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Text Chapter 469: Destroying religion and rejuvenating the country

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    At dawn, He Yong came outside Yanfu Hall.

    The two little eunuchs on night duty saw He Yong and hurriedly whispered their regards.

    He Yong nodded and said, "Did the prince summon you last night?"

    "No."

    "Is there any movement?"

    "No, it's very quiet."

    He Yong didn¡¯t hear any sound all night, and he didn¡¯t know how to advance or retreat.

    When the prince lives alone, he will get up early to practice martial arts, and he will also go in early to serve him.  It's just that the prince was in a bad mood yesterday and might have gone to bed late. He might need to catch up on some sleep today.

    He Yong hesitated for a while, but decided to wait outside the palace so as not to disturb the prince's rest.

    Sure enough, after waiting for a while, the sun had risen, but there was still no movement in the palace.

    When the sun rose three poles, the sound of footsteps could be heard in the palace.

    He Yong hurriedly ordered the eunuch to prepare for the prince to wash up and prepare breakfast.

    Chao Yong came out of the main hall and saw that the sun had climbed into the sky, and asked: "What time is it now?"

    He Yong saw the bloodshot eyes in Chao Yong's eyes and knew that the prince had not slept well last night, so he hurriedly said: "I just reported the hour."

    There is a time-telling device with a leaky copper pot in the palace. Because of its large size, it is not placed in the Yanfu Hall, but there is a dedicated person in the palace to tell the time.

    While talking, the little eunuch had already brought water.

    After Chao Yong washed up, breakfast was delivered to him.

    After eating some randomly, Chao Yong came to the palace with his soldiers.

    Chao Gai had already dismissed the morning court and was dealing with political affairs in the Chongzheng Hall. When he saw Chao Yong arriving, he asked curiously: "You don't go to the Three Treasures Hall for anything, what's the matter?"

    Chao Yong did not beat around the bush and said directly: "Didn't my father say that the imperial treasury was tight? I have found a way to make money, which can cover the imperial court's expenses for several years."

    When Chao Gai heard this, he immediately became interested and asked anxiously: "What is the way to make money?"

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "Destroy worldly religions. These religions fooled the people and accumulated a lot of money. The people worked hard to save some money, but they were deceived into squandering it. Destroying them can not only enrich the national treasury, but also prevent the people from being deceived. Isn't that right?  Kill two birds with one stone.¡±

    Chao Gai did not expect that Chao Yong would actually target religion. He was stunned and said: "All religions?"

    Chao Yong nodded and said: "Well, they are all just liars. Manichaeism, a restless religion, has repeatedly incited the people to rebel. It is not good for the imperial government, so it will be easier to destroy them."

    Chao Gai was not stupid either. After thinking about it for a moment, he said, "Did something happen to Fang Baihua?"

    Chao Yong nodded and said: "Baihua was killed by Lu Shinang. When I returned to the palace last night, Shi Bao and Fang Jie reported to me."

    "What a pity, she is a good woman."

    Chao Gai sighed and said: "I have no objection to destroying Manichaeism to avenge Fang Baihua. But other religions, especially Buddhism and Taoism, have so many followers, I'm afraid there will be trouble. And there are so many gods and bodhisattvas.  If you cut off their incense, I'm afraid they will punish you."

    Chao Yong shook his head and said: "There are not so many gods in the sky, and the things they worship basically don't exist, even if some are true. The gods don't need to enjoy the incense of the human world. If the gods can't live without the human world, then they can't either  It¡¯s called a fairy.¡±

    Chao Gai used to have some respect for Buddhism and Taoism. At this time, Buddhism and Taoism were the main religions in the world, if Confucianism can also be considered a religion.  Confucianism is even more powerful than Buddhism.  If he didn't believe in ghosts and gods, he wouldn't rob the ghost-suppressing stone tower.  There is no longer the nickname of the King of Pagoda.  However, when Chao Yong said that the things he was in awe of were all fake, he couldn't help but feel angry in his heart.  Anyone who knows that the deity they have believed in for many years will be furious when they are just a pile of dirt.

