pdf-ebookys Chapter 681 Cursing a bald monk in front of a monk?
Chapter 681 Cursing a bald monk in front of a monk?
Emperor Zhu was merely displeased by mentioning only the cases of children and ironware.
However, when the White Lotus Sect was mentioned, Emperor Zhu felt more than just displeasure.
The first problem to address in order to resolve the White Lotus Religion issue is the problem of its followers.
How many believers does a sect that has existed since the Great Supper period actually have?
Among these believers, how many are superficial believers and how many are fanatical believers?
Or, to put it another way, how do you distinguish between genuine White Lotus sect followers and those with ulterior motives?
Emperor Zhu glanced at Yang Shaofeng and asked, "What do you plan to do with the White Lotus Sect?"
Yang Shaofeng said, "I have received a reply from His Highness the Crown Prince, saying that the Buddhist and Taoist Registries will investigate all Buddhist and Taoist sects in the world, including but not limited to the ordination certificates of monks and Taoist priests, the land properties of temples and Taoist monasteries, and whether there are any misdeeds such as issuing interest money."
Emperor Zhu chuckled and said, "We don't know if those Taoist priests lend money, but those bald monks definitely do, and they also have large tracts of fertile land, and even some martial monks. What do you plan to do with them?"
This is difficult to evaluate.
He himself had been a monk, yet he kept calling himself a bald monk.
While inwardly grumbling, Yang Shaofeng said, "There's no martial monk that a thousand-household commander can't handle. If there is, then send in a guard."
"Furthermore, your son-in-law has already replied to Your Highness, stating that the prerequisite for the issuance of ordination certificates by the Buddhist and Taoist Registries is that the candidate must first work on a farm for a year."
"If you can't even do a year's worth of hard labor, then it means you're not sincerely practicing Taoism or Buddhism."
“The same applies to nuns and female Taoist priests.”
"In addition, the Buddhist and Taoist Registry will issue another official document, stating that all temples and Taoist monasteries will only be allowed to retain farmland for their own food, and all other things such as shops will be confiscated and turned over to the public."
Yang Shaofeng bluntly and openly criticized him: "A monk should act like a monk. What kind of talk is it to think about making money all day long?"
Emperor Zhu always felt that some scoundrel's words had a hidden meaning.
However, there is no evidence.
After all, Buddhism has always closed its doors to avoid war and chaos during times of turmoil, and opened its doors to welcome worshippers during times of prosperity.
Compared to those Taoist priests who practiced asceticism in prosperous times and helped the common people in chaotic times, those bald monks in Buddhism are indeed a bit outrageous.
Of course, it's the bald monk's business if he acts out, but for you, you dog, to curse him to our faces, isn't that a bit disrespectful to your father-in-law?
Emperor Zhu suddenly felt an urge to slap his son-in-law.
Compared to Emperor Zhu, who was merely feeling somewhat uneasy, Hu Weiyong and Wang Guangyang were completely bewildered.
If you want to become a monk, do you have to work on a farm for a year first?
Is this right?
This is not right!
Just how desperate must Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture be for people to come up with such a depraved idea?
However, if your Ningyang County and Dengzhou Prefecture are short of people, do you think my Liaodong Provincial Administration Commission and Shandong Provincial Administration Commission are not short of people?
Thinking of this, Hu Weiyong and Wang Guangyang couldn't help but exchange a glance.
It's definitely not feasible to directly compete with Yang the Madman for the person.
The one in power who is biased will definitely take sides.
Go back and find those two old scoundrels, Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen!
Looking at the increasingly abnormal Emperor Zhu, Hu Weiyong, Wang Guangyang, and the first Jinyiwei commander and commander of the Dengzhou Jinyiwei, who was always ruthless, Xia Yu suddenly felt that his position as the head of the Jinyiwei was somewhat undeserved.
Q: Have I, Xia, ever done anything heinous or outrageous?
A: No.
So why did the Embroidered Uniform Guard have such a terrible reputation?
Could it be that he was implicated by a certain military governor?
Each person was lost in their own thoughts, and the atmosphere in the room became somewhat silent for a moment.
After a long while, Emperor Zhu turned to Hu Weiyong and asked, "How have you felt about being around this scoundrel all this time?"
When Emperor Zhu asked him this question, Hu Weiyong's eyes immediately turned red.
"Ascend!"
"Ascend!"
Hu Weiyong knelt down with a thud and cried out, "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"
Yang Shaofeng and Wang Guangyang immediately looked away. One of them examined the roof beams, trying to measure the diameter and volume of the beams with his eyes, while the other looked down at the patterns on the boots, trying to estimate the remaining lifespan of the boots based on the patterns.
Emperor Zhu's face turned cold as he looked at Hu Weiyong and said, "Injustice? What makes you think you've been wronged?"
