The Emperor Reigns Them All

Chapter 228 Action of All Sides

Song Jiao knew that what Li Ye had said was very likely to happen.

Now, Li Ye made great achievements, so a lot of people were jealous. If there was a chance for Tian Lingzi to slander Li Ye, he wouldn’t give up, to say nothing of others. If the situation really went on as what Li Ye had said, then Tian Lingzi would first accuse Li Ye of rebellion. At that time, Li Ye and the Pinglu Army would be put in danger.

Li Yan certainly trusted Li Ye and regarded him as his brother, but Li Yan was also an emperor. Without thinking, Song Jiao knew what kind of situation Li Ye would face at that time.

In the worst case, Li Ye would be suspected by the emperor and be envied by the officials. Even if he had great achievements and 100,000 troops, his condition would be the same as Li Xian’s previously.

Soon, Shangguan Qingcheng arrived.

“Your Highness, Shangguan Qingcheng is at your service!” When Shangguan Qingcheng entered, she cupped her fists seriously. She wore silver armor. As her movement, the sound of the pendant on her armor was clear. She was beautiful with a white face and red lips. Wearing armor, she showed a heroic spirit at this moment.

Li Ye stood up and came before Shangguan Qingcheng. He fixed his gaze on her before saying anything.

The silver-armored general in front of him was one of Li Ye’s most trusted people. But now, it was possible that his order would put her in danger. However, Li Ye trusted her most among 100,000 troops and hundreds of good generals, so he entrusted this important task to her.

Li Ye asked solemnly, “Are you afraid of death?”

Shangguan Qingcheng said without hesitation, “If you want me to die, I will die without hesitation!”

“Good!” Li Ye’s gaze was as sharp as a sword. “Shangguan Qingcheng, listen to my order!”

“Yes!” Shangguan Qingcheng answered loudly.

Li Ye stared at her and said, “You lead 3,000 cavalrymen of the Wolf-tooth Troop to rush to Fengxiang day and night and escort His Majesty back to the capital!”

“Yes!” Shangguan Qingcheng answered loudly with no other words and no doubts.

Li Ye held her cupped fists in his hands. “If the reinforcements can’t come timely, will you be willing to fight to the death?”

Shangguan Qingcheng’s gaze was as cold as a snow mountain. “The military order won’t stop until I die!”

Li Ye took a deep breath. “Set out at once!”

“Yes!” Shangguan Qingcheng took the order and left. Outside the door, she turned around and strode away like a wind. She knew that there were difficulties and danger in front of her, but she was going to confront them bravely.

Song Jiao was distracted. “You’re willing to let such a good general die?”

Li Ye went back to the main seat, but he didn’t sit down. He swung his sleeves and put his hands behind his back. “Soldiers are trained to fight on the battlefield. The country is in danger, and the overall situation is worrying. If the soldiers don’t fight to the death, then who will do that?”

Song Jiao was speechless.

She remained silent for a long time because she saw the heroic spirit in Li Ye. At this moment, facing one person, she seemed to be on the battlefield.

The sunlight spread out at Li Ye’s feet. He ordered loudly, “Order Liu Dazheng to lead 30,000 elites to go west to Fengxiang, coordinate with the Wolf-tooth Troop, and escort His Majesty back to the capital!”

...

Fengxiang.

There were monks entering Fengxiang.

The prefectural city of Fengxiang, Fengxiang. Outside the prefectural city, there were many people on the official roads. A group of monks, about twenty in number, walked in a row, ducking their heads.

Wearing cloth cassocks and taking an alms bowl in one hand, the monks walked on the roadside with their heads low. Their leader’s white eyebrows were as long as the willow branches, hanging on the face sides. He looked kind and solemn.

Those who walked on the official road looked askance at this group of monks and felt curious. Now and then, someone pointed at them and talked about them as if they were commenting on demons and monsters.

There were no demons in broad daylight. And demons had never appeared in the country. If there was a demon, it was dressed up by a person. Then, that was an evil person, not a monk.

