Datang: Hiding private money, exposed by Xiao Sizi

After all, this debate between Buddhism and Taoism was regarded by Dezhi as a turning point for Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty.

Therefore, it is not impossible to fall into the evil path because of this obsession.

Shen Lian said: "So Dezhi teamed up with his relatives to create such a scam, pretending that the relic was stolen, and falsely accused someone of theft, and then offered 5,000 silver taels to redeem it."

"In this case, your temple has no choice but to explain the matter to the pilgrims. The pilgrims trust you very much and will naturally help you when they know you are in such a difficult situation. So it won't take long for you to collect the ransom."

"And this way, Dezhi will have the money! At the same time, Huasheng Temple's act of redeeming the relics of the Buddhist ancestors at the cost of shame can also win a lot of fame."

"In this way, you can gain both practical benefits and fame. I have to say..."

When Shen Lian said this, he couldn't help but sigh: "What a big lie, and it's really a scam that kills two birds with one stone!"

At this point, all the truth of the case has been completely revealed.

Everyone present was shocked by Dezhi's ingenious scam.

Everything was silent for a long time.

In the huge hall.

It's eerily quiet at the moment.

Everyone's expression was very complicated.

They were shocked that the mastermind behind all this was actually the abbot of Huasheng Temple.

At the same time, I was also shocked by this ingenious scam.

This scam is really interconnected.

From the moment the relics were stolen, a huge scam began!

The temple showed its weak position to the outside world, and when the pilgrims learned about the coercion, they all helped generously, cursing the thieves and even the court. After all, the court could not even solve such a case and could not catch a thief.

In this way, from beginning to end, the temple has no impact at all, and no one criticizes the temple, except that pilgrims feel pity for it and want to protect it.

Moreover, it is obvious to all that the temple has paid so much for the relics of their ancestors, and this will win it a good reputation.

Afterwards, the temple will use the ransom to exchange for the relics, and then everything will be perfect.

If the case cannot be solved, whose responsibility is it?

Of course it is the court’s responsibility.

And what about Huasheng Temple?
Completely removed from this matter.

The money is there.

It’s a name!
The relics are back too!
After a long journey, Huasheng Temple only made profits and no losses.

At that time, we will decorate the temple well and make it magnificent, so that when Taoist people come, they will be blinded and shocked.

Huasheng Temple occupies the home court position. If it can win the debate between Buddhism and Taoism and thoroughly promote Buddhism, it will be a real fortune!
It must be said that even Shen Lian couldn't help but feel deeply moved at this moment.

How did Dezhi come up with this scam?
Everything started when the relics were stolen.

Not only was the scam ingenious, but the crime was also extremely sophisticated.

Shen Lian believed that only with a cheat like him here could he easily crack everything.

If an official like Zhao Xianye were to investigate.

Not to mention a few days, even if it’s a few months, it won’t be found out.

If Buddhism really wins by then, its moral and intellectual status will surely rise, and perhaps people will go directly to the Western Regions.

By then, what’s the use even if you solve the case?

They have everything, you can’t even catch them!

Besides, it’s been so long, all the evidence has disappeared long ago, how can we solve the case?

Even today I came here by myself.

If I come tomorrow, after they have finished the transaction, I may not be able to solve the case.

Even if I knew the whole story, there would be no evidence to prove everything.

By then, without hard evidence, it would be useless no matter who came.

Shen Lian sighed in his heart, he looked at Dezhi and said: "Abbot Dezhi, although I, Shen, don't understand Buddhism, I think that people who worship Buddha should take it easy when it comes to winning or losing, which is more appropriate."

"So when you have this idea and do whatever it takes to win, you've already lost, right?"

When Dezhi heard Shen Lian's words, he suddenly opened his eyes.

He looked at Shen Lian, and in Shen Lian's bright and clear eyes he saw his own sad face reflected.

Suddenly, he felt ashamed of being watched by Shen Lian.

He said: "Master Shen has a deep Buddhist heart. If Master Shen joins our Buddha, he will definitely become a great monk of our Buddha."

Shen Lian: "..."

What the hell...

I just said something casually, and you won't let me get married?
I am a married man!!
Shen Lian hurriedly shook his head and said, "No, no, no, I can't get rid of my worldly desires, so it seems that I, Shen, am destined to have no affinity with Buddhism in this life."

