Li Xiuyuan was startled when he heard this, turned around and smiled at Gao Yue'er who came from the mountains.
He asked: "Is it possible that these thousands of acres of fertile land are owned by the academy at the foot of the mountain?"
Gao Yue'er stepped forward, looked at the fertile fields under the mountain reflected in the sun, and shook his head: "How can the academy have so many fertile fields? The emperor will not allow it."
Li Xiuyuan was stunned when he heard this and asked, "So, who owns these fields?"
"Look there..."
Gao Yue'er pointed to the gleaming golden pagoda not far away, and said quietly: "Similar to the Northern Qi Dynasty, these fertile fields are owned by Xilin Temple."
"Buzz!" sounded, and Li Xiuyuan felt like he was struck by lightning.
In his understanding, whether it was the Buddhist temples in the Five Realms, the Thousand Buddha Temple in the Shura Realm, or even the geographical diary records he saw in Tianyu City.
Never before has a monastery been able to sit on so much fertile land.
This was an incredible thing. Gao Yue'er destroyed his knowledge of Xilin Temple with just one word.
Gao Yue'er looked at him and smiled bitterly: "When I was in Northern Qi, I told them that the monastery cannot own so much fertile land. Not only that, they also have private monk soldiers..."
Li Xiuyuan sighed and asked, "Then the temple must pay taxes to the local government, right?"
"No, there's no need to hand it over at all."
Gao Yue'er looked coldly down the mountain and replied: "Whether it is Northern Qi or Da Zhou, the fertile land in the temple does not need to pay taxes to the government."
"Because of this, the people who have land donated their land to my temple. After all, they earn more than when they had the land in their hands..."
After spending a while, Gao Yue'er introduced the situation of the two temples to Li Xiuyuan in detail.
Li Xiuyuan sighed and said: "In this case, when the dynasty encounters a war, where will the military rations come from? I heard that there are hundreds of temples in Guangda Zhou."
"How did I know? This is the emperor's business."
Gao Yue'er smiled bitterly and said: "Not only do they not have to pay taxes, but even the private monk soldiers will not send troops when the dynasty encounters a war. This is the most abominable part."
After practicing with an old Taoist priest, Gao Yue'er gradually let go of the concept of dynasties.
Because her current thoughts are just to follow her senior sister and master to seek a way to immortality.
As for the war between the two countries, it was not her turn as a woman to talk too much.
Not to mention that in the past few days, the old Taoist priest told her that in the future, the master and apprentice would leave Dazhou and Northern Qi to practice on the fairy island on the sea.
Li Xiuyuan was deeply confused when he heard this.
Like Xiao Hei, he said: "Is it possible that these temples want to build a Buddhist kingdom in the human world, transcending the dynasty? But if the dynasty perishes, where will they be?"
Gao Yue'er shook her head and continued: "Xiao Hei knows this very well. Sir, you can ask Xiao Hei when he comes back."
Hearing Gao Yue'er talk about Xiao Hei, Li Xiuyuan couldn't help but ask: "Is it possible that Xiao Hei didn't deal with the monks in the temple in Northern Qi?"
"It's not just as simple as not dealing with it."
Gao Yue'er smiled faintly: "When I first met Xiao Hei, the monk from Hanshan Temple came to trouble him. We almost died in the hands of that monk."
Gao Yue'er still remembers the scene that day clearly.
In her opinion, if Xiao Hei hadn't had some life-saving trump cards, she and others might not have been able to escape the monk's pursuit.
When Li Xiuyuan heard this, he was speechless for a moment.
I originally thought that Xiao Hei was just going to Beiqi to have fun, but he picked up two younger sisters on the road, which was an unexpected surprise.
But he didn't expect that Xiao Hei would go through so much suffering in Northern Qi, not to mention that Xiao Hei's legs were broken because of the Imperial Master of Northern Qi.
This is what Gao Yue'er said about being chased by the monks of Hanshan Temple. There must be some difficulties unknown to outsiders.
Xiao Hei has been following him, and he also knows that he is practicing Buddhism. If he had not encountered a major event between life and death, he would definitely not fall out with the monks in the temple.
