Victoria Ridge in the north of Mumbai is located in the estuary area south of the Galu River with an average altitude of only more than ten meters. The highest peak is 400 meters. Most of the mountains are only one or two hundred meters above sea level. The area is about 110 square kilometers.
The current Cuiping Mountain in the center of Xufu is similar. Except for the river in the north, the other three sides are surrounded by the city.
There are two natural freshwater lakes on the Victoria Ridge, which supply part of the drinking water in the Mumbai area. In order to ensure the existence of this city's green lung, the colonial government strictly prohibited deforestation. The vegetation on the mountain ridge is well protected, and the trees are lush and distributed in between.
There are a large number of rare tropical plants and it is a paradise for rare animals and plants in India. Some people have even seen the extremely rare white tiger here.
Early that morning, An Yi accompanied Lao Shoudao, as well as three Taoist priests from the Longevity Palace family, Songjian Zhenren, Songhe Zhenren and Songtao Zhenren, to the top of the mountain via the winding mountain path in the south.
Everyone looked over the entire Mumbai area and saw that the southern city was full of complicated buildings. On the eastern coast, there were large mangroves and lush greenery. On the western coast, the beach was gentle, and the sea was embedded at the end of the beach like a mirror.
, extremely beautiful.
An Yi pointed to the two beaches and introduced: "That's Mumbai Bay over there, and the two beaches are Juhu Beach and Jiaobati Beach. At night, the cool breeze blows, and citizens who lack fans and air conditioners
They flocked to the beach and soaked in the sea water to cool off. Of course, you can’t see all this now. The great plague has caused a great decrease in the population. The remaining people are still receiving our isolation treatment. It is estimated that they will not be able to return to the old outlook for a long time!
"
Lao Shoudao glared at An Yi, and then praised: "Yes, this is indeed a good place!" As he spoke, Lao Shoudao looked around and became broad-minded. He turned to Song Jianzhen who looked at him with a look of pity and said:
"Senior brother, how about the Wanshou Palace, the first temple in the subcontinent, built next to the lake at the bottom of the mountain?"
Songjian Zhenren, known as the number one player in Jiangnan Xinglin, was lamenting the great plague that occurred in India. When he heard Lao Shoudao's question, he knew that he was deliberately diverting his attention. However, along the way, he was surrounded by green mountains and green waters, and the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers.
, Thousands of rocks around the main peak are beautiful, the scenery is meandering, and the full spiritual energy hits my face, I can't help but nod:
"Yes, this is indeed a good place for practice. If we, Taoists, want to open up in India, it is crucial to choose a geomantic treasure land. All aspects here meet our requirements. I agree to build the Longevity Palace branch here!"
An Yi was glared at by Lao Shoudao and knew that he had said something wrong. He immediately said: "There are at least seven or eight places in India called Victoria Ridge. They are so featureless. Masters, look at it.
What name should we give it? We can't call it a British name on our own territory, right?"
"Most of the Taoist thirty-six caves and seventy-two blessed lands are no longer worthy of their names. I see that this place faces the sea, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers, and the land seems to be floating on the blue waves. It is called Bibo Mountain. Brothers, what do you think?" Wanshou?
Palace Elder Songhe Zhenren suggested.
Bibo Mountain!?
Everyone pondered for a moment and applauded. An Yi also said appreciatively: "It's very good. The name is catchy and makes you feel good when you hear it. It is very in line with the Chinese people's aesthetics. Well, take advantage of the fact that hundreds of people in West India are now
Let’s build a Taoist temple as soon as possible!
"Dear uncles, the religions in India are chaotic. Nearly 80% of the people believe in Hinduism, which has distinct hierarchies. More than 10% of the people believe in Islam. The rest believe in Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Christianity.
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Baha'i and other religions. In the Mumbai area, there are not only Hindu temples, but also many mosques and Christian and Catholic churches.
“Among them, the ancient Babulnath Temple near Chopati Beach, the Mumbhadevi Temple in Bhuleshwar and the Maharasami Temple dedicated to the God of Wealth are all relatively famous Hindu temples.
On Elephant Island, six kilometers southeast of the city, there is also a temple built in the seventh century AD dedicated to the three major Hindu gods.
