Bazhou Zhizhou Sir Fan Mo Li came early in the morning to pay his respects to the imperial envoy. Today was New Year's Eve. There were already sporadic sounds of firecrackers everywhere in the city, bringing with it the smell of New Year's Eve.
Liang Hong woke up early. Unexpectedly, when he accompanied the Zhizhou Sir to the entrance of the imperial envoy building, he was told that the Zhizhou Sir was still sleeping in. The two of them didn't know whether to laugh or cry. They sat in the hall drinking tea and chatting. After waiting for an hour, they saw Yang Ling yawning and disheveled.
Sir Fan hurriedly stood up and said respectfully, "Duke, the An family has over a thousand hectares of land, seven shops, over nine hundred houses, over four hundred servants and maids who have been sold as slaves. In addition, there are seized gold, silver, jewels, jades and so on. They are all sealed in the treasury. All the property has been registered. Those that should be sealed have been sealed. Duke, do you want to go to the Zhizhou yamen to check and take over the property?"
"What's the hurry?" Yang Ling said sleepily, "Even if I finish checking today, I can't rush back on the first day of the New Year? Ah... ah ah... today is New Year's Eve! "
Yang Ling slapped his forehead and said, "I remember now. Today is New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve is when the unscrupulous landlord doesn't collect his debts. I'm going to take over the An family's property? No, no, that's too unkind. Uh... I think, let's wait for a few days. What do you think, Eunuch Liang? "
Eunuch Liang heard this and said happily, "Duke is right. Duke is a kind person. It's better to wait for a few days before taking over."
Sir Fan originally thought that he would clear up the accounts and let this Duke take over quickly. He didn't expect the two imperial envoys to rather like living in a small place like Bazhou.
Seeing that both the imperial envoy and the deputy wanted to be a 'kind person', Sir Fan could only smile bitterly and said, "Yes, yes, yes. I was rash. It's hard to walk in winter due to the snow. The two imperial envoys only slept for one night. How can they be tired? Uh, since Duke and Eunuch Liang want to stay for a few days, do you have any arrangements for today? Do you need me to accompany you? "
Yang Ling said, "There's no need. It's the new year today, so Master Fan should have closed his yamen long ago. In order to wait for us, he delayed a lot of things. Just go back to your mansion to celebrate the new year. Ben Gongye is busy in the capital, I spend all day welcoming and seeing off various dukes and marquises. I leave the capital to calm my heart, to rest, to clear my stomach; this is the way to keep in good health. If I'm bored, I'll take a stroll on the streets. What plans does Eunuch Liang have? "
Liang Hong laughed: "I am old friends with the local guard eunuch, Zhang Zhong, Zhang Gonggong. Since Duke is not busy, I will pay a visit."
Yang Ling chuckled and said, "Good, good. Both of you go do your own things. Ben Gongye will go back to sleep. I just changed places and haven't had a good night's sleep. See you later."
Yang Ling left them behind and went back to sleep. If Master Fan had not been instructed by Zhang Zhong, he would not have cared too much about this outdated Mr Yang. Yang Ling may have been promoted, but he did not care about him. Since he was too lazy to check his assets on New Year's Eve, Prefectural Magistrate Fan remembered that there would be quite a number of officials visiting his own mansion today to pay a visit and give gifts, so he slipped away.
When Liang Hong got on a sedan chair and rushed excitedly to Zhang Zhong's mansion, Yang Ling waited for a while before he also got on a small sedan chair and left through a corner door. More than twenty family warriors disguised as commoners protected the front and back of the sedan chair. Yang Ling and Black Sparrow Hawk Miao Gang sat together in the sedan chair.
Because of the New Year, there was a festive atmosphere everywhere in Bazhou. The young ladies and madams of the rich families also brought their families out. The small merchants and peddlers crowded the corners of the streets and alleys. There were quite a number of people. Yang Ling and his entourage slowly wandered in the city. As they were walking forward, suddenly a large group of people surged towards them. They beat gongs and drums, the sound was deafening and the banners fluttered in the wind. For a moment, the peddlers and pedestrians all went on their way. Many commoners knelt on the ground and prostrated themselves in worship.
Yang Ling saw such a scene. Even if the nobles went on patrol, they might not be able to compare. He curiously asked someone to stop the sedan chair by the side of the road. He lifted the curtain to take a look. From the banners, he saw the six-syllable mantra of Buddhism and the name of Swastika. Following that, a large group of novice monks and monks rushed out, chanting the name of Buddha. Only then did he know that they were monks.
