Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 258 I've Come to Take You In

As he spoke, the Taoist priest appeared calm and composed, leisurely pouring tea and sipping it slowly.

I'm not worried at all about what's going to happen next.

Seeing this man's behavior, the young Taoist priest became much bolder.

Things calmed down considerably afterward.

He picked up the cup of tea his senior brother had poured for him, brought it to his lips, and slowly took a few sips. His agitated mood seemed to calm down considerably.

"Senior brother... how can this not be our business?"
The emperor was about to conduct a land survey, and his approach was menacing. Although our Taoist sect is a place beyond worldly affairs, we are not tainted by karma.

However, in every dynasty, the land survey was inevitably affected.

In particular, some dynasties even suppressed Buddhism.

It always makes me a little uneasy.

"Just rest assured."

The older Taoist priest seemed to be getting a little impatient.

She seemed somewhat dissatisfied with his excessive caution and chatter.

“You said it yourself, it’s about destroying Buddhism, not Taoism. We’re not like those bald monks.”

Besides, we're located in Jiangxi. How many Taoist temples are there here? Further up is Longhu Mountain, where there are Taoist masters.

The real person will surely protect us and prevent Zhu Yuanzhang from acting recklessly.

We are not rootless duckweed. In Jiangxi, neither the government nor the imperial court dare to act recklessly. They must speak to us politely.

Even the Primordial Lord must respect the Dao Ancestor.

When the Yuan emperor ruled the country, how many rewards and honors did he bestow upon our region?

Furthermore, the vast lands and glorious achievements we enjoy here were not stolen or robbed.

These were gifts from the imperial court, all obtained through legitimate means, and there's nothing to fear from investigation.

Let's not even talk about whether Zhu Yuanzhang would dare to extend his land surveys to us.

Even if it really happens to us, it doesn't matter.

Why would a field obtained through legitimate means be afraid of being surveyed?

Even if we were to take a land survey, what would we actually find?
At most, I'll have less disposable income, that's all.

The older Taoist priest spoke of these things with great confidence and composure, showing no sign of panic.

After saying that, he saw that his junior brother still had a trace of worry between his brows, so he immediately pointed upwards.

"Don't panic, Zhu Yuanzhang also respected us very much."

After ascending the throne, he bestowed titles and rewards upon the emperor and even invited the Heavenly Master to the capital.

Such a major matter is none of our concern; those above will take care of it.

Perhaps Zhu Yuanzhang had already consulted with his superiors and drawn up the boundaries before he began surveying the land.

The sky won't fall down. Even if it does, there are tall people there to hold it up. It has little to do with us. We should just focus on our spiritual practice.

Do not let external things distract you.

Upon hearing what the older Taoist said, the worry between the young Taoist's brows gradually dissipated.

"Senior brother's cultivation is indeed superior. If I hadn't come here to see you and heard your explanation, I would still be troubled."

I'll have to worry about these things all the time.

"It's not that I have high spiritual attainment, it's just that I've lived a longer life, experienced more things, and seen more of the true colors of those so-called high-ranking officials and the government."

The richer and more powerful a person is, the more afraid they are of death, of losing their life and their wealth.

The more respect one shows to the Dao Ancestor, the more respect one should extend to those of us who serve him.

Zhu Yuanzhang, a cowherd, rose to power, and there must have been the assistance of the Daoist ancestor in this process.

Otherwise, how could he have become emperor?

When it comes to the respect these two Dao Ancestors have for the gods in the unseen realm, they surpass those of many others.

Under such circumstances, they would be even less likely to target us.

The young Taoist nodded vigorously, his expression showing deep agreement.

Things really were just as my senior brother had said.

In an instant, my mind became clear, and all my worries vanished.

He then picked up his teacup and slowly began to drink, feeling the aroma of tea filling his mouth.

……

Longhu Mountain is bustling with pilgrims, yet it remains orderly.

People who come here are unconsciously infected by the solemn and tranquil atmosphere.

Devout worship.

People from all walks of life, with their own different wishes, gather here to pray for blessings, wealth, or children.

Someone else is making offerings here to accumulate merit...

Inside a magnificent building on Longhu Mountain, a man dressed in a Taoist robe was quietly reading a book.

