Struggle in the early Tang Dynasty

"Why is that?"

"Because our Dade Temple...he is not a temple at all!"

Guo Ye couldn't believe his ears, and said, "No...it's not a temple? How do you say that?"

"Take two steps back and look at the plaque we hung!"

When Guo Ye returned to the gate of the temple, he saw two big characters written on the plaque of Dade Temple - "Dade"!

Monk Sekong explained: "To be precise, this place should be called Dade Temple, not Dade Temple!"

"Bah! Dade Temple, what's the difference between Dade Temple and Dade Temple?"

"That's a big difference. If you want to talk about Dade Temple, we monks have the final say. But Dade Temple, in fact, it's not up to me to decide."

"Who is in charge then?"

"The old man may be coming...Hey, he's coming!"

Guo Ye looked at the monk's finger, and saw a group of people dressed as servants, surrounded by an old man, walking towards him from a distance.The old man had silver hair all over his head, his face was lined with wrinkles, but his eyes were piercing.

This old man, Guo Ye, really knew him. In fact, not only Guo Ye knew him, but Li Xinglian also knew him.As soon as the two saw the old man, they rushed forward to meet him, bowed down and said: "Join the king's servant!"

Who is this old man?It is the chief of Menxia Province, and Wang Gui, the servant of Menxia Province!

Datang implemented the system of three provinces and six ministries.The three provinces are Zhongshu Province, Shangshu Province and Menxia Province.The chief of Shangshu Province is called Shangshu Ling.Because His Majesty Li Er served as Minister of the Book, this official position will be vacant in the future.The chief officials of Shangshu Province became Shangshu Zuopushe and Shangshu Youpushe.The chief of Zhongshu Province is called Zhongshu Ling, and the current Zhongshu Ling is Wei Zheng and Wei Xuancheng.The chief of Menxia Province is not called Menxia Order, but Menxia Shizhong, and Wang Gui is in charge.

It can be said that the four people, Wang Gui, Fang Xuanling, Li Jing and Wei Zheng, formed the current prime minister team of Datang.Wang Gui is considered to be one of the few people in the Tang court who is above Guo Ye.However, although the truth is so true, in fact, Wang Gui seldom goes to court and rarely participates in state affairs.

Why?This has to start with the authority of the province under the door.

The three provinces each perform their duties, and their powers are not small.But the thing that is most likely to attract the emperor's envy is the province under the door, because this institution has the power to refute the emperor's edict.In other words, Wang Gui has a veto power over His Majesty Li Er's imperial decree.He felt that this imperial decree was not suitable, and this imperial decree was considered invalid.

Although intellectually, I feel that there should be such an organization to restrict myself, but emotionally, even His Majesty Li Er, who is as wise as Li Er, doesn't like to see his servants very much.Therefore, when choosing servants under the door, choose those who are old and sick.This kind of person spends most of his time recuperating at home and rarely appears in front of the emperor, so he has no chance to cause trouble for the emperor.

It is rare to live in the 70s, and Wang Gui will soon be [-] years old, and he is frail and sick, and his status is high enough, so it is suitable to be the servant of this sect.

The daily work of Menxia Province is actually carried out by Menxia Shizhong's deputy, Menxia Shilang.When Li Longji, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, was in power, Menxia Province simply did not set up the post of servant in the door, only the servant of the door.There is no longer anyone in the Shangshu province who serves as the order of the minister, only the left and right servants of the minister have the same effect.

All in all, Wang Gui is a high-ranking and powerful person, but in fact he seldom exercises his power, and he has not had much dealings with Guo Ye.

Wang Gui was also taken aback when he saw Guo and Li, and said, "It turned out to be Li Shilang and Qin Guogong. What kind of fragrant wind brought you two here?"

Guo Yedao: "Reporting to Wang Shizhong, this Dade Temple came here to investigate the case! Just now I heard from the monk Sekong that Dade Temple is the master of your old man. I wonder if it is true?"

"Uh..." Wang Gui blushed and said, "That's true. In fact, this is the Dade Temple, not the Dade Temple!"

This is the second time Guo Ye has heard this statement. He asked: "Usually, temples and temples are linked together. What is the difference between Dade Temple and Dade Temple? I hope Wang Shilang can help me clarify my doubts." !"

"Oh, I'm ashamed to say it. In fact, this is Wang's family temple. The difference between Dade Temple and Dade Temple is the difference between a temple and a family temple. I mean, you should understand, right?"

"I..." Guo Ye held back, so he didn't say the word "day".

After traveling through the Tang Dynasty for so many years, Guo Ye certainly knows what a family temple is.

The difference between a temple and a family temple is too great!

A temple is a building where monks live, and the Buddha is enshrined inside.

