Chapter 111: Monks Rebel, Ten Years Without Success

Early the next morning, a memorial from the Director of the Ministry of Rites, Liu Chun, made the quiet city of Beijing lively once again.

"Your subject has heard: the greatness of a nation lies in the livelihood of its people; the superiority of education should lie in the moral heart. Today's Buddhism has spread for a thousand years and has many believers. However, there are often opportunists who enter the void to avoid corvée labor. If this continues for long, it will inevitably lead to damage to the national tax revenue. If tax revenue is damaged, the national treasury will suffer; if the national treasury suffers, the nation will become exhausted and weak, and civil unrest will arise everywhere.

Therefore, your subject requests that Your Majesty examine Buddhist monks and order those who are unqualified to return to their hometowns to farm, so as to replenish the national treasury."

Immediately following this, the Six Ministries and the Censorate all followed up with memorials.

Zhang Juzheng imitated the Emperor's tone and wrote: "Your words are very relevant to the current situation; the request is granted."

Once the Drafting of Rescripts was sent to the Western Warm Pavilion, the Emperor wrote the Vermilion Approval without changing a word, and then, through the Office of Transmission, disseminated the content of the memorial to all prefectures and counties in the world.

To prevent monks from all over the world from causing trouble in the capital, Zhang Juzheng also issued orders to local officials everywhere: if monks from their jurisdiction ran to the capital, the local officials of that place would be held criminally liable.

Once this order was issued, local officials everywhere felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy, and they successively dispatched bailiffs to guard the roads, fearing that even one person might slip away.

However, although monks from other places could not come to the capital, there were still more than five thousand monks in the vicinity of the capital alone.

Once they heard that someone wanted to smash their rice bowls, how could they stand for it?

They stopped chanting sutras, stopped striking bells, and clamored to go to the Forbidden City to petition.

Only five days had passed since Zhang Juzheng issued the order to disband the monks, and thousands of monks in Beijing, plus the commoners who sympathized with them, gathered together, showing a strong trend toward rioting.

In front of Zhaoning Temple, a fat monk, filled with righteous indignation, stood on a temporarily constructed high platform.

Below, it was packed with monks and nearby Buddhist believers.

The fat monk swept his gaze across the crowd below, then rolled up his sleeves, raised his arms, and shouted: "Everyone, we have been chanting sutras for nearly half our lives. Now someone won't let us chant sutras. You tell me, what should we do?!"

"Go to the Empress Dowager to petition, ask the Empress Dowager to make the decision for us!"

"That's right, go tell the Empress Dowager that we have been monks for twenty years, and even when the Jiajing Emperor was alive, he didn't make us return to secular life. Who does he, Zhang Juzheng, think he is, daring to tell us to return to secular life?!"

"Exactly, exactly. We worship the Buddha and pray for the blessings of the Great Ming. If we were gone, just look at how chaotic this Great Ming would become. If everyone stopped following the Buddha, how could this world not be in chaos?"

While the crowd was shouting happily, a team of over a thousand people came running in quickly with a thud-thud-thud sound.

Han San rode at the very front.

As soon as he arrived in front of Zhaoning Temple, he waved his hand, and the thousand soldiers quickly spread out, surrounding Zhaoning Temple.

Seeing these soldiers holding blades and spears, the monks were somewhat afraid, covering their mouths one after another and retreating a few steps.

"Weren't you shouting quite happily just now? As soon as I arrived, you all became mutes. Continue, speak up." Han San crossed his arms and walked toward the leading fat monk with a smile, while the commoners on both sides sensibly cleared a path.

"You... you lackeys and running dogs, you will surely fall into the Eighteen Levels of Hell after you die." Seeing the momentum collapse, the fat monk pointed at Han San and cursed through gritted teeth.

"Whether I fall into hell or not, I don't know." Han San shook his head and grinned, "However, if you continue to gather here and slander the great laws of the imperial court, I will send you to see the Buddha right now."

As soon as Han San's voice fell, it inevitably caused a fierce commotion below.

"Arrogant, madman."

"Who do you think you are? You're nothing but a dog raised by others."

"Not living as a proper human, but running off to be a dog for someone else. If I were your father or mother, I would have wished to kill you back then."

"..."