An old woman fell on the roadside and couldn’t get up for a while. A woman next to her hurried to support her. Seeing the old woman’s eyes closed, she was in a panic. She put her hand under the old woman’s nose but couldn’t feel her breath. She could not help crying out loud, and her cry was sad and shrill.

The monks stopped in front of the wailing woman who held the old woman. These more than a dozen monks walked in unison. The leading monk, who had white eyebrows, stopped, and the last monk stopped at the same time.

“Amitabha. Don’t panic, and let me have a look.” The white-browed monk crouched down in front of the old woman and grabbed her wrist.

The woman’s face was full of tears. She was anxious and doubtful. But she was hopeful as she saw the monks. She immediately said, “My mother has a serious illness, and it has been procrastinated for more than a month. But we’re living in poverty and have no money to find a doctor. My mother suddenly fell ill today, so I’m afraid that she is dying...”

Speaking of this, she cried in sorrow. “Oh, God! All my family members have never done evil deeds but often do good deeds all our lives, but why do we end up like this?”

The woman cried in sorrow, and all the passers-by were moved as they saw this scene. Some people sighed, some were resentful, some were sad, and so on. Many people stopped to watch.

“Don’t panic,” the white-browed monk consoled again. He loosened the old woman’s wrist and his expression became more kindly. “You look again. How is your mother?”

At this point, the old woman came around slowly. And as soon as she opened her eyes, she stood up, full of energy. She didn’t look like a sick person and she was even in a vigorous spirit.

The woman quickly asked, “Mother, how do you feel?”

The old woman said, “It seems that my pain has gone, and I don’t feel painful at all. I’m in good spirit. I can work in the field!”

The woman wept for joy and quickly explained the reason. The two of them knelt down toward the white-browed monk and thanked him a lot.

The white-browed monk supported them up and said Amitabha. He looked solemn and holy. “It’s my responsibility to help people in distress. You don’t need to be so courteous.”

The passers-by all admired the monk’s means and were moved by his kindness as they saw the scene on the roadside. Some even shouted cheers for the monks they had never met.

After he bid farewell to the two women, the white-browed monk entered the prefectural city of Fengxiang with his men. They walked through the bustling streets and finally came to the commissioner’s mansion.

Someone had been waiting before the commissioner’s mansion. That was Li Qilin, Li Changyan’s son. When he saw the group of monks in cloth cassocks, he hurried down the stone steps and bowed in salute. “The military commander has been waiting for you for a long time. Please come with me.”

Putting his palms together devoutly, the white-browed monk followed him into the mansion. After numerous corridors and paths, they finally went into a quiet courtyard. The Fengxiang commissioner, Li Changyan immediately came out to meet them. He personally welcomed the monk into the house.

The white-browed monk went into the house alone. The rest of them stood in two rows in the courtyard, looking steadily forward. They sent out powerful breaths. The sentries in the courtyard and in the dark felt great pressure from them and could barely breathe. They all felt shocked. There were many masters at the middle-level Qi-refining among them, but when they faced these monks, all of them were like mice seeing cats.

In the house, the maids left after they served the tea and cakes. Li Changyan was gracious and respectful. After exchanging greetings for a while, he went straight to the point. “How many people do you bring?”

The white-browed monk said, “I bring 108 monks with me this time.”

Li Changyan was stunned slightly and felt a bit disappointed. “108?”

The white-browed monk said slowly, “These 108 monks are enough to defeat 10,000 troops.”

Li Changyan was surprised. “Really?”

The white-browed monk ducked his head. “A monk doesn’t tell a lie.”

Li Changyan was immediately excited. “Good! It’s all up to you this time! If you succeed, Buddhism will become the national religion!”

The white-browed monk said calmly, “How can it be called the national religion in just a prefecture?”

A long time later, the white-browed monk and his men left the courtyard. Li Changyan asked someone to take them to rest. He sat in the house, deep in thought.

Later, Li Qilin came before Li Changyan and asked in a low voice, “Father, are these monks really useful?”

Li Changyan smiled deeply. “Are they useful? You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

Li Qilin was silent. When he saw this group of monks, he also felt great pressure, but he himself already had middle-level Qi-refining cultivation.

