Water Margin: The opening scene involves assassinating Emperor Huizong of Song and forcibly taking L

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Hu Anguo asked, "Does His Majesty wish to have the Hanlin Academy compile a collection of supernatural tales?"

Zhao Yuan shook his head and said, "No. First, it must showcase exoticism, involving the customs and traditions of various countries;"

"Secondly, the choice of words and sentence structure should be both elegant and accessible to all, using colloquial language as much as possible so that it can be directly understood by farmers in the countryside;"

"Third, all stories must be positive and uplifting, praising kindness, wisdom, courage, loyalty, diligence, and perseverance."

Hu Anguo asked, "How vulgar are these proverbs?"

The writing style of the great Confucian scholars of the Northern Song Dynasty when annotating the classics was already quite vulgar.

But for ordinary people, it's often still incomprehensible.

Zhao Yuan said, "This book, 'One Thousand and One Nights,' should be written in the same way that ordinary people speak in daily life. Moreover, it must be written in an interesting way."

“This… I’m afraid it shouldn’t be written by scholars,” Hu Anguo said.

Zhao Yuan suddenly thought of someone and said with a smile, "The Hanlin Academy compiles all the stories and then hands them over to Li Bangyan for careful revision."

"If he doesn't understand the content about each country, he can communicate with the envoys of that country."

“Yes,” Hu Anguo replied.

Zhao Yuan continued, "I've already thought of the opening. The story takes place in a country in Arabia (referring to the Arab region)."

“There was a cruel king who took a concubine every day and killed her at cockcrow.”

"The people across the country were terrified and fled abroad in droves."

"The prime minister could no longer find the girl and was also worried that he would be killed by the king."

"The prime minister's daughter was exceptionally intelligent and took the initiative to marry the king as his concubine."

“And before the rooster crows each day, tell the king a story.”

"The king spared her for a day in order to hear a story."

"So the prime minister's daughter insisted on telling the king stories every night, for a full one thousand and one nights."

Hu Anguo exclaimed in surprise, "This book sounds extremely interesting."

.....

Luoyang, Tianwang Temple.

After the Ming Dynasty moved its capital, Zhao Yuan specially transferred Da Hui Zonggao to serve as abbot.

When Zhao Yuan conquered Chengdu, he met Da Hui Zonggao and his teacher Yuan Wu Keqin.

Last year, Yuanwu Keqin passed away.

Dahui Zonggao's fame, however, continued to rise, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that his name was known throughout the land.

Such a virtuous monk should naturally remain in the capital to facilitate the court's management.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Zen Buddhism developed extremely rapidly due to the patronage of scholars.

They exchanged poems with local officials, which naturally garnered them more support compared to other Buddhist sects.

Among the Chan (Zen) schools, the Linji school had the greatest influence.

Within the Linji school, it was further subdivided into the Yangqi school and the Huanglong school.

The Xiangguo Temple in Kaifeng has always been controlled by the Huanglong Sect.

Throughout history, many famous figures have maintained close ties with the Huanglong School, including Zhou Dunyi, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Zeng Gong, Huang Tingjian, Wang Anshi, and Zhang Shangying.

For example, Su Shi and Huang Tingjian were simply lay Buddhists of the Huanglong School.

Even the Zen Buddhism in Japan and Korea currently belongs to the Huanglong School.

Zhao Yuan believed that a diverse range of schools of thought should be encouraged, so he stepped in to support the Yangqi School, with Da Hui Zonggao being the key figure.

"Abbot, an imperial edict has arrived!"

"Why panic? Just come with me to receive the imperial decree."

Dahui Zonggao calmly went out, washed his hands, and tidied his clothes. The guest monk had already set up the incense table.

The head of the Buddhist Registry also arrived and stood next to the emperor's procession.

Once all the monks were in place, the messenger opened the imperial edict and read aloud: "By order of the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty: There is now a country called Ceylon, formerly known as the Lion Kingdom of Buddhist Scriptures."

"The king presented the three treasures of Buddhism, one of which was the Buddha's tooth relic."

