The sun of the day streaked across the sky and gradually set in the west. Zezhou City, which was immersed in the orange-red sunset, was still bustling with activity. In the Great Radiant Cult's temple, the lingering smoke was mixed with the chanting of the monks, and the devotees were still very lively. You Hongzhuo followed a group of devotees out of the temple with a bun in his hand and ate it in two or three bites. This was the 'benevolent food' that was invited from the temple. It was better than nothing when used to fill his stomach.
There were many trees in the streets near the temple. The rustling of the wind in the evening also made the hot and stuffy air seem cooler. There were many pedestrians on the streets, and there were also many people with their families in twos and threes. Parents brought their running children out, and those from well-to-do families would buy a stick of tanghulu at the corner of the street and listen to the carefree laughter of their children, making You Hongzhuo feel an indescribable sense of tranquility amidst the hustle and bustle.
Right now, due to the ravenous ghost, Wang Shitong's arrest, and the arrival of Sun Qi's army, the situation in Zezhou City was very tense. Even the ordinary citizens could clearly feel the impending storm. The Great Radiant Cult proclaimed that there were 33 difficulties in the world and that the Light Buddha was the savior of the world. With such a situation, the uneasy devotees gathered even more.
The wealthy landowners asked the Zen masters of the Great Radiant Cult about the inside story, while the ordinary devotees came to pray to the Bodhisattva and Buddha, hoping that misfortune wouldn't befall Zezhou, or praying that even if something did happen, their families would be able to get through it safely. After paying their respects to Buddha, they would place several copper coins into the Merit Box and receive a portion of good food from the monks. When they left, they would feel much more at ease. Within a short period of time, the surroundings of the Great Radiant Sect's temple became the most peaceful and auspicious place in the city, allowing people to feel at ease.
The Wu dynasty was originally prosperous and affluent. If one were to look back a few years, peaceful and prosperous scenes like this could be seen everywhere in the Central Plains. It was also because of the wars that happened around them in the past few years that the peaceful atmosphere in the few big cities in the Tiger King's territory became extremely precious and especially treasured.
Looking around, one could occasionally see some travel-worn men and women in tattered or experienced clothes in the crowd.
At a glance, it was obvious that many of these people were from the Underworld. Among them, there were people of the Underworld who had lived their lives on the edge of a knife, but many of them looked shabby and had many methods of concealment, making it difficult to identify them in the crowd. Only those who were well-dressed and carried weapons were relatively easy to see through. Regardless of whether it was a chaotic world or a peaceful one, it was normal for the poor to be a scholar and the rich to be a martial artist. These people from the pugilistic world were either local tyrants or wealthy landowners. In this chaotic world, they had their own fortuitous encounters. There was no lack of calm and capable people who had come to the Great Radiant Sect to make a name for themselves in the pugilistic world with the monks. After that, they went their separate ways.
You Hongzhuo stayed in the temple for most of the day and realized that although there were quite a number of people from the Woodland Sector who had come, many of them had been rejected by the monks of the Great Radiant Cult. Feeling puzzled, he could only leave. On the way to Zezhou, Mister Zhao had mentioned that the Woodland Sector Gathering in Zezhou was deliberately initiated by the Great Radiant Cult. However, in order to prevent the authorities from finding out, they did not have to make such a big fuss about it. There must be something fishy going on.
He had been wanted by the Great Radiant Cult before, but now, he did not dare to take the initiative to inquire about the situation with the monks in the temple. He also did not choose to follow those martial artists who had left after being rejected.
The matter in Zezhou had caused a huge uproar. On one hand, the army had entered the city, on the other hand, there were rumors about the remaining members of the Black Flag Sect. The Great Radiant Cult had set up an event in Zezhou City, and on the other hand, they had gathered the people of the Woodland Sector to support the Ghost King. Even though the world was in chaos and the various forces were complicated, this matter still seemed a little strange.
