Chapter 165: Prohibition of Obscene Sacrifice
"Your Majesty." Sun Zi raised his head in surprise when he heard the emperor's words.
"Go and pass on the message." Cao Rui said, "For a eunuch to do such a thing, to communicate with the inner palace and the outsiders, is a way to seek death."
Sun Zi asked, "What does the Empress Dowager say?"
"What else can I say?" Cao Rui looked at Sun Zi. "After all, she is my grandmother. Can I issue an imperial edict like the last emperor did to forbid the Grand Empress Dowager from communicating with people outside the palace? How can that be a shame?"
"I am only borrowing the eunuch's life to give some warnings to the Empress Dowager." Cao Rui pointed outside the door and said, "Tell someone to do it now, and report back to me when it's done."
"As you command, I'll take my leave." Sun Zi bowed and slowly left.
The Empress Dowager, Cao Hong... plus Cao Zhi has now returned to Luoyang, so these Cao family affairs are indeed complicated.
Cao Hong must also be punished. We will talk about it after asking Cao Hong tomorrow.
"Zhong Yu." Cao Rui glanced at the son of the Grand Tutor standing in the corner.
"I'm here." Zhong Yu replied respectfully.
Zhong Yu is already fifteen years old this year. After not seeing him for three months, his voice has become much deeper.
"Go, call Henan Yin Sima Zhi to the palace now, and ride a fast horse." Cao Rui ordered. "Oh, and call Liu Ye and Chen Jiao from the duty room."
"I obey your order." Zhong Yu bowed, then turned around and left.
Before reaching the Shizhong's duty room, Zhong Yu even hesitated for a moment.
"Is it Liu Ye and Chen Jiao?" Zhong Yu thought about it and felt it was a bit strange, but he still called Liu and Chen out.
It's no wonder Zhong Yu hesitated. It has always been Liu Ye and Huang Quan, Xin Pi and Chen Jiao. Now that Huang Quan has gone to Yuzhou, Liu Ye can only be left alone, so all three attendants are there every day.
Liu Ye and Chen Jiao walked into the study and saluted the emperor together.
Cao Rui waved his hand and pointed casually at the chair on the side.
After Liu Ye and Chen Jiao sat down, Cao Rui asked, "Do you know the Wujian God? I heard from Sun Zi that this god is a deity in the Buddhist sect in the Western Regions."
Liu Ye bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, I only know that there is a White Horse Temple outside Luoyang City. The people in the temple are called Shamen, and they also believe in the Buddhism of the Western Regions."
Cao Rui nodded and looked at Chen Jiao: "Minister Chen was once in Guangling, right? Do you know Zuo Rong?"
"I know this person." Chen Jiao said slowly, "Zuo Rong is a Buddhist."
"I have heard of this person, so I came to ask you." Cao Rui said, "This person believes in Buddhism. What do you know about it?"
How could Cao Rui not know about Buddhism? But no matter what Buddhism in Wei was like at that time, one thing is certain: it was definitely different from that in later generations.
Chen Jiao thought for a moment and said, "I am from Guangling, Xuzhou, and Zuo Rong is also from Xuzhou. I know a lot about him."
Cao Rui nodded without saying anything, waiting for Chen Jiao to continue.
"Around the Chuping period, Tao Qian, the then governor of Xuzhou, ordered Zuo Rong to be an official. He first took charge of the tax transportation of Xiapi, Pengcheng and Guangling, and then became the prime minister of Xiapi."
"Zuo Rong first built a nine-story pagoda in Xiapi, and the surrounding Buddhist hall could accommodate 3,000 people chanting sutras at the same time. During the Buddha Bathing Ceremony, banquets were set up on the roadside for dozens of miles, and people were provided with wine and food. Tens of thousands of people came to visit and worship the Buddha."
Cao Rui interrupted, "So, Zuo Rong is a pious person?"
Chen Jiao shook his head: "Zuo Rong believed in Buddhism, but the money he used for Buddhist affairs and building Buddhist temples and pagodas came from the exploitation of the counties in Xuzhou."
"When the late emperor attacked Xuzhou, Zuo Rong fled to Guangling. I am from Guangling. At that time, Zuo Rong plundered Guangling and took away all the wealth in the county."
"I remember that Chen Deng is in Guangling?" Cao Rui asked.
"Your Majesty." Chen Jiao bowed and said, "At that time, Chen Deng was still serving as the military governor of Xiapi. It was two years later that he went to Guangling. At that time, I was serving as a military officer under Chen Deng."
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Do the people of Xuzhou still believe in Buddhism?"
"Why don't you believe it?" Chen Jiao said, "After Zuo Rong's defeat, the local people in Xuzhou said that Zuo Rong had committed too many sins in his previous life and was only dying to pay off his debts."
Whatever happens, it is all due to the lack of virtue in the previous life... Buddhism is really a good religion, less troublesome than Taiping Dao and Wudoumi Dao.
"However, there is one thing I would like to say more about Zuo Rong," said Chen Jiao.
"What's the matter? Mr. Chen, tell us." Cao Rui said.
Chen Jiao said: "Zao Rong first fled from Xia Pi to Guangling, and later went to Moling, which is Jianye where Sun Quan was."
"Later, Zuo Rong went to Yuzhang County and helped Zhu Hao, the governor of Yuzhang appointed by Emperor Wu at that time, to repel Zhuge Xuan, who was Zhuge Liang's uncle." Chen Jiao said: "Zhuge Liang was probably beside Zhuge Xuan at that time."
"Is there such a thing?" Cao Rui said with a smile: "The world is strange and can never be fully understood."
Chen Jiao nodded: "The people of Xuzhou not only believe in Buddhism, but also believe in Tianshi Dao and Taiping Dao."
