vrcanaries Chapter 1304 - 1226: As Black-Hearted as the Little Ancestor
Chapter 1304 - 1226: As Black-Hearted as the Little Ancestor
Zhongqin Palace.
Qi Qian sat on the dragon throne. Below him were Lin Xiang, Elder Yu, and a crowd of important ministers; apart from them, there were two others: Master Taicheng of Jinhua Temple and Master Hui Quan of Yufu Temple.
In view of those monks and Daoists who suddenly "defected" halfway and spread delusions to confuse the masses, causing the common folk’s worship of the Water God to grow more and more rampant, they also felt somewhat at a loss. Remembering what Qin Liuxi had once said, they had no choice but to invite these two to attend the morning audience, to hear the voices of the hundred officials together.
Qi Qian and Lin Xiang had also wanted to invite Qin Liuxi, but she had vanished as if into thin air—word was that she was in seclusion. There was nothing to be done; they could only invite these two. After all, the scale of Jinhua Temple and Yufu Temple was first-rate, and Yufu Temple was even a thousand-year-old temple; the number of Saints who came to worship the Buddha every year was beyond counting.
And both Master Taicheng and Hui Quan were enlightened experts; the temples behind them were highly representative. Having them come to discuss the matter was also a good idea.
"The abbot and the Master must have heard from behind the curtain just now. The number of commoners worshipping the Water God grows by the day; it has already become a new sect. The New Dynasty has only just been founded; Da Feng needs rest and recuperation, not turmoil. It is not that I look upon the Buddhist and Taoist two sects with displeasure and wish to eliminate them out of selfishness. It is truly that the ranks of this sect’s Saints keep swelling. If we leave it unchecked, once someone with ulterior motives incites the commoners, a great catastrophe is inevitable."
Master Taicheng and Hui Quan exchanged a glance and said, "To speak plainly to the Saint, we have long since looked into it. The Water God did indeed exist a hundred years ago, but the Water God as it is now has already become an Evil God."
The crowd’s expressions all changed.
Lin Xiang immediately thought of what Qin Liuxi had said—that terrifying existence that wanted to tear the heavens down.
Qi Qian frowned and said, "An Evil God—can it be destroyed or not?"
Master Taicheng gave a bitter smile and said, "Only the immortal Buqiu of Qingping Temple can destroy it, but at present she is in seclusion and cannot be disturbed."
Lin Xiang said, "Then there is no way to deal with it?"
Master Hui Quan pressed his palms together and chanted Amitabha Buddha once, then said, "The reason this Water God sect can absorb Saints so rapidly is nothing more than that some among our Buddhist Path and Dao have intentionally preached and guided people toward it."
Lord Zuo said, "Indeed so. If it were not for people of the Buddhist Path and Dao preaching, they would not all throw themselves wholesale into worshipping this Water God."
"Exactly. You two sects of Buddhism and Dao bear an inescapable responsibility; it is only right that you forcefully clean house." Someone else added.
Master Hui Quan said, "This is precisely what this poor monk and the Master wished to say. As for any colleagues who have defected, we will definitely lead them back onto the Righteous Path."
The monks and Daoists who had helped spread the teachings and worship of the Water God were all bewitched by Si Luo; leading them back onto the Righteous Path was their duty.
"That’s right, we definitely won’t stand idly by." Master Taicheng also affirmed.
He wouldn’t say more. In one’s position, one plans for one’s office: these officials thought about how the growing ranks of Saints might rebel and cause turmoil, while they thought about how the more Saints and believers there were, the greater the wishing power would become, and the harder it would be to deal with in the end.
"’Lead them back onto the Righteous Path’—easy enough to say. What if they insist on going down that dead-end road to the very end?"
The tone of this challenge made Master Taicheng’s brows knit; he was somewhat displeased. He straightened his face, just about to speak, when there was a disturbance in the Void and a slightly frivolous, unrestrained voice sounded.
"Since you know it’s a dead end, then just send them on their way. What’s so hard about that?"
This abrupt voice scared everyone out of their wits.
Qi Qian was startled as well, but quickly recognized whose voice it was and calmed down. He lifted his hand slightly, stopping the Hidden Guard from acting rashly.
