Aggrieved Fish Sprite

No matter how many people shouted in panic, hid, or knocked on the vessel, the sun was still disappearing bit by bit.

In a temple on the outskirts of Run County, it was crowded with terrified people.

While looking anxiously at the sky outside, he gesticulated and prayed in front of the Buddha statue.

Only the elderly people were more pious, and their expressions were more stable. They scolded the younger generation and prevented them from running outside.

It is unlucky for Tiangou to eat the sun. People believe that even if they are exposed to that kind of light, they will get sick. People who beat gongs and drums stand on the corridor, and they cannot enter the house unless they step over the brazier.The longer it is dark, the more ominous it is.

Qiu Jing, the owner of Fengxing Pavilion, was wearing a plain robe, standing in the side room through the window, looking at the noisy scene in the front hall of the temple.

She suffered injuries to her forehead, shoulders, and back.

The injury was not serious, but the burn on the back, the skin and flesh were so festered that it was difficult to heal, even with the medicine, it looked terrible.

"Pavilion Master, there is a shortage of doctors and medicines here. If I had known earlier, I would have asked Dr. Mo to prescribe a prescription..."

"Last night, the situation was urgent. There is no time to seek medical advice. It's just a small injury, and it doesn't blow or rain. Just let it go."

Qiu Jing said it easily, but her subordinates did not dare to relax at all.

The wound is difficult to heal, so it is easy to get sores. Once the suppuration occurs repeatedly, even the gods will not be able to save it.

Although they are from the Jianghu, they carry high-quality gold-chuang medicine with them, and they are very good at treating trauma. They will not die because of a small wound like ordinary people or soldiers, but burns are troublesome, not only pain, Even bandaging is difficult.

"Pavilion Master, why don't we go to Jingzhou to heal our wounds first."

Qiu Jing's subordinates suggested worriedly.

After last night, almost all the masters of Fengxing Pavilion were injured and needed to recuperate.

But this situation cannot be rested. They need to investigate the details of shopkeeper Sun and his group non-stop, and investigate whether their Fengxing Pavilion's hidden piles and sub-rudders have fallen or been monitored and controlled.At the same time, we must go to great lengths to spread the news about Afulong quickly to the ears of all the people who should know.

Qiu Jing didn't close her eyes all night. This temple is the place where an old friend of her father's generation became a monk. It is safe and reliable, and does not involve the forces of the world.

But, can't stay for long.

The Xiliang people have a big plan, and there are more forces hidden in the dark. They should not stay in any place for a long time, otherwise it may cause disaster.

Looking at these people who were panicked just because of the solar eclipse, Qiu Jing seemed to be blocked by something in his chest, feeling extremely depressed.

"Pavilion Master?" The people in Fengxing Pavilion were shocked, thinking that Qiu Jing had a secret injury.

"nothing."

Qiu Jing slowly put down his hand on his heart, and suddenly asked: "If everyone is literate, can read a few books, knows the dangers of cults such as the Holy Lotus Altar, knows that drugs can't be touched, and understands that the sun is not eaten by a tengu. Spit out, what will this world look like?"

This stopped Qiu Jing's subordinates.

Since the Shang, Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties, officials have been "shepherds". To put it bluntly, the people are like cattle and sheep. Except for being obedient and not making trouble, they only need the people to have more children and reproduce from generation to generation, so that people can cultivate the fields and the treasury. Only by being able to levy, the ruler can rule better.

Who would bother to teach the people to know more?

Qin burned the words of a hundred schools of thought and used the head of foolishness.

Later, people of all dynasties could study, but reading was a costly thing, and ordinary peasant children could neither afford nor have a place to study.

"The prosperity of the world requires people. It's a pity that those who sit on the throne and wear official hats add two words to this sentence."

That is to say, the prosperity of the world requires the people to be obedient.

If the court is short of people, it will have more children; if the court wants money and food, it will cultivate the land well.

People's hearts are changeable and prone to rebellion?Then the three cardinal guides and the five constant pressures, the country governs the world, the clan governs the family, with layers of control and restraint... Don't think about anything, don't need to think about anything, just be obedient and you're done.

Qiu Jing slowly clenched his fists, listening to the wailing and complaining of his subordinates.

