Five days later, Cao Ang's family set out from Pengcheng, riding in a modified luxury cabin and heading south along Surabaya.

There are usually no winds and waves in the rivers, so traveling by boat was the most comfortable way to travel long distances in ancient times.

Yuan Ying, mother and daughter, were admiring the scenery on the river bank on the boat, letting the breeze blow on their cheeks, feeling particularly comfortable. In this era, women were limited by their status, and it was difficult to see the world outside. Cao Ang could not break the times.

Although there are restrictions, I want to make life as easy as possible for the mother and daughter.

"Yesterday, I heard from the female family members who came to visit me that the eldest daughter of the Cai family has arrived in Pengcheng."

"Cai family? Which Cai family?"

"Cai Qi from the right room."

Cao Ang was stunned and suddenly realized that the person Yuan Ying was talking about was Cai Wenji. In Cao Ang's mind, he suddenly remembered the woman leaning on the swing.

I haven't seen her in how many years.

"I heard that her husband passed away, she had no children, and her relationship with her husband's family was not good, so she returned to her mother's house."

"Why do you remember to mention this?"

Yuan Ying glanced at Cao Ang but said nothing, but the meaning in his eyes was profound.

Cao Ang was startled and blurted out: "Madam, what do you mean?"

I am innocent. I don’t even know about this. It really has nothing to do with me.

Yuan Ying didn't say anything, but she said to herself: "I had an idea before, hoping to gather a group of young ladies to revise the "Nv Commandments" and "Biography of Women" and write down the good deeds of ancient women. I heard that Cai Cai

The eldest daughter of the family is erudite, talented in eloquence, and good at music. She is comparable to Master Cao (Ban Zhao), so she is a suitable candidate."

"Why did Wei Rui think of this? You don't like these things the least."

After hearing this, Yuan Ying hesitated a little, and then said: "How can it be compared with the time in the boudoir? You are busy with Xuzhou affairs, and as your wife, I naturally want to share your worries."

Cao Ang immediately understood that it was not Yuan Ying who liked writing "Girls' Commandments", but the society, so for her husband, Yuan Ying had to set an example.

Historically, Empress Changsun wrote "The Rules for Women" and Empress Xu wrote "Internal Training". This is the case.

Cao Ang was very moved after hearing this.

Yuan Ying was a cold-tempered person and didn't actually like to have much contact with others. But after marrying Cao Ang, she went against her will and devoted herself to her husband. Whether it was handling housework internally or comforting the family members externally, she handled everything

The merger was organized in an orderly manner, and Cao Ang never had to worry too much.

"Everything has wronged you!"

Yuan Ying shook her head slightly, but said: "I am very willing to do all this. Although the people and things outside are very noisy, they are also rich and interesting."

The couple stood on the bow of the boat, looking at the vast expanse of sky and earth in the distance. The vastness was vast and the water smoke was green. And in the sky wherever they looked, a few waterbirds flew by and soon disappeared, leaving only long shadows.

long.

Not long after, a gust of wind blew. It was already autumn. Cao Ang was worried about Yuan Ying and her daughter, so he sent them back to the cabin.

Heading south from Pengcheng, it didn't take long to reach Xiapi.

Xiapi City was an important town and had many glorious chapters in the history of the late Han Dynasty. However, in Cao Ang's opinion, this place was too far north and was not suitable for the county governance of Xiapi.

When everyone arrived outside Xiapi City, the traces of the previous battle had long disappeared. Only the holes in the city wall could still let Cao Ang feel the intensity of the past battle.

After entering the city, Cao Ang discovered that Xiapi was different from other places.

There are actually several pagoda temples in the city of Xiapi. People in the city come to worship in the morning and evening, and there is an endless stream of people and traffic.

Cao Ang was a little puzzled.

Although Buddhism was introduced to China during the period when the two Han Dynasties met, and Cao Ang also visited the White Horse Temple when he was in Luoyang, is the Buddhist flavor so important in this era?

Seeing Cao Ang's inquiry, Prime Minister Fengren explained: "My lord, I came to Xiapi State and found out that this matter is unusual. As far as I know, the Buddha religion in Xiapi City is not very popular. Since then, Xiapi State has

After the long history leader Zuorong came to power, he vigorously promoted Buddhism.

When Tao Qian was appointed as the governor, he ordered Zuo Rong to supervise the state grain and grass of the three counties of Pengcheng, Guangling and Xiapi. However, Zuo Rong enriched his own pockets and engaged in massive corruption. He also used the money from corruption to build Buddhist temples and temples, and even ordered the people of Xiapi to chant day and night.

The Buddhist scriptures exempted Buddhist believers from corvee taxes, which caused monks, nuns and Buddhist believers from nearby counties to move into the Xiapi Kingdom one after another, with as many as a thousand households.

Less than a year after Zuo Rong took charge of Guangling, he held a "Buddha Bathing Reunion". The cost of the banquet alone on the roadside was calculated in hundreds of millions of dollars.

And I heard that Zuo Rong is also planning to build a pagoda outside the city, with a gold plate on top and a heavy tower below, which can accommodate more than 3,000 people. There are eighty Buddha sculptures built into the pagoda body, decorated with gold and brocade clothes."

When Feng Ren talked about this, he felt angry.

Cao Ang didn't say much, but followed Zheng Yi, who was in charge of the ceremony, and said: "I don't understand religion, and I don't understand the doctrines and scriptures even more. But the word 'luxury' may explain some problems."

"

Seeing that Feng Ren was still talking, Cao Ang asked: "You said that Zuo Rong exempted the believers of the Buddha Sect from the corvee tax, but is it still exempted now?"

Feng Ren was speechless for a moment.

Seeing that Feng Ren was speechless, Cao Ang became a little annoyed.

"If you, the Prime Minister, don't deal with these matters, what's the use of telling me about them? Do you want me to take care of them?"

After Cao Ang finished speaking, he ignored Feng Ren and went straight to the city.

Feng Ren was scolded by Cao Ang, but he looked happy. In fact, he had long wanted to do something about these people, but he was afraid because of the power behind him.

But Cao Ang's words today clearly support him, so what else does he have to fear.

Cao Ang shook his head at this, feeling helpless in his heart. Since religion exists, it has its own meaning. At least it has a certain meaning in stabilizing the rule and educating the people.

Therefore, it is impossible for Cao Ang to deny all these religions.

But there is one thing that Cao Ang will not allow, and that is tax exemption from taxes and corvee. Cao Ang's ideal level of taxation is "officials and gentry pay taxes together". If you are still tax-free, this is not against yourself.

So Cao Ang said to Zheng Yi: "Yi'en (Zheng Yi), we must be cautious and vigilant about religious matters in temples, and we must bring them into the management of the government.

You, Li Cao, are in charge of this area. You will take the lead and cooperate with other departments to formulate a system and implement it so that it will be beneficial to the country, the people and society, and we cannot allow them to grow barbarically."

"promise!"

Zheng Yi didn't understand these things, but it didn't stop him from being ruthless. Zheng Yi was a serious Confucian scholar who only believed in the way of saints, so he looked down on the obscene religion.

Cao Ang led everyone all the way to the county government office, and was about to enter when a man suddenly rushed up and was immediately captured by Cao Ang's personal guards.

"Unjustly accused!"
Chapter completed!