Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 688 Auspicious snow heralds a good harvest

Late at night, the hustle and bustle of the Huaiyang Prince's Mansion finally subsided.

The servants in the mansion were busy cleaning and tidying up the garden.

Yuan Zhong slowly flipped through the list of donors, his expression not very good.

"I heard that the second young master of the Zhao family spent several thousand taels of silver a few days ago to bring a courtesan home. And now his father is only giving him this little bit of money?"

"Lingyun Temple must collect more incense money in a month than this, right?"

"And this Faming Temple, it's said they own more land than I do, yet they have the nerve to only contribute this little bit of grain..."

……

Yuan Zhong picked up a pen and scribbled on the roster, muttering to himself incessantly.

After a while, Yuan Zhong handed the booklet to the steward next to him with an uncomfortable look on his face.

"Go, send someone to collect the money and grain first thing tomorrow morning. Not a single copper coin or a single grain of rice should be missing."

"If anyone tries to postpone the event, saying they can't come up with that much stuff right now, take other valuables from their homes as payment, double the amount. Don't even think about playing games with me..."

"I am in a hurry to provide disaster relief and help the people. Anyone who dares to shirk their responsibilities, write them down!"

The steward standing nearby quickly agreed.

Yuan Zhong paused, then said coldly, "I know you've taken plenty of bribes from those families, but this time, if you're unreliable, don't blame me for being ruthless and twisting your heads off."

Normally, Yuan Chong would turn a blind eye and wouldn't care so much.

The situation is different now; the imperial court is preparing to take action against certain powerful figures, and a struggle is about to begin.

As a king of the Great Wei royal family, Yuan Zhong knew very well what choice he should make.

If we don't help Emperor Wei, and we don't help Crown Prince Yuan Tao, are we supposed to help those outsiders?

Despite his daily rituals of worshipping Buddha and chanting sutras, Yuan Zhong is very astute and knows how to assess situations.

Hearing Yuan Zhong's cold tone, the steward quickly said, "I am loyal to Your Highness, how could I dare to betray you and do something rebellious!"

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will take men there tomorrow and make them bring out all the extras!"

A ruthless glint flashed in the manager's eyes.

Over the years, he had dealt with those family figures in Peace City, and he had some dirt on them regarding the dirty and despicable things they did in secret.

If someone makes excuses even for taking these supplies, don't blame them for disregarding past relationships.

They showed no regard for the monks or the Buddha.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhong remained calm and slowly said, "Write it exactly as it's written. I'm a reasonable person."

"When a dog is cornered, it'll even jump over the wall. I have plenty of time to play with them..."

The steward replied, "Yes, yes, Your Highness is right."

Yuan Zhong waved his hand and said, "Go and rest so you'll have the energy to get things done tomorrow."

The steward quickly and respectfully took his leave.

Yuan Zhong turned to Hu Qing and said softly, "Master, please stay at home for now and don't go out easily, lest you be discovered by certain people..."

There is still no definite news from Luoyang regarding the establishment of Mahayana Buddhism.

Yuan Zhong was worried that some high-ranking monks in Pingcheng would act recklessly and take action against Hu Qing.

Hu Qing thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay."

Yuan Chong twirled his prayer beads, gazing at the pitch-black night, and murmured, "The days to come will likely be far from peaceful! Alas, I have devoted most of my life to worshipping Buddha, and I wonder if I will ever see the true Buddha again..."

Hu Qing smiled faintly and said, "As long as Your Highness sincerely converts to Mahayana Buddhism, the true Buddha will come to see you in the future."

Yuan Zhong narrowed his eyes slightly, "Really?"

Hu Qing remained calm, saying, "Buddhists do not lie."

……

Luoyang, White Horse Temple.

The news that Yuan Tao had been appointed as the crown prince had spread throughout Luoyang.

This attracted many people to Yuan Tao's residence to offer their congratulations.

Once established as the crown prince, he would become the future emperor of the Great Wei. Naturally, he needed to make a good impression on Yuan Tao.

However, Yuan Tao was not at his residence at this time. Instead, he had taken people to the White Horse Temple and was in the abbot's courtyard.

In a room filled with the scent of sandalwood, an old monk sat on a couch, quietly and attentively looking at a brand-new scripture, a copy of the true scripture brought by Yuan Tao.

Yuan Tao sat to one side, his expression one of earnestness and indifference, while several trusted subordinates stood in the room.

Yuan Tao smiled as he looked at the old monk before him.

The abbot of Baima Temple, whose Dharma name was Faneng, was deeply accomplished in Buddhism and held a pivotal position and wielded considerable influence within the Buddhist community of the entire Wei Kingdom.

He came here today to try and win over this eminent Buddhist monk.

With the support of Fa Neng, establishing Mahayana Buddhism in the Wei Kingdom became much smoother.

