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Because of the memorials submitted to the court by Zhang Bozhen, the governor of Henan, and Zheng Yicheng, the prefect of Luoyang, the public opinion environment faced by Prince Zhu Heyu also improved slightly again.
After all, Zhang Bozhen is a close disciple of the chief minister Zhou Shangjing, and Zheng Yicheng has just defected to Zhao Junchen. Due to various considerations, both Zhou Shangjing and Zhao Junchen are currently leaning towards preserving the crown prince Zhu Heyu.
Therefore, Zhang Bozhen and Zheng Yicheng, under the instructions of their respective backstages, both took a stance in favor of Zhu Heyu. The contents of the memorials they submitted to the imperial court were all about avoiding the important and minimizing the importance and trying to excuse the prince Zhu Heyu.
According to what they said in the memorial, the bloody conflict between Prince Zhu Heyu and Prince Fu's Mansion was initiated by Prince Fu Zhu Citong, and then they all implicitly hinted that the death of Prince Fu's eldest son Zhu Hezeng was inseparable from Prince Fu's lineage. , all the behaviors of Prince Zhu Heyu were forced, or were excessive and reckless, but they can be regarded as excusable...
As a result, the voices of all parties in the court criticizing Prince Zhu Heyu finally decreased slightly, and more voices began to speak for Prince Zhu Heyu.
Under such circumstances, Emperor Deqing also felt that the pressure on his body was slightly relieved, and his mood also improved a little.
So, on the third day, Emperor Deqing had the leisure to pay another private visit incognito.
The destination of Emperor Deqing's private visit incognito is still the "Tongji Temple" where the "Three Saints of the South China Sea" are enshrined. There is also Zhang Daoquan, the "master of Taoism" in Emperor Deqing's mind!
Perhaps because he was focused on court affairs, Emperor Deqing has not seen "immortal fate" again these days, nor has he dreamed of anything related to gods, Buddhas, and saints. This situation made Emperor Deqing quite uneasy. , was very worried that the opportunity brought by the "Three Saints of the South China Sea" had disappeared, so he couldn't help but go to the "Tongji Temple" again, hoping that Zhang Daoquan could give him some guidance.
But this time, Emperor Deqing was only accompanied by his eunuch Zhang De and his horse supervisor Xu Sheng. He did not notify Zhao Junchen, let alone let him accompany him.
On the other side, after discovering that Emperor Deqing was visiting again, Zhang Daoquan naturally dropped everything he was doing to accompany him throughout the whole process. Not only did he accompany Emperor Deqing to visit the scenery and palaces of the "Tongji Temple", but he also introduced Emperor Deqing into his In the practice room, he discussed Taoism with Emperor Deqing for nearly half an hour.
During this period, Zhang Daoquan still developed his mystique style to the extreme. He would always act like a master at any time, always saying things that seemed mysterious, but upon closer inspection, you would find that they had no practical significance. It makes sense, but Emperor Deqing was already in trouble, so he believed it.
Regarding Emperor Deqing's delay in encountering "immortal fate" again, Zhang Daoquan just advised Emperor Deqing to be patient, saying that everything was just a test from the immortal, which also made Emperor Deqing feel more at ease again.
The most surprising thing is that during the reign of Emperor Deqing, he even told Zhang Daoquan several difficult things in the temple, hoping that Zhang Daoquan could provide him with some opinions.
Of course, Emperor Deqing did not speak directly, but used metaphors. Taking the incident of Prince Zhu Heyu as an example, Emperor Deqing described it as "the son who was supposed to inherit the family business actually beat him." The distant elders have not only caused dissatisfaction among the clan members, but also many criticisms from neighbors and friends."
Fortunately, although Zhang Daoquan was a genius and naturally had a lot of cleverness, he did not have much insight or great wisdom. After hearing Emperor Deqing's advice, he was completely unaware that his opinions would affect the situation in the temple. What a huge impact.
Therefore, at this time, Zhang Daoquan still only cared about maintaining his image as a Taoist master, and he only knew how to say some confusing "little words and great righteousness". When Emperor Deqing pressed him for questioning, he just said, "The time has not come yet", Or "you will understand when it's time to understand", and Emperor Deqing naturally gained nothing.
In this way, Emperor Deqing stayed in the "Tongji Temple" for more than an hour, listening to the great principles in his mind. He seemed to have gained a lot, but also seemed to gain nothing. Sometimes he would suspect that his understanding was dull, but he was still successfully convinced by Zhang Daoquan. After being fooled, he returned to the palace in a daze.
