A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 356 This Calamity Was Destined (Seeking Monthly Tickets at the End of the Month)

These words immediately attracted everyone's attention.

I wonder where this person gets their confidence from?
A thousand strings of cash would be enough to cause an uproar.

He, an outsider, dared to borrow two thousand strings of cash.

Wang Gui wanted to see how he planned to fabricate such nonsense.

After all, the tattoo on his face hadn't been removed.

Even if he fabricates a story about a local, no one will believe him.

The monk's lips twitched slightly. Sure enough, he was a convict; he dared to speak up.

"May I ask why this benefactor wishes to borrow two thousand strings of cash?"

"I am skilled in archery and horsemanship, and I am invincible in the camp. I am a personal guard appointed by the Emperor."

Di Qing said extremely arrogantly:

"If you have that ability, can't I borrow two thousand strings of cash at the Great Xiangguo Temple?"

Upon hearing that this rather handsome convict was invincible in the army, they were astonished.

He must have had several lives on his hands to be captured and brought to Tokyo to serve as a member of the Imperial Guard.

In the current situation, it would be difficult to refuse someone like that.

If it weren't for the incident with the Imperial City Guard, they really wouldn't have taken a bunch of thieves and convicts seriously.

But now that these imperial guards have all come together, the deeper meaning behind it must be investigated.

"Does the benefactor truly wish to borrow two thousand strings of cash?"

"of course."

Di Qing's face held a threatening look. "If you dare not lend it to me, I'll flip your table and make a big scene."

Twelfth Brother can handle it!
"can."

The monk usually deals in big business.

He didn't care about a thousand or two thousand strings of cash, but hesitated because his account books had been confiscated.

After all, it hasn't even been a century since Emperor Shizong of Zhou suppressed Buddhism.

Now that this has happened, it's hard not to have some doubts.

However, the more people borrow at exorbitant interest rates, the happier the lenders are, because they will receive more interest after a month.

If you can't pay it back, the interest will snowball.

Di Qing had clearly never seen a lot of money before.

Because the gold twig that Song Xuan gave him was only worth ten taels.

Di Qing truly didn't expect it to be approved so readily.

So he secretly regretted not speaking more.

After all, this is Tokyo, and a thousand strings of cash isn't much.

A good meal at Fanlou will burn off the calories.

So Di Qing also made up a bunch of nonsense based on the information he received when it came to lending money.

He stood aside, waiting to receive his money, just like Wang Gui.

Wang Gui secretly gave him a thumbs up, while Di Qing felt a little annoyed that he hadn't been able to help his twelfth brother.

These bald monks are quite tolerant.

Di Qing believed that the old monk could see that they had borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates and had no intention of repaying it, but he still chose to let the matter rest, which showed his remarkable patience.

The Imperial Guards following behind them followed suit diligently, borrowing only between one and two thousand strings of cash, with no amounts exceeding or falling below this limit.

The main reason is that no one else knows that it was Song Xuan's doing, and neither of them will take the initiative to tell others.

It would be extremely unwise if it ruined Song Xuan's plan.

Then, this group of people, carrying bulging bags of gold, didn't feel the weight at all, and went straight to the Privy Council after leaving the Great Xiangguo Temple.

Wang Gui had actually seen so much gold before. After Song Xuan made money, he got into the habit of exchanging some copper coins for gold so that he could carry it around more easily.

However, none of the others had ever seen it before, so they were naturally very excited.

People kept asking if the money really didn't need to be repaid.

Wang Gui told them all to keep quiet, as there were too many people on the street and it would be noisy.

What if it ruins the loans for the other brothers?
We've gotten to eat meat, but if it means our brothers who come after us won't be able to eat meat.

Wouldn't that turn a good thing into a bad thing?
Everyone agreed with Wang Gui's words, and carrying their bundles, they went straight to the Privy Council without saying a word.

It wasn't just that some people went to Daxiangguo Temple; these people were scattered around.

At this time, several queues had already formed at the Privy Council.

The main approach is to go in waves, and everyone can vouch for each other.

At this point, they were simultaneously settling loan documents and counting money.

Because some people don't need all gold.

Although I have to contribute half of my money, the other half is free, so I'm still happy.

In this way, the Privy Council took over the soldiers' usurious loans.

This is essentially a way of giving them benefits.

Wang Gui, having quickly completed the transaction with the gold token, simply watched the spectacle from the sidelines.

