Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 584 - 473

Chapter 584: 473

"Public welfare? Not rewarding where merit is due and cutting budgets is your definition of public welfare?"

Li Xuan sneered, his eyes filled with disdain, "Speaking of public welfare, how can I not be involved? I must demand justice for my subordinates and give them an explanation."

"Amitabha!" The abbot Weizhen’s facial expression was serious as he put his hands together, his gaze coldly said, "This is where you, Marquis of Jingan, have brought it upon yourself. If you didn’t rashly involve yourself in the conflict between Meng Wu and Jin, in your capacity as the Liudao Division, to guard that Nankou Pass—"

His voice abruptly stopped, because at this time, not only did Li Xuan’s eyes hold a hint of sarcasm, but even Prince Xiang’s son, Yu Qiyong, on the side, was also frowning.

Abbot Weizhen knew that this grandson of the royal family of the Jin Dynasty was aligned more with the Jin Dynasty in this matter.

Especially over the last two months, as Crown Prince Yu Jianji’s illness never improved, and Emperor Jingtai had no other offspring, talks about ’inviting a vassal king to succeed’ had already started at court.

And this son of Prince Xiang is currently the most popular candidate.

The Xuan Emperor had only two sons, the Zhengtong Emperor and the Jingtai Emperor.

Now the True Emperor Zhengtong had a dozen or so sons, including the former Crown Prince Yu Jianshen. However, with Emperor Jingtai’s character, he definitely wouldn’t want the throne to fall into the hands of the True Emperor Zhengtong.

The one closest to the royal bloodline at that time was this son of Prince Xiang, Yu Qiyong. This father of his, the ’Left Zongzheng, Prince Xiang’, Yu Zhanshi, was the fifth younger brother of the former Xuan Emperor.

So Abbot Weizhen changed his tone, "The traditions and rules of the Liudao Division have been maintained for a thousand years and must not be changed. Marquis of Jingan, you only need to withdraw from the Liudao Division, and then the world can enjoy peace."

Li Xuan laughed lightly, casually sipped his tea and said, "Why shouldn’t you and your brothers quit the Liudao Division? As for traditions and rules...The forefathers who established the Liudao Division did not say that they couldn’t help the court resist foreign enemies. Who set these rules? You, Weizhen?

For the sake of your so-called rules, you can sit idly by and watch over a million people in North Zhili suffer from the disaster of war, and watch the Meng Wu use various magic. Then we must also stretch our necks to let them slaughter us, right?"

"You!" Abbot Weizhen’s face showed his anger, "The personnel of the Liudao Division are mostly people who live away from the fray. We are certainly capable of punishing evil spirits, but how can we meddle in worldly affairs?

This is the way of life that the Liudao Division has maintained for a thousand years. I am a monk, there are 3,000 disciples of the Zen sect working for the Liudao Division, I have to plan for their future."

Li Xuan sneered, "I come closer to having the same idea as Divine Venerable. If the Liudao Division is unable to protect the people, it violates its original purpose when it was established. Therefore, there is no need for its existence.

About your so-called disciples of the Zen sect, Divine Venerable does not stop them from quitting the Liudao Division. I believe in ’if conditions do not suit, then leave.’ If the way the Liudao Division operates doesn’t suit their desires, they are most welcome to depart.

You shouldn’t make it sound so righteous. Twelve years ago, due to your Elder Council’s successive seven prohibitions, 1,300 disciples of the Zen sect died in the grasslands. Do you need me to enumerate the private benefits that you, Weizhen, sought with the help of the 3,000 disciples of the Zen sect in the Liudao Division?"

He flicked his sleeve lightly, silencing Abbot Weizhen, "There’s no need for further discussion between us. You have to uphold your rules, and I, Li Xuan, have my own principles to uphold. You, Weizhen, are willing to do anything for the sake of your rules, and I too can ruin your ’Great Huguo Temple’ for the sake of my principles."

At this time, Abbot Weizhen was furious, his face flushed, and shouted, "Li Xuan, you dare! With such actions, aren’t you afraid of offending my Buddha?"

