Ming Jiajing: Starting from Immortality

Chapter 252: The money-grabbing gods and Buddhas will meet in two days!
On February 2nd of the 41st year of Jiajing's reign, the dragon raised its head.

Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism discuss the Dao, and the third debate begins.

In the first two debates, the Confucians maintained their unparalleled victory in both the attack and defense rounds, without any damage.

On the contrary, Buddhism ended in tragedy. It was defeated both in defense and attack, and its orthodoxy was destroyed.

The Taoist sect, with one defeat and one victory, suffered heavy losses, but still survived.

Ever since.

The third debate became a showdown between Confucianism and Taoism. Even the drawing of lots was omitted. The Taoists attacked and the Confucians defended.

The Taoists and Confucianists, represented by the abbot of Baiyun Temple and great immortal Jin Chongshen and the latter by the great Confucian master and disciple of the School of Mind Qian Dehong, took the stage to debate.

As a representative of idealism and a disciple of the saint, Qian Dehong naturally questioned the various magical arts of "Laozi's Eighty-one Transformations".

“Can Taoists chant the incantation to achieve the effect of ‘entering fire without burning, or ascending in broad daylight, or taking souls back to the body, or driving away demons and ghosts, or breathing qi to achieve immortality, or retaining essence and prolonging vision’?”

Let the great Taoist master Jin Chongshen give the reply.

In response to this, Master Jin Chongshen did not fall into the trap of self-proof, but performed a ritual in front of countless people, causing the Confucian scholars' clothes to fly or spin, and even Qian Dehong's own clothes were rustling in the wind.

Qian Dehong, who was participating in the debate, had never learned any magic, so he was unable to answer. However, he acted like a rogue on the stage, refusing to admit defeat or leave.

When the art of alchemy finally came to an end, Qian Dehong spoke up at the right time, "The art of alchemy is a minor skill that ordinary scholars would be ashamed of, let alone monks? It is useless to have only the wind, and it will only work when there is rain."

As a grandmaster, Qian Dehong is extremely shameless. He asked people to display their magic skills. After showing the real magic, he said that the magic power of raising wind out of nowhere is not enough, and he wanted to see the magic power of making rain in broad daylight.

The Confucian masters in the audience looked at each other in dismay, but did not say anything.

The punishment for debating is too much to bear. Haven’t you seen that in this month, tens of thousands of Taoist temples were demolished in the two capitals and thirteen provinces, countless golden statues of gods and Buddhas were smashed, millions of monks and Taoists were forced to return to secular life, and countless Taoist classics and Buddhist books were burned.

The Taoist sect immediately questioned the Confucian sect, saying that they were all fickle villains. However, the Grand Master was firm in his words and argued that Confucianism was superior and that the Taoist sect used tricks to fool the world, and that it was impossible for supernatural powers to exist in this world.

Now, even the onlookers could not stand it anymore and began to criticize the Confucians.

At this moment, thunder fell from the sky, as thick as a bucket, and hit the great Confucian master Qian Dehong.

He was killed instantly on the spot and turned into a charred corpse.

All of a sudden.

The bustling Hongwu Street fell silent.

Everyone seemed to be strangled by fate, staring blankly at the small branches of lightning that occasionally flowed on the surface of the corpses.

Even the great Taoist masters in the audience were looking at Great Master Jin Chongshen with bright gleams in their eyes.

Awesome! I want to learn!
But Great Master Jin Chongshen was filled with fear. At the moment the lightning struck, he could clearly feel the void twisting. How could he use anything like this?

Regardless, the chief judge of the debate, Li Chunfang, who was ordered to take sides, said: "Heaven and earth have already made it clear what is right and wrong. In this debate, the Taoist sect wins!"

The Taoists and common people present immediately cheered and rejoiced.

The great masters of Confucianism felt as if they had lost their parents.

But it did not change the fact that half of the academies in the Ming Dynasty were demolished, half of the books were banned and not allowed to be studied, and half of the scholars were expelled from the academies.

Subsequently.

