Chapter 23 Chapter 23: The Emperor of Tang painstakingly taught Prince Ma Zhouyi about Buddhism and Taoism

Since Li Shimin returned to the capital, Li Shimin's physical condition is not as good as before. He first rested for a period of time and felt that his energy was low, so he simply handed over the general affairs of the court to Li Zhi, and only asked about important matters.Day after day passed, and the heat gradually increased.Li Shimin felt stuffy in the palace, so he wanted to go out to escape the heat.He used to go to Jiucheng Palace every summer vacation.A few days ago, Yan Lide came to report that Yijun's Yuhua Palace had been completed. Li Shimin had long disliked the dilapidated Jiucheng Palace. Now that he heard that Yuhua Palace had been completed, he led his important officials to drive to Yijun.

Prince Li Zhi stayed in the capital to supervise the country, and Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang and others also stayed in Beijing to assist. The car drove out of the capital and headed north, passed the confluence of Weishui and Jingshui, and then entered the mountainous area.The further they went north, the more they felt the coolness in the mountains gradually increased, and the breeze was blowing, and a trace of coolness was refreshing.The car drove on the road for two days before reaching the ground of Yijun.Looking up, you can see lush green trees everywhere, the breeze blows, and the pine waves burst.

The car drove up a high slope, and suddenly saw a place with green bricks and green tiles in front of it.Yan Lide came to Li Shimin's car and said: "Your Majesty, Yuhua Palace is ahead." Li Shimin stopped the car, stepped out of the car, and looked ahead.I saw Yuhua Palace with its back resting on the mountain peak, a clear stream winding around the front of the palace, pavilions, terraces and attics hidden in the valley, with dense pines and cypresses, it is a good place to go. The car drove into the Yuhua Palace with the sound of rumbling, and Li Shimin got off the car at the middle of the road. He saw the greenery and shade all around him, and immediately felt a coolness blowing over his face.The layout of the palace makes full use of the fan-shaped area naturally formed between the mountain and the valley. With Danfeng Gate, Front Hall, Back Hall, and Zhaoyang Gate as the central axis, Feixiang Hall, Feixia Hall, and Chenghua Hall are distributed on the east and west sides. The building also diverts water to build pools in the courtyard. There are clean water lakes and Guangming lakes on the left and right. The canal water twists and turns in the courtyard and finally flows into the stream outside the south wall, which adds a bit of coolness.The Yuhua Palace is full of strange trees, rocks and flowers, and the fragrance is tangy.

When everyone entered the hall, they saw that the upper and lower doors are resplendent and resplendent, the golden horns are under the building, the jade beasts are squatting beside the door, and the eaves and couplets are all covered with platinum. Li Shimin looked inside and outside the palace, very satisfied, and said to Yan Lide: "Well, this palace is well built, you can list the meritorious personnel, and I will reward them." In May of the fourth year of Wude, Li Shimin broke through Luoyang City. When he saw the magnificent palaces, he couldn't help but sigh: "Extravagant, poor people want nothing!" .In the early Zhenguan period, due to the opposition of Wei Zheng and other admonishers, although Li Shimin had the heart to build, he was still able to restrain it.With the passage of time and the improvement of the environment, Li Shimin began to let go of large-scale construction projects, and he didn't care about the advice of his subordinates.

Since Wei Zheng's death, there are many people in the court who advise and advise, but none of them can have clear views and courage to speak out as Wei Zheng.Later Liu Ji still had the style of Wei Zheng, but it was a pity that he was given to commit suicide.Seeing that Li Shimin started building large-scale construction projects, some of the courtiers wanted to remonstrate, but they also thought that the country was prosperous, the warehouses were full, and the emperor spent some money to build some palaces. To Li Shimin's surprise, there was a woman in the harem who wrote a melody, and wanted to persuade her.

It was night, Li Shimin called the eunuch and asked him to inform Xu Hui to come to bed. Xu Hui was twenty years old. When he entered the palace, he was awarded the title of talent, and two years later he was awarded the title of full capacity.This time she followed Li Shimin to Yuhua Palace, just after dinner, she heard the eunuch calling, so she followed the eunuch to Li Shimin's bedroom with the music in her hand. Xu Hui entered the banquet hall and kowtowed to Li Shimin. At that time, Li Shimin was sitting on a chair to rest his mind, and he called him to be flat.Li Shimin raised his eyes and saw that under the candlelight, Xu Hui's inadvertently exposed shoulders were like plump arms carved from ivory, extremely graceful.Seeing this, Li Shimin's heart couldn't help moving, a smile appeared on his face, and he called, "Hui'er, come and sit here."