Although he had wanted to take a look at the commotion when he first came, Mister Zhao and Madam Zhao had been there to hold the fort. Now that the two seniors had left, he was just a rookie who had just entered the pugilistic world. He did not have the guts to get involved in all these matters. To him, the most important thing was to find the whereabouts of his "fourth brother" and inquire about his other brothers and sisters. After that, he would either seek revenge or wait for an opportunity to save them. He could not act rashly.
In his heart, he still hoped that his brothers and sisters were still safe and that his fourth brother was not a traitor. There must be some other story behind this. Although the possibility was not high, Tan Zheng's martial arts skills and the influence of the Great Radiant Cult were much greater than his seven brothers back then. His own escape was just a fluke. But no matter what, the matter had not been decided, and he still had some expectations in his heart.
The expectations in his heart had lessened, and the things he needed to do had also decreased by a lot. After waiting for a day, Tan Zheng and the others did not appear in the temple. You Hongzhuo was not anxious either. He followed the pedestrians and left, passing through the bustling city. The sun was setting, and he would occasionally see groups of soldiers passing by on the streets. The number of travelers and beggars who came from other places was much higher than some of the places he had been to before.
When he returned to the alley where Liang An Inn was, the aroma of food from the surrounding houses had already drifted out. From afar, he could see the owner of the inn talking to a few of his neighbors. A stock-looking man was waving his arms and speaking in a rather loud voice. When You Hongzhuo went over, he heard the man say, "It doesn't matter where they're from. They deserve to die. It would be best if they were sunburned to death. From what I see, these people have not died miserably enough! "Die miserably, die miserably... Of all places, they came to Zezhou to join in the fun..."
As the man said this, the people around him nodded. Someone said, "From what I see, the city has not been peaceful recently. Even I wish for the girl to return to the countryside..."
"... How dare these foreigners stir up trouble. Take a knife and stab them to death..."
Amidst these words, the owner of the Liang An Inn saw You Hongzhuo walk in and said, "Don't block my entrance, I don't want to do business. Alright, alright …" Only then did the crowd shut up. Looking at You Hongzhuo, one of them glared at him. You Hongzhuo nodded his head as a form of greeting and entered the inn.
From what they had said, the group of bandits who had been publicly displayed in the morning had most likely been sunburned to death in the square. It was unknown if anyone had come to rescue them.
He was just an ordinary person. He did not come to Zezhou to join in the fun, nor did he care about the affairs of the world. Therefore, he did not mind the slight hostility of the locals too much. After returning to his room, he thought about what had happened today for a while. He then went to buy a meal from the owner of the inn and ate it in the corridor on the second floor of the inn.
The crimson setting sun gradually disappeared. Looking out from the second floor, he could see layers of mud walls and grey tiles. Not far away, a courtyard with short tung trees was already brightly lit and crowded with people. There was also the sound of suona and opera. Someone was getting married and having a feast.
You Hongzhuo ate and looked at the peaceful atmosphere. He thought of the restless mood of the people at the entrance of the inn and in the city. When he and the Zhao couple came, they met the convoy of golden men. They had left from Zezhou City. Perhaps they had also sensed that this place was not peaceful. It was unknown if this family wanted to get married at this time because they wanted to take advantage of the current peaceful times to settle this matter.
In the past few years, the Central Plains had been in turmoil. The so-called unrest was no longer a joke that could not be seen or touched.
The evening had fallen and the inn had also lit up its lights. The air was still a little hot. You Hongzhuo looked at the tens of thousands of lights in front of him in the dim light. He did not know if this would be the last peaceful time of this city.
He felt sympathy in his heart, but he would not care too much.
He had already experienced it.
*****
After nightfall, the lights of tens of thousands of households reflected a lively atmosphere against the night sky of the city. With Zezhou as the center, specks of light spread out. The military camps, relay stations, villages, small paths that were usually not frequented by people, and forests were also lit up sparsely in the night.
