The Secret History of Wu Zetian in Dangyang, Jingzhou in His Early Years

Introduction: A generation of empress Wu Zetian was stationed in Jingzhou with her father for five years before entering the palace. He became a Buddha in dangyang yuquan temple and worshipped Buddha all his life. Wu Zetian brazenly launched a fatal blow to the patriarchal society for thousands of years and won the position of emperor. To a great extent, it comes from the concept of "equality of all beings" and "equal rights of men and women" and a seed from "providence" planted by reading Buddhist scriptures in the early years.

In the eighth year (63 1) after Dangyang County moved from Lianhuayan West to Yuyang City, Dangyang ushered in a new viceroy, Wu Shihuo. This unusual personnel change has laid the groundwork for the future development of China's history. This kind of foreshadowing began to appear gradually after decades. Before that, it was just an undercurrent surging in the long river of history. Now, its mission is to hibernate, ferment and accumulate strength. No one would have imagined that decades later, this undercurrent would break through the endless darkness and set off huge waves on the land of China.

This year, the Tang Dynasty merged the viceroy mansion, and retained four viceroy mansions: Yangzhou, Yizhou, Jingzhou and Bingzhou. Wu Shihuo was the founding father of the Tang Dynasty and was awarded the titles of Tang Gaozu, Emperor Taizong and Li Shimin. With his former Lizhou (now Guangyuan, Sichuan) merged into Yizhou, Wu Shihuo was transferred to Jingzhou Prefecture as the viceroy, in charge of the military armed forces in Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan-Guizhou areas, and jumped into the ranks of senior gentry in the Tang Dynasty, becoming a powerful government official. He was accompanied to Jingzhou by his wife and three daughters. Wu Zetian is the second daughter. Among the three daughters, Wu Zetian is outstanding in appearance and mind, which makes people sit up and take notice. This year, Wu Zetian just turned seven.

Throughout the Tang Dynasty, the government was located in Jingzhou City, Jiangling Prefecture, whether it was the original Nanjun County, or the later Governor of Jingzhou, and later our Jingnan time. Dangyang has always belonged to Jiangling Prefecture. Under the dazzling aura of Jingzhou, the title of ancient Kyushu, Dangyang in the Tang Dynasty seems to be eclipsed, and it seems to be just a mountain in the northwest of Jingzhou City. Fortunately, there is a temple on this mountain called yuquan temple. Many documents record the practice and missionary work of the wise man, his political party, Shen Xiu and Hongjing in dangyang yuquan temple, all of which are called Dangyang Mountain in Jingzhou.

Jingzhou City is magnificent and solemn, with the momentum of Chang 'an City, far from being comparable to the ancient city of Lizhou. Climbing the Jingzhou Tower, looking around, the two lakes plain and the mountains in western Hubei are picturesque, which makes people feel relaxed and happy. In Lizhou, it's even more to the point. The wonderful world and the vast world outside are blocked by mountains. Wu Zetian's new life in Jingzhou began from the moment she boarded the Jingzhou Tower. A whole new world unfolds slowly in front of the girl like a picture scroll.

Wu Zetian's early life experience in Jingzhou, South China, is not recorded in the literature, or historians of past dynasties have selectively forgotten this history. The Book of the New Tang Dynasty and the Book of the Old Tang Dynasty only mentioned that Wu Zetian was the daughter of Wu Shihuo and entered the palace at the age of 14. "Zi Tong Zhi Jian" is recorded in some detail: "November, Xinmao, Shangxing Huaizhou; Bingwu, return to Luoyang Palace. " So Wu Shihuo, the daughter of Jingzhou secretariat, was fourteen years old. She heard about her beauty and was called into the harem as a talent. This "business" is Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong. But this record does not mean that Wu Zetian had an unforgettable experience in Jingzhou in her early years. For the only legendary queen in the history of China, the enthusiasm of future generations for her attention has not diminished because of the passage of time.

