The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 152 Advice
After the abacus emitted a series of crisp sounds, Wei Renpu stopped what he was doing and looked thoughtful.

Xiao Yi picked up the teacup, drank the third cup of tea, and patiently waited for him to speak.

at last.

“I cannot make this decision. Come with me to see His Majesty.”

"Yes."

Xiao Yi then realized that Wei Renpu did not need to announce his arrival in advance to see Guo Wei.

As we entered the palace and arrived at the Zichen Hall, we smelled the lingering scent of candles and charcoal that had burned all night, along with a strong odor of alcohol.

Guo Wei was having breakfast. An extra table had been set up on the west side of the hall, and the food on it was indeed very simple: millet porridge, mustard sauce, roasted mutton, pickled vegetables, and two jugs of wine.

He was probably busy until very late last night and slept in this front hall, because there were still bedding piled up on the imperial bed.

It makes sense. It's cold, and my old leg pain is making things inconvenient. The palace is so big, and there aren't many concubines in the harem, so I'm naturally too lazy to go back and forth.

This emperor, who was neither interested in wealth nor women, and who had no other enjoyment besides drinking, was far less comfortable than a wealthy old man. It seems that he could only be pursuing his ambitions.

"Your Majesty, is it appropriate to drink so early in the morning?"

"Daoji, would you like a couple of drinks?"

"I still have important matters to report, and I am afraid of getting drunk."

"No rush. We'll issue the new policies after the officials have been appointed."

As Xiao Yi listened to their conversation, he glanced over and saw that the imperial desk was mostly filled with memorials addressed to the Ministry of Personnel, indicating that Guo Wei had been busy appointing officials lately.

"Hey kid, come here. What are you holding me back for?"

"The minister obeys the order."

Xiao Yi then went to the west side of the hall and stood in front of the table where Guo Wei was having his meal to talk.

Guo Wei waved, signaling him to stand by the brazier as well.

"Does the Great Xiangguo Temple own a lot of land?"

"On the surface, there are hundreds of acres, and in addition, Yin Cheng has embezzled at least another 500 acres, which are registered under the names of his illegitimate children."

"Monks can have illegitimate children?"

"Yes." Xiao Yi handed over the account book, took out a map, and said, "According to reports from other monks, these eleven residences in Kaifeng City all belong to Yin Cheng's mistresses and illegitimate children."

"Ah."

"Your Majesty, look again. This is a list of monks who have taken vows without authorization, three times the number on the register. In addition, there are the tenant farmers of the temple lands, none of whom pay taxes."

“Well done. With evidence of Yin Cheng’s crimes, issuing a decree to prohibit unauthorized construction and confiscating some of the temple lands is perfectly justified. What does Daoji think?”

"Your Majesty, Xiao Yi has a memorial to present."

"Where's the folded document?"

Wei Renpu turned his head to look at him and gave him a signal with his eyes.

Xiao Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, I would like to present you with some calculations."

"Let's have a civil official calculate his score today."

“There are at least a hundred temples in the capital region. Although not all of them are as wealthy as the Great Xiangguo Temple, decades of war have caused criminals, deserters, slaves, refugees, and common people to seek refuge in the temples. As the country has become more and more desolate, the temples have become more and more prosperous. They have reached the point where they have nothing to do with Buddhism and have become ‘countries within a country’. I believe that simply issuing laws will not solve the problem.”

At this point, Xiao Yi deliberately paused.

Guo Wei put down his chopsticks, picked up the wine jar with his hand, and took a sip by himself.

What's your opinion?

"dismantle!"

Xiao Yi decisively uttered a single word to first express his attitude.

"If the people want to pray for blessings, then a suitable number of temples approved by the court should be preserved, and all the rest should be demolished. Private construction should be prohibited, and the construction of temples must be approved by the court, and the ordination certificates must also be issued by the court. Only in this way can the tax evaders have nowhere to hide, return to secular life, and become farmers again."

"Where did the field come from?"

"Confiscate everything, take back all the temple land, survey and divide it, and give it to the landless people to cultivate. Based on the land holdings of the Great Xiangguo Temple, at least one million mu of land that was originally not subject to any taxes can be obtained."

"One million mu?"

"At least a million acres and hundreds of thousands of people, even if each household has three people and each household pays only one string of cash a year, could generate an additional 100,000 strings of cash in taxes annually. In addition, the bronze Buddhas, bells, and chimes from the demolished temples could be cast into coins, which would also amount to hundreds of thousands of strings of cash."