    But after becoming emperor, Chao Gai became much calmer.  He did not make a fuss, but thought about it for a while before saying: "Three martial arts and one sect have destroyed Buddhism, but they have not destroyed Buddhism either. We may not be able to destroy all religions if we want to."

    The Three Wus refer to Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, and Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. The first sect is Shizong of the Later Zhou Dynasty. When these four emperors were in power, they were all destroyed due to various reasons such as Buddhism amassing a lot of money and Buddhists not observing the precepts.  Buddha is also the four events that have had the greatest impact on Buddhism.

    Chao Yong said: "Even if they fail to destroy Buddhism, they have all benefited greatly from Buddhism. And as long as they persist for a long time, even if they cannot completely destroy them, they will be greatly weakened. My father is still in his prime, and he is still alive."  You can reign for decades. If your son does not succeed in the future, you can also keep an eye on the next emperor. Two generations of emperors banned the spread of religion, and most of the teachings were lost. We can also set rules for future generations to strictly prohibit the spread of religion.  After several generations of emperors, even if someone wanted to preach, no one would believe it.I don¡¯t know how many generations of wealth the religions have accumulated. If they were destroyed, they would definitely be able to support the imperial court for several years.  "

    When Chao Gai heard what Chao Yong said, he was also very moved. He nodded and said: "Everyone knows the wealth of the Buddhist and Taoist families, otherwise the Song Dynasty would not have sold the ultimatum to them. With three hundred guans and one ultimatum, the rural landowners  Reluctant to buy it.¡±

    In addition to being a legal certificate for becoming a monk, the ultimatum also has many benefits. It exempts you from paying labor charges, and you don¡¯t have to clear the way for entry and exit.  Therefore, many businessmen buy ultimatums to facilitate their business, and some wealthy people buy them to avoid taxes.

    Chao Yong said coldly: "The ultimatum is proof that the imperial court and those swindlers defrauded the people of their money. If the emperor believed in those gods and Buddhas, they would not dare to sell the ultimatum. Ordinary people can't save a few dollars a year, and those monks  Dao can easily spend three hundred yuan to buy a piece of paper. I don¡¯t know how much money they defrauded the people¡¯s hard-earned money to be so luxurious. Their deception of the people is no less than that of corrupt officials. Since our Chao family has won the world,  We cannot let them continue to defraud people.¡±

    Chao Gai hated people who defrauded the people the most. He was so excited by what Chao Yong said that he immediately said to the eunuch waiting beside him: "Go and invite the two prime ministers and the governors to come."

    After finishing speaking, he added: "There is also the Minister of Household Affairs."

    "Follow the order."

    Chao Yong watched the eunuch go out and asked, "When will my father plan to depose the prime minister?"

    Chao Gai said with a smile: "Let's celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and let them celebrate the festival too, and then issue an order."

    Chao Yong had no intention of asking about the candidates for the Ministry of Punishment and the Ministry of Industry, but he was more interested in the situation in Jiangnan.  As soon as Chao Yong returned to Beijing, Shi Qian reported to Chao Yong.  However, the spy force in charge of Shi Qian now mainly penetrates into Jingdong, Tokyo, Hebei, and Gyeonggi areas. Intelligence in the Jiangnan area is collected by Zhu Gui and other hotel sects who are responsible for information from all directions. This force is directly commanded by Chao Gai.

    "How is the situation in Jiangnan now?"

    Chao Gai said: "After Zhao Zisong went south, he helped Zhao Zicheng, who was supported by Tong Guan, seize power. Later, most of Tong Guan's army dispersed, and the Zhao family took the opportunity to seize a lot of power. Now there are two powerful ministers in the Southern Song Dynasty, one is Tong Guan, and the other is Tong Guan.  One is Zhao Zisong. Lu Shinang also controls more than ten state capitals, and his power is greater than that of Fang La before, and his strength is greater than that of the Southern Song Dynasty. "

    Chao Yong asked curiously: "How did Lu Shinang become the boss?"

