The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 218 The Sacred Relic Enters Tibet
Time quickly passed to March of the sixth year of the Chongzhen reign. The spring chill was still in the air. The story of the relics had been completed, and it was time to set off for Tibet.

The Xue family attached great importance to this trip to Tibet, with the family head, Xue Zhiheng, personally leading the effort to bring the sacred artifacts to the snowy plateau.

Jiang Han sent Li Zicheng to accompany the caravan into Tibet. The snowy region was complex, and he was not at ease relying solely on the Xue family.

At this time, Li Zicheng had shed his murderous aura. He was dressed in a dark cotton robe, with a solemn expression. His public identity was that of a lay Buddhist protector from Famen Temple in Shaanxi.

Due to the war, Famen Temple was looted. Li Zicheng, a lay Buddhist who protected the temple, rescued these three sacred objects from the ruins and secretly took them out when no one was around.

He traveled all the way from Shaanxi to Bao'en Temple in Long'an Prefecture, Sichuan. He originally intended to enshrine the relics in Bao'en Temple, but unexpectedly, the rebel army captured Long'an Prefecture again.

To escape the ravages of war and to prevent the sacred relics from being tarnished, he simply fled with the relics.

Having heard that Tibetan Buddhism was flourishing and that Buddhist teachings were abundant, Li Zicheng decided to take the sacred object to Tibet and find a Buddhist temple to enshrine it.

According to the deductions of the eminent monks of Bao'en Temple, the sacred object in the hands of Li Zicheng, this Dharma protector, is very likely a Buddha image relic made by a high-ranking monk of Famen Temple during the Tang Dynasty.

Although the shadow bone relic was artificially made later, its value is no less than that of the real relic.

Buddhism regards it as a "reflection" of the sacred bone, just like the moon reflected in water. Although it is not the moon itself, it carries the essence of the moon.

When the story was first being made up, the monks at Bao'en Temple refused.

Although this shadow bone is artificially made, in a religious sense it is equivalent to the sacred bone. The shadow bone is the manifestation of the sacred bone, proving the immortality of Buddhism.

These monks refused to renounce the Dharma or offer false testimony.

But Jiang Han personally took out his sword and gave them an offer they couldn't refuse. Only when the sword was at their necks did these bald monks finally give in.

After all preparations were completed, Li Zicheng, along with more than two hundred men under his command, set off on the road into the snowy region with Xue Zhiheng.

Their destination was the Ando snow region.

To enter the Ando snow region, caravans first had to depart from Huangyangguan, travel north along the Fujiang River valley, cross the watershed of the Minshan Mountains, and arrive at Songpanwei.

After arriving at Songpanwei, we officially entered the grassland and headed northwest along the Heihe River, passing through Aba Prefecture, and finally arriving at our destination, Xiahe.

The whole process will take nearly a month and a half.

Li Zicheng was puzzled as to why they had to take this route. If they wanted to enter Tibet, shouldn't they have gone west?

According to the commander, the religious center of Tibet should be in southern Tibet, near Shigatse.

Li Zicheng, mounted on his horse, looked at Xue Zhiheng riding alongside him and couldn't help but ask a question:

"Patriarch Xue, why do we insist on going to the northwest? Shouldn't we go to southern Tibet?"

"What kind of place is the Ando Snow Region?"

With nothing else to do, Xue Zhiheng took the opportunity to explain the knowledge of Tibet to Li Zicheng on the way, so that Li Zicheng wouldn't be completely clueless upon his arrival.

"General Li may not know this, but this snowy area is vast and boundless, and the tribes living here usually divide the snowy area into three major parts."

"They are the Dharma Domain of Ü-Tsang, the Human Domain of Kham, and the Horse Domain of Amdo."

“Take the U-Tsang region as an example. U-Tsang mainly refers to Lhasa, Shannan and western Nyingchi; while Tsang represents Shigatse, which is the political and religious center of the snowy region.”

"There are many Buddhist temples here, and there are many Dharma assemblies, so it is also called the Dharma Domain."

"And we are going to Mayu Amdo, which is the main pastoral area of ​​Tibet. It has a large number of cattle and sheep and is famous for producing fine horses, hence the name 'Horse Region'."

