plumnovel Chapter 307 Religious Policy
Chapter 307 Religious Policy
The 23rd day of the ninth month in the fifth year of the Qiming era. The Autumn Equinox has passed, and the Cold Dew is approaching.
In the early morning of Chang'an, a thin mist shrouded the city. The bell of the Great Ci'en Temple pierced through the mist, drifting leisurely in all directions. The deep, resonant sound of the bell could be heard for miles around, awakening the entire city.
As the bells tolled, merchants from the Western Regions lit sacred fires in a makeshift Zoroastrian shrine, praying to Ahura Mazda. Merchants from the Arab world knelt on westward-facing felt rugs, prostrating themselves towards Mecca in the distance. Monks from India burned sandalwood and chanted Buddhist scriptures in their rented courtyards. Taoist priests in Chang'an opened the gates of their temples, welcoming devout men and women who came to offer incense.
The bells still toll, reflecting the myriad aspects of human life.
Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Taiji Hall.
The topic of today's morning assembly is quite different.
Chen Xing sat upright on his throne, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials in the hall. The Minister of Rites, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, the Prefect of the Capital… all familiar faces wore a solemn expression today.
"In the five years since I ascended the throne, all nations have come to pay tribute," Chen Xing said slowly. "Those who came were not only merchants, but also monks, Taoists, Zoroastrians, and Muslims. They came with their gods, their scriptures, and their rules."
He paused, his gaze becoming deep.
"I'm pondering, what should be done with these gods, these scriptures, these rules?"
The hall was completely silent.
The Minister of Rites stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter must be guarded against. Throughout history, heretical doctrines have confused and bewildered people. The lessons of the past dynasties are not far off. If those barbarian religions are allowed to spread, they will surely bring disaster."
The Imperial Censor echoed:
"Your Majesty, I second that proposal. Chang'an is the capital, the focus of the entire nation's attention. How can we allow those barbarians to build temples and preach within the city? I request that the emperor expel all barbarian monks and Taoist priests, allowing them only to operate outside the city."
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies stepped forward and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe this is unwise. Most of those barbarians are merchants, while some are monks or envoys. They come to Chang'an to do business, seek knowledge, and establish diplomatic relations. If we expel them, wouldn't we be cutting ourselves off from the world? What will the vassal states of the Western Regions, the northern deserts, and the South China Sea think?"
The Minister of Rites frowned and said:
"You're prioritizing profit over righteousness! Those heretical religions are bewitching people; how can we allow them to continue?"
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies said, "If people's hearts are steadfast, what is there to fear from instigation? How can a few words of nonsense shake the thousands of years of Chinese civilization?"
The two began arguing, neither willing to back down.
Chen Xing did not interrupt, but listened quietly.
After the two had argued for a while, he slowly spoke:
"Prime Minister Jia, what do you think?"
Jia Wen stepped forward, stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe this matter should be considered carefully. Some of those foreign religions are only believed by merchants themselves and do not spread them outside; some have already built temples in Chang'an and begun to accept disciples; and others are monks brought by envoys who only operate within the embassy. The situations are different and cannot be generalized."
He paused, then continued:
"I suggest we first find out the details. Which religions are there, how many people are there, where are they active, do they preach, and who are they preaching to? Once we have a clear understanding, we can discuss this further."
Chen Xing nodded.
"Granted. The Prefectural Government, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Censorate shall conduct a joint investigation. I require a detailed report within one month."
The results of the investigation were far more complicated than expected.
A month later, a thick stack of reports was presented to Chen Xing.
In Chang'an, there were thirty-seven Buddhist temples, twenty-five Taoist temples, three Zoroastrian shrines, two Manichaean temples, one Nestorian temple, and several temporary places of worship set up by Arab merchants.
There were approximately five thousand monks, nuns, and Taoist priests.
There were about three hundred foreign monks and Taoist priests.
Three hundred people may not seem like many. But behind these three hundred people are more than a dozen countries in the Western Regions, the Northern Desert, and the South China Sea, millions of strings of cash worth of trade every year, and the peace or unrest of the frontier.
What makes things more complicated is that there are also conflicts among these different religions.
Zoroastrians and Muslims were irreconcilable enemies in Persia. When they arrived in Chang'an, although they outwardly kept to themselves, they privately accused each other of being heretics.
Nestorian Christians and Buddhist monks coexisted peacefully. Nestorian temples displayed both crosses and Buddha statues, claiming they were "of the same origin but different paths," which led Zoroastrians to mock them as "opportunists."
The Manichaeans are the most mysterious, never showing themselves during the day and only active at night. The officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture monitored them for half a month but still couldn't figure out how many of them there were or what they were doing.
After reading the report, Chen Xing remained silent for a long time.
"Prime Minister Jia," he handed the report to Jia Wen, "what's your opinion?"
Jia Wen took it and turned the pages one by one, his brows furrowing more and more deeply.
"Your Majesty, this matter... is more complicated than I thought."
Chen Xing nodded.
"Yes. It's complicated."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the gray sky.
"I am thinking that those people came to Chang'an with their gods because they needed gods. Just like the people of the Central Plains needed Buddha and Taoism. Gods are not distinguished between barbarians and Han people, but only by the hearts of the people."
Jia Wen was stunned for a moment, then remained silent.
Chen Xing continued:
"But people's hearts are complicated. Some believe in Buddhism, some believe in Taoism, and some believe in nothing. Some believe and cannot tolerate others not believing. Some do not believe and cannot tolerate others believing."
He turned around and looked at Jia Wen.
"Prime Minister Jia, tell me, how should I deal with these people?"
