Of course, he had to take revenge! Lou Xiaoyi's life creed was Lou Xiaoyi's principle. He had no interest in patience. If the Jokhang Temple used this on someone else, he would at most laugh at it. If he was in a good mood, he might even reveal the secret and let someone else deal with it. However, since it happened to his mother, how could he tolerate it?
He only wanted to clarify one thing. Did Monk Kong Fang only give this string of prayer beads to his mother, or did he give it to other people as well? At the very least, did someone as important as His Excellency's wife not have the right to own such a mystical item?
Monk Kong Fang's actions were very ostentatious. It was the same every year, so he did not try to hide it. His original intention was for everyone to attend the Spring Spiritual Assembly. Of course, the more people knew, the better. However, it was not suitable for Lou Xiaoyi to investigate it himself. There was no need for him to do so either. He also had a confidant in Lou Province, although this confidant always seemed a little reluctant.
Three days later, Ping An entered the young master's study room. He was the only person in Lou Province who could enter without announcing, but he was not very keen on such a privilege.
"Your footsteps are light, dragging your heels. Your waist and hips are weak, and your Qi is lacking. Did you work overtime last night?
Moreover, after working for the past few months, your waist and abdomen have become thicker, and your spleen and flesh have regenerated. Ping An, your body is your own! "
Ping An smiled awkwardly. "Young Master, you have sharp eyes. Aren't I already middle-aged? Well, I didn't go to a restaurant last night. I only went to the plot of land at home, plowed it, and fertilized it. I can't let it be barren, so I didn't dare to mess around outside!"
Lou Xiaoyi waved his hand. "What do your private matters have to do with me? Your body is your own, not mine!
Tell me, how is the matter I asked you to do? "
Ping An habitually lowered his voice. "I've investigated it thoroughly. That monk did not hide anything. He visited all the guests openly, and there were no strangers at night. They were all devout believers in Pu City.
In these three days, other than our Lou Province, we also visited five other residences, all of which belonged to reputable families in Pu City. There was Prefect Ji's official residence, Scholar Hu's residence, Mayor Wang's family, Minister Fan's family, and the richest Li's family …
There were no valuable gifts. They all left empty-handed and returned empty-handed. According to the servants of these families, they only gave some common Buddhist items such as prayer beads, incense pouches, Buddhist scriptures, and Buddhist tablets. They were all worthless trinkets … "
Lou Xiaoyi nodded. "You did well. No one noticed you, right?"
Ping An smiled. "Don't worry. Servants have their own circle of servants, and many of them are talkative people. I don't even need to mention it, he would have spilled the beans himself. It's nothing more than who paid more during the Spring Spiritual Assembly, who was stingy, and so on. He also brought out what you wanted to know..."
Lou Xiaoyi took out a small ingot of gold, which shocked Ping An. Although he worked for the Prefectural Prefecture, he still had some money that passed through his hands on a daily basis. However, he did not have much gold. It was not something that could be casually used by ordinary people, so he refused to accept it no matter what.
Lou Xiaoyi said, "Take it. I came from a legitimate source. The Madams don't know about it, and I didn't use the official account!
I might need your help in the future, so it's unavoidable that we need to maintain relationships. It's not appropriate to spend your money on my matters! "
How could one use people for free? No matter how good their relationship was, it was not a long-term solution. This had nothing to do with loyalty. They were all ordinary people, and they could not live like sheep.
Ten miles away from the South Gate of Pu City, there was a relay station. It was a place for officials or messengers to rest. Ordinary people were not allowed to enter. However, after a long period of peace, such places for the elderly had gradually become lax. According to the Ye Dynasty, thousands of years of peace had passed, and there were no major military disasters or man-made disasters. It was easy to imagine the order in such places.
It was normal for officials to bring their families along when they traveled. The messengers were not much better. They would freeload, play games, and gamble. According to the Ye Kingdom's messengers, there were three types of messages. The highest level was during wartime. The messengers had to leave after drinking a little water and food. There were three feathers in the messenger bag to indicate urgency. However, this situation had not happened for many years and was already history.
The second type of message was a messenger bag with two feathers. It was from the prefectural prefecture or the capital. It had to be personally opened by the Prefectural Prefecture. It might not be a big deal, but it represented a kind of status and authority.
The third type of message was the normal state. It was present almost every day. It was the communication between the various yamen and prefectural prefectures in Pu City. Everything was present, including the people's livelihood, governance, arresting thieves, learning styles, daily life, and so on.
The messenger, Old Wu, rode freely into the relay station. It was dusk. If he hurried, he could still enter the city before the city gates closed. However, what was the point of that?
Although there were two feathers in the messenger bag on his back, everyone knew that the things inside were no different from those without feathers. They might even be worse!
As far as he knew, there was a private message from the Prefecture Overseer's second concubine to the Prefectural Prefecture's Prefectural Prefecture's wife in Pu City. What was there to be anxious about? It was better to rest for a night at the relay station. He could also meet a few familiar messengers to play a few games, drink some wine, and have some fun.
Even if he was not in a hurry, it would be a lie to say that he was not tired after the bumpy journey.
He did indeed meet a few familiar messengers and courier servants. Everyone was having a great time, but no one noticed that a black shadow flashed in from outside the relay station. Not long after, the shadow quietly left. During the entire process, only Old Crow, who was outside the relay station, made a few noises. There was no other movement.
The next day, in the small study of the prefectural yamen, Prefectural Prefecture Lord Qin, who had just sent off his guest, ate some snacks and brewed a pot of fragrant tea. He leisurely let his imagination run wild. Only then did he absent-mindedly open the messenger bag that had been placed on his desk.
This thing was only opened once a month. When he first became the Prefectural Prefecture Lord, he still felt a sense of reverence and apprehension when he opened the messenger bag. However, after nearly ten years, this reverence had long disappeared without a trace. There were even times when he would not open the letter even after leaving it there for a few days.
However, today, he had nothing to do and was in a good mood. Thus, he opened the messenger bag with interest.
The first letter was a new work by the head of the province's literary circle, Master Jia. He had specially sent it to his good friend for evaluation. Lord Qin shook his head and read it twice. He even added a few comments. Of course, they were all good things. He still had to abide by the rules of propriety.
The second letter was a letter from the Prefectural Prefecture Lord's aide asking about some local products of Pu City. This was a business transaction. Although the person who wrote the letter was an aide, it was obvious who was behind it. Thus, he could not let his guard down. It was a matter that had to be treated seriously.
The third letter was from the Prefectural Prefecture Lord's second concubine to his wife. He did not read the contents. It was improper to use public property for private purposes!
Somewhat dispirited, he casually took out the fourth letter. If there was nothing important, he would not read the rest. He would pass it to his trusted advisor.
This was a slip of paper. There was no signature or designation.
When he opened it, he saw that it was written as follows:
"The foundation of our nation lies in Confucianism, reading, and orthodoxy. Putting an end to Taoism and Buddhism's participation in politics is the foundation of our nation, Zhaoye, for a thousand years. It cannot be ignored!
There are disobedient people who want to enter the world. There are many hidden beliefs. It cannot be treated as a coincidence!
Although Pu City is remote, we cannot let our guard down! Especially the officials of the nation. If anyone dares to indulge in it, they will be severely punished! "
Qin Chu sucked in a breath of cold air when he heard those words.
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