The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Miaozhen:......

She pretended not to see anything and walked forward and held out the bowl.

The old Taoist priest liked Miaozhen very much, so he gave her a big spoonful of vegetables, which contained several pieces of meat that were shaken off from Pan Yun.

Miaozhen thanked him obediently and left, thinking silently, so what's the use of this?
The shaken meat and vegetables took a turn and finally ended up in Pan Yun's bowl.

Miao Zhen gave her quite a few dishes. She tore open a steamed bun and handed half to Pan Xiaohei who was eating it with his head down: "Master Junior, I think Xiaohei's appetite has increased recently."

Pan Yun: "Its cultivation has improved, so its appetite is better than before."

Pan Jun broke a steamed bun, put two chopsticks of cabbage and two pieces of meat into it, and put them into Pan Xiaohei's two paws.

There is one good thing about the academy cafeteria: the dishes are light and the amount of oil and salt is definitely not excessive. So, in the entire academy, from teachers to students, there is not a single fat person.

It’s also very cat-friendly.

Pan Xiaohei ate with gusto.

Pan Jun looked at it and suspected that this was why it liked its cat body and no longer yearned to return to its original form.

After all, cats can taste all the delicacies in the world, but the spiritual realm does not have this ability.

Pan Jun's lips curled up slightly. As expected, desire is hard to eliminate, but easy to arise.

Pan Xiaohei's appetite has increased greatly, and he has also started to pay attention to his diet: [Should we prepare more dry food when we go out for training? ]

Pan Yun: [Who would prepare dry food before going out for training? When you are out, of course you need to prepare more money and try all the delicious food in the places you pass by.]

Pan Xiaohei: [Do you have money? ]

Pan Yun paused, then looked up at Miao Zhen: "Is there any way to make money suitable for me recently?"

Miao Zhen thought for a moment and said, "Yesterday was a day off, and we went down the mountain and ran into the rich young man who asked for a talisman last time. He came to ask for a talisman to drive away evil spirits again."

Pan Yun: "How evil is their family that they only come twice a month?"

Miao Zhen: "When I passed by them, I heard the master and servant talking about it. They were planning to spend a lot of money to hire a Taoist priest to go back and take a look."

Pan Yun: "How much is a large sum of money?"

Miao Zhen held up a finger: "The upper limit is one hundred taels."

That is indeed quite a lot.

This is because even for some famous Taoist priests on Mount Longhu, the minimum price is only twenty taels.

For ordinary people, such as her, who are not very famous among the people but have a Taoist job, the starting price is ten taels;

Like Miaozhen, five taels!

Miaohe and Tao Yanbai are even worse at performing rituals, and their transcripts aren’t impressive, but they can be hired for just one or two taels.

This price list was circulated among the students of the academy, and everyone privately quoted prices based on it.

It is said that this price has never changed for decades, and prices are very stable, even the Ministry of Revenue has to admit defeat.

Pan Yun quickened her eating pace. It was impossible for her to go to the customer's house, but she could sell talismans.

When Pan Yun returned, he rinsed his mouth, washed his hands, and sat in meditation. Then he took a piece of gold-powdered talisman paper and began to draw a talisman to ward off evil spirits.

The rune was written smoothly, and when the pen was lifted, the rune was completed. A flash of spiritual light appeared, and the Yuanli firmly grasped the spiritual energy, hiding between the runes. A talisman to ward off evil spirits was completed.

Pan Yun admired it herself and was very satisfied.

The gold foil talisman paper is even more precious, so Pan Jun planned to keep it for the critical moment to deceive... oh no, to lure, so he didn't touch it.

She took out some ordinary talisman paper and drew ten talismans to ward off evil spirits.

After putting away the talisman paper, it was still light outside, so she suppressed her emotions and ran to the Dou Mu Temple to clean up.

The senior brother on duty at Doumu Temple looked at her silently for a while and handed her the broom.

Pan Yun immediately took it and said with a smile: "Brother, have you been cleaning for me for the past three days?"

The senior brother had a blank expression on his face: "Sometimes Junior Sister Miaozhen also came to help, but the three days they took your place are not counted towards your punishment period. The so-called punishment must be done personally. We are different from those people in the Criminal Law Hall. This is a punishment ordered by the real person himself..."

Pan Yun nodded repeatedly to show his understanding: "I understand, I understand, these three days will be postponed, and I will definitely make up for the fine."

The senior brother then nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Go and clean it up. Also, wipe the candlesticks as well."

Pan Yun agreed.

This work lasted until dark.

When she came out of Dou Mu Temple, there were not many people on the road. Everyone had gone back to their rooms to meditate or get ready for sleep.

Occasionally someone would pass by her, they were people who had returned late from practice and were in a hurry.

Pan Yun hurried past them and unknowingly reached the wall.

She quickly looked around and saw no one, so she immediately jumped up, climbed onto the wall and leaped over, then landed lightly on the ground.

This is the Da Shangqing Palace. Passing through the corridor between the Thirty-Six Thunder Hall and the Heavenly Emperor Hall is the Hou Tu Hall.

This was not the first time that Pan Yun had sneaked out of the palace. She knew that there were senior brothers and sisters on duty in the two halls ahead, and their cultivation was not low.

This place is different from Doumu Temple.

Doumu Hall is located within the academy, and the senior brothers and sisters on duty are mostly fourth-year and fifth-year students. Dashangqing Palace is not only the front yard of the academy, but also a Taoist temple that accepts pilgrims to burn incense, so the senior brothers and sisters inside have graduated long ago and have Taoist positions. In short, they either have strong theoretical ideas or outstanding kung fu cultivation.

Pan Yun always tiptoed every time he passed by here.

