After the Battle of Makino, China's theocracy has declined. As a nation that puts "pragmatism" first, the Chinese people's mainstream view on religion is to "respect ghosts and gods and keep away from them." Chen Cheng used to be a materialist, but now he is a bit biased
Regarding agnosticism, he cannot deny the existence of God, but as long as the gods have never appeared in front of him or shown incredible power, then he will not admit the existence of God.
For Wang Yue, Chen Cheng is a god. When he was in Luoyang, he was stabbed several times and his blood was almost drained, but Chen Cheng pulled him back from the abyss of death. From that time on, Wang Yue
He believes that there is indeed a god in this world, and that the god is beside him and right in front of his eyes.
Therefore, after those bald monks preached about the Western Hu gods, Wang Yue personally took action and secretly observed for a period of time to see the difference between the Hu people's gods and his own. However, those monks did not show any
It is an inhuman place and does not have any magical powers.
This made Wang Yue very disappointed, and also made him believe that only Chen Cheng is the only true god in the world. Others, whether Huang Tian or Buddha, are just false gods. Regarding the monks who promote false gods
, Wang Yue’s advice was, “Kill the leaders and exile the rest to the Western Regions.”
With the development of the Western Regions, more and more manpower is needed. Growing cotton is a job that requires a lot of cheap manpower. The Changshi Mansion of the Western Regions obtained a lot of manpower by capturing prisoners in wars and paying for them, but it was still not enough. Over there
They often asked the court to send more people to exile. Strong men were the best, and they did not mind the old, weak, women and children. The most demanding task was cotton picking, which even a child could do.
Most of the powerful people in Liangzhou have people in the palace of Chang Shi of the Western Regions. They have made huge fortunes in the population and cotton trade. They have also been instigating the court to clean up Guanzhong more vigorously. A few thousand people are really too few, so tens of thousands are needed.
In the past, it will be safe.
"Throw the monks to the Western Regions? They came from the Western Regions!"
Chen Cheng was not very satisfied with Wang Yue's suggestion. After thinking for a while, he said, "Let's go and see first. What if there really is a god? Although I know it's probably a lie, but what if?"
So they took more than a dozen guards and soldiers out and went to the place where the monks lived in Chang'an City. It was a large house with three entrances in front and in the east market near Hengmen. There were two large ones standing at the door.
When Chen Cheng saw the stone lions, he pondered for a moment, pointed at the two stone lions and said, "These two stone lions are probably the only ones that are clean in this yard."
Wang Yue was used to Chen Cheng's occasional incomprehensible words, and the two Xiliang dragon knights and bodyguards behind him were also used to it, so no one showed any discomfort. After Chen Cheng finished speaking, everyone was indifferent.
, so he shook his head and said: "What a pity, what a pity."
Of course, no one understood why he said it was a pity.
Seeing so many warriors wearing steel armor and carrying horizontal swords coming over, the monks in the house had already noticed it and invited the great monk in charge to come out. The great monk's name was Zhi Qian, he was from the Western Regions and he looked a bit like
The appearance of Caucasian people is very different from that of Chinese people.
But that’s not quite right. Cheng Yi, the prefect of Wuwei County, looks a bit like someone from the Western Regions, but who said he’s not Chinese?
Zhi Qian was used to visits from important people, so he did not panic after hearing the report. Instead, he tidied up his appearance and walked out, ready to greet the distinguished guest. Why did he know he was an honored guest? Steel armor is an important weapon of the military, and every leader
They are all numbered, and ordinary people may not be able to buy them even if they have money. Now Chen Cheng and his party are all wearing heavy steel armor. What are they if they are not nobles?
"The poor monk has met all the donors."
Monk Zhiqian has a good skin and looks like a virtuous monk. In other words, only with a good skin can he be a virtuous monk. He behaves calmly and speaks in a low voice. Just when he opens his mouth, he can give
People have a good impression of him. The celebrities and scholars from Guanzhong who came to visit before all enjoyed talking with him.
But this time, the people Zhi Qian faced were completely different from those he had met before. Chen Cheng was indifferent, while Wang Yue and the other guards and soldiers had a strong hostile attitude.
"You are not a poor monk, and I am not a benefactor." Chen Cheng smiled and said, "How can you be a poor monk when you live in such a big house?"
Hearing this, Zhi Qian perked up. He had encountered this kind of ji-feng thing many times in his conversations with famous Confucian scholars. Great Confucians who don't know how to use ji-feng are not good monks! Zhi Qian once went to Luoyang
He stayed for a long time and was well received by both the government and the public. He was never afraid to talk to others.
"The donor has a lot of wisdom. It seems that he is destined to be my Buddha!" Zhi Qian said with a smile: "You are a guest when you come. The donor invites you in."
Chen Cheng was not polite to him, and walked inside. There were not many people in this world who needed to be taken seriously by him, and there were not many people who deserved to be taken seriously. The monk was not on the list of people who needed to be taken seriously for the time being. Behind Chen Cheng
, Wang Yue held the knife across his waist and walked in.