"Lu Zhang of the Qi Dynasty usurped the throne by stealing the country, his son Emperor Yongchen killed the king and seized the throne. The altar has ulterior motives to instigate foolish people, and war disasters will arise in the southwest. The three kings of Chu in the south are either drunk and dreaming of death in a corner, or they are fighting among Xiaoqiang, with high eyes and low hands... I thought maybe this is the destiny. , it’s not bad, but another group of Xiliang people emerged.”

Some people are crazy and want to make contributions, and naturally some people don't want to fight again.

Once there is a war, the Fengxing Pavilion, which seems to have a lot of branches and leaves, will collapse in an instant, because most of them are ordinary people with a little skill, just because they don't want to be wandering in the rivers and lakes without food, and they don't want to join the army and be ruled everywhere. This is the business of selling news.Maybe they seem to be much stronger than ordinary people, able to fight and run, but if the world is really in chaos, a cold arrow and the horseshoes of a group of rebels will also kill them.

The most important thing in Fengxing Pavilion is not the people, but the news chains scattered all over the place, as well as the channels for ascertaining information and collecting the price of rice and salt.

With the flames of war, these channels and news chains will disappear in smoke.

"...Pavilion Master, there is new news from Run County! Something happened in the City God Temple area!"

Qiu Jing cheered up and took the information sent by his subordinates.

——The battle of unfamiliar masters caused the roofs of a street to disappear. People saw a whirlwind suspected of being a monster. People in the county rushed to the city gate in panic and escaped.

Qiu Jing first took a deep breath, and then showed awe-inspiring expression.

"The man behind the scenes has appeared."

The true leader of the killer organization, the backbone of the Xiliang people, and the benefactor of the swordsman Suli.

Even though they did not receive Qiu Jing's order, the people from Fengxing Pavilion immediately dispatched people to investigate the situation after the withdrawal of the Sun's family firm.

"I don't know who is higher or lower than Meng Qi's martial arts."

"Isn't Meng Qi still with Doctor Mo?"

"If you want to put it this way, that person is still the leader of the killer organization. He can train a swordsman Suli, and there may be a second one. I heard that the martial arts at the Mogaiti Temple in Xiliang State in the past was quite advanced. Hengchang Temple and Tianshan faction are sent, if Xiliang people have been planning for a long time, I'm afraid they will have a very large number of masters."

Qiu Jing listened to his subordinates' speeches, and his expression became more dignified.

Finally, they looked at each other and asked cautiously: "Pavilion Master, why don't we go back first and ask your father to come forward... The matter has already involved the general trend of the world, this is not something we can easily reverse, we must get other assistance. "

Qiu Jing frowned, and said in a deep voice: "People are looking for them, but we can't leave. The opportunity cannot be missed. The power of Xiliang people in Run County has been messed up by Meng Guoshi. They have no choice but to give up. If at this moment Now, who can catch their fox tails?"

Looking at the hesitant expressions of the masters of Fengxing Pavilion, Qiu Jing said in a more accentuated voice: "Don't forget, Meng Qi is the former imperial teacher. No more, only the three kings of Chu. If Xiliang people are determined to restore their country, as long as their leader is not a fool, they will not waste energy to seek revenge from Meng Qi. As far as Meng Qi is concerned... why does he have to stop this? A group of Xiliang people?"

Everyone was shocked when they heard the words, and then their expressions changed.

Qiu Jing sighed, and continued in a deep voice: "Meng Qi is alone, with no attachments, a master like him can easily live in seclusion in the mountains and forests, and people will never find him again. Isn't that what he did many years ago? Will he care whether the surname is Lu or Li, whether the Xiliang people are in power or the heaven-sent king is in power? We are the ones who are really threatened and affected, not Meng Qi."

"But Master Meng..."

The master of Fengxing Pavilion hesitated to speak.

They wanted to say, Meng Qi shouldn't just sit idly by?

Everyone knows what kind of person the founding hero of the Chu Dynasty was.When Meng Qi appeared in front of people, they subconsciously doubted, and when they encountered a dangerous situation, they instinctively believed in this person, which was contradictory enough.

Qiu Jing didn't say a word.

Yes, Meng Qi may not be a "shepherd", not a person who treats people like cattle and sheep, but——

"The ruler is short, the inch is long, and chaos is about to break out. Who will be able to stop it? When people in the world work together, if you blindly count on others to shelter from the wind and rain, and covet a little respite, I will be afraid in the future." It is a place where death has no burial."

Qiu Jing looked dignified, and everyone understood what she meant.

Xiliang people won the world, will Meng Qi die?Will the ink carp die?

