Emperor, Taoist, Tathagata

Chapter 258 Emperor, Taoist Master, Tathagata

"Many people don't understand why you want to change the law or revolution. Wasn't it good in the past? Everyone lived a good life and enjoyed themselves. Now you are changing the law and revolutionizing, isn't it just for your ambition as an emperor? You have offended the famous families and those sects, isn't it just to make the territory of Yankang bigger? Now there are natural disasters and man-made disasters year after year, all of which are your fault, all of which are the reforms. This is a fallacy!"

In Bazhou Prefecture, Emperor Yanfeng and a group of civil and military officials were walking on the street, watching the people queuing up in front of the charity porridge stalls. Emperor Yanfeng walked over to a charity porridge stall. The official distributing the charity porridge was about to kneel down, but Emperor Yanfeng waved his hand and said, "It's cold, there are no such rules. How much should each person get?"

"Your Majesty, one bowl of rice porridge, two steamed buns, and a spoonful of dried vegetables for each adult."

Emperor Yanfeng nodded and told him to go down. He served the food to the victims. Behind him stood the civil and military officials of the court. Emperor Yanfeng continued while serving the food: "In the past, the people were never the common people! Si Nong, you go and tell them how many people could be fed by one acre of good farmland before the reform of the imperial master."

Minister of Agriculture said quickly, "Before the Reform, one mu of good farmland produced 330 kilograms of coarse grains per year. But at that time, the land was concentrated in the hands of noble families, temples and Taoist temples, and farmers had no land. A farmer's family of seven or eight people cultivated 80 mu of land, with grain, fruit, vegetables, and medicinal herbs. After working hard for a year and planting two crops, there was no surplus grain in a year, and they could barely fill their stomachs. They could eat one or two meals of meat a month, and they would starve to death when natural disasters or man-made disasters occurred. In those days, many elderly people took the initiative to jump into the river or go to the mountains when they encountered disasters, so as not to bring trouble to their families. At that time, noble families, temples, and Taoist temples stored countless grains and money."

Emperor Yanfeng said, "Eighty mu of land feeds a family of seven or eight. They work hard to grow food for a year, but where does the food go? Tell them again, how many people can one mu of land feed after the reform?"

Minister of Agriculture continued, "Your Majesty ordered the Imperial Master to reform the law, and to make all the land in the world public. Noble families, temples, and Taoist temples were not allowed to own land. A man was allowed 80 mu of land, and 20 mu of good farmland. In recent years, the population has increased several times, and the country has also expanded a lot, so the rules have been changed. A man was allowed 40 mu of land, and 10 mu of good farmland. The Imperial Master asked warriors and people with magical powers to work on the farm, and to ensure a harvest in drought or flood. They would rain when it was dry, and drain water when it was flooded. Therefore, there has been no famine for 160 years. Today, the yield per mu is 820 catties, and the land tax is two shi. Farmers don't think it's expensive to eat meat."

"Three hundred and thirty kilograms, eight hundred and twenty kilograms."

Emperor Yanfeng pinched two steamed buns and put them in the hungry people's bowls, and scooped a spoonful of dried vegetables, and said with emotion: "What is Buddha? This is Buddha, living Buddha, living Buddha, Buddha of all people! It's not that you use the name of Tathagata or the name of Taoism, and say some soothing words like chicken soup to comfort the soul, you are Buddha or Taoism! Si Nong, let me ask you again, since the national teacher's reform is very good and there is more food, why is there famine when a natural disaster breaks out?"

Minister of Agriculture looked embarrassed and said hesitantly: "This..."

"explain!"

"Yes. In addition to the reason of the population increasing several times, there are also reasons for eating meat and fighting. Feeding livestock requires food, and the army needs food to feed exotic beasts, train soldiers, and fight. The most important thing is the transfer of farmland. Some farmland was bought by aristocratic families, sects, and temples, and they became landlords."

Minister of Agriculture said: "The grain is back in their hands. The last sectarian rebellion was because they had money and grain, so they were so bold. And this famine should not have been so serious, isn't it because after the war, the treasury is empty, and these aristocratic families, sects and temples are unwilling to release grain? The impact of the last sectarian rebellion was too great..."