He noticed that the other side was surrounded by people, with no sign of a queue, so he went over there.

Many imperial guards gathered around and listened to the man preach that if it was inconvenient to carry money with them, they could deposit it with him.

Tao Hong patiently explained things here, while others were busy.

Interest will be paid each month, and you can usually withdraw the interest after the month is over.

This contract was made in triplicate: one copy for the owner, one copy for their accounting records, and the third copy for the Kaifeng County government to keep on file in case of future problems.

This kind of situation is extremely common.

Many wealthy families deposited their money in the Longevity Treasury of the Great Xiangguo Temple to earn interest.

Upon recognizing Tao Hong, Wang Gui immediately pushed his way into the crowd and slammed his gold pendant onto the table.
"I want to save money."

The many imperial guards were momentarily stunned when they saw Wang Gui's striking golden turban and his immediate and decisive action.

Does he really trust this person that much?
However, if you think about it, the fact that this person can appear in the Privy Council and openly promote his business already indicates that he has connections.

Otherwise, how could an ordinary person even get into the Privy Council?

With Wang Gui taking the lead, some soldiers also followed suit and wanted to save money.

Cao Liyong stood in the hall, looking at the lively scene outside.

"Aren't you all going to join in the fun?"

Zhang Qi stroked his beard and said:
"I don't care about this little bit of money, but we still have something to deal with next."

"what's up?"

"Something your son-in-law didn't expect."

"Oh?"

Zhang Qi stopped keeping everyone in suspense:
"Even the longevity treasury of the Great Xiangguo Temple has many wealthy families who send money there for lending. If we were to take all the money, and these monks were to use us as scapegoats, we would probably face a lot of trouble."

"You don't have to worry about that."

Cao Li said nonchalantly:
"At that time, we can just show them the ledgers. Will the interest they pay be the same as the interest they get from usury?"

Zhang Qi breathed a sigh of relief. That made sense; perhaps it was normal for them to fight amongst themselves.

"fair enough."

“My son-in-law also said that once this happens, he won’t need to publicize it; a large number of people will definitely go to get their principal back.”

"At that time, the usury businesses of several temples, including Daxiangguo Temple, will either die or be crippled."

Zhang Qi had never experienced a run on the bank like this before.

So he couldn't imagine what the problem was.

On the one hand, they lend out large amounts of money, and on the other hand, they withdraw large amounts of money.

It will inevitably deplete some of the wealth that Daxiangguo Temple has accumulated over the years.

As for how much wealth they have accumulated over the years, you can't even imagine it.

Zhang Qi saw Song Xuan walking back from the crowd to cool off.

"Nephew, you really have a way with things. These bald monks are probably going to hate you to death."

"Who wouldn't want to find money lying around?"

Song Xuan patted his clothes:

"Besides, we are officials, is it difficult for us to promulgate a law?"

Zhang Qi used to have a biased view of scholars.

The filter is even stronger for a top scholar like Song Xuan, who achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations.

However, he discovered that Song Xuan was also ruthless and unscrupulous in his dealings with people.

The main principle is to be flexible in doing things, as long as it does not violate the laws of the Song Dynasty.

Generally speaking, the moral bottom line required by law is not high.

Song Xuan found Zhang Qi's words rather strange. Was it because he was in a position too high, detached from ordinary people and out of touch with reality?

Don't underestimate the power of a county magistrate.

This thing alone is enough to make many people in Tokyo lower their proud heads.

His words carried even more weight than those of the officials in the imperial court.

What good is a high-ranking official position if you can't control the common people? If you want to get rid of someone, you can only do so by abusing your power.

Unlike Song Xuan, who, within reasonable limits, directly harms ordinary people like you.

To put it bluntly, is it really that uncommon for those in power to legitimately infringe upon the interests of the people of the Song Dynasty?

Throughout history, power has only been accountable to the source of its power.

If these monks cause trouble, it will be even easier to extract money from them.

An excuse that was eagerly offered.

The persecution of Buddhism by Emperor Shizong of Zhou must have been experienced by many, from former novice monks to now highly accomplished monks.

After Song Xuan finished speaking, he didn't ask Zhang Qi any questions in return.

Because he felt that debating was meaningless.

"Indeed."

Zhang Qi watched as the imperial guards went to borrow money, and the temples dared not refuse.
Aren't you afraid they'll retaliate against you?

"To get revenge on me?"

