Chapter 310

Thirty-nine, The Heart of One is the Heart of Thousands

Lonely Hall.

On the table in front of a long-neglected clay Buddha statue, a candle flame stood atop a wick, swaying unsteadily.

The flickering candlelight caused the two figures in the hall—one old and one young, both motionless—to sway left and right as well.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong remained motionless, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyes lowered.

When those of the Buddhist sect encounter such matters, they can sigh "Amitabha."

But he was a Confucian scholar, so naturally, he could not.

Yet silence, in itself, was a form of stance.

Venerable Shan Dao's two long, thin white eyebrows lifted slightly, and he couldn't help but take two extra looks at the silent young man before him:

"The imperial decree will arrive in two days. Magistrate, you should still think about how to respond appropriately and minimize harm to the people."

The old monk's tone was somewhat apologetic; he chanted a Buddhist phrase once more and advised:

"The matter of building the four Buddha statues and the Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue was already clearly decided by His Majesty when I was in the Shenjing Luoyang Palace.

"You know His Majesty's imperial mind, and furthermore, the decree has already been issued, and various places across the world have already begun to mobilize. Once the bow is drawn, it is difficult to turn back.

"If you must blame someone, Magistrate, blame me. It was I who suggested Prince Xunyang City in Jiangzhou when His Majesty asked where the Donglin Great Buddha should be located...

"I have gained a little from this trip to Shenjing Luoyang and am willing to represent Donglin Temple in donating everything to the construction of the Buddha, to share a bit of the pressure for the Magistrate."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong suddenly looked up:

"I have one thing I don't understand. Why is His Majesty, for no good reason, wasting so much national strength to build this Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue and the four Great Buddhas?"

Venerable Shan Dao pondered for a moment:

"When I was in Shenjing Luoyang, I wasn't very clear about the trends in the court. However, His Majesty's decision to build the Heavenly Pivot and the Buddha statues seems to have occurred after the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Liang united with the envoys of ten thousand nations to submit memorials praising the Great Zhou. During that time, she also frequently summoned the Yin-Yang qi-watchers of the Shangyang Palace."

He tried to say: "Could it be the idea of the two Princes of the Wei clan? Did those qi-watchers incite it as well?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong didn't even lift his eyelids; he shook his head gently. After a quiet moment, he asked:

"Has His Majesty ever consulted you about anything strange?"

"His Majesty mostly asked me about the Buddhist principles of the Chan sect in the palace. Strange things... eh." He seemed to recall something and said thoughtfully: "It seems she did ask about some slightly strange things."

"For example?"

"One night, His Majesty summoned me to the palace and asked me how the Great Zhou's national fortune could be extended indefinitely and remain prosperous for ten thousand generations."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong asked softly: "And how did the Master answer?"

"Naturally, I advised His Majesty to practice benevolent governance widely, so that the people would return to her heart and the world would cherish her virtue, and naturally, the Zhou rule would be unbroken."

"Is that what His Majesty wanted to hear? Would she be satisfied with that?"

"I don't know." Venerable Shan Dao shook his head, hesitated for a moment, looked around the desolate hall, then looked at the kind-faced Great Buddha, and revealed:

"His Majesty seemed to nod at the time and then asked me another strange question."

"What question?"

"A trivial matter.

"His Majesty asked whether, when the Prince of Prince Xunyang was praying day and night at the Donglin Buddha Pagoda, the prayer tablets were only for her, or if they included the tablets of the late Emperor as well."

"And how did the Master answer?"

"Naturally, I told the truth: both tablets of the two Sages were present."

Venerable Shan Dao raised his hand and said softly:

"His Majesty then pressed further, asking how the Prince of Prince Xunyang wrote the titles on the tablets of His Majesty and the late Emperor, and how many times 'Great Zhou' was mentioned in the titles, and how many times 'Great Gan' was mentioned."

When speaking the last few words, the abbot of Donglin Temple elongated his pronunciation.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong asked calmly: "Does the Master think this is a trivial matter?"

Venerable Shan Dao sighed: "Naturally, it is not."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong looked steadily at the white-browed old monk, "What did the Master answer?"

The high monk of the Southern Kingdom, titled "Great Wisdom," lowered his eyelids slightly:

"I naturally told the truth, which was also what the Magistrate had specifically emphasized and stipulated before the prayers began."

