Black Myth: Starting from the Destined One
Chapter 110 - 106: The Emperor’s Past

Chapter 110: Chapter 106: The Emperor’s Past

By the time the Restoration Emperor, Li Runlong, reached the heavens, he had passed the throne to the Crown Prince, Li Gongnong. However, before Li Gongnong could firmly establish himself as Emperor, he was overthrown by Li Gai, who controlled the military. Li Gai launched a coup at Xuanwu Gate, successfully usurped the throne, and after assassinating the Crown Prince Li Gongnong, he declared himself Emperor—none other than the current Emperor Li Gai of Zhengji!

"So, the current Emperor Li Gai is not only a non-relative of the Li Clan but also someone who seized and ascended the throne through usurpation!"

It was fortunate to have learned the little-known secrets and scandals of the Great Tang and the Emperor from the lips of these three merchants. Otherwise, Li Ping’an would still be completely ignorant about this mysterious Emperor Li Gai. Now, he understood why the three merchants referred to him as someone from Peach Blossom Spring.

Upon learning such secrets, Li Ping’an immediately felt extreme disgust towards the current Emperor Li Gai:

To usurp power and rebel, yet fail to govern the world properly, and instead, by placing one’s will above the hearts of millions, to rule incompetently and indulgently, no wonder there are so many rebels in the world, no wonder the group to which Zhuge Weiwei belongs calls itself the Futang Group, determined to overthrow the Dog Emperor Li Gai, so it was for this reason; it also explains the bizarre experiences on this journey.

The three merchants continued:

Both Emperors of the Great Tang and the common people have practiced Buddhism, a tradition that has continued for nearly five hundred years, and it has been especially fervent in recent years. Moreover, the Emperors of the Great Tang have always claimed to be descendants of Laozi from Taoism and, in pursuit of Immortality, have also been obsessed with Taoism, vainly seeking eternal life.

Even though the current Emperor Li Gai usurped the throne and his claim to it is illegitimate, he still considers himself the rightful successor of the Li Tang dynasty and has maintained this tradition—outwardly practicing Buddhism while actually pursuing cultivation!

The act of welcoming the Buddha’s Relics is an emulation of the Former Emperor Xianzong of Tang by the current Emperor Li Gai. Thus, there came about these opportunities for unscrupulous merchants to make a fortune, and also what Li Ping’an had seen and encountered today.

"So that’s how it is. Thank you, brothers, for your patience in explaining this to me."

"No problem, no problem,"

The three wealthy merchants waved their hands dismissively, firmly convinced that Li Ping’an must be a hermit from some remote mountain village, otherwise he couldn’t possibly be unaware of this historical truth and street rumors. At this moment, having finished their meal and with time to spare, they saw how naïve Li Ping’an was and kindly offered:

"Young man, considering how uninformed you are, and that you are alone in Chang’an, a place that devours men without spitting out bones, here’s what—we’ll answer any further questions you have."

"Thank you very much!"

Li Ping’an had also finished his meal by then. He patted his round belly contentedly, took a leisurely sip of wine, and then expressed the doubts that lingered in his mind:

"I have only been in Chang’an for two days, and I’ve seen fake monks, lecherous monks, deceitful monks—so corrupting the Buddhist Community. They even exploit the concept of karmic retribution to deceive the common folk into offering incense, flowers, lights, and candles as well as money. Just now, you also mentioned the issue of monks deceiving people for money. I wonder, I can tell at a glance that it’s fake, and the Emperor, being a usurper, must be a shrewd person. So why does he tolerate such behavior?"

"Furthermore, if the Emperor is fond of Buddhism, he should follow the Orthodox Path. Why is there no high monk to guide him, instead of falling into evil ways?"

Hearing this, one of the merchants hurriedly waved his hands to stop him:

"Boy, aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue with such words? Where do you think you are? This is Chang’an. If the officials heard what you just said, they’d definitely arrest you and exile you to a remote and cruel border state, and you’d never be able to turn your life around!"