Song Xuan looked at Zhang Qi with extreme surprise once again:
"They've driven ordinary people to the brink of ruin and death without fear of retaliation, yet all I did was make them cough up a little blood, and they can't handle it?"

"Doesn't their Buddha say that if someone hurts you, don't retaliate, because karma is a cycle?"

"I was just following the government's instructions and putting their Buddhist theories into practice, so they should support me."

Zhang Qi: ? ? ?

Xia Song was also dumbfounded. He really didn't expect that Song Xuan even knew a little about Buddhist theories.

And it actually makes a lot of sense!
Yan Shu tried hard to keep his composure and not laugh out loud.

Not only were their arguments reasonable and well-founded, but they also directly used the emperor as a shield.

Officials like Song Xuan were extremely rare in the Song Dynasty.

He wants to target you, to force you to first defect to the "troublemaker" position, and then use the laws of the Song Dynasty to strike you hard.

Fortunately, the Song Dynasty is not yet nearing its end, and there are very few instances of people rebelling.

Yan Shu did not believe that those monks would dare to commit treason.

The example of Emperor Zhou Shizong's persecution of Buddhism, and the fact that an old monk still survives in the world, are known to exist.

Yan Shu felt that even if Song Xuan wanted to be like Chao Cuo, the Song Dynasty didn't have the power to force the Emperor to admit to the task of "purging the court of corrupt officials."

Cao Liyong nodded repeatedly:
"That's right, my son-in-law was working for the government; how could that be his personal matter?"

“Back when they were in Nanjing, these students often went to temples to freeload meals and stay overnight. Uncle Yan Tong knew about this. My son-in-law was definitely not targeting Buddhism on purpose.”

"That place called Lingtai Temple is more popular than the Confucius Temple because many students from Yingtian Academy have passed the imperial examinations. They often tell people that my son-in-law and his friends go there to burn incense."

Yan Shu actually returned before Song Xuan passed the imperial examination, and he didn't pay much attention to what was happening there.

Most of the letters were written by Li Di, who took over his work, asking for advice and describing the phenomena in Nanjing.

"That's true."

Yan Shu echoed, then pointed outside and said, "I just don't know how many people will be able to borrow money after the news spreads."

Song Xuan remained silent. Once this money started, it wasn't up to him to decide when it would end.

"Why think so much? Just wait for the results."

Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back: "Even if these Imperial Guards squander money, it still indirectly boosts the economic prosperity of the capital city of Tokyo. It's much better than the temples hoarding all their money."

The group remained silent, but Yan Shu understood a bit of what Song Xuan meant.

However, Xia Song was somewhat puzzled as to why Song Xuan would say such a thing.
Hasn't money become worthless?

The Privy Council and the Secretariat were located within the Imperial City, one on the left and one on the right, allowing them to see each other.

This is also a means of mutual checks and balances.

Lu Yijian was first attracted by the noisy laughter of the Imperial Guards, and then by someone driving a donkey cart to deliver money.

Because not everyone wants gold; they have silver and copper coins too.

Paper money, for example, continued to circulate within Sichuan and was not used in Tokyo.

What exactly are they doing?

Lü Yijian sent someone to investigate, and it took a long time for the official to return.

They are paying money.

"what?"

Even though Lü Yijian was very composed, he was still somewhat bewildered.

Who organized the Imperial Guards to pay money to the Privy Council?

Lü Yijian was even a little unsteady on his feet.

How could Zhang Qi and Cao Liyong be so audacious that even the two civil officials Yan Shu and Xia Song didn't know to stop them or report it?
"What kind of money?"

"They were very stubborn. I inquired for a long time, but no one told me anything. Instead, they kicked me out."

"Lord Wang."

Lü Yijian immediately shouted:
"Something's happened, come with me."

Wang Zeng looked up from his official duties: "What is it?"

"The Privy Council is messing things up."

Lu Yijian realized that although there would be no rebellion, the army would be unable to withstand any other problems.

Wang Zeng was completely unconvinced, believing that Zhang Qi and Cao Liyong were too cowardly to rebel.

As long as it's not a rebellion, the Privy Council can just do its job.

In any case, the two offices are relative, both responsible to the emperor, and the Secretariat has no authority over the Privy Council.

This prevents the abuse of power by any individual.

"So what if we mess around?"

Wang Zeng stood at the door, looking at the bustling scene across the street, which resembled a noisy marketplace. However, he could sense that the Imperial Guards were very happy and did not seem to be involved in any operations.

