roccoschili Chapter 5402 The Edict of the King of Fusang
Chapter 5402 The Edict of the King of Fusang
Chapter 5402 The Edict of the King of Fusang
Those despicable Tang people!
They must have secretly aided the indigenous tribes, and to avoid being accused by the empire and bearing the infamy of breaking the treaty, they used scimitars and plate armor to confuse the situation. Even if the empire suspected them, they could easily deny everything.
Forging scimitars and crafting plate armor is not like kneading dough. The Tang people did not have ironworks or blacksmiths here, so these scimitars and plate armor must have been prepared in advance.
This shows that the Tang people's establishment of concessions in Mesopotamia was not for trade at all, but rather out of malicious intent!
This was premeditated!
Thinking of this, Sheikh actually breathed a sigh of relief.
As the governor of Ctesiphon, his task was to prevent the Tang Dynasty from contacting and assisting the indigenous tribes as much as possible, while avoiding another war between the two countries, so as to ensure the stability of tax revenue in Mesopotamia.
Now that the indigenous tribes have received aid from the Tang Dynasty and are beginning to fight back, this must be a dereliction of duty on his part as governor.
But if this was a premeditated plan by the Tang Dynasty, then the responsibility is entirely different—it's not that I'm incompetent, it's that the Tang people are too cunning!
"Prepare pen and ink, I need to write a letter to the Caliph!"
"Yes!"
The servant quickly placed the pen and ink on the desk.
The Arabs did not make paper. They wrote on parchment and papyrus since ancient times. The so-called papyrus was not paper. It was not until trade with the Tang Dynasty that Tang paper and writing materials flowed into the Arab world and immediately became popular. Xuan paper, Xuan brush, and other writing materials were highly regarded by the Arab nobles and regarded as a symbol of status. They were not allowed to be used by the common people.
Sheikh picked up his pen, carefully considered the wording, and finished the piece in one go.
The gist is that the Tang people harbored wolfish ambitions, harboring malicious intentions from the very beginning of their invasion of Mesopotamia. They secretly provided a large amount of weaponry to the indigenous tribes, emboldening them and causing chaos in Mesopotamia. However, under my diligent and tireless surveillance, the Tang people's weaponry only leaked out in a limited way, with only the Amorites receiving the support in secret.
To prevent more Tang military equipment from flowing into the hands of the local tribes, we earnestly request the Caliph to send more troops, replenish supplies, and allocate funds to suppress and annihilate the local tribes, so as to prevent them from growing too powerful and causing endless trouble...
After writing it, he blew the ink dry, put it in an envelope, sealed it with sealing wax, affixed the official seal, and ordered it to be sent to Damascus immediately for the Caliph to open personally.
Then he sat down in the chair, picked up the bottle, took a big gulp, and let out a long sigh.
By sending this letter, he almost completely absolved himself of any responsibility.
If the Caliph were to actually send more troops, replenish supplies, and allocate money, then with his well-trained and well-supplied army, his strength would greatly increase, and he could naturally launch a major campaign. He would only need to wipe out a few native tribes to make a satisfactory explanation.
If the Caliph is indifferent and refuses to send reinforcements, then even if the entire Mesopotamia is engulfed in flames, it will be none of his business. After all, how can a mere ten thousand soldiers under his command restrain the long-planned schemes and intrigues of the Tang people?
As for whether focusing on limiting the Tang people in Mesopotamia would divert the empire's power and make it less capable of waging war against Byzantium in the west, that was irrelevant to him.
He was merely the governor of Ctesiphon, not the vizier of the empire...
Thus, as long as the Tang people don't cause too much trouble, he can remain calm and collected.
As the governor of Taixi, he was in charge of trade with the Tang people. This was the most lucrative position in the world. He only needed to stay for one or two years to not only make up for all the losses in Mulu City, but also have a surplus.
As long as the money is safely deposited into the Caliph's pocket, there is nothing to worry about.
*****
Namba Tsu, Tennoji Temple.
There was no wind today, and snow fell heavily outside the open window, covering the rooftops and walls of the temple with a thick layer.
On the polished floor of the side hall, a group of elegantly dressed nobles and solemn-faced monks knelt.
In front of each person was a small table with several exquisite dishes and a pot of clear wine produced in the Tang Dynasty.
Snowflakes fell softly, but no one in the hall touched their chopsticks.
Seated at the head of the table, Mononobe Ashikaga sighed deeply, his white beard trembling slightly. He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone present, finally settling on the monk. He said in a deep voice, "Now that the royal decree has been issued, there is no possibility of reversing it. In any case, I urge Master Chengjing to consider the overall situation and prioritize the well-being of the Japanese people. Heaven cherishes life, and as a compassionate monk, how can I stand by and watch countless Japanese people suffer because of this?"
The monk named Chengjing was in his sixties, with a bald head and white beard. His ancient face was covered with wrinkles, and his thin body was almost hunched over in his monk's robes, but his eyes were clear and bright.
Upon hearing this, the old monk remained expressionless, his voice hoarse: "Could this old monk enter the palace and present this to the King of Fusang in person? After all, this action is against the will of Heaven."
