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

Chapter 290 Xuanzang, Falin, and Prince Yin (Part )
In the Wude Hall, Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Yu in astonishment.

Empress Xiao.

Xiao Yu sent his daughter and granddaughter to a Buddhist temple just to pray for Empress Xiao.

Li Chengqian fell silent.

Empress Xiao, the wife of Yang Guang, was one of the most controversial women in the world.

In her lifetime, Empress Xiao had three sons and two daughters, in addition to her husband Yang Guang and her brothers and sisters Xiao Yu.

The eldest son Yang Zhao died early, but Yang Zhao had three sons. Prince of Yan Yang Dan died in Jiangdu, Prince of Yue Yang Tong was promoted to emperor by Wang Shichong and was eventually poisoned, and Prince of Dai Yang You was Emperor Gong of Sui. The throne of the Tang Dynasty was obtained from Emperor Gong of Sui.

Of course, Emperor Gong of Sui did not have a good ending either. He died at the age of fifteen in the third year after abdicating.

Empress Xiao's second son, Prince of Qi Yang Ling, also died in Jiangdu, but his posthumous son, Yang Zhengdao, is still alive. He now serves as the Shangyi Fengyu, lives in Xingdaofang, and supports Empress Xiao.

Empress Xiao's third son died young.

Empress Xiao had two daughters. The eldest daughter, Princess Nanyang, married Yuwen Shiji and had a son, Yuwen Zen Master. Unfortunately, after the Jiangdu Incident, the couple turned against each other, and Yuwen Zen Master later died at the hands of Dou Jiande.

Princess Nanyang then became a Buddhist nun and her current status as either alive or dead is unknown.

However, after entering the Tang Dynasty, Yuwen Shiji married the Princess of Shouguang County, and had a son, Yuwen Chongsi, and a daughter, Yuwen Xiuduola. Yuwen Xiuduola then married Li Fu, the Princess of Zhao.

Empress Xiao's youngest daughter married Emperor Li Shimin and is now a concubine in the palace. She has two sons, Li Ke, the Prince of Wu, and Li Yin, the Prince of Shu.

Yes, after experiencing countless hardships, Empress Xiao now still has three grandsons: her grandson Yang Zhengdao, her grandsons-in-law Prince Wu Li Ke, and Prince Shu Li Yin.

……

"My elder sister was in poor health when she was young. The reason my eldest daughter entered Buddhism at the age of three was because of her illness. Emperor Yang ordered a ritual to pray for her, but he still needed someone to enter Buddhism to perform the sacrifice. That's why the subsequent events happened." Xiao Yu paused briefly, then bowed and said, "Of course, I am also a Buddhist."

"Now as well?" Li Chengqian couldn't help but frowned.

"Yes, I heard that my sister was not feeling well, so..." Xiao Yu kowtowed heavily.

"It's a pity, but it won't work." Li Chengqian sat on the couch, shook his head firmly, and said, "If you want to pray for blessings, I can wait until Master Xuanzang returns to Beijing and invite him to the Xingdaofang to chant and pray for his longevity. But I will use the rituals of my relatives instead. This kind of sacrifice, in my opinion, is an evil practice and must not be practiced."

Xiao Yu raised his head, his face filled with astonishment, and even fear as he looked at Li Chengqian: "Your Highness!"

Li Chengqian waved his hand and said firmly, "If it still doesn't work, I can chant and pray for her, but I can't allow my descendants to join the Buddhist sect."

After a slight hesitation, Li Chengqian said, "At least not this year. My father is now on an expedition to Goguryeo, and I need peace and quiet in Chang'an. The Duke's matter has caused a great disturbance in the city, and I know that if you open an opening here, people all over the world will follow suit, and the situation will be turbulent, and eventually it will affect Liaodong... Duke, if something really happens, it will not be a matter for one person alone."

"Yes!" Xiao Yu kowtowed heavily. Li Chengqian had already said this, what else could he do.

If this incident gave others the opportunity to impeach the Xiao family, then the Xiao family as a whole would probably be in trouble.

"Of course." Li Chengqian looked at the old minister and added, "If you build a small temple in your own home, and pray as laymen, and add Master Xuanzang to the prayers, I believe it can still have a temporary effect. As for the rest, it will be up to you after your father returns to the capital."

