The income of the Taoist temple of Mount Qingcheng was still very high. It mainly came from several sources. The first was the incense money from the believers. Entering the temple would definitely burn incense and pray for blessings, and the temple could earn a good amount of money by selling incense. Although the income provided by each pilgrim was very small, when there were many people burning incense, the income was still considerable.
In addition, some rich pilgrims would donate large sums of money to the Taoist temple in order to show their sincerity. There were still many such rich people. For the Taoist temple, this was also a considerable source of income.
In addition, the temple also operated some catering services, providing some food to the pilgrims. Of course, this was charged, and some rare goods could be sold at a high price.
For example, the Heavenly Paradise Milk Wine brewed by the temple could be sold at a very high price, making the temple a lot of money.
Of course, the Taoist temple of Mount Qingcheng did not only sell the Heavenly Paradise Milk Wine, but also Qingcheng Tea, Gingko Stewed Chicken, and Qingcheng Kimchi.
These were all businesses of the temple. Due to the limited number of Taoist priests in the temple, some of the businesses were also outsourced to the people nearby, letting them participate in the work for less money. For example, the Qingcheng Tea required a lot of energy to collect the tea leaves, finalize the tea leaves, first knead, second knead, third knead, third knead, and roast. The Taoist temple certainly did not have enough manpower, so they could only let the people nearby help and then pay them.
As for why the people did not consciously do the work and sell it, it involved a problem of aptitude. When the same Qingcheng Tea was sold in the temple, all the pilgrims would believe that it was authentic Qingcheng Tea. If ordinary people were to stand on the roadside and sell it, they might not believe it at all, thinking that it was a shoddy fake. The Taoist priests in the temple were all cultivators, and ordinary pilgrims trusted them more, thinking that they would not lie, but ordinary people were different.
In addition, the level of the Taoist temple was high enough. When the Qingcheng Tea arrived at the temple, it would be specially packaged and sold in the temple hall of the temple, giving the pilgrims a sense of pride. As for the price, it was not a problem. The people who came to offer incense were here to spend money, and the rich would not care about that.
Gingko Stewed Chicken and Qingcheng Kimchi were the most basic dishes of the Mount Qingcheng Taoist temple to entertain distinguished guests. Coupled with the Qingcheng Tea and Heavenly Paradise Milk Wine, there was almost no need for other dishes. These four dishes were enough for the pilgrims to taste. After all, the pilgrims who came to the temple mainly did not come to eat or drink, but to pray for blessings. Snacks were enough.
Compared to the Heavenly Paradise Milk Wine and Qingcheng Tea, which were more monopolized, Gingko Stewed Chicken and Qingcheng Kimchi were more popular. Even ordinary small shops outside the Taoist temple would sell them. These two dishes did not have a high technical threshold.
The main ingredients of Gingko Stewed Chicken were gingko fruits and chicks. Gingko fruits were gingko fruits. This kind of fruit could warm the lungs, improve Qi, stabilize breathing, reduce bowel movements, and prevent turbidity. When eaten raw, it could lower phlegm, disinfect, and kill insects. It was a very good fruit, and Mount Qingcheng was rich in this kind of gingko, so there was no need to worry about not having enough ingredients.
The way to make Gingko Stewed Chicken was very simple. It was to put the slaughtered and cleaned chicks into a clay pot, then pour in water, sprinkle some gingko, salt, ginger, garlic, rock sugar, and other ingredients, and boil it for a while. This kind of delicious juice was fresh, fragrant, and not greasy. It had a good therapeutic value.
As for Qingcheng Kimchi, it was commonly known as Qingcheng Taoist Old Kimchi. Fresh cucumbers, cowpeas, red pepper, radish, garlic, cabbage, ginger, and other raw materials produced by the Taoists of Mount Qingcheng were used as raw materials. After strict selection, cleaning, and drying, they were put into a special juice made of spring water, refined salt, and Sichuan peppercorns. They were stored in a special room and managed by a person.
Qingcheng Kimchi was crispy, tender, sour, and sweet. After being stored for several years, it would still be fresh and firm. It was a kind of food that could relieve grease, whet the appetite, and improve the appetite. There was a poem praising it: "Qingcheng is good, Kimchi is the best in Sichuan. The crispy ginger is excellent, the fragrant sweet milk wine is better than the two virtuous. I alone take the pepper plate. "
In the beginning, these delicacies were invented by the Taoists of Mount Qingcheng. They were supposed to be exclusive to the Taoist temple, but there would always be people who betrayed others. Some Taoists were not strong-willed. When they saw that these delicacies were so popular, they became monks and used the skills they secretly learned to sell Gingko Stewed Chicken and Qingcheng Kimchi.
