Defend the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 23
Yele city originally had no workshops, and the two streets crossing east, west, north and south and the narrow spider-like alleys had no names. There were only the east market where hawkers gathered and the west market where bulk goods were traded.

One year, King Yele didn't want to see the Tang frontier army as soon as he looked up, so he went to Baisha City with his family and subordinates.

Immediately afterwards, a soldier surnamed Wu entered the city lord's mansion with two guards.

Since then, the city has not only been divided into twelve squares, and the residents in the squares have chosen the square, but even the streets and alleys have names.

Honghua Square is next to the West Market, and the Fire God Temple is in front of the West Market. Rich Sogdian merchants and some Yele nobles who are unwilling to go with King Yele all live here.

Shi Xianning's family lives in Honghuafang. The entire house covers an area of ​​nearly two acres. It is adjacent to Xinglong Street in the north. There are twelve large shops facing the street.

The family lives in the innermost part, and they usually come in and out from the south gate, and Chang'an Street runs east-west.

The rebellion in Baisha City has subsided, and the shop's business is busy again.

But he didn't go to the back to take care of the business as usual, nor did he go to the Huoshen Temple to discuss matters with the other Sa Baozhe. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed in a daze, and didn't hear what his son said.

"Father, father!"

"Ah, where did it go?"

"The City Lord's Mansion sent a lot of young men to clean up the front yard of the Metropolitan Governor's Mansion, saying that it was going to be cleaned up and used as the official office of the Thief Catcher, and that it was going to thoroughly investigate who killed Mifatai."

Shi Xianning picked up the cup and took a sip of the grape wine, then asked absent-mindedly, "Is there anything else rare?"

Shi Xiuchang didn't expect his always wise father to be indifferent to the matter of Captain Catcher, he hesitated and said: "Han Shiyu's crazy son was redeemed by the soldiers sent by Chen Yichang and General Li, Said followed him I went, I heard that I was very frightened, and the madness broke out again."

"What is it like to be crazy?"

"As soon as I came back, I locked myself in the small yard. No one was allowed to enter. No matter how I called, I didn't open the door. He even threw things at people. He even drove away the guards and servants at home. Where are the fake Taoists pretending to be ghosts? Shouting for the soul, even Sai Ertu was called by Yichang Chen, but he couldn't see anyone."

"It looks really frightening."

Shi Xianning nodded and said nothing more.

Shi Xiuchang was in a hurry, and said with a bitter face: "Father, I need a thief-catching officer to find out who killed Mifatai. The outside is already exploded!"

Shi Xianning looked up and asked, "Fryer?"

"It is natural to investigate who killed it, but it cannot be done by the City Lord's Mansion! They can find out who killed Mifatai today, and they can come to investigate other things tomorrow. The uncles outside were excited, saying that the City Lord The government broke the rules by doing so."

"What else did they say?"

"It is said that you are the righteous one elected by them. If you ignore it, they will re-elect you."

"anything else?"

"You don't see them behind closed doors. They're really in a hurry. They've all gone to the Fire Temple right now. I asked the staff to take a look. They're complaining to the high priest and asking the high priest to uphold justice."

It really is a stone that makes a thousand waves.

Shi Xianning sighed secretly, and asked lightly: "What are Bai Zuojian and Ashina Mountain doing?"

Shi Xiuchang really hated his father for not being able to make steel, and muttered: "Bai Zuojian stays behind closed doors like you, and doesn't see anyone. Ashina Mountain didn't know if he took the wrong medicine, so he went to the Huo Temple early in the morning. , I heard... I heard that he had a quarrel with the high priest."

Shi Xianning suddenly raised her head, stared at him and asked, "What happened next?"

"I went back later."

"Send two people to watch and see what he's doing right now."

"Father, what's the use of staring at him, let's think about how to deal with the thief-catching captain."

"I didn't kill Mifatai, why should I deal with it?"

"Father, this is not just about finding out who killed Mifatai, but... it's a rule that has been broken for hundreds of years in the City Lord's Mansion!"

"The city lord's mansion isn't the only one with bad rules. Don't mention it, quickly send two people to watch Ashina Mountain." Shi Xianning weighed it for a while, and then confessed with a gloomy face: "The Mifatai family should also keep an eye on it. See what the three sons of Mephattai are doing."

……

At the same time, the fake Taoist priest dropped the mahogany sword, and followed Han Pingan, who was no longer pretending to be crazy, into the study of Lord Supervisor.

There is actually a secret room in the study!
He didn't dare to follow in, and stood at the door and asked, "Sanlang, are you looking for some money?"

While rummaging through the cabinet, Han Pingan asked back, "What are you doing looking for money?"

"Accounting for the money you paid for calling Hun'er just now, I don't care if you pretended it or not, anyway, I have done all the Buddhist rituals that should be done. The money is a hundred coins, and a penny must not be less."

"One hundred Wen, and silver money, why don't you grab it."

"Exorcise evil spirits and treat diseases for poor people, and get good blessings; exorcise evil spirits and treat diseases for rich people, and the reward is cheap livestock; exorcise evil spirits and cure diseases for Fangzheng Village, and the reward is medium-priced livestock. Precious livestock; exorcising evil spirits and treating diseases for the military supervisor, the price will naturally rise."

Han Ping'an was amused, turned around and scolded with a smile: "You are a Taoist priest, you believe in the Patriarch of the Three Qing Dynasty, and you are not a priest of the Fire God Temple, how can you speak the teachings of the Vulcan Sect."

