Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 111: The monks' rebellion failed in ten years

The next morning, a memorial from Liu Chun, the Censor of the Ministry of Rites, made the quiet city of Beijing lively again.

"I have heard that the greatness of a country lies in the people's livelihood; the victory of a religion lies in virtue. Today's Buddhism has been passed down for thousands of years and has many believers. However, there are sometimes speculators who escape into the monastery to avoid corvée. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to a loss of national tax revenue. If the tax revenue is lost, the national treasury will be in deficit, and if the national treasury is in deficit, the country will be exhausted and the people will be in turmoil.

Therefore, I request Your Majesty to examine Buddhists and order those who fail to meet the requirements to return to their hometowns to cultivate the land to replenish the national treasury."

Soon after, the six ministries and the Censorate all followed with memorials.

Zhang Juzheng imitated the emperor's tone and wrote: "Your words are very relevant to current affairs. I approve your proposal."

As soon as the draft was sent to the Western Warm Pavilion, the emperor would write his comments in red without changing the text, and then send the contents of the memorial to all prefectures and cities through the Ministry of Public Administration.

In order to prevent monks from all prefectures and cities from causing trouble in the capital, Zhang Juzheng also issued orders to local officials, stating that if any monks ran to the capital, the local officials would be punished.

As soon as this order was issued, local officials everywhere felt as if they were facing a great enemy. They dispatched officials to guard the roads, fearing that even one person would be let escape.

However, although monks from all over the country could not come to the capital, there were more than 5,000 monks near the capital alone.

What would they do if they heard that someone was trying to destroy their jobs?

He stopped reciting the sutras and ringing the bells, and instead shouted that he wanted to go to the Forbidden City to ask for mercy.

Only five days had passed since Zhang Juzheng issued the order to dismiss monks, and thousands of monks in Beijing, together with the people who sympathized with the monks, gathered together and showed signs of rioting.

In front of Zhaoning Temple, a fat monk, filled with righteous indignation, stood on a makeshift platform.

Below, it was crowded with monks and nearby Buddhist believers.

The fat monk glanced at the people below, then rolled up his sleeves and shouted, "Everyone, we have been chanting sutras for almost half our lives. Now someone doesn't allow us to chant sutras. What do you think we should do?!"

"Go and ask the Queen Mother to make the decision for us!"

"Yes, go and tell the Empress Dowager that I have been a monk for twenty years. Even when Emperor Jiajing was alive, he did not let me return to secular life. Who does Zhang Juzheng think he is to ask me to return to secular life?!"

"That's right. We worship Buddha and pray for the Ming Dynasty. If we were gone, you can see how chaotic the Ming Dynasty would be. If no one worships Buddha, how can the world not be in chaos?"

Just as the crowd was shouting happily, a team of over a thousand people came running in from outside.

Han San rode his horse in the front.

As soon as he arrived in front of Zhaoning Temple, he waved his hand and thousands of soldiers and horses quickly deployed and surrounded Zhaoning Temple.

Looking at these soldiers with swords and guns, the monks were a little afraid. They covered their mouths and took a few steps back.

"Weren't you shouting happily just now? Now that I'm here, we've all become mute. Keep talking." Han San crossed his arms and walked towards the fat monk who was leading the group, smiling. The people on both sides tactfully made way for him.

"You lackeys will go to hell after you die." Seeing his momentum collapse, the fat monk pointed at Han San and cursed.

"I don't know whether I will go to hell or not." Han San shook his head and grinned, "But if you continue to gather here and slander the imperial court, I will send you to see the Buddha now."

As soon as Han San finished speaking, it was obvious that there was a huge commotion below.

"Arrogant, lunatic."

"Who do you think you are? You're just someone else's dog."

"You don't want to be a good person, but run away to be someone's dog. If I were your parents, I would have wanted to kill you right from the beginning."

"."

