Fu Shifeng

Chapter 149 The Boling Cui Family
"Boling Cui?" Afu fell into deep thought after hearing this.

"I've heard that they are aristocratic families in the Central Plains, and many of them are officials in the court." Cheng Sanwu said carelessly: "Those high-ranking officials hope to marry Cui's daughter, so as to stabilize their official positions."

"Anping County is the ancestral land of the Cui family in Boling. During the Northern Dynasties, most of the children of the Cui family called themselves Boling Anping people." Changqing said: "Although the houses of the Cui family are now scattered, there are still people in Anping County. With deep roots, you can borrow food from them.”

"Then let's go." Cheng Sanwu said bluntly: "Borrow the food and distribute it to the refugees, and then let the group of monks go with us, then we can do whatever we want."

Everyone looked at Afu, waiting for her to make a decision.

"Don't mention the matter of borrowing food." Afu changed the subject, stared at Changqing and asked, "Have you ever seen the goddess of Jingguang? How is her supernatural power?"

"Quite clever." Changqing added: "Better than me."

Cheng Sanwu smiled and said: "It's rare to see you take the initiative to praise others, don't be frightened by being a demon nun."

"I'm not joking." Changqing became serious: "You should have seen them displaying their supernatural powers just now. The rain clouds covered the land for nearly ten miles. Moreover, the Jingguang celestial maidens and the others summoned the Naga of the Dharma Realm to attract water vapor and walk Yunbuyu, this kind of magic power should not be underestimated."

Cheng Sanwu was confused: "What does this mean?"

Changqing had no choice but to explain: "The Daoists don't cast spells out of thin air when praying for rain, but they choose to build altars near the river banks and Dongyuan pools, and then throw iron talismans and golden dragons into the water, and chant mantras to summon the decree of the City God's Society." , and work together to spread the clouds and rain. This move is actually borrowing water from other places, turning it into clouds and raining down."

"I understand, the demon nun and the others are doing it on the dry land, and the rainwater is also moved from other places, right?" Cheng Sanwu clapped his hands.

"The Nagas are the ghosts and gods of the Dharma Realm, and they can use their own qi endowment to directly attract the water vapor in the surrounding world and use it for them." Changqing was a little indignant: "However, the provinces in Hebei have been suffering from severe drought for months, so forcibly attracting water Air, it will only increase the drought, even if it turns into rain, it will not help."

"Hearing what you said, why does it feel like this demon nun is not here to eliminate disasters, but instead?" Cheng Sanwu asked.

Changqing had a complicated expression, and after some consideration in his heart, he said: "Actually, I think that the goddess of Jingguang may not intend to do evil. Their actions are similar to ascetic practices, and those refugees are infected by them, so they voluntarily follow them."

Afu said disdainfully: "The heretical method that was abandoned by Sakyamuni early, but they treat it as a treasure, really stupid."

"But the supernatural powers and magic powers obtained through hard training are not fake." Changqing said: "I saw clearly just now that there are indeed ghosts and gods protecting Jingguang Tiannv, and she is very powerful. It is not easy to deal with her alone. If We can’t isolate the Sangha and arrest people rashly, I’m afraid those starving people will rush to them immediately.”

"It's just a group of starving refugees. If it's really troublesome, let the local government officials disperse them." Afu didn't care.

Changqing immediately objected when he heard the words: "The local officials can't be counted on. They treat the hungry people in a perfunctory way. How could they take the risk to disperse the refugees?"

"If everyone looks forward and backward like you, how can we do things?" Afu was very dissatisfied.

"That's why we have to borrow food from the Cui family of Boling, so that we can obey the monks and take the refugees away and settle them down." Changqing said: "When the people affected by the disaster are settled, you can use the name of praying for rain without authorization. Take away Jingguang Tiannv alone for questioning. If she resists at that time, you will become famous!"

Afu's expression became subtle when she heard these words. She found that although the little baby Changqing was full of pedantic principles, she was not completely ignorant.

"I think this is a good idea." Cheng Sanwu echoed from the side: "These aristocratic families must have hidden a lot of food and wealth, and they should spit it out."

"It's best to go to the local Anping county magistrate for this matter." Changqing said again: "The Boling Cui family has deep roots in this area. Of course, your Ministry of Internal Affairs can use your power to suppress it, but food dispatch and relief to the victims are difficult. We still need the Anping county magistrate to contribute.”

"Okay, let's go to Anping County Magistrate now." Afu pondered for a moment, and then ordered to the left and right: "Go to contact Qiang Yujun, and continue to keep an eye on the movement of Jingguang Tiannv."

The plan was made, and everyone in the Ministry of Internal Affairs immediately started to act.

……

When County Magistrate Zhang returned to the county office, he was just about to wash and eat, when a maidservant came to report the arrival of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he was so frightened that he hurried out to greet him.

