At this mont, the Buddha's head on the Blood Lotus, with blood-red eyes of rcy, gazes upon the unsuspecting visitor. Zuwaro silently stared for a while, feeling an indescribable sense of tiworn antiquity and a strange, haunting divinity. Uneasily, he bowed his head and prayed devoutly.
"O Chief Divine! The tide of faith has receded from this vast forest land, taking with it all warmth that once was. Even the statue of the temple has lost its head, stained with blood… Endless cold, endless carnage and chaos shall long descend, like the winter that has already arrived… Who can change all this?… May the Chief Divine bless us!…"
In the collapsing Buddhist temple, Zuwaro prayed devoutly to the Chief Divine, gradually calming his turbulent emotions. But soon, his peaceful heart was shaken by a greater discovery! Warrior Chief Tamikusa suddenly let out a cry of surprise, shouting at the literate Exploration Captain.
"Chief Priest! There are two stone tablets here! They seem to be… they seem to be Kingdom's script!!…"
"What? Stone tablets with inscriptions? And are they the Emperor's Divine Revelation's script?…"
Stepping over bloodstains, Zuwaro quickly walked to Tamikusa's side. Then he looked at the first stone tablet, upon which indeed were the Kingdom's inscriptions, recognizably square characters he could understand!
"Inscription of Yongning Temple… Fuchen Tian's virtue is exalted, thus he can cover and shelter; the earth's virtue is ample and solid, thus it can bear the holy; man's virtue is divine, thus he can please those near and win over those afar, broadly bestow and save all…"
"Ever since our dynasty's unification, the world has been at peace for fifty years… Yet the Northeast Nurgan Country lies beyond the path of propagation… They all heard and admired the teachings, but could not co by themselves. Moreover, that land does not produce grains, nor does it churn fabric, raising only dogs… eating at and wearing hides, fond of bows and arrows…"
"In the spring of the Ninth Year of Yongle, special envoy Yishiha led over a thousand official troops on twenty-five large ships to that country, establishing the Nurgan tropolitan Authority… according to the land set up a garrison, gather old subordinates and citizens, making them affiliate and govern themselves…"
"In the winter of the Tenth Year, the Emperor sent envoys Yishiha and others back to the country… In the autumn of the Eleventh Year, west of Nurgan lies Zhanman, a pathway left with the mountains high and elegant… Now constructing a temple and sculpting Buddha, the scenery is charming and splendid…"
"The old and young of the country, far and wide assembled… And then said:" Since ancient tis, never have heard such as this, the Holy Dynasty's heaven… Our sons and grandsons, generation upon generation will submit, forever without dissent!…"
"The governance of Yao and Shun, heaven commanded the multitude, only within Kyushu… Barbarian Tribes without arms might, yet all offer tribute internal affiliation…" Doctrine of the an" says: Heaven's coverage, earth's bearing…"
"It is said that our dynasty's grand virtue is endless, sincerest without cease, akin to heaven itself. Thus, unparalleled! Unmatched! Hence recorded in writing, hoping for its permanence throughout eternity!…"
Zuwaro read silently, traces of a once-powerful empire unfolded step by step in his imagination like the inscriptions on the stone tablets. Although he couldn't recognize many complex characters, and so fragntary writings were missing…
But re descriptive phrases are enough to showcase the strength of this Ancient Empire! The words full of confidence, encompass the cosmos, educate the four quarters, "grand virtue endless, sincerest without cease, akin to heaven itself" magnificent and glorious!…
"It is said that our dynasty's grand virtue is endless, sincerest without cease, akin to heaven itself!… Akin to heaven itself!…"
Zuwaro murmured this phrase repeatedly, as if he saw an ancient sun in the sky, blazing and bright, illuminating the vast north. How long ago then was that once bright ancient day?
Thinking of this, Zuwaro lowered his head, finally seeing the last of the inscription. There it was carved a "Eternal Peace, Everlasting Happiness" prosperous era, carved the splendor of ancient tis, buried until today's remains…
"Established on the Twenty-Second Day of the Ninth Month of the Eleventh Year of Yongle… Imperial Envoy, Yishiha…"
User Comments
0 comments from readers