In recent decades, this forgotten history has returned to people's field of vision. Both academic and literary circles began to face up to this history. In the General History of China compiled by Mr. Bai Shouyi, Wu Zetian lived in Jingzhou for at least five years from her father's arrival in Jingzhou to her father's death in office. There can be many stories in five years. Wu Zetian worshiped Buddhism all her life, and launched a fatal blow to the patriarchal society for thousands of years without scruple, posing as the emperor. If it is simply attributed to his mother's influence, I am afraid it is too thin. Wu Zetian's five-year life in Jingzhou will not be blank, something must have happened.

During the Guangxu period of Qing Dynasty, an English explorer named Stan came to Dunhuang, Gansu, China to look for the lost cultural relics. The explorer found no remains, but accidentally found an ancient book; The Great Cloud Sutra published after Wu Zetian ascended the throne. This great Cloud Classic is now in the British Museum in London. After Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she published this Buddhist sutra because it recorded a prediction of the Buddha that a selected daughter would become a queen. In Wu Zetian's view, the will of Buddha is the will of God. She ascended the throne by providence. Wang Guowei and Chen Yinque, great scholars, have come to a conclusion on the basis of studying the manuscripts of Dayun Jing: The Dayun Jing published by Wu Zetian is almost identical to the Dafang Dayun Jing translated in Beiliang period. This discovery cleared the grievances of Wu Zetian for thousands of years. It is untrue that Wu Zetian forged the Dayun Sutra and claimed that he ascended the throne of the emperor under the guise of Buddhist symbols in the Old Book of the Tang Dynasty and other historical books. More importantly, a sentence in the book "Dayunjing" made Wu Zetian's early experience in Jingzhou gradually surface, and also let us go to the secret hinterland of history.

This sentence in "Dayun Jing" is: "Fucheng Jade Emperor was surrendered when he was young." "Jade Emperor", that is, Wu Zetian, was "surrendered", that is, she had become a monk. After the death of Emperor Taizong and Li Shimin, Wu Zetian entered the Ganye Temple in Chang 'an as a nun. Zhenguan was twenty-three years old, and she was twenty-six. Obviously, Zhong Shu's "childhood" does not refer to his two years in Ganye Temple. When Wu Zetian followed her father in Lizhou, she was still a ignorant child who could not take care of herself. Her parents can't and can't bear to let her enter the Buddhist temple for Nepal. This "childhood" should refer to Wu Zetian's five years in Jingzhou.

Thanks to the preaching of the wise master, Jingzhou in the Tang Dynasty has become an important Buddhist town in the south, and its Dojo yuquan temple is famous as the capital of the north. There are Changsha Temple, Emperor Temple and Tienv Temple in Jingzhou City, but it is too noisy and petty, which is not conducive to practicing Taoism, and it does not attract monks and virtues. Famous and powerful temples are always built in the deep mountains. And when Yangshan yuquan temple just meets this condition. More importantly, yuquan temple and Wu Zetian's mother are closely related.

The splendor of the Yang family is far beyond the reach of Wulin. Yang's family belongs to the Yang family of the Sui Dynasty royal family, and his father was an important minister of the imperial clan of the Sui Dynasty and once served as the Minister of Industry. Uncle Yang Xiong, together with Gao Ying, Yu Qingze and Su Wei, is known as the "Four Ministers of North Korea". There are many reasons for the founding of Buddhism in Sui Dynasty, but the early experience of Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty is also an important reason. Emperor Wendi was born in a Buddhist temple in Tongzhou (now Weinan, Shaanxi) and lived in the temple since childhood. He was raised by a nun in the temple and didn't leave the temple until 13 years old. Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty is also known as "Nryana", which means that King Kong is incorruptible. Accustomed to hearing temple bells, Emperor Wendi of Sui naturally had deep feelings for Buddhism, and his first policy was to revive Buddhism. In the first year of Huang Kai (58 1), Emperor Wendi of Sui wrote to the world: "Become a monk. Let the meter pay the bill and create a portrait. " In Jingshi and other metropolises such as Bingzhou, Xiangzhou and Luozhou, all the classics are written by officials and put in temples, not secret pavilions. "