Xiao Yu immediately looked up in surprise, then he kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

"What are you thanking me for? I didn't say anything just now." Li Chengqian waved his hands unhappily.

"Yes!" Xiao Yu nodded with a smile.

"Get up."

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Xiao Yu then stood up and bowed.

After thinking for a moment, Li Chengqian said, "Tomorrow, I will summon Master Xuanzang. Originally, I only planned to invite Prime Minister Fang and my uncle. In that case, the Duke should come as well. After that, I will..."

"That's not necessary." Xiao Yu quickly bowed, then said, "I have some connections with Master Xuanzang, so I can still talk to him."

"Oh?" Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Yu in surprise.

Xiao Yu bowed and said, "In the first year of the Zhenguan reign, Your Majesty held the Six Paths of Mercy and Repentance Ceremony to pray for the country and liberate the souls of fallen soldiers. It was I who recommended Master Xuanzang to participate. Later, the master left Chang'an. Due to Your Majesty's decree, I was unable to help him escape, but I did offer some assistance. Now, considering your old age, I believe the master will still help a little."

"That's very good." Li Chengqian nodded. After a brief pause, he asked, "I heard that Master Xuanzang is related to Master Falin, who once slandered my grandfather and father. I wonder if this is true?"

Falin's surname is Chen, and Xuanzang's surname is Chen. Although one is from Xiangyang and the other is from Luoyang, Falin is more than 20 years older than Xuanzang. If there is any blood relationship between them, things will be difficult to handle.

"Yes, there is a connection." Xiao Yu nodded calmly and said, "The Luoyang Chen family originated from the Yingchuan Chen family, and the Xiangyang Chen family originated from the Gushi Chen family. The Yingchuan Chen family and the Gushi Chen family both originated from the Chen State during the Spring and Autumn Period. There is indeed a slight blood connection, but it is not significant."

"But..." Li Chengqian heard Xiao Yu's subtext, there was a but.

"Yes!" Xiao Yu bowed and said, "Blood is only the foundation of the relationship between Master Xuanzang and Master Falin. Back then, when Master Xuanzang traveled west, it was inconvenient for me to be present, so the abbots of Dajue Temple, Monk Daoyue, and Cibei Temple, Monk Xuanhui, as well as Fugou County Magistrate Li Shizheng, jointly signed a guarantee."

"Li Shizheng?" Li Chengqian couldn't help but frowned.

"Li Shizheng was a lay disciple of Master Falin." After a brief pause, Xiao Yu continued, "Li Shizheng was a scholar in the Eastern Palace of Crown Prince Yin and concurrently served as the Minister of Rites of the Ministry of Personnel."

Li Chengqian nodded slightly. It was common knowledge that Falin and Li Jiancheng had a close relationship, so it was nothing surprising.

But now that Xuanzang is also involved in these things, there is always a sense of inexplicable unease. "So, will Xuanzang's return at this time cause some trouble?" Li Chengqian looked at Xiao Yu thoughtfully.

"No." Xiao Yu shook his head confidently and said, "Buddhism emphasizes the emptiness of the four elements. Besides, Xuanzang himself has no relationship with Prince Yin. Falin, who had some connection with him, is dead, and Falin deserved her death. He won't get entangled in anything. Moreover, he received many favors in the past, and I am one of them. However..."

"But what?" Li Chengqian narrowed his eyes slightly.

"There was another person who profoundly influenced Master Xuanzang. This person was the Indian monk Paramita, who once preached in Chang'an. Falin received his teachings in her early years, and Master Xuanzang also received his guidance." Xiao Yu's face was pensive, and then he said, "When this master passed away, it was actually Falin's fault."

Li Chengqian was speechless.

Once Buddhist affairs are involved, there will always be countless implications.

"Is Master Xuanzang interested in government affairs?" Li Chengqian raised his head indifferently.

"No!" Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled bitterly and said, "Master Xuanzang devoted his entire life to Buddhism. Promoting Buddhism was his greatest wish. He didn't even care much about his own brothers and sisters."

"Brother and sister?" Li Chengqian immediately became interested and nodded, "Duke, please tell me in detail."

"Yes!" Xiao Yu was slightly stunned and said, "Master Xuanzang's two elder brothers have passed away and have no descendants. However, his elder sister is still in his hometown in Luoyang and has a healthy offspring."

