A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Emperor Yuan Cong

Chapter 442
The 1000-yuan gold collars are placed in a beautiful shape, stacked one by one to form a hollowed-out gold wall.

The emperor looked at these gold collars and the stamps of Huadu Temple on them one by one, not at all happy, his face was gloomy and terrifying.

"3 taels of gold?"

The emperor gritted his teeth, a deacon monk in charge of the Endless Tibetan Courtyard in Huadu Temple could steal so much gold from it.

"Your Majesty, this is the account book of Huadu Temple's Endless Collection. It contains both the account of receiving donations, fields, houses, livestock, slaves, gold, silver, and silk, and the account book of Huadu Temple's lending and interest collection."

Li Shimin took it, and the more he looked at it, the more shocked he became, his hands were shaking.

It is too frightening.

For a long time, the emperor caressed the golden wall and sighed, "I used to command troops to fight and devote myself to martial arts. I read historical records that Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty destroyed Buddha, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty destroyed Buddha, destroyed Buddha statues, burned scriptures, and returned to lay life. Three treasures are bestowed on ministers, temples, pagodas and temples are bestowed on princes, and temple fields are nationalized.

At that time, I thought it was too extreme. When I went to Luoyang to attack Wang Shichong in the past, I had the help of monks from the Shaolin Temple in Songshan, but now I see the accounts of Huadu Temple and the third-rank religion. reason.

Now I even regret that after the ninth year of Wude, when I became the crown prince, I stopped the edict of the Supreme Emperor Sha to eliminate Buddha. "

It's amazing.

A Huadu Temple has already made Li Shimin feel deeply threatened.

As for the entire third-tier religion, it has spread rapidly in the past few decades. There are dozens of temples in Beijing, more than [-] monks, and [-] private soldiers.

Of course, what is even more frightening is their ability to amass money. The common people all scrambled to donate to them, and the princes and nobles also brought carts of money and silk into the temple.

"Huadu Temple's loans have already reached as far as Yan, Liang, Yi, and Zhao."

Li Shimin felt that they were shaking his imperial power.

The imperial court now collects household tax, a small tax a year, a large tax every three years, a small tax of 40 guan, and a large tax of 80 guan.

Regarding this tax, the court is still arguing up and down, and some people always talk too much and harm the people.

"Your Majesty, since Fa Ya was withdrawn from the palace ban, she has complained a lot, and even spread rumors to confuse people and affect the stability of the Tang Dynasty. I request the arrest of Fa Ya, the demon monk, and hand him over to the Yamen of Yongzhou for interrogation."

"What evil words did he say?" asked the emperor.

"Faya said that Chang'an is going to have a plague, and that it's all because of Ziwei's misalignment."

"There are rumors outside that there will be a major epidemic in Chang'an, and more donations to the third-order religion will ensure safety."

It's not that Wu Huaiyu wronged Fa Ya, it's that the monk Fa Ya has some skills, otherwise Li Yuan and Jian Jian would not have invited him to the palace to give lectures many times, and even gave him wives and concubines to organize monks and soldiers to fight.But this Monk Hua's status is not what it used to be, there is a big gap. The new emperor hates Fa Ya very much, and now he is forbidden to enter and leave the palace to see the Supreme Emperor.

Falla also likes to drink, and after getting drunk, she can speak freely and dare to say anything.Originally, he only said it in front of his cronies, but not all of his people were tight-lipped, and someone said it outside, so it spread.

Although it is still only spread in a small area, it is true.

Faya said that there was going to be a plague in Chang'an. Of course, it was not a conjecture with evidence. He was just dissatisfied with the emperor, so he said that the son took over the father's throne, and Ziwei was not right. The world would definitely have a plague.

"Check, check thoroughly."

"Your Majesty, Fa Ya has privately raised two thousand monks and soldiers, owning knives and guns, etc., please dispatch the imperial army to take down these 2000 people first, so as to avoid further trouble."

"allow."

The emperor directly asked Zhou Shaofan and Zhang Shigui to lead the Beiya Imperial Army to disarm these monks and soldiers, and all the temples of the third-rank religion in Chang'an must be thoroughly investigated.

After receiving the imperial decree, Huaiyu did not forget to ask Shi Wanbao for credit.

"Let Yuan Guogong Shi Wanbao handle this matter with you."

