Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 441 Buddha

Chang'an was the capital of the Former Qin and Yao Qin dynasties. Yao Xing surrendered at the last moment, and the city's industries were preserved.

The Qiang and Di people are skilled in leather making, so producing 20,000 new sheepskin coats and leather shoes is not a problem. It's just that time is a bit tight, so Liu Yixing posted a notice to purchase them from the people.

In just two days, more than 7,000 fur coats and leather shoes were collected.

Most of them were donated free of charge by the people of Chang'an. If there were no ready-made ones, they would slaughter their own sheep, skin them, and send them to the government.

Helian Bobo was infamous for his ruthlessness. Whether they were Qiang, Di, or Han, anyone who fell into his hands would suffer a fate worse than death.

Therefore, I strongly support the war against Huxia.

When Liu Daogui conquered Yao Qin, he said he would not give up Guanzhong, and he really did not give up Guanzhong. He even moved the Jin court to Chang'an and established mutual trust with the elders of Guanzhong. It was only right that he gained their support.

However, due to the continuous fighting in Guanzhong, the people did not have much money. Although they managed to obtain more than 7,000 items, the shortage was still significant.

Not only were winter clothes for keeping warm scarce, but food supplies were also a major problem.

The three armies have not moved, and the food and grass go first.

This time, we need to completely wipe out the Hu Xia. In the early stage, we mobilized 5,000 elite cavalry and 20,000 Qiang troops. Later, after the weather warms up, we will have to send out a large army. The livestock seized from Henan cannot fill such a large gap.

The Guanzhong Plain had suffered from drought for several years, and the government treasury was already empty.

Repairing canals and reclaiming wasteland are unlikely to yield results in the short term. Currently, transporting goods from the Huai and Si Rivers and Jingxiang Rivers is too time-consuming, and the efficiency of transporting goods in winter is too low.

Even the usually resourceful Liu Muzhi was at a loss. "This year, we should severely damage Helian Bobo and first destroy Western Qin as a long-term solution."

"Mao Dezhu used himself as bait to lure Helian Bobo out. If we miss this opportunity, we will have to pay a much higher price to find them in the future. It will be difficult for us, but it will be even more difficult for the enemy."

From a domestic political perspective, Liu Mu's words were wise and experienced in governing the country. However, from a military perspective, if Helian Bobo could not be kept alive this time, it would be difficult to have such a good opportunity again in the future.

Liu Daogui not only wanted to destroy the Hu Xia and Western Qin, but also planned to take advantage of his great victory to invade Hexi and destroy the two Liang states.

Although the Northern Wei suffered a crushing defeat, Tuoba Si retreated completely, quietly licking his wounds in the Daibei and Monan regions. Recently, he even came up with a strategy of "making up for the loss in the south by going north," turning his attention to the poor brethren of the same lineage, the Rouran, and sending troops to plunder the people and livestock of the grasslands to replenish the Wei state.

While Liu Daogui was quelling Liu Yi's rebellion, Tuoba Si was not idle either. He led 30,000 cavalry to conquer the northern desert, defeated the Rouran, plundered 200,000 cattle and sheep, and captured 30,000 young men before returning.

The fact that the Han state was tied down by Helian Bobo at this time gave the Wei state a chance to catch its breath.

Helian Bobo was ruthless and cunning, and was very good at raiding and plundering. Yao Qin's national strength was completely depleted by him.

Silence fell over the Taiji Hall; even a skilled cook cannot make a meal without rice.

In the past two years, Liu Daogui has done too many things: moving the capital, quelling internal rebellions, and relocating people from the east to fill Guanzhong. All of these things require money and grain.

After waiting for half an incense stick's time, Liu Daogui still couldn't come up with a solution. He sighed inwardly, realizing that he could only take it one step at a time.

Just as he was about to speak, Yin Zhongwen's eyes darted around, and he raised his scepter, saying, "When Fu Jian and Yao Xing were in power, they both greatly promoted Buddhism. Yao Xing built Buddhist pagodas in Chang'an and constructed the Prajna Terrace in the palace. In Guanzhong, nine out of ten households were Buddhist. Buddhist temples were found in every prefecture and county. They opened up vast tracts of fertile land and kept servants without paying taxes..."

Not only did Fu Jian and Yao Xing greatly promote Buddhism, but from the time of Shi Hu onwards, Buddhism spread throughout the world.

The same was true of the aristocratic families in Jiangzuo. Emperor Xiaowu Sima Yao and Prince Langya Sima Daozi built monasteries in the palace and invited monks to live there. When Wang Gong was the governor of the Northern Army, he mobilized the people to build Buddhist temples, striving for magnificence, which caused resentment among the people and scholars of Jiangzuo.

Even matters of state were handled by the nun Zhi Miaoyin.

"What do you all think?" Liu Daogui thought to himself with admiration.

Besides being a literary talent, Yin Zhongwen also harbored many wicked schemes.

Feng Kai was the first to respond, “Buddhism and Taoism have abandoned the teachings of the sages and will only bewitch the ignorant and cause chaos in the world. The Celestial Masters sect is a cautionary tale. The Buddhist temples in Guanzhong are so numerous that they are mostly places of filth and corruption. They should not be lawless places. I suggest that the monks be investigated and the land be surveyed!”

