Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 686 Mahayana Buddhism

After Lu Zheng finished adjusting the reassignment arrangements for the heads of various regions.

Yuan Tao, impatient to return to Wei, led the men Lu Zheng had sent to Wei down the mountain and gathered his trusted men to prepare for their return.

Qingwan only learned of Lu Zheng's arrangement at this moment. After Yuan Tao and his group walked away, she asked, "Can Yuan Tao be trusted?"

In front of the remaining people, Lu Zheng slowly said, "The Wei court has always wanted to suppress the Buddhist sect in Wei, and he is the best candidate among us. As for whether they can succeed, it depends on how far they are willing to go."

Lu Zheng made the decision on a whim, entrusting the true scriptures to Yuan Tao to manage.

As for what level the other party can reach, that remains to be seen.

Gongyang Ming, who was standing to the side, said, "The Buddhist sect is powerful and not so easy to suppress. If you do this, you will easily offend the entire Buddhist sect."

Lu Zheng said calmly, "Besides supporting the imperial court, the hundreds of millions of people in Wei also have to support the temples. Many times, the people don't even have enough to eat, and they still have to make up for the offerings from those temples..."

"The grain in many temple granaries was piled up and moldy, while people were starving to death on the streets outside..."

“If I were to annotate the scriptures and persuade them to do good, and they instead blame me, then such a Buddhist community would have no reason to exist.”

Lu Zheng glanced sideways at the spot next to him that had been leveled by the Buddha's true intent.

The magnificent Buddhist temple has no trace of its existence.

Lu Zheng sighed, "The sages wrote books and established doctrines with the aim of making the world a better place. Countless people in later generations claim to be disciples of the sages, yet they mostly engage in selfish and self-serving acts. It's truly laughable..."

"Mr. Gongyang, is it really harder to do good than to do bad? Why are those who have studied the classics more likely to become hypocrites?"

Gongyang Ming fell silent upon hearing this. Even as a great Confucian scholar of the Jixia Academy, he could not give the most accurate answer to such a pointed question from Lu Zheng.

Gongyang Ming sighed, "I don't know."

Lu Zheng smiled and said leisurely, "Reality is truly unreasonable. Since that's the case, sometimes we should also be unreasonable..."

Lu Zheng rubbed his face and looked at Xiao Yan and the others, "Everything here needs to be rebuilt now, so you should focus on doing your jobs. The true scripture isn't with me, but I'll make a few copies later. Even if it's not the original, the effect of cultivation and enlightenment will be less, but it will still be enough for you."

Xiao Yan and the others had no objections.

With Lu Zheng, who was blessed and recognized by the Buddha's true intention through his mark, the true scriptures are not actually that important.

Lu Zheng added, "Alright, unless it's something important, everyone go back to where you were..."

Soon, everyone gradually dispersed.

Gongyang Ming was already working in this city and was not in a hurry to leave.

After the others left, Gongyang Ming spoke to Lu Zhengdao, "Have you met the Confucian sage?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "What makes you say that?"

Gongyang Ming's eyes shone brightly. "You can even summon the true meaning of Buddha. Did you not see my ancient Confucian sages when you wrote your books before? I don't believe it... I remember you also edited a few books, didn't you?"

Lu Zheng couldn't help but smile. "It's an honor to have met Master Meng."

Gongyang Ming looked slightly surprised. "Really? I knew it. Your righteous spirit... Did the Sage say anything to you? If it's not inconvenient to say, then forget it..."

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "We didn't say much. In short, he told me to stick to my own path."

Gongyang Ming's expression changed, and he couldn't help but sigh, "Did the sage really speak to you? Back then, when I was comprehending the Dao at the Jixia Academy, I also glimpsed the intentions of the ancient sages, but it was only a fleeting glimpse, and I wasn't even qualified to communicate with their intentions..."

Thinking back on the past, Gongyang Ming couldn't help but sigh.

Suddenly, Gongyang Ming asked curiously, "Sage Meng told you to stick to your own path? What does that mean?"

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Gongyang, can't you really see it at all?"

Upon hearing this, Gongyang Ming's eyes flickered with emotion, his expression somewhat complicated.

He has been here for a while now, and occasionally comes into contact with Lu Zheng.

If he truly hadn't noticed anything at all, then his title as a teacher at the academy would be merely a hollow honor.

Seeing Lu Zheng's consistently calm expression, Gongyang Ming sighed softly.

Are you sure you want to continue down this path?

Lu Zheng said softly, "Even without me, there would be others in the future. Mr. Gongyang, you should understand one thing: this world has never lacked people like me, it's just that they didn't fulfill their ambitions, and we, the younger generation, should work even harder..."

