Wudang Mountain is also known as Taihe Mountain, Xieluo Mountain and Shenshang Mountain. It is said to be the Taoist temple of Emperor Zhenwu and is the number one mountain in Taoism. Wudang, the largest Taoist sect in the Ming Dynasty, flourished here and was known as the "Xuan Yue" in the world, ranking above the Five Mountains. It is said that various religions from all over the world have gathered in the small town at the foot of the mountain for a conference on sutras and scriptures. The market in the small town is also many times more lively than usual.
Since tomorrow is the Sutra Conference, all the sects and sects have arrived before that night. However, Wudang has regulations that prohibit friends from all walks of life from going up the mountain before dawn. Therefore, the inn at the foot of the mountain is already full, and many people are still camping outside.
Some sects met each other, and there were naturally a lot of conflicts, and the children of the Jianghu would get into trouble if something went wrong. Although Wudang specially arranged people to be responsible for the reception at the foot of the mountain, it was still noisy that night.
Inside a large tent, the lights were bright, six people held their hands tightly together, and all of them had smiles on their faces.
These six people are none other than Wang Zhaoren, the leader of Nanyue Hengshan Mountain, Yu Huizi Wang Zhaoren, Fang Yuanzi Feng Ji, the leader of Zhongyue Songshan Mountain, Guan Chengzi He Jiuyuan, the leader of Dongyue Taishan Mountain, and Dai Dai, the leader of Beiyue Hengshan Mountain. The fairy Du Qinglan, the master of Huashan Mountain in Huashan - the divine fortune teller Zeng Xuanying, and He Jiuyuan's sworn brother Tiancongzi - Lu Ke. Except for Lu Ke, the other five people came from the same sect, that is, they are the five Confucian scholars who are known as chess, piano, calligraphy, and painting.
"Senior brother, senior sister, we haven't seen each other for many years, but you miss me so much!" Zeng Xuanying has always been a straightforward person and is the youngest. She said emotionally as soon as they met.
"Yes, since Master traveled to the immortal world, we have been together less and apart more often. The last time we got together was at the Junshan meeting twelve years ago," Du Qinglan said.
"Sigh... our brothers and sisters have been busy with church affairs these years. Now that the world is finally at peace, the younger generation has emerged, and it's time for us to retreat behind the scenes." It was Wang Zhaoren who replied.
The six people gradually calmed down and sat down one after another. There was a strong fire in the middle, and several pots of old wine were being boiled. Six people sat in a circle, drinking and eating meat, and talking freely.
"What senior brother said is true...According to the laws of the world, new martial arts masters will appear every twenty years. It has been more than twenty years since Master Xianyou and I established ourselves in the Five Mountains. Today's world is young again. Talents are emerging in large numbers, and we immortals...Haha, we have fallen behind a long time ago. Wouldn't it be nice to give up our clothes, find a quiet place, live together, or travel around?" He Jiuyuan laughed.
"The younger generation naturally has a bright future, but why are we so old? Haha..." The speaker was Du Qinglan, the head of Hengshan, and she did not think that she was old.
"When people live their whole lives, they should only seek peace and ease. Like us, it would be difficult to throw away all the worldly things on the mountain." Feng Ji, the head of Songshan Mountain, lamented. As soon as these words came out, everyone looked ashamed, except for Taishan He Jiuyuan and Lu Ke, whose expression turned slightly bright.
"You don't have to blame yourself so much. In fact, people are not like mushrooms or worms in the world. The most important thing is to stick to your heart. You can hide in the world, and you can also make great achievements, just like what your brothers have done. What he did was not because of people who were greedy for fame and fortune," Lu Ke said.
"What Brother Lu said is indeed the truth. It is no better than our brothers, except for the third brother, who used force to seize the master of the Wuyue Mountain Gate. Now think about it, there are also many innocent people who were killed. Every time I think about it, This is all an exaggeration." Hengshan headmaster Du Qinglan said quietly.
