Hearing this, Gu Yuanxi looked at Nan Jiyun and asked confusedly, "Which sect is this Zoroastrianism?" ”

Nan Jiyun pointed to the north and said, "The west market is across the Jinguangmen Chunmingmen Avenue where we are located on the opposite side of Liquanfang. This workshop is not only famous for firing three-color pottery, but also for being the settlement of the Persian Hu people. The sect of the Persian faith, I call it 'Yuanjiao' in the Tang Dynasty, because the main feature of its ritual is to light the holy fire on the altar in the open air, thinking that through the worship of the holy fire can communicate with the gods, so it is also called 'Huojiao' or Zoroastrianism. Because of the large number of Persians and Hu people in the Western Regions who believed in the Yuanjiao during the Taizong and Gaozong periods, there were many Yuanjiao shrines in Zhufang in Chang'an. The ancestral hall of Liquanfang is the largest ancestral hall in Chang'an. ”

Gu Yuanxi knew that Zoroastrianism was a religion founded by the Persians Zoroaster in the 6th century BC, and the Persians called it Zoroastrianism. The religion advocates the dualism of good and evil, worshipping Ahura Mazda as the supreme god. Taking the ancient Persian scripture "Avesta" as the classic, the main feature of its ritual is to light the sacred fire on the altar in the open air, and it is believed that through the worship of the holy fire can communicate with the gods, so it is also called Zoroastrianism, which was designated as the state religion in ancient Persia and Sassanid Persia.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, the exchanges between China and the West became closer, and a large number of Hu people penetrated into the interior, and at that time, Chang'an, Luoyang and other places were inhabited by many of these Iranian ethnic groups, mainly Sogdians. This Zoroastrian belief was also brought in, according to Wei Shu's "Liangjing Xinji" and other books, Chang'an City has five Zoroastrian shrines, distributed in the southwest corner of Buzheng Fang, the northwest corner of Liquan Fang, the northwest corner of Puning Fang, and the west of Jinggongfang Street.

"I see." Gu Yuanxi suddenly realized: "This Liquanfang is separated from the West Market by a Jinguangmen Chunmingmen Avenue, next to Gudefang. It is the closest to this Chunming Gate, so in order to escort this Sect saint into Beijing, will the Pinglu Army take a long detour from the west of the city to Beijing? Gu Yuanxi suddenly frowned again and said in a deep voice: "It's just that how can this Jacket Sect have anything to do with An Lushan's Pinglu Army?" ”

Hearing this, Nan Jiyun also tightened his brows and said coldly: "I heard that An Lushan was born in Yingzhou and is a descendant of the nine surnamed Kang Guohu in Zhaowu in the Western Regions. The nine kingdoms of Zhaowu are all of the Lite race, and they all believe in the Yuanjiao. This An Lushan is naturally no exception. In Hebei Saiwai and other places, there are many Hu people of all ethnic groups, and the belief in An Lushan vigorously supports the Yuanjiao Sect, which is well known to everyone. It's just that this Yuanjiao is a Persian Huism recognized by the imperial court, and it is not forbidden, so the number of Yuanjiao shrines is the most of the thirteen realms in the world! ”

After Gu Yuanxi heard this, a flash of inspiration flashed for a moment, as if he remembered something, and silently closed his eyes and pondered.

Nan Jiyun touched the stubble under his chin and continued: "During the reign of Emperor Taizongwen of our dynasty, the last king of Persia, Yi Si Tong, was attacked by the white-clothed Great Food, and the land was encroached upon by the Great Food, and he once sent an envoy to ask my Tang Imperial Army to enter the country to support Persia in order to fight against the Great Food. ”

The Persia mentioned in Nanjiyunkou is the famous Sassanid Empire in history, also known as Sassanid Persia or the Second Persian Empire. The Sassanid Empire replaced the Parthian Empire, known in Chinese history books as the Empire of Anxi, and coexisted with the Roman Empire for more than 400 years. In the Battle of Edessa in 260 AD, the Sassanid Emperor defeated the Roman legions, and the Sassanid king Shapur I captured the Roman Emperor Valerian. In the seventh century, at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Sassanid Persia fell into civil strife, and during the reign of Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi, the Sassanid Persian Empire, which had flourished and declined, finally fell to the hands of the Arabs.

"Oh?" Gu Yuanxi was surprised when he heard this, and asked: "I have also heard about this matter, but later Emperor Taizong politely rejected the request of the Persians on the grounds that Persia was far away and could not support, right?" ”

"Not bad." Nan Jiyun nodded and said, "In the past, Yi Si Qi fled to Tocharian due to the expansion of the Great Eclipse, and was killed by the Great Cannibal in Mulu City. His son Belus successfully escaped to Tocharian to obtain refuge, and in the first year of Longshuo, he officially requested the Tang Empire to send troops to rescue. Emperor Gojong considered Persia too far to come to the rescue, and refused to send troops. However, in order to appease Belus, my Tang Dynasty still sent Wang Mingyuan to the Western Regions, divided the states and counties, and set the city where it was located as the Persian governor's palace, with Belus as the governor and king of Persia. However, it was destroyed by the Great Cannibal shortly thereafter. In the Xianheng period, Belus finally came to the court in person, and Emperor Gaozong named him the general of the right military guard. ”