"It seems that Master’s practice is not complete. As I understand it, if you attain Buddhahood, you would be detached from the material world, and probably wouldn’t be bothered with me."

Li Xuan gave a slight smile, "Besides, I’ve already executed a Dharma King, what more do I have to fear in offending your Buddha? Moreover, the ’Great Huguo Temple’ occupied civilian houses and the monks violated the law, aren’t these true? Am I wrong in helping you Buddhists clean house?"

Abbot Weizhen looked at Li Xuan with ominously cold eyes, "It seems we can’t reach an agreement. I just hope you, Marquis of Guanjun, won’t regret it."

Li Xuan then flicked his sleeve nonchalantly.

When Weizhen left the ’Deyun Building’ with a pale face, the son of Prince Xiang, Yu Qiyong, sighed, "Why go to such lengths? Marquis of Guanjun, Master Weizhen has a deep foundation in Buddhism and a large following. He will not easily back down. By putting such strong pressure on him, you may end up achieving just the opposite."

Li Xuan smiled at Yu Qiyong, "I’ve heard that Prince Xiang’s Mansion donates 10,000 taels of silver to the Great Huguo Temple every year and even enshrines a Bodhisattva there?"

The son of Prince Xiang, Yu Qiyong, was taken aback, and then forced a smile, "That was done by my mother. She was a devout follower of Huguo Temple."

Li Xuan simply nodded, "Recently, the Dali Temple has found evidence that some monks of the Great Huguo Temple have had illicit affairs with some female faithful, even going as far as to defile the wives of numerous followers. I believe this news will be widely known soon."

"Ah!" Yu Qiyong was startled, his face turning pale.

He thought to himself, "If such a thing really happened at the Great Huguo Temple, it would smear my mother’s reputation."

This could even affect him personally.

Yu Qiyong was somewhat suspicious that Li Xuan was only framing and setting them up, but couldn’t be sure.

But, considering Li Xuan’s current powers, if he wanted to claim that the monks of the Great Huguo Temple were committing unethical acts, how could they clear their names?

Furthermore, he could ask around at the Dali Temple about this matter.

"Thank you for your reminder, Marquis of Guanjun. I will handle the matter as soon as I return to the mansion."

Then, with some suspicion in his eyes, Yu Qiyong tested, "May I ask how you, Marquis Guanjun, feel about the recent ’Vassal king succeeding’ issue discussed by the court?"

Li Xuan’s expression stiffened at this, before he calmly put down his cup of tea, "How else can I see it? This matter can only be decided by the Emperor. I, as a governor, only know to follow the orders of the Emperor."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qiyong couldn’t help but ponder.

At this moment, fifty feet away from Deyun Building, Master Weizhen stepped onto a horse carriage that was parked here.

In the carriage, there was only one person, his junior brother, Master Weixing. This man’s physique and appearance were gaunt and thin, and around his neck hung a rosary of skull-shaped beads, each as large as a fist.

"Did Elder Brother fail to persuade him?" Master Weixing read the situation from his elder brother’s expression and knew it was not good: "Is that brat still wanting to oppose our ’Great Huguo Temple’?"

"The obstinacy of that sin-filled fellow is infuriating!" Abbot Weizhen said, snorting coldly, and the anger in his eyes still hadn’t faded: "Our only choice now is to face a desperate battle. I will send a letter to the two Masters Garan later and ask them to deal with it."

A ’Master Garan’ refers to a venerable monk who has achieved the ’Garan’ fruit level.

Like the six realms of the heavenly level that a Wu cultivator has, Buddhism too has six high fruit levels: Garan, Arhat, Vajra, Bodhisattva, Buddha, Buddha’s Ancestor.

A Master Garan is on par with the sub-heavenly level of a Wu cultivator.

Master Weixing only slightly nodded, "That person’s nature is like a devil, he indeed needs to be subdued."

However, at this moment, a touch of worry also flashed through Master Weixing’s eyes.

Those who could become elders of the Liudao Division were not individuals who lacked information.

Although Marquis of Guanjun, that man, only had the cultivation of the seventh house level, his own combat effectiveness had already surpassed many of the Fourth Gate.

