Chapter 195: White Lotus Sect

Zhu Yuanzhang was a follower of the White Lotus Sect?

Yu Xin did not deny it; it was a fact.

To discuss the White Lotus Sect, one must start with Buddhism.

Buddhism entered China during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Ancient Chinese people did not adopt a wholesale “imported” approach to this “foreign product” but preferred to incorporate their own understanding and interpretation.

Through the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, Sui, and Tang Dynasties, Buddhism underwent sinicization, giving rise to sects like Tiantai, Huayan, Jing Tu(Pure Land), Chan, and Esoteric Buddhism.

The “Jing Tu” in Buddhism refers to a pure world free from the pollution of the “Five Turbidities” (kalpa turbidity, views turbidity, affliction turbidity, living beings turbidity, and life turbidity), commonly referred to as the Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or Sukhavati.

Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss or Sukhavati also has another name: the Pure Land of Amitabha Buddha.

Jing Tu Buddhism believes that by frequently reciting “Namo Amitabha Buddha,” one can reside in the Western Pure Land after death.

Mentioning these four words is considered a form of practice.

Simple, right?

The common people found it simple, and coupled with working in the fields and harvesting wheat, it didn’t interfere with talking, so many people adhered to Jing Tu Buddhism.

Jing Tu Buddhism was founded by the eminent monk Shandao of Guangming Temple in the Tang Dynasty.

Shandao believed that although Jing Tu Buddhism was something he created, its spirit was in line with the founder of the White Lotus Society, Huiyuan, from the Eastern Jin period. Therefore, Pure Land Buddhism had another name:

The Lotus Sect!

The Eastern Jin White Lotus Society, the Tang Dynasty Lotus Sect, and in the Song Dynasty, it evolved into the White Lotus Sect. Regardless of the name, they were considered a “Sinicized” Buddhist sect.

The development of Buddhism was closely tied to the support of feudal dynasties.

The emperors thought this way:

Buddhism preaches “cultivation” and “theory of rebirth,” telling the people that in this life of suffering, death brings release.

Isn’t that in line with their own scheming?

Under Buddhism, the people stayed docile, accepted their fate, cultivated for the afterlife, and didn’t resist when their food was taken away. If their children were taken or their lives were taken, they considered it fate.

Wasn’t this beneficial for the court?

Many emperors used Buddhism as a tranquilizer, injecting it into the people one dose at a time.

The White Lotus Sect was also such a tranquilizer.

But if you keep injecting tranquilizers, won’t the effect weaken?

Moreover, if you’ve stabbed the arms all over, there’s no place left to insert needles. Do you still want to insert more? Wouldn’t that be painful?

Those who cried out in pain stood up and opposed. Using the shell of the White Lotus, they hatched the egg of the White Lotus Sect, explicitly stating a purpose:

We oppose injections, oh no, we resist the court.

During the Renzong reign of the Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Ze led a rebellion, raising the banner of “Maitreya Buddha will be rencarnated.” Wang Ze probably wasn’t bold enough, only saying “Maitreya Buddha will be reincarnated,” meaning Maitreya hadn’t yet incarnated.

So, he couldn’t become Maitreya Buddha, and after two months, he was extinguished…

Compared to Wang Ze, Zhao Chousi, and Guo Pusa, who ignited the first fire of the Yuan Dynasty uprising, were bolder. Just listen to their names; Guo Pusa(Buddha Guo), the name was changed, and don’t know how many people were deceived.

Guo Pusa’s slogan was more ambitious, directly shouting, “Maitreya Buddha should reign over the world.” The meaning was clear: this world should belong to Maitreya Buddha, and as for the emperor, he wasn’t worthy.

Seeing this situation, the Yuan government began to search and suppress White Lotus sect members.

The White Lotus sect went to hiding and spread its teachings covertly.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Han Shantong, Liu Futong, and Xu Shouhui rebelled, all using the name of the White Lotus sect, and the slogan was, “When Maitreya Buddha descends, the world will be in chaos.” This slogan was more practical than “Maitreya Buddha should reign over the world.”

“Maitreya Buddha should reign over the world” just meant taking control of the world.

“When Maitreya Buddha descends, the world will be in chaos” told everyone that to take control of the world, there must be chaos first. Stir the water in this Yuan Dynasty pond, and there would be a chance to fish.

