Tang Dynasty: Father, if you don't rebel, I will!

How flourishing was Buddhist culture during the Tang Dynasty?

When all the monks and abbots of more than thirty large and small temples around Chang'an were escorted into Chang'an by the six fierce guards of the Eastern Palace and sent to this execution ground that had already been cleared out in advance.

Everyone has gained the most intuitive understanding.

In the area surrounding Chang'an alone, the number of monks and nuns totals nearly ten thousand.

These monks, who were still unaware of the situation but knew they were on an execution ground, were filled with shock and anger, yet also with overwhelming fear, as they were all bound by shackles and chains.

"Why is this? What crime have we committed?!"

"You, you let me go! This old monk needs to see His Majesty!"

"I am Abbot Dunsi of Jingxin Temple. Why are you arresting us? Even if we are guilty, you should first explain our crimes and provide evidence. You..."

"Snapped!"

Amid the noisy scene, some people shouted Buddhist chants, trying to explain themselves.

Some people struggled, trying to break free from the crowd.

however.

What greeted these people, however, was a merciless and brutal beating from the Imperial Guards.

The piercing screams and the sight of those bald men, who in the past would unconsciously bow in a Buddhist salute to show their respect, now resembled sardines squeezed together in this execution ground.

Their expressions were filled with panic and confusion.

They couldn't understand why, out of nowhere, the Tang Dynasty, which had been so fond of and close to them, suddenly disregarded their status and the hearts of the people overnight.

Arrest all of these holy monks and masters.

They didn't even spare the young novices who knew almost nothing.

Crown Prince Li Chengqian sat in the executioner's seat with an icy expression.

now.

Three golden Buddha heads, engraved with scriptures, were placed on the execution platform.

Under the winter sun, the golden light and the cold glint of the blade made the air in Chang'an seem even colder today.

One by one, the Imperial Guards stood solemnly here, their cold and stern gazes wary of their surroundings.

If anyone dares to do anything reckless at this time, they will surely be met with steel embroidered spring knives from all directions.

Several officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, sent by Emperor Taizong of Tang, stepped forward under the watchful eyes of the people.

But in his hands he was holding an imperial edict.

Li Chengqian was slightly surprised.

However, after several officials bowed slightly to him, they began to loudly read the imperial edict in his hand.

"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees..."

"I have heard that Buddhism came to the East and has been passed down through the ages, saving countless people. However, it also has its drawbacks. Looking around the world, there are many monks and nuns, and temples are widely spread, which wastes money and exhausts the people's strength. Moreover, in the pure land of Buddhism, there are often lawless people who mix in, corrupting the rules of Buddhism and disrupting the order of the world. I am very worried and often think about how to rectify this situation."

"Now that the evil deeds of the demonic monk have been discovered at Jingxin Temple, I am filled with indignation. How could the Buddhist community have fallen to such a state!"

“Deceiving the people and extorting money is a minor evil; disregarding the law is nothing more than a scab. The magnificent Buddhist temple, a place of righteousness and bliss, is actually a hell, a place where filth and defilement are hidden and where people gather and break branches.”

"Greed for money and deceiving the people are punishable by law."

"Even without farming and labor, education can change the situation."

"The acts of harvesting and mutilating animals are too numerous to recount!"

"Now I grant the Crown Prince the power to make arbitrary and ruthless decisions, to carry out the mandate of Heaven to execute, and to uphold the laws of the land to slaughter."

"The Crown Prince is hereby specially ordered to personally oversee the suppression of Buddhism, employing swift and decisive measures, preferring to kill the innocent rather than let the guilty go free. All monks, nuns, Buddhist shrines, and temples throughout the land must be thoroughly investigated, and any who rebel or break the law must be severely punished!"

"Any official in the realm who colludes with monks and nuns to oppress the people shall be punished as an equal."

"All decisions were made without prior consultation!"

"Appreciate this!"

The imperial edict was read aloud and reached the ears of everyone present.