Beside him, Otomo gave a wry smile: "Master, you probably don't know the nature of that Japanese king. He is the second son of Emperor Taizong of Tang, and has been favored by the emperor since childhood. He is incredibly talented, arrogant, and domineering. Now, nominally, he has been granted the title of Japanese king by the emperor of Tang, establishing a kingdom and passing on his bloodline here. In reality, he has been banished to the borderlands and exiled to the wilderness. He is still resentful and acts arbitrarily. Now, the construction of the palace is slow due to a lack of timber. He has threatened to either conscript tens of thousands of laborers to cut down giant trees in the deep mountains or dismantle the timber of Tennoji Temple for use... In reality, the so-called conscription of laborers is just a pretext. Although there are many mountains near Naniwa-tsu, it has been developed for hundreds of years. When Asuka-kyō was built, all the giant trees were cut down. Where are there any useful giant trees left? If we can't get anything by conscripting laborers, we will eventually have to demolish Tennoji Temple."
The construction of the Fusang Royal Palace ultimately went awry. Due to the palace's grand scale, the amount of materials needed kept increasing, and the previously stockpiled materials had long been exhausted. The palace could not be completed before winter. This enraged the former King of Wei, now the King of Fusang, who issued an ultimatum to the Japanese: either conscript laborers to cut down giant trees in the mountains during the winter, or demolish Tenno-ji Temple and use the timber there to build the palace.
However, where are the giant trees in the hills near Naniwazu?
Its purpose was solely at Tennoji Temple.
Master Chengjing's face twitched, his wrinkles almost crinkling together: "You noble sirs only think about fulfilling the edict of that Japanese king, but have you ever thought about the heritage of our Wa country? The Wa people have neither their own writing nor their own culture. Only these buildings can trace the lineage of our ancestors. Now Asuka-kyo has been repeatedly ravaged by war, and almost all the buildings were rebuilt with the help of the Tang people. If even this Tennoji Temple is destroyed, where on the islands of Wa will there be a place for future generations to pay homage to our ancestors? Even the spirit of Prince Shotoku in heaven will not be at peace."
Mononobe Ashikaga was getting impatient. The reason he had gone to such lengths to persuade him was that Master Chōjō was highly respected and senior in Japanese Buddhism. He did not want to force him to comply with forceful means, lest it provoke resistance and opposition from all Buddhist sects in Japan.
His grandfather's war with Prince Shotoku was a disastrous defeat because all Buddhist sects supported the latter. He was well aware of the power of Buddhism...
But since Chengjing is out of touch with reality, there's no need to treat him with courtesy.
After all, compared to Buddhism, completing the important task entrusted by Li Tai and clinging to Li Tai's powerful backing were the most urgent matters.
With a cold face, he said calmly, "I deeply admire your respect for the ancients, Master. But why did you sweep away and destroy the ancient temples of Japan in the past, and now you are trying your best to preserve Tennoji Temple? Why do you act so inconsistently and contradictorily? Please enlighten me, Master."
Da Banza and Su Wo Chi Xing exchanged a glance and sighed in unison, realizing that Cheng Jing had said the wrong thing.
The reason why Prince Shotoku built Tennoji Temple was that he was at odds with the anti-Buddhist Mononobe no Moriya faction over the "Shinbutsu War". He made a vow to the statue of the Four Heavenly Kings after defeating the Mononobe faction. He did indeed defeat Mononobe no Moriya, and then built this temple to fulfill his vow.
Prince Shotoku held unparalleled prestige in Japan, thus Tennoji Temple held a significance far beyond that of ordinary temples.
But for Mononobe Ashikaga, the existence of Tennoji Temple represented the tragic decline and fall of his family...
The so-called "battle between gods and Buddhas" was a struggle between Japan's native Shinto religion and the foreign Buddhism for followers and legitimacy. The battle ended with a great victory for Buddhism, followed by a counterattack by Buddhist followers against Shinto. Most of the shrines and temples that worshipped gods in the countryside suffered catastrophic destruction.
Therefore, Mononobe Ashikaga is now using his own weapon against him, effectively seizing the vital point of Master Chōjō.
Master Chengjing's old face flushed red, and he could no longer maintain his "emptiness of the four elements" and "purity of the six senses" demeanor. He said indignantly, "Buddhism is the orthodox sect. Those so-called 800,000 gods are simply talking nonsense. It is the righteous act for us Buddhist disciples to set things right, clarify the truth, and eliminate the gods!"
Mononobe Ashikaga sneered: "What you're saying is useless. If you refuse to demolish Tennoji Temple, you're willing to sacrifice thousands of Japanese children to freeze or die in the mountains just to protect this wooden house. The Buddhist concepts of compassion and mercy are nothing but empty words. Let's see if your authentic Buddhism will still have a place to stand in this Japan!"
Master Chengjing shuddered, pursing his lips and glaring hatefully at Mononobe Ashikaga.
The teachings of Buddhism are numerous, but the most basic and universally accepted is "compassion." If even this is questioned, where will the believers be?
If things really come to that, the century-long missionary work of Buddhist disciples in Japan will be destroyed.
Ōtomo tried to ease the tension, saying, "Master, there is no need to take your anger out on Mononobe-uchi. This is the decree of the King of Fusang, and it cannot be disobeyed."
Master Chengjing knew it was impossible to save Tianwang Temple. Since things were beyond his control, he compromised: "Could we demolish only a few main halls and preserve the remaining central gate, main hall, and side halls?"
"No!"
Enraged, Mononobe Ashikaga waved his hand and said, "The palace needs a lot of building materials. What use are a few main halls? If there is not enough timber, won't we still have to conscript laborers to cut down trees in the mountains? If we're going to demolish it, we should demolish it completely! Not only should the timber be taken away, but the roof tiles and the bluestone steps will also be used!"
Since the old monk is so ungrateful, then let's tear down this Tianwang Temple completely, leaving not a single tile behind!
As for whether later generations visit the sites left by their ancestors... what does that have to do with him?
(End of this chapter)