A Good Landlord in the Tang Dynasty: Starting from the Village Chief

Chapter 752 Taiji Palace

The evening drum has already sounded.
One thud after another.

The city gates and neighborhood gates are about to close.

In front of the Taiji Palace gate,
The palace guards stood at attention.

Wearing a purple kasaya, Abbot Faya of Huadu Temple rode a tall horse, followed by a group of warrior monks, and appeared in front of the palace gates that were about to close.

"This humble monk wishes to enter the palace to meet the Emperor!"

He revealed the golden fish tally bestowed by the retired emperor.

The gatekeeper on duty recognized the monk. In Chang'an, some people called him a master or a high monk, while others called him a demonic monk.

He still took the fish-shaped talisman and examined it carefully.

The gold fish-shaped tally was only awarded to officials of the third rank or above.

A monk, yet he also possessed one.

He wore a purple kasaya, had a goldfish pouch at his waist, and a goldfish talisman in his hand.

“Master Faya, the palace gates are about to be locked, and the Emperor Emeritus must be resting soon. What brings you here...?”

"The palace gates are not yet locked. This humble monk has important business to attend to and needs to see the Emperor immediately."

His Majesty bestowed this golden fish charm upon this humble monk, granting him the privilege of entering the palace to meet the Emperor at any time. Why are you obstructing him?

When Faya faced the city gatekeeper, his tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable air of authority.

The city gatekeeper hesitated.
Since the Li Xiaogong rebellion, many guards at Taiji Palace have been replaced, and security has been strengthened.

At this point, Faya's desire to enter the palace put him in a difficult position.

"Please wait a moment, Zen Master, while I consult General Zhang!"

"General Zhang, which General Zhang? Is it Zhang Shigui, the Right Garrison Commander?"

"It's General Zhang, the Right Gatekeeper," the gatekeeper replied. He dared not be careless; one of his colleagues, Wei Yuanzheng, a member of the Wei family of Jingzhao, had married the Empress's niece, a member of the Wang family of Taiyuan. Not long ago, Wei Yuanzheng had been implicated in a treason case.

He ended up being dismissed from his post and removed from his official position.

His family background wasn't as impressive as Wei Yuanzheng's.

"Go ahead, don't delay this monk's important business!"

The city gatekeeper hurried off to see Zhang Anan.
Zhang Anan, dressed in a purple official robe, was checking the list of personnel on duty for the day in a room not far from the palace gate.

Since that incident, Zhang Anan has been stationed at Taiji Palace every day.

As soon as the gatekeeper entered, the gaunt-faced eunuch looked up at him, his eyes sharp as an eagle's.

"Why aren't you on duty at the palace gate? What are you doing here?" The sword saint eunuch's voice wasn't loud, but it made all the eunuchs and guards present straighten up.

Every day, ten riders were sent to serve him by imperial decree. In this Taiji Palace, they only obeyed Zhang Anan's orders.

The gatekeeper quickly reported the situation.

After Zhang Anan listened...
His gaze fell on the city gate guard, and that gaze made him feel an invisible pressure, making him dare not meet his eyes.

A moment of silence,

The air seemed to freeze.

at last,

Zhang Anan uttered two words, "Let them pass."

With a wave of his hand

The gatekeeper felt as if he had been granted a pardon and quickly withdrew.

When the gatekeeper arrived at the palace gate, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“Master Faya, please.”

Faya nodded slightly and strode into the dark palace.

Once the center of the empire,
The once solemn and majestic imperial palace now feels somewhat deserted, with the number of palace servants reduced time and again, and even the number of guards diminished.

East Palace.

Li Shimin was still reading the memorial.

Pingzhang Li Yi sat to one side.

The emperor was secretly alarmed as he looked through the confiscated property of Li Xiaochang and others.

These people are too rich.

Five families confiscated thousands of acres of farmland.

There were several thousand slaves.

It's terrifying to see.

If the four families of Changsun Shunde were also raided, the result would probably be the same.

"Wu Yi, do you think I'm being a bit too soft-hearted?"

Some people advised me to take this opportunity to clean up the rebellion. I have been on the throne for 100 days, so it is time to do so.

Pei Ji, Li Yi, and others should all be dealt with.

But in the end, I didn't take action; the case ended rather anticlimactically.

Li Yi said, "I think Your Majesty did the right thing. The important thing is to make an example of someone to warn others, not necessarily to start a bloodbath."

His Majesty has always maintained excellent control over the court and the realm.
The situation is currently stable, but a proper warning is necessary.

There's no need to be too extreme.

Governing a large country is like cooking a small fish—it's about stability.

"This time, the case of Li Xiaochang's rebellion was dealt with only briefly. Eight people were beheaded, five were exiled, and thirteen were dismissed from their posts. This was enough to deter people from taking action."

"If Your Majesty doesn't kill them, the people of the world will only praise Your Majesty for your wisdom and benevolence." Li Yi knew that the one who advised Li Shimin to carry out a thorough purge was definitely Changsun Wuji.

This brother-in-law of the emperor had even previously been willing to sacrifice his own family for the greater good, asking the emperor to execute Changsun Anye directly, and even to have Changsun Anye's entire family executed.

That was indeed his older brother, but Changsun Wuji still harbored resentment because when their father died, Changsun Anye and his brothers drove him and his mother out of the house.

He never forgave them, even though his two older brothers had died long ago.

He also refused to let go of the old grudge against his third brother. Given the chance, he would want to kill An Ye first, and even kill his son.

As for his uncle, Changsun Shunde, Changsun Wuji wouldn't mind killing him along with him.

That's a ruthless person.
Moreover, he's a ruthless person who holds grudges.

Changsun Da Pangzi is like a honey badger; once you make an enemy of him, it's a fight to the death.