Yuan Tao asked softly, "What does the abbot think of this scripture?"

Fa Neng held the scriptures in his hands, his expression complex and difficult to decipher.

He had just learned that Yuan Tao had presented Emperor Wei with a Buddhist scripture, a scripture bearing the mark of Buddha, and he still didn't quite believe it.

But now that he has seen the copy of the scripture, Fa Neng has dispelled his doubts.

He had been studying the fragmentary scriptures that had been widely publicized recently, and now that he had seen the complete text, along with some profound annotations, he was astonished.

Fa Neng even speculated that Yuan Tao might have found some Buddhist secret realm and obtained this true scripture.

Fa Neng couldn't help but ask, "This is undoubtedly a true Buddhist scripture. May I ask where Your Highness obtained it?"

Yuan Tao smiled but did not answer. Instead, he said, "It seems the abbot likes this scripture. I will ask my father to lend the original scripture to the abbot for a couple of days to study."

Upon hearing this, Fa Neng's expression shifted; merely observing the copy of the true scripture had given him much insight.

If he could see the original scriptures and comprehend the imprints left by the Buddha, wouldn't that allow him to advance in his spiritual practice and touch the origin of Buddhism and Taoism...?

Having devoted himself to Buddhist practice, how could he refuse such a good thing?

Of course, there's no such thing as free food.

He thought Yuan Tao had come to ask him to express his support for establishing a crown prince.

Fa Neng smiled and said, "Your Highness's kindness is appreciated, so this old monk will gladly accept it."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao simply smiled slightly.

"Having read this sutra, the abbot should already know its extraordinary nature; it is Mahayana Buddhism, the true teachings of the Buddha..."

"I intend to use this true scripture as the orthodox law of Buddhism, to establish Mahayana Buddhism, and to regulate the precepts of Buddhism..."

As they were talking, Yuan Tao took out another book, opened it, and handed it to Fa Neng to look at.

The book contains many draft Buddhist precepts.

The precepts of various sects and schools of Buddhism in the Great Wei Dynasty are different. Most sects have lenient precepts, and even those who violate the law can receive lighter punishments due to their special status.

Fa Neng slowly flipped through the booklet, a flicker of emotion appearing in his eyes.

The precepts in the booklet are quite strict. If they were to be implemented, the power of Buddhism in Wei would be cut in half, and it would be subject to many restrictions in the future.

Fa Neng never expected that Yuan Tao, who had just been appointed as the crown prince, would want to create such a spectacle, intending to rectify the Buddhist community.

As a result, it's likely that not many people will support this newly appointed crown prince.

Without the support of the Buddhist community and powerful figures in Wei, his position as crown prince would likely be unstable. Fa Neng couldn't understand why Yuan Tao would risk such a thing; couldn't he just be a good crown prince?

Yuan Tao could win the support of many people without doing anything.

To insist on establishing some kind of orthodox Buddhist sect or Mahayana Buddhism is simply asking for trouble.

However, Fa Neng was unaware that it was not because Yuan Tao had been made crown prince that he dared to have any ideas about regulating Buddhism.

Instead, it was because he first had the idea of ​​suppressing Buddhism that Emperor Wei gave him the position of crown prince.

If Yuan Tao does something wrong, he will be the biggest scapegoat in this incident.

After a moment of silence, Fa Neng slowly said, "Is this His Highness's intention?"

Establishing him as crown prince is not like a newly appointed official making a big splash.

Fa Neng felt that Yuan Tao's sudden move was probably not a spur-of-the-moment decision, and things were not that simple.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao smiled and slowly said, "A monk should be pure of heart and free from desires, and devote himself to Buddhist practice, rather than enjoying pleasure and wealth... What does the abbot think?"

"There are more monks than officials within the territory of my Great Wei. Are there really so many monks with wisdom among them?"

"The people of our Great Wei have already suffered far too much, their pain is unbearable. Abbot, you are practicing the Buddhist Dharma, so you should have a Buddhist heart..."

"My mind is made up: to regulate Buddhism and establish a new religion. This is to revitalize the Great Wei Dynasty, and also to revitalize Buddhism!"

"Abbot, do you support it or not?"

Yuan Tao spoke with conviction, his gaze fixed intently on Faneng.

Seeing Yuan Tao's resolute attitude, Fa Neng sighed inwardly, knowing that there was no way to persuade this young man.

Fa Neng chanted the Buddha's name and said leisurely, "This old monk will naturally follow the Buddha's arrangement."

Yuan Tao's eyes flickered. These words... well, they could barely be considered a statement from the other party.

Is this Buddha's arrangement? He'll show the original scriptures to Fa Neng when the time comes, and he doesn't believe the other party will still not support Mahayana Buddhism.