Inside the room, precious sandalwood incense burned, its fragrance soothing the soul. Combined with the decorations, it further enhanced the ethereal atmosphere of the place.

The person sitting cross-legged also appeared to have an air of otherworldly elegance.

This person was none other than Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain.

A person who once visited the capital and met the emperor.

He possessed an exceptional demeanor, remaining calm and unhurried, seemingly oblivious to the numerous disturbances and distractions raging outside.

Not only him, but the entire Longhu Mountain seemed to be completely unaffected by this.

If the emperor wants to survey the land, then let him survey it; it has little to do with them.

In their secluded place, they worship the Taoist patriarch and do whatever they are supposed to do.

The land survey was conducted on the land belonging to wealthy families, not on their land itself.

They naturally don't need to worry too much.

……

“Let’s go and meet him. The emperor wants to survey the land, but he doesn’t want to use any of the capable people. He’s going to use a bald monk instead.”

What terrible luck!

Here at the Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commission, Tao Wuzhong, the Jiangxi Provincial Administration Commissioner, spoke to the people beside him, giving instructions.

"It definitely needs to be connected."

Regardless of his background, mission, or attitude, we should all handle our own affairs well and leave no room for criticism.

Chen Ning smiled and said that he agreed with Tao Wuzhong's suggestion.

From their conversation, it was clear that both of them harbored deep hostility towards Wu Yin's arrival to conduct a land survey and were extremely unwilling to do so.

But thinking about it, it makes sense; it would be strange if they were willing.

For them, the emperor's order to survey and measure land was the worst thing that could happen, and it was anything but pleasant.

But this matter was arranged by the emperor, representing the emperor himself.

They must not fail to observe proper etiquette here, and this is also a good opportunity to thoroughly investigate Wu Yin's background.

When they said these things, they seemed rather indifferent and not at all worried.

After all, they are the true masters of Jiangxi.

Even someone like Wu Yin, whose background is so unstable, must be treated with respect, even if he is there on orders to survey the land.
We need to rely on them.

Of course, besides that, the most important thing is that Prime Minister Hu has already sent them a letter...

I explained the whole story to them and gave them instructions.

It also set a bottom line.

It's impossible for them to refuse to contribute anything or give up anything when the emperor comes to survey the land.

It is inevitable that some face must be given to the emperor.

Some money and some land should be given as they are due.

It's not that they're ignorant; they're not unreasonable.

Prime Minister Hu outlined the terms, stating that their side would need to contribute a maximum of 40% of the land survey.

For many of them, losing 40% is already heartbreaking; it feels like a devastating blow, and they are extremely reluctant to let it go.

Those who don't own too much land are in a better position.

Those wealthy families in Jiangxi, like Ding Yu and others, felt the pinch and were reluctant to accept it.

But this was a path drawn up by Prime Minister Hu, and it was Zhu Yuanzhang who sent people to do it.

They certainly won't refuse to contribute a single penny.

The emperor has made it clear that he's coming here to beg for food, so they'll give him some as needed.

However, what they discussed was different from the path drawn up by Prime Minister Hu.

Prime Minister Hu set a bottom line of 40%, while the bottom line they agreed on was 30%.

Not a single cent more.

If we could reduce it by 20% or 10%, that would be even better.

In other words, the next Wu Yin is of utmost importance.

They need to get to know Wu Yin more and find out what's going on with him.

Then, everyone got things done in a friendly and amicable manner.

That way, everyone will look good and be able to give a satisfactory answer.

It's unlikely that anything bad will happen.

Honestly, none of them wanted to go head-to-head with someone like Zhu Yuanzhang.

If the dog emperor were to go mad, it wouldn't be a good thing for them either.

Unless absolutely necessary, few people really want to completely provoke a scoundrel like Zhu Yuanzhang.

It wasn't that they were disrespecting the emperor.

The emperor was going to survey the land, taking a cut from many of them. Without a word, they demanded 30% of their land.

That's already a great deal of respect.

This is also a huge concession.

The emperor must not push his luck, nor should he refuse to accept the benefits he has gained.

There's always a limit to everything we do; we should always leave room for maneuver, otherwise it won't be good for anyone.

They also trusted the emperor, and when he measured the sky, they had a mental plan for what to do.

Knowing the extent to which things need to be done, they wouldn't actually think of surveying all the fields and leaving nothing behind.