Speaking to this point, he faced north, his voice becoming more serious, as if imitating the palace questioning of that day:

"When the Prince of Prince Xunyang was at the Donglin Buddha Pagoda, he was praying for his parents in the capacity of a child, not for the Son of Heaven in the capacity of a subject. Naturally, the tablets did not bear any imperial titles, and furthermore..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong listened, eyes closed: "And furthermore what?"

"And furthermore, the late Emperor has passed away and entrusted the Prince of Prince Xunyang to His Majesty early on. For the Prince, in this world today, naturally, the lonely mother is the greatest, and he must serve her with all his might, obey her every word, and pray for her until he falls ill, which also shows his pure filial piety."

After listening, Magistrate Ouyang Rong was silent for a while and couldn't help but look deeply at Venerable Shan Dao.

"Thank you, Master, for clearing my doubts. I have other matters to attend to, so I will take my leave."

He shook his sleeves, took a step back, and performed a deep bow.

"Magistrate, why do this? No need for such courtesy." Venerable Shan Dao immediately stepped aside.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head, insisted on finishing the bow, and suddenly turned to leave the main hall.

Before walking out the door, a sigh was left behind:

"Worthy of being a high monk of Great Wisdom."

Quiet night.

Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion, Juxian Garden, in a study where candlelight flickered.

The atmosphere was equally silent.

Several figures were sitting or standing, motionless.

With a "creak,"

The study door was pushed open, and Li Su Guoer, dressed in a simple home-style skirt, walked in gracefully and closed the door.

As the last one to arrive, she looked back.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang.

Li Su Xian, Li Su Dalang, Wei Mei.

The five were already present, and at this moment, all eyes were cast upon her.

Sensing the strange atmosphere, Li Su Guoer let her gaze sweep past Magistrate Ouyang Rong as if ignoring him, lowered her eyes, held her hands, and asked the others softly:

"Am I late?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head: "No, please sit, little Princess."

Li Su Guoer still did not look at the person who had responded to her, walked straight ahead, and sat down beside Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze.

After secretly chatting with Venerable Shan Dao at night, Magistrate Ouyang Rong had quietly followed the carriage of Zhen Zhen Shuyuan and the Xiao Shimei back to the residence in Huaiye Lane.

In the dead of night, he and the Xiao Shimei, who was staying at the mansion, rushed back to the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion together.

Tonight was special; there were important matters.

He looked around and said softly: "Everyone is here; let's start early."

Before Magistrate Ouyang Rong could speak about Venerable Shan Dao, Li Su Xian had already spoken first:

"Tanlang, this afternoon, Guo Yu came again."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's mind immediately conjured up the thin face with a goat beard, and he nodded, asking: "What did the Prince of Xiang's Mansion say?"

Li Su Xian's tone was serious:

"Guo Yu, representing the Prince of Xiang's Mansion, brought important news from the court and the palace. The Empress Mother wants to build a Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue and four Buddha statues..."

He repeated a piece of news that Magistrate Ouyang Rong already knew.

Wei Mei frowned: "Why, for no good reason, build these things?"

Li Su Xian sighed: "Eighth brother said that the Wei clan has already finished resolving the rebellion in Yingzhou and is beginning to free up energy to wreak havoc in the court.

"This construction of the Great Zhou Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue and the four Buddha statues is a so-called national policy presented by the Prince of Wei and the Prince of Liang, taking advantage of the grand scene of ten thousand nations coming to pay tribute during the New Year, calling upon envoys from foreign lands to praise the Great Zhou together.

"They say it is to record the achievements of the Great Zhou's founding emperor, and on the Heavenly Pivot pillars, they will carve the words of praise presented by envoys from ten thousand nations and the subjects of the Great Zhou... The Empress Mother is overjoyed, and Eighth brother and Princess Changle could not openly oppose this in public."

Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang's pretty face showed some displeasure:

"It's inconvenient for the children to speak, but what about the court officials? This concerns the nation; how can they remain aloof? Is there no one to clarify the pros and cons and oppose this?"

"There were those who opposed it, but they were all suppressed by the Empress Mother. During the New Year holiday, even the opposing voices within the Zhengshi Hall were swept away by the Empress Mother one by one. It seems difficult to stop it now.