Two fat monks blocked the way and shouted: "In this land of Buddhism, you are not allowed to carry weapons with you!"
Wang Yue ignored these cultists and sneered as he bumped into them. "Bang", one monk was knocked away and fell to the ground. The other monk was punched in the nose and fell on his back with blood flowing.
On the contrary, seeing how ferocious this group of people was, the other monks stopped approaching.
Zhi Qian's expression changed slightly and he shouted to the monks around him: "Why don't you retreat?"
The monks looked at Chen Cheng and others fiercely, and then retreated reluctantly. They were able to escape from the harsh environment in Luoyang, so they must have the courage and courage. Since entering Chang'an,
He has always been sought after by others, and now when he sees someone coming to his door to act wild, he is naturally very unhappy.
Zhi Qian could see that Chen Cheng's status was extraordinary, and he had some confidence in his heart. He knew that if he could pass this level today, the missionary cause would be unstoppable. But if he couldn't pass it, everything would be over.
He stretched out his hand and said to Chen Cheng: "General, please go this way."
Chen Cheng smiled and said, "Oh, do you recognize me?"
Zhi Qian said respectfully: "The general is majestic and majestic. Although I have never seen him before, I can tell at a glance."
Chen Cheng's appearance is really unique. There are few people in Chang'an City who can be as majestic as him. Coupled with the soldiers wearing steel armor behind him, it is not difficult to guess his identity.
Chen Cheng laughed and said: "The monk can still look at Qi!"
"What does a little skill mean compared to the general's martial arts?"
Zhi Qian led the way and led Chen Cheng to the lobby. The guards and soldiers guarded the gate and the backyard, and were arranged under the lobby. When the monks heard that the general had arrived, they also put away the anger on their faces.
They acted kind-hearted. Now in Chang'an City, the generals are the most powerful. No matter how angry they are, they don't dare to show it.
In fact, not only are they not angry now, but they are secretly happy in their hearts. If they can convince the general and lead him into Buddhism, then Buddhism will flourish in Guanzhong and Liangzhou!
Chen Cheng sat down on the futon at the top of the hall and asked, "What do you call a monk?"
Zhi Qian said respectfully: "The poor monk Zhi Qian is from Yuezhi."
"Yue Zhi?" Chen Cheng said with a half-smile, "It's quite far away from China. Why are you coming so far away?"
Zhi Qian said without hesitation: "It's to spread Buddhism!"
"What is Buddhism?"
"Buddhism is the truth of the world! Understanding Buddhism allows us to understand our thoughts without being bound by them!" Zhiqian showed a yearning look on his face, "Buddha loves the world, so he sent down Buddhism so that we can
Escape from the sea of suffering and no longer suffer the pain of reincarnation!"
Chen Cheng has some contradictions in his heart. On the one hand, he does not believe in Buddhism, but he feels that it is not a bad thing to believe in Buddhism. On the other hand, he knows that Buddha does not exist at all, but he also hopes that there will be an existence that transcends everything and can explain everything about him.
What happened. The many conflicts in his heart made him still undecided on how to deal with these monks.
Should we send them all to the Western Regions to grow cotton, as Wang Yue said, or should we let Buddhism spread in China?
Zhi Qian noticed that Chen Cheng seemed to be a little absent-minded, but he still talked enthusiastically. He had debated with people many times, and he was already familiar with Buddhist theory. He could talk about it eloquently, which would be almost astonishing. But if he
If he could really say that the sky is filled with flowers and the ground is filled with golden lotuses, then Chen Cheng would definitely treat him as an honored guest immediately.
After talking for a while, Chen Cheng became increasingly bored. He stretched out his hand to interrupt Zhi Qian and asked directly: "Where is your Buddha?"
Zhiqian smiled and said: "Buddha is in the Western Heaven, in the human world, and in our hearts. Buddha principles are everywhere, so Buddha is everywhere! As long as there is a heart, where is the Dharma and where is not the Buddha?"
Chen Cheng shook his head and said: "Monk, I won't play tricks with you. If you have ability, show it in front of me. Whether it's Buddha or Bodhisattva, if they really exist, let them come out to see me.
If not, then I'm sorry, you will not be allowed to beg for food on the land under my rule, nor will you be allowed to preach to others!"
Zhi Qian's heart tightened, and he suddenly felt a rolling murderous aura coming towards him. He pondered for a while and said: "Buddha is in the Western Heaven, how can we despise others? Even if it is revealed that ordinary people are mortal, so what?
Can you know the true Buddha?"
Chen Cheng said with some disappointment: "In other words, you can't call Sakyamuni over?"
Zhi Qian smiled and said, "General, have you heard of the name of the Lord?"
Chen Cheng snorted and asked, "I'll ask you again, can you know the Tathagata Palm?"
"ah?"
"It seems that you no longer know the Tathagata Palm, so you can't do the Boy's Kung Fu, the Golden Bell Mask, and the Yi Jin Jing, right?"
"This..." Zhi Qian shook his head and said, "I have never heard of these things the general said."
"Since you don't know these things, what's the use of you? Humph, go and grow cotton for me!"
