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

Chapter 791 Smashing Open the Mountain Gate
It's already December in the blink of an eye.

Mount Song, Shaoshi Mountain, is covered with snow-covered forests.

The cold wind carried a biting chill.

Li Yi reined in his horse and gazed at the majestic Shaolin Temple gate in the distance.

On his way from Luoyang, he had heard far too many people privately cursing those wolves in cassocks.

The tragic experiences of the hundreds of tenant farmers on the more than 20,000 mu of farmland and medicinal gardens in Wuguwu make it difficult to have any respect for this place anymore.

The faint howls of wolves could be heard coming from the distant mountains.

The Shaolin Temple gates were tightly closed.
The plaque of the imperial temple, built by imperial decree, gleamed coldly in the winter sun.

Three hundred imperial guards, clad in dark, gleaming armor, stood silently.

The banners fluttered in the wind.

Behind Li Yi,

There were also three thousand soldiers transferred from Luoyang and other places.

The six cavalry generals who came to receive the order were all former subordinates of Li Yi, and Liu Heizi, Luo Dafu, and Xiao Shisan were Li Yi's confidants.

Looking at the tightly closed door, a cold smile appeared on Li Yi's lips.

Snowflakes drifted down.
The ground was covered in silvery white.
This year we finally had a decent snowfall.

“Situ, those bald thieves dare to stay inside. Let me, Old Hei, lead my brothers in and storm in, leaving no one alive. None of these bald thieves are good people. Killing them all wouldn’t be a mistake.”

Liu Heizi spurred his horse and arrived in front of Li Yi. This man, now a fourth-rank cavalry general in a cavalry prefecture near Luoyang, was burly and had the bearing of a fierce general when he donned his armor.

Having just been one step away from becoming a third-rank noble, he immediately mustered his troops and marched over after receiving Li Yi's order.

“Young man of Lantian County, don’t be anxious. We are government soldiers, not some mountain bandits or horse brigands.”

"Knock on the door!"

Liu Heizi chuckled, "It sounds more affectionate to call me Lao Hei, Situ." With that, he kicked his horse's flank and personally rushed forward to knock on the door.

His voice was booming.
"The Grand Minister of Works of the Tang Dynasty, the Chancellor of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, the Imperial Envoy for the Customs of Shandong Taoist Temples, the Pillar of State, and the Prince of Wei, Li Xiang, has arrived."

Abbot Shanhu, Master Zhicao, and all others of Shaolin Temple, quickly open the mountain gates to welcome Your Majesty!

The sound echoed in the wind.
The temple was deathly silent, with no response.

Liu Heizi chuckled coldly twice, pulled a whistling arrow from his bow, and drew the bowstring taut like a full moon.

Release the bowstring, and the arrow flies like a shooting star.
The whistling arrow still made a sharp sound in the air.

"Listen up, monks! If you don't open the temple gates soon, the next arrow will be a fire arrow!"

at last,

The side door creaked open a crack.

A monk cautiously peeked out, saying, "Gentlemen, the Venerable Abbot Shanhu is currently meditating facing a wall in the Bodhidharma Cave behind the temple."

Abbot Zhicao has recently caught a cold and is currently recuperating in bed.

Please forgive me, but I am truly unable to accommodate you!

"Please, please come another day."

"Hahaha, do you think we're here to burn incense and worship Buddha? Open your dog eyes and prick up your dog ears, look carefully and listen carefully!"
The one in front of you
They were the three highest officials of the imperial court, the prime minister, and imperial envoys.

Now that your inspection team has come to your Shaolin Temple, why don't you quickly open the mountain gates to welcome them?

"If you hesitate even a little longer, I will destroy your mountain gate and raze the temple to the ground."

The monk in charge of reception turned pale with fright and quickly shrank back, slamming the small door shut with a creak.

A response came from inside: "Please wait a moment, everyone. This humble monk will go and inform them."

Li Yi looked at the tightly closed mountain gate.

He snorted twice, "Trying to play the coward after all, Blackie, break down the door!"

"The mountain does not see me, but I see the mountain!"

Liu Heizi waved excitedly, "Kids, what are you all standing there for? Break down the door! Anyone who resists, take them all down!"

A group of Luoyang soldiers charged forward, yelling.

In the dead of winter, they were urgently assembled and marched over a hundred miles through wind and rain to get here. Because they were summoned by Minister Li, everyone was excited along the way.