Yesterday, he heard Miao Gang talk about the Four Thieves of Bazhou. This fake Buddhism that cheated money and women was ranked second. Yang Ling focused his gaze and saw four luxurious carriages driving past. There were lotus thrones in the carriages and each of them had a monk in a red kasaya. The four monks were already over seventy years old. They had long eyebrows and beards and looked solemn. Each of them had their eyes closed and were chanting sutras. They turned a blind eye to the noise around them. They indeed looked like Daoist experts.
When the carriages passed by, the devout believers stood up. Someone said, "Aren't the four Buddha masters cultivating in Longquan Temple? Where are they going? "
Another person who knew said, "I heard that Eunuch Zhang, who is guarding this place, invited the four Buddha masters to perform a ritual to celebrate the New Year."
"Bah! He eats human food but doesn't shit. Even if he invited the real Buddha, he won't be able to protect him! "Someone scolded.
Yang Ling put down the curtain of the sedan chair and said in a low voice, "It seems that the people of Bazhou are very devout to these living Buddhas. However, they don't have a good impression of Eunuch Zhang Zhong. But the strange thing is that although they hate Zhang Zhong so much, they don't have any complaints about the four monks coming to perform a ritual to pray for him. These four monks are very popular. "
Black Sparrow Hawk forced a smile and said, "This is where their brilliance lies. Their glib tongue can make you willingly offer up all your belongings, and in turn, when they give you a bowl of porridge, you will feel that they have a benevolent Buddha heart.
Bazhou originally didn't have many Buddhists. It is said that they are all Daoist experts who served the Emperor of Hongzhi in the Wanchun Palace and Shou 'an Palace. They have great supernatural power and mana. They moved here to deliver the masses. "
"So they lived in the Wanchun Palace and Shou 'an Palace?"
Yang Ling was enlightened. It turned out that the scammers of Bazhou were the root of the trouble left by the Emperor of Hongzhi. In the eleventh year of Hongzhi, the Emperor of Hongzhi favored the eunuch Li Guang. At that time, Gu Daeyong relied on Li Guang and got a good job in Dongchang.
Li Guang didn't have any other abilities but he knew how to make pills and pray for blessings. He also invited many scammers from all over to confuse the Emperor and became the most favored official. At that time, all civil and military officials had to look up to him for promotions. Li Guang's appetite for bribes was also very big. It was to the extent that if someone in the officialdom of the capital asked for too much, the briber would come back and sigh to his friends and family, "This person's appetite is bigger than Li Guang's!"
This trendy saying had not faded to this day, and it had recently become even more popular. Usually, the officials who had been to Liu Jin's residence would say this to others with a bitter smile.
The Emperor of Hongzhi was a generous person. After Li Guang's crimes were exposed, the Emperor of Hongzhi did not punish the monks and Daoists severely. Instead, he sent them out of the capital. Unexpectedly, they did not go far and actually gathered in Bazhou. In just ten years, they have formed such a huge influence.
Yang Ling looked at Black Sparrow Hawk and smiled, "These monks and Daoists were originally in the capital to deceive the Emperor and the ministers. They are knowledgeable and have many tricks up their sleeves. It is no wonder that so many people and even many gentry and celebrities were deceived by them. What is rare is that Brother Miao can see through their tricks."
Black Sparrow Hawk blushed and stammered, "Duke, I invited you out today not to let you see the situation in Bazhou. You can't see anything even if you walk around the streets.
Speaking of which, us bandits and the Buddhist and Daoist sects do not interfere with each other. They use their mouths to earn money, we use our knives to earn money. It is just like the eight immortals crossing the sea, each showing their ability. Not to mention the second elder brother, we are all the same, our hearts are all black. Although we do not believe in their tricks, we do not have such a deep understanding of them.
My understanding of the tricks of these monks and Daoists is actually something that happened in these two months. The Dragon King Temple that I stayed in, there were a few beggars living there. One of them was also a newcomer. When he came, he was seriously injured. It seemed like he was beaten up. At that time, I had just escaped from prison and carried my mother there. Seeing that he was pitiful, I fed him whenever he could and we became good brothers.