Yuquan temple, formerly known as Fuchuan Mountain Temple, was given by Emperor Xuandi of Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. After the arrival of the wise master, it was repaired through charity, and the dilapidated yuquan temple began to have a solemn atmosphere. Regardless of the suspicion that the wise master was once an old minister of the former dynasty, Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty was happy to see him preaching dharma in Yangshan, Jingzhou and sowing the seeds of Tiantai Sect in the south. In the view of Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty, the temple named Fu Chuanshan given by Emperor Xuan Di of Liang Dynasty was unlucky, which was contrary to the characteristics of Tiantai Sect's "double beauty in teaching and viewing", so it was named yuquan temple. It can be said that yuquan temple is somewhat similar to the temple of the royal family in the Sui Dynasty.

Although Yang Guang, Emperor of Yang Di in Sui Dynasty, killed his father and regicide, he was notorious for being dissolute and tyrannical in history, but he showed an extremely fragile and soft side in front of Buddhism, which made people respect him. Yang Guangsu is closely related to the wise master, the founder of Tiantai Sect, and often calls himself a disciple of the wise master. The title of "Master of the Wise" was sealed when he was the King of Jin in Yangzhou in his early years, and the National Assembly Temple in Tiantai Mountain was also built in accordance with the wishes of the Master of the Wise. Buddhism is boundless, which can contain many sins of Emperor Wen and Yang Di, and can also wash away many of their sins. It is hard for us to imagine that my father, Yang Da, was reading Buddhist scriptures while suppressing North Korea. If evaluated from the perspective of Buddhism and Confucianism, Yang Guang may be two completely different images. There are indications that the members of the royal family in Sui Dynasty are all Buddhist believers and faithful followers of Tiantai Sect. Killing and atonement, the voice of conquest and the voice of Buddha's name seemed to coexist harmoniously throughout the Sui Dynasty. This is the Sui Dynasty that makes us feel strange. Perhaps the evolution of civilization is a historical process full of contradictions and paradoxes.

As a faithful believer of Tiantai Sect, this South Hall named after Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty is familiar to Wu Zetian's mother. It can be said that yuquan temple in the sunshine of Jingzhou is a sacred place in my heart. The trip to Jingzhou brought her more excitement. My husband traveled throughout most of the Tang Dynasty just to see the beautiful scenery of yuquan temple. During this period, yuquan temple was in full swing, with monks gathering, various competitions and performances, and many believers. Compared with Changsha Temple, Emperor Temple, Tienv Temple in Jingzhou City and Puze Temple in Lizhou, it's just a cloud and mud difference. Besides, yuquan temple and Jingzhou are just a stone's throw away, so it is convenient to look after them, and it is no trouble to go back and forth. For Nepalese, yuquan temple is undoubtedly the best choice for Wu Zetian to enter the temple. Of course, Wu Zetian entered yuquan temple as a Nepalese, either formally or informally. Judging from what happened in yuquan temple after Wu Zetian ascended the throne, the hidden history of this sentence in Universiade is probably true. Wu Zetian entered the Ganye Temple in Chang 'an for Nepal, which should be her second time for Nepal.

Since ancient times, residents of Jingzhou City have had the custom of worshipping Yuquan Mountain and Mingfeng Mountain in early spring, and Dangyang Yuanan called them Jingzhou pilgrims. As in previous years, just after the Spring Festival, the mighty pilgrimage team set off. Different from previous years, this pilgrimage team has a lady and her three daughters, as well as guards from the Governor's Office. Pilgrims know that this is the governor's wife. When they arrived at Yuyang Port, they went ashore and headed for yuquan temple accompanied by Dangyang county government officials.

