Top Scholar

Chapter 564 Sixes are auspicious
"Fifty-six major temples sealed off at once?" Zhu Shou looked at the list of fifty-six major temples and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on—

The top-ranked temple was the Da Neng Ren Temple inside Xizhimen, originally built in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty's Yanyou era and rebuilt during the Yongle era. According to investigations, it owned 12,000 hectares of farmland, and all eight granaries in western Beijing were its properties. Its backers were the Cheng Guogong family and the Liu Jin family. It profited solely from monopolizing the grain trade in Beijing and even helped nobles evade taxes by registering 60% of their farmland under false pretenses…

The second is Zhihua Temple, located in Lumicang in the eastern city. It was the family temple built by Wang Zhen in the ninth year of the Zhengtong reign. It owned 7800 hectares of land and all 15 pawnshops in the capital were its properties. It amassed wealth by lending money at a monthly interest rate of 5%. Its patrons were the family of the Duke of Dingguo and Gu Dayong of the Western Depot.

The third place is Fahai Temple, located at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain in western Beijing. It was built in the fourth year of the Zhengtong reign by the eunuch Li Tong of the Imperial Household Department. Emperor Yingzong bestowed a plaque upon it. It owns 8500 hectares of land and is backed by the Yongkang Princess Mansion and the Imperial Household Department eunuch group... which is Zhang Yong's family.

The fourth-ranked Dagongde Temple was originally built in the Yuan Dynasty. After being rebuilt by Yongle, it became a royal prayer temple. Located on the shore of West Lake in Haidian, it was a place where the emperor stayed when visiting the imperial tombs. It owned 9000 hectares of farmland and 18 warehouses for transporting grain within the capital. Backed by the Duke of Yingguo's family and the eunuch Ma Yongcheng of the Eastern Depot, it also engaged in large-scale smuggling of salt.

Fifth place goes to Tianning Temple, an ancient temple from the Sui Dynasty, named by imperial decree in the tenth year of the Xuande reign. Located outside Guang'an Gate in the capital, it owned 7200 hectares of farmland. The largest coal mine owner in the Western Hills monopolized the coal industry by relying on the Chun'an Princess's residence and the eunuch Jin Ying. He also forcibly abducted people and evaded millions of taels of tax...

Those who followed were all formidable figures, each with imperial relatives, dukes, marquises, and nobles as their backers.

“That’s right, these big temples are the wealthiest and most arrogant…” Su Lu said coldly, “Although we’ve tried to keep our investigation as low-key as possible, it’s impossible to keep it completely secret after three months. Some people even guessed that the Emperor was going to target the temples. But guess what?”

"What's wrong?" Zhu Shou asked.

“Go ahead,” Su Lu said to Qian Ning.

“Some medium-sized temples even deposit their money in banks run by large temples. Because the large temples are backed by imperial relatives, they are certain that we wouldn’t dare to confiscate their wealth,” Qian Ning said.

"Who says we wouldn't dare to confiscate their property?!" Zhu Shou, unable to bear such provocation, retorted, "We've already confiscated the temple of the Imperial Brother-in-law, why should we be polite to them?"

"They generally believe that the Emperor was having a falling out with the Empress Dowager, and Guanghui Temple became the scapegoat," Su Lu said. "Moreover, after such a big commotion, they figured the Emperor wouldn't dare to provoke any other major temples..."

"Are they mind readers of the Emperor? Still thinking about him? They're so capable!" Zhu Shou spat angrily. He hated it most when people predicted his actions.

“Indeed. Seizing so many large temples will undoubtedly bring immense pressure,” Su Lu said in a deep voice. “But we have no choice but to investigate! Since ancient times, officials have always preferred to pick on the weak—returning the gentry's money in full, and splitting the common people's money 30/70! The way of Heaven is to take from the surplus and give to the deficiency. Yet they insist on going against Heaven, abandoning the surplus and taking from the deficiency—how foolish!!”

"That's the situation in the capital right now. Everyone assumes that the court doesn't dare to touch the major temples protected by the imperial relatives and nobles, so that more than 80% of the temple property is concentrated in these few dozen major temples."