Seeing Qi Qian’s gesture, Feng Xiu curled his lips and revealed his figure.
"Ah, pro—protect His Majesty!" The minister who had been challenging them earlier almost fainted from fright, yet still didn’t forget to show his loyalty, stumbling as he rushed toward Qi Qian.
The other ministers also moved to stand in front of Qi Qian.
What Evil God could be more shocking and terrifying than this man—beautiful as a demonic seducer, soul hooking and spirit-seizing—appearing out of thin air?
Qi Qian said, "My lords, there is no need to panic. This is the Boss of Changsheng Hall and also a Cultivator."
Master Taicheng and Master Hui Quan saluted Feng Xiu.
Feng Xiu gave a slight nod as a greeting, then looked at the man from before and said, "What are you panicking for? I’m not going to eat you."
Everyone: "..."
He looked at Master Taicheng and said, "You shouldn’t have said it to them in such a roundabout way. As for those defectors—if they really are like he said, dead set on walking that dead-end road, then just fight them to the death. Otherwise, are you going to keep them around to help a tyrant do evil?"
Master Taicheng gave an awkward laugh.
Master Hui Quan sensibly kept his mouth shut. He had no idea where this fox had come from, but that aura of evil spirit and murderous qi around him hadn’t dissipated at all; best not to provoke him.
Feng Xiu then looked at Qi Qian and said, "Those monks and Daoists will naturally be handled by us Cultivators. As for those believers, they’ll have to be dealt with by your court. Mortals all have selfish hearts—so long as you get a hold of their lifeline, any God is just empty talk. Send out an order: the Water God is an Evil God, devouring fortune and eating souls; any who worship it will have bad luck. Worship is forbidden. Anyone who sees the edict must destroy the statue within three days. Those who refuse to listen—once discovered, thirty blows of the board or twenty of the whip, plus a fine of fifty taels of silver. If they can’t pay the fine, they’ll serve corvée after the punishment. Besides that, rewards and punishments must be clear: reporting is rewarded. If someone reports a household that worships the Water God, they get ten taels of reward silver. Tell me, with such an imperial decree issued, who would dare worship?"
The crowd mulled it over; this strategy could be used.
Human nature is selfish. When it touches on their own interests, they will definitely look to themselves first. Look at that punishment—how vicious. Getting beaten is one thing, but they even have to pay silver. With that silver, what can’t you do?
And that informant reward—this was practically poisonous. Ten taels of silver for just reporting someone who worships the Water God; if you spend it frugally, a whole family could live off it for a year.
"Many thanks for your guidance, Boss." Qi Qian bowed.
Feng Xiu waved his hand and said, "No need to thank me. This was that bastard Yu Changkong’s nasty idea. I just ran into him on the way and am passing the message along for him."
Qi Qian was somewhat surprised, and his heart warmed.
"What if someone, for the sake of the reward silver, falsely accuses others? Also, Jiangnan Yuhang is wealthy and prosperous; among those who worship this the most are the local gentry and rich households, with officials backing them. If they incite the commoners, won’t that cause chaos?" The official who had first raised doubts said.
Feng Xiu let out a light, derisive chuckle. "Are you stupid or what? You shouldn’t be afraid of them making a move; you should be afraid of them not making a move. Your national treasury is so poor even pauper ghosts won’t stay in it. If the officials and rich merchants of Jiangnan Yuhang incite the commoners to make trouble, isn’t that the perfect excuse to charge them with treason and confiscate their estates to solve the problem of the empty national treasury? Confiscate a few more, and the treasury will have silver. Qi Qian, you’re the emperor now—if you say someone is guilty, then he’s guilty. What are you being polite for?"
Qi Qian: "..."
Wasn’t this teaching me how to be a tyrant?
Minister Qian immediately jumped out. "Your Majesty, this minister seconds the motion!"
This course of action was far better than selling Saint seats in the harem to the imperial concubines.
The others all looked puzzled, but they also followed suit with cupped hands. "This minister seconds the motion."
Master Taicheng cast Feng Xiu a sideways glance and thought, I now truly believe that saying about how proximity to vermilion makes you red and to ink makes you black. His heart is just as black as that little ancestor’s!