Reborn in the late Northern Wei Dynasty

Chapter 99 Confiscation (for Subscription)

Gao Cheng quickly received Yuan Shanjian's reply, and everything was handled according to his disposal.

And the explosive scandal about the monks has become the most popular anecdote in Luoyang City today. Everyone is talking about which noble lady often goes to the temple, and which powerful family often has monks.

It seems that all noble ladies who have had intercourse with monks are not clean.

On this day, countless dignitaries and family members looked for death and life, clamoring to prove their innocence by death, but fortunately, no murders occurred yet.

The dignitaries who were made restless in their homes hated the group of monks even more.

This kind of thing can't be explained clearly at all, and the virgin can still find a stable wife to test his body, how can these wives and concubines prove their innocence.

It's just a muddled account, Gao Cheng also understands this, and only asks about the grievances of the people.

A monk who has an affair with a noble lady will have revenge from those suffering masters.

On April 28, the next day, announcements about the disposal of the convicted monks were posted all over the streets and alleys of Luoyang City.

At noon, more than [-] monks will be taken to the gate of Changhe and beheaded by Cui Jishu himself. Before that, rumors spread in Luoyang.

"Have you heard? The Buddhism in this world is divided into Mahayana and Hinayana."

"What Mahayana, Hinayana? I've never heard of it."

"It is said that today's monks study the Hinayana Dharma, and they can't practice themselves, so they do so many ugly things. If they practiced the Mahayana Dharma, how could they pollute the purity of Buddhism."

"Mahayana Buddhism is really so wonderful? Where can I find it?"

"I heard that in the later Han Dynasty, two monks came from foreign countries with white horses carrying scriptures, and only then did Buddhism in Central China. If you want to find Mahayana Buddhism, you may have to go to a foreign country."

These rumors quickly spread to the ears of monks in Luoyang.

It was the time when people were panicking. At noon, Cui Jishu was ordered to be executed outside the gate of Changhe in front of the palace city.

More than 2000 shiny heads landed on the ground, and the crowd applauded, but the Luoyang monks were silent and could only let the Mahayana and Hinayana rumors spread.

At the same time, nearly [-] detained monks will also be sent to various mines in batches to shine for the prosperity of the Great Wei Dynasty.

In fact, Gao Cheng didn't know much about Buddhism. He read "Journey to the West" when he was a child, and he knew the deeds of Tang Sanzang seeking Mahayana Buddhism. As for the difference between Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism, he didn't know so much.

The rumors intensified and even spread into the Bohai Prince's Mansion. Gao Cheng once again recruited the remaining [-] abbots from various temples in Luoyang.

"I heard that Buddhism in the world is divided into Mahayana and Hinayana. Who are you waiting to explain to me?"

The eyes of the monks and nuns were darkened. At this time, there are still 94 years before Xuanzang’s journey to the west. Who knows what Mahayana Buddhism is.

Seeing them like this, Gao Cheng couldn't get angry:

"As monks, you should concentrate on studying Buddhism, but you can't even explain Mahayana Buddhism to me. What are you doing every day!"

The monks and nuns all kowtowed and pleaded guilty. It was really more than [-] heads that fell to the ground earlier, and the impact it gave was too great. They were afraid that they would offend the prince and lose their own heads.

Gao Cheng didn't make things difficult for them, he just ordered the guards to go out of the mansion to look for anyone who knew the whereabouts of Mahayana Buddhism.

Bring one back soon.

Gao Cheng asked:

"Do you know where Mahayana Buddhism is?"

The man respectfully said:
"The villain heard that there is Mahayana Buddhism hidden in the Zongsheng Temple in Jianyangli."

Gao Cheng was overjoyed when he heard the words, and asked the monks and nuns:
"Where is the abbot of Zongsheng Temple?"

No one answered, and Cui Jishu, who came back, reminded:
"The abbot of Zongsheng Temple has done a lot of evil, and he has been beheaded outside the closed gate."

Only then did Gao Cheng suddenly realize that he immediately summoned the troops of Duan Shao and Yaoxiong who were stationed in Yongning Temple, and brought more than [-] temple abbots to Zongsheng Temple in Jianyangli.

Xu Qian, who was studying in the dormitory built by Gao Cheng, had just finished school and before he got home, he saw countless soldiers pouring into Jianyangli where his home was.

Xu Qian was worried, and ran home quickly. His mother was watching from the side of the road. The team did not disturb the people and went straight to Zongsheng Temple.

"Qian'er, I just saw the prince of Bohai, but what happened?"

Xu Qian helped his mother into the house and said:

"Those monks have committed many crimes. It must be the Zongsheng Temple that hides the filth. The son went to search for it."

Mother Xu regretted hearing the words:
"If I had known those monks were doing this, my mother really shouldn't have donated your grandpa's pension to the monastery."

Knowing that his mother believed in Buddhism, Xu Qian donated the pension in the hope that the Buddha would protect his mother, child and father's soul. He comforted him:
"The monks are filthy, but the Buddha knows Aunt's mind."

