My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 234 Bodhisattva Emperor
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan did not rush to draw a conclusion.

Just then, palace maids brought over two bowls of simple rice porridge on wooden trays. It was pure millet porridge with no meat in it.

Xiao Yan picked up the porcelain bowl, took a few simple sips, put the bowl down, and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

Chen Qingzhi also quickly slurped down two mouthfuls.

It was extremely bland, with practically no flavor at all.

"Your Majesty remains as simple and unpretentious as ever."

Xiao Yan merely chuckled lightly. After becoming fascinated with Buddhism, he entered a phase of detachment from worldly desires.

Wearing coarse cloth monk robes, they subsisted on simple rice porridge each day.

Even the food, clothing, and daily necessities in the palace were kept simple. The clothes of all the servants in the harem, from the concubines down, were not allowed to drag on the ground, and the hems of the palace maids' skirts were only a short distance from the ground.

It wasn't that Xiao Yan developed any particular quirks in his later years.

Drinking porridge every day doesn't mean you're possessed by the people at the porridge bar.

He was simply setting an example by being frugal, seemingly trying to reverse the bad trend of ostentatious wealth and extravagance throughout Jiankang City and even the entire Liang Dynasty.

dong dong dong.

The melodious sound of bells could be heard from not far away.

This was the monks at Tongtai Temple striking the bell, followed by the sound of wheels rolling. Chen Qingzhi quickly stood up and respectfully stepped aside.

Xiao Yan also rose and walked towards his carriage, turning back to say, "Tomorrow you will also attend the court assembly to discuss the Northern Expedition with the ministers."

Say it.

Xiao Yan then boarded the carriage, which headed straight for the North Gate of Hualin Garden, and then exited the palace through the Datong Gate.

Once you exit Datong Gate, you can see Jilong Mountain in the distance. The four imperial tombs of the Eastern Jin Dynasty were built at the foot of Jilong Mountain, while Tongtai Temple is located just outside Datong Gate.

Regarding Buddhism.

Both the Southern Liang and the Great Wei dynasties built numerous Buddhist temples around their imperial palaces.

Only after the car disappeared from sight did Chen Qingzhi stand up, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes, and he sighed inwardly.

His Majesty is frugal, but his ministers treat the people like dirt, corruption is rampant, and they are obsessed with pleasure. It seems that the city of Jiankang has been too comfortable under Xiao Yan's rule for too long.

It's funny to say.

When Chen Qing was summoned back to the capital the day before yesterday, he rode back to Jiankang, but was impeached by the Censorate.

The reason given was that riding a warhorse was extremely inelegant and detrimental to a scholar's dignity; one should ride a pony instead.

"Given this custom, we must advise His Majesty to launch a northern expedition to reverse the prevailing trend of valuing civil officials over military ones in Jiankang. If we allow this trend to continue, how will Great Liang defend against the northern army's southward advance in the future?"

………………

Jiankang Palace.

The earliest palace here was built by Sun Quan.

After the southward migration of the imperial court, Sima Rui established the Eastern Jin Dynasty here and still set up the imperial palace here, but the palace was destroyed during the Su Jun Rebellion.

Emperor Cheng of Jin ordered Wang Bin, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, to rebuild Jiankang Palace on the old site. Because the imperial court and the palace were located inside, it was also called Taicheng.

Although they lost the central region of the empire and the homeland of the Han people, the emperors of the Eastern Jin Dynasty still longed for their homeland. The layout of the newly built Jiankang Palace was exactly the same as that of the Luoyang Imperial Palace.

Xiao Yan simply built a triple wall on the existing foundation to separate the different areas.

Inside the Tai Chi Hall.

Despite his high position, Xiao Yan did not wear the emperor's fine robes, but instead wore simple monk's robes. After all, he had been an old emperor for decades.

Even without those decorations, just sitting there was enough to awe everyone in the hall.

On the contrary, the officials and nobles below were all dressed in gorgeous clothes, as luxurious as possible, as if they were afraid of being outdone by others. Even the lower-ranking officials who were located near the entrance of the Taiji Hall did the same.