"Eighth brother and the ministers also feel that the wind direction is wrong; the Empress Mother's attitude is somewhat tough, and they all dare not speak."

After a pause, Li Su Xian's expression was tense:

"The four Buddha statues the Empress Mother wants to build are the four Great Buddhas of the Buddhist sects she favors most, including the recently favored Lotus Pure Land Sect.

"Therefore, among the four Buddha statues, there will be a Donglin Great Buddha, which will very likely be located in our Prince Xunyang City, with the Jiangzhou government responsible for supervising the construction."

"It's not 'likely'; it's already confirmed. The imperial decree for building the Donglin Great Buddha is on the way and will arrive in a few days."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong, who had been silent, interrupted.

Li Su Xian and the others were slightly stunned.

Seeing them cast their gazes toward him, Magistrate Ouyang Rong said softly: "Venerable Shan Dao has already told me."

Li Su Dalang couldn't help but ask: "Tanlang, why is Grandmother's attitude so tough this time?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong looked at him and nodded:

"His Majesty is naturally not just building the Heavenly Pivot and the Buddha statues so simply."

After sighing for a moment, he recounted everything Venerable Shan Dao had revealed in the hall that night.

Li Su Xian, Li Su Dalang, and the others listened with trembling hearts throughout.

"There is such a thing... Why did the Empress Mother suddenly ask about this?"

Li Su Xian couldn't help but pace, his expression worried.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong said lightly: "Is His Majesty's intention not obvious enough?"

Wei Mei frowned: "What does Tanlang mean by this?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's expression was calm, his words shocking:

"The two Princes of the Wei clan and the qi-watchers of the Shangyang Palace cannot control His Majesty's decisions. On the contrary, their swarming actions must mean they have perceived some of His Majesty's intentions at close range and received a clear signal,

and thus, complying with a certain hidden sacred heart, they are acting recklessly, seizing benefits from the chaos.

"Chaos is a ladder for ascent."

He raised an index finger:

"For the two Princes of the Wei clan and the close ministers of the palace, a stable order only benefits the pro-Li faction in the court.

"Because the civil official group is naturally conservative, but also the best at utilizing rules to slowly grow stronger.

"And our His Majesty is both wary of the two evil dogs—the Wei clan and the palace qi-watchers—biting back, and disgusted by the collective union of the civil official group.

"The so-called imperial art is nothing more than balancing this scale.

"And right now, it is very clear that the scale has tilted toward one side; His Majesty needs to loosen the tight dog leash."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong said in a measured tone.

A clear, logical, and understated speech made Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang, Li Su Xian, Li Su Dalang, and others look sideways, some frowning, some nodding slowly, as if they were all chewing and savoring it.

Li Su Guoer, who had been looking at her nose and heart, couldn't help but break her rule and glance at Magistrate Ouyang Rong, her jade hands clenching her sleeves underneath.

Li Su Xian tried hard to digest it for a while, cast a look of admiration toward the young strategist, and pondered:

"So Tanlang means that this construction of the Great Zhou Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue and the four Buddha statues is the Empress Mother's will, and the incitement of the Wei clan and the Shangyang Palace qi-watchers is just an excuse to be the scapegoat for the Empress Mother?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded.

Li Su Dalang's expression was puzzled: "But what does this have to do with His Majesty finding Venerable Shan Dao and asking about the details of Father's prayers back then?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong looked at the anxious Li Su Xian and spat out four words:

"Dismiss Gan, Praise Zhou."

Everyone was stunned.

Li Su Xian's body trembled uncontrollably; the last time he heard someone emphasize these four words to him was when the Empress Mother had just deposed the Emperor and ascended the throne, appointing cruel officials and female officials.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong's tone was indifferent: "Uncle, do you harbor the former Great Gan in your heart, or are you loyal to the current Great Zhou?"

Li Su Xian answered somewhat stutteringly: "This Prince can accept both."

"You must choose one."

Li Su Xian cowered.

Magistrate Ouyang Rong reminded him warmly: "Does Uncle want to be the deposed Emperor of Great Gan, or the imperial heir of Great Zhou?"

Li Su Xian hung his head in dejection: "This Prince knows what to do..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded gently and looked at the quiet night outside the window:

"Another round of choosing sides and expressing loyalty has begun; it's going to be lively again."

