Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

With the continuous income from the lottery, Fang Zheng Yi naturally loosened his purse strings and began the renovation plan.

Just like in Taoyuan County, all the roads in Banshan坊 were replaced with stone slabs, hiring a large number of poor people in the process.

The infrastructure was also improved, with trash cans and stone benches for pedestrians set up along the roadside.

In addition, all the drainage ditches in the坊 were overhauled, and even the moat outside the city was taken care of.

The rainy season arrived, and the rainfall gradually increased.

Fang Zheng Yi checked the rainfall records from previous years and found that there had been blockages and water accumulation of varying degrees every year.

This matter could not be taken lightly. The outer city was not like the imperial palace. The drainage in the imperial palace was excellent, with high terrain, good maintenance, and excellent design.

The drainage ditches in the outer city were filled with accumulated dead branches, rotten leaves, and silt. If they were not cleaned regularly, problems would easily arise.

After arranging everything, Fang Zheng Yi also began his leisure life, throwing all the big and small matters to Li Yuan Zhao.

Watching Li Yuan Zhao busy like a spinning top every day, Fang Zheng Yi couldn't help but envy the Crown Prince's energy.

Young people were good, doing everything in a hurry, unable to wait a moment, and getting things done quickly!

With the end of the gambling competition in March approaching, Fang Zheng Yi leisurely lay in his own courtyard.

The shade of the trees blocked the sun overhead, birds chirped from time to time, and a small table was set up with a pot of clear tea and a plate of snacks.

The snacks were sweet cakes that Xiao Tao had just steamed, and Fang Zheng Yi had eaten all but one piece, but they were still emitting a fragrance.

Just as he picked up the last piece of sweet cake to put it in his mouth, Li Yuan Zhao's loud shouts came from the door.

"Lao Fang! Lao Fang! Are you in there!"

Fang Zheng Yi responded, and then Li Yuan Zhao rushed in like a whirlwind.

He was about to speak, but his nose twitched as he smelled the sweet fragrance in the air, and his eyes turned to the sweet cake in Fang Zheng Yi's hand.

"Lao Fang, what are you eating?"

Fang Zheng Yi hesitated for a moment when he saw the sweet cake in his hand, then put it in his mouth and sucked on it.

Picking up the sweet cake, he said to Li Yuan Zhao, "Just ordinary pastries. Does Your Highness want some?"

Three black lines hung down from Li Yuan Zhao's forehead.

You won't even give me a snack? You're so stingy!

"No! This prince has eaten all kinds of snacks! I'm here to find you for serious business!"

Fang Zheng Yi smiled when he heard him say he didn't want any, then stuffed the sweet cake into his mouth and muttered, "With Your Highness here, what could be the matter?"

Li Yuan Zhao paced anxiously in the courtyard, saying urgently, "I was negligent! I didn't notice that there were fewer people on the streets in the坊 recently until I heard from my men that the people had all gone to Fuyun Temple."

"It is said that several eminent monks have come to Fuyun Temple recently, the most famous of whom is a monk named Hui Jue. The people are actively donating money to them!"

"So many people are going, mostly poor people, who already have no money to spare and yet they donate."

"Lao Fang, do you know that Father Emperor dislikes these monks somewhat, believing that they do not work. He wanted to deal with them a long time ago. If Father Emperor sends someone to inspect the坊 in a few days and sees this scene, wouldn't it be terrible?"

Fang Zheng Yi took a sip of tea and wondered, "How come so many people in the sanitation team only just noticed?"

"Those under me are so tired after working all day that they just want to sleep when they get home. They have no energy to pay attention to these things."

"I only found out when I asked. If those bald donkeys continue like this, wouldn't the atmosphere in the坊 be ruined!?"

"Hiss... Lao Fang, why aren't you worried!?"

Li Yuan Zhao was furious when he saw Fang Zheng Yi squinting his eyes, looking like he was about to fall asleep.

Fang Zheng Yi waved his hand weakly, "Your Highness, don't worry. I'm thinking... Does Your Highness have any ideas?"

Li Yuan Zhao frowned, "I do have a solution, but I don't know if it will work."

"Tell me about it."

"Post a letter of persuasion on the bulletin board in the坊, and have someone explain the harms of studying Buddhism to the people passing by, wasting time and money."

"Have the thousands of brothers in the sanitation team also participate in the propaganda."

"Finally, have Ji Erye's gang hang around Fuyun Temple... Three-pronged approach, what do you think?"

Fang Zheng Yi smacked his lips, "Not good. Can our people out-brainwash the Buddhists? They are all professionals."

"And you want Ji Erye's people to hang around the temple. With those few hooligans, they'd be lucky not to get beaten up in the crowd."

"You might as well drag the monks out of the temple, strip them naked, and beat them up. That would be more effective....."

Li Yuan Zhao sighed, "Then what do you say we should do? We can't just drag people out and beat them up for no reason. Where would the government's credibility be? The people are already afraid of the government, and things will be even more difficult in the future."

Fang Zheng Yi chuckled, "It's just a few monks, not a big deal. Your Highness, relax."

"I'm here to give you a lesson today. Temples mislead people into superstition. The only thing that can defeat magic is magic... Reasoning is useless."

"If those people could think for themselves and listen to advice, they wouldn't eagerly donate their pitiful few copper coins."

Li Yuan Zhao looked puzzled, "What's magic?"

"It's witchcraft. The witchcraft of the barbarians is called magic."

Li Yuan Zhao looked distressed, "So... you mean we should also open a temple? It's too late, right! Father Emperor would be even more displeased."

Fang Zheng Yi poured Li Yuan Zhao a cup of tea, "Not at all. Your Highness, have a cup of tea and relax."

"Does Your Highness know what the sharpest knife in the world is?"

"Knife? That's naturally my Father Emperor's golden knife!"

"No, I'm talking about the invisible blade. The sharpest knife in the world is killing with praise!"

"Since Fuyun Temple is developing so well, we should add fuel to the fire. Otherwise, the more you advise the people not to believe, the more they will believe."

"Don't directly teach people to think. People are blindly confident animals, it's useless."

Li Yuan Zhao looked bewildered, "I don't understand. Lao Fang, what do you mean? How do we add fuel to the fire?"

"My meaning is obvious, which is to encourage the people to go to Fuyun Temple."

"However, this matter naturally requires methods. How to encourage them is the key!"

"Those monks use ignorance to make money. We will use greed to fight them. This is called defeating magic with magic."

Li Yuan Zhao's face turned serious, "I understand! Those monks can deceive... We will set a time, regularly allowing the people to legally rob the temple, and the government will not interfere."

"In this way... I don't see how any temple can stay open!"

"Uh........" Fang Zheng Yi was speechless for a moment. The Crown Prince's realm had reached the stratosphere. He was going to exterminate all the monks in the world.

"It doesn't have to be like that. The people's lives are already quite difficult. It's good to have a temple to relax... What Your Highness is doing is too negative! What if someone takes the opportunity to cause trouble? If a group of troublemakers dares to rob a temple today, they will dare to rob wealthy families tomorrow, and rebel the day after tomorrow!"

"Come, come, come, let me tell Your Highness my plan... Like this... And that...."