The demolition activities at the Fire God Temple in Shichahai, which began that morning, had temporarily ceased by evening.
During the demolition, several officials bound within the Zhenwu Hall were discovered. News of this quickly reached the imperial court. Emperor Wanli was asleep and did not rise.
The three Grand Secretaries handled the matter, inquiring about the origins of the Fire Lord. They received information that, based on the voices of those captured, the Fire Lord claimed her former name was Puzhao Bodhisattva.
Puzhao Bodhisattva... The Northern Bureau of Investigation immediately began to investigate. It turned out she was the second daughter of the Yellow Heaven Cult leader during the reign of Emperor Shizong. Many were surprised, as Puzhao should have been quite old, yet she remained so young and beautiful.
This immediately caused many to sigh, remarking on the benefits of immortal cultivation. It was a pity that the imperial divine positions were held only while in office; once out of office, one became a mere mortal, stripped of divine status, and had to leave, with others waiting to take over.
The three Grand Secretaries immediately ordered a search for Yellow Heaven Cult followers throughout Shuntian and declared the once-legal religion an illegal one, classifying it as a branch of the White Lotus Sect... Regardless of the sect, all were deemed White Lotus.
Shuntian was thrown into chaos. They had not known until they investigated, and the results were shocking – essentially, one in every three households believed in the Yellow Heaven Cult. When this was reported to the three Grand Secretaries, the sun was already setting. They all lamented that even the capital had become a den of evil cults.
No questions asked, it was Emperor Jiajing's fault.
All statues and paintings were to be burned; without doing so, the Ming Dynasty had no bright future.
However, due to the sheer number of people involved, they could not arrest everyone, and the prisons were already overflowing. Therefore, only warnings were issued. But as the imperial guards left, looking arrogant and menacing, the common people spat at them fiercely.
By this time, Emperor Wanli had also woken up.
Of course, as soon as he awoke, someone informed him that a minister, Xu Wenbi, in light of the fire and the disturbance by an evil deity, had suggested the Emperor offer sacrifices at the Southern Suburbs, Northern Suburbs, Altar of Land and Grain, Imperial Ancestral Temple, Altar of the Sun, Altar of the Moon, as well as to the Tai Sui and the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, and perform obeisance. This, he argued, was in accordance with past regulations.
However, upon hearing about more sacrifices, Emperor Wanli shivered and flew into a rage! But then, as if remembering something, he suddenly asked Tian Yi:
"That Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, did I not renovate it?"
The chief eunuch Tian Yi thought for a moment, carefully organizing his thoughts, and replied:
"Your servant recalls that three years ago, the Empress Dowager, accompanied by Your Majesty, Prince Lu, the Princess, and various palace consorts, donated funds for its renovation. She also ordered the then-palace overseer, Grand Eunuch Feng Bao, to select upright and capable inner officials to supervise the construction, and Lord Zhang Juzheng inscribed the 'Imperial Decree for the Renovation of the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai Monument Record'."
"In the thirteenth year, the Empress Dowager replaced all seventy-six incense burners. You ordered a shrine built for the Empress Dowager on the southern side of Mount Tai..."
"In the twentieth year, you dreamt of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, believing it a divine blessing, and ordered the temple premises to be rectified. Side halls were added to the left and right of the main hall, and a rear building was constructed behind the hall. Furthermore, two commemorative archways were added in front of the temple gate, inscribed with 'Grand Benevolence Bestows Fortune' and 'Lofty Shrine of the Spiritual Peak'..."
"Moreover, during the reign of Emperor Yingzong, there was a special inscription in the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai... Emperor Shizong also visited several times with Tao Zhongwen, during which the main hall, the imperial concubines' quarters, the eastern and western side halls, the corridors, and all the halls, as well as the statues and ritual vessels, were thoroughly renovated. A 'screen wall' was also built, said to be for the exclusion of defilement."
Emperor Yingzong?
Emperor Shizong?
The Taoist charlatan Tao?
Empress Dowager Li?
And I myself dreamt of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai?
Cold sweat broke out all over Emperor Wanli. He had been busy feuding with his ministers in recent years and had forgotten the divine dream he had twenty years ago. Now, remembering it, he realized it might not have been a divine dream at all!
Damn it, the Great Ming's God of War, plus the Daoist Grandfather, along with Tao Zhongwen and Empress Dowager Li, plus myself, the master of self-destruction – my fate is sealed!
Emperor Wanli felt a sudden wave of panic. He jumped up in fright:
"This temple must have problems. Tian Yi, quickly send people there immediately and have it completely demolished!"
Once bitten, twice shy. After the incident with the Fire Lord, Emperor Wanli now found fault with every temple he saw, let alone the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, which had been prominently patronized by Emperor Yingzong, that imbecile, and his Daoist grandfather.
He himself hadn't renovated the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, but what if something within it, using the voices of those two, had crawled out?
Demolish it, it must be demolished. If these temples are not torn down, the Emperor of the Great Ming will be finished!
But the chief eunuch Tian Yi quickly cautioned:
"This may not be permissible, Your Majesty. The demolition of the Underworld's main establishment requires a formal ritual for sending off deities. This is different from demolishing the Fire God Temple! That temple had no official position; you conferred it the status of a national deity. Now that the Fire Lord is dead, it can be demolished..."
"But demolishing the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai is not feasible! The ministers will object. The temple was built during the Yuan Dynasty. By your reign, it has stood for twenty-three dynasties. Emperor Yingzong even inscribed a plaque and funded a major renovation... Why not, as Xu Wenbi requested, visit it in a few days?"
Tian Yi's suggestion was to demolish it after performing sacrifices. This meant, regardless of whether there was anything in the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, they would notify it beforehand. If it were a righteous deity, it would be sent off directly; if an evil deity, it would be apprehended on the spot.
Emperor Wanli almost slapped his forehead. This temple was indeed difficult to dismantle. Doing so would surely cause trouble. Relocating the Underworld was a minor matter, but he absolutely did not want another "Temple Dispute" immediately after the "Succession Dispute"!
"I truly...!"
Although Emperor Wanli was very nervous, the divine talisman had not yet issued a warning, which was his only solace.
But he still dared not be careless.
Emperor Wanli sincerely hoped there were no strange things within the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai. It wouldn't be possible for both major and minor misfortunes to befall him, would it?
"Tian Yi, I think the renovation of the palaces can be put on hold. I want to demolish all the temples, big and small, in Shuntian. Tell me, besides the Temple of the Great Emperor of Mount Tai, which other temples cannot be demolished, or are difficult to demolish, and list them for me. I will then discuss them with the ministers."
Tian Yi inquired, "Temples... Should Changchun Temple also be demolished? The Empress Dowager would not agree."
"This..."
Changchun Temple began construction four years ago and was now completed. This temple was primarily managed by the Buddhist monk Shui Zhai. Normally, Emperor Wanli's mother, Empress Dowager Li, would visit to offer incense.
This temple was actually built by Emperor Wanli himself, though Empress Dowager Li provided the funds.
"The Buddha statues... there probably won't be any problems, right?"
"Your servant has heard a saying that all Buddhas do not leave Mount Spirit, with only Maitreya Buddha being an exception. Are not those White Lotus followers all promoting themselves as Maitreya Buddha's enforcers?"