After Huicong left, Wang Wenzuo let out a long breath. Divide and rule was always the only rule for rulers. If the Tang Dynasty wanted to gain a foothold on the Korean Peninsula, it would establish a vested interest group among the locals that was attached to its own rule. It is necessary to drive all the locals to the opposite side. Even if they win every battle, the cost of occupation will crush the finances in the long run. The Baekje vassal soldiers who surrendered to themselves, such as Yuan Fei and Sangqiu, were a good start, but this was far from enough. More influential people from the middle and upper classes were also needed, such as monks like Huicong. Even though he is still a little reluctant now, as long as he can continue to do it, Wang Wenzuo is not afraid that he will not be able to pull him over, and at least he can serve as a role model.
"Join the army!" Master Shen stood at the door, his forehead covered with beads of sweat and his breathing rapid.
"Come in and talk!" Wang Wenzuo waved his hand: "When there are no outsiders, there is no need to be so formal, just call me Sanlang!"
"Yes, Sanlang!" Master Shen laughed, his white teeth shining: "I just came back from the dock. I have prepared four boats, and the paint on two more will take a few days to dry!"
"Only six? Where are the other two?" Wang Wenzuo asked.
"One has a problem with the mainmast, and another has a hull that always tilts to one side. It can't be repaired in ten and a half days!"
"How could this happen?" Wang Wenzuo frowned: "It rains all night when the house is broken, and things always go wrong!"
"Sanlang, there are still a few old boats docked at the dock. I'll let the craftsmen repair them overnight. How about that?"
"That's it!" Wang Wenzuo shook his head: "The speed of the old ship is much slower. We are going to pass through Zhouliucheng this time, and we are likely to encounter an interception from the Baekje people. If there is speed and slowness, then the slow one will become a drag, so that's it. , we can only stop carrying horses on the boat, and we will find a solution after we get ashore! Monk Dharma, please let the soldiers get used to the boat more in the past few days, so as not to get seasick after getting aboard!"
"yes!"
Huicong put his hands together and recited the Lotus Sutra. Everyone under the altar bowed their heads, and the air was filled with sadness.
On the altar, cypress trees were piled up in a neat triangle, and the unique aroma of oil filled the air. After Hui Cong finished reading the last verse, he picked up a flaming branch from the incense burner and threw it on the pile of cypress trees. The flames immediately rose and thick smoke rose. It rose, dyeing the early morning sky gray, and rising together with the fireworks were the sighs and cries of the crowd.
"There is no peace in the three realms. It is like a house on fire. It is full of sufferings and is very scary. There are always worries about birth, old age, illness and death. Such fires are burning and never stop! If you don't fully empty your karma, cut off confusion and realize the truth, there is no hope of leaving the three realms. This is Then there is only the Pure Land Dharma, but if you have true faith and earnest vows, and uphold the name of the Buddha, you can rely on the power of the Buddha's kindness to be reborn in the West."
Huicong's rich and hoarse voice echoed above everyone's heads, and the rising flames above the altar behind him enhanced the persuasiveness of his scriptures. Those blazing and hungry red lights, and the rising heat, were in the eyes of the Baekje people who were watching. It was as if the various evil spirits described in the scriptures were trembling and ready to move. They think of their own tragic experiences and realize that the world is full of impermanence, and joyful things will disappear in a blink of an eye. Only the horrible things of birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, and death are endless. Just like this flame, they may engulf themselves at any time. Only by holding true faith and earnest wishes Only by chanting the Buddha's name can you rely on the power of the Buddha to escape the suffering of this world and go to the Western Paradise. So they all knelt down, put their hands together, and recited the Buddha devoutly. For a while, the voice of "Namo Amitabha" resounded throughout the world and reached the sky.
"Sanlang did not choose the wrong person, this Baekje Samana is very good!" Liu Renyuan said with a smile: "With this voice and this Dharma image, if he were in Chang'an, he would be a guest of noble people!"
"That's right, especially those girls who like it even more. I'm afraid we'll have to fight over who can be invited home first to worship him!" Du Shuang laughed, and immediately the two of them burst into laughter. Liu Rengui laughed twice, looking a little weird.
It turns out that the lords of the Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui, and Tang Dynasties all originated from Daibei Liu Town. Unlike the Central Plains aristocratic families who pay attention to etiquette and women's boudoirs, Daibei Liu Town was influenced by Xianbei customs, and women were martial and strong, with many matriarchal powers. Feng, such as Dugu Jialuo, the wife of Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty, Lou Shi, the wife of Gao Huan, etc., were resolute and decisive, no less than men, and participated in political affairs.
According to Xianbei customs, both men and women can have an affair before marriage. If the man agrees, he can follow the woman back home. Regardless of whether the woman's family is high or low, she will be worshiped by her family. She will serve as a servant in his wife's family for two years before the wife's family will give their daughter money to get married. Part of the property comes from the woman, so it is customary for husbands to listen to their wives. Women in the Northern Dynasties had independent property and had certain independent social interactions even after marriage. The Buddhist idea of equality of all living beings provided women with the ideological basis for free movement. Therefore, most aristocratic women at that time believed in Buddhism and had special respect for monks.
One of Du Shuang and Liu Rengui came from the Du family in Jingzhao, and the other was also from the Liu family in Wei. They were both from noble families who paid attention to Confucian etiquette. Naturally, they did not like the "worship of Buddhism" prevalent among upper-class women at that time.
"Wang Shenjun's method is wonderful!" Liu Rengui coughed: "In my opinion, other places can follow suit!"
"Imitate?" Liu Renyuan turned around and said, "Why did the envoy say that?"
"The soldier is an ominous weapon, and the saint has no choice but to use it!" Liu Ren track: "General Su defeated the enemy and destroyed the country, and made unparalleled achievements. But he slaughtered fathers and brothers, plundered children, and the resentment was hidden in his heart. For a while, they were unable to catch the hidden minions. Once the situation changed, they would rise up and attack in groups. So in ten months, the smoke was everywhere, the bandits were everywhere, and the king's division could not defeat it after repeated battles, so it could only be trapped in the city. If he had used Buddhism to resolve the resentment and appease the people as he did today when he joined the army, how could he have ended up in such a mess?"
If Wang Wenzuo heard Liu Rengui's words at the scene, he would definitely admire Liu Rengui's sharp mind. As an empire in the process of expansion, Datang faced a problem common to all empires - how to deal with the resistance of the conquered. Military victory is only the beginning. If the empire's rule over the occupied territories is only maintained by violence, then as the war continues, the intensity of violence will inevitably rise in a spiral, and the empire's finances will gradually be overwhelmed by the cost of using violence. , this is also the common reason for the decline of most empires in human history. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to find cheaper tools with fewer side effects.
Buddhism is such a tool. Unlike other religions at that time, Buddhism was the only universal religion in the East Asian world at that time. According to its teachings, all living beings are equal, regardless of men and women, high or low, rich or poor. The people of Tang, Goguryeo, and Baekje People, Japanese, and Silla people can all become believers.
