Under the sky

Chapter 200 The situation is declining ([-])

No one thought that Juejian would have such courage, or in other words, although there were signs, no one thought that Juejian, who had always hated lay monks, would be the one to change the thousand-year tradition of Shaolin. He did not know in advance that he would join the Fourth Academy, and he would do it. Do it, just like deciding on a small thing.Even the matter of changing the name of the lay monks had to go through many twists and turns, and was discussed over and over again. In the end, it was only because Jueru was dismissed from the position of abbot of Zhengyu Hall in order to save Jing.

The three righteous monks in Wenshu Monastery were stunned for a moment. However, the one who hated the righteous monks the most did not speak out. On the contrary, the junior monks, Zhengzheng and Lingtong, strongly opposed it.After these years of training, the steamed buns of the year have become hard, and the old rules of proof cannot be discarded. However, the abbot of Zhengye Hall, who took over from Juejian and was in charge of Shaolin punishment, used the general delaying strategy, saying that if lay disciples are allowed to enter the hall, the monks and lay people cannot be the same. According to the law, the punishment for lay disciples needs to be formulated separately, and the request will be discussed later.

Abbot Juejian only asked Juekong for his opinion.

Juekong had no reason to object. What Juejian did was exactly what he wanted to do but had no power to do, and what almost all lay monks wished for.

As a lay monk leader, he must consider the lay monks. This is his first priority as the No. 1 lay monk.

The resolution was passed quickly. Juekong, who represented the lay monks, did not object, nor did Woli Dao. Even if the other monks spoke out, it would be of no avail. The thousand-year-old rule that non-monks are not allowed to enter the church was so lightly ignored without any warning or resistance. The ground was changed in a four-house discussion.

But things don't stop there.

Juejian continued: "Now that the decision has been made, the order is prohibited. The order is issued. If a monk wants to return to the secular world, he will be ordered to return the ultimatum and grow his hair freely. There is no need to establish additional punishments in terms of precepts. It will be treated in the same way as lay disciples and common people."

At this time, even the three monks of Wenshu Monastery objected. Tongue-pulling Bodhisattva was the first to speak: "Abbott, if you change the method like this, there will be thousands of lay disciples in the temple tomorrow. The cook monks in the dining hall can't even kill chickens, so you have to give them to them." Doesn’t he have time to practice his skills?”

This was what he said while trying his best not to ridicule the abbot.

Jueming, who never touched a leaf, also said: "When things become urgent, they will change. If a thousand-year-old saying changes, it will lead to panic."

The leader of Jueyun also tried to dissuade him.

Juejian said, "If you have any difficulties, you can discuss them with Chief Juekong, and he will solve them on his own." After saying that, he turned to look at Juekong, "What do you think, Chief Juekong?"

Juekong slowly closed his eyes. After a while, he opened his eyes and said, "I will handle it myself."

For the first time, the first time in 30 years, Juekong felt that he was being led by Juejian.

He felt that he was gradually losing control of the Shaolin Temple.

■

Shen Yuqing received the news that the Huashan army surrounded Bazhong. They only dug trenches on the outside and set up resisting horses. They maintained a stalemate for several days and then mobilized civilians to transport grain from Hanzhong. It seemed that they planned to fight for a long time.

The terrain of Bazhong is steep. After the siege of Huashan, it was difficult to get information from both sides. This was the only thing that could be known. Shen Yuqing was worried that Huashan would bypass Bazhong and advance towards Guang'an, which was only a few inches away from Qingcheng.So Mi Zhiwei was asked to gather Jinzhumen and nearby sects to garrison Nanchong and Tongzhou as a response.

There is not much news from Hengshan, and it seems that it is still struggling.The Beggar Gang encountered resistance in Changsha and Jianning and has remained in a stalemate so far. Li Xuanxuan's return to Hubei has indeed stabilized the morale of the army.Next, Hengshan will begin to gather surrounding sects to counterattack. The original force of the rush attack is insufficient, and more men and horses will have to be added to the Hunan battlefield. Without being able to attack the city, Zhuge Ran will gradually lose the advantage gained by the rush attack.

The Fourth Uncle's side seemed to be going well, but he received letters from time to time, saying that disturbing the enemy in this way would have little effect.

Zhuge Ran will definitely not sit still and wait for death. What plans does he have?
If Huashan can be repelled, there will be more room for defense of Hengshan. The result Shen Yuqing wants is for Dian Cang and the Beggar Clan to withdraw their troops and recognize the leader chosen by Kunlun.