It had been a long time since Zezhou City had such a lively scene. The atmosphere inside and outside the city was tense.
The atmosphere was tense, and there were all kinds of things happening. In the mansion of the Zezhou Zhizhou, some old country gentlemen who had come together to ask the government to close the city gates and not allow outsiders to enter had just left. Zhizhou Lu Anmin wiped the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief. He anxiously walked around the side hall a few times and sat down on a chair.
The request of the old country gentlemen was difficult to meet. Even if he refused, it would not be easy. But after all, they had already left. Logically speaking, his emotions should have calmed down. But at this time, this Zhizhou Lu clearly still had other difficult matters. He sat on the chair and thought for a while with a restless gaze. Finally, he patted the chair, stood up, and went out to another reception room.
At the door of the room, there were two guards and a maidservant. Lu Anmin walked over, lowered his head, and asked the maidservant, "Has the young lady eaten yet?"
The maidservant shook her head and said, "Master, not yet."
Lu Anmin frowned and hesitated for a moment. Finally, he reached out and pushed the door open.
After the fall of the Wu dynasty and the world was in chaos, Lu Anmin had reached his current position. He had once been a Jinghan scholar for six years. He had experienced being ranked first in the imperial examinations, paraded through the streets on horseback, and also experienced chaos, chaos, and famine. By now, he was serving under the Tiger King and guarding the city. Many rules had been broken, and he had witnessed many chaotic incidents with his own eyes. However, now that the situation in Zezhou was tense, the person who came to visit him today was indeed a little unexpected and troublesome to deal with.
The door to the room was pushed open. Amidst the warm yellow light, there was a table of food that had long gone cold. Sitting under the light at the side of the room was a nun dressed in monk robes. This nun who wore her hair on and cultivated had her long hair hanging down. Her head was slightly lowered, and she was fiddling with the prayer beads on her fingertips. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the nun raised her head and looked at Lu Anmin. Lu Anmin sighed in his heart.
In chaotic times, everyone had no choice but to do what they wanted. The threat of life, the corruption of power, and people would change. Lu Anmin had already seen too much. But with just this one glance, he could still sense that something stubbornly survived in the nun's eyes. It was something that he wanted to see, but he didn't really want to see here.
So he sighed and spread his hands to the side. "Miss Li …" He paused for a moment. "… Have you eaten?"
Faced with this woman who was once called Li Shishi and was now probably the most troublesome and thorny woman in the world, Lu Anmin said something that was neither new nor original.
The nun got up and bowed gently to him. Lu Anmin sighed again in his heart.
Unfortunately, she wasn't just here to eat …
*****
Lights, vegetarian food, and specks of light could be heard.
"… When I was young, I was high-spirited. After passing the imperial examination, I went to Fen Province to be the county magistrate. The small county was still manageable, but there were many things that I wasn't used to and couldn't let go. After three years of evaluation, I suffered in the end … At that time, I was upright and felt that I was a scholar. I read the books of sages and never felt guilty to anyone. Why should I suffer such filthy treatment? Even if the higher-ups had a way, I was stubborn and unwilling to clear it for a while. After a few years, I simply resigned. Fortunately, there was spare money at home and I had a good reputation, so I lived a good life for a period of time.
"… Later, the Golden Man went south and hid with my family. I also thought of gathering a group of people to resist. The people did gather, but it didn't take long for them to disperse. What do ordinary people know? The country has been destroyed, and there is nothing left. When we gather together, we need to eat, but where can we get any? We can only rob. With a knife in our hands, we are especially ruthless to the people around us. Hehe, we are no different from the Golden Man … "
"… Just like that, I let them be. Later, I ran and hid. My wife and eldest son … died in the chaos of war. My father died. I almost starved to death twice. My concubine left her daughter and ran away with someone else … "Under the light, Lu Anmin, who was speaking, held a wine glass with a smile on his face. He paused for a long time and smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly," At that time, I thought that maybe it would be better if the people did not disperse … "
The nun opposite him picked up some food for him with her chopsticks. Lu Anmin looked at her for a moment. He was nearly forty years old and had an elegant temperament. It was the most charming period for a man. He stretched out his hand, "Miss Li, don't stand on ceremony."