A blush flashed across Xu Hui's face, and then he walked over obediently and fell into Li Shimin's arms. Li Shimin embraced Xu Hui's petite body, stroked her immature face with his face, and praised: "Hui'er, what fragrance did you apply today? There is a hint of sweetness in the fragrance." Xu Hui said softly: "Your Majesty, the concubine didn't use any exotic fragrance. I think it's because the concubine hasn't served His Majesty for a long time, so His Majesty thinks it's a bit special." Li Shimin flicked Xu Hui's pink face with his hand, and said, "Hui'er, is it because I haven't called you for a long time?"

"The concubine dare not." "We'll take a bath together later. There are still a few cicada and silkworm-shaped Rui diptero incense contributed by Cochin. You can try it." Xu Hui agreed softly, then got up from her arms and stood on the ground, and said: "Your Majesty, I have a document to submit today, please Your Majesty to read it." After she finished speaking, she took out the document from her sleeve and presented it to the Li Shimin. Li Shimin took the Shuzuo and said: "I know that you are good at writing poems and prose. Today, why do you think of Jin Shuzuo again? Huier, since ancient times, the harem has not been allowed to interfere in politics. You must not violate this rule." system."

"The courtiers and concubines know that it is actually beneficial to the country to advise His Majesty, but it has nothing to do with the harem's participation in politics." Li Shimin stopped answering the words, and buried himself in the words in the play.I saw Xu Hui wrote at the beginning of the article: "Your Majesty garrisoned the Liaohai Sea in the east, and begged Kunqiu in the west. The soldiers and horses stopped wasting, and they used their exhaustive agricultural achievements to fill the endless waves; the others who have not captured the picture, and I who have lost it." Army. In the past, the Qin Emperor annexed the six kingdoms, and turned against the foundation of rapid peril. The Jin and Wu forces had three sides, and turned into a ruined career. Isn't it the result of relying on great achievements, abandoning morality and despising the country, seeking profit and forgetting danger, and wantonly indulging in lust? Huh! It’s the art of knowing the land is very safe, and human labor is the source of chaos.” After reading this, Li Shimin raised his head and smiled and said: “Well, you blame me for laboring and making expeditions, and the people’s power is lightly used. Huier, you must know that you are a country. There must be wars, and I will not learn from Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to resort to military force, but necessary wars cannot be avoided."

"The concubine thinks that there is actually no need to raise troops in the battle of Liaodong." "Hey, look at your tense face, you look exactly like an admonishing minister in the court." Li Shimin stopped talking about this topic in depth, and then looked down: "Cuiwei, Yuhua and other palaces, because of mountains and rivers, have no The hardships of construction, but the huge labor force, does not mean that there is no trouble. The king of the Tao will take pleasure in the people; the king of the ignorant will enjoy the body.” Xu Hui wrote this in order to blame Li Shimin for the things he has built in recent years. Gradually more.Li Shimin abandoned the Jiucheng Palace and built the Cuiwei and Yuhua Palaces. Such a large-scale construction is very different from what he did in the early years of Zhenguan.

Xu Hui finally advised Li Shimin not to have arrogance. He wrote: "Skills are the ax for mourning the country, and pearls and jade are the heart and poison. They are extravagant and slender. You can't be unstoppable. Be proud of Yetai. The body is at peace." After Li Shimin finished reading, he closed his eyes and meditated, then opened his eyes and said, "Hui'er, it's a pity that you are a woman. If there is a female official in the court, you must be a female Wei Zheng. Well, I will write down your words. I promise you From now on, unless there is helplessness, we will never go to war; if we don’t need food and clothing, we will never seek luxury.” Xu Hui bowed and said: "Your Majesty can accept the words of my concubine, and my concubine is only grateful." "You don't need to be grateful. If I restrain my desires, it is the blessing of the world. I understand this truth. Hui'er, throughout the ages, people in the harem have been the one who has given advice and remonstrance. You are the first person." Li Shimin got up and asked, "Hui'er, I ask you a question, can you answer it?" Xu Hui nodded in agreement. "The sage said, food and sex are also sexual. Such as sex in the bed, it is human nature, can it be classified as arrogance?" "This, this..." Xu Hui was at a loss for words for a moment. Although she had been in the palace for several years and had been favored by Li Shimin Yulu many times, when she mentioned sex, she couldn't help but flushed on her face. "You have read all the books, but there is no mention of this verse?" Seeing Xu Hui's shy face and feeling proud, Li Shimin asked again. Xu Hui smiled lightly, two dimples appeared on his face, and replied: "Your Majesty understands it in his heart, but he came to question his concubines. The sex in the bed is in line with human relations, and even a saint cannot avoid it, but the ceremony of husband and wife is limited in the courtyard. , not to excess." "Is it proper for you to come today?" Li