Three Kingdoms

Just when Xu Shu and Ma Heng were discussing going to Nanzhong to investigate, Fazheng brought new news.

Fazheng investigated and learned that some people from the Five Directions Sect were promoting the theory of ghosts and gods in Chengdu.

Strictly speaking, they are not all Taoist priests in the Five Directions God Sect, but the Qiao clan.

"Qiao family?" ” Xu Shu was a little surprised.

Fazheng nodded.

Although Fazheng said that he was not responsible for these counter-espionage matters, he could not turn a blind eye to some things that happened at the local level. Therefore, after paying attention, he found out that Xu Shu and Ma Heng had some negligence. Where to come...

Xu Shu and Ma Heng looked at each other and then fell into thought.

Fa Zheng discovered a bright spot.

Xu Shu and Ma Heng may not be aware of what Fazheng said, but the Taoist priests of the Five Directions God Sect themselves believe in gods, so isn't it normal practice to talk about ghosts and gods in daily life?

If Taoist priests are not allowed to talk about ghosts and gods, what else can Taoist priests say? So when Xu Shu and Ma Heng received the relevant reports, they naturally excluded these Taoist priests from the Five Directions Sect.

This surprised Xu Shu.

Fa Zheng said in a deep voice: "The Taoist priests from the five directions talk about ghosts and gods who seek good deeds. However, people of the Qiao family pretend to be ghosts and gods, seek more wealth, and deceive the people. They are actually doing evil." 』

"In order to sell talismans, he did not hesitate to kill innocent lives..." Fa Zheng said, and then sighed a little, "In the name of the lord, he actually robbed the villagers." The Qiao clan used the Five Directions Catholic Church to harm the people, and in order to make huge profits, they did not hesitate to kill innocent people..."

As Fazheng narrated, the faces of Xu Shu and Ma Heng gradually became serious...

No one rushes to the red line area to die from the beginning.

At the beginning, the Qiao clan members did not intend to commit suicide, but after constant testing, they gradually became bolder. Just like in the feudal dynasty, local officials imposed additional taxes, or imposed penalties and confiscations. At first, they only said that those who engaged in Codonopsis ginseng would be fined. They said that Codonopsis ginseng was a medicine and expensive. How could the untouchables eat it at will? Then seeing that there was no movement, I thought that the next step would be to include garlic in the list of confiscations. After all, garlic is also a medicine.

The Qiao clan's greedy process of amassing money is also full of intimidation, bribery, blood, cruelty...

But were the people up and down the Qiao family so bad from the beginning?

Not really.

Xu Shu still remembered that a few years ago, the Qiao clan had a pretty good reputation. It is said that Qiao worked hard in farming, encouraged the people to be kind, and did a lot of work in paving roads and building bridges. He was a model of a good country squire. But in just such a short period of time, he has become like this?

Of course, Xu Shu believed that Fazheng would not lie about this matter, and must have found relevant conclusive evidence. Sure enough, Fazheng then took out a written document and recorded in detail the issues related to the Qiao family.

The cause of these problems was just an Orion.

A plain old hunter.

……┐(?～?)┌……

a few days ago.

Within Qiao's manor.

Qiao Ming just looked at the book sent by his subordinates and felt very happy.

The Qiao family has begun to transform from its original heirloom of classics.

Transformed into a teaching heirloom.

The Five Directions God Cult is obviously more useful than the prophecy technique of Jinwen Jing Xue that Qiao learned before.

The art of prophecy and weft, the prophecy is a secret speech, predicting good and bad luck, the weft is a tributary of the meridian, and it has other meanings.

Speaking of which, the ancestor of the prophecy should be King Wen of Zhou. As an avid divination enthusiast, he left the most famous prophecy, which was the result of divination based on the content of Taisi's dream: "Accept the great order of Shang from the Emperor of Heaven." 』. Even in the Book of Songs, "King Wen Yousheng" says, "King Wen was ordered to have such martial arts; after attacking Chong, he built a city in Feng." 』

The prophecy became the sword that King Zhou used to stab the ancient wizards. It also provided a legal and rational basis for his subsequent crowning of kings and the construction of a spiritual platform, as well as for his son, King Wu of Zhou, to destroy the Yin and Shang Dynasties and unify the world in the future.