The power surrounding him was also extremely strong. His ’Tianji Dihe Yin-Yang Knife’ combination with Luo Yan was already very formidable, besides, several heavenly-level individuals were closely connected with him.

Master Weixing was worried that even if they invited two Masters Garan from Zen Sect, they might not be able to subdue this person.

Just then, a booming voice rang from outside the carriage: "Master, Uncle Master, your disciple has urgent matters to discuss!"

"Faru?" Abbot Weizhen recognized the voice. It was his disciple who held a position in the Court’s ’Senglu Division’. He was slightly surprised: "Come in and speak."

A middle-aged monk with a thick beard, around forty, also walked in. His face was bitter: "Master, something serious has happened. Three days ago, five of Guojizi’s Jishizhong jointly submitted a document, asking the Court to abolish the title of ’Head of Zen Sect’ for the Master."

The face of Abbot Weizhen immediately paled slightly.

He could disregard the income from the incense and money offering at the Great Huguo Temple, he could not fear losing money and losing land, but he could not disregard the ’Head of Zen Sect’ title bestowed by the Court.

This was the foundation of his leadership over the Zen Sects of the world.

Master Weixing also urgently grabbed Faru’s hand: "Why did you only mention this now when it happened three days ago?"

Monk Faru replied with a bitter smile: "The head of the Tongzheng Division has been replaced. Quan Dingtian, the former Zheng of Guozi Bureau from Nanjing, has been transferred to Tongzhengshi. He personally handled this petition, so I didn’t know about it. Had it not been for the Emperor summoning the cabinet to discuss this matter today, I would still be kept in the dark about it. Moreover, what I heard was that the result is probably not good."

Abbot Weizhen and Master Weixing looked at each other with a distressed look on their faces.

If they had the time to set up, they naturally had ways to persuade the ministers of the cabinet to speak for them.

But the problem was that Li Xuan didn’t give them time to react.

As for the attitude of the Emperor and cabinet ministers towards them, Abbot Weizhen understood very well in his heart. Many ministers in the court have already accumulated a lot of dissatisfaction towards him as the ’Head of Zen Sect’.

"There are also three more matters." Monk Faru continued, "First, in Shuntian Government, more than seven hundred households submitted complaints again, accusing our Great Huguo Temple of encroaching upon 2,700 qing of farmland."

The white brows of Abbot Weizhen instantly tightened again.

Previously, the cases of encroaching on civilian houses that had been examined through three levels of court: the Shuntian Government, Ministry of Punishments, and Dali Temple, were only about the city of Beijing, where land was worth its weight in gold. Even the mansion of a duke was only two to three hundred acres in size.

A lot of effort had indeed been put into expanding the Great Huguo Temple to its current size by his predecessors.

In addition to this, the Great Huguo Temple also had nearly 6,000 qing of fertile land outside the city. The origins of some of this land were indeed not completely above board.

"The second matter is related to the Dali Temple. One of our fellow disciples who were caught confessed their lewd acts. They confessed to having illicit relations with female believers in the back houses, and carrying out lewd activities with female fragrant guests."

At this point, Monk Faru looked up at his two pale-faced elders again: "The third matter is that the Abbott of Shaolin Temple entered the capital yesterday, and had a secret meeting with Marquis of Guanjun lasting six hours."

When Abbot Weizhen heard this, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, and he squeezed out his words through clenched teeth: "You little bastard, do you want to completely exterminate us?"

Blood was also seeping from the corners of Master Weixing’s mouth. He realized that Li Xuan’s goal was to pull the rug from under their feet.

From ancient times, the Zen Sects of the world have always seen the abbot of Shaolin Temple on Mount Song as their leader.

But ever since the former Yuan took control of the Central Plains and the Yuan Emperor decreed the establishment of the ’Great Huguo Temple’, ennobling the title of ’Head of Zen Sect’ to its Abbot, the power of the Zen Sects of the world gradually fell into the hands of their Huguo Temple lineage.

And now, the purpose of this secret meeting between the Marquis of Guanjun and the Abbott of Shaolin Temple was self-evident.