Chapter 325 The heart of one person is the heart of millions.
A solitary hall.
On a table in front of a large, dilapidated clay Buddha statue, a candle flame flickers on its wick.
The flickering candlelight caused the two figures, one old and one young, who had remained motionless in the hall, to sway from side to side.
Ouyang Rong remained motionless, his sleeves draped and his eyes lowered.
If a Buddhist were to encounter this, they could simply sigh and say "Amitabha."
But he was a Confucian scholar, so naturally that wouldn't work.
Silence itself is a form of expression.
Master Shandao slightly raised his two slender white eyebrows and couldn't help but glance a few more times at the silent young man before him:
"The imperial edict will arrive in two days. Your Excellency should think about how to deal with it properly and minimize harm to the people."
The old monk, sounding somewhat apologetic, chanted again and offered his advice:
"The construction of the four Buddha statues and the eulogy of the Heavenly Pivot were already decided by His Majesty when I was in the Luoyang Palace."
"Your Majesty's wise intentions are well known to the magistrate. Moreover, the imperial edict has already been issued, and mobilization has begun across the land. Once the arrow is released, there is no turning back."
"If Your Excellency wants to blame someone, blame this old monk. I just happened to suggest Xunyang City in Jiangzhou when His Majesty was inquiring about the location of the Donglin Buddha statue..."
"I have gained some insights from this trip to Luoyang. On behalf of Donglin Temple, I would like to donate all of my funds to build a Buddha statue, so as to alleviate some of the pressure on Your Majesty."
Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up:
"I have one question: why would His Majesty, in all his well-being, waste so much of the nation's resources building this Praise-the-Heavenly Pivot and the Four Great Buddhas?"
Master Shandao pondered for a moment:
"When I was in Luoyang, I was not very clear about the movements of the court and the public. However, Her Majesty decided to build the Tian Shu and the Buddha statue. It seems that this was after the King of Wei and the King of Liang joined together with the envoys from all over the world to write a letter praising the Great Zhou. During that period, she also frequently summoned the Yin-Yang practitioners of Shangyang Palace."
He tried to say, "Could it be the idea of the two princes of the Wei family? Did those Qi cultivators also instigate it?"
Ouyang Rong didn't even lift his eyelids, gently shook his head, and after a moment of silence, he asked:
"Has His Majesty consulted you about any strange matters?"
"His Majesty mostly asks me about the Buddhist principles of Zen Buddhism, strange things... Hmm." He seemed to remember something and said thoughtfully, "It seems he has asked about some slightly strange things."
"for example?"
"One night, His Majesty summoned me to the palace and asked me how the Great Zhou Dynasty could continue to prosper for ten thousand generations."
Ouyang Rong asked softly, "How did the master answer?"
"This old monk naturally suggests that Your Majesty should implement benevolent policies, so that the people will be loyal to you, the world will remember your virtue, and the Zhou dynasty will naturally continue uninterrupted."
"Is this what Your Majesty wants to hear? Will you be satisfied with this?"
"I don't know." Master Shandao shook his head, hesitated for a moment, looked around the desolate hall, then glanced at the benevolent-looking Buddha statue, and finally said:
"His Majesty seemed to nod at the time, and then asked this old monk a strange question."
"What's the problem?"
"A trivial matter."
"Your Majesty asked, when Prince Xunyang prayed day and night at the Donglin Pagoda, was the memorial tablet for her prayers only for Your Majesty, or was it together with the memorial tablet of the late Emperor?"
"How did the master answer?"
"Of course, I will tell you the truth. Both of the ancestral tablets are there."
Master Shandao raised his palm and said softly:
"Your Majesty pressed further, asking how the names of Your Majesty and the late Emperor were written on the memorial tablets, and how many times the title mentioned 'Great Zhou' and 'Great Gan'."
When he spoke the last few words, the abbot of Donglin Temple prolonged his pronunciation.
Ouyang Rong asked calmly, "Does the master consider this a trivial matter?"
Master Shandao sighed: "Of course not."
Ouyang Rong stared intently at the white-browed old monk. "Master, what is your answer?"
The high-ranking monk from the south, who was given the title "Dahui," lowered his eyelids slightly.
"This old monk will tell you the truth, which was also a rule that Your Excellency specifically emphasized before the prayer."