In early spring, the plateau was still bitterly cold. As Xue Zhiheng spoke, he took two sips of warm water from his leather water bottle and continued his explanation.

"The commander went to such great lengths, even going so far as to forge Buddhist relics, all for the sake of warhorses, didn't he?"

"In my opinion, this deal is most suitable to be made in Mayuando."

Li Zicheng nodded, then continued to press for answers:

"Patriarch Xue, according to you, if you want to sell the relics for a good price, shouldn't you go to the Dharma Domain Guardian?"

"Although Amdo produces horses, it probably doesn't have as many temples or religious ceremonies as the U-Tsang region."

Xue Zhiheng chuckled upon hearing this:
“General Li, you might be quite skilled when it comes to rebelling and fighting.”

"But when it comes to doing business, you still haven't grasped the essence."

"Although there are fewer Buddhist temples in Amdo, it is a front-line area where the Kagyu and Gelug schools of Buddhism are vying for supremacy."

"This is a battle for lineage. Do you think these two families will go crazy and try to get their hands on a Buddhist sacred object like the Shadow Bone Relic when it appears?"

Li Zicheng suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. The Xue family doesn't seem to be any good either; they're clearly cunning merchants."

Xue Zhiheng then added:
"Moreover, Ü-Tsang is at a higher altitude and has a more intense climate. You Han people are new here, and I'm afraid you won't be able to come out once you go in."

“Layman Li, I advise you to take advantage of the time you still have on the road and learn a few more words of Tibetan, so that you won’t be completely clueless when you get to Amdo.”

"Our destination is Xiahe, where there are several noble families. These people have different beliefs, so we must not violate any taboos."

Li Zicheng nodded silently.

He really needed to learn the Western language while traveling, as this trip was not only to exchange for warhorses, but also to take the opportunity to gather intelligence on the snowy region.

Before setting off, the commander-in-chief personally instructed him to find out about the Mongolian tribes around Xining and see if the leader was Huduntu of the Chahan tribe.

Huduntu refers to Ligdan Khan, the last Great Khan of the Mongols.

According to historical records, around the fifth or sixth year of the Chongzhen reign, the Later Jin dynasty unified Mongolia, and Ligdan Khan was driven to the Qinghai area.

Jiang Han wanted to see how far the Later Jin's expansion had progressed, and whether it was still the same as in history.

After a long and arduous journey of more than half a month, the caravan finally arrived at its destination, Xiahe.

Xiahe is located in what is now Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province, and further north is Xining in Qinghai.

Li Zicheng, riding his horse, looked into the distance and saw the Daxia River meandering across the vast grassland, with the grass on both banks beginning to turn a light green.

Looking at the vast grassland, the hardships he had endured along the way were instantly forgotten.

To the northwest, a magnificent manor is built against the mountain, its white stone foundation smooth and reflecting the faint light of dawn.

The wooden buildings in the manor are intricately carved and painted, and countless colorful prayer flags flutter in the wind.

This is our destination: the Ashgesang family's estate.

The Ashgesang family are followers of the Kagyu school (White Sect) in the Amdo region. They have been operating in Xiahe for over two hundred years and are said to be nobles from ancient Tibet, who were granted a fiefdom there.

A grand and unique welcoming ceremony has been prepared.

As the caravan arrived at the manor gate, a long, deep conch shell sounded, and the air was filled with the aroma of pine and cypress wood used for incense burning.

A robust middle-aged man dressed in a magnificent Tibetan robe and wearing a turquoise scimitar at his waist greeted us personally with a warm smile.

He is the current head of the Ashgesang family, Tenzin Chokyi.

Before arriving in Xiahe, Xue Zhiheng had already sent people to inform the various noble families in Xiahe.

The news of the Buddhist relic entering Tibet caused an instant sensation, with even the Kumbum Monastery and Zhuka Monastery in Xining sending monks to investigate.

After fierce competition, the Tenzin Chokyi family's manor ultimately won the right to receive the sacred object.

However, the thawing period in early spring, coupled with a heavy rain the night before, left the area in front of the manor full of muddy puddles.

To prevent the distinguished guests from getting covered in mud, Tenzin Chokyi immediately gave a loud order in Tibetan.

