Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Due to excessive exploitation by the court, local treasuries were empty and ordinary people had no money left.

A lot of money and grain were transported from Hanzhong, but Lizhou was in a mess, and Ju Ming needed military resources to help the people.

After more than two months of confrontation in Jianmen and Zitong, military rations were severely depleted. Counting what was seized from officers and soldiers, the current army could at most be maintained until March next year.

"We have to let rich households donate money and food." Zhu Ming said.

Gao Jingshan reminded: "Of course we have to start from the rich households, but not now, we have to wait until next summer's harvest! Otherwise, these rich households will spread the word, and the common people will be ignorant, and the general's reputation of benevolence and justice will be lost. Here After all, it’s not Hanzhong, nor is it Jinzhou.”

The Zhu family and his son had extremely high prestige among the people in Hanzhong and Jinzhou, so it was naturally difficult for wealthy households to control public opinion.

In the Chengdu Plain, Ju Ming was an outsider.

When we first arrived, our foundation was not stable, and we were suddenly left to the rich to share the losses. These wealthy households would definitely pass on the losses, and then spread rumors and smear it like crazy. After being exploited by the rich, the common people will only hate Ju Ming, and their benevolence and justice will turn into cruelty in an instant.

Gao Jingshan gave a strategy for governing Chengdu: "The general's decree on tax cuts has initially won the trust of the people. The top priority is to rectify the administration of officials. Arrange close friends to take charge of household registration and justice, review long-standing unjust cases, take the opportunity to remove old officials who have violated the law, and then severely punish the wealthy families. Disciple. If you do this, you will be fair and aboveboard. Not only will you be able to establish prestige among the big families, but you will also be able to establish trust and morality among the people. By doing this, you can gradually control Chengdu, and by next summer, tax collection will be a matter of course."

Shi Yuangong asked: "Our army's food and grass can only last until March next year. Where can we find the remaining two or three months of food?"

Gao Jingshan pointed to the north: "Zhaojue Temple in the north of the city!"

"Wonderful!"

Shi Yuangong clapped his hands and praised that he had been to Chengdu several times: "Not only Buddhist temples, but also Taoist temples, we can take the opportunity to clean up."

Gao Jingshan said: "Although Mr. Shi has been to Chengdu and asked for information among the people, he can only get a glimpse of it. Zhaojue Temple was built during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty and was most prosperous during the Five Dynasties. In the early years of the Guo Dynasty, The army of the Song Dynasty burned, killed and looted, and Zhaojue Temple was abandoned and dilapidated. However, decades later, it flourished again. By the time of Shenzong, it had become too big. Lu Dafang petitioned the court to change Zhaojue Temple from Zisun Temple to Tenth Temple. Fang Jungle.”

Ju Ming thought it was amazing: "Can a Buddhist temple still have a temple for descendants?"

Gao Jingshan explained: "The descendants here refer specifically to the disciples and disciples. The abbot of the previous generation can be designated as the abbot of the next generation. In Shifang Jungle, the abbot can be appointed by the government."

"I see." Zhu Ming really didn't know this.

It seems that ancient times also had methods for religious management, through the appointment of abbots, thereby indirectly controlling temples.

Gao Jingshan continued: "Today's Zhaojue Temple has three hundred temples and hundreds of monks' residences. There are thousands of monks holding ultimatums alone, and there are also a large number of monks who have no ultimatums. There are three to four hundred temple fields. There are even more hidden fields than can be counted."

"So, the temple land controlled by Zhaojue Temple may be close to 100,000 acres?" Zhu Ming felt murderous after hearing this.

Gao Jingshan nodded and said, "And most of it is fertile farmland in the north of the city!"

Ju Ming stood up with a smile: "Since I have entered Chengdu, I should visit famous temples and eminent monks."

Gao Jingshan reminded: "Don't kill too hard, Zhaojue Temple has an excellent reputation among the people."

Can a temple covering nearly 100,000 acres of land really have a good reputation?

You may have!

