Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 696 The Uncensored Assembly

Yuan Zhong looked at Lu Zheng, still thinking he wasn't fully awake and was hallucinating.

Yuan Zhong couldn't help but ask, "Where did you get this true scripture from?"

Lu Zhengdao said, "In the past, when I learned a scripture, all the annotations were written by me. After being approved by the Buddha, it became a true scripture."

Lu Zheng raised his hand and revealed the original text of the true scripture.

The reason for bringing out the true scriptures now is that, after a series of events, Lu Zheng has found that this prince is quite reliable, and some things can be explained in advance.

Even though the true essence of the scripture was contained within, Yuan Zhong, a Buddhist cultivator, still felt a resonance with it, confirming that this was undoubtedly a true Buddhist scripture.

Yuan Zhong couldn't help but take a few steps forward, his eyes flickering uncertainly.

"This...this...this sutra was actually annotated by you..."

"How is this possible? I heard you destroyed many temples in the Northern Region. How could Buddha approve of your commentaries on the scriptures?"

Yuan Zhong found it hard to believe that the legendary scripture, which had been the subject of much discussion, was actually written by Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng smiled slightly and said, "We're destroying those temples that use the name of Buddha to satisfy their own selfish desires. We're not going to make enemies of all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas..."

"It seems that our actions in the Northern Region have moved the Buddha, who is willing to help me complete this scripture and uphold the orthodoxy of Buddhism..."

Lu Zheng then said, "I lent this sutra to Crown Prince Yuan Tao to establish Mahayana Buddhism, and I have been keeping it safe for him these past few days. After the grand assembly, Your Highness can go to Yuan Tao to borrow it."

Yuan Zhong stared blankly for a long time before he finally managed to sort out some of his thoughts.

"Why? Why did you bring out this scripture?"

Yuan Zhong was greatly puzzled. He even speculated that Lu Zheng intended to use this true scripture to overthrow Buddhism and take the opportunity to weaken the power of the Wei Kingdom...

Upon hearing this, Lu Zheng said, "Your Highness is free to speculate about my actions, after all, you may not necessarily believe what I say. But I can tell you clearly that such matters cannot be controlled by my own will alone."

Yuan Zhong felt a chill run down his spine. He understood the implication: the Buddha's support was involved.

Otherwise, how could such a true scripture have come to be seen?

With this reason, what else could he possibly question?

You can't say that Buddha wants to destroy Buddhism and the State of Wei, can you?

Yuan Zhong held the Buddhist prayer beads in his hands, clasped them together, and said with a devout expression, "May Buddha bless us, and may the Great Wei Dynasty prosper..."

Yuan Zhong turned to look at the true scripture in Lu Zheng's hand, his eyes gleaming, and said, "So, I really can achieve enlightenment? My requirements aren't high, even just reaching the Arhat realm would be good!"

He had thought those words were just jokes and words of comfort, but now it seems that he does have a chance to make a name for himself.

Lu Zheng smiled and said, "As long as Your Highness is willing, all Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will help you."

Yuan Chong felt a surge of excitement upon hearing this. There was no way to achieve immortality in this world, but if one cultivated to a certain level and was worshipped with incense after death, leaving behind a trace of the Great Dao in the world, it could be considered another kind of immortality.

He knew he wasn't very talented before, and that Taoist cultivation was difficult. He had at least entered the Buddhist path, but even chanting scriptures every day didn't bring much progress. He would often seek out eminent monks at his home to discuss scriptures and Buddhism, which only gave him a vague sense of comfort. But now, there was real hope.

Yuan Zhong asked, "What should I do?"

Lu Zhengdao said, "We must proceed step by step. Establishing the orthodoxy of Buddhism is the most important thing. Your Highness is quite familiar with the powerful figures in Luoyang and Pingcheng. Before the Unobstructed Assembly, we can try to win them over more..."

"We don't have much time left, and of course, they don't have much time left either."

Hearing Lu Zheng say this, Yuan Zhong had a feeling that a storm was brewing.

But given the current situation, he has the opportunity to cultivate to a higher level, and he won't care about so many things anymore when he does them.

Yuan Zhongdao said, "Alright, I will help the Crown Prince win over more supporters. If they are unwilling, then later... I will not consider past favors."

A ruthless glint flashed in Yuan Zhong's eyes. He couldn't do anything to certain people before, but now that he had a legitimate reason to, he was going to teach them a lesson.

……

In a heavily guarded, quiet room.

Yuan Tao was organizing a thick register of documents containing information on various local powers and their representatives in the Wei Kingdom.

It included almost all the well-known figures from the Wei Kingdom who came to participate in the Buddhist Unobstructed Assembly.

Also, information on these people's recent activities in Garan, who they have met, and what they have said.

Yuan Tao labeled these people with various tags and categorized them.