Li Qilin tentatively said, “Father, although these monks have high cultivation, the Fengxiang Army is enough to hijack His Majesty. Why do we use these outsiders?”

Li Changyan glanced at him lightly and said bluntly, “Shortsighted. You only see the present, but not the future. If I hijack the emperor to order the feudal princes, of course, I will have unparalleled power. But if I want people to fear me, the ordinary people to support me, and the soldiers to be loyal to me, it is not enough to just hijack the emperor.”

Li Qilin was stunned. He couldn’t understand.

Li Changyan continued, “Of course not. The world is in chaos, and it’s the competitive world. If I want to compete for hegemony and unify the whole country, I won’t succeed only by hijacking the emperor. What I want are people’s support and soldiers’ loyalty! Only in this way can I unify the whole country. To complete this quickly, I need to use the power of Buddhism. What is Buddhism? It’s the means of controlling people’s mind!”

After a pause, Li Changyan snorted and said to himself, “There are only two points in the Buddhism doctrine. One is to guide people toward goodness, and the other is to fear Buddha. What are the most important things for an emperor to rule the world or a leader to govern a place? There are two points. One is good order, and the other is the loyalty to the ruler.”

“In today’s world, people’s hearts are in turmoil, bandits rise wildly, and rebels are everywhere. Are these what the ruler wants? Only when the jurisdiction is stable and there is no trouble, can the ruler govern the place firmly and gather manpower and material resources to be used by him.”

“I get the help of Buddhism. I let the temples spread their territory and let the monks spread their doctrine so that the ordinary people can do good. Buddhism stresses to endure the suffering of this life in order to bless the afterlife. Who believes in that? But this is what the ruler needs. It’s wise for Buddhism to have such a doctrine.”

“If ordinary people are willing to suffer, then they won’t resist my exorbitant taxes. Therefore, I can get more taxes so that I can use them in war and enjoy myself in peaceful times. Isn’t it wonderful? If the ordinary people are inclined to goodness, then they won’t become bandits or rebels to commit murder so that the order in the world will be stable.”

“When people are converted to Buddhism, they will fear the Buddha. They worship the Buddha every day, but is the Buddha they are worshiping? Where is the Buddha? Those who truly comprehend the Buddhism doctrine will know that if you have a good will or sudden enlightenment, you can become a Buddha, so everyone can be a Buddha. Buddhism stresses the equality of all living beings. Since all living beings are equal, then the Buddha and the ordinary people are equal, so why do they want ordinary people to worship them?”

“In the final analysis, what people worship is not the Buddha, but the power and the authority! You can imagine that once the ordinary people believe in Buddhism and fear the Buddha, and then I let Buddhism declare that I am the reincarnation of Buddha, they will be willing to fight to the death for me. They will fight against wherever I want them to fight. Whoever comes to fight me, they will try their best to guard me! This is what I want. The ordinary people are loyal to me!”

At this point, Li Changyan looked at Li Qilin. “Do you understand?”

Li Qilin was in a cold sweat. “Yes, I do. Father, you’re using Buddhism.”

Li Changyan chuckled. “No, you don’t understand.”

In a quiet courtyard, the monks sat in meditation in their own houses.

In the main house, the white-browed monk was drinking tea. Standing in front of him, a young monk was asking for his advice. “Master, Buddhism wants to go out of the world, spread the doctrine, and build temples by giving grace to the ordinary people so that they can sincerely believe in Buddhism. Why do we help that Li Changyan this time?”

The white-browed monk slowly put down the tea bowl and looked at the young monk, who was his best disciple. He asked slowly, “Do you think that if Buddhism wants to flourish, to build temples, and to spread the doctrine, it should rely on helping the ordinary people so that they will believe in Buddhism?”

The young monk was stunned for a while. “Isn’t it right?”

“Of course not,” said the white-browed monk.

“Then, what does it rely on?”

“It relies on the emperor’s support. It relies on the person who rules the world giving us the wealth to build temples and the qualification to spread our doctrine!”

The young monk couldn’t understand and felt very surprised.

