In the morning, Master Pan was woken up by the sound of slogans. When he opened his eyes, he found that it was already bright outside.
In order to maintain his health, he usually gets up early, but recently he has been traveling day and night and is too exhausted to sleep until now.
Another reason is...
He touched the bed under him. It was neither cold nor hot, just right. Lying on it was so warm that one could feel drowsy. It was so comfortable to have such a bed in the cold winter.
Thinking about the room used for bathing last night... Zixiao Temple is really a magical place.
As soon as he moved, disciple Si Yuncheng's voice came from outside the door: "Master, are you up?"
"Come in." Pan Shizheng was not surprised. Although this disciple had some poor talents, he was the most stable and considerate in his dealings with others. This was the reason why he was brought along on this trip.
After receiving a response, Si Yuncheng pushed the door open and came in, holding a steaming porcelain pot in his hand. He put the pot on the table and went to wait for Master Pan to get up and get dressed.
At this time, the slogan came again, and it sounded like shouting numbers.
Pan Shizheng asked: "What's the sound outside? It sounds like a sergeant is practicing?"
Si Yuncheng took out a clean robe from the package and put it on him, saying, "I have inquired about it. This is Zixiaoguan's daily training, which is running and practicing boxing."
"Oh?" Master Pan paused while buttoning his buttons and asked, "Is there anything else besides running and practicing boxing?"
Si Yuncheng replied: "Yes, I heard that they will also teach the gun, stick and stick skills in the army. Has Master discovered any problems?"
Pan Shizheng said: "The problem is big. This is Changlefang, which is only one step away from the imperial palace. A Taoist temple trains Taoists in the way of military training, but the court doesn't care. Why do you think this is?"
Si Yuncheng's heart moved and he asked, "What do you mean?"
Pan Shizheng nodded slightly and said: "Tell everyone to be careful in what they say and do. Even if there is no one around, you are not allowed to talk nonsense."
Si Yuncheng said solemnly: "Yes, I will supervise all junior fellow apprentices... What does it mean? It won't affect the purpose of our trip, right?"
Pan Shizheng said: "The higher-ups pay so much attention to Sun Zhenren that they spend so much effort, which has an impact on our plan, but now it seems that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."
"Master, please." Si Yuncheng poured the hot water from the porcelain pot into the basin and asked him to wash himself, and then said: "You mean it is easier for Master Sun to obtain support from above, and we can also benefit from it?"
Master Pan was washing his face with hot water. He took a towel and wiped it while saying: "It is not easy to get support from above. It is possible that he has already obtained the tacit approval from above."
"Ah, how is that possible?" Si Yuncheng was a little surprised.
Pan Shizheng explained: "Every move of Zixiaoguan is seen by the superiors. If there is no objection so far, doesn't it mean they acquiesce?"
Si Yuncheng also reacted and said worriedly: "Zhenren Sun has such a big advantage, so our plan this time..."
Pan Shizheng said calmly: "Don't panic, the higher-ups only acquiesced and did not publicly support it. Presumably they are waiting for Zixiaoguan and various factions to reach an agreement, and then the court will follow the trend."
"In this way, we can avoid provoking resistance among various factions and causing unnecessary chaos. So we are not without the capital to negotiate."
But one thing that is undeniable is that once his guess is true, the subsequent negotiations will be particularly difficult, and many previous plans will have to be changed.
But it's too early to think about this now. Everything has to wait until he understands the entire plan of Zixiaoguan, of which Journey to the West is an important part.
He must read this book as soon as possible and master more information to prepare for subsequent negotiations.
Moreover, he was also very curious about what kind of book the child prodigy wrote and how he explained why I turned into a beard.
…
Yesterday, we were too involved in the discussion and wasted time. Pan Shizheng and his party were tired from traveling, so there was no welcome ceremony.
They were all replenished this morning.
Zixiaoguan prepared a sumptuous breakfast and formally entertained the group, which was regarded as a welcome relief.
