After a long while, the three Kushan monks came to their senses. Hachi smiled and bowed to Xi Zhicai with his hands clasped together.
"I wonder where this layman heard these rumors from? We are just ordinary monks, not princes or nobles!"
"Yeah?"
Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "However, I think this story is quite interesting. If the three of you had this identity, you would probably be able to gain the attention of the imperial court."
"After all, our Great Han is a land of etiquette. When princes and nobles from other countries come to seek refuge, Great Han will take good care of them, and your lives will be much easier."
Upon hearing this, Hachi, Samo, and Sijia exchanged glances again, pondering the meaning behind Xi Zhicai's words.
These three individuals, who traveled thousands of miles from the Kushan Empire to the Han Dynasty, were all exceptionally intelligent.
After a moment's thought, they understood what Xi Zhicai meant: he wanted them to admit to the fabricated identity so they could escape their current predicament.
“Monks do not lie. The truth is the truth, and it cannot be faked. This layperson, please do not make fun of us!”
Hachi shook his head, declining Xi Zhicai's offer.
Xi Zhicai's expression hardened: "Are the three of you afraid that your identities will be exposed and you will be punished?"
Hachi and the other two clasped their hands in a gesture of respect, uttered a Buddhist chant, and remained silent.
Xi Zhicai then said, "Rest assured, three masters, with my help, your identities will not only remain undiscovered, but will also be recognized by the court and even the current emperor!"
Hachi and the other two twitched their eyelids, gave Xi Zhicai a deep look, but shook their heads and remained silent.
"Since the three of you refuse to heed my good advice, I will not linger any longer. If you change your minds, you may come to the city to find me at any time!"
After saying that, Xi Zhicai stood up, took out a wooden plaque and placed it in front of Hachi and the other two, then walked out.
As he passed the main hall of the temple, Xi Zhicai looked at the huge orange-yellow Buddha statue inside and a cold smile appeared on his face.
As Xi Zhicai walked out of the temple, he looked up and saw that the Taoist priests were still standing not far away, talking to passersby and occasionally pointing to the temple.
Upon seeing this, Xi Zhicai had an idea and immediately went over.
A Taoist priest stepped forward and bowed: "Young master, are you well at the temple?"
Xi Zhicai smiled and said, "It's alright. However, I noticed that their Buddha statues look more noble and luxurious than the statues of your temple. I wonder why? Is it really as they say, that Buddha is more noble than Taoism?"
"Hmph, these bald guys are spouting utter nonsense!"
Upon hearing Xi Zhicai's words, the Taoist's expression immediately changed, and he couldn't help but curse aloud.
The Taoist priest then explained, “Young master, you may not know this, but our Taoist statues are made of clay and wood. We emphasize tranquility and non-action. If you believe, they exist; if you don’t, they don’t.”
Their Buddha statues are made of pure gold, and they emphasize the salvation of others. If you believe, you donate money; if you don't believe, you will be burdened by karma.
Therefore, the statues of deities in Taoism and Buddhism differ.
"I see!"
Xi Zhicai suddenly realized, and then said, "However, I have heard that in order to prevent people from privately minting coins, the imperial court has made a clear regulation that no one is allowed to hoard gold at will. Is there no one to care about such a large Buddha statue made of pure gold?"
The Taoist priest was taken aback: "Young master, are you saying that their Buddha statues violate the laws of the imperial court?"
Xi Zhicai nodded noncommittally: "Yes, you know, if that Buddha statue were cast into coins, it could very likely cause price instability!"
Upon hearing this, the Taoist priest's eyes lit up, and he bowed to Xi Zhicai, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, young master!"
They had been fighting those bald men for so long, even resorting to violence, but they never imagined they could use the laws of the Han Dynasty to fight them.
I can only blame myself for being ignorant and incapable of using political weapons.
"It's alright, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!"
Xi Zhicai smiled and waved his hand, then turned and walked towards his bicycle frame.
After Xi Zhicai left, the Taoist priest called over one of his companions: "Go to the city right now and report the White Horse Temple to the yamen. Tell them they are hiding gold and plotting something sinister!"
"good!!"
The Taoist's companion nodded, then quickly ran towards Luoyang City.
Upon returning to the carriage, Xi Zhicai smiled slightly and then instructed one of the guards beside him:
"Immediately go to the Luoyang magistrate's office and the Censorate to inform them and ask them to take care of things!"
"Yes, young master!"
The guard agreed, then mounted his horse and galloped into the city.
Xi Zhicai didn't rush back, but instead found a shady spot and waited quietly.
The White Horse Temple was not far from Luoyang City. Before long, the guard sent by Xi Zhicai arrived in Luoyang ahead of time.
As the chief official of the Military and Political Affairs Department and a confidant of the current emperor, Xi Zhicai's words largely represented the emperor's will.
Therefore, after receiving the notification from the guards, the officials of Luoyang Prefecture and the Censorate immediately began to arrange manpower to wait for the Taoist priest who came to report the incident to arrive.
Before long, a Taoist priest hurriedly arrived at the Luoyang government office.
After receiving a report from a Taoist priest that Baima Temple was secretly hoarding gold and plotting something sinister, Liu Biao, the magistrate of Luoyang, immediately sent someone to inform the Censorate.
Subsequently, Liu Biao personally led a hundred constables from the government office out of the city.
Upon receiving the notification from the Luoyang Prefectural Government, Yang Qiu, the Director-General of the Censorate, immediately dispatched more than a dozen censors, along with two hundred eunuchs, to set off together.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