The people, who were initially unclear about what "harvesting and mutilating" meant, all looked puzzled.

But the next moment.

"Wow!"

A tent, specially erected to protect and obstruct the view of the Imperial Guards, was suddenly pulled open by them.

The sight of over thirty victims who had suffered unimaginable torment instantly came into view of the people present.

Some people gasped in surprise, frightened by the bizarre and even terrifying "monster" and retreated repeatedly.

Even worse, some people with poor tolerance experienced churning in their internal organs on the spot.

A junior officer from the Embroidered Uniform Guard was loudly proclaiming the cruelty of the so-called "harvesting and mutilation" of animals.

When people heard this, they realized that these "people" were incredibly lucky to have even survived.

Out of a hundred people, to be able to endure such cruel torture and survive is already a stroke of incredible luck.

however.

When people heard about this good fortune, they felt a surge of anger that they couldn't help but feel.

"Jingxin Temple? These people were all done by the monks of Jingxin Temple?!"

"I, I... I took my wife to pray for good fortune a while ago, I... Ugh!"

"Kill them! Kill them!"

"These wicked monks, chanting scriptures every day, aren't they all trying to persuade us to do good? Why... they can't even be called human!"

"..."

Amidst the fierce shouts, the Imperial Guards led more civilians past the victims.

It came out of the mouths of ordinary people with curses.

These curses, like a virus, spread by word of mouth among the people who had witnessed the horrific appearance of those pitiful people.

Soon, the news spread throughout the entire city of Chang'an.

"Your Highness, we were unaware. We are not monks or nuns of Jingxin Temple. We have always been benevolent towards others, I..."

A series of panicked shouts erupted as Li Chengqian ordered the executions to begin. Starting with the monks of Jingxin Temple, they were brought forward one by one, their cries echoing from the mouths of the nuns behind them.

Li Ke, who was in charge of the Imperial Guards, happened to be not far from the shouting, seemingly elderly monk.

Upon hearing this, he let out a cold laugh.

"What does your kindness to others have to do with us killing you bald monks?!"

"Today is the reward you have earned through your good deeds. Do you see those guillotines? They are engraved with Buddhist scriptures and cast in gold, which is the most beloved material in Buddhism. They even have a groove for replacing the blade at any time."

"In order for you all to ascend to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss, we have specially prepared thousands of blades for you!"

Some people were pale-faced, and their bodies had already collapsed onto the bodies of those behind them as they were driven away by the Imperial Guards.

Upon hearing this...

She couldn't help but break down and cry.

"Your Highness, we are all innocent people! We are vegetarians and Buddhists, and we have never had the thought of killing, much less dare to have such a wicked intention!"

"Your Highness, you must uphold the law impartially! Uphold the law impartially!"

Li Ke curled his lip, and the Imperial Guards around him revealed disdainful sneers.

"Hahahaha!"

"How ridiculous! In the past, when officials of our Great Tang Dynasty came to our door, didn't you all consider yourselves to be from a secluded Buddhist monastery, disregarding national laws and worldly affairs?"

"Why are you speaking of the Dharma now? You should say that this is a life-or-death ordeal for this humble monk!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Everyone laughed.

On the stage, these bald monks, who were originally intended by Li Chengqian to be used for corvée labor, building bridges and roads, repairing river channels and dams, and working until their deaths, were instead being pressed firmly onto the guillotine.

As the person in charge of the execution uttered a "Amitabha" that sounded utterly insincere.

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered, and the round, hairless head, which was ready to be grabbed, was kicked into a basket that had been prepared beforehand by the Imperial Guards.

Along with the headless corpse that was still splattering blood.

They were dragged along and thrown onto a carriage nearby.

"Pfft pfft pfft..."

Three guillotines, the hand swiftly cuts down.

The splattered blood splashed onto the golden Buddha head and the engraved scriptures, flowing and sliding down, before another shiny bald head rolled to the ground, staining it once more...