At this point, he turned north, his voice becoming more serious, as if imitating the question he had asked in court that day:
"When His Highness Prince Xunyang prayed for his parents at the Donglin Pagoda, he was a child praying for them, not a subject praying for the emperor. Therefore, the memorial tablet did not bear any imperial title, and..."
Ouyang Rong listened intently, then closed his eyes: "And what?"
"Furthermore, the late Emperor has passed away and entrusted Prince Xunyang to His Majesty long ago. For His Highness, his widowed mother is naturally the most important person in the world now. He must do his best to take care of her, listen to her every word, and pray for her health when she falls ill. This shows his filial piety."
After listening, Ouyang Rong remained silent for a while, and then couldn't help but take a deep look at Master Shandao.
"Thank you for your explanation, Master. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."
He shook his sleeves, took a step back, and gave a deep bow.
“What are you doing, Your Excellency? There’s no need for such formalities.” Master Shandao immediately stepped aside.
Ouyang Rong shook his head, insisting on completing the ritual. He then suddenly turned and left the main hall.
Before stepping out the door, a sigh escaped my lips:
"Truly worthy of being called the Venerable Master Dahui."
...
A quiet night.
In the Juxian Garden of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, in a study with flickering candlelight.
The atmosphere was equally quiet.
Several figures sat or stood, remaining quiet and still.
With a "creak",
The study door was pushed open, and Li Guo'er, dressed in a plain-colored home dress, walked in leisurely and then closed the door.
She arrived last and looked back.
Ouyang Rong and Xie Lingjiang.
Li Xian, Li Dalang, and Wei Mei.
All five people had arrived, and now all their eyes were on her.
Sensing the strange atmosphere, Li Guo'er's gaze swept over Ouyang Rong almost imperceptibly, and she lowered her eyes, clasped her hands, and softly asked the crowd:
Am I late?
Ouyang Rong shook his head: "No, Your Highness, please sit down."
Li Guo'er still didn't look at the person who responded to her, and went to sit down next to Xie Lingjiang.
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze.
After a secret chat with Master Shandao that evening, Ouyang Rong quietly followed Zhen Shuyuan and his junior sister's carriage back to his residence in Huaiye Lane.
Late at night, he and his junior sister, who had stayed overnight at the residence, rushed back to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
Tonight is special; something important is happening.
He looked around and said softly, "Everyone's here, let's start early."
Before Ouyang Rong could even begin to recount the story of Master Shandao, Li Xian spoke first:
"My love, Guo Yu came again this afternoon."
Ouyang Rong immediately pictured a thin face with a goatee in his mind, nodded, and asked, "What did the Prince Xiang's residence say?"
Li Xian spoke in a serious tone:
"Guo Yu, representing the Prince of Xiang's residence, brought important news from the court and the palace: the Empress Dowager intends to construct a 'Praise of Virtue Heavenly Pivot' and four Buddha statues..."
He recounted a piece of information that Ouyang Rong already knew.
Wei Mei frowned: "Why would you fix this thing out of nowhere?"
Li Xian sighed: "My eighth brother said that the Wei family has now resolved the chaos in Yingzhou and is beginning to devote their energy to causing trouble in the court."
"The construction of the Great Zhou Praise Heavenly Pivot and the Four Directions Buddha Statue was a so-called national policy proposed by the King of Wei and the King of Liang, taking advantage of the grand scene of all nations coming to pay tribute during the New Year period, and calling on foreign envoys to sing praises together."
"It was said that to commemorate the merits of the founding emperor of the Great Zhou, the Heavenly Pivot Pillar would be inscribed with words of praise from envoys of all nations and subjects of the Great Zhou... The Empress Dowager was overjoyed, and my eighth brother and Chang Le could not openly oppose this matter."
Xie Lingjiang's pretty face showed a hint of displeasure:
"If it's inconvenient for the children to speak, what about the court officials? This concerns the fate of the nation; how can they remain silent? Has no one presented the advantages and disadvantages and opposed this matter?"
"There were some who objected, but the Empress Dowager suppressed them all. During the Yuanzheng holiday, even the dissenting voices within the Council of State were swept away by the Empress Dowager, and it seemed that it would be difficult to stop them."
"Eighth Brother and the other gentlemen also felt that the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, and that the Empress Dowager's attitude was rather tough, so they dared not speak."