However, you will have to repay it sooner or later. King Zhou Wen's debt was repaid by King Zhou Xuan.

During the reign of King Xuan of Zhou Dynasty, there was a rumor among children that "if you wear a bow and a robe, the Zhou Kingdom will be destroyed", which is an allusion to Bao Si...

The Western Zhou Dynasty seems to be so absurd.

But in fact, everyone knows that history is just a little lonely person who can be dressed up by others.

So it's just like that. It depends on whether you want to wear a miniskirt or a thong...

Now that the General of the Hussars has eliminated prophecy from the Confucian classics, the Qiao clan is naturally not having an easy time. However, they have found a new path, and then they find that this new path is even more useful than the previous prophecy theory!

Make more money!

Just like this time, no farmer dared to refuse the "Five Directions God's Blessing" charm they provided. There was naturally bargaining, but it was all within the allowed range.

Qiao Ming was careful not to push the farmers too hard.

All farmers know how to cut leeks one crop after another and pull them out directly. Isn’t that killing the goose to obtain the eggs?

"God's Blessing from the Five Directions" is just a talisman made of ghost-drawn talismans. The cost is almost negligible. At most, it's just a little money for paper and paint. The seal that has been carved in advance, brushed with red ink, and the paper is pasted up, and it is a "drawn" charm.

That's right, it's more troublesome to draw, but it's better to print.

After all, there may be one more stroke or one less stroke in the painting, but it will be basically the same when printed. The magic power of "Five Directions God's Protection" is naturally the same.

So this business, um, not a business, it’s a blessing, uh, wrong, it’s a charm, it’s great!

This year’s income, tsk tsk...

Sure enough, after changing the name, it became much easier to use.

This is a benefit that I have never dared to think about in the past. In the past, those unscrupulous people always thought about defaulting on their debts. The taxes collected from Zhuanghe were often insufficient. Some even defaulted on their official taxes, and they kept saying they were pitiful. , we should show compassion at every turn, be kind-hearted and so on.

Not to mention that compassion and kindness are rare. Most people don’t have them. Even if they do have them, how much will be left if you send them here and there all day long?

Things are getting better now, even the Taoist priest who went down to deliver the charms had a shiny face.

However, when Qiao Ming looked behind him, his expression gradually darkened.

He put down the booklet in his hand, then frowned and wondered what he was thinking about.

In the hall, one of his personal followers saw Qiao Ming's expression and quietly moved to the side. The follower knew that Qiao Ming was a little unhappy, and it might be a sign that he was about to lose his temper, so he hid quickly. Stay farther away to avoid suffering the disaster of pond fish.

"Call lame Zhang!" ” Qiao Ming ordered.

Cripple Zhang has a slight limp. When he was a child, he didn't know why he became lame. He always has a smile on his face. He doesn't speak to anyone but smiles a little.

The Han Dynasty does not have any protection system for disabled people, although Lao Dai said very early on that, "the journey of the great road is that the world is for the common good, select the talented and capable, maintain trust and cultivate harmony." Old friends do not only care for their relatives, nor do they only care for their children. So that the old can have their end, the strong can be useful, the young can grow, and the humble, widowed, lonely, alone, disabled and sick can all be provided for. Men have their share, and women have their home. If the goods are disgusting, they should be thrown on the ground, so there is no need to hide them for oneself; if the power is harmful, they do not come from the body, so there is no need to hide them for oneself..."

But in fact, let alone widows and widowers, even the simplest evil forces have been difficult to eradicate for thousands of years.

Therefore, if the current disabled people in Han Dynasty want to survive, they must pay a higher price.

Lame Zhang has to pay more for his conscience.

He flattered the Qiao family and asked for an errand to go to the countryside. He firmly grasped the secrets of errand work, and the first step was to "attack ruthlessly". Orphans and widowed mothers kneel in front of them and beg, but they have to be ruthless. The old, weak, sick and disabled are about to die, and the debt must be paid first. A liter of rice is a liter of rice, even if it is missing a grain of rice.

Secondly, you have to "bear it". It is common to go back and forth to collect taxes from farmers in the countryside. Sometimes, if you can't make the trip, you have to eat and sleep in the wild. At this time, no one cares whether you are lame or not. You will get preferential treatment. If you can't make the trip, no one will wait. Only one foot is deep and one foot is shallow, gritting teeth and holding on.

