I am Emperor Wanli

Chapter 545 Buddhist Lahu Meeting

"You're not here to pick me up." A voice came faintly from the side.

Shu Youliang turned around and saw Hai Rui, wearing a grey robe and with his hair wrapped in a piece of cloth, standing beside him with his hands behind his back.

"Master, why not pick you up?"

"I traveled incognito all the way south without raising any banners or disturbing the locals. Even if Linqing City knew that I had arrived, they would not dare to come to pick me up in such a high-profile manner."

Shu Youliang nodded: "Yes, if we come to welcome the master with such a big fanfare, not only will we not get any favor, but we will also be criticized. Even a fool would not do this.

Who is that for?"

"It's to pick up that ship."

Wang Shiqiu pointed to a passenger ship nearby and said.

Everyone turned their heads when they heard the sound. The ship in the front left was magnificent, with two flags flying on its mast. The square one had "Worship Buddha and Serve the Country" written on it, and the long one had "Celebrate and Praise the Monk Xiu De, the Fan Monk of the Nanjing Da Tianjie Temple, and Spread Buddhism" written on it.

"Great Heaven Realm Academy, wow, what a famous name." Fang Zhiyuan was shocked.

Hai Rui's face remained dark as he spoke slowly.

"During the Hongwu period, the Great Tianjie Monastery was granted the plaque of 'The First Zen Monastery in the World'. Emperor Taizu first established Huishi Monastery in Tianjie Monastery, with the great monk Huitan in charge of all the monasteries in the world. Later, Huishi Monastery was changed to the Monks' Registration Office, which was still in Tianjie Monastery.

Later, the capital was moved to Beijing, and the Buddhist Registrar's Office was relocated to the Dalongshan Temple in the capital. Tianjie Temple was still the most famous temple in Jiangnan. "

Wang Shiqiu and Fang Zhiyuan exclaimed: "The master is really knowledgeable."

Shu Youliang chuckled beside him: "In the first year of Longqing, my master, in accordance with the emperor's order, oh, the emperor was still the prince at that time. He was ordered to clean up the monks and Taoists in the capital, Taoist temples and Buddhist temples, and was severely punished by my master.

At that time, the capital was said to have tens of thousands of monks, known as the sea of ​​monks. They occupied farmland, lent money at high interest rates, and pawned and mortgaged goods, making a fortune. Some monks even kept wives and concubines in their quarters and raised their children in the temple.

My master dealt with them, and within three months, all the monks in the capital were gone. Thousands of monks who had committed crimes were thrown into prison, and most of them were sent to Liaodong to open up wasteland and cultivate the land.

The Buddhist temples, monks’ houses, fields and money were confiscated by the government, and those who had suffered were returned to the victims. At that time, not to mention monks, even those with thin hair did not dare to show their faces in the capital. "

Hai Rui said leisurely, "Since Emperor Xuande, several previous emperors and empress dowagers have worshipped Buddhism and built many Buddhist temples. Daxinglong, Dalongfu, Dalongshan, and Gongdeyuan were all expanded and renovated by previous emperors and granted the title of Dharma protector.

As a result, tens of thousands of monks from all over the world gathered in the capital, which was called the sea of ​​monks. During the Jiajing period, the previous emperor worshipped Taoism and occupied several Buddhist temples and converted them into Taoist temples, but the Buddhist temples granted by imperial decree to protect the Dharma and other temples were still prosperous.

There are many monks who bully others and commit crimes. As long as they dare to commit crimes and harm the people, no matter if they are officials, gentry or lay monks, I will punish them!"

Zhang Dao and the other three looked at Hai Rui with admiration.

It is precisely because of this kind of altruistic heart that Hai Rui is hailed as the most honest official and upright minister in the Ming Dynasty.

The ship in front of the left slowly approached the dock. Suddenly, firecrackers rang out and there was a bustle of noise. Officials, gentry and common people saluted and cheered for a monk who walked out of the cabin.

The monk was in his twenties, and was quite handsome. He wore a gold-woven robe and behaved properly, exuding the aura of a profound Buddhist mind all the time.

"So young?" Wang Shiqiu was very curious.

In his eyes, highly respected monks and great virtues should be very old.

Shu Youliang pointed at the flag on the boat in front of him and said, "Didn't you see they were flying the flag? They are the clan's vassal monks."

"Replacement monk?"

Shu Youliang replied: "Yes, it is said that it is a custom left over from the Yuan Dynasty. When a prince or a duke gave birth to a prince, or when a noble family gave birth to an heir, in order to ensure that he would grow up safely, they would find someone to become a monk.

This is called a substitute monk.

These substitute monks usually become monks in famous temples, and have the support of the powerful behind them, so they are very popular in both the lay and monk worlds.

That’s right. The Emperor has disciplined the vassal states and killed hundreds of princes and thousands of clan members. All the clan members have become obedient and have shrunk their heads. Now they don’t even dare to reveal their names.”

