Early Tang Dynasty: forge ahead

Chapter 442 Miracle Reappears
There is a saying that goes, "Climb Mount Tai and you will see the world as small as a mountain."

As the first of the Five Great Mountains, Mount Tai is indeed commendable.

In fact, the altitude of Mount Tai is not high. It ranks only third among the Five Great Mountains, after Mount Hua and Mount Heng.

But the grandeur of Mount Tai is incomparable. Even the much higher Mount Hua and Mount Heng cannot compare with it. Even Mount Kunlun, which is several times higher in altitude, cannot compare with it.

Because Huashan is located in the Qinling Mountains, Hengshan belongs to a branch of Taihang Mountains, and Kunlun Mountains itself is a huge mountain range.

This is like a Siberian tiger joining a group of lions. The Siberian tiger is ferocious, but the lions are not much inferior to it.

But Mount Tai rises to the east of the North China Plain, towering over the Qi and Lu plains. It faces the vast ocean to the east, the long-flowing Yellow River to the west, and the Wen, Si and Huai rivers to the south. There is no high mountain around it. It is like an Asian tiger entering a flock of chickens and ducks. The feeling is different.

There is no one capable of fighting around Mount Tai. As far as the eye can see, the difference in visibility between high and low is 1,300 meters, giving people a visual impact of soaring above the clouds.

The majestic feeling that Mount Tai gives people is truly incomparable.

Chen Qingsi was on his way to climb the mountain. It was a rare opportunity for him to come here, so he needed to appreciate the scenery.

The kings, chiefs and envoys of the four barbarian countries who were shocked by the miracle just came to their senses and immediately realized that they were already in the clouds, shocked by the unique and magnificent scenery of Mount Tai.

It's not that there are no mountains higher than Mount Tai in their respective countries, but the same thing is that the special terrain of Mount Tai gives people a unique feeling.

Especially now it is the first day of the first lunar month and it is still winter, the climate is damp and cold, and the fog is extremely heavy.

When people walk on the mountain trail of Mount Tai, it feels like they are walking in the clouds. Looking down from the mountain, through the thin mist, they can see the prefectures and villages within a radius of dozens of miles, just like an immortal overlooking the world.

Some of the less knowledgeable barbarians immediately regarded the Tang Dynasty as a holy land and the Mount Tai in the East as a sacred mountain.

The envoys from countries with a certain cultural background, such as the Arabs and the Fulin Kingdom, had mixed feelings.

They founded their country on religion and are more superstitious, but they believe more in Western gods.

The people of Fulin believed in public teachings, while the people of the Arab world believed in Arab law.

Those who were able to go on diplomatic missions to the Tang Dynasty were all core members of each other's countries and devout believers. Their beliefs would not be shaken by one or two shocking events.

But there is no doubt that the Tang Dynasty has demonstrated its own cultural heritage.

The Fengshan ritual that has been passed down for thousands of years, as well as the unfathomable theology...

In the West, knowledge such as astronomy and geography are all classified as theology.

The Arab envoy Shimid ibn al-As suddenly heard a low sigh behind him: "It may not be easy to advance eastward."

Schmidt ibn As stiffened slightly.

Shimid ibn al-As was the envoy of the Arab Empire this time, but in fact, the real core figure of the entire Arab Empire delegation was the one who sighed behind him: the hero of the Arab Empire, his father Amr ibn al-As.

Amr ibn al-As is a legendary figure of the Caliphate. He is the core figure of the Caliphate's rise in the West. He is shrewd and strong, resourceful, irritable, eloquent, and warlike. He is a genius who is both civil and military.

He won Egypt for the Caliphate, conquered the Castle of Babylon, persuaded Alexandria to surrender, and dealt a fatal blow to the Kingdom of Fulin, also known as the Byzantine Empire in the Eastern Roman Empire.

He was a general as famous as Khalid ibn Walid, who was known as the "Sword of Allah". He was also one of the four great politicians of the Caliphate. Without bringing any soldiers or losing a single soldier, he helped Muawiyah, the king of the White Caliphate, defeat Caliph Ali, the most famous warrior in the Caliphate world, and seize the throne.

In history, after assisting Muawiyah in establishing the White Caliphate, Amur once again led his troops to seize Egypt and became the governor of Egypt, where he remained until his death.

But now the situation is completely different...

The Tang Dynasty had Chen Qingsi, who guided the Tang Dynasty on the right path in military strategy, avoided unnecessary losses, and suppressed Tubo on the plateau.

Tubo was unable to stir up trouble in the Western Regions, and the Western Regions became more stable and solid.

China's Confucian culture is extremely aggressive, but it is unaware of it because it is in its native land.

Even though the Tang Dynasty had been destroyed for hundreds of years in the Western Regions, there was still a Li Shengtian who pursued his political ambitions under the banner of the Han Dynasty.

