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Chapter 314: 313. Like the Heavenly Master Himself (Part 1)
Chapter 314: 313. Like the Heavenly Master Himself (Part 1)
"His Majesty's decree was to summon the head of the sect to the capital for an audience. However, as the head is currently away, a senior disciple from the mansion will take his place."
Yuan Mobai spoke calmly, "However, the Emperor's subsequent decree is directly addressed to you, Chongyun."
Lei Jun: "Although the current Emperor is fond of creating excitement, it is rare for him to directly summon a Heavenly Master from our sect for an audience. This time, there must be something special that needs to be discussed in person."
Yuan Mobai: "Then it's up to you, Chongyun. You have the authority to represent the mansion and express our stance."
Lei Jun: "Please rest assured, Master. I will be cautious with my words and actions."
The Queen's summons was for a rather broad date in the autumn season.
Therefore, Lei Jun was in no hurry to set off immediately. Instead, he continued to stay at the Pure Yang Palace until after the Daoist Dan Ding sect's ceremony of transmitting precepts was over before departing for the capital.
The history of the Daoist Dan Ding sect and Pure Yang Palace was more ancient compared to the Artifact Refining sect and Shu Mountain sect, but not as old as the Talisman sect and the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
The importance of their ceremony of transmitting precepts was comparable to the Heavenly Master's Mansion's ceremony of bestowing talismans.
According to historical records, the Dan Ding sect's predecessors initially transmitted their teachings orally, keeping them secret and only passing them on to those who were worthy. Self-cultivation was emphasized.
Later, during the process of inheritance, they gradually integrated and absorbed related principles from Confucianism and Buddhism, eventually forming the current ceremony of transmitting precepts.
The complete process included rituals such as raising banners, posting notices, opening the altar, fetching water, purging impurities, welcoming the master, inviting the sage, celebrating the general, performing rituals, examining precepts, testing verses, chanting sutras and repenting, making offerings, explaining precepts, transmitting robes and alms bowls, issuing precept certificates, presenting tables to thank the gods, and concluding with returning blessings and lowering the banners to send off the sage.
This year, for example, during the Upper Yuan Festival, the Pure Yang Palace performed the ritual of raising banners, informing Heaven and Earth that they would soon be opening the altar to transmit precepts.
Then, during the procedure of posting notices, the Pure Yang Palace would issue a proclamation announcing the transmission of precepts to the public. Aside from the direct disciples of the Pure Yang Palace who had already received their caps and belts, all Daoist seekers of precepts from the various branches and offshoots of the Dan Ding sect across the land could come to register and seek precepts. This was known as 'entering the list and registering'.
First, they would go to the registration room to register, and then to the guest hall to hang their single name.
By the time the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived, the Pure Yang Palace began accepting registrations, and subsequently went through the procedures of begging for precepts to be initiated and personally accepting the submitted applications.
Lei Jun and the other guests of honor entered the venue only when the formal opening of the grand ceremony commenced.
Then, everyone watched as the entire assembly of Daoists from the Pure Yang Palace and the seekers of precepts together welcomed the arrival of the presiding master.
The Dan Ding sect's ceremony of transmitting precepts was usually presided over by the head of the Pure Yang Palace in person. In special circumstances, a respected senior disciple could be invited to act as the presiding master, as they would explain the precepts and transmit the precepts' methods. Thus, the presiding master was also referred to as the 'Law Master'.
This year's ceremony of transmitting precepts was the first one after the previous incidents involving Huang Xuanpu and Guan Jing, and its importance went without saying.
As the Pure Yang Palace currently lacked a head, the role of the Law Master was taken by Lu Jinduan, who was both senior in generation and possessed high cultivation.
Wang Xuan, Jiang Yu, and the other senior disciples all attended as well, serving as the eight great masters who assisted the Law Master in hosting the grand ceremony.
The eight great masters of the Dan Ding sect's ceremony of transmitting precepts were the Testimony Master, the Supervisory Master, the Recommendation Master, the Ritual Master, the Disciplinary Master, the Subject Master, the Ascending Register Master, and the Inviting Master.