He had to think deeper. Xie Gubai said that the barbarian invasion was expected to take place 20 years later. Before then, the nine families must be at peace and end the civil war in order to fight against the barbarians.If Qingcheng's interests are considered, the longer Diancang, the Beggar Clan and Hengshan fight, the more beneficial it is for Qingcheng. The less losses must be lost in the battle with Huashan, the better. Qingcheng should be the decisive factor in the victory of Hengshan and Diancang. sect.

As long as Huashan is allowed to retreat, it depends on whether Xie Gubai's trip can persuade Wudang to give up the Han River. As long as the Han River is obtained and Huashan's grain road is cut off, Huashan will inevitably retreat.

Of course, Bazhong and Guang'an must be defended, otherwise Qingcheng will be forced to the city.

■

Ten days have passed and Huashan has not launched an attack. Peng Tiancong frowned and couldn't figure out what Huashan was doing. Do you really plan to go to such lengths?

What worries him the most is seeing the waves of Huashan troops coming one after another. They are already close to 2 people. This is not a way to pass through Qingcheng. They are heading towards Ba County from the beginning. Together with Huashan, they will Want to capture Qingcheng?

Peng Tian was never smart, but even he could see that the rules that had maintained peace among the nine families for 90 years were breaking down.He was not the only one to notice, all the generals in Bazhong knew very well that the long period of peace, sudden war, and even the war that was unknown for how long it would last, made everyone feel uneasy.

Perhaps the most anxious thing is the people in the city, who are lifeless and worried. Many people secretly dig the ground and hide rice grains in them. Even though Liu Yuchun repeatedly issued orders, saying that there is enough grain left in the city, if the buried rice gets damp, it will not be eaten. If you don't tell me, why don't you hide it secretly?Others stole rice, not much, just enough to fit into a small pocket on a sleeve.For stealing food during the war, Li Xiangbo directly asked for the death penalty according to the law.

Peng Tiancong felt that he was wronged.

Peng Nanying was responsible for training the militia. More than once, he encountered people who asked him: "Will Huashan be defeated and life will be the same as before?"

If we defeat Huashan, we don’t know if life will be the same as before, but if we don’t defeat Huashan, life will definitely be different.

Especially after the siege of Huashan, no news from Qingcheng was received, which made Peng Tiancong even more uneasy.

On this day, Peng Tian stood on the city wall and watched, only to see trenches layer after layer. Huashan almost used all the troops to dig trenches, trapping Bazhong layer by layer.Peng Tiancong asked Li Xiangbo: "Could they be digging trenches openly and digging tunnels secretly?"

Li Xiangbo said: "I personally listen to it every day, but I don't hear any sound."

Underground listening involves digging a hole into a thin jar and covering it with a thin cowhide, so that you can hear the movement in the ground. A good listener can distinguish the sound of tunnel digging.

Peng Tiancong thought about it and was suddenly shocked: "What if they trap us here and bypass Bazhong and go straight to Guang'an, but we can't rescue them?"

Li Xiangbo shook his head: "This is too risky. Let's put it this way, the rice warehouse road is narrow and dangerous. If we bypass Bazhong and go deeper, we will cut off their food road and backup. The Huashan troops who enter Shu will either starve to death or be beaten to death with head coverings. , even if the front army turns back and wants to save them, there is no need to fight, just hold on, and these little dogs will starve to death. It is stupid to go south without taking Bazhong. "

Peng Tiancong asked: "What if they really do this?"

It was not that Li Xiangbo had not thought of this, and it was not uncommon to go around the city, so he said: "Bypassing Bazhong is Pingchang. There is no army stationed there. You can go directly from Pingchang, or go down the river to attack Guang'an. You can attack Yuzhong again, or you can take a detour to take Nanchong or Tongzhou first, and then take Guangyuan. This approach is more stable, and you can also go down the river and attack Qingcheng, but Nanchong is still guarded by the Golden Bamboo Gate, which is as small as a meter."

"Is it better to defend Guangyuan and Nanchong or Bazhong?" Peng Tiancong asked.

"After Pingchang, you will come out of Micang Road. Tongzhou is certainly not as dangerous as Bazhong." After saying this, Li Xiangbo also hesitated.Then he said: "They also have to leave troops to guard us. Digging trenches is tiring, but it will be much easier to fill in the roads. We are not in a hurry. Let's take a look."

