Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 221 The End of the Three Religions! See you at the Prime Minister's Mansion!
Since then.

The topic of the three religions’ discussion has been settled.

Confucian issue: Can we learn to become immortals or not?

Taoist topic: The Eighty-one Transformations of Laozi.

Buddhist topic: Laozi converted to Buddhism.

Zhu Houcong approved all of them.

The first debate is scheduled for the first day of the Lunar New Year, with topics randomly selected for attack and defense.

The purpose of the debate was not to establish the order of the three religions, but to destroy them, so the punishment for the loser was cruel.

Taking the Confucian issue as an example, Confucianism holds the view that "immortality cannot be learned", while Taoism and Buddhism both hold the view that "immortality can be learned".

In this way, Confucianism is the attacking party, while Taoism and Buddhism are the defending parties.

If the Confucianists fail in their challenge, all the Confucian sages who participated in the debate will be executed immediately. From that day on, Confucianism will be completely banned in the Ming Dynasty.

If the Taoist and Buddhist sects fail to defend their positions, half of the Taoist and Buddhist masters who participated in the debate will be executed immediately, half of the Taoist and Buddhist canons, Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries in the Ming Dynasty will be destroyed, and half of the Taoists and monks will be forced to return to secular life.

When it is the turn of Taoism or Buddhism to attack and other sects to defend, the punishment is the same.

No one can afford to lose.

You can't afford to lose when you're defending the challenge, and you can't afford to lose even more when you're attacking the challenge. Fundamentally, this is the rule of 'the winner doesn't win, but the loser loses everything'.

If the attacker loses one game, he loses the entire Taoist tradition. If the defender loses two games, he also loses the entire Taoist tradition.

Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are three religions, but their teachings lead to the same destination. Who can guarantee victory in both attacking and defending the challenge?
There is no shortage of smart people in the three religions. I believe that announcing the rules in the debate arena on New Year's Day will definitely cause collective dissatisfaction among Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

In order to prevent the Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism from "stopping the debate", the cabinet selected a senior official, Gao Gong, to serve as the chief referee of the three-party debate.

They were protected by the Embroidered Uniform Guards. Once there was a "stop discussion", all the great sages of Confucianism, great masters of Taoism and great masters of Buddhism would be executed on the spot for the crime of "high treason".

Obviously, the choice of the chief referee was made by the cabinet, and the order to execute the great sage, the great immortal, and the great magician was the emperor Zhu Houcong's ultimatum to the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Or, present to the world a great debate among the three religions unprecedented in history, like fireworks in the dark night, blooming to its fullest and then dying.

Or, they were executed on the first day of the Lunar New Year, all Confucian classics, Taoist scriptures, and Buddhist scriptures were burned, academies, Taoist temples, and Buddhist temples were destroyed, scholars changed their studies, and Taoists and monks all returned to secular life, and the dynasty ended in disgrace.

The emperor's will and the cabinet's ideas were no longer concealed. Even though they knew it was a dead end, they pushed Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism forward.

The three religions have no choice!

Gao Gong and Lu Bing accepted the order solemnly.

Zhang Juzheng, Hu Zongxian and Li Chunfang all looked solemn.

In the hall, only Zhang Yuangong felt a chill. Being in Yuxi Palace at this moment, he felt like a wolfhound mixed into a wolf pack on a snowy mountain, totally out of place.

Everything is settled.

The cabinet, the Imperial Guard, the Five Cities Army, and all the officials bowed and left the Yuxi Palace.

Zhu Houcong looked at the backs of his ministers with a dark look in his eyes. Snowflakes began to fall again between the sky and the earth.

Huang Jin, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, was on duty tonight. He brought a fox fur coat and wanted to put it on Zhu Houcong, but was rejected by the emperor.

"Huang Jin."

"The servant is here."

"Tell me, among the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, who can win?"

"What is the victory that His Majesty is talking about?"

"Win all three games." "That's not it."