Dezhi was filled with sorrow when he heard Shen Lian's words.

At this moment, Deyuan was looking at Shen Lian with a look of deep sorrow, as if such a good talent as Shen Lian was wasted.

Shen Lian was quite speechless.

Do you Buddhists like to recruit people so much? Is there a reward for recruiting people?

"Lord Shen, there is something I want to discuss with Lord Shaoqing alone."

Just then, Dezhi suddenly spoke.

Shen Lian looked at Dezhi's expression and saw that Dezhi looked serious, as if he really wanted to tell him a secret.

He thought about it, then nodded: "Let's go outside."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly made way for Shen Lian.

At this moment, these monks no longer had any disrespect towards Shen Lian, and everyone of them was in awe.

Even more reverent than their teachers.

Shen Lian and Dezhi left the hall. Qin Zulai looked at Dezhi and said, "Abbot, please speak."

Dezhi took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, and said, "I know that I have committed many sins and am haunted by demonic obstacles, but I have a secret that I still hope to tell Lord Shen. I don't ask for my sins to be washed away, but at least... I hope you won't make the same mistake all the way."

Looking at Dezhi, Shen Lian now felt that this abbot actually had some of the qualities of a great monk.

However... the obsession was too strong, and this time, the matter was completely ruined.

From now on, let alone becoming a great monk, I don’t know how long I will be in jail.

"Please speak, Abbot."

Dezhi looked at Shen Lian and said, "In fact, this scam and the method used were not my idea. Someone told me about it."

"what?"

Shen Lian was a little surprised.

His mind was suddenly full of thoughts.

Countless flashes of lightning suddenly appeared in his mind.

At this moment, it seemed that something was caught by him...

But the clues were too few to allow him to deduce the whole story.

He looked at Dezhi and asked hurriedly, "What exactly happened?"

Dezhi did not hide anything. He said, "Ten days ago, a pilgrim donated a lot of money and said he had a problem and hoped that I could help solve it, so I met him."

"The pilgrim was about 40 or 50 years old, with a thin body. When he saw me, he asked me whether I wanted to defeat Taoism in the debate between Buddhism and Taoism, and whether I wanted to raise money to build a Buddhist altar before I could speak."

"Ask about the Buddha altar?" Shen Lian was puzzled.

Dezhi said: "That is the place I prepared to build specifically for this Buddhist-Taoist debate, so the few thousand silver taels are not enough because I want to build it."

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and said, "You wanted to win so badly that you nodded?"

Dezhi nodded.

"As Lord Shen said, I am obsessed with something. He said he had a way to help me. I pondered for a long time, but was finally overcome by my obsession." "Then he told me the scam and how to do it! He said that as long as I follow his method, it will be foolproof. He also said..."

"What?" Shen Lian asked.

Dezhi looked at Shen Lian and said, "If someone can crack the method he said, he will come here to finish it himself, so I don't have to worry."

Even if I was discovered, there wouldn't be any problem as long as I insisted on killing myself, because no one would be able to find evidence... But I couldn't get over it, and didn't want to make the same mistake again, so I took the initiative to admit it.

When Shen Lian heard Dezhi's words, his heart was suddenly filled with huge waves.

Behind Dezhi, there is another person.

This perfect scam was not done by Dezhi at all.

Who is that?
Beichen?
Or is there someone else involved?
Shen Lian thought for a while, and suddenly, his eyes opened wide.

He said, "Oh no!"

Dezhi asked hurriedly, "What's wrong?"

Shen Lian said, "Hurry, go to where you hid the silver. Something unexpected may have happened."

Dezhi didn't know what Shen Lian was thinking, but seeing how nervous Shen Lian was, he didn't dare to delay and hurriedly said, "Sir Shen, please come in."

"Xugou!"

Shen Lian suddenly spoke.

Enough to run over: "Master."

Shen Lian said: "Order your men to leave immediately and stop anyone from going up the mountain, quickly!"

Xu Gou didn't know why Shen Lian said that, so he nodded quickly and turned around to give orders.

At this moment, the temple door was suddenly knocked.

Soon a voice was heard.