The white-browed monk sighed and slowly said, “You have to remember that there is only one master in the world and he controls everything. This man is the emperor, the ruler of power and all living beings. Whether Buddhism or Taoist sect, if it wants to build temples, firstly, it has to get the emperor’s consent. If the emperor doesn’t approve of you, no matter how good your doctrine is, he can destroy you in all kinds of names.”

“If the emperor approves of you, many temples will appear in the world as long as he gives a decree. Since Buddhism spread to the east, it has flourished for several times because of the emperor’s support, whether in building temples or in recruiting disciples. But once the emperor suppresses or destroys Buddhism, then Buddhism will suffer.”

The young monk was surprised and bewildered. “The people in Buddhism should have no worldly concerns, why so many conflicts of interests?”

The white-browed monk sneered. “Who in the world has no worldly concerns? If Buddhism is really the sect with no worldly concerns, how can the world know the existence of Buddhism? Isn’t that a contradiction? In the final analysis, Buddhism wants to carry forward in the secular world. It was born in the secular world and it will die in the secular world, so it can’t have no worldly concerns.”

The young monk thought for a moment and said, “So, this is the reason why you help Li Changyan this time?”

The white-browed monk said, “We just take what we need. If Buddhism is useful to the emperor, the emperor will naturally support it. Once Buddhism is harmful to the country, the wise emperor will restrain it.”

The young monk was astounded. “Then, we become the tool of others?”

The white-browed monk said, “Isn’t Li Changyan the tool for us to spread our doctrine and to prosper Buddhism? When Buddhism flourishes and has great power, it’s hard to tell who, whether the emperor or Buddhism, will be controlling the world by that time.”

The young monk was enlightened. “So we are using Li Changyan?”

The white-browed monk said, “We’re just using each other.”

The young monk said in dissatisfaction, “How can our Buddhism be used?”

The white-browed monk said solemnly, “Remember, any sect or any doctrine in the world exists only if the ruler thinks it can exist and useful to himself, or it can’t exist. Even if it exists, it will make the ruler unhappy, so he will destroy you with an accusation of the evil religion! If Buddhism wants to flourish, it has to be useful to the ruler. Otherwise, there will be no room for it to survive!”

The young monk was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. He looked frightened and trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing his look, the white-browed monk sighed. “You have to understand that there are only two kinds of people in the world. One is to use others, and the other is used by others. The difference is that some people can do both, so they can accomplish great things. However, a lot of stupid people can only be used by others.”

“They either ask for something or are afraid of something, so they believe in the doctrine. They take their hard-earned money to support Buddhism, so they become those who are used by Buddhism. They wish Buddhism to protect them and to give them wealth and the peace of mind. The more muddleheaded the ruler is and the more they suffer, the more they will seek the protection of Buddhism.”

“With the spiritual sustenance of Buddhism, the ordinary people won’t rise in revolt, so the ruler can sit back and relax! But in fact, if Buddhism were so capable, it would take over the world long ago. How could the situation be like this? But at the same time, you should understand that we must rely on these ignorant people to support us!”

...

The Yanmen Army barracks.

Li Keyong stared intensely at Huiming. “So, Buddhism has already sent people to Fengxiang. Under the guise of helping Li Changyan, they are actually to...”

He was so puzzled that he stopped at this point, unable for a moment to utter the following words.

Huiming calmly said, “Right. They are to kill Prince An!”

Li Keyong’s mind was jumbled and he was confused. “With 100,000 Pinglu soldiers on his side, Prince An is taking charge of Chang’an. How could he go to Fengxiang?”

Huiming said faintly, “His Majesty is in trouble, so he has to go. If only Fengxiang gets involved in it, then Prince An could send parts of his troops to go. But if Buddhism places obstacles in the way, then only parts of the troops are not enough. Prince An has to leave parts of his troops stationed in Chang’an, so he has to go himself in the end.”

Li Keyong thought for a while, and he soon understood, but he was still worried. “Prince An has outstanding cultivation and he stepped into the Spiritual Master Realm a few days ago... When he was at Level 9 of Qi-refining, he was able to kill the people in the Spiritual Master Realm. Now, he becomes the Spiritual Pool Spiritual Master, so who can fight against him?”