Li Chengqian stared at all of this with icy eyes.

Meanwhile, the windows of the taverns and restaurants surrounding the execution ground were already packed with people.

The merchants trembled with fear.

The original diners in the tavern had long lost their appetites, their stomachs churning. Within a quarter of an hour, hundreds of heads had rolled.

Everyone realized it.

Today's massacre targeting Buddhism is likely far more extensive than what we see now...

Some businessmen whose families had connections with Buddhism turned pale, instantly realizing what was happening, and no longer caring about how disheveled they looked.

He hurriedly summoned his household servants.

"Quickly, quickly! Immediately mount a fast horse and rush home to inform the mistress and the others that no one is allowed to go to the Buddhist temple to pray for blessings these days, and the family's Buddhist shrine has been dismantled!"

"Quickly! Take my token, and I'll follow you. Burn and smash all the Buddhist scriptures and statues in the house!"

"Tell those people in the backyard that if anyone dares to hoard anything or defy my will, I will make them wish they were dead! Even the mistress of the house will be no exception!"

"Go immediately!!!"

Chang'an was not as bustling as usual that day.

The opposite of.

Almost every household was on edge at that moment.

On the streets of Chang'an, the Martial Lord of Chang'an, led by the heads of each neighborhood, was searching house to house for monks and nuns who might be hiding in the city.

"Ahhh! My lord, we were wrong, we were wrong, please don't kill us, please don't kill us..."

A merchant whose fat face was trembling was dragged directly out of his home by Wu Hou.

Behind him, a monk with a gleaming bald head was pulled out from among them.

At the entrance, two Imperial Guards took out a scroll from their robes.

One of them roughly lifted the monk's face, while the other examined the scroll for a while.

He suddenly nodded.

"That's right, it's the chanting monk from Fayun Temple, his Dharma name is Du Shen."

Upon hearing this, Wu Hou sneered and looked at the merchant kneeling on the ground in front of him, taking out a palm-sized pure gold Buddha statue.

"These bald monks are truly wealthy, carrying such a golden Buddha statue on their person. They probably have more hidden away. Brothers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you can interrogate them..."

Hear the words.

The Imperial Guards, who were just about to seize the other person and escort him to the execution ground, suddenly stopped in their tracks.

He thanked them and immediately headed towards the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters in Chang'an.

Chang'an, the Imperial Prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Slap! Will you talk or not! Slap! Will you talk or not! You still won't talk, huh..."

"Someone, please trim the nails of our abbot!"

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

A mournful wail followed as two imperial guards dragged the monk from Fayun Temple, who was already in a state of panic, into the room.

They kept emerging from the prisons on both sides in an instant.

The sharp sound was like the sharpest steel knife, piercing the eardrums and scraping across the scalp.

"My lords, I'll talk! I'll talk! I hid the things outside the city! I'll tell you everything! Please don't kill me! Please don't kill me..."

They had only walked a few steps when they came across the monk named Du Shen.

That's already a confession.

However.....

"Hehe, what were you doing all this time? We brothers brought you all the way here, wouldn't it be a waste if we didn't let you enjoy yourself?"

"Come on, since you're already here, let me give you a beginner's package... Guards, bring the torture instruments!"

"No, no, I don't want to!"

......

East Palace.

"Brother, these temples are truly overflowing with wealth! The gold alone, the amount seized, is equivalent to half a year's output from our entire gold mine..."

"And those fields, they're all top-quality paddy fields, fertile land."

"These bald monks, hiding so much money and granaries, are like rats among cats and dogs. When the Turks ravaged our Tang Dynasty, they didn't offer a single penny to help the people..."

Li Ke became more and more excited as he spoke.

however.

Li Chengqian's eyes suddenly turned cold.

He spoke softly.

"Third brother, you say these Buddhist monks have money, food, and popular support, plus quite a few martial monks... I think they might rebel. What do you think?"