At that time, Feng Ji, Wang Zhaoren, Du Qinglan, and Zeng Xuanying challenged the leader of Siyue with force, and each won the leader position. Lu Ke and He Jiuyuan were sworn brothers. At first, the Taishan disciples fought fiercely for the position of the heir to the leadership. In the end, the position of the leadership fell to Lu Ke, who was the most unwilling to be the leader. Lu Ke Immediately he gave way to He Jiuyuan, thus finally establishing the status of Confucianism and Lizong in the world, while Buddhism and Taoism lost control of the Five Mountains and suffered great losses. After years of fighting, Wuzi's position in the world has become stronger and stronger.
There is another tent next to the big tent. Although it is not as gorgeous as the former one, it is full of joy and laughter. Several young people gathered together, and they were from the same school, so naturally they had something to say.
Since Huashan Mountain is close to the road, and Zeng Xuanying had a good relationship with the head of Wudang, he took his precious daughter Zeng Jinyi, who had just passed her hair age, to visit the mountain in advance.
Listening to Zeng Jinyi's interesting stories about Wudang, everyone suddenly became more interested in traveling and discussed how to have some fun.
The hustle and bustle of the night passed quickly. The various sects were intimidated by Wudang's reputation, but they abided by the rules and did not rush into the mountains in advance.
At dawn, the foot of the mountain was already buzzing with people, and everyone attending the meeting was heading up the mountain.
At that time, Emperor Yongle ordered Longping Hou Zhang Xin, Prince Consort Mu Xin, Right Minister of the Ministry of Industry Guo Jing, and Minister of Rites Jin Chun to lead more than 200,000 soldiers, civilians, and craftsmen to overhaul Wudang. You can still see a busy scene.
After climbing up and down the eighteen sets, we reached the Golden Summit and entered the Yuxu Palace. When we arrived at the venue, there was already a high platform standing in the middle.
Facing the upper direction of the high platform, there is a main stand with one eaves. Three sandalwood Taishi chairs are placed safely, covered with red and yellow umbrella canopies.
In front of the eaves is "The Imperially Appointed Ming Dynasty Confucian Conference on Confucian Classics", with a couplet on the left and right that says: "Extensive writing strengthens the body and promotes the power of the Ming Dynasty; talking about Confucian classics and Taoism corrects the style of the Xia Dynasty." These eighteen large characters are written so powerfully that even if they are not The literate charlatan is also a pleasure to watch.
In the middle of the venue is the Bible debate area, surrounded by audience areas. The audience is divided into five major areas, which are based on the broad sect they belong to, namely "Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Hu and San". Among them, "Hu" mainly refers to churches introduced from foreign countries such as Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, and Mingjiao. Strictly speaking, Buddhism was also introduced from foreign countries, but after more than a thousand years of development, it has acquired local characteristics. Although Mingjiao originated from Persian Manichaeism, it had been introduced to China as early as the Tang Dynasty. It has been localized at that time, but it falls into the "Hu" category. "San" refers to those sects in the martial arts that have no religious beliefs and gather together based on the same industry, such as the Beggar Clan, Danxing, Cao Clan, etc., and also include some knights and loose officials, who come just to watch the fun.
At this time, the bells in the Taoist temple rang, and the conference officially began. The venue was already filled with heroes from all walks of life. The eight-foot-long Taoist priest with a turtle-shaped crane's back, handsome features, and high energy came onto the stage, clasped his fists and looked around, then stepped back and stood at the corner of the stage. Everyone recognized that he was Sun Biyun, the third generation headmaster of the Wudang Sect, with the Taoist name Xu Xuanzi. He was indeed the proud disciple of Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng. This glance made everyone less noisy.
Then he saw a group of royal guards surrounding Han Wang Zhu Gaoxu and ascending to the center of the stage. Another team of guards in goldfish uniforms protected another person and climbed to the left. The venue immediately exploded with excitement, some were happy, some were confused, some were angry, and some were frightened.
It turns out that the one on the left is none other than Ji Gang, the current commander of the Jinyi Guards. This man is bold and vicious, efficient, good at riding and shooting, and can cater to the Holy Will. Therefore, he is deeply trusted by Zhu Di. , frame others, wield power and greed for money. I saw him walking on stage, sweeping his eyes across the venue, showing a sly smile, brushing his clothes, and sat down.
