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In order to implement a policy of equal treatment for the five major sects of Tibetan Buddhism, Qin Mu did not give any honorific titles to the Fourth Panchen Lama Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen and the Fifth Panchen Lama Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso during this meeting.
Among the more than 20 eminent monks and immortals from Buddhism and Taoism who were received, only Xuanjizi was given the honorific title of "Yuling Immortal Master". This honorific title was temporarily fabricated by Qin Mu, mainly to reward him for his contribution in the journey of thousands of miles to the west.
Although he may not have made much contribution, he has definitely worked hard.
As the saying goes, a horse's bones are worth a fortune. Qin Mu wanted to set up the precedent of Xuanjizi to tell Buddhism and Taoism that only those who cooperate with the court and make contributions can have the chance to receive the imperial title.
It was fine for the others, but Lobsang Chokyi Gyaltsen and Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso came from afar, but not only did they get nothing, but the emperor also gave them the most severe warning in front of everyone. The two were not just disappointed, but their sense of crisis became stronger.
At this time, Qin Mu suddenly said that he was quite interested in Tibetan Buddhism and hoped that the Panchen Lama and the two masters would go to Nanjing with the emperor to explain the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures to him.
When the two heard this, their worry turned into joy. There was no way they would refuse and they agreed immediately.
But they had no idea that Qin Mu didn't want to listen to any Zen at all, he just didn't want them to return to Qinghai-Tibet so soon.
After the meeting, Qin Mu gave a banquet to these people. The location of the banquet was very special. It was not in the Xianyang Palace, but in a newly built building in Pingkangfang that integrated restaurants, inns, entertainment facilities and other facilities.
Qin Mu brought civil and military officials, as well as more than 20 eminent monks and Taoist priests to Pingkangfang, where he saw five tall buildings rising from the ground. The main building in the middle was seven stories high, and the annex building guarding the four corners was five stories high. There was a sky bridge on the top floor connecting it to the main building in the middle.
All five buildings are made of reinforced concrete, and the windows are all large glass windows, making the view very bright and transparent.
Each floor has a large balcony and flower racks, with fragrant flowers of various colors on the flower racks, making the buildings look like five huge flower baskets.
The top floor has traditional flying eaves and brackets, and the green glazed tiles reflect the sunlight, which is magnificent.
The open spaces between the buildings were paved with large bricks, and flower beds were built, with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum planted, as well as rockery and pool pavilions.
The citizens of Chang'an who passed by all stopped to admire it, and people from other counties in Guanzhong even made a special trip to see the novelty.
Cui Shihong was wearing a brand new round-necked robe and waiting downstairs with a big smile on his face. The plaque on the gate was covered with a red cloth and a red carpet was laid in front of the door.
Along both sides of the carpet stood two rows of waiters, both men and women, wearing the same uniform, the men were handsome and the women were pretty, another wonder. In addition, there were cooks, musicians, etc. There were more than a hundred people in total.
"Boss, boss, the emperor has arrived in Pingkangfang." A waiter came back breathlessly, his face unable to hide the excitement.
"Hurry. Play the music. Everyone, cheer up. The Holy Emperor has arrived. We must not make any mistakes."
Cui Shihong couldn't help but feel a little nervous and rubbed his hands unconsciously.
The musicians who had been prepared in advance immediately played melodious and cheerful music. Soon, two rows of imperial palace guards were seen riding on tall black horses, holding yellow umbrellas and leading the way.
People in the nearby streets gathered around Cui Shihong in layers, and they were extremely envious of him.
Cui Shihong himself was so nervous that sweat broke out on his forehead. He felt both happy and nervous, as if he was floating in the air and couldn't come down. How could an outsider understand that feeling
When the imperial carriage came into sight, he hurriedly led everyone to kneel to greet it, not even daring to raise his head. At that time, the emperor's prestige among the people was unparalleled. A businessman like Cui Shihong was the first to welcome the emperor, and he was naturally very nervous.
Qin Mu came here to give a banquet for other purposes. He was very easy-going. After getting off the imperial carriage, he asked everyone to stand up, and then he personally unveiled the plaques for these beautifully decorated buildings.
The bright red silk fell down, and the three characters "Zhaixing Tower" on the plaque were written in a flamboyant and majestic manner.
Amid the sounds of festive firecrackers, Qin Mu, accompanied by civil and military officials, as well as Buddhist and Taoist monks and priests, entered the main building. The lobby was decorated with curtains, the tables were clean, and the large glass windows made the lobby bright and spacious, giving people a very lively feeling.
"Your Majesty, please go upstairs!" Cui Shihong bowed carefully and led the way.
The stairs were also covered with red carpets. Qin Mu and his ministers went up the stairs one floor at a time and looked at the scenes one floor at a time.