"Order that the Tianwang Temple in Luoyang build a pagoda to enshrine the Buddha's tooth relic and promote Buddhism in the capital..."

Before the imperial edict was even finished being read, all the monks turned to look at the object in the hands of the Director of the Buddhist Registry.

Chapter 3668 Buddhist Treasures

Shakyamuni's teeth?

"Your subject accepts the decree!" Dahui Zonggao accepted the imperial decree with both hands.

The official handed over the box containing the Buddha's tooth and said with a smile, "The two Buddha's teeth recorded in Buddhist scriptures from various countries have now been reunited in the Great Ming Dynasty."

"His Majesty has ordered the return of the Buddha's tooth from Shandong, and it will be re-enshrined at the Xiangguo Temple in Kaifeng."

"From now on, one Buddha tooth will be enshrined in Luoyang and one in Kaifeng, and the two Buddha teeth will forever guard the two capitals, East and West."

Even the highly accomplished Buddhist monk Dahui Zonggao was moved at this moment: "This is a great event for Buddhism! It is only through His Majesty's divine mandate that the Buddha's tooth relic has been gathered together."

Si Zheng then took out a short scroll: "This is His Majesty's calligraphy. Once the Buddha Tooth Pagoda at Tianwang Temple is completed, have the craftsmen carve the calligraphy onto a stele next to the pagoda."

Dahui Zonggao took the short scroll with both hands, opened it, and saw four characters: "Eternally guard the two capitals!"

The official who delivered the decree left quickly, and the monks gathered around him.

Dahui Zonggao opened the box, and although the Buddha tooth did not exhibit any unusual phenomena, it still drew gasps of amazement from the crowd.

The Buddha relics and alms bowl brought back from Ceylon were sent to Mount Wutai in Shanxi Province.

The monks of several temples on Mount Wutai persisted in resisting the Jin dynasty for several years.

All the temples were burned down, and they fled to the mountains to fight as guerrillas. They suffered from lack of food and clothing and heavy casualties, but eventually they cooperated with the Ming soldiers to fight their way back.

In the same year that Zhao Yuan recovered Wutai County, he ordered funds to be allocated to build Huguo Temple on Wutai Mountain and designated it as a top-level Buddhist temple.

The monks from the various temples on Mount Wutai all came to practice at Huguo Temple, and 500 ordination certificates were issued at once.

Of course, taxes must be paid in accordance with the law!

……

The Tianwang Temple in Luoyang is still recruiting workers to build the Buddha Tooth Pagoda, and will soon welcome its first batch of visitors.

They were envoys from various states, all of whom had come to see the spectacle.

Besides those from Southeast Asia, envoys from Western Xia, Goryeo, Japan, and Dali also arrived.

"Please do not stand too close; keep a distance of three feet from the Buddha's tooth," the monk advised.

Many messengers lined up and stepped forward, their hands clasped together, chanting Buddhist mantras, their eyes fixed on the Buddha's tooth without moving.

The Goryeo envoy, Kim Yun-gyu, murmured to himself, "Could it be that the Ming Dynasty truly has the protection of Buddha?"

He left quietly after the service, his heart heavy with sorrow.

Although King Goryeo eliminated powerful ministers for the third time and regained his freedom from house arrest, he was still unable to completely control the government.

Wang Gou, under the pretext of revitalizing the nation, imitated the Ming Dynasty by implementing the cabinet and ministry system, hoping to regain power by establishing the cabinet and the six ministries.

However, the positions of Grand Secretary and Minister were divided up among various powerful families.

All the king could do was promote a few officials from humble backgrounds to serve in the Council of State and the Censorate.

They barely managed to obtain some powers of administration and oversight.

Gradually, these officials from humble backgrounds were also secretly won over by powerful clans.

The mighty King of Goryeo could only truly trust a group of eunuchs...

Furthermore, in order to consolidate their power, powerful clans jointly proposed banning marriages between close relatives within the royal family. The reason was simple: it violated Confucian ethics.