Many of these soldiers were Li Yi's subordinates when he conquered Henan. In particular, many of the officers were promoted and retained to official positions after the pacification of Henan and the establishment of new military prefectures.

Everyone had only one thought about Li Yi, their old boss: following him would never be a loss, and they would always have something to gain.

Now that Liu Biaoqi has secured the opportunity for everyone to attack the mountain gate, what are we waiting for? There are several thousand men here.

This time, not only were there several hundred imperial guards from Chang'an,
The three thousand soldiers from Henan Prefecture came from seven or eight military prefectures, and none of them wanted to show off in front of Prime Minister Li.

Liu Heizi's two regiments, totaling four hundred men, charged towards the temple with roars of excitement.

The archers drew their bows and began firing suppressive shots into the wall, while the swordsmen and shieldmen erected a shield wall in front to protect their position.
The other soldiers quickly formed human ladders in front of the temple wall in squads and swiftly climbed over the wall.

The gate and surrounding walls of a temple are not very high.

There are five hundred warrior monks in the temple.
But Shaolin never considered direct confrontation.

A burst of noise,
Liu Heizi's soldiers had already scaled the wall and entered.

Soon, the sounds of fighting came from inside.

After a while,
The temple gates were wide open.

The mountain gate was captured.

Liu Heizi picked up a horse spear and led a squad of personal guards and cavalry straight in.

The area inside the gate was quickly cleared.

Li Yi urged his horse forward and slowly passed through the temple gate.
Outside the door lay a number of monks lying haphazardly. These men were young and strong, carrying sticks and shields, numbering about several dozen, but they had all been knocked to the ground.

Li Yi looked at the group of martial monks.

Poker face.

"Tie them all up! Anyone who resists will be killed!" Liu Heizi ordered viciously.

At this time,

Finally, a large number of monks arrived on the mountain.

In front were grey-robed monks carrying shields and clubs, and behind them were several purple-robed monks.

"Amitabha!
"This humble monk is seriously ill and was unaware of your arrival, Minister. I have failed to greet you properly and beg your forgiveness!"

"Halt!" Liu Heizi shouted, waving his hand. His men, menacing and menacing, blocked their way. "Who are you? State your name at once!"

A barely perceptible glint of sinister intent flashed in the eyes of the temple master, Shisao.

"This humble monk, Abbot Zhicao of Shaolin Temple, did not mean to be negligent. He has recently caught a cold and is currently resting in bed after taking medicine."

"Please forgive me, Situ!"

Li Yi merely looked down at the monk from his horse. Although he was only the second of the three senior monks in the temple, it was said that the senior monk Shanhu was old and had devoted himself to translating scriptures and meditating since the Sui Dynasty. He had entrusted the temple affairs to the abbot Zhicao.

At the end of the Daye era, Shaolin Temple was destroyed in the war.
Finally, seeing that Wang Shichong was about to be defeated, it was only under Zhicao's strong advocacy that the thirteen monks entered Huanzhou, captured Wang Renzhe, and brought him back to Tang.

In recent years, Zhicao has still been in charge of the temple's affairs, and the legend of the thirteen monks saving the King of Qin is also attributed to him.

When Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou suppressed Buddhism, Shaolin Temple was destroyed for the second time after the Northern Wei Dynasty destroyed it. However, Emperor Wen of Sui Dynasty was a devout Buddhist, and under the guidance of Shan Hu, Shaolin Temple was restored to its original name and rebuilt.

However, Shaolin's resurgence was largely due to Zhicao's efforts.

He extensively acquired land, took in displaced people, lent money and pawned goods, even built medicinal gardens and opened pharmacies, and trained martial monks to act as bodyguards for powerful and wealthy people, making Shaolin a famous temple in Henan during the Sui Dynasty, on par with Baima Temple.

Even after being robbed and burned by Wang Shichong at the end of the Daye era, Shaolin was able to seize the opportunity to bet on the Tang Dynasty, quickly turn the tide, rebuild the temple, and even use the story of the thirteen monks saving the Prince of Qin to make Shaolin's status even more exalted.

Business is booming.

"This humble monk has already prepared tea in the temple. Please, Situ, come in and rest."

Li Yi's gaze swept over the warrior monks behind Zhi Cao, whose eyes were sharp and whose temples were slightly bulging, and he understood.

This was a trap.

Li Yi chuckled inwardly, having already anticipated that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; the most skilled hunters often appear as the prey.

"Alright, I'll taste your Shaolin tea and see if it's bitter or astringent."

(End of this chapter)