Fu Shifeng

Chapter 147
The magistrate of Anping County, wearing a green round collar official robe, trotted all the way on a donkey.Even though he deliberately hid under the shade of trees on both sides of the road, the ground had already been scorched by the scorching sun like a boiling hot pot, and even the slight breeze that came in was comparable to a fire, which made people feel tormented.

Since there has been no rain for a long time after the New Year’s Eve, even the elms, willows, and mulberry jujubes that do not need to be specially irrigated by the roadside are mostly sparse and green, and the branches are drooping, like farmers who have been extorted for a long time, and their bodies are crushed. I couldn't stand up straight, and it was difficult to even utter a cry.

Looking through the treetops of the forest, a manor in the field can be seen from a distance.The magistrate of Anping stretched his neck and glanced left and right, making sure that he did not see many refugees coming, so he turned his head and urged: "Stop dawdling! Give me your legs and run!"

Following behind the magistrate of Anping County were several officials in green shirts. They had no mounts and could only walk on their legs.Even if the speed can't be said to be fast, but in this hot season, the sweat has already soaked the back of the collar, and everyone looks in a trance, almost walking by instinct.

These green-clothed clerks all cursed secretly in their hearts, and they didn't know what evil they had done in their previous life, so they wanted to go out to do business in broad daylight when the day was in full swing.There is also the magistrate of Anping County, who has a donkey to travel, so he ignores them and can only walk on foot.

Curse in my heart, but the situation is urgent now, and there is no room for everyone to be lazy and rest.

The Anping county magistrate and his party came to the gate of the manor, and hurriedly stepped forward to knock on the door knocker. The seemingly ordinary copper door knocker was polished and shiny, which shows how many guests knocked on the door knocker in the past.

Looking up at the two sides of the gate, there are pink and white walls, black tiles like scales, a few old tree branches sticking out, and traces of decoration can be seen on the lintel top eaves, but they were demolished artificially.It can be imagined that the owner of the manor had a previous status, and he was by no means an ordinary rural family.

The magistrate of Anping County remembered that he had just come to this place to take office, so he immediately came to visit this family, but he couldn't even enter the gate, so he could only exchange greetings with the eldest son outside the door, which was a loss of face.

However, as a county magistrate, the mediocre rent that comes from the superior officials every year does not tolerate any delay in arrears.In order to be able to collect local taxes in full, I had to visit this family every now and then.

I don't know how long I waited, the magistrate of Anping stood outside the gate of the manor, feeling dizzy from the sun for a while, and he was afraid that he would faint in the next moment. middle-aged man in suit.

"Magistrate Zhang, what's your business?" The man in the Confucian uniform cupped his hands and bowed lightly, with all the courtesy, but there was no sign of hospitality on his face.

"Brother Liansheng, please forgive me for taking the liberty to visit." County magistrate Zhang Duidui said with a smile: "I have an important matter to visit your father, may I?"

"Big event?" The man in the Confucian uniform narrowed his eyes slightly: "Could it be related to the refugees coming to Anping County?"

"Exactly!" Magistrate Zhang couldn't wait.

A trace of reluctance flashed across the face of the man in the Confucian uniform, but he still opened the courtyard door: "Please come in... I hope County Magistrate Zhang understands that my father is too old to work around."

"Understood, understood." County magistrate Zhang was very cautious, and walked all the way into Neizhong.

Stepping through the gate of the courtyard and bypassing the screen wall, County Magistrate Zhang suddenly felt refreshed and cool, and the heat disappeared.

This manor has stood in the outskirts of Anping County for quite a long time. It is said that as early as the Northern Dynasties, the scale of this manor was even larger than today. It is still difficult to attack when the horse comes.

It's just that the Taizu of this dynasty had great martial arts skills and was well-received by everyone. After Hebei was wiped out and Kyushu was mixed, the fortresses similar to this manor were destroyed one after another, leaving only ordinary mansions and courtyards.

County Magistrate Zhang sighed in his heart, as expected of a famous family with a long heritage, even an old ancestral house with a dying population still has something extraordinary.

When I came to the main hall, I saw an old man holding a pen and writing, with a solemn demeanor and a strong penmanship, which made people sigh with admiration.

"Meet Cui Shilang." County magistrate Zhang bowed and bowed, instead of crossing hands, which is fashionable in this dynasty.

The old man on the opposite side stopped writing slowly, blew lightly on the paper on the case, put it aside in a leisurely manner, and said: "Magistrate Zhang, the old man is just a commoner now, and has no official status. Don't mention the title of servant." It's just a joke."

"Cui Weng's words are too modest. In the eyes of us juniors, even if you return to your hometown, you are still highly respected and admired by the world." County Magistrate Zhang quickly flattered you.

"I don't dare to have a junior like you." Cui Weng's beard and hair are white, but he is in good spirits, which shows his self-cultivation: "Tell me, why are you here? Could it be that the imperial court wants to set up a new class?"