You have to know that at that time, the Tang Dynasty had been destroyed for more than a hundred years, and the Western Regions had been lost for even longer. Even so, there were still people who missed the Tang Dynasty. This is evident.

Many times since ancient times, it is not just the imagination of later generations, but the Chinese culture has indeed been spread and taken root in that land.

There is absolutely no possibility of integration between the culture of the Arab Empire and the culture of China. Just look at the Chinese people's attitude towards gods and Buddhas: if they are good, they believe in them, and if they are not, they get lost. If this really collides with Arab culture, won't there be a world of upheaval?
The culture of the Tang Dynasty spread so quickly in the Western Regions that it attracted the attention of the Arab Empire.

Indeed, based on Chen Qingsi's understanding of the Arab Empire, the Arab Empire has a wide range of development directions, and can fight in the west, south and north. There is no need to compete with the Tang Dynasty for the Western Regions, but one thing is overlooked, the awe of a strong opponent.

In history, the Tang Dynasty was not as strong as it is today. After it joined forces with Tubo to destroy the remnants of Persia in the Wuhu waters, it stopped provoking the East.

It was not until the White Caliphate was in internal turmoil and the Black Caliphate became dominant that the two powerful countries of the East and the West began to confront each other in the true sense.

Today, the influence of the Tang Dynasty has extended to the Wuhu waters. With the support of the Tang Dynasty, the remnants of the Persian rebels have become quite powerful.

How can you allow others to snore and sleep under the couch?
Muawiyah, the new king of the White Caliphate, was also an extremely remarkable figure, but it was only because of his seizure of power that he created the Shiite sect, which led to civil strife among the Arabs for the next thousand years. Later generations often criticized him as a tyrant.

The White Arab Empire he created did not last for more than three generations, but there is no doubt that the Arab Empire was at its most prosperous during his rule...

Blooming in all directions, conquering everywhere, spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa...

Muawiyah was unwilling to be an enemy of the powerful Tang Dynasty, but the influence of the Tang Dynasty had already spread westward through the remnants of Persia.

If it is not stopped, it will undermine the interests of the Arab Empire.

Because the Arab Empire itself was a conqueror, it did not consume all the land it conquered.

The penetration of Eastern culture may render their conquest futile.

Of course, there was also the instigation of Tubo...

Muawiyah was unwilling to be an enemy of the East, but if the remnants of Persia were not destroyed, Persia's influence in Central Asia would become a serious threat.

Muawiyah was in a dilemma whether to fight or not.

Just at this time, Li Zhi invited kings and envoys from all directions to participate in his Fengshan ceremony.

Muawiyah sent his most trusted confidant, Amr ibn al-As, who was also the most outstanding general and politician of the Caliphate.

To prevent accidents, Amur hid behind the scenes, and the person in charge on the surface was Amur's son Schmidt.

It took Amur ten months just to travel east.

In the past ten months, Amur has been studying the history of the East. He has learned about the local customs and people's livelihood in every major town he passed through. From the Western Regions to Chang'an and Luoyang, until today, he has experienced the essence of Chinese culture.

Now the only thing he hasn't seen is the powerful army of the Tang Dynasty, but just imagine that it is a country that is always victorious.

Just a piece of imperial edict can call on the kings, chiefs and envoys from all over the world around China to come to the capital. Who would believe this appeal without the support of military force?

It has a profound cultural heritage and strong military strength.

Amrshi was unwilling to be an enemy of such an enemy, and a rare look of worry appeared on his old face.

The Fulin envoy Sudekot was different and in a good mood. The group of believers shouting holy war in the Arab Empire was so terrible that they almost occupied all of their southern provinces.

Their army was completely routed by the followers of the Arab Empire...

It was not until the emergence of Heraclius that he promoted Greek culture throughout the country, reformed the military system, implemented the military territory system, and stabilized the domestic situation.

But this move is only for defense and it is difficult to regain lost ground.

Now the power of the Tang Dynasty has entered the Wuhu waters and is connected to the Arab Empire. Although both sides have remained restrained, the situation on the border is already tense.

Sudeket did not know the strength of the Tang Dynasty, but he was overjoyed when he saw it today. Wouldn't it be great if he could unite with the Tang Dynasty to deal with the Arabs?

While the kings, chiefs and envoys of various countries were shocked or had their own thoughts, Li Zhi had already reached the top of Mount Tai in a sedan chair.

In the center of the top of Mount Tai, the three-meter-high Dengfeng Altar stands on top...

The Fengshan ceremony has always been mysterious, and no one is allowed to be around the emperor.

After all, the emperor is the Son of Heaven!
Only the Son of Heaven can talk to God...

After the accident, Li Zhi walked up to the Dengfeng Altar alone.

As the Tang emperor stepped onto the Dengfeng Altar, a strange and brilliant light began to flash on Li Zhi's body again.

When Chen Qingsi saw it, he smiled knowingly, this was indeed his work.

