You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 145 Shunzhi's First Encounter with Buddhism

After Shunzhi had crushed the two slender but determined warriors for the fifth time, he happily boarded his palanquin and returned to the palace.

A child's happiness is actually very simple; it boils down to two words: satisfying their needs.

Jiang Qingyun understood this principle well. If you pet a dog gently, it will be very happy, let alone a person.

The procession stopped as it approached Donghua Gate.

"Wu Liangfu, what's going on up ahead?"

"This servant will go and ask."

……

"Oh my, my Lord Jiang, what are you trying to do? Intercept the imperial procession? Are you plotting something?"

"Steward Wu, please take a look!"

With a wave of his right hand, Jiang Qingyun raised a magnificent umbrella symbolizing the people's welfare.

Everyone was stunned.

The guards at Donghua Gate, the imperial guards accompanying the emperor, Wu Liangfu, and Emperor Shunzhi himself all gazed at the enormous umbrella.

"Quickly, help me over there."

Emperor Shunzhi was young and unaware of his fatigue.

The "Umbrella of Ten Thousand People" is a symbol of immense honor, worthy of being recorded in history.

Emperor Shunzhi, deeply influenced by Han culture, knew the value of this thing.

……

Jiang Qingyun spoke first:

"The million bannermen in the capital are deeply grateful for the Emperor's grace. Overwhelmed with emotion, they spontaneously made this umbrella for all the people and presented it to the Emperor."

Behind him, hundreds of Manchus knelt down in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"

"I truly cannot accept this."

Emperor Shunzhi uttered these words as if possessed.

"Please accept this, Your Majesty."

"I am unworthy of this honor."

Jiang Qingyun harbored deep resentment, thinking, "You've really read too much; you're actually obsessed with the idea of ​​'three refusals and three acceptances.' Oh well, I'll play along."

So he lifted his official robe, knelt down again, and spoke sincerely and resolutely:

"The 'Umbrella of Ten Thousand People' represents the will of the people. The Emperor must accept it; otherwise, the million Manchus in the capital will never agree to it."

"Absolutely not."

"Yes, I won't agree."

The actors behind him were all veteran artists, and they all shouted with righteous indignation and passion.

Shunzhi then reached out and helped Jiang Qingyun up.

Then, reluctantly, he said, "Since that's the case, I can only follow the will of the people, accept it, and take it into the Forbidden City for safekeeping."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The cheers that rose and fell caused the crows on the roof of the three main halls to take flight.

……

Suddenly, Shunzhi saw the monk Tianji.

Because everyone else was kneeling, and only he and the monk Tianji were still standing, it was so conspicuous that it was hard not to see them.

When Shunzhi saw that the monk had a dignified appearance, stood like a bronze bell, had a broad face and ears, a serene gaze, and long earlobes, he couldn't help but feel a sense of goodwill towards him.

This wasn't the first time the two had met.

But he couldn't remember exactly how many times it had happened.

Monk Tianji also stepped forward.

“Amitabha Buddha, bringing blessings to the world, the people are grateful, and the Holy Emperor should accept it with equanimity.”

Shunzhi nodded and took off the jade pendant, handing it over.

"Master, if you ever travel around in the future, you can use this to enjoy the rest stops along the way."

Tianji took it and shook his head.

"This humble monk wishes to pawn this item to a pawnshop and exchange it for white rice to relieve the starving people."

Shunzhi nodded slightly to the constable, indicating that he could barely accept it, and then turned to leave.

"This humble monk believes that His Majesty is the Supreme Divine Firmament Jade Purity True King Longevity Emperor, the Heavenly Venerable of the Primordial Saint."

Moment~
Silence fell.

Even Jiang Qingyun was startled. "Monk, you're not following the script!"

Shunzhi stopped, turned around, and asked in confusion, "Master, what did you just say?"

“Amitabha Buddha~ This humble monk says that the Emperor is actually the Supreme Divine Jade Pure True King Longevity Emperor Tongtian Yuansheng Heavenly Venerable descended to earth.”