The imperial court issued new decrees concerning Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

From now on, the ban on Taoism and Buddhism during the Hongwu period will be fully restored, and Confucianism will be added.

The imperial court will establish a complete system of Confucian officials, Buddhist officials, and Taoist officials, and incorporate the management of the affairs of scholars, monks, and Taoists into the track of the court's operations.

Among them, the court's laws are higher than Confucian rules, Buddhist precepts, and Taoist regulations.

This system of "Confucian officials", "Taoist officials" and "Monk officials" with strict sequence and responsibilities followed the name established by Emperor Taizu Gao, and was called "Shanshiyuan".

It manages the affairs of Confucianists, monks, Taoists and the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and is in charge of the affairs of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the world.

The Shanshi Institute was under the Ministry of Rites, with one person on each side: Shanshi, Chanjiao, Jiangjing, and Jueyi.

In other provinces, prefectures, cities and counties, there were offices such as the Buddhist Affairs Office, the Buddhist Council, the Buddhist Discipline Office, etc. to manage the affairs of the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in the area.

It is responsible for looking after the registers of monks and temples, selecting and testing and promoting Confucian scholars, monks and Taoists, issuing certificates of ordination, and supervising and managing the conduct of Confucian scholars, monks and Taoists, as well as internal disputes within the religion. If it does not involve civil disputes, other offices are not allowed to interfere.

From then on, the emperor divided the world's academies, temples and Taoist temples into three categories: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.

Taking Buddhism as an example, there are three types of temples: Zen, Lecture, and Teaching.

Zen refers to the various Zen sects, each of which has its own temple, while the rest have all been destroyed.

As for lectures, they focus on studying and explaining the Tiantai and Huayan sects of Buddhism.

Teaching refers to those who specialize in chanting mantras and performing yoga rituals, both exoteric and esoteric.

Temples are divided into three categories, and monks are also divided into these three categories.

In order to make it easier to distinguish, the imperial court even had regulations on the color of monks' robes. The robes worn for daily wear and for formal occasions were all different for the three types of monks.

Among the three types of monks, only the teaching monks are specifically responsible for responding to secular requests and performing Buddhist rituals (funerals of the deceased, anniversary ceremonies, praying for blessings and warding off disasters, etc.). The teaching temple is also called the Fuying temple.

The imperial court would designate special venues for Buddhist activities and prohibit other types of temples and monks from performing Buddhist rituals. It would also strictly prohibit the public from imitating the religious monks in performing Buddhist rituals. If non-religious temples or religious monks performed Buddhist rituals and were caught, they would be investigated and punished for their crimes.

All Buddhist monks must first receive three years or more of training and instruction, pass the court's strict monastic examination, and be issued a certificate before they can become official Buddhist monks and be qualified to perform Buddhist services for others.

If a monk without a certificate of ordination comes to take the exam, only those with good memorization and passing the exam will be issued a certificate of ordination.

All rituals have a price.

“Donations of various sutras and mantras in the temple” and “display of various Buddha statues, incense, lamps, and supplies” all have prices.

For example, reciting a copy of the Avatamsaka Sutra costs 10,000 coins.

"Prajna Sutra", 10,000 coins.

Not only that, for monks who recite sutras and perform Buddhist rituals, the amount of money they can earn for a ritual is also specifically stipulated based on local actual conditions.

Monks and laymen should not be mixed together, should not live in towns, and should not travel around the countryside begging for alms.

Of course, monks were not allowed to mingle with the common people. More than thirty people could form one temple, while less than twenty could form two separate temples.

If one or two fellow practitioners are wandering around outside, they will definitely be reported to the police.

It also advocates and encourages monks to practice seclusion in the mountains, and believers who want to listen to sutras and learn the Dharma need to go to the temple.

This was not the heaviest blow suffered by the three religions of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and the "ordination system" was restarted.

Every three years, the imperial court would issue a certificate of ordination according to the divisions of Zen, lecture and teaching. This was the "ordination system."

The imperial court restricted the total number of monks and Taoists in each place, such as "the number of Confucian monks and Taoists in a prefecture shall not exceed 60; in a state 40; and in a county 30."

