Chapter 823 Luo Xian’s governance of Buddhism!
Luo Xianzhi waited quietly for Xiao Yan to make the final decision.
He was calm and unhurried, seemingly unaware that he had created a huge problem for Xiao Yan.
What should a qualified king do?
Naturally, he chose to strike against religious forces without hesitation and deprive a group that had little ability to resist of their wealth. When Luo Youzhi let it go, he probably had this day in mind.
If Xiao Yan was unwilling, Luo Xianzhi didn't care. It would just be a matter of changing a group to deprive them of. As for the group of monks and Taoists, they would be dealt with later.
Xiao Yan was already quite old and had been fighting outside all the time. Luo Xianzhi estimated that he was probably at the end of his life.
As soon as Xiao Yan died, he took action against the monks and Taoists in Liang State who were in the name of religion but were actually big landowners.
Xiao Yan hesitated for a long time.
If he were young, he would have chosen to attack religion without hesitation.
But now his temples are gray and his wrinkles are becoming more and more numerous.
A person is two different people when he is young and when he is old. When he gets older, his personality will change drastically. He will become stubborn to the point of obstinacy, and he will change from being the enterprising person in his youth to being conservative and stubborn.
The most terrifying thing is that people themselves are unable to recognize this change.
When his grandparents and parents once rejected his hobbies, he thought they were stubborn.
When he began to reject the hobbies of his sons and grandchildren, he thought that the younger generations did not understand what was right.
Only considering what one likes as good, beautiful, correct and right is something that people are unwilling to admit but is real.
This is why people will eventually go to the opposite side, eventually become the person they hate, eventually become an authority, and eventually become a conservative in the eyes of future generations.
Only a few can maintain their progress.
Unfortunately, politicians are usually not the ones who can change with the trend of thought. Politicians are usually the most conservative people in the world and refuse to change.
Another scary thing when you get older is the fear of death.
This fear is even more terrifying among these powerful people.
The worship of gods and Buddhas is the embodiment of the fear of death.
People only seek help from gods and Buddhas when they encounter problems that cannot be solved in the real world.
Finally, he said slowly: "Lingxiu, please give me some more time. I still need to think about it. This is a serious matter. It is a serious matter."
Luo Xianzhi had no expression on his face. He bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, I will take my leave first."
After saying this, he calmly left the palace.
The moment he stepped out of the palace gate, Luo Xianzhi sighed imperceptibly and frowned slightly.
The emperor's obsession with Buddhism was somewhat beyond his expectations, which was inconsistent with the information his father Luo Youzhi left him. The only explanation was - "The emperor is old."
…
When Luo Xianzhi returned to the mansion, Xie Daoyuan, who was already pregnant, came to greet him as usual, took off his crown and outer clothes for him.
She was still as beautiful as before, with a hint of maternal radiance, like spring water. Luo Xianzhi looked at Xie Daoyuan tenderly and gently stroked her pregnant belly.
Xie Daoyun sensed Luo Xianzhi's sadness, so she asked softly. Luo Xianzhi then told Xie Daoyun what happened in the palace. After he finished speaking, he leaned against the bed and hugged Xie Daoyun's soft body and whispered, "Madam, I'm very worried."
Xie Daoyun snuggled in Luo Xianzhi's arms. She was a smart woman and naturally knew what Luo Xianzhi was worried about. She comforted him, "My husband, if His Majesty the Emperor does not want to crack down on Buddhism, then he can do something else instead. It should not affect the overall situation."
Luo Xianzhi sighed softly, "What I am worried about is not whether Your Majesty is willing to crack down on Buddhism, this is just a small matter.
What I am worried about is that His Majesty has changed. If he is really old, the consequences will be disastrous.
Is there anything in this world that decays in only one aspect?
No.
When something begins to decay, everything about it will decay to the point where it cannot be looked at anymore.
The safety of Jiangzuo depends on the emperor, and the order of Jiangzuo depends on the emperor's thoughts.
The safety of our family hangs in the balance. How can I not worry?
If Jiangzuo is in turmoil, what can I use to protect my family, keep you safe, and let our children live peacefully in this world?"
Luo Xianzhi is not the kind of person who is willing to give up his family for the sake of a career. The reason why he appeared in Jianye is because this is the only way to protect the safety of his family, nothing more. As for his personal ambitions, they are insignificant things.
Xie Daoyuan could feel Luo Xianzhi's inner uneasiness. This uneasiness existed in everyone's heart. In this chaotic world, in this world where the direct descendants of the Luo family did not exist, there was no absolutely safe place in this world.