As long as when lending money at usury, the interest rate is a little less than that of ordinary landlords. When it comes to collecting rent, it's a little less than ordinary landlords. In times of famine, some food is provided to provide relief to the victims. The eminent monk was responsible for making friends with officials and celebrities, and his reputation suddenly increased.

During the Shenzong Dynasty, the government took back the right to appoint and remove abbots, and the income of Zhaojue Temple needed to be handed over.

Li Wei said in "The Reconstruction of Zhaojue Temple": "This temple has a permanent residence of 300 tons of fertile land, a washing field, a collection of water, and a thousand couples. The well returns to the temple and is shared with everyone. There are boatmen and merchants who carry water. Money; the wealthy people in the mountains and rivers give up the benefits of the golden cave. Five bahts and a wisp, all returned to the temple, selfless people..."

It can be seen from this article that the lotus roots grown in the pond belong to Zhaojue Temple (as does the field rent presumably). The incense money donated by believers must be handed over to the government, and most likely they will also have to pay land taxes.

But just a few decades later, the government gradually lost control of Zhaojue Temple. How could the incense money be handed over honestly?

The current abbot, whose name is Yuanwu Keqin, is a generation of eminent monks who play an important role in the history of the development of Zen Buddhism.

He was twice issued imperial edicts by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty and appointed as the abbot of Zhaojue Temple (the abbot of the temple has a term of office, and if he wants to be re-elected, he must obtain the emperor's permission).

There are more than five hundred of his direct disciples.

More than a hundred of these disciples are abbots in other temples, and their influence spreads throughout Sichuan and even outside Sichuan!

Fang Wu Keqin is tasting tea. He has great research on tea ceremony. As a result, there were rumors in later generations that his calligraphy treasure "Tea Zen Yiyi" was collected in Daitokuji Temple in Japan. This calligraphy treasure also has a story with the monk Ikkyu.

This rumor has not been confirmed, but the letter he wrote to his apprentice Shaolong, namely "Yuanwu Seal Kezhu", does exist in Japan.

Disciple Shaolong held a tea cup and asked: "Zen Master, the emperor is summoning us, and the bandits have occupied Chengdu again. Do you want to go to Tokyo?"

Yuanwu Keqin said: "I am the abbot, I cannot leave. You are not from Shu, you can go there by yourself."

Shao Long is the founder of the Huqiu Sect of Zen, but now he is just an ordinary monk. His master got the words of Keqin Buddha and told them to Shaolong. Shaolong didn't understand them completely, so he came to Chengdu from Jiangsu and Zhejiang to seek Dharma.

Shaolong said: "Disciple, I heard what the monk said. Zhu thieves enter the city to calm the people and do not harm the people at all. If you encounter them, how should you treat them? Is it a thief? Is it a crowd?"

Yuanwu Keqin said: "If you call him a red thief now, you already have a prejudice in your mind. Why bother to ask me again?"

Shaolong was silent, thinking quietly.

"Zen Master, Zhu... the man named Zhu is here." A monk said standing at the door.

Yuanwu Keqin stood up slowly: "Let me greet you."

Zhu Ming was standing outside the temple gate, reading Yuan Wu Keqin's "Blue Rock Record".

This book was written by Yuanwu Keqin when he was in Hunan. Zen Buddhism did not have written texts at the beginning, but it began to have writings in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, among which "Bi Yan Lu" is the masterpiece.

"Old monk Keqin has met Zhu Tanyue." Yuanwu Keqin said with his hands together.

Zhu Ming said with a smile: "Dan Yue means the benefactor, right? I am not here to give alms, but need relief from Zhaojue Temple. In this way, the Zen master is the benefactor, and the poor have seen the diligent benefactor."

Yuan Wu Keqin lived for more than sixty years, but he had never met such a shameless person. He actually called the monk a donor when they met. He said calmly: "Please come to the temple to drink tea."

Zhu Ming turned over "Blue Rock Record" and said: "I just read the Zen master's masterpiece. This sentence is quite insightful. If you see it clearly, the sky is still the sky, the earth is the earth, the mountains are the mountains, and the water is the water. It reminds me of my father's words. "

"May I ask if your father has any wise words?" Yuanwu Keqin followed him and said.

