Confucian and Taoist scholar

Chapter 694 A clear conscience

In the past, Yuan Tao would never have uttered such treasonous words in front of others.

However, after studying with Lu Zheng and others for a period of time, his thinking underwent a slight change, to the point that he even dared to directly discuss the matter of worrying about the fall of the country.

Upon hearing Qingwan's reply, Yuan Tao was speechless for a moment, thinking to himself that if Wei were to be completely destroyed and rebuilt, it would be easy to destroy it, but whether it could be rebuilt was another matter entirely...

With neighboring countries all eyeing the country covetously, how could they possibly give them such an opportunity?

Qing Wan said slowly, "Even the most powerful dynasty in the world will one day decline... Now you still have one chance to become the ruler who will restore the Wei Kingdom. If you miss this opportunity, some things are just a matter of time."

Yuan Tao took a deep breath, then turned to Lu Zheng and asked, "What other arrangements do I need to make?"

Lu Zhengdao said, "Go with your plan. When the time is right, they will help you."

"them……"

Yuan Tao's expression shifted uncertainly as he whispered, "What exactly are they?"

Lu Zheng raised his head slightly, looked at the tall Buddha statue not far away, and said calmly, "Those you want to see are the true Buddhas and Bodhisattvas."

Not only Yuan Tao, but even Gongyang Ming standing next to him was astonished.

Gongyang Ming couldn't help but ask, "You really saw them, and not just the Buddha?"

Lu Zheng thought for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be an illusion."

Gongyang Ming's eyes flashed, and he clicked his tongue in amazement, saying, "So, what you two saw was the concrete manifestation of the Great Way of Buddhism..."

"Cultivators who have reached the realm of seeking enlightenment must comprehend the Great Dao they cultivate and trace its origin. This is why eminent Buddhist monks all yearn to see the true Buddha. If they can see the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, it is an opportunity to get closer to the Buddhist path, and their cultivation may advance to a higher level..."

Gongyang Ming looked at Lu Zheng and Qing Wan and was completely surprised to find that the two of them had cultivated profound Buddhist teachings.

As a result, these two people were able to see the great Dharma and all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. If they told others, no one would believe it.

This suggests that it wasn't that the two of them communicated with Buddhism through Buddhist teachings, but rather that Buddhas and Bodhisattvas sought them out, making them truly chosen ones.

Yuan Tao looked at Qing Wan with surprise and doubt, "Could it be that you also possess supreme wisdom? That's why you can see all the Buddhas?"

He had already seen Lu Zheng annotate the scriptures before, so he had no reason to doubt Lu Zheng's expertise in Buddhism.

But Qingwan said she had become the person in charge of Buddhism. Could she be another prodigy with Buddhist wisdom?

Upon hearing this, Qingwan shook her head. "I don't think I have any innate wisdom, and I don't practice Buddhism! What was Lu Zheng saying again? Oh, the sages founded Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and so on, all for the sake of all living beings, so the various schools of thought can be considered one family. We are all one family, so it's perfectly normal for Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to want to talk to us! As for why they don't want to talk to you, well..."

Qingwan stopped there, but the meaning was clear: what you have done is not good enough, and your ideological awareness is not high enough, so you have no chance to see those beings.

Gongyang Ming sighed inwardly, lamenting that it was a pity the disciples of the Hundred Schools of Thought lacked such awareness, and few truly put the words of the sages into practice; otherwise, the whole world would have long enjoyed peace and prosperity.

As a great Confucian scholar, he was unable to change the idea that all schools of thought should be considered as one.

Such a statement is too detached from worldly affairs and is not a thought that belongs to the present era.

Qingwan said in a serious tone, "If you can truly understand this principle, you will not need to bother to see the true Buddha, but rather all the Buddhas will come to see you."

Qingwan then looked at Yuan Tao and said quietly, "Your Highness still needs to work harder, otherwise I, as the person in charge of Buddhism, will not support you."

Yuan Tao's expression was complicated upon hearing this. He knew Qing Wan was telling the truth, but he couldn't understand why the person in charge was Qing Wan and not Lu Zheng...

Gongyang Ming was also very curious, but he knew that there were some things Qing Wan would not tell them.

Lu Zhengdao said, "There's nothing more to see here. You don't need to stay any longer. Your Highness can go do your own thing."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Tao said, "I have already prepared accommodations for you. Let me take you there!"

The group quietly left the Buddhist temple and went to a secluded courtyard in the back mountain.

Yuan Tao said, "You don't need to worry about safety while you're staying here. I'll have people patrolling the area at all times..."

After that, Lu Zheng and the others settled down.

