Chapter 5224 Inside Tennoji Temple

Chapter 5224 Inside Tennoji Temple
The first snow fell gently, the distant mountains stretched out in a vast expanse of white, and the world was a blanket of silver.

A naval warship braved the wind and snow, cutting through the waves to dock at Nambazu Pier. With the gangplank in place, the group of people quickly disembarked. Once they stepped onto solid ground, they all breathed a sigh of relief, and the fatigue and dejection on their faces lessened slightly.

Liu Shenli looked around, his eyes filled with the falling snowflakes. He rubbed his face and sighed, “In the past, I had heard how the navy roamed the seven seas, how it sailed the oceans, how it wiped out pirates and intimidated foreign lands. I admired it but didn’t think much of it. I thought that if I were in their shoes, it would be no problem. Now that I have traveled this sea route, I realize how difficult it is for the navy.”

Their group set sail from Huating Town, crossed the ocean, and arrived at Naniwa. The distance was not too far, and it was nothing compared to the long-distance ocean voyages that often covered thousands of miles. Even so, their legs were weak and they were tired. One can imagine how difficult it would be to carry out a raid and fight after a voyage of thousands of miles.

It was Changsun Run's first time traveling far from home. Although he was physically tired, he was full of energy and slightly excited. He looked around and found everything new and exciting. He chimed in, "Who can argue with that? Many people only envy and are jealous of the navy's achievements, but they turn a blind eye to the harsh conditions the navy faces. That's unfair."

Chai Lingwu looked puzzled and urged, "What's there to talk about with all this snow? Let's hurry to our lodgings and rest."

He sighed again, "I thought Japan would be exotic and rich in resources, but it turns out to be even more bitterly cold than Liaodong! Being an official here is almost the same as being exiled."

Although he held the highest rank among them, his situation was the most difficult, no different from that of Changsun Run. Without leaving Chang'an, he could hardly escape the various constraints and suppressions. But who would have thought that now, having left Chang'an, he would plunge headlong into this bitterly cold and icy place.

It is said that Naniwa-tsu is close to Asuka-kyō, the capital of Japan, and is considered part of the capital region. However, this small dock is not even as good as Fangjiawan in the south of Chang'an. Looking around, the houses are simple and the buildings are low. What a desolate and impoverished place!

The tall Yan Zhuang hung his sword on his belt, glanced at Chai Lingwu, and snorted, "If you find this place unbearably cold, you can turn around and go back to the ship to return to Chang'an. Why bother talking so dejectedly and disturbing the morale of the army?"

Chai Lingwu was furious: "You're just a mere cavalry captain, how dare you speak to me like that?"

"Cavalry Captain" is the fifth rank of the twelve merit ranks, with a grade of fifth rank, while the title of "Duke of Qiao" is a grade of first rank, a world of difference.

Yan Zhuang, however, disagreed: "My title of 'Cavalry Commandant' was bestowed upon me by Emperor Taizong for my meritorious service in the eastern expedition against Goguryeo. It was a perfectly legitimate title, and who would dare to criticize it? But the title of Prince Consort Chai was obtained through patronage, and was even taken from your brother! Although he holds a high position and a prestigious title, what glory is there in it?"

"Bastard!"

Chai Lingwu, his face flushed and furious, was about to step forward.

"presumptuous!"

Finally, Cen Changqian, who had disembarked from the boat, walked over and called out to stop them.

Wearing a cloak, he was tall and handsome, but his expression was solemn and dignified: "We have come to the fiefdom to assist His Highness Prince Wei in building the fiefdom and serving as its bulwark. The Japanese people under our rule are the focus of everyone's attention. Your noisy and disruptive behavior is like that of shrewish women in the marketplace!"