Han San ignored the curses. He patted the snow on his shoulders, pointed his knife at the fat monk on the platform and said, "I'll give you a quarter of an hour. If these people don't disperse, you are the main culprit and we will find you."

"Why?"

"Just based on the clothes we are wearing."

The fat monk was in a dilemma. He was the organizer. If he dispersed like this, how would he save face in the future?
If I don't disperse, what if this guy really catches me? Wouldn't I be in big trouble?

For a moment, he stood there, not knowing whether to move forward or backward.

Han San already had an idea in his mind. He stepped onto the platform in a few steps, looked at the monks and believers below and said, "You have misunderstood the Prime Minister's decree. The Prime Minister is not asking all monks to return to secular life, but to pass the assessment."

"As long as you pass the test, you can continue to recite your sutras. The Prime Minister will never stop you."

"What is the assessment?!" a middle-aged monk asked with his neck stretched.

"You are a monk, so what do you want to be assessed on? Even we, as soldiers, know that it must be an assessment of what you monks have learned in your daily life. As long as you are sincere in your devotion to Buddhism, you will definitely pass the assessment." Han San glanced at the man and replied solemnly.

"What if we fail the test?" a timid voice sounded again.

"If you can't pass the assessment, go home. When you pass the assessment, you can become a monk again!" Han San's face turned cold, and he couldn't help but sneered, "You can't even pass the assessment, and you dare to say that you are sincere in Buddhism? What kind of Buddhism are you praying to?"

The believers around also came to their senses and realized that it was not about getting rid of monks, but about finding pests.

As long as one is sincere to Buddhism and has a clear mind, there is naturally nothing to worry about.

If a monk has distracting thoughts in his mind, it means that he is not sincere in worshiping Buddha. It is a waste of food for the court to keep such a monk.

"This official is right. As long as you are sincere to Buddha, Buddha will not abandon his believers."

"This damn weather is so cold, forget it, let's go home, let's go home."

"Ah, there's something cooking in my pot. I have to go back and check it out!"

In an instant, the originally bustling square became deserted.

The monks who had gathered on weekdays dispersed in an orderly manner and picked up the Buddhist scriptures to study hard. As for those who were just filling in the numbers, they all had sad faces, as if their parents had died.

Han San tilted his head, looked at the fat monk beside him, and said jokingly: "How about we stay here with you?"

"No, that's not necessary." The fat on the fat monk's face trembled and his voice began to tremble as well.

Han San patted the fat monk on the shoulder, turned around and walked down the platform, and ordered the surrounding soldiers: "Leave a hundred of you to guard here and protect the safety of these monks."

"Yes." A captain responded respectfully.

A few steps out of the temple, Han San led his men to continue sweeping the West City, while other officers and soldiers cooperated with him in the other cities.

After some beating and communication, the monks were divided into two groups. One group was the serious monks who were sincere in their devotion to Buddhism.

They were hardly affected at all, perhaps because there were fewer people so they got more.

The other group consists of those who are just filling in the numbers and paid money to join Buddhism.

The days that followed were just day-to-day, living one day at a time.

I guess he can’t even memorize the first page of the Buddhist scriptures.

For five or six days in a row.

The cold wind in Beijing was cold enough to bite people's ears. The monks who were making trouble were afraid of the cold, and with the soldiers surrounding them, they retreated to the temples.

There are those who curse openly and speak sarcastically to the Prime Minister.

Some people make little paper figures.

There are also those who are plotting to do something big.

Zhang Yunxiu didn't care about it at all. When he finally had some free time, he invited Zheng Guotai to his yard to eat meat and watch the snow to strengthen their relationship.

I saw two people sitting under a four-cornered pavilion.

There was a stone table in the middle, with a small copper stove in the middle of the table, and lamb as thin as a cicada's wing placed on both sides.

As the hot steam rose, Zhang Yunxiu picked up a piece of mutton and put it into his mouth. He felt warm from top to bottom.