For a long time in the past, the eight great masters at the Pure Yang Palace's ceremony of transmitting precepts had always been a relaxed group of senior disciples, and they could even be replaced.
However, this year, with Yue Xiling's absence and Lu Jinduan serving as the Law Master, the Pure Yang Palace could barely gather eight senior disciples...
Lei Jun and Zhang Dongyuan, the elder from Shu Mountain sect who had come to witness the ceremony, did not express any ridicule. Instead, they sighed with emotion.
The Heavenly Master's Mansion and Shu Mountain sect truly empathized with the situation, having experienced similar circumstances themselves.
Fortunately, the Pure Yang Palace and the Dan Ding sect still had some resources accumulated over the years.
The quality of the seekers of precepts in this ceremony seemed rather impressive, giving everyone some expectations for the Pure Yang Palace's future.
In the following grand ceremony, Wang Xuan, as the Testimony Master, expounded on the teachings and resolved doubts for the seekers of precepts, while Jiang Yu, as the Ritual Master, demonstrated the rules and rituals to them.
Then, Lu Jinduan, as the main lecturing Law Master, personally faced the seekers of precepts and swore an oath according to the ritual regulations. He then questioned each item of the precepts in the hall, a procedure known as 'examining the precepts'.
Next was the testing of verses, where topics would be set to further test the seekers of precepts while also determining their talents and temperaments.
After that was the chanting of sutras and repenting, followed by making offerings to thank Heaven, Earth, and the ancestors.
Thus, the first half of the Dan Ding sect's ceremony of transmitting precepts in this world came to a temporary close.
Lei Jun and the other guests of honor began to leave one after another.
Although the most important ritual of explaining the precepts would take place later in the ceremony, that ritual would be conducted internally by the Pure Yang Palace and would no longer be open to outsiders. It was a time when the Law Master would further explain the Dharma on the altar and transmit the precepts, as well as impart the teachings of the sutras to the seekers of precepts.
After that were the concluding procedures of transmitting the robes and alms bowls, presenting tables to thank the gods, and lowering the banners to send off the sage.
In fact, as far as Lei Jun knew, if the Pure Yang Palace were to strictly follow the ritual regulations, their entire process of transmitting precepts would continue for another nine years.
The first three years were known as the Initial Truth Precept.
The second three years were the Middle Extreme Precept.
And the third three years were the Heavenly Immortal Precept.
Together, they were known as the Three Altars of Pure Yang's Great Precepts, and only by upholding them all could one attain the True Precepts.
"However, there are rumors that the Pure Yang Palace may shorten the precept period this time, with one precept per year, completing the transmission in three years," Zhang Dongyuan said softly as they descended from the viewing platform for the precept altar.
Lei Jun: "In these special times, if that's truly the case, it's understandable."
Zhang Dongyuan nodded slightly: "Yes..."
On the other side, a man in luxurious clothes who appeared to be in his fifties approached them: "Daoist Zhang, Daoist Lei."
Lei Jun and Zhang Dongyuan both nodded in greeting: "Your Highness."
The man was also a member of the Tang royal family, having come to witness the ceremony as a representative.
His name was Zhang Zhen, the Prince of Weiyang of the Tang Dynasty.
Before the ceremony, Zhang Dongyuan had introduced Lei Jun and Zhang Zhen to each other, but as the ceremony had begun, the two men had not spoken further.
At this moment, a group of spectators came out, and Zhang Zhen of Weiyang Wang took the initiative to come over and talk to Lei Jun.
Zhang Dongyuan bid farewell with an apologetic tone and left first.
"Thunder Elder, Xiao Xiao is still young. It's his blessing to be able to enter your sect. I hope you won't hesitate to guide him in the future," Zhang Zhen said.
Lei Jun remained calm and replied, "Your Highness, you flatter me. Xiao Xiao has become Senior Sister Zhang's disciple, and I believe she will teach him well. As his elders, we will also assist from the sidelines."
Zhang Jingzhen's first disciple, Zhang Xiuying, came from the same royal family of the Tang Dynasty as her.