Hu Weiyong raised his head and looked at Emperor Zhu, shouting, "Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to raise my son, but my son and Jie'er are absolutely loyal to you. It is absolutely impossible for them to associate with Gu Chengzhi and Master Shihang! My son and Jie'er are not worth dying for, but I would never die bearing the infamy of colluding with Gu Chengzhi and the like! I beg Your Majesty to have mercy!"
Emperor Zhu snorted coldly and said, "Get up."
Hu Weiyong stood up obediently, and Emperor Zhu continued, "Tu Jie's case will naturally be decided by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review. If he is truly innocent, the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review will not deliberately make things difficult for him."
"As for you?"
Emperor Zhu said with a hint of sarcasm, "If it weren't for this bastard, I'm afraid even you would have been implicated this time."
"You'd better be more careful in the future, or you might get scammed without even realizing it!"
Hu Weiyong was immediately relieved. He bowed respectfully to Emperor Zhu and said, "Yes, Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by me."
Emperor Zhu hummed in agreement and changed the subject: "Tell me, what are your thoughts on this period of time?"
Hu Weiyong roused himself and bowed to Emperor Zhu, saying, "Your Majesty, during this time I have been by the side of the Imperial Son-in-Law, my biggest feeling is that the governance of officials and the people must not be relaxed for a moment. Emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce is fundamental, and we must not slacken in the slightest."
"Once I arrive in Liaodong, I will definitely focus on land reclamation and military farming. I assure you, within ten years, Liaodong will become the second land of plenty for our Great Ming!"
After a slight pause, Hu Weiyong changed the subject, looking at Emperor Zhu with a fawning smile, and said, "However, I still need to ask the Emperor for some benefits?"
Emperor Zhu grunted in agreement and asked, "What benefits?"
Hu Weiyong said, "Manpower! I beg Your Majesty's permission to relocate more people from Jiangnan to Liaodong. After all, Liaodong is a harsh and cold place. If the court does not relocate manpower there, even if I split each person into eight pieces, I still cannot clear so much wasteland."
Emperor Zhu glanced at Hu Weiyong and squeezed out a soft "Approved" from his throat.
Hu Weiyong was overjoyed and tentatively said, "Furthermore, I request Your Majesty's permission to use severe measures in Liaodong—it's not that I don't want the people to rest and recuperate, but Liaodong has just been pacified, and if we don't use strong measures, I'm afraid it will be difficult to subdue those with treacherous intentions."
As Hu Weiyong finished speaking, Emperor Zhu almost laughed out of anger.
If you don't know how to hide things in the map, don't force the "revealing the secret" approach.
Emperor Zhu sneered and mocked, "You're allowed to use harsh punishments in Liaodong, so you can send people to Dengzhou to do hard labor, is that it?"
Hu Weiyong chuckled twice, but Emperor Zhu continued, "However, you're a bit late. Our Biao'er just sent a letter by fast horse, which mentions the relocation of people to Liaodong, the need for severe punishments in governing Liaodong, and also the relocation of some wealthy households to accompany the imperial mausoleum."
"In short, Biao'er has already agreed to most of the crooked ideas you came up with."
“There are some things that you haven’t thought of, but Li Shanchang and Liu Bowen have thought of for you.”
……
Finally, Yang Shaofeng lay down on the recliner in the back office of Ningyang County again. He first stretched comfortably, and then began to complain wildly.
"I'm exhausted!"
"You have no idea how utterly depraved those bastards are!"
"Especially that Gu Chengzhi, who not only refused to confess honestly, but also tried to drag more people down with him."
"If Xia Yu hadn't sensed something was wrong from the beginning and investigated Hu Weiyong after arresting Tu Jie, then even Hu Weiyong would have been in trouble this time."
While doing her needlework, Jin'er chimed in with a joke: "How could Gu Chengzhi be so cunning? It's fortunate that my husband investigated this case, otherwise, he might have really succeeded."
Yang Shaofeng was immediately very pleased with himself.
After slurping up a small dragon ball of rice, Yang Shaofeng continued to complain, but this time he changed the target of his complaints.
"Gu Chengzhi is no good, and those gentry who were implicated are no better."
“You could make money by honestly hiring people to run a workshop, but these people are different. Instead of taking the easy path, they choose to abduct children in order to save a pittance in wages.”
"They're all utterly heartless!"
"Of course, compared to them, His Highness the Crown Prince seems to be the worst one."
Upon hearing Yang Shaofeng's complaints about Zhu Biao, Jin'er stopped her needlework, looked up at Yang Shaofeng, and asked, "Your Highness? What did he do this time?"
And that's the essence.
Yang Shaofeng said, "I just heard from my father-in-law that His Highness has placed all the successful candidates from this year's special imperial examination under my wing."