Gongyang Ming opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Lu Zheng looked relaxed and then said, "Mr. Gongyang, why don't you tell me about the Jixia Academy? What is it like there? If I have the opportunity to visit it in the future, I won't have trouble finding the way."

……

Yuan Tao led his entourage back to the State of Wei in a great hurry.

On the way, Hu Qing held the sacred text in her hands, her eyes sparkling, almost burying herself in the book.

Although the true scripture is temporarily lent to Yuan Tao, Yuan Tao still followed Lu Zheng's request and gave the true scripture to Hu Qing, who was the first to express her opinion, to read.

Moreover, there are many matters that will require Hu Qing's help later on, so it's natural to let her gain more insights into the true teachings.

On the other side, Wuqiu had not yet recovered from the shock of seeing the Buddha's true meaning when he unexpectedly found that the true scripture had fallen into Yuantao's hands.

Yuan Tao also intended to promote the true scriptures and establish Mahayana Buddhism.

Seeing Yuan Tao's excited expression, Wu Qiu couldn't help but ask, "Does Your Highness really intend to establish Mahayana Buddhism?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao's expression softened somewhat, and he said calmly, "With the Buddha as a witness to the true scriptures, Mahayana Buddhism can universally save all sentient beings and benefit the country and its people... Do you think there's anything wrong with it?"

Establishing a new religion can also rectify the original nature of Buddhism, suppress other Buddhist forces, and reclaim some rights for the imperial court, which would benefit the country and its people.

However, in this situation, Yuan Tao couldn't be too blunt in front of the Wei monks.

After all, we still need to get these people to do things later, so we need to win them over, rather than letting them become adversaries.

Is that inappropriate? Wuqiu thought that even the Buddha had manifested his power, so how could he say that Mahayana Buddhism was wrong?

However, establishing a new religion would have a significant impact on Buddhism in the Wei Kingdom, potentially shaking the stability of the state and endangering the very foundation of the nation.

As a monk from the State of Wei, he naturally had to consider the country's interests more.

Wuqiu said, "Mahayana Buddhism should flourish, but this matter is of great importance and requires careful consideration to avoid..."

Yuan Tao frowned upon hearing this; similar remarks were often made when the court attempted to regulate Buddhism.

They claimed that too many things were involved, which could easily lead to national instability and destabilization of the country.

Yuan Tao coldly replied, "My mind is made up! The country is now terminally ill. If we don't take action now, will we just wait for the country to perish?"

Wuqiu paused, unable to offer any further advice, and could only sigh inwardly.

Beside him, Ku Xin's expression shifted. Wei was not like this place; with such a strong dose of medicine, the situation was hard to predict.

However, judging from Yuan Tao's attitude, a bloody storm is inevitable in Buddhism.

……

Pingcheng, the Prince Huaiyang's Palace.

Outside the mansion gate, a beautiful figure suddenly appeared.

Hu Qing looked at the mansion gate and murmured, "This should be it."

She arrived at the gate and immediately showed a sign to the guards.

"By order of His Highness Prince Tao, I have urgent business to discuss with Prince Huaiyang!"

The guards checked the token and confirmed it was genuine. They quickly brought Hu Qing into the mansion and sent someone to report to Prince Huaiyang, Yuan Sheng.

Soon, Hu Qing was led to a luxurious living room to wait, with several maids attending to her.

Having grown accustomed to a simple life in the Northern Region, Hu Qing was still somewhat unaccustomed to the extravagance of the Prince's Mansion.

A moment later, Yuan Sheng arrived late.

Hu Qing stood up, clasped her hands together in a gesture of respect, and exuded a mysterious Buddhist aura.

“Amitabha, Hu Qing of the Mahayana Buddhist sect greets Prince Huaiyang.”

Yuan Zhong was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then returned the greeting and said, "So you are a Buddhist master, please have a seat!"

Hu Qing did not sit down immediately, but reached out and took out a scripture, handing it to Yuan Zhong.

"As instructed by His Highness Prince Tao, I have delivered a scripture to Your Highness. It is a Mahayana Buddhist scripture, a method for universal salvation. By cultivating Mahayana, one can attain enlightenment..."

Yuan Zhong's eyes flickered slightly as he picked up the scripture and curiously flipped through it.

When he saw the first sentence of the scripture, he was immediately struck by a jolt; this was not…

Yuan Zhong's eyes sparkled as he continued reading.

He had longed to see the complete scripture, and now he finally saw it in its entirety.

"So that's how it goes... What a wonderful scripture, what a wonderful scripture..."

"Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, what a magnificent Mahayana..."

