Jinshan Temple, located near Hangzhou, is the stronghold of Fahai. It is said to have been established over a hundred years ago, and is currently under the leadership of the fifth generation of disciples.
Because of its supposedly efficacious efficacy, it has become famous far and wide, and many high-ranking officials and nobles have made wishes here. As a result, the incense here has always been very popular.
Today was no exception, and it seemed to be going quite well. It was still morning, but there were already hundreds of pilgrims arriving; it was truly a bustling place.
Looking at the scene before him, Fahai was quite satisfied. After all, he had personally come to the south and built this Jinshan Temple himself, slowly and painstakingly. Every brick and tile inside was donated by him personally.
Over the years, I have insisted on not engaging in any activities such as having a senior monk father a junior monk, oppressing tenants, or lending money at exorbitant interest rates. As a result, my reputation has gradually spread.
Of course, not doing bad things doesn't mean Jinshan Temple is poor! On the contrary, Jinshan Temple is very rich. The wealth it gained while Fahai was subduing demons was enough to sustain the entire temple for hundreds of years!
Therefore, Jinshan Temple was quite prosperous. Many of the Buddha statues were made of pure copper, gilded, and blessed by eminent monks. As a result, it was a place of great religious activity.
However, at that moment, a commotion arose nearby. His ears twitched, and his hands, hidden in his sleeves, immediately began to calculate.
After a while, Fahai spoke to the abbot beside him, who was also the great-great ...
"Kongyu, go and see what's going on. It seems someone is deliberately coming to cause trouble. Go and handle it. Remember, don't diminish the prestige of Jinshan Temple. If things get really bad, I'll take action myself."
"Yes, Grandmaster."
"What are you doing? Get out of the way!"
"Trying to resist the yamen runners?"
"As expected, this is a den of iniquity. A group of monks, all with greasy hair and powdered faces, I think they are either frivolous monks or frivolous monks!"
"Haha, how many good monks have there been throughout history?"
Hearing the shouts and curses outside, the monk Kongyu subconsciously frowned. Looking over, he saw dozens of constables, wielding broadswords, standing at the entrance, all hurling insults!
"What is this? What are you doing?" With that, the monk Kongyu walked directly to the middle of the yamen runners, faced them directly, and asked them.
Upon seeing this, the leader appeared.
"I am Zhang Bantou. This morning, someone reported that the temple was a den of iniquity, and that a wicked monk was forcibly humiliating a married woman while worshippers were offering incense. He also imprisoned her in a quiet room and committed those despicable acts!"
"Therefore, I have come to investigate on the orders of the county magistrate. What, are you afraid to let us inspect? Could it be that Jinshan Temple really did this?" As he spoke, Zhang Bantou deliberately spoke loudly, so that many pilgrims could hear him clearly.
Even those who hadn't noticed this place before gathered around curiously, their brows furrowing upon hearing the details.
Taking advantage of worshippers offering incense to insult another man's wife sounds like something a monk (or Taoist priest) would do.
Because religious people have always had a penchant for this kind of thing! Whether it's Eastern monks and Taoist priests or Western gay cults, it's perfectly normal for them to do such things!
Therefore, upon hearing Zhang Bantou's words, even the most devout lay Buddhists couldn't help but waver. Could it really be so?
Upon hearing this and seeing the reactions of the many worshippers, Abbot Kongyu was immediately in a dilemma!
Why can't this be investigated?
Because it's obvious that this squad leader is specifically targeting Jinshan Temple! If he goes in to investigate, even without evidence, he can still find evidence.
At the very least, should we let him investigate some secret places within the temple? If he does, we should immediately ask, "What is this secret room for? Is it a place where filth is hidden and evil is oppressed?"
At that point, no matter how you explain it, you won't be able to explain it clearly. Because this is exactly what ordinary people like best!
People love spreading rumors, especially rumors about those in power or those of high status!
Therefore, even if nothing is found, once it is, the temple's reputation will be ruined. At that point, over a century of effort will be wasted!
To give a simple example, in ancient times, if someone kidnapped a woman and kept her overnight, very few people would go back to ransom her!
Even if the women manage to escape back home, if they don't return home overnight, their reputation will be ruined, regardless of what happened. Their lives will be over!
Similarly, even if nothing is found, all the authorities need to say is, "Since you have no problem, why should the government investigate you?"
Therefore, after thinking for a while, the monk Kongyu spoke up.
"Amitabha, please produce the magistrate's order first. This is a Buddhist temple, and we can only conduct an investigation if we have an order personally signed by the magistrate."
"Here it is."
Upon seeing this, Monk Kongyu's eyes instantly darkened. They were truly well-prepared! The more thorough the preparation at this point, the longer the enemy had been planning this!
The inspection was quickly completed, and the monk beside him nodded. Seeing this, Kongyu said, "The temple is full of important people. If you offend one, the consequences will be severe."
"Moreover, I have some connections with the county magistrate and the prefect. Perhaps today's events are just a misunderstanding."
"Besides, it's not easy for you to come all this way, so please, Chief Zhang, go in and rest for a while and have some tea."
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Chapter Sixteen: Xu Xian, Who Would Do Anything
Offending a Noble Person
I know the county magistrate and the prefect.
If you're willing to put things aside for a while, I'll invite you for tea.
It can be said that this means they've revealed their trump card, provided a reason, and are even willing to offer benefits. Under normal circumstances, Zhang Bantou would just laugh it off and let it go.
The problem is, the situation is not ordinary now. This matter was personally assigned by the county magistrate, and more importantly, behind this matter is Xu Xian, the great official.
Offending the county magistrate might mean you get away with nothing, or you might lose your job. But offending Master Xu would mean you'd be drowned in a pond and forced to plant lotus flowers.
Moreover, remembering the thousand taels of silver at home, Zhang Bantou had no choice but to grit his teeth and persevere.