One of the cave temples of Lord Shiva. Every year when the monsoon changes and the rainy season is about to end, Hindus will go to Mumbai Bay, the birthplace of the God of Wisdom, to celebrate the Ganesha Festival. At that time, pilgrims will carry Shiva, the Goddess of Snow Mountain.
and the statues of their son Ganesha, parading through the streets and reveling in revelry.”
When Master Songtao heard this, he frowned and asked: "The religion in this place is so complex and the Taoist culture has no foundation. Is it appropriate for us to build the Wanshou Palace Dojo here? What if it arouses hostility among the locals?"
"
"No problem!"
An Yi explained patiently: "This great plague has killed countless people throughout India. Now in the Ganges River Basin, there are still many places where our troops are disposing of corpses. When people cannot even guarantee their own survival,
Where do we still have the energy to take care of our construction of Taoist temples?
"Moreover, we build Taoist temples not only for ourselves, but also for Indians. Our traditional Chinese medicine is profound and profound. If we had our Wanshou Palace branch in various places during this plague, we would be able to save at least half of the people, not to mention completely eliminating the plague."
life!
"Also, new immigrants are constantly moving into the West Indian region. Soon, the Chinese will take a dominant position. It is normal to build temples with Chinese characteristics in areas dominated by Chinese...
...Besides, didn’t the British build many churches here before? I haven’t seen any Indians either!”
Lao Shoudao also quickly persuaded: "Don't worry, senior brother, it's okay! The purpose of our building Taoist temples is to promote Chinese civilization, educate the people, and treat illnesses and save lives. It is complementary to the government's rule. Military control committees in various places will allocate specialized manpower to maintain it."
Order can’t get things wrong!”
Master Songtao nodded with satisfaction.
Lao Shoudao and a group of his senior brothers from Longevity Palace arrived in Mumbai yesterday evening. After a simple reception banquet, Lao Shoudao and An Yi discussed behind closed doors.
Taoism is a Chinese religion. Currently, there are at least more than 900 Taoist temples overseas and about 300,000 Taoist believers. Taoist temples are distributed all over the world. Even India has two Taoist temples with more than 200 believers.
Among the religions currently popular in Chinese areas, only Taoism can carry Chinese culture.
Chinese culture is a huge treasure house of human culture, among which Taoist philosophy is the backbone of Chinese philosophy. Laozi’s understanding of the way of heaven, his unique insight into dialectics, Zhuangzi’s outlook on life in intuitive art, Sun Tzu, and Han Feizi have applied Taoist philosophy in the art of war, politics
Through the specific application of Taoism, countless Taoist figures have become all-powerful and glorious in the long history of China.
However, the high wisdom of Taoist characters and the spirit of Taoist culture advocating freedom have caused feudal dynasties of all dynasties to borrow Taoist doctrines on the one hand, and to attack Taoism on the other, causing Taoism to slowly become overshadowed by superstition in the long course of history.
, leaving Taoist culture with little inheritance within Taoism.
In fact, there are many ideas in Taoism worth exploring.
For example, the principle of "knowledge is tolerance, tolerance is publicity" in the "Tao Te Ching" advocates "three religions as one" and "five religions have the same origin". It is culturally eclectic, respects different cultures, and thrives together - Taoism is actually
It is the crystallization of adapting Confucianism's "Three Cardinal Guidelines and Five Constant Virtues", "Yin Yang and Five Elements", "Prophecy Theology", Mohism's "Respect for Heaven, Ming and Ghosts", and Buddhism's "Reincarnation of Karma";
The "Tao Te Ching" states that "Tao is born and moral education is cultivated", which advocates that everyone should have a sense of social responsibility to help the world and save others, and should abide by the public norms of society and treat others well;
Taoism advocates "double cultivation of life and life", which not only attaches great importance to the cultivation of mind, moral character and spirituality, but also cherishes the longevity of life. "If it is the Tao, then advance; if it is not the Tao, then retreat". This can liberate people from the financial slavery of "all people focus on money" and get rid of extremes.