Shimin said as he came over, wrapped his arms around his waist, lowered his head and kissed his earlobe, and said, "Hui'er, let's take a bath together." There are many beauties in the harem. Although Xu Hui is loved by Li Shimin, she has not been near Li Shimin's side for several days.As soon as Li Shimin's arm touched his waist, his body became limp and paralyzed. He hurriedly leaned sideways on Li Shimin's chest, and looked up at Li Shimin. His eyes were soft and happy, like a docile cat curled up in the arms of its owner. The soft water of the hot spring rippled Xu Hui's heart of spring, and her skin, which was as smooth as fat, gradually revealed a tender light red color after soaking in the warm water.Li Shimin loved her beauty so much, he couldn't help rubbing his hands on her body several times.After bathing for a while, the two walked into the bedroom with the help of the maid. During this period of time, Li Shimin sometimes prefers to have sex with a virgin, and likes to taste the shyness and fear of the virgin, as well as the joy and satisfaction of embracing the immature carcass for a long night; sometimes he finds a familiar concubine and appreciates her charming charm and coquettishness.He had sex with Xu Hui tonight, which made him experience these two flavors at the same time. After the fierce battle, he gradually calmed down, and he still admired Xu Hui's quiet face. Xu Hui's eyes were wide open at this time, and she suddenly saw several white hairs growing from Li Shimin's temples in the candlelight, and she sighed inwardly.Li Shimin's mind is so delicate, he immediately noticed the subtle changes in Xu Huirong's complexion, so he tightened his hands tightly, making her body closer to him, and asked: "Hui'er, why are you frowning slightly, what's bothering you?" ?” Xu Hui buried her face in Li Shimin's chest, shook her head without saying a word, then raised her head and said softly: "Your Majesty will definitely be displeased by my concubine's persuasion." "When did I blame you?" "If Your Majesty does not blame you, I would like to advise you again." "Well, tell me." "Your Majesty is nearly fifty years old, and he is no longer as strong as when he was young. Although the sage said that 'food and sex are also good', the intercourse should not be excessive. Seeing that His Majesty has recently called people to sleep every night, the ministers dare not think of jealousy. Wei Si thinks that His Majesty's intercourse is moderate, which is good for the body." Li Shimin smiled and said nothing, stretched out his hand to hold Xu Hui's oval-shaped face, and asked: "If I don't have the luck to meet you today, will you be calm? Huier, I love you so much The spring night makes the two love happily. If my heart is like iron, I really don't care about you." Xu Hui sighed secretly, and pressed his face tightly against Li Shimin's chest.I thought, yes, I was lucky by the emperor tonight, and I don't know how many pairs of eyes in the harem are eagerly envious of me. In the next few days, Li Shimin discussed political affairs with his courtiers in the palace, or sat alone in the room and meditated. He wrote his years of governing experience into a book called "Emperor Fan", and planned to teach the prince with it. "Emperor Fan" is devoted to the norms of being an emperor. Li Shimin is going to divide the content into twelve chapters, and today he will start writing the first chapter "Junti".It wrote: "The husband and the people are the first of the country, and the country is the foundation of the monarch. The body of the ruler is like a mountain, high and unmoving; like the sun and the moon, true and universal. The billions of trillions look up, the world is Going home. Generosity in one’s aspirations is enough to cover all kinds of things; leveling one’s heart is enough to restrain one’s life. Without mighty virtue, there is no way to go far; without kindness, there is no way to cherish the people. Fu Nine Clans with benevolence, receive ministers with courtesy. Be filial to the first, treat the last Think respectfully, devote yourself to hard work, and practice virtue and righteousness. This is the body of a king." The whole article is only more than a hundred words, but Li Shimin spent a lot of thinking and time. It condenses Li Shimin's way of governing for many years in office, and boils it down to one point, which is the last saying "dedicate yourself to hard work, and act morally and righteously". After Li Shimin finished writing this article, he fell into deep thought.After a long time, he saw the golden sunset outside the window, and he wanted to go out for a walk, so he asked Ma Zhou to accompany him. They walked out of the palace, walked along the corridor beside the palace wall to the back hill, and came to the gazebo on the top of the back hill.The two monarchs and ministers looked around, only to see the setting sun emitting a layer of pollen-like brilliance in the mountains.On the edge of the ditch in front, a fluffy pine tree overlooks the water, and the gurgling stream makes the valley look more secluded. Li Shimin looked at the beautiful scenery in front of him and sighed: "The sun is setting, the cattle and sheep are going down the mountain, and the smoke is rising. It's a pity that Yan Liben is not by his side today. If he is, he can paint a very beautiful picture. Ma Zhou, it seems that one day Among them, the twilight time is the most beautiful, but it's a pity that the time is too short." Ma Zhou said: "The setting sun becomes