100: The Buddha's Dharma is Boundless

Chapter 100: Boundless Buddhist Dharma

In the sixth year of zhengyong, on the ninth day of the seventh lunar month.

Outside the Guangle Palace, Zheng Yi and a group of imperial concubines were waiting outside.

Today was the time when Consort Yue, Miao Yuesheng, was giving birth, causing a commotion throughout more than half of the imperial palace.

The reason was very simple; Consort Yue's father, Minister Miao, was currently the general with the greatest power in the Great Yu military besides Xu Mujun.

He commanded over one hundred thousand armored soldiers, served concurrently as the regional commander of Yun Province and Yong Province, and was even the commander-in-chief of the northwest bandit suppression, capable of mobilizing the military forces of three provinces.

He was currently commanding a large army to besiege the rebels of Yong Province, and it was said they had already been cornered around Yong Mountain, ready to be defeated any day now!

"Wuwu~ Wuwu~!"

Before long, a series of crying sounds came from outside the Guangle Palace, and the expressions of the people around immediately relaxed.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Felicitations, Your Majesty!"

"Consort Yue giving birth safely is truly a major event for the royal family!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty..."

Zheng Yi also let out a sigh of relief. The reason it was so simple—or rather, why he worried—was because Miao Yuesheng, this girl... was too small in certain areas.

Although Miao Yuesheng was already a consort, in Zheng Yi's eyes, she was still as petite as a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old high school student.

He felt a bit of a pang of conscience even sharing a bed with her, let alone having her bear a child; it really was hard on her.

An imperial matron walked out in quick steps, and many people cast their gazes upon her.

Especially the Empress, Consort Yang, Consort Xu, Consort De, and others.

His Majesty had ascended the throne for six years now, yet he did not have a single imperial prince.

If malicious people were to harbor resentment and manipulate this, it might prove unfavorable to the state and country.

The matron knelt on the ground and respectfully said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, felicitations, Your Majesty. Consort Yue gave birth to a little princess."

"Mn."

Zheng Yi nodded slightly, and the surrounding imperial concubines also visibly let out sighs of relief.

Especially the Empress, Consort Wan, and other consorts.

A daughter is good, a daughter is good.

There is still a chance, we still have a chance.

Zheng Yi said, "Since Consort Yue has already given birth, you all may withdraw first and rest early."

"Understood~!"

The several women bowed and then withdrew one by one.

As for Zheng Yi, he held Consort Yue's newly born daughter and stepped into the bedchamber.

She truly was the daughter born to Consort Yue; just like her mother, her little face was tiny, yet her eyes were pitch-black and bright, and her little nose was flat, making her extremely adorable.

Zheng Yi came before Miao Yuesheng and said sincerely, "Yuer, you've worked hard."

Miao Yuesheng's complexion was somewhat pale, still tinged with a trace of flush: "Your concubine failed to leave an imperial prince for the royal family; I—I ask Your Majesty to forgive me."

"What nonsense are you saying?"

Zheng Yi handed the child over to the wet nurse, affectionately stroked her small face, and said, "Whether it's a prince or a princess, I like them all very much."

"Your Majesty~"

Miao Yuesheng was moved, her eye sockets turning somewhat red: "I—I ask Your Majesty to step away, lest it offend Your Majesty's nose."

Zheng Yi looked toward the nearby midwife: "What is going on?"

The midwife said tremblingly, "Re—Returning to Your Majesty, Consort Yue's body is small, and there was some tearing when the child was born, causing her to lose quite a bit of blood."

"However, the imperial physicians of the Taiyuan Hospital have already prescribed tonic medicine, and we will attentively care for Consort Yue."

"Mn."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "You all have rendered meritorious service in taking care of Consort Yue; there will be rewards for everyone."

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

Then he said to Consort Yue: "You are my consort, and this is my daughter; how could I possibly dislike you?"

"Your Majesty~"

Consort Yue said with gratitude, "Your Majesty, please name our daughter."

"Mn."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "Your name contains the moon; the moon is the yin of heaven, the pupil of heaven."

"The spring river tides connect with the level sea, the bright moon over the sea is born together with the tides."

"Glittering and sparkling, it drifts with the waves for thousands of miles; where on the spring river is there no bright moon!"

"In that case, let our daughter be called Zheng Yuhan."

"Han means the initial brightening of the sky, the moonlight before dawn."

"Zheng Yuhan, with the title... Princess Guanghan!"

"Zheng Yuhan, Yuhan... Princess Guanghan..."

Miao Yuesheng's eyes grew increasingly bright, and she said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

At that moment, Liu Chengen walked in quickly: "Your Majesty, Abbot Fayuan of Tianlong Temple requests an audience."

"Abbot Fayuan?"

Zheng Yi's brows and eyes flickered slightly. Having waited for so long, he finally couldn't hold back anymore?