The system of ordination was very strict. "No man over 40 years old or woman over 50 years old could become a monk." It was also not allowed to adopt children as monks, as children would not understand the matter of life and death involved in becoming a monk. Therefore, if anyone adopted a child, the person in charge of the academy, temple, or Taoist temple would be sentenced to death and would not be pardoned, even if pardoned.

One must meet the required age requirements and be proficient in the classics of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and only after passing the court's rigorous examinations can one obtain legal status.

In addition, if it is found that someone has shaved his head without being given a certificate of ordination, not only will the person himself be guilty, but the abbot of the temple and the master who taught him will also be guilty and will return to secular life.

That is, "those monks, Taoist officials, and abbots who knew about this but did not report it should be dismissed and return to secular life."

From today on, all expenses for academies, Buddhist temples, and Taoist temples will be allocated by the court.

Correspondingly, all incense offerings will belong to the imperial court.

Monster.

The current emperor is trying to steal money from saints, Buddhas, and gods!

……

In this month, Hai Rui brought his wife and children to Beijing.

The large plaque with the words "Liuxinju" written by Yan Song and stamped by Xu Jie is still hanging high on the lintel in the middle of the three-bay pickle shop, shining brightly in the sunlight.

In the 41st year of the Jiajing reign, the capital's prosperity and bustle reached a new level. However, on this bustling street with shops, the people were bustling about, but the shop under the plaque was deserted.

People coming and going walked in front of the pickle shop, but they all quickened their pace and walked around it. Countless hurried eyes did not even dare to glance at the plaque.

No one dared to pick up the calligraphy of the former Prime Minister and the former Deputy Prime Minister without an imperial order, not even the pickle shop.

This huge shop has been deserted for almost a year, but the store still opens its doors to customers every day out of awe, even though no customers come.

This place has become a forbidden area in the capital.

That morning, the covered carriage carrying Hai Rui and his family to take up their new post arrived.

The driver holding the whip was sitting in front of the shaft. Although it was spring and the cold had just ended, the canopy was narrow, so Hai Rui also sat in front of the shaft. He wore a conical hat and a hemp gown. His beard had turned a little gray, but his eyes were still sharp and bright.

I keenly spotted the plaque "Liuxinju" under the bamboo hat.

"Stop the car." Hai Rui suddenly shouted.

The coachman pulled the reins and the carriage stopped in front of Liuxinju.

Hai Rui jumped off the carriage, looked at the busy street, and then looked at Liuxinju in front of him.

"Are we there yet?" He lifted the bamboo curtain slightly and asked, holding his one-month-old wife in one hand.

"It hasn't arrived yet, but I want to buy some pickles here and make porridge for my mother when I get home." Hai Rui said to his wife.

Hai Rui is an upright man.

As early as last year when he took office as the magistrate of Chun'an County, the court brought his elderly mother and young daughter to the capital to provide for them.

At that time, he was fighting for the court and didn't care about this.

But now, he is the Minister of Rites and is no longer in danger. Moreover, with his annual salary and rewards of more than a thousand taels of silver, it is easy for him to support his mother, treat his wife well, and raise his children.

Therefore, before going to Beijing, Hai Rui had made preparations to take his mother and daughter away from the mansion granted by the court and find another house to live in.

However, since the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Gao was born in extreme poverty, but after he gained control of the country, he set salaries for officials that were almost harsh. If a person from a poor family passed the imperial examination and entered the officialdom, he could only barely pay for various expenses relying on his salary alone.

Local officials were better off. The vehicles and horses they used in their homes were all provided by the government, and they received various benefits during festivals. Even if they were just an honest official, it was enough for their wife and children to have food and clothing without worries.

However, if one became an official in Beijing, especially a minor official below the fourth rank, the annual salary would be no more than a few dozen or a hundred taels of silver. If the national treasury was in financial difficulties, some people would even have to use pepper, sumac, cloth, etc. to pay their salary in exchange for silver.

This is one of the reasons why there are so many corrupt officials and big corrupt officials in the capital.