In an instant, a dozen or so ragged and disheveled "Lang Sheng" stepped out from the crowd.

Langsheng were slaves of noble families, roughly equivalent to household slaves in Han Chinese parlance.

Without the slightest hesitation, they walked straight to the edge of the muddy puddle, one after another bent down, and buried their bodies in the cold mud and water, forming a human bridge.

"Haha, distinguished guests from afar, please don't let the mud soil your boots!"

Tenzin Chokyi waved enthusiastically in broken Chinese.

Xue Zhiheng was not surprised by this, as he had dealt with Tibetan nobles for many years and was very familiar with their customs.

He smiled calmly, stepped onto the bodies of the men, crossed the mud, and warmly embraced Tenzin Chokyi.

But Li Zicheng was frozen in place. He had seen slaves before in Han lands, but he had never seen any landlord use slaves like this.

Li Zicheng could clearly see a back trembling from the cold at his feet, and he could even see the man's teeth chattering.

These are all living, breathing people, not stones used to repair roads and bridges.

His feet felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he couldn't put them down for a long time.

In an instant, everyone's attention was focused on Li Zicheng.

Tenzin Chokyi's enthusiastic smile faded somewhat, while Xue Zhiheng gave him an urging look, indicating that he should do as the Romans do.

Li Zicheng took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions.

He imitated Xue Zhiheng and stepped on the back of the first slave.

The back was very thin; even through the coarse cloth clothing, he could feel the other person's bones.

He didn't linger, his face expressionless as he strode across the trembling human bridge and entered the magnificent manor.

Tenzin Chokyi walked in front, followed by a group of noble leaders from Xiahe, both high and low:

"You two have come from afar; you must have had a long and tiring journey."

"Let me show you around first, so you can learn about the local customs and culture of my Sangke Grassland."

Danzeng Queji clearly wanted to show off his wealth and power, so he personally acted as a guide, leading Xue Zhiheng and Li Zicheng on a tour of his manor.

The manor before us was indeed magnificent and imposing, even somewhat astonishing.

The main house's beams and pillars are made of huge logs, carved with intricate scroll patterns and the six-syllable mantra, with even the gaps filled with gold leaf.

The walls are adorned with brightly colored and exquisitely painted thangkas depicting the Jataka tales of the Buddha and wrathful guardian deities.

The ground was covered with thick, dense Tibetan carpets, which were so soft and silent that it felt like walking on clouds.

The air was filled with a rich aroma of yak butter and Tibetan incense.

The flames in the silver butter lamps danced tirelessly, illuminating the entire hall in a golden glow.

Xue Zhiheng praised him endlessly, while Li Zicheng remained silent the whole way.

Looking at the enormous vase-shaped dome above him and the turquoise and coral furniture around him, he was doing something else entirely:

The gold on this pillar is enough to feed one of his sentry squads for a month.
One carpet can make cotton-padded clothes for twenty brothers.
After visiting the main house, Tenzin Chokyi enthusiastically led them to his stables, where hundreds of magnificent Hequ horses were kept, each with a glossy coat and a robust physique.

This made Li Zicheng's eyes light up, and he couldn't wait to mount a horse and gallop across the Sangke Grassland.

Emerging from the stables and passing through a spacious courtyard, one sees a row of low, dark stone houses not far away.

A stench, a mixture of sour, sweaty, and fecal smells, wafted in on the wind.

Li Zicheng stopped and looked at the stone houses, somewhat puzzled.

Tenzin Chokyi followed his gaze, a nonchalant expression on his face, and casually waved his hand:

"This is where the Langsheng live. It's dirty and smelly. Distinguished guests, please don't look at it too much, lest you offend your eyes."

His tone was nonchalant, as if he were talking about a livestock shed.

But Li Zicheng clenched his fists and frowned. Fortunately, Xue Zhiheng had sharp eyes and immediately put his hand on Li Zicheng's shoulder, whispering something in his ear:
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do; the overall situation is paramount."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng gradually calmed down and put on a kind smile.

Evening arrived quickly, and a small cocktail party for dozens of people was held as scheduled in the manor's lobby.