Then, because he is a lame, he has to do more than normal people. Otherwise, why would a nobleman need a lame to do things? The dirty work is naturally his, regardless of the rules or irregularities. Anyway, only by doing the things assigned by the nobles well will his ability be more evident. Therefore, no matter what kind of work it is, Lame Zhang rushes to do it, and he wants to do it better. It’s more in line with the noble man’s wishes…

Probably because of his disability, Lame Zhang has a particularly strong desire to climb up. Of course, due to physical reasons, it is impossible for him to get a better position, and the so-called room for improvement is almost non-existent. After all, in the traditional customs of the Han Dynasty, appearance is also an important criterion for judging whether an official is responsible. Pang Tong has suffered in this regard, so the cripple Zhang's small goal is to be a good loser first and be the best loser among them. , and then seek the position of manor steward, which is basically the end.

Qiao Ming also felt that Cripple Zhang was more useful, so he called Cripple Zhang over.

The lame Zhang saw Qiao Ming's worried expression and immediately said, "My lord, do you have any instructions?" 』

Qiao Ming hummed, and then said: "Hou Gang Zhang Orion still doesn't ask for "God's protection"! 』

Hearing this, Cripple Zhang already knew what was going on.

There have been rumors and rumors in the market recently. In fact, most of them were spread by the Qiao clan. Of course, some of them were made by mindless idlers who followed the trend. Those idle people who follow the trend and have no brains are mostly just looking for verbal pleasure, while the Qiao family is just for real gold, silver and copper plates.

Most of the farmers are illiterate. The furthest way from their lives is to go to the market, so they have no idea what the outside world is like. As long as a few more people say the same thing to the farmers, these farmers will believe it, regardless of what they say. How outrageous.

But some people are different, such as Zhang Orion from Hou Gang.

This Zhang Laizi's family may have often traveled in the mountains, or they were used to going to the county town to exchange prey furs for money and goods, so they did not believe the rumors spread by the Qiao clan, nor did they think there were any ghosts in the mountains. Even if there is a real ghost, Orion Zhang doesn't think the "God's Protection" ghost painting charm sold by Qiao's can resist it.

Therefore, Orion Zhang did not buy, well, according to the Qiao family, it was "please", not the "God's protection" charm.

"This Zhang Orion is so ignorant..." Qiao Ming sighed, "I asked someone to lower the price, but he still refused... This is really very ignorant!" Think about it, everyone in these ten miles and eight villages has God's protection, but he doesn't have it here. Isn't this a loophole? If this allows the ghosts in the mountains to find a loophole, wouldn't it harm the villagers? 』

As for what kind of protection and what kind of loopholes, it's basically bullshit. If there really were ghosts, Qiao would run up and down faster than anyone else.

The reason why Qiao Ming is dissatisfied is because if Zhang Orion is left alone and does not buy it, then if Zhang Orion is safe, it may lead more people not to buy the new "God's Protection" charm. How will this business be done in the future?

How to continue doing it?

How to carry it forward and last for a long time?

"The gods of the five directions, this is what all the generals believe in!" Qiao Ming said seriously, "What does this Orion want to do?" Even the hussar generals believe in the talisman? What does this mean? This thing is very bad..."

The lame Zhang lowered his head and said, "My lord, let me handle this matter...!" 』

Qiao Ming glanced at Lame Zhang and said, "Do you understand?" Know what to do? 』

"Understand! ” The lame man smiled and said, “Lord, don’t worry...”

When cutting leeks, there should be no hard stubble.

……(?▽?)/……

The Qiao clan was not so arrogant at the beginning.

But now, the Qiao clan members already feel that it is normal to be arrogant.

Because General Hussar "believes" in the Five Directions Catholic Church, and the Qiao family also "believes in" the Five Directions Catholic Church, just like A=B, C=B, so the Qiao family also feels that they have the authority of the General Hussar. , at least represents the hussar general exercising jurisdiction and herding the people in the countryside. It's like shouting at every turn that I represent so-and-so, but it's not just beautiful girls, and it's not just the moon that is represented.