The spiritual shackles of fame and fortune’s oppression;
The basic starting point of Taoist culture is the idea of "harmony between man and nature", looking at the universe, caring for nature, equalizing all things, advocating environmental protection, and living in harmony with nature;
Taoism advocates the principle of integrity of "do not deceive anything", that is, be honest with others and be filial to your parents, which is completely consistent with the civic ethics advocated by the current Nanhua government;
The "view of patients" with Taoist characteristics emphasizes that those who violate social ethics will cause "ghosts and gods" to commit sins, suffer from illness and die, and destroying the natural ecology will also cause "ghosts and gods" to sin, suffer from illness and death. It has functions such as modern mental health and environmental protection.
If Nanhua wants to use Taoism to carry Chinese culture, it must replace part of the pseudo-science with traditional authentic things, and let Taoist latent science, health preservation, alchemy, martial arts, military science, medicine, environmental art architecture, Yi Xue, chess, calligraphy, painting and other skills be emphasized.
Now brilliant.
Of course, in order for Taoism to flourish, some reforms must be made. Lao Shoudao and his fellow disciples also discussed this many times, and finally formed some feasible methods.
Specifically, under the promotion of the government, Taoism has become familial, believers have become industrialized, language has been modernized, and actions have become mass-oriented.
If Taoism is to be carried forward, it must be combined with the Confucian spirit. Believers no longer believe in Taoism for the sake of quietness and indifference, let alone the pursuit of "achieving Taoism and becoming immortals" and learning the witchcraft of "trafficating ghosts and gods".
Laozi's "Tao Te Ching" is mainly used to re-examine the doctrine of symbiosis, and Zhuangzi's "Nanhua Sutra" is used to reshape the spirit of freedom and nature and become "divine".
"Immortal Faith" is "Symbiosis Faith", which takes "immortality, freedom, nature, and symbiosis" as its teachings, encourages good deeds, care for nature, integrity to others, filial piety to parents, and the pursuit of spiritual broad-mindedness in order to strive for longevity in this life, and then pursue
The spirit will last forever in the hereafter, so the spirit and the body coexist, this life and the hereafter coexist, man coexists with others, and man coexists with all things.
In this way, Taoism's "harmony with Confucianism and Buddhism" takes cherishing life, maintaining health, longevity, and symbiosis as its ultimate vision. It is both belief and philosophy, and complements each other with science.
Specifically, in daily life, believers should respect heaven and earth, be courteous to gods, be patriotic and loyal, be courteous and respectful of etiquette, be filial to parents, respect teachers, trust friends and neighbors, change evil to do good, and practice the Five Ethics and Eight Virtues
, by respecting the ancient rituals of the Four Dimensions, cleansing the mind and worries, restoring the nature of one's nature, and enlightening one's conscience and ability to be the best, then one can achieve the goal of practicing longevity.
In order to cooperate with the propaganda of Taoism, the Nanhua government will help build Taoist temples. After the Taoist temples are completed, they will be opened to the public. Taoists will hold cultural lectures such as "Chinese Studies Class", "Guo Shu Class" and "Chinese Art Class" to promote
The true meaning of Taoism.
The money donated by believers will be invested in social services, charities and cultural undertakings, setting up nursing homes, kindergartens, hospitals, clinics, libraries, recreation centers, establishing cultural and educational foundations, awarding awards to poor students, organizing disaster relief donations, etc. So
First, the more people receive favors, the more people believe in Taoism, which is no longer an empty belief.
The reason why the Nanhua government took great pains to reform Taoism was that An Yi knew deeply that the Chinese people who had experienced several movements in later generations had lost their faith and were extremely spiritually empty. Think about it, even a developed country like the United States at that time needed
Taoism comes to fill people's emptiness in faith and encourage people to do good. Why doesn't Nanhua improve Taoism so that people can have a fear of the gods of heaven and earth and regulate their own behavior?
Therefore, all places ruled by Nanhua give a green light to Taoism. Of course, Nanhua's religious policy is very strict. Religion, political power, and the military are absolutely separated. Any idea of breaking this taboo is intolerable. An Yi has a deep understanding of this.
A clear understanding.
I had a long conversation with Lao Shoudao last night, and finally reached a consensus, which is to vigorously popularize Taoism in India and replace Hinduism that shackles people's thinking.