County magistrate Zhang did not have the official authority of the ruling party at all, and said in a good voice: "Cui Weng wanted to hear about it. Recently, there was a Jingguang Sangha, leading tens of thousands of refugees wandering around Hebei provinces, begging for food. , I have come to my territory of Anping County a few days ago. According to the law of the court, I dare not drive out the refugees, but right now Anping County has no surplus food, and I really cannot afford to support the thousands of mouths that have been created out of thin air."

"So you came to the old man, hoping to borrow food to help the refugees?" Cui Weng said coldly, "Thanks to the appreciation of County Magistrate Zhang, but the old man's family is poor, and the food for these thousands of people is definitely not available."

County magistrate Zhang certainly knew that the family in front of him was not a wealthy family, but he represented far more than just this family.

"Cui Weng is joking." County Magistrate Zhang said, "I hope that Cui Weng will come forward to call for the Cui clan households in Anping County to help the county relieve the refugees."

"Magistrate Zhang seems to think that I, the Cui family of Boling, are easy to bully." Cui Weng said in a deep voice: "Every year, rent adjustments, household taxes, land taxes, and various types of taxes are collected endlessly, even if it is a wealthy family. I can't stand this kind of looting. In the past few years, the old man has called on the clansmen to pay rice, corn, cloth and silk? Why are you saying that there is no surplus food in the county now that it is a disaster year?"

"Really not!" County Magistrate Zhang quickly explained: "It's not that Cui Weng doesn't understand that the county's annual collection is collected in Weizhou at the end of the year and sent to the two capitals via Yongji Canal. The current season is when the warehouses are empty. .”

"Magistrate Zhang can write to the imperial court, requesting to transfer grain from Chang'an to Luoyang." Cui Weng also said: "Or take the initiative to ask the imperial court to abolish all kinds of taxes in Hebei provinces, so that the common people will not have no surplus food. Can't deal with disaster years."

"This... Isn't Cui Weng's words embarrassing?" County magistrate Zhang's face turned bitter. Hebei Province is a place with heavy taxes in the world. How can a county magistrate like him reverse this kind of thing?

"Magistrate Zhang asked me to call on my clansmen, isn't that embarrassing?" Cui Weng said: "The old man put it nicely back then that he was returning to his hometown, but it was bad because some clan relatives attached themselves to the princess of Zhenguo, so that the old man couldn't do anything in court. Get a foothold. Now that you want to call on the clansmen to pay more attention to rice, does County Magistrate Zhang hope that the old man will bear the infamy and die with hatred?"

Speaking of this, County Magistrate Zhang also knew that there was nothing he could do, so he had no choice but to suppress his complaints and leave helplessly.

After leaving Cui's manor, a civil official stepped forward against the sun and asked: "Mingfu, borrowing food can't be done, I'm afraid those refugees will cause trouble, and the servants in the yamen can't stand it."

"I don't know where!" County Magistrate Zhang scolded, feeling extremely irritable: "These refugees are like locusts, they eat wherever they go. There are also those bald donkeys who confuse the people. If you really deserve to die, you might as well ask The soldiers from Youzhou came over and drove them away... what are you thinking?"

County magistrate Zhang suddenly saw the clerk beside him clasping his hands and chanting something, but the other party couldn't avoid it, so he had to explain with a full face of grievance: "Mingfu, you scolded the Buddha and the ancestors, which is detrimental to merit. I am doing this for you to accumulate virtue."

"Only the dead will be chanted!" Magistrate Zhang was furious.

Another clerk said: "But I heard that the goddess Jingguang, the leader of the Sangha, has the supernatural power of raining and relieving drought. Why don't you ask her to rain some rain, so as to avoid the county's harvest this year."

County magistrate Zhang looked at the wilting and yellowing crops in the distance, so he had no choice but to say: "Take a dead horse as a living horse doctor. If it doesn't work, lead these refugees to Cui's house and see if they will bring out the grain!"

After making a decision, Magistrate Zhang got on the donkey again and trotted back to Anping County.

When the weather was cooler at dusk, County Magistrate Zhang had already returned to the outskirts of the county seat, where the refugee camp was located beside the dry ditch. Chant in unison.

"What are they doing?" County Magistrate Zhang asked.

Before the officials could answer, someone suddenly said, "This is praying for rain."

County Magistrate Zhang turned his head to look, and saw a young man, wearing a cloud-patterned crane gown, riding a yellow puma with a precious saddle.

"You are……"

"Fu Zang Palace, Changqingzi." The young man showed the proclamation in his pocket book, and said at the same time: "I have come to Hebei to pray for rain and calm the hearts of the people. I learned that a group of monks is doing similar things, so I came here to take a look. .”