After a pause, Li Xian said with a tense expression:
"The four Buddha statues that the Empress Dowager wants to build are the four largest Buddha statues of her favorite Buddhist sects, including the Lotus Pure Land sect, which she has recently favored."
"Therefore, among the four Buddha statues, there will be a Donglin Buddha, which will most likely be located in our Xunyang City, and will be supervised by the Jiangzhou government."
"It's not a possibility, it's a certainty. The imperial decree for building the Donglin Buddha is on its way and will arrive soon."
Ouyang Rong, who had been silent all along, interrupted.
Li Xian and the others were slightly taken aback.
Seeing their gazes, Ouyang Rong said softly, "Master Shandao has already told me."
Li Dalang couldn't help but ask, "Tanlang, why is Grandmother's attitude so firm this time?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at him and nodded:
"Your Majesty's actions are certainly not as simple as just building the Heavenly Pivot and the Buddha statue."
After a moment of silence, he recounted everything that Master Shandao had revealed in the hall that night.
Li Xian, Li Dalang, and the others listened with trepidation throughout.
"Such a thing is true... Why is the Empress Dowager suddenly asking about this?"
Li Xian couldn't help but get up and pace back and forth, his face filled with worry.
Ouyang Rong said calmly, "Isn't His Majesty's intention obvious?"
Wei Mei frowned: "What do you mean by this, my lord?"
Ouyang Rong remained calm, but his words were sure to be startling:
"The two kings of the Wei clan and the fortune tellers of Shangyang Palace could not influence His Majesty's decisions. On the contrary, their swarming actions must be because they had closely observed His Majesty's intentions and received clear signals. Thus, they followed a hidden holy heart and acted recklessly to profit from the chaos."
"Chaos is a ladder to ascent."
He held up one index finger:
"For the two kings of the Wei clan, as well as the palace attendants and close ministers, a stable order only benefits the conservative faction in the court."
"Because the civil service is naturally conservative, but also the best at using the rules to gradually grow stronger."
"Our Emperor is wary of the Wei clan and the palace fortune tellers, these two vicious dogs, turning against him, and he also detests the fact that the civil officials in the court are banding together."
"The so-called art of emperors is nothing more than balancing this scale."
"Right now, it is clear that the scales have tipped to one side, and Your Majesty needs to loosen the leash."
Ouyang Rong said slowly and deliberately.
His clear and understated speech drew sidelong glances from Xie Lingjiang, Li Xian, Li Dalang, and others, who either frowned or nodded slowly, as if they were all pondering and reflecting on it.
Even Li Guo'er, who always kept her eyes down and focused on her own thoughts, couldn't help but break the rule and glance at Ouyang Rong, whose jade-like hand was clutching his sleeve below.
After digesting the information for a while, Li Xian cast an admiring glance at the young strategist and pondered:
"So, what Tanlang means is that the construction of the Great Zhou Ode Celestial Pivot and the Four Directions Buddha Statue was the Empress Dowager's will, and the instigation of the Wei Clan and the Qi Observers of Shangyang Palace was just an excuse to take the blame for the Empress Dowager?"
Ouyang Rong nodded.
Li Dalang looked puzzled: "But what does this have to do with His Majesty seeking out Master Shandao to inquire about the details of Father's prayers back then?"
Ouyang Rong glanced at the uneasy Li Xian and uttered four words:
“Dismiss Gan Song Zhou”.
Everyone was stunned.
Li Xian's body trembled uncontrollably. The last time he heard someone emphasize these four words to him was when his mother had just deposed the emperor and ascended the throne, appointing cruel officials and female bureaucrats.
Ouyang Rong asked calmly, "Does Uncle still harbor thoughts of the past Great Gan, or is he loyal to the present Great Zhou?"
Li Xian stammered as he replied, "I can accept anything."
"We must choose one."
He was timid and hesitant.
Ouyang Rong gently reminded him, "Uncle, do you want to be a deposed emperor who brings great power, or the heir to the throne of the Great Zhou?"
Li Xian, dejected, said, "I know what to do..."
Ouyang Rong nodded slightly, looking out at the quiet night.
"Another round of taking sides and showing loyalty has begun; this is going to be quite lively."
Li Xian: "Tanlang, what should we do next?"