"You mean to just let them pass by like this and we don't do anything?" Peng Tiancong asked.

Li Xiangbo said: "I'm worried that this is luring the enemy and trying to trick us into fighting."

Peng Tiancong summoned everyone to discuss. Wang Shuo was injured by Du Yinsong and had not yet recovered, so he sent his son Wang Ning to replace him. He was already thinking about whether to go to war or not.Li Xiangbo said: "Even if they don't go to war, we can't let them dig trenches. They have to cause chaos." So he ordered 2000 people to go out of the city to cause trouble. When the Huashan disciples saw it, they turned around and ran away. The 2000 people only destroyed some tools, but with little effect.Li Xiangbo withdrew his troops, and Huashan came to dig trenches again. Li Xiangbo simply relied on the trenches to camp and wait for the opponent to come. If there were few people, he would fight, and if there were many people, he would retreat into the city.

Then Huashan dug another trench outside the trench. He dug it, and Li Xiangbo filled in the trench. He expected that when the second layer of trenches was dug, the first layer was also filled. Peng Tiancong thought this method was good, at least it would not will be trapped.

It was just dawn that day when a group of Huashan disciples rushed in. Li Xiangbo was strict in managing the army and did not panic in response to the enemy.The two sides were fighting. Peng Nanying saw a large number of enemy troops on the city wall. He was afraid that Li Xiangbo would be lost, so he hurriedly led his troops out of the city to meet Li Xiangbo back to the city.Both sides suffered casualties in this battle, but Huashan did not pursue them. Instead, they dug trenches outside the city, set up defensive horses, and sent more people to guard them.

Peng Tian looked from a distance and saw dense camps during the day. He also saw Huashan disciples cutting mountains. There were lights at night. Peng Tian was suspicious and asked Li Xiangbo, "Are there fewer lights?"

Li Xiangbo also became suspicious. After a few days, there were no shortage of camps, but there were fewer campfires at night. Peng Tiancong invited people to discuss again.

"They want to bypass Bazhong to attack Guang'an." Peng Tiancong said, "We can't just let them go." Li Xiangbo said: "The trenches and horses are not complete, so it would be too reckless to bypass Bazhong and divide our troops to go south. , maybe they are tricking us into going to war."

These words made Peng Tiancong hesitate again: "Then what do you think we should do?"

As soon as this was said, everyone hesitated again.Li Xiangbo said: "Send more spies to see if there is any news."

Peng Tiancong said: "Let's do it like this."

■

The war in Bazhong was unknown, and Xie Gubai and his party had arrived in Yichang. Without any delay, they went directly to Xiangyang to meet Yu Jien.It was the first time that Gu Qingshang saw this wealthy man from North China. The clothes he wore were so gorgeous that they were almost tacky. She couldn't keep her eyes open. In comparison, the clothes of the Shen brothers and sisters were considered simple.

She couldn't help but lowered her head and asked Shen Weichen: "Is Gang Leader Yu afraid that people won't know that his family is rich?"

Shen Weichen chuckled: "Sister, if you want to say something degrading, you should go to Dr. Zhu. He can say a hundred things in different ways."

When Yu Jien saw Xie Gubai's face was pale and his steps were sloppy, he realized that he had been seriously injured in an assassination.Xie Gubai stated his intention to come and asked Yu Jien to introduce him to the leader of Xingzhou.

Yu Jien looked troubled and talked about his difficulties.It turns out that after Xing Zhouzi came to the throne, he made great efforts to rectify Wudang. He first wanted to stop the bad habit of alchemy and banned alchemy in Xuanwu Zhenguan. Of course, the crowd was excited when these words came out. Most of the Sansi Dian and the subordinate ministries threatened to resign. Xing Zhouzi only said: " If you want to say goodbye, leave and won’t stay.”

His words were harsh, and everyone hesitated. After all, they had no power and no money. Everyone knew that refining alchemy cost money, so only a few people left. Although the rest were dissatisfied, there was nothing they could do.

You can't refine elixirs in the Xuanwu True Monastery, so you can't control it outside the Xuanwu True Monastery, right?Eighty percent of the seniors in the Blessed Land have gone. Anyway, there are many Taoist temples near Wudang Mountain. No matter how strict Xing Zhouzi is, he can’t order all Wudang to ban alchemy. After all, the Danlu Sect is also a branch of Taoism. In terms of doctrine, or in terms of Traditionally, this edict has gone too far.