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But he said that after Zhang Daoquan moved outside the practice room and said goodbye to Emperor Deqing, looking at the retreating figures of Emperor Deqing and others, he thought he performed well and looked relaxed, and a proud smile flashed across his lips.
However, when Zhang Daoquan turned around and returned to the practice room, what he saw in front of him made his expression freeze.
Unexpectedly, just a few moments after he left the room to say goodbye to Emperor Deqing, Zhao Junchen appeared in the practice room like a ghost without any warning, and now he was sitting cross-legged on the futon where Emperor Deqing was sitting just now. Go up, looking at him with a smile but not a smile.
Seeing Zhao Junchen's sudden appearance, Zhang Daoquan was startled at first, and then seemed to think of something. His expression changed again, and he asked cautiously: "Zhao Junchen, you just... have been hiding in the secret room listening to me and His Majesty’s talk?”
It turns out that when Zhao Junchen originally funded the construction of the "Tongji Temple", he had foreseen a situation similar to today, so he built another secret room in Zhang Daoquan's practice room.
At the same time, Zhao Junchen also made an unquestionable request to Zhang Daoquan, that is, if Zhang Daoquan wants to have private conversations with important figures in the government and the public in the future, he must move to this practice room. By then, Zhao Junchen's cronies will also Hide in a secret room and be responsible for recording and observing.
It was precisely because of Zhao Junchen's original request that Zhang Daoquan deliberately chose this practice room when he was alone with Emperor Deqing today to talk about theology and Taoism.
However, although Zhang Daoquan also knew that there was always someone in the darkroom responsible for recording and observing, he never expected that this person was actually Zhao Junchen himself!
Hearing Zhang Daoquan's shocked inquiry, Zhao Junchen's expression remained unchanged and he said slowly: "Today is the first time that His Majesty has visited Tongji Temple alone. It is of great importance. Of course, I dare not neglect it. I will immediately hear the news." I came in a hurry and listened carefully to the entire conversation between you and His Majesty... Your performance was very good, there were no mistakes or troubles, I am very satisfied."
Seeing that the satisfaction on Zhao Junchen's expression didn't seem to be fake, Zhang Daoquan couldn't help but feel relieved - his awe for Zhao Junchen was instinctive. Compared with Zhao Junchen, when he faced Emperor Deqing, he felt even more More relaxed.
Zhao Junchen took a serious look at Zhang Daoquan and was very satisfied with Zhang Daoquan's respectful attitude. Then he pointed to the futon in front of him and said again: "Sit down and talk. There are some things I wanted to talk to you about a few days ago. It’s just that a lot of things have happened in the temple these days, and I couldn’t find time until today.”
Zhang Daoquan did not dare to neglect, and quickly sat down carefully in front of Zhao Junchen, bowed his head and said: "I respectfully listen to Zhao Gechen's teachings."
Zhao Junchen smiled again and said leisurely: "I can't talk about teachings. I just hope that there are some things that can be discussed openly and have a deep heart-to-heart discussion."
After a pause, Zhao Junchen's tone suddenly became serious and he asked again: "The last time your Majesty came to the Tongji Temple with me, he expressed his intention to fund the construction of the 'Three Saints of the South China Sea' in various states and counties. We need to build temples extensively and entrust you with this lucrative job. You were obviously moved at the time, but because of my hints and coercion, you had to decline your majesty’s suggestion... Now I want you to say To be honest, do you have any resentment in your heart about this matter?"
Zhang Daoquan was immediately startled, and hurriedly waved his hand and said: "How dare you have resentment in your heart? Everything you have is a gift from Zhao Gechen. Naturally, the villain can do whatever Zhao Gechen says..."
"Tell the truth!"
Zhao Junchen interrupted Zhang Daoquan's words with an aggravated tone.
Zhao Junchen rarely used such a serious tone, and Zhang Daoquan couldn't help but trembled with fright.
But in the end, after Zhang Daoquan hesitated and remained silent for a moment, he lowered his head and whispered: "Actually... the villain did have some resentment in his heart at that time!
Zhao Gechen, you understand the villain best. The villain has no other ambition in his life. He just hopes that Tongji Temple can become a major Buddhist and Taoist sect like Shangqing, Quanzhen, Zen, and Sanlun Sect! And the villain himself can also call himself his ancestor and become famous all over the world...
