Journey to the West: Man in heaven, working nine to five

#2232 - Benefit Yuhua City

While Sun Wukong and his companions were teasing the three princes, Tang Sanzang was also busy. According to his agreement with the king, Tang Sanzang was responsible for performing good deeds in Yuhua City.

Just outside the palace gates, the king, as Tang Sanzang had suggested, established a charity hall for distributing porridge and medicine. Tang Sanzang personally supervised the operation to ensure it reached the common people.

The king was eager for his three sons to learn supernatural powers and spells to strengthen Yuhua City and expand its territory, so he naturally didn't skimp on resources.

Despite Yuhua City's small size and dilapidated state, the king had amassed considerable wealth from exploiting the people over the years. The royal treasury was piled high with gold and silver.

Even fulfilling Tang Sanzang's requests only required a drop in the bucket of the kingdom's vast wealth.

Tang Sanzang first had the news of the porridge and medicine distribution announced throughout Yuhua City, so the people were already aware of it.

However, such a good deed had never occurred in Yuhua City before. Even when the people saw the charity hall genuinely set up, they remained hesitant and dared not approach.

"Is this real? I find it hard to believe."

"Would the king and those corrupt officials ever do something good for us?"

"It might be a trap. We might lose our lives if we go there."

The people watched the charity hall from a distance, discussing it amongst themselves.

Seeing this situation and hearing their discussions, Tang Sanzang realized the people had been intimidated by the king and his officials.

"Greetings, everyone. This humble monk is Tang Sanzang, from the Great Tang Dynasty of the East, on a journey to the Western Paradise to seek scriptures. I am passing through Yuhua City and performing good deeds to accumulate merit.

Please come forward without worry. I guarantee with my integrity that you will receive the food and medicine you need. I will never deceive you."

Tang Sanzang assured the people. He personally supervised the distribution precisely to address such a situation.

Of course, he also didn't want to give the merit of this act to the immoral king or the Western Paradise.

After hearing Tang Sanzang's words, the people were still somewhat doubtful, but a few bold individuals tentatively approached.

"Follow our arrangements and distribute food and medicine to them,"

Tang Sanzang instructed the staff.

"This is the first time we've received something for free. Thank you, Great Tang monk!"

The people were deeply grateful to Tang Sanzang, some even kneeling and prostrating before him, treating him like a savior.

"Everyone, I guarantee that as long as I am in Yuhua City, you will all be able to receive what you need.

As for after I leave, I believe Yuhua City will become better, and your good days are ahead."

Tang Sanzang said to the people, and this was truly what he believed.

Seeing the suffering of the people of Yuhua City, Tang Sanzang naturally felt deeply troubled. Therefore, he had already decided to change the current situation in Yuhua City.

To overthrow the king who exploited the people, to keep the clutches of the Western Paradise away from Yuhua City, and to let the people live a good life.

Of course, this plan needed to be carried out step by step, and he couldn't be impatient. Currently, benefiting Yuhua City was just the beginning.

Being able to receive the food and medicine they needed for their lives, and with the king's orders, the oppression of the people by officials had indeed been greatly reduced.

In addition, the king had promised to reduce taxes, which gave the people of Yuhua City, who had been suffocating for so long, a glimmer of hope.

Of course, everything Tang Sanzang did still couldn't escape the eyes of Guanyin, who was constantly observing in secret. However, Guanyin didn't interfere with this matter.

"It's good to let Tang Sanzang buy the people's hearts like this. As long as my plan succeeds, then all these merits will be credited to the Western Paradise."

No matter how Guanyin changed her plans, one thing would not change.

That was to make Tang Sanzang and his companions hold a public event to worship the Buddha, which would be Tang Sanzang publicly declaring his position.

In this way, no matter what Tang Sanzang and his companions did, the merits would be credited to the Western Paradise. This was the key step Guanyin wanted to take.

After Tang Sanzang supervised the charity hall and ensured it was running smoothly, he began to visit and inspect Yuhua City, claiming to the king that he was learning about the local customs and folkways.

In reality, Tang Sanzang was secretly preaching certain things to the people.

Chu Hao had given Tang Sanzang and his companions many demonstrations before. To change the situation in Yuhua City, the bottom line was that it still depended on the people themselves.

If their ideas didn't change and they still held those ignorant and old-fashioned thoughts, then even if they overthrew the king and drove away the Western Paradise, their lives would not be as they wished.

Only by making the people understand, letting them resist oppression from the bottom of their hearts, and having the courage to fight against the forces that oppressed them could they strive for happiness.

Tang Sanzang's main activities took place in the temples. Yuhua City, like the previous Tianzhu Kingdom, also had many temples.

The people would come to worship almost every day, so there were many people gathered here, which made it convenient for Tang Sanzang to carry out his plan.

The people in the temples all knew that Tang Sanzang was a Great Tang monk, so they naturally wouldn't refuse him when he came to the temple to preach the Dharma.

"The Dharma says that all living beings are equal, and its meaning is very clear. Whether they are commoners or emperors and officials, they should all be equal.

If they suffer oppression from emperors and officials, it is not because they are strong, but because we are too weak and do not know how to protect ourselves.

Although the Dharma says that everything should be left to fate, it is definitely not about passively accepting things. This fate can be given by heaven, or it can be earned by ourselves."

Tang Sanzang spoke extremely skillfully. On the surface, it sounded like he was preaching the Dharma, but the content was to awaken the people's courage to resist.

Although the monks in the temple also felt that Tang Sanzang's words seemed a bit off, Tang Sanzang's sentences all conformed to the Dharma and Buddhist scriptures, so they couldn't find any fault with them.

"What the Great Tang monk said makes sense."

"We have been oppressed all along because we are too weak."

"We should unite and fight against it so that we are not oppressed."

After listening to what Tang Sanzang said, many people gradually became clear in their hearts and understood everything.

The people were also a closely connected group. Once one person understood, it would spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and soon the entire group would be awakened.

Guanyin naturally also felt that Tang Sanzang's words seemed to have a hidden meaning, but she didn't pay much attention to it.

After all, according to her plan, Tang Sanzang and his companions would not stay in Yuhua City for too long, so Tang Sanzang should not be able to stir up any trouble with just his words.