more and more beautiful because of its brevity. There are more than 300 days in a year. If Your Majesty is interested, you can come and watch it every day." "I'm nearly fifty years old now, and it's the setting sun. It's not like the sun rising and setting forever. Alas, life is only a hundred years, so there is nothing I can do." Knowing that this topic is too sensitive, Ma Zhou hesitated to speak. At the time of the dialogue between the monarch and his ministers, the setting sun gradually faded into the mountains, leaving a golden-red glow in the sky, which is really beautiful.Li Shimin suddenly remembered the "Jun Ti" he wrote just now, and said: "In order to teach the prince, I want to use the name of "Emperor Fan" to accumulate years of political experience into a book, and I just finished writing "Jun Ti". The purpose of the body is to practice virtue and righteousness. When I was young, I raised an army and experienced a lot of hard work in the world, so I practiced it personally, and the world responded. But the prince was born in the brocade bushes since he was a child, and he didn't know the hard work of the people. How to do it, if you rely on one decree to order the world, and the subjects will not obey, then you will lose your original intention. Ma Zhou, do you think there is another way to cultivate morality and righteousness?" Ma Zhou replied: "Your Majesty has educated the world since he took the throne, and the subjects in the country have gradually accumulated for more than 20 years, and they have formed a shape; the four barbarians have influenced their virtues, and they are all obedient. I think that as long as the prince follows your majesty's strategy in the future, there will be no big deal. If it is lost, the purpose of enlightenment will be more deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.” Li Shimin shook his head and said: "Generally, a strategy is effective when it is implemented at the beginning. As the current situation changes, if it remains the same blindly, it will gradually lose its color. I say to educate the world, if it cannot be filled with new content as the situation changes, If it is too simple, it is really empty. From now on, the prince will regard what I do as a golden rule, and if there is no addition or deletion, it will become rigid." Ma Zhou disagreed with Li Shimin's statement in his heart. After thinking for a moment, he said euphemistically: "Although the avenue of sages and philosophers has undergone changes in current events, it is difficult to hide its truth. Your Majesty admires the Tao of Yao, Shun, Zhou, and Confucius to show his respect, and writes The "Five Classics of Justice" was published all over the world. Confucian scholars all over the world embraced the classics and gathered in the capital. In a few years, the Guozijian built 2,300 more school buildings and 3,260 students, so that within the Guoxue, There are tens of thousands of people who give lectures in drum boxes. The prosperity of Confucianism has never been seen in ancient times. The prosperity of Chinese studies has also attracted Korea, Baekje, Silla, Gaochang, Tubo and other countries to send their children to study in Beijing. After that, they scattered back to various places, and spread His Majesty's enlightenment purpose to the world. By doing this, Your Majesty has actually turned a huge wheel, and no one can stop it." Li Shimin sighed: "The prosperity of Chinese studies is, after all, driven by the imperial court's selection system, not people's volition. These days, I have been thinking about how to make people in the world voluntarily practice the way of enlightenment without being advocated by the imperial court? There are many, compared with the ten thousand students every year, it is a small number after all.” As night fell, a round moon climbed out from the mountain ridge in the east, illuminating the valley covered with strange rocks in mottled mottled patterns, making it more serene. Ma Zhou whispered, "Your Majesty, it's getting late, it's time to go back to the palace for dinner." "Could it be that you are hungry?" Ma Zhou nodded. Li Shimin turned to the eunuch and said, "Hurry up, I will have dinner on the top of the mountain today." "Your Majesty has just recovered from illness. After all, it is cool on the top of the mountain. It is best for Your Majesty to return to the palace." Ma Zhou said with concern. Li Shimin shook his head and said: "It's rare for us to have such a quiet meeting. Wouldn't it be a good thing for us to eat together and enjoy the cool air together?" Hearing this, the eunuch left in a hurry. The two monarchs and ministers sat leaning on the stone, and the mountain wind blew up, startling the pine waves again, and blowing away the mosquitoes and other things without a trace. Li Shimin continued the topic just now: "Ma Zhou, if you want to make people in the world turn to the way of enlightenment without forcing them, what method should you use?" Ma Zhou murmured: "People's hearts are different from person to person. For the same thing, everyone thinks differently, so it is difficult to reach a consensus. If you want to make your thoughts roughly the same, you have to practice hard work. First, you must properly introduce it, such as Prosperous Chinese studies are common; the two, as they gradually accumulate, people’s hearts gradually become good, and they are both moral and righteous, so that thoughts can be aligned. For example, although people are inherently determined, they