Chapter 4944 Daci’en Temple
【Happy National Day】
On the fifth day of the lunar month, the wind picked up the snow.
One after another, ornately decorated four-wheeled carriages drove out from various places in Chang'an City. They were all crowded with people and servants. People on the street ducked out of the way. Just by looking at the momentum, you knew you were either rich or noble. How could you dare to provoke them?
Although there are various yamen and various regulations emerging one after another nowadays, the behavior of all walks of life is becoming more and more standardized. What can be done and what cannot be done are clearly written in the regulations, and there is absolutely no such vagueness as the previous laws. Ci, even if the powerful violate the laws and oppress the people, there are still Jingzhao Mansion and Dali Temple who can accuse them.
But the principle that the Chinese people have believed in since ancient times is that "one thing is worse than one thing less." Since we know that the powerful are arrogant, let them be arrogant, as long as we avoid a little...
Many carriages set off from various places in Chang'an, but they took different routes to the same destination. In the end, they all gathered in front of the Da Ci'en Temple.
Today is the day when the royal family members pray for Queen Wende...
The Great Ci'en Temple was originally built in the name of the Crown Prince praying for his mother, Queen Wende. Therefore, in a sense, the Great Ci'en Temple was equivalent to a royal temple. It was only because Xuanzang returned at the right time that the Great Ci'en Temple was used as a translation. The place of sutra has become the most popular place for Buddhism in the world to this day.
The pagoda dedicated to the shrine of Queen Wende is in the backyard of Da Ci'en Temple. The female family members of the royal family who came to pray for blessings arrived one after another. They said they were "praying", but in fact they were adding a piece of money for incense candles in the name of Queen Wende. "Buddha's fate"......
Princess Baling and Princess Gaoyang arrived at the Daci'en Temple one after another in their cars, so they arrived one after another to offer incense.
Princess Gao Yang stepped forward and hugged Princess Baling's arm, and said with a smile: "What a coincidence? Why don't we two come together? We are not outsiders anyway."
Princess Baling was a little panicked. What did she mean by this?
Although I didn't want to, I couldn't refuse, so I had to force out a smile: "That's good, let's go in together."
Since they were female relatives praying for Queen Wende, they naturally did not come alone. They both brought wives and concubines from their respective families. Princess Baling looked at the dozen wives and concubines of Chai Lingwu behind her, and then looked at the "right-hand man" beside Princess Gaoyang. Wu Meiniang and Jin Shengman had mixed feelings in their hearts.
Speaking of which, with Fang Jun's current status, power, and wealth, the gap between him and Chai Lingwu has long been widened. One is a high-ranking and powerful pillar of the empire, and the other relies on the ancestor's influence to eat and wait to die. As a result, his reputation is not good. The "lecherous" Jiaji Fang Jun only has three or five wives, while Chai Lingwu, who is comparable to a "rice insect", has many wives and concubines...
In the main hall, incense candles are lingering and the atmosphere is solemn.
The two families knelt down in front of the shrine, kowtowed, burned incense, and each gave a lot of "incense money", and then left together.
Wu Meiniang then suggested: "I heard that a monk from the south of the Yangtze River came to the Xiangji Kitchen of Daci'en Temple. The vegetarian food is delicious. Why not have a vegetarian meal before going back? I am really tired of eating big fish and meat during the New Year, so eat some The light vegetarian meal is not bad either.”
Princess Baling was unwilling to do so, but before she could refuse, Princess Gaoyang had already pulled her towards Xiangji Kitchen: "It's hard to see you, but today I just want to get together and have a chat."
Princess Baling pursed her lips and thought to herself, "What do I have to talk to you about?"
Let’s talk about how majestic, domineering and enduring your husband is? Or are you like a wolf and a tiger, looking for another way?
But in the end, she felt too guilty to refuse, so she kept walking and was pulled away by Princess Gaoyang. She had no choice but to turn around and invite a large group of her "sisters" to go with her...
The vegetarian meal was delicious, but Princess Gaoyang was very upset that she had to pay extra.
She glared at the monk who was bending over and nodding beside her, and said arrogantly: "My family gives away tens of thousands of dollars in silk at Da Ci'en Temple every year, but we still have to pay for a vegetarian meal. Are you monks obsessed with money? Besides, we have to pay for a vegetarian meal." Speaking of which, there were no such rules in the past, so why do you have to pay this time? Did you do it on purpose when I saw you coming?”
The monk was afraid of her power and status. There was a slight sweat on his bright forehead in the cold weather. He kept talking with a smile on his face. Seeing that Princess Gaoyang was still unwilling to give up, he felt angry in his heart.
After all, the monks sent here to serve the nobles will obviously not be those eminent monks with profound Buddhist teachings and indifferent moods...
"Your Majesty, your anger is not directed at Your Majesty, but because the temple is too large, has many monks, and the daily expenses are extremely huge. It is a last resort to find ways to increase revenue and reduce expenditure. In the past, the temple had land, 'incense accumulated money', and abundant warehouses. Naturally, we can try our best to provide convenience to all donors, but now it is unsustainable, and I hope that Your Highness will understand. ”
Princess Gao Yang was obviously choked and couldn't answer for a while.
The decree for the Buddhist and Taoist families to expand their property, annex land, and resume taxation was formulated by her husband. This move separated and sold the land that the Buddhist and Taoist families had merged through various means, which was equivalent to A piece of flesh was severely cut off from these two families.