"We need to patch a huge hole. Focusing on smaller temples while ignoring the major ones is like a drop in the ocean—utterly useless! Therefore, this time we must target the major temples. Send the entire main force of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to seal off the gates, detain the people, and raid the temple in one fell swoop. We will not allow them to transfer their valuables or destroy their records!" Su Lu declared resolutely.

"By taking over these major temples, we can not only amass a fortune, but also serve as a warning to others, so that the smaller temples will naturally not dare to cause any trouble!"

"Yes!" Zhu Shou nodded emphatically, gritting his teeth as he said, "To shoot a man, shoot his horse first; to capture a thief, capture his king first! Daring only to provoke the underlings but not to touch the King of Hell, one cannot be considered a hero!"

“They’re not really the devils of the underworld,” Su Lu reassured him. “Eunuchs are the emperor’s servants. As for those princes and nobles, what era are we living in? They’re just empty shells now. They’re not that hard to deal with.”

He paused for a moment and then said, "Of course, they won't be easy to deal with. But if they were easy to deal with, the late Emperor and Emperor Xianzong would have already slaughtered pigs for the New Year. They wouldn't have left them for the Emperor to slaughter."

“That’s true.” Zhu Shou nodded, glanced at the terrifying numbers on the folded page, and said resolutely, “Don’t try to persuade me anymore. If the late emperor and the others had known that these temples were so rich, they might not have left them to the current emperor!”

As he spoke, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are 20,000 Imperial Guards enough? With so many temples, we shouldn't neglect one for another."

“That’s enough to deter them,” Su Lu affirmed. “We’ve made ample contingency plans. In fact, the Embroidered Uniform Guard alone is enough to suppress the monks inside the temple. The Imperial Guards mainly defend the main roads of the capital and the area around the temple. If any monks dare to cause trouble, we can nip it in the bud immediately.”

"I'll give you another ten thousand Imperial Guards." Zhu Shou, besides his sheer audacity, also displayed a cautious side when it came to important matters. "I'll tell them that as long as this mission is successfully completed, this year's back pay will be made up!"

“That would be even better.” Su Lu nodded. Having a reserve team would ensure that everything went smoothly.

Zhu Shou stared at the folded page for a while, then suddenly asked, "What should we do with the confiscated property? It can't go into the national treasury, or all our efforts will have been in vain."

“Yes, it won’t go into the national treasury.” Su Lu nodded and said in a low voice, “All the confiscated property will be under the Emperor’s control. We can spend it however we want without having to worry about the Cabinet or the Ministry of Revenue.”

Zhu Shou clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, that's how it should be done! You must take charge of this personally, and don't let the eunuchs interfere; none of them are clean."

“Okay.” Su Lu readily agreed, “Then a special team will take over the entire process of managing, inventorying, and liquidating the assets. We will establish detailed ledgers to clearly record the flow of every penny, in order to prevent embezzlement and misappropriation as much as possible. You can check the progress at any time, and I will also report to you regularly.”

"Good, good, good!" Zhu Shou exclaimed repeatedly, then clapped his hands and said, "Let's give them a good thrashing!"

~~
Three days later, the autumn wind was chilling. Almost simultaneously, official notices were posted on the streets and alleys of the capital, bearing the official seals of the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate!

The knowledgeable people of Beijing recognized this as a joint trial by three judicial departments, a privilege reserved for extremely serious cases. So they all gathered around to watch the spectacle, and some literate individuals loudly proclaimed:
"By imperial decree, a thorough investigation was launched into the illegal activities of Baolian Temple and Guanghui Temple in the capital. Following a joint trial by the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate, the charges were found to be irrefutable. The verdict has been finalized according to the law, and this decree is hereby promulgated throughout the land so that all may know—"

"First, the monks of Baolian Temple secretly possessed armor, sharp weapons, firearms, and cavalry tokens, intending to rebel. They resisted the government troops with force, injuring or killing more than ten imperial guards."

