novelAbuy Chapter 308 Religious Policy
Chapter 308 Religious Policy
The fifth year of Qiming, the ninth day of the eleventh month. Winter Begins.
The first snow of winter fell in Chang'an. The snowflakes were small and fine, settling on the glazed tiles of the Taiji Palace and accumulating into a thin layer. They then fell into the streets and alleys, quickly melting underfoot and turning into mud.
But on this day, the atmosphere in Chang'an was colder than the weather.
Inside the Taiji Hall, civil and military officials stood solemnly. Several long tables had been temporarily set up in the hall, piled high with various documents, illustrations, and books. These were the results of a joint investigation by the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Court of State Ceremonies, and the Censorate over a month—detailed records of all religious sites and the number of monks and Taoist priests in Chang'an.
Chen Xing sat upright on the throne, with those eight characters spread out before him:
"All religions coexisted, with Confucianism as the supreme doctrine."
"Today's court assembly," he began slowly, "will focus on one matter—what should be done about those non-Han religious groups in Chang'an."
The hall was completely silent.
The Minister of Rites stepped forward, bowed, and said:
"Your Majesty, I dare to speak frankly. Since ancient times, the distinction between Chinese and barbarians has been strictly observed. Those barbarian religions are beyond our comprehension in language and customs. If we allow them to spread unchecked, they may corrupt public morals and confuse people's minds. I believe that we should limit their activities and prohibit them from preaching to the people of the Central Plains."
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies immediately stepped forward:
"Your Majesty, I believe this is unwise. Most of those foreigners are merchants, while others are envoys or monks. They have come to Chang'an to trade, seek Buddhist teachings, and establish friendly relations. If we impose strict restrictions, we fear it will hurt the feelings of these distant peoples and be detrimental to diplomatic relations."
The Imperial Censor said:
"Diplomatic relations are important, but the hearts of the people are even more important. If we allow barbarian religions to spread unchecked, and the people of the Central Plains convert to barbarian gods, wouldn't thousands of years of rites, music, and education be destroyed in an instant?"
The debate has reignited.
Chen Xing did not interrupt, but listened quietly.
After everyone had finished arguing, he slowly spoke:
"Prime Minister Jia, what do you think?"
Jia Wen stepped forward, pondered for a moment, and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that what the officials have said is all reasonable. However, I am pondering a question—"
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the hall:
"How long have those non-Buddhist sects been in Chang'an?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Jia Wen continued:
"Zoroastrianism existed in the previous dynasty, at least a century ago. Nestorianism was also introduced in the previous dynasty, as evidenced by the inscription. Islam has only arrived in the last ten years or so, but there are already quite a few people. In all this time, have any of them rebelled? Have they sowed discord among the people?"
He looked at the Minister of Rites:
"Lord Zhang just said that he feared it would offend public morals. May I ask, what kind of public morals? In Chang'an, has anyone become unfilial to their parents, disrespectful to the emperor, or disobeying the law because they believe in a barbarian god?"
The Minister of Rites was speechless.
Jia Wen then looked at the Censor-in-Chief:
"Lord Wang just said that he feared it would destroy the rites and music. I ask you again, what does Confucianism advocate? It advocates benevolence, loyalty and forgiveness, and the great harmony of the world. If those barbarian religions can truly teach people to be good, how do they contradict Confucianism? If they cannot teach people to be good, they will naturally be abandoned by the people, so why should the court prohibit them?"
The Imperial Censor also fell silent.
Jia Wen turned to Chen Xing and bowed deeply:
"Your Majesty, I believe that it is better to guide than to prohibit. It is better to guide than to block. Let us establish a set of rules so that all religions may operate within those rules. Those who abide by the rules shall be tolerated; those who do not shall be expelled. In this way, we will neither lose our tolerance nor undermine the fundamental principles of morality."
Chen Xing nodded.
"Well said."
He stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and faced the assembled officials:
"I have thought about it and have set forth a few rules. Please listen and see if they are feasible."
He raised the first finger:
"Article One: All religions may coexist. Whether it is Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, or Islam, all may preach, build temples, and accept disciples in Chang'an. The imperial court will not prohibit them."
A slight commotion arose in the hall.
He raised his second finger:
"The second principle is to uphold Confucianism. No religion may violate Confucian ethics. Those who are unfilial to their parents will be expelled; those who are disrespectful to their ruler will be expelled; those who do not abide by the law will be expelled. This is the bottom line, and no one can cross it."
He raised his third finger:
"Article Three: All religions are equal. Buddhist temples shall not oppress Taoist temples, Zoroastrian temples shall not attack Buddhist temples, and Muslims shall not insult other religions. Anyone who attacks another or incites hatred and killing shall be punished according to the law, regardless of whether they are of Han or non-Han ethnicity."
He raised his fourth finger:
"Article 4. Proselying must be conducted in moderation. It is forbidden to force others to convert, to proselytize minors, or to use proselytizing as a pretext to extort money or seduce people. Violators will be severely punished."
He raised his fifth finger:
"Article 5. Registration of Temples and Monasteries. All religious sites must be registered with the Jingzhao Prefecture, specifying the number of people, property, and scope of activities. The establishment of new temples and monasteries must be reported to the imperial court for approval. Any unregistered or privately established temples or monasteries shall be shut down."
