The Tang Dynasty: Wu Zetian made me her imperial tutor

March 14th, in front of Zhenguan Hall.

The outer court of Taichu Palace was located in Mingtang, responsible for holding ceremonies such as New Year's Day, Winter Solstice, and general amnesty; the middle court was located in Xuanzheng Hall, where the emperor held court on the first and fifteenth of each month and where princes were conferred titles; the inner court was located in Zhenguan Hall, where the empress dowager held court and listened to government affairs.

Today is the regular court session, and it's also Lu Jun's first time attending court. He set off as soon as the gates of his residence opened.

He dismounted at Mingde Gate, handed the horse over to the clerk of the Sipusi (a government office), and entered the East Courtyard in high spirits, then turned into Daye Gate...

He met the person who was waiting for him.

"Lu Shiyi, I, Lou Shide, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, General of the Left Valiant Guard, and Military Commissioner of Heyuan, have been waiting for you for a long time."

An unusually tall and plump old man stood before me, with a kind face but extremely sharp eyes.

Lu Jun was over six feet tall, but standing in front of him, she was a head shorter, making her figure appear as thin as paper.

After exchanging pleasantries, Lou Shide went straight to the point:

"The Empress Dowager has shown me Lu Shiyi's policy proposal regarding the Hexi Corridor and Longxi region, and it does have many merits."

"But if I may be so bold, some of your strategies are too simplistic, and you've greatly underestimated Tibet!"

"I have guarded the border for twelve years and fought dozens of battles, large and small, against the Tubo. This enemy is so strong that it can be called the most formidable enemy of the Tang Dynasty."

"Trying to control them with Buddhist teachings is wishful thinking!"

He was a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and joined the army at the age of forty-nine. He was skilled in both literature and military affairs, and Emperor Gaozong specially granted him two official positions. He possessed both the humility of a Confucian scholar and the directness of a military general.

In addition, his imposing figure, like Mount Tai pressing down, was already intimidating without him having to raise his voice.

Just as Lu Jun was about to explain, a middle-aged man in a purple robe walked towards them. His muscles were bulging beneath his clothes, and he said with disdain:

"You're Lu Chuyu? The one who suggested in the policy document that Liangzhou should establish extensive military farms? You're the one?"

"Do you know that Liangzhou only has a handful of households? I'd like to hear who you plan to send to cultivate the land?"

"Are you going by yourself?"

Without even introducing themselves, they launched into a scathing critique of Lu Jun, showing no mercy whatsoever.

Lu Jun could guess that this person should be Xu Qinming, the governor of Liangzhou, a veteran general who was in charge of an important town in Hexi.

He came from a military family; his great-grandfather Xu Shao was a classmate of Emperor Gaozu Li Yuan. Later, Xu Shao led the prefecture to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and repeatedly defeated Xiao Xian.

Compared to Lou Shide, he was even more blunt, almost completely rejecting Cewen's strategy for the Hebei region.

Towards a straight person, you have to be even straighter.

"Commander Xu, please allow me to answer Lord Lou's question first." Lu Jun bowed slightly.

Since I am a court official, even if the other party is a third-rank governor, I don't need to be too polite. Just go and wait in line!

Lu Jun asked Lou Shide, "Master Lou, you believe that Tibet cannot be controlled by Buddhism, so why are they controlled by Bon?"

"This..." Lou Shide was speechless.

He had heard that Lu Jun was eloquent and had imagined how she would defend herself, but he did not expect that she would choke on her words with just one sentence.

But he was, after all, a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, skilled in both literature and martial arts. After a moment's thought, he retorted:

"Bon religion has existed for a long time, while Buddhism is a later development; wouldn't it be even more difficult for it to gain a foothold?"

Lu Jun then asked, "Buddhism is a latecomer to the Central Plains. Lord Lou, among scholars and common people combined, are there more believers in Buddhism or Confucianism?"

Lou Shide shook his head: "Those who study Confucianism are few in number, but they are all pillars of the nation, far superior to ordinary people."

He was modest and answered calmly, but there was a hidden displeasure in his heart.

Although the Lou family of Qiao County was not a top-tier aristocratic family, they disdained to be compared with illiterate peasants who had been farmers for generations.

Lu Jun smiled slightly: "Lord Lou is certainly a pillar of the nation... but the Empress Dowager is also a devout Buddhist, so perhaps it's inappropriate to say that?"

Equating Buddhist believers with ordinary people is far too aloof!

Cough cough--

Lou Shide realized he had spoken out of turn and waved his hand, saying, "Lu Shiyi, let's discuss border affairs and not steer the conversation toward pointless topics."

Having witnessed the boy's eloquence firsthand, he finally realized he needed to be more vigilant.

