Chapter 28: Shock! Nationwide Monks Holding Certificates!

The old emperor was speechless for a long time.

What is this?!

What kind of strange officials do I have?

Since Xu Yanmiao came to the court, everyone has become odd! First, it was the prince concubine wanting to execute the princess, then the inspector hiding in the mountains out of fear, and now a seventy-five-year-old prince’s attendant still involved with young companions! And getting sexually transmitted diseases!!!

Now even someone who enjoys watching wives and concubines engage in affairs has emerged?!

The old emperor didn’t understand, his eyes trembling with shock.

The official revealed to have a cuckold fetish hesitated for a long time… a long time…

Then, bowing to the emperor, the official seemed to hit the rewind button, walking backward into the crowd of officials, raising his tablet with a serious face that still bore a hint of contemplation.

Hmm? Did something just happen? No?

A colleague nudged his arm: “Do you… really enjoy being cuckolded?”

Wow—

So there are people like this!

The cuckold fetish official held up his tablet, tears streaming in the wind.

Why did you jump out earlier! Was it your turn to show off? Silly “beep—”

The old emperor finally managed to get the words out.

“You all…”

The loyal old inspector looked at him with tears.

The Minister of War gazed at him eagerly.

The cuckold fetish… oh, the cuckold fetish didn’t look at him.

But many officials whose families had good relationships with women who visited the Yulong Temple, though they didn’t speak up, clearly appeared troubled.

Troubled, their eyes occasionally darted toward the old emperor.

The old emperor: “…”

“…Your, Your Majesty…” The male officials who frequented the temple with their wives and concubines trembled in their voices.

The old emperor: “…”

Why am I dealing with such matters???

Am I being a bit strange as an emperor?

After finishing his fill of gossip, the excitement and thrill faded, leaving a sense of emptiness and weakness.

The old emperor glanced at the useless bunch below and suddenly remembered something: “Did the Yulong Temple pay taxes? Since they are not a proper temple but a place for selling favors, have they paid taxes?”

The ministers: “???”

Your Majesty, is there something wrong with your focus?

The Minister of Revenue showed a pained expression: “Replying to Your Majesty, there is none.”

The old emperor’s expression suddenly changed: “No taxes and yet you want to run a brothel?! Still providing services? Still operating?”

The old emperor was clearly grasping the critical point and was far more agitated than before: “Collect the back taxes! Make them pay the taxes! Then order them to shut down! Such a Buddhist temple cannot exist in our Daxia!”

“And then! Ji Sui!”

Ji Sui stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“After the New Year, you will take the position of supervising inspector and inspect the entire empire to investigate temples.”

Xu Yanmiao recalled the position of supervising inspector.

It seemed to be similar to officials sent by anti-corruption bureaus or integrity commissions? Originally, there were specific supervising inspectors, but if the emperor considered the matter important, he would specially appoint a trusted high official to the title of supervising inspector to handle the task outside the capital.

The old emperor’s tone grew faster and more excited as he spoke.

“Those who forge certificates—execute them!”

Monks need certificates, which are issued by the court. Regular temples can own temple property and these properties are exempt from taxes, so many choose to enter monastic life. The court tightly controls the issuance of certificates to control tax revenue and prevent a significant reduction.

“Those engaging in immoral acts in temples, like the Jingyan Temple during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Zhou, where women seeking children were admitted through secret passages into rooms, pretending to be the Buddha engaging in immorality—those involved in similar acts—execute them!”

Ji Sui: “Yes!”

“Minister of Rites, where are you?”

“I’m here.”

“From the thirty-second year of the Tian Tong era onwards, any monks or Taoists in the capital cannot exceed forty, in the provinces thirty, and in the counties twenty. People under forty years old and women under fifty years old cannot become monks. The Ministry of Rites is responsible for this.”

Minister of Rites: “Yes!”

“Re-examine the monks! Ask Zen monks about Zen principles! Question lecturers about the essentials of various scriptures! Test yoga monks with yoga rituals! If they are proficient, they may continue as monks; otherwise, thirty strikes and expulsion to become commoners! Starting this year, every three years.”

“Yes!”