No, it doesn't even have any effect. The top experts only need to disappear and live in the mountains. They are the ones who really suffer.

If Fengxing Pavilion backed down at this time, and didn't contribute in time... maybe there would be no more chances.

"Isn't there a rumor in Run County that a monster dragon is here? With today's solar eclipse, we will start from here." Qiu Jing's eyes were firm and determined, and she commanded calmly, "Rumors spread, causing disasters in the northwest and reaching the southwest. , The wolf is ambitious and intends to swallow the sun and the moon."

***

As the saying goes, one hundred thousand guan is wrapped around one's waist, and one rides a crane down to Yangzhou.

In fact, Jingzhou, which is adjacent to Yangzhou, was more prosperous than the former before the rise of salt merchants.

Since ancient times, Jingzhou has been a place where celebrities come forth in large numbers, with fertile soil, and 27 counties in eight counties under its jurisdiction.It is a pity that after the fall of the Chu Dynasty, the north and the south were divided into two rivers, and Jingzhou was divided into two parts, the northern part was relatively small, and the southern part was larger.

As a result, large tracts of land were converted into military camps, where troops from both parties were stationed.

Most of them are sailors.

Most of the troops of the Qi Dynasty were from the north, and they were not good at water warfare. Although they barely built a navy, none of the generals and soldiers were willing to take the initiative to start a war with the Chu regime in the south.

The sailors were unwilling because most of them were recruited by force from the local area, and their ancestors were related to those on the other side of the river; A villain conquering the world?Those who fought bloody battles and took all their belongings to the south would be rewarded at most, and they had to beware of being hidden by the Qi emperor bird.

Besides, since Lu Zhang took the throne, in order to prevent other people from gaining military power and forcing the palace to rebel, he repeatedly suppressed the military generals, and those indifferent civil servants in the court fanned the flames, and the Qi Dynasty military generals group has long been complaining.

Although the treatment of Jingzhou defenders is better than that of frontier troops, it is not much better.

No hunger, no sand in the rice porridge, cotton-padded clothes not stuffed with paper - food and salaries will also be deducted, and the generals will not be able to support their families if they don't eat empty salaries.

Some people in the south wanted to make money, while the Qi Dynasty in the north was short of money. The garrisons of the two sides hit it off, and two boats sneaked across the river every now and then, transporting tea, raw silk, fine cloth and private salt.

"...Hey, what's the war! No one wants to fight unless it's too long?"

The river was long, and there were two small boats hidden in the reeds. The boatmen were tall and thick, and there was no fishy smell on their bodies.

"Here, is it really possible to cross the river here?"

It was an old woman who was speaking, and she was holding a child in her hand, stumbling as she spoke, tears streaming down her face.

"My lord, my son and daughter-in-law are gone, and the relatives who can go to me are all on the other side. I can't wield a hoe, and I can't make money. I only hope to entrust my grandson to the same clan on the other side of the river. Baojia sees that the old man is pitiful, Said that the river can be crossed here, please be kind to the officials, and give my grandson a way out!"

The old woman was about to kowtow as she spoke, but the boatman waved his hands again and again and said, "What officials, there are no officials here, you can cross the river if you give enough money."

The old woman hurriedly took out an old purse, emptied it, and handed over half the money tremblingly.

"That's it?" The boatman looked at it with distaste. "This is only enough for one person's boat fare. Our court and King Jing over there have stipulated that no one is allowed to go down the river. What we have done is a business that loses our heads."

The old woman's face was full of tears, and she knelt down without getting up.

The boatman frowned annoyedly, and looked into the reeds again.

I saw three people standing scattered on the shore, a man who looked like a businessman came out, and the other two looked very handsome.

The person on the left is wearing a white-washed coat, dressed as an old boy, and carrying a dilapidated book bag. Although his clothes are poor, his eyes are clear and energetic. .The one next to him stood a little farther away, with white hair and beard like a hermit in the mountains, with a desolate and remote look, not touching the fireworks of the world.

Even though they were plainly dressed and had no possessions, as long as they were not blind, they could tell at a glance that they were not ordinary people.

But the boatman didn't seem to be surprised, he just squinted at that side.

The merchant timidly avoided the side, while Old Tongsheng walked over slowly, opened his book bag, and gave the boatman a penny.

The boatman weighed it, and seeing that it was a solid copper coin from Qi Chao, his face suddenly smiled, and his eyes stared desperately at the book bag.

