"Does Xu Aiqing truly have no desire to assist Dayong? If not, I would have Xu Aiqing as my mentor, appoint him as National Master, and let him sit alongside me on the Golden Simurgh, I would also..."
Xu Qing's eyelids twitched, and he immediately interrupted:
"There is a saying that rulers and ministers, fathers and sons, each must fulfill their responsibilities and occupy their positions. Though I am not among them, I also have significant duties to attend to."
Xu Qing's gaze swept over the surrounding palace attendants, and Zhu Huai'an immediately understood, dismissing the crowd at once.
Once the hall was left with only the solitary emperor, Xu Qing gestured for Zhu Huai'an to sit and talk.
The two sat down on the steps, with the vast and magnificent dragon throne behind them.
At this moment, they seemed to return to the past.
Xu Qing, unhurried, as if chatting with an old friend from the past, explained the circumstances of the Ancient Yin River Dao, the current situation in the world, and the vision for the emperor.
"Xu Ya traveled across oceans, witnessing and experiencing far more than words can express. Today's Dayong world is still just the Dayong world, not the whole world."
Zhu Huai'an's gaze was contemplative, silent for a long time.
Xu Qing saw the other's concerns and sighed, "The ailments of mountains and rivers accumulate over time, not cured in a single day. Given Dayong's current national strength, it might revive a prosperous era, but to achieve the founder emperor's path, sweeping the six directions, would be most difficult."
"If you are willing, you can send craftsmen to other countries to glean from their strengths. Also, leave ancestral teachings so descendants will not be foolishly arrogant."
"Remember, an arrogant army always loses. Those who rely on the nation's size, pride in the population, and show power to enemies are always doomed to perish without exception."
Xu Qing advised earnestly, "That Flag Country has never experienced defeat, invading cities one after another, fierce in momentum and strong in fortune! Yet, throughout ancient and modern times, in the river of time, it is merely a speck of dust."
"I say these things not to make you overly modest, nor to underestimate your adversaries, but to have strategic disdain for the enemy while tactically respecting them."
Finally, Xu Qing added, "I know you wish to achieve unparalleled feats. The broader situation is as Xu Ya perceived. How much you can achieve depends on you."
Saying this, Xu Qing handed the well-prepared Child Care Scripture and Life Protection Scripture to Zhu Huai'an.
"This is..."
Xu Qing smiled and said, "Years ago, I gave Chen Guangru the Child Care Handbook, which records matters of women's and children's birthing. This was meant to benefit the common people, strengthening the nation and its people, yet unexpectedly the Celestial Master's Mansion obstructed it, and Dayong's emperor failed to recognize its true value."
"This is the key to population prosperity. Though Chen Guangru recognized its true value, he couldn't implement it alone."
"Fortunately, you became emperor, allowing Chen Guangru to resume the plan to popularize the Child Care Handbook across the world."
Xu Qing reflected with some sentiment: "The Child Care Handbook is the guideline, and these two scriptures delve into specific areas. Especially the Child Care Scripture, which contains various common childhood illnesses and methods for diagnosis and prevention..."
"Food alone is not sufficient. Over the years of natural disasters and man-made calamities, people have been displaced. On my visit to Quyang, I saw many villages had become deserted. Dayong needs people, needs new life."
"And this scripture, along with the food, will be a gift from me, a former friend, as a token of gratitude to you."
Zhu Huai'an understood Xu Qing referred to the twenty-year national fate of Dayong.
But when he received these invaluable scriptures and seeds, Zhu Huai'an felt a sense of loss.
Earlier, he swore confidently, wanting Xu Qing to bow to this unprecedented friendship.
Throughout history, how many founding emperors possessed such magnanimity, willing to hand over the twenty-year fate of the dynasty?
Only Zhu Huai'an!
But now, Zhu Huai'an would rather Xu Qing not express gratitude for this friendship.
"Brother Xu..."
Zhu Huai'an's face showed embarrassment, hesitating to speak.
Xu Qing suddenly smiled, patting the shoulder of this former friend, and said:
"Since you became emperor, treat this land well. Do not let down those who once shared your vision."
Before leaving, Xu Qing talked to Zhu Huai'an about establishing Bao Sheng Halls in various states and counties, and the need for ten thousand acres of fertile land as a cultivation base for grains.
"There is no need to labor the people for these acres; Xu Ya will teach all planting techniques to the farmers without reservation. Once the grain seeds are ready, and Your Majesty sees the results and tastes the first bite of new grain, this method can be promoted. Thus, the prosperity of Dayong might arrive twenty years early!"
"..."
Zhu Huai'an's face completely lost its composure!
I mean, can we get past this twenty-year hurdle or not?