Lu Jun said solemnly:

"Lou Gong has avoided the important points; this is precisely the key!"

"If a monarch uses his power to promote Buddhism, even the pillars of the state will find it difficult to stop him!"

"The same applies to the Central Plains, and also to Tibet!"

"Lou Gong believed that Buddhism could not control Tibet, which greatly underestimated the power of faith."

"Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty and Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty both suppressed Buddhism, simply because Buddhist temples occupied a large amount of land and population, and had private armies, making them powerful enough to control the entire country!"

"If it can be this powerful even developing on its own, imagine how strong it must be with the support of the Zambian president!"

In Chinese history, there have been three large-scale anti-Buddhist campaigns—

Besides Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Tuoba Tao, and Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, Yuwen Yong, there were also Emperor Wuzong of Tang, Li Yan, and Emperor Shizong of Zhou, Chai Rong.

They are collectively known as the "Three Wu and One Zong".

The most severe blow came during the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Tang, who demolished 40,000 temples, forcibly returned 260,000 monks and nuns to secular life, confiscated hundreds of thousands of hectares of temple land, burned a large number of Buddhist scriptures, and melted down a large number of Buddhist statues. Buddhists call this the Huichang Persecution.

After the Three Wu and One Zong, apart from the Pure Land School which recites Amitabha Buddha and the Chan School which practices meditation, the others all declined in influence.

Conversely, if Buddhism had not been suppressed and allowed to develop naturally, the imperial power would have been greatly restricted.

The power of Buddhism to spread should not be underestimated.

"This..." Lou Shide was speechless again.

Knowing full well that Lu Jun was still making subjective inferences without any actual evidence, she was still unable to refute his arguments.

But he was a kind and honest elder, and thought to himself, "Lu Chuyu is indeed clever. No wonder he was able to come up with the ingenious plan of deploying troops in three directions to sow discord between the Tibetan king and his ministers. He is truly admirable."

Nodding, he said frankly, "What Lu Shiyi said makes sense. Let me think about it and then I'll discuss it with you."

Xu Qinming snorted: "Anyone can talk big. Just because you say Zanpu can win, does that mean he can?"

Born into a noble family and a seasoned general on the battlefield, he looked down on poor scholars who only knew how to talk and write.

Lu Jun turned her head: "Commander Xu, do you want to talk about Buddhism, or do you want to hear about the strategies for Hexi?"

"Of course it's Hexi! Do you think no one has ever mentioned the idea of ​​settling and cultivating land in Liangzhou before? It's easier said than done!"

Lu Jun was about to answer when suddenly...

"I think Lu Chuyu is exceptionally resourceful and farsighted; her strategy is remarkably well-written!"

Another elderly man in his sixties walked slowly over. He was also wearing a purple robe, tall, with a long, flowing beard and piercing eyes, exuding an imposing aura.

If I'm not mistaken, it is Tang Xiujing, the governor of Xizhou, who guards the gateway from the Western Regions to Hexi.

He exchanged greetings with Lou Shide and Xu Qinming, and then came to Lu Jun's rescue, saying, "This matter involves confidential information; let's discuss it in detail in court."

The two nodded, Xu Qinming gave a soft hum, and they both followed Tang Xiujing to the front of the hall.

"Today is going to be a tough battle..."

Lu Junzhi smiled faintly, took a step forward, and walked straight to the end of the line of officials.

Today is the regular court session, and there are not many people. Only civil officials of the fifth rank and above, court officials, officials of the imperial secretariat, censors, and doctors of the Imperial Academy are participating. They are called the regular attendees.

The officials in charge of offerings knelt in front of the dragon bed, arranged in left and right square formations, very close to the Empress Dowager.

Empress Wu Zetian held court behind a curtain in a purple tent, her tone icy and cold, seemingly in a bad mood.

Lu Jun scanned the entire room and immediately understood the reason, a chill running down her spine...

There are far fewer people now.

High-ranking officials from the Six Ministries, Nine Temples, and Five Directorates were absent, and several officials from the Phoenix Pavilion and Luan Terrace were also missing.

Among the ranks of prime ministers, Su Liangsi and Fan Libing were conspicuously absent, leaving only four people.

Lu Jun did not attend the previous court assembly, yet she knew the course of history...

Su Liangsi was scared to death. Wei Fangzhi, the Minister of Land, was imprisoned by Zhou Xing. Because of a personal grudge, Zhou Xing smeared his hand. When the old man found out, he fainted in court and died when he got home.

Fan Libing was imprisoned because he was the recommender of other officials who were arrested and imprisoned.

A high-ranking prime minister, gone just like that.

Therefore, the officials were very cautious during court today, and few of them spoke.

