In ancient times, why could you escape the death penalty by becoming a monk?

In fact, in ancient China, becoming a monk was not a simple haircut and tonsure. In addition to the necessary conditions for becoming a monk, you also need a decree issued by the government. But this kind of thing is not what you want to get. In ancient times, once people cut their hair and became monks, they could enjoy the privilege of exemption from tax corvee, but in this way, many lawless elements would fish in troubled waters under the banner of becoming monks. Therefore, in order to prevent this phenomenon, the government will strictly control the number of dispatches each year. During the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, the national internal and external troubles were serious, and the national treasury became increasingly empty after years of wars.

In order to alleviate the national finance, the emperors secretly sent people to steal official accounts to make money. Later, in the Song Dynasty, although the national financial problems were alleviated, the "fine tradition" of selling officials and titles to make money was still preserved. In the novel Water Margin, Lu Da changed his job and became a flower monk Lu, relying on the pile of geese that Mr. Zhao bought at a high price. Therefore, from the novel, we can also confirm the existence of the affair of buying and selling dads at that time. So you can become a monk as long as you have money? Not exactly. In the Song Dynasty,

If a person wants to become a monk, he must not only have a decree, but also be approved by the government. The approval procedure is quite strict. If a prisoner commits a crime such as rape, he will not become a monk, but will be sent directly to prison. It can be seen that there is a murder case on Lu's back, but he can still successfully jump ship. Besides spending a lot of money to win over officials, he is also very lucky. Although Lu is only a novel character, in the real world, there are also people who escape being hunted by becoming monks.

During the Sui Dynasty, the Yu Wenhuaji brothers staged a coup and killed Li Guang, the emperor of Yang Di, and many court ministers. Including Shangguan Yi's father Shangguan Hong. His father was killed by anti-thieves. Although he had the heart of revenge, he was too weak to escape the enemy's pursuit overnight. In order to survive, he hid in a ruined temple, cut his hair and became a monk, only to escape.