Yuan Zhong carefully examined the scriptures, finding them fascinating and gaining much insight from them.

After some time, Yuan Zhong was still watching with great interest.

However, he then realized there were still guests present and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Your Highness found this scripture? Where did you find it? Heh, I didn't expect my nephew to be so capable. So many people in Buddhism couldn't find the rest of the scripture..."

Hu Qing calmly said, "His Highness Prince Tao was ordained by Heaven. His Highness wishes to establish Mahayana Buddhism and would like to ask Your Highness for some assistance."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhong's expression shifted, and he raised his hand and waved.

The servants in the living room all withdrew. Yuan Zhong composed himself and said, "Tell me about it."

Hu Qing slowly and deliberately recounted the events.

Yuan Zhong listened expressionlessly, without any reaction.

Finally, Hu Qing whispered, "If everything goes smoothly, thirty percent of the profits will go to the Prince."

If one wants to establish Mahayana Buddhism in the Wei Kingdom to suppress other Buddhist forces, one naturally needs to win the support of some forces.

This was Hu Qing's purpose in coming to Pingcheng to find Prince Huaiyang.

Yuan Zhong raised an eyebrow. Thirty percent was quite a lot. The benefits he could gain from this thirty percent were far greater than the wealth he could plunder from the people of Pingcheng.

Yuan Chong took a sip of fragrant tea and slowly asked, "Where is Your Highness now?"

Hu Qing said unhurriedly, "Your Highness, carrying the original scripture, should be arriving in the capital Luoyang soon."

Upon entering the Wei Kingdom, she parted ways with Yuan Tao and his entourage.

Judging by the time, Yuan Tao should be arriving at his destination soon.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhong's expression changed slightly, and he asked, "The original text of the true scripture?"

Hu Qing smiled slightly and nodded, "The original scripture with the Buddha's mark."

"what!"

Yuan Zhong suddenly stood up, looking surprised.

The Buddhist community has experienced so many ups and downs over the years, and to this day, he has never heard of anyone possessing a true scripture bearing the Buddha's mark.

Having a genuine original scripture written by the Buddha is already considered a treasure hidden deep within the Buddhist community.

I wouldn't even dare to dream of an object bearing the mark of Buddha.

……

Luoyang, the capital of Wei.

Yuan Tao walked hurriedly through the palace.

Soon, he arrived at a magnificent palace.

A middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes leaned back on a comfortable bench, surrounded by a group of charming palace maids.

Yuan Tao stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your subject greets Your Majesty!"

Emperor Wei lay there languidly and said leisurely, "It's Tao'er. Weren't you supervising the army in the north? Why are you back?"

Yuan Tao replied, "Your subject has an important matter to report, concerning the fate of the nation..."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wei paused for a moment, then waved his hand to dismiss those around him.

The magnificent and spacious palace was soon reduced to just the father and son.

Yuan Tao then took out the true scripture and presented it to Emperor Wei.

"Huh? This is..."

Emperor Wei quickly sensed the extraordinary nature of the scriptures before him, and sat up straight, taking the true text in his hands to read it.

"Hmm? The complete Heart Sutra? And annotations..."

The Wei Emperor looked slightly surprised and gently stroked the scripture. "Why does this scripture seem to carry the aura of a sage?"

Yuan Tao said in a low voice, "It is the Daoist essence remaining from the Buddha's true intention."

"what?"

Emperor Wei's eyes widened in surprise. "Buddha? Really?"

Emperor Wei could not believe it, for even as the Son of Heaven of Wei, he had never come into contact with anything of the Buddha before.

It's hard for him to believe that Yuan Tao has produced a sutra imbued with the aura of Buddha!

Yuan Tao couldn't help but say, "Your subject has personally witnessed the Buddha's true intention manifesting itself, and I was not the only one who saw it. Master Kuxin of the Four Noble Truths School, Monk Wuqiu of the White Horse Temple... all saw the Buddha!"

The Wei Emperor asked in surprise, "What's going on?"

Yuan Tao said, "This matter must begin with my trip to the Northern Regions."

Yuan Tao recounted his journey to the Northern Regions at a leisurely pace, describing in detail the changes he witnessed there.

Emperor Wei found it intriguing. He had heard people mention things about the Northern Region before and had some impression of Lu Zheng, but he hadn't paid much attention to it.

After all, he was busy with all sorts of affairs in Wei, so he wouldn't care what was happening in the Northern Regions.

But now, listening to Yuan Tao's account, it seems that things are not so simple.

Emperor Wei listened with interest and couldn't help but say, "This young man is quite capable; he really can rally some people..."

Emperor Wei paused, then asked, "But what do these matters have to do with this true scripture?"

