You have truly caused me great suffering!

The place where the King of Goryeo stayed was the famous Seungcheonsa Temple.

Chengtian Temple is famous because it was the headquarters of the Buddhist Academy.

He had long heard that the Great Jing Dynasty had unified the right to interpret Buddhist scriptures, and that all Buddhist sects in the world were to respect the Dharma here, otherwise they would be considered heretics.

As a vassal state, Goryeo naturally followed suit quickly, and specially invited a high-ranking monk from Seungcheonsa Temple to preach Buddhism.

Jingseng had a bad reputation in Japan, basically synonymous with chaos; wherever they went, they brought chaos.

But don't assume that all monks in Buddhist academies are like that. In fact, they have a clear division of labor, and those who can go out on official business are the best of the best.

There are still many eminent monks in Chengtian Temple who specialize in studying Buddhism.

Moreover, this place almost encompasses the Song Dynasty's Daxiangguo Temple; the Liao Dynasty's Huayan Temple, Fengguo Temple, and Dule Temple; the Western Xia Dynasty's Kasyapa Tathagata Temple and Twin Pagoda Temple; and the Jiaozhi's Zhenguo Temple and Yanyou Temple.
All the precious Buddhist treasures, ancient Buddhist scriptures, and classic texts from the well-known Buddhist temples have been moved to this library.

Buddhism is now flourishing, and there are kings and believers everywhere who worship and believe in Buddhism.

In the Central Plains, Buddhism was the least popular religion.

Therefore, Chen Shao attached great importance to this and often came in person. All the high-ranking officials of Chengtian Temple were his confidants.

In theory, Chengtian Temple could wage war on its own. As long as they determined that the Buddhism in a certain place was not pure, they could send monks to "debate the scriptures".

Chengtian Temple occupies a vast area, with the inner courtyard along the lake alone covering dozens of acres. It could comfortably house nearly a thousand people, including the Goryeo king, his ministers, and his attendants.

The temple arranged everyone's food and lodging, so they didn't have to worry about it themselves. Wang Kai's residence was called Tianxiang Shuixie, which was specially reserved for foreign dignitaries of such high status.

As for the king, he usually doesn't come.

After all, traveling far away at this time is still a very dangerous thing. If transportation changes drastically in the future, more rulers may come to Jinling to pay tribute.

Wang Kai lingered in the temple, marveling at the Buddhist relics and rubbings brought from all over the country.

He felt his perspective had broadened considerably, and he felt lightheaded and overjoyed.

Inside the hall where he was, the walls were decorated with replicas of Western Xia murals, and two bronze incense burners quietly emitted smoke, filling the hall with a subtle fragrance.

Just then, a guard rushed in and whispered something in his ear.

The infatuation and fascination on Wang Kai's face vanished instantly, leaving him pale.

"Dead?"

The person nodded.

Wang Kai looked sad, and after a long while, he finally let out a long sigh, "It's all fate."
-
Inside the Fu Ning Palace in the Imperial City.

The Li sisters, Wan Shu and Wan Shu, were bending over to serve Chen Shao the pills. Both of them were dressed in palace gauze. One was bending over to count the number of pills, while the other was kneeling on the couch, gently turning the spoon to mix the honey water.

Wang Yin, standing behind the screen, clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have ascertained that the King of Goryeo came to the capital at the urging of Kim Bu-sik, Ahn Bo-rim, Choi Tak, Kwon Soo, and others in his country."

"The purpose of these people is to eliminate Monk Miaoqing. Monk Miaoqing is proficient in the secret arts of Yin and Yang. He taught this art to the king, and therefore he is highly favored by the king of Goryeo."

Chen Shao scratched his head, surprised that there really was a conspiracy. These ministers, they used all their cunning on their own monarch.

Wang Yin said, "According to Cui Shunting, this matter is ultimately a power struggle between the powerful clans of Kaijing and Xijing. Here is Cui Shunting's report; please review it, Your Majesty."

A palace maid took the report, went behind the screen, and handed it to Chen Shao.

He unfolded it and began to read. Chen Shao was not really clear about these conflicts in Goryeo, since Goryeo was not an urgent matter for him.

Since the fall of Yi Ziqian, powerful clans from Xijing (later Pyongyang) gradually rose to prominence, with the powerful minister Jeong Ji-sang being a prominent example.

The powerful families of Gaegyeong, represented by Kim Bu-sik, were unwilling to accept that their status was threatened, and factional strife began.

The infighting between the two factions and the exploitation of the people by powerful clans caused great turmoil within Goryeo society, leading to widespread public resentment.

As a result, some confusing and misleading yin-yang techniques became popular.

Using these secret techniques, the monk Miaoqing from Xijing quickly gained the favor of Emperor Renzong.

Myo-chung's philosophy integrated Buddhism, Taoism, Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory, and some Korean folk beliefs, with a focus on feng shui.