The real Qingcheng Kimchi was made of fresh cucumbers, cowpeas, red pepper, radish, garlic, cabbage, ginger, and other raw materials produced by the Taoists of Mount Qingcheng. These counterfeit Qingcheng Kimchi naturally would not go to the mountain to buy the vegetables grown by the Taoists. However, they could lie. There was no writing on the vegetables. Who could prove that the vegetables grown by the people themselves were not grown by the Taoists?
This was just like the stinky tofu sold in many cities in the future. They all claimed that their stinky tofu was flown in from somewhere thousands of miles away. Who could prove this? Did they really not care about the cost? How much could the stinky tofu be worth? They were all flown in from thousands of miles away. The profit from selling them was not even enough to cover the transportation fee.
Later, because an infectious disease appeared at the place where the stinky tofu was transported by air, many stinky tofu sellers quickly changed their words and admitted that the stinky tofu they made was the local stinky tofu and was not flown in from thousands of miles away.
Ang Lee went up the mountain in plain clothes. He did not wear an official robe and did not intend to alarm the higher-ups of the Taoist temple. He just came to take a look. If the higher-ups of the Taoist temple were alarmed, it would be meaningless.
"Assistant Minister Li, the Taoist Master Cave is in front of us."
The boatman introduced.
The Taoist Master Cave was already in front of them. It was a huge building with a relatively grand scale. There were many people burning incense and praying here. Among them, there was no lack of prominent figures. It could be seen from the clothes these people were wearing.
Ang Lee imitated the other pilgrims and burned incense piously. The guard behind him also burned incense. Since they were there, this step had to be done. It also showed that they were polite.
However, the specifications of the incense were different. Different incense had different prices. There were big incense and small incense. The bigger the incense, the more expensive it was. Small incense was naturally much cheaper.
With Ang Lee's status, of course, he had to burn a big incense. A two-meter long incense would probably take a long time to burn. The guard behind him burned a slightly shorter incense.
"Benefactor, do you want to give alms?"
As soon as Ang Lee finished burning the incense, a Taoist priest came forward to greet him. He was very respectful.
"Alms? Does every pilgrim have to give alms? "
Ang Lee asked.
The Taoist priest replied, "Giving alms is also a merit … Your descendants will have a long life."
In order to get Ang Lee to give alms, the little Taoist priest said a lot of nonsense. This made Ang Lee sigh at the serious commercialization of Mount Qingcheng. The Taoist priest was trying his best to get people to donate money. This was not a good sign.
Although after donating money, the Taoist temple could build a lot of new buildings and repair and improve the existing buildings, would there be people who would fill their pockets and use the money for personal enjoyment? No one could say for sure. Perhaps there would be scum who would use the incense money for their own enjoyment. This was very likely.
"How much alms do people usually give? What's the most? "
Ang Lee asked curiously.
The Taoist priest explained, "Everyone gives alms differently. Those with more money will naturally give more alms, while those with less money will naturally give less alms. Princess True Jade gave the most alms. She gave 100 pieces of gold at once."
"100 pieces? That's a lot. "
Ang Lee sighed. However, he did not intend to give so much alms. At most, ten pieces would be enough.
In fact, ten pieces was about enough. When the little Taoist priest saw that Ang Lee had given ten pieces of alms, he was in a good mood and continuously praised Ang Lee for his boundless merit.
The incense had been burned and the alms had been given. Next, it was time to taste the Four Wonders of Qingcheng. Of course, if one had the money, they could also order more wine and dishes.
The place to eat was not in the Celestial Master Cave but in the three-story building next to it. Generally, most pilgrims would not eat and drink there because the price was too expensive and they could not afford it. Only a few particularly rich people would choose to taste the Four Wonders of Qingcheng here.
According to the specifications of the three-story building, the higher the floor, the higher the grade. As long as the windows on the highest floor were opened, one could see the distant scenery and the air was better. Naturally, it was the best location.
Because the price was too expensive, when Ang Lee went over, there were still many empty rooms on the third floor, and the first and second floors were already full. After some people came, they could not afford to go to the third floor and there were no seats on the first floor, so they could only choose to pack up unsatisfied.
There were many secluded places on the mountain. After packing up, they could find a place to eat and drink. As long as they were not seen by others, it was not shameful. Many ordinary people who did not have enough money did this.
Because there were more empty rooms, Ang Lee directly asked for two rooms. One room was too crowded and was not very comfortable. It was more comfortable to have two rooms.
Opening the window, Ang Lee could see a lot of the surrounding scenery. The buildings directly came into view.
"Fellow Daoist, can you introduce the scenery outside to me?"
Ang Lee called out to a little Taoist priest who was serving dishes and casually gave him a piece of gold. It could be considered a big deal.
At a glance, the little Taoist priest was not a professional. Perhaps he was a nearby commoner who temporarily put on a Taoist priest's clothes and came here to do odd jobs. It could be considered a way to make a living.
Of course, the little Taoist priest would not refuse to make money.