As a result, I only saw some half-new and not old clothes made of muslin. Other than that, there were only herbs, books, ink, brushes and so on.The boatman curled his lips, looked away reluctantly, and waved impatiently: "Get on board."

The hermit-like man lowered his head slightly when he passed by the begging old woman.

The old woman hurriedly kowtowed to him, as if she wanted to beg for money.

"All right, all right, don't bully people there. Today's business is not good and dissatisfied. Anyway, it's an empty boat across the river to bring goods, and you don't have much to take. Come up." The boatman looked at the sky, and strode towards the river. .

The old woman was overjoyed, and hurriedly dragged her grandson with her pack, and climbed onto the boat ahead of the two bearded and silver-haired old men, as if she was afraid of the boatman's remorse.

As it was getting dark, the boatman untied the rope, called to the two companions who were squatting next to him smoking pots and bags, and boarded the boat together.

Accompanied by the creaking of the oars, the boat clings to the shore and walks through the reeds as tall as a person.

The old woman hugged her grandson and huddled in a corner of the cabin, but the traveling businessman seemed to be relieved, and greeted the boatman with a lost smile: "Mr. Chang, why did you come in person today? Please trouble Master Chang. I'm really sorry." , This is the money for the brothers to eat tea."

The boatman raised his hand and put away his purse, and said in his mouth: "Hey, it's all because of the dog eating the sun in the next afternoon, it's unlucky! A bunch of bastards are as cowardly as mice, and they refuse to come out anyway, so I have to do it myself? It takes only three days to go back, and this one less income, how can I explain to the higher-ups?"

The traveling merchant nodded repeatedly and said, "That is, that is, it is not easy."

As he said that, he glanced at the bow of the boat again, flatteringly said: "Master Chang is a bodhisattva, he spared the old woman half of the money, and even you didn't ask for more from those two."

The boatman then looked at the two people standing at the bow of the boat, and said with a smile: "Originally, the price of the boat is based on whoever it is. If you go back, you will pay one price, and if you don't turn back, it will be another price. They are blackmailing fat sheep and big fish, but they don't polish their tricks. Wang San, what do you think those two people are doing?"

"This...maybe a famous scholar."

The traveling merchant spoke cautiously, and the boatman swayed the oar while whispering, "Isn't it just that their clothes are worn out, but the inner clothes in their bags are all made of good material, can ordinary people afford them?"

"That--"

A trace of hostility flashed in the eyes of the traveling businessman, and he pretended to be submissive in an instant.

The boatman glanced at him indifferently, and taught him a lesson: "Wang San, Wang San, you have served our general for many years, why do you still look so restless? Even if they are of extraordinary status, so what if they carry banknotes and belongings with them, Scholars are the most difficult to deal with, especially this kind of old man who is buried up to his neck. Maybe there is an old friend who was an official in the same year as a disciple, and there are people on both sides of the river. Don't talk about blackmail and insult, if you rob and kill... ...You think that no one will track down their whereabouts, and no one will die when the time comes, but those of us who run errands and run errands will die."

The traveling merchant suddenly realized, and at the same time understood why the boatman was so talkative, so he brought the old woman along.

"So, you should keep this kind of person in a respectful distance, just collect the money and send them there." The boatman said, sighing, "Are there fewer and fewer scholars going to the south over the years? The south is rich, The north is dry, and everyone thinks Jiangnan is good...Actually, except for some famous scholars and scholars, those country gentry and scholars who are waiting for their families to escape, I can regret it in my gut!"

"How do you say that?"

The sudden sound startled the boatman and the traveling merchant. When they looked up, they saw the hermit-like elder who had arrived here at some point.

The boatman wondered why this man walked silently, the wind and waves on the river were swaying, and the boat was not running steadily, but the two people stood at the bow of the boat watching the scenery as if nothing happened.He immediately wiped his face, guessing that he really was someone with some background, but it had nothing to do with him, so he pretended to wave his hand casually and said, "It was me talking nonsense that disturbed the old man's cleanliness."

"It's okay." Old Tongsheng also walked over slowly, his beard and hair were neatly trimmed, his face was slender, and the moment he opened his mouth to speak, he made people look shorter invisibly.

The so-called residence shifting qi nourishes the body, people's behavior and tone of speech are all different.

When the boatman came back to his senses, he realized that he was half bowed.