Li Su Xian: "Tanlang, what should we do next?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong said with a calm expression: "Uncle, be prepared; the imperial decree will arrive soon."

"Supervising the construction of the Donglin Great Buddha—isn't that the Jiangzhou main hall? Does it have anything to do with this Prince?"

"Does Uncle really think that His Majesty has a new love for the Lotus Sect and, because of Venerable Shan Dao's words alone, dropped a Donglin Great Buddha in Prince Xunyang City?"

"Could it be..."

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded and chuckled:

"Uncle is the one who cannot escape. Not only must you participate, but you must also appear exceptionally hardworking. For the Great Zhou Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue and the four Buddha statues, Uncle must take the lead in submitting a memorial to express your stance.

"Because... this is the only way to become the imperial heir of the Great Zhou's legal system; you must have a letter of surrender."

"This Prince bears the Li surname; will I not be criticized by the people of the world?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong nodded seriously: "Criticism of the Li surname is fine. Next time you submit a memorial, like the Prince of Xiang, ask His Majesty to grant you the Wei surname; then there will be no criticism."

After speaking, he chuckled lightly and added: "You can't escape it; receive the decree."

Li Su Dalang suddenly spoke: "Besides the pros and cons for the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion, what is Tanlang's attitude toward this matter?"

Magistrate Ouyang Rong shook his head without speaking.

He walked out the door, strode away, and said without looking back: "Is my attitude important? Is our attitude important? What a 'heart of one' indeed."

Just as Chenjun Xie Chenjun Xie Lingjiang, Li Su Xian, and the others were watching Magistrate Ouyang Rong leave with worried expressions, repeatedly chewing on his words.

Li Su Guoer turned her head and silently watched Magistrate Ouyang Rong's back.

She suddenly felt a strange sense of relief, a sense of relief that shouldn't be there.

"So you also have times when you are helpless and unhappy..." The little Princess with plum blossom makeup whispered toward the north: "Is this Grandmother... making all the men in the world bow their heads, even he has to be obedient."

A strange thought suddenly popped into her heart:

"It wouldn't be difficult for Grandmother to reach up and pluck the moon from the nine heavens..."

The next day.

An imperial decree from Shenjing Luoyang, marked for 800-li urgent delivery, rushed into Prince Xunyang City, swept past the Jiangzhou main hall, and arrived directly at the gate of the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion.

The main gate of the Prince Xunyang Prince's Mansion opened, and Li Su Xian walked out in a brand-new python robe to welcome it on the street.

Under the witness and accompaniment of Magistrate Ouyang Rong, Wang Wang Lengran, and other Jiangzhou officials, the yellow-clad envoy announced the decree in a sharp voice.

Two points.

First, the Prince of Prince Xunyang was appointed as the Jiang Nan Construction Supervisor, leading the supervision of the construction of the Donglin Great Buddha on the banks of the Prince Xunyang River.

The Jiangzhou Inspector and the Jiangzhou Registrar were appointed as the left and right construction supervisors, respectively, to assist in the construction of the Buddha.

Second, to prevent affecting the people's livelihood, Her Majesty the Empress specially donated 20,000 strings of cash for powder and rouge, repeatedly emphasizing that no harm should come to the people.

The sun overhead was blinding; Li Su Xian closed his eyes, bowed his head, and received the decree.

The yellow-clad envoy chuckled with a sharp voice, offered a word of congratulation, and left.

At the same time, it was not just Jiangzhou that received the imperial decree for building the Buddha.

Three other important prefectures in the world, such as Yangzhou and Taiyuan, also received the decree.

And among the four Buddha statues, three were located in the prosperous south, with only one located in the northern Taiyuan Prefecture.

And the Guannei region, which possessed the two capitals and was the most prosperous and peaceful, did not have a single one.

As soon as the discussion began, an imperial decree was issued from the Divine Capital to the world:

The Great Zhou Heavenly Pivot of Praising Virtue began construction and would be built by gathering the copper of the world.

Except for the prefectures building the statues, the officials of all prefectures in the world bore the obligation of raising a portion of "Praising Virtue Copper," which would serve as an important standard for the year-end performance assessment.

One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and the scholarly community was in an uproar.

For a time, memorials from the ten circuits and various prefectures and counties across the world flooded toward the capital like snowflakes.

Including the memorial of a certain young Registrar.