Gu Yuanxi had also heard this history in later generations, but he didn't know much about it. At this time, I was also very surprised when I heard this, but I didn't expect that the Sassanid Persian Empire, which once dominated West Asia, actually had such an unclear relationship with Tang China. Curious, he asked, "And then?" ”

Nan Jiyun said with a smile: "After that, Belusk died in Chang'an. In the third year of Yifeng, His Majesty Emperor Gaozong listened to the advice of Pei Xingjian, the prince of Wenxi County, and ordered Pei Xingjian to escort the proton Ni Nishi who Belus had left in Chang'an to return to China as the king of Persia. However, Pei Xiangong just wanted to use this as an excuse to attack the fallen nobles of the Western Turks and recover the four towns of Anxi through the border of the Turks and Tubo, not that he really wanted to restore the country for the Persian king Sun. He returned when he reached Broken Leaf. However, the Nirvana stayed in Tocharian for a long time, and was constantly harassed by the Great Eclipse, and the people gradually dispersed. Finally, in the second year of Emperor Jinglong of Zhongzong, he entered the court again, worshiped General Zuo Weiwei, and died of illness in Chang'an soon after. The dream of the restoration of Persia by his father and son was never realized. ”

"In this way, this Jacket Sect is so popular in Chang'an, and it has a lot to do with the father and son of Belus and Ninishi?" Gu Yuanxi asked.

"Not entirely." Nan Jiyun looked at the Holy Maiden of the Yuanjiao Sect outside the city gate who had not yet entered the city, and responded: "The Fire Zoroastrianism originated in Persia, worshipping fire and sacrificing to the god Hu Tian. It was introduced to Middle-earth in the Northern Wei Dynasty and included in the imperial court rituals. Our Tang Dynasty court set up the Sabao Mansion for this purpose, and placed the post of "Sabao", which is the five products in the view; 'Sabao Mansion Zhengzheng', which is from the seven products in the view; in addition, there are also "Sabao Mansion Zoroastrians", "Sabao Rate Mansion" and so on, these positions are held by the fire Zoroastrian in the Hu people in the Western Regions, and are in charge of the annual fire worship, the ritual of sacrificing Hu Tian and the fire worship shrine and the affairs of the Zoroastrian people. Therefore, the Yuanjiao and the Yuanjiao Temple have been prevalent for a long time, but compared with the Buddha and the Tao, most of them are worshiped by the Hu people in the Western Regions, and there are few believers in the Han people in the Middle Earth. ”

"As for the past, Belus asked Chang'an to establish the Persian Hu Temple as a meeting place for the Persians, and it was placed in Liquanfang, Chang'an, and the residence of Belus and his son was also located here. Therefore, the Persians of Liquanfang are the most in Chang'an. The ancestral hall and the Persian Hu Temple of this Liquanfang are also the largest in Chang'an. At least, it's much larger than the Persian Hu Temple in Yiningfang, which we see behind Gudefang. Nan Jiyun still didn't finish: "It's just four years of Tianbao, and after verification, it was found that these Persian Hu Temples did not believe in the Persian Yuan Religion, but the Jingjiao of the Great Qin State, so these Persian Hu Temples were changed to the Great Qin Jing Temple last year." Brother Xian said, this Persian prince invited the establishment of the religious shrine not to believe in his own state religion but to worship the religion of the Great Qin people, don't you say strange? ”

"Great Qin people? Nestorianism? Gu Yuanxi exclaimed: "Isn't Great Qin Rome, isn't this Nestorianism the Christian Nestorian sect?" ”

Nan Jiyun wondered: "What mule and horse people, Ji Du Sect?" I couldn't understand anything. ”

Gu Yuanxi was about to ask again, but Nan Jiyun had already waved his hand to stop him and said, "Let's talk about these words later." Look, this Jacket Sect and the Pinglu cavalry are about to pass through the city gate."

Only then did Gu Yuanxi remember the matter of the Holy Maiden of the Sect. He was also very curious about the matter of the Holy Maiden of the Sect, but what Nan Jiyun said just now was really incredible.

An Lushan had something to do with the Persian Sect, and the Sassanid Persian royal family in exile who believed in the Persian Sect actually asked for the establishment of a Christian Nestorian church in Chang'an on the grounds of setting up a Persian Church of the Hindorian sect. This kind of thing is really incredible. Gu Yuanxi stretched his neck and stared wide-eyed for the Holy Maiden of the Jacket Sect to enter Beijing, while thinking about what he had just said in his heart.

At the same time, the saints and followers of the Yuanjiao Sect, who suddenly entered Beijing with the Pinglu Army, also slowly revealed their true faces.

"Good thoughts, kind words, good deeds, and help the light all your life. Light is good, with the almighty Artur as a sacrifice, the good will gradually advance to the heaven of good thought, the second to the heaven of good words, then to the heaven of good deeds, and finally to the day of light. Before the figure was seen, a thunderous and neat sacrificial voice came from outside the golden light gate.

Just when everyone was looking forward to it, the Pinglu cavalry dismounted and knelt down one after another. The figure of a majestic and tall man at the head, surrounded by the cavalry behind him, slowly rode into the Golden Light Gate.

(The clues of the Jacket Sect have a lot to do with the life experiences of the three wives of the protagonists in the future, and it also has a lot to do with Anshi, as well as the plots of Persia and the Great Food Fight!) ）