If all else fails, we can always ask Lu Zheng to come and try to bring down the Buddha's true meaning again.

However, Yuan Tao wasn't sure if this would work out.

After all, if the Buddha's true intentions were so easily revealed, how could there be no one in the vast Buddhist community of Wei who could publicly request the will of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas?

Yuan Tao nodded and said, "It's good that the abbot is reasonable."

Yuan Tao paused for a moment, then said, "This true scripture will not be publicized for the time being. The abbot should keep it for himself."

Fa Neng's expression shifted slightly, and he nodded in agreement.

Yuan Tao stood up and said, "We will not trouble the abbot any longer. We will take our leave."

Yuan Tao had no intention of lingering and turned to leave.

Fa Neng rose to see him off, saying, "Your Highness, please take care..."

The others followed suit.

Wuqiu also bowed to Fa Neng and offered to follow.

Faneng looked at Wuqiu and said quietly, "Wuqiu, aren't you going back to the temple to cultivate?"

Wuqiu paused, looked at Faneng, and bowed again, saying, "Abbot, Wuqiu has always been sincerely devoted to Buddhism. Now that I have seen the true meaning of the Buddha, it is the same no matter where I cultivate."

Having said that, Wuqiu quickly followed Yuan Tao and the others away.

Upon hearing this, Fa Neng frowned. He could tell that Wu Qiu was telling the truth.

Even Wuqiu saw the true meaning of the Buddha, so why didn't he have such an opportunity?

Is the path he's taking now really wrong?

Mahayana Buddhism... Dharma Master held the true scriptures and precepts in his hands, his expression complex for a moment.

Suddenly, a snowflake fell and landed on Fa Neng's wrinkled, no longer young face.

Fa Neng raised his head slightly and looked at the snow that had begun to fall from the sky.

The first snow of winter in Luoyang came earlier and was colder than usual.

The first snowfall allowed Fa Neng's heart to slowly settle down.

"This is really going to change!"

……

In the northern region, heavy snow was falling.

The earth was covered in a vast expanse of white, with snow piled up to a foot deep.

On the wide road through the mountains, vehicles and horses sped back and forth. Every so often, people were organizing snow removal and road clearing.

Outside a city, children were playing and laughing in the snow.

They were all dressed in thick, warm clothes, their little faces flushed from playing so much.

In previous years, some children would probably have been starving and suffering from the cold in the snow.

Now they no longer have to worry about such things. They can even hold the snow, which they used to find terrifying, and play with it.

Adults were inspecting the crops growing in the fields outside the city.

Even on the coldest days, some crops are still growing, bringing a touch of green to the white earth.

"A timely snow promises a bumper harvest; next year will surely be a good one!"

Someone exclaimed with a chuckle.

Upon hearing this, someone couldn't help but say, "Auspicious snow... we're just lucky to have met Mr. Lu and the others. In previous years, this would have been a deadly snow disaster..."

"I heard that people have been sent to various disaster relief sites in the surrounding areas, but I don't know how many people they can save."

"In the past, who cared about the life or death of people like us?"

……

In the main city of Bai Ze, Gongyang Ming sat in the courtyard, watching the falling snowflakes, reading books he had never seen before.

The busiest period in the Baize region has passed, and Gongyang Ming has changed jobs, giving him more time to do his own things every day.

As the saying goes, one is never too old to learn.

He has recently been studying various kinds of knowledge, no longer limited to Confucianism.

Just then, Lu Zheng entered through the open courtyard gate.

"Wasn't Master Gongyang invited to attend the Unobstructed Assembly in Wei? Why haven't we seen you leave? And things aren't so busy here anymore..."

Upon hearing this, Gongyang Ming looked up, smiled, and said, "I have already witnessed the true meaning of Buddha here. Why would I need to attend that Unobstructed Assembly?"

Gongyang Ming thought that he would rather spend that time here reading one or two more books.

Suddenly, Gongyang Ming blinked and asked, "What, are you going over there?"

Lu Zhengdao: "I want to go and take a look. Besides, news from the Great Merchant Guild indicates that there really was a snow disaster in northern Wei this year. Perhaps there's something I can do to help..."

Upon hearing this, Gongyang Ming sighed, "The people of Wei are suffering a disaster, yet you, an outsider, care more about it than they do. What a world!"

Lu Zhengdao: "Isn't it because the world is in such a bad state that we need to awaken the conscience of more people?"

Gongyang Ming stood up and said, "I'll go with you. But surely no one will cause trouble here?"

Gongyang Ming was somewhat worried that some forces might try to sabotage him while he was away.

After all, he had contributed a lot to the construction of this place and considered himself a part of it; he didn't want his hard work to be destroyed.

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng said, "I've left some arrangements so that if anything really happens, I can sense it quickly and get back as soon as possible." (End of Chapter)