He raised his hand and pointed to the warships moored at the dock behind him, his face expressionless: "Anyone who dares to cause trouble or disrupt unity, please board the ship and return to the Tang Dynasty now. Otherwise, if you commit the same offense again after entering the fiefdom, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Behind them stood a group of officials from the feudal state, along with Liu, Chai, Yan, Changsun, and others, all bowing their heads and remaining silent.

There was no other way. Although Cen Changqian was young, he was transferred from Hedong to Wa (Japan) by the personal request of the King of Wei to Fang Jun, and served as the prime minister of the vassal state.

From this day forward, on the land of the soon-to-be-established "Fusang Kingdom," he will be second only to the emperor and above all others.

Everyone present was under Cen Changqian's jurisdiction...

Yan Zhuang explained, "It's not that I'm causing trouble, but rather that Prince Consort Chai harbors deep resentment and is disturbing people's peace, which is why I spoke out..."

Cen Changqian raised her hand to interrupt him: "I don't want to hear about your grudges and right and wrong. In the 'Fusang Kingdom,' you must act according to the law and obey orders. If you violate the law, you will be severely punished! As for you two, you might as well resign from your posts and return to Chang'an to have a showdown. Whether you live or die is up to fate."

Yan Zhuanglie grinned, but dared not say more.

Although this prime minister is young, he has a remarkable resume. He not only has the merit of protecting the Crown Prince and repelling the rebels, but he is also one of the leaders of the academy students and has great prestige...

Although Chai Lingwu did not refute it, he was holding back his anger.

Once he leaves Chang'an, anyone can act arrogantly and domineeringly towards him, right?
This is simply unreasonable!
Cen Changqian glanced around, her expression cold and stern: "Let's go, quickly go and pay our respects to His Highness Prince Wei and the Grand Commandant."

"Here!"

More than ten officials from the feudal state responded in unison, and then boarded the carriages and drove away from the dock.

……

A gentle breeze and light snow fell; the world was vast and desolate.

As the year drew to a close and snow fell, the leaves had all fallen from the trees, and Tianwang Temple stood solemnly in the wilderness. Low-hanging clouds and distant, hazy mountains were shrouded in mist, and drifting snowflakes dotted the vermilion eaves. This temple, modeled after the Tang Dynasty, had a dignified golden hall, quiet and deep corridors, and a five-tiered pagoda that stood majestically, giving Li Tai and Fang Jun, who were standing there, a strange feeling that they were in the Tang Dynasty.

Walking through the corridors, Soga no Aka introduced the Buddhist temple with great pride and eloquence: "Back then, there was a fierce war between the Shinto and Buddhism in Japan. Eventually, Prince Shotoku, with the help of his grandfather, fully embraced Buddhism and built this Shitennoji Temple here to protect Buddhism."

Ashikaga, standing to the side, glared angrily at him.

The "Shin-Buddhist conflict" that once turned the entire Japanese country upside down was initiated by Soga no Umako, the grandfather of Soga no Aka-nee. However, the Soga clan's initial intention in starting the "Shin-Buddhist conflict" was not to promote Buddhism or save the world.

During the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, China was plagued by frequent wars and chaos. A large number of Han Chinese crossed the sea to Japan to escape the war, bringing with them advanced Confucianism, astronomy, agricultural technology, and so on. Since Buddhism was prevalent in China at that time and almost everyone believed in Buddhism, Buddhism was also one of the "add-ons" that crossed the sea to Japan.

At that time, Japan was extremely backward, and the Han Chinese quickly became the most powerful force there.

Soga no Umako, who was at a disadvantage in the struggle against the Mononobe clan at the time, immediately realized that this was a golden opportunity. By promoting the Buddhist faith in China and winning over immigrants from China, he quickly gained the decisive power to counter the Mononobe clan.

Therefore, the largest "pro-China faction" in Japan was the Soga clan, and on this point, the Soga clan always had the upper hand over the Mononobe clan.

Even though this "democratic election" was spearheaded by the Mononobe clan, Soga no Akagi didn't seem to care.

