After the beginning of spring, Xu Fanghai first applied for a job in the Ministry of Civil Affairs and then joined the Department of Ancestral Affairs of the Ministry of Rites.
Contrary to Xu Fanghai's expectation, the original establishment of the Ancestral Department Department should have been one minister, one minister, two chiefs, six ministers, thirteen book ministers, four Zhanggu, and a few miscellaneous supplements.
But when he actually entered the official office, Xu Fanghai discovered that in the huge temple department, there were hundreds of clerks busy in the outer hall alone, and there were even more people coming and going in the inner courtyard.
Xu Fanghai was a little confused. When did the Ancestral Department, which was in charge of the sacrifices and temple observances of the Tang Dynasty, become such a lively department?
Arriving at the dianmao platform of the Ancestral Temple Department, Xu Fanghai handed over the documents and submitted his petition.
When the secretary in charge of Kan Lu saw Xu Fanghai's confession, he was stunned for a moment, then stretched his neck and asked, "Are you from Anxi?"
Xu Fanghai: "Yes."
Shu Lingshi took another look at the document and asked, "Have you ever served in Yanqi Yinglong Temple?"
Xu Fanghai: "The Yanqi Council sent scribes to the religious group, and a certain person used to be one of them."
When Shu Lingshi heard this, he nodded unconsciously, handed Xu Fanghai a waist badge, and said: "Go to the concierge in Xineiyuan, and someone will take you to the ministry there."
Xu Fanghai was a little surprised that he, a by-election official who was not serving in the outer hall, was actually assigned to the inner garden.
Without asking any questions, Xu Fanghai took his badge and went to the concierge of Xineiyuan.
When he found the official guarding the gatehouse, Xu Fanghai was surprised to find that there were actually guards in imperial robes in the temple department.
Two royal guards in official robes repeatedly checked Xu Fanghai's identity and waistband, and one of them led him into the inner garden and then to a connecting hall.
Xu Fanghai looked into the distance along the long corridor outside the Liantang Hall. In the courtyard at the end, there were vaguely people wearing Yinglong robes walking around.
Seeing Xu Fanghai stop, the Jin Yiwei couldn't help but urge: "Don't wait, go in first, someone will teach you what to do."
Xu Fanghai entered the gate of Liantang and saw that it was also overcrowded, with busy clerks everywhere.
When one of the leaders saw Xu Fanghai, he took out a book and said, "Go to the West Third Room to help."
Xu Fanghai looked confused. He took the Kan book and entered the third west room. Finally, he was brought to a desk.
On the table, there are Buddhist temples, Taoist temples, Zoroastrian temples, Buddhist sects and other religious sects in Liangzhou for decades, as well as the registered land, monks, outer sects, shops, warehouses, loans and other personal assets.
The order Xu Fanghai received was to organize, inspect and record the properties under the names of many religions.
Although he didn't know why the Ancestral Department Department did this, Xu Fanghai still rolled up his sleeves and immersed himself in it.
From the time he joined the company in the morning until the sun set in the evening, Xu Fanghai immersed himself in books for nearly ten hours.
In the middle, unlike the previous official offices, meals and tea were actually provided.
When Xu Fanghai finally compiled a list, it was already dark.
Seeing that there were many people around him burying their heads in papers, Xu Fanghai rubbed his sore neck and thought to himself, he didn't expect that the work would be so heavy on the first day of his ministry.
Xu Fanghai handed the Kan book to the chief, who checked it over and nodded in approval: "Well done. In the courtyard outside the hall, there is a carriage from the Ministry of Rites. If you want to go home, just show your waist badge and the carriage will be there."
I'll give you a ride. If you don't want to go back, you can also stay at the official residence in the south of Shangshu Province. Just show your badge."
After hearing this, Xu Fanghai was quite surprised. Today's Tang Dynasty is different from the past. He didn't expect that the official offices would actually have such thoughtful ideas for officials.
After leaving the courtyard of the Temple Department, Xu Fanghai was walking on the road. Before he reached the gate of the Ministry of Rites, he saw several people walking towards him.
The leader among them had a Persian appearance and was an acquaintance of Xu Fanghai.
Xu Fanghai saluted the Persian and said, "Issiah."
Yisi recognized Xu Fanghai and said with a smile: "Here, we don't call each other by our Christian names. I am now a Yuanwai Lang of the Ancestral Temple Department, and I was given the surname Li by the emperor. You can call me Yuanwai Li."
Xu Fanghai quickly changed his mind.
Yis pointed at the two people next to him and said: "This is the Governor Wang of Beizhen Fusi, and the other is his subordinate Xiao Lieutenant."
Xu Fanghai followed his words and bowed.
Yis then said to Wang Hong and Ban Weizheng: "This man's name is Xu Fanghai. He once served as a secretary in the Yanqi Council and a preacher in the Yinglong Church. He is quick and steady in his work."
When Wang Hong heard this, he took another look at Xu Fanghai and asked, "Do you hold any position in the Ancestral Temple Department?"
