We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly froze and everyone was shocked.

In this era, although there is no shortage of wise men, the vast majority of people still firmly believe in the theories of ghosts, gods and destiny.

In particular, the abbot of Baochan Temple in front of him had a solemn appearance, with twelve scars on his head shining brightly, looking like a highly enlightened monk.

The Buddha's prophecies uttered from his mouth carry a heart-pounding deterrent force, enough to make ordinary people feel awe.

However, despite all the calculations, the old monk missed one thing.

At this moment, all those who can follow Li Che into this Buddhist temple are his absolutely loyal confidants.

For them, His Highness's will is the highest principle, and His Highness's safety is far more important than any revelation from gods or Buddhas.

Therefore, when they heard the old monk's terrifying prophecy, their first reaction was not to be horrified by the prophecy itself, but to instantly regard the old monk as a threat!

Clang——

The sound of a sharp blade being unsheathed was heard.

Qiu Bai, Huo Duanxiao, Ren Kuan and others took a step forward almost at the same time, unsheathed their swords in an instant, and pointed them at the old monk on the cushion without hesitation.

Your Highness's enemy is our mortal enemy!

If your predictions are accurate, we will help you make them come true!

The expression on the old monk's face changed for the first time, and a look of surprise flashed across his eyes.

His gaze quickly passed over the murderous generals and fell back on Li Che, trying to find the expected signs of shock on the face of this main character.

However, he miscalculated again.

There was no trace of surprise on Li Che's face. Instead, a smile slowly spread across his face.

There was a hint of mockery in that smile.

"Oh?" Li Che chuckled, "He really is a high-ranking monk. Not only can he predict the fortunes of others, but he can even predict his own life and death with such accuracy? This really opens my eyes."

He leaned forward slightly with interest and asked:

"I am very curious. What earth-shattering words will Master say to force me to chop off your head?"

After saying this, Li Che completely relaxed.

The awe that had previously arisen from stepping into the treasured temple had now disappeared without a trace.

Sure enough, the tricks used by these religious people are always the same old tricks in a new bottle.

It is nothing more than playing tricks, gaining the upper hand, and then preaching with those seemingly lofty doctrines.

This old monk seems to be predicting his own death, but isn't this actually a veiled threat and moral kidnapping?

If it were someone who valued his reputation and fame, he would probably be frightened by the Buddha's prophecy and be in a dilemma.

From then on, no matter how demanding the monk's request was, he had to be polite and consider it carefully.

But is Li Che the kind of person who would be burdened by false fame?

Apart from national justice and the legitimacy of the country, do you think you can tie his hands and feet just for the life of an old monk?

Do you really think his sword is useless?

The old monk saw that Li Che was not afraid but smiled, and mistakenly thought that he had him in his control.

He was determined in his heart, and his face regained its solemn expression, and he waved his hand gently.

A young novice monk standing behind him immediately lowered his head and brought a wooden tray with several cups of suspicious red liquid on it.

"Your Highness has been exhausted from the journey, and evil spirits have invaded your body. Why not first have a cup of this temple's special nectar to cleanse your mind and spirit, and we can talk later."

The old monk's voice was gentle, with a relaxing and alluring charm.

Li Che took a closer look and saw that the liquid in the cup was thick and scarlet, which was definitely not ordinary tea. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows slightly.

The old monk immediately explained, "Don't doubt it, Your Majesty. This is 'Thirst Water'. It is made by taking a variety of fresh spiritual fruits from the garden behind the temple, and then using ancient methods to extract and refine them. It gathers the essence of water and wood, and is the best way to replenish vital energy, clear the mind, and greatly benefit your spiritual practice."

Li Che almost laughed out loud when he heard this.

It sounds so mysterious. What is 'Water and Wood Essence'? Isn't it just freshly squeezed juice?

It seems that the old monk's cultural level is not that high.

He comes from an era of information explosion. Modern nutrition science has long proven that juicing fruits will destroy dietary fiber and some vitamins. What you get is just a cup of high-sugar sugar water, which is far less healthy than eating the fruit directly.

Of course, in this era when ordinary people often face malnutrition, it is indeed beneficial to supplement fructose and water.

But it is ridiculous that it is packaged so magically.

Li Che smiled but did not touch the cup of nectar.

When Hu Qiang faces anything that can be put into his mouth, his emotional intelligence becomes extremely high. He immediately stepped forward, picked up the cup and took a big sip.

After saying that, he tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

He smacked his lips and burped loudly, then turned to Li Che and said in a silly voice, "Your Highness, it's sweet and not poisonous!"

Li Che looked at the cup of nectar that Hu Qiang had drunk until only the bottom of the cup was left, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly: "You should drink it all, I am not thirsty."

Hu Qiang immediately smiled and without hesitation, he picked up the remaining cups of nectar on the plate one by one and drank them all in one gulp.

Finally, he put the exquisite-looking porcelain cup into his arms, and then retreated behind Li Che with satisfaction.

The young novice monk behind the old monk stared with his eyes wide open.

That set of cups were exquisite products from the previous dynasty’s official kilns donated by the local prefect. They were extremely valuable, and they were just... taken away?

This guest doesn't care. Is he a vassal king or a robber?