Huiming said without looking at him, “A person can’t fight against him, but how about a hundred people? If a hundred people can’t fight against him, how about the whole people in Buddhism?”

Li Keyong was shocked as he heard the latter half sentence. “The whole people in Buddhism?”

Huiming calmly said, “Except for those who have arrived at Fengxiang, 18 major temples in the north, such as the Juexiao Temple and 36 temples in the Western Regions, such as the Jinguang Temple have assembled dozens of people in the Kong Kim Realm. Carrying the Great Six Paths of Reincarnation Formation and the 800 monks’ corps, they are heading to Fengxiang! The disciples of Buddhism are all over the world, and Buddhism has a profound foundation. All masters turn out in full force and the strongest means is used at the same time. Do you think whether they can kill one Li Ye or not?”

In the end, Huiming still looked calm, but his tone was sonorous and full of supreme majesty.

Li Keyong was even more shocked, almost dumbfounded. “18 temples in the north, 36 temples in the Western Regions, dozens of people in the Kong Kim Realm, the 800 monks’ corps, the Great Six Paths of Reincarnation Formation... With such strength, if they coordinate with an army, they will be more than enough to destroy a country! Send out all the forces of Buddhism to kill one Li Ye, this...” “It has no difference from breaking a fly upon a wheel. Is it worth it?”

Huiming said faintly, “As long as Li Ye can be killed, it’s worth it.”

“Why?”

Huiming said, “Because he’s in your way, but you can’t get rid of him! For your future, Buddhism has to do this. We have been too underestimating Li Ye and too careless before. Now, it is time to put an end to such mistakes.”

Li Keyong was speechless for quite a while.

After a long time, he said with a doubtful expression, “Is Li Ye really so powerful?”

Huiming said in a murderous tone, “The Buddha’s eye in Buddhism can tell the past, the present, and the future, but it can’t see Li Ye through. His body isn’t in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, his luck isn’t in the Three Worlds, and his life isn’t in the cycle of reincarnation. I’ve never seen such a person and have never heard of it!”

“What’s more, he has outstanding cultivation. The Yanmen Army doesn’t dare to say that they can win his Pinglu Army. He has made great achievements and his reputation spread all over the country. All the people in the country admire him! If we let such a person leave Guanzhong, it’s like releasing the tiger back to the mountain.”

“When the time comes, the world trend will change. If he makes an appeal, heroes, aspiring people, and hot-blooded men will definitely gather together to follow him! At that time, he can’t be killed, and his troops can’t be defeated easily. What are you going to do then? Do you want to hand over the country to him? Do you want to kneel at his feet and beg for survival?!”

Standing up, Huiming swung his sleeves. He walked back and forth in the camp. He looked fierce and murderous. His expression was in the opposite of calm.

Li Keyong had known him for many years, but it was the first time for Li Keyong to saw his expression like this.

Huiming’s tone was firm and powerful. “The world is in chaos, and the luck is wandering everywhere. This is a competitive world! The person, who can control the luck, who can take over the country, and who can accomplish the great achievement, can take charge of the luck from heaven and earth. He can become an immortal in heaven and govern a country on the earth!”

“Order doesn’t exist in the competitive world. The old world has collapsed, but the new world hasn’t been established. This is the time for us to fulfill our grand ambition. Since Buddhism was introduced into the country in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it hasn’t been famous for hundreds of years and has been crowded out by Taoist sect everywhere. Now, my Buddhism has to seize the luck of the world and become the master of the country.”

He turned to stare at Li Keyong. “Since the beginning of the country, emperors are all from Han. Don’t you want to take over the country and become the emperor with the identity of the king of Shatuo, controlling the country and even the world?!”

Li Keyong looked at the noble Huiming standing in front of him, stunned.

Huiming swung his sleeves, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He looked proud and arrogant. “18 temples in the north, 36 temples in the Western Regions, dozens of people in the Kong Kim Realm, the 800 monks’ corps, and the Great Six Paths of Reincarnation Formation, of course, are more than enough to kill Li Ye.”