Once, I heard him talking in his sleep at night, screaming that he was going to kill someone. I woke him up and after questioning him, he was forced to tell me the truth. It turned out that he was one of the Dharma protectors of the four so-called Buddha Lords who had just passed by. Because he knew that they were deceiving people, he rose up to resist. As a result, he was severely injured by the thugs and was thrown into the Juma River to feed the fish.
This person was also lucky. After being splashed with cold water, he woke up and escaped. He wanted to take revenge but was afraid of being recognized, so he used a tile to cut his face and hid in the Dragon King Temple to be a beggar. I heard about those people pretending to be Buddhist and Daoist monks to cheat money and women. "
"Oh?" Yang Ling's expression turned serious and asked, "This person is still in the Dragon King Temple? Why didn't you bring him to see me? Can't I redress his grievances? "
Miao Gang looked troubled as he said, "Last night, the two officials accompanied me to pick up my mother. When I arrived at the temple, I whispered to him that I knew a noble person who might be able to help him redress his grievances. When he heard this, he only shook his head and smiled bitterly. Before he left, he repeatedly told me not to reveal his identity. He only said that even a high-ranking official of the court would not be able to redress his grievances. At that time, I was afraid that the two officials would become anxious waiting outside, so I casually agreed. Now that I think about it, how could he take revenge alone? So … I still told you. "
Yang Ling thought for a while and said, "Let's go, bring me to see him immediately. If he thinks about it afterwards and deliberately avoids me, then it will be troublesome."
※ ※ ※
Bazhou City was built along the Juma River. The Dragon King Temple was on the pier by the Juma River.
The Juma River was once the border between the Song and Liao Dynasties. It was too shallow for boats to sail and too deep for horses, hence the name. In fact, boats could still sail in the river. It was just that flat-bottomed sand boats could only be sailed during spring and summer. Big boats really could not sail.
In addition, the land route was also built along the river. Hence, the pier was quite lively. It was both a waterway pier and an overland passenger and cargo terminal. The dockworkers built simple houses, medicine, cloth, grain shops, and warehouses. This was the slums of Bazhou. The poor people were also divided into gangs. More than thirty big brothers divided the area according to their respective forces. Of course, it was not their turn to collect protection fees. The purpose of fighting for territory was only to fight for opportunities for merchants to work hard.
They carried goods and went up and down the slope. They could not snatch other people's territory. Otherwise, it would lead to a bloody fight at the pier. The big brothers at the pier were good at fighting and divided the land. Currently, the eight big brothers at the pier who had the most power were called the Eight Great Arhats. People like Miao Gang who were skilled in martial arts, if his limbs were intact, he might be able to become a fighter by their side. However, if he was crippled, he could only beg on the streets.
It was the New Year. However, when they arrived at the slums of Bazhou, there was no New Year atmosphere. The coolies at the pier were still carrying goods. All of them were in high spirits. They were not afraid of exerting themselves. Only when there was work would there be food to eat. The more and heavier the goods, the happier they were.
The huge oil cylinders weighed more than two hundred catties. They split into groups of two and used hemp ropes to hold the cylinders on their shoulders as they struggled to move towards the storeroom. Leather oil was the main material for making candles, so it was usually packed in big bamboo baskets made of leather paper. Each basket also weighed more than two hundred catties. Two porters used shoulder poles to carry the basket, shouting "Hai, aiyo!" as they staggered along.
This was a world that truly belonged to the poor. These poor people who had no property or jobs were the commoners who lived at the bottom of society. Most of them were farmers who had lost their land and were forced to leave their homes to do hard labor. They built shacks by the river and lived in desolate areas.
They were ridiculed by the government as "people who did not farm, weave, buy, or trade". They were the bad people of society. However, who would know that all they wanted was to have food to eat and clothes to wear?
However, there were people who were even more miserable than them. After passing through a low alley, there was a rather dilapidated Dragon King Temple. The four walls were porous and it was even harder to keep out the cold than the wooden shack. It was really unknown how those beggars survived the winter. No one cared about beggars. If they were sick, they would be frozen stiff in the howling of the cold wind. Their kind-hearted companions might dig a hole for them. Otherwise, they would throw them into the barren land to feed the wild dogs. No one in the government or Baojia would pursue the matter.
Today was New Year's Eve. If they went to the rich families or inns, they could mostly get some charity. Therefore, the beggars were busy carrying their broken sacks in the city. The temple was empty.