Mother Xu sighed and asked:
"Qian'er, do you know what Mahayana Buddhism is? You are a student, so you must know a lot. My mother heard that there is Mahayana Buddhism in this world, which is far more subtle than Hinayana Buddhism. Can you tell me about it?"

Xu Qian has been studying in the school building and has never heard such rumors at all, so he can only truthfully say:

"The master in the school taught us how to read characters and how to count numbers. He never taught us Buddhism."

Mother Xu was not disappointed when she heard the words, she smiled and said:

"That's right, my Qian'er didn't study to become a monk, so how could he study Buddhism?"

In Zongsheng Temple, Gao Cheng led troops to break in, and all the monks in the temple were gathered outside the main hall.

Gao Cheng asked the monks:

"I heard that there is Mahayana Buddhism hidden in your temple, why don't you get it for me quickly to benefit the world."

All the monks looked at each other, because the abbot was killed, the temporary abbot had no choice but to come out and replied:
"My son, the old monk has practiced in Zongsheng Temple for more than [-] years, and he has never heard of Mahayana Buddhism hidden in the temple."

Gao Cheng didn't believe it, he coldly snorted to the more than [-] hosts he brought:

"I've heard long ago that you monks always cherish your brooms. When I saw you today, it's true."

Some acquaintances of the hosts accompanied the old monk hurriedly persuaded him to bring out Mahayana Buddhism quickly.

The old monk was distressed to say that they really didn’t have any Mahayana scriptures, so they immediately asked the monks in the temple to take out all the scriptures in the Sutra Pavilion, and the abbots identified them one by one.

Gao Cheng didn't believe it, he insisted on ordering his soldiers to go to the temple. After some searching, there were indeed no Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, but by accident, many weapons and armor were found.

"In the past, Emperor Taiwu slaughtered monks because of the hidden weapons in the temple. You dare to do such evil things. Could it be that because of what happened back then, you hated the country and intended to rebel!"

Gao Cheng took the opportunity to attack.

The abbots of the various temples and the monks of Zongsheng Temple have already realized that this is clearly Gao Cheng's setup.

Just when the old monk's eyes were darkened and he was about to faint, Cui Jishu, who was accompanying him, said:
"The servant thinks that this matter may have been done by the previous abbot, and has nothing to do with the current monks."

Seeing Gao Cheng nodding his head when he heard the words, the old monk regained his breath.

But Cui Xian said with a dark face:

"Even if it was done by the previous abbot, the prince should thoroughly check the temples in the city to see if there are weapons hidden in them."

The hearts of the monks rose again, and they all knelt down and begged for mercy. It is too easy to frame such a thing.

Gao Cheng didn't care, and ordered his soldiers to guard the monks, and then dispatched troops to raid the temples in the city.

The reason why he controlled the [-] presiding officers in advance was to prevent someone from organizing monks to rebel.

Including those newly built by Gao Longzhi, more than a hundred temples were found to contain weapons. Fortunately, they were all temples that lacked presiding officers, and no innocent people were harmed.

Gao Cheng immediately entrusted his servant Gao Longzhi to report the situation to the emperor, no matter what Yuan Shanjian thought, the servant Gao Longzhi invited the imperial decree.

Seeing the numerous crimes committed by monks, Yuan Shan claimed that it was caused by not practicing Mahayana Buddhism himself. He ordered the abolition of monasteries in Kanto and ordered monks to return to secular life until Mahayana Buddhism was introduced.

He also ordered Gao Cheng to select eminent monks and travel westward to obtain Mahayana scriptures.

At the risk of offending the emperor, Gao Cheng interceded on behalf of the monks, asking for permission to set up a small number of temples, to control the number of monks, to prohibit private shaving, and to set up the examination and issuance of certificates by the degree department.

Not long after, Gao Longzhi brought Gao Cheng a second edict, and everything was in accordance with Gao Cheng's words.

Gao Cheng got the order and immediately started to carry out the matter.

There are now more than [-] temples in Luoyang. With a swipe of his pen, Gao Cheng decided to erase the odds, leaving only twelve monasteries for monks and one monastery for nuns.

It is even more impossible to keep the big temples including Yongning Temple and Jingming Temple. Gao Cheng was abolished and planned to use it to garrison soldiers in Gyeonggi.

These great temples all have school grounds, and there is no need to worry about the lack of places for performances.

Putting the army under his nose also made Gao Cheng feel more secure.

As for local temples, Gao Cheng also cut down with a knife. Only one monk temple can be set up in each county, and one nun temple can be set up in each state.

According to Gao Cheng's original intention, wouldn't it be good to let them have children and multiply the population.

But there are always many old nuns who have no family members and are barren. Even if they are forced to marry widowers, they will not get any good looks.

The purpose of setting up a nunnery is to give them a place to live in the elderly. In the future, they will definitely not issue certificates to young women. It would be a pity to spend their good years reciting scriptures and chanting Buddha.

Want to be a nun?Yes, after the age of 60.

As for monks who want to return to secular life and who can continue to chant scriptures and chant Buddhism, Xiao Gaowang has no interest in taking Buddhist exams.