On the rugged mountain road, the villagers in yuquan temple came in an endless stream, which shocked the young Wu Zetian. She opened a pair of bright eyes and looked at the villagers who walked with them. Mother told her that these people were pilgrims who made vows and prayed for peace in yuquan temple. Wu Zetian at this time, as clear as her eyes, is just an ordinary girl. Wu Zetian was not born with the ambition of being an emperor, nor was she born with a Buddha. Buddha's edge is still waiting for her at the gate of yuquan temple.

For the monks in yuquan temple, they are not only distinguished guests, but also benefactors. For me, yuquan temple is the ancestral home of Tiantai Sect, a temple named after her ancestors, and a sacred place in her heart. She didn't dare to treat herself as a guest or benefactor, but she was afraid and held a ceremony to meet her disciples. At this time in yuquan temple, the seeds sown by the wise master have grown into towering trees, and Yuquan Mountain is lush. The solemn Hall of Heroes, the distant and peaceful chanting, the overflowing stream and the busy figures of many practitioners made the young Wu Zetian fall in love with this hall that made her feel more cordial.

In fact, when the team just arrived in Zhang Ju Plain, they had already seen Yuquan Mountain, which looked like the back of a ship. It is clear that yuquan temple is at the foot of that mountain, and beautiful lotus flowers are blooming in the temple. Wu Zetian was even more surprised and strange. Stepping into the gate of yuquan temple is the beginning of Wu Zetian's affinity with Buddha. Wu Zetian still has a long way to go to achieve the perfection of merit.

Wu Zetian's practice in yuquan temple may not be voluntary, but her parents' idea. Wu Zetian never dreamed of becoming a Buddha. She's just curious about the Buddha. Yang's requirements for this second daughter are not high either. In the view of monks in yuquan temple, it is enough for the daughter of this viceroy to have a Buddhist heart. Wu Zetian should be studying Tiantai Sect in yuquan temple. Wu Zetian, who has a pair of bright eyes, may not have put it on the scriptures at first, but on the daily life of monks and the endless stream of believers. The wise master's theory of "three thousand in one thought" is too profound and mysterious for her. The greatness of Wu Zetian is that she can let go and put aside what she doesn't understand or like. Only by touching her teachings can she attract her bright eyes.

In the second year of Wu Shihuo's arrival in Jingzhou, that is, in the sixth year of Zhenguan (632), drought occurred in the two lakes and plains. Drought and hunger are often twin brothers, which easily lead to civil strife. Wu Shihuo was very anxious, fidgeting and not thinking about tea and rice. Persuaded by his wife, Wu Shihuo went to Changsha Temple in Jingzhou City, knelt down to visit the statue of Ashoka and prayed for seven days of rain. On the eighth day, a quiet crisis was resolved in the heavy rain. Yang told his second daughter Wu Zetian that this is the power of Buddha. This incident made Wu Zetian begin to change her careless attitude towards practice. She began to pay attention.

In the Buddhist concept, all biological species are essentially the same, and there is no difference between them. It can be said that in dealing with life, Buddhism has a broader vision and is not limited to human beings themselves. Buddhism first presented a brand-new world to Wu Zetian, which could not be the image of a monk Dodd. If Hongjing sees "the beauty of both teaching and outlook", astrology and dialectical thinking, and Shen Xiu's gradual enlightenment to Buddhism, then Wu Zetian sees that all beings are equal, everyone has a Buddha's fate, and everyone can become a Buddha. Equality of all beings means equality between men and women. As a girl, it is enough for Wu Zetian to see this wonderful world when she first entered Buddhism. Wu Zetian began to wander the world.

Wu Zetian is not a devout Buddhist. Unlike Hongjing, her party and Shen Xiu, Wu Zetian is fascinated by the world, but she can often get away quickly and switch with the real world quickly. Wu Zetian's detachment in practice makes it easy for her to compare the two worlds. In her view, the Buddha's world and the real world are so different, even tit for tat. It seems that in a patriarchal society, the subordinate position of women is not doomed. Wu Zetian, as a descendant of the Sui Dynasty royal family and the daughter of the viceroy, still has to look up and bow down to the patriarchal society. This is a woman's destiny. Wu Zetian began to question this fate. But in the Buddha's world, all she has to do is look up.