Five fingers, five rules.
The hall was completely silent.
After a long silence, Jia Wen was the first to kneel down:
"Your Majesty is wise!"
The courtiers, as if waking from a dream, all knelt down:
"Your Majesty is wise! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
With the rules set, the next step is to implement them.
In mid-November, the Jingzhao Prefecture posted notices in the East and West Markets and various neighborhoods, making the five rules public.
A crowd gathered in front of the notice.
Those who could read aloud read it to the illiterate. When the phrase "all religions coexist" was read, a buzz of discussion arose from the crowd. When "Confucianism is the foundation" was read, some nodded, while others grimaced. When "all religions are equal" was read, several Zoroastrian merchants exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with joy. When "the propagation of religion should be conducted in moderation" was read, an old monk clasped his hands together and uttered a Buddhist chant. When "temples and monasteries are registered" was read, several Zoroastrians frowned and whispered among themselves.
"Gentlemen," the official reading the notice raised his voice, "have you all heard clearly? Five rules are posted on the wall, visible to everyone. Those who abide by the rules, live well; those who don't, don't blame the court for being ruthless!"
The crowd gradually dispersed.
But those rules are already etched in everyone's heart.
Daci'en Temple.
The abbot held the copy of the notice and looked at it for a long time.
"Master," a young monk asked, "is this rule a good thing or a bad thing for us?"
The abbot put down the notice and smiled slightly:
"Good thing."
The young monk was puzzled: "A good thing? We preach, and we have to register and follow so many rules..."
The abbot shook his head:
"Think about it. In the past, those Zoroastrians and Nestorians were not allowed to build temples by the court, so they operated in the shadows, and no one knew what they were doing. Now the court allows them to build temples openly and preach openly, but they have to register and follow the rules. As a result, those who were operating in the shadows can no longer hide."
He paused, then said:
"Moreover, having rules is better than having no rules. With rules in place, everyone knows what to do. There won't be people vandalizing the temple today or burning scriptures tomorrow. Wouldn't it be better to preach and practice in peace?"
The young monk nodded thoughtfully.
Zoroastrian shrine.
The old man with white hair and beard held the notice, his hand trembling slightly.
"Elder," a young man asked, "what should we do?"
The old man remained silent for a long time before slowly saying:
"Go register."
The young man was stunned: "Register? Isn't that...?"
The old man shook his head:
"Listen to me. We used to hide in the shadows because we were afraid. Afraid of being driven away, afraid of being bullied. Now that the emperor has given us the opportunity to be in the open, why are we still hiding?"
He gazed at the sacred fire that burned day and night, his eyes deep and thoughtful:
"Ahura Mazda is the god of light. Light should shine openly and honestly, not hide in the shadows."
The young man lowered his head and stopped speaking.
The settlement of Arab merchants.
Several businessmen sat together, with the notice in front of them.
"What do you think?" the middle-aged man in the lead asked.
One of the younger men said, "This rule is not good for us. If we register, everyone will know everything."
Another person said, "But if you don't register, it's considered an unauthorized operation and will be shut down."
The middle-aged man was silent for a moment, then slowly said:
"I choose to register."
Everyone looked at him.
He continued, “Think about it, how do those who don’t believe in our religion treat us in our hometown? They burn our houses, kill our children, and try to exterminate us. But here? The emperor allows us to build temples, to worship, and even sends troops to protect our caravans.”
He paused, his eyes slightly red:
"Is this kind of court, this kind of emperor, not worthy of our trust?"
Everyone fell silent.
After a long while, someone nodded slightly.
Others nodded in agreement.
Finally, everyone nodded.
In early December, dozens of new names appeared in the register of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
The names of Da Ci'en Temple, Taiqing Temple, Zoroastrian Temple, Jing Temple, and Dashi Temple, one by one, are written on paper and etched into the memory of Chang'an City.
Chen Xing flipped through the register, looking at it page by page.
Jia Wen stood to the side and said softly:
"Your Majesty, in the past month, a total of thirty-seven Buddhist temples, twenty-five Taoist temples, three Zoroastrian shrines, one Buddhist temple, and two Arab prayer sites have been registered. There is also one Manichaean site, the exact location of which has not yet been found, and we are still investigating."
Chen Xing nodded.
"Did any of those who registered have any complaints?"
Jia Wen shook his head: "No. On the contrary, I've heard that some temples and monasteries have felt more at ease after registering. They used to worry about being driven away one day, but now they don't have to worry anymore."
Chen Xing was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:
"Prime Minister Jia, tell me, how long will these five rules of mine remain in effect?"
Jia Wen thought for a moment and said:
"We'll keep in charge until someone decides they don't want to continue."
Chen Xing looked at him.
Jia Wen continued, "Rules are rigid, but people's hearts are flexible. What is upheld today may not be upheld tomorrow. What is upheld in this generation may not be upheld in the next. But as long as the rules exist, and as long as there are people who want to uphold them, they can be upheld."
Chen Xing nodded and looked out the window.
It's snowing again outside the window.
Snowflakes fluttered down, landing on the glazed tiles of Taiji Palace, on the registered temples and shrines, and on people of different skin colors and faiths.
Same snow, same people.