Yu Jien was not as important as before. Xing Zhouzi asked him to supervise the construction of ships and ordered Xiangyang to help rectify the bandits and road tyrants in Hubei.Most of these bandit road bullies have some friendship with the Xiangyang Gang. Passing merchants only need to rely on the Xiangyang Gang's brand on the cargo to take shortcuts on the small roads without paying tolls. Both parties have a lot of advantages. Let the Xiangyang Gang rectify these road bullies. The left hand hits the right hand, which is miserable.

Although the head of Xingzhou sent him around as if he wanted to squeeze him dry, Xingzhouzi did not accept Yu Jien's advice and obviously did not regard him as a confidant.

Xie Gubai said: "Even so, I still need to be recommended by the gang leader."

Yu Jien had no reason to refuse. He invited Xie Gubai to a family dinner first and then invited Xie Gubai to the study for another discussion.Gu Qingshang felt confused and asked Shen Weichen: "You are the sister of Head Shen. If you want to talk about anything in private, you can't listen?"

Shen Weichen said: "Mr. Xie is the envoy, and I am the guard. If Mr. Xie feels that I should not know about official matters, I will avoid it."

Gu Qingshang smiled and said: "My sister really trusts Mr. Xie."

Shen Weichen smiled and said: "Brother believes him and I believe him. Hasn't sister been framed by Mr. Xie?"

Gu Qingshang smiled and said: "Anyone who deceives girls is not a good person."

Zhu Menshang, who was standing aside, listened to the two people talking, touched his nose, and walked away silently.

Yu Jien first invited Xie Gubai to the study, and then went into the Nu Room. This was the most secret place of the Xiangyang Gang. No one could hear the gongs and drums inside.

There are no seats here, so the two of them sat on the floor. Yu Jien said: "I have tried my best to do everything Mr. Xie asked me to do. Now that Xing Zhouzi is the leader, I am afraid there will be many more difficulties than in the past."

Xie Gubai knew that he was talking about the Xiangyang Gang merging into Qingcheng and letting Shen Yuqing marry Yu Jinglian or Shen Weichen marry into the Yu family.

"Both my sons and my daughter like Brother Shen, Master Shen. Who doesn't?" Yu Jien said, "Currently, Master Xingzhou is pressing hard. The slower this matter goes, the more things will change."

Xie Gubai pondered for a long time and said: "Now is not the time."

Yu Jien said: "Why is it not the right time? Let's put it this way, the Xiangyang Gang has plenty of money and is short of money for war, so the Xiangyang Gang can help. Besides, in the future, the Xiangyang Gang will be merged into Qingcheng. Sooner or later, they will have to fall out with Pingzhou. Since sooner or later, they will have to fall out. , why are you taking advantage of Wudang? What you are spending now is not Wudang’s silver, but Qingcheng’s military salary in the future.”

"Qingcheng is at war with Huashan. If the leader of Xingzhou attacks the Xiangyang Gang in anger, Qingcheng will not be able to save you."

"Who said it is being merged now? Mr. Xie, please don't pretend to be confused." Yu Jien said, "The Xiangyang Gang is also in trouble now. If Qingcheng can get married first, and with Qingcheng as a backer, the leader of Xingzhou will be able to It’s better not to make things difficult. The more difficult it is, the more excuses the Xiangyang Gang will have to merge with Qingcheng. To be honest, many people in Wudang are dissatisfied with the new leader, and there is no better time than now."

The Xiangyang Gang is indeed not a sect that can match Qingcheng, but Xiangyang is a battleground for military strategists. It holds the Han River and the Yangtze River's water conservancy throat. Xiangyang cannot be eliminated in the world, but it falls into the hands of the weakest Wudang.If we let Huashan take it and cross the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River, we can reach the hinterland of Ba County in just a few days.

"Besides, Qingcheng and the Xiangyang Gang are married, and the two families are the in-laws. If Qingcheng on the Han River wants Chen Bing, I will help the in-laws, and it will be easy to explain to the leader. For Wudang, this is also a marriage between the Wudang and Qingcheng families. What does the leader of the boat really want to say? I have the right words and a lot of good reasons. Does it mean that Wu Dang really hates Qingcheng so much that he has to offend him?" Yu Jien said, seeing Xie Gubai's noncommittal, he asked curiously, "Should you? You haven't mentioned this to Head Shen yet, right?"