"Where is the Goryeo envoy?" A Honglu Temple official ran into Tianwang Temple and shouted.

Kim Yoon-gyu quickly replied, "Here I am."

An official from the Court of State Ceremonial said, "You will be going to the palace to meet the Emperor tomorrow, so please prepare yourself well."

The following afternoon, Kim Yun-gyu was led into the palace by officials and waited for a long time before finally meeting the emperor.

After the audience, Zhao Yuan asked, "Have you come to demarcate the border between our two countries?"

Kim Yun-gyu said, "Our country and the Ming Dynasty have never drawn a border, and the territory is difficult to define."

"There are many lawless individuals who commit crimes across the border between our two countries. We humbly request Your Majesty to dispatch officials to demarcate the border."

In previous years, Goryeo ministers were still clamoring for the recovery of lost territory, and envoys had been requesting the Ming Dynasty to return Pyongyang.

They're too lazy to even shout slogans anymore; they just want to draw a line as soon as possible for peace and stability.

Zhao Yuan asked, "How do you plan to carve it?"

Kim Yun-gyu said, "The western boundary is the main stream of the Daedong River, and the eastern boundary is the mouth of the Khoden River (30 li south of Hamhung)."

“From the mouth of the Kuoden River to the sea, we rowed along the undulating mountains to the Daedong River.”

Zhao Yuan didn't quite understand either, and looked at Zheng Zhichang sitting in the hall.

Jeong Ji-sang said, "The Daedong River has several tributaries, and the central tributary should be the border between the two countries."

Kim Yun-gyu was furious and pointed at Jeong Ji-chang, saying, "You were born in Pyongyang and served as an official in Goryeo. Even if you are now an official of the Ming Dynasty, how can you betray the territory of your motherland?"

Zheng Zhichang smiled and said, "Pyongyang has been the land of Gija Joseon since ancient times, and Gija was the ancestor of our Chinese nation."

“I was born a Chinese, but I have temporarily become a foreigner.”

"Now, I and Pyongyang have both returned to our ancestral homeland. What affection do we have to speak of with you, Goryeo?"

"Outrageous! Outrageous!" Kim Yoon-gyu was furious.

Zheng Zhichang said, "If you want to draw a boundary, do as I say."

"Otherwise, we can always fight another battle."

Upon hearing this, Kim Yoon-gyu dared not speak further.

Zhao Yuan said, "Minister Zheng."

"Your subject is here!" Zheng Zhichang stood with his hands clasped in greeting.

Zhao Yuan said, "I appoint you as the border demarcation envoy to Pyongyang to negotiate with Goryeo and demarcate the border between the Ming Dynasty and Goryeo in detail."

Chapter 3669 Han Chinese Territory

Zheng Zhichang excitedly said, "Your subject will certainly not fail in his mission; every inch of the Ming Dynasty's territory must be fought for."

He was in charge of Goryeo affairs at the Honglu Temple and occasionally also oversaw diplomatic affairs with Japan.

Zheng Zhichang was somewhat polite to the Japanese envoy.

However, when facing the Goryeo envoy, Zheng Zhichang was always aggressive and calculating, as if he was afraid that others would think that he still had old feelings for his motherland.

Returning home after this border demarcation will surely earn me merit and a promotion.

Even if one's official rank is not promoted, one's official title will be raised by one level.

Once you've accumulated enough experience, promotions will be much smoother in the future.

Kim Yoon-gyu left the palace dejectedly, unsure how to return home and explain himself.

Although according to Zheng Zhichang's demarcation method, most of the land that was demarcated is now under the actual control of the Ming Dynasty.

But ultimately, a small portion of the territory would still be cut off by the Ming Dynasty.

Kim Yoon-gyu is definitely going to take the blame for this!

Even the responsibility for losing Pyongyang is being placed on Kim Yun-gyu's shoulders.

Because Pyongyang was "borrowed" by the Ming Dynasty, Goryeo never recognized it.

It was only after Kim Yun-gyu's mission that Pyongyang was confirmed to belong to the Ming Dynasty.