He organized and analyzed the data using the quick methods he learned from Lu Zheng.

After some deliberation, Yuan Tao realized that it was impossible for him to establish the orthodoxy of Buddhism and suppress the entire Buddhist community and the forces it relied on or was affiliated with, simply by relying on his existing power.

Throughout history, the emperors of the Wei Kingdom had tried to weaken the power of Buddhism, but they rarely achieved significant results. It wasn't that they didn't try, but rather that it was simply too difficult.

Yuan Tao rubbed his temples and suddenly understood his father's predicament.

"fine……"

Yuan Tao murmured softly, "Fortunately, I am different from the emperors of the Great Wei Dynasty. I have a trump card that my predecessors never had."

Just then, a sound came from outside the door.

Several armored soldiers led two monks in.

The two monks were Wuqiu and Faneng, the abbot of Baima Temple.

It was Yuan Tao who sent Wuqiu to invite this eminent Buddhist monk.

Yuan Tao rose with a smile to greet him, "Master Faneng!"

Fa Neng clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect and said softly, "This old monk greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Yuan Tao's smile remained unchanged. "There are only three days left until the Wuzhe Assembly begins. I invited you here now because I have something I would like to ask for your help with."

Upon hearing this, Fa Neng remained calm and said, "Your Highness, please speak."

Yuan Tao then suppressed his smile and said, "I would like to ask the master to go and persuade some eminent monks to tell them that it is imperative for our Great Wei to establish Mahayana Buddhism as the orthodox Buddhist sect. Even if I die in the monastery, this matter will not be changed."

Yuan Tao looked at Faneng, his eyes burning brightly, "Establishing orthodoxy and regulating Buddhism is not my sole intention, nor is it merely the demand of my father, court officials, and the millions of people of Great Wei..."

Yuan Tao paused, his voice becoming low and deep, "And above these nine heavens, there are all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas watching over you!"

"You Buddhist sects have stolen enough money from my Great Wei over the years, you should be content."

"This is the last time I will kindly advise you. Don't wait until you are begging for forgiveness before the Buddha, or it will be too late."

Yuan Tao took out a list and handed it to Faneng, saying, "I know that you are a devout Buddhist, and I hope that you can think more about the Great Wei and the Buddhist community."

Fa Neng silently took the list, glanced at it quickly, and said softly, "This old monk understands. I will definitely give them another good talk."

Yuan Tao smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Master. In the future, Mahayana Buddhism will be established as the orthodox tradition, and you will certainly have a place there."

Upon hearing this, Fa Neng did not express anything, but simply uttered a Buddhist chant before taking his leave.

After a while, Lu Zheng and Qing Wan came to visit. Yuan Tao had been very busy these days and couldn't find the time to get together with Lu Zheng and the others.

Upon learning of their arrival, Yuan Tao was overjoyed and led them into the house.

"Mr. Lu, Miss Qingwan... have you been living well on the mountain these past few days? Has no one bothered you?"

Yuan Tao was aware of the matter that someone had questioned Lu Zheng a while ago.

He was furious at the time, but he didn't punish the person.

After all, if that person were to die now, there's no doubt that someone would come out and smear them.

Therefore, Yuan Tao ordered his men to secretly track down the man, to find out what was going on, whether he was acting under someone's orders, and then find a legitimate reason to deal with him later.

Lu Zheng replied, "No, His Highness has sent enough guards that many people who want to see me dare not come."

"Uh……"

Yuan Tao couldn't help but ask, "It hasn't prevented you from contacting any friends or anything, has it?"

He sent people to protect Lu Zheng and his group, not to monitor them, but to warn others.

Lu Zheng shook his head and said, "No, I've met a few like-minded people who are planning to visit the Northern Region in the future."

Lu Zheng then said, "Let's talk about these trivial matters later. Is Your Highness facing any difficulties?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao replied, "Everything is fine. As long as there are no problems with Mr. Lu, everything is going smoothly here."

As for Yuan Tao's request for Buddha to manifest, as long as Buddha could grant his wish, no problem would be a big deal.

Lu Zheng nodded. "That's good."

Qingwan, who was standing next to him, took out a booklet and handed it to Yuan Tao, explaining, "We're worried about some unexpected events, so we've prepared some contingency plans for you, as well as a lot of speech scripts, to deal with emergencies. In case something happens, we won't be unable to control the situation."

Yuan Tao couldn't help but open the booklet out of curiosity and flip through it, and what he saw made him slightly surprised.

The content even included a preview of how the major Buddhist sects would unite to attack the Wei state government at the conference, and how he, as the crown prince, would decide the outcome. Several different plans and several sets of speeches were also prepared.

Seeing that Yuan Tao's expression was somewhat solemn, Qing Wan smiled and said, "You don't need to worry so much. Things may not necessarily develop to such a bad point. We have Buddha's protection. Even if the sky falls, just don't forget the lyrics."