Miao Gang said curiously, "He shouldn't have gone out to beg. His broken leg hasn't recovered yet. He can't walk far at all. These days, he has been relying on us to help him. Why …"
Yang Ling suddenly stopped him. After listening for a moment, he waved his hand and said, "Two of you, go to the back and take a look!"
Liu Da Bang Chui immediately led two bodyguards to the back. The back of the Dragon King Temple was piled up with rocks by the beggars. There was only a small opening at the front door. They usually went to the back to relieve themselves.
Liu Da Bang Chui rushed to the back with two bodyguards. The back of the Dragon King Temple was close to the Juma River. A man in ragged clothes was sitting on the snowy ground by the river. He held a knife in his hand and was sprinkling snow as he sharpened it on a rock. Seeing a few well-dressed people suddenly appear in the temple, the man was startled. He staggered to his feet and tried to escape.
Liu Da Bang Chui did not allow him to leave. He immediately rushed over and cleanly removed the knife in his hand. Then, he had two bodyguards grab him and drag him back to the Dragon King Temple. As soon as Miao Gang saw that person, he went forward and called out, "Brother, don't panic. This is the great benefactor I told you about yesterday. If you want to take revenge, only this Lord can help you."
The man struggled for a long time. He was so tired that he was panting. The scars on his face that had not healed looked like maggots wriggling. They looked abnormally ferocious and disgusting. After hearing Miao Gang's words, the man's frightened expression finally relaxed.
Yang Ling signaled with his eyes. His bodyguards gently placed the man on the ground. The man's eyes were fixed on Yang Ling, cautiously sizing him up without saying a word.
Yang Ling smiled lightly. He walked to him and slowly squatted down. He said, "You were tricked by a swindler and ruined your family, right? Tell me about your situation. I can help you! "
Hearing this, the man laughed bitterly. "Who are you? Are you an imperial inspector or an imperial envoy? Hahaha, no matter who you are, you can't help me. Those lecherous monks have befriended countless nobles. They have eyes and ears everywhere in Bazhou. The officials and gentry are all in cahoots with them. The good people have been fooled by them.
You want to get rid of these lecherous monks? Even if you are an imperial inspector, do you know how many people here worship them as living Buddhas? If you dare to touch them, tens of thousands of people will rebel. Even if you are an imperial envoy, do you think your authority is greater than Eunuch Zhang, the favorite of Eunuch Liu in the capital? "
A mocking smile appeared on Yang Ling's lips. "Then how are you going to deal with him? With your strength alone? With this … "
Yang Ling waved his hand and took the sharp knife from Liu Da Bang Chui's hands. The knife was rusty and the blade was chipped. The steel edge was not good either. It was so thin that it seemed like it could be broken with one twist. Yang Ling flicked his finger on the blade and said, "With this broken knife and your broken leg, you want to kill a large group of monks and assassinate four demon monks?"
A look of despair flashed in the man's eyes. He said in a daze, "It was me who led the wolf into the house. If I can't kill them, I … will die to apologize to my mother and my beloved wife in the underworld."
With a clang, the knife was thrown aside by Yang Ling. Yang Ling slowly stood up and said, "From your tone, you seem to know a lot about the officialdom. Your original status was not low. Then, you should have heard of my name. My name is Yang Ling! "
The man's body trembled. His hands suddenly grabbed the soil on the ground. He raised his head and stared at Yang Ling.
Liu Da Bang Chui laughed and said, "Boy, the person who resisted the imperial edict of the Former Emperor in the capital is him! The person who met the three guards of Duoyan and the Tatar Khan in the northern frontier is him! The person who wiped out the Wokou pirates, expelled the Western fleet, and helped Manchuria restore their country is him! In the southwest, the person who quelled the rebellion for more than a hundred years and solved the case of the heir of the King of Shu is him!
I forgot to tell you, two of the three eunuchs in Jiangnan died in the hands of our High Duke. Now it's just four bald donkeys. Do you think our High Duke can't kill them? "
The man looked up for a long time. Tears blurred his eyes. Suddenly, he screamed and hugged Yang Ling's thigh. He cried, "Mr Yang, I am wronged. I have a blood feud. I beg Mr Yang to redress my grievances!"