Moreover, he believed that Yan Shu was a smart man and would definitely report it first if something happened.

Xia Song was no mediocre man either; how could he not stop Zhang Qi and Cao Liyong?

These two are just resting on their laurels and have long lost any ambition or drive for advancement.

“Lord Wang, if we don’t understand the details of this matter, and something serious goes wrong, we will ultimately have to clean up their mess.”

Lü Yijian wanted to control "everything".

Although he hid it well, how could Wang Zeng not know his intentions?

"Alright, alright, I don't have anything important to do anyway, I'll just go visit someone."

Wang Zeng led the way out and headed straight for the Privy Council across the street.

Lü Yijian followed closely behind; he actually wanted Wang Zeng to come forward.

Only in this way can we get Zhang Qi and the others to tell the truth.

With Cao Li in the picture, and given the hostile relationship between the Chen brothers, Lü Yijian subconsciously felt that Cao Li would deceive him.

Once inside the courtyard, Wang Zeng indeed saw a noisy crowd.

Many people were registering, then taking their money, and either left with smiles on their faces or stayed around one of the stalls.

Wang Zeng led Lü Yijian inside and saw them drinking tea.

Upon seeing Song Xuan there, Lü Yijian immediately understood.

Without a doubt, the commotion outside must have been Song Xuan's idea.

"Why has Prime Minister Wang come?"

Zhang Qi smiled as everyone exchanged greetings.

Wang Zeng laughed and said that Prime Minister Lü had come to see what was going on since he saw the commotion at the Privy Council.

Wang Zeng made no attempt to conceal anything from Lü Yijian and spoke the truth directly.

Upon hearing that it was Lü Yijian who wanted to see it, Zhang Qi still wore a smile on his face:
"It's just a routine transfer, no need for you, Lord Lü, to worry about it."

Everyone knows that the Chen brothers were Lu Yijian's henchmen.

As a result, even he, as the leader, couldn't control his henchmen, leading to numerous conflicts.

Lü Yijian's political status would naturally decline.

Song Xuan sat to the side without saying much.

Lu Yijian sat opposite him, scrutinizing Song Xuan, wondering what he was up to.

After the two sat down, neither of them responded.

Even if he could find out about this, he couldn't easily tell anyone.

Although Wang Zeng was curious, he wouldn't say anything; in fact, Lü Yijian was more curious.

The group had been having a very interesting conversation, but after an "outsider" arrived, they all fell silent.

Song Xuan didn't actually like drinking the tea froth they made, but he still picked it up and blew on it.

Anyway, he wasn't curious. Once the accounts were finished, he could take the copied data back to comfort the young Zhao Zhen.

We're currently bleeding money from temples like Daxiangguo Temple; let's ask them if they're satisfied.

Everyone remained silent in perfect unison. Lü Yijian didn't want to have come for nothing, and to lose face if he couldn't get any information out of him.

"Minister Zhang, what exactly is happening outside where people are exchanging and distributing money?"

Hearing Lü Yijian's question, Zhang Qi put down his teacup and said, "Hi."

"Well, how should I put it?"

"What else can we say? Can we really tell anyone now?"

Cao Liyong picked up the conversation, glancing at Lü Yijian: "Lord Lü, are you here to interrogate me, a member of the Privy Council?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Lu Yijian understood that Cao Liyong harbored resentment towards him for his protectiveness, but he had never taken Cao Liyong seriously before, and now he paid no attention to his sarcastic remarks.

"But with so many soldiers gathered in the Privy Council and the Emperor not in the palace, it's hard not to cause misunderstandings."

“Lord Lü’s words are rather biased.” Deputy Privy Councilor Xia Song spoke directly, and he would not tolerate such a bad habit of labeling people.

After all, he is now working in the Privy Council. If something goes wrong, can I, as the Deputy Privy Councilor, escape unscathed?
Even Yan Shu, who preferred to protect himself, glanced at him sideways.

I don't understand why Lü Yijian would offend everyone present with just one sentence.

Song Xuan didn't even swallow the tea foam in his mouth, and couldn't help coughing a few times.

He suppressed a laugh: "Gentlemen, I suddenly remembered that I have some important matters to attend to at the county office. You can continue your conversation."

Then they left directly, leaving the big shots to fight amongst themselves.

After all, with a "junior" like himself around, they might not be able to fully utilize their abilities.