Sun Biyun stepped forward, first bowed deeply to Zhu Gaoxu and Ji Gang, then turned around, took two steps forward, clasped his fists around, sang a promise, and said: "Everyone, we are now ruling the world, enlightenment is flourishing, and the world is flourishing. Each sect adheres to the ambition of preaching and preaching virtues. Although they have different beliefs, they reach the same goal by different paths. The sect is fortunate to receive the emperor's favor and receive the holy order to hold this sutra conference. It is honored by heroes from all walks of life who have worked tirelessly and come to the remote place. , It’s really a great honor. Because my master is old and has been traveling around the world for many years, it is hard to find the fairy. Biyun is here to represent Heshan Taoist priests and sincerely welcome the arrival of heroes from all walks of life. , I apologize for the lack of hospitality. His Highness the King of Han will personally preside over this sutra discussion meeting, and I would like to ask the King of Han to give you an edict."
Zhu Gaoxu stood up, clasped his fists around, and said loudly: "Dear heroes, I have been entrusted by His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty to preside over this conference on scriptures. I am fortunate to meet all of you friends in the world. I am honored to meet you. Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, we have been prosperous. The country of Sheji is a foreign country, and all the countries come to court. Not only are their saints wise and their ministers loyal and wise, but they also rely on Qianli to practice literature and martial arts to strengthen their foundation and body. This is something that other barbarians have never done. Today, all sects and sects strictly abide by the emperor's orders. Educating all people, giving alms and doing good deeds are indispensable. Today, the Holy Spirit is considerate of your contribution in preaching and virtuous, and has specially organized this conference on scriptures to observe the prosperity of education, to debate the truth of enlightenment and to save people, and to commend those who have mastered fine learning. As a role model, I have come to encourage you to be loyal and loyal. Now, I solemnly announce: "The Imperial Conference on Sutras and Commentaries of All Religions of the Ming Dynasty." The Sutras and Commentaries Conference has officially begun, and Honglu Temple is invited to prepare for the drawing of lots.
Later, Zhu Gaoxu covered his eyes with a yellow cloth, stretched out his hand to draw lots, and handed them to Sun Biyun. He opened them and looked at them under the publicity of representatives of each sect. He determined that the topic of the debate was "On whether the Thirteen Sticks Monk Bao Tang Wang is contrary to Buddhist teachings." ".
Zhu Gaoxu continued to preach: "According to the imperial edict, the winner of this debate will be awarded the official position of Honglu Temple and be ordered to take charge of the world's religious affairs. The sect to which he belongs will also be granted thousands of acres of land and thousands of ultimatums. The emperor's grace is magnificent, everyone. Show your true abilities."
Afterwards, Sun Biyun continued, "Next, please ask Commander Ji Gang of Jinyiwei to read out the rules of this competition."
Ji Gang then talked about the rules. In the competition, three representatives from each denomination will first form a debate team and write down their own views. Then the organizer will write the names of each debate team on slips of paper according to their different views. The same font size will be used in two different Each opinion appears once, and then the representatives of each Bible debate team draw lots. Those who draw the same font size will form a group. This ensures that the two sides have different opinions in the first round of debate. After the round, they will be grouped according to this method until the final decision. For the winner, if both sides have the same point of view in the final confrontation, other alternate questions will be used. In order to reflect fairness, the debate was held in public, and the judging panel was composed of officials from Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites, local gentry, celebrities, and wealthy businessmen from both inside and outside the region. One requirement is that only words are allowed and no force is allowed. All Wudang disciples and a large number of Jinyi guards were responsible for patrolling.
Since the sects had to appoint representatives, and the five sects were originally from the same sect, although they could each have representatives, their views were basically the same. Considering Wang Zhaoren's erudition, He Jiuyuan's critical thinking, and Du Qinglan's wisdom, they recommended three people to accept the challenge. Later, the land was divided equally.
The morning's debate ended quickly. As the old man at Jiangshanyue Winery in Hanyang said, the three religions of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have emerged as a tripartite.