Not to mention a thousand-mile pursuit.
Thinking of this, Li Xiuyuan could only mutter to himself: "I have to wait for Xiao Hei to come back and ask him about this matter... Just in time, I will go to Xilin Temple tomorrow."
When Gao Yue'er heard that Li Xiuyuan was going to Xilin Temple, a strange smile appeared on her face.
After all, after she came here with her master, the old Taoist priest never thought of going there to have a look, and she was not allowed to go there alone.
It is said that Buddhist temples in this era have changed their taste and are no longer a place of compassion for the world.
It's just that she couldn't tell Li Xiuyuan clearly.
After thinking about it, I had to smile bitterly and said: "As for the fertile fields at the foot of the mountain and the monk soldiers in the temple, you'd better wait for Xiao Hei to come back and ask him instead of asking the monks at Xilin Temple."
Gao Yue'er's statement was recognized by Li Xiuyuan.
If you choose to believe in the abbot of Xilin Temple, it is Xiao Hei. He will definitely choose to believe Xiao Hei, after all, everything Xiao Hei says and does is taught by him.
Thinking of this, I suddenly felt that the fertile fields at the foot of the mountain had lost their color, and the imperial city in the distance was also shrouded in shadow.
Just with the change of time, the world here has become so strange.
Back in the living room, the old Taoist priest had already brewed a pot of elixir tea collected from the mountains, and the house was filled with a faint fragrance.
The old Taoist priest looked at Li Xiuyuan, who was not very interested, and took two pieces of a century-old purple bamboo from behind and handed it to him: "This is what you asked me to help you find, and I met it this time."
When Shuzi saw it, she couldn't help but laugh: "Is my brother going to cut bamboo swords for his two sisters?"
Gao Yue'er laughed when she heard it: "This purple bamboo is used to cut into swords, but it is suitable for a little girl to practice swordsmanship."
Li Xiuyuan sighed, took the Zizhu and looked at it carefully. After a while, he said: "Shuzi and Xiaohu also used wooden swords to practice."
Shuzi laughed when she heard this: "Shuzi uses a bamboo sword, which Xiaohei gave to me."
Gao Yue'er was confused when she heard this, and couldn't help but ask: "To practice swordsmanship, shouldn't you use an iron sword, or even find a spiritual sword?"
The old Taoist priest trembled, looked at his disciple and shook his head: "In terms of the final form of swordsmanship, any plant or tree can be used as a sword, so why is there any need for a spiritual sword?"
Li Xiuyuan nodded first, then shook his head gently.
Looking at the master and disciple, he replied: "That has to be a process. If you have never picked up a spiritual sword, how can you not have a sword in your heart?"
If the art of swordsmanship were so simple, he wouldn't bother making swords for his friends and relatives.
Shuzi and Xiaohu's swords, in his opinion, the old Taoist priest would definitely find a way.
He had already given Xiao Hei his sword back then.
Before leaving Dazhou, he had neither the urge to forge swords nor the materials to forge swords.
The old Taoist priest heard the words and was stunned for a long time. After a while, he poured the freshly brewed medicinal tea into the cups of Li Xiuyuan and others.
He sighed softly, looked at Li Xiuyuan and said seriously: "Listening to what you said made me feel like listening to a great monk preaching."
Xiaohu, who was sitting next to him, smiled and said, "My great monk, I also want to call you my senior brother..."
Although he did not explicitly say that he was the fat monk in Da Qin back then, he knew that his practice of Buddhism was even more profound than that of the fat monk.
Otherwise, the new great monk in the grotto would not be respectfully addressed as "sir" as "teacher".
The old Taoist priest nodded and murmured: "Only by picking it up hard first can you put it down gently. This truth is something that even the monks of Xilin Temple may not be able to understand."
"It's not that complicated."
Li Xiuyuan took a sip of the bitter medicinal tea and replied calmly: "Just like this tea brewed with elixir, everyone knows that good medicine tastes bitter, but how many people can really do it?"
The old Taoist priest laughed when he heard this: "Based on what you just said, I'm afraid even the old monks from Xilin Temple will be far behind."