After speaking, Xiao Yi bowed and said, "This is the account I wish to settle for Your Majesty."

"Daoji, was his calculation correct?"

"The Great Zhou Temple has at least 20,000 temples. Although most of them are not as wealthy as the Great Xiangguo Temple, if each temple has 50 mu of land, then there are nearly a million mu of fertile land."

“Each temple is certainly more than fifty acres.”

"Yes."

Guo Wei took another sip of wine and muttered, "This is going against Buddhism."

"It is not about being an enemy of Buddhism, but about being an enemy of those who use Buddhism to break the law and disrupt order."

Xiao Yi had already prepared his words. He spoke with righteous indignation, saying, "Our Buddha is compassionate and cannot bear to see the suffering of living beings. He is willing to give up his golden body to save all living beings. This is the true essence of Buddhism."

He knew that if they were to debate, there would be plenty of points to argue, and Guo Wei would certainly have many concerns.

But Guo Wei didn't say anything. He thought for a long time before finally speaking.

"Go back."

"Does Your Majesty have any concerns? I believe that whether we do it sooner or later, the obstacles will be the same..."

Guo Wei raised his hand and waved.

"Daoji, you stay."

"Wei Chen retire."

Xiao Yi knew that Guo Wei needed to consider this matter, since the positions of all officials had not yet been properly arranged, which was understandable.

On their way back to camp from the palace, they met Tang Jin and Liu Tingrang, who both said that with Zhang Yongde gone, they had lost their hope of being invited to dinner and missed Zhang Yongde.

After that, it was nothing more than training and eating.

Zhang Mantun came over and said, "General, Yan Jinqing is here to see you."

“Let him go to the duty room… never mind, I’ll go to the gate to meet him.”

"Why would the general welcome him? Ever since I've known him, he's been fawning over everyone and getting by."

Xiao Yi thought to himself that this was because Yan Jinqing always fawned over the people Zhang Mantun followed.

Upon exiting the camp gate, I saw that Yan Jinqing's expression subtly showed excitement.

"General, it's done."

"Oh, congratulations to Lord Yan on his reinstatement."

"I haven't been reinstated yet. It was Minister Wang who accepted the house deed and invited me to meet him at the Shi residence tomorrow."

"Good news, he will reinstate you." "Thank you for your help, General. This is a small token of my gratitude. Please accept it."

Xiao Yi was about to refuse, but then he thought that there was no need to be polite with Yan Jinqing, so he asked Zhang Mantun to go and pick him up.

There were nine bolts of cotton cloth, in black, bright blue, and light gray—colors Xiao Yi often wore, showing the care taken in the process.

"General, this is quite an interesting gift. It's perfect for making you some spring clothes."

"Thank you very much, Lord Yan."

"General, there's no need for such formalities. However, I wonder what kind of gift would be appropriate to present to Minister Wang?"

"Lord Wang likes to flaunt his privileges. When giving gifts, it's not about the price, but about the prestige. It's best if the gift is related to his achievements."

"In that case, would it be acceptable to have a renowned calligrapher write a piece of calligraphy that reads 'Governing the country and benefiting the people'?"

He will like it.

At this point, Xiao Yi had a sudden thought and said, "Tomorrow, I will go with you to see him."

Yan Jinqing was overjoyed and quickly bowed in greeting.

"Thank you, General Xiao."

Xiao Yi originally didn't want to bring a gift, but since Wang Jun was also celebrating his housewarming, he sent someone to the East Market to buy a piece of Anyang embroidery, which cost fifty coins.

"Having learned that you are from Anyang, I specially selected this embroidery to congratulate you on your auspicious arrival in this blessed land."

"Have a heart."

Wang Jun glanced coldly at the Anyang embroidery, grunted, and walked into the main hall of the Shi family mansion with his hands behind his back. He looked around and shook his head from time to time, as if he disliked Shi Hongzhao's taste.

Xiao Yi and Yan Jinqing followed.

Returning to the Shi family mansion, everything had changed, leaving one with a sense of melancholy.

Wang Jun looked up at the plaque in the hall that read "Pillar of Strength and Foundation of the State" and sighed, "Shi Hongzhao was stubborn, arrogant and conceited, and it was only natural that he met such a tragic end... Remove this plaque and have the words 'Managing the Country and Saving the World' given to him by Yan Jinqing carved into a plaque and hung up."

"Yes."