"According to the decree?" County magistrate Zhang was shocked when he heard the words, inspected the proclamation, immediately handed it back, and asked respectfully: "My surname is Zhang, and I am currently the magistrate of Anping County. I wonder if the court has any other arrangements?"

"The Xuanfu envoy appointed by the imperial court is on the way, and will transfer food to the affected counties." Changqing looked at the monks in the distance, and saw a woman in white sitting with her hands down, the power of the mantra invisible to the naked eye All around.

"Master Immortal, this goddess of pure light has led thousands of refugees and has been wandering around the neighboring prefectures and counties for several months. Her intentions are unknown." County magistrate Zhang saw the opportunity and immediately said: "Such acts of bewitching the people may cause disaster and chaos. Ask the immortal master to break the deceit and bring the people back to peace."

"The people can be stable with enough food and clothing." Changqing just replied lightly, it's not that he couldn't understand the intention of County Magistrate Zhang.

"To tell you the truth, the official just happened to visit an elder of the Cui family in Boling." County Magistrate Zhang said, "They have a lot of land in Anping, and they have nothing to accumulate, but they rely on five surnames and seven Because of his position of hope, he refuses to use food to relieve the plight of the people. If the immortal master is willing to act on his behalf, he may be able to save the people from the fire."

"Boling Cui family?" Changqing's heart moved, thinking that this place is Anping County, and asked: "Could it be an Anpingfang branch?"

"Yes, and there is also an ancestral manor that has been passed down for hundreds of years." County Magistrate Zhang said.

Changqing didn't agree immediately, the five surnames and seven Wangs belonged to the noble families in the Central Plains, among them, the Cui family, the Liangwang and the ten families, were recognized as the number one noble family in the world and the crown of the noble families.The Cui family has many officials who have been officials in the past dynasties, and the inheritance has a long history, which can even be traced back thousands of years.

Such an aristocratic family and well-dressed family are used to seeing dynasties change. Although there are continuous ups and downs during the period, they still stand tall in the end. Ignore it.

Although the Boling Cui family has many branches, any branch has many children in the court and in the field, plus the former disciples and officials, branches and vines, it is even more colossal.Even if Changqing moved out of Lu Xiang Qilang's identity, it might not make them afraid.

While Changqing was thinking, dark clouds suddenly gathered in the sky, and the cool wind swept across the earth, blowing away the heat that had not yet dissipated.

Looking up, the dark clouds rolled and stretched, and dragons and snakes were faintly visible in them, and the rain was gradually brewing.

Chang Qing frowned slightly, he cast a formula and cast a spell, sweeping in front of his eyes, he saw four strange ghosts and gods, with a dragon head and a necklace.Although it is a dragon's head, it looks like a poisonous snake, but it has sharp horns on the brows, wide mouth and fangs, which has a somewhat ferocious meaning.

"Could it be that this is the Naga group?" Changqing doesn't know much about Buddhist scriptures, but he can tell that these ghosts and gods with dragon heads have the ability to control water vapor and spread clouds and rain. And to.

But for some reason, Chang Qing vaguely felt a little weird. He picked up the water bag hanging on the horse's back, poured some into his hand, and saw the water in his palm evaporate at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"I see." Changqing said to himself.

"Won't the immortal master stop them?" County magistrate Zhang urged, "These monster monks have malicious intentions, and I'm afraid that some people in this county will be bewitched by them."

"They are casting spells. If I intervene midway, I'm afraid it will cause accidents. If the refugees are disturbed and trampled on each other, can Magistrate Zhang restrain them?" Chang Qing asked.

County Magistrate Zhang didn't know any spells, and was stunned for a moment when he heard the words.Chang Qing continued: "Besides, along the way, I saw that the grass and trees in Anping County were scorched and the grains were not ripe. They really needed an emergency rainwater. Let them finish casting the spell, and then talk about the rest."

County Magistrate Zhang suddenly felt that the Changqing Immortal Master in front of him was simply pedantic, and praying for rain to ward off disasters, isn't Taoist priests best at it?When is it the turn of a group of monks to grab business?

The dark clouds in the sky churned for a moment, Changqing looked far away, and the four ghosts and gods with human dragon heads regenerated and changed, and one of them turned into a number of three, five, or seven or nine, facing the four directions, and opened their mouths to spit water.

Ordinary people can't see these ghosts and gods in the Dharma Realm, but only see a fine rain falling from the sky and spilling on the earth.And the refugees surrounding the monks, receiving the nectar and rain, shouted loudly one by one, and then bowed down to the goddess of Jingguang.

County magistrate Zhang was a little shocked when he saw the supernatural power in person. He stretched out his hand and raised his head, letting the rain fall, enjoying the rare coolness and humidity.

Only Changqing stared at the leading ghosts and gods in the sky, and murmured: "All the water veins in the surrounding area are collected, but only this little rain falls?"

(End of this chapter)