Gao Yue'er couldn't help but pricked up her ears when she saw her master talking about the monks from Xilin Temple.
Could it be that after listening to the master talking to others, she, as a disciple, would naturally study hard.
It was rare for Shuzi to hear her brother talk about Buddhism, and it was the same for Xiaohu. After all, when her husband was in the grotto, he only occasionally discussed Taoism with the fat monk in the Buddhist hall.
At that time, how could he understand the principles of Buddhism?
When Li Xiuyuan heard it, the old Taoist priest became addicted.
He could only smile bitterly and said: "In the Buddhist teachings I have learned, the Buddha talks about the five poisons of greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt. Those who study Buddhism all know this."
"However, after thousands of years, how many people have understood it, and how many people have eradicated the five poisons in their hearts? If you hear the Tao without thinking about it or practicing it, it is worse than not hearing the Tao."
Li Xiuyuan chuckled: "Although I haven't met the abbot and monk of Xilin Temple, today I saw the thousand acres of good mountains at the foot of the mountain, and I saw their greed."
Before Shuzi could understand, Gao Yue'er had already clapped her hands and sighed: "Sir, you really have great wisdom. With just a few words, Yue'er understood a lot of truths."
Xiaohu thought for a moment and said, "The fat monk told Xiaohu back then that once a person who practices Buddhism is infected with the poison of greed, he is afraid that the other four poisons will follow."
The old Taoist priest gently clapped his hands and praised: "It's well said. The first of the five poisons is greed. As long as you are infected with this poison, how can you avoid the other four poisons? These are interlocking and the five poisons are inseparable. His sect."
Li Xiuyuan looked at Shuzi and Xiaohu and said seriously: "You two have experienced a lot of rain. Regardless of whether you practice Buddhism or not, you must stay away from these five poisons."
Shuzi and Zhang Liang experienced the glory and wealth of the Han Dynasty back then, and Xiaohu, as the king of the desert, had seen countless prosperity.
Thinking about it this way, Li Xiuyuan did have reason to be proud of the two of them.
In terms of the glory and wealth in the world, Shuzi and Xiaohu can also achieve the state of letting go.
The old Taoist priest was also proud of himself. As a princess of Northern Qi, Gao Yue'er could have married a woman deep in the desert and became the king of Khan, but she could also wave her hand and give up the wealth in the world.
Qingyu, who is far away in Dingzhou City, is afraid that after this battle, he will retreat to the mountains and forests with him.
Just when everyone in front of them lowered their heads and thought.
Li Xiuyuan took out his knife, held the purple bamboo and split it casually. He took off the kettle from the stove and put the purple bamboo on the fire to bake it gently.
Smelling the faint fragrance of the purple bamboo, Gao Yue'er also thought about it. She took the Taoist priest's hand and said, "Master, Yue'er also wants a purple bamboo sword."
The old Taoist priest laughed and said: "This master doesn't know how to do it, so you can only ask your husband for help."
Gao Yue'er could only look at Li Xiuyuan longingly and said: "Sir, please sharpen a bamboo sword for me too."
Li Xiuyuan smiled when he heard this: "It's easy to sharpen a bamboo sword, but you have to think carefully about whether you want to learn how to practice this simplest sword technique with Shuzi."
Like his master back then, Li Xiuyuan also had the heart to teach without distinction.
As long as Gao Yuer'er is willing to endure hardship, he doesn't mind letting Shuzi take her to practice swordplay together.
After all, he was probably not going to leave so soon. Anyway, he wanted to see how Emperor Wu of the Zhou Dynasty wiped out the Buddha with his hand.
Upon hearing this, Shuzi couldn't help but patted Gao Yue'er's hand and said, "Sword training is a very hard and boring thing. You have to be prepared and practice hard for an hour every day."
Gao Yue'er didn't believe it, turned to look at Xiaohu and asked, "Xiaohu, are you like this too?"
Xiaohu curled his lips and replied: "Xiaohu was only five years old when he met Mr. At that time, he was practicing hard for half an hour every day."
Upon hearing this, Gao Yue'er asked: "What swordsmanship is so powerful?"
Li Xiuyuan replied: "Cut the snow with one sword."