Everyone stood at the bow of the boat to watch the excitement. After some polite greetings, the officials, gentry and common people surrounded the virtuous monk and left.

The dock, which was originally crowded with people, was suddenly empty. People began to disembark from the ship in front. There were dozens of people, including stewards, servants, maids, cooks, doctors, and dozens of boxes.

There were a dozen strong men on the side of the ship, patrolling back and forth with wooden sticks in their hands, and several other strong men were watching the porters who were carrying the suitcases.

"You actually want to ask for a green hand." Fang Zhiyuan's eyes flashed.

"Green Hand?"

"The thugs in the Jiangnan area belong to various fighting companies. In the past, they specialized in fighting and jumping around in the streets. Later, some of the fighting companies helped people guard homes and escort transportation.

They like to have blue tattoos of various ferocious beasts and birds of prey on their arms, so they are called blue hands. "

After Fang Zhiyuan finished speaking, he pinched his chin and said, "The more I look at these people, the more they seem to be wrong. There's something fishy going on."

Shu Youliang said, "If there's anything strange, take a closer look. Our boat has also reached the shore. Sir, let's go up and have dinner. We've been eating cold noodles and steamed buns on the boat for two or three days since we started in Cangzhou."

Hai Rui asked, "Are you not afraid of spending money?"

"Hey, didn't the master receive a sum of money to settle down after taking up his post? The emperor also gave the master a hundred silver dollars, and there are five boxes of old clothes in the cabin, all of which are money.

Master, the silver coins in my pocket are clattering, and I am not panicking at all."

Hai Rui laughed, "Okay, let's go ashore and have a meal today. You guys have been following me through a hard life all the way, so you deserve a reward."

Everyone went ashore laughing, but Fang Zhiyuan was still uneasy.

I chose a restaurant that was neither too big nor too small. It looked upscale. I looked at the prices on the sign and it wasn't expensive, so I chose this one.

It so happened that this restaurant was not far from the largest and best restaurant in Linqing City. There were people coming and going, and the place was bustling and bustling. They were all dignitaries, famous scholars and great scholars who came to welcome the monk Xiu De.

Fang Zhiyuan couldn't sit still, so he said something to Zhang Dao and quietly slipped out.

Shu Youliang enthusiastically ordered six dishes and two soups, and also asked for two pots of Jinan Qiulubai.

The guy took note and left. Shu Youliang looked around and said, "Hey, where's Brother Fang?"

"I went over there to get some information."

"Ah, he still thinks that the monk is not right?" Wang Shiqiu said beside him: "Brother Fang has been in the martial arts world for five or six years. He has seen a lot of tricks. He should have discovered the clues."

Shu Youliang said disapprovingly: "They are doing their tricks, and we are doing our own thing. Why should we check their background for no reason?

If we are late, we will eat all the delicious food and he will just have to eat the leftovers!"

Hai Rui said from the side: "It's good to check it out."

Shu Youliang turned his head and said, "Master, they belong to Tianjie Temple, a famous temple in Nanjing. The governor of Jiangsu has no control over them."

Hai Rui smiled and said, "My Lord, I am still the Right Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate."

Shu Youliang muttered, "Well, Master, you are getting more and more arrogant now. You impeached Emperor Sejong, then Emperor Taizu, and later Confucius. I didn't expect that the secular world can no longer satisfy you, and you want to start impeaching the gods and Buddhas in heaven."

After a while, the food came. Hai Rui didn't move his chopsticks, and neither did anyone else. Everyone was silent. Only Shu Youliang was muttering to himself.

Fortunately, not long after, Fang Zhiyuan came back with excitement on his face.

"Just waiting for you to eat!"

"I'm sorry, I've delayed you all."

Shu Youliang said quickly, "Let's eat, sir. The people are back and we are all hungry."

Hai Rui said, "Let's eat."

Shu Youliang picked up a bowl of rice, picked up a few pieces of vegetables with chopsticks, swung the chopsticks and stuffed them into his mouth. In a blink of an eye, half a bowl of rice and vegetables was gone.

Wang Shiqiu, Fang Zhiyuan, Zhao Kuan and Zhang Dao were almost the same. The five of them each finished a bowl of rice in less than two minutes.

After having a bowl of food to fill their stomachs, several people started drinking.

Only Hai Rui held a bowl of rice and chewed it slowly, without drinking any wine.

After he slowly finished a bowl of rice, he put down his bowl and chopsticks, carefully picked up the few grains of rice that had fallen on the table and on his clothes on his chest, and stuffed them into his mouth one by one.

Everyone knows his habits: he eats one bowl of rice for each meal and doesn't drink alcohol or eat too much.

Hai Rui turned around and asked Fang Zhiyuan, "Brother Fang, what did you find out?"

Fang Zhiyuan quickly put down his wine glass, looked around, and replied softly: "Master, I can be sure that this is a Buddhist Lahu Society."