As far as Lei Jun knew, Zhang Xiuying was a distant relative of the Weiyang Wang family.
Moreover, they were not on good terms with each other.
It wasn't necessarily Weiyang Wang Zhang Zhen's fault. He wasn't his offspring, nor was he his direct descendant.
Previously, his understanding of Zhang Xiuying was limited to knowing that such a person existed, and he probably only knew about it because of Zhang Xiuying's unusual name.
There was no news that Weiyang Wang controlled his family strictly, and Zhang Zhen wouldn't ask about the younger generation's affairs in detail.
But now that Zhang Xiuying had entered the Heavenly Master's Mansion and become Zhang Jingzhen's personal disciple, Zhang Zhen had to understand the situation.
If Lei Jun, Tang Xiaotang, and others were personal disciples, Zhang Zhen would be more nervous.
However, no matter what this Weiyang Wang thought, he maintained his composure on the surface, exuding a dignified air befitting his royal status, without a hint of arrogance or excessive familiarity, appearing only as a typical elder concerned about his clan's youth.
Aside from Zhang Xiuying himself, Weiyang Wang Zhang Zhen also cared about the opinions of Lei Jun, Zhang Jingzhen, and other high-ranking members of the Heavenly Master's Mansion regarding this matter.
In fact, Lei Jun's opinion was even more important to him than that of Zhang Xiuying's master, Zhang Jingzhen.
As an elder of the Heavenly Master's Mansion sent out on an external mission, Lei Jun's symbolic significance was clear.
Even if it wasn't in the near future, Zhang Zhen believed that Lei Jun would eventually take over as the Heavenly Master.
When that time came, Lei Jun's attitude would undoubtedly influence Zhang Jingzhen and Zhang Xiuying's master-disciple relationship.
Lei Jun's calm tone and peaceful attitude helped to ease Zhang Zhen's mind.
Later, after the Daoist Dan Ding sect's ceremony of transmitting precepts officially ended, the Pure Yang Palace hosted a banquet to entertain the guests once again.
Afterwards, the guests bade farewell and descended the mountain one after another.
"We have troubled your sect this time," Lei Jun said as he took his leave with his disciple, bidding farewell to the Pure Yang Palace elder, Lu Jindian, who was seeing them off.
Lu Jindian smiled and said, "Thunder friend, you're too kind. It's our honor to have you come from afar to be our guest.
Please also convey our greetings to your master, Yuan, and your fellow daoists, Tang and Xu, from the Heavenly Master's Mansion."
"Certainly, certainly," Lei Jun assured him.
Lu Jindian looked at the purple robe of the Heavenly Master's Mansion's elder before him, and he couldn't help but sigh.
In the past, the Pure Yang Palace had hoped to take advantage of the situation and recruit Tang Xiaotang from the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
But how times have changed. Now, the Heavenly Master's Mansion is rising from its lows, while the Pure Yang Palace has fallen from its heights.
Now, they could only focus on themselves, starting from scratch and slowly rebuilding... Lu Jindian sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, the Pure Yang Palace still had its young generation, like Jiang Yu standing beside him, as well as other young disciples.
Wang Xuan was young and vigorous, and although Yue Xiling's situation was somewhat awkward, it would gradually fade with time.
For the Pure Yang Palace, the past was irretrievable, and what mattered now was the future.
In the past, the Pure Yang Palace had an air of being the leader among the three great sacred sites of the Daoist sect.
But now, whether it was Lu Jindian, Wang Xuan, and other high-ranking members or the young disciples like Jiang Yu who were the heirs of the Dan Ding sect, they all had to adjust their mindset and positioning.
As Lu Jindian watched Lei Jun and his disciple leave, he thought to himself that for a considerable amount of time to come, the Heavenly Master's Mansion would likely be the number one sacred site of the Daoist sect in the Tang Dynasty.
Lei Jun stepped onto the pitch-black thundercloud that spread out beneath his feet, emitting a purple glow, and it lifted him and his disciple, Zhuo Bao Jie, into the sky.
