Chapter 125

Sun Wukong, Yang Jian, and Nezha might not have heard of this organization. But Tang An knew that if one wanted to spread rumors, this was the best source.

Didn't they all look down on a mere mortal?

Tang An was going to let them know just how powerful the strength of a mortal could be.

She immediately wrote a letter and had Sun Wukong deliver it into the hands of the Great Tang Emperor, Li Shimin.

In it, she wrote of Lingshan's actions and her own experiences.

Tang An knew that Li Shimin might not necessarily feel much heartache for her, this "convenient" daughter. But this was a different concept from a Great Tang Princess being bullied by Lingshan.

Even if Li Shimin did not care for the former, he had to consider the face of the Great Tang and the safety of her, this "pioneer princess who expands the territory."

Therefore, he should not refuse the "small request" Tang An proposed in the letter.

Great Tang, within the new territory.

After finishing the letter, Li Shimin was so angry he slapped the table and stood up.

"Foreign Buddhas, entering the borders of my Great Tang, how dare they bully my Great Tang Princess like this."

Sun Wukong was startled by him, "Your Majesty, the Tang Emperor, are you angry because they challenged the national prestige of the Great Tang?"

Li Shimin walked out from behind the dragon case, descended the high platform, and cast his gaze toward the distant sky.

"My child Tang An, I have seen her contributions to the Great Tang's mountains and rivers with my own eyes."

"Her merits benefit the nation and will last for a thousand autumns. She is a wise official, a good general, and I favor her."

"But I often worry, though her merits are great, she is only a child, a child who calls me Imperial Father."

"Although she is not my biological princess and I have not spent much time with her, I can tell she is a good child."

"Once called Imperial Father, she is my daughter for a lifetime. My daughter has been wronged; what father would not want to back his own child?"

"Since their Western Buddhism is so overbearing, I will let them see. Without the offerings of mortals, how long can their Western Heaven, their Lingshan, remain prosperous!"

As Li Shimin spoke, he looked at the sword-bearing guards behind him.

"Someone, post notices immediately, and handle it according to the Princess's wishes."

"Yes!" The imperial guards immediately took orders to carry out the task.

What task? Posting notices.

And posting them in every town and even village across the entire nation, without missing a single place.

What notice to post? Naturally, the "Statement of Rumors Regarding the Western Buddhas Not Being Pregnant."

How kind he was, taking the initiative to announce to the world that the gods and Buddhas were not pregnant, clarifying things for them—what a wonderful gesture.

Of course, whether this gesture would have a counterproductive effect, and how large that effect would be, no one knew.

After all, originally, no one within the Great Tang knew about this matter.

But once the notice was out, everyone knew that the gods and Buddhas were not pregnant.

Wait a minute? The gods and Buddhas were not pregnant?

When were the gods and Buddhas pregnant?

Once this matter was announced, it immediately caused an uproar, and rumors started spreading from the villages.

Within the Great Tang, it spread from ten to a hundred, the rumors growing faster and more outrageous with each telling.

After all, most people didn't care whether the gods and Buddhas were pregnant or not; they were discussing the matter for the joy of the gossip.

"What? All the Buddhas of the Western Heaven are pregnant? Both men and women?"

"What? The Buddha is going to give birth?"

"What! All the Buddhas in the sky have taken wives?"

"What? The Buddha married a foolish wife and even gave birth to a child himself just to convert her?"

"What??? All the Buddhist followers of Lingshan are the Buddha's own flesh and blood?!"

"Wow! The Buddhist circle is so chaotic, and not just ordinarily chaotic!"

From then on, the rumors intensified, with all sorts of versions appearing.

Even some storybooks were written about the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas and Arhats of the Buddhist sect falling in love with mortals and having children.

In short, it was outrageous to the extreme.

The monks who originally believed in Buddhism also returned to secular life for various reasons.

For a time, because of the rumors, Buddhism within the Great Tang suffered a heavy blow.

