Top Scholar

Chapter 517 Father and son go into battle

Inside the Dragon and Tiger Hall.

"Brother Zhuangyuan, if you won't let us investigate people's livelihood and military affairs, why do you want to investigate a quiet place like a Buddhist temple?" The newly appointed scholars looked at each other, their first thought being that a Buddhist temple needed to be investigated.
My second thought was, "Wouldn't Buddha be angry?"
"Topics like people's livelihood and military affairs are too vast to be handled by one person alone. Furthermore, you must not underestimate the temples." Su Lu then said solemnly:

"It may seem serene and detached from worldly affairs, but in reality, it is the most complex... A temple may have a history of over a hundred years, and its believers range from high-ranking officials to people from all walks of life, with intricate interpersonal relationships. The monks in the temple do not engage in production and are idle all day long. Can they really all strictly abide by the rules and regulations?"

“We also need to look at the temple’s incense donations, temple land, and even its lending business… How much wealth has it accumulated over the past hundred years? Nowadays, people are struggling to survive, and if temples are still rolling in money, shouldn’t we re-examine their so-called ‘compassion’?”

After a brief pause, Su Lu continued, "What's even more bizarre is that there are folk sayings like 'No one should enter a temple,' 'Better to sleep in a desolate grave than in an ancient temple,' and 'If you're not poisonous, you won't go bald; if you're not bald, you won't be poisonous.' Since it's a pure Buddhist place, why are the folk opinions so negative? Which is true and which is false? You'll have to conduct on-site investigations to dispel the illusions and uncover the truth."

"Once you can see through the disguise of a temple, you will naturally develop the ability to distinguish right from wrong, and you will not be easily deceived when you become an official!" He paused, then emphasized:

"This investigation is your graduation project for the Dragon Tiger Academy. You have one month left. Use the methods you've learned here to conduct in-depth research, distinguish truth from falsehood, and deliver a report that will satisfy the Emperor!"

"Yes!" the newly appointed scholars responded in unison.

Su Lu gave a final reminder: "Remember what I just said, don't go into the temple alone! Bring your companions with you, and never act alone."

~~
The newly appointed scholars were all working hard, each choosing a temple and starting their investigations during their spare time and rest days.

But in reality, Su Lu didn't expect them to uncover any valuable inside information. These rookies could only get a general overview. For a more in-depth investigation, they'd need professionals…

After class that day, he went to Zhiyi Palace near Tengxi Palace.

Inside the red walls, lush bamboo grows in abundance, and thick layers of dry grass cover the ground. The eight-month-old panda cub, now just half a person's height, has a round body that looks like a fluffy black and white ball of fluff. It sits on the pile of grass with its head tilted to the side, struggling to chew on a bamboo stalk.

Its teeth weren't fully grown yet, and after a few bites it would shake its head, its chin covered in crumbs, and it would make soft purring sounds from exhaustion.

Qian Ning placed a silver basin next to it, containing washed carrots and sliced ​​apples.

"Eat something nice, ancestor. What are you doing gnawing on bamboo all the time?" He squatted down, took a carrot and handed it to the panda, but the panda slapped it away.

"Hey, don't throw it away if you're not going to eat it." Qian Ning picked up a carrot and started gnawing on it: "I don't distinguish between good and bad!"

"That's a misconception. You are not a fish, how can you know the joy of a fish?" A young voice rang out from behind, "You're not a panda, how do you know its love for bamboo?"

"Stop making sarcastic remarks." Qian Ning turned around irritably and saw that the newcomer was dressed in the robes of a sixth-rank official, with handsome features and a youthful appearance.

"Godfather?!" Qian Ning exclaimed in surprise, startling even the panda.

"What are you yelling about!" Su Youjin, who was taking a nap in his hammock, was startled by the voice. Upon seeing who it was, he cursed, "You son of a bitch, you call my nephew 'godfather'?"

"It's alright, Master. Let's each discuss our own points." Qian Ning was quite open-minded.

"Get out of here." Su Youjin closed his eyes irritably and continued to sleep.

Now that the panda has grown up and the weather is warmer, I don't have to take care of it all the time anymore. I can finally go to work and slack off.

"Godfather, please sit here." Qian Ning fawned over Su Lu and invited him to the corridor, where a table, chairs, and tea set for the two of them were laid out, along with a charcoal stove for boiling water—it was all set.

"Try this, it's the first batch of Lion Peak Longjing tea this year." Qian Ning quickly brewed tea for Su Lu. "It's top-grade pre-Qingming tea, picked at night when the buds first appeared."

"Life is good." Su Lu took the teacup and saw that the tea soup was bright green and fragrant like orchids.

He's a connoisseur now; he can't afford this kind of tea.

“Hehe, it was a gift from the Zhejiang garrison eunuch to Eunuch Zhang, and Eunuch Zhang gave half to Master,” Qian Ning said with a smile.

Su Lu took a sip and swallowed. The first taste was refreshing and sweet, neither bitter nor astringent. The aftertaste came very quickly, and saliva was produced under the tongue. It was as if a mountain spring was flowing through the throat, and even the chest felt refreshed.

"How is it?" Qian Ningba asked Su Lu.

"Good tea." Su Lu nodded slightly and smiled, "You've found a good job. Drinking pre-Qingming Longjing tea and watching fluffy pandas, it wouldn't be bad to live like this for the rest of your life."

"Godfather is joking. Master thinks this is fine. I'm still young." Qian Ning said awkwardly, "I heard that pandas can live to be thirty years old. I can't spend my whole life on it."

