Great inventions in Taoism V

It did not take long for Hui Zong to pronounce a divine messenger, Qing hua di jun (青華帝君) or Azure imperial majesty, came from Heaven to visit him at his imperial palace and presented three symbols of the Heavenly mandate to rule the country. They were Di-hao (帝誥) or Imperial mandate, Tian-shu (天書) Heavenly missive, and Yun-lu (雲祿) or Cloud list. Thereupon, Hui Zong summoned more than 2,000 leading Taoist priests to court from across the nation to hark Lin proclaim his new mandate from Heaven. Then he proclaimed himself Qiao zhu dao jun huang di (教主道君皇帝) or Founder of Tao majestic emperor. The grand transformation was completed. Hui Zong was a new trinity. He was a god, the founder of the religion, and the temporal ruler at the same time.

The next thing Hui Zong did to practice his new theocracy was to have institutes of learning Taoism in preparation for civil service examinations set up in every major city of the country and appointed Taoist priests to local executive jobs. Imperial decrees were issued for the erection of Taoist temples across the country and the destruction of Buddhist temples. Buddhist literature was censored. The conflict between Taoism and Buddhism as well as Confucianism, which was the state religion for over a millennium, continued to escalate, adding social unrest to the crisis triggered by a new invasion by the Juchen. The nation was heavily taxed to maintain wars and an expensive and luxurious court. Discontent in the provinces and party struggles at court also added to the general weakness of the country.

When the Juchen crossed the Yellow River in 1125, Hui Zong could do nothing to stop the new invasion. So he abdicated in favor of his son, Qin Zong, in 1126. On the approach of the Juchen, the two emperors abandoned their capital of Bianliang (汴梁), present-day Kaifeng in Henan province, and fled southward. Qin Zhong bought off the invaders with a huge indemnity and the cession of territory. They returned to Kaifeng. Soon, however, he violated the peace treaty he had signed with the invaders and the Juchen returned to the attack.

Now back in Bianliang again, Hui Zong believed his divine power could defeat the Juchen army. He had Shen xiao bao lun (神霄寶輪) or Divine Mist precious chariots built and sent to all large Taoist temples of the country. The chariots were supposed to repel Juchen attacks. Hui Zong also trusted another persuasive Taoist priest, Kuo Jing (郭京), who claimed his Liu jia fa (六甲法) or Six-star magic law could capture the two commanding generals of the invading Juchen horde. Kuo was ordered to practice his magic to lift the siege of the capital. He did. Kuo and his followers however, opened the city gates to let the Juchen army enter to play havoc. The invaders carried the reigning monarch and his father and their families into exile.

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