After Song Xuan came out, he gave Zheng Wenhuan a few words of advice, telling him to keep his eyes peeled.

This is the first time we've worked with the clerks of the Privy Council. We not only need to keep an eye on their accounting, but also on whether they're honest and upright.

To avoid any unforeseen events or complications.

Zheng Wenhuan quickly patted his chest to show that he would definitely keep a close eye on things.

Once the basket was full, he would personally oversee its transport to the warehouse.

At this moment, Wang Gui was chatting with Wang Bao when he saw Song Xuan walking over. He smiled and said, "Twelfth Brother, it's been a long time."

"Hahaha."

Song Xuan said directly, "Let's go, the county government has made mutton offal soup, let's go back and have some soup."

"it is good."

Wang Gui called out to Di Qing and his newly made friend Xia Sui.

Xia Sui was Xia Shouyun's son and had long served as Zhao Zhen's personal guard.

After eating roasted mutton skewers at Cao Yongli's residence, Xia Shouyun went back and told his son about Song Xuan.

Although Xia Sui came from a family of military generals, he was fond of Confucianism and enjoyed making friends with scholars and officials.

I was overjoyed to see Song Xuan today and quickly followed him.

Several people watched Song Xuan ride a horse and followed behind him all the way back to the Kaifeng County Government Office.

At this time, Zhao Zhen was still asleep.

Song Xuan led a few people to a side hall to cool off.

"Twelfth Brother, I borrowed a thousand strings of cash."

Wang Gui was the first to point out a finger: "Unfortunately, this amount of money is nothing to the Great Xiangguo Temple."

"Great job, you've made a good start."

Song Xuan poured some iced tea for the group:

"If everyone borrows at least a thousand strings of cash, even ants biting an elephant will overwhelm the Great Xiangguo Temple."

Song Xuan had read some of the Privy Council's documents. Currently, there are about 100,000 elite imperial guards in Tokyo, of which 20,000 are responsible for guarding the imperial city.

The rest were scattered in key passes around Tokyo, not to mention the large number of local troops.

Daxiangguo Temple cannot afford to borrow money from outside.

There might not be enough to go around later.

However, Song Xuan had also looked at some of the statistics and found that people like Wang Gui who borrowed a thousand strings of cash upfront were always a minority.

After all, Daxiangguo Temple is a royal temple, and if it borrows money at exorbitant interest rates and refuses to repay, this matter may not be successful.

Not all Imperial Guards had this courage.

Encouraged by Song Xuan, Di Qing shyly held up two fingers: "Twelfth Brother, I want two thousand strings of cash."

"terrific."

Song Xuan smiled, and Di Qing, having received praise, also smiled.

Xia Sui took the initiative to speak:
"I have a small question, Scholar Song. What is your reason for planning this?"

“Daxiangguo Temple and other places lend money at exorbitant interest rates, causing many families to be ruined and people to die. There are quite a few people in Kaifeng County who have had their place of origin revoked, so I want to curb this trend.”

Song Xuan put down his teacup: "Of course, it's also because the Emperor couldn't stand it anymore, and the Emperor supported this matter."

"I see."

Xia Sui nodded with great delight.

His father had an excellent relationship with Cao Yongli, and if he could also establish a connection with Song Xuan, the interests of both sides would last even longer.

Not to mention that Xia Suiben admired scholars like Song Xuan.

It's a pity I don't have the talent for studying, otherwise I would have taken the imperial examination too.

Nowadays, scholars enjoy a very high status, and there is no war with foreign powers. Many of these people from military families are seeking to take the imperial examination route.

It's just that very few people have succeeded so far.

However, even if you marry a scholar who has passed the imperial examination, that scholar might not be as accommodating as Song Xuan.

"I think the funds at Daxiangguo Temple are sufficient." Xia Sui snorted twice.
“These bald monks should be worshipping Buddha and cultivating themselves in seclusion, but they have fallen into such worldly affairs. I think they should follow the example of Emperor Shizong of Zhou and persecute Buddhism.”

That's too radical.

However, Song Xuan also admired Xia Sui, who was even more outspoken than his father.

Cao Cao once said that Xia Shouyun was cowardly and ignorant, lacked military strategy, and even his own soldiers did not trust him.

But the advantage lies in the fact that he was a good person, and he had been with the late emperor since he was six years old.

In addition, his father died in battle, leaving him without the guidance of a military family.

