The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 232: Choosing the Lesser of Two Evils

The moment the female Taoist priest Xuan Jing raised her eyes, the weariness between her brows had vanished. Although her eyes were still clear, they held a newfound seriousness.

Her gaze, almost tangible, swept over Li Yi's figure. She paused slightly before her clear, melodious voice rang out again: "This humble Taoist has a question lingering in my mind. I wonder if the General could enlighten me?"

Can you clarify...?
Li Yi was taken aback, feeling bewildered and even absurd.

You are a reclusive female Taoist priest, and I am a general of the Imperial Guard leading troops into battle. What kind of questions can I possibly answer for you?

Are you perhaps asking about military tactics and formations? Or are you inquiring about cosmetics and face powder from the capital city of Tokyo?
Unfounded speculations flashed through Li Yi's mind, but he didn't show them on his face.

He steadied himself and met Xuan Jing's gaze, cupping his hands in greeting, "Daoist Master, you flatter me. I dare not presume to offer my explanation, but please ask me directly. Whatever I know, I will tell you frankly."

Upon hearing this, the female Taoist priest Xuan Jing did not speak immediately. She reached into the pouch at her waist, took out a copper coin, and gently placed it on the stone table.

Following her movements, Li Yi looked and saw a genuine new coin with the four seal characters "Zhou Yuan Tong Bao" cast on the front.

Xuan Jing looked at the copper coin and said calmly, "I have been living in seclusion in the mountains with my senior brother, cultivating in seclusion, but I am not entirely cut off from worldly affairs. I heard that since the year before last, the Zhou court has issued a law to 'suppress Buddhism'..."

"All temples, monasteries, and Buddhist halls throughout the land that enshrine golden Buddha statues, regardless of size or distance, are subject to destruction. In just over a year, more than 10,000 temples and Buddhist sites have been demolished, and nearly 100,000 monks and nuns have been forced to return to secular life."

At this point, she paused slightly, her fingertips tracing the cold lines on the coin's surface, before raising her eyes to look directly at Li Yi once more.

"The new coin called 'Zhou Yuan Tong Bao' was said to have been made by order of the Great Zhou emperor to collect Buddhist statues and ritual implements and melt them down, resulting in millions of strings of copper coins. Therefore, the common people privately called this coin 'destroyed Buddhist coin'."

“I do not understand… Buddhism spreads compassion, saves all sentient beings, and encourages people to do good. The golden statues in temples are also the result of the devout and benevolent thoughts of believers, embodying their wishes for peace and happiness.”

"Why would the Emperor risk the name of Buddhism to take such drastic measures? General, you hold a high position in the court and command the Imperial Guards. You are a close advisor to the Emperor. Do you know the reason behind this?"

Li Yi listened quietly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

He finally understood... This female Taoist priest Xuan Jing was not here to humbly seek answers.

Since the other party was able to find out so much about the court's "suppression of Buddhism," how could they not know that the original proposer was none other than Li Yi himself?

But asking this question to his face now makes his intentions obvious—he clearly has ill intentions!

The atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly cooled down.

Zuo Congqin couldn't help but look surprised, glancing worriedly at his junior sister, and then looking at Li Yi with a hint of nervousness.

On the other side, Chen Tuan still kept his eyes down, gently stroking his beard, but the fingers he was stroking seemed to be moving more slowly than before.

Li Yi glanced at Chen Tuan and immediately understood: Although Xuan Jing had brought up this seemingly innocuous topic, Chen Tuan probably wanted to hear how he would answer it.

He composed himself, tapped his fingers lightly on the table, and said slowly, "It is only natural for a Taoist priest to feel compassion upon seeing temples in ruins, monks and nuns displaced, and believers homeless. But does the Taoist priest know how much filth and depravity lies hidden beneath this facade of Buddhist compassion?"

“Monks claim to be free from worldly desires, but in reality they engage in commerce, build cliques, keep wives and children, and buy and sell slaves. Evil monks and nuns use unorthodox methods and sorcery to bewitch people. Some ignorant monks even demonstrate their so-called “piety” by burning their arms and fingers or nailing their hands and feet.”

At this point, he changed the subject and pointed to the copper coins on the stone table.

"Taoist priest, you only know that this coin was cast from bronze statues and ritual implements, but do you know how much fertile land temples across the world occupy? Thousands of miles of fertile fields, crisscrossed by paths, all belong to the monasteries!"

“These lands are exempt from taxes and provisions, and are not under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. Moreover, Buddhist sects recruit tenant farmers and hide household registrations, spending a great deal of money on Buddhist services. The imperial court’s manpower and provisions are increasingly depleted due to the greed of these Buddhist sects. If this situation is allowed to continue, it is not an act of compassion, but an act of evil.”

Xuan Jing listened in silence for a moment, wanting to refute him. She felt that what Li Yi said was somewhat distorting the facts.