"Is it really that serious?"

Another merchant also quickly urged:

"Our Emperor is reverently welcoming the Buddha’s Relic, how could you call that evil? It’s only because we’re kind-hearted that you’re not in jail today."

"You guys should stop scaring this young lad straight out of his rural home,"

The Wang surnamed wealthy merchant cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered in explanation:

"Actually, some of the upright ministers in the Imperial Court despise this and often submit memos to the throne, but most of them are demoted or even killed by the current Emperor, some matters aren’t as simple as they seem..."

"You might think it’s good for the Emperor to take charge of this, but for us businessmen, it’s better when he doesn’t intervene. How else would we make our fortunes if he did?"

"Even if the current Emperor is determined to intervene, he can’t control everything, let alone dare to. Think about the famous ’Three Disasters of Buddhism’ in history, namely Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Tuoba Tao, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, Yuwen Yong, and Emperor Wuzong of Tang Dynasty, Li Yan, how brilliant and martial were these three Emperors? But didn’t each of them die young? If you were the Emperor, would you dare to intervene?"

He then wrapped an arm around Li Ping’an and said mysteriously:

"Didn’t I tell you earlier? Everyone knows the legend that when Tang Sanzang brought the True Scripture back from the Western Heaven, he didn’t bring with him the True Solution. Without the True Solution, monks mislead others with falsehoods and gradually lose the truth. To correct these heretical deviants, someone needs to retrieve the True Scripture and the True Solution from the Western Heaven. Only then can people distinguish real monks from fake ones and avoid being deceived."

"As for why our Emperor leads the welcoming of Buddha’s Relics, he probably seized the throne illegitimately and, while obsessed with cultivation seeking immortality, venerates the Buddha’s Relics for peace of mind and self-justification."

"What Big Brother Wang says makes sense. As the saying goes, those with ill-gotten power also have ill intentions, and those with ill intentions are those who do not care for the common folk but instead consult spirits and deities. That explanation does make sense."

"Speak cautiously, cautiously. Now, let’s drink!"

Having finished speaking with the three wealthy merchants, Li Ping’an raised his cup and began to drink, but after hearing what the local tycoons had said, he became even more curious about Emperor Li Gai!

Because according to the laws of historical development, generally, Emperors who seize the throne illegitimately start off by governing well to establish the legitimacy of their reign.

Not only is this Dog Emperor Li Gai not a descendant of the Li Tang, but he is also foolish, extravagant, indulgent, and favoring sycophants, leading the country to calamity and the people to suffer grievously. He also uses Buddhism to delude and deceive the world.

Such perverse actions are digging his grave; it’s as if he’s afraid others will not revolt quickly enough to overthrow his reign. Even the famously foolish Emperor Hui of Jin seems normal by comparison.

Therefore, the Dog Emperor Li Gai’s strangely self-destructive way of governing must surely hide some secret; otherwise, he couldn’t possibly be this foolish!

"A mage is escorting the Great Saint Sharira from Fengxiang Linghou Temple!"

"Mages from the Linggu Temple are also escorting Master Xuanzang with Buddha’s Teeth and Bones!"

"Those who wish to gaze upon the Buddha’s Teeth and Bones, please head to Zhengyang Gate!"

As a squad of the Thousand Cattle Guards raced by, beating gongs and drums while calling out to both sides of the street, they immediately drew everyone’s attention in the market street where Li Ping’an was located.

"Pack up! Time to pack up!"

"Close the shop! Hurry and close the shop!"

After the Thousand Cattle Guards made their announcement, a curious Li Ping’an stuck his head out of the window and witnessed a remarkable sight.

Upon receiving the notification, the entire populace of Chang’an, including shopkeepers and peddlers, immediately stopped their trade, closed their doors, took out incense, flowers, lamps, and candles, and lit them. They knelt on both sides of the street to form a crowded audience, waiting for the mages carrying the Buddha’s Teeth and Bones to pass by.