“Create a monk registration book. The book must record each monk’s birthplace, residence, order, age, name, gender, monastery, and the date of ordination, certificate number, as well as the names of their parents and teachers. Each temple must also register the number of temple buildings and permanent temple properties.”

“These matters are to be coordinated by the Ministry of Rites, the Department of Monks, and local monk offices.”

No one can take his money!

No one!

The Minister of Rites and the left and right heads of the Department of Monks quickly bowed: “Yes!”

As each matter was decreed, the large machinery of the court began to operate.

“As for the Yulong Temple and its monks.”

Compared to his earlier casual tone, the old emperor spoke very seriously this time.

“Expel the monks, dismantle the temple, and treat all monks as commoners. Punish them for tax evasion with fifty strikes, with half of the income going to the state.”

The Minister of Revenue immediately exclaimed: “Your Majesty is wise!”

The Minister of Revenue made his stance clear: “This is precisely the correct judgment!”

No matter the issue of immorality, he knew that even if the money couldn’t all be recovered, punishing them for tax evasion meant half of the money would go to the state treasury!

Moreover, the Yulong Temple was also operating without authorization…

—That is, unlicensed business.

The Minister of Revenue’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

Unauthorized business! The fines would be doubled!

The old emperor continued: “For those with serious offenses, if they have not become official courtesans, they should be registered with the Bureau of Court Musicians.”

The old inspector thought about his daughter and didn’t lose heart, only asking: “What constitutes a serious offense?”

“Significant tax evasion.”

—In other words, those with the most severe penalties.

The old inspector’s eyes lit up, and with a voice even more passionate than the Minister of Revenue’s, he exclaimed: “Your Majesty is wise!!!”

Many officials in the court also brightened.

Official courtesans are from the official class, not officials. As long as the application to the authorities is approved, one can use official courtesans.

Restaurants can hire official courtesans to persuade and sell drinks, literary events can hire official courtesans for song and dance, and private residences can hire official courtesans to attend banquets and entertainment. Their families can also…

The old emperor continued: “For the remaining commoners, they only need to pay the back taxes and receive the punishment of flogging.”

As for the noble ladies, he didn’t mention them at all.

There was nothing more.

The court officials responded in unison: “Your Majesty is wise!”

Next came the segment for reporting matters, and the court session concluded. After handling some more state affairs, the old emperor eagerly summoned Princess Qinghe and Ji Sui to the Wuying Hall, almost in a state of fury: “What is going on with you two! Qinghe! Especially you!”

The old emperor was furious: “What’s with that so-called prime minister? How can you, a young lady, be involved in such things!”

A thought crossed the old emperor’s mind, and his face turned pale: “Do you really have any improper thoughts about Dou Qing?”

This exclamation was earth-shattering. Princess Qinghe, who was nervously fiddling with her fingers, suddenly looked up, almost straining her neck: “Father! Prime Minister Dou is seventy-seven!”

The old emperor, lost in his thoughts, became more convinced of his suspicion.

—Otherwise, why would you be involved in role-playing!

The old antique didn’t understand that real life shouldn’t be confused with fantasy, and kept repeating sorrowfully: “Yes! Daughter, he is seventy-seven!”

Princess Qinghe: “…”

Princess Qinghe felt she was about to suffocate and quickly said: “Father, you’re overthinking. At this point, I might as well tell you.”

The old emperor: “Speak.”

“I did indeed enter into a contract with Ji Sui before marriage because I didn’t want to get married, but you wouldn’t agree to me not marrying, and Ji Sui didn’t care about whether I was wild or not, so I married him.”

“Oh, everyone just does their own thing.” The old emperor nodded and then suddenly realized, frowning: “What about my missing granddaughter?”

— The emperor usually doesn’t refer to himself as “I” or “me” but uses “朕” (zhèn) when speaking seriously or treating matters as important.

He looked at Ji Sui, narrowing his eyes: “It wouldn’t be that the child is from your previous wife, would it?”

Before Ji Sui could speak, Princess Qinghe suddenly, as if particularly enraged, said: “Father! What are you saying! That child was born after I carried her for ten months! You went to war and didn’t know if the child was mine; do I not know if I was pregnant?”

