The Happy Life of Small Officials in Northern Song Dynasty

Master Shanxiang did not expect that the young man in front of him was Su Jin, the food envoy who had become famous in Yangzhou recently.Visit download txt novel

"I don't know that the special envoy came here in person. I have been negligent in the past. I hope to forgive my sins, Amitabha! The special envoy is a hero in the hearts of the people of Yangzhou. When I come to our temple, I don't even say hello. I want to teach the old man to treat me well." .”

Su Jin laughed and said: "The master is really not clean, why is he arrogant and then respectful, I am just a small court official who has done some things that are his duty, so there is no need to do that."

Shanxiang ignored the teasing meaning in Su Jin's words, and said seriously: "No, the name of the special envoy was edited and broadcast in Yangzhou, and the people called it Su Qingtian. If the special envoy did not intervene in Yangzhou affairs, the people of Yangzhou would suffer. It’s a pain to run away from the charcoal; the Buddhist disciples in the old man’s school, Buddhism’s aid to the world is mostly an act of helping the heart, and all they can do is to soothe the soul and calm the spirit, but what Special Envoy Su is doing is a real act of helping people. Although there is no distinction between superior and inferior, they all lead to the same goal, and they are all acts of saving the world, so why don't you make me respect you?"

Su Jin said: "How dare some small things be called helping the world, let alone be compared with Buddhism helping the world. Besides, the matter is far from over. There will be another disaster in Yangzhou City in the near future. It is too early for the master to praise me now."

Shanxiang was shocked and said: "How do you say this? Is there still a catastrophe in Yangzhou City?"

Su Jin said solemnly: "This is the purpose of my coming here today. Although Yangzhou City is becoming calm now, it is the result of my efforts to transport 50 shi of grain here to stabilize the price of grain. For the common people, it is a drop in the bucket, two months at most, no... more than a month at most, Yangzhou City will once again run out of food, and the previous riots and famine will reappear in the world, how can it not be worrying."

Shanxiang chanted Buddha repeatedly and said: "Since Mr. Su knows that the adjustment of grain can relieve the famine, why can't more grain be brought here to settle the situation?"

Su Jin smiled and said: "Master, you are a Buddhist, so naturally you don't know the difficulties here, but you should know that this year's severe drought is the main food producing area in the south. One of the granaries of the Song Dynasty. The place where the grain is produced is hungry and cold. Where can we expect to transfer the grain? It is a game of chess in the world. Most of the state capitals in the Song Dynasty are in crisis of food shortage. Could it be that he was taken away for the livelihood of Yangzhou Prefecture? Is it the food in the mouths of the people in the state?"

"Amitabha, this old monk is stupid. I really don't know where the key points are, so I made you laugh; but if you want to make your Excellency say that this matter is related to this old monk, please make it clear that this old monk is just an outsider, and his ability in this matter is really limited. If your lord has an order, I would like to lead the monks to give out gruel and rice, and I have done my best by reciting scriptures."

Su Jin said with a smile: "Master may have underestimated himself a bit. How to solve Yangzhou's impending predicament now is none other than Master."

Shan Xiang folded his hands together and said, "Your Excellency, don't make fun of me anymore, how can I have this ability."

Su Jin said: "Does your lord know the root of the famine in Song Dynasty?"

Master Shanxiang said, "Isn't it caused by famine?"

Su Jin shook his head and said: "Unfavorable weather will naturally have an impact, but in fact the fundamental reason is caused by man-made disasters. In the past few years, although the weather could not be called smooth, there were good harvests every year. Why did a severe drought cause the current situation? Why is this?"

"Why?"

"Profit merchants have a keen sense of smell. As early as the beginning of the spring drought, merchants and wealthy households from all over the country began to hoard grain, preparing to sell it at this time for huge profits. The grain privately stored by the people of the Song Dynasty is worth tens of millions of stones. These grains are not involved The circulation of the market has forced the imperial court to open warehouses to stabilize the situation, but how much food can the imperial court have in its official warehouses? Army rations, salaries, relief, and food are everywhere. How can the imperial court have so much grain in stock to guarantee the supply? So when the market runs out of grain, these merchants They set up black markets one after another and sold them at several times the price. How much savings can the common people have? How can they withstand the exploitation of this winter and next spring for several months, and it is not surprising that they will die of hunger, cold, and starvation in exile."

Su Jin said that Master Shanxiang was chanting Buddha, and after Su Jin finished speaking, Shanxiang had already recited more than a dozen lines of Amitabha.

"The profiteers are really abominable. Hoarding is tantamount to murder and arson. Compared with these atrocities, it is even more hateful. Now that my lord knows this situation, the court must have countermeasures?"

Su Jin sighed and said: "The imperial court issued an imperial edict in October, ordering households that stockpile grain to sell grain in the official warehouse. There are many considerations in terms of price, and multiple graces attached, but there are very few responders. Most merchants are driven by high profits. , Refusing to hand over the stored grain, what they are waiting for is the day when the grain will run out, it really makes people anxious."