He said with a slight smile, "Now that I think about it, the first time I met Miss Li was more than ten years ago. At that time, Bianliang was still there, and Fan Lou was still there. When I lived on the imperial street, I liked to go to Old Zhou's soup noodle shop to eat soup noodles and meatballs. That year, it snowed heavily. I went over in winter and waited until the next year … "
The nun opposite him also smiled with nostalgia, "What Governor Lu saw was still a little girl."
Lu Anmin looked at Li Shishi's face, "At that time, Miss Li was about ten years old and was already one of the people at the top of Fan Lou. Among the girls at that time, Miss Li's temperament was the most different from others. She jumped out of the vulgar. Perhaps because of this, everyone has faded away, but only Miss Li is still famous in the world. "
Shishi lowered her head, "I can't be called famous in the world …"
Lu Anmin looked solemn, "Last June, there was a flood in Puyang. Miss Li went back and forth and persuaded the surrounding rich families to donate grain and give porridge as disaster relief. Countless people were saved. This kindness will be remembered by everyone in the world."
"That can't be considered as my actions." Shishi said in a low voice, "I'm not the one who provides the rations, and I'm not the one who suffers. What do I do? It's nothing more than shamelessly going to each household and kowtowing. It was said that I became a monk and cultivated with my hair. In fact, what I did was to entertain people with my beauty. In the end, I bore this false reputation and lived in fear every day. "
The girl spoke calmly, but Lu Anmin was slightly stunned for a moment. Then, he murmured, "Miss Li … has done this much."
"Everyone has their own fate," Shishi said in a low voice.
"Yes." Lu Anmin lowered his head and ate a mouthful of food, then drank a cup of wine. The room was silent for a long time before Shishi said, "Governor Lu, I came here today because I have something to ask of you …"
Lu Anmin only nodded silently.
"I beg Governor Lu to think of a way to close the city gates and save those who are about to die."
Lu Anmin shook his head, "… Things are not as simple as Miss Shishi thinks."
"But there must be a way to reduce the deaths of innocent people." After the girl finished speaking, Lu Anmin did not reply. After a while, she continued, "By the Yellow River, the Ghost King has been tied up, and 400,000 hungry ghosts have been washed away. The killing has caused rivers of blood. Now that you have captured Wang Shitong and brought him here, you can punish him with great fanfare as a warning to others, but why involve the innocent? Outside the city of Zezhou, thousands of hungry ghosts are heading here. Please release Wang Shitong, they will arrive in a few days. If these people come to Zezhou, it will be difficult to reason with them, and Zezhou will not be peaceful. You have the army, you can disperse them and drive them away, why must you kill them … "
Lu Anmin sat up straight, "Then, Miss Shishi, do you know that it is also very dangerous for you to come to Zezhou?"
The girl looked at him, "I only want to save people."
"The situation is complicated, Shishi, you don't understand." Lu Anmin paused, "If you want to save people, why don't you ask that person?"
Shishi was confused for a moment, "Who?"
"… The person from Black Flag."
She understood and looked at Lu Anmin, "But … he is already dead."
Lu Anmin put down his chopsticks, tilted his head and stared at her, trying to determine whether she was telling the truth or not.
The reason why Lu Anmin did not want to see Li Shishi was not because her existence represented the memories of the good times in the past. The reason why she was so troublesome and difficult to deal with, the reason why she had come today, and even the current situation in the entire Ze Province, if one wanted to get to the bottom of it, it would most likely be related to the existence of the 'person' he mentioned. Although he had heard many rumors about that person's death, hearing such a straightforward answer from the other party at this moment, Lu Anmin felt that his thoughts were in a mess.
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