The false Taoist priest took a peek at it, and plausibly said: "This teaching is very good. Besides, this Taoist priest not only exorcises evil spirits and cures diseases for believers, but also treats barbarian people who find me. Do as the Romans do, since you are in Yele, you have to follow the law of Yele." The rules count as money."

"You want money, don't you?"

"I've been bouncing up and down all afternoon, are you ashamed not to pay me?"

"Fake Daoist, I not only want to give you money, but also plan to take care of your food, housing and drinking, otherwise I wouldn't bring you here."

"Don't, don't, I don't see anything, I don't know anything, how much I get paid for what I do, you just settle my money today."

"Jin has come in, if you want to leave, is it that easy?"

"Sanlang, are you kidding me?"

Han Pingan pulled him into the secret room and said very seriously: "I'm not joking with you, do something for me in the future, I promise I won't treat you badly.

"If it was five days ago, I would have promised you straight away that I could run faster than a rabbit. I can't do it now, and I can't do anything about food, housing, or alcohol." The false Taoist quickly covered his face with his hands, for fear of seeing something that he shouldn't have seen. s things.

"Why not now?"

"You understand your own affairs in your heart. The things you are going to do are too dangerous. I want to live a few more years."

"Are you afraid of death?"

"Isn't this nonsense, who is not afraid of death? I'm already at this age, so you can forgive me. Besides, I don't have the skills of others. If a thief catches me one day and stabs me with a knife across my neck, I will It will definitely scare the shit out of you and tell you all about it."

It is difficult to find people who can read and write in Yele, and it is even more difficult to find people who are familiar with the situation inside and outside the city and can speak the languages ​​of various ethnic groups.

How could Han Ping'an let him go, broke his hand, and said very earnestly and sincerely: "Fake Taoist priest, my father wrote me a letter before going to Baisha City. There will be no accidents, and in the letter, it is like an account of the funeral, if something happens to him and Mr. Chen Yichang of Cui Mingfu, let my sister and I come to you."

The false priest asked dumbfoundedly, "What do you want me for?"

"He said that there are not many people in the city who can be trusted, and you are one of them. As long as you are found, you will definitely not die."

"Your father really thinks highly of me, what can I do!"

"Find a place for us to hide and get us something to eat, can this be done?"

"This, these can be done."

"Now I'm in trouble, can you help me?"

"Aren't you okay now, Saburo, I'm used to being free, so don't make things difficult for me, okay?"

"Fake Taoist priest, do you want to be a real Taoist priest?" Han Pingan would never say this if he was not sure. Seeing that he refused in a hurry, he simply resorted to his trump card.

"What do you mean by that? I am a true Taoist priest." The false Taoist priest thought for a while, and said without confidence: "As long as you are dedicated to Taoism, you are a true Taoist priest!"

Han Pingan looked at him with a smile, and said meaningfully: "But people think you are a fake, and you really haven't read a few Taoist books. If you really talk about Taoism, you are not as good as Cui Mingfu, let alone Sit with my father and discuss it."

"Your father and the others just read more books than I do. Although they speak the truth clearly, do they have a heart for the Tao? Are they sincerely for the Tao?" Being poked at a sore spot, the fake Taoist priest looked dissatisfied.

Han Ping'an said persuasively: "I know that you are devoted to Taoism, and you really believe in the Patriarch of the Three Qing Dynasty. But it is useless to have Taoism alone. You have to make everyone believe that you are a true Taoist priest, so that you can preach like the monk Hu of Baiyun Temple." .”

As expected, the false Taoist priest got involved, and subconsciously asked, "Then how can people believe that I am a real Taoist priest?"

"Help me with my work for two years, and I promise to let you become the majesty of Yele Daomen. At that time, even General An and my father will say that you are a real Taoist priest, who the hell dare to say that you are a fake Taoist priest!"

Daoist prestige, that is a Taoist official appointed by the imperial court, and he is regarded as a sixth-rank subordinate.

If he can really be Yele's Taoist majesty, then he is Yele's Taoist virtue, and it is recognized by the court.

The false priest didn't expect Han Ping'an to make such a condition, so he was really moved, but he shook his head after thinking about it: "This is Yele, not Guannei. There are not many people who believe in the Patriarch of Sanqing at all, except for me in a radius of nearly a thousand miles." Without a second Taoist priest, even if you are a Taoist priest, there is no dignity at all."

"If your name is not right, your words will not be right. Although it is just an official document and a letter of complaint, it means that the imperial court recognizes you. It is completely different from not having it."

"What kind of approval from the imperial court? This is Yele and not Chang'an. As long as General An nods, it will be fine, and there is no need for the imperial seal."

"Then you go to the general to try and see if the general will let you be a Taoist majesty."

What is the identity of General An, can anyone see it if they want to?

What's more, General An is from Sogdia, and he believes in the God of Vulcan, so he doesn't bother to care whether you believe it or not, and he will not ask you to do something that has never been done in the history of Yele.

The false priest really hoped to be recognized by others, but he also felt that the Taoist prestige given by "Crazy Saburo" was not worthy of the name. When he thought that his father was the confidant of the Jiedushi, his eyes immediately brightened.

"Sanlang, it's meaningless to just be Yele's Taoist majesty, Yele doesn't even have a Taoist temple."

"Then what do you want?"

"If you want to do it, be the Taoist prestige of Anxi, the Taoist prestige of the four towns of Anxi!"

"False Daoist, you have a big appetite. This is not something that General An can decide. You have to alert the Jiedu envoy."

"Can you give me a word."

(End of this chapter)