She didn't know what to do, so she could only comfort him softly, "Husband, the Gusu Luo Clan is a wealthy family in Jiangzuo. No matter what, our safety will always be guaranteed. You don't have to worry so much."
Luo Xianzhi shook his head, hugged Xie Daoyun tightly, sniffed the faint fragrance, and whispered: "Madam, you are wrong. We are very dangerous, especially in this world. If we encounter a tyrant or a war, we may even be wiped out overnight.
No matter how much power we have, we are ultimately just mortals. If we are struck by a sword, we will die. This is an immutable law. Just wait and see, the wealthy families in this world will be reshuffled.
It has been like this since ancient times.
At the end of the Shang Dynasty, the old nobles were purged by the Zhou Dynasty. When the various countries were in chaos and the Qin Dynasty unified them, the old nobles were purged again. At the end of the early Han Dynasty, another large number of nobles were purged. Most of the aristocratic families that remain in the world now rose during the Later Han Dynasty. You will see that they will definitely be severely purged, and when most of them are dead, a new emperor will unify the world.
This is fate.
The fate of the old aristocracy is to follow the changes of one era and become the nourishment of the new era. "
Xie Daoyun was a little shocked when she heard such outrageous remarks for the first time. Luo Xianzhi stroked her back and said, "Especially in Yan State, the power of the aristocratic families is the weakest and the army is the strongest. This kind of country is most likely to produce military nobles, and each generation of new nobles comes from military nobles.
This is why I have always attached the greatest importance to the State of Yan. From the State of Yan, perhaps I can see where the world should go in the future.
"Our Daliang, in its current form, is not capable of unifying the world. We must undergo several more rounds of major reforms and seize the land south of the Yellow River from the Han State before we have hope."
Xie Daoyun calmed down instead. She held Luo Xianzhi's hand tightly and said, "Husband, you must have a way."
Luo Xianzhi nodded and said: "Although the transition between the old and the new is always going on in this world, it has never been a complete split. There is always a way for us to survive. If the world moves towards unification in my generation, then I am confident that I can land the Luo family smoothly.
I am just worried that my descendants will be unworthy. The Luo family has had two generations of great talent. If the third generation is mediocre, and the fourth generation is also mediocre, then it will be dangerous. It's okay if such a large family business cannot be maintained, but I am worried that the family will be lost."
Xie Daoyun stroked her pregnant belly and murmured to herself, "Our child will definitely be able to support the family. After he is born, I will teach him well. Even if he cannot become famous, I will teach him how to protect himself."
…
Xiao Yan spent seven days thinking about this, and Luo Xianzhi continued to sit in the Secretariat as usual until Xiao Yan summoned Luo Xianzhi to the palace again. After seeing Xiao Yan, Luo Xianzhi knew that Xiao Yan had made up his mind.
The first thing Xiao Yan said after seeing Luo Xian was, "Lingxiu, your proposal has really made me sleepless these days. If it weren't for you, I would have kicked anyone else out if they dared to bring it up. But since you said it, I know it will definitely be beneficial to the country."
Luo Xianzhi bowed and said nothing. Xiao Yan sighed and said, "I have decided to take action against Buddhism, but I don't want to disturb the gods and Buddhas, so I want to ask you if you have any way to have the best of both worlds."
Luo Xianzhi felt relieved and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, don't worry. I have always respected Taoism and Buddhism, so how could I disturb the gods and Buddhas?
I am here for the sake of the gods and Buddhas. If the monks and Taoists are too detached from the people, wouldn't that go against the great purpose of the gods and Buddhas to save the world?"
Although he knew that Luo Xianzhi was speaking to him, Xiao Yan was still quite happy. This proved that Luo Xianzhi knew what he wanted. He suppressed the worry between his brows and asked, "Lingxiu, tell me your general goal. We, the monarch and his subject, will discuss and confirm it here."
Luo Xianzhi had originally planned to wipe out Taoism and Buddhism in one fell swoop, but since the emperor said so, he naturally could not do it. If there was a conflict between those who made the policies and those who implemented them, then this matter would definitely not be accomplished.
Since ancient times, all policies have required consistency between the monarch and his subjects. It is difficult to make the emperor back down. Luo Xianzhi's timely concessions can allow policies to be implemented smoothly, and this is where his cleverness lies.
Luo Xianzhi changed his policy in his mind and said, "Your Majesty, I know that you don't want to disturb the gods and Buddhas, so my thoughts are roughly as follows.
My father once counted monks and Taoists as another category besides scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, and made them pay taxes as well. However, this policy was not well implemented. Many officials believed that these monks and Taoists were outsiders who lived far away from the world, so-called renunciates.
I think that is wrong.
