Chapter 14: Buddhist Poison (II)

How could Li Kuo fail to notice such an obvious hint?
Yet he simply couldn’t stand such preaching. If someone else had said it, he might have listened for a while, but it came from Cui Yuanshan’s mouth. Though he didn’t hate the crown prince, he also felt nothing for him, making it utterly impossible for him to hand over this secret letter to Cui Yuanshan. After all, it would be far too easy for him to manipulate records and smear anyone who posed a threat to the crown prince.
Li Kuo was a man of principles and would never allow such a thing to happen.
“Thank you, uncle, for your advice. But I’m stubborn by nature and prefer to explore the land with my own feet and see the world with my own eyes.”
Li Kuo smiled faintly at Cui Yuanshan, his expression resolute.
What is loyalty? What is virtue? Is loyalty only to Li Heng, and is virtue only shown by serving him?
He had already been betrayed once and dared not entrust his fate to another in power.
“If Uncle Cui has no other matters, I must take my leave. There are too many tasks in the army, and I can’t leave right now.”
Though his expression remained calm, there was an unyielding stubbornness in it. Even if you were the crown prince, you still couldn’t force me to betray my soul!
“This…”
Cui Yuanshan clearly hadn’t expected such a strong reaction from Li Kuo. He wanted to say something to keep him, but didn’t know where to start, feeling quite awkward.
“Goodbye!”
Li Kuo stood up resolutely, bowed to Cui Yuanshan, and left firmly.
Watching Li Kuo’s retreating figure, Cui Yuanshan’s expression grew colder.
Hmph, an ungrateful wretch. If a talent won’t serve me, then kill it—take care of yourself!…
Back at the camp, Li Kuo summoned Zhang Yanji and informed him that circumstances had changed, and they would postpone returning to the capital for now.
“Brother Kuo, isn’t Cui Yuanshan being too naive? Does he think the crown prince is the only precious one in the world? Every dragon gives birth to nine sons, each with unique talents. With so many princes in our Tang Dynasty, why should only Li Heng enjoy everyone’s worship?”
In the past, he would have advised Brother Kuo to reconcile with the crown prince to pave the way for the future. But after all these years of experiences, he had seen through Li Heng’s true nature—cruel, ungrateful, hypocritical, and selfish. If such a person ascended to the throne, it would be a devastation of the Tang Dynasty and would plunge the people into suffering. How could someone who would scheme to harm his own brothers to secure his position treat his people kindly?

Brother Kuo’s choice is right; if it were me, I would likely do the same.
“I just said, ‘Look how much you’ve talked.’”
Li Kuo gave a helpless wry smile and said, “I’m just not helping him. It’s not that I hold a grudge. But I hid this matter from Cui Yuanshan. If I suddenly return to the capital now, it will surely arouse suspicion. From what I’ve seen, he doesn’t seem like someone who can be magnanimous—he’ll definitely retaliate against me. So it’s better not to give him this chance and wait a while before acting.”
“Hmm!”
Zhang Yanji nodded. In his view, as long as it was Brother Kuo’s decision, there must be a reason behind it. He just needed to follow it without worrying about the consequences.
“By the way, Brother Kuo, I encountered something strange on the street today.”
Zhang Yanji suddenly remembered something and said to Li Kuo, “Do you still remember that Tibetan Buddhist monk who gave lectures in Chang’an eight years ago? I ran into him at a Buddhist temple in the western part of the city today.”
Upon hearing this, Li Kuo was shocked and immediately became alert. “What do you mean? Is it that Tibetan demon monk who spread the Luo Shu mantra?”
Zhang Yanji nodded. “‘The Book appears in the world; calamity strikes the Central Plains. The Buddha begins his fasting; both capitals fall. Five dou of rice goes to Shambhala; war breaks out, and the lands of Gualiang change!’ Hehe, we were also very surprised when we heard that nonsense about the Luo Shu mantra back then, but now it seems like nothing but a trick. All these years later, the Tibetans have been defeated by us time and again. Even Jiugqu Dafeichuan was taken away by that guy, Geshu Han. How could they possibly take our lands in Gualiang?”
Li Kuo frowned and said, “Are you sure the leader is that red-robed demon monk we met in Chang’an, the one who taught Buddhism?”
Zhang Yanji patted his chest and said, “How could it be a lie? Those kids are all following that demon monk, chanting the Luo Shu mantra. I guess it won’t be long before the whole city knows about it.”
“Hmm. Gather a dozen or so brothers and come with me to take a look.”
Li Kuo frowned and gave orders in agreement. …
To the west of Yangzhou City, there was a Buddhist temple called Yanjia Temple, which was very popular among believers.
Today, a Tibetan Buddhist monk came to this temple to preach Buddhism, attracting many believers.
The believers ranged from elderly people in their twilight years to young children, all of them looking up with devout expressions, hoping to receive the Buddha’s blessings.
Li Kuo and Zhang Yanji finally managed to squeeze through the crowded crowd and saw the Buddhist monk on the preaching platform.
Sitting cross-legged on the central platform was a Tibetan Buddhist monk dressed in a red robe, with a broad forehead and thick ears, and a rather plump build. He held a flower in one hand, teaching the Dharma to the believers.

This man was none other than the Tibetan monk in red robes they had seen in Chang’an!
“Buddha is merciful and compassionate toward all beings in the world. Those who follow this religion can, after death, enter the sacred land of Shambhala, where they can enjoy endless wines and meats. Becoming a follower of this religion is simple—just pay five dou of fine rice, dip it in clean water, and apply it to one’s cheeks, and one can become a believer.”
The monk’s words seemed highly persuasive; the believers below began whispering to each other, and gradually, smiles appeared on their expressionless faces.
“In that far-western land, atop those snow-capped mountains, at the end of the world, lies the sacred land of the lotus—Shambhala. There, there is no distinction between high and low, no poverty, no hunger, no war…”
The monk in red robes kept speaking, his words full of temptation.
Who would have thought that after five or six years of silence, the Tibetan monk would reappear to harm the people of the Tang Dynasty in Yangzhou. At that moment, Zhang Yanji seemed to recall the tragic scene of people devouring each other in the rugged areas of Zhongnan Mountain, and anger surged within him. If not for Li Kuo holding him back, Zhang Yanji would have rushed onto the platform right away to fight with that Tibetan monk.
“Remember, the teachings of my religion can be summarized in six sacred words.”
The monk in red robes shook his robes and chanted loudly, “Om—Ma—Ni—Pa—Mi—Hum.”
These words seemed to possess magic; upon hearing them, the believers knelt before the monk. Dust rose in the air, and tears flowed everywhere. The believers joined in the chanting along with the monk, their voices mixed together in a chaotic mess that filled people’s hearts with frustration and oppression!