Seeing this scene of "later generations lamenting but not learning from it" unfolding before his eyes, Xiao Yi felt it was absurd.

The person involved was completely oblivious, which can be described as stubborn, arrogant, and self-important.

Yan Jinqing smiled and said, "Lord Wang has 'the merit of assisting in the establishment of the country and the responsibility of regulating the empire on behalf of Heaven.' This humble subject only regrets that four words are not enough to fully describe Lord Wang's achievements."

The quote he cited was spoken by Guo Wei himself, and Wang Jun was satisfied with it, waving his hand.

Unfortunately, the four characters "代天调鼎" (meaning "to act as a substitute for Heaven in governing the state") were not engraved on it as well.

"You were originally the Inner Court Envoy, and you are well-versed in etiquette. You are hereby temporarily reinstated as the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and concurrently serve as the Director of the Four Directions Office."

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister Wang. I will certainly live up to your expectations."

Xiao Yi thought to himself that this official position was indeed suitable for Yan Jinqing.

Then, Wang Jun turned his head and said indifferently, "It's rare for a brat to come and visit me. What brings you here?"

"I also have a favor to ask of you."

"It is a private matter to refer to yourself as a 'junior,' but I have no personal relationship with you."

"I would like to ask if it is possible to move An Shenqi's daughter out of Taiping Palace?"

"What a courage!"

Wang Jun suddenly flew into a rage, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted, "You have the audacity to do this! I was concerned about the reputation of the court and did not find fault with you, but you have taken advantage of my kindness? You've gone too far!"

Seeing that Yan Jinqing was quite frightened, Xiao Yi pursed his lips as if he wanted to speak up for her, and gave her a look, indicating that he could handle it.

He deliberately hesitated for a while before speaking again.

"Please calm down, Lord Wang. I am not acting out of lust. This matter... is related to the temple."

"Say it."

Xiao Yi then recounted his suggestion from the previous day, concluding by saying, "I think that if His Majesty adopts my advice, perhaps it would be inappropriate for Lady An to continue residing in Taiping Palace."

"That's a stretch!" Wang Jun retorted. "Taiping Palace is a royal nunnery, so it's definitely not among the places to be demolished. You may be lustful, but that's just improper!"

"Yes."

"Did His Majesty heed your advice?"

"not yet."

“His Majesty will not accept it.” Wang Jun was very certain, and he had his reasons. He murmured, “He has not mentioned this matter to me.”

It seems that Guo Wei has to consult him before making any decisions.

Xiao Yi said, "This matter is more beneficial to the country than to the nation. Why doesn't Prime Minister Wang persuade His Majesty?"

"How did you calculate that? Tell me."

"Yes."

Xiao Yi then carefully explained the calculated amount of land, population, and money.

His gaze swept over, and Wang Jun's eyes gradually sharpened. Finally, he couldn't sit still any longer and suddenly stood up.

Sure enough, this man is power-hungry, considers himself "acting on behalf of Heaven to regulate the cauldrons," and acts more recklessly than Guo Wei, so he must be interested in this matter.

Putting aside his personality issues, Wang Jun is indeed very resourceful in his work.

After pacing back and forth for only a couple of steps, and almost without thinking, Wang Jun spoke.

"I will urge His Majesty to make a decision on this matter as soon as possible."

"Prime Minister Wang takes the well-being of the people as his own responsibility and dares to defy public opinion, which is admirable."

"Xiao Yi, I didn't expect you to have some insight. It's indeed time to fill a clerical position. You can start by serving as a translator."

"Thank you for your guidance, Prime Minister Wang. What about the matter of the An family?"

"Still asking? You're hopeless!"

“I took into consideration that she is, after all, the daughter of An Shenqi, and cannot be regarded as merely a ‘former empress’.”

"You are permitted to secretly take her out of Taiping Palace under another pretext, but you are not allowed to let her leave the capital. Otherwise, you will be held responsible."

"But I've heard that An Shenqi has already surrendered..."

"so what?"

"Yes, I understand."

Thus, a collaboration with Wang Jun was reached.

If we share the same goal, we'll work together; if we don't, we'll go our separate ways. It's not a big deal.

Once outside the Shi residence, Yan Jinqing took the initiative to speak.

"General Xiao, I have a vacant house in the east of the city. As the saying goes, 'A house that is left empty for a long time will fall into disrepair, but one that is lived in will prosper.' I wonder if you could help me invite someone to stay there for a while?"

(End of this chapter)