In the blind spot of the tall Dengfeng Altar, there are several large decorative bronze mirrors, polished to a shiny finish.

Li Zhi's robes and crowns were made of special materials. The crowns were decorated with gold and had twelve tassels of white pearls. He wore a black robe and a purple skirt. There were twelve chapters. Eight of them were on the robe, which were the sun, moon, star, dragon, mountain, Huachong, fire, and Zongyi. Four of them were on the skirt, which were algae, powder rice, fu, and fu. The hem and collar of the robe were woven into a rising dragon. Each had six levels. Below the dragon and mountain, each chapter had one line, twelve...

Whether it is a crown with gold ornaments and white beads, or a robe with black as the main color and gold thread patterns, it has a reflective effect.

It's almost like a miracle...

This time, thanks to scientific props, it is even more gorgeous...

So they knelt down again...

At this time, the most regretful and annoyed people were the envoys and ministers who were in the mountain road...

Among them was the King of Mosquito House of Japan, who sang so hard that tears came to his eyes.

There is no other way. Those who can participate in this Fengshan ceremony are either kings, chiefs, or ministers with a certain status in various countries.

No one would send a fool all the way to embarrass themselves...

But the situation in Japan was special. As a royal mentally retarded child born from a close relative's relationship, Mosquito House was thrown into a Buddhist temple when he was born. No one would have thought that he would become the king of Japan.

Just now, he was the first one to kneel at the foot of Mount Tai.

He was a simple-minded man, and when he saw the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty bathing in the morning sun, he really thought that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was a god who had descended to earth.

The foot of Mount Tai is flat and the area where mosquito huts are located can be seen even from the back.

But the top of Mount Tai is so small that people are not allowed to get close to it. Countries like Japan are not qualified to reach the top and can only kneel on the mountainside.

Unable to witness the miracle again...

After Li Zhi ascended the Dengfeng Altar alone, he began his one-man show.

He took out the sacrificial text for offering sacrifice to the heavens and recited it to the eastern heavens first. He recited it while turning in circles, so that the heavens in all directions could hear it...

After reading the sacrificial speech, he placed the jade tablet for worshiping heaven and the brocade book for worshiping ancestors into the jade cabinet and the gold cabinet respectively. At this point, Li Zhi's mission as emperor came to an end.

Li Yuanli ascended the Dengfeng Altar at this time. The moment he ascended the Dengfeng Altar, Chen Qingsi clearly heard the sound of people gasping for air coming from the surroundings.

This voice is a bit apprehensive...

Although some of the people who saw the miracle believed it without a doubt, the majority were still skeptical.

After all, apart from the King Mosquito House of Japan, there are really few fools.

They couldn't explain the reason, but they all guessed that someone must have done something wrong.

Moreover, after Li Yuanli came on stage, there was no extra brilliance about him.

This is beyond everyone's comprehension...

If there had been any manipulation, Li Yuanli should have been treated the same as Li Zhi.

Why is it that one of them is shining with a different light while the other looks just like an ordinary person when they are both on the Dengfeng Altar?
As the second person to offer sacrifices, Li Yuanli also read the sacrificial text, and then hid the jade cabinet and gold cabinet where Li Zhi had previously stored jade tablets and brocade books into a stone box, and then buried it at the highest point of Mount Tai.

As the final offerer, Chen Qingsi did not go on stage, but erected a stone at the place where the stone box was buried, and placed the engraved inscription of "Dengfeng Ji" next to the stone.

After doing all this, Chen Qingsi finally went on stage.

Like Li Yuanli, he was not cared for by any gods and was just an ordinary person.

In fact, it is because the clothes they wear are made of fabrics that do not refract light and absorb a little light...

The heaven sacrifice came to an end with Chen Qingsi's three bows.

But that blessed scene gave everyone a great shock.

Even the legendary figure of the Caliphate, Amr ibn al-As, could not help but wonder in his heart, is there anyone else who can communicate with the true God Allah besides the great Prophet Muhammad?

In the eyes of the believers of the Arabs, Allah is the only true God. Even in the East, if there is a god, it is their Allah.

Others even more so...

Li Zhi was of course aware of Chen Qingsi's actions, but he did not expect it to have such an effect. Enjoying the admiring looks, he got on the sedan chair and went down the mountain.

Then the Queen Mother of Ji State led the ladies to offer sacrifices to the gods of the earth at Liangfu Mountain next to Mount Tai.

Compared with the majesty of offering sacrifices to heaven, offering sacrifices to earth is much simpler and there is nothing worth mentioning.

However, this process still needs to be followed.

To seal the heaven and zen the earth is called Fengchan.

Seal the heaven and earth, and inform the universe.

The ceremony was just the beginning, and Li Zhi continued to issue decrees.

First, he issued an edict to change Fenggao County to Qianfeng County, then he held a banquet for all ministers and envoys from various countries and issued a general amnesty...

(End of this chapter)