Nestorianism's status in the Tang Dynasty was not low. Ranking third, it seemed inferior to Buddhism and Taoism, but after all, it had hundreds of thousands of believers. When it entered the Tang Dynasty, it was ceremoniously welcomed by Taizong and the prime minister.
This kind of weight is not comparable to that of ordinary ministers. As the leader of Nestorianism, Yang Shuen naturally has the right to meet the saint.
After leaving Ganjingzhuang angrily, Yang Shuen immediately returned to Chang'an and entered the Tai Chi Palace to meet the saint.
Obviously, he knelt in front of Li Zhi and cried bitterly to complain, otherwise Li Zhi would not have sent eunuchs to urgently recall him to Chang'an.
When the emperor has an edict, he dare not disobey it.
After receiving the order, Li Qinzai immediately ordered the horses to be prepared, but before setting off, he also summoned the elders in Zhuangzi and gathered the strong men in Zhuangzi. They patrolled the village entrances in all directions and left two people in other courtyards.
Baibuqu, he only brought a few people back to Chang'an.
He returned to Chang'an City in a hurry and entered the Tai Chi Palace directly.
In Anren Hall, Li Zhi had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Li Qinzai arriving, Li Zhi sighed and waved to him to come forward without courtesy.
"Jingchu, you have just made a great contribution and you have stirred up a hornet's nest. I wonder if you did it on purpose. Could it be that Jingchu was afraid of criticism from the DPRK and was deliberately degrading himself to protect himself?"
Li Qinzai blinked: "Your Majesty, I'm not that thoughtful. I have no other purpose than to poke a hornet's nest. Hey, it's just for fun..."
Li Zhi laughed angrily: "You can just be tough. You don't need me to remind you what you did yesterday, right? Nestorian Yang Shu'en asked to see me early in the morning, knelt in front of me and burst into tears, saying that you harbored Nestorian traitors and were immoral.
, a malicious provocation against Nestorianism..."
After speaking, Li Zhi paused and said: "Yang Shu'en said it, but I have to listen. I always feel that there is a suspicion of adding fuel to the fire. I never listen to one side or the other side, so I urgently summoned you back to Beijing today to hear your explanation."
.”
Li Qinzai sighed and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, most of what Yang Shuen said is true."
Li Zhi was stunned, looked at him in disbelief, and said slowly: "Jingchu, I have known you for several years, and you are not the kind of person who is domineering... Well, maybe you were before, but after I got to know you
, I have never seen your domineering side, why are you like this today?"
Li Qinzai looked hesitant.
The matter of new grains should be told in full at this moment, which not only calmed Li's heart, but also made him happy.
As long as Li Zhi knows that he has discovered a new grain, even if Li Qinzai leads people to kill people and set fire to Chang'an City, Li Zhi will definitely forgive him.
Good news of this level is enough for Li Zhi to explode a blood vessel.
However, the matter is completely uncertain. Li Qinzai doesn't even know whether the new grain species mentioned by Iduo exists or not. Without getting a definite answer from Iduo, Li Qinzai really can't tell the matter at this moment, otherwise it will be unreasonable in the future.
The crime of deceiving the emperor is even more detrimental to oneself.
Concerning this matter, Li Qinzai himself was just an uncertain gambler. There was no need to force Li Zhi to the gambling table before anything was revealed.
After hesitating for a long time, Li Qinzai decided to endure it for a while.
Looking at Li Zhi's disbelieving look, Li Qinzai smiled bitterly and said: "Your Majesty, I have my own reasons."
Li Zhi nodded: "Of course there is a reason for everything. With Jingchu's personality, he would not have any grudge against Nestorianism for no reason, nor would he shield traitors of Nestorianism for no reason. So, I want to know the reason."...
Li Qinzai was silent for a long time and said: "Your Majesty, I am sorry that I cannot explain it today."
