"Your Majesty, the Director of the Opera and Mr. Hachi have arrived!"
Just as Liu Hong was pondering, Zhang Rang also came closer from outside the hall.
"Let them in!"
Liu Hong put down the secret letter in his hand and looked out of the hall.
Soon, Xi Zhicai led Hachi, Sijia, and Samo, who looked uneasy, into the hall.
As they walked, Hachi and the other two kept their heads down, looking at their feet, until Xi Zhicai stopped, at which point they also stopped.
During this period of studying the new Buddhism, Hachi and his two companions often exchanged ideas and communicated with Zhang Jiao and some Taoist priests of the Taiping Sect.
Faced with Zhang Jiao, a natural preacher, Hachi and the other two naturally couldn't win the argument. If Liu Hong hadn't kept them around for their own good, these three would probably have abandoned their Buddha long ago and joined Taiyi's ranks.
They also accepted the ideas that Zhang Jiao instilled in them, such as the Taoist immortals and gods incarnating as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.
In their new Buddhism, the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas they worship have almost all taken on a new identity.
For example, they believed that the Buddha they worshipped was one of the incarnations sent by the chief disciple of Taiyi to spread Taoism to the West.
Taiyi, worshipped in Taoism, is also the supreme deity of their new Buddhism.
Therefore, when facing the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty, who held the title of the Son of Taiyi, Hachi and his two companions naturally showed the utmost respect and awe.
"Your subject, Xi Zhicai, pays his respects to Your Majesty!"
"Hachi, Sigah, and Samoth, worship my Lord!"
Unlike Xi Zhicai's bow, Hachi and the other two prostrated themselves before Liu Hong in a deep salute.
"No need for formalities, rise!"
Liu Hong's powerful and authoritative voice gave Hachi and the other two a jolt, and their expressions became even more devout.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, my Lord!"
After getting up, Hachi and the other two still kept their heads down, looking at the ground.
Sitting on the dragon throne, Liu Hong looked at the thick hair on the heads of the three men and couldn't help but smile slightly as he asked, "How is your cultivation in Luoyang going?"
Hachi replied respectfully, "My lord, although our cultivation is still shallow, we are ready to serve you at any time if you need us!"
Upon hearing Hachi's answer, Liu Hong smiled with satisfaction and cast an appreciative glance at Xi Zhicai beside him.
Having served in the Military and Political Affairs Department for many years, Xi Zhicai was indeed highly skilled in ideological education. Now, Hachi and the others had become Liu Hong's most loyal followers.
"I intend to send you to the Kushan Empire to spread your new Buddhism and liberate those who are trapped in the suffering of the old Buddhism. Are you willing to go?"
Liu Hong stared at Hachi and the other two, emphasizing the word "transformation".
"We're going far away!"
Hatch replied without hesitation, his face showing no trace of doubt.
In fact, before they entered the palace, Xi Zhicai had already revealed some of the details of Liu Hong's summons to them.
Hachi and his two companions not only showed no resistance to Liu Hong's plan to send them back to Kushan, but were actually full of anticipation.
During their time studying the new Buddhist teachings in Luoyang, Hachi and his two companions had come to regard themselves as the founders of the new Buddhism. Now that the new teachings had been successful, they naturally wanted to spread their doctrines as soon as possible and gain wider recognition.
Of course, most importantly, under the subtle influence of Zhang Jiao, Xi Zhicai, and a group of Confucian scholars, Hachi and his two companions had come to regard the old Buddhism as heresy. Their trip to Kushan was also intended to eradicate all those heretics.
After all, they now regard their newly developed Buddhism as the orthodox doctrine, and naturally they will not allow the old Buddhism to continue to exist.
"Good!" Liu Hong then looked up at Hachi and the other two and said solemnly, "From this day forward, the three of you will be the three teachers of Heaven, Earth and Man in the new Buddhism."
Hachi was the Heavenly Master, Samo the Earthly Master, and Sijia the Human Master, responsible for the scriptures, sacrifices, rituals, and the preaching of Buddhist teachings in the new Buddhism.
"Thank you, my Lord, for bestowing this title!"
Upon hearing Liu Hong's conferment of the title, Happy and the other two were overjoyed.
Liu Hong, however, said with a serious expression: "Your mission to Kushan to spread the new Buddhist doctrine is something that I and the Han Dynasty can do to help you. The extent to which the new Buddhism can develop depends entirely on yourselves. During this time, you may face persecution from Kushan Buddhism and even the government..."
"Rest assured, my Lord, no matter how difficult the road ahead may be, we will certainly live up to your high expectations and spread your glory to all corners of the world!"
Hachi and the others showed no fear whatsoever when Liu Hong mentioned the possible persecution they might face.
"good!"
Seeing the performance of Hachi and the other two, Liu Hong smiled with satisfaction and then said, "Don't worry, after you go to Kushan, I will send someone to take care of your wives and children and will never let them suffer any grievances!"
"Thank you, my Lord!"
Liu Hong waved his hand: "Alright, you can go now. Go back and prepare. We'll set off in a couple of days!"
"We'll take our leave!"
After giving Liu Hong a deep bow, Hachi and the other two respectfully withdrew.
Xi Zhicai, who was standing to the side, turned his head to look at the departing figures of Hachi and the other two, and then looked at Liu Hong on the dragon throne with a puzzled expression.
"Your Majesty, the conflict between the new and old schools of Buddhism was your pre-ordained plan to plunge the Kushan Empire into turmoil. Why are you doing this today...?"
Before Xi Zhicai could finish speaking, Liu Hong interrupted him: "I only said that to them on purpose. I can't be sure whether these three guys have already naturalized or are just harboring deep thoughts. It would be better to send someone to secretly monitor and control them!"
"Your Majesty is right!"
Upon hearing Liu Hong's explanation, Xi Zhicai nodded in understanding.
Having spent so many years with Liu Hong, Xi Zhicai had a fairly good understanding of his emperor's deepest thoughts.
Despite his outward appearance as an ambitious and magnanimous ruler, Liu Hong treated all those who submitted to the Han Dynasty—the Goguryeo people, Qiang people, Wuhuan people, and other barbarians—equally and never showed any bias in his policies.
But all of that was just on the surface. Only Xi Zhi knew that his own emperor was actually the purest Han chauvinist. In his heart, the Han people were the most important and trustworthy.
No matter how loyal and submissive those foreigners who submitted to the emperor were, the emperor always remained wary of them.
Otherwise, after pacifying the southern barbarians and the grasslands, the emperor would not have continued to maintain the Xiangshan Camp and the Duliao Camp.
Of course, Xi Zhicai also agreed with Liu Hong's deepest thoughts.
In this world, only the people of the Han Dynasty truly want this nation to grow and prosper. Those who submit to the Han are merely succumbing to the culture and power of the Han.
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