If the world were not in chaos and war, and the court were not exploiting the people and waging war, why would the people have believed in Buddhism and sought refuge in Buddhist temples to avoid disaster?
But upon further reflection, it becomes clear that there are many despicable individuals within Buddhism who cause considerable harm, a fact that cannot be denied.

However, Hyun Jung pursed her lips, but the determination in her eyes did not diminish.

“I am not entirely unaware of what you have said, General. I also deeply agree with your insightful observation that ‘the bronze statue is not a Buddha.’”

"However, under such swift and decisive measures, how can there be no injustice or abuse? I came to Tokyo with my senior brother, and what I saw and heard along the way was heartbreaking. Local officials, under the guise of 'suppressing Buddhism,' actually carried out looting. Ancient temples' treasured scriptures, which were not Buddhist statues, were also burned to ashes. Elderly monks who were devout in their practice and did not want to return to secular life were forcibly driven away and left to freeze and starve in the wind and snow."

“Even more devout Buddhist villagers were whipped and publicly humiliated simply for refusing to hand over the Buddhist statues they kept at home. Is such a tragedy necessary to eliminate evils for the country? Is this ‘destroy the Buddha’ money’ not stained with the blood and tears of innocent people?”

Xuan Jing's tone suddenly rose, tinged with a hint of grief and indignation. As she spoke, she pressed hard on the cold copper coin, her knuckles tightening slightly.

Because what she saw was the specific suffering amplified during the implementation of policies, as well as the bloody individual tragedies.

“Junior Sister Xuanjing…” Zuo Congqin hurriedly called out.

But before he could finish speaking, Li Yi raised his hand to stop him. Hearing Xuan Jing's slightly questioning tone, he did not slam his hand on the table or retort sharply. Instead, he slowly raised his eyes to meet the other's unwavering gaze.

Li Yi knew that what Xuan Jing said was true. A top-down storm like the "destruction of Buddhism" would inevitably harm the innocent.

The incompetence and corruption of local officials, and the brutal and distorted implementation at the grassroots level—these are all harsh realities.

Li Yi sighed softly: "I do not deny the tragic scene you witnessed, Daoist. I also deeply abhor the malpractices in local enforcement and the evil of officials who abuse their power."

"As for the question you asked, whether such a tragedy was necessary, I can only use an analogy to explain to you the difficulty of making this choice."

As he spoke, he looked around at the three of them and slowly said, "Imagine at this moment, there is a carriage full of the elderly and children, running wildly out of control, rushing towards a fork in the road. On the left side of the fork, there is only one person walking; on the right side of the fork, there are five people on the road."

"The carriage is going too fast and moving too fast, and there is no way to stop it immediately. At this point, there is only one choice—either veer to the left and hit that person, or do nothing and let the carriage rush to the right."

"If you were driving this carriage, what would you choose? Would you stand by and watch the five people get hit, or sacrifice one person to save the five?"

This famous "trolley problem" was presented by Li Yi in this way, carrying with it a bloody and cruel logic.

"This..." Xuan Jing was at a loss for words upon hearing this. She was not stupid and naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Li Yi's metaphor.

The out-of-control carriage symbolizes the accumulated problems caused by the excessive expansion of Buddhism, as well as the current predicament faced by the country; the person on the left symbolizes the monks, nuns and believers who will inevitably be harmed in the process of "suppressing Buddhism"; the five people on the right symbolize the potential for widespread suffering if nothing is done.

Xuan Jing's face paled slightly as she murmured, "Is there... no way to have the best of both worlds?"

Li Yi shook his head and said, "Not everything in the world has a perfect solution. There are always priorities in real-world situations."

"Our Great Zhou is threatened by the Khitans to the north and by various states to the south, with border wars raging year after year. Internally, the treasury is empty and the finances are in dire need. More than 100,000 imperial guards and their families all need to be supported by the court."

"Once internal strife arises, and the barbarians seize the opportunity to invade, repeating the mistakes of the Jin Dynasty, how many people do you think will suffer? Tens of thousands? A million? Or tens of millions? At that time, the country will be filled with lamentations, and the nation will cease to exist. How can the collapse of a few temples be compared to that?"

After a while, Xuan Jing calmed down and said earnestly, "If that's the case, why does the court so easily start a war and squander the proceeds from the 'suppression of Buddhism' on military supplies and provisions instead of using them for the benefit of the people?"

"Because it's better to eliminate future troubles than to guard against thieves for a thousand days!" Li Yi said, word by word.

"The world is not yet unified, and our dynasty faces enemies in both the north and south. How can their ambitions be restrained by you and me? Even if our dynasty does not take the initiative to wage war, we must maintain a large army for defense."

"In this way, the money spent on supporting the army has not changed the stalemate, and the pressure on the people remains unchanged. If this continues, when will it end?"