Yuan Tao felt a strange sensation in his heart. These words sounded like acting, but this concerned the future of the Great Wei Dynasty, and could not be taken lightly.

Yuan Tao took a deep breath. "Okay. I will memorize all of this."

Qingwan said with a look of satisfaction, "Perform well and don't embarrass yourself."

Lu Zheng discussed some matters with Yuan Tao, and then quietly left with Qing Wan.

Yuan Tao sat alone in his room, still very excited. Thinking about what he was about to do, he found it hard to calm down.

……

The first day of the twelfth lunar month is auspicious for offering sacrifices, praying for blessings, cleaning, and eliminating insects...

In the land of Garan, it was another sunny day.

On Mount Garan, the temple and its surroundings were already packed with people, a sea of ​​faces.

Today is the first day of the Wuzhe Assembly. Representatives from the Wei Kingdom court and various Buddhist sects will hold a sacrificial ceremony at the Garan Temple to kick off the assembly.

Yuan Tao had made thorough preparations well in advance, and led a group of people into the Garan Temple to worship Buddha and offer sacrifices in the main hall.

Following Yuan Tao in the sacrificial procession were representatives of the Wei court officials, eminent monks from Buddhist sects, representatives of prominent families, and distinguished guests from outside Wei, such as the great Confucian scholar Gongyang Ming.

Lu Zheng and his two companions were not among them. They had no interest in participating in such a tedious ritual, but since they were qualified to enter the temple to observe the ceremony, they simply watched from the sidelines.

The temple has been renovated to be spacious enough, but it couldn't withstand the large number of people attending the Unobstructed Assembly this time. Everywhere you looked, there were people.

Qingwan, observing the commotion, guessed that nearly half of the high-ranking figures from all over Wei were here.

If something unexpected were to happen and destroy the entire Garan Mountain, the Wei Kingdom would likely be thrown into chaos.

But such things are just fantasies.

The protection of the Garan Holy Land is quite strong, and many of the people who come here are highly skilled in cultivation, including many powerful cultivators from various fields.

Even if a saint were to descend and try to destroy this place, it would not be an easy task.

At this time, the main hall doors of the Garan Temple were all fully open, allowing people outside the hall to clearly see the ritual.

Yuan Tao, along with several eminent Buddhist monks, presided over a sacrificial ceremony in the Buddhist hall.

After a series of elaborate rituals, Yuan Tao and his entourage completed the sacrificial ceremony and announced the opening of the Wuzhe Assembly.

However, this is only the beginning.

Yuan Tao did not leave the Buddhist hall, but instead announced loudly, "I have one more thing to announce!"

Before he finished speaking, a sound came from all around, and some people gasped in surprise.

One could see squads of tall, fully armored soldiers marching in perfect unison into the temple, swarming toward the vicinity of the main hall.

Some soldiers even led their troops directly into the main hall to guard Yuan Tao on either side.

There were originally many guards maintaining order inside and outside the temple.

The appearance of so many menacing armored soldiers created a sense of oppression among those present.

Some Buddhist monks couldn't help but change color slightly. They hadn't expected that on the first day of the Unobstructed Assembly, Prince Yuan Tao seemed ready to draw his sword against them.

Yuan Tao remained calm and composed, saying, "Please be patient, everyone. These soldiers are here to protect your safety. Do not make any unusual moves, lest you harm the innocent."

Those who are allowed to enter the temple to observe the ceremony are not ordinary people, and everyone quickly quieted down, with no one acting recklessly.

Seeing this, Yuan Tao calmly replied, "By the grace of Heaven and the blessing of Buddha, I, Yuan Tao, the Crown Prince of Great Wei, am fortunate to have obtained a true Buddhist scripture, a scripture that reflects the Buddha's will, the orthodox Dharma of Buddhism, and a Mahayana Buddhist scripture!"

"Now that we are holding this grand Buddhist assembly, I have no intention of keeping anything to myself. I wish to share the original text of the true scriptures with you all!"

This statement caused an uproar among many people.

During their many days at the monastery, they heard rumors that some true Buddhist scriptures had been published, but none of them had ever seen the original scriptures.

Even the eminent Buddhist monks nearby looked at Yuan Tao with shining eyes after hearing these words.

Yuan Tao suppressed his emotions, flipped his hand and took out the true scripture, and a sacred and mysterious aura instantly rippled out.

An invisible aura spread out, making everyone present feel something was amiss.

The eminent Buddhist monks in the hall were greatly shocked. The scriptures that Yuan Tao had taken out were undoubtedly the original and authentic scriptures!

They clearly sensed a trace of Buddhist intent within the scriptures, traceable back to the origins of Buddhism and Taoism, the will of the Buddha! (End of Chapter)