"Why? You and I are both monarchs and ministers, and we are also friends. What can't we tell you frankly? If you don't say anything, how can I explain it to you in front of Yang Shuen?"
Li Qinzai sighed and said: "Your Majesty, just think that I am proud of my merits. I really can't express my difficulties at the moment. If the matter is not settled and I make false statements, I will not be able to see your Majesty."
Li Zhi frowned.
"If Jingchu doesn't explain, Nestorianism will not let you go. Yang Shuen is in charge of Nestorianism and there are hundreds of thousands of followers in the religion. If he incites him to target you, even I will have to be afraid. If you start a provocation unreasonably, I will
I can't protect you."
"Because Nestorian believers are not only among the people, but also among courtiers, and many of them are already ministers and provincial officials. If they mobilize the censor to impeach, do you know what the result will be?"
Li Qinzai smiled: "I am not afraid of participating in the impeachment, because I have a clear conscience. If Your Majesty wants to punish me, I am willing to take the blame."
Li Zhi was stunned again. Did this guy take the wrong medicine today? Why did he suddenly become so tough?
After a long silence, Li Zhi sighed and said: "For a Nestorian traitor, life or death does not matter. The matter is not serious. What I am afraid of is that someone is determined to cause trouble. Do you understand what I mean?"
"I understand, and I am prepared."
Li Zhi shook his head: "No matter how much preparation you make, you can't handle this. Nestorianism... is the third largest religion in the Tang Dynasty. During the Zhenguan period, the late emperor and Prime Minister Fang Xuanling personally went out of the city to greet the Nestorian envoys.
Foreign sects, do you know why the late emperor welcomed them so grandly?"
"Perhaps the late emperor treated the world with courtesy and treated foreign sects with sincerity, so that the world would return home?"
Li Zhi smiled and shook his head: "It's not that simple."
"During the Zhenguan period, the Tang Dynasty established the Anxi Protectorate in Xizhou to protect the smooth flow of trade routes in the Western Regions. For the first time since the founding of the country, our king's army was placed in the Western Regions, and his virtue was conquered by all the countries in the Western Regions."
"At that time, all the countries in the Western Region were unwilling to become vassals of the Tang Dynasty. After the princes gathered to destroy Gaochang, the countries were frightened. Nestorianism happened to send envoys to the Tang Dynasty that year."
"The reason why the late emperor treated Nestorianism with courtesy was because the headquarters of Nestorianism was in Persia, in the Western Regions. Many Nestorian Christians were proficient in Chinese. The Tang Dynasty needed them to translate Chinese and foreign books and languages, serve the Anxi Protectorate, and use the local religion to
Anxious to the hearts of the people of the Western Region."
"This was the purpose of the late emperor's courtesy to a foreign religion. Today, as the Tang Dynasty takes control of Tuyuhun and drives Tubo back to the plateau, the Western Regions are connected with the Longyou Pass of the Tang Dynasty."
“We need the Nestorians to play the role of translators and disseminators, spreading the scriptures and meanings of our Central Plains sages far and wide, so that the countries in the Western Regions will submit to our kingship and return to the orthodoxy of the Tang Dynasty.”
Li Zhi sighed and said: "In fact, I don't like this kind of extraterritorial sect, especially in recent years, Nestorianism has mixed good and bad people, and I have heard a lot of bad things in Chang'an. But as a monarch, I cannot act on my own initiative. Although I don't like it, I have to use it.
them."
"Now that you have offended the leader of Nestorianism, people have brought the case to me. If it were someone else, I might still be partial to you, but Nestorianism..."
Li Qinzai nodded: "I understand that your Majesty does not need to be embarrassed. If someone participates in the impeachment, then it should be handled according to the rules. I will be dismissed or reduced in rank. I have no complaints."
Li Zhi said angrily: "I've been talking for a long time, but it's all in vain? Did I say that I would dismiss my official position and reduce my rank? What I want is the truth! If you tell the truth, I will be confident and I will speak for you. You are very smart."