However, everyone did not realize that the topic of this sutra discussion was actually a trap. At first glance, the topic seemed to be dominated by Buddhism, but if you want to discuss the Thirteen Stick Monks, you must discuss Li Shimin. In terms of the rights and wrongs of Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, especially Xuanwu On the issue of the Gate Incident and the imprisonment of Emperor Gaozu, the Qingcheng, Longhu and Wudang sects within Taoism argued against other sects such as Qiyun and Laoshan. The unified view was that Li Shimin's move was in accordance with the will of God, in line with the times and in response to the people's will. Li Shimin was destined by fate. Therefore, the thirteen stick monks protecting the king of Tang Dynasty was an act of divine sanction. This view is also deeply appreciated by the forces representing North Korea and China.
In Buddhism, there are many sects, such as Kusha, Chengshi, Sanlun, Nirvana, Vinaya, Dilun, Pure Land, Zen, Shelun, Tiantai, Huayan, Faxiang, Tantric and other sects. There are different opinions among the people, and the reason has not been figured out yet. However, Northern Chan, headed by Shaolin, has a higher chance of winning because of its strong strength, while famous figures from Southern Chan, Tiantai and other sects were not present for some reason.
In Confucianism, in addition to Lizong and the Five Sacred Schools, there are also major academies such as Hengqu, Jingling, Qingtian, Yuelu, and Songyang. Many people believe that Taizong usurped the throne and established himself, which was inconsistent with etiquette. The Thirteen Sticks Monk chanted Amitabha, however, intervenes in the world and is used by others, which is not tolerated by the law. But there was a huge disparity in strength between them and Xin Wuyue, and they were defeated by Wang Zhaoren and the others in just a few rounds.
During lunch, everyone chatted while eating, discussing the morning's event and preparing how to deal with it in the afternoon.
"Junior sister, according to your opinion, who among the Buddhists will win?" Wang Zhaoren asked.
"Brother must know, Shaolin Temple will definitely win." Du Qinglan said with a smile.
"But I always feel that it's not that simple. The Northern Zen views represented by Shaolin Temple may not be in line with the current emperor's wishes. If Shaolin wins, wouldn't the possibility of Wudang winning be greatly reduced?" Wang Zhaoren said.
"Brother, don't forget, our views are opposed to Shaolin's." He Jiuyuan said with a smile.
"That's the current Wuyue. If the Wuyue more than 20 years ago would not think so." Feng Jidao, he seemed to be a bit serious, and everyone didn't think it was strange.
Du Qinglan was stunned. "One thing is quite strange: Tiantai and Wutai's views must be consistent with Shaolin's, but they did not participate in the competition. Jiuhua and Emei sects are also powerful. With them here, I am afraid it is not possible to draw a conclusion as to whether Shaolin can win. .”
"Senior sister is right. But if Shaolin doesn't win, don't we all have the same point of view? Are we really planning to play a playoff?" Zeng Xuanying said.
"However, we will face Wudang in the afternoon, and our views on Emperor Taizong's ban on Emperor Gaozu are not in line with the Wudang sect. We are more than enough to deal with other sects, but the pressure against Wudang is not small."
"We have all seen the power of Wudang this morning. The Wudang sect itself is strong, and it also has the great help of the seven Sanfeng sects to which it belongs. Moreover, its teachings are a fusion of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, and have always been respected by the royal family. It’s a powerful enemy.”
The elders were talking about the Sutra Conference, but the young people were not interested. Yu Changxuan, Tie Lian, Jing Yunpeng, Fang Lingyan and Zeng Jinyi, who had lived in the mountains for a long time, just wanted to come out to see the world, but did not want to participate in the debate. And they are not qualified to discuss these at their level.
The afternoon scripture discussion meeting was more intense. The debate teams entering the final rounds of duels all had different views. As the final showdown, the views of both sides were exactly opposite, and the backup questions were not used. Although Shaolin's defeat was a bit unexpected, it was reasonable because Shaolin's participating monk Master Zhiqing suddenly fainted during the competition. Emei Bian defeated Shaolin and was defeated by Southern Shaolin-Wuyi Bian. Wudang defeated Confucianism and won the championship on behalf of Taoism, defeating Nanchan and Wuyi. Sun Biyun, the head of Wudang, was also awarded the post of Taoist Youzhengyi by the court on the spot, commanding the world's religious affairs, which is enviable.
