Yeah!" Su Shu relaxed. With the example of King Wei, she believed that Li Chengqian could handle Li Zhi's affairs safely.

Li Chengqian smiled lightly, but there was a hint of solemnity in his eyes.

After all, Li Zhi became the emperor in his previous life, so his methods must be extraordinary.

He had been raised by the emperor in Lizheng Hall for fifteen years, and the emperor had a special relationship with him. Who knew when the emperor would soften his heart and let Li Zhi seize the opportunity.

Especially now that Xuanzang has returned, I'm afraid something is bound to happen.

As his thoughts turned, an idea popped up in Li Chengqian's mind: When Xuanzang returns, will Wukong accompany him?

(End of this chapter)