His Majesty originally proposed to build temples for the "Three Saints of the South China Sea" and let the "Tongji Temple" be responsible for the specific matters. After the "Three Saints of the South China Sea Temple" in various states, prefectures and counties were built, it was equivalent to becoming a "Tongji Temple" By branching out, the 'Tongji Temple' can quickly be compared with Quanzhen, Shangqing, Zen, Sanlunzong and other major sects, and the villain's ambition can be quickly realized...
However, just because you, Zhao Gechen, kept staring at the villain with such terrifying eyes that the villain had to politely reject your majesty's suggestion. The opportunity that the villain finally waited for to realize his ambition was shattered immediately. So... even though the villain knows that you, Zhao Gechen, must have other intentions, he still can't help but feel a little resentful. "
After patiently listening to Zhang Daoquan's complaint, Zhao Junchen nodded lightly and said, "Oh? Just some resentment? Not resentment? This situation is better than I imagined."
Zhang Daoquan was startled again, and hurriedly waved his hands and said: "It is a big mistake for a villain to have some resentment against Zhao Gechen. How dare he resent Zhao Gechen... Absolutely not, even if I borrow ten thousand courages from this villain, dare!"
That being said, only Zhang Daoquan knows whether his true emotions are "resentment" or "resentment."
Zhao Junchen nodded with a smile, as if he believed Zhang Daoquan's explanation, and his attitude became gentler, and he said slowly: "That's right, open the sky and speak openly, speak your mind clearly, and there will be fewer misunderstandings between everyone! Otherwise, you always think that I am deliberately stumbling you and preventing you from realizing your ambitions, while I always think that you have hidden resentment and two minds in your heart, and the estrangement will appear, and then we will gradually drift away, and it will be very difficult in the future. If we can no longer cooperate... we might even turn against each other and become a life-or-death situation."
Zhao Junchen's tone was gentle, but after hearing the four words "life or death", Zhang Daoquan was startled again, and his body trembled involuntarily.
Normally, the word "live and die" means "one of you and I will die", but Zhang Daoquan believes that what Zhao Junchen said at this moment, "live or die", means literally - you die, I live!
However, before Zhang Daoquan could explain again, Zhao Junchen waved his hand to interrupt and continued: "You just said that the reason why I forced you to refuse to build the temple had a deeper meaning. This idea is not wrong. !
Let me ask you, you have always hoped that Tongji Temple can become a major Buddhist and Taoist sect such as Quanzhen, Shangqing, Zen, and Sanlun Sect, but have you ever thought about Quanzhen, Shangqing, Zen, and Sanlun Sect? Why can major Buddhist sects such as Lun Zong achieve the scale and momentum they have today? Is it because their followers are so widespread? Or is it because they have many temples? "
Zhang Daoquan was stunned again, and after hesitating for a long time he replied: "The villain believes that a wide spread of believers and a large number of temples are both indispensable."
Zhao Junchen looked disappointed, as if he was very dissatisfied with Zhang Daoquan's short-sightedness, and then put on a patient look and said: "Wrong, you have completely reversed the cause and effect! The spread of believers and the numerous temples are just these great Buddhist and Taoist figures. It is the result of the success of the sect, not the reason for their success! It was only after these major Buddhist and Taoist sects successfully gained recognition from all walks of life of the government and the public that they have the wide spread of believers and numerous temples they have today. But why do you think they can successfully gain the recognition of all walks of life of the government and the public? Agree?"
Zhao Junchen's usual method - if you want to successfully persuade a person, you must keep the person in a state of doubt, and then take the opportunity to instill his own point of view. It can be said that it has been tried and tested repeatedly.
Now Zhang Daoquan was deeply in a state of doubt. After thinking seriously for a moment, he asked slowly: "Is it because their teachings are profound?"
But the next moment, Zhang Daoquan shook his head and personally rejected this inference.
As a genius, he knows very well that the teachings of various sects do not have much practical significance to the majority of ordinary believers. The vast majority of believers are unable to distinguish the differences between the various sects of Buddhism and Taoism. However, this situation will not It prevents believers from worshiping gods and Buddhas and donating incense.
Seeing that Zhang Daoquan could not find the correct answer for a while, Zhao Junchen quickly gave the answer: "Actually, I have already told you the answer. The reason why these major Buddhist sects can achieve success is because they have gained support from all walks of life in the government and the public. recognition!
It is precisely because they have gained recognition from all walks of life in the government and the public that even if the forces in the government and the public will not actively assist them, they will not deliberately make things difficult for them, let alone add insult to injury when they are in trouble!