Huang Jin put the fox fur back, thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "If it's two wins, the Confucian School has a good chance of winning. But if it's three wins, the Confucian School can't do it, and the Taoist School and the Buddhist School can't do it either."

Having followed His Majesty for many years and being one of the two eunuchs in charge of the Imperial Household Department, Huang Jin has a very clear understanding of things.

After listening to the rules of the three-party debate, you will roughly know the outcome of the debate. No matter how the lots are drawn, no matter who attacks first and who defends first, the outcome is already determined.

The Confucian school will win one attack and one defense.

Taoism will win the defense battle.

Buddhism will not win the battle.

The Confucian school will preserve half of the classics, and most of the academies will be destroyed, and the disciples will turn to other schools.

Taoism and Buddhism will destroy the vast majority of Taoist and Buddhist scriptures, leaving only the most precious and oldest parts. There will be only a few of the 3,000 temples left, and the more than two million Taoists and monks of the Ming Dynasty will all return to secular life.

With the strength of Confucianism, it could have won all three games. However, Confucianism, which is no longer a way of governing a country, has reached the peak of its popularity. The road ahead is all downhill.

Losing a game is the bottom line for His Majesty, the imperial court, and the Ming Dynasty. Even Huang Jin can see this clearly, and the smart people in the cabinet understand it even better.

……

After a long winter, the night of the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month finally felt a bit chilly. However, the people in the capital city still did not feel how cold it was and went out of their homes one after another.

The adults gathered in groups of three or four to chat and laugh, while children ran in groups from the streets to the end of the village, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard from time to time.

The New Year is approaching, and the emperor's wedding is even closer. In order to celebrate, officials from the Ministry of Rites have arranged people to decorate the city with lights and colorful lanterns early on. Under the red lanterns, the joy of the people can be seen more clearly.

Over the past year, the curfew time was postponed again and again until the midnight watch rang, and people returned home to sleep. The adults would prepare New Year's goods for the next day, and the children agreed to build a snowman together.

In the midst of the flying snow, the Prime Minister's sedan chair slowly returned to the Prime Minister's residence. The butler ordered the sedan bearers to release the sedan chair, lower the poles, and go forward to greet him.

Tonight was different from previous nights. In addition to the prime minister's housekeeper waiting to welcome him, Zhang Juzheng's third brother Zhang Juyi and fourth brother Zhang Juqian were also waiting in front of the sedan chair.

Zhang Juzheng walked out of the sedan chair. Even without saying a word, one could see the dissatisfaction on the faces of his two younger brothers, blaming their eldest brother for not distinguishing between early and late when it comes to state affairs.

"Have the guests left?" Zhang Juzheng asked the housekeeper.

Zhang Juyi and Zhang Juqian were skipped.

He knew about the distinguished guest's visit when he was in Yuxi Palace. When he returned to the cabinet, he heard the news from the palace. He came back late. In addition to being busy with government affairs, he also deliberately delayed to see the distinguished guest.

The housekeeper replied, "My Lord, he is still at home, accompanied by the old master."

"Have the old man and the guests eaten?"

"Yes, I ate it, and also had a glass of wine."

"I haven't eaten yet. Ask the kitchen to make some more food and send it to the hall."

"What would you like to eat, Lord?"

"Eight Treasure Rice Pudding, Fish Cake, Meatballs, Lotus Root Soup, and a Fish. Don't forget Step by Step, Good Luck, Long Flowing Water, and Big Ingot."

What Zhang Juzheng was talking about were all the food from his hometown, Jingzhou, Hubei.

BBK is also called rice cake, Wanwanshun is dumplings, Changliushui is wine, and Dayuanbao is eggs.

A statement meant to seek good luck.

In the past, these things would only be eaten together during the New Year at the Zhang residence. The fact that Zhang Juzheng prepared them in advance so that he could enjoy them with the distinguished guests at his residence was very meaningful.

Zhang Juzheng climbed the stairs and walked into the brightly lit Xiangfu. The wind and snow behind him suddenly became stronger...

(End of this chapter)