After leaving the palace, Huaiyu immediately called Zhou Shaofan, Zhang Shigui, and Shi Wanbao to explain the emperor's will.

"It's just two thousand private soldiers." Shi Wanbao chuckled.

Those soldiers said they were monks, but they were not actually monks. Most of them were guards in the temples in the late Sui and early Tang Dynasties. Most of the dependent ones don't even have their own household registration.

Many of them were hungry people during the turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty. They were young and strong selected by the temple to be armed and trained. These people usually guarded the temple and guarded the courtyard, and some guarded the manor or workshop of the temple. of.

Rich monasteries are also coveted fat sheep by many people in troubled times, such as Shaolin Temple in Songshan. Wang Shichong was short of food in Luoyang, so he focused on Shaolin Temple and asked his nephew Wang Renze to give the temple a reward from Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty. One hundred hectares of land were taken away, and grain and grass were also forcibly expropriated.

How could Shaolin Temple have been so angry? Later when Li Shimin attacked Luoyang, they immediately organized their own monks to help Li Shimin fight Wang Shichong.

At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the big temples basically had their own monks and soldiers, but there were not many real monks.

Shi Wanbao knew very well what the two thousand monks and soldiers of Huadu Temple were like, the main ones were the slaves and tenants of the temple. Although they had Li Yuan's consent to organize and train them, they only had some swords, guns, bows and arrows, and they would never have any armor, crossbow, machine or horse. .

The Beiya Forbidden Army is elite, and it will be effortless to deal with these people.

The matter was just as he said, when the imperial army was dispatched suddenly, the temples of the third-rank sect in Chang'an were completely unprepared. Except for a few monks and soldiers guarding the temple, most of the monks and soldiers were still scattered in farms, workshops, etc.
No need to draw the knife out of its sheath.

No one dared to resist the elite Beiya Forbidden Army who were fully armed and their armor was shining brightly.

Those strong bows and crossbows are no joke.

"Duke Yi, Falla has been captured."

Shi Wanbao threw Fayati in front of Huaiyu like a chicken, the guy's face was covered with blood, obviously being rude to Shi Wanbao, and then he was beaten up.

Aside from the few front teeth that were just knocked out, and the crooked nose, this bald donkey does have a good skin and is quite tall.

If he wears a purple and gold cassock and looks solemn, he may indeed be able to bluff people.

It's a pity that it's no different from a dead dog now.

"I thought he was noisy, so I punched him a few times, is it okay?" Shi Wanbao asked.

"Just live."

Wu Huaiyu doesn't have any sympathy for this guy, he can only say that this guy has a good skin, arrogant and stupid, at this time, and still can't see the situation clearly, so what if you can be appreciated by the Supreme Emperor and Pei Ji?

Now the ruler of the world is Li Shimin, if you still dare to speak ill of Li Shimin, you will die.

In the main hall of Huadu Temple, Wu Huaiyu interrogated Fa Ya directly.

"Tell me, why are you bewitching everyone? Who gave you the courage? Who gave you the back?"

Faya was beaten up by Shi Wanbao, and she didn't dare to be arrogant anymore, but she still refused to cooperate with Wu Huaiyu's interrogation, and she didn't admit it at all.

"Bring witnesses."

Shi Wanbao brought a few more dead dogs, all of whom were Fa Ya's confidantes, who were present when he said those evil words after drinking.

Shi Wanbao's method of interrogation was very simple and rude, picking up a person to question.

"What the hell did Falla say that day?"

The first one looked at Fa Ya, then hesitated, gritted his teeth and said he didn't remember.

"It seems that the blow was too light." Shi Wanbao raised his fist and smashed it again. The man's skin was torn apart, his nose was bruised and his face was swollen, but now all his teeth were wiped out, and his face was covered with blood.

"Think about it carefully, and ask you later."

"next."

Shi Wanbao picked up another one.

It's that simple, it's that unpretentious.

Such an obvious extortion of a confession by torture is against the law, but Wu Huaiyu, the Yongzhou Biejia, and Yushitai Zhishushi Yushi sat there, but turned a blind eye.

No one could withstand the old punches of Chang'an hero Shi Wanbao, it was his mercy, otherwise at most three punches would blow his head off.

Finally they couldn't take it anymore, and they recruited, all recruits.

Just in front of Falla, he made all the moves.