"The official came late, so I don't know what the envoy's orders are?" Seeing Chang Qing among them, the county magistrate Zhang thought to himself that it was a pity to pass the time. He Dehe, a mere county magistrate, invited such a group of big men to come to the door at night.

"Magistrate Zhang, I think you also know that we are here for the goddess of Jingguang." Afu said bluntly: "This group of monks used supernatural powers to confuse the people and gather refugees. They mix with the refugees, and arresting them forcibly may cause unrest, and the priority now is to divide the refugees and resettle them properly."

"Yes, yes." County magistrate Zhang kept saying yes, but he was complaining in his heart. Anping County under his rule was hit hard this year, and he only hoped that these refugees could leave the area as soon as possible to harm other counties, but they didn't. Thinking of the important figures in the Ministry of Internal Affairs asking him to resettle the refugees, he didn't feel the slightest sympathy for the hardships of these state and county officials.

"I know you don't have enough food and it's hard to help." Afu continued: "I heard that the Bolingcui family has a large family in the local area. If you want to come to such a high-ranking family and have a lot of money, why don't you borrow from them?"

County magistrate Zhang saw an opportunity to take advantage of it, so he quickly vomited bitterness: "Don't hide the truth from the envoy, the subordinate officials have already gone to ask for it! The local Cui family is undoubtedly the head of the Cui Duo family. Later, when he returned to his hometown as an official, his prestige was very high, and there was an endless stream of scholars who came to study and present poems. This Cui Duo relied on his popularity in the court and the wild, and he relied on his high status, and he never took low officials seriously. Often Colluded with the local Cui clansmen and resisted paying taxes."

These words add a lot of embellishments, although the Boling Cui family has a deep foundation in the local area, but most of the villages are just ordinary households, even if the same surname is Cui, it is impossible for all of them to be under the protection of the Anping Fangzhi of the Boling Cui family.

In fact, every year when the government sends people to the countryside to collect taxes, people from Anping Fangzhi will also come forward to help gather relatives from the township party.

The county government already relied heavily on Cui's family for local affairs, so Cui Duo refused to borrow money, and the magistrate Zhang had nothing to do.

However, now that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is coming, he sees a glimmer of hope. He can use these famous gangsters to suppress the arrogance of the local Cui family. In the future, he can save some troubles in governing the local area by himself. Anyway, it is not County Magistrate Zhang who provokes hatred myself.

"Do you think the local Cui family can provide enough food to allow these thousands of refugees to survive the disaster year?" Changqing asked proactively.

"If you want to come...it's not a problem." County magistrate Zhang said cautiously: "It's just that the Cui family may not be willing to borrow."

"You are in charge of arranging the transfer of food and dispatching the victims." Afu didn't care: "We will personally come out to the Boling Cui family."

"The subordinate obeys the order."

……

"Father, it's bad!"

Just finished his early morning self-cultivation homework, Cui Duo picked up a volume of "Mao Poetry Exegesis" annotated by famous scholars in Henan, and chanted softly. The eldest son Cui Yi hurried to the study.

"Why are you yelling?" Cui Duo frowned, "I said it long ago that you can cultivate your skills only when encountering major events. You are so flustered, it shows that you haven't worked hard enough."

"That's what my father taught me." Cui Yi hurriedly cupped her hands in obeisance, calming down her emotions.

The Cui family of Boling has been passed down for many years, and they are definitely not the kind of rural rich people who have no background. They study Confucianism intensively, and their family traditions are strict. The speech is fixed, and Mo Sheng is restless.

"Tell me, what happened?" Cui Duo said calmly when he saw that the eldest son had calmed down.

"That county magistrate Zhang is here again, and there are people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs." Cui Yi replied.

"Ministry of Internal Affairs?" Cui Duo paused for a moment. Others turned pale with shock when they heard the name of Ministry of Internal Affairs. , asked: "Did they say why they came here?"

"It's still for borrowing food," Cui Yi said.

"Where is anyone who invited the Ministry of Internal Affairs to borrow food?" Cui Duo flicked his sleeves: "There must be another reason."

Cui Yi said, "Why don't I inquire again?"

"No, I'll take care of my father for a while, but I'd like to see how holy this Ministry of Internal Affairs is!"

Cui Duo showed no fear, straightened his clothes a little, and went straight to the reception hall.

However, except for County Magistrate Zhang and another weak-crowned man wearing a cloud-patterned gown who was dignified and stable, the rest of them were all in a loose state.

What especially made Cui Duo intolerable was that a green-eyed orchid majesticly occupied the top position, looking up at him with a bit of sarcasm and contempt, which could be described as extremely rude.

"Which family's maidservant is this? How rude." Cui Duo asked loudly, his voice was loud and clear, and he obviously had internal cultivation skills.