Ever since Abbot Fayuan came to the capital, two months had already passed.

During this time, he had left Abbot Fayuan stranded in Yanta Temple, letting him propagate the Buddhist Dharma at will.

As long as he didn't return to Tianlong Temple or cause trouble at will, it was fine.

He hadn't expected that after a mere two months, he wouldn't be able to hold back?

"Take him to White Jade Capital to wait for me."

"Understood."

Zheng Yi said again to Miao Yuesheng: "Beloved Consort, rest first; I still have some matters to attend to."

"Mn, Your Majesty, go quickly~"

Zheng Yi walked out of the Guangle Palace, let out a deep breath, and instructed those nearby: "Dispatch more imperial physicians to regulate Consort Yue's health."

"Understood!"

White Jade Capital.

"This poor monk Fayuan greets Your Majesty!"

Looking at the benevolent old monk before him, Zheng Yi said indifferently, "Abbot Fayuan, greetings. Have you been living well these past few days?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, this poor monk is doing fine."

Abbot Fayuan said, "The capital is a place of outstanding people and divine spirits. Your Majesty is majestic and heroic, truly an outstanding figure, and the realm is also pacified."

Zheng Yi asked again, "What brings Abbot Fayuan here today?"

"I have come to offer congratulations."

Abbot Fayuan said, "Today, this poor monk calculated that an Incarnation of the Heavenly Dragon Girl from beneath our Buddha's seat has descended into the world, and I have specially come to offer congratulations."

As he spoke, he pulled a yellow-covered book from his bosom, and Liu Chengen walked down in quick steps.

"This is the Lotus Sutra bestowed by our Buddha. The Heavenly Dragon Girl is the daughter of our Buddha and achieved the Dao through the Lotus Sutra. Now returning this item to its original owner is also a great act of goodness."

Hmph!

Zheng Yi sneered inwardly.

What calculation.

The old monk had been lecturing on the scriptures at Yanta Temple for two months and already had a massive number of followers.

Even within the palace, quite a few people believed in him; it was as easy as turning over his hand for him to find out that Consort Yue had given birth to a daughter.

However, Zheng Yi still said, "On behalf of Princess Guanghan, I thank Abbot Fayuan."

"Your Majesty."

Elder Fayuan continued, "Presently, the world faintly shows signs of chaos. Our Buddha is compassionate and wishes to universally save all beings and rescue the common people. This poor monk is also willing to use his own body to ferry the world."

"Princess Guanghan is our Buddha's Heavenly Dragon Girl, and Your Majesty also has an affinity with our Buddha. Why not use the Buddhist Dharma to urge people toward goodness, universally save all living beings, and ascend together to the Ultimate Bliss World?"

Zheng Yi asked, "Oh? I wonder what Abbot Fayuan plans to do?"

"Transcribe the Buddhist Dharma, extensively build temples, and chant Buddhist scriptures morning, noon, and night; people's hearts will naturally turn toward goodness."

"I wonder if Abbot Fayuan has ever gone hungry?"

"The Mahayana Buddhist Dharma practiced by this poor monk also includes precepts of fasting, so naturally I have gone hungry."

"Abbot, you are clinging to appearances."

Zheng Yi said, "My Great Yu has suffered endless natural and man-made disasters, and it is only this year that things have gotten slightly better."

"However, in the six northern prefectures, there are also countless starving refugees, and millions more have died from famines."

"May I ask Abbot Fayuan, how should these people be universally saved?"

"What they want is not the Buddhist Dharma, but food."

"I ask the Abbot, with a starving belly, how can one chant scriptures?"

Abbot Fayuan said indifferently, "As long as there is Buddha in the heart, external objects are not borrowed by the body; what does it matter to discard this stinking skin bag?"

"You guys really are... eloquent."

Zheng Yi laughed in spite of himself. Buddhism was best at debating; there were truly very few people who could win an argument against them with mere words.

Fayuan's expression remained as usual as he said to himself, "This subject has heard that Your Majesty wished to seek immortals in past years?"

"So what if I did?"

"Why doesn't Your Majesty take refuge in our Buddha?"

"Oh? Take refuge in our Buddha? Does our Buddha possess the method of longevity?"

"He does."

Abbot Fayuan said with confidence, "Our Buddha resides above the three thousand glazed worlds, and the past and future are also within his grasp; naturally, there is a method of longevity."

"Can Abbot Fayuan attain longevity?"

"This little monk is foolish and has not yet become a Buddha, but I already possess the Buddha heart."

Abbot Fayuan said, "Your Majesty also possesses the Buddha heart and has an affinity with our Buddha. Your Majesty's sixth princess is our Buddha's Heavenly Dragon Girl, the eldest princess is our Buddha's Glazed Realm Dancing Celestial Maiden, the second princess is our Buddha's Jade Realm Precious Jade Princess, the third princess is our Buddha's..."