* * *
"My name is Mu Jing, and I'm a scholar from Yongqing. My family is quite well-off, and I'm one of the wealthiest families in the area. Once, my wife and I accompanied my mother to the Longquan Temple to pray, and we met the four Living Buddhas. They are not monks of Longquan Temple, but they have been living there for a long time. Due to their great power, they have many believers. The abbot of Longquan Temple can't control them. That place seems to have become their home.
The students saw with their own eyes that after they preached the scriptures, they performed magic in front of the crowd, they took objects from the air, and they stepped on fire barefoot. Their supernatural powers were really powerful. For a moment, they were bewitched and believed in their nonsense about planting good fortune in the next life. They became their followers. They are really good at preaching. I don't know why, but I became more and more convinced of their words. Sometimes, I believed what they said without hesitation.
In order to show my sincerity, I donated a large amount of money and became the protector of the four Living Buddhas. I encouraged many friends and relatives to worship the Living Buddhas. But as my status gets higher and higher, I come into contact with more things. I found out that the four holy monks have to make a lot of preparations before they show their supernatural powers. When they go to the mansion of the rich and powerful officials, they have to prepare their own tools for performing magic.
Although the student still couldn't grasp the gist of it and didn't know what was going on, the student thought that if the deities were really omnipotent, why would they need to do these things? Shouldn't the deities just need to recite the incantations? Even if they wanted to draw talismans, there was no reason for them to use special tables and chairs that had been prepared beforehand.
In addition, the four Living Buddhas have close to ten thousand believers. Every year, they have to collect money for planting and household. The money for planting is paid according to 11 festivals: three yuan (15th of the first month, 15th of the seventh month, 15th of the tenth month), two equinox (spring equinox, autumn equinox), and four seasons (beginning of spring, beginning of summer, beginning of autumn, and beginning of winter). The household money is paid once every season throughout the year.
Just this amount of money is already innumerable, not to mention people like me who donate a large amount of money for the sake of 'good fortune in this life, good fortune in the next life'. But they occasionally give out porridge and spend very little. A large amount of money is missing, no one knows where it was used. "
"Even at this point, I still believe that they are deities who have cultivated to the golden body and follow them stubbornly. But I gradually found out that when they recruit female believers, they use the excuse of 'a match made in heaven' and 'a wish fulfilled in the past life' to trick them into giving themselves. "
Yang Ling smiled bitterly when he heard this. He couldn't help but think of the Red Tassel Society he met in Zhenjiang. Grandmaster Ni Ke's methods were similar, but he knew how to restrain himself. He wanted to take advantage of the women's shyness and reluctance to admit that they were cheated of their bodies. But these perverted monks were even more daring. They openly found some reasons to possess these women.
Mu Jing let out a long sigh and said, "I pity those young women. Just like me, who was willing to spend all of my family's wealth to show filial piety to the Living Buddha, each of them has long been stubborn. They are willing to give themselves and take pride in serving the Buddha, hoping that they can absorb the Immortal Qi and become a deity or a Buddha. Since ancient times, how could there be such deities?
The student began to gradually regret and wanted to leave these evil monks. But it's easy to join the society, but it's hard to leave. They have close contacts with high officials and nobles, and have great influence in the upper class. As for the common people, there are countless people who are crazy about them. They all believe that they are the real reincarnations of deities, including my good friends and relatives who have been introduced to the society. Now they are as obsessed as I was in the beginning. Everyone looks forward to enjoying great wealth and even becoming deities under their salvation.
Milord, you can't imagine the degree of obsession. If someone dares to point out that these monks are fake deities, or tries to point out some suspicious points that they don't look like deities, they will fly into a rage as if someone dug up their ancestral graves. "
At this point, Mu Jing's cheek twitched a few times, and his eyes revealed a look of horror. He said, "I once tried to tell my suspicions to a brother of mine, but he immediately turned against me and scolded me for not being devout enough to the deities and Buddha, and for wanting to implicate my family in the next life."
