The Villain's Counterattack

Chapter 566: This Conflict Is Inevitable

"Buddhism is the righteous path, why is it at odds with Your Majesty?" Pei Renji was a little puzzled. It seemed that His Majesty had no hostility towards Buddhism and even built several famous Buddhist temples.

Yue Buqun smiled bitterly and shook his head gently, saying, "Human nature."

"The late emperor was born into the Hongnong Yang clan, a powerful and influential family. It was precisely because of this that he was able to quickly conquer the world. Of course, the late emperor's personal strength and opportunities, as well as the support of the Buddhist sect, also played an important role. With the combined efforts of all parties, the situation was finally achieved, and he finally ended the chaotic times and unified the Central Plains."

Everyone nodded in agreement as Yue Buqun continued, "The late emperor relied on Buddhism to achieve success. He took good care of Buddhism and suppressed the Demon Sect. The righteous path flourished in the martial arts world, and even with talented individuals like Shi Zhixuan and Zhu Yuyan, the Demon Sect was inevitably suppressed. But if we look closely, can Buddhism alone really suppress the Demon Sect?"

"Sir, are you talking about Ning Sanren?" Qin Qiong's mind suddenly shifted, and he thought of a certain person. Whenever the Demon Sect and the Buddhist Sect gained the upper hand in the battle, they would immediately be suppressed by this person. "It is said that Ning Sanren, in order to become a Grandmaster, personally sought help from Cihang Jingzhai and read the 'Cihang Sword Canon'. As a result, he owed this person a favor, and that's why..."

Yue Buqun nodded and said, "That's one reason. Ning Sanren comes from a Taoist sect, a true orthodox sect of the Central Plains. He is wholeheartedly seeking the truth and following the natural way. Therefore, he uses both Buddhism and Taoism for his own benefit. However, Buddhism is ultimately an outsider. Without the permission of the late emperor, he would certainly not have taken such a clear stand."

Everyone suddenly realized that many people secretly called Ning Sanren a Taoist thief and a Buddhist lackey. It turned out that there were many explanations for this.

"The Buddhist sect was originally inferior to the Demonic Sect. The Demonic Sect has a long history and rich heritage, and is deeply rooted in the Central Plains. It is incomparable to foreign barbarian religions. It is precisely because of the care of the late emperor that it has achieved its current prosperity. They saw the benefits of the Fulong Court and set their sights on the late Crown Prince Yang Yong, hoping to continue or even expand this advantage. However..."

Everyone was silent for a while. Does Crown Prince Yang Yong have the ability?

Of course there are some. It can even be said that all of the late emperor's sons were capable people. As the eldest son, Yang Yong was definitely not a mediocre person. It's just that...

"The Buddhist sect was too greedy. They wanted more than just the emperor's support; they even wanted to seize control of power and use the emperor as a puppet. Therefore, when guiding the late crown prince, they inevitably mixed in their own agenda. As a result, over time, the late crown prince's abilities not only declined, but he also gained an undue amount of so-called compassion and hypocrisy. Meanwhile, Your Majesty, with the secret support of the demon sect, endured and disguised himself while constantly improving his own strength, ultimately ascending to the throne in one fell swoop."

"This, this, Your Majesty, the Demonic Sect..." Pei Renji was stunned and could hardly believe his ears.

Yue Buqun laughed heartily and said, "Don't be misled by the so-called famous and upright sects. The so-called Demonic Sect is just a relative term for Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. The true origins can be traced back to the Hundred Schools of Thought. Ever since Dong Zhongshu proposed abolishing all schools of thought and respecting only Confucianism, other schools of thought, except for Confucianism and Taoism, were cast into oblivion. Buddhism also rose with the invasion of foreign races and forcefully squeezed into the mainstream."

"In reality, the essence of the various schools of thought is held in part by the aristocratic families, and in part by the demonic sects. The aristocratic families cherish their knowledge and use it to build their families, while the demonic sects want to spread it but are suppressed by many parties. After all, everyone wants to control good things for themselves and is unwilling to share them with others. As the demonic sects are suppressed again and again, they gradually lose their sense of identity and become more and more extreme. This is the origin of the demonic sects today."