"Only by eliminating external threats with swift and decisive measures can we be qualified to talk about recuperation and development. Otherwise, no amount of compassion can overcome the realities of the situation."

"At least with this wealth from the Buddhist community, we can use it as military funds for the southern expedition, and temporarily avoid levying taxes on the people and adding to their burden."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "A speck of dust in the era, when it falls on an individual, becomes heavier than Mount Tai. No one wants to be the one sacrificed."

"But the times have come to this point, and everyone is being swept along. We can only choose the lesser of two evils, exchanging the suffering of a few for a chance for peace and tranquility in the world... This is a choice that must be made!"

Hyun Jung fell completely silent.

She didn't look at Li Yi or anyone else; she just lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes casting a shadow on her face.

Xuan Jing couldn't refute Li Yi's logic; the grand narrative based on the survival of the nation was so heavy that it made her feel suffocated.

The horrific scenes she witnessed along the way seemed so insignificant and powerless in the face of this cold "choose the lesser of two evils" dilemma.

But... can those real tragedies and bloodshed really be easily erased?

Looking at the silent Xuan Jing, Li Yi felt no sense of victory, but rather a deep sense of helplessness... He knew that there was no real winner in this debate.

He stood firm on his position and spoke the harsh reality. However, even if he could persuade the compassionate female Taoist priest before him, he could not persuade everyone in this world.

Li Yi knew very well that the people in this chaotic world had suffered greatly from the ravages of war, and were like frightened birds, mostly ignorant and impoverished.

Buddhism became their spiritual sustenance. Naturally, the believers' resistance to the "suppression of Buddhism" was unavoidable.

Even many officials privately had their complaints, but they dared not criticize the emperor; they could only secretly resent Li Yi, who had proposed the plan.

Even today, someone came to question him face to face... Li Yi felt utterly wronged.

Ultimately, the "suppression of Buddhism" would have still happened even without Li Yi's involvement.

Otherwise, if the emperor had just conquered the four prefectures of Qin and Feng last year, and was so eager to personally lead an expedition to Jiangnan, where would the money and grain that were being consumed like water come from?

Moreover, since ancient times, the veneration and suppression of Buddhism have been based on practical considerations. When people need faith, they naturally promote and venerate Buddhism.

If the Buddhist community becomes too powerful and begins to seize land and hide people, thus threatening social development, then it must be suppressed and controlled.

As for confiscating the temple's land and property, that was merely a side benefit.

Just then, a gust of wind blew through the courtyard, swirling up a few fallen leaves, which gently landed on the stone table.

Xuan Jing stared blankly at the cold "Zhou Yuan Tong Bao" coin on the stone table, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the raised "Zhou" character on the coin's surface.

Zuo Congqin remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Only Chen Tuan kept his eyes down, seemingly detached from worldly affairs, but the hand that had been stroking his beard had somehow returned to his knees.

Li Yi slowly stood up and said nothing more. He had said everything he needed to say, and he didn't care what others thought or want to care.

He cupped his hands in greeting to the three of them: "I have benefited greatly from my conversation with the Daoist Master today. However, I am tied up with family matters and cannot stay any longer. I must take my leave now!"

Chen Tuan rose to return the greeting, and then exclaimed, "General, you took command of the army at the tender age of twenty. You have accomplished extraordinary feats, such as beheading generals at Gaoping, retreating from Liaodong at Xinkou, and pacifying Qin and Feng in just over a month. Everyone says that you are brave and valiant, but after meeting you today, I realize that you are not just relying on your strength. On the contrary, you are eloquent and insightful, and you have unparalleled talent."

"I should have learned a lot from your insightful analysis today! I only hope that the general will not blame my junior sister for being presumptuous. She has been living in seclusion with me since she was a child. Although she has read some articles and classics, she still lacks some tempering of her mind and character, so she inevitably speaks some presumptuous words."

Li Yi shook his head slightly and said, "Although Daoist Xuanjing is a woman, she has a heart full of compassion for the people. What she said today was meant to speak out for the innocent. I can only admire her. How can I blame her?"

Xuan Jing's expression finally returned to calm, though a hint of emotion lingered in her eyes. She first smoothed the strands of hair that had fallen across her cheek, then bowed deeply to Li Yi, her posture solemn and sincere.

Li Yi also cupped his hands in return to her greeting. Then, he turned to Zuo Congqin beside him and carefully gave her a few instructions, asking her to take good care of Chen Tuan and his companion.

Having finished explaining, Li Yi said no more and turned to stride toward the courtyard gate.

Xuan Jing's gaze involuntarily followed his back until his imposing figure disappeared outside the porch.

She slowly withdrew her gaze and looked at her senior brother Chen Tuan. Her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, it only turned into a barely audible sigh.

(End of this chapter)