After all the officials paid their respects.

Yuan Fasheng immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Your Majesty! After much thought, I still believe that we must not miss this golden opportunity for a northern expedition!"

Yuan Hao echoed, "As the saying goes, if you don't take what Heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences. Now, the northern border is engulfed in war and bandits are fighting each other, which has already severely weakened the region. If Your Majesty can send someone to lead troops to the north, you will surely be able to reclaim the Central Plains and rule the world!"

The Yuan clan members who had fled south all urged Xiao Yan to send troops on a northern expedition.

Yuan Hao, in particular, was the last member of the Yuan clan to arrive at the Taiji Hall, and he was the most knowledgeable about the current situation in the north.

Xiao Yan did not respond, but simply turned his head to look at Xie Ju, who served as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Attendant-in-Ordinary.

Judging from his surname, he was from the Xie clan of Chenjun.

The Xie clan of Chen Commandery and the Wang clan of Langya were the two most prominent families in the Southern Dynasties.

The saying "The swallows that once graced the halls of the Wang and Xie families now fly into the homes of ordinary people" refers to these two prominent families.

Xie Ju, dressed as a refined scholar, stepped forward, slowly tidied himself up, and then spoke up to object, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Northern Expedition is inappropriate."

"Your Majesty has long been at peace and caring for the people, allowing them to live in peace and prosperity without suffering from war. The people are all grateful for Your Majesty's benevolent rule. If we were to suddenly raise an army, it would surely deplete our manpower, exhaust our resources, and cause resentment among the people, which would be detrimental to Your Majesty's benevolence!"

Wang Jian, the Minister of Personnel, also stepped forward and sternly rebuked, "Your Majesty, I want to impeach the Duke of Shi'an and others. Your Majesty has shown them leniency by granting them high positions. However, the Duke of Shi'an and others do not think of being loyal to the emperor and serving the country. For their own selfish desires, they have recklessly proposed to launch a northern expedition. Their intentions are despicable! I implore Your Majesty to punish them severely as a warning to others!"

Are you kidding me?
They wasted a lot of money, and the territory they conquered had nothing to do with them. Why would they support the Northern Expedition when they had nothing better to do?
The two sides were deadlocked.

Xiao Yan, however, spoke calmly, "What are your thoughts, General Wuwei?"

Chen Qingzhi immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, “Your Majesty, I also agree to the Northern Expedition. This is a golden opportunity. Ge Rong and Erzhu Rong are about to engage in a decisive battle in Hebei, and there are also rebellions in Shandong and Longxi. The Great Wei court is preoccupied with its own problems, and the prefectures and counties in Shandong are all considering surrendering. If we can lead our troops north now, we can take back Henan and Shandong in one fell swoop.” “When Erzhu Rong and Ge Rong are both exhausted, we can even take over Shanxi and Hebei in one fell swoop and completely restore the Central Plains of Han territory!”

"If you do not seize what Heaven has given you, you will suffer the consequences!" Your Majesty!

Xie Ju spoke up again, his voice low, still in that deliberate and unhurried manner, highlighting his refined and scholarly nature.

"Your Majesty, General Wuwei, in his pursuit of merit, disregards the overall interests of the court; his intentions are despicable!"

Civil officials and military generals seem to have been opposing sides since ancient times.

And right now.

He Jingrong, the Minister of Revenue, also spoke up; he came from a humble background.

As early as 505, Emperor Wu of Liang (Xiao Yan) built the Imperial Academy, greatly increased the number of students, established five academies, and appointed doctors of the Five Classics. The academy was mainly aimed at children from poor families, with tuition fees waived and food and lodging provided by the imperial court.

Anyone who is proficient in any one of the Five Classics can be selected as an official.

Emperor Xiao Yan even issued a special decree that anyone from a humble family, even those who herded cattle and sheep, would be eligible to take the exam.