With Lei Jun's deliberate control, the thundercloud flew at a leisurely pace.
Along the way, master and disciple enjoyed the scenery as they headed east.
It wasn't until they neared the outskirts of the imperial capital, Luoyang, that Lei Jun descended from the thundercloud.
As the new capital of the Tang Dynasty, Luoyang's history was not as long as that of the old capital, Chang'an.
However, after many years, it had already become a sprawling and impressive city.
There were guards stationed at the outskirts of the city.
Lei Jun reported his arrival in a relaxed but unhurried manner, and soon he was granted passage and made his way directly into the palace to await an audience with the emperor.
The Heavenly Master's Mansion had its representatives stationed in the capital, and one of the largest Daoist temples in Luoyang, Lianyun Temple, was a branch of Longhu Mountain, the ancestral home of the Talisman sect.
Lei Jun sent his disciple, Zhuo Bao Jie, to stay there first, and then he proceeded to the palace according to the proper etiquette and waited to be received by the emperor.
Normally, the formalities for such an audience were tedious and could take several days.
However, the female emperor did not keep Lei Jun waiting for long.
Soon, Chu Yu appeared and led him to the imperial garden for a boat ride.
The female emperor, Zhang Wantong, wore casual clothes and was fishing in a pavilion in the middle of the lake, seemingly focused on the water.
"Give Lei Qingjia and Shuyin a seat," the female emperor said, her eyes fixed on the water's surface, without turning back, but instructing the palace ladies standing in the pavilion.
Lei Jun and Chu Yu greeted the female emperor and took their seats respectively.
Without further instructions, the palace ladies standing in the pavilion quietly withdrew, leaving only the three of them in the pavilion.
"What do you think of the people of Tianli, having been to the East China Sea and having dealt with them before?" the female emperor asked casually, still facing the water.
Lei Jun believed that Chu Yu had already reported to the female emperor about his previous trip to the East China Sea and the information he had gathered, including the fact that the so-called 'Ming Court' within Tianli was actually an exiled court.
The female emperor's question now was more about seeking Lei Jun's opinion on Confucian rationalism.
"Orderly but cold, rigid but stable, conducive to centralization of power," Lei Jun replied succinctly. "The concept of ruler and subject is deeply ingrained, and while a specific person may be replaced, the positions within the system are fixed, and corresponding changes will only occur internally."
It could be said that Confucian cultivators have the opportunity to share in the luck of the land and rivers, sharing the burden with the ruler and resting with the country."
"But conversely, all the talented and exceptional people in the world are also within the ruler's grasp, used by them and together forming an even more stable and massive whole, suppressing all living beings under heaven."
"All things are inferior, only reading is superior."
Only by reading specific books can one be superior.
All the talented and exceptional people in the world are within the ruler's grasp.
What about those who don't conform? It's simple. If they don't, they remain in the lower realms.
There may be exceptions, but overall, the system is already massive and stable.
Furthermore, it will likely become even more massive and stable.
Only when the mountains and rivers are in turmoil and the country's luck runs out, will it possibly be broken.
But...
"After it's broken, it's more likely that someone else will come along and start over," Lei Jun said. "Thus, the cycle repeats."
This, too, is a form of stability.
The female emperor's tone didn't reveal her evaluation of this ritual system. Instead, she asked about another matter: "What about the foreign realms initially connected to Dahu Mountain and Changjie Island?"
Lei Jun replied, "They are probably not the same as the so-called Ming Dynasty's world. Those foreign realms were ravaged by war, and their mountains and rivers were shattered, seemingly separated from the original world. According to Senior Sister Xu, the current Ming Dynasty's world is stable and intact. At least in the last hundred years, there have been no major losses, but it's hard to confirm for earlier times."
Chu Yu added at this point, "The Lonely Eagle Khanate, which previously caused the turmoil in the northwest, may not be from the same world as the so-called Ming Dynasty."
Lei Jun nodded slightly.
Aside from the Great Tang and the Great Ming, there may be another completely different world.
However, it is unknown whether the critical turning points in its history also fall during the late Han Dynasty.
(End of Chapter)
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