must learn a lot in order to achieve their way. It is beautiful. "Rituals" says: "Jade cannot be crafted without being cut, and people will not know without learning." Human nature is similar, but emotion is transferred, and learning must be used to control emotion to form its nature." "Look at you, I'm talking and I'm back to the old topic. The students and even the officials in the world have a knowledge base and can learn to cultivate their nature, but what about the common people? Many of them don't know a single word, so it's really hard for them to learn the classics. Nothing to talk about." Ma Zhou was at a loss for words. If the common people were to read the scriptures together, it would be impossible.Nowadays, the common people have enough food and clothing at home, and all have fields to cultivate. If the world is rich, the people will be peaceful.They accepted the edicts and imperial edicts of the imperial court, which were passed down orally by the officials level by level, and there was no need to give them in writing.When Ma Zhou arrived at this moment, a picture suddenly appeared in his mind: in the hall surrounded by cigarettes, groups of believers worshiped, and their devout hearts appeared on their faces.He had an idea, and couldn't help blurting out: "The common people don't understand poetry and books, but their hearts are pious. If they can practice Confucianism through the practice of Buddhism and Taoism, they will be very good." When Ma Zhou mentioned the matter of Buddhism and Taoism, Li Shimin's mind immediately came up with the lively scene of doing the practice, and the faithful men and women worshiped devoutly. Regardless of whether he was literate or not, his mood at this time was the same.He pondered for a moment, then said: "You said that you want the people to practice Confucianism with a pious attitude. This is your own mind. It is absolutely impossible. Ma Zhou, have you ever thought about it? , Taoism is not prohibited, even the Nestorianism passed down from Persia, I also treat them with the same courtesy, do you know why I do this?" "Your Majesty has said many times that it is necessary to accept all kinds of things and show the ways of keeping different religions. Your Majesty does this because he thinks that people can achieve the same result by different routes, whether they study Confucianism tirelessly, or practice Buddhism, Taoism and other teachings. Intention." Li Shimin felt that Ma Zhou's words were profound and reasonable, and he appreciated them very much. In the ninth year of Wude, Li Yuan adopted Fu Yi's suggestion, and issued an order that three Buddhist temples and two Taoist temples could be kept in the capital, and each of the other states in the world should keep one.At that time, there were many Buddhist temples in the country, and Li Yuan's main purpose of doing this was to suppress Buddhist affairs.Then coincided with the change of Xuanwu Gate, Li Shimin ordered the dismissal of Fu Yi's proposal in order to win the support of monks and disciples.Li Shimin did this with a very strong utilitarian purpose, not to show that he advocates Buddhism and Taoism. In order to elevate the nobility of his family, Li Er, the ancestor of Taoism, had the same surname as himself, so he respected Li Er as his ancestor under the pretense of alchemists.He visited Zhongnan Mountain many times, paid homage to the Laozi Temple, and visited the Guozijian in person, declaring that Taoism is the first, Confucianism is the second, and Buddhism is the third.Li Shimin is different from his father. As mentioned earlier, he declared to his ministers many times: "The only ones I like are the ways of Yao, Shun, Zhou, and Confucius." Confucian temples were built in various places, and official schools at all levels were built to teach Chinese studies.Li Shimin deeply understands that the study of Buddhism and Taoism is a kind of study beyond the world after all, and it is incompatible with making great efforts to rule the world.It can be seen from this that Li Shimin ranked Confucianism first in the arrangement of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Li Shimin's attitude towards Buddhism and Taoism, although he continued to respect Lao Tzu as the emperor's ancestor, on the surface it seems to be advocating Taoism and suppressing Buddhism, ranking Taoism first and Confucianism second.In fact, he hated the harm to the country caused by superstitious alchemy of gods, as well as the harm to the country by Buddhist demons.The eldest grandson Jiamin fell ill, and Li Chengqian wanted to do something to pray for blessings. The eldest grandson Jiamin firmly opposed it, saying: "Taoism and interpretation of heretical teachings will harm the country and the people, and the emperor has never done it." From this, we can get a glimpse of Li Shimin's true attitude towards Buddhism and Taoism . However, Li Shimin still agrees with Taoism's doctrine of pure emptiness and inaction and Buddhism's theory of compassion. Although there are restrictions on them, they are not strictly prohibited.Various schools of Buddhism, such as Sanlun School, Ci'en School, Vinaya School, Zen School, and Tantric School, were formed in Chang'an during the Zhenguan period. Silla, Koryo, Japan and other countries came to Chang'an for study tours. It can be seen that the atmosphere of Buddhist study is strong. If the imperial court restrains it a little, it will be difficult to have such a free study atmosphere. Li Shimin also adopts a