If the Indians are unwilling to change their beliefs, instead of causing trouble under the rule, it is better to establish several separate countries in the central and southern regions of the Indian peninsula in the future. People who believe in Hinduism and Islam can establish separate countries. The religious people in the Nanhua Control Area
All migrate to these new countries, so that barriers will no longer exist and long-term peace and stability can be maintained for at least several decades.
While everyone was discussing the site selection for the Wanshou Palace branch, Lin Yaodong quickly climbed up the mountain and whispered a few words into An Yi's ear.
There is an intelligence department under the Central Security Bureau, which is mainly responsible for ensuring the safety of leaders on their travel routes. The Security Bureau has cooperated with Daomen before, and this time it is building a branch of Longevity Palace in Mumbai. Lin Yaodong also came with him to confirm
The next step of cooperation.
After listening to the report, An Yi looked happy, and then explained to Lao Shoudao: "Uncle Dao, the cadres who participated in the economic conference for the purpose of restoring industrial production in West India have arrived in Bombay, and among them is an old friend whom he has not seen for many years.
, I have to go see her in person. Next, you can wander around in this mountain, I will send troops to protect your safety."
"Go and do your business!"
Lao Shoudao waved his hand: "As for the protectors, there is no need for us old guys. Ordinary people can't get close to us at all, but you have to leave us a guide. This mountain looks quite big, we have to take a good walk
Go shopping and search in person to feel completely at ease!”
"no!"
An Yi insisted: "Bombay is a newly controlled area, and the defeated troops of the British army and the defeated troops of Sheng Shicai are very likely to be hiding in it. Any one of you is a treasure of our country and nation. If anything goes wrong,
, no one can bear this responsibility, and..."
Speaking of this, An Yi took a deep look at Lao Shoudao: "Uncle Dao, I don't want you to take risks!"
Lao Shoudao was greatly moved, so he stopped insisting and watched An Yi leave. Then he said to all the senior brothers: "This boy is just too kind..."
...
In the Shamiye Desert in southern Syria, the midday sun made the desert steaming. The ground was covered with endless yellow sand, and the sky was so blue that it was frightening that not even a flying bird could be seen.
On the road extending to the north, a piece of dust floated, and several camels held their heads high, carrying backpacks, and walked leisurely towards the north.
Suddenly, several camels became frightened and looked around with their heads raised.
Within a few minutes, the camel's back was filled with dust. A team winding for several kilometers roared in, quickly overtaking the panicked camels and burying them, together with their owners, in the rolled-up car.
In the dust.
This is an assault force sent by the Japanese Second Division. Among the more than 800 trucks, there are more than 90 tanks, armored vehicles and more than 870 cavalry. Several command vehicles are sandwiched in the middle of the team.
OK.
Most of the tanks equipped by the Japanese Second Division were developed based on feedback from the troops after the Siberian War that their Type 95 light tank, Type 95 medium tank, and Type 97 medium tank were no match for the Anjia Army.
New tanks.
This kind of tank, named Type 1 tank, weighs 17.2 tons. The thickness of the front armor of the body and the front armor of the turret is up to 50mm. The thickness of the side armor of the body and the side armor of the turret is up to 25mm. It uses a new type of alloy armor, making it suitable for welding.
Installation. The engine uses a 240 horsepower 12-cylinder air-cooled diesel engine with a speed of 44 kilometers per hour and a cruising range of 210 kilometers. The main weapon is a 47mm tank gun.
In addition to Type 1 tanks, there are also some British Mark tanks and Vicker tanks captured in the Myanmar-India battle.
These tanks are cruise tanks with thin skin and weak firepower. Their main weapons are Vickers 0.30-inch or 0.5-inch caliber machine guns. They weigh four to five tons, have a speed of about 40 kilometers per hour, and a range of 150 kilometers. They often
If something goes wrong, if the Japanese convoy had not been equipped with a large number of repairmen, it is estimated that this expeditionary tank unit would have been paralyzed.
Except for some of the Japanese tankers and trucks that were manufactured in Japan, most of the others were British vehicles captured from the battles between Sin Chew and Burma and India. At present, major factories in East India are continuously producing British vehicles.
Bedford trucks, these trucks were continuously sent to various war zones to support the Japanese military operations.