His elder brother, Xia Shouen, was always busy outside. It was the late emperor's wet nurse who sent people to take care of him. How could he raise such a promising child in the world?

It's already wonderful if they grow up healthy.

Wang Gui had some knowledge of lending and borrowing, and those who could manage to pay off their debts with great effort were already exceptional individuals.

Most people don't have this ability.

Therefore, he agreed with Xia Sui's words.

However, Di Qing did not know when the so-called persecution of Buddhism by Emperor Shizong of Zhou occurred. He had little opportunity to study in his hometown, let alone read history.

It can be said that Di Qing was illiterate at the time, which is not meant to belittle him in any way.

"Don't say such things outside, lest you scare those bald monks."

"Hahaha."

Several people laughed, but Di Qing's ability to grow into a famous general was undoubtedly due to his love of learning.

He asked what exactly was the persecution of Buddhism by Emperor Shizong of Zhou.

The others were stunned for a moment, as if it were common knowledge that everyone should know, but some people just didn't.

His sudden and earnest request for guidance surprised everyone else.

"Let me explain to you the story of the Three Wu and One Zong persecutions of Buddhism."

Song Xuan explained it to Di Qing in detail.

Di Qing listened with great interest. In addition to telling stories, Song Xuan also tried to explain the motivations of these emperors.

This touches upon a blind spot in the knowledge of Wang Gui and Xia Sui.

They both listened very attentively.

After Song Xuan finished speaking, Di Qing immediately spoke up:

"I understand now. It's all because these temples have amassed a lot of wealth and secretly hoarded weapons, threatening the safety of the government."

"good."

This kind of insight and ability to summarize and generalize is unmatched by the other two.

Di Qing was no match for Wang Gui, but Wang Gui was not as quick-witted as Di Qing.

It was only because Wang Gui studied under Song Xuan for a period of time that he didn't fall behind.

If he hadn't encountered Song Xuan joining the Imperial Guard, he definitely wouldn't have been able to handle comradeships as skillfully as he does today, and he might even have shown more of a "big brother" demeanor than Di Qing.

"Buddhist temples have occupied land and wealth on a large scale and affected the court's tax revenue. Religious forces also threaten the imperial power. In addition, there are irreconcilable contradictions between Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, which is why this is the case."

The three nodded in agreement as they listened to Song Xuan's summary.

"Twelfth brother."

Zhao Zhen had already woken up and walked to the side hall, calling out.

When Di Qing and the others saw the official appear there, they quickly stood up and bowed.

Xia Sui was even more embarrassed. He didn't expect that he would be caught red-handed by the officials for skipping work to secretly come to see his "idol".

How to explain this?

Di Qing was unsure why the Emperor had come, but Wang Gui had some guesses in his mind.

The Emperor left early in the morning, not staying at Yuqing Palace, but either going to the Imperial Palace or coming to his twelfth brother's place.

Zhao Zhen put his hand to his mouth, signaling them to be quiet.

"Sixth Brother, you're awake."

Song Xuan gestured for Zhao Zhen to sit down.

Zhao Zhen felt much better and sat down. Xia Sui quickly poured him some cool tea.

With officials present, none of the three dared to sit still.

“Sit down.” Zhao Zhen looked at the three of them:
"Don't give it away, or I won't be able to come to Twelfth Brother's place."

Wang Gui and Di Qing quickly sat down.

Although Xia Sui had long served as Zhao Zhen's personal guard, he had never done anything so out of line, so he nervously sat with half his bottom on the chair.

"Twelfth Brother, how did things go?"

Song Xuan pointed to the three of them:
"Your Majesty can question the three of them, since they have all finished borrowing money and were planning to have mutton soup with me at noon."

Zhao Zhen immediately looked at his personal guards with great anticipation.

Wang Gui spoke candidly and consistently, sharing his observations and experiences.

After he finished speaking, Di Qing added something.

Xia Sui could only say that she was the same, thus ending the conversation.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhen was already beaming with joy.

He could estimate the number of Imperial Guards and also calculate how much money could be borrowed from several temples.

If none of them pay it back.

Consider it a reward for the Imperial Guards.

"Twelfth Brother, what if the monks of Daxiangguo Temple and others refuse to lend their services?"

“If they don’t lend it out, the Imperial City Guard will arrest people. They’re accused of colluding with Liao spies, the Worry-Free Cave, and the Lifeless Society. There’s bound to be a charge that suits them.”

