Chapter 289: Hall Debate

"I think we can widely build Buddhist halls, letting the Pudu Temple and Buddhist temples in various places provide people and effort to cultivate more talents for our Great Lan Dynasty!"

The Crown Prince's voice resounded in the great hall.

As soon as his voice fell, an official stood out from the ranks and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, I think this matter is inappropriate!"

The Crown Prince turned his head and glanced at the other party, with no expression on his face.

The person who stood out to oppose him was a Cabinet Minister:

"There are already Lecture Halls in various places responsible for talent cultivation; wouldn't adding more Buddhist halls be superfluous, wasting manpower and material resources in vain?

Moreover, our dynasty has always respected Daoist studies; if we suddenly start promoting Buddhism, such a change of course will inevitably lead to grudges and increase internal friction!"

After listening to the other party's words, the Crown Prince did not rush to speak in rebuttal.

As the master of the Eastern Palace, he naturally had plenty of people in the court to speak for him.

"Your Majesty."

Another official walked out from the ranks, also a Cabinet Minister:

"Under the whole heaven, there is no land that is not the King's; within the four seas, there is no one who is not the King's subject. I think, whether it is Buddhist studies or Daoist studies, no matter what doctrine is held, as long as there is a heart to serve the country, they should be given a fair opportunity."

"Since that is the case."

That Cabinet Minister who stood out first turned to look at his colleague:

"Why not let the Pudu Temple and temples in various places directly send people into the Lecture Halls in various places to serve as lecturers; wouldn't that also be serving the country?"

"Absurd! Even folk factories hiring people to do things have to pay enough wages; how can there be a reason to let people provide effort in vain?"

"The Lecture Halls are not without lecturer wages; various treatments can be preferential; how can it be counted as providing effort in vain?"

"You..."

The two Cabinet Ministers argued directly.

Without waiting for the two to argue out a result, more Cabinet Ministers joined this argument one after another.

Li Fei was participating in this kind of court meeting for the first time, originally thinking it would be a very serious occasion, and even if there were arguments, everyone would cite classics and argue in a polite and orderly manner.

But he didn't expect that this highest-level meeting of the country looked no different in essence from arguing in a vegetable market.

He glanced at the Crown Prince and found that the other party had a calm face, not panicked at all.

It looked like he was very confident.

"Alright."

The Emperor above the Dan steps said softly.

His voice was not loud, but it could clearly enter everyone's ears.

Li Fei did not feel the fluctuation of force, nor did he feel the fluctuation of sorcery, and could not help but click his tongue in wonder.

The great hall quickly quieted down, and all the officials who had stepped out bowed in greeting, looking at the Emperor.

"What does the Chief Grand Secretary think?"

The Emperor turned his head to look at the one at the very front of the civil official ranks.

It is worth mentioning that in this great hall, besides His Majesty the Emperor sitting, four chairs were also placed, and three other people were also sitting.

Civil and military officials stood in two ranks, civil on the left and military on the right.

Three chairs were placed at the very front of the left rank, and one chair was placed at the very front of the right rank.

One of the chairs was for the Crown Prince.

The people sitting on the remaining three chairs were:

The current Chief Grand Secretary—Ye Zean.

The current State Preceptor—Xiang Yunshu.

The Military Grand Marshal—Wen Ren Zheng.

Among all the civil and military officials, only these four people were qualified to sit during the court meeting, and everyone else, including the Imperial Princes, could only stand.

Ye Zean stood up from his chair unhurriedly; he did not turn around, so Li Fei could not see what this legendary figure who single-handedly created the "Mingxin Reform" looked like, only hearing the other party's voice:

"I think we should first ask whether Buddhism is willing to serve the country, and then ask what they can do for the country."

Hearing this, many officials in the hall looked at each other, seeing some clues.

"Good."

Only then did the Emperor look at Ming Qi:

"Ming Qi, Pudu Temple is the holy land of Buddhism, and the millions of monks in the world all take Pudu Temple as the leader; you are the Buddha Child of Pudu Temple; you tell Zhen, is Buddhism willing to serve the country?"

Ming Qi put his hands together and said very simply: "Willing."

"Then what can you do?"

The Emperor asked again.

Ming Qi said without hesitation: "Including the Pudu Temple, there are one hundred and eight temples, and every temple has people cultivating Buddhist Dharma, which can refine Sha weapons for the country and enhance national strength."

Hearing this, many officials in the hall changed their expressions.

Compared with the widely built Buddhist halls proposed by the Crown Prince, this was the truly shocking thing!

Li Fei had already heard the Crown Prince mention this matter on the train, knowing that this was the other party's true purpose, so he did not feel surprised, just watching the show quietly.

"Good!"

The Emperor raised his volume, looking very satisfied.

He looked at Ye Zean: "What does the Chief Grand Secretary think?"

Ye Zean bowed to the Emperor with a calm expression:

"If this can really be done, it is a fortunate event for the country; I think it is feasible."