Only Zhou Xing and a few others, including Imperial Censors Fu Youyi, Lai Zixun, and Guo Hongba, reported the results of the major case interrogation.

Without exception, they all confessed.

Wu Zetian coldly replied, "Beheading, confiscation of property, and exile of the entire clan!"

With a single order, more than a dozen high-ranking officials were beheaded, and hundreds of people were forced to perform forced labor in the wilderness.

Panic filled the air above the Zhenguan Hall, and the ministers all bowed their heads, fearing that they would be next.

Wu Zetian rose and said, "The Prime Minister, the Minister of War, the Vice Minister, the Governor of Liangzhou, the Governor of Xizhou, the Military Commissioner of Heyuan, Yao Yuanzhi, and Zong Shu'ao, come to the Huiyou Hall for a meeting."

He glanced to the left and found Lu Jun sitting in the last row: "Chu Yu is here too."

There were still quite a few officials serving in the two provinces, including Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, Grand Master of Remonstrance, Gentleman of the Phoenix Pavilion, Attendant Censor, Remonstrance Official, and Remonstrance Official…

Hearing that Lu Jun was summoned along with important officials and that the Empress Dowager addressed her with great familiarity, they all secretly felt envious.

But recalling the Empress Dowager's decisive killing earlier, they all shook their heads.

"He was merely eloquent during the imperial examination; he didn't achieve any real merit. His rise and fall were but a blink of an eye..."

"The three governors have come to the capital to discuss important military and national affairs; it's not as simple as just empty talk..."

"I just saw outside the palace that both General Lou, the military commissioner of Heyuan, and General Xu, the governor of Liangzhou, questioned him..."

"Just you wait, if Lu Chuyu disappoints the Empress Dowager even once, she will immediately fall out of favor and be demoted to a remote area for training..."

I put away all my envy.

To the north of Zhenguan Hall is Huiyou Hall, which belonged to the inner court and was where the Empress Dowager summoned ministers on a daily basis.

There was a pond in front of the palace. When Lu Jun passed by, she saw the peonies in full bloom and also caught a glimpse of the disdainful look that Li Zhaode was giving her.

He originally had a good impression of Lu Jun, but after hearing the rumors about "Appreciating Peonies", he became very angry.

Two days ago, Lu Jun came to visit him to thank him in person for saving her life, but was turned away at the door.

Today, it's still the same as always...

Wu Youning, Wu Sansi, and Zong Chuke all had smiles on their faces and were very polite to Lu Jun. Even Wu Chengsi was much more amiable and nodded slightly to him.

Empress Wu Zetian and her ministers arrived, their piercing gazes sweeping over the assembled officials.

"I have already shown you the relevant policy documents concerning Hexi and Anxi, so I will not say anything more."

"Just one thing: what we discussed today is top secret, and not a single word of it must be divulged!"

Everyone answered in unison, "Yes."

I understand the principle that if I do not keep secrets, I will lose my life.

After they were seated, Xu Qinming spoke first: "I have read Lu Chuyu's suggestions in his proposal. I have many questions about the Hexi section, so please let him answer them first..."

Tang Xiujing said, "The matter of Anxi is more important; it is the premise of all strategies. Let's start with Anxi."

Lou Shide waved his hand:

"The strategies of Hexi, Longyou, and Anxi were all aimed at Tibet, so let's start with Tibet."

"The Tibetans harassed the Tang Dynasty for more than fifty years. They began to probe during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and finally launched a major invasion during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, successively annexing Bailan, Dangxiang, and Tuyuhun."

"In my opinion, Lu Chuyu's plan to sow discord is very bold and may have a surprising effect. It is worth a try."

"But after his scheme to sow discord, he suggested introducing Buddhism to the Tibetans, believing it would solve the problem once and for all. I think that's just wishful thinking!"

"Tibet is at the height of its power. Even if the Gar clan is replaced, there are other nobles, and it may not weaken too much."

"Under these circumstances, to think that one can control Tibet solely through Buddhism is far too optimistic!"

"I believe he underestimated Tibet!"

"If you underestimate it, all your strategies will go astray!"

During the court assembly, he carefully considered the debate and finally found the flaws in Lu Jun's strategy...

Tibet was a powerful nation, and neither divisive tactics nor Buddhism could fundamentally weaken it.

There are conflicts between the Zanpu (king) and the nobility, but they will eventually find a balance and will not necessarily be defeated.

Lu Jun was just making assumptions!

Lou Shide was holding his breath, eager to be the first to discuss this topic, both because Tibet was at the heart of the issue and because he wanted to regain some ground.

The Empress Dowager, the Prime Minister, and the officials in charge of summer all turned to look at Lu Jun, wanting to see how he would explain himself.

Lu Jun smiled faintly.

"You overestimate Tibet."