"After capturing them, let them help the people of Kaifeng dredge the ditches. That would be a real good deed, better than worshipping clay idols."

"Besides, they're all so fat and strong, they should lose some weight so they can look like they're practicing asceticism."

Song Xuan said nonchalantly, "I'm just afraid they'll hold out to the bitter end."

Zhao Zhen chuckled. He finally understood the saying, "The devil is one foot taller than the saint."

When Twelfth Brother comes up with some crooked tricks, he always manages to surprise everyone.

"Good good."

Zhao Zhen smiled, then rubbed his stomach: "I'm really hungry, when will the mutton soup be ready?"

"Jiao Ming."

Song Xuan called out.

It's hard to keep anything that happens in Tokyo a secret.

The fact that the Imperial Guards borrowed money on a large scale, in particular, has sparked much discussion.

After all, what use would it be for the emperor to borrow money from these common soldiers if he wanted to select his personal guards?

Could it be that they bribed the officials, and whoever gave the most money became the official's personal guard?

Such outrageous speculations are never in short supply.

Tokyo is a city of all sorts of people, but there are many who fantasize that the emperor has a golden hoe.

This is truly a strange thing.

Even the spies from various countries hiding in Tokyo were somewhat puzzled as to why the Song emperor would suddenly do such a thing.

Liao spies knew that Buddhism was extremely prosperous within the Liao Kingdom.

From Emperor Jingzong to the current emperor, the support for Buddhism has led to the Liao Dynasty reaching its zenith.

When Emperor Shengzong of Liao ascended the throne, he vigorously promoted Buddhism, which inevitably led to the end of the Dharma era.

At the same time, in the process of interacting with the surrounding tribes, the Liao Dynasty influenced them through religion.

The Liao Dynasty also built many famous temples.

For example, the Dule Temple in Jizhou District of Tianjin was first built in the second year of the Tonghe reign of the Liao Dynasty (984 AD). Liang Sicheng once praised it as "inheriting the legacy of the Tang Dynasty and initiating the Song Dynasty's architectural style".

Although the Liao spies didn't understand, they could also see that they might be able to find something for the Song Dynasty to do through this matter.

If all the monks of the Song Dynasty were loyal to the Liao Dynasty, it would be an immense achievement.

It wasn't just the struggle for the status of a legitimate state; the Liao Dynasty was also willing to contend for orthodox Buddhism.

Because the Liao Dynasty claimed that it was the legitimate successor to the Tang Dynasty.

They used to bask in the glory of the Heavenly Khan, but when the elder brother fell, they, as the younger brothers, rose to prominence. When the Khitan established their state, the Song Dynasty was nowhere to be seen.

The early emperors of the Liao Dynasty were not so confident. They felt somewhat inferior about Chinese culture, believing themselves to be barbarians and unworthy to sit on the throne of China.

However, as their national strength increased, they called themselves descendants of Yan and Huang, regarded Yao and Shun as their ancestors, and explicitly used Chinese terms in their epitaphs and official documents to strengthen their cultural identity.

Since the signing of the Treaty of Chanyuan, the Khitans have become increasingly convinced of their legitimacy.

Because although the Song Dynasty wrote about the Khitan in its official documents, it also wrote about the Northern and Southern Dynasties, which shows that the Song and Liao were two equal countries, not China and the barbarians.

At the time, Wang Zeng held a low position, but he saw that something was amiss. He submitted a memorial to Emperor Zhenzong, requesting that he remove the term "Northern and Southern Dynasties" because those three words implied that we were on equal footing with them, which was too much of a show of respect.

But it was too late. The official letter had already reached the hands of the Khitans, and the die was cast; there was no going back.

However, in daily diplomacy, the Song Dynasty still arranged for the Liao Dynasty to sit at the back, and when Song Dynasty envoys went to the Liao Dynasty, they had to sit in the frontmost position in the court.

This is the only area we can compete on.

The spies sent by Li Mingde of Western Xia were also puzzled by this.

Because the Western Xia dynasty had a very close relationship with Buddhism.

To this end, the Western Xia also sent people to the Song Dynasty to request Buddhist scriptures, and then built pagodas to enshrine them, mainly to consolidate its rule through religion.

However, the Song Dynasty did not need Buddhism to maintain its rule, and Confucianism was also extremely wary of Buddhism.

Not to mention Emperor Zhenzong's greater trust in Taoism, this extraordinary treatment did not change because of Liu E's worship of Buddha.