Wu Zetian's deep affection for Buddha is actually based on gratitude to some extent. Of course, the so-called equality of all beings in Buddhism refers to the equality of all beings before the law of cause and effect. The equality of all beings is just an idealized pursuit. In fact, Buddhist disciples also have status levels. Wu Zetian spent countless years to understand this truth.

Buddhism stresses life and death. Confucianism only pays attention to life and deliberately avoids death, which is the ultimate concern of human beings. The theory of not paying attention to soul redemption is doomed to be impossible to penetrate into people's hearts. Buddhism makes up for this shortcoming of Confucianism. Buddha makes you wish and gives you motivation. Confucianism only teaches you how to do it, but it can't give you a vision to work hard for it. Confucianism is difficult to impress the people at the bottom who live in misery, because observing the existing order cannot change their troubled fate. Buddhism, on the other hand, lights a lamp to the other side for the suffering people. In fact, for thousands of years, only those who hold high positions and have vested interests have accepted and maintained Confucianism. This is also an important reason why Buddhism is widely spread in China. Wu Zetian's persistence in Buddhism should also be related to this. Years later, Wu Zetian finally understood the expressions of many pilgrims on the mountain road leading to yuquan temple.

Wu Zetian may have never seen such a beautiful flower of Prajna as Hongjing in her life. For a person who is good at grasping people's hearts and striving for survival in vanity fair, it is impossible to reach the grand scene. Rather than believing in Buddhism, she has deep feelings and inseparable fate with Buddhism. Wu Zetian can only be regarded as a quasi-believer of Buddhism.

There are unexpected events in the sky. In the ninth year of Zhenguan (635), the news of the death of Tang Gaozu Li Yuan came from the capital Chang 'an, which made the warrior suffering from asthma extremely sad and aggravated his illness. He failed to survive the long and cold winter in the south and finally died in Jingzhou city. Wu Zetian's good days in Jingzhou are over. The following spring, Wu Zetian and her mother accompanied the warrior Fan's spiritual pivot and reluctantly left Jingzhou to return to Wenxian County, the hometown of the warrior Fan (now Wenshui County, Luliang, Shanxi).

Five years in Jingzhou is just the beginning of Wu Zetian's legendary life. Wu Zetian still has a long way to go, and she still needs to go through many cycles from great joy to great sorrow and from great sorrow to great joy.

Wu Zetian's experience after this is well known.

In the 11th year of Zhenguan (637), 14-year-old Wu Zetian entered the palace and became the maid of Emperor Taizong. From then on, she was given a name called "Mei Niang". In fact, entering the palace did not bring many surprises to Wu Zetian. If you don't enter the palace, you don't know the dangers of the people. Among many concubines and daughters, Wu Zetian felt the sadness and humbleness as a woman for the first time, as well as the strength and harshness of the patriarchal world. If you want to survive in the biggest vanity fair, you should not only be cautious, but also need to plan. She needs to constantly ponder the thoughts and preferences of Emperor Taizong, and always beware of the words and deeds of colleagues around her. When she is sad, she tries to smile; When she is happy, she should pretend to be sad. A little carelessness may bring her an end of fragrance and death. Wu Zetian's control over human heart and humanity is not innate, but forced by cruel reality. During this period, Wu Zetian, who was in constant fear, missed the life in Jingzhou and was infatuated with the magical world presented to her by yuquan temple. However, this kind of life will never happen again, and Wu Zetian will never return to the past.