"Your Majesty has arrived, open the door immediately!"

When Shen Lian heard the voice, his heart skipped a beat.

"Oops, it's too late!"

Shen Lian really wanted to curse in his heart.

He has calculated everything.

The modus operandi, the scam, everything was uncovered.

But he never expected that there were other people behind what Dezhi did.

After all, moral governance is just a puppet.

He was manipulated by the person behind the scenes!
Then I contacted Beichen's letter to me...

At this moment, many things flashed through Shen Lian's mind like a movie.

The pictures gradually became fixed.

Clues appeared directly in Shen Lian's mind.

Many things finally became clear at this moment.

But... it's a little late!
His Majesty is here!

And...the first time I met him was in a place like this!

Shen Lian let out a breath.

He had already guessed what the person behind the scenes wanted to do, so he ordered Xu Gou not to allow anyone to go up the mountain.

But who knew that as soon as he finished speaking, the current emperor would come to his door.

This……

He was really speechless.

Seeing that Shen Lian looked unhappy, Xu Gou couldn't help but said, "Master, the emperor is here, should we... open the door?"

Shen Lian nodded and said calmly: "We are just common people. How can we have the power to stop your majesty's will? Open the door."

"And, as I expected, now the Huasheng Temple is open to the public but not to the public. If Your Majesty shows any sign of leaving in a hurry, believe it or not, you and I will all be shattered to pieces immediately."

When Xu Gou heard Shen Lian's words, his expression changed.

Abbot Dezhi beside him also looked pale. He couldn't help but look at Shen Lian and said, "Lord Shen, but...but what is going to happen?"

Xu Gou also looked at Shen Lian nervously.

He had never seen such a solemn expression on Shen Lian's face.

Even when he had a duel with the Big Dipper and the people behind Princess Gaoyang, his young master was confident that he had the upper hand.

It is truly unprecedentedly solemn.

This made him a little nervous.

Shen Lian let out a light breath, and then the corners of his mouth slightly curled up, and the solemnity on his face disappeared in an instant.

He sneered, and said with a half-smile: "Plans will never be as fast as changes. In this world, there is no one who can truly predict everything perfectly."

At this point, Shen Lian looked at Dezhi and said, "Master Dezhi, speaking of this, I, Shen, would like to thank you."

"If it weren't for you, maybe all of us would have been shattered tonight."

"what?"

Dezhi’s bald head was full of question marks.

Shen Lian did not explain, he just chuckled and said: "Acting on your own is not a bad thing sometimes, but Abbot, you acted on your own outside the plan of the person behind the scenes. I think... this is definitely a bad thing for the person behind the scenes."

"And it was this self-willed decision that finally caused his prediction to deviate a little. Playing chess is like walking a step. The slightest deviation, when the distance is magnified to infinity, can make a world of difference."

Dezhi was confused.

He found that he understood every word Shen Lian said, but when they were connected together, he found that he understood nothing.

Dezhi couldn't help but look at the Dog.

Then he was glared back by the Dog.

Why are you looking at me, as if I understand?
My wisdom is that not understanding is the basic operation, okay!
Anyway, the Dog is no longer surprised and doesn't feel anything anymore.

Dezhi, for the first time, felt like a mentally retarded person and was suffering from great trauma.

At this time, the door of the temple was opened.

Li Shimin and his entourage quickly entered the temple.

Li Shimin kept looking around, and when he saw Shen Lian, his eyes suddenly lit up.

Suave, elegant and easy-going.

What a handsome man indeed!
No wonder little Changle followed this guy at that time.

When Li Shimin saw Shen Lian, his eyes became softer.

As for this prince consort who had made many contributions to the Tang Dynasty, he had only heard of his name but had never seen him in person.

Today, I saw you, I didn’t expect…

Or it was because his prince was missing.

"Ugh."

Li Shimin sighed.

Then he slowly walked towards Shen Lian.

Upon seeing this, Shen Lian immediately bowed and said, "I am Shen Lian, a humble servant, honored to see your majesty."

Then he slowly walked towards Shen Lian.

Upon seeing this, Shen Lian immediately bowed and said, "I am Shen Lian, a humble servant, honored to see your majesty."

(End of this chapter)