Shennong Dao Master
Chapter 317 - 5: Destroying the Sect and Abandoning the Temple, Meeting an Acquaintance Again_2

Chapter 317: Chapter 5: Destroying the Sect and Abandoning the Temple, Meeting an Acquaintance Again_2

Zhao Xing, upon arriving at Anping Prefecture, first went to the Prefecture Minister of Agriculture Supervision to report, and then through the channels of the Minister of Agriculture Supervision, sent a post to the Prefecture City Temple.

During this process, he naturally glanced through the list of officials of various ranks in the temple. Zhao Xing vaguely felt that the name Wei Hong was a bit familiar, but he couldn’t recall it immediately.

To show their regard, the Anping Prefecture Temple sent a team of priests to accompany Zhao Xing in handling matters.

The next day, upon receiving the list, Zhao Xing saw a name, Wei Xuancheng, and his eyebrows twitched immediately.

"Hiss, so it’s him. I’ve encountered another tough guy. Are they all here to reap the rewards of the Pingman battle?"

Zhao Xing looked at the list and was speechless.

Wei Hong was nothing much; he was a Standard Fourth Rank, and later only reached the highest level of Standard Third Rank, and that too as an Imperial Mausoleum Priest, with no actual power.

But his little brother Wei Xuancheng had become the Prime Minister during Emperor Wu’s reign!

His greatest achievement was reforming the ’Yin God System’, where he personally spearheaded the ’Destroying Temples and Abandoning Shrines’ policy, solving Emperor Wu’s concern of the increasing number of Yin Gods.

Of course, his end was miserable. After the Yuan Dynasty following Emperor Wu, Wei Xuancheng’s grave was dug up, he was removed from the ancestral temple, and was eventually pulled out from the Yin Realm.

His corpse and soul were flogged, his soul scattered, and he died under his own policy.

"Why does Mr. Zhao keep looking at me?" The next day, the one sent by the temple to receive Zhao Xing was Wei Xuancheng, but at this time, he was only a Secondary Seventh Rank Priest.

Wei Xuancheng, born from a great family, was arrogant to the higher-ups but respectful to the lower ranks; he cared little about those with high status and rank but deeply respected the common people.

At this time, Wei Xuancheng was just thirty, already a Secondary Seventh Rank, with a Standard Fourth Rank elder brother, and he had a bright future.

"Mr. Wei’s appearance resembles an old acquaintance of mine, I lost my composure for a moment, I hope Mr. Wei does not mind." Zhao Xing cupped his hands.

In fact, he had just been stunned for a second, but the priests were very sensitive to thoughts, so he hurriedly found an excuse to prevaricate, steeling his mind, and thought no further.

Wei Xuancheng did not mind either. After all, he was not much older than Zhao Xing, both could be considered young men.

"After you, Mr. Zhao."

"After you, Mr. Wei."

Zhao Xing and Long Xiao followed Wei Xuancheng onto the Flying Boat, first arriving at the Prefecture City Temple.

They then paid respects to the Sixth-Rank Upper Official ’Gong Ming’, the assistant temple priest in charge of the team.

Following thirty-two priests, including Wei Xuancheng, they boarded a ’Cloud Rain Ship’.

The task completion method was as follows:

Gong Ming would take Zhao Xing to 52 civil temples.

At each location, Zhao Xing would provide a disposal opinion on the civil temple: demolish or retain.

He would remain inside the Cloud Rain Ship and would not disembark.

The Prefecture City Priests would handle the actual execution.

They would not necessarily follow Zhao Xing’s opinions.

If over half of Zhao Xing’s suggestions were adopted, it would be considered qualified, and he would be graded C. If seventy percent were adopted, he would be graded B, and if ninety percent, he would be graded A.

"This task is neither too difficult nor too easy, it’s merely two options, demolish or retain."

"You can try your luck. Even if you only say one word, demolish or retain, as long as the final advice aligns with the temple’s actions, you pass."

"Even if you are clueless about temple affairs, suppose you’re lucky enough to guess correctly 26 times in a row, you’ll still pass." Wei Xuancheng sat alongside in a private room; he was the one responsible for conveying and explaining to Zhao Xing.

"If your opinion is substantive and adopted by Lord Gong, even if you make a few wrong guesses, as long as the difference is not great, you can be promoted by one level. Does Mr. Zhao understand?"

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Wei, for the guidance." Zhao Xing cupped his hands.

This meant that both Gong Ming and Qiu Mingyi had considerable autonomy in grading him in this matter.

After waiting for two quarters on the Cloud Rain Ship, they soon arrived at the first location.