In the 23rd year of Zhenguan (649), Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong, left the Datang Jiangshan he founded forever, and Wu Zetian could only become a nun in Ganye Temple. If nothing happens, she will spend the rest of her life here with a blue light. However, the accident still happened. In Ganye Temple, Wu Zetian and Tang Gaozong Li Zhi met and fell in love at first sight. The history of the Tang dynasty has not been rewritten, and what should happen will still happen. In Wu Zetian's view, the acquaintance and love between her and Li Zhi was not accidental, but the will and strength of the Buddha. She remembered the scene of her parents praying for rain at Changsha Temple in Jingzhou, and once again felt the solemnity of the Buddha statue in yuquan temple.

Two years later, Wu Zetian entered the palace for the second time as a "Zhao Yi". At the age of thirty-three, she was made queen. Due to Tang Gaozong's illness, in the first year of Shangyuan (674), Wu Zetian added "harmony" and called it "harmony" with Gaozong, and participated in the political affairs. Whether Zhao Yi, the empress or Tian Hou, Wu Zetian thinks that this is the destiny and the will of the Buddha, so she can be moderate and let nature take its course. There is no historical document or rumor that her ambition is expanding. The biggest change is that the patriarchal society that she originally needed to look up to can now look up. In Wu Zetian's view, the ideal state described by Buddhism that all beings are equal and everyone can become a Buddha is not illusory. As long as the merit is complete, it can become a reality. While practicing in yuquan temple, she dreamed of climbing the top of Yuquan Mountain one day, which is the closest place to the mysterious world. Now, she thinks she did it.

Indeed, standing on the top of Yuquan Mountain has a broader view than standing on the Jingzhou Tower, and the mountains you see suddenly become smaller. After Tang Gaozong's death, Wu Zetian became the empress dowager for six years. The patriarchal society, which could not move before, began to become riddled with holes and fragile in her eyes. Finally, she can look down at the monster she has to bow to. Her spiritual strength to challenge the patriarchal society comes from Buddhism. In the second year (690) after the promulgation of Dayun Jing, Wu Zetian changed her name to Zhou and Yuan Tiancai, officially proclaimed herself emperor and became the only female emperor in China history. The word "God-given" can also be understood as the will and power of the Buddha.

After Wu Zetian proclaimed himself emperor, he changed the order of "Tao precedes Buddha" and told the world with letters: Buddha comes first, Tao comes last, Zhou stands by Buddha, and the country is governed by Buddha. This is both a political need and Wu Zetian's personal preference. During the period of Wu Zetian, Buddhism flourished and the whole people believed in Buddhism. The land of the Tang Dynasty is a Buddhist country and a land of Buddhism. From the abolition of Buddha by Emperor Wu of Zhou Dynasty to the promotion of Buddha by Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty, Li Tang advocated Taoism, and then to the post-Buddha of Wu Zetian, the history of China experienced a great cycle.

Wu Zetian, who can freely switch between reality and Buddhism, boldly reformed the bureaucracy, reused competent ministers, encouraged farming and mulberry planting, and created the system of palace examination, martial arts and trial officials, which made the country stronger and made the Tang Dynasty look brand-new. As far as political achievements are concerned, Wu Zetian is not inferior to any saint in history.

Even so, for nearly a thousand years, the men's team has been worried about Wu Zetian and refused to forgive her. It is also doomed that it is impossible for the patriarchal society to have a fair evaluation of Wu Zetian for thousands of years. In fact, the waves caused by Wu Zetian's regret for the patriarchal society have not been smooth so far. Objectively speaking, Wu Zetian ascended the throne and changed Datang to Wu Zhou, which did not cause bloodshed. Compared with any regime change in history, its cost is the lowest and almost negligible. She has been sitting in Jinxi Hall for twenty-one years, and the mountains and rivers in the Tang Dynasty are intact, which is no less than the "rule of Zhenguan". Later, Wu Zetian followed Zhang Jianzhi's advice and returned to Li Tang. She was calm and made full preparations for the arrival of the prosperous new century, which allowed the Tang Dynasty to continue for the next 290 years. The men's team should let go.

In the days when Wu Zetian ruled the country, Buddhism and Gongmen were interlinked. On this secluded road from Buddhism to Gongmen, it is not difficult for us to smell the hot and humid atmosphere from Jingzhou in the south.