Regarding these curses, Han San turned a deaf ear. He patted the snow off his shoulders, pointed his blade at the fat monk on the high platform, and said: "I'll give you a quarter of an hour. If these people don't disperse, you are the ringleader, and I will come for you."

"On what grounds?"

"On the grounds of this uniform I'm wearing."

Now the fat monk was in a difficult position. He was the organizer; if they dispersed like this, what face would he have left? If they didn't disperse, and this guy really arrested him, wouldn't he be in big trouble?

For a moment, he stood stunned on the platform, unable to advance or retreat.

Han San already had a plan in mind. He took a few steps up onto the high platform, looked at the monks and believers below, and said: "You have misunderstood the Grand Secretary's policy. The Grand Secretary is not making all monks return to secular life, but rather requiring them to pass an examination."

"As long as you pass the examination, you can continue to chant your sutras, and the Grand Secretary will never stop you."

"Then what is the examination for?!" a middle-aged monk asked, stretching his neck.

"You are a monk, you tell me what the examination is for? Even a soldier like me knows it must be an examination on what you monks learn on a daily basis. As long as you are sincere in following the Buddha, you will certainly be able to pass." Han San glanced at the man and replied solemnly.

"And what if we don't pass the examination?" a timid voice sounded again.

"If you don't pass, then get the hell home. When you pass the examination, then you can be a monk again!" Han San's face turned cold, and he couldn't help but sneer, "You can't even pass the examination, yet you dare to say you are sincere in following the Buddha? Which Buddha are you following?"

The surrounding believers also came to their senses; it turned out this wasn't about getting rid of monks, but about rooting out pests.

As long as one was sincere in following the Buddha and had a clear state of mind, there was naturally no need to worry.

If one had distracting thoughts, it meant they were not sincere in worshipping the Buddha, and the imperial court feeding such monks was just a waste of food.

"This official is right. As long as one is devout in following the Buddha, the Buddha will naturally not abandon his believers."

"Hiss... it's damn cold today. Forget it, let's go home, go home."

"Ah, I have something cooking in the pot at home, I have to go back and check quickly!!"

In an instant, the originally noisy square became deserted.

The monks who had accumulated merit in their daily lives dispersed in an orderly fashion and picked up their Buddhist sutras to study hard. As for those who were just making up the numbers, they all had bitter expressions, as if their parents had died.

Han San tilted his head, looked at the fat monk on the side, and teased: "How about it? Do you want me to keep you company here?"

"No... no need." The fat on the fat monk's face trembled, and his voice trembled along with it.

Han San patted the fat monk on the shoulder, turned and walked off the high platform, and ordered the surrounding soldiers: "You stay, a hundred men, guard this place and properly protect the safety of these monks."

"Yes." A Platoon Leader responded respectfully.

After walking a few steps out of the temple, Han San took his men to continue sweeping through the West City, while the other cities were all coordinated by other officers and soldiers.

After a round of beating and communication, the monks were also divided into two factions. One faction was those proper monks who were sincere in following the Buddha.

They were almost unaffected, and perhaps because the number of people had decreased, they even received a bit more supplies.

The other faction was those who were making up the numbers, having paid money to sneak into the Buddhist order in the first place.

Their days thereafter were just muddling along, living one day at a time.

They probably couldn't even recite the first page of a Buddhist sutra.

For five or six consecutive days.

The cold wind in Beijing was already enough to eat a person's ears; the troublemaking monks feared the cold, and coupled with the encirclement by soldiers, they each retreated back to the temple.

There were those who cursed and spoke sarcastically about the Senior Grand Secretary in the open.

There were those who made small paper effigies.

And there were those plotting to do something big.

Zhang Yunxiu ignored it all, and finally finding some free time, he invited Zheng Guotai to his small courtyard to eat meat and admire the snow, so as to strengthen their relationship.

The two were seen sitting under a four-cornered pavilion.

In the middle was a stone table, with a small copper stove placed in the center, and both sides were filled with lamb sliced as thin as cicada wings.

Under the rising steam, Zhang Yunxiu picked up a piece of shabu-shabu lamb and put it into his mouth, feeling warm from head to toe.

"Hoo, hoo, Brother Zhang, this shabu-shabu lamb is truly tender; this is the first time I've eaten such tender lamb." Blowing heavily on the cold air twice, Zheng Guotai swallowed the lamb in one gulp.