    "It seems that he also relied on the weather. This year, droughts and locust plagues occurred all over the country, and several states in the south of the Yangtze River have been in drought for two consecutive years. After Tong Guan supported Zhao Zicheng in establishing the Southern Song Dynasty, all the money and grain he collected was used to recruit troops. There was no timely relief.  The victims of the disaster caused the people in several states to lose their food rations. The local Manichaeans took the opportunity to incite the people and rob the big households. Lu Shinang had already led his troops south to attack Fujian Road, but after the people in Chuzhou and other places in Jiangnan rebelled, he led his troops north again.  , Lu Shinang now claims to have 500,000 troops, occupying six Jiangnan Road cities in Wenzhou, Chuzhou, Taizhou, Wuzhou, Muzhou, and Quzhou, as well as Fuzhou, Jianzhou, Nanjianzhou and other cities on Fujian Road.  "The state capital."

    Chao Yong said bitterly: "This guy is really lucky, but even if he has millions of troops, they are just a mob. After Hedong is pacified, I will lead my troops south to pacify Jiangnan."

    Chao Gai heard this and said hurriedly: "Don't be careless. After Hedong is pacified, some troops and horses must be stationed in Hedong to guard against the Liao Kingdom's Xijing Road. Even with the well-trained new army, the number of troops that can be mobilized will not exceed one hundred thousand.  , I am afraid it is still difficult to pacify Jiangnan. Tong Guan led the Western Army to encircle Fang La, but it took a hundred thousand casualties for the Western Army to succeed. "

    Chao Yong shook his head and said: "Lu Shinang seems to be more powerful than Fang La at the beginning, but the combat effectiveness of his soldiers and horses is definitely not as good as Fang La's soldiers and horses at the beginning. The ones who have combat effectiveness are the Manichaean elites. The remaining ordinary people who are coerced are not  After a long period of training, they are just a bunch of people. We can't give Lu Shinang time to train his troops. Once the remaining Tianhu forces in Hedong are wiped out, we can move our troops south. At that time, the weather in Jiangnan will also start to get colder.  The soldiers and horses of the court do not have to worry about the high temperature in the south of the Yangtze River, they can definitely wipe out the Southern Song Dynasty and Lu Shinang in one go. "

    Chao Gai thought for a while and then said: "What you said is reasonable, but we still cannot underestimate the enemy. If we go south, we must mobilize elite troops and strong generals."

    Chao Yong nodded and said: "Yes, the remaining Tianhu forces in Hedong have been basically wiped out. I plan to leave Guan Sheng and Han Cumbao to guard Hedong, and mobilize Shi Wengong, Hua Rong, and Qin Ming's squadron, plus Hu Yanzhuo and Luan Tingyu, and then mobilize five more troops."  Ten thousand new troops led 100,000 soldiers and horses southward to wipe out the Southern Song Dynasty and the Lu division."

    Chao Gai said: "Didn't Lu Junyi's troops already leave Xixia? Why don't we bring those 10,000 Liangshan veterans with us? They have strong combat effectiveness."

    Chao Yong shook his head and said: "Lu Junyi's troops have traveled thousands of miles to fight, so it is not appropriate to go to the south of the Yangtze River again. After his troops return, they can guard Tokyo together with Wu Song's troops."

    Chao Gai thought for a while and said, "Didn't Lin Chong also learn from Shaanxi?"?  Those 10,000 veterans didn't get much credit. They must be holding back their energy. You can take them south. The credit of the Liangshan veterans who saved me is not as good as those who surrendered later.  "