Emperor Yanfeng turned around, glanced at his ministers, and said, "The aristocratic families, sects, temples, and Taoist temples used to be high and mighty, sitting in the sky, eating delicacies from the mountains and the sea every day, talking about love, Taoism, and immortality. There are peasants to support them, but who is willing to help these peasants? If the peasants are not satisfied, they will directly bring disasters and calamities! Is this snowstorm strange? Not strange. When the sects ruled the country in the past, there were many such snowstorms! But it was not the gods who sent disasters or the heavens, but the sects who sent disasters and calamities to make these people submit and not dare to make trouble!"

"When the national master made changes and asked the sects to work for farmers and merchants, they were not happy and did not want to do it. When the national master made changes again and opened elementary schools and universities, and passed on the skills of these sects to the world and let the world do it, they were even more unhappy. They wanted to rebel and kill people! Little did they know that their ancestors for eight generations before them were all farmers, and none of them were special!"

"You have seen and heard me clearly. This time I killed them. Next time you do the same, I will kill you too! The officials I want are not those high-ranking sects, masters or Buddhas. The officials I want are those who can do things down to earth! Scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, scholars must be able to work for farmers, merchants and artisans, and do things! There are still some scholars and officials in the court who think they are superior to others. Damn it, - historian, allow me to say a dirty word. - Damn it, they keep complaining and thinking they are superior! I wish I could kill them!"

The civil and military officials bowed their heads and dared not speak.

The two historians looked at each other, both showing difficulty. One of the older historians whispered, "Your Majesty, the emperor should be careful with his words."

Emperor Yanfeng said, "I don't often swear, but I just curse when I'm angry. Please bear with me, historian."

As he was talking, a great monk in the queue for food got his turn. He held up a golden bowl and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, what you said is very good. However, natural disasters are coming. The right way is to stop them and prevent the people from suffering."

Emperor Yanfeng took a look at the monk, gave him a bowl of rice, two steamed buns, and a spoonful of vegetables, and said, "I not only speak well, but also do better. Master, eat slowly and don't disturb the secular people."

The great monk said yes and left with the golden bowl in his hand.

"Tathagata!" The people behind Emperor Yanfeng were slightly shocked when they saw the great monk.

After the big monk left, an old Taoist priest came behind. He was disheveled and his hair was a little messy. He was holding a bowl and asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, have you eaten yet?"

Emperor Yanfeng looked solemn, served him food, and shook his head, saying, "I haven't eaten yet."

"Your Majesty should eat something so that you can set off on your journey when you are full."

Emperor Yanfeng nodded, pinched two steamed buns, brought a bowl of porridge, and said to the civil and military officials: "You come and eat some too, we are in trouble."

The civil and military officials looked at the monk and the Taoist priest as if they were facing a great enemy. They saw the two men squatting in the corner of the street, one holding a golden bowl and the other holding a bowl, drinking porridge and eating steamed buns with dried vegetables, and they were enjoying it very much.

The ministers came forward, each received a meal, and squatted in the corner of the street. Emperor Yanfeng also squatted there, eating in silence.

After eating, Emperor Yanfeng went to the well to pump water to wash the dishes, and the ministers lined up behind him. Tathagata and the Taoist master also came forward to wash the dishes and said, "It's been a long time since I last had human food. It tastes different."

"I and these ministers have been eating this for several months."

Emperor Yanfeng said seriously: "You two Taoist brothers should eat more often and don't live too high or too far away."

"The purpose of being high and far is to avoid worldly matters."

The old Taoist master smiled and said, "You are the emperor of the world, and you govern the common people. However, to practice Taoism and Buddhism, you must stay away from the disturbances of the world. If you are disturbed, it will be difficult to escape."

Emperor Yanfeng asked with a smile: "Master, can you become a true god?"

The Taoist master shook his head.

Emperor Yanfeng asked Tathagata again: "Tathagata, can you become a true Buddha?"

Tathagata shook his head: "If the divine bridge is broken, who can become a true god or Buddha?"

"Then what are you talking about? You are so great that you are far away from the world. Historian, I used rude words again. Don't remember them. I know. You can go down. You are not needed here anymore."

After Emperor Yanfeng finished speaking, he walked out of the city, followed by civil and military officials. Emperor Yanfeng stopped, turned back and said with a smile: "Although we are following the rules of the court instead of the rules of the martial arts world, we don't need so many people. Those who are in the Shenqiao realm will stay, and the others will leave."

Many civil and military officials stopped. There were seven people following Emperor Yanfeng: Grand Marshal Yuankong, Situ Xiuleqing, Sikong Wei Pingbo, General Tiance Qin Baoyue, Taishan King Lingxuhua, General Huoqi Quan Dingwu, and Shangqing Su Yunzhi. Together with the emperor, there were eight people in total.