He directly divides them according to their age. Gao Cheng will give them a certificate to those over 60 years old, allowing them to continue to be monks. No matter how bad King Gao is, he will be ashamed to force a [-]-year-old monk to work in the fields and pay taxes for him.

In principle, there should be no more than 80 monks in each monastery. Before the elderly monks fill up the vacancies, the monks will never be distributed. The principle of one monk per monk will not be wavered.

Of course, none of the above has anything to do with Yaoguang Temple in Luoyang. Although Yaoguang Temple is a nunnery, it is not among the remaining thirteen monks and nuns in Luoyang, nor is it abolished.

This is because Yaoguang Temple has its particularity. It was built by Yuan Ke, Emperor Xuanwu. The deposed Empress Feng of Xiaowen, Gao of Xuanwu Empress, Hu of Xiaoming Empress, and a large number of concubines and noble ladies successively lived in this temple. become a monk.

In essence, this is actually a sanatorium for concubines, where concubines of former dynasties practiced.

If Erzhu Ying'e was not Er Zhurong's daughter, she would have entered Yaoguang Temple to chant scriptures and Buddha.

If Yaoguang Temple is really to be abolished and these women are forced to remarry, the public opinion in the world will be fierce, and I'm afraid it will cause public outrage.

Gao Cheng intends to marry the exiled nuns in Luoyang outside Yaoguang Temple with the soldiers of Gyeonggi, and plans to find a time for the unmarried soldiers to have a large-scale blind date.

At the same time, Gao Cheng was also considering whether to set an example by himself and find a beautiful nun in Yaoguang Temple to take him into his house.

If you make up your mind, look for them from the wives and concubines of Emperor Xiaoming, Emperor Xiaozhuang, Yuan Ye, Yuan Long, and Yuan Gong.

As a politician, sometimes you have to wrong yourself and do things you don't want to do.

But after thinking about it again and again, he still vetoed this idea. His reputation was already bad enough, and if he went to Yaoguang Temple to be a nun, he would never be able to clear it up in his life.

Gao Cheng's disposition opinion was reprinted by Yuan Shanjian and sent to various places in Kanto.

He purposely only mentioned Kanto, because he didn't want He Bayue to take advantage of it.

But if you think about it carefully, you are not a fool. You all know that Buddhism is a fat sheep, so there is no guarantee that you will not act in a false way.

Sure enough, news spread to Kansai that Kanto suppressed Buddhism and filled up Buddhist temple properties. Under Yu Wentai's persuasion, He Bayue also exterminated Buddhism. Temporary lows.

Of course, these are all things to follow.

Gao Cheng sent the documents to the Kanto prefectures, and strictly ordered the governors of the prefectures and counties to act according to the order. While abolishing the temples, they thoroughly investigated the illegal activities of the monks.

At the same time, to force the monks to return to lay life, it is natural to arrange a livelihood for them.

Gao Cheng ordered the prefectures to confiscate temple properties and take back public land, and the Juntian Official set up by Gao Cheng distributed acres of land to monks and hermits sheltered by the temple.

After this raid, the number of monks in Kanto may be less than 550. According to Gao Cheng’s memory, when the Eastern Wei Dynasty fell in 533, there were a total of more than [-] million monks in Kanto. Now in [-], although this number cannot be reached , will not be too far apart.

Not to mention hermits, monks alone have millions of people paying taxes, and Gao Cheng can wake up with a smile in his dreams.

These days, officials from the Ministry of Household Affairs continue to rush around Luoyang to register household registrations for hermits and monks who have returned to lay life, and then allocate acres of land.

The nuns were also summoned by Gao Cheng outside Luoyang City to preside over the marriage for them.

As we all know, Gao Cheng never violated the wishes of women, so he asked the nuns to choose the guards and unmarried soldiers in the Gyeonggi Army, and let these soldiers express their willingness.

Unexpectedly, many nuns were staring at Little Gao Wang longingly, their eyes seemed to seduce people's souls, Gao Cheng didn't dare to stay for a long time, he explained a few rules of the venue, and then hurriedly left and returned to Bohai Palace.

The Bohai Palace moved, and Gao Cheng moved the Palace to the vicinity of Yongning Temple, next to Miyagi.

The reason is simple. He stationed 7000 people under his command and 3000 people from Huluguang in Yongning Temple.

Duan Shao and Yao Xiong were stationed at Jingming Temple, and Murong Shaozong and Gao Ao Cao, who was still in Jingnan, stationed at Gaoyangwang Temple.

Gaoyangwang Temple used to be the mansion of Gaoyang King Yuanyong. After Yuanyong died, he donated it as a temple. There were [-] servants and [-] prostitutes in Yuanyong's mansion. The area was so large that it could accommodate an army.

The next step is to count the assets of the monastery. The land properties are all on the bright side, and it is only natural that they should be nationalized.

But the amount of money and food accumulated by each monastery fluctuated greatly, and Gao Cheng was not greedy, and he divided the account every ninety-one.

For every nine servings Gao ate, one was shipped to the state treasury.

As a result, cars full of money and food were continuously transported into the new site of the Bohai Palace until the palace was too full, and they were transported to the nearby abolished temples for hoarding.

(End of this chapter)