    After Chao Yong captured Tokyo, he sent three groups of troops to capture Jingdong Road, Hebei Road, and Gyeonggi Road. Because Lin Chong was familiar with the situation in Tokyo and was a close friend of Chao Yong, he led his troops to stay in Tokyo.  Later, Tian Hu and Wang Qing threatened to attack Daliang, so Chao Yong transferred Lin Chong's troops to garrison Xijing. As a result, Daliang gathered troops and called for an all-out fight against foreign aggression, but Tian Hu and Wang Qing did not dare to attack Xijing.  Then Chao Yong led his troops to fight against Xixia, and Lin Chong led his troops to garrison Jingzhao Mansion to guard the grain road, but he never had the opportunity to participate in the war.  Later, three groups of troops surrounded Renzhong's army. Lin Chong finally got a chance to fight. He held back his strength and led his troops north to prepare for a killing. In the end, Renzhong left another 100,000 troops and ran away.

    When Lin Chong rushed to Huanzhou, Xue Sichang had already surrendered most of Renzhong's troops in Huanzhou, and almost all the remaining bandits were killed by Li Ying and his troops.

    It can be said that after capturing Tokyo, the 10,000 soldiers and horses under Lin Chong did not get a chance to fight. Although they also got a lot of credit for guarding the grain road, the 10,000 Liangshan veterans under Lin Chong were not satisfied. After all, they were the most qualified in Liangshan.  The old soldiers and horses are also the most powerful in combat. There are 20,000 veterans in Liangshan, Lu Junyi brings 10,000, and Lin Chong brings 10,000.

    Especially after the news that Lu Junyi led 5,000 men to capture Weizhou and Yanzhou, surrendered Renzhong and Renli troops, and captured the Yinxia area reached Lin Chong's army, Lin Chong's officers became even more energetic.  .

    After wiping out all the bandits and rebels on Shaanxi Road in Shaanxi.  There was no rest, and he directly led the troops. If he wanted to participate in the next battle, he could rush back to Tokyo before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

    Lin Chong also wrote many letters to Chao Yong asking for war. Chao Yong naturally would not forget Lin Chong and said with a smile: "I want Lin Chong to lead his troops to destroy Wang Qing. I defeated the Liao soldiers in Daliang, destroyed Xixia, and destroyed Tian Hu."  . Wang Qing¡¯s power must be frightening. Lin Chong¡¯s subordinates are veterans of Liangshan, and they have strong combat capabilities. They defeated Wang Qing that year.¡±

    Chao Gai said: "Wang Qing has hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses under his command. Lin Chong's 10,000 soldiers and horses are not enough."

    Chao Yong smiled and said: "At that time, tens of thousands of Shaanxi soldiers will be mobilized to help him. The Shaanxi soldiers are brave. Although they do not know the battle formations, they are not afraid of death. Most of Wang Qing's subordinates are a mob, and they do not know the battle formations, so they use the Fan soldiers."  It¡¯s just right to fight against Wang Qing¡¯s men.¡±

    Chao Gai nodded and said: "After you wiped out Xixia, Wang Qing submitted a surrender. He wanted to surrender to me, Daliang, but he wanted me to make him king. He also wanted the city he captured now to be his fief. I  No permission was given. Wang Qing was timid before the battle, so there was nothing to worry about. With the help of other troops, Wang Qing could be defeated. Many prefectures on Chengdu Fu Road and Lizhou Road also sent in surrender. As long as Wang Qing was destroyed, all the troops north of the Yangtze River would be defeated.  The whole area will now belong to me, Daliang."

    While talking, Wu Yong, Zhao Mingcheng, and Zhang Shuye had already arrived from the political hall.

    Jiang Jing, the Minister of Hubu, also rushed over.  He was also stunned when he saw that there were only three prime ministers in the palace.

    Seeing that Chao Gai had summoned Jiang Jing with them, the three prime ministers also secretly wondered about Chao Gai's intentions.  Although Jiang Jing was in charge of Daliang's money bag.  But in terms of status, there is still some gap between them and them, and they are not among the leaders.

    Chao Gai, however, didn't care what the four people thought. When the four people arrived, he told Chao Yong's proposal to destroy all religions.

    Wu Yong and the other four were also shocked by Chao Yong's generosity. After Chao Gai finished speaking, needles could be heard in the hall, and no one answered immediately.