When you reach the top floor, you can look out through the huge glass windows and have a panoramic view of Chang'an Street. The quaint tiles along the street are hidden among the green trees and red flowers. Luxury cars are shuttling in the street, pedestrians are like ants, and the sounds of hawking are heard, creating a prosperous scene.
On both sides of the clear Qujiang River, weeping willows sway in the wind, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Daci Temple stands tall, and a melodious bell sound comes with the wind, which makes people feel clear-minded. Looking south, you can even see the indigo-colored Zhongnan Mountain, which is ethereal in the sky and the peaks are undulating like waves.
The whole scenery is so breathtaking that one can't help but marvel at it. On the top floor, one feels like standing on top of the world and overlooking all the other mountains.
Not to mention how Qin Mu hosted a grand banquet for his ministers in the Zhaixing Tower, his move became a hot topic among the people in the streets and alleys of Chang'an City.
"Cui Shihong is really amazing."
"Yes, yes, even the emperor is here."
"I don't know what good deeds his family had done in their past lives, but now they have really brought glory to their humble home."
"Mr. Li, that is not a humble house. This Zhaixing Tower is really great. If I had money, I would also build a house like this."
"Who doesn't want to, but not everyone can afford it."
"That may not be the case. I heard that the imperial court has opened several new iron mines, and iron smelting technology is constantly improving. The price of steel is falling day by day. Maybe in a year or two, we will be able to afford it."
"That's right. I also heard that if you are building a one- or two-story building, you don't need to put up columns. If the price of steel drops further, the cost of building the floor will be about the same as using wooden beams to cover the tiles."
"In fact, even if it costs a little more, it's worth it. I heard that this is called a concrete floor. It's very solid and you don't have to worry about leaks even if you live in it for a hundred years. It's not like this tile floor, which needs to be renovated from time to time."
"Who said it wasn't? There are a lot of wild cats near my house. I asked Wang Er to renovate the roof a few days ago, and now the roof is leaking again."
In a nearby restaurant, a group of people sat together, drinking and chatting. The topic was all about concrete buildings. Once the conversation started, everyone in the restaurant came to chime in, and the scene became very lively.
"You don't know the greatest benefit of this concrete."
"Boss Wang, please tell me."
"I heard that your majesty wants to promote this reinforced concrete building, mainly for the benefit of everyone. In the past, everyone's houses were built with wood. Once a fire broke out, half the city would be destroyed at once. This kind of reinforced concrete building is not easy to catch fire. After it is built, you don't have to worry about other people's houses being affected by fire. Anyway, you don't have to worry about half a city being burned down at once."
"Oh, that's true. This concrete house is not as prone to fire as a wooden one."
"And what else, haven't you heard?"
"Shopkeeper Li, what else have you heard?"
"I heard that if anyone gives up using wood to build a house and instead uses steel and concrete, they can get a certain amount of subsidy as long as they report it to the government."
"Manager Li, don't lie to us. There is no such good thing in the world. You build a house and the government gives you a subsidy. Hehe, this has not happened for thousands of years. Hehe, I don't believe it, I don't believe it."
"Mr. Qian, don't forget that this is the Qin Empire. Have you ever heard of a family giving birth to a child and the officials not only providing food to help you raise the child, but also giving you ten acres of land?"
"Uh... this..."
"Mr. Qian, you have nothing to say, right? We are living in a good time. The emperor is the most virtuous monarch ever seen in history. He has lived frugally and used all the money in the treasury to set up elementary schools. Nearly 100,000 children from poor families can go to school for free. Has this ever happened before?"
"That's right, that's right. With a saintly monarch in power, it's really possible for the government to provide partial subsidies to the people when they build houses."
"Let's not argue. As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire. We'll soon know if this is true or not."
"If such a good thing really happens, I will be the first to build a concrete house."
"Hahaha... Mr. Qian, you're not the only one who thinks so. If you want to grab the first place, it's probably not going to be easy."
As an emperor, Qin Mu's every move attracted much attention. The Zhaixing Tower was already beautifully built, and he personally brought civil and military officials to unveil the building and gave a banquet here. It is easy to imagine the sensation it caused among the people.
As the saying goes, if the superiors like something, the subordinates will like it even more.
The emperor liked such buildings, and Cui Shihong, who was the first to build one, was honored a hundred times. This made many wealthy people very excited, which was more useful than sending people to advertise to them a hundred times.
Now the price of steel in Daqin is indeed falling, and the imperial court has increased the timber tax, which has increased the cost of building houses. The comparison between the two has made people more and more tempted.
Of course, it is impossible to change everyone's ideas at once, but the emperor's exemplary role can always lead some people.
All things are difficult at the beginning, but with demonstration, things will be easier later.
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.(To be continued..)
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