These monks and Taoists are equally mortal. Those high monks and immortals who have attained enlightenment can receive some preferential treatments, but how can those novices and Taoists who have just entered the monastery and have not yet attained enlightenment obtain such preferential treatments?
My ancestors lived in Zhaocheng for hundreds and thousands of years, but they never attained enlightenment, let alone an ordinary temple or Taoist temple?
Could it be that the place where the King of Su lowered his gaze is not as good as temples and Taoist temples?
What do you think, Your Majesty?"
How could Xiao Yan answer Luo Xianzhi's question? Of course, he said yes. Even if he was a devout Buddhist, he would not dare to put Buddhas and Bodhisattvas above the Su King.
Not only him, even if you ask those monks, they can only shout "Su Wang Shang Huang Tian Shi Zun, the most supreme, the most holy, the most brilliant".
Luo Xianzhi said in a loud voice: "Your Majesty, in the misty rain of Jiangzuo, there are hundreds of temples, hundreds of Taoist temples, and countless believers, but the monks and Taoists are of varying quality. Some of them do not understand the classics at all, but they are able to cheat in the temples.
They hired believers to work as tenant farmers, but used the excuse that the grain produced was tribute to the gods and Buddhas instead of paying taxes to the state, but in reality all that money went into their own pockets.
I have heard that some monks and Taoists embrace women left and right, and even molest the wives and daughters of believers. This is totally uncivilized, a disgrace to the gods and Buddhas, and tears for the gods and Buddhas.
I believe that we should rectify this unhealthy trend, investigate all monks and Taoists in Liang State, and allow the people to report officials. As long as there are people reporting officials, we will investigate according to the laws of Daliang.
When my father was alive, he gave these monks and Taoists a special set of laws.
We will announce the crimes of these people to the entire Jiangzuo, and then confiscate their assets. We will then issue certificates from Your Majesty to all the monks and Taoists who are willing to obey the court's orders.
For example, temples like Hanshan Temple.
The main purpose of this move was to destroy all the temples built by themselves and local areas. From then on, only the temples built by the court would be orthodox.
These temples established by the court naturally have to pay taxes to the court, and their land conditions are subject to the supervision of the court. This not only allows them to seize a lot of wealth, but also allows them to obtain wealth continuously in the future. "
Luo Xianzhi knew that it was impossible to eliminate Taoism and Buddhism. As long as Taoist temples and Buddhist temples existed, people would spend money on them. What he wanted now was to secretly turn temples, which were money-making institutions, into the property of the imperial court.
From now on, the money collected by the temples will be paid as tribute to the state.
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment and then asked: "Lingxiu, I know there are many famous Taoist temples and Buddhist temples among the people of Daliang. What should I do with these temples that are not under the control of my court?"
Luo Xianzhi said without hesitation: "Those who are willing to obey the court will be recruited, and those who are unwilling to obey will be driven away. Those who are willing to surrender will be released. As long as the Taoist temples and Buddhist temples are there, who will care if the monks and Taoists are replaced."
Xiao Yan nodded silently, and paced back and forth thinking. Although he did not point it out clearly, both of them knew that this time the target was Taoism and Buddhism on the surface, but it was Buddhism that would suffer the most, and Taoism could only be dealt with easily.
This is certainly not to say that Taoist teachings are so good. In fact, the reason is very simple. This is precisely a point of failure of Taoism.
The source of Taoism is the Taoist philosophy which can be used to govern the country. This leads to the fact that many Taoist ideas have realistic parts. In the process of transformation into Taoism, Taoism also absorbed a lot of Buddhist elements.
The result is the fact that there are three schools: Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism.
Taoism is not as secular as Confucianism, and not as religious as Buddhism. It was beaten badly by Confucianism in the court, and was beaten so badly by Buddhism when it came to spreading religion among the people.
It can be said that Taoism is unqualified as a school of thought, and unqualified as a religion. This is the embarrassing situation of Taoism.
Fortunately, the pursuit of immortality has always been engraved in the bones of the Chinese people, and Taoism does have a philosophical side, especially the freedom of the Laozi and Zhuangzi schools, which is very attractive to those who yearn for freedom, so Taoism will never die.
If you keep a low profile, you won't be targeted by politicians like Luo Xianzhi like the Buddhists, which is a good thing.
For example, the Buddhists who sculpted golden bodies of Buddha statues were targeted by Luo Xianzhi this time, while the Taoists who sculpted statues of gods with clay were fine. This has to be said to be the wisdom of Taoism.
Xiao Yan paced back and forth in the hall, and finally he sighed deeply and said, "Lingxiu, just do as you wish. I will issue an edict to give you full responsibility for this matter. Remember, don't let me bear the crime of trampling on gods and Buddhas."