This Chief Grand Secretary had been in charge of the Cabinet for forty-six years; once he nodded, many Cabinet Ministers would give their support.

But there were still people who opposed it.

"Your Majesty!"

A Cabinet Minister, who was also a Grand Secretary of the Zixu Hall, stood out and said loudly:

"The heavy weapons of the military and the state, how can they be lightly granted to others? I think this matter should be discussed at length!"

"Your Majesty, I also think this matter is inappropriate; if a problem arises, the consequences will be immeasurable!"

"Your Majesty..."

More than a dozen officials stood out to oppose it one after another!

After no one else spoke, the Emperor looked at another person sitting on a chair on the civil official rank side:

"The Sha weapon matter has always been the responsibility of the Zhengfa Pavilion; what does the State Preceptor think?"

Upon hearing this, Li Fei immediately looked forward with curious eyes.

The Zhengfa Pavilion was one of the Cabinets; by rights, the Pavilion Master of the Zhengfa Pavilion was not qualified to sit on equal footing with the Chief Grand Secretary.

But the Zhengfa Pavilion held the heavy weapons of the military and the state, and its status was special.

And this Pavilion Master of the Zhengfa Pavilion was also conferred as the current State Preceptor, with a lofty status.

Most importantly, the other party was a True Monarch of the current era!

This was the second True Monarch Li Fei had seen with his own eyes, and also the second powerhouse at the absolute peak.

Among the "Five True Monarchs" spoken of by the world, one of them was actually the "Buddha" of the Pudu Temple.

The other four True Monarchs, each of the three Daoist sects had one, and the last one was the current State Preceptor—Xiang Yunshu.

Li Fei also could not see this person's appearance, only being able to see his back.

The other party's voice sounded very young:

"The refining of Sha weapons has a history of more than five hundred years; at first, only the Zhengfa Pavilion in the Lanling City could refine Sha weapons, and later it gradually expanded to the Judicial Academies in various places also mastering the refining method, and more and more people refined Sha weapons, which led to the tens of thousands of Imperial Army of our Great Lan Dynasty today.

If more people can join the refining, it is nothing more than the continued expansion of the Judicial Academies in various places; I think it is feasible."

What this State Preceptor said was very convincing.

At first, only one place could refine Sha weapons, and later it slowly expanded to the Judicial Academies across the country.

Since there had been no problems for more than five hundred years, what problems could there be now by continuing to increase manpower?

After listening, the Emperor remained calm, turned his head to look at the very front of the military official rank:

"Wen Ren, what do you think?"

Li Fei could clearly feel that this Emperor's attitude towards the three "Pillars of the State" was different.

He was most serious towards the Chief Grand Secretary, and relatively relaxed towards the State Preceptor.

Only when calling the Military Grand Marshal did his tone reveal a sense of casualness.

It sounded more like calling his own close friend.

Wen Ren Zheng, who was sitting on the chair, stood up.

Among the hundreds of people in the great hall, only he was wearing a saber to the hall!

Li Fei also looked at this person.

Speaking of legends, this one was not inferior to the Chief Grand Secretary Ye Zean at all!

Eighteen years ago, the Western Allied Forces fought all the way to the foot of the Lanling City, and the Great Lan Dynasty was in danger; in the end, it was this Military Grand Marshal who led the Great Lan Dynasty's strongest Heavenly Lan Iron Cavalry to defeat the more than one hundred thousand allied forces outside the Lanling City, winning in one battle!

As the Grand Marshal of the Military Affairs Office, Wen Ren Zheng was the head of the military officials, holding the troops and horses of the whole country, and had the strongest Imperial Army of the Great Lan Dynasty under his command.

Besides this, he was also a Martial Saint of the human world!

"Five True Monarchs," Li Fei had already seen two.

"Seven Martial Saints," this was the first one he had seen, and also the first martial arts figure he had seen who had reached the absolute peak!

Unfortunately, he could still only see a back.

"Your Majesty, as a soldier, I only consider how to enhance the country's military power, and how to eliminate the country's enemies. So if Your Majesty asks for my opinion, I think this matter is feasible!"

Wen Ren Zheng's voice was like a knife chopping and an axe hacking, every word and every sentence smashing into people's hearts very forcefully.

Being able to hold the troops and horses of the whole country, and also holding the strongest Imperial Army, he was naturally the confidant most trusted by the monarch.

His opinion always represented the Emperor's opinion!

Until this moment, many people understood that this series of measures was not the Crown Prince "tossing" alone.

"Do the ministers have any other opinions?"

The Emperor looked at the people in the court and asked.

"..."

The great hall was quiet, and no one stood out to oppose it again.

The Chief Grand Secretary, the State Preceptor, and the Military Grand Marshal, these three "Pillars of the State" rarely held a unified opinion on one matter.

So once these three nodded, there would be no other "noise" in the court!

"Since that is the case, Ming Qi."

The Emperor looked at Ming Qi again:

"Buddhism serving the country should be rewarded and punished clearly; if the Pudu Temple and temples in various places cumulatively refine and maintain fifty sets of Sha weapons for the imperial court, the imperial court will build one more temple."