Li Yi even vaguely guessed that Changsun Wuji might use this rebellion case as an opportunity to attack him.

only,
At this stage, the emperor trusts him unconditionally.

Just like how the emperor trusted Changsun Wuji.

Changsun Wuji was quite happy to carry out purges, implicate relatives, and even expand the purge. He couldn't be more eager to remove Li Yi from the Council of State, so that the central structure would change drastically and he could return to the Council of State.

Li Shimin admired Changsun Wuji's ruthless determination to sacrifice family for the greater good, but in the end he listened to the advice of Li Yi, Du Ruhui, and Fang Xuanling.
Click till.

Although this treason case was actually expanded under the guise of an opportunity.

But it is ultimately controlled within a relatively small scope.

The eunuch came in.
He presented a letter to the emperor.

Li Shimin's expression turned somewhat unpleasant after reading it.

After dismissing the young eunuch, Li Shimin said to Li Yi, "Zhang Anan just sent a letter from Taiji Palace, saying that the monk Faya from Huadu Temple has just entered Taiji Palace."

"That archery expert from the Third Order Sect?" Li Yi asked.

"Yes, it's him. This man is highly favored by the Emperor Emeritus. In the past, he could freely enter and leave the palace, and His Majesty even bestowed palace maids upon him as wives and concubines," Li Shimin said, frowning.

Li Yi had also heard of this Faya; it could be said that no one in Chang'an was unaware of him, as he was very famous.

He was a legendary figure.

Being able to wear a purple kasaya is already extraordinary, not to mention being granted a gold fish charm, which allows him to enter and leave the palace at any time.

It is said that this man was also skilled in riding and archery, and possessed the strength to draw a 300-jin bow. Zhang Shigui, despite his astonishing strength, could only draw a 150-jin bow.
This monk can even uproot a willow tree.

Not only that,

He was also an excellent orator and very eloquent.

During the Wude reign, Buddhism and Taoism were fiercely at odds, attacking each other. Li Yuan organized several grand debates between eminent monks and Taoist priests. This Fa Ya was able to debate several people at once.

He was not only a guest of honor of the emperor
He had excellent relationships with many powerful figures in the court and could directly enter and leave their homes, such as Minister of Works Pei Ji and former Prime Minister Xiao Yu.

This monk, who indulged in wine and meat, was also one of the wealthiest people in Chang'an.

The Three Stages Sect was once declared illegal and suppressed as a cult during the Sui Dynasty. However, after the chaos of the Sui Dynasty, it flourished even more, attracting countless followers.

Its Wujinzang Temple is so wealthy that it is said to be richer than a country.

The Three-Tier Sect is currently the leading sect in Buddhism, possessing immense power and a vast number of followers.

Li Yi had never liked Tang Dynasty monks, and he especially disliked the sinister Three Stages Sect.
Nowadays, temples are economically prosperous, and it is common for monks to eat meat, drink alcohol, marry wives, have concubines, and have children. The Three Stages Sect is particularly outstanding in making money.

Previously, Xinxing founded the Three Stages Sect. He was an ascetic monk, and his teachings were excellent.

But the current Three-Tier Cult,
From the perspective of the imperial court,

This is a huge boil.

"I have heard that Faya has close ties with Pei Ji, Xiao Yu and others. In his Huadu Temple, there are even two hundred monks who were approved by Your Majesty, equipped with the full set of armor, weapons and warhorses of the Emperor's Imperial Guard."

Li Yi's words made Li Shimin frown even more.

"I have also heard that Huadu Temple owns tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, and its inexhaustible treasury receives countless donations every year. From the imperial relatives and nobles to the common people, everyone is eager to donate."

They accepted alms, then used the proceeds to buy land and recruit displaced people and hidden households as tenants, even keeping slaves. They not only rented out land but also engaged in lending, pawnbroking, and operating mills, oil presses, inns, and so on.

Even many self-cultivating farmers and small landowners entrusted their land to temples, receiving a portion of the harvest each year in return, thus escaping state taxes and corvée labor.

The Three Ranks Sect has many temples in Chang'an, and many temples also have Three Ranks Courtyards.

"In recent years, the Three Ranks Sect has expanded rapidly in both Guanzhong and Guanzhong areas, building temples and buying land everywhere..."

The emperor's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened.

"Your Majesty, even many eminent monks and virtuous masters in Buddhism believe that the current Three Stages Sect has deviated from the principles of faith and practice and has gone astray."

"We can start with Faya and start addressing this festering sore that is the Third Order Church."

Li Shimin hesitated.

Although Buddhism was suppressed during the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou, it was only a few decades ago.

However, Buddhism's power, especially its influence, is now enormous.

Even Li Shimin dared not easily make a move here.

"Your Majesty, instead of targeting the entire Buddhist sect, we should only focus on the Three-Tiered Sect of Fayacha. Currently, the Three-Tiered Sect is besieged by other sects of Buddhism, but we have been unable to defeat them."

If the imperial court were to intervene, the various sects of Buddhism would be happy to see it.

Li Yi added fuel to the fire, saying, "The Endless Treasury of the Third Order Sect is said to be as wealthy as a country. If the Third Order Sect is banned, its Endless Treasury's wealth is confiscated, and its land is seized, the current financial difficulties of the imperial court can be immediately resolved."
It also allows the acquisition of a large number of hidden tenant farmers and slaves as clients of the state...

"Although we haven't reached the point where Emperor Wu of Zhou suppressed Buddhism back then, banning the Three Stages Sect and rectifying the various bad practices within Buddhism is an urgent matter."

After hesitating for a long time, Li Shimin

He summoned a rider of one hundred.
"You shall immediately lead a troop of a hundred cavalry to the Taiji Palace. Once Faya leaves the palace, arrest him and imprison him."

(End of this chapter)