Myo-cheong told King Injong that the current capital of the Goryeo Dynasty, Gaegyeong, no longer possessed the aura of a king, while Seogyeong had an excellent location. If the capital were moved to Seogyeong, the country could be pacified, and they could even break free from the control of Daejeong.

This argument sounded far-fetched, but it appealed to the powerful figures in Xijing. Miaoqing was originally from Xijing and had formed a faction with the ministers there.

Minister Zheng Zhichang and Astronomer Bai Shou both supported Miaoqing's proposal, and the three were collectively known as the "Three Saints of Xijing." Under their constant encouragement, Emperor Renzong was also swayed. He had grown up in the shadow of the powerful clans of Kaijing. Although Li Ziqian had fallen from power, the nobles of Kaijing still wielded considerable influence.

Emperor Renzong frequently traveled to Xijing (Seoul) in an attempt to escape the nobility of Kaijing (Gaekkyung). Finally, last year, he made up his mind to begin constructing a palace in Xijing.

The old nobles of Kaijing naturally opposed it wholeheartedly, but after the capital was moved, they would have to be sidelined.

The location of the capital city directly determines the power and future career prospects of the ministers in that area.

Chen Shao only stayed in Taiyuan for a few years, and the officials of the Hedong faction became the most powerful force in the court.

The old nobles of Kaijing wanted to completely extinguish the evil flames brought about by the "Three Saints of Xijing," but they were also afraid that the king would protect them, so they directly took a radical approach.

They tricked the king into coming to Dajing.

They seized the opportunity to eliminate Xijing's forces in a bloody and brutal process.

The moment they set foot on the land of Dajing, the nobles of Kaijing took action. Not long ago, the dust had settled; the Three Saints of Xijing were executed, and their families were wiped out.

In the original history, three years later, the monk Miaoqing of Xijing would join forces with court officials such as Zheng Zhichang to rebel and establish a state in Xijing, named Dawei.

This shows how determined they were to seize power.

During this mutiny, the Goryeo garrison in Daegeong remained an observer throughout and did not participate.

Because the above command is not available.

They dared not make any rash moves.

After closing the report, Chen Shao couldn't help but laugh and said, "This king's life is full of twists and turns. He must be feeling very frustrated as a king."

Historically, Wang Kai was posthumously known as Emperor Renzong. He experienced numerous political upheavals throughout his life, leaving him exhausted, and indeed died in his thirties.

Kim Bu-sik's plan to lure the enemy away from their stronghold came at just the right time, as it was a special period in the relationship between Daegyeong and Goryeo.

"Your Majesty, the water is ready."

Chen Shao swallowed the wind-preventing pill, and the palace maids cleared away the plates and left. Only then did Chen Shao stand up and walk out from behind the screen.

Wang Yin kept his head down, and Chen Shao smiled and said, "I heard from Zhao He that you had a son?"

Even Wang Yin, who was usually expressionless, couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "Your Majesty, that is indeed the case."

Chen Shao chuckled and beckoned over. Chen Chong, beaming, brought over a wooden tray with a jade pendant and a pair of plain white porcelain tigers, simple yet majestic, meant to "ward off evil spirits and strengthen children's bones."

After accepting the gift, Wang Yin was overwhelmed with emotion, but he didn't say much. He knew that His Majesty had always understood him and knew that he was willing to die for His Majesty.

Over the years, His Majesty has entrusted me with so many important matters; this is an immense trust.

Wang Yin was quite special. He was one of the members who followed Chen Shao from the very beginning, but he did not belong to the Dingnan faction or the Hedong faction.

He was captured and surrendered when Chen Shao was fighting Fang La, so Chen Shao put him in charge of Guangyuantang.

The head of the intelligence system cannot get too involved with other people.
Whether it was due to his personality or because he himself had come to realize this, Wang Yin had always kept his distance from other officials.

He would marry into an ordinary family, never through an arranged marriage.

Normally, when Chen Shao asked him to conduct investigations, he would only provide information and rarely make his own judgments.

This time, Cui Shunting's report was submitted directly instead of being repeated by himself.

Chen Shao was very satisfied with him and valued him highly, as evidenced by this gift.

The emperor cares about you and treats you as a close friend. He will also offer congratulations on your family's happy occasions as if they were those of a relative or friend.

Wang Yin silently withdrew from the main hall, and the empty hall immediately became desolate again.

Chen Shao stood there, motionless for a long time, but finally decided not to interfere.

Just pretend you don't know.

The Great Jing is simply too powerful. Once it intervenes, regardless of its purpose, it gives people a sense of oppression.

This kind of thing is thankless and tedious, so Chen Shao was too lazy to do it. Letting Goryeo fall into chaos on its own would give them an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

This is the strategic composure that comes with great strength, allowing one to maintain a firm course without frequently changing one's established strategies due to the affairs of neighboring countries.