Jia Wen pondered for a long time before slowly saying:
"Your Majesty, I believe that a rule should be established. A rule that everyone must abide by."
"What are the rules?"
Jia Wendao said: "All religions coexist, with Confucianism as the supreme doctrine."
Chen Xing's gaze sharpened.
Jia Wen continued:
"Confucianism emphasizes benevolence, loyalty, forgiveness, and the doctrine of the mean. These principles are universal, regardless of ethnicity. Taking Confucianism as our guiding principle means setting a bottom line—no matter what we believe in, we must first be good people, people of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness."
"The coexistence of various religions is to give them space. Those who believe in Buddhism go to temples; those who believe in Taoism go to Taoist temples; those who believe in Zoroastrianism go to Zoroastrian shrines; and those who believe in Jing (the Way) go to Jing temples. As long as they do not overstep the bounds, the imperial court will not interfere."
He paused, then said:
"But if anyone uses the religion to mislead the public, incite rebellion, or attack each other and disrupt order—then they shall be dealt with according to the law, regardless of whether they are of Han or non-Han ethnicity."
Chen Xing listened in silence for a long time.
"Prime Minister Jia, I need to think carefully about your method."
On October 15th, Chen Xing left the palace incognito.
He did not bring any ceremonial guards, but only a few personal guards. He walked out of Chengtian Gate and into the streets and alleys of Chang'an City.
He first went to see the Buddhist temple.
The Great Ci'en Temple was bustling with worshippers. Devotees knelt before the Buddha, kowtowing and making vows, praying for peace. The abbot, an elderly monk in his seventies, heard that distinguished guests had arrived and personally came out to greet them.
Chen Xing did not reveal his identity, only saying that he was a pilgrim who had come to offer incense. The old monk did not ask any further questions, but simply accompanied him on a tour of the temple and explained some Buddhist principles.
Before leaving, Chen Xing asked:
"Master, are there any foreign monks in this temple?"
The old monk nodded: "Yes. There are a few from India, who are very learned and often discuss Buddhist teachings with the monks in the temple."
Chen Xing then asked, "Did they ever preach?"
The old monk smiled and said, "Preaching is natural. The Buddha's teachings are boundless, saving all sentient beings regardless of whether they are Han or non-Han. But when they preach, they use Buddhist scriptures and speak the truth. They don't force or coerce. Whether you believe or not is up to you."
Chen Xing nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
He then went to the Zoroastrian temple.
The Zoroastrian shrine was located in a secluded alley in the west of the city. There was no sign at the entrance, only a small lamp hanging there. Chen Xing pushed open the door and went inside. He saw a sacred fire burning in the courtyard, and several Hu people were praying around the fire.
The leader was an elderly man with white hair and beard. When Chen Xing entered, he looked him over warily.
Chen Xing cupped his hands and said, "I was just passing by and saw a fire here, so I came in to take a look. I apologize for disturbing you."
The old man's expression softened slightly, and he said in broken Chinese:
"Please go ahead."
Chen Xing stood in the courtyard for a while, watching the people praying. They had their eyes closed, muttering incantations, their expressions devout.
He asked the old man, "What do you believe in?"
The old man said, "Ahura Mazda. God of Light."
Chen Xing then asked, "Have you been preaching here?"
The old man shook his head: "No. We just want to worship our gods quietly. The people here don't believe in our gods, and we don't force them."
He paused, then said:
"We fled here from Persia, persecuted by Protestants. We are grateful that the emperor in Chang'an did not drive us away. We only want to live and worship God, nothing else."
Chen Xing looked at him, remained silent for a moment, nodded, and turned to leave.
Finally, he went to the area where Arab merchants lived.
There were no temples or shrines there, only a few simple houses that had been temporarily set up as places of worship. When Chen Xing arrived, they were holding a prayer service.
Dozens of people with white headscarves knelt on a felt rug, bowing in unison in one direction. Their expressions were as devout as those of the faithful men and women in Buddhist temples, and as focused as those of the fire worshippers in Zoroastrian shrines.
After the service ended, the middle-aged man at the head of the group stood up, saw Chen Xing, and was slightly taken aback.
Chen Xing cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me. I was just passing by and saw you holding a prayer service, so I wanted to take a look."
The middle-aged man nodded and said in fluent Chinese:
"Please go ahead. We're done, you can take a look."
Chen Xing asked him, "Are you used to being here?"
The middle-aged man said, "I'm used to it. Chang'an is a good place, very tolerant. We do business here, earn money, support our families, and worship the gods. No one drives us away, no one bullies us."
Chen Xing then asked, "Have you ever preached to the people of the Central Plains?"
The middle-aged man shook his head: "No. Our religion doesn't force people to believe. Those who want to believe can come on their own; those who don't, we don't try to persuade. The people of the Central Plains have their own religion, which is fine, and there's no need to change it."
Chen Xing nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
As evening fell, Chen Xing returned to the palace.
He sat alone in the Wenhua Hall, reflecting on everything he had seen that day.
The incense in the Buddhist temple, the sacred fire in the Zoroastrian shrine, the prostrations in the prayer hall... those faces, some white, some yellow, some black, some brown. But their expressions are all the same.
Devotion.
He suddenly realized something.
God is not divided into Hu and Han, but only into the human heart.
The human heart needs solace, comfort, and direction. Buddhism provides this, Taoism provides this, Zoroastrianism provides this, and Islam also provides this. The things given may differ, but the way they are given is the same.
What he needs to do is not to choose one and reject the others.
Instead, we should set a rule that allows all of them to coexist.
He picked up his pen and wrote eight characters on the paper:
"All religions coexisted, with Confucianism as the supreme doctrine."