The old monk and Li Che would not care about a mere teacup.

Seeing that Li Che did not drink, the old monk did not force him to drink. He just smiled mysteriously and brought the topic back on track:

"Amitabha, what I just said is not false."

"I wonder, Your Majesty, what do you think of me, the Buddhist monks?"

Li Che's expression was slightly solemn, and he said seriously: "Buddhism is profound and encourages people to be good."

"If one truly converts, strictly abides by the monastic rules, devotes himself to practice, and relieves the suffering of the world with compassion, such a monk is naturally worthy of respect from the world."

What Li Che said was not entirely hypocritical, but came from the heart.

In my previous life, I have seen many fake monks who drove luxury cars to and from places of entertainment, were busy currying favor with the powerful, and even corporatized temples. Naturally, I hate such people.

But he also knew that no matter what era, there would always be true practitioners.

Like an ascetic monk, who walks the world with only a bowl and a staff, and does not accumulate money.

Or they may be great monks like Xuanzang and Master Faxian who sought truth and sacrificed their lives for the Dharma.

Master Suquan even broke the temple's precepts when rescuing a pregnant woman during the Wenchuan earthquake, saying that "not rescuing someone from death is the biggest taboo in Buddhism."

Li Che has respect for these people in his heart.

Upon hearing this, the old monk's smile grew even brighter, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "Excellent! Your Majesty is truly endowed with wisdom and has a profound affinity with the Buddhist teachings!"

Then, he changed the subject and began to persuade:

"Our Buddha is compassionate, educating all living beings and guiding them to be good. His merits are immeasurable."

"Thinking back to the last days of the previous dynasty, the emperor was foolish and obsessed with Taoist alchemy, pursuing the vain pursuit of immortality. This led to the corruption of government and the ultimate downfall of the nation."

"And your Majesty of this dynasty respects and honors the Buddha and treats the people well, which is why Daqing is so glorious today."

"I see that Your Majesty possesses the aura of a dragon and possesses the qualities of a ruler, so I wish to discuss an important matter with Your Majesty."

Hearing the old monk's words of defiance, a cold light flashed in Li Che's eyes.

But he didn't say anything, instead he whispered, "Master, perhaps you don't know yet, my father has passed away, right?"

The old monk's pupils trembled slightly, but he quickly concealed it:

"Amitabha, the passing of a great holy ruler is a misfortune for Daqing. However, the late emperor devoted his life to Buddhism and must have gone to the Pure Land. The Buddha will surely take care of him."

The coldness on Li Che's face grew even stronger. "Master, do you know that I am now branded a regicide and a traitor designated by the imperial court?!"

The old monk showed no fear: "Your Highness, this is not true. Who will succeed the Emperor of Man? The Buddha has already determined the fate. How can it be determined by humans?"

Li Che laughed heartily: "So, the succession to the throne of Daqing still needs to be consulted with the Buddha?"

The old monk shook his head: "The Buddha does not participate in the affairs of the secular dynasty, but my Buddhism is dependent on Daqing."

Li Che lowered his head and suppressed the murderous intent in his eyes.

What the old monk meant was that Buddha has no borders, but monks have nationalities.

This substitution of concepts is quite interesting.

He couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, what should I do so that the Buddhists will support me?"

The old monk smiled slightly, knowing that the young prince opposite him understood what he said.

Don't underestimate these monks. Their power can even influence the country and directly threaten the rule of feudal emperors. Otherwise, there would not have been the old story of "Three Wars and One Zong Destroying Buddhism".

(PS: The Three Wus and One Zongs’ campaigns against Buddhism refer to the campaigns against Buddhism initiated by Emperor Taiwu of Northern Wei, Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou, Emperor Wuzong of Tang, Li Yan, and Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou, Chai Rong.)

These monks were numerous and quite famous among the common people. They lent money, annexed land, and recruited monks and nuns under the pretext of saving all living beings.

There are also monks who have close contacts with the powerful and wealthy, commit crimes, and are extremely arrogant.

During the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Tang, "Buddhism possessed seven or eight out of ten of the world's wealth", which shows how sophisticated these monks were in making money.

"Although the previous emperor treated monks and nuns like us well during his reign, the lands under the names of temples and monasteries still had to pay taxes, and the properties of Buddhist sects were also subject to supervision by the Ministry of Revenue."

The old monk made a bitter face and said: "We monks devote ourselves to worshipping Buddha and don't care about these worldly affairs. Many fields are barren and temples are poor. How can we pay taxes?"

"Not to mention the years of famine, we also have to shelter the victims, which costs even more."

"If Your Majesty can take pity on our hardship and grant us monks and nuns a tax exemption, I can promise Your Majesty..."

The old monk raised his head, looked straight at Li Che, and said righteously: "The disciples of Daqing Buddhism are willing to respect you, the king, and regard you as the orthodox of the world."

"My Buddhist sect can also send 10,000 monks to join the king's army and help you restore order!"

"By then, Buddhism will flourish, and Your Majesty can inherit the throne of the late emperor, achieving the reputation of an eternally benevolent monarch. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"

After hearing his words, Li Che took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

Tax-free? He actually dared to ask for tax-free himself?!

What a... big appetite!