tolerant attitude towards other religions.Nestorianism is a branch of Christianity, which was founded in Daqin and later spread to Persia.In the ninth year of Zhenguan, the Persian Nestorian missionary A Luoben came to Chang'an, and Li Shimin ordered Fang Xuanling to welcome him to the western suburbs and treat him like a guest.A Luo was only a mere priest, but Li Shimin actually sent a prime minister to greet him, which reflected Li Shimin's enlightened thought of not rejecting foreign religions with his native religion.In the twelfth year of Zhenguan, Li Shimin allowed A Luoben to build a Daqin Temple in Chang'an, and praised Nestorianism for "no complicated words, good material and heart, deep knowledge of integrity, and special order to teach", thinking that "it is suitable for the world", endowed Nestorian taught the legal rights of the nation. Thinking of Li Shimin's attitude towards religion, Ma Zhou couldn't help but sincerely praised: "Your Majesty educated the world, and then unified the minds and dispositions of the subjects in the country. The four barbarians were grateful for their virtues, so they returned to their hearts. As with religions, Your Majesty prescribes and regulates them, and does not exclude others." Teaching, so that it can influence the hearts of the common people even more." Li Shimin couldn't help feeling proud when he heard the words, and said: "Ma Zhou, you have been with me for more than ten years. I treat my ministers in a bright way and do not do conspiracy. Do you know why I do this?" "Your Majesty promotes Qingming politics and creates a style of treating each other with sincerity." "You only know one thing, but you don't know the other. Monarchs have always used power to control their subjects, why? This is because they are not confident in their hearts. If a monarch is not confident, he will set up various strict laws and tortures to restrain his subjects , or a word that kills people, such as King Zhou of Yin is an example. In ancient times, King Yin Zhou was often said to be a tyrannical king, but when he probed his heart, he was in constant panic every day, and personally, he lived a miserable life. " "Your Majesty lives with confidence, so that he can accommodate all rivers and all things." Ma Zhou praised again sincerely.At this time, the eunuch sent the meal to the top of the mountain, and Li Shimin asked Ma Zhou to eat with him by placing the food box on the rock.At that time, a crooked moon was hanging above the head, the breeze was blowing, and the flowers were fragrant. Li Shimin ate a few mouthfuls, and couldn't help but praise: "Well, let's eat here, it's not a good taste." What they eat today is called "Huaiye Lengtao". The so-called "Lengtao" is cold noodle soup specially eaten in hot weather.Among them, knife-cut noodles are mainly used, and fresh locust leaves, coriander, and capillary are added.This "Lengtao" is a food for the public at that time. Li Shimin was not very picky about food all his life, so he asked Shangshi Bureau to use common people's food as the taste of the court. The two monarchs and ministers quickly used up the staple food, and tasted a few mouthfuls of non-staple food in the meantime, and the dinner was over.At this time, there was another breeze, with the coolness of night in it, so Ma Zhou persuaded Li Shimin to return to the palace. Li Shimin was greedy for the night and coolness here, and couldn't bear to leave immediately. He said: "There is a wonderful warm and cool breeze in front of me, which is better than staying in a dull palace. Why are you so impatient? Ma Zhou, how often have you been since the fifth year of Zhenguan?" It has been more than ten years since the disciples have been listed in the court class." Ma Zhou used to play a role in Chang He, but was discovered by Li Shimin, he was promoted all the way, and now he is an official in Zhongshuling, Li Shimin has the kindness to know him.Ma Zhou recalled the past and was moved in his heart. He was just in his early thirties in the fifth year of Zhenguan. If Li Shimin could not find him, his life would be different.Thinking of this, Ma Zhou couldn't be more grateful, so he bowed and said, "Your Majesty's kindness of knowing you, I will never forget it. I only hate my limited intelligence, and I can't share many worries for Your Majesty." "When I promoted you among the commoners, many people in the court complained that I only selected people with a melody, which was biased. A few years later, they all praised you for being good at expressing melodies, sharp in argument, and adjudicating and punishing you." You are thorough, well-thought-out and reasonable, and there is nothing to gain or lose. Over the years, you have helped me accomplish many important things. Like Xuan Ling and Ru Hui, you did not make any publicity or strive for credit. It is not easy for a minister to do this. " "Your Majesty praises me so much, I really can't bear it. I remember that Cen Wenwen once said "excessive lottery favors glory" before his death, and I feel the same way. I can't do anything for you. You can only use all your meager strength. Repay Your Majesty in case." Under the moonlight, the two monarchs and ministers frankly expressed their feelings, and their affection surpassed the courtesy of the monarch and ministers, just like talking about everything between friends. Li Shimin recalled the topic just now, and said: "We talked about Buddhism and Taoism just now, and I did not prohibit it. Over the years, it has not hindered