Faced with Liu Qi's sophistry, Yang Song was speechless. The other party had a strong army and was at the gate of the city. He had no right to negotiate.
Liu Qi added: "In fact, I have no objection to Zhang Lu's preaching and persuading people to be good. More than 100,000 people in Hanzhong have benefited from his kindness and live and work in peace and contentment, without picking up lost items on the road. In this chaotic world, only my father can do this."
Yang Song asked in confusion: "What do you mean, General?"
Liu Qi asked, "Do you know Taoist Zuo Ci?"
Yang Song nodded and said, "Although Zuo Ci practiced in Tianzhu Mountain, he actually came from Kunlun and practiced Taoism by refining elixirs. Now he has opened a Taoist temple in Songshan Mountain to treat people's illnesses. He is very famous."
Liu Qi nodded and said, "Yes, Cao Cao can demarcate the land for Zuo Ci to preach in peace, so why can't I? Hanzhong is the throat of Longshu, and there will be a war sooner or later. Zhang Lu only knows how to preach, but does not practice martial arts, how can he defend it? Why not choose another fairy mountain and spiritual place to practice Taoism in peace? If you can ascend to heaven like Laozi and preach to future generations, wouldn't it be wonderful?"
Yang Song asked: "Is there such a precious place in the world today?"
"Of course!" Liu Qi nodded and said, "South of Changsha is Hengshan Mountain, which has beautiful scenery and a ethereal aura. Its terrain and spiritual veins are no less than those of Songshan Mountain and Wudang Mountain."
Yang Song frowned and said, "Hengshan is far away in the sky. It is a wild place with many poisonous insects and fierce beasts. How can we preach?"
Liu Qi laughed and said, "Sir, you are wrong. The governor of Jiaozhou, Lai Gong, governs the territory. The governor of Jiaozhi, Shi Xie, has sent people to express his intention to surrender and make peace with the Central Plains. Hengshan is the key transportation point between the north and the south. I have wanted to set up an office here to educate the border people for a long time!"
Yang Song shook his head and said, "If I ask Master to be an official here, I'm afraid he would rather die than obey."
Liu Qi said: "It's not about ruling the people, but about preaching! If Zhang Lu is willing to go to Hengshan, open up the wilderness, preach in Jiaozhou and even Nanyue, he will be the founder of Southern Xinjiang, his merits will be known for generations, and he will be worshipped by millions of people. Isn't his merit a hundred times greater than Zuo Ci's?"
"This..." Liu Qi's plan was beyond Yang Song's knowledge and authority. He was stunned for a while, then clasped his fists and said, "This is a serious matter. I have to report it to Master before making a decision."
Liu Qi said, "You only need to tell Zhang Lu that he wants to establish a sect and preach to the people. I have no objection. I can even make it a state religion after rectifying the court. But you must not teach the people to rule, cede land to defend yourself, and make religious law higher than national law. This will cause endless harm."
"State religion?" Yang Song's eyes widened: "Really?"
Liu Qi nodded and said, "If Zhang Lu is interested in enlightenment, he can come out of the city and meet me alone. I have something to tell you from the bottom of my heart. If we disagree, I will let him go back to the city and we can have a fair fight. It's up to him to decide who will win or lose!"
Yang Song was skeptical and returned to Nanzheng to tell Zhang Lu everything Liu Qi had said. Zhang Lu was shocked, not because of Liu Qi's tyranny, but because of his plan.
"Preaching, establishing a sect, ascending to heaven..." Zhang Lu muttered to himself, as if possessed by a ghost.
This is exactly what he has been seeking all his life, but before this he was only ignorant and did his best, but as for how to do it or what the results would be, he had no idea.
Liu Qi's words made him feel as if the clouds had been cleared and the sun had appeared, as if he had found direction in his confusion.
While he was still hesitating the next day, urgent news came from Mianyang that Zhang Wei ordered Yang Ang to go ahead and rush day and night to rescue Hanzhong. However, they were ambushed at Dingjun Mountain and their entire army was wiped out. Zhang Wei's troops were blocked at Yangping Pass.
When the chief priest of Mianyang heard the news, he realized that the situation was not good and surrendered to Liu Qi. Not only did the reinforcements he had been waiting for not arrive, but Nanzheng also became an isolated city.
Upon hearing the news, Zhang Lu was disheartened and knew that the situation was hopeless. He discussed countermeasures with Yan Pu and Yang Ren.
