Sun Simiao knew that the focus of this question was not on Chen Jingke's identity, but on why the emperor and the empress valued him. After pondering for a while, he replied:
"Some secrets will kill many people once they are revealed, until everyone who knows the secret disappears."
Pan Shizheng's expression changed drastically. He never expected that the matter would be so serious. For a moment, he didn't know whether he should ask the next question.
Sun Simiao saw his dilemma and took the initiative: "We don't need to know the reasons for some things, as long as we know the results."
"The young disciple has indeed gained the favor of the saint and the empress, and the matter of Princess Shang is a foregone conclusion. This is also a good thing for our Taoist sect."
Pan Shizheng quickly regained his composure and said: "It is true. With Princess Jinyang in our Taoist sect, we have an extra channel to the sky, and many things will be more convenient."
Sun Simiao nodded slightly and asked, "Junior Brother Pan, do you still have any questions?"
Pan Shizheng was full of questions just now. He was startled by that question. He found that there was no need to ask the following questions. After thinking about it, he went straight to the core:
"I wonder who the four great heavenly masters are?"
Sun Simiao was overjoyed. When he asked this question, it meant that he had accepted Zixiaoguan's innovation and now it was time to negotiate favorable terms.
The Four Heavenly Masters are of great significance. Whoever's ancestor's name is listed will immediately usher in great prosperity. And there is no need to worry about the problem of the inheritance being cut off, unless someone abolishes the system established by Zixiao Temple.
Regarding the positions of the Four Heavenly Masters, he and Chen Jingke had discussed it long ago and already had rough candidates in mind. Who would finally be named would still need to be negotiated with each faction.
But these cannot be told to Pan Shizheng, so he said calmly: "The branches of Taoism are complicated, but tracing back to the source can never escape the scope of the Three Purities. Therefore, each of the Three Purities sects has one of them."
"For the remaining position, I would like to see Master Zhang Tianshi. I wonder what Junior Brother Pan wants?"
The master Zhang Tianshi is talking about Zhang Daoling of Longhu Mountain. He is a figure that Taoism can never bypass. The basic foundation of Taoism is determined by him.
Tao Hongjing, Ge Hong, Wang Yuanzhi, etc. were actually perfected under his ideological framework. No one would dare to object if his name was put on it.
Pan Shizheng also didn't dare. He was thinking about whose name the Shangqing sect should write on:
"Zhang Tianshi is the ancestral Celestial Master. He is destined to be among the four great Celestial Masters. I just wonder if all the founders of the Maoshan Sect are lucky enough to be among them?"
Sun Simiao asked in reply: "Maoshan is the main line of the Shangqing sect. There are so many senior experts that it is difficult for me to make a decision. Who do you think, Junior Brother Pan, is better?"
Pan Shizheng stopped talking. He naturally hoped that his master, Wang Yuanzhishang, would be better, but he knew that this would be impossible.
Although the Maoshan Sect is the main force of the Shangqing Sect, it is not the only one. The other factions are also not weak. If he dares to recommend his master, others will dare to tear him apart.
And in terms of achievements and contributions to Taoism, Wang Yuanzhi is indeed much inferior to his predecessors, and he never gets his turn.
So after thinking about it again and again, Pan Shizheng sighed secretly and said a name: "The Shangqing Sect has flourished in the hands of Mr. Zhenbai, and I thought he should be the Shangqing Celestial Master."
Mr. Zhenbai is Tao Hongjing.
This is indeed what Sun Simiao thought. Tao Hongjing was a key figure in the rise of the Shangqing Sect and the first person to preach in the Maoshan Sect. He is regarded as the founder of the Maoshan Sect.
The Maoshan sect can benefit from recommending him as the Heavenly Master, but the other branches of the Shangqing sect can hardly say anything.
"Mr. Zhenbai is both our Taoist sage and an expert in medicine. I admire him very much. If he is appointed as the Celestial Master, I believe everyone in the world will recognize him."
His words meant that both parties had reached an agreement, and the atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.
Pan Shizheng also had a smile on his face. Although he was a little regretful that he could not send his master to the position of Heavenly Master, sending the founder of the Maoshan Kai Sect could be considered a success.
The purpose of this trip was achieved, and he was naturally very happy.
As for who the other two heavenly masters were, he did not ask Sun Simiao or tell them.
…
The Lantern Festival ended in the blink of an eye, and Chen Jingke's dictionary compilation work also passed the preparation period and officially started. With Wu Shu, he finally realized his dream of being a business owner.
However, he did not become the hands-off shopkeeper just to be lazy, but because he was too busy to take care of both. For example, the most important thing at the moment was the meeting with Tian Shiwen and Cheng Xuanying.
On the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, two real people drove from Jian to the gate of Zixiao Temple, and Li Chunfeng was also specially invited to come.
Sun Simiao and Chen Jingke went to the gate to greet him in person.
After some pleasantries, we entered the courtyard.
We are all decent people, so naturally we should do things that are consistent with our status as decent people.
For example, instead of starting negotiations directly, we started touring the temple and paid homage to all the main gods.
Tian Shiwen emphasized that he should go to the Sage Hall to pay homage to the Chinese ancestors.
Chen Jingke has been secretly observing this ancient angry young man, and it is obvious that his attitude when worshiping virtual gods is completely different from that when worshiping ancestors.
His attitude towards gods is very casual. If he hadn't known in advance that he was the contemporary leader of the Lou Guan sect, people would have mistaken him for a fake Taoist priest.
Treating ancestors is another attitude. As soon as you step into the Sage Hall, your expression becomes particularly solemn and solemn. Your spine is straight, your eyes are looking straight ahead, and your steps are light but steady.
The etiquette performed when entering the palace is also very different from the current ones. It happened that Chen Jingke was studying "Three Rites" recently and could tell that it was Zhou Rites.
Using Zhou etiquette does not necessarily mean it is more noble than the current etiquette, but it represents an attitude.
Chen Jingke followed behind and witnessed all this, showing a thoughtful expression.
The Lou Guan sect's anti-Buddhism degree has obviously gone beyond the scope of religious struggle. He had been wondering before and couldn't figure out what inextricable hatred the two sides had, but now he understood it all.
Their conflict with Buddhism is not a personal enmity or a religious struggle. What they defend is not the interests of Taoism, but the purity of Chinese orthodoxy.
To use religious struggle to define their anti-Buddhist actions is to misinterpret and insult them.
Unfortunately, their thinking is too advanced and few people can understand it. Even they themselves may not fully understand what they are doing, they just do it based on their feelings.
With the rise of nationalism in later generations, this kind of thinking became normal.
Chen Jingke, who traveled from later generations, naturally understands their thoughts and admires what they do.
China is really lucky to have such a group of people.
After thinking about all this, Chen Jingke immediately started making calculations in his mind.
He and Li Shimin talked about building a sense of cultural identity, but this was easier said than done.
It cannot be accomplished by just issuing a decree from the imperial court. A group of people must work hard for it to be accomplished.
He had been worrying about where to find such a group of people before, but now the problem was solved.
Is there anyone better suited to do this work than the Lou Guan sect? As long as they are given a little guidance, a large group of Great Chineseists will be born in no time.