“However, Buddhism’s trip this time is to become famous in the world and to help you to dominate and unify the country so that you can become the supreme emperor! These forces are the elite weapons for you to compete for hegemony, and they’re also the gifts that Buddhism gives to you. With these elite weapons, you can surely take over the country and become the emperor!”

Huiming was standing uprightly, and his momentum was overwhelming.

Li Keyong stood up, clapping. Finally, he no longer pretended to be surprised and no longer hid his ambition. “Good! With your help and the assistance of Buddhism, my troops are bound to be able to sweep the world and take over the whole country!”

...

The interior of Zhongnan Mountain.

This was the place where the Zhongnan Mountain Taoist sect was located.

Outside the Purple Cloud Temple, a long rainbow landed.

“Taoist Zhang, long time no see.” The master of Zhongnan Mountain, Xu Pingjing smiled and greeted the person behind the long rainbow.

“Taoist Xu, long time no see. You’re better than before,” said the master of Penglai, Zhang Jiuling.

The two of them exchanged greetings for quite a while. While they’re entering the house, a rainbow suddenly appeared in the sky.

When the rainbow approached, Zhang Jiuling and Xu Pingjing saw a woman in colorful clothes flying with her feet on a fairy sword.

Instantly, the flying sword came before the two people and suddenly stopped. The woman in colorful clothes jumped off the sword gently. She was an old but beautiful woman. The cinnabar mole in between her eyebrows added her a deterrent air.

Seeing this person, Zhang Jiuling and Xu Pingjing both saluted with cupped fists. Xu Pingjing smiled brightly. “Taoist Bai, twenty years have passed, but you look even younger. It’s my pleasure to have you to come to my small Taoist temple.”

This woman’s name was Bai Jingxue and she was the master of Shushan. Although her face was more beautiful than a peony, her expression was very cold. She didn’t respond to Xu Pingjing’s enthusiasm and simply said, “Don’t bother to say the polite words. Are the other people here?”

While they were talking, two long rainbows came in opposite directions in the sky, one in the south and the other in the north. The two Taoists landed at the same time and they were both white-haired old men. The north one was slightly chunky and the south one was slightly black.

“Taoist Wu, long time no see.”

“Taoist Wang, how are you?”

These two people were the master of Xuelu, Wu Jinling and the master of Dongting, Wang Sanxian.

At this point, the five major Taoist sects in the world, including the Penglai in the east, the Shushan in the west, the Xuelu in the north, the Dongting in the south, and the Zhongnan Mountain, all gathered together.

The five people greeted each other. After worshipping the statue of Zhenwu Dadi, they went to the side temple and took a seat in succession. The statue of Zhenwu Dadi was enshrined in the main temple, so there was naturally no seat there.

At ordinary times, the masters of the five major Taoist sects had not so many contacts with each other. Although they had the same origin, they were rivals and some of them even had grudges. In the past, if they encountered each other, perhaps, they would have a fight, and at least, they would have a quarrel. However, at this moment, they stayed together peacefully and quietly sat on the futons.

The position of everyone’s futon was arranged with careful consideration. The five people sat on the five corners of the five-pointed star, so none of them had any advantage or disadvantage in the seating position.

They exchanged greetings and said a lot of polite words for a long time. Xu Pingjing, the master of Zhongnan Mountain, saw Bai Jingxue look impatient, so he brought the topic into the point because he knew this beauty had a hot temper.

He said, “Let’s put aside the gossip and get down to business. A few days ago, Li Ye became the Spiritual Pool Spiritual Master. He is out of our control. Moreover, he doesn’t respect Taoist sect and wants to turn Taoist sect into a tool that will obey his orders completely, like the yamen. This is unacceptable to us, so he must be eradicated!”

“But it is impossible for any single Taoist sect to kill him, so now, it is time to join forces against the enemy. Only when the masters of the five major Taoist sects worship heaven together, can we launch the Great Immortal-killing Formation to bring the immortal come to earth and kill evildoers. Since the last time to launch the Great Immortal-killing Formation, 300 years have passed. Now, it’s time for the world to once recall the reason that Taoist sect can survive in the country for thousands of years without falling!”

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