"Look at you, getting all clever again?" Su Lu put down his teacup and teased, "Weren't you the one crying and begging to come and raise pandas back then?" "Times have changed. Back then, life was uncertain, and survival was everything," Qian Ning said shamelessly. "But who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, my godfather would become a top scholar, a favorite of the emperor, someone who could rival Liu Jin? With you protecting me, what do I have to fear?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? How dare someone as insignificant as me compare to Eunuch Liu? He could crush me with a flick of his finger," Su Lu said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"The problem is he wouldn't dare! If he dared to lay a finger on you, the Emperor could crush him!" Qian Ning exclaimed excitedly, like a little rooster. "Besides, Godfather is so young! Liu Jin is an old coffin-like man; we can outlast him!"

“Alright, let’s just wait it out then.” Su Lu nodded. “You can start working again when Eunuch Liu retires.”

"Don't mention it, godfather, I can come out and do work right now." How could Qian Ning not know that Su Lu wouldn't come to the Zhiyi Hall without a reason? He quickly smiled and said, "Godfather, I'm the youngest commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard..."

“Not anymore,” Su Lu said calmly. “My second brother became the top martial arts scholar and was appointed as a commander of the Imperial Guard.”

"Really? Master only said that Second Uncle became the top martial arts scholar, but he didn't say that he also became a commander of the Imperial Guard." Qian Ning asked in surprise.

"Wasn't that because I didn't want to upset you?" Su Youjin felt cheated and shouted, "Also, don't call me Master anymore, call me Great-Grandpa!"

"Hey, hey, good day, Grandpa." Qian Ning was very outgoing and quickly changed his address. Then he looked at Su Lu pitifully and said, "Godfather, look, everyone else is making progress, I can't stand still."

"There's something I need your help with," Su Lu said softly.

“Go ahead and tell me! I’d go through fire and water without batting an eye!” Qian Ning immediately glared at him, pounding his chest loudly.

Su Lu then briefly explained Zhu Houzhao's predicament to Qian Ning: "Now there are peasant uprisings in various provinces. The emperor wants to organize the army to quell the rebellion, but the national treasury is empty. So he wants to find a few wealthy temples to beg for alms, which is of course the opposite of what he intended."

"Understood!" Qian Ning nodded emphatically and laughed, "Your Majesty's insight is truly accurate. The princes, nobles, and even the chief eunuchs in the capital all love to send money to temples. The monks are all incredibly wealthy. Even if a little bit slips through their fingers, if you add up hundreds of temples, it adds up to a considerable sum of money."

"You actually want the Emperor to beg for alms?" Su Lu said irritably, "If we can't even get a few coins, they'll take advantage of us. We can't afford to lose face like that, understand?"

"I understand, I understand. Those old bald monks are all greedy and greedy. It's better to kill them than to make them pay some money." That's the good thing about Qian Ning. He has no opinions of his own and follows his superiors' wishes in everything.

“However, it would be a bit difficult to rob them outright.” He lowered his voice and said, “Although my son has not investigated, he has heard that most of the temples in the capital that are somewhat influential have princes, nobles, or powerful eunuchs in the inner court as their backers. They even have a share in the money lending business of many temples.”

“If we don’t have a legitimate reason, won’t we stir up a hornet’s nest?” Qian Ning said with a worried look. “Although our godfather is currently enjoying the emperor’s favor, we have already offended Eunuch Liu. We can’t afford to provoke public anger as well.”

"So what do you mean?" Su Lu asked calmly.

“We need a legitimate reason to raid them,” Qian Ning suggested. “Godfather probably doesn’t know, but those temples may look respectable on the outside, but they’re actually incredibly filthy inside. Let’s find something to hold against them, solidify the evidence, and then openly arrest them and raid the temples! Let’s see who dares to speak up for them!”

“Yes, that makes sense.” Su Lu nodded and smiled, “I knew I hadn’t chosen the wrong person.”

“That’s right, my son is also the youngest… ah, the second youngest commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!” Qian Ning said.

"Then I'll leave this to you?" Su Lu looked him up and down and asked, "Do you dare to take it on?"

"Dare? Of course I dare!" Qian Ning gritted his teeth and nodded. "We're working for the Emperor, and we have our godfather protecting us. What am I afraid of? I'm not afraid of anything!"

"Alright." Su Lu nodded and asked, "Can you still use the Embroidered Uniform Guard's manpower and intelligence?"

“Definitely not. The original commander, Shi Wenyi, lost his position because of this incident, and now everyone treats me like a plague.” Qian Ning said, “However, if Godfather can find a way to transfer me to the West Depot, that would be a different story.”

"What do you mean?" Su Lu asked.

"You don't know this, old man," Qian Ning said with a smile. "The Secret Service agents of the Western Depot are all transferred from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but their authority is much greater. They can investigate the words and deeds of officials and commoners without a warrant, and detain and torture suspects."

"As long as my godfather transfers his son to the Western Depot, I can recruit soldiers and horses, and then review the case files of the Ministry of Justice, Shuntian Prefecture, and Wanping and Daxing Counties to find cases related to monks in the capital... I guarantee there will be something to exploit!"

“That makes sense.” Su Lu nodded. This was the right way. It would be too tiring to find it from scratch.

He stood up, patted Qian Ning on the shoulder and said, "Do a good job, I believe in you."

"Hey, don't worry, godfather, I'll do my best!" Qian Ning felt like his bones had lightened a couple of times.

(End of this chapter)