"Buddhist Lahu Society?"

"Yes, sir. The Lahu Society is a gang in the Jiangnan area that specializes in fraud. There are three or five people at the least, and dozens or even hundreds of people at the most. They have clear division of labor and sophisticated methods. People call them fraudsters."

Shu Youliang also heard it, and couldn't help but turn around and ask, "Are you trying to scam me?"

"Yes." Fang Zhiyuan replied, "I asked around and I can confirm that it is the Buddhist Lahu Society."

Even Zhang Dao and the others were curious and leaned over to ask, "What does the Buddhist Lahu meeting mean?"

Fang Zhiyuan replied: "It means joining hands with famous Buddhist temples and using their names to commit fraud. First, a handsome and eloquent young man is selected as a senior monk.

First, stay in a famous temple for a while, memorize the Buddhist scriptures, and then learn to distinguish between them. When the time is right, travel around under the banner of "Celebrating the Buddha's Wisdom" and beg for alms in the name of building monasteries and halls in famous temples, or making golden statues for Buddha. The money obtained by deception is shared with the famous temples.

Shu Youliang became even more interested. There was another way to make money: "Brother Fang, tell me quickly, how do you cheat people?"

"There would be people who would disguise themselves and arrive at a certain place in advance, and make a big fuss in the streets, saying that a great monk from a certain famous temple was coming. The Buddha's teachings are profound, and they can not only solve doubts and spread virtues, but also pray for the believers.

After creating momentum, when the eminent monk arrived at a certain place, there would be people in the Lahu Association who were well versed in Buddhism who would pretend to debate with the eminent monk. The debate was very exciting.

Some people pretend to be seriously ill, paralyzed or lame, and then deliberately carry themselves to the monks to ask for mercy from the Buddha. Then the monks chant sutras and touch their heads, and soon the patients are cured, jumping around like newborns.

Shu Youliang and the others were stunned. "This Lahu Club is really a scorpion and a tiger! There are so many tricks and their methods are so clever!"

Fang Zhiyuan replied, "Yes, ordinary stupid people have never seen such a thing. They immediately regarded the monk as the Buddha who came to the world. This spread to two or three places, and then spread from one to ten, and then to a hundred. In the end, there was no need to build momentum, because the momentum had already come out."

Shu Youliang thought of something: "Brother Fang, according to what you said, the most important person in the Buddhist Lahu Society is the monk. He is the medicine inducer. Does he have to be handsome and young? Can't someone like me do that?"

"Brother Shu, you have ulterior motives for using a handsome young man to pretend to be a monk. Most of the families of wealthy families are devout believers in Buddhism. If they have good looks and are good at sweet talk, they will be liked by the ladies in the boudoir and will be much more generous in giving alms than ordinary male believers."

I'm not sleepy anymore when I talk about this.

Shu Youliang said with shining eyes: "I have also heard that the women of wealthy families even pretend to be living Buddhas and give alms to those monks.

Speaking of which, those monks all have some real skills.

It was recorded in Wenfeng News that there was a monk in Jiaxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province, who possessed a special magical power. His penis could swell up and down, and he could make women cover their eyes with their hands, without knowing whether they were dead or alive.

There was a man named Kang Jingli in Jiaxing Prefecture. His wives and concubines worshipped Buddha and invited foreign monks to chant sutras every day. They were all sexually assaulted. A few months later, Kang Jingli discovered it and sent him to the police station, where he was sentenced to death by the magistrate.

Shu Youliang was talking with great excitement. Hai Rui coughed a few times beside him. He suddenly became depressed and said awkwardly, "Master, I just read Wenfeng Newspaper occasionally to enjoy the novelty and excitement."

Hai Rui ignored him and turned to ask Fang Zhiyuan, "Brother Fang, where is this Buddhist Lahu group going?"

"In reply to the master, this group of Lahu will start from Nanjing, go up the river to Wuchang, then go up the Han River to Xiangyang, then go to Nanyang, Luoyang, Kaifeng, go around the Central Plains, go to Linqing via the Wei River, go south along the canal, and return to Nanjing."

Shu Youliang asked, "Are you still going to Nanjing? Why don't you just run away with your baggage?"

"We have to do the whole show. They are in cahoots with the Tianjie Court. There is nothing to be afraid of. If we don't go back to share the money, the Tianjie Court will report them."

Wang Shiqiu asked curiously, "Why don't you go south to Linqing instead of north to the capital? There are more dignitaries there, and it's easier to cheat people out of their money."

Fang Zhiyuan shook his head: "In the first year of Longqing, the master rectified the monks and Taoists in the capital. Even the serious Buddhist disciples did not dare to go north easily, let alone this group of money-swindling Lahuhui."

"That's right." Everyone nodded in praise.

Hai Rui, who had been listening silently, suddenly spoke up: "Brother Fang, is there any chance for us to infiltrate this Lahu Society and head south together?"

Everyone was stunned.

(End of this chapter)