Shi Wanbao picked up Fa Ya again, "Okay, now you can confess again."

Fa Ya still wanted to speak harshly, but Shi Wanbao was not polite to him, so he beat him up.

A mouthful of teeth was basically knocked out.

"There are all witnesses, how dare you argue?"

"I recruit, I recruit all, I did say it, but it's all drunk nonsense, it's not true."

Once a guest on the throne of the Son of Heaven, now he can only beg for mercy under the iron fist.

"Just say it,"

"Duke Yi still has a question that you haven't answered. Who backs you up? Who else have you said these demonic words to?"

Faya was dizzy and moaned in pain.

"I heard that you often come and go to Duke Wei's mansion. Have you ever told Duke Wei these demonic words?" Shi Wanbao asked murderously, holding him in front of him.

Falla felt his killing intent.

"I, I seem to forget if I said it."

"Really? Let me help you think about it again," Shi Wanbao raised his sandbag-sized fist again.

"I remembered. I told Mr. Pei that there would be a plague in Chang'an."

"Do you dare to come before Your Majesty and confront Pei Ji face to face?"

······
East Palace.

The emperor summoned Sikong and Wei Guogong Pei Ji to enter the palace. When Pei Ji entered the palace, he saw the emperor sitting there with a gloomy face.

And not only the prime ministers are there, but also Li Jing, Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Xiao Yu, the doctor of the censor, Sun Fujia, the minister of Dali Temple, Biejia of Yongzhou, and Wu Huaiyu, the official secretary and censor.

On the way he came, he heard that the imperial court suddenly ordered the closure of the gates and square gates of Chang'an, and the whole city was under martial law.

"Duke Yi, bring Fa Ya." The emperor ordered coldly.

When Faya was brought up, Pei Ji didn't even recognize him, his face was already swollen like a pig's head.

Fa Ya confessed in the palace that he once spoke evil words to Pei Ji in the Sikong Mansion.

"Your Majesty, I did hear Fa Ya say that there might be a plague in Chang'an, but I don't think it's any evil words."

It's just that the emperor doesn't care about his explanation now.

"Faya complains, utters evil words, and is guilty of killing and abandoning the market."

"As a minister of the imperial court, Pei Ji is the first-rank official of the Three Dukes, but he is intimate with the evil talker Faya.

The crime deserves to be punished! "

As soon as the last three words came out, Pei Ji couldn't help kneeling on the ground with his knees limp, but he didn't dare to say a word.

The hall was silent for a long time, and finally Xiao Yu stepped forward to intercede for Pei Ji, thinking that Pei Ji was indeed at fault, but the crime was not worthy of death.

Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui and other prime ministers also came out to beg for a few words of love, but it is not known whether they are really begging or just pretending.

"Pei Ji's crime, I have every reason to kill him, but since so many people pleaded for mercy, I also thought that he was a hero who founded the country, and he has the gold medal for avoiding death, so today I will pardon his death and take back the gold medal.

Seize the official, cut half of the food, and return to the hometown. "

Pei Ji shivered slightly and asked, "Please stay in the capital for the elderly." He was not bargaining, but wanted to show that he was willing to be supervised under the eyes of the emperor.

"Pei Ji, with your talent and meritorious service, it is impossible for you to be in the current high position. You just received the favor of the Supreme Emperor, and you are lucky to be the first among the officials."

"At the time of Wude, the court system was disordered, and officials were bribed. You are the prime minister of the court, and you should bear the primary responsibility."

The emperor was very rude.

"I think you are old, and I can't bear to deal with it according to the law. It is lenient enough for you to return to your hometown to guard your ancestor's grave."

Pei Ji knelt down to thank Tian En, and said that he would leave for his hometown in Puzhou today.

When Pei Ji bowed and exited the hall, his footsteps were flimsy, and when he crossed the threshold of the hall, he staggered and fell.On the morning when Xuanwumen was bleeding, Pei Ji had already expected that this day might come, and now this day finally came.

It's just that he didn't know if it was over.

In the hall, more than a dozen eyes of the monarchs and ministers looked at the slightly desolate figure, each thinking.

Perhaps for the emperor, that meant the end of an era.

As for Wu Huaiyu, another official on the meritorious list was beheaded by him, and he entered another place on the list of meritorious officials.

One emperor and one courtier.

(End of this chapter)