Zheng Yi was somewhat speechless. Did this Abbot Fayuan really take him for some kind of gullible fool?

Why not just say that he himself was an Incarnation of a Buddha?

"Your Majesty doesn't believe it?"

Abbot Fayuan said with a smile, then pulled a golden scroll from his bosom.

"Please look, Your Majesty. This item is our Buddha's supreme treasure, named the Thousand Illusion Glazed Painting, which can connect with the netherworld and reflect the past and future."

"Your Majesty's past is entirely within this painting!"

"Oh?"

Only then did Zheng Yi become interested, instinctively looking toward the scroll in Abbot Fayuan's hand.

Abbot Fayuan gave a faint smile and casually threw the painting into the air.

"Whoosh~"

In an instant, the painting unrolled like a ribbon of silk, floating suspended in mid-air.

Yet on the originally blank scroll, figures actually appeared, continuously crisscrossing.

And Abbot Fayuan's voice sounded once again.

"Not only does Your Majesty have an affinity with our Buddha, even the Innate expert hiding behind Your Majesty's dragon throne and protecting Your Majesty also has an affinity with our Buddha!"

Accompanied by Abbot Fayuan's voice, Zheng Yi's vision grew somewhat dazed.

Meanwhile, Chen Liancang behind Zheng Yi had a dazed look in his eyes at this moment, also drawn in by that scroll.

Zheng Yi saw that his past life was a heinous mountain bandit.

He burned, killed, looted, raped, plundered, and committed every imaginable evil.

One day, going down the mountain to pillage, he slaughtered an entire caravan, yet discovered a child only two or three years old in the interlayer of a carriage.

For some reason, a spark of compassion stirred within him, and he let the child go.

Time revolved, and the white colt flashed past.

Relying on his fierce, death-defying bravery and the saber techniques comprehended during bloodshed, he carved out a massive reputation in the Martial Forest.

He was hailed as the head of the four great villains of the greenwoods, and was even recruited by the imperial court to become its running dog.

Gold, silver, treasures, beauties, and power were all within easy reach.

Even washing your hands in a golden basin, taking a wife, having children, you amassed a massive family estate.

One day while carrying out a mission, you were ambushed and killed by a youth.

The youth had a face like jade and an extraordinary bearing.

Using only three moves, he defeated you.

The youth did not kill you; instead, he severed all the tendons in your hands and feet, crippled your Internal Energy, and turned you into a cripple.

"Fifteen years ago, you slaughtered my entire family, yet spared only me, who was barely two years old."

"Since that is the case, I will also slaughter your entire family and leave you with your life!"

The youth brought you back to your home, and you watched with your own eyes as he alone with a single sword broke into your house and killed all your wives, children, and family members, leaving only you crawling on the ground and wailing in agony.

In the heavy rain, a gray-robed monk walked over and softly said, "When will the cycle of karmic retribution ever end..."

In a daze, you saw your second lifetime.

In the second lifetime, you were a butcher living adjacent to a monk.

You got up early and called the monk to get up and chant scriptures.

The monk got up early and called you to get up and slaughter pigs.

Thus more than thirty years passed, day after day just like that.

Suddenly one day, the great sun turned black, dark clouds pressed down upon the city, and countless demons descended from the sky, turning the human realm into a demon court.

Countless humans were reduced to food for the Yao Race, and you were no exception.

A great demon glared at you angrily and said, "Day and night you slaughter my kindred. For over thirty years, at least tens of thousands of my kind have died in your hands; this enmity is irreconcilable!"

The great demon transformed into its true form, which turned out to be a black-skinned, tusked wild boar.

It let out an angry roar and opened its tusked maw, about to swallow you whole.

And right at that moment, golden light suddenly burst forth from your body, transforming into a Buddha that suppressed this pig demon with a backhand strike.

In a daze, a voice reached your ears once again.

"Our Buddha is compassionate. For thirty years, every day you called me to chant scriptures, establishing boundless Karma, and you can instantly become a Buddha right here and now!"

The third lifetime...

You were a prodigal son, and your great-grandfather's generation established a massive family fortune...

Inside White Jade Capital, Zheng Yi fell into a boundless illusion, while Elder Fayuan slowly stepped forward at this time with a cold, indifferent look in his eyes.

"Great Yu Emperor, enter my Great Glazed Illusion Realm and become the Buddha Son of my Great Glazed Thousand Illusions."

"From this time forth, Great Yu shall be our Buddha's Daoist practice field, propagating our Buddha's Buddhist Dharma and universally saving all living beings!"

At this moment, he showed not a shred of benevolent appearance; instead, he was filled with icy chillness.

As if in his eyes, the people of the world were not believers at all, but rather... swine!

"Squeak squeak squeak..."

Right at that moment, a sharp, piercing screech suddenly rang out.

"Hm?!"