The commander of the second division, Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Teiichi, stood on the first half-track command vehicle, with one foot on the side of the vehicle, holding on to the ring wire with one hand, and holding a telescope with the other hand, looking forward. The second division commander
The reason why the tank troops appeared here was mainly to attack from the western border of Syria and annihilate in one fell swoop the British and Greek coalition forces that were firmly pinned down by the main force on the line between Mayadin and Deir ez-Zor on the Euphrates River.
Along the way, apart from encountering a few scouts from the Arab coalition, I never encountered any enemies - not to mention enemies, not even a few two-legged animals.
Lieutenant General Yoshimoto Sadichi waved his arm decisively, the driver stopped immediately, and the convoy quickly stopped.
The staff quickly ran over, and Yoshimoto Sadakachi gave the order: "Tell Mr. Aoki to send two Mark tanks to the front to conduct reconnaissance. If it is not a mirage, the earthen city on the right in front should be Palmyra City."
Aoki Aizumi is the tank commander of the division, and Yoshimoto Sadashi relies heavily on him. Under normal circumstances, he issues orders and commands this fully mechanized force.
When the staff passed the cavalry, they were stopped by the cavalry commander Gosuke Hosokawa. After asking about the situation, he stopped the staff, then rode forward and said to Yoshimoto Sad:
"Your Excellency Gibbon, sending tanks to conduct reconnaissance will remind the enemy to take precautions early. It is better to let our cavalry go. This way the target will be much smaller!"
Upon hearing this, Yoshimoto Sad realized that he had made a mistake and said quickly: "Okay, Hosokawa-kun, I'll leave everything to you!"
Gosuke Hosokawa returned to the cavalry, called a few sergeants out, and whispered: "Take your respective detachments to see that town. If it is true, try to attack it. Remember, you will find out the situation
No, retreat immediately. If we are lucky enough to capture the city, I will let the commander let you loot for a day."
"Onboard!"
Several sergeants cheered, and one of them, who had a scar on his face, waved his saber, circled in the air several times, and shouted to the cavalry: "There is gold and flower girls in the city ahead, let's
Does the cavalry have to strike first, like in the previous cities?"
The horse team let out a huge cheer, and soon separated fifty or sixty horses and rushed towards the desert ahead.
Yoshimoto Seiichi stood on the car and observed carefully with a telescope. At this time, the tank commander Aoki Aizumi had already received the order to let the troops disperse quickly. The artillery set up the guns and the tanks formed a skirmish line and slowly moved toward the town ahead.
sports.
Colonel Gosuke Hosokawa was riding on his horse. He saw the movements of the cavalry through the telescope and shouted happily: "Okay, the cavalry rushed in. That is a real city, it must be Palmyra!"
Hearing the cheers from Gosuke Hosokawa in the distance, Yoshimoto Teiichi nodded happily, put down his telescope, and said to the chief of staff, Major General Nakano Toyoji, in the command car:
"As long as we capture Palmyra, we can calmly go north along the road, capture Raqqa on the south bank of Lake Assad, cut off the British army's supply line and retreat route, attack from the north and south, and eliminate it in one fell swoop..."
Before he finished speaking, there was suddenly a burst of fierce gunfire from the earthen city, and occasionally the sound of tank guns. Yoshimoto's heart was frightened, and he quickly picked up the telescope and looked at the city with bursts of gunpowder smoke.
.
Aoki Aizhen, who was responsible for commanding this battle, had already been prepared and ordered the 75mm anti-aircraft gun hidden behind the sand pile to aim in the direction of the city gate. The tank wisely retreated behind the sand pile to hide.
The sound of gunfire in the Tucheng became louder and louder. The Japanese cavalry, which had been so majestic just now, retreated from the city gate and fled southward in a hurry. Some British soldiers and Arab infantrymen shouted loudly,
He rushed out of the city, followed closely by several British Matilde II tanks.
I saw a running horse being hit by a tank cannon. The horse's belly suddenly exploded, and its intestines and stomach were filled with blood. Together with the Japanese knight who was torn apart by the exploding shrapnel, it flew into the sky.
, the most cruel person.
Colonel Aoki Aizumi lowered his head and bent down, came to the artillery position, raised his hand into the air, and then suddenly swung it down. Accompanied by the deafening sound of artillery and a large cloud of smoke, the British Army's first Matilde II
The tank burst into flames, and soon after, the Type 1 tank ambushing behind the sand pile also opened fire.