To put it bluntly, it was a means of confronting powerful and influential families like the Wang and Xie clans.

It was also a beta version of the imperial examination system.

He Jingrong was one of the beneficiaries of Xiao Yan's heavy reliance on people from poor families, and he was well aware of Xiao Yan's intentions in doing so.

Therefore, in the imperial court, he did not engage in idle talk like the sons of noble families such as Wang and Xie, but was extremely pragmatic.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, launching a northern expedition at this time is extremely inappropriate!"

When Xie Ju and the others saw that He Jingrong, who had always opposed them, was now on their side, they couldn't help but show their delight.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Your Majesty, although I have no experience in leading troops into battle, I do know the principle that supplies must precede troops."

"If we suddenly raise an army, where will we get our supplies and soldiers? If we conscript civilians into the army, it will delay this year's farming season and cause a great loss of harvest. What will we do then?"

He Jingrong is indeed concerned with practical issues.

It seemed that Xiao Yan was about to be persuaded.

Yuan Hao quickly spoke up.

"His Majesty!"

“I have many old followers in the north. Your Majesty does not need to send too many soldiers. Just send a few thousand elite troops to escort me back north. I can then raise the banner of righteousness and recruit those who have rebelled. This traitor Erzhu Rong has openly slaughtered ministers and officials. He has already lost the hearts of the people. As long as I raise the banner of righteousness in the name of the Yuan clan, those who do not submit to Erzhu Rong will surely come to join me!”

"Your Majesty recites scriptures and chants Buddha's name day and night. I have also heard that there are 36,000 methods to attain Buddhahood."

"To save all sentient beings from suffering is also a path to Buddhahood."

"Your Majesty has acted with benevolence towards the people of Liang, and is also known for his benevolence."

"However... the people of the Northern Border suffer from war year after year, their misery is unbearable. They need a living Buddha like Your Majesty to come and save them from their suffering!"

"Your Majesty's northern expedition has subjugated the Han people's homeland in the Central Plains and rescued them from suffering. The people of the northern border will surely be grateful for Your Majesty's heaven-like virtue and regard Your Majesty as a living Buddha."

"The people of the world are all grateful to Your Majesty and regard Your Majesty as a living Buddha. With this merit, Your Majesty should naturally attain the golden body of the Tathagata!"

"I request Your Majesty to grant me the title of King of Wei. After the Northern Expedition is successful, I am willing to guard the northern border for Your Majesty, and lead the people under your rule to burn incense and chant Buddhist prayers day and night, to tell the Buddha about Your Majesty's heaven-like merits!"

This statement came out.

Xie Ju and the others were all taken aback.

Xie Ju immediately retorted sharply, "How can one be a Buddha if one plots to kill?"

Yuan Hao retorted, "Killing one person can save the world, so how can one not become a Buddha?"

It seemed that the court was about to erupt into another heated argument.

Xiao Yan, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, stopping the argument in the Taiji Hall.

"Let's all take a rest."

With the emperor's prestige over the decades as a given, no one dared to speak further.

Xiao Yan stood up, walked up to Yuan Hao, and patted him on the shoulder.

"Order that Yuan Hao be promoted to the title of King of Wei."

"General Wuwei, holding the imperial insignia, is in charge of all military affairs in the northern expedition, leading troops to escort the King of Wei on his northern expedition and recover lost territory."

Yuan Hao was overjoyed upon hearing this.

He immediately bowed and paid his respects.

"Your Majesty, on behalf of the suffering people of the North, I thank you for your divine grace!"

"Thank you to the living Buddha for his benevolence and compassion, and for his wish to liberate the people of the North from suffering!"

Chen Qingzhi also quickly bowed down.

"Your humble servant obeys His Majesty's decree! I will certainly live up to His Majesty's expectations, escort the Prince of Wei on his northern expedition, and recover our lost territories!!"

Xiao Yan only gave one instruction.

"On the road to the Northern Expedition, we must try our best to persuade people not to commit too much killing. Amitabha..."

(End of this chapter)