"Amitabha, is there nothing the imperial court can do to them?"

"I was entrusted by the imperial court to specialize in this food crisis, but it is complicated and complicated, and where there are huge profits, it is like a fortified barrier, and there are thorns everywhere. It is really difficult to move forward."

"The special envoy has no good plan? This... I am really surprised."

"It's not that I don't have a good plan, it's just that I have no help. I'm here today to ask Master for help. If Master can help me dig out the grain in Yangzhou Mansion in one fell swoop, the hundreds of thousands of people in Yangzhou will no longer be in danger of running out of food. It’s a great event of great merit.”

"Old man... what can I do for my lord? What my lord said is so confusing."

Su Jin smiled and said, "It's none other than Master, who do you think is the big household that hoards the most food in Yangzhou City?"

"who is it?"

"It is Puji, the master's proud disciple, whose name is Feng Jingyao, and who is known as the Tiger of Yangzhou."

Shanxiang sat down on the futon and murmured: "What? Puji is actually a big profiteer hoarding grain? Why has the old man never heard that he is still in the grain business? This...how can this be done? "

Su Jindao: "Of course you don't know, would he tell you this? His business is found in all the important markets of Yangzhou Prefecture, such as brothels, restaurants, grain, oil and cloth, casino karaoke shops, in short, what does he do to make money, the master even accepts such things As a disciple, I was not happy when I said that Buddhism hides filth and evil, did I say something wrong?"

Shanxiang raised his sleeves to wipe the cold sweat off his face and said, "But... what can I do to help you? Although this person is my disciple, the adults also know that this old man... I also accepted him out of selfishness. Knowing his misbehavior, I already feel regretful to death, but what I can do is to drive him out of Buddhism, other things, even the government can’t do anything to him, how can I get him? Can the food be released?"

Su Jin said in a sullen voice: "Master, I have to tell you clearly, Feng Jingyao, I must take it down. As the abbot of Daming Temple, you have to accept such a person as an apprentice. I have never been involved in the law. If it is not for personal gain, this matter will definitely involve Master and your temple, and your personal conviction is a foregone conclusion, and I am afraid that it will ruin the reputation of your Daming Temple, and I will see how you explain to the eminent monks of Daming Temple."

Shanxiang's face turned ashen and said: "This...can't my lord be open to it? This old man was also deceived, and he didn't know that Puji was such a heinous person."

Su Jin sneered and said: "You can also say it, if you don't want to get his alms, how can you be deceived by him, after all, you are greedy, don't say that you are thinking about the temple, I think even if it is Even if the Buddha is alive, he will never allow you to use the reputation of Buddhism to make a deal with the wicked. Think about it, his money is obtained through exploitation. Can Bodhisattvas feel at ease in the temple built with the hard-earned money of the people? But the real blasphemy of the Bodhisattva, it’s okay if you are confused, but you actually caused the humiliation of Daming Temple’s century-old temple, can you shirk this responsibility?”

Shanxiang was lying on the ground, powerless, Su Jin's words were like a knife cutting him bloody, he made such a big mistake in a single thought, and he pretended to be an eminent monk presiding over it, it's really laughing at others; once this matter is punished by the court, he will Being reviled by fellow Buddhists all over the world is fine, and the Daming Temple is bound to collapse. The only consolation in my life is that the incense of this temple is flourishing, but I didn't expect such an ending.

"My lord, I really made a big mistake, Amitabha, I will drive Puji and Relief out of the door tomorrow, and pass on the position of host to others, and then...then I will burn myself at the foot of the mountain and go to the Accepting the punishment from the senior monks and the Buddha, I just ask you not to make this matter known to the world, the fault lies with the old monk, not Daming Temple."

Su Jin sneered and said: "It's easy for you to say that you can die to get rid of it, but the rest of the mess will be cleaned up by others. I really don't know what you have practiced for so many years?"

Shanxiang said sadly: "Are you really unwilling to let Daming Temple go, sir? I beg you to forgive me, the old monk's crime is unforgivable, but the temple is innocent. If I can let it go, I will repay you in the next life."

Su Jin said: "What about the afterlife? I've never been interested in illusory things, and it's not like I don't have a chance to save my face. It depends on whether you are willing or not. If you can help me with one thing, it will be a great merit. When all the mistakes are gone, I will also ask the imperial court to ask for credit for the temple, and ask the imperial court to allocate a huge sum of money to repair and build the temple. I believe that the reputation of Daming Temple will be even louder than before."

Shanxiang hurriedly said: "Is there really such a chance?"

Su Jin nodded with a smile and said: "Look at the success of the master, the misfortune starts with you and ends with you. Don't you Buddhists pay attention to cause and effect? ​​Things in the world are mysterious and unspeakable. Maybe you can't plant evil causes and get good results." Woolen cloth."