The four evil monks found that I no longer trusted them so much, so they sent a few people to strengthen their control over me. They also announced at the Buddhist meeting that I was destined to be with Buddha, and wanted me to become a true Buddhist protector, to cultivate under the true Buddhist sect, and to donate all of my property. "
Mu Shengyuan said bitterly, "I brought this upon myself. All the believers only envied me. Even my mother … also encouraged me to immediately worship the true Buddhist sect and become a disciple. If I refused at that time, I'm afraid they would immediately announce that I was possessed by an evil spirit, and then find a reason to secretly kill me. I could only pretend to agree and hand over the deed of the house and land against my will. But … "
Mu Shengyuan trembled all over. "But when I became useless, they restricted my movements and began to have ideas about my wife. I was regretful and hateful, so I secretly looked for an opportunity to tell her what I knew. Fortunately, my wife had never believed in these things. When I refused to come to my senses, she tried to persuade me, and then we began to discuss how to escape …"
"But I still had my mother there. I wanted to escape with her, but I didn't expect my mother to be even more obsessed than me. She scolded me for being possessed and actually doubting the deities and Buddha. She dragged me to the four evil monks to ask for forgiveness. My wife, Madam An, pleaded with my mother, but she was also scolded by her. At this time, the evil monks' men were alarmed. In the fight, my mother's head hit the incense table, and blood flowed all over the ground. Madam An was stabbed to death by the evil monk's men in order to save me.
I escaped alone, but they chased me to the Juma River, where they beat me until I fainted. It was nighttime at that time, and they thought I was dead, so they threw me into the river. The piercing water woke me up, and after I climbed ashore, I hid myself. I was afraid that they would find me, so I disfigured my own face. I also wanted to go to the government to complain, but … "
"I stayed here for a few days and got to know Brother Miao and a few others. Later, I talked in my sleep, and Brother Miao found out about me. I asked him to help me gather information, but I didn't expect that I would be so greedy in my cultivation that I fell into a demonic barrier. I wanted to steal the Living Buddha's magical artifact. After I failed, I killed my mother and wife and fled to another place.
Not only did many monks witness this incident, there were also many believers who spread the story vividly. Even the government confirmed my crime. I have followed them for a long time, so I know how powerful they are. They can turn black into white, and they can turn the dead into the living. If I come forward to complain, I will immediately be sentenced to death by the government. They have countless witnesses and material evidence to convict me. "
"Sir, not only are many of the officials and people in Bazhou their believers, but many people who come to the capital to be officials or leave the capital to be local officials will come to these demon monks to predict their future before they take up their posts. Many of the nobles in the capital often send people to burn incense and pray to the Buddha. I know that it is a delusion for me to want to take revenge, but I just want to risk my life to atone for my crime.
Now that you are a duke, if you want to punish the Four Great Demon Monks, I think the local government will not dare to disobey. Although they want to become immortals and Buddhas, they cherish the glory and wealth in front of them more.
But … if you dare to touch the four demon monks, even if they don't rebel, there will definitely be a large number of fanatical believers surrounding your yamen. They will set fire to themselves and harm themselves to force you to let them go. But … if you dare to do anything to the four demon monks, there will be tens of thousands of pious believers who will surround your yamen.
If it really causes such a tragedy in the first month, I'm afraid that even with your authority, you will be impeached by many officials. If those nobles who believe in the demon monks take the opportunity to come forward and agree … "
"Evil sect!" Yang Ling coldly rebuked and said, "Don't they boast that they have the ability to see through heaven and earth? If they are captured by my subordinates, will those people still believe that they are true Buddhas and have real abilities? "
"Believe! You only need to say that you can't bear to kill, that you want to use the heart of Buddha and great mercy to save all living beings, to reform the ignorant, and to bear all the sufferings of the believers, and they will be moved to tears. "Mu Shengyuan smiled bitterly and said," Among their believers, there are really not many who are different like me. "
Liu Da Bang Chui and the others listened in bewilderment. It shouldn't be like this. Since you've boasted so much about yourself, saying that there's nothing you can't do, but as soon as the soldiers arrive, you'll immediately capture them. Will there still be so many people who believe it? Did he take some kind of magic potion?
Yang Ling believed it. Those who have been bewitched really cannot be speculated with common sense. Yang Ling pondered for a long time before slowly nodding and said, "You hope that I will avenge you, but you take the trouble to repeatedly talk about their power. It seems that you have a lingering fear of their ability to bewitch the people's hearts. Hehe, don't worry. I have taken down all the fiends. I don't believe that I can't deal with these fake gods. "
He turned and walked out and said to Liu Da Bang Chui, "Take him back. Let Mu Shengyuan and Brother Miao sit in the same sedan chair. We will go back now."