This means that Luo Xianzhi should not kill anyone, or not let others know if he kills someone, and should not make a big deal out of this matter. It must be handled properly.
Luo Xianzhi knew at the beginning that even if he wanted to suppress Buddhism, he would not do it in a particularly brutal way, especially the Buddhist scriptures, he would not touch a single one.
He did not make false greetings, but bowed directly and said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that this will not mean the decline of Buddhism, but the prosperity of Buddhism. Those true monks will praise your name and even give you the reputation of the reincarnation of Bodhisattva Buddha.
Although Buddhism was introduced from foreign countries, it has been completely integrated into our country for two or three hundred years. This is our country's magnificent culture. I will completely preserve every Buddhist scripture, every Buddhist instrument, and even those temples will be preserved intact. "
When Xiao Yan heard Luo Xianzhi mention the word "Zhu Xia", he knew that Luo Xianzhi was serious.
These words were indeed spoken from the heart by Luo Xianzhi. In Luo Xianzhi's heart, these Buddhist scriptures, ritual instruments and other objects were too precious, even more precious than people. The Luo family had always cherished such things that represented culture and history.
The reason why the Luo family has been able to acquire endless treasures over the years is because of the hobby of collecting that has been passed down since ancient times.
He found opportunities to take away the Lanting Preface that Wang Xizhi had written when he was in Kuaiji County, and the Qushui Liushang Preface that he had written outside the city of Jianye. Not only that, many cultural calligraphy and paintings also entered the Luo family's treasure house.
Luo Xianzhi has already made up his mind. This time when he is rectifying Buddhism, he wants to take away all the rare copies of Buddhist scriptures and so on. When the main branch comes back, he will give a copy of these things to the main branch. In this way, the Jiangdong Luo family will not let down this family name.
If Xiao Yan knew what Luo Xianzhi was thinking, he would definitely laugh at himself for being too cautious. Luo Xianzhi was much more sensible than him.
You have to know that Luo Xianzhi was a person who, after carrying out the important task of cracking down on the powerful families, was able to make the powerful families cooperate with him even while scolding him.
The aristocratic families are not lowly, they have feelings. They don't need to resist, but it would be very uncomfortable if they don't resist. From the fact that Luo Xianzhi can be stuck in this situation, you can imagine how easy it is for him to handle things.
Although doing so would inevitably lead to incomplete reforms and leave behind a large number of remnants, thorough reforms were impossible in Jiangzuo unless all the powerful families were uprooted. But what was the difference between doing so and destroying the State of Liang?
What Luo Xianzhi is doing now is the best choice for Liang State at the moment.
…
Luo Xianzhi was naturally happy that the emperor could make up his mind. This proved that although Xiao Yan was indeed old, he had not completely lost his mind and had not been completely obsessed with the illusory religion.
As long as this is the case, it means there is still hope.
When he returned to the Secretariat, the officials coming and going were no longer surprised by Luo Xianzhi's sudden appearance. Now all the officials were waiting for this leader to be promoted.
After all, Luo Xianzhi went to the palace every few days, and the emperor would consult him whenever he had something to discuss. As for the other three ministers, they did not receive such an honor, and many of them only had the opportunity to see the emperor during grand court meetings.
Luo Xianzhi's power far exceeded those of the Three Dukes. Not only was he in charge of the Secretariat, but he also actually performed the functions of a prime minister.
There are two departments, the Shangshu Province and the Zhongshu Province. The Zhongshu Province is located in the palace, while the Shangshu Province is located outside the palace, so Luo Xianzhi had to run between the two.
The biggest shortcoming of Luo Xianzhi now is that he has no government office. The position of Shangshu Ling is not enough. It is of course impossible for Luo Xianzhi to be promoted to one of the Three Dukes in one step, but now everyone is waiting for the emperor to give Luo Xianzhi the title of Kaifu Yitong Sansi.
With this official position of a civil official, plus the position of Shangshu Ling, or Recorder of the Shangshu Shi, Luo Xianzhi was basically second only to the emperor and above everyone else. Later on, he would step by step become one of the true Three Dukes, and even reopen the position of prime minister, but that is all a story for later.
A lot of changes have taken place in the current Shangshu Province and when Luo Xianzhi first came here. The candidates for the left and right prime ministers have been replaced, as have the candidates for many departments. The current Shangshu Province is a one-man show by Luo Xianzhi.
His adjustments to the Secretariat were not just about the personnel in Jianye, but most importantly, the local officials emanating from the Secretariat. Those talents were the foundation of his rule.