"Hoo hoo, Brother Zhang, this mutton hotpot is so tender. This is the first time I eat such tender mutton." After taking two deep breaths, Zheng Guotai swallowed the mutton in one gulp.

The two of them ate back and forth, and soon they were sweating profusely.

After wiping the sweat off his forehead, Zhang Yunxiu unbuttoned his shirt and replied with a smile, "If you like, Brother Zheng, we can give you a few fat sheep. We bought them from the Tatars."

"That's great." Zheng Guotai swallowed a mouthful of mutton and replied with a red face.

"Is Concubine Zheng doing well recently?" Zhang Yunxiu asked casually.

"It's fine. The emperor gave me a reward a few days ago." Zheng Guotai said, groping around his waist for a while and took out a jade pendant. "Look, this is what my brother-in-law gave me."

"It is indeed a piece of beautiful jade." Zhang Yunxiu complimented with a smile.

"That's all thanks to you, brother. If it weren't for you, I don't know when we would have been able to succeed."

"Brother Zheng, you are too polite. I am afraid we don't deserve this."

"Don't pretend. My sister says you are great and can help the emperor make money. You are in the emperor's heart." Zheng Guotai put down his chopsticks, held Zhang Yunxiu's wrist with his left hand, stared into his eyes and said, "Brother Zhang, to be honest, we are poor recently. The rewards given by the emperor are really not enough for us."

"Everyone says that you, Brother Zhang, are the God of Wealth. Let's come and get some favors from you, the God of Wealth."

"These are just rumors. Don't believe them." Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head. He added, "However, if Brother Zheng is short of money, I can find you a profitable business."

"What business?" Zheng Guotai suddenly became interested.

"It's this mutton." Zhang Yunxiu smiled and picked up a piece of mutton and swallowed it down his throat.

"You mean, let us open a restaurant?" Zheng Guotai asked tentatively.

"Yes, there are not many hotpot restaurants in Beijing. If you can open a few more, you will definitely make a lot of money in the future."

"But...but I've never opened a restaurant before. What if I lose money? What will we do?"

Do you really want to get it for free?

Zhang Yunxiu complained in his heart, but smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't lose money. If you are still worried, how about this, you pay half of the money, and we can open a shop together."

"Okay, since Brother Zhang is so courageous, let's follow Brother Zhang to make money." Zheng Guotai nodded in agreement.

The two of them ate their fill in the snow and were about to say goodbye when Han San hurriedly rushed into the courtyard.

Seeing Zhang Yunxiu, Han San said in a low voice: "Sir, something happened."

"What's the matter?" Zhang Yunxiu asked.

"Two old monks hanged themselves." Han San replied with a fist salute.

Zhang Yunxiu knew that the matter needed to be handled with caution, so he did not dare to delay and went straight to the scene.

When we arrived at the place, before we walked in, we saw from afar a large group of people gathered outside the temple.

A heart-wrenching sound came from inside.

“Let us go. Let us go!!”

Han San walked in front, shouting loudly in a hoarse voice.

The monks on both sides made way and watched Zhang Yunxiu walk to the front. At this time, Zhang Yunxiu could finally see the two people on the ground clearly.

They are all old monks with thin bones and gray eyebrows.

"When did he die?" Zhang Yunxiu asked the guarding soldier with a frown.

"Late last night, these two monks failed the assessment and should be ordered to return to secular life, so they hanged themselves." The soldier in charge of the survey clasped his fists and replied respectfully.

"Graceful burial"

"Yes."

After a simple deal, Zhang Yunxiu walked out of the hall. Han San couldn't help but complain, "It's really damn unlucky to run into this so early in the morning. Tell me, if you can't pass the assessment, won't you just return to secular life?"

"You don't understand." Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and continued, "They have been monks for most of their lives. If they are suddenly not allowed to be monks, they will find themselves useless. Here they can still ring the bell."

"Outside, they are just two old men."

Han San sighed: "Alas, now these monks are going to take this opportunity to cause trouble again."

(End of this chapter)