Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

What is Wu Meiniang's origin? This question is very strange. Wen Jiao was a little confused: "Isn't she the future heroine?"

Yuan Tiangang said: "Not only that, I also saw the divine light of the Heart Moon Fox, the fifth of the Seven Stars of the Azure Dragon, in her Niwan Palace. This star is also known as the Dragon Star. On the day this girl was born, Mars retrograded and connected to this star, indicating changes in national affairs."

He looked solemn, "When the Star Lord descends to the world, he must have an important mission, and this woman should replace Li Tang as a woman. Even the Devil-Subduing Heavenly Lord himself would not change the destiny, so you should think twice before you act."

Wen Jiao only then realized what he had misunderstood: "Do you think I wanted to get her out of the palace because I was afraid that she would threaten the Li family's kingdom?"

Yuan Tiangang was just about to say a thousand words to persuade her, but when he heard this, he was startled: "Isn't it?"

Wen Jiao sighed, "I know that destiny cannot be violated, but I just want to gain more bargaining chips for the Taoist sect in the chaos."

Unconsciously, she turned the knife for cutting meat into a small flower between her fingers, and she pondered, "Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, the Li Dynasty has regarded Taoism as the state religion, taking the auspicious meaning of 'Laozi saves the world, and the Li family becomes king'. What do you think, if this reincarnated female protagonist, Heart Moon Fox, wants to ascend the throne, will she continue to rely on the Taoist sect that is tied to the prophecy of the Li family becoming king, or will she turn to another sect, compete with the Taoist sect, or even suppress it with all her might?"

Yuan Tiangang was slightly stunned, and counted quickly with his fingers. After a moment, he relaxed: "Maitreya will be born in the world and become the master of Jambudvipiya, and the Tang family will be... " After saying that, he vomited a mouthful of bright red blood, which was quickly wiped away by the power of the Dust-Bidding Bead.

What he was reading was the content of the "Da Yun Jing" created by the Buddhist sect in later generations to build momentum for Wu Zetian's ascension to the throne. In just one sentence, he described the countless thrilling events of the rise of Buddhism and the decline of Taoism.

Wen Jiao was shocked. Seeing his face getting paler and paler, and soon no trace of blood was left, she quickly poured out a few Da Huan Dan pills and said, "Eat them quickly!"

Yuan Tiangang took it as he was told, and after a while, his complexion slightly improved. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Do you want to use the Wu family's destiny to turn around the trend of the Buddhist family's eastward advance?"

"I'm not that greedy." Wen Jiao made sure that he had recovered his vitality before sitting back in her original position. "The eastward expansion of Buddhism is the general trend, and the rule of the woman is destiny. I don't want to go against the general trend, nor will I fight against destiny. But destiny has not been so detailed as to determine what the woman must rely on to ascend the throne. In this case, why don't I take the lead and snatch her from Buddhism? I'm not stopping Buddhism from expanding eastward, I just don't want Taoism to decline."

She sat with her brows furrowed, her voice almost sighing: "Are you still willing to help me?"

Since he entered the world, Yuan Tiangang has been using his divine powers to be a person who observes the world from afar and sees the destiny. This is the first time in his life that someone has told him that we can also intercept a ray of lively mystery under the general trend, achieve what we want to achieve, and become the person who changes the destiny.

Yuan Tiangang seemed to have opened the door to a new world: "That's natural. I am also a Taoist."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "In fact, if I am the only one submitting the petition, it may leave traces. I need to find a few more helpers."

"Who?" Wen Jiao asked.

"You know everything. The current Grand Historian Fu Renjun."

Wen Jiao was very familiar with this name. This man was originally from a Taoist sect and had the ability to determine yin and yang and calculate astronomy. During the Wude period, he was entrusted with the important task of revising the calendar "Wuyin Yuanli". He was also of the same generation as Fu Yi.

"Brother Chunfeng."