Yang Ren gritted his teeth and said, "Liu Qi is indeed cunning and scheming. He killed my brother. How can I not take revenge? Why not burn the warehouses and cities, retreat to Micang Mountain and Bazhong, and unite with the barbarians to take revenge."
Yang Song said: "Master, you must not do this. Liu Qi has already made it clear that as long as you are sincere in practicing Taoism, he will do his best to help you. If you run away, how will the disciples of our sect view it? It is better to open the city and surrender instead of wasting your life's hard work."
Zhang Lu hesitated and asked Yan Pu, "What do you think?"
Yan Pu was at a loss at this time, and replied: "If the lord wants to establish a separatist regime and seek hegemony, he can go to Bazhong to make plans. If he wants to promote the doctrine and study the classics, he can discuss it with Liu Qi."
Yang Ren urged: "Why not burn the treasury and flee to Bazhong overnight?"
Zhang Lu thought for a moment and sighed, "What Liu Qi said makes sense. The treasury originally belongs to the state. We are very lucky to have occupied Hanzhong and preached the gospel to the people. How can we destroy it?"
So he ordered everyone to stay behind and ordered Yang Song to go out of the city to meet. In the afternoon, Liu Qi arrived at the foot of the city and the two met in front of the battle.
Zhang Lu saw Liu Qi's red lips and white teeth, his elegant appearance, and his hidden aura of an emperor. He was secretly surprised and clasped his fists and said, "I have been guarding Hanzhong for a long time and am not good at governing. I only govern the people according to the Taixuan Sutra passed down by my ancestors. If the general takes Hanzhong, I will be polite and yield. But my disciples have nowhere to go, so I would like to hear your advice on governance and teaching."
Liu Qi said: "I have heard for a long time that you wrote Laozi Xianger Notes, and I must have some insights. However, promoting Taoism is very different from governing a country and ensuring the people's well-being. If you want to truly spread Taoism, you need to establish a sect, like Buddhism, recruit disciples, build temples, and make it famous for generations."
Zhang Lu's heart was pounding, and he clasped his fists and said, "I'd like to hear your advice!"
Liu Qi said, "Since the Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu has been advocating the Huang-Lao doctrine of inaction and governance, and the people have rested and recuperated, which led to the prosperity of the Han Dynasty. Although Confucianism was the only doctrine that was respected later, the Confucians were not the only ones who promoted Taoism. Buddhists even traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains to spread Taoism, from the White Horse Temple to various ancestral temples, which can be said to have opened up foreign lands. What a great merit this is? However, Taoist disciples have been practicing their own methods until now, wandering around the mountains and rivers. They seem to be inaction, but in fact they are like a pile of scattered sand. If you can gather your disciples and work together, you will surely become a master of your generation."
Zhang Lu was shocked when he heard this, but he was puzzled and asked, "Since the Zhang Jiao Rebellion, the court has been suppressing all sects. Sun Ce even killed Yu Ji and drove away the Taoists in the country despite the opposition of the people. Why did the general do the opposite? Aren't you afraid that the Yellow Turban Rebellion will happen again?"
Liu Qi smiled and said, "The Yellow Turban Rebellion was caused by the Ten Eunuchs abusing their power. The court was corrupt and lost the support of the people. If it were the prosperous times of Emperors Han and Guangwu, when the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, who would be willing to leave their homes, abandon their wives and children and take risks? I support you in preaching, not because I want to follow Emperor Gaozu's example of respecting Huang-Lao, but to spread Chinese civilization."
"Chinese civilization?" Zhang Lu was stunned and didn't understand.
Liu Qi smiled and said, "In short, everyone respects China and is proud of China. Although the various Taoist sects have different philosophies, they all respect the laws of heaven and worship the sages and heroes of past generations. If the beliefs of the people of the world can be unified, how can they resort to war and rebel repeatedly?"
"Faith?" Zhang Lu was shocked, as if he had grasped something vaguely.
Liu Qi’s idea was actually very simple. It didn’t matter whether Taoism grew stronger or not. He urgently needed to implement cultural penetration, that is, to educate the people.
Conquest by force is not a long-term solution. Only a unified civilization and belief, common cultural cognition and heritage can establish a true sense of belonging.
The ancients listed meeting an old friend in a foreign land as one of the four great joys in life. In fact, this is a kind of cultural resonance. The same applies when expanded to the country and even the world.
In this superstitious age, spreading civilization in the form of religion is easier for the people to accept than setting up government offices. Taoist heritage embodies the essence of Chinese civilization, and it is most appropriate to support it!