At this moment, Zhu Huai'an could not discern the deeper meaning in Xu Qing's words nor understand what the twenty years meant.
...
In the sixth year of Yong'an.
Dayong has set up Bao Sheng Halls everywhere, and believers in Lady Bao Sheng are becoming more numerous. Almost every state and county has temples and shrines dedicated to Lady Bao Sheng.
Some even added a seat for Lady Bao Sheng in front of the Hearth King, Earth God, Fortune God, and Bodhisattva in their homes.
And in this year, the incense offerings to Xu Qing's Blood Lake Dharma Realm reached tens of millions!
On the eighth of May, during the Jin Sect Lady Bao Sheng meeting, at Ziyun Mountain.
Dayong's newly established Crown Prince, Zhu Chengsi, personally traveled to Jin Sect, performing worship at the origin site of Lady Bao Sheng on Ziyun Mountain.
Chen Guangru, the Chief Administrator of Huainan, was too busy to attend, so he sent his descendants, along with the Three Enlightments Zen Master Chen Liu'Er, preaching Buddhist doctrines in the capital to perform worship.
According to Zhu Huai'an and Chen Guangru, Lady Bao Sheng protects Dayong's descendants, so it should be the younger generation who come to worship.
Others believed it but Xu Qing knew the inner story.
Zhu Huai'an did not attend the ceremony to avoid suspicion. Now Emperor Zhu elevates Buddhism as the national religion, gradually replacing the Celestial Master's Mansion's monopoly, while Bao Sheng Temple is a civil temple concerning the national community and cannot be tainted by political struggles.
Chen Guangru was purely too busy; Huainan has always been a contested area for military strategists, a place of turmoil, where the local customs are far less honest than elsewhere, making governance extremely challenging.
Even the Wu Family brothers and Wang Liang merely instructed their descendants to attend the worship.
On Ziyun Mountain, the newly refurbished temple was larger. Xu Qing looked at the alternating scenes of old and new, truly fulfilling the Funeral Shop's prophecy of welcoming and farewelling.
At dawn, Xu Qing, as temple priest of Bao Sheng Temple, ascended the altar to pray.
The sun rose just then, perfectly embodying the Daoist spiritual essence of the revival of all things and the beginning of life.
As incense smoke rose straight to the heavens, five-colored clouds appeared at the horizon, and the great sun's light carried endless gentleness, enveloping the entire Ziyun Mountain in an extremely harmonious atmosphere.
Xu Qing, as the temple priest and divine envoy, reorganized Bao Sheng Temple, establishing twelve departments to handle Lady Bao Sheng's mundane affairs.
One is the Bao Sheng Department, overseeing the inception of fetal development.
Two is the Fetal Preservation Department, responsible for fetal reincarnation.
Three is the Birth Monitoring Department, meaning overseeing childbirth.
Four is the Delivery Department, managing matters of newborn arrival.
Additional departments include Fetal Guarding, Rebirth, Protecting Birth, Sending Children, Fetal Security, Life Nourishment, Child Holding, among others.
On this day, fifty to sixty percent of the worldly incense offerings went to the Bao Sheng Temple system.
Also on this day, Dayong experienced abrupt changes in celestial phenomena, with dry thunder occurring frequently, especially outside the Capital City at the Celestial Master's Mansion, nearly shrouded by thunderclouds.
"The teachings manifest, this is yet another birth of a Saint..."
Xu Qing, as the temple priest and divine envoy, reorganized Bao Sheng Temple, establishing twelve departments to handle Lady Bao Sheng's mundane affairs.
One is the Bao Sheng Department, overseeing the inception of fetal development.
Two is the Fetal Preservation Department, responsible for fetal reincarnation.
Three is the Birth Monitoring Department, meaning overseeing childbirth.
Four is the Delivery Department, managing matters of newborn arrival.
Additional departments include Fetal Guarding, Rebirth, Protecting Birth, Sending Children, Fetal Security, Life Nourishment, Child Holding, among others.
On this day, fifty to sixty percent of the worldly incense offerings went to the Bao Sheng Temple system.
Also on this day, Dayong experienced abrupt changes in celestial phenomena, with dry thunder occurring frequently, especially outside the Capital City at the Celestial Master's Mansion, nearly shrouded by thunderclouds.
"The teachings manifest, this is yet another birth of a Saint..."
On this day, fifty to sixty percent of the worldly incense offerings went to the Bao Sheng Temple system.
Also on this day, Dayong experienced abrupt changes in celestial phenomena, with dry thunder occurring frequently, especially outside the Capital City at the Celestial Master's Mansion, nearly shrouded by thunderclouds.
"The teachings manifest, this is yet another birth of a Saint..."