"Taiping Dao?" Cao Rui frowned. "Isn't Taiping Dao the Yellow Turbans?"
"It's the Yellow Turbans." Chen Jiao said with a smile, "When the Yellow Turbans rose up, there were tens of millions of people in various places who used the name of the Yellow Turbans or followed the Yellow Turbans. It's impossible to ban them all."
"This is the first time I've heard of this!" Cao Rui was surprised: "Did the court not care about this before?"
Liu Ye glanced at Chen Jiao and said, "Your Majesty, this matter is definitely under control. Although there are still people who believe in the Taiping Dao in various states, they are just not allowed to wear yellow turbans and are not allowed to have any organizations." Chen Jiao also interrupted and said, "The Taiping Dao does exist, but it is far less prosperous than the Tianshi Dao in Xuzhou."
"If we were to rank them, the most people believe in Tianshi Dao, followed by Taiping Dao, and the least believe in Buddhism."
Cao Rui hesitated for a moment.
These gods and Buddhas are essentially just a form of spiritual sustenance.
It is impossible to teach scriptures, loyalty, filial piety and brotherhood to illiterate farmers, or to make them chant Buddha's name or believe in Taoism. It is estimated that such simple religions cannot be banned.
So what should we do?
As if he could see the emperor's embarrassment, Liu Ye cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, you don't need to worry about this matter."
"Oh?" Cao Rui looked at Liu Ye in confusion.
Liu Ye said: "Whether they believe in the Way of Heavenly Masters or the Way of the Great Peace, the ignorant people are just seeking psychological comfort, or they are just trying to establish an organization to protect themselves."
"Given the taxes and corvées in various parts of the Wei Dynasty, both ordinary people and farmers are almost all at a level where they are not starving to death, but are also unable to do anything else."
Cao Rui sneered: "Liu Qing, are you saying that the people are so exhausted that they are no longer capable of rebelling like the Tianshi Dao and Taiping Dao?"
Liu Ye nodded: "That's right. According to the current conscription of the people by the Wei Dynasty, there are no more powerful tyrants like those in the Han Dynasty. And if it is a year of famine, the states and counties will release grain from the treasury for relief."
Cao Rui sighed and shook his head.
This is the "low human rights advantage" of the Wei Dynasty today. The people are powerless even if they want to rebel.
"It can't always be like this! The reason why the country collects such heavy taxes is that Wu and Shu are still independent and we have no choice but to do so."
"The various chronic diseases of the Wei Dynasty are ultimately due to its failure to unify the nine provinces!"
Liu Ye said: "Your Majesty, don't worry. The Great Wei is the power of China and dominates the four directions. As time goes by, the Great Wei will prosper while Wu and Shu will decline. This truth is self-evident."
Cao Rui sighed, "We still have to hurry up! However, the current issues still need to be resolved."
"Mr. Chen," Cao Rui looked at Chen Jiao, "draw up a list and an imperial edict for me, clearly stating the gods that are allowed to be worshipped in various places. Gods not on the list are not allowed to be worshipped. Anyone who violates this will be punished as an obscene worshiper."
"Is this feasible?" Cao Rui asked.
Chen Jiao nodded and said, "It will definitely work!"
"Then do it!" Cao Rui said as he looked outside.
Zhong Yu's figure could be seen outside the door, followed by a middle-aged official.
"The two ministers please go back first." Cao Rui said.
Liu Ye and Chen Jiao bowed and then took their leave.
Before leaving, Liu Ye took a look and recognized that the man was Sima Zhi, the governor of Henan.
'Sima Zihua? What is he doing here? ' Liu Ye thought to himself, but he still went to the duty room with Chen Jiao.
After a while, Zhong Yu led Sima Zhi into the study.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to you." Sima Zhi bowed.
"Sima Qing is here?" Cao Rui picked up the memorial written by Sima Zhi and asked, "Empress Wu Da, I have had him beaten to death. I will also deal with General Cao Hong accordingly."
"But now I want to ask you, why don't you go to see the eunuchs in the palace of the Empress Dowager?"
"Your Majesty," Sima Zhi bowed and replied respectfully, "I plead guilty."
"What crime?" Cao Rui said in a flat tone.
"Your Majesty, according to the law, all criminals who should be sentenced to death should be executed after your Majesty's review." Sima Zhi said, "But the Empress Dowager sent a eunuch to look for me, and I dare not see this eunuch."
"I am afraid that the Empress Dowager will issue an order to protect the criminals. If this is true, Your Majesty will hear the order from the Empress Dowager and will be forced to protect the criminals, which is against the laws of the country."
"Therefore, I have ordered Luoyang County to beat these two people to death in prison, so that Your Majesty will not have to embarrass yourself." Sima Zhi knelt on the ground and said loudly: "I ask Your Majesty to punish me."
When Cao Rui heard what Sima Zhi said, he felt a little emotional for a moment.
Since the end of the Han Dynasty, there has been a very bad atmosphere in officialdom.
Perhaps due to the chaotic legal system or the turmoil in the country, the governors of various states and counties and the county magistrates in various places all took pride in killing people decisively and acting beyond their authority, as if this was the only way to show their talent.
According to past experience, the prefects have great power and responsibility, and can effectively stabilize the turbulent situation on all sides.
But this is Luoyang, at the feet of the emperor!
Are you, Sima Zhi, so eager to kill people?
Cao Rui ignored Sima Zhi who was kneeling on the ground, and turned to Zhong Yu and said, "Call all the people from the West Pavilion and the East Pavilion to come to me, everyone!"
"Yes, sir." Zhong Yu turned and left.
Sima Zhi fell to the ground, feeling extremely anxious.
How come this is different from what my cousin said yesterday!
I wish all my fellow book lovers a happy Mid-Autumn Festival, and all the best and peace and prosperity~
(End of this chapter)