    "However, the four of them are all scholars. If we count them according to the three previous religions, they are all Confucians. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism were also great enemies back then.  None of the four believed in Buddhism, so they had no objection to Chao Yong's extermination of all religions.

    The divine fortune teller Jiang Jing, as the prince's confidant, first said: "The world's religions have accumulated an unknown amount of wealth. In the Tang Dynasty, there was ten thousand world wealth, and Buddha had seven or eight theories about it. Although Buddhism was suppressed many times later, Taoism took advantage of it.  The wealth of the Buddhist and Taoist families alone is probably as great as that of the country. If religion is destroyed, the court will no longer have to worry about money and food in a few years."

    Wu Yong also said: "There are many evil monks in the world. They often use tricks to deceive the people. It would be a good thing for the people to destroy them."

    Zhang Shuye said: "I don't believe in gods and Buddhas either. I just want to destroy all religions. There must be an explanation, right?"

    Chao Yong said: "I am from the stars. There are not so many gods in the sky. The gods they worship do not exist. The court cannot let them continue to extract money from the people. Is this reason enough?"

    Chao Yong is a god descended from heaven. This is the consensus of the top leaders of Daliang. Regardless of whether they believe it or not, they must admit this in order for Daliang to unify the world faster and easier.  But they didn't expect that Chao Yong would deny other religions because of his status as a god descending to earth.

      Zhang Shuye didn't believe in the fact that the god Chao Yong descended to earth. Chao Yong was not a god, so his claim that there were no gods in the sky was untenable.  However, Zhang Shuye didn't believe in the existence of those gods and Buddhas. Zi Buyu had strange powers and confused gods. Sage Kong also verified his point of view.  In his opinion, the Western Paradise and the eighteen levels of hell are all made up by Buddhism and Taoism to scare people.  Karma and retribution are even more unreliable.  Cai Jing has done so many evil things and harmed so many people, but he was already over seventy years old when Daliang killed him. If Daliang didn't destroy Tokyo, I don't know how old Cai Jing could live.

    For most people, sixty years old is already considered a long life, but a traitor like Cai Jing can live to be over seventy years old, and he is still strong and can continue to cause harm to the government.  Based on this alone, Zhang Shuye did not believe in ghosts and gods.

    Although Zhang Shuye did not believe in ghosts and gods, he was quite dissatisfied with Chao Yong's practice of frequently killing people to establish his authority. He said to Chao Yong: "Even if the prince knows that those gods and Buddhas are fake, how will the prince plan to destroy the religion?  . Although there are many people in the world who do not practice Buddhism, there are still many people who are devoted to the Tao. I am afraid they will not give up their beliefs easily. "

    Chao Yong said coldly: "Monks must all return to secular life. They can continue to believe in their gods and Buddhas in their hearts, but they are not allowed to preach to others, and the people are not allowed to give alms to them. Those who preach are beheaded, and those who give them money or things are punished with sticks or thorns.  , beheading.¡±

    Zhang Shuye agreed with the extermination of the religion, but when he heard Chao Yong's murderous words, he frowned and said, "The prince enforces the law so harshly, how can anyone in the world deserve it?"

    Chao Yong also said without giving up: "In order for future generations of people not to be fooled by religion, strict criminal laws are necessary. Just like my law of beheading anyone who is greedy for one cent, is it possible that if they are greedy for one cent, they really deserve to die? It's just that  Just kill the chicken to scare the monkeys.¡±

    Zhang Shuye has been in politics for many years and is not a pedantic person. He sighed and stopped talking.

    But Wu Yong suddenly said: "The Nine Heavens Xuannv who often entrusts the prince with dreams seems to be a deity enshrined by Taoism. Is Taoism going to be destroyed too?"

    Chao Yong glanced at Wu Yong and said: "Taoism is no longer the real Taoism. Empress Jiutian Xuannv entrusted her to me in a dream, so we can destroy it together."
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