Not to mention this, a master of Taoism finally arrived. Naturally, we couldn't just let him go. He was scheduled to teach the disciples.
However, this kind of class is mutual. The disciples of Zixiao Temple and the disciples of Maoshan Sect listen together.
Sun Simiao and Pan Shizheng each spoke for a long time, and then handed over the follow-up responsibility to others.
For example, Si Yuncheng became a temporary teacher and taught the disciples together with the teachers from Zixiaoguan. This situation will continue until they leave.
Apart from occasionally discussing Taoism with Sun Simiao, Pan Shizheng focused the rest of his energy on studying Journey to the West.
The more he looked at him, the more shocked and excited he became.
What shocked me was that Chen Jingke was more evil than he thought, and could write such a wonderful story at the age of ten. What was exciting was that the Taoist system was created so perfectly.
Moreover, this new system did not arise out of thin air, but was formed by absorbing the strengths of each Taoist school. The weight of each school is also almost the same, which can be said to be impartial.
Even he, the head of the Maoshan Sect, couldn't find much of a thorn in his side.
What excited him most was that this book combined Daode Tianzun, Taishang Daozun and Laozi into one. This is what the Maoshan sect has been doing.
Once this story spreads and is accepted by the world, the concept that Taishang Daojun is Lao Tzu will also be deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The career that his master Wang Yuanzhi has worked hard for his whole life will be completed in his hands.
At the same time, he also understood why the imperial court acquiesced to Zixiaoguan's actions. This was to give the Li family the cloak of destiny.
He also knew that his previous speculation was wrong. It was true that the superiors were waiting for Zixiaoguan to reach an agreement with various Taoist sects. But even if an agreement could not be reached, the imperial court would still support Zixiaoguan.
Not for anything else, just because of Journey to the West.
For this mantle of destiny, the royal family will promote it at all costs.
"Sun Simiao, I'm really jealous of you. Why did you accept such a monster as your apprentice?" He murmured to himself.
…
Master Pan was one of the Taoist leaders, and the news of his entry into Beijing could not be hidden from anyone. However, before all parties could react, Zixiaoguan took the first step.
He sent people to visit Tian Shiwen and Cheng Xuanying respectively, presented them with a set of Journey to the West, and invited them to visit Zixiao in half a month.
After Tian Shiwen read the previous introduction, he banged the table with excitement and laughed: "Haha...I turned into a beard, Buddha is the Tao."
"Haha... A Buddha is the Tao. I want to see how you bald donkeys will deal with it."
…
Cheng Xuanying sighed heavily after reading it. He was very disdainful of "Laozi Hua Hu Jing" and regarded it as a heretical way.
Moreover, he is not anti-Buddhist. He has also studied Buddhism, and he very much recognizes the Buddhist concept of "Dependent Origination and Emptiness", and is ready to incorporate it into his own ideological system.
But he also knew that he had no room for refusal.
Unlike most religious leaders who came from noble families, he came from a humble family that could not even be considered poor. His current status was only due to Li Shimin's canonization in addition to his own efforts.
Why did the emperor attach so much importance to a religious leader who was born as a commoner and even named him Master Xihua?
The reason is not difficult to guess. He had a shallow foundation and was easy to control. The emperor hoped to use him to exert a certain influence and control on Taoist thought.
One glance at the book Journey to the West makes it clear what is going on, and he must support it.
…
Longtian Temple.
When she heard the news that Pan Shizheng was coming to Beijing and that Zixiao Temple was visiting Tian Shiwen and Cheng Xuanying, Fa Lin looked at the sky and said: "The wind is blowing."
…
On the ninth day of the first lunar month, Chen Jingke went to the palace to deliver toys to little Sizi and when he came back, he found many people gathered around the entrance of Zixiao Temple.
What happened? He leaned over curiously.
The first thing he saw was a simple and dilapidated carriage. Before he could see the people on the carriage clearly, he heard the pleading voice of a girl:
"Master, please inform us. My mother was seriously injured and has been unconscious for many days. Only Master Sun can save her."
