Prince Li You of the Great Tang Dynasty begs the noble families to their deaths!

The old monk Yuanjue could no longer sit still.

Huang Ji Wood Market is definitely up to something!

That seemingly amiable and cheerful boss, Mr. Huang, was actually incredibly efficient and meticulous in his work, leaving no room for future trouble.

There must be a group of people behind Boss Huang.

Moreover, the number of people in this group must be quite large.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible to carry out such a large-scale kidnapping operation.

The question is, what exactly are they doing in Xiangzhou? Are they just here to sell charcoal and make money?

If it's just about making money, then the mere 700 coins per month, which is ten times that amount, is nothing more than a drop in the ocean for Huang Ji Wood Shop.

Is it worth killing off dozens of households for such a small amount of money?

Of course, Yuanjue was unaware that Huang Chao's army was currently in dire need of manpower and had a lot of work to do.

So these scoundrels and their families are all alive and well, and have not suffered the misfortune of being killed.

To prevent any potential problems, Monk Yuanjue began to mobilize troops everywhere to monitor Huang's Wood Shop.

Little do you know, when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

Li You initially viewed Xiangzhou City merely as a market for dumping charcoal; his primary focus at present remains on the development of the Tongbai Mountains.

After his "exchange" with Zhao Hongliang and others, Li You also began to have some other ideas.

In Xiangzhou alone, there was a "godfather" like Monk Yuanjue, who controlled almost all of the city's black market activities.

With over 300 prefectures and counties in the Tang Dynasty, how many talented individuals, extraordinary people, and monsters would there be?

Jing Song and Zhou Chuji's investigations allowed Li You to witness the immense power of temples as economic entities at that time.

With the money he amassed from the temple, the monk Yuanjue built three luxurious private mansions in Xiangzhou.

The number of other industries that are interconnected with it is countless.

No wonder those who failed in their rebellions eventually chose to hide in temples.

For example, Li Zicheng, and Huang Chao.

There are even rumors that the Jianwen Emperor, who was rebelled against, later went overseas and became a monk.

Ancient temples and Taoist monasteries were places that were too easy to harbor filth and evil.

Not only does it harbor filth and grime, but it is also very adept at "hiding wealth".

Li You set his sights on the vast wealth and manpower controlled by the monk Yuanjue.

Wealth is secondary, because Li You doesn't lack money now; what he lacks is people.

Although manpower is extremely scarce, it is unacceptable to go down the mountain and do whatever one pleases, or to lure people up the mountain on a large scale. Doing so would be tantamount to courting disaster.

Li You believed that it was not only feasible to bring those involved in the black market, like the monk Yuanjue, up the mountain for reformation, but also to help the people of Xiangzhou eliminate organized crime. He thought it was a great deed, even more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda, and worth doing.

To coordinate with the operation in Xiangzhou, Li You dispatched 300 soldiers down the mountain, placing them under the command of Gao Shun.

After these unemployed people went up the mountain, King Qi was willing to provide them with ample job opportunities, ensuring that they would not be idle and would no longer have the leisure to do evil.

Some people do bad things simply because they have nothing better to do.

These kinds of people need to be made to work hard; working is also a form of spiritual practice.

……

The sun was shining brightly in the early morning.

Most of the people in Xiangzhou City began their day's work.

Zhou Chuji was no exception; he was busy calculating accounts.

Bamboo charcoal has been selling very well recently. It has become popular and sought after among the wealthy in Xiangzhou.

Those cultured people who enjoy dabbling in refined pursuits simply cannot resist this unique fragrance.

While doing his accounting, Zhou Chuji would also occasionally observe his surroundings.

Since Fan Ali was removed from office, no one has come to collect the customary fees anymore.

However, there were many more suspicious-looking people around Huang Ji Wood Market.

Needless to say, they were all followers of Monk Yuanjue.

The covert struggle between the two sides continues.

To Yuanjue's surprise, Boss Huang did not carry out a "targeted elimination" of the people he sent out to monitor him.

After a standoff lasting more than ten days, Li You sent reinforcements to Xiangzhou. Zhou Chuji and Gao Shun were now even more confident and prepared to take action against Yunju Temple and its evil forces.

War is imminent.

A field battle between two armies is war, but this kind of quiet, covert war, where forces are quietly building up, is also war.

As a monk, Yuanjue has already violated all three precepts of abstaining from greed and anger, and will continue to do so.

A man like him could easily be categorized as a local tyrant.

Are there any prominent families in Xiangzhou?

There aren't any prominent families in Xiangzhou.

Of the more than 360 prefectures under the rule of the Tang Dynasty, not every prefecture had a powerful clan.

Of course, Liu Qingcheng, the governor of Xiangzhou, came from a distinguished family, but he was the only one serving as an official in this area; the Liu family's ancestral home was not in this region.

The formation of aristocratic families requires the accumulation of time.

Many prefectures were controlled by powerful figures like Yuanjue.

While Zhou Chuji and his men were eager to make their move, Monk Yuanjue was filled with apprehension towards "Boss Huang".

This old monk was able to become the leader of all sorts of people in Xiangzhou City, not entirely through fighting and killing.

Faced with the formidable opponent "Boss Huang," whose strength was impossible to discern, Yuanjue pondered the matter repeatedly and decided to try other methods first.

If peaceful means fail, then force is the only option.

He sent one of his capable apprentices to Huang's Wood Market.

"Amitabha. Benefactor Huang, my master, Venerable Yuanjue, would like to invite you to his home for a chat."

Zhou Chuji was stunned.

"What does Monk Yuanjue want to talk to me about?"

"Amitabha. All phenomena arise from causes and conditions, and the Tathagata has explained this as the cause. Venerable Yuanjue has sent me to inform Benefactor Huang that some things may be a misunderstanding. If we simply clarify the situation on both sides, the matter can be resolved."

This statement is subtle, but it gets the point across.

Zhou Chuji laughed and said, "Very well, Monk Yuanjue is indeed very understanding. However, I don't like to go alone. How about I bring a few brothers with me to see your master?"

"Amitabha. Please make yourself at home, benefactor."

The monk gave an affirmative answer.

Saying "Amitabha" once with every sentence is one of the practices of monks.

Zhou Chuji gave a wink to the soldier beside him.

The latter walked out of the shop, and before long, dozens of people gathered in front of the door, which startled the monk.

"Amitabha. Benefactor...why bring so many people?"

"I'm sorry, I'm timid and don't trust Monk Yuanjue."

Left with no other choice, the monk led the group of dozens of people to the gate of Yunju Temple.

The monks guarding the temple were also unwilling to let so many people in, but after negotiations, they eventually compromised.

Upon hearing the report from his disciples, Yuanjue thought to himself: The person behind Manager Huang has finally come forward.

Zhou Chuji entered the Buddhist hall and sat opposite the monk Yuanjue.

"Benefactor Huang, you are truly a person of great hidden talent."

"What do you mean by that, Master?"