Many temples were directly requisitioned by Li Shimin under various pretexts and converted into Sanqing Temples.

Buddhism's reputation was damaged, believers decreased significantly, and temples were torn down, leading to a sharp decline in incense offerings.

The one most anxious was not the Buddha, but the culprit behind this matter, Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Guanyin Bodhisattva was now in a difficult position; only if Tang An gave them the water from the Luotai Spring to abort the fetuses in the bellies of the Buddhist followers, and then did something to win back the believers, could the anger of Lingshan be appeased.

And the most difficult thing at the moment was how to get the Luotai Spring water from Tang An.

At the post house, Tang An was sitting in a rocking chair by the window, sunning herself and eating melon seeds, her mood exceptionally beautiful.

"Yo, isn't this Guanyin? A rare guest."

Tang An only glanced at her, with no intention of getting up.

Guanyin wore a smile, naturally unable to use force against Tang An. "I wonder when the Destined One will offer the promised Luotai Spring water?"

Tang An looked at Guanyin's slightly protruding belly, "A day in heaven is a year on earth. Guanyin, you had better not run around; be careful not to miss the month, and if you reach the due date, you might disturb the fetus."

Guanyin Bodhisattva took a deep breath, maintaining her smile.

"If the Destined One has any other requests, just state them all."

"Requests?" Tang An looked at Guanyin with interest, "Aren't you the ones begging me now?"

"When begging someone, one must have the attitude and sincerity of a beggar. Guanyin Bodhisattva, don't you think?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva knew that Tang An must have a goal in mind, but was playing riddles to make her guess.

"Naturally." Guanyin Bodhisattva took out a willow branch, "This poor monk sees that the Destined One has some interest in Sweet Dew; how about exchanging water for water?"

Tang An looked at the Jade Purifying Bottle in Guanyin Bodhisattva's hand, a light of interest suddenly appearing in her eyes. "I want that."

Before Guanyin could speak, Tang An added another sentence. "Guanyin had better think about whether you really want to refuse."

"My mood is good right now, but if you refuse, my mood won't be so beautiful."

"Since my mood is bad, then you naturally..."

Guanyin Bodhisattva looked at the Jade Purifying Bottle in her hand; Tang An seemed to have left her no room for negotiation.

"The Jade Purifying Bottle can be given, but please let the Destined One keep her word."

Tang An also took out some Luotai Spring water and placed it directly in front of Guanyin Bodhisattva.

"If you want it, you can take it now."

Just as Guanyin Bodhisattva had the thought, Wukong, Yang Jian, and Nezha surrounded and locked her in from three directions.

Hehe, the Destined One always makes people feel cold inside, not touched at all.

"So be it." Guanyin Bodhisattva released the Jade Purifying Bottle from her palm and sent it to Tang An.

Guanyin secretly swore in her heart that once this matter was completely settled, she would never come to see Tang An again.

It wasn't just that she was afraid of being tricked by her; she had been tricked into a shadow, tricked until her family fortune was gone!

Yang Jian raised his hand to draw the Jade Purifying Bottle into his palm, and only after confirming there were no tricks inside did he hand it to Tang An.

Tang An toyed with the Jade Purifying Bottle, looked at it with the willow branch, and, imitating Guanyin Bodhisattva, dipped the willow branch into the Sweet Dew.

It pained Guanyin Bodhisattva so much; good things shouldn't be wasted like that.

Alas, no matter how good the thing was, it wasn't hers anymore; it was Tang An's.

Since it was Tang An's, how it was wasted, and in front of whom it was wasted, was entirely up to Tang An.

"Guanyin Bodhisattva, drink." Tang An held a square object in her hand, aiming it at Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Guanyin didn't know what that was, but the antidote to the Child-Mother River crisis was right in front of her, so she drank it without any hesitation.

Tang An's lips curled into a faint smile; she could see that Guanyin was impatient to escape her clutches.

But once in her clutches, escaping wasn't so easy.