Xu Fanghai bowed his head and said: "Back to the governor, I will be the replacement."
Wang Hong: "Since he is praised by foreign officials, he must be talented, and you are from Anxi... Let's do this, I will transfer you to a foreign position, and you will work with Wei Zheng."
Xu Fanghai didn't know what the foreign position meant, but he couldn't say much at this time, so he could only nod in agreement.
Ten days later, Xu Fanghai got a message from the Ancestral Department Division, saying that the Jin Yiwei and the Ancestral Department Division were going to work together. The Jin Yiwei Shangguan named him and asked him to accompany him.
Xu Fanghai packed up his belongings and left the official residence. He saw a cavalry of several hundred people parked on the long street outside the imperial city.
The knights on the horses were all wearing chainmail armor made of brocade, and had swords slung across their waists. They had a murderous aura coming from all over their bodies.
Ordinary people, whether they are officials or ordinary people, will take a detour when they see him.
The school officer headed by the Jinyi Guards had a piece of weed in his mouth. He saw Xu Fanghai and said with a smile: "Get on your horse, we have to do business today."
Xu Fanghai recognized this person as the captain of the squad that night and bowed.
Ban Weizheng waved his hand: "You and I are both from Anxi, how can we get so many false gifts. Hurry up and get on your horse, don't miss the real thing."
Xu Fanghai did not dare to delay and quickly mounted his horse.
The cavalry headed out of the city along the long street.
Arriving at Zhongkui Gate, the east gate of Liangcheng, Xu Fanghai saw a mighty motorcade that had stopped there early. It was estimated that there were hundreds of vehicles.
Xu Fanghai asked Ban Wei Zheng: "Ban Xiaowei, where are you going?"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Ban Weizheng: "You will know when we get there."
After saying that, Ban Weizheng blew his whistle, and the horse team and the convoy came together and walked slowly towards the east.
After walking for almost an hour, the team arrived at Chishui Mountain to the west of Guzang. There is a famous ancient temple in Liangzhou called Mingji Temple.
The temple was first built in the early Tang Dynasty. Because he wrote a letter to help the world, it attracted the praise of Emperor Taizong Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty, so it is still popular today.
The motorcade stopped at the foot of the mountain, and a group of royal guards led officials, government guards and servants to the temple halfway up the mountain.
When the monk who was responsible for guarding the temple gate saw the visitor, he thought it was a dignitary who was coming to burn incense and worship the Buddha. He was overjoyed and hurriedly came out to greet him and asked, "I wonder which noble person is coming?"
Ban Weizheng smiled, glanced at the plaque on the temple door, and waved directly without saying hello.
A group of royal guards and palace guards rushed into the temple regardless of the monks' shouts, and began to rummage through the halls and incense rooms one by one.
Not long after, the abbot of Mingji Temple was alerted. He quickly ran to the center of the hall, blocked the way of the Jin Yiwei, and said loudly: "Amitabha, the pure land of Buddhism, how can you bring evil and cause trouble?"
Ban Wei Zheng led his men, walked into the main hall, and said to the host: "The Jinyi Guards are ordered to investigate the case, you and others step aside."
The group of soldiers before the host meeting still refused to stop. They were anxious in their hearts. They pointed at the "Ci Hang Du Pu" on the top of the hall and shouted to the visitor: "This is written by the late emperor of the Tang Dynasty. The emperor of Mingji Temple
Asylum, are you going to rebel?!"
Ban Weizheng walked up to the presiding officer and hit the latter's knees directly with the sheath of his horizontal sword, causing the presiding officer to kneel to the ground. Then he took out the imperial edict from his arms and said to him: "Under the Tang Dynasty, people who can raise
The only person who uses the word "protection" is the current Holy One. You have made it clear to me!"
After saying that, Ban Weizheng shouted to the people behind him: "Search!"
Half an hour passed.
Jinyiwei and Fuwei searched the temple for a large number of land deeds and interest loans. In addition, there were countless gold and silver jewelry hidden under the Buddha's throne, as well as grain placed in the cellar.
Xu Fanghai and a group of civil servants began to classify the land deeds and interest loans into categories, and then compiled them into books.
Those subordinate officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Household who were accustomed to seeing figures couldn't help but be stunned on the spot after counting the temple's land and loan assets.
The Mingji Temple family alone, in different forms and methods, occupied nearly ten thousand hectares of good farmland, forest land and aquatic products in Liangzhou, Ganzhou, Lanzhou, Weizhou and other places.
Over the years, the number of farmers, traders and craftsmen who have signed usury loans with Mingji Temple has reached more than 45,000.
The land deeds, loan transactions, and mortgage documents were all laid out. The entire main hall of the Buddhist temple was covered with paving, and there was no place to stay.
After Xu Fanghai counted all the assets, he gave Ban Weizheng a market valuation.
The land, loans, light goods, grain, etc. currently owned by Mingji Temple are approximately more than 5 million guan when converted according to market prices.
In other words, the property of just one Buddhist temple was close to Beitang's annual tax revenue.
This chapter has been completed!