He cursed secretly in his heart, fortunately he didn't lose his head this time, this seemed to be troublesome.

This "boatman" surnamed Chang didn't want to get in trouble at all, he squeezed out a little smile, and said briskly: "Come on, what I'll say later, I'll treat it as if it was blown away by the wind on the river. Jiang, old man, don’t take it to heart, I don’t even recognize it.”

The hermit frowned.

The boatman put down his oars, smoked his pipe bag and said: "There is a drought in the north, and there is no harvest. The weather in the south is good, and it is true that whatever is planted. But the premise is that you can buy land, or in other words, buy land. You must be able to keep it! No, there was a death lawsuit in Jingzhou last month. There is Li Xiucai's family, who have been farming and studying, and have [-] acres of good land. The Lao Dier, who has been passed down for several generations, is strong. I bought it. Twenty acres, I gave three taels of silver... Li Xiucai had no way to file a complaint, and the whole family hung it directly at the gate of the state capital. This is going to change. It’s really a big deal in the north of us. Jinyiwei the next day Just came to the door. What about the south? People dragged it down to the mass grave and threw it away, nothing happened."

"No reason!"

"Old man calm down, slow talk about scholars. I don't know how many ordinary squires have ruined their families. This south, looking at the prosperous times, everyone is rich, but if they are honest tenants, everyone in the family will have enough to eat, and they will be poor." Don't worry, I'm afraid that you have a family fortune."

The boatman continued slowly, "For example, Li Xiucai, did he provoke someone? No, his family is honest and responsible. Is his family's fertile land attractive? No, put it in The north is considered fertile, but the south is nothing. I know the old man wants to ask, where does the trouble come from? Hey, there were scattered fields near his house, which have been gradually bought by the rich and powerful over the years. Looking at Shu Shuang, it turned out that [-] acres of Li's family was caught in the middle. This makes people unhappy. It is their own in all directions, but what is the matter with other people's in the middle? The Li family is also pedantic. If he refuses to sell his ancestral property, if he is willing to suffer a little, he can sell the land for money. But, Li Xiucai is not willing to sell the money that is not worth the market price, and the result is that his family is ruined."

As he spoke, the boatman suddenly felt goosebumps pop up on the back of his neck.

This... murderous?

The boatman was startled and raised his eyes quickly.

The hermit-like old man walked to the side of the boat, and seemed to be looking at the scenery.

In fact, the sky is dark, the moon is not out of Dongshan, and the river is not very beautiful, but literati are a bit stinky.

The boatman wanted to be a good-tempered scholar, and it would be interesting to scold him bloody and set off a big storm in the south of the Yangtze River.

"I am illiterate and have little knowledge, but I heard people say that I would rather be a dog of peace than a person in a troubled world... I think this is very good. Only dogs can do things in peace and prosperity, and people can't do it." The boatman called Haha, keep rowing.

The author has something to say: Meng Qi: This is what Meng Guoshi looks like, hold your head up.jpg

Mo Li: ... I recalled Mr. Qin's attire, and I followed it.

What is easy, one-click to get the dragon pulse [no], just change yourself

Meng Qi: Doctor, you are 80 years old, you are so magnanimous, handsome, handsome... a mountain [swallow back the last three words]

Mo Li: ... Forget it, it's better to be 80 years old than eight years old.

It is impossible for two fat dolls to cross the river in a boat arm in arm

----

Land annexation in feudal society is a very serious social problem.

In fact, some well-known civil servants, their families bought land in their hometowns, which caused many problems. The basic operation of forced buying and selling, others took the initiative to invest in the basic national conditions with the land, and the more overbearing ones were to directly sell the land of the common people after the catastrophe. accounted for.When the exiled refugees returned to their homeland, they had no land to cultivate. When the imperial court built dams, they only built dams to protect the land of officials, and the common people did not care about them. They flooded and washed away.When the flood is released... the same is true.

What happened to Li Xiucai was the annexation of the land, and people at home suffered from disasters from the land.Smart people may see that the situation is not good, and find that the surrounding land is divided up by one or several families, and quickly sell it and run away when they see the signs, but in ancient times, selling ancestral property was done by prodigal sons, few people did it, and even the family objected if they wanted to do it...

So if you time travel to a prosperous age, your land is fertile, and you concentrate on farming... If you can't grow it, it has to be empty, it must be empty, otherwise the writing on farming cannot be written, and if you don't work as an official in routine operations, you will only be ruined.