The Splendid Brocade of the Painting Physician – Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Debate with Chen Xu

Even the emperor of the Southern Chen Dynasty wanted to debate with this young master. This was an extraordinary event.

But it was also a dilemma. If he won against the emperor, it would inevitably embarrass His Majesty, who was the ruler of a country. If he lost, then the fame “Xie Zhen” had achieved today would be greatly diminished.

Just as everyone was curious about how this young master would refuse the emperor’s request, unexpectedly, he replied without hesitation:

“Good, I am willing!”

He actually said “good”!

To debate with the emperor of a country, he truly didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth!

“Your Majesty, please ask your questions?”

Chen Xu looked Xiao Jinyu up and down with eyes like a hawk, then suddenly smiled.

“You just said that if a ruler is unkind, it will inevitably cause people’s hearts to scatter, national power to decline, and lead to heavenly punishment! Then do you believe in karma, the cycle of heaven, and the Buddhist saying that the soul does not perish?”

The Northern and Southern Dynasties were a time when Buddhism flourished. During the Southern Qi Dynasty, Buddhist believers led by Prince Jingling, Xiao Ziliang, had a debate with Fan Zhen about the extinction and immortality of the soul. This debate lasted for seven days and seven nights, and finally ended with Fan Zhen’s eloquent arguments, defeating a thousand people a day.

But even today, there are still many famous scholars who believe in Buddhism, believe that the form perishes but the soul does not, and believe in the cycle of karma!

And Chen Xu, who was already the ruler of a country, obviously believed this as well.

Was Chen Xu asking this question because he suspected her identity?

“No, I believe in the Theory of Spirit Extinction!”

Xiao Jinyu answered decisively.

The form exists, then the soul exists; the form perishes, then the soul perishes. This is the view of the Theory of Spirit Extinction. It denies the existence of gods in the world, denies the saying that people must be reincarnated after death, and denies that everything is predetermined by karma. As long as you are kind-hearted, you can get rewards without doing anything!

How can there be such a good thing as getting something for nothing in this world?

“In the past, Fan Zhen pointed out that Buddhism harms politics and monasteries are full of foolish customs, which is to tell the world that advocating the immortality of the soul will inevitably corrupt folk customs, damage national politics, and lead people to value profit over helping the world, to be unfilial and unkind,

causing those who are lazy, those who steal, or those who kill to all turn to Buddhism, using false Buddhism and false compassion to deceive the world and escape their sins,

If a ruler governs with inaction, he should let his ministers perform their duties and let the people farm and produce grain, so as to achieve national prosperity and strength, rather than believing in so-called Buddhism!”

Xiao Jinyu’s words once again stunned the audience, but Chen Xu laughed.

“You don’t believe in karma, but why do you believe in heavenly punishment?” he asked.

Xiao Jinyu smiled.

“Your Majesty, I said I believe in the Theory of Spirit Extinction, but I didn’t say I don’t believe in karma. Moreover, heavenly punishment and the Buddhist concept of karma are not related at all. What I just said is that if a ruler is unkind and cruel, this is the cause, which leads to the scattering of people’s hearts and the decline of national power. This is the effect, the effect caused by human actions. There is a cause, and there is an effect, which ultimately leads to heaven’s punishment!

But the Buddhist concept of karma is a predetermined cause and effect, which is just empty talk about inaction, non-action, no beginning, and no end!”

“Sophistry!”

Chen Xu suddenly snorted coldly, then looked at her again and asked:

“Do you really believe that when the form perishes, the soul also perishes? But why do you look so much like her…”

As he spoke, he actually took a step forward and reached out his hand towards Xiao Jinyu’s cheek.

Realizing his approach, Xiao Jinyu instinctively took a step back. At the same time, a warm hand grasped her wrist and gently pulled her behind him.

It was Prince of Lanling who stood in front of her.

“Your Majesty, are you a little drunk today?”

Seeing Chen Xu’s slightly dazed eyes, Gao Changgong felt suspicious and slightly alarmed, so he asked with a smile.

Chen Xu’s expression suddenly changed, and he instantly regained his composure.

He turned and walked towards the pavilion, then suddenly looked back and said to Xiao Jinyu: “If it is true as you said, that there are unfilial and unkind people, lazy thieves, or murderers mixed in my Buddhist temples, I will… eliminate Buddhism!”

The two words “eliminate Buddhism” were like a thunderbolt that exploded throughout the entire mountain range.

Among all the scholars and literati present, there were also many Buddhist believers. Hearing these earth-shattering words, some scholars, prompted by Chen Shuling, cried out: “Your Majesty, you can’t! There are already hundreds of thousands of Buddhists in our dynasty. Eliminating Buddhism is equivalent to losing the hearts of the people!”

