Rebirth of the Ming Dynasty: Sixth Generation of Glory, I don't want it

Yin Xi was the first recorded Taoist monk in Wudang Mountain.

Afterwards, Wudang Mountain became a gathering place for Taoists and also became the most prominent Taoist holy place in Shu, with a lot of worshippers.

In the early Tang Dynasty, Buddhism and Taoism were in conflict.

Buddhism is good at management and initially had the upper hand, leaving Taoism with very little room for survival.

But the royal family could not allow one family to dominate.

Emperor Taizong of Tang took advantage of the coincidence that the Taoist founder Laozi's surname was Li to revere Laozi as the ancestor of the Tang royal family. He claimed that he was a descendant of immortals and promoted Taoism. Taoism became the state religion, surpassing Confucianism and Buddhism to become the leader of the three religions.

In the eighth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, there was a severe drought and locusts were everywhere.

Emperor Taizong of Tang issued an order to go to famous mountains and rivers to pray for rain and blessings, but to no avail. He then turned his attention to the famous Taoist mountain Wudang thousands of miles away.

Wudang Jiedushi Yao Jian was ordered to pray for rain.

Legend has it that Yao Jian met five Confucian scholars at Wulong Peak, who called themselves "Five Dragon Lords". They said that this mountain was guarded by the god Xuanwu, and because they saw that Yao Jian was an upright person, they respected Xuanwu's order and came to visit him. Then, heavy rain poured down.

It was this timely rain that made Wudang Mountain famous throughout the world.

Emperor Taizong of Tang ordered the construction of Wulong Temple on Wulong Peak.

Emperor Xuanwu is also worshipped as the god of water.

Later Tang emperors became more and more exaggerated.

Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty named Laozi "Emperor Xuanyuan".

Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty named Laozi "The Great Saint Ancestor, the Supreme Golden Palace, the Mysterious Origin Heavenly Emperor."

During the Zhenguan period, Wudang Mountain became a Feng Shui treasure land that both Taoism and Buddhism competed for.

Not surprisingly, Buddhism won again.

Tang Suzong Li Heng appointed Huizhong, a Buddhist monk from Wudang Mountain who responded to the imperial edict to go to Beijing to preach, as the imperial teacher.

Huizhong took the opportunity to petition the emperor to build four temples, namely Taiyi, Yanchang, Xiangyan and Changshou, in Wudang Mountain, and to receive a copy of the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures in each of them. He also held a grand ceremony to welcome the imperial teacher in Wudang Mountain.

After Li Yu, Emperor Daizong of Tang, ascended the throne, he continued to support Buddhism.

Buddhism built the "Brahma Palace" in Wudang Mountain and carved cave Buddha statues in Lion Peak.

While Buddhism was building the Brahma Palace, Taoism was in decline and seemed to be squeezed out of Wudang Mountain by Buddhism.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, a Taoist named Du Guangting wrote "Records of Famous Mountains and Caves, Blessed Places and Mountains", which still listed Wudang Mountain as the ninth of the ten great Taoist blessed places. However, in fact, Taoism at that time could no longer compete with Buddhism.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period after the end of the Tang Dynasty, Buddhism remained popular while Taoism continued to decline. It was not until the second year of Tianxi in the Northern Song Dynasty that Taoism regained a glimmer of life.

In the second year of Tianxi in the Northern Song Dynasty, a spring gushed out next to the Xuanwu Temple in the imperial capital of Bianjing. The spring water had a sweet taste and it was said that drinking it could cure sick people.

Emperor Zhenzong of Song attached great importance to this auspicious omen.

Therefore, in order to express his gratitude to the gods, Emperor Zhenzong of Song Dynasty named Xuanwu "Lingying Zhenjun".

One hundred years later, Song Huizong ascended the throne. Song Huizong believed in Taoism and called himself "Emperor of Taoism".

It is said that Emperor Huizong of Song once dreamed of the "God of Fire".

Then a scholar came to help him realize his dream, saying that only by sending the water god to the south to provide support would he be free from worries.

Finally, Wudang Mountain, one of the 72 blessed places, was chosen.

Song Huizong built the Zixiao Palace for the water god Xuanwu at a Feng Shui treasure land at the foot of Zhanqi Peak, with mountains behind and water in front. He named it "Zixiao Yuansheng Palace" and called it the national palace of prayer.

The Zixiao Palace is built on a three-story platform. It is magnificent and imposing.