In this way, these great sects of Buddhism and Taoism can be passed down smoothly. Whether it is Shangqing, Quanzhen, Zen, or Sanlunzong, they have all lasted for hundreds of thousands of years! With such a long inheritance time, they can have countless disciples and disciples, and a large number of talents can emerge to perfect and spread their teachings. They will also be more convincing to ordinary believers, and naturally they will get twice the result with half the effort when expanding their influence... Then, whether it is to build temples or spread believers widely, it will be a natural thing! "
Hearing this, Zhang Daoquan couldn't help but nodded slightly, thinking that Zhao Junchen's statement made sense.
Zhao Junchen's tone became serious again and continued: "This is also the real reason why I asked you to refuse to build the temple! If you think about it seriously, you have only gained the approval of His Majesty, but you have not yet gained The approval of all parties in the government and the opposition is nothing more than ordinary times. With my secret protection, even if the forces in the government and the opposition do not agree with the 'Tongji Temple', they will not deliberately oppose the 'Tongji Temple'!
However, if you agree to your Majesty's proposal to build temples extensively, how huge will the amount of money, food and people you consume be? How many people's interests will be harmed by such a huge consumption? At that time, the government and the opposition will not just disagree with the 'Tongji Temple', but will hate the 'Tongji Temple' to the core! Even with my full protection, 'Tongji Temple' will be besieged on all sides and make enemies everywhere!
If you think about it seriously, even with His Majesty's full support, can Tongji Temple still be the enemy of the world? What's more, His Majesty is now fifty-six, how many more years can he protect the Tongji Temple? To put it bluntly, if His Majesty dies in the future, and all walks of life in the government and the public are hostile to Tongji Temple, what will happen to you, Tongji Temple? Are there not enough incidents in the past dynasties to destroy the Buddha and destroy the Tao?
Oh, your ambition is to call yourself your ancestor, but you must leave disciples and grandchildren. Do you think you will still have disciples and grandchildren by then? As for making Tongji Temple become a major Buddhist and Taoist sect like Shangqing and Zen, it is even more wishful thinking! As for you yourself, don’t even think about your reputation being passed down through the ages. Under the full suppression and final judgment of the imperial court, it’s good to think that you won’t be infamy for thousands of years! "
Hearing this, Zhang Daoquan couldn't help but sweat. He was obviously frightened by Zhao Junchen's description. The dissatisfaction with Zhao Junchen in his heart immediately disappeared. He only felt that Zhao Junchen was indeed far-sighted. I am short-sighted and greedy.
"Thank you very much for Zhao Gechen's advice. If Zhao Gechen hadn't explained the pros and cons clearly, I would have committed suicide without realizing it!"
After saying that, Zhang Daoquan left the pavilion and kowtowed to Zhao Junchen in thanks.
Zhao Junchen helped Zhang Daoquan up with his own hands, and his attitude returned to a gentle and close attitude, saying: "You and I are in the same boat. I have invested a lot of resources and efforts in the 'Tongji Temple'. Helping you means helping me. If you are If I succeed, I will gain a lot, and if you fail, I will also be implicated! So you must understand that no matter what decision I make, it must be for your own good!"
Zhao Junchen's words actually changed the concept. "People on the same boat" does not mean that they will always help each other and never leave, but whenever human beings hear "because, so" and the like, After the description, I will always be convinced subconsciously, but I rarely seriously think about whether the causal relationship really exists.
Zhang Daoquan was only a little smart but not very wise, so naturally he couldn't understand Zhao Junchen's concept of secret exchange. For a while, he only felt that what Zhao Junchen said was reasonable, and he had no doubts about Zhao Junchen.
So, when being helped up by Zhao Junchen, Zhang Daoquan asked sincerely: "But I hope Zhao Gechen can give me some advice. If this villain wants to make 'Tongji Temple' a major Buddhist and Taoist school, what method should he use?" Which is the safest?"
Zhao Junchen smiled softly, knowing that now was a great opportunity for him to draw cakes for Zhang Daoquan to satisfy his hunger!
Zhang Daoquan's intimidation can only temporarily prevent Zhang Daoquan's disunity and resentment. When Zhang Daoquan looks back on it in the future, he will still complain that Zhao Junchen ruined his great opportunity to realize his ambition.
Therefore, if you want Zhang Daoquan to work hard for him for a long time, you not only need to analyze the pros and cons and threaten him, but you also need to cooperate!
Many times, "drawing cakes" can stimulate people's enthusiasm and initiative more than actual benefits, and it is an indispensable means for those in power.
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