"Benefactor, please take a look. The one in front is Jianfu Palace. On the left is the Ancestral Hall. Over there is the Chaoyang Cave. The last one is the Supreme Old Lord Pavilion …"
The little Taoist priest opened his mouth and introduced.
The Jianfu Palace that the little Taoist priest spoke of was located at the foot of Zhangren Peak. It was built in the 18th year of the Tang Kaiyuan Dynasty, which was the year 3700 AD. Later on, it was restored many times by successive generations. In later generations, only two halls and three courtyards remained. There were three main halls, respectively worshipping famous Taoists and gods. The 394 words of couplets on the pillars of the hall were praised as "Qingcheng's Number One". Jianfu Palace was built under a cliff and had an extraordinary aura. On the left side, one thousand meters to the west, there was a "natural picture" with towering rocks and lingering clouds. The Song Dynasty poet Fan Chengda once prayed for the Song Emperor here. The Emperor specially named it "Huiqing Jianfu Palace". The poet Lu You described the Jianfu Palace at that time in a poem. It was indeed "golden seal script, golden gate, lined with giant bamboo, gray clouds. The rocky ridge was like the division of heaven and earth, with thousands of pillars eyeing covetously. "In the Jianfu Palace, there were ancient trees and rockery, the Weixin Pavilion, the ruins of the dressing table of Princess Consort Mingqing, as well as murals, couplets, and other cultural relics.
The Hall of Patriarchs was located on the right side of the mountain behind the Taoist Master Cave. One could reach it after leaving the Taoist Master Cave and crossing Ning Bridge. The Hall of Patriarchs was also known as Zhenwu Official. It was built during the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty poets Du Guangting and Xue Chang, and the Song Dynasty poet Zhang Yujun lived in seclusion here.
Tang Ruizong's daughter Princess Yuzhen also cultivated here in order to become an immortal. The environment of the hall was quiet. There were statues of Zhenwu Grandmaster, Lu Dongbin, Tie Guai Li, and other immortals, murals of the Eight Immortals Painting, and stone carvings of poems.
The Chaoyang Cave was located at the foot of the rock at the top of the main peak. The entrance of the cave faced the east. It was several feet deep and could accommodate a hundred people. It was said to be the residence of Ning Feng's father-in-law. The Qing Dynasty's Huang Yunge once lived here. He wrote a couplet, "The red sun is near, the earth is repulsive and the palace is wide."
The Old Lord Pavilion was located at the top of the first peak in Qingcheng. It was also the top of Pengzu Peak. It was also known as Gaotai Mountain or Laoxiao Peak. It was more than 1,200 meters above sea level. There was a pavilion at the top. It was more than 30 meters high and had nine floors. The bottom floor was round and the top floor was octagonal. It symbolized the square heaven and earth and the eight trigrams of Tai Chi. It was shaped like a pagoda with three round treasures in the middle. It symbolized the three talents of heaven, earth, and man. In the middle of the pavilion, there was a solemn lotus statue of Taishang Laojun. The statue was about seven to eight meters high and the platform was about ten meters high. The pavilion was exposed to the sky and the foundation was built with white marble. The sea overflowed the railings and sills, twisting and turning back to the top of the pavilion. On a clear day, one could overlook hundreds of miles of green mountains and hundreds of miles of beautiful scenery. It could be said that it was the most spectacular place in the world.
"Wait, is Princess Yuzhen still cultivating in the Hall of Patriarchs?"
When Ang Lee heard Princess Yuzhen's name, he asked.
The little Daoist shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. Maybe she's still here or maybe she's temporarily left. This isn't something a little Daoist like me can ask."
When Ang Lee heard this, he nodded. The little Daoist in front of him was just a little Daoist who made a living. It was indeed unlikely that he knew too much about the situation.
And because Princess Yuzhen was Li Longji's younger sister and was said to be especially beautiful, Ang Lee should at least take a look at her. Otherwise, wouldn't he have come for nothing?
However, filling his stomach first was the most important thing. Only by filling his stomach could he have the strength to walk. Moreover, the Four Unique of Qingcheng were all top-notch delicacies. It would be a loss if he didn't taste them properly.
"Alright, you can leave!"
Ang Lee let the little Daoist leave and then ate with everyone. After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they prepared to go to the Hall of Patriarchs to try their luck. What if they could meet Princess Yuzhen? Perhaps they could even greet her or something.
According to age, Princess Yuzhen was only seven or eight years younger than Li Longji, and Li Longji was already an old man. Princess Yuzhen was naturally the age of an old lady, at least fifty or sixty years old. However, if she took good care of herself, she might look very young.
"Wow! Refreshing and satisfying. "
Ang Lee took a sip of the Heavenly Paradise Milk Wine and sighed from the bottom of his heart. This Heavenly Paradise Milk Wine tasted really good. Smelling it was already very satisfying, and drinking it was even more satisfying.
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