Thanks to the unremitting efforts of several generations of Taoist priests in Wudang Mountain and the vigorous promotion by the emperors of the Song Dynasty, a complete set of theories about Zhenwu had been formed by the Yuan Dynasty.

Wudang Mountain began to become a Taoist holy place dedicated to the worship of Xuan Emperor.

Zhenwu Emperor also began to have believers and temples all over the country.

Unfortunately, at the end of the Song Dynasty, the Jin army marched south and the Zixiao Palace was devastated.

In the 15th year of the Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, upgraded the Five Dragons Temple of the Tang Dynasty into the Five Dragons Palace, and also granted special permission to the Yunxia Temple on Zhanqi Peak - re-granting the temple a new name and expanding its scale.

At that time, there was a man named Zhang Shouqing in the court of the Yuan Dynasty.

He read scriptures and studied Confucianism since he was young, and later became an official in the imperial court. However, when he was thirty years old, he suddenly insisted on resigning and went to Wudang Mountain to become a Taoist priest.

He actually went there and planned to build Nanyan Palace on the cliffs of Wudang Mountain.

Originally, this was a personal choice, but when the news reached the ears of Liu Daoming, the imperial master of Kublai Khan, Liu Daoming simply accepted Zhang Shouqing as his disciple and provided a lot of manpower and financial support for him to build Nanyan Palace.

In the first year of Emperor Renzong of Yuan Dynasty, Nanyan Palace was finally completed.

The Empress Dowager of Yuan Renzong named the palace "Tianyi Zhenqing Palace".

Legend has it that Lü Dongbin once practiced Taoism in Nanyan.

In order to facilitate pilgrims to come to Wudang to worship, Zhang Shouqing led the Taoists to open up two pilgrimage routes.

The eastern route is from Jiaokou at the foot of the mountain, through Yuanhe Temple, past Zixiao Palace to Nanyan.

The western route is from Haokou, over Ximafeng, through Wulong Palace to Nanyan.

Wudang Mountain suddenly became popular again, and Zhang Shouqing was bestowed the title of "Taihe Miaoying Zhenren" by the emperor.

In the seventh year of Emperor Chengzong of Yuan Dynasty, Xuanwu was conferred the title of "Xuantian Yuansheng Renwei Shangdi" by the emperor.

Over hundreds of years, the names of Xuanwu and Zhenwu changed repeatedly, and their status was gradually elevated from Zhenjun to the status of Emperor.

From then on, the Xuanwu God was revered as the royal patron saint, and the Wudang Palace became a special place for the emperor to pray to heaven.

Zhang Shouqing made an indelible contribution to the establishment of Emperor Xuanwu and Wudang Mountain.

Many stories about Emperor Xuanwu recorded in local chronicles were actually spread by Zhang Shouqing.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the person who took over and carried forward Taoism in Wudang Mountain was also a man named Zhang, who was the person they were looking for this time - Zhang Sanfeng.

There are many records about Zhang Sanfeng in local chronicles.

Zhang Sanfeng entered Wudang Mountain to practice in the early years of the Ming Dynasty. He worshipped Zhenwu Emperor at Tianzhu Peak, built a thatched cottage in the north of Zhanqi Peak, and offered incense to Xuandi. He also built a thatched hut in Huangtu City, named "Huixian Pavilion". Later, he left Wudang and lived in Jintai Temple in Baoji, Shaanxi. Soon after, he went to Sichuan to meet Zhu Chun, the King of Shu, and then returned to Wudang and traveled to Xianghan.

Zhang Sanfeng not only had profound attainments in inner alchemy, but also had great martial arts skills, and was proficient in boxing and swordsmanship. He founded the Wudang Sect in Wudang Mountain and taught Wudang inner boxing and Tai Chi to his disciples.

Some of his lay disciples spread Wudang martial arts among the people, and had a profound influence.

The name Zhang Sanfeng is almost a household name in the local area.

According to people who have seen him, he is tall and strong, with a tortoise-shaped body and crane-like bones, big ears and round eyes, and a beard like a halberd.

According to people who have been in contact with him, he has irregular diets, sometimes eating once every three to five days, sometimes once every two to three months; when he is happy, he walks through mountains and rocks; when he is tired, he lies on clouds and snow.

Overall evaluation: Everyone is surprised and thinks he is a fairy.

"Dad, Mom, could Zhang Shouqing be Zhang Sanfeng's elder?"

Zhu Zhanyong, who was used as a book boy by his parents, asked the questions in his heart.