Chapter 17 Shichahai Fire God Temple

The demolition of the Fire God Temple in Shichahai, which began this morning, was temporarily suspended in the evening.

During this demolition process, some officials were found tied up inside the Zhenwu Hall. This matter was quickly reported back to the imperial court. Emperor Wanli was asleep and did not get up.

The three Grand Secretaries handled the issue, inquiring about the origins of this Fire Lord. They received information that, according to the voices heard by those who had been captured, the Fire Lord claimed her past name was Puzhao Bodhisattva.

Puzhao Bodhisattva... The Northern Garrison Office immediately began investigating and discovered that she was the second daughter of the Yellow Heaven Sect leader during the reign of Emperor Shizong. Many people were surprised, as Puzhao should be quite old, yet she was still so young and beautiful.

This made many sigh, thinking that cultivating immortality was indeed good. It was just a pity that the imperial court's divine positions were only held while in service. Once out of service, you were just a mortal, your divine position stripped, and you were told to leave, with others waiting to take your place.

The three Grand Secretaries immediately ordered a search of Shuntian for Yellow Heaven Sect followers and directly branded this once-legal religion as an illegal one, classifying it as a branch of the White Lotus Sect... In any case, no matter what sect you were, you were all the White Lotus Sect.

Shuntian was in chaos. They didn't know until they investigated, but the investigation revealed that almost one in three households believed in the Yellow Heaven Sect. When this matter was reported to the three Grand Secretaries, the sun was setting in the west. The three Grand Secretaries were all very touched, never expecting that even under the Emperor's feet, it would become a haven for heretical cults.

Don't ask; if you ask, it's Emperor Jiajing's fault.

All the statues and hanging scrolls were burned. If they weren't burned, where would the Great Ming Dynasty find a bright future?

However, because there were too many people involved, they couldn't all be arrested. The prisons couldn't hold them all, so they could only be warned once. But the common people glared and spat at the arrogant and fierce-looking soldiers as they left.

At this point, Emperor Wanli had woken up.

Of course, as soon as he woke up, someone told him that Minister Xu Wenbi, because of the fire and the evil god's chaos, suggested that the Emperor go to the southern and northern suburbs, the Altars of Soil and Grain, the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the Altar of the Sun, and the Altar of the Moon, as well as make sacrifices and perform worship rituals to the orthodox deities such as Tai Sui and the Eastern Peak, in order to comply with past regulations.

However, as soon as Emperor Wanli heard that he had to worship the gods again, he immediately shuddered and flew into a rage! But suddenly thinking of something, he suddenly asked Tian Yi:

"That Eastern Peak Temple, did I have it renovated?"

Grand Eunuch Tian Yi thought for a moment, carefully sorting through his memories, and responded:

"This humble servant remembers, it should have been in the third year, when the Empress Dowager took Your Majesty, the Prince of Lu, the Princess, and all the palace eunuchs and nobles to donate funds for its reconstruction. She also ordered Feng Bao, the Grand Eunuch in charge of the palace at the time, to select honest and capable eunuchs to oversee the construction, and Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng wrote the 'Imperial Decree for the Reconstruction of the Eastern Peak Temple' stele inscription."

"In the thirteenth year, the Empress Dowager replaced all the incense burners in the seventy-six departments, and you ordered the construction of a shrine for the Empress Dowager on the south side of Mount Tai..."

"In the twentieth year, you dreamed of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak, believing it to be a divine gift, and ordered the renovation of the temple. You added side halls to the left and right of the main hall, and added a rear cover building behind the hall. You also added two memorial archways in front of the temple gate, and inscribed the names 'Magnificent Benevolence Bestows Blessings' and 'Sacred Shrine of the Spiritual Peak' on the archways..."

"Moreover, in the Eastern Peak Temple, there is also an article specially written during the time of Emperor Yingzong... Back then, Emperor Shizong also went there several times with Tao Zhongwen, completely renovating the main hall, the harem, the east and west side hall corridors, and the various halls of the gods, statues, and sacrificial vessels. He also built a 'screen wall,' which is said to be used to ward off profanity."

Emperor Yingzong of Ming?

Emperor Shizong of Ming?

Tao the Sorcerer?

Empress Dowager Li?

And I myself dreamed of the Great Emperor of the Eastern Peak?

Emperor Wanli broke out in a cold sweat. He had been busy fighting with the officials in recent years and had forgotten about the divine dream he had in the twentieth year. Now that he thought about it, it might not have been a divine dream at all!

Damn it, the Great Ming War God plus the Daoist Emperor, and Tao Zhongwen and Empress Dowager Li, plus myself, this death-seeking expert, already have the word "death" written on my forehead!

Emperor Wanli felt a sense of panic again. He was so frightened that he jumped up:

"That temple must have a problem, Tian Yi, go quickly, send someone now to completely tear it down for me!"

Once bitten by a snake, one is afraid of ropes for ten years. After the Fire Lord incident, Emperor Wanli now felt that all temples were suspicious, especially the Eastern Peak Temple, which had been frequented by the mentally deficient Yingzong and the Daoist Emperor.

He certainly hadn't renovated the Eastern Peak Temple, but what if something was borrowing the mouths of those two to crawl out?

Tear it down, it must be torn down. If these temples aren't torn down, the Great Ming Emperor will be finished!

But Grand Eunuch Tian Yi hurriedly advised:

"That's probably not possible, Your Majesty. The demolition of the Yinsi General Store requires a formal ritual to send off the gods. It's not the same as demolishing the Fire God Temple! That temple had no official position. You conferred the title of a National God, and now that the Fire Lord is dead, demolishing it is fine..."

"But demolishing the Eastern Peak Temple is not possible! The ministers will object. The temple was built during the pseudo-Yuan dynasty, and it has stood for twenty-three reigns until your generation. Emperor Yingzong even wrote inscriptions and spent money to renovate it... How about, according to Xu Wenbi's request, you go there in a few days?"

Tian Yi meant to make sacrifices before demolishing it, which was to notify the Eastern Peak Temple before demolishing it, regardless of whether there was anything inside. If it was a righteous god, then send it away directly; if it was an evil god, then capture it on the spot.

Emperor Wanli almost slapped his forehead. This temple was indeed not easy to smash; smashing it would definitely cause trouble. Transferring the Yinsi was a small matter, but don't let a "struggle for the foundation of the state" end, only to have a "struggle for the foundation of the temple"!

"I am truly...!"

Although Emperor Wanli was very panicked, the talisman had not yet issued a warning this time, which was the only thing that reassured him.

But he still didn't dare to take it lightly.

Emperor Wanli sincerely hoped that there was nothing strange in this Eastern Peak Temple. Surely, not all bad things would fall on his head.

"Tian Yi, I think the palace construction can be suspended. I want to tear down all the temples, large and small, in Shuntian. See what temples, besides the Eastern Peak Temple, cannot be torn down, or are difficult to tear down, and list them all for me. I will discuss them with the ministers."

Tian Yi asked, "Temples... Does that mean that Changchun Temple will also be torn down? The Empress Dowager will not agree."

"This..."

Changchun Temple began to be built four years ago, and now it has been completed. This temple is mainly managed by the Buddhist Water and Zhai Chan Master. Usually, Wanli's old mother, Empress Dowager Li, would go to offer incense.

This temple was indeed built by Wanli himself, but the money came from his old mother, Li.

"The Buddhist statues... probably won't be a problem, right?"

"This humble servant has heard such a saying that all Buddhas do not leave Mount Ling, with the exception of Maitreya Buddha. Aren't all the White Lotus Sect members touting themselves as Maitreya Buddha's thugs?"