In recent years, Li Chunfeng has participated in the revision of the "Wuyin Yuanli" and the reform of the armillary sphere. Although he is a Doctor of Taichang, everyone with a discerning eye knows that the position of the next Grand Historian must belong to him.

"And his fellow disciple, Lu Cai, a student of Master Fu."

This man is a freak. His real job is actually a musician. But he has learned a lot and is very smart. He has learned the principles of yin and yang and the five elements through the music of Huang Zhong and Da Lu.

"This is a major event that will save the Taoist sect from danger. I believe they will not stand idly by." Yuan Tiangang concluded.

The next day, Huoshan Order Yuan Tiangang, Grand Historian Order Fu Renjun, Taichang Doctors Li Chunfeng and Lu Cai jointly wrote a letter, saying that the Purple Palace was dark and Mars was guarding the heart, which might be bad for the ruler and that there was a sign that the country's destiny was in jeopardy. They said that a concubine should be sent out of the palace to practice and pray for the country.

When this petition was issued, the court and the public were in an uproar. Empress Changsun first put on plain clothes, took off her hairpins and went to Ganlu Palace to beg Li Shimin to allow her to become a nun and pray for the eternal stability of the Tang Dynasty. Li Shimin was reluctant to do so. After much persuasion, he finally persuaded Empress Changsun to go back and issued an imperial decree to solicit concubines in the palace who were willing to become nuns.

How lonely are the days of practicing outside the palace? Moreover, since it is said to be praying for the country, then the whole life must be filled in it, green lamp yellow book, never return to the secular world. Since the concubines entered the palace, they always had a hope of rapid advancement in their hearts, not to mention that Li Shimin was not yet forty years old, and was in the prime of life. The concubines with children naturally couldn't bear to give up their children, and those without children also wanted to have one of their own, so where would they go?

The whole palace was silent. Seeing this, Empress Changsun knelt again and asked for permission to become a nun. Just when Li Shimin was in a state of panic, two women stood up. One was Xu Hui, who had just been promoted to Consort, and the other was the talented Wu Meiniang.

Li Shimin was very grateful for their willingness to step forward, but the girls were both young and beautiful, and it was not fair to force them to become female Taoist priests who would never be able to make a name for themselves. So he said, "You two are loyal and I see it all. But one person is enough to leave the palace to practice Taoism, why don't you two discuss it?"

Wu Meiniang actively went to find Xu Hui in private and said, "Sister Chongrong is in favor now. Unlike me, I have been in the palace for two years, but I have only seen the emperor a few times, and I have not been favored by the emperor because of my rude words. If I have no children for the rest of my life, in the future... cough cough, I may have to shave my head and be taken to Ganlu Temple to become a nun. It is better to make plans early than to end up in such a miserable situation for the rest of my life. Anyway, I have taken on the important task of praying for the country, and the royal family will not treat me unfairly."

She expressed her deep resentment with a sad face, and finally, under Xu Hui's sympathetic gaze, she said half jokingly and half seriously: "Sister, I beg you to stop fighting with me for the blessing of becoming a Taoist priest."

When a person is in a good mood, he or she will inevitably have some sympathy for the unlucky. Moreover, Xu Hui was such a reasonable woman. Facing the future described by Wu Meiniang, she naturally couldn't bear to cut off the only future that this little concubine who had fallen out of favor could fight for. She lowered her head and thought for a moment: "It's just that you are so beautiful, but you have to stay in the yellow crown and wild clothes. There is nothing I can do about it."

"Who in the Daming Palace is not beautiful? Someone has to stand up." Wu Meiniang smiled righteously.

In the spring of the 14th year of Zhenguan, the talented woman Wu left the palace to practice Taoism. Emperor Taizong respected her aspirations and conferred the title of Master Miaodao on her, supporting her with the ceremony of a royal concubine. The Taoist Master Jingrong, who held the seal of the Taoist Scripture Department, took pity on her sincerity and accepted her as his disciple.

In that year, Mars shifted three points and was not connected with Heart. The bad omen was dispelled and the world was at peace.