The people gathered here were all nobles of Xiahe, and they had only one purpose: to see the legendary Buddhist treasures with their own eyes.

Tenzin Chokyi dismissed the servants and then invited out two important figures.

These are two eminent monks, one from Kumbum Monastery of the Gelug school and the other from Zhuka Monastery of the Kagyu school.

Both temples coincidentally dispatched their chief officiant, who represented the temple's ritual authority.

The two old men had serious expressions and were thin. Their eyes darted back and forth between Xue and Li, and they were holding a string of polished prayer beads in their hands, as if trying to see through the two men.

Seeing this, Li Zicheng couldn't help but feel a little nervous:
"Won't these two old fogies recognize the relic at a glance?"

"If I'm found out I'm cheating, I might get hacked to death on the grassland."

At this moment, Tenzin Chokyi approached and said in a tone that was a mixture of longing and awe:

"Master Xue, Layman Li, you two have worked hard all the way here to escort the Buddha's sacred objects. Your merits are truly immeasurable!"

"I wonder... I wonder if I could have the opportunity to witness and personally experience the Buddha's grace?"

Xue Zhiheng said in a deep voice:

“Since the patriarch is so sincere, we naturally cannot refuse.”

"However, this is a Buddhist treasure. When opening the letter and viewing it, one must do so with reverence and not make a loud noise."

Tenzin Chokyi rubbed his hands excitedly and repeatedly assured him.

"sure!"

Now that things have come to this, it's time to put them to the test and see what they're really made of.

Li Zicheng nodded slowly and took out the reliquary from his bosom.

The entire Buddhist hall fell silent instantly, everyone's eyes fixed on the precious letter in Li Zicheng's hand, and even their breathing stopped.

Li Zicheng solemnly placed the precious letter on the offering table in front of him, and then gestured for Danzeng Queji to step forward and open it.

But at this moment, Tenzin Chokyi was no longer as imposing as he had been during the day. He kept declining and then turned his gaze to the two Ongze behind him.

The two old men exchanged a glance, then slowly walked to the offering table and began to read a passage of obscure and difficult-to-understand scripture to the precious box.

After the recitation was completed, one of them slowly and carefully unwrapped the silk covering the treasure box, layer by layer.

The first layer is bright yellow satin, embroidered with auspicious clouds and eight treasures; the second layer is crimson Shu brocade, woven with lotus flowers.

When the last layer of pure white silk was lifted, revealing the sandalwood box itself, everyone present let out a suppressed gasp of amazement.

Without pausing, the monk pressed down hard on the copper clasp of the treasure box.

Click

With a soft start-up sound, everyone instinctively held their breath.

In the center of the reliquary, a layer of soft silk cloth was laid out, and on the cloth lay a relic shaped like a finger bone.

On this trip, Li Zicheng only brought one relic with him. He wanted to test the waters first and see if he could fool these monks who were highly proficient in Buddhism.

Before the offering table, the butter lamp flickered on and off.

The light shone on the relic, as if it were being sucked into a deep vortex, from which a soft bluish-white halo then emanated.

The two old men, who were closest to the scene, stared wide-eyed at the bizarre sight before them.

The two eminent monks disregarded their decorum and began to examine the relics from various angles, shaking their heads and swaying their bodies.

As the viewing angle changed, the halo seemed to breathe and flow within it, even casting a yellowish hue onto the silk cloth.

Upon seeing this, the two eminent monks' gaunt bodies began to tremble violently, and their sunken eyes instantly filled with tears.

That's right, this is the true treasure of Buddhism!
They stared intently at the sacred object before them, making hoarse sounds in their throats, leaning forward as if wanting to reach out and touch it, yet they desperately restrained the impulse.

Li Zicheng, however, was clueless about the intricacies of the matter. He looked at the two eminent monks before him with a furrowed brow.

As for?
After waiting for a while, the two high monks suddenly turned around at the same time, each grabbing one of Li Zicheng's arms tightly, and said in unison:

"Benefactor, this item has a special connection with my Kumbum Monastery (Zhuka Monastery). Please be sure to make it a part of our monastery!"

　It seems some places are triggering sensitive words? "Snow area" is being changed to "snow area".
　　
　
(End of this chapter)