Wu Zetian used two Jingzhou people as portraits: one was Zhang Jianzhi and the other was Cen Changqian. Zhang Jianzhi was a late bloomer. At the age of sixty-four, he stood out in the court trial. He was appointed as an official to supervise the censor and seal the cabinet. Later, he offended Wu Zetian and was demoted to the capital, and successively served as Hezhou and Jingzhou. However, under the recommendation of Di, Wu Zetian let bygones be bygones and still used this guide. Zhang Jianzhi later became a famous figure. Cen Changqian is the nephew of Cen Wenben, Prime Minister of Emperor Taizong. Cen Wenben and CenChangQian are both from Jiangling, Jingzhou. Cen Changqian became prime minister, and his power was second only to Wu Chengsi, the nephew of Wu Zetian, and behind Wu Zetian and Wu Chengsi. Of course, these may just be historical coincidences.

During the period of Wu Zetian, the monks summoned to the palace were all eminent monks and great virtues from all corners of the country, especially from yuquan temple, Jingzhou. The documents recorded them as Shen Xiu, Hongjing, Wengang, Puji, Zhang An, Daosu and Hui Zhen. Wu Zetian's special courtesy to Shen Xiu has always been talked about by later generations. In the first year of IX (700), Wu Zetian ordered Tianguanlang Technical Secondary School to go to yuquan temple, Jingzhou, and invited Shen Xiu to Beijing. In the first year of Dazu (70 1), Shen Xiu arrived in Luoyang, Tokyo, and Wu Zetian "bowed to the statue of Wan Cheng and greeted him with a kneeling ceremony", and all his ministers and scholars all fell to their knees. Since then, Wu Zetian often called Shen Xiu into the palace to "ask questions from time to time". All the needs of Shen Xiu Dojo are provided by the imperial court, which is very rich. In recognition of Shen Xiu's achievements, Wu Zetian ordered the construction of Dumen Temple in Dangyang and Honghu Temple in Shen Xiu's hometown of Henan. Wu Zetian's respect for this deity is obviously not posturing, but from the heart. At this time, Wu Zetian, who is high above, no longer needs to look at other people's faces.

In the second year of Yifeng (676), in order to pray for Tang Gaozong, Wu Zetian ordered all states in the world to build stupas, and each stupa gave 49 relics. This year, Zhao Feng, the grand scene who preached in Luoyang, returned to yuquan temple with the relics personally rewarded by Wu Zetian and built a brick tower for worship. This brick pagoda is called Tathagata Pagoda. In the sixth year of Jiayou in the Northern Song Dynasty (106 1), the brick tower was changed to the iron tower and renamed the Lengjin Tower, commonly known as Yuquan Tower. There is an inscription on the tower: Disciple Hao "Cast 76,600 Jin of iron in yuquan temple, Jingde, and cast Buddha's tooth stupa with thirteen grades." Buddha's tooth relic is rare and supreme, and it is very important in the hearts of Buddhist believers. If this inscription is true, then Wu Zetian personally gave yuquan temple not only Buddhist relics, but also more precious Buddhist tooth relics. As the underground palace was ransacked, the authenticity of the inscription on the tower could not be confirmed. But in any case, the position in Wu Zetian's heart is respected. Not all monasteries can build towers. At least in Jingchu in the south, only yuquan temple has this unique experience.

In November of the first year of Shenlong (705), Wu Zetian, who was ill for two months, pardoned the Queen Wang and Chu Suiliang in the Palace Xianju Hall, embraced Huayan Sutra and slowly closed her eyes at the age of 82. Perhaps, on the occasion of dying, Wu Zetian suddenly had an epiphany and really saw the blooming lotus.

About the author:

Guo, 1982, graduated from Chinese Department of Yichang Normal University in July, engaged in education, journalism and political research. Now he works in dangyang city CPPCC. There is a monograph "Invisible South" published.