Zhao Zhen and his companions were happily enjoying mutton offal soup with steamed bread.

However, the matter at Daxiangguo Temple even alarmed the abbot.

Several monks sat in a room discussing the matter.

“Abbot, I’ve sent people to inquire. It’s not just here; large numbers of Imperial Guards from the other three academies have gone to borrow money. They are being driven by the Privy Council.”

"The Privy Council?"

The abbot, with his white beard, held prayer beads in his hand, deep in thought.

“Abbot, we can’t lend any more money. If they don’t repay, our wealth will be wiped out in a few years.”

"Yes."

“They come to borrow as a group, and none of them will return the money. Neither Wuyou Cave nor Meiming Society dare to provoke them.”

"Since this was done by the Privy Council, we should go and see the Empress Dowager and ask her to order it to be stopped."

The abbot's prayer beads continued to spin.
“皇城司抄没账簿之事，你们竟然一点想与我说的意思都没有？”

Although the abbot usually didn't care about usury, it didn't mean he was unaware of what was happening in the temple.

The Imperial City Guard, in particular, caused quite a stir.

If someone can find the ledger in one strike, it's not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but a surprise attack.

"The Imperial City Guard said that my Great Xiangguo Temple colluded with Liao spies. This is a frame-up, so I did not discuss it with the abbot. I will wait for them to clear my Great Xiangguo Temple's name."

"clean?"

The abbot opened his eyes beneath his white eyebrows and scanned the people in the room:

"Although I am old, I am still sharp of hearing and sight. Whether I have done it or not, you know in your hearts."

"Buddhism was flourishing in the Liao Dynasty. They sent letters to communicate amicably, but there was nothing else."

"Yes, how could we monks reveal secrets?"

"Abbot, there's no point in dwelling on this matter now. Let's deal with the immediate problem first."

"Because many Imperial Guards came to borrow money, for some reason, several families who came to the Longevity Treasury to collect interest have all withdrawn their money."

"If this news spreads, I'm afraid more and more people will borrow money, and more and more money will be taken from the Longevity Treasury."

The abbot paid no attention to the monks' complaints:
"Take it or leave it, don't stop me. If you do, the consequences will be even more serious."

"Abbot, there are over 100,000 imperial guards in the city. If everyone comes to borrow money, where will our Great Xiangguo Temple find so much money to lend out?"

"Then melt down the bronze statue and sell it to the government in exchange for copper coins."

The abbot spoke decisively:

"The account books have all fallen into the hands of the Imperial City Guard. Do you really think this matter was decided by the two Privy Councilors?"

They did not experience the persecution of Buddhism by Emperor Zhou Shizong, but the abbot was old and of course had.

This is considered relatively mild.

If an unkind person were to come, Daxiangguo Temple could survive.

However, whether these monks can exist or not is not something they can control.

"Could it be the Empress Dowager?"

The monks looked at each other, because none of them thought it was the current emperor, Zhao Zhen.

What power could he possibly have?

The Emperor can no longer even control the Imperial Guards; they are all under the control of his legal mother because of his young age.

If it were the Empress Dowager, no one would dare to go and make the request.

This was also their intention in inviting the abbot to come out of seclusion.

“But if this continues, all the money in my temple will be gone.”

The abbot's long eyebrows didn't even twitch; he still had the same idea:
"Sell the Buddha statues to the government for money."

"Abbot, you mustn't!"

"Yes, how can we sell the Buddha statue to the government?"

The abbot's prayer beads continued to turn slowly but powerfully:

"If we want to survive this calamity, we must do this, otherwise the Great Xiangguo Temple will have no tomorrow."

"You've offended the royal family, and you still want to hold onto this goose that lays golden eggs? That's just wishful thinking."

The abbot knows everything, but he can't control anything.

After he handed over the position of abbot, Daxiangguo Temple embarked on the path of making money.

Many monks tirelessly boast about how much money they have earned.

This calamity is now deserved!

The abbot remained calm, but the others were not.

They had worked so hard to earn money, and they were thinking of making more money out of it. How could they let those thieves and convicts take it away so easily?

Even if Buddhism teaches the practice of cutting off one's own flesh to feed an eagle, when it comes to actually cutting off one's own flesh, which monk would be willing to do so?
After the group left the abbot's secluded meditation room, they gathered together again:
"Since the other three families have all encountered the same situation, why don't we discuss it together and perhaps come up with a good solution?"

(End of this chapter)