White Bone Monkey King

There are only a handful of people who can let an old Taoist priest cook in person.

After a year's absence, Fatty Li was lucky enough to have this special encounter today, which made Fatty Li howl with excitement.

That night.

The breeze was blowing softly, and the big trees in the courtyard were rustling. The three of them sat around the stone table under the tree, listening to the endless cicadas in their ears, and drinking Jiangzhou Prefecture's special old yellow rice wine that had been chilled in the well water for a day. I was so energetic that I couldn’t stop breathing.

Even the goats were munching carrots and shaking their heads from time to time, wagging their short tails from time to time to show that they were in a good mood.

After three rounds of drinking, Fatty Li sighed after hearing what Jin An and the old Taoist priest had experienced in the past year. He said a few words of relief when he heard that the whereabouts of the sharp sword had not yet been found. They all said that they should be happy to see each other again after a long separation. Jin An did not want to be with him. Fatty Li and everyone met in a sad atmosphere after a long absence, so they changed the subject and asked about Fatty Li's experience this year, and how he was transferred to Jiangnan?

When he talked about his official position, Fatty Li had a look on his face.

Jin An said that the Criminal Investigation Department was away on official business and it was understandable that it was not convenient to disclose the details of the case. Then just when he was about to take over the matter, Fatty Li finished the drink in the bowl in one gulp and said in a slightly drunken tone: " There are three people here, namely Taoist Jin'an, Taoist Chen and Li. Yes, there are also four senior brothers. Wu Zang Taoist Temple does not treat me as an outsider, and I have never regarded Wu Zang Taoist Temple as an outsider. Because Wuzhou Prefecture is not doing things well, I stabbed It's a big deal. This time I was transferred to Jiangzhou Prefecture as a criminal, and I really took on a difficult case..."

I don’t know whether Fatty Li was really drunk or pretending to be drunk. He was so drunk that he took out two money bags from his arms, poured out two piles of copper coins respectively, and asked Jin An and the old Taoist priest if they could see anything?

As a result, before the two of them could answer, he was already asking and answering questions to himself under the influence of alcohol.

"This pile of heavier copper coins, which are touched by the common people and is shiny, is the southern coins circulating in the south, but they are not officially minted. This newer pile is the northern coins minted by the official. Because the common people use them less, the quality looks new. some."

"Southern coins are circulated in the market, but northern coins are not. My mission in Jiangzhou Prefecture this time is to investigate the case of southern coins and northern coins. Is there anyone who minted copper coins privately? To persuade the people to abandon northern coins and only use southern coins for business! Minting copper coins privately is endangering the stability of the country, and hanging a sharp sword beside the holy king's bed is a serious crime of annihilating the nine tribes!"

"The Jade Capital Golden Tower, the Zhenguo Temple, and the Tianshi Mansion sent immortal masters to escort the prince to inspect the world on behalf of the emperor. The first stop was chosen to be Jiangzhou, which is the richest, most prosperous commerce, and pays the most taxes in the country. Do you know why? ?”

Jin An and the old Taoist priest looked at each other without replying. Folks talking about Chao Gang and Jiangshan Sheji are punishable by beheading, so when they first discovered the difference between southern money and northern money, Jin An specifically told the old Taoist priest to tell the difference. Keep things to yourself and don't mention them to anyone.

The common people in the market only recognize the southern coins and do not recognize the officially minted northern coins. This is enough to shake the stability of the country and divide the people's hearts.

When the situation is so serious that the national treasury cannot turn over money from the north and only pays money from the south, then everything from the salaries of officials in the Manchu Dynasty, military expenditures, border wars, to annual disaster relief and money allocated to various places will all depend on it. Nan Qian, thousands of people across the country are waiting for Nan Qian, and they can easily control the national destiny of Kangding. When that day comes, a powerful man from the south stands up and raises his arms, it will be the time when the north and the south are torn apart and lead troops to rebel.

These things were treasonous to the imperial court. Jin An and the old Taoist priests knew it in their hearts, but they did not say it out loud because they were afraid of bringing unreasonable disaster to the Five Zang Taoist Temple.

Fatty Li was still drunk and continued: "Privately minting copper coins is not something that can be done in a day, two days, or a year or two. It involves many aspects, such as private copper mines that are not recorded by the court, and a large number of workers. Mining and minting copper coins also require a large site and abundant water resources... Without careful planning for ten or eight years, these would not be possible."

"This is not a trivial matter. It has directly alarmed the Holy Lord in the capital. The Holy Lord is furious. One word, investigate! No matter how many civil servants and military officers from the south are involved in this matter, whether there are officials from the south colluding with the party or not, if a hundred people are found out, they will be executed. There are nine tribes with a hundred people. If a thousand people are found out, they will kill the nine tribes with a thousand people! This time the Holy King asked the princes to patrol the south on behalf of the emperor. The first is to test, the second is to intimidate, the third is to test several princes, and the fourth is to borrow the princes. The party forces behind it eradicate dissidents, and the fifth is also to show the attitude of the sage and stabilize the impetuous people in the world."

"You guys like me, who are just playing a vanguard, are just here to touch the bottom of the south first and let the princes find out how deep this muddy water is. The princes are on stage, this is the South Money and North Money case. The real protagonist.”

"Do you know what rumors are being circulated among the people now? They say that strange phenomena in the heaven and earth, and that the days are short and the nights are long, are signs of the dimness of the emperor's star!"

Jin An and the old Taoist priest were silent, slowly digesting every word of Fatty Li.

They didn't expect that when they met Fatty Li again in Jiangnan this time, he would bring such shocking news. It really surprised the two of them and they needed to digest it.

"Such a big case can be handed over to you, Fatty Li. How come I don't think this is like a demotion or a punishment for you? It's more like you were promoted despite not being affected by the Wuzhou Prefecture's affairs, and actually assigned Come and investigate this case." The old Taoist priest looked at Fatty Li, only to find that he was drunk and fell asleep on the table, snoring loudly.

Then the old Taoist priest looked at Jin An worriedly: "Little brother, what do you think of this matter?"

Jin An raised his head and looked at the sky: "The great struggle in this world not only involves the secular world and the spiritual world, but also involves the central court. The whole world is like a big oven. The seemingly calm lake is being slowly boiled. There are only a few people. Being able to stay out of it.”

The night is very clear today, the summer night is full of stars, the stars and the moon are bright, just like the last tranquility before the coastal typhoon.

"Could it be that, like Mr. Yuan's group, the northern grassland tribesmen have always wanted to be Han Chinese?" the old Taoist priest guessed.

Jin An hesitated: "Maybe, maybe not... This time the effort is too big, it's not like a big chessboard that a few stragglers can play..."

The old Taoist priest looked over and said, "Little brother, are you worried about something?"

Jin An sighed: "Southern money is more expensive than northern money. If someone really takes advantage of this, this peaceful and prosperous age may be infected by ruthless war, and the first to suffer every time a war breaks out is ordinary people."

The old Taoist priest was so angry that he cursed: "Isn't it good to have peace? Everyone has enough to eat and drink, and there are wives and children looking forward to going home every day! But there are always people who want to kill people in wars every day! It's not good!"

The higher I stand, the more I realize the insignificance of personal power in this world of great strife. No matter whether it is a practitioner, a person in a position of power, or the old, weak, women, children, common people, flowers or trees, no one can escape the whirlpool of this world of great strife. . And the only thing he can do is to work hard to be himself and do his best to protect everyone around him. Jin An's eyes are firm and he is even more determined to practice!

Jin An and the old Taoist priest packed up a side room and let the drunk Fatty Li stay in the Taoist temple for the night.