The two went back and forth, and before long, they were both sweating from the heat.

Wiping the hot sweat from his forehead, Zhang Yunxiu took the opportunity to unbutton his clothes and replied with a smile: "If Brother Zheng likes it, I'll send you a few fat sheep; they were all bought from the hands of the Tatar."

"That would be great." Zheng Guotai swallowed a mouthful of lamb abruptly and replied with a flushed face.

"How is Zheng Guifei doing lately?" Zhang Yunxiu asked nonchalantly.

"She's doing great; a few days ago, the Emperor even gave me a reward." As Zheng Guotai said this, he fumbled at his waist for a moment and took out a jade pendant, "Look, this is what my brother-in-law rewarded me with."

"It is indeed a piece of fine jade." Zhang Yunxiu complimented him with a smile.

"That is all thanks to you, brother; if it weren't for you, I wouldn't know when I would have been able to make my fortune."

"Brother Zheng is too kind, I'm afraid I don't deserve such praise."

"Don't play coy with me; my sister says you are capable and can help the Emperor scrape up money; you are kept in the Emperor's heart." Zheng Guotai put down his chopsticks, pressed his left hand on Zhang Yunxiu's wrist, stared into his eyes, and said, "Brother Zhang, to tell you the truth, I am poor lately; those rewards the Emperor gave me are truly not enough for me to use."

"Everyone says you, Brother Zhang, are the God of Wealth; I'm here today to rub off on you, this God of Wealth."

"Those are just rumors in the streets, not to be believed." Zhang Yunxiu shook his head with a smile and added, "However, if Brother Zheng is short on money, I can find you a profitable business."

"What business?" Zheng Guotai became interested at once.

"It's this lamb." Zhang Yunxiu smiled, picked up a piece of lamb, and swallowed it down his throat.

"Are you saying, let me open a restaurant?" Zheng Guotai asked tentatively.

"Yes, there aren't many restaurants for this shabu-shabu lamb in the capital; if you can open a few more, you will definitely make a big profit in Higo."

"But... but I've never opened a restaurant; what if I lose money?"

Are you really trying to get a free ride, you son of a bitch?

Zhang Yunxiu muttered to himself, but on the surface, he said with a smile: "Don't worry, you won't lose money. If you are still worried, then let's do this: you put up half the silver, and we will open the shop as partners."

"Good, since Brother Zhang is so bold, then I will follow Brother Zhang to make money." Zheng Guotai nodded in agreement.

The two ate until they were full, braving the wind and snow, and just as they were about to part ways, Han San rushed into the small courtyard in a hurry.

Seeing Zhang Yunxiu, Han San said in a low voice: "Young Master, something has happened."

"What happened?" Zhang Yunxiu asked.

"Two old monks have hanged themselves." Han San cupped his hands and replied.

Zhang Yunxiu knew that this matter needed to be handled with caution, so he dared not delay and headed straight to the scene.

When he arrived at the place, before he even walked in, he saw a large crowd gathered outside the temple from afar.

A heart-wrenching sound came from inside.

"Make way... make way!!"

Han San walked in front, shouting loudly in a rough voice.

The monks on both sides gave way one after another, watching Zhang Yunxiu walk to the front; at this moment, Zhang Yunxiu finally saw the two people on the ground clearly.

They were both old monks, skin and bones, with white eyebrows and hair.

"When did they die?" Zhang Yunxiu asked the guarding soldiers with a frown.

"In the second half of last night; these two monks didn't pass the assessment and were ordered to return to secular life, so they hanged themselves." The soldier in charge of the investigation cupped his hands and replied respectfully.

"Give them a proper burial."

"Yes."

After a simple handling of the matter, Zhang Yunxiu walked out of the main hall, and Han San couldn't help but complain: "Damn it, to run into this first thing in the morning; you tell me, if they didn't pass the assessment, isn't it just returning to secular life?"

"You don't understand." Zhang Yunxiu shook his head and added, "They have been monks for most of their lives; if they are suddenly not allowed to be monks, they will find that they are useless, while here they can still ring the bells."

"Once they go outside, they are just two old, useless men."

Han San sighed slowly: "Sigh, now these monks will use this as an excuse to make trouble again."

(End of this chapter)