However, as soon as this remark came out, almost all the people on the opposite side changed their colors, and County Magistrate Zhang was even more frightened and waved his hands repeatedly.

After all, almost all Hu women in Daxia belonged to lowly families. They were either servants of wealthy families, or prostitutes serving guests in wine shops.In the eyes of role models such as the Boling Cui family, these identities are extremely humble, and it is a violation of etiquette to occupy a high position.

"Cow!" Cheng Sanwu patted his thigh and said to Afu: "It's the first time someone said that you are a servant, or you say you belong to the old Cheng's family?"

Afu looked at Cheng Sanwu with a smile, and said softly, "Mr. Cheng is so cruel, didn't you sell me to Tianxiang Pavilion for five hundred pens?"

"What else?" Cheng Sanwu thought for a while, and then said: "That's right, last time I was in Chang'an, the people from Tianxiang Pavilion still troubled me!"

Seeing the two singing and quarreling deliberately, Cui Duo felt that they were dissolute and disrespectful, so he shouted: "This is the behavior of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? , so despicable, shameless, and detrimental to the holy reputation!"

Hearing this, Cheng Sanwu turned his head and blinked again and again, and said in a daze: "Wow, you charged us with such a big crime just now, you really deserve to be a scholar, you don't need a knife or a sword, you can just open your mouth kill."

"Such despicable people like you, relying on their authority to invade upright people, it can be seen that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has a sign of chaos in the government and the public!" Cui Duo shouted coldly, flicking his sleeves.

Cheng Sanwu asked Afu: "Hey, does this guy insult the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Can you grab him and beat him?"

Without picking up Cheng Sanwu's jokes, Afu looked at Cui Duo: "Cui Shilang, we are here to borrow food for the victims of the disaster. I hope you can give alms."

"I don't have any extra food to lend." Cui Duo was sitting upright. He sensed an unusual aura from the orchid with green pupils, and guessed that she must be the minion of the eagle dog recruited by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

But the clearer it became, the more unhappy Cui Duo felt.The sage monitors the world with his close servants, which shows that the sage does not trust all officials.

And Cui Duo has been an official at home for these years, and he has repeatedly heard that the Ministry of Internal Affairs has set up prisons in various places. In the name of arresting the remnants of the rebellious party, many honest and upright people have been persecuted, and all officials tremble.

Cui Duo, who has read history books for a long time, was disturbed by the arrogance of the gang of hawks and minions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

This uneasiness is not because of his clan's clinging to Princess Zhenguo in the past, but because the saint no longer governs the country according to the righteous way, which fears disaster to the world.

Thinking about how Lu Yan has been a prime minister for many years, the search and accumulation will not be slowed down.This year's severe drought in Hebei is not too widespread, but the people's homes are short of food, so they can only escape from famine to eat, which shows that the situation is in danger.

As for the Ministry of Internal Affairs coming to borrow food, such an absurd move is absolutely unbelievable, and there must be sinister intentions behind it!
Knowing that Cui Duo looked down on her, Afu didn't bother to talk much, so she looked at Changqing and motioned for him to speak.

Changqing nodded slightly, stood up and cupped his hands: "Cui Shilang, the junior is a disciple of Songyue Fuzang Palace, and his Taoist name is Changqing. I wonder if you still remember the "Yi Tong Yan Xuan Tu" sent by my teacher five years ago?"

Hearing this, Cui Duo raised his eyes, looked at Chang Qing a few times, saw that he had both literary and quality, and he was indeed a bit vulgar, and after thinking for a while, he said: "You are a disciple of Daguan Daoist? It's a pity that there are mixed owls and owls." .”

Changqing couldn't help admiring, this Cui Shilang spoke allusions from the Taoism scriptures, and he was also advising him to stay away from the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"I made Shilang Cui laugh." Changqing said: "This time, the younger generation came to Hebei to pray for rain and calm the hearts of the people. It happened to be with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, the saint's heart is for the people of Hebei, so he ordered the envoy to open the door. Relief from warehouses was provided, and states and counties with spare capacity were allowed to take in victims of food disasters.

"It's just that there is a group of refugees in Anping County right now. They will run out of food in a few days, but they have no time to rush to the prefectures and counties with abundant food. The younger generation has no choice but to visit Cui Shilang. I heard that the Boling Cui family has made a fortune in Anping. Instead of relying on annexation and embezzlement, it is precisely by saving the neighbors of the township party."

Cui Duo did not refute, and his expression was much more relaxed than before.Seeing this, Changqing continued to persuade: "When ordinary people first see a child entering the well, they all feel compassionate and save him. It is not to praise the friends of the township party, nor to hate his voice. A gentleman has the world in his heart, and he does not distinguish between north, south, east, and west. How can he treat the common people Displaced without doing anything, keeping quiet?"

(End of this chapter)