The Ming Dynasty: The Iron-Blooded Martial Emperor, Who Slaughtered the World

Chapter 90: Collect taxes from my Shaolin Temple? Dream on!

"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."

Inside the Cining Palace, Zhou Jing bowed to Zhu Houzhao, who casually waved his hand in return.

"No need for such formalities."

Zhu Houzhao threw the Ministry of Revenue's memorial in front of Zhou Jing: "Zhou Jing, explain to me why the Ministry of Revenue hasn't collected taxes from so many fields?"

Zhou Jing picked up the memorial in front of him, read it, and carefully explained, "Your Majesty, these are all temple lands."

"I know it's temple land, but so what? Does that mean temple land isn't taxed?"

"Uh..." Zhou Jing said cautiously, "Your Majesty, according to ancestral rules, temple lands are tax-exempt."

"Ancestor rule?"

Zhu Houzhao suddenly raised his voice: "Did you ignore everything I said before?!"

"I have said that I am the only one in the world with the right not to pay taxes. Even the princes of the Ming Dynasty have to pay taxes to me obediently. What right do these bald monks have to not pay taxes?!"

Seeing that Zhu Houzhao was already angry, Zhou Jing quickly knelt down on the ground: "Your Majesty, please calm down. Your humble servant knows his crime."

"Your Majesty, I will immediately send people to collect the taxes from these temple fields again."

"Go, and remember this: from now on, whoever is in the Ming Dynasty must pay taxes to me."

"Those who resist taxes will be killed without exception!"

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will remember this and never repeat it!"

After receiving the order, Zhou Jing left Cining Palace and quickly arranged for people to collect taxes from temples in various places.

Originally, the matter of paying taxes should have been handled by these monks at the local Ming Dynasty money exchange.

However, the monks and nuns in these temples have never paid taxes and have no awareness of the need to pay taxes, so this time the imperial court had to send people to collect taxes from them.

But after that, these monks and nuns had to go to the Ming Dynasty bank to pay their taxes themselves.

……

Officials in charge of tax collection from the Ministry of Revenue immediately set off for temples throughout the Ming Dynasty after receiving orders to collect taxes from the temple lands of various temples.

After arriving at the temple, they contacted and met up with the local garrison eunuch and the tax collector, and then went to the temple together to collect taxes.

At this moment, this tax collection team is heading towards Mount Song in Dengfeng Prefecture, Yuzhou.

Mount Song is high and precipitous, magnificent and majestic, but what is even more famous than Mount Song is a Buddhist temple on it.

Shaolin Temple!

An official from the Ministry of Revenue knocked on the gate of Shaolin Temple, and soon a young novice monk opened the gate.

"Esteemed benefactor, our temple is currently closed. Please contact us tomorrow..."

Before the young novice could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly lit up when he saw the official robes worn by the group of people.

"Please come in, benefactor. This humble monk will go and invite the abbot here immediately."

After the young novice monk led everyone into the Buddhist hall with a smile, he went to invite the abbot of Shaolin Temple.

The reason why the young novice monk's attitude changed so much was not because Shaolin Temple was afraid of the government or wanted to curry favor with it.

On the contrary, because of Shaolin Temple's extraordinary status, it was generally local officials who came to curry favor with Shaolin Temple.

Every newly appointed prefect of Dengfeng Prefecture would first visit Shaolin Temple and then donate a very considerable amount of incense money.

Clearly, the young novice monk mistook these tax-collecting officials for local officials who had come to donate incense oil.

Shaolin Temple will still show due respect to these big spenders.

These officials who came to collect taxes began to observe the environment inside the Shaolin Temple from the moment they entered.

Inside the temple, there were carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent buildings and jade palaces. The Buddha statues inside were adorned with jewels and had solemn and dignified appearances. It was truly a beautiful world of crystal!

The Shaolin Temple was far more luxurious than Zhu Houzhao's Forbidden City.

The Shaolin Temple's decoration alone is enough to demonstrate its wealth.

Before long, Abbot Fangzheng of Shaolin Temple appeared before everyone.

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk is the abbot of Shaolin Temple, my Dharma name is Fangzheng."

"Esteemed benefactors, have you come to pay homage to the Buddha?"

Master Fangzheng wore a detached smile: "Monks are compassionate and do not talk about money, but only about affinity."

"Esteemed benefactors, how much karmic connection do you wish to cultivate?"

The official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue sized up Master Fangzheng: "Can you make decisions regarding the Shaolin Temple?"

Master Fang Zheng's smile vanished, and his gaze became cautious.

"All matters, large and small, in the temple are now decided by this humble monk."

"Since you can make the decision, that makes things easier."

The official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue took out a document from his pocket, and after reading the data recorded on it, he said, "His Majesty has decreed that from now on, all temple lands throughout the land shall also be taxed."

"Your Shaolin Temple currently owns 1.76 million mu of temple land, and you need to pay taxes totaling 590,000 shi of grain."

Upon hearing the words of the official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, Master Fangzheng's smile froze instantly, then his face darkened and his gaze became extremely sharp.

"Are you here to collect taxes?"

"That's right, and we're going to collect all these taxes today."

The official in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, with a stern face and in a businesslike tone, said, "Master Fangzheng, your Shaolin Temple's taxes, please pay them now!"

Master Fangzheng laughed in anger, his face half smiling and half furious: "How dare your imperial court collect taxes from my Shaolin Temple?"

"Since the Western Han Dynasty, our Buddhist temple lands have never been taxed."

"When the founding emperor of the dynasty was still a prince, he had even become a monk at Huangjue Temple. After the founding of the dynasty, he treated Buddhist temples with great respect and never levied taxes on them."

"The current emperor can just casually order taxes from my Shaolin Temple?"

"dream!"

"Please leave, benefactor. I will not keep you company any longer."

Master Fangzheng turned around, intending to leave.

"Don't leave!"

The tax supervisor eunuch and the garrison eunuch were both agents from the Eastern and Western Depots.

Master Fangzheng's refusal to pay taxes offended them.

After all, Zhu Houzhao's previous order was that anyone who resisted paying taxes would be executed without mercy.

Both the garrison eunuch and the tax supervisor eunuch were skilled in martial arts. In a flash, their bodies shot towards Master Fangzheng like arrows released from a bow!

Master Fangzheng felt a strong gust of wind behind him, stopped in his tracks, and gave a disdainful snort: "Overestimating yourself!"

Master Fangzheng's hands surged with energy. He turned around and unleashed dozens of palm strikes with lightning speed, each one aimed directly at the vital points of the garrison eunuch and the tax supervisor eunuch!

Thousand-Handed Tathagata Palm!

The garrison eunuch and the tax supervisor eunuch were no match for Master Fangzheng. They were beaten until they vomited blood and had to retreat repeatedly.

Abbot Fangzheng stared coldly at the two: "Fight me? Do you really think Shaolin is easy to bully?"

The garrison eunuch and the tax supervisor suffered heavy losses in their first encounter.

But they felt no fear whatsoever. They stood up, wiped the blood from their mouths, and stepped forward again: "Attack together!"

"yes!"

Dozens of agents from the East and West Depots obeyed the order and, following the garrison eunuch and the tax supervisor eunuch, charged toward Master Fangzheng!

Master Fangzheng sneered repeatedly: "You're courting death!"

A subtle energy flowed through his body.

Yi Jin Jing!