"It's actually like this!" Everyone looked at each other, unable to believe their ears.

"Your Majesty built the dragon boat not using Confucian, Taoist, or Buddhist methods, but Mohist methods, one of the Hundred Schools of Thought. His Majesty's invincibility in his campaigns was due in no small part to the Hundred Schools of Thought. While appeasing the Buddhists, His Majesty secretly employed knowledgeable individuals from the Demonic Sect, continuously enhancing national strength. He even instituted the imperial examination system to enlighten the people, thereby solidifying the foundation of the Great Sui Dynasty. If successful, it would be a monumental achievement!"

Except for Luo Shixin, who came from a humble background, everyone else present had received education and naturally knew that studying was not easy. Book knowledge was monopolized by wealthy families, and it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to obtain it. The development prospects of literate people and illiterate people were naturally very different.

If more people could read and write, the national strength of the Sui Dynasty would surely see a huge boost. Thinking of this, they couldn't help but admire the courage of the current emperor, but they also knew that this was definitely not the result that the wealthy families wanted.

"Your Majesty comes from an aristocratic family. You know the nature and potential harm of the aristocratic families, so you are secretly suppressing the four aristocratic families. Most of the generals Your Majesty trusts are of humble origins, such as Mai Tiezhang, Lai Huer, and General Zhang. Your presence has seriously affected the influence of the aristocratic families on the court."

Pei Renji said: "If that's the case, then it should be the aristocratic families who hate General Zhang to the core, why is it the Buddhist sect..." He didn't dare to say that the aristocratic families hated His Majesty to the core, and turned to General Zhang.

"I think ambition is driven by desire, and even more by wealth." Yue Buqun sighed, "Do you know that of the world's wealth, Buddhism holds 40%, aristocratic families hold 40%, the imperial court holds 15%, and the common people barely hold 50%? Yet the common people account for 99% of the entire Sui Dynasty."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this, "How could this be?!"

"The aristocratic families and Buddhist sects occupy 80% of the world's wealth yet pay no taxes. When the late emperor unified the country, he plundered a vast amount of wealth. Your Majesty has also campaigned and reaped rich rewards, but how can such wealth last? Using 20% ​​of the world's wealth to support the entire world, and even in the process, it will be taken over by the aristocratic families. If this continues..."

Yue Buqun changed the subject and said, "Your Majesty is a wise ruler with great courage. He does not wish to leave these troubles to future generations, but he does not realize that haste makes waste. This has alerted the aristocratic families and Buddhist sects, sparking rebellion. Yang Gongxuangan's inexplicable rebellion, and the Turkic army's silent capture of the thirty-nine cities of Yanmen, do you believe that they did not have any hand in it?"

"Looking at all the rebels in the world, how many are truly led by ordinary people? Which one doesn't have the support of the aristocratic families? If there are such grassroots heroes, they will soon be swallowed up by the pawns of the aristocratic families."

"Just like the current Wagang Army?" Qin Qiong suddenly thought of something and asked hurriedly.

Yue Buqun nodded deeply: "Just like the current Wagang Army!"

Then he turned to Zhang Xutuo and said, "General Zhang, do you know why Your Majesty placed you in Xingyang instead of Luoyang?"

Zhang Xutuo immediately became excited upon hearing this and sincerely asked, "Please give me some advice, sir."

"Because there is only one Zheng family in Xingyang, while there are too many aristocratic families in Luoyang, and there is also the Jingnian Zen Temple. If the general were in Luoyang, I'm afraid he would be unable to do anything." Yue Buqun's words landed on the ground with a loud bang, shocking everyone.

"Your Majesty, as the Emperor, should not believe in any particular school of thought. Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and all other schools of thought are swords in the hands of the Emperor. However, the Buddhists do not see it that way. As an alien sect, they have worked hard to climb to their current position. How could they be willing or dare to compete on equal terms with the ancient and well-established schools of thought with deep roots in the grassroots? Therefore, if Your Majesty wishes to revitalize the country, he will inevitably be targeted by the Buddhists."

"This kind of struggle is inevitable!"