Qingwan excitedly pulled Lu Zheng away to have a secret meeting.

Lu Zheng and Qing Wan then entered the small world, cutting themselves off from anyone's eavesdropping.

Qingwan's eyes sparkled as she said, "I talked to Buddha and the others a lot, and they were quite easy to talk to. They've already agreed to help us... Buddha even gave me several lost scriptures, asking me to find someone to spread them and rectify Buddhism..."

Qingwan recounted her experiences in a rambling manner, then opened her right hand to reveal a golden Buddhist symbol.

"I have this mark too. I heard from Buddha that this mark can resist attacks from Buddhist teachings and suppress all kinds of evil spirits. It feels similar to righteous energy..."

Qingwan said fiercely, "From now on, we will also be the representatives of the orthodox Buddhism. Those bald heads who don't follow the right path and dare to grumble will be slapped one by one! Oh, especially those evil monks of the Tantric sect. They were lucky they ran away before. I've already written them down! I'll settle accounts with them later!"

Qingwan then asked, "What did Buddha say to you?"

Lu Zhengdao: "We've talked about almost everything, let me..."

The two had a long talk there and exchanged some information.

After a long while, Qingwan held a glass of water to moisten her throat and said with some emotion, "You know, if Buddhism is like this, then even though Confucianism and Taoism have never lost their traditions, they're probably not much better. Nine out of ten Confucian scholars in the world are only after fame and fortune by taking the imperial examinations to enter officialdom; how many of them practice gentlemanly virtue and righteousness..."

"Alas, even if a sage like Meng Shengren still has a trace of his divine will remaining in the world, if he were still alive, he would definitely be so angry that he would cripple all those so-called Confucian disciples."

Lu Zheng smiled upon hearing this, thinking that perhaps the Great Sage Meng really would do so.

In truth, the reason why Confucian sages and Buddhist monks were willing to reveal themselves to help was because they saw a glimmer of hope in him. Perhaps through his appearance, they could cultivate the great path of Legalism to restrain those disciples who had gone astray and create a new world.

Lu Zheng's eyes flashed; he really needed to visit the Jixia Academy someday...

Qingwan tilted her head and said, "Should we bring out a few more scriptures for this Unobstructed Gathering?"

Lu Zhengdao said, "If one true scripture has little effect, having several more is useless. It's not too late to use it to teach and discipline Buddhists once Mahayana Buddhism has truly established itself in Wei..."

"Right."

Qingwan narrowed her eyes. "There's still almost half a month until the conference opens. I really wish time would hurry up so we could see a great show!"

The thought of what was going to happen at the Wuzhe Assembly made Qingwan so excited that she wished time would slow down and that she could travel back to that day to enjoy the gossip.

Lu Zheng smiled faintly and said, "Things are still uncertain, so we can't rush things. We should do more things during this time... Now that we're at Garan Temple, we should go out and explore, and see the important figures of Wei."

So the two left their little world and took Qingyi and Gongyang Ming with them to play in the mountains.

The main peak of the Garan Mountain boasts beautiful scenery, attracting crowds to many places.

Walking along the mountain paths, one can faintly hear the chanting of scriptures coming from various places. Sometimes, one can also see groups of two or three people debating scriptures.

Anyone who is interested can join in the discussion of Buddhism, even if they do not know each other.

However, Lu Zheng and his group were not interested in such things.

They have no interest in participating in such behavior that involves only talking about Buddhism without putting it into practice.

Suddenly, Gongyang Ming transmitted his voice to Lu Zheng: "Someone is spying on us, and they have ill intentions."

Lu Zheng didn't pay much attention to what he heard. He didn't sense any danger, probably because someone had already learned of their arrival and sent someone to check on the situation.

In the past, he had encountered powerful people secretly observing him in the Northern Region, and now, in a place like the Garan Temple, it was probably inevitable.

He dares to show his face here, and he's not afraid of anyone having designs on him.

Lu Zheng couldn't help but laugh and said, "Does the person who came not recognize Mr. Gongyang? How dare he have such ill intentions?"

Gongyang Ming said, "Although I am somewhat famous, it is only among those powerful and influential people. How could everyone know me? In fact, there are quite a few people on this mountain who are talking about you. You are more famous than me!"

Qingwan looked around. "Where? I didn't hear anything."

Gongyang Ming chuckled and said, "My ears are sharper; I can hear farther than you."

Qingwan blinked, thinking that it couldn't be as simple as just hearing it; perhaps this great scholar had secretly used some other means.

Qingwan asked curiously, "What are they talking about?"