Yuan Tao said, "The annotations of this true scripture were written by Mr. Lu Zheng, which then inspired the Buddha's true intention to manifest and prove the scripture's authenticity."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Wei's expression changed slightly. "Isn't he a Confucian disciple? How could he possibly annotate Buddhist scriptures and invoke the Buddha's true will?"

Even as the emperor of the Great Wei, who was usually well-informed, he found this matter too absurd and unheard of.

Yuan Tao said softly, "It is said that Buddha loves all living beings and will enlighten mortals to enter the path of cultivation and understand the Dharma. It is likely that Mr. Lu annotated the true scriptures and saved living beings in the Northern Region, which is why he was valued by Buddha and thus manifested his power... As for whether he is a Confucian disciple, that is obviously not so important."

Upon hearing Yuan Tao's explanation, Emperor Wei remained silent.

After careful consideration, this explanation seems to be the most reasonable. Otherwise, why did the Buddha's true intention not manifest before, but instead fall upon a Confucian disciple?

"gentlemen……"

Emperor Wei said slowly, "You've taken him as your teacher?"

Yuan Tao said, "I haven't formally become his apprentice, but the people there all like to call him 'Master.' I think he has great talent, so I'll use that respectful title as well."

Emperor Wei nodded and smiled, "He does indeed seem to possess great talent. Such a young man is rare... Since this true scripture is his, how did it end up in your possession?"

Looking at the sacred scripture in his hand, Emperor Wei suddenly felt that there was something slightly off about holding it.

Yuan Tao said, "It was borrowed by me. I wish to establish Mahayana Buddhism. The great Buddhist teachings emphasize universal salvation through practice... By establishing Mahayana Buddhism and revising the Buddhist precepts, we can regulate other Buddhist forces and reclaim some of their power from the state..."

"Father, now is a good time. This true scripture bestowed by Buddha should be the orthodox teaching of Buddhism..."

The Wei Emperor's expression turned serious.

When he ascended the throne, he wanted to accomplish something great and tried to regulate and restrict the influence of Buddhism, but he achieved nothing.

Over the years, some people have repeatedly mentioned matters related to Buddhism.

There are things he doesn't not want to do, but rather things he can't do.

The Wei Emperor said in a low voice, "Do you know that this one careless move will not only bring you, but also our Great Wei, to utter ruin..."

Yuan Tao said in a deep voice, "How could I not know? But if no changes are made, Great Wei will sooner or later be overrun by those people..."

"Father, how can the legacy of our ancestors be destroyed by others!"

The Wei Emperor's eyes flickered with uncertainty, his mind racing with a myriad of thoughts.

Yuan Tao stood there, facing the Wei Emperor with a pleading expression.

After a long silence, Emperor Wei sighed softly.

"Come here, draft an imperial edict!"

Soon, someone hurriedly entered the main hall.

Emperor Wei regained his composure and spoke in a clear voice.

"I have heard that the ruler of the world inherits the throne, establishes an heir apparent, and secures the nation. Prince Tao is gentle, benevolent, wise, intelligent, filial, and loving; his actions are in accordance with his true nature, and I have no worries about him..."

Yuan Tao's expression changed upon hearing this; this was actually going to...

Emperor Wei's tone remained calm: "He should be made Crown Prince and enter the Eastern Palace. The relevant officials shall be ordered to select an auspicious day, prepare the necessary ceremonies, and carry out the investiture ceremony."

Yuan Tao was overjoyed and immediately performed a grand salute, saying, "Father! Your son will certainly live up to your expectations..."

Emperor Wei said leisurely, "Get up."

After the person who drafted the edict withdrew, Emperor Wei said again, "I will observe this true scripture for a few more days. I will retrieve it after you have been conferred your title. At that time, you may do whatever you wish!"

"If you do well, all will be well. If you do poorly, I will have no choice but to depose you."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao's expression turned serious, realizing that if he failed to handle the matter properly, the only solution would be to depose him to appease the people.

This position of crown prince is not so easy to hold.

The joy that had just begun to grow vanished in an instant.

Yuan Tao took a deep breath and said, "Your son will not disappoint Father."

Emperor Wei waved his hand and said, "Alright, go and rest!"

Yuan Tao took his leave and walked unhurriedly towards the palace gate.

His eyes flickered. Mr. Lu was right; the imperial family is the most ruthless of all…

Back in the Northern Regions, when Lu Zheng discussed Mahayana Buddhism with him and sought support from the Wei Emperor, Lu Zheng told him that if things failed, he might become a sacrifice.

Yuan Tao clenched his fist, his gaze sharpening. He was determined not to let that happen. (End of Chapter)