Zhu Ming said: "My father once said that there are three realms in life. Seeing mountains is still mountains, seeing water is still water; seeing mountains is not mountains, seeing water is not water; seeing mountains is still mountains, and seeing water is still water."

Yuanwu Keqin said: "These are the words of Zen Master Qingyuan Xingsi, and your father is also a Zen practitioner."

Already have this passage?

Ju Ming did not feel embarrassed and asked: "According to Zen Master, am I a mountain or a river? Am I a general or a bandit?"

Yuanwu Keqin said: "Generals and thieves are of the same mind."

Ju Ming said: "The Zen Master is indeed an eminent monk, and he hit the nail on the head. If I have enough money and food, I will be a general. If I don't have enough money and food, I will be a bandit. Please save me, Zen Master, and don't let me turn into a bandit."

Yuanwu Keqin remained calm despite such a threat from Chi Guoguo: "The old monk seldom cares about the account books in the temple. General, please take them as well. I just ask that the monk's life is not harmed."

Ju Ming also said: "A monk without ultimatum must return to the secular world."

Yuan Wu Keqin said: "Okay."

Ju Ming said again: "There are too many temple fields, so some must be confiscated."

Yuan Wu Keqin said: "Okay."

Ju Ming was particularly surprised: "I won't keep much."

Yuanwu Keqin said: "It only needs to satisfy the monks."

Ju Ming said: "The money and food owed by the tenants must be written off in one lump sum, and the monks must farm by themselves from now on."

Yuanwu Keqin said: "It should be true, plowing the fields is also practice."

With such cooperation, Ju Ming was really embarrassed to kill people with a knife, and he sighed repeatedly: "I finally met a great monk today."

Yuanwu Keqin said: "The green tea made by your father coincides with the way of Zen practice. This poor monk has long wanted to visit."

Ju Ming said: "My father is in Hanzhong, and the Zen master can go there as much as he wants. I can write a letter to prove it."

Yuanwu Keqin asked: "Does Tan Yue still want to go to the temple to drink tea and discuss Zen?"

"No need, we've already discussed it." Zhu Ming clasped his hands and said goodbye, asking Zheng Hong to lead his troops to search the temple property.

Yuanwu Keqin sat cross-legged in the abbot's room, and the monks' pleadings kept coming from outside.

Loads of grain were picked up, boxes of money were moved away, and the savings of Zhaojue Temple for hundreds of years were used as military equipment by Ju Ming.

As for the tens of thousands of acres of fertile land, some were distributed to local tenants, and some were rewarded to soldiers who performed meritorious services.

A lot of land was also left for Zhaojue Temple. Each monk could cultivate two acres of land, and all the lotus root fields were reserved for the monks to eat vegetarian food.

The monks of Zhaojue Temple did not dare to resist and were restrained by Yuanwu Keqin.

However, many wealthy people came to see Ju Ming, and when they saw no one, they cried outside the Yamen.

They mailed their property under the name of Zhaojue Temple to escape government taxes and levies, but now they have been confiscated by Ju Ming.

Not only were the properties confiscated, but the rent and usury owed by the tenants were also declared void by Ju Ming based on their location.

All I can say is that it’s deserved!

Even other wealthy households around Chengdu have no sympathy for these guys.

There are various ways to evade taxes, and sending money to a temple is the lowest-level trick. Moreover, the origin of these properties is often unknown, and most of them were obtained through illegal means. They used the name of Zhaojue Temple because they were afraid of being investigated by the government.

Searching the property of Zhaojue Temple is just the beginning.

There are many Buddhist and Taoist temples in the counties under the jurisdiction of Chengdu Prefecture. Everywhere is rich and rich, enough to feed Ju Ming's army until next autumn.

Not all of them are eminent monks and virtuous people, there are always a few who want to resist.

During the raid, more than two hundred monks and Taoists were killed.

The wealthy households in Shu were uneasy, fearing that Ju Ming would swing his sword at them.

(This is stock, I don’t know if it will be updated tomorrow.)