However, the generals, including the division commanders Yoshimoto Seiichi, Aoki Aizumi and Hosokawa Gosuke, were dismayed to see the 47mm tank gun of the Japanese Type I tank hit the thick armor of the Matilde II tank.
, the bomb fell to the ground and exploded, causing no damage to the British tank at all.
Fortunately, the anti-aircraft artillery was very powerful, and its hits were accurate. The British Matilde II tanks quickly turned into piles of scrap metal. Seeing that the situation was not good, the British and Arab infantry turned around and ran back.
Seeing the enemy's retreat, the Japanese tanks rushed toward the town ahead with the infantrymen jumping off the trucks, and soon rushed to the city gate.
Although the Type 1 tank did not have strong firepower, it had strong skin and thick flesh. It aimed at the city gate and rushed towards it. With a heart-stopping sound like an ax striking wood, the city gate of Palmyra was knocked open and howled.
The screaming Japanese soldiers rushed into the city.
After more than two hours of fighting, the British resistance in the city of Palmyra was ended. About 300 British soldiers and more than 1,500 Arab soldiers were killed. Then, the Japanese army began to burn, kill and loot, and the entire city
There was a miserable cry.
In the municipal building in the center of the city, Yoshimoto Seiichi washed his face with well water and felt much better. At this time, his subordinates brought him an Arab girl of fifteen or sixteen years old. The girl had delicate features and was very beautiful. Yoshimoto Seiichi just thought
With a false show of humility, Chief of Staff Major General Toyoji Nakano rushed into the hall and said with a pale face:
"The headquarters urgently reported that at four o'clock in the morning, the Anjia Army launched a fierce attack on our Iraqi and Khuzestan defense lines. So far, all fronts have failed. Commander Nakamura asked us to urgently return reinforcements!"
"Baga!"
Yoshimoto pushed the poor little girl to the ground and scolded: "We were attacked at four o'clock in the morning. Why did we only receive the emergency report now? What does the telecommunications department do?"
Nakano Toyoji explained: "The enemy interfered with the radio waves during the attack. The commander was sitting in Muscat and could not get the situation on the front line at all. Our news is that the Germans left the Tokyo base camp around ten o'clock this morning.
It was conveyed to us by the headquarters after repeated confirmation. The situation is extremely critical!"
"what to do?"
Yoshimoto sat down slumped: "When we attacked the city of Palmyra, the British army must have been notified. What if we retreat and the British take advantage of the situation to pursue us? Moreover, we have to rush back to southern Iraq and Persia. There is no way.
It’s impossible to do it in half a month. By then, the situation in the two places will probably be out of control!”
"this--"
Nakano Toyoji couldn't help but be stunned!
Yoshimoto Teiichi's expression became fierce: "Since we can't go back in time, we have no choice but to sink our boats and stay in Syria to eliminate the British army first! Now the Germans are planning a war in Turkey. At the same time, in North Africa, the German-Italian Allied Forces
We are marching towards Egypt and we are fighting hard, but we are still alive. If we turn back and are attacked by the British army and the Anjia army, we will die without a burial place!"
When Nakano Toyoji heard that it made sense, he quickly said: "In that case, let's complain to the headquarters. The An family army has always made a plan before moving. This attack will definitely be like Mount Tai. Even if we turn back, we may not be able to relieve the siege.
, it is better to stay in Syria, make full use of the terrain conditions here, and deal with the opponent!"
Yoshimoto Jung nodded and said thoughtfully: "It seems that the Anjia Army is bound to win Persia and Iraq. I am worried that there will be danger on the commander's side. Since the main force of the front army has been separated by the Anjia Army, at this time,
Commander Nakamura's stay in Muscat has no practical significance. It is better to..."
Nakano Toyoji asked in surprise: "Do you want to suggest that Commander Nakamura temporarily evacuate the Arabian Peninsula?"
"Do your best and obey fate!"
Yoshimoto stood up and said: "I'm going to call the commander personally. It's up to him whether he listens or not. I'm just doing my best! An Jiajun is so ruthless. He hits our weak spots all at once...
..”
~~~~~~~~
***: Well, it’s really hard to think about the plot. Please continue to ask for ***’s support!