That would be incredibly immature and not how one should act.

A man like Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't be that foolish.

The group had already reached a decision, so they decided not to say anything more about the matter.

We're just waiting for Wu Yin to arrive so we can make contact and then discuss other things.

If Wu Yin is easy to talk to and follows the rules, then everything will be easy to discuss.

They will also provide full cooperation to help him complete the land survey in the shortest possible time.

To ensure that nothing goes wrong.

But what if Wu Yin and his ilk are ungrateful and take advantage of the situation, becoming greedy and insatiable?

Then they won't be so easy to talk to here.

There are other ways to deal with it, other methods as well...

The large ship sailed along the river, carrying Wu Yin and his group towards Jiangxi.

Wu Yin is an impatient person, but also a person who really gets things done.

After receiving the order and gathering his men, he didn't linger and immediately led them away from Yingtian, heading towards Jiangxi.

They didn't want to waste even a moment.

Since we have received the imperial order, we should do our best to carry it out, and there is nothing to question.

The wind blew his official robes, revealing a corner of his monk's robe underneath.

He stood at the bow of the boat, his eyes slightly narrowed, his hand resting on the sword at his waist.

Next, let Jiangxi experience the Emperor's grace!

……

"Is that Governor Wu? Lord Tao has ordered me to wait here for quite some time."

When the ship docked, people who had been waiting there for a long time came out to greet it with smiles on their faces, asking questions and behaving respectfully.

"Which Lord Tao?"

Wu Yin asked in a neutral tone.

"Naturally, it's Provincial Governor Tao, and Lord Chen and the others."

Upon hearing that Governor Wu was coming, we made preparations well in advance and sent people here to welcome you.

Not only here, but also in case you stay elsewhere, other places have been guarded as well.

This is all to welcome you, sir.

Lord Wu's arrival truly brings honor to our humble abode in Jiangxi.

It is a great blessing that this place can all enjoy the Emperor's favor.

"The officials have already prepared a banquet and are just waiting for you to arrive."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yin nodded: "In that case, take me to meet my colleagues."

Upon hearing Wu Yin's words, the Jiangxi official smiled and nodded repeatedly.

Don't dare to be negligent in the slightest.

While he was entertaining Wu Yin, he also ordered his men to hurry away on horseback and inform Tao Wuzhong and the others.

Wu Yin, along with some soldiers, followed this man.

He instructed the other officials who were in charge of surveying the land, as well as the students of the Imperial Academy, to proceed according to their prior instructions and not to stay with him.

The direction these people were heading was none other than Longhu Mountain.

This was a plan that Wu Yin had prepared in advance.

Having come to Jiangxi to survey the land, they encountered numerous obstacles, making the task difficult.

If we want things to go smoothly, we should start by targeting Longhu Mountain and pick on those tough guys.

This also makes people aware of the court's determination in this matter, making it difficult for them to harbor any illusions.

After the fields of Longhu Mountain and the Taoist temples below it were surveyed, the rest of the land would be easier to manage.

Knowing the court's resolve, some people will naturally stop dreaming of resisting the court's policies.

They were delusional, hoping to get leniency for them.

They fantasize that they are special and don't have to obey.

As for going to see Tao Wuzhong and the others at this time, it was a decision made from the beginning.

He knew that when he came to Jiangxi to conduct a land survey, everything was in complete chaos.

From officialdom to local government, and then to Longhu Mountain, everyone is watching him.

If you want to join them in their corrupt practices, then please show leniency.

He certainly wouldn't avoid seeing them.

Not only do I need to meet with them, but I also need to explain things clearly.

From the very beginning, we cut off their many hopes and made them give up those ideas!
I know he came here to do something serious.

Knowing their little schemes is useless!

……

Tao Wuzhong received a report that Wu Yin, that bald monk, had arrived and had gladly accepted their invitation.

A smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

That's good, that makes things much easier.

If you're willing to come and meet me, then many things will be easier to discuss.

They knew that the emperor's land survey this time was not intended to be a complete massacre.

The 40% line drawn by Prime Minister Hu was not without reason.

He immediately summoned Chen Ning and the others, composed himself, and went out of the city to welcome Wu Yin.

They believed that a good outcome would definitely be reached in the negotiations...

(End of this chapter)