Gongyang Ming said, "Most of the documents are about the call to action and matters concerning the Northern Region, as well as some rumors about you in other major powers."

Gongyang Ming smiled. He had been teaching at the Jixia Academy for the past few years and hadn't caused any scandals.

Lu Zheng and his group did a lot of things, which were widely publicized and became a topic of conversation for many people in their spare time.

Qingwan clicked her tongue and said, "The reviews are definitely not very good."

Gongyang Ming asked in slight surprise, "How could you have guessed that?"

Qingwan snorted, "Most people who come to places like this are people of high status. When they hear about our deeds, won't they criticize us vehemently? After all, they're also afraid of the hammer of justice falling on their heads..."

They've come into contact with all sorts of monsters and demons; how could they not know what some people are thinking?

The group walked along the mountain path for a while and came to a small square.

The square was bustling with activity, as many dignitaries and monks gathered to sit and discuss scriptures while enjoying the service of their servants—it was a small gathering.

Qingwan stood at the edge of the square, listening to those people talking about Buddhism. She kept a straight face to avoid showing any impoliteness.

She still held respect for the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, but she inwardly scoffed at these Buddhist believers who thought they were involved.

They all spout words of compassion, benevolence, and morality, but almost all of them are black-hearted.

Qingwan clenched her right palm, and a faint golden mark appeared.

She could sense that if she showed off her skills, at least ninety-nine out of a hundred people in the square would have to shed their hypocritical masks and reveal their true, deceitful nature.

Gongyang Ming, who was standing next to her, seemed to sense something and looked at Qingwan, hesitating to speak.

Just then, a young man dressed in brightly colored clothes strode in with several attendants.

The young man stared intently at Lu Zheng and said loudly, "You are Lu Zheng, the one who fantasizes about opening up a peaceful world in the Northern Region and deceiving all the patriots in the world?"

These words silenced the people around who were still discussing the scriptures, and they all turned to look at them with curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Qingwan's eyes turned cold. She was about to step forward and send the person away when she realized that just any Tom, Dick, or Harry dared to spout such nonsense.

Lu Zheng raised his hand to stop him, and said calmly, "What makes you say that?"

Without a doubt, this person is either acting under someone's orders or trying to gain fame by debating with him.

If we ignore them now, others will probably come later.

Some things are better left unsaid in public.

The young man said, "I've heard that in the Northern Region you advocate for the common good, equality among all races, and the absence of distinction between ruler and subject, even proclaiming a democracy without a monarch! Is this true?"

Lu Zheng nodded and said, "That's certainly true."

These words caused an uproar among the crowd, whose expressions varied.

The idea of ​​democracy without a monarch would have a huge impact on them.

This is no different from saying we're going to rebel.

Can these words even be admitted? If it were them, even if they had secretly criticized the court in private, they would not dare to admit it in public.

The man's eyes flashed with anger, and he said loudly, "Good! You are a disciple of the Confucian school of Anguo, you were bestowed with literary talent by the sage of Anguo, and you were nurtured by Anguo. The government helped you to make a name for yourself. But now you are acting with utter disrespect for the sage and the ruler. Such treason is unworthy of a scholar!"

Lu Zheng remained calm upon hearing this and said softly, "As the sage said, 'A ruler should act like a ruler, and a subject should act like a subject.' If a ruler does not act like a ruler, then he is not a ruler, and a subject is not a subject."

The man's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "Oh? So you mean that the current emperor of Anguo is not a good ruler, and that's why you don't recognize him as your monarch, which is why you were sent out of Anguo to carry out the current affairs?"

Gongyang Ming, standing nearby, frowned. These words were clearly intended to sow discord between Lu Zheng and An Guo. He was well aware of some of Lu Zheng's thoughts, but some things were simply not meant to be said aloud…

However, it was too late for Gongyang Ming to stop it.

"It's not good enough."

Lu Zheng calmly said, "None of the rulers in this world are good enough, and few of the ministers are truly dedicated. Since that's the case, why be blindly loyal to those rulers and ministers? This is not the way of the sages."

“My actions in the Northern Region are in accordance with the teachings of the sages, and I am exploring a path to build a peaceful world. How can I not respect the sages?”

"You probably haven't been to the Northern Regions. You came to find me, didn't you? You want me to say some of the things I said earlier, don't you?"

"Am I being disrespectful and disrespectful to my elders?"

"Who exactly is so rebellious, indulging in extravagance and debauchery, corrupting their own country, and disgracing the sage king by studying the classics? Don't you know the answer in your own heart?"

Lu Zheng replied calmly, "As for me, I have a clear conscience." (End of Chapter)