coobybook Chapter 979 Dealing with the Buddhists
Chapter 979 Dealing with the Buddhists
Upon hearing the words "extermination of the clan," Qin Huizhi's body stiffened, then he slumped down like a lump of mud, as if all his bones had been removed, his eyes completely losing their luster.
Their entire clan shall be exterminated!
This is the most severe and cruel punishment Li Che has issued since he transmigrated!
These aristocratic families, which have been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years, have members, disciples, and friends all over the world, numbering in the tens of thousands.
If this continues, it will inevitably become the biggest tragedy since the founding of the Great Qing Dynasty, with tens of thousands of people dying in the process.
But Li Che had no choice. Daqing was now at the most critical juncture in its struggle to defy fate.
He will push forward with more thorough reforms, advocating democracy, constitutionalism, enlightening the people, developing science and technology, and leading the Chinese nation toward a brand new future.
Anyone who obstructs the tide of history must be ruthlessly crushed!
In the face of such a momentous event concerning the fate of the nation and the lineage, what do the lives of these corrupt families matter?
Finally, Li Che's gaze fell upon Emperor Wenchu:
"Li Ming, the eighth son of the late emperor, was weak-willed and coerced by treacherous families to usurp the throne, defying the natural order, plotting to endanger the state, forming cliques, and losing the dignity of a ruler. His crimes are obvious and he is abandoned by both gods and men."
"Now, you are stripped of your title and reduced to a commoner, and exiled to Qianzhou. You shall never leave without an imperial edict!"
Li Ming looked at the emperor in front of him, his eyes filled with disbelief.
. . . . . .
The fire inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation was warm, but the atmosphere remained somewhat solemn.
Li Ming had changed out of his prison uniform and was now wearing an ordinary indigo robe. He sat in the seat below Li Che, his head bowed and his hands fidgeting nervously.
Opposite him sat Li Lin, dressed in casual clothes, looking at him with a pained expression.
In addition, there was an elderly monk with a simple robe, white beard, and thin frame sitting quietly to one side.
He held prayer beads in his hand, his eyelids slightly lowered, seemingly completely detached from the situation, yet his presence was impossible to ignore.
"Once you arrive in Qianzhou, you can settle down peacefully in a temple." Li Che picked up his teacup, his tone so calm that it was impossible to discern his emotions. "I will order the local government to take care of you, enough to ensure your safety and well-being."
"In the years to come, I hope you will be law-abiding, cultivate your character, and never make any more mistakes."
Li Lin chimed in, his tone much more direct: "Eighth Brother, Sixth Brother has already done everything he could. If you continue to make mistakes, you'll be courting death!"
"Although Qianzhou is remote, it is not a barren land. Live your life well and stop thinking about things you shouldn't be thinking about, do you hear me?"
Li Ming shrank back slightly, his lips trembling, and finally he only responded in a low voice, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand."
At this moment, the white-bearded old monk slowly opened his eyes, looked at Li Che with a peaceful gaze, and put his hands together and said, "Amitabha, Your Majesty, rest assured, this old monk will use the Buddha's teachings to guide Benefactor Li to goodness, purify his mind, and will certainly not cause him any further trouble."
Li Che nodded slightly, somewhat satisfied with the old monk's statement.
Despite his unassuming appearance and tattered clothes, this old monk is the most senior monk in the Daqing Buddhist sect.
To a certain extent, his words represent the attitude of Buddhism today.
Coincidentally, Li Che had long wanted to find an opportunity to talk to Buddhism.
Whether to deal with them or cooperate with them depends on whether Buddhism knows what's good for them.
So Li Che changed the subject and asked casually, "Master, do you know that I once met the abbot of Baochan Temple, and he made a request to me?"
The old monk remained calm and replied, "I know a little about this. He once petitioned His Majesty to exempt all Buddhist temples in the country from taxes on their land and offered to lead his disciples to serve His Majesty in gratitude for His Majesty's benevolence."
“That’s right.” Li Che nodded. “Then you must know what happened to him later.”
The old monk paused in his hand, which was holding prayer beads, but his voice remained calm: "Yes, this person's words were inappropriate and offended the Emperor's wrath. He has already been... publicly punished by His Majesty."
The air in the hall seemed to freeze for a moment, and Li Ming lowered his head even further, not daring to breathe.
My heart was filled with extreme fear.
What's going on? I barely escaped with my life. Although there were no nuns at the place where I finally became a monk, at least I survived.
But judging from Sixth Brother's tone, his relationship with Buddhism doesn't seem to be harmonious.
Will the support I just found be gone again?
But Li Che's eyes were like torches as he stared at the old monk: "So, Master, you have traveled thousands of miles to the capital to see me, could it be that it is also about this tax exemption?"
Upon hearing this, Li Ming lowered his head even further, while Li Lin stared at the monk with equal hostility.
Previously, Li Lin wouldn't have cared whether the Buddhist temple paid taxes or not, since he didn't believe in such things.
But after Li Che did some calculations with him, Li Lin realized that although the temple seemed to be a secluded place, its ability to devour money was terrifyingly powerful.
The wealth of the people of Daqing was ruthlessly plundered in the name of compassion, yet they still dared to dream of tax exemption.
Are you kidding me? Even dukes in the new dynasty aren't exempt from taxes, and you think you can get tax exemption just by shaving your heads bald?
Li Che leaned forward slightly and asked the old monk, "I know your background. Within the Buddhist sect, you are now the most respected."
Faced with the emperor's questioning, the old monk slowly shook his head: "Your Majesty, the purpose of my trip is exactly the opposite of what you said."
"The Buddhist temples of Daqing shall, in accordance with the imperial decree, pay taxes in accordance with the law and shall not daring to overstep their bounds in the slightest."
“The monks are also citizens of Daqing, under His Majesty’s protection. Upholding the law and precepts is the foundation of their spiritual practice.”
He raised his eyes, his clear gaze meeting Li Che's: "This old monk knows that His Majesty cannot tolerate any corrupt officials, whether they are in court or out of power, or even in seclusion."
"If Buddhism does not purify itself, it will one day face the wrath of thunder."
“I cannot bear to see the Buddha’s teachings tarnished, nor can I bear to see my true disciples suffer as a result. Therefore, I have come to Your Majesty to plead for your permission, which is also to express my true feelings.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in Li Che's eyes.
Good heavens, have we met a truly eminent monk?
However, such morally perfect people are even more difficult to deal with.
If it were an immoral monk, he could be beheaded without consequence. But Li Che would be more wary of a truly eminent monk like the old monk.
After all, there are many Buddhists, and forcibly suppressing Buddhism would also cause considerable backlash.
He leaned back in his chair, the frost on his face gradually melting away: "Good! Master is indeed a wise man with discerning eyes."
“I can tell you clearly that I do not dislike Buddhism, and even appreciate its wisdom in guiding people toward goodness.”
"But I will never allow anyone to use the guise of compassion to erode the foundation of my Great Qing, to compete with the people for profit, and to compete with the nation for taxes!"
"You only need to do one thing, which is to abide by the law. Pay taxes on temple lands according to the law; manage monks' ordination certificates according to the law; do not interfere in politics, and do not mislead the people."
"In this way, Buddhism can be passed down in a pure manner, and I am happy to see it happen."
The old monk bowed deeply: "Your Majesty is wise, and the Buddhist community will humbly obey your decree!"