Ouyang Rong said calmly, "Uncle, please be prepared. The imperial edict will arrive soon."
"Isn't the construction of the Donglin Buddha related to the Jiangzhou Grand Hall as well?"
"Does Uncle really believe that His Majesty is a new Lotus Sect member, and that the Donglin Buddha statue was left in Xunyang City because of Master Shandao's words alone?"
"Could it be..."
Ouyang Rong nodded and chuckled:
"Uncle is the one who can't escape it. He not only has to participate, but also has to put in extra effort. Uncle must take the lead in writing a letter to express his support for the Great Zhou Praise Heavenly Pivot and the Four Directions Buddha Statue."
"Because... this is the only way to become the legitimate heir of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and one must have a pledge of allegiance."
"I am surnamed Li, will I be criticized by the people of the world?"
Ouyang Rong nodded seriously: "The controversy surrounding the surname Li is nothing to worry about. Next time, we can submit a memorial, like Prince Xiang did, asking His Majesty to bestow the surname Wei upon us. Then there will be no more controversy surrounding the surname Wei."
After saying that, he chuckled and added, "You can't escape it, accept the decree."
Li Dalang suddenly spoke up: "Aside from the pros and cons of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion, what is Tanlang's attitude towards this matter?"
Ouyang Rong shook his head and remained silent.
He stepped out of the room and strode away without looking back, saying, "Does my attitude matter? Does our attitude matter? What a selfish person I am."
Just as Xie Lingjiang, Li Xian, and the others watched Ouyang Rong leave with worried expressions, repeatedly pondering his words.
Li Guo'er turned her head and silently watched Ouyang Rong's back.
She suddenly felt a strange sense of comfort, a comfort she shouldn't have felt.
“So you also have times when you feel helpless and upset…” Princess Meihua murmured, looking north. “Is this what Grandmother is like… someone who makes all the men in the world bow their heads, and he too has to become obedient.”
A strange thought suddenly popped into her mind:
"It wouldn't be difficult for Grandmother to reach for the moon in the heavens, would it..."
The next day.
An imperial edict from Luoyang arrived by express courier, traveling 800 li in a flash. A lone rider galloped into Xunyang City, past the main hall of Jiangzhou, and arrived directly at the gate of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion.
The main gate of the Xunyang Prince's Mansion opened, and Li Xian, dressed in a brand-new Mang-style outfit, stepped out to greet them on the street.
Accompanied and witnessed by Jiangzhou officials such as Ouyang Rong and Wang Lengran, the yellow-robed messenger announced the imperial decree in a shrill voice.
Two.
First, the Prince of Xunyang was appointed as the Jiangnan Construction Supervisor, to lead and oversee the construction of the Donglin Buddha on the banks of the Xunyang River.
The governor of Jiangzhou and the chief administrator of Jiangzhou served as the left and right supervisors of the construction, respectively, to assist in the creation of the Buddha statue.
Secondly, to prevent any impact on the people's livelihood, Her Majesty the Empress specially donated 20,000 strings of cash for cosmetics and repeatedly issued orders not to harm the people.
The sunlight overhead was blinding, so Li Xian closed his eyes and bowed his head to receive the imperial decree.
The yellow-robed messenger chuckled, offered his congratulations in a high-pitched voice, and strode away.
At the same time, Jiangzhou was not the only place to receive the imperial decree to build a Buddha statue.
In addition, Yangzhou, Taiyuan, and three other important prefectures in the country received the imperial edict to build Buddha statues.
Of the four Buddha statues, three are located in the prosperous south, while only one is located in Taiyuan Prefecture in the north.
However, the Guannei region, which possesses two capitals and is the most prosperous and peaceful place, has not even one capital city.
Just as the discussion began, an imperial edict was issued from the capital, announcing its arrival to the world:
Construction of the Great Zhou Dynasty's Songde Tian Shu began, and copper from all over the world would be gathered to build it.
In addition to the prefectural governments that commissioned the statues, all the prefectural officials across the country were obligated to collect a "praise bronze" as an important standard for performance evaluation at the end of autumn.
One stone stirs up a thousand waves, and the scholars' discussions are in an uproar.
In an instant, memorials from all ten circuits and various prefectures and counties across the country poured into the capital like snowflakes.
This included a memorial submitted by a young official who had just reached adulthood.
(End of this chapter)
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