She followed Pan Xiaohei's example and walked silently through the wall of Longhu Gate. She stepped on the wall and flew up. She climbed up and landed as lightly as an eagle spreading its wings.

She glanced at the high wall, turned back happily, and met the eyes of a person in the dim moonlight.

Pan Yun: "Brother Li? Why did you sneak out of the palace in the middle of the night?"

Li Wenying: "...You are good at turning the tables. Do you want to check your position? I am facing the Dragon Tiger Gate, obviously I am late for work, while you are facing Shangqing Town, looking like you are sneaking down the mountain."

Li Wenying snorted: "Tell me, why did you sneak out of the palace?"

A quarter of an hour later, the two appeared on the streets of Shangqing Town.

Unlike the quiet and deserted academy, Shangqing Town is still bustling.

The sounds of people hawking, eating, drinking tea, and chatting and exchanging information mixed together on the street. The quietness suddenly turned into bustle, making Pan Yun feel like he was in another world.

Pan Yun turned to look at Li Wenying, puzzled: "How could you bear to go back to the palace when it's so lively?"

Li Wenying looked her up and down and said happily, "I'm not a child. I don't like crowds that much."

Pan Jun muttered, "Me neither."

Li Wenying put her hands behind her back and asked, "Where is the person you are looking for?"

Pan Yun glanced at the busy street and walked straight in: "In the best restaurant in Shangqing Town."

How could a rich young man not live in Ping'an Restaurant?
Pan Yun went directly to ask the waiter in the restaurant.

The waiter took a quick look at Li Wenying and pointed to the backyard and said, "The distinguished guest lives in Room 3 in the backyard."

The two of them went over immediately, and Pan Yun kept turning his head to look at Li Wenying.

Li Wenying stretched out her hand and pushed her head away without looking away. After straightening it, she said, "Be careful not to break your neck."

Pan Yun: "Brother Li, is this restaurant yours?"

The excitement in her voice almost overflowed, causing Li Wenying to tilt her head and look at her: "No, it has nothing to do with me, why are you not so happy?"

"I feel like there's a piece missing in my heart. I originally wanted to be your half-sibling." Pan Jun looked a little sad.

Li Wenying: "...Didn't your fourth sister tell you? The best shops in Shangqing Town are all owned by the Tianshi Mansion."

He pointed at the restaurants in front of him and said, "Ping An Restaurant, Shen Xian Restaurant, Nishang Restaurant, and the shops on both sides of the street, 70% belong to Tianshi Mansion, and the remaining 30%, 10% belongs to the third family, and 20% is the property of the various branches of the Zhang family."

Pan Jun opened his mouth slightly and said in a deep voice: "It turns out that Fourth Senior Sister and I are really half-sisters."

Li Wenying couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Although it's a joke, but... Tianshi Mansion and Zhang family are really rich.

No wonder the wealthy people in Jiangnan were all grabbing land and people, but the Zhang family was able to stay out of it, because they had no need for it at all.

Pan Yun murmured: "A blacksmith must be strong himself. It is so important to have a skill..."

The Zhang family can stay aloof from the world and not fight for the land that ordinary people depend on for survival, isn't it because the entire Shangqing Town was built by them, and they have talismans and magic swords in their hands, so they don't need to rely on the land for their livelihood.

Li Wenying heard her mumbling and smiled, "Otherwise, do you think that the academy can support so many disciples with just the tuition fees you pay?"

He said, "Your food and clothing alone cost a lot, not to mention the various resources for cultivation. In addition to the academy, the Tianshi Mansion also has to maintain the operation of the Taoist Discipline Offices in various places, and it has a large number of people under its command. Do you think that the little money allocated by the court can support so many Taoists?"

Pan Yun had never thought about this question.

Li Wenying smiled at her and said, "Officials have complaints about monks and Taoists. Although Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism have long been mixed together, and individual theories and Taoism are influenced by the thoughts of the three parties, as long as we talk about this matter as a whole, all officials want to ban monks and Taoists.

Daoyan was so powerful, a hero in the Jingnan Campaign, and a confidant of Emperor Taizong. When he was in power, all officials were convinced. But in his later years, a book called Dao Yu Lu made him cut off all his relatives and friends. With such merits, he was still forgotten in history a hundred years later because of his identity and a book called Dao Yu Lu. What about us?"

"The money allocated by the court can barely support the Taoist priests in office. In addition to the Taoist priests in office, there are many Taoist priests without office or without ordination certificates. If the Tianshi Mansion wants to manage and support them, it needs enough money."

It doesn’t mean that monks who cannot obtain a certificate of ordination are not monks.

Both the court and the people need to give them some living space. Otherwise, it will only intensify the conflict.

As the administrative body for Taoists throughout the world, one of the responsibilities of the Tianshi Mansion is to control the movements of Taoists throughout the world, prevent them from causing chaos, and maintain stability.

And maintaining stability costs money.

A Taoist priest has studied Taoism for twenty years but has failed to pass the examination for ordination. The Tianshi Temple has to find a way to persuade him to go home, marry, have children, respect his parents, engage in productive labor, and pay taxes to the country.

what?
If you are reluctant to give up the Tao, why do you still want to cultivate it?

That’s okay, you can practice at home.

As for Taoism, it is about cultivating oneself and one’s mind, tracing back to the origin, and it is the same when practicing at home.

Nine out of ten Taoists fail to pass the examination to obtain the ordination certificate.

Therefore, the Tianshi Mansion needs to spend a large sum of money every year to help Taoist priests without certificates to make a living.

Even so, they were impeached by officials and reprimanded by the emperor from time to time because there were too many monks and Taoists without registered residence among the people.

Pan Yun stroked his chin and said, "If monks and Taoists also pay taxes, then they will have no grounds for impeachment?" (End of this chapter)