The Soga clan has an excellent tradition of "befriending" and "winning over" Han Chinese. Their ancestral skills have not been lost. Otherwise, why would they have introduced the Tang Dynasty navy to eradicate the Wa king's lineage and allow him, who was not particularly outstanding in the Soga clan, to sit on the throne of Wa king?

Fang Jun agreed, nodding and saying, "The Soga clan is a close friend of the Tang Dynasty, both in the past and in the future."

Although the Mononobe clan was very capable, there had to be competition among the Japanese to prevent any one clan from becoming dominant. Provoking conflict and competition between the Mononobe and Soga clans would be in the best interest of the Tang Dynasty.

Soga no Aka was overjoyed and said repeatedly, "This is inevitable! Japan is ignorant, backward, poor and barren. Only under the rule of the Great Tang can the people live in prosperity and enjoy peace. It is Soga no Aka's unwavering ambition to let all Japanese people be bathed in the civilization of China!"

"Admiring the strong" is a custom of the Japanese. As a small country with few people, they do not know their own limitations and are often attacked by powerful countries such as Silla, Goguryeo, and China. After each defeat, they feel that they are invincible, so they humble themselves and bow down. At the same time, they admire the strength of their enemies and have no intention of rebelling.

Over time, they naturally become adept at groveling and flattering, and expressing loyalty and attitude becomes second nature to them.

Ashikaga, standing to the side, was so angry that his face turned pale, while most of the others remained calm and indifferent.

Fang Jun stood with his hands behind his back on the stone steps in front of the hall, snowflakes falling gently onto his shoulders, and the entire temple was almost in full view. Although the Japanese regarded this temple as a "sacred temple," especially the Soga clan who saw it as a manifestation of their own glory, Fang Jun thought it was nothing special, too petty.

Not to mention that it cannot be compared with the grand temples with their continuous roofs and numerous halls, such as the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, the Jianguo Temple in Kaifeng, and the Da Ci'en Temple in Chang'an, it is far superior to the temples scattered throughout famous mountains and rivers.

Soga no Akagi, unaware of Fusajiro's thoughts, continued to praise: "Back then, Prince Shotoku and my grandfather joined forces to fight against the Mononobe clan's allied forces. At the beginning of the war, they did not have the confidence to win, so they swore an oath before the Four Heavenly Kings that if they were victorious, they would build a Buddhist temple for the Four Heavenly Kings. After the victory, they built this temple in Naniwa-zu as promised. Naniwa-zu is flat and lacks stones and trees, so they cut down huge trees from the distant mountains and transported large stones to build this magnificent Buddhist temple, which is the largest in Japan."

Li Tai, who hadn't said much, looked around and saw that the Buddhist hall was made of huge wooden pillars, spacious and magnificent, with exquisitely carved beams and painted rafters, exuding the grandeur of China. He nodded subconsciously.

It is truly remarkable that such a structure could be built on a small island with scarce resources.

Fang Jun then laughed and said, "It just so happens that His Highness the King of Wei has chosen Naniwa-zu as the capital of 'Fusang'. After all, this is where Xu Fu landed and where the Wa people originated, so it has profound significance... The royal palace should also be built in a suitable location. Your Highness is ordered by the Emperor to guard 'Fusang', to relocate Chinese civilization to the Japanese islands, to nurture the Wa people, and to share in the glory. The scale of the royal palace should naturally far exceed that of Asuka-kyo. However, I see that the Wa country is short of resources, and earthquakes often cause wildfires. Even giant trees are extremely rare in the mountains. Fortunately, the building materials in this temple are quite good. Let's demolish this temple and use all the building materials to build the royal palace."

Soga Akashi was dumbfounded: "..."

Ashikaga, who had been looking rather unwell, was overjoyed and clapped his hands in praise: "If the Grand Commandant truly possesses the talent to save the world, then such a waste of talent is being put to good use, which is in accordance with the will of Heaven!"