More than a hundred years ago, Emperor Wencheng intended to exterminate Buddhism, but it was not implemented in the end, but it was stipulated that the number of temples in the country could not exceed one hundred and eight.

This restriction had been maintained until now.

Now the Emperor had spoken with a golden mouth, giving Buddhism a chance to break this restriction!

"This poor monk represents the Pudu Temple, and represents the millions of monks in the world, thanking Your Majesty for your great grace."

Ming Qi put his hands together and bowed in greeting.

A smile appeared on the Emperor's face, looking very satisfied.

He looked at the Crown Prince:

"Crown Prince, your inspection of the southwest this time was well-performed, and there has been much praise from various places. You also did very well in the Pudu Temple matter; Zhen is very pleased, and you should be heavily rewarded."

The current Emperor had always been generous to his ministers, but he was famously strict with his own children; the number of times he had publicly praised and said he would heavily reward them like this could be counted on one's fingers.

The Crown Prince was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed in greeting:

"Sharing worries for Father Emperor is my duty, and I dare not speak of rewards. It's just that in this second Martial Arts Exchange Tournament, I once publicly said that I would bring the champion of the tournament to meet the Emperor and personally recommend talents to Father Emperor.

Now I have brought two First in History; if Father Emperor wants to reward, I am willing to ask for rewards for these two peerless geniuses!"

Hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the hall were different.

Many people secretly admired the Crown Prince's brilliance; this means of winning people's hearts was simply maxed out!

The two Imperial Princes standing in the front row, who were also qualified to participate in the court meeting:

The First Imperial Prince sneered, and the Third Imperial Prince smiled.

"You established merit yourself, yet you ask for rewards for others?"

The Emperor looked at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince still bowed: "Discovering talents for the country is also my duty. These two are peerless geniuses, and also geniuses of the country; I ask for rewards for them, hoping that they can bathe in imperial grace, and in the future can also serve the country and share worries for Father Emperor!"

As he said this, he turned around, first pointing at Li Fei:

"Father Emperor, this Li Fei of Wu'an University broke through to the Dao Foundation stage at 18, breaking the martial arts history record!"

Then he pointed at Ming Qi: "This Master Ming Qi became a Martial Arts Master at 26, also breaking the martial arts history record!"

Finally, he turned around and faced the Emperor again: "The breakthrough of these two proves that under Father Emperor's rule, the martial arts of our Great Lan Dynasty are flourishing, far surpassing the past! This is Heaven's mandate, and it is precisely the symbol of Father Emperor's benevolence and might; isn't this a fortunate event? Therefore, I brought the two back to the Imperial Capital, also wanting to congratulate Father Emperor in person!"

Now the First Imperial Prince stopped smiling, and the Third Imperial Prince also slowly restrained his smile.

"Hahahaha!"

Above the Dan steps, the Emperor laughed heartily, which was rare.

A group of officials also had a feeling of gaining knowledge.

They had seen many people flattering the Emperor, but this was the first time they had seen someone bring two "First in History" to flatter the Emperor.

It had to be admitted that such flattery was unprecedented, and could be counted as "First in History"!

"Good, you two are indeed peerless geniuses; breaking martial arts records is a fortunate event for the country, and with the Crown Prince asking for rewards for you two with great merit, Zhen cannot be stingy."

The Emperor looked at Li Fei and Ming Qi with a smile, preparing to heavily reward them!

"Father Emperor!"

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

The First Imperial Prince, wearing a four-clawed eight-python robe, stood out.

Compared to the Crown Prince, the First Imperial Prince's figure was more burly, and there was a clear martial aura on his body.

Li Fei felt that this First Imperial Prince should be a Dao Foundation stage martial artist, and should have killed quite a few people!

As the Crown Prince said, it was actually very difficult for royal children to become martial arts powerhouses, because their status destined them to have difficulty experiencing life-and-death tempering.

So this First Imperial Prince being able to become a Dao Foundation stage powerhouse could already be considered an "anomaly" among the Imperial Princes.

"Father Emperor wants to heavily reward the geniuses of the country, and I also feel it should be done, but if this genius is a disciple of a rebel, harboring evil intentions, and despising the King's law, I am afraid it cannot be counted as a genius of the country, and might even become a great disaster for the country in the future!"

The First Imperial Prince's voice was loud, echoing in this great hall.

A group of officials couldn't help but be somewhat restless upon hearing this.

A disciple of a rebel, a great disaster for the country; these were not small charges!

"Oh?"

The Emperor's eyes changed, looking at the First Imperial Prince, "Qin Zihong, who are you saying is a disciple of a rebel, a great disaster for the country?"

The First Imperial Prince's surname was Qin, and his name was Qin Zihong.

He turned around, met Li Fei's calm gaze, revealed a murderous smile, and raised his finger to point at Li Fei:

"This person is a disciple of a rebel, a great disaster for the country!"

PS: This chapter was coded on the high-speed rail, very painful...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 290 =====