my preaching among my subjects. People all over the world praise me for being broad-minded and able to tolerate all things. Recently, I I have thought about two things for many times, that is, if the spread of religions in the world will hinder the administration of the court? The depth of the teachings is consistent with the inner purpose of Confucianism, is there any conflict?" Ma Zhou thought for a moment and replied: "Buddhism, Taoism and other religions all have teachings, and there are some external forms to supplement them. For example, Taoism pursues the principles of pure emptiness and inaction, and uses alchemy and other techniques of seeking immortality and longevity to supplement it; Buddhism Declare great compassion, supplemented by karma and other practices. Since His Majesty came to power, he has not praised or criticized the principles of Buddhism and Taoism, but has restrained his practice skills. There must be a degree in everything, and you can't just leave it alone, just like Emperor Wu of Liang The sycophancy of the Buddha has poisoned the world. I believe that your majesty's treatment of the various families in this way is not harmful to the administration of the imperial court, but beneficial." "Is there any conflict within the theories of Buddhism, Taoism, and Buddhism?" Ma Zhou murmured: "I know a thing or two about Confucianism, but little about the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism, so I really dare not make a judgment. However, Confucianism flourished from Confucius and Mencius, Taoism flourished because of Lao Tzu, and Buddhism itself Emperor Yongping of the Han Ming Dynasty was officially introduced to China in the tenth year, and the three schools have coexisted in China for more than 600 years. During the period, although the three schools criticized each other, they all stood firm, which proves that they have similarities in their inner meanings and can be used by the court at the same time. , The people accept it, from this point of view, it is inevitable that there will be minor conflicts, but there is no fundamental conflict.” Li Shimin nodded and said: "Well, you are right. If there is no tolerance for fire and water, one school must have declined in hundreds of years. Confucianism, it has always been Chinese national studies and advocated by the monarchs of the past dynasties. As for Buddhism and Taoism, its responders It is difficult for anyone to shake its position.” "What your majesty said is true. The two schools of Buddhism and Taoism must go hand in hand. If one school wants to dominate the world and then wants to destroy the other, then it will fall into the inferior vehicle. Your Majesty has balanced Buddhism and Taoism for many years, so that they are equally important. Follow the will of the people." Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Buddhism and Taoism have repeatedly debated and questioned each other. The views of the school are extremely deep, and the grievances have accumulated over the years.In the Sui Dynasty, because Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty grew up in a Buddhist temple, he vigorously advocated Buddhism after he ascended the throne. The power of Buddhism greatly surpassed that of Taoism, and it was actually in a dominant position.According to the ratio of the number of Buddhist temples and Taoist temples at that time, Buddhist temples were several times more than Taoist temples, which shows the prosperity of Buddhism.Following Fu Yi's advice, Li Yuan cut down most of the Buddhist temples, and his intention to suppress Buddhism is very obvious.After Li Shimin came to power, in order to win the support of monks and disciples all over the world, he decided to stop Fu Yi's proposal, which made the monks and nuns all over the world overjoyed.They also learned that Li Shimin had benefited from the help of the monks and soldiers of the Shaolin Temple in Songshan during the Battle of Luoyang, and he had taken measures such as setting up fast and offering incense, translating scriptures and teaching monks, and building temples to comfort souls, thinking that Li Shimin must uphold Buddhism.When Li Yuan started Buddhism based on Fu Yi's proposal, the Taoists thought there was an opportunity to take advantage of it, so they took the opportunity to launch an offensive, led by Li Zhongqing and Liu Jinxi, the Taoist priests of Qingxu Temple, who wrote "Ten Different Nine Misunderstandings", "Xian Zheng Lun" and other works, Rebuking Buddhism and belittling Buddhism, Buddhist figures at that time thought that the situation was not in their favor, and did not fight back tit for tat.Now that Li Shimin advocates Buddhism, led by the famous monk Shi Falin, he wrote "Dian Zheng Lun" and other works to challenge Taoism. Taoism, not to be outdone, also fought back. Shi Falin knew that for the Dharma to remain revered, an eminent monk must be involved in politics and gain the emperor's strong support.On the one hand, he contacted the disciples to try to expand the influence of Buddhism, and he had close contacts with Buddhist courtiers, and asked Buddhist courtiers to express to Li Shimin in an attempt to restore the practice of the emperor worshiping eminent monks.When Emperor Wu of Liang was advocating Buddhism, important officials in the court often accompanied ten eminent monks to the court, and the emperor worshiped in the golden hall, and the eminent monks then took the opportunity to give lectures. Xiao Yu and others asked Li Shimin to pay