The family temple, which enshrines the ancestors of the owner of the family temple.In modern words, it is the ancestral hall.Of course, in the Tang Dynasty, there was no such thing as an ancestral hall, and even ordinary people could not have family temples, and only officials of the fifth rank or above were eligible to set up family temples.That is to say, in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, ordinary people could build their own family temples to worship their ancestors.

Guo Ye pointed to the monks around him, and then pointed to the Daxiong Palace in the distance. Finally, thousands of words came together in one sentence: "Wang Shizhong, the ancestor of your old man is not the Buddha who sent his son?"

"Of course not!" Wang Gui pointed to a side hall, and said, "The old man Liezong's ranking is there, and there is no lack of sacrifices in four seasons."

"What's the matter?"

"Is this problem... Simply put, there is no money!"

"No money?"

"Exactly! Officials of the fifth grade and above have to build a family temple. The old man was in a high position many years ago, so it should have been built a long time ago. However, the old man has a large number of people in his family, and there are too many poor relatives who need relief. It is necessary to maintain the dignity of the high-ranking officials of the Tang Dynasty, so this temple has never been built. It is just a clean room at home, hung with portraits of ancestors, and worshiped at all seasons."

"Then you now... this Dade Temple is not small, and there are many halls!"

"Speaking of this matter, it all depends on the gang of censors. When they saw that the old man did not build a family temple, they impeached the old man and said that the old man was not filial. Your majesty asked me why I did not build a family temple, and I said that there was no money. Later, your majesty Let the Ministry of Households pay the money to build this big family temple here for the old man."

"So, the entire Dade Temple is your family temple? Why is it like this now?"

Wang Gui sighed and said: "The key to this matter is still lack of money. Look at this Dade Temple, which covers a large area and has many halls. To maintain it, the annual expenditure is not small. The old man can't afford it. I just thought of a way that didn't work out..."

"any solution?"

"The old man leased most of the Dade Temple to these monks. They are not only responsible for maintaining the building of the Dade Temple, but also give the old man a sum of money every year!"

Money, and money!

Guo Yexin said, the salaries of our officials in the Tang Dynasty are not low. Why are you so short of money? You even rented out your family temple!I think you are not wrong to participate in those censors, your old man really didn't take your ancestors seriously.His Majesty Li Er appropriating funds for you to build a family temple is meaningless except to add a sum of money to you.

Thinking so in his heart, Guo Ye wouldn't say it out of his mouth!Whether Wang Gui is filial or not, what does it have to do with him?The most urgent task now is to search the Dade Temple and find evidence that the gang of monks raped women!

He said: "Wang Shizhong, according to my investigation, these monks in Dade Temple are not good monks. They have done a lot of illegal things. I want to search Dade Temple, and I hope you will be lenient."

Wang Gui's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he said, "You want to search the old man's family temple?"

Chapter 1734 Three searches for Dade Temple (1)

Can be the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, which one is the fuel-efficient lamp?Wang Gui's face was solemn, and Guo Ye also felt great pressure, but now, can he still shrink back?He gritted his teeth and said, "You can understand it that way."

Wang Gui nodded and said, "Then do you know what this means?"

Guo Ye pretended to be confused, and said: "These bad monks have made your family temple a mess. If you send someone to search it, it is equivalent to cleaning your family temple. Could it have other meanings?"

Wang Gui sneered and said: "As expected of the Duke of Qin, he can give you eloquence and a lot of tongue. According to what you said, you searched the old man's family temple with great fanfare, and the old man has to thank you?"

"Don't dare! As the Chang'an order, it is the boy's duty to arrest criminals. It is the boy's duty to find out the evidence of the crimes committed by these monks and return your clean family temple. Wang Shizhong does not need to thank you."

"What a responsibility! What a duty!" Wang Gui laughed back angrily, and said, "Qin Guogong, you can really talk with such a small mouth! But no matter how good you say, it won't change your desire to disturb The facts about my ancestor Wang Gui. Forget it, I won’t talk nonsense with you. Let me ask you, you keep saying that the monks in the Dade Temple committed crimes, do you have any evidence?”

"Uh...just some confessions."

"Does that mean there is no physical evidence?"

"It is precisely because he wants physical evidence that the boy dared to search this Dade Temple."

"This is not going to be easy. Qin Guogong, let's open the skylight and speak honestly. If you find something in the Dade Temple, don't say anything, those monks will be punished for whatever crime they deserve. Even the old man has to eat some melons." Luo'er. But then again, what if you didn't find anything? If you know, say that you handled the case impartially. For those who don't know, you have to say that you didn't take me seriously, didn't take me seriously. The ancestors put it in their eyes. It's easy to say, but it doesn't sound good!"

Guo Ye frowned and said, "Then what do you mean, old man?"