Just as he had always emphasized, a team of officials who were able to implement his will, this team of officials that had undergone several years of adjustment was the basis for the aristocratic fraud case he initiated.
And now, the fight against Buddhism also depends on this team.
When Luo Xianzhi was in power, he did not like to receive orders directly from the court. This was completely different from his father Luo Youzhi. Luo Youzhi liked to use the court's great power to pressure officials to implement policies, emphasizing speed.
Luo Xianzhi, on the other hand, liked to go with the flow. For example, in the case of fraud committed by the gentry, he first started with a gentry in a small county, stirring up a wave of public opinion, and then took advantage of the situation to start investigating the matter.
The same is true when dealing with Buddhism now, and it can even be said that it is even more necessary.
Buddhism has deep roots in Liang State.
Those eminent monks could even influence the emperor, not to mention the powerful and wealthy. Many of them and their families liked to worship Buddha. Even Luo Xianzhi's mother sometimes worshipped Buddha.
It's not just the powerful and wealthy, ordinary people are the same. If they crack down on Buddhism without any reason, they will only be asking for trouble. All the troubles alone will be enough to make it impossible to implement the policy.
In particular, Emperor Xiao Yan clearly stated that one should not force them too much, which was a great test of the means and policies.
However, for Luo Xianzhi, it was much easier to regulate Buddhism than to regulate the gentry.
After all, the nobles have soldiers in their hands. If the conflict really gets out of hand, the consequences will be disastrous. The Buddhists are much easier to bully. They are just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered.
Especially Buddhism has too many flaws.
As long as Luo Xianzhi learned a little bit, he would know that there are too many filths and evils in Buddhism, and these things will become the swords he uses to stab Buddhism.
Especially his identity, Jiang Zuo Luo family!
When he used this identity to discipline the gentry, he stood on the highest moral ground and used the excuse of clearing the house to clean up the gentry, leaving almost everyone speechless.
Now using the identity of Luo to deal with the bad elements in Buddhism, and standing on the highest moral ground, this method has always been effective.
I can only say thank you to our ancestors for giving so many conveniences to future generations. It feels so good to have the right to interpret and then to strike back at someone else.
Although we still have to put it into practice in the end and have to bear a lot of responsibilities, these costs are worth bearing compared to the benefits we get.
In Jianye City, the person that Luo Xianzhi had found to report the officials was ready.
Luo Xianzhi would arrange a group of people to expose some of the crimes of Buddhism, and then naturally start to interfere. This was his tried and tested tactic.
Luo Xianzhi called the left and right ministers and made arrangements directly: "Put aside all the official duties on hand recently, especially the envoys who are touring the prefectures and counties, and ask them to return to Jianye. I have something to arrange."
hiss!
As soon as Luo Xianzhi said this, the left and right ministers looked at each other and immediately realized that this was not a simple matter. They summoned the envoys who were touring the prefectures and counties. This was the momentum that was only there when the nobles fabricated the case.
The two of them were now considered Luo Xianzhi's men, and they immediately asked, "Lord Lingxiu, what big event has happened that we don't know about?"
The left and right ministers of the Secretariat were in control of all the confidential matters of the country. There was almost nothing that could be hidden from them, but now they knew nothing.
This is quite unreasonable.
Luo Xianzhi glanced at it and said, "You will soon find out. This is something that His Majesty has instructed us to do. There must be no mistakes. This is even related to the major political affairs of Daliang."
Luo Xianzhi's words were so serious that the two stopped asking questions immediately. They also knew immediately that this matter was probably discussed by the emperor and Luo Xianzhi. Just like the case of the aristocratic family's fraud, it suddenly broke out without anyone knowing.
I'm afraid this is still the case today!
Looking at the two people leaving, Luo Xianzhi's eyes darkened and he began to calculate the scale of the upcoming Buddhist practice.
————
Luo Xianzhi was undoubtedly one of the most outstanding prime ministers in the Southern Dynasties. The only one who could be compared with him was his father Luo Youzhi. People of that era praised them like this: "A father and son from the same family were guests of the emperor, and a family of famous prime ministers in Jiangchuan will be known throughout the ages."
Luo Youzhi and Luo Xianzhi's lives were prosperous and brilliant. Unlike the vast majority of mediocre rulers, they had pioneering political achievements that were worthy of praise.
Luo Xianzhi's life was full of strange colors. The three major cases were born through him. He made outstanding contributions to the achievements of the centralization of power in the Southern Dynasties, cracking down on the noble families who attempted to split the country, and cracking down on the religious forces that developed recklessly and barbarically. - "History of the Southern Dynasties"
(End of this chapter)
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