Xie Gubai said slowly: "I haven't discussed it with the leader yet."

Yu Jien's expression changed and he said angrily: "Is Mr. Xie playing tricks on Yu?"

Xie Gubai said: "Second brother has just become the head of the family and has many affairs to deal with. Do you think you can arrange a marriage at this time?"

Yu Jien said: "This is not a clever excuse. You can get engaged first and then get married. With this reason, when I go to Wudang Mountain tomorrow, I will be able to keep the Qingcheng fleet on the Han River in front of the boat leader, without any problem. Something wrong."

"Have you never thought about the idea of ​​the leader of Xingzhou?" Xie Gubai asked, "The leader of Xingzhou is determined to rectify Wudang. He has become suspicious of you. If you tell him that Qingcheng is going to marry the Xiangyang Gang, he will What do you think? How close is the Xiangyang Gang to Wudang Mountain? Once you defect, Wudang Mountain will be in danger. The leader of the boat can't even tolerate Qingcheng's fleet on the Han River. Can he tolerate your marriage with Qingcheng? If he wants to take action , will never wait for the battle of Qingcheng Huashan to come to an end, and will definitely take action when Qingcheng Huashan is in a stalemate. Perhaps what Gang Leader Yu said is true, as long as the two families are married, the Qingcheng fleet can stay on the Han River, but Before the war is over, the leader of Xingzhou will find a way to prevent the Xiangyang Gang from being named Yu."

"Then he must have enough time to take care of it." Yu Jien said, "We have to clean up Wudang. I won't believe it for two to thirty years."

"I don't know what Master Xingzhou's plan is." Xie Gubai said, "I just want to know if Gang Leader Yu wants to bet. If Gang Leader Yu insists, Miss Shen will be outside and let Mr. Yu meet Miss Shen and contact him. Keep in touch with each other. I am Mr. Shen’s sworn brother, and I can also be regarded as Miss Shen’s eldest brother. I agree to the marriage for her. For the sake of the overall situation, Miss Shen will definitely agree. I will write a letter and report it back to the head."

Xie Gubai said slowly: "If you go to Wudang tomorrow, tell the leader of the boat like this, or if you are not at ease, you can ask Miss Shen to get married in Xiangyang Bangbai Hall. You have to think clearly, you have to wait until Qingcheng has the ability to protect Should the Xiangyang Gang inform the head of Xingzhou about this marriage again, or should we do this important event when the victory of the Huashan Qingcheng battle is still uncertain?"

Yu Jien pondered for a long time. What Xie Gubai said made sense. He had been bullied by Wudang recently, so he wanted to be protected by Qingcheng. However, the battle in Qingcheng has not yet been settled. If Xing Zhouzi becomes suspicious and attacks him, Qingcheng cannot protect him.

Today's Wudang is indeed dilapidated, but the centipede is still alive. Although the Xiangyang Gang is the most powerful faction in Wudang, after all, big fish eat small fish, and this big fish with bruises may not be able to bite it.Unless he immediately fell out with Wudang and struck first to gain advantage, don't say that Xie Gubai wouldn't agree with it. He himself thought it was reckless. If Huashan could take advantage of it, he would be stupid as a grandma.

After a long time, Yu Jien finally said: "I listen to you. If you lie to me, I will make Qingcheng pay the price."

Xie Gubai said: "I will never betray you."

Yu Jien said "Yes" and said, "I have nothing else to do. Mr. Xie, I will send someone to take you back to your room."

Xie Gubai said: "There is one more thing." After thinking for a while, he asked, "Why did Master Xuanxu pass the throne to Master Xingzhou?"

"I don't know either." Yu Jien shook his head, "I have an informant around the head of Xuanxu, and I did check. The originally written successor as head is really not Xing Zhouzi, and somehow he suddenly became the successor."

"Oh?" Xie Gubai asked, "Did anything unusual happen before he was announced as the leader? Or did he meet some embarrassing person?"

"I know what you suspect, it's impossible." Yu Jien said, "That is indeed the handwriting of the head Xuanxu, but..." He thought for a moment and said, "Mingwu visited Xing Zhouzi before he took over as the head. For quite some time.”

"Obviously?" Xie Gubai frowned.

(End of this chapter)