Zhang Orion still didn't realize anything was wrong.

The reason why he didn't buy any "God's Protection" was simple. He didn't believe in any gods or ghosts, whether it was the gods of the five directions or other ghosts and gods. He only believed in his own hands.

Over the years, no ghosts or gods have helped him in his difficult times. When he was sick, no ghosts or gods gave him food. He dragged his sick body up the mountain to hunt and finally survived.

Zhang Orion has no wife, let alone children.

He knows how hard hunting is and how tiring life is, so why should he find another wife and let his children continue the pain and tiredness?

It's not that he hasn't thought about going down the mountain and changing his career, but after hunting for more than ten or twenty years, he can only hunt.

Go down the mountain and follow the example of farmers in farming? Or should I go back to school again?

Zhang Orion also tried to join the army. But he was kicked off the job, and there were younger people competing for it, but he couldn't win.

Not all hunters are marksmen.

He himself is already in his early thirties, and has lived most of his life. When the day comes that he can no longer hunt, he will die on the mountain. Or you don’t even have to wait until you die of old age. If you encounter a tiger, leopard, jackal, or something like that, you can just close your eyes and kick your legs. It doesn’t matter where you die.

So Zhang Orion is very open-minded.

The more you look at it, the less you believe in ghosts and gods.

Zhang Orion hunted a hare two days ago. He ate the meat and peeled off the skin. He took the fur and other things he had accumulated some time ago and went to Nanshi to exchange for money.

There are two restaurants in Nanshi, one is expensive and the other is even more expensive. Just like the two trees in front of Mr. Lu's door. Of course Orion Zhang couldn't afford to eat in a big restaurant, but it was still okay to find a small restaurant to treat himself to something good.

Nowadays, in Chengdu, there are more and more grand stage-style venues. Restaurants are also nearby. There are even only a few seats and benches. There are also many hot pick stalls. You can eat a bowl of hot soup cakes and then Listening for a long time while shaking your head is considered one of life's small pleasures.

Zhang Orion ate a bowl of hot soup cakes, then entered the stage and found a seat to sit down.

Someone was singing a tune on the stage, banging the tambourine while singing.

Orion Zhang recognized it. It was a new song called rap.

There were rappers like this before. In addition to persuading people to be kind and religious stories, they also sang various folk songs.

Really vulgar song.

The rappers were talking and performing, and the people in the audience laughed and made noises from time to time, which was really lively.

Although the song does not blatantly describe the third path, it still tells the story vividly. Not only is the sound and emotion vivid, but the story has branches and leaves. Climbing the wall quietly into the boudoir in the middle of the night, hiding under the bed and waiting anxiously, etc. As for the various content that they like to hear and see later, it is even more varied, making the audience in the audience drool.

Zhang Orion also laughed when he heard this.

Little common people?

The rapper Dongdong played the tambourine and finished singing a song, then went down and was replaced by a few jugglers. He held a plate and stepped on a big vat, and swallowed a sword with his weak kung fu, which again attracted bursts of applause from the audience...

Zhang Orion was also watching intently, but he didn't notice that someone on the side was casting an unkind look.

Zhang Laizi and several people were staring at Zhang Orion's back.

"Boss, do you want to do something here?" "A person next to Zhang Laizi asked quietly.

"Are you stupid?" Zhang Laizi scolded in a low voice, "If you do something in a busy city, if you are caught by the inspection, you will have to work in a labor camp for the rest of your life, even if you don't pay for it with your life!" 』

"Isn't it okay as long as you don't get caught? The man said, "I have a knife hidden in my sleeve. I walk over and stab him to death. Then I take advantage of the chaos and sneak into the alley. I don't believe who can find me?" ! 』

Lame Zhang pondered for a moment, shook his head, and said, "What if he wasn't stabbed to death at once?" Forget it, let’s go first and wait at his house...』

It's not that the cripple Zhang Xin can't do his job, but because Qiao Ming gave clear instructions, saying that if "ghosts" harm Zhang Orion! If Zhang Orion was stabbed to death right here, he would not only be challenging the inspection, but he would also be unable to fulfill Qiao Ming's intention. Zhang Orion must die miserably in order to let others know that without the "God's Protection" spell, it means that "ghosts" will come!