homage to the eminent monks many times, but Li Shimin ignored them at first, but Xiao Yu and others refused to give up and went to the shuji one after another.In this way, in the eighth year of Zhenguan, the world was already in great order. Li Shimin couldn't bear it anymore, and angrily said to his eldest grandson Wuji: "Xiao Yu and others want to order me to invite ten eminent monks and ministers into the golden hall every day, and let me worship. They are all monks." Taught." In order to weaken the influence of Buddhism, Li Shimin first found reasons to demote Xiao Yu and others to think about their mistakes at home, and then issued the "Edict of Taoist Women's Crowns Above Monks", which changed the status of Buddhism and Taoism, and Buddhism suffered a major blow.Seeing an opportunity, Taoism once again launched a fierce offensive.Taoist Qin Ying accused Shi Falin of insulting the leader Lao Tzu in his "Bian Zheng Lun" and attacked him for slandering the emperor.Li Shimin thought so, and then promulgated the "Jie Shamen Falin Zhao", and sent people to arrest Shi Falin and exile him in Shuzhong. Li Shimin advocates Taoism and suppresses Buddhism so much, he himself explained that "the customs of common Dunben are smooth in nine existences; the grand style of respecting ancestors is beneficial to all leaves." The so-called "Dunben" means that Taoism native to China should be regarded as This religion is unimpeded throughout the country; the so-called "respecting ancestors" means that Li Er is regarded as an ancestor, and by advocating Taoism, it also declares the nobility of Li's family.However, Li Shimin did not explore the deep-seated reasons why people laughed when they heard Taoism and fought for Buddhism when they heard it. He only made a big fuss about the sectarian disputes between Hua and Yi. It's just a cliché from the family. However, although Li Shimin suppressed Buddhism, he did not abolish Buddha. The influence of Buddhism was slightly restrained because Shi Falin was exiled, but its momentum remained strong and remained strong.Ma Zhou commented that Li Shimin made Buddhism and Taoism go hand in hand, which appeared to be a fact. Li Shimin looked up at the starry sky and sighed: "Humans are not animals. As a king, he can restrict his actions, but it is difficult to restrict his thoughts. The complexity of the world is due to this. I have been asking for the teachings of these two religions recently, just like an old gentleman. , the righteousness lies in the purity and emptiness; while the Sakyamuni scriptures, the reason exists in the cause and effect and the emptiness. The root of the two teachings can be said to lead to the same goal. You just said that Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism have coexisted for six hundred years. Although they attack each other, However, they are all standing firm, so what do these three families have in common?" Ma Zhou thought hard and didn't know how to answer for a moment.Ma Zhou's life is based on Confucianism, and he has read too little about Buddhism and Taoism. At most, he has read Lao Tzu. It is really difficult for him to explore the subtleties of the three religions. After a long time like this, Ma Zhou shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me for my lack of intelligence and talent, and I really can't answer it." "How can I blame you? We are standing on the top of the mountain, and there is a bright moon above our heads. Let me ask you, when did the bright moon first appear on the top of the mountain? When did the bright moon first shine on people? I don't think you can answer. .” Ma Zhou froze for a moment. Li Shimin sighed again: "The subjects now praise me as a wise king, but compared with the sun, the moon and the stars, I am really very small. We don't know many things, how dare we be arrogant?" At this time, Ma Zhou's thoughts had already flown to other places, he thought for a while, and suddenly said: "Your Majesty wants to explore this subtle place, but I think of someone." "who?" "Master Xuanzang traveled to the west for nineteen years. He explored the wonderful door, mastered the profound knowledge, and got a glimpse of the bottom line of the yoga school. If your majesty wants to find out something, you can call him to discuss it. I believe it will be beneficial." Xuanzang returned to Chang'an at the beginning of the 19th year of Zhenguan. The people of Chang'an were all over the city, and the alleys were empty. People burned incense and scattered flowers, and worshiped.At that time, Li Shimin personally conquered Korea and stayed in Luoyang. After Xuanzang followed the order to visit Luoyang, he returned to Chang'an and settled in Hongfu Temple, and began to translate the Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures he brought back.Located in Xiudefang, Hongfu Temple was built to commemorate Li Shimin's mother Dou after he ascended the throne.After Li Shimin met Xuanzang in Luoyang, he saw that he was carrying a large number of Sanskrit scriptures, so he ordered him to be the abbot of Hongfu Temple and let him translate scriptures in the temple. Ma Zhou's words reminded Li Shimin, and he nodded again and again, "By the way, why did I forget this person. Ma Zhou, pass on the decree on my behalf to let Xuanzang come to see me quickly." After Li Shimin finished speaking, it seemed that he had finished Having something on his mind, he called everyone to leave the top of the mountain and go down the mountain to return to the palace.