“If Buddhist monks truly understand the hearts of the people, they should immediately return to secular life and return their wealth to the national treasury!”

Xiao Jinyu spoke again, and the scholar felt even more heartbroken and glared at her for a long time.

Chen Shuling’s face was also livid.

He was about to say something when he heard someone say: “But I think what Young Master Xie said makes a lot of sense. Buddhist monks don’t pay taxes, they don’t register their households, they don’t perform labor service, but they enjoy the land of the emperor. This is not Buddhist compassion at all, but a great thief stealing the country and the people!”

“Yes! If everyone wants to avoid taxes and enter Buddhism, if everyone wants to use Buddhist compassion to cover up their crimes, then Buddhism will become the biggest place for hiding filth and evil!”

“That’s right! That’s exactly the point! If Buddhism is not pure, it must be eliminated!”

Amidst the discussions, Xiao Jinyu noticed a man dressed as a scholar with a black gauze hat, sneaking away from the crowd!

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Xiao Jinyu immediately gave Fenghuang a meaningful look. Fenghuang understood and quietly slipped into the crowd, catching the man who was trying to escape.

Almost at the same moment, a shout came from the mountain:

“Your Majesty, it’s not good! Master Huiwei was assassinated and killed at Tiantai Temple!”

Huiwei was the most famous monk on Mount Fahua. Five years ago, when Chen Xu returned to Jiankang, this Master Huiwei often debated with Chen Xu about Buddhism and also firmly believed in the theory of the soul’s immortality.

Chen Xu firmly believed in his theory of the soul’s immortality, so he wanted to build the Tiantai School, and Huiwei was the one responsible for its construction.

Hearing that Huiwei had been killed, Chen Xu was naturally shocked and even somewhat enraged!

“Who killed him?” he asked.

The messenger was an imperial guard, a trusted confidant whom Chen Xu had sent to Tiantai Temple to investigate.

As soon as he asked this question, the “scholar” who was being held by Fenghuang shouted, pointing at Xiao Jinyu and Prince of Lanling:

“I know, it was them, it was Prince of Lanling and this Young Master Xie, they killed Master Huiwei!”

As he spoke, his eyes flickered, as if searching the surroundings, and then as if glancing towards the Zhou envoys. Amidst his panic, he quickly regained his composure, as if he had made up his mind, and with a look of determination, he looked at Xiao Jinyu and Gao Changgong!

As soon as he said these words, everyone was shocked and amazed!

“Don’t talk nonsense, Prince of Lanling is an envoy from Northern Qi, how could he kill the Southern Chen’s high monk Huiwei?” Yuwen Hui rebuked sternly.

These words obviously made Chen Xu uncomfortable, and he frowned and looked at Xiao Jinyu again.

“Did you kill him?” he asked.

Prince of Lanling was about to say something when Xiao Jinyu stepped forward and said solemnly:

“He’s right, I killed Huiwei!”

As soon as she said these words, everyone was stunned again, and Chen Xu looked at her in disbelief.

The scholar didn’t expect Xiao Jinyu to admit it so readily, and he was overjoyed and shouted:

“Listen, he admitted it, he admitted it, so why don’t you arrest this murderer quickly!”

Some imperial guards began to stir, as if waiting for Chen Xu’s order to take down this young master, but at this moment,

Gao Changgong stood in front of Xiao Jinyu and shouted sternly: “Whoever dares to touch her is against me, Gao Changgong!”

This shout was so imposing and arrogant that it stunned everyone present into silence.

After a long while, everyone heard Chen Shuling sneer:

“Prince of Lanling, no wonder I offered you beauties and you refused them. Could it be that you prefer men?”

“Shut up!”

Unexpectedly, Chen Xu interrupted with a cold rebuke at this moment.

Chen Shuling’s face darkened, and he hurriedly bowed his head and retreated to the side.

“Yes, Father!”

Chen Xu looked at Xiao Jinyu again.

Xiao Jinyu also gave Prince of Lanling a “please trust me” look, then stepped forward and once again cast her clear and calm gaze at Chen Xu.

“But why did I kill Huiwei? Shouldn’t Your Majesty listen to my explanation first, and then make a judgment, or investigate the truth?” she asked with a smile.

As the ruler of a country, shouldn’t he investigate clearly and then make a conclusion?

He was not like Princess Yunyin, a shrew who was unreasonable!

The previous debate was still echoing in his ears, every sentence about being a wise ruler, every word like a pearl, resounding like thunder!

Chen Xu suddenly felt as if he had fallen into a trap, a trap that had been set from the very beginning of the debate.

He stared intently at Xiao Jinyu and, with a gesture befitting an emperor, said:

“Please speak!”

Xiao Jinyu smiled back confidently, then turned to the crowd and said:

“To prove that what I said is true, please come to Tiantai Temple and see for yourselves!”