Wei Xuancheng first exited the private room and then returned.

"We have arrived at the first location. Lord Gong asked me to ask you, how should Yanguang Temple be handled?"

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment and said, "The temple should be demolished, its golden body destroyed!"

Wei Xuancheng said, "Do you have anything else to say? If not, I’ll relay the message."

Zhao Xing nodded and said, "Not only this one, my attitude towards the fifty-two temples in Anping Prefecture is the same; they should all be demolished."

"There are three reasons."

Wei Xuancheng extended his hand: "Please explain."

"Firstly, the private establishment of temples by the people of Anping Prefecture, some of which may not be classified as worshipping evil gods and even occasionally have meritorious deeds, but over two hundred years, maintaining the Yin God’s advancement has been enormously wasteful."

"According to the Great Zhou’s Yin God worship system, the proper gods receive annual, monthly, seasonal, and daily sacrifices. These Yin Gods, not officially recognized by the court, require even more sacrifices."

"I am not familiar with temple affairs, but I am quite knowledgeable in arithmetic. Allow me to do some calculations for Mr. Wei and the temple officials.

"Take Yanguang Temple for example. Over two hundred years, for it to advance, it must sustain grand sacrifices every ten years and annual small sacrifices."

"In the year of a grand sacrifice, daily sacrifices are required, four times a day, each time with the ritual of three animals: cattle, sheep, and horse, along with silk, jade, and copper vessels, totaling one hundred and sixty items."

"Even if the sacrificial items are reusable, one still needs to make offerings 1,695 times a year. As for the other fifty-one temples, though not as influential as Yanguang Temple, I’ve calculated it, these fifty-two temples require offerings 34,453 times in total."

"During monthly sacrifices, guards must carry the divine statues through the streets, with the temple priests, house servants, and musicians. Each event requires no fewer than 3,000 people, totaling 100,000 participants a year."

"Whenever the statues are paraded, believers buy incense, paper money, and even throw copper coins into the donation box; even if each of the 100,000 participants throws in just 10 coins, it amounts to tens of thousands of taels, but in fact, this number is even higher! The Military Realm cannot even tally it."

"This is just yearly. Speaking only of the privately established temples, Anping Prefecture also has officially recognized proper gods! The populace either doesn’t believe or, if they do, would rather impoverish themselves to support their deities."

"Over two hundred years, how much has this sapped the people’s strength, amounting to countless millions? Have the beneficiaries really been the people?"

Even the supposed meritorious deeds of these Yin Gods, why should they be performed by wild spirits?!"

"Draining the people’s strength and overstepping boundaries is the first reason to abolish them!"

Zhao Xing’s firm voice resonated, and upon hearing it, a flicker of anger appeared in Wei Xuancheng’s eyes.

What he said resonated deeply with Wei Xuancheng!

He hadn’t initially considered so much, but Zhao Xing’s numbers immediately made Wei Xuancheng seethe with rage.

Indeed, what extravagant waste?!

Perhaps it was not noticeable over one generation, but accumulated over two hundred years, the amount was staggering; Zhao Xing’s words were very piercing. Since there was waste, who then benefitted?

Of course, it was the aristocratic families!

They were like parasites, continually sucking the people’s blood.

Some among the populace would be deceived by these families into unknowingly offering their hard-earned money while still praising them.

Zhao Xing, worthy of the title of Minister of Agriculture, presented his case from a fiscal perspective, immediately winning over Wei Xuancheng.

Wei Xuancheng made a bow of respect: "Mr. Zhao’s analysis is incisive and enlightening. Please accept my bow."

"You’re too kind, just some reckless words. If anything was wrong, please forgive me." Zhao Xing quickly stood and returned the gesture.

In fact, what he said was precisely what Wei Xuancheng later offered as policy advice to Emperor Wu in the court.

Of course, right now, these were not as exaggerated as what Wei Xuancheng would later present.

Wei Xuancheng would later propose reforms even for the Imperial Mausoleum, suggesting the ’Five Temple System’, where after five generations, including emperors, concubines, commandery princes, and princesses, they should no longer be worshipped, and the worship should be directed to the Heavenly Temple.

Zhao Xing was speaking conservatively compared to the more radical reforms of Wei Xuancheng in later years; now it was but a needle.

Enough to prick the hearts of Wei Xuancheng and the temple priests without being overly excessive.

"Please continue with your second and third reasons, Mr. Zhao." A gleam of interest appeared in Wei Xuancheng’s eyes. He was keen to hear if Zhao Xing had any other unique insights.