The King of Goryeo is probably not able to eat these days.
Wang Kai originally planned to visit Chengtian Temple afterwards.

But after this incident at the junior high school, he realized that his trip to Jinling was actually a complete conspiracy.

Thinking of the murder of his beloved Miaoqing, he felt both grief and indignation, yet also helplessness.

This state of mind, however, made him even more immersed in the vast and boundless Buddhist teachings, hoping to find some solace for his soul.

Now it was Kim Boo-sik and his group's turn to be dumbfounded.

Our execution of those traitors in Xijing was an act of purging the emperor's inner circle, a loyal and righteous act, not an attempt to force the emperor to abdicate and rebel. Your Majesty, why are you so dejected?

If you stay here to worship Buddha, what will the Koreans think of us?
A group of ministers sought an audience at Chengtian Temple every day, but Wang Kai refused to see them all, instead engaging in quiet conversations with the eminent monks of Chengtian Temple.

Left with no other option, Kim Boo-seok had to turn to Chen Shao for help.

Listening to his largely evasive account, Chen Shao sneered inwardly. What difference is there between your actions and rebellion?

"Perhaps Wang Qing has simply grasped something. There's no need to panic. He will naturally emerge once he has fully understood. I could tell at a glance that he has a natural talent for wisdom, hehe."

Kim Bu-sik, though a Korean, was a fervent Confucianist and had always looked down on Buddhist matters.

At this moment, he hated the Buddhist sect that had imprisoned the king even more.

However, he had no way to refute the argument and could only leave the palace in despair.

As he walked out of the magnificent palace complex and looked towards Chengtian Temple in the distance, Kim Boo-seok let out a long sigh.

There's a lot to say about Jinling (Nanjing).

After the prince of Dali arrived, he became addicted to brothels and lived with prostitutes.

After the King of Goryeo arrived, he became engrossed in Buddhism and was inseparable from the monks.

At that moment, by the river, a down-on-his-luck man also returned from overseas.

Zhao Ji looked around, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Was this Jinling?
He left from Dengzhou Prefecture in Shandong and went directly to Japan, without even stopping to rest in Korea.

In just a few years, Jiangning Prefecture of the Great Song Dynasty has become so prosperous?

Emperor Huizong was a discerning and knowledgeable man. He could tell at a glance that Jinling was far superior to Bianliang, the capital of the Eastern Capital.

Behind him stood a group of short Japanese people, all of whom also had blank expressions.

These people were all "fans" of Emperor Huizong in Japan. During the Heian period, Emperor Huizong saved his own life and also saved these people by using his identity as a member of the Jing family.

He originally thought that those rioters had become so brutal that they would definitely not recognize their own family members.

To everyone's surprise, they actually chose not to commit any offenses simply because they were from Jingzhou.

Emperor Huizong of Song, who had spent his life playing power games, immediately concluded that this mob uprising was orchestrated by the Jing Dynasty.

At the very least, it was they who instigated it. The Jing people must have played a significant role in the mob uprising; otherwise, the mob, driven mad with bloodlust, wouldn't have cared whether you were from Jing or not.

Although Zhao Ji knew that he would be safe if he fled to Ise Province, he still boarded a merchant ship and returned to the Central Plains.

He really didn't want to stay in Japan any longer; for him, every moment was torture.

Witnessing the brutality of the mob left a deep scar on Zhao Ji. The streets of Heian-kyo reeked of blood, and every tree was covered with countless severed heads.

Blood flowed freely on the road, which was muddy and teeming with mosquitoes and flies.

“Lord Hun De, please come with us.”

A deep voice sounded in his ear, and Zhao Ji then realized that three people had gathered around him.

Judging from their appearance, he knew they were foreigners. Zhao Ji nodded. Now that he was back here, his identity would definitely be "taken care of".

A group of Japanese people, carrying large and small bags on their shoulders and in their hands, followed closely behind, but the Guangyuantang spies didn't seem to care.

From the moment they boarded the ship, Chen Shao already knew, and had seriously considered whether to kill him in Japan.

After careful consideration, I still didn't take action.

Regardless of the circumstances, the legitimacy of the Great Jing Dynasty was derived from the abdication of the Song Dynasty emperor.

If Zhao Ji died under mysterious circumstances, it would be a terrible thing. He had been an emperor for twenty years, and after his death, he should have been included in the annals of emperors.

No matter how meticulously you do things, you were the one who sent him to Japan in the first place.

The pen of history is like a knife, and it will likely record this clearly: Emperor Jing sent the Duke of Hunde to Japan, where he never returned.

Will the one who started this have no descendants?

Zhao Ji was filled with anxiety, unsure of how Chen Shao would deal with him. After twenty years of wealth and privilege, the emperor now only wanted to survive and continue living in the Central Plains.

And what's even funnier is that, with his abilities, he wouldn't have gone hungry even if he hadn't become emperor.
Especially in this prosperous and abundant era. (End of Chapter)