Many people might be puzzled. Zhu Yuanzhang was a follower of Ming Sect, so why say he was a White Lotus sect member?

It’s very simple because at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Ming Sect and the White Lotus Sect were intertwined. It could even be said that during that time, Ming Sect was a branch of the White Lotus sect.

White Lotus sect preached “Maitreya’s descent” and the “birth of the enlightened(Ming) king.” And Zhu Yuanzhang’s leader Han Shantong is a follower of the White Lotus Sect, proclaimed himself as “the enlightened king.” After Han Shantong’s death, his son, Han Lin’er, claimed to be the “Little Enlightened King.”

Many records only mentioned that Zhu Yuanzhang was a follower of the Ming Sect, not mentioning the White Lotus sect, this was inappropriate.

Of course, this was also related to Zhu Yuanzhang’s “betrayal” of the White Lotus sect.

The drowning of Han Lin’er by Liao Yongzhong was likely orchestrated by Zhu Yuanzhang. Killing Han Lin’er didn’t just mean eliminating his “emperor,” but also meant a complete rupture between Zhu Yuanzhang and the White Lotus sect.

In the first year of Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the prohibition of the White Lotus sect. Later, this prohibition was even written into the “Great Ming Law,” clearly defining the official position of banning the White Lotus sect.

A friendly reminder to those who are interested in traveling back to the early Ming Dynasty: don’t form brotherhoods, or the court will treat you as White Lotus sect members, take you to the vegetable market, and snaps…

Qu You was right; Zhu Yuanzhang betrayed the White Lotus sect, but this betrayal was for the stability and prosperity of the Ming Dynasty.

Yu Xin sighed, shook his head at Qu You, and said, “The truth lies in the sun and the moon, filial piety in people’s hearts, and loyalty in the hearts of all people. Qu You, you have chosen the wrong path. The White Lotus Sect’s rebellion against the imperial court leads only to a dead end!”

“Hehe, under the seat of Maitreya Buddha, who would be so afraid of death? Yu Xin, since you are so rigid and unchanging, then I will certainly fulfill your wish.”

Qu You looked at the night sky, eagerly awaiting the dawn.

Li Lao San put down his empty bowl, licked his lips, and glanced at the stick and two empty bowls beside him.

Li Jiu, satisfied, wiped his mouth and chuckled softly, “We’ve finally made it through. Old squad leader, do you think these people are blind? There’s not a single old, weak, woman, or child here. Haven’t they realized?”

Li Lao San, with a smile on his lips, said, “Their eyes are not blind, but their hearts are. In my opinion, if this group succeeds, then we will have no way out.”

Li Jiu nodded heavily.

Nowadays, the imperial court commands respect from all directions. To oppose the imperial court is to have no way out.

The starry sky was desolate, the waning moon faded away, and dawn gradually broke in the east.

Qu You looked at Yu Xin, who seemed to be asleep, raised a torch in his hand, and said harshly, “Now, I’ll send you on your way!”

“Wait.”

Yu Xin raised his head, a faint smile on his face.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Qu You asked impatiently.

Yu Xin took a couple of deep breaths and said relaxedly, “Qu You, you have merits towards the Great Ming Dynasty. When I return to the capital, I will report to the Emperor and request rewards for you.”

“Rewards for me? Haha, I only have hatred and anger towards the Great Ming Dynasty, no merits! And you won’t be going back either.”

Qu You shouted loudly.

Yu Xin shook his head and said, “No, you do have merits. The eighteen rice shops in Dingyuan cost 23,600 taels of silver to purchase 3,000 dan of grain for disaster relief for the imperial court. To pay such a high price for the court’s disaster relief grain, and yet you didn’t take a penny and distributed porridge to the needy, such integrity and virtue, I truly admire.”

“Disaster relief grain?”

Qu You was stunned.

The grain that I bought myself, wasn’t it the grain sent by the merchants from Jiashan and Beilu?

“Haha, I have accepted your silver. This sum of silver will be used for the imperial court’s relief of the Huaiyuan refugees and the rebuilding of Huaiyuan. In this sense, you are a good person.”

Yu Xin praised with a smile.