This name is very long.

Just like in the mortal realm, in the celestial realm, the longer the title, the more prestigious the status.

He is popularly known as the Longevity Emperor, whose celestial rank is second only to the Jade Emperor, making him one of the highest gods.

"Master, what makes you say that?"

Shunzhi's smile quickly vanished, his doubts becoming palpable.

You praise me as a god, and of course I'm happy. However, I don't really believe it, because I'm not a fool.

"It's a long story."

"Then come back to the palace with me, and we'll talk about it when we have time."

Emperor Shunzhi thought to himself that it was best to keep such people who pretended to be gods and ghosts away from the common people. He should bring them back to the palace, either keep them as pets or quietly eliminate them.

So~
The monk Tianji followed Shunzhi into the palace, and from beginning to end, he never looked at Jiang Qingyun again.

……

Chief eunuch Wu Liangfu shouted as he went:
"Lift it up, lift it higher."

A large umbrella, symbolizing the people's welfare, led the way, with Emperor Shunzhi in the middle, and the entourage entered the Forbidden City with great arrogance. Along the way, palace maids, eunuchs, guards, and onlookers gathered in large numbers.

The umbrella canopy was covered with names written in various handwritings and ink stains, clearly indicating it was genuine, and indeed it was.

He had no idea that about half a month earlier, the patrolmen of the Five Cities Garrison had been knocking on doors in the inner city, asking homeowners to sign their names.

The process went smoothly, and no one dared not sign.

Jiang Qingyun didn't care what the flag bearers thought.

Jiang Qingyun was really worried about what kind of chain reaction the monk's entry into the palace would cause, to the point that he tossed and turned all night.

……

The next day, noon.

A secluded courtyard near the Wuying Hall.

"Master, I am quite curious about what you said yesterday. It is true that I am the emperor, but do I possess the magical power to control wind, fire, thunder, and lightning? Why have I never discovered it myself?"

"This humble monk requests that Your Majesty pluck a flower at your leisure."

Shunzhi reached out and plucked a plum blossom from the nearest plum tree, holding it in his palm.

"Your Majesty, please throw the flower petals in your hand into the well now."

Shunzhi complied.

"and then?"

Monk Tianji closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and chanted the Buddha's name.

Feeling bewildered, Shunzhi suddenly turned his head and glanced at the well. What he saw made his hair stand on end, and he was so shocked by the bizarre scene before him that he couldn't utter a word.

A plum blossom floats quietly above the well opening.
This situation is far too bizarre.

"Amitabha Buddha, please, Emperor of Longevity, bring out this flower."

As if drawn by a mysterious magic, Shunzhi involuntarily reached out and scooped up the plum blossom.

No! It's a hallucination!
Shunzhi shook his head repeatedly to make sure that there was nothing wrong with his mind, eyes, or senses, and that he was not hallucinating from playing with women.

……

The monk Tianji had a solemn and dignified appearance, and nodded slightly.

The eunuchs serving nearby were startled and immediately knelt down and bowed their heads in worship. Of course, they were bowing to Emperor Shunzhi.

Shunzhi's heart pounded, and he mustered his courage to throw the petals into the well again.

This time, the petal actually fell into the well.

Just as he was wondering, the petals slowly rose from below and floated up at the well opening again.

“A miracle, a true miracle.”

"I, I really am~"

Under the bright sunshine~
The monk Tianji smiled without saying a word, his shiny bald head gleaming with wisdom.

The secrets of heaven must not be revealed, for to do so will surely lead to death. From that moment on, he knew that his life had begun to burn.

Emperor Shunzhi was filled with awe:

"By imperial decree, the monk Tianji is appointed as a sixth-rank monk official in the Buddhist Registry, and is granted a complete set of Buddhist ritual items, 500 taels of gold, and a small Buddhist hall is temporarily set up near the Thirteen Offices for his practice."

(End of this chapter)