Forty years before the reign of Emperor Jiajing, the national treasury was empty and there were countless corrupt officials in the capital.

From the 40th year of the Jiajing reign to the present day, the national treasury is full, there are no more salary deductions or salary arrears, and the trend of extravagance, corruption and plunder in the capital has been curbed.

Of course, this is inseparable from the great killing of the emperor.

Rice is expensive in Chang'an, and one has to provide one's own house, carriage, and attendants, so it is very difficult to support a family.

On his way to Beijing, Hai Rui wrote a memorial to the emperor, asking him to increase the salaries of court officials.

As an honest official, Hai Rui has seen a lot of rain. Today, he has seen the flowers in bloom and knows the stories of lanterns. He is willing to hold an umbrella for all the honest officials in the world.

Hai Rui was a man of action. He never thought about how he would be different from ordinary people after he became a high-ranking official with a high salary. In his imagination of the future, the Hai family would still live on simple meals and pickles with porridge.

"Go ahead." Hai's wife lowered the curtain and said.

Hai Rui walked into Liuxinju.

Immediately, many passers-by looked at Hai Rui in surprise at the same time.

At a table near the entrance of the teahouse opposite Liuxinju, several pairs of eagle-like eyes were also looking at Hai Rui's figure.

Although these people were wearing casual clothes and long gowns, the one sitting in the middle could be seen at a glance as a eunuch from the palace's Ministry of Justice. The two people sitting sideways had broad shoulders and long legs, cold faces and eyes, and were obviously members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Seeing this, the eunuch from the Ministry of Justice and the two Jinyiwei immediately stood up, walked out of the teahouse, and prepared to go to Liuxinju.

But before he could go in, he saw a secret envoy of the Imperial Guard approaching and handing him a note. After reading it, a eunuch and two imperial guards immediately retreated and returned to the teahouse to continue drinking tea.

His identity has been confirmed and he is someone you cannot afford to offend.

This amazing sight made passers-by refuse to go in. Some turned back to the east from east, and some turned back to the west from west to east. However, they were reluctant to leave and stood far away, waiting to watch a story that would be told vividly in front of others after dinner.

Hai Rui entered the store.

The shopkeeper surnamed Zhao, who was leaning against the counter, and several of the shop assistants, did not even stand up to greet him.

Hai Rui came to the counter, took out ten copper coins from his pocket, put them on the counter, and said, "I want ten copper coins worth of pickles."

The shopkeeper surnamed Zhao didn't even raise his eyelids, just waited like that. After waiting for a long time, no one came to the store to chase people away. Then he looked towards the teahouse opposite, and saw that the three people who were monitoring him didn't move, and he understood what was going on instantly.

He quickly removed a cover from the partition of the container inside, pulled out a large lotus leaf from a pile of dried lotus leaves, stuck it in a large white porcelain bowl, and held it. He opened the lid of a jar, scooped out a spoonful of pickles with a leaky spoon, drained the sauce and poured it into the lotus leaf, then opened the lid of another jar and scooped out a spoonful of pickles, drained the pickles and poured them into the lotus leaf. He repeated this process until he had a lotus leaf full of pickles and put it on the counter. Then he pulled out a larger lotus leaf, took out the pickles from the bowl and put them on another large lotus leaf. He quickly wrapped it up, took out three strips of zongzi leaves from a handful of torn strips under the counter, and wrapped the pickles in a six-in-one knot horizontally, vertically, and diagonally on the lotus leaf. He tied it up, picked it up, and handed it to Hai Rui, saying flatteringly, "Sir, here you go."

Hai Rui looked at the shopkeeper named Zhao without moving, thinking that there must be something hateful about pitiful people.

If I hadn't tried to please Yan Song in the first place, I probably wouldn't have ended up like this.

Liuxinju’s pickled vegetables are famous all over the world as they are more expensive than meat. How can you buy so much with just ten copper coins?

He is a smart man, but also a mean person.

But it would be such a shame if such a good location, such a big shop, and such excellent craftsmanship were to be abandoned.

"Pick a jar of pickles and send it to the palace."

(End of this chapter)