Qu You stepped back, gritting his teeth, “You’re talking nonsense! The grain I purchased was not meant for disaster relief by the imperial court. How could the court’s grain arrive so quickly?! There was no grain transported to Huaiyuan or Fengyang!”

Yu Xin narrowed his eyes and slowly said, “There was no grain transported to Huaiyuan or Fengyang, but Qu You, have you forgotten that stationed forty li northeast of Dingyuan is the Yingwu Guard? Would they lack grain?”

“The Yingwu Guard?”

Qu You widened his eyes, realizing he had overlooked such a crucial place in all his calculations!

So, all the wealth I spent was just for buying disaster relief grain?

“No need to look around, there are no soldiers from the Yingwu Guard here.”

Yu Xin noticed Qu You looking around and couldn’t help but remind him.

Qu You clenched his teeth and said, “What does it matter if the Yingwu Guard comes? I have tens of thousands of followers in my hands!”

“Oh, are you referring to those three thousand refugees who lined up three times and drank three bowls of porridge?”

Yu Xin looked at Qu You with a cold smile.

Qu You abruptly turned to look and saw that at the corner, people were continuously coming out to join the long queue, while his own followers, only busy with preaching and distributing porridge, had failed to notice!

“Hey, the one with the torch, are you going to light it or not? If you are, hurry up. I’m getting sleepy watching this.”

Xiong Wucheng sat on the wall of the office, fiddling with a dart in his hand, looking at Qu You and urging him impatiently.

Yu Xin greeted Xiong Wucheng’s family, thinking that if the torch really was lit, he would be joining the Emperor Taizu in the afterlife.

Qu You looked at Xiong Wucheng in horror and shouted, “You, you didn’t run away?”

“Yes, if I didn’t run away, how would I have found the underground granaries you set up inside and outside the city? Secretary Yu, there is enough grain in the granaries to feed fifty thousand people for two months.”

Xiong Wucheng reported with a smile.

“Good, with grain and money, things will be easier to handle. But Comrade Xiong, do you really wish for my death? Why don’t you take action? What are you waiting for?!”

Yu Xin willingly took the risk to lure Qu You into the trap, to expose the location of his granaries.

Now that the grain has been found and the money has been swindled, it’s time to bring things to a close.

Xiong Wucheng clapped his hands and stood atop the wall, proudly shouting, “On a night dark and windy, perfect for killing…”

“It’s already dawn, night my foot!” Yu Xin became anxious.

There was good reason for his urgency – Qu You had already thrown his torch into the pile of firewood, and the flames roared to life.

“Take action!” Xiong Wucheng yelled loudly.

The followers of the White Lotus Sect shouted, “Those who eat our porridge are our disciples, killing officials to create chaos, welcoming Maitreya Buddha! Follow me…”

Bang!

“To hell with your Maitreya Buddha!”

Li Laosan showed no courtesy, knocking someone unconscious with his stick.

Li Jiu swung his stick around, aiming for the head of a nearby White Lotus follower. However, the follower heard the noise, turned around fiercely, and stared at Li Jiu, causing him to panic and step back.

Thud!

An arrow pierced through the chest of the follower.

Li Jiu swallowed nervously and looked around to see a guard nearby, pulling a longbow, arrows flying.

“Treat them like Wei Bacai!” Li Laosan shouted.

Li Jiu’s eyes reddened with rage, and he charged forward, smashing his stick against a follower.

“Kill them!” Xiong Wucheng encouraged his troops, throwing a dart with a casual flick.

Tang Buping felt the ropes being cut and quickly freed himself, then helped the choking Yu Xin to safety.

A follower swung a knife at them. Tang Buping pushed Yu Xin aside, dodged to the left, stepped forward with his left foot, and slammed his right shoulder, like a mountain, into the chest of the assailant. The follower was sent flying, landing ten feet away, never to stand up again.

“Good lad, that shoulder of yours has the strength of two or three hundred catties!” Xiong Wucheng praised.

Tang Buping picked up a knife from the ground, swung it, and smiled, “This little skill of mine is nothing to praise, Lord. I’ll leave Secretary Yu in your care, I have a score to settle.”

Xiong Wucheng laughed heartily, standing beside Yu Xin.

Yu Xin, coughing and with eyes stinging from the smoke, urged, “Quick, we can’t let Qu You escape!”