Princess Qinghe, moved to tears, continued: “She was lost from the swaddling, Ji Lang searched for her for more than thirty years, and I also frequently inquired about the child’s whereabouts. Father, you saw it with your own eyes. Is there still any doubt?”

The old emperor remained cautious: “Someone said that after your marriage, you and Ji Sui never shared a bed.”

Princess Qinghe: “…Actually, Ji Sui and I initially had a casual relationship. When we found out I was pregnant, Ji Sui came to propose marriage to you.”

Ji Sui fell into an awkward silence.

The old emperor was very shocked: “Ji Sui? Casual relationship? He didn’t mind the dirt on the ground?”

“……” Princess Qinghe hooked her arm around Ji Sui’s and shyly leaned against him: “Love can overcome such things.”

The old emperor: “……”

Ji Sui: “……”

Ji Sui: “…Indeed, Your Majesty.”

The old emperor: “Then why didn’t you…”

Princess Qinghe didn’t expect the old emperor to catch on so quickly, and was momentarily speechless.

Instead, Ji Sui… He closed his eyes, his tone firm: “After losing my daughter, it’s difficult for me to be with a woman.”

The old emperor sighed with relief: “Oh, as long as it’s not a granddaughter, it turns out that it’s just you who cannot.”

Recalling Princess Qinghe’s earlier emotional outburst, the old emperor felt a sense of guilt and thus rewarded her with treasures and promised several things to make her happy.

Having received the answer he wanted, the old emperor picked up his pen: “Alright, your contract marriage is fine.”

…In any case, it’s not his daughter who suffers.

“You may leave.”

“Yes! Father/Your Majesty, daughter/minister takes her leave.”

The old emperor, engrossed in revising documents, completely missed the look of relief on his daughter’s face.

Once outside the palace gates, Princess Qinghe glanced at Ji Sui: “Be careful.”

Ji Sui remained silent for a few moments, cupped his hands: “Thank you, Princess.”

Princess Qinghe raised an eyebrow: “Thank you for what? It’s a mutual arrangement.”

She then turned and entered her carriage, without waiting for Ji Sui, and the carriage was about to set off.

Ji Sui suddenly stepped forward, lifting the curtain: “I plan to request to leave the capital in the near future to serve as a regional governor.”

He said: “After I rescue Qi’er, in a few days, I will personally invite Xu Yanmiao to a banquet and inquire about my daughter. Princess, could you avoid him beforehand?”

Princess Qinghe looked at him with curiosity and nodded.

The carriage slowly departed.

Ji Sui returned to the palace.

The old emperor was surprised: “Why are you back again?”

Ji Sui: “Your Majesty, do you remember the ‘Precepts for Women’?”

The old emperor rubbed the pen and suddenly exclaimed: “I knew I forgot something. The author of the ‘Precepts for Women’ is still in the Royal Gurads’s prison!”

“That doesn’t matter. Your Majesty, I wanted to say…”

Xu Yanmiao was greatly shocked: “The Crown Prince is going to be released!”

The Princess of Xiangyang, who came to brag, nodded vigorously and said smugly: “How about that! You always seemed a step ahead of me before, but you didn’t know about this!”

Xu Yanmiao indeed didn’t know.

— The gossip system is vast, and he couldn’t catch every piece of news in time.

He was curious: “How did this happen?”

The Princess of Xiangyang chewed on her thumb nail as she organized her words: “My second sister’s husband… heard that Lord Ji and His Majesty discussed this matter. They said it was not the Crown Prince’s fault but should be blamed on Concubine Qin’s failure to uphold her virtue. They also referenced some views from the ‘Precepts for Women,’ so His Majesty decided to release the Crown Prince on New Year’s Eve.”

“Ah…” Xu Yanmiao blinked: “But…”

He had just come across a piece of gossip last night and was trying to figure out how to secretly reveal it to Ji Sui without exposing his source.

The Princess of Xiangyang was confused: “But?”

— Previously, the old emperor had only verbally promised her some official positions and said she would not receive them until after the New Year, so she couldn’t hear Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts yet.

Xu Yanmiao scratched his head, somewhat distressed.

But… that Concubine Qin is Ji Sui’s granddaughter.