Liu Da Bang Chui was amused when he heard that. "Our marshal used to go out for a stroll. He would definitely pick up a big girl. This time, he picked up two beggars in two days. Duke Wei Public House has changed into a charity hall!"
※ ※ ※
"What should we do? We clearly know that they are fake, but it is too difficult to touch them. In the future, when dealing with evil cults, the momentum of propaganda and exposure is overwhelming. There are still countless people who do not come to their senses. It is undoubtedly a fool's dream to want to persuade those ignorant people by holding a street meeting. As long as there is a little incident, those landlords will take the opportunity to instigate again. Who knows, it might lead to a civil war. But can we just sit back and watch these charlatans cheat people of wealth and sex and ruin their families? "
"Greed is hard to satisfy. Now they are still satisfied with being living gods in Bazhou. As their power and influence grow, God knows if there will be another Maitreya Sect. Once it develops to that point, they can only fight each other on the battlefield. At that time, who knows how many people will be harmed. But now, how can we punish these evil cult leaders without incurring a strong backlash from those ignorant people?"
"Ignorant people, ignorant women, sigh! They are cheated of their wealth and sex, and they are willing to be ordered around. There must be something hateful about these pitiful people. "Yang Ling frowned as he returned to the residence. He saw dozens of Yamachi carrying bedding out. When the two flag officers behind saw Yang Ling, they cried and said," Sir, you are finally back. "
Yang Ling took a look and said in surprise, "Hmm? Where are you going? "
The flag officer said pitifully, "A lady from the capital came with nearly a thousand people. She said that the backyard is your residence and she must protect it closely. So she drove us … to the front yard."
The backyard was the main residence of the An family's master. Whether it was the fireplace wall, fireplace bed, or the environment of the house, it was not comparable to the living quarters of the servants in the front yard. Of course, they were not very happy.
Liu Da Bang Chui's small eyes looked at Yang Ling and thought, "So I guessed wrong. This time I don't need to pick them up. The lady came to me herself."
"A lady from the capital came with more than a thousand soldiers … Who has such great ability? Yun 'er came? She won't show up in public and make a big fuss. Who else could it be? It can't be Her Royal Highness, can it? "Yang Ling asked in surprise," Did she say her identity? "
The flag bearer coughed and said dryly, "That young lady has a general's seal. It says that she is the Commander of the Imperial Bodyguards, the Protector of the Huang Nunnery personally appointed by His Majesty, Song Ai, Great General Song."
Hearing this, Yang Ling let out a laugh and quickly ran toward the back of the house. Liu Bangchui grinned and also let out a laugh, throwing aside the two beggars he was supporting with his left and right hands, and excitedly chased after Yang Ling.
The two beggars, who were standing on one leg, swayed a little and quickly supported each other, forming a complete person. They looked at each other in astonishment. Mu Shengyuan thought, "A woman, and a general at that. Rare! Only a weirdo like Mr. Yang would have such strange things around him! "
Miao Gang thought to himself, "He is a duke, so there must be a lot of women around him. However, if his women are all generals who lead troops, then it will be troublesome. Sister Cui is married before, and she is also a bandit. If one day she really marries him, will she be bullied by others?"
With capable people, Yang Ling was emboldened. It turned out that there was no one he could trust. No matter how much power he had, if the people under his command colluded with the people he wanted to deal with and disobeyed him in secret, he could only be a mere figurehead. It would be good if he didn't become Duke Huan of Qi who starved to death. He couldn't do anything at all. Now that he had a thousand people who were completely under his command, he had a greater chance of punishing those swindlers.
Thinking of this, Yang Ling looked at Song Ai who kept smiling and nodding. Song Ai, who was originally generous, also became shy. She blushed and quietly lowered her head.
This scene was seen by Black Hawk who jumped into the hall. He curled his lips disdainfully, "She is just a silly little girl who doesn't know how to flirt. She is far worse than Sister Cui. She is no threat. If she can be a general, my Sister Cui can be a marshal!"