"Second, the monks of Baolian Temple violated the rules and regulations by luring and coercing respectable women into the temple to commit adultery, and the number of victims is countless."

"Third, the monks of Baolian Temple, in order to cover up their crimes, brutally murdered those who knew about them and those who resisted, disregarded human life, and concealed the bodies. Their crimes are unforgivable."

"Fourth, they bribed local officials and interfered in lawsuits. Anyone who accused the temple of wrongdoing was framed and convicted, resulting in many wrongful convictions."

Fifth, usury...

Following the list of ten crimes committed by Baolian Temple, ten more crimes committed by Guanghui Temple were listed—

"Firstly, they illegally opened coal mines, lured and imprisoned the people in the mines, and forced them to mine coal day and night, resulting in the deaths of countless people from exhaustion and starvation."

"Secondly, the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) investigated the evil deeds, but was imprisoned by the temple monks and forced to work in a coal mine. This humiliation of scholars and the persecution of the literati is intolerable to Heaven and Earth."

"Thirdly, they have abandoned the true path of Buddhism and privately practiced the heretical rituals of Bon, including the practice of animal cruelty and mutilation."

"Fourth, they forcibly seized thousands of hectares of farmland on the outskirts of Beijing, causing countless people to be displaced and public resentment to boil over..."

After reading the charges, the person reading the charges announced loudly, "The above charges have been verified by the three judicial departments and are true, with both witnesses and physical evidence. Therefore, in accordance with the law, the monks of both temples are hereby stripped of their monastic status and their ordination certificates are revoked. Sixty-six of those guilty of the most heinous crimes are sentenced to immediate execution by beheading! The rest will be punished according to the severity of their crimes, receiving caning and then being sent to the border regions for military service, or forced to pay a fine in rice to atone for their sins!"

The people naturally started discussing it after hearing it.

"Good heavens, how long has this been going on? I thought it would be dragged out like before, and they would quietly release him once the heat died down..." an old man sighed.

"Release them? Impossible, absolutely impossible! Didn't you hear the notice saying that sixty-six bald thieves are to be executed? The Emperor is serious this time!" the group of men exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone was shocked. "The last time so many people were killed in the capital was... during Cao Jixiang's rebellion! It seems the Emperor is truly angry!"

"Serves them right! These bald monks should have been taught a lesson long ago!" someone spat angrily. "They pretend to be kind and benevolent during the day, but behind the scenes they indulge in debauchery and womanizing. They deserve to die!"

Some people got more and more agitated as they spoke: "In my opinion, His Majesty should investigate all the major temples in the capital! Drag out those thieving monks, and execute them all, one by one, without any injustice!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" someone joked. "Be careful the big monk hears you and drags you down to the coal mine to dig coal with that scholar!"

"Then I'd be considered a fellow Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination)!"

Upon hearing this, a burst of cheerful laughter erupted in front of the notice.

Monks have already had a poor reputation in recent years, especially last year when the imperial court issued too many ordination certificates, leading many local ruffians to shave their heads and become monks. It's not uncommon to see 'high monks' in restaurants, drinking and eating meat, and there are also quite a few 'masters' who claim to be rescuing prostitutes from brothels. Not to mention those who gamble, lend money, and relentlessly pursue debts, causing people to lose their lives…

The people were already full of complaints, and of course, there was an element of envy involved. Why should we work so hard while the monks enjoy all the benefits?!
Seeing the wicked monk end up like this, I naturally feel very relieved!

~~
Some were happy while others were sad. The common people applauded, but the monks in the major temples of the capital felt uneasy and had a bad feeling.

The atmosphere in the abbot's meditation room in the backyard of Da Neng Ren Temple, one of the most prestigious temples in the capital, was particularly tense.

Several eminent monks from nearby temples gathered here, looking worried as they surrounded Abbot Shin'ei, their usual composure completely gone...

"Master, could you please ask Liu Tanyue to sound out Eunuch Liu what the Emperor is really up to?"

P.S. Something happened today, so the next chapter will be a little late.

(End of this chapter)