Li Chengqian bowed his head slightly, then raised his head and said, "There's no need to make a big deal about this matter. Since the Duke wants to ask a mage to pray for him, then the Duke should take care of his family as well."

"Yes!" Xiao Yu bowed slightly.

"Alright, that's it." Li Chengqian waved his hand and said, "Go back and prepare, Duke. But remember what I said. Duke is the Minister of the Interior, a role model for the whole nation. You should act with caution."

"Yes!" Xiao Yu bowed again and then left the Wude Hall.

……

In the Wude Hall, Li Chengqian raised his hand slightly as he watched Xiao Yu leaving.

With a few "creaks", the doors of the side halls on both sides opened instantly, and more than a dozen officials of the fourth rank and above from the court appeared in the side halls.

Fang Xuanling, Gao Shilian, Yang Shidao, Yu Zhining, Tang Jian, Yuchi Jingde, Zheng Rentai, Liu Dewei, Cui Renshi, Cui Dunli and others were all here.

"Your Highness!" Everyone bowed in unison, and many of them looked at Li Chengqian with a hint of fear in their eyes.

Li Chengqian nodded calmly and said, "You all heard what I said just now. Master Xuanzang returned to the Tang Dynasty. Even now, hundreds of monks from other places have poured into Chang'an. There may be more in the future. The Buddhist community is bound to cause some trouble. Now that my father is gone, what I want is peace and tranquility in Chang'an."

"Here!" The officials held their hands in awe.

"You are all role models for the nation. I have no control over your families. I don't mind your mothers or wives offering gold, silver, or jade, but I cannot accept land, especially if you personally give it away." Li Chengqian turned to look at Master Yang and said, "Mr. Yang, the Ministry of Personnel must investigate this matter thoroughly. Any official found guilty of personally donating land will be dismissed."

"Yes!" Yang Shidao stood up and bowed.

"Duke Liang."

"I'm here!" Fang Xuanling stood up and bowed.

"You will welcome Master Xuanzang tomorrow and give him some pointers." Li Chengqian said lightly.

"Yes!" Fang Xuanling bowed and then returned to the train.

"Tang Qing!"

"I'm here!" Tang Jian stood up and bowed.

"After welcoming the Master tomorrow, my dear, please prepare to depart." Li Chengqian looked at Qiu Xinggong and said, "There is a batch of grain and fodder in Luoyang that was originally intended to be transported to Chang'an. You can take it to Liaodong."

"Your Highness!" Tang Jian couldn't help but bow and said, "This will increase the price of grain in Chang'an."

Li Chengqian turned sideways and gave Tang Jian a cold look.

Tang Jian bowed his head and said, "Yes!"

"We'll send a batch of grain first, and we'll make up for it later. The price fluctuations are due to the increasing number of people in Chang'an." Li Chengqian looked at Yu Zhining and said calmly, "Prime Minister Yu, you are the Chief of Yongzhou. Tell Chang'an Wannian County to pay attention to local security."

"Yes!" Yu Zhining bowed seriously.

"Tomorrow, the Jinwu Guards will be stationed on Chang'an Avenue. We will greet Master Xuanzang with all the decorum expected of a prince. We must ensure he receives a high-level reception." Li Chengqian smiled and said, "My father and I both hold Buddhism in high regard."

"Yes!" The ministers bowed with solemn expressions.

"Okay, that's it, let's all go and rest."

"Here!"

　Historical records indicate that Tang Xuanzang's family tree, originally from Yingchuan, was descended from Chen Zhonggong, the prefect of Taiqiu during the late Han Dynasty. Tang Xuanzang's great-great-grandfather was Chen Zhan, the prefect of Qinghe during the Northern Wei Dynasty, a true local lord. His great-grandfather, Chen Qin, also known as Chen Shan, was the prefect of Shangdang during the Northern Wei Dynasty, General Zhengdong, and the founding Duke of Nanyang County. His grandfather, Chen Kang, rose through the ranks of academic excellence and became a doctor of the Imperial College and a minister of rites, equivalent to a vice president of a national university. His father was the magistrate of Jiangling County.

　　Xuanzang's mother's surname was Song, and his maternal grandfather was Song Qin, the governor of Luozhou during the Sui Dynasty.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)