Yang Ling said with a smile, "You finally came to the capital. Is it Zhang Yong who recommended you to be the commander of the imperial guards and the protector of Huang's Nunnery? Haha, Zhang Yong is a wonderful person. This arrangement is better than what I had planned. "
Song Ai smiled sweetly and said, "The Emperor said that the place is not peaceful. It is not safe for you to only bring some officers and arresters from the Ministry of Punishments. So he asked me to come to protect you. Your Excellency, when will we transport the property back to the capital? "
"This … There is no hurry. It is not that fast to do an inventory of the property, publicly sell and auction properties, real estate, equipment, and servants. Why, haha, are you in a hurry to get back to the capital? "
"No," Song Ai blushed and quickly said, "This is the first time I spend the New Year in the north. The capital is very lively, but here is not bad. At the end of the day, I saw the four masters with solemn and dignified robes. They must be praying for the New Year, right? There are also the dragon and lion dances that the merchants have hired. They are very beautiful. "
"Haha, that is good." Yang Ling knew that she cared about Wu Hanchao. But after all, the important matter was important. He could only pretend that he did not know about her love affair, "You like to be lively? The An family's house is very big. Tomorrow, I will also invite some drum and drum teams, dragon dance teams, and a theatrical troupe to sing a song. With so many brothers following me for the New Year, I have to make everyone happy … "
As he said this, he suddenly thought of a bold idea. Using the spear to attack the shield, although this method was vicious and bold, it was still a good way to deal with the four demon monks. These four people were the leaders of the swindlers in Bazhou who used Buddhism and Taoism to swindle people. As long as they were punished, the other swindlers would definitely flee in panic. This big swindler could be completely eliminated.
When Yang Ling thought of this, he cheerfully stood up and laughed, "Xiao Ai, Xiao Ai, you are really this duke's lucky general! Stick, arrange accommodation and food for Mu Sheng. I want to discuss official matters with General Song. Xiao Ai, let's go to the inner study and talk in detail! "
※ ※ ※
"Hehe, we've just performed a great ritual, saying that we've dispelled that imperial envoy's boundless killing intent. His invitation has just arrived. What do you guys think, should we go?" Master Zhi Shan was tall and had a ruddy face. Although he was already over sixty years old, he was still very strong and healthy.
"Can we not go?" Zhi Cong's eyelids drooped and she impatiently rolled her eyes at him. Her sage-like demeanor in front of others was completely gone, "That is the imperial envoy, the High Duke. How can we offend him? Moreover, he wants to donate a large sum of money to perform a great ritual to show great kindness. He also wants to invite the officials from various departments in the Bazhou government, the local gentry and celebrities, and the innocent people to participate in the great ritual. This is a great charity, how can we not go? "
Zhi Yuan stroked his long beard and said, "This Yang Ling is the most favored person in front of the current Emperor. The nobles and officials in the capital who came to us for fortune-telling and Fengshui all had good things to say about him. In my opinion, this person is not as bad as what the people say. That kind of ignorant people who only know how to listen to the wind, how trustworthy are the words that he says?"
Monk Zhi Yuan smiled, "What honest officials, don't you know that he is doing business with the relatives of the emperor? Moreover, as a High Duke, he only came to Bazhou to investigate the An family. What reason does he have to interfere with our affairs? Will the officials of Bazhou agree? Will the people of Bazhou agree? Don't be overly suspicious.
In my opinion, he has killed too many people these two years. Now that he has retired from the imperial court, he starts to think about doing good and accumulating blessings. He wants to erase his sins, accumulate merit for his descendants, and plant blessings for the next life! "
Zhi Shan's brows twitched and he said excitedly, "I think Zhi Yuan is right. Yang Ling is now an official of the highest position and can't be promoted anymore. He also has all kinds of beautiful wives and concubines at home. What do you think a successful official close to the Emperor at such a young age will be thinking about now that he has nothing to do?"
Zhi Cong smiled sinisterly and said slowly, "What else can he ask for? He has nothing to ask for in this life, so of course he's asking for riches and honor in the next life. He might even become a deity or Buddha and live forever. "
When the other three heard this, they revealed a cunning smile at the same time. Master Zhi Zhi stroked his long beard and said excitedly, "Everyone, everyone, don't forget that he is the most favored person in front of the Emperor. The current Emperor is still young, so we have to show our supernatural powers and abilities in this great ritual. Maybe … with this High Duke, we can return to the capital and enjoy the supreme glory of being worshipped and praised by the officials in the imperial court."
"Amitabha!" The Four Great Divine Monks seemed to have a telepathic connection. They cupped their hands and chanted the name of Buddha at the same time. There seemed to be light flowing on their faces and they looked solemn as if they were possessed by gods and Buddhas.
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