Chapter 617: I, Chen Yan, Must Take Him Down

Enough!!!

Li Shimin could no longer tolerate it, watching the entire Court descend into chaos, he scolded angrily, "What are you doing? Are you all about to rebel?"

Or are you saying you want to go to Dali Temple Prison?

When those words were spoken, the Court fell silent for a moment. Officials on both sides each halted the fists they were swinging, snorted at each other, and then, simultaneously, began straightening their own clothes.

You old scoundrel, I'll let you off the hook today, but remember, I'm not one to let things go. Today I, Chen Yan, will definitely eradicate this Buddha; no one who comes will be able to stop it.

Chen Yan's single sentence made both Xiao Yu and Li Shimin furious.

Li Shimin, enraged, laughed, "Alright, alright, truly worthy of a Duke, your words just ooze dominance!"

"But I want to ask you, if I, His Majesty, do not permit the eradication of this Buddha today, what then?"

"What would you do then?"

"Exactly, exactly!" Cheng Yaojin jumped in again, "Duke of Wei, Chen Yan, is far too arrogant; not only has he incited the whole Court's civil and military officials to fight, but he also spouts outrageous words right in front of His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, give him forty lashes!"

Li Shimin: "......"

"You shut up for me too!" He glared angrily, and the other shrank his head back, muttering something under his breath.

Chen Yan smoothed the wrinkles of his robe, gathered his composure, and said confidently, "Your Majesty is a ruler of rare sagacity; if numerous ministers repeatedly advised you about the dangers of the Buddhist Establishment, you would certainly take them seriously."

"I dare to guess, Your Majesty, that eradicating the Buddha is also something you wish to see."

"And aside from you, there are few in the world who could stop me!"

Li Shimin, expressionless, said, "What if it were the Empress?"

"Empress…," Chen Yan paused, then said firmly, "The Empress is likewise a saintly mother of a generation, always keeping the people in her heart."

"I believe that when the Empress learns that her own faith has become an obstacle preventing the people from a bright life, she will surely support me!"

"Your mother's damn nonsense!" Xiao Yu covered her bruised, darkened eye sockets and roared, "If we truly eradicate the Buddha and anger the Buddha in heaven, where will the people of the world find good days?"

"You will surely be punished......"

"I'll damn you!" Chen Yan was truly enraged this time. Turning back to face the civil and military officials, he said word for word, "If there truly is an immortal, a deity, a Buddha watching the world from heaven, pitying all beings, then where do all these locust plagues, droughts, snow disasters, and floods come from?!"

Ah! Tell me!

Chen Yan panted lightly, gritting his teeth, "Back then, Emperor Yang of Sui's rash policies left the people of the world in misery, with countless wronged souls rising. It was Your Majesty who rode first, countless heroic warriors falling one after another, cutting through the chaotic world blade by blade, raising the banners of our Tang Dynasty!"

Damn it, when countless soldiers faced a mighty enemy and fought to the death without retreat, using their fresh lives and endless blood to pave a path to stability for us...

Where is the Buddha?

In the first year of Zhenguan, the Eastern Göktürks, seizing the instability of our Tang Dynasty, saw Yeli lead a 200,000-strong army southward, pressing straight to Chang'an, with troops at the Wei River, plundering countless of our people and merchants along the way, causing massive slaughter.

Did the Buddha finally solve it?

No!!!

It was Your Majesty who personally led six cavalry to the Wei River shore to negotiate with Yeli, then slayed a white horse as a pact, establishing the Wei River Alliance that shamed countless Tang men.

In the second year of Zhenguan, locust plagues erupted, devouring countless grain stores. It was Your Majesty who swallowed locusts himself, issuing a self‑criticism edict, and then, together with the ministers, worked day and night to relieve the disaster!

Even the treasury's mice sigh at the sight, and people are reluctant to replace a sock with a hole; where is the Buddha at this time?

In the third year of Zhenguan, a once‑in‑a‑century severe drought struck. Countless people fled to Chang'an, and along the way they gnawed tree roots, ate Guanyin Soil, and even practiced child cannibalism!

Did the Buddha you speak of have mercy on them?

Chen Yan's voice grew louder, a vein pulsing on his forehead, "I tell you, still no!!!"

Back then, even I, whom everyone called a prodigal son, spending my days idling in brothels, a worthless scum that couldn't even stand on mud, knew...

Where is the Buddha? You, Mr. Xiao, who professes belief in the Buddha, lofty and hypocritical, preaching righteousness with your mouth while closing it on morality, where are you?

Chen Yan sneered, "In the fourth year of Zhenguan, floods broke out along both banks of the Yellow River and the Yangtze. Your Majesty had already noticed early, dispatching troops to build drainage canals promptly."

When the 800 li emergency force rushed into the Tai Chi Palace, it was Your Majesty who forced officials, Meritorious Nobles, and landowning gentry to donate funds, preparing supplies at top speed to aid disaster relief, thus preventing massive casualties.

What role did the Buddha play in all this?

After that speech, the entire Court fell silent.

No one continued to speak; even Xiao Yu could not say a single sentence.

After hesitating for a while, his tone softened by a third, "But… but…"

"But what?" Chen Yan gave him no chance to speak, because he knew clearly that their positions now differed, making any discussion futile.

In fact, he had not been on bad terms with Xiao Yu before.

When he himself became Minister of Revenue, Xiao Yu even helped speak on his behalf.

But the Court is like that; when opinions differ, everyone even dares to confront Li Shimin, leaving little else to say.

Chen Yan wanted to oppose the Buddha, while Xiao Yu wanted to protect the Buddha.

There was nothing more to say; it was merely a performance!

Chen Yan turned, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, for the Tang Dynasty to reach where it is today, have we ever received the mercy of any immortal, any deity, any Buddha?"

Li Shimin replied silently, "No."

"When our Tang endured natural and human calamities, wasn't it our own effort that saw us through, not the mercy of the Buddhist Establishment?"

"No…"

"Our Tang has barely crossed countless hardships and is about to enter a glorious era; isn't that the result of Your Majesty and countless officials exhausting themselves, working together, rather than a heavenly pity?"

"No!"

Chen Yan sneered, looking again at those opposing officials, "So tell me, when along our journey have we not relied on ourselves but on a vague, intangible Buddha?"

"What do the common people do when they suffer hardships?"

"On the surface they lament the world, but in secret they feast on great feasts."

"This is the Buddha you worship!!!"

Hehe… Master! Chen Yan lifted his chin, more resolute than ever, "Stop pulling those useless things on me. I have never discriminated against temples, but the current temples seriously endanger the people and the nation."

So I, Chen Yan, am going to do it!