Wang Shang cupped his hands and said, "If the Buddhist community becomes too powerful, its harm will be no less than that of powerful clans. By distributing grain to monks' residences and annexing fertile fields and servants, they will become too powerful to control. I agree with this matter."

Although Liu Muzhi remained silent, silence itself was an attitude.

Liu Daogui turned his gaze to Yin Zhongwen, "I'll leave this matter to you. I'll give you three thousand cavalrymen; make sure you handle it thoroughly."

"Your subject obeys." Yin Zhongwen understood immediately; he had dealt with powerful local tyrants in Jingxiang before and had experience in this area.

Liu Daogui was not averse to Buddhism; he believed that its existence was justified, and that the foundation of Buddhism's spread to the East was still Confucianism. His admonition to refrain from killing also had significant practical relevance. Many eminent monks were indeed highly respected and virtuous.

But the forest is big, and there are all kinds of birds.

The Buddhist community has expanded too rapidly in recent years, bringing with it both good and bad elements, and too many people have acted recklessly.

What Liu Daogui found most intolerable was their land annexation and usury, which forced countless families to ruin and die.

The common people sweat and the soldiers bleed. The Qiang and Di people are willing to fight for the Han state, and the powerful families on the border will defend their land and people. These temples do nothing, just recite a few scriptures, and can reap the benefits without lifting a finger. They are like fish and fish in a pond. This is the greatest injustice in the world.

Since Liu Daogui could not tolerate the aristocratic families, he certainly wouldn't tolerate the Buddhist sect continuing to live so carefree.

Having money, grain, manpower, and prestige, and not paying rent or performing corvée labor, they naturally pose a threat to the imperial court.

When Yin Zhongwen was in Jingxiang, he was still timid and hesitant, after all, he was also a member of the Western Prefecture and cared about his reputation.

Upon arriving in Guanzhong, he fully displayed the demeanor of a ruthless official, leading three thousand men to sweep through the surrounding Buddhist temples, starting from Chang'an.

If resistance is encountered, they will be killed on the spot, accused of starting a rebellion, and all temple and farm properties will be confiscated.

In just half a month, more than 5,000 hectares of fertile land, more than 4,000 servants, 170,000 shi of grain, more than 7 million strings of cash and silk were cleared from the major Buddhist temples in Jingzhao. There were also countless gold Buddhas and bronze statues.

Liu Daogui knew they were rich, but he didn't expect them to be this rich.

In this era, believing in Buddhism is not called believing in Buddhism, but rather worshipping or paying homage to the Buddha.

Both offerings and gifts are inseparable from money.

"Report! Gaoguang Temple in Fufeng County has rebelled, gathering three thousand men and seeking help from Juqu Mengxun!" Meng Ganzhi excitedly reported.

"There really are people who dare to rebel." Liu Daogui was not angry but pleased.

Before Yin Zhongwen's sword even reached Fufeng County, some people couldn't hold back any longer.

Since Zhang Gui, the people of Liangzhou have been devout Buddhists. Yao Xing once welcomed Kumarajiva from Liangzhou to Chang'an and treated him with the respect due to a national teacher. The current ruler of Northern Liang, Juqu Mengxun, also loved Buddhism and commissioned the monks Tanmochen from Jibin and Zhisong from Liangzhou to translate more than ten Nirvana Sutras. Pagodas and temples were scattered among the villages and fortresses.

Kokoji Temple's rebellion confirmed the various accusations leveled against Buddhism.

What excited Liu Daogui the most was that they even used Juqu Mengxun's name.

Among the four kingdoms of Western Qin, Hu Xia, and Northern and Southern Liang, Southern Liang was the weakest, Hu Xia was the most rampant, and Northern Liang appeared the most submissive but was actually the most cunning. It remained in the background, observing the changing situation while colluding with Helian Bobo and Qifu Chipan, and paying tribute to the Wei Kingdom.

If we can involve Juqu Mengxun, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop.

Mao Dezhu's three thousand men blocked the way at Zhanyin, forming an impregnable fortress, making it impossible for Helian Bobo's forty thousand men to cross the line.

The Northern Army was particularly adept at this kind of defensive warfare; as long as there were enough arrows, no matter how many Xiongnu troops there were, it would be useless.

During the Han Dynasty, Geng Gong fought the Battle of Shule City with only 300 men, holding off 20,000 Xiongnu troops for a year and even managing to fight his way back to Yumen Pass.

The spirit and vitality of the Han Dynasty were forged by these people.

On the surface, Mao Dezhu was outnumbered and surrounded by the Xiongnu army, but in reality, Helian Bobo was the prey.

Liu Daogui even suspected that Mao Dezhu and Fu Hongzhi could severely damage Hu Xia without reinforcements.

Not two days later, news came from the Northwest again: "Report! Helian Bobo has also requested help from Northern Liang, and Juqu Mengxun has sent 30,000 infantry and cavalry to besiege Zhanyin!"

"It's finally here!" Liu Daogui's spirits lifted.

There are far more battles fought east of the Yellow River than sieges fought west of it.

These days, even the nomadic peoples of the Northwest are skilled at defending cities.

Wang Zhen'e has been besieging Fuhan, but has yet to breach the city.

After the Tiger Guard was equipped with warhorses, donkeys, mules, and camels, its field combat capabilities became even stronger than before.

(End of this chapter)