And "Xiang Jiqian" is a way for temples to make money. Before the emergence of "Royal Bank", apart from the cabinet shops in the east and west cities, there were several temples in Chang'an City that were most convenient for borrowing money. This was called "Xiang Jiqian". "Of course, Buddhist disciples who are outsiders and Buddhists must not be contaminated with the smell of copper. Therefore, the principal of "Xiang accumulated money" is called "merits", and the interest is called "blessings".
Borrowing is a good thing. When small businesses and small farmers encounter business difficulties or natural disasters or man-made disasters, they can have a channel to relieve themselves. I don’t know how many negative consequences have been avoided.
However, when the golden copper coins are lost in sight, the monk who has nothing in the world cannot keep his true mind, and inevitably becomes blinded by the money. As a result, the interest rates are getting higher and higher, and the debt pressure is getting tighter and tighter. Everything was taken out, but anyone who dared not repay their debts would be confiscated of their houses and land, or their children and daughters would be sold. I don’t know how many families were ruined and almost everyone died.
Even if someone wants to sue, the temple is a high-end circle these days, with officials and dignitaries coming and going, and some of them may even be the backers behind the temple. How can they win the lawsuit?
When the "Royal Bank" came into being, it not only robbed the temple's "honey accumulation money" business with low interest rates, but also formulated a series of regulations restricting lending through the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The two-pronged approach resulted in a sharp decline in the temple's income.
The monks have long been accustomed to a luxurious life, and their income has suddenly decreased, but it is difficult to stop the usual enjoyment in time. They can neither "open up the source" nor "cut off the flow", so the warehouse is empty and unsustainable.
And Fang Jun can be said to be the "sufferer" of Buddhism in the world, but Princess Gaoyang still bosses around and accuses Da Ci'en Temple of charging money for even a meal... The monk is full of resentment, don't you know why he charges money?
Wu Meiniang smiled brightly: "Is it true that everyone receives money and is treated without distinction?"
The monk said confidently: "Since this is the case, I definitely don't dare to offend the nobles."
Wu Meiniang's smile did not diminish: "Is it always like this, or is it like this today?"
The monk was stunned: "This..."
Princess Gao Yang understood immediately and patted the table with her slender hands. Princess Baling was lost in thought for some reason and was startled. She turned to look and saw Princess Gao Yang's beautiful eyebrows raised: "Okay, thanks to the Great Ci'en Temple Or was it built by the late emperor, and now he is plotting against his royal family? I would like to ask Master Xuanzang what his intention is!"
The monk was sweating profusely and speechless.
Wu Meiniang smiled and whispered: "It's just a trivial matter, why bother to alarm Master Xuanzang? The money for the meal is probably collected privately by the young monks below to line their own pockets. Even if not, it is everyone's right to collect money for meals. You might as well tell Lang Jun later. Let’s ask the Ministry of Civil Affairs to pay more attention to it and add a ‘business tax’ to Daci’en Temple.”
The monk heard this so clearly that he shuddered all over. This woman is as beautiful as a fairy, but her heart is like a snake. She is so vicious. This means that all the monks in Xiangjichu will be kicked out of the Daci'en Temple...
Just when he was about to cry without tears and at a loss, he saw a young monk quickly walking in, holding a porcelain jar in his hand. He held the porcelain jar respectfully with both hands and said respectfully: "Master Xuanzang heard that His Highness Gao Yang I went to the temple to pray for blessings and had a vegetarian meal. I specially presented the wild tea made by myself and invited Your Highness to go to the monastery to taste it.”
Xuanzang's face must be given to him.
Princess Gaoyang glanced at the monk aside and took the porcelain jar with a smile: "Thank you Master Xuanzang for me, but I am disrespectful."
The young monk smiled and said: "It's good luck to have some spring water from Liquan in the temple, and I would like to invite Your Highness to go to the monastery to enjoy it."
Princess Gao Yang nodded, and without saying any more words, she walked out with the female family members of the two families hugging each other, heading to the monastery hidden in the woods not far away.
……
Inside the monastery.
The water vapor was thick and the fragrance of tea overflowed. Princess Gaoyang, Princess Baling, Wu Meiniang, and Jin Shengman were sitting on their knees on the floor, drinking tea comfortably.
Princess Baling didn't mind because she was sitting at the same table with Wu and Jin. Although Wu Meiniang was only Fang Jun's concubine, she had a very high status in the Fang family. Almost the entire Fang family's industry was under her control, and Jin Shengman She was born as a Silla princess and a golden girl, but she felt that the concubines who came with her were really not worthy of the spotlight...
Princess Gaoyang took a sip of tea, put down the tea cup, and said softly: "I heard rumors from outside that Prince Gaoping sought to enthrone his grandson Li Shaokang as the crown prince, but Zongzheng Temple refused. The reason was that he suspected that Li Shaokang was not Li Jingshu's biological child. Now the clan There is a lot of commotion here. If this is true, the Gaoping County Prince’s Palace will be disgraced.”
Wu Meiniang was sitting upright with a calm face, and said: "The rumors among the people are 70% true and 30% false, and they are often exaggerated. It's just that people make money with words and waste bones with money, but you can't help but be on guard. It seems. Of course people like us don’t need to care about rumors, but as the saying goes, a person has a face and a tree has a skin. Once your reputation is ruined, you will not be respected by the people around you based on your noble status. ”
The tea was a little hot. Princess Baling took a sip. Her heart skipped a beat and her eyebrows furrowed. This sounds meaningful...