Tathagata and the Taoist master did not take it seriously and continued to move forward.

Emperor Yanfeng led his people to follow. They did not stop until they reached the outside of the city. When they reached the fields outside the city, Emperor Yanfeng stopped to look at the crops and asked an old farmer, "Will the harvest be good?"

"Yes!" the old farmer said in a loud voice.

Emperor Yanfeng smiled and turned to the ministers behind him and said, "May the harvest be good!"

The Taoist master said, "Your Majesty, it may be possible this year, but not next year. I brought a book with me that records the story of Daxu, called the Kaihuang Jiejing. Your Majesty, please read it slowly. Let's go slowly. If Your Majesty is still determined to reform after reading it, then the sun and moon will have to change to a new day."

Tathagata sighed, "Lord of the Dao, be merciful."

The Taoist master shook his head and said, "He doesn't know how dangerous it is here. If he knew, he would be like us." After that, he handed the Kaihuang Tribulation Sutra to Emperor Yanfeng.

"Your Majesty, be careful of fraud!" Shangqing Su Yunzhi warned.

Emperor Yanfeng smiled and said, "No problem."

He took the Kaihuang Tribulation Sutra from the Taoist master, opened it and read it carefully.

They continued to walk forward slowly. Emperor Yanfeng turned the pages one by one and read the Kaihuang Tribulation Sutra from beginning to end. The Taoist Master and Tathagata did not urge them, but walked forward quietly.

After walking about a hundred miles, Emperor Yanfeng finished reading the Kaihuang Tribulation Sutra, calmed himself down, looked up at the sky, and remained silent.

The old Taoist said, "Your Majesty, if you think of all living beings, you should know what to do, right?"

Emperor Yanfeng was in a trance, and suddenly said, "When I was young, Yankang Kingdom didn't have such a large territory, and the emperor wasn't so noble. At that time, the sects and families were still arrogant. One time, I went abroad with an envoy to visit a place called Yuanqi Kingdom, which is now Yuanzhou. There was a thunderstorm there, and the sky was full of dark clouds, covering Yuanqi Kingdom. The thunder kept crackling, killing countless cattle and sheep, as well as countless civilians."

"The emperor of Yuanqi State, along with all the civil and military officials, knelt in the thunderstorm and begged for forgiveness. The people of the country also knelt on the ground, asking the gods to calm down. The emperor was struck to death by the thunderstorm. Later, I learned that the gods they mentioned were not gods in the sky, but the Leiyin Sect, a sect. Probably because of the poor harvest, there were fewer good things to pay tribute to the Leiyin Sect, so the Leiyin Sect brought disaster. The thunderstorm was caused by the Leiyin Sect's spiritual treasure, the Nine Heavens Thunder Guide. The emperor took the blame on himself, so the Leiyin Sect struck him to death and replaced him with a new emperor. At that time, I was thinking..."

He looked at the Taoist Master and Tathagata, and said word by word: "I will overthrow you! Now, I have done it, but what I and the National Master did was not enough, so there was this snowstorm. Isn't it a god? I will overthrow the god!"

The Taoist master couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, don't you care about the people? Do you want to turn Yankang into a ruin? You and the national master have changed the law, you and the national master have defeated those sects, and unified such a large territory. I have never stopped you, right? But if you change the law again, it will anger the heavens and endanger the people!"

The old Tathagata said, "Your Majesty, think twice."

Emperor Yanfeng said: "You have your beliefs, and I have mine."

The old Tathagata sighed and said to the Taoist master: "Old Taoist friend, let's change the emperor."

The Taoist master took out the Taoist sword and nodded, saying, "Well, I have said all the good things. But your Majesty is stubborn and refuses to change his ways. We have no choice but to change the emperor."

Emperor Yanfeng looked around and saw old Taoist priests, old monks, poor scholars and others coming from all directions and surrounding them in the center. Their number was much greater than the eight of them.

General Tian Ce and others' faces changed drastically.

Emperor Yanfeng was stunned and laughed: "Tathagata, Taoist master, I thought you would follow the rules of the martial arts world, but I didn't expect you to follow the rules of the court."

Tathagata shook his head and said, "It is unavoidable. Your Majesty, please forgive me. Taoist Master, fellow Taoists, please send Your Majesty off together."