Chapter 726 The wind rises and the clouds gather, Zezhou under heaven (5)
The day's sunshine streaked across the sky and gradually sank to the west. The city of Zezhou, immersed in the orange-red sunset, was still bustling with activity. In the temple of the Great Guangming Sect, the lingering green smoke mixed with the chanting of the monks, and the worshipers were still lively as they knelt down. You Hongzhuo followed
A wave of believers and disciples came out of the door, holding a steamed bun in their hands and eating it in two or two bites. This was the "good food" invited from the temple. It was used to fill their stomachs, and it was better than nothing.
There are many big trees in the streets and alleys near the temple. In the evening, the rustling wind comes, and the sultry air becomes cooler. The streets and alleys are full of people, and there are also many people with their families in twos and threes. Parents go out with their running and jumping children.
Go, if you are from a well-off family, buy a bunch of candied haws on the corner of the street, and you will hear the laughter of children carefree, making You Hongzhuo feel an indescribable tranquility in the hustle and bustle.
At this time, due to the incident of the hungry ghosts, the arrest of Wang Shitong, and the arrival of Sun Qi's army, the situation in Zezhou City was tense. Even ordinary people could clearly feel the coming of the rain. The Great Light Sect preached that there are things in the world.
During the Thirty-three Difficulties, Guangming Buddha saves the world. In this situation, more and more restless believers gathered.
The wealthy gentry and landlords from well-off families asked the Zen masters of Daguangming Sect for the inside story, while ordinary believers came to pray to Bodhisattvas, gods and Buddhas with good luck, or hoped that no bad luck would come to Zezhou, or prayed that even if something happened,
Everyone in my own family can live in peace. After worshiping Buddha, I drop several copper plates in the merit box and receive a good meal from the monks. When I leave, my mood can be much more relaxed. For a time, this Great Light Sect has
The area around the temple has truly become the most peaceful and peaceful place in the city, which makes people feel relaxed.
The Wu Dynasty was originally prosperous and prosperous, but if we push it forward a few years, such peaceful and prosperous scenes can be seen everywhere in the Central Plains. It was also in the past few years that wars occurred around everyone, and the atmosphere of peace in several large cities on the territory of the Tiger King was truly
It seems very precious and makes people cherish it very much.
Looking around, you can occasionally see some dusty men and women in the crowd, wearing either shabby or smart clothes.
At first glance, it seems that many of these people who have come from other places are green forest people. Among them, the low-ranking green forest people lick blood from their swords. Many of them are shabby in appearance and have many hiding methods. They are difficult to identify among the crowd. Only those clothes
It is true that those who are armed with weapons are relatively easy to detect martial arts practitioners. No matter in troubled times or in peaceful times, it is normal for the poor to be civilized and rich in martial arts. These martial arts people are either local snakes in the local area, or they are rich gentry and landlords.
In these troubled times, everyone has their own circumstances. Among them, there are many calm and capable people who came to the Great Light Sect to fight with the monks, and then went their separate ways.
You Hongzhuo stayed in this temple for most of the day and found that although there were many people from the Green Forest who came, many of them were rejected by the monks of the Great Light Sect and had to leave with doubts. On the way to Zezhou earlier, Mr. Zhao once said
The green forest gathering in Zezhou was deliberately initiated by the Great Light Sect, but presumably in order to avoid being discovered by the government, it was not done with such a big fanfare. There must be something fishy in it.
He had been arrested by the Great Light Sect earlier, but now he did not dare to take the initiative to inquire about the situation with the monks in the temple. He did not choose to follow the warriors who left after being rejected.
Things in Zezhou are so raging. On the one hand, troops are entering the city, and on the other hand, rumors about the remnants of the Black Flag are surging. While the Great Light Sect is opening a show in Zezhou City, at the same time, they are gathering Green Forest people to support the "Ghost King" side. Even in today's world
It is in chaos, and the forces of all parties are complicated. This thing seems a bit strange indeed.
Although I thought about watching the excitement when I came here, it was Mr. Zhao and Mrs. Zhao who were keeping the battle going. Now that the two seniors have left, he is just a rookie who has just entered the world. He really wants to get involved in everything, but he doesn’t.
So courageous. What is really important to him is to find the whereabouts of the "fourth brother" and find out about the other brothers and sisters. After that, he can either take revenge or wait for an opportunity to save others. He should not act rashly.
In the bottom of his heart, he hoped that his brothers and sisters were still safe, and that his fourth brother was not a traitor, and that there was something else inside. Although it was unlikely, Tan Zheng's martial arts skills and the power of the Great Light Sect were not as good as those of his original brothers.
The seven people were too big, and his escape was just a fluke - but no matter what, the matter was undecided, and there was always a sense of hope in my heart.
There were fewer expectations in his mind, and there were a lot less things to do. After waiting for this day, Tan Zheng and his party did not appear in the temple, and You Hongzhuo was not anxious. He followed the pedestrians away and passed through
The bustling city. At this time, the sun was setting, and occasionally a group of soldiers could be seen passing by on the streets where pedestrians were coming and going. There were more travelers and beggars from other places than in some places he had been to.
When we returned to the alley of Liang'an Inn, the aroma of food from the surrounding houses was already wafting out. From a distance, we could see the owner and several neighbors gathering and talking outside the inn door. A stocky-looking man was waving his arms.
, the voice was quite loud. When You Hongzhuo passed by, he heard the man say: "...it doesn't matter where they are from, they deserve to die. It's best to die alive. Let me see, these people didn't die miserably enough! They died miserably."
Kill them miserably...what's wrong, go to Zezhou and join in the fun..."
Following the man's words, several people around him nodded frequently, and one said: "Let me see, the city has been uneasy recently, and I want Nizi to go back to the countryside..."
"...if foreigners dare to cause trouble, stab them to death with a knife..."
Amidst these words, the owner of Liang'an Inn saw You Hongzhuo walking in and said, "Don't block my door. I'm still not doing business. Okay, okay..." Everyone then shut up and looked at those who were coming.
You Hongzhuo, one of them glared at him. You Hongzhuo nodded to greet them and went in through the door of the inn.
Judging from what they said, most of the bandits who were arrested in the morning were sunk to death in the square, and it was not known whether anyone came to rescue them.
He was just an ordinary person. He came to Zezhou not to join in the fun, and he couldn't care about world affairs. He didn't care too much about the slight hostility of the locals. After returning to the room, he thought about today's events for a while, and then went to the inn.
The boss bought a meal and ate it in the corridor on the second floor of the inn.
The setting sun was bright red and gradually disappeared. Looking out from the second floor, I saw a patchwork of earthen walls and gray tiles. Not far away, a courtyard with dwarf tung trees was already brightly lit and crowded with people, and there were suona and opera singers.
The sound came, but it was someone getting married and serving wine.
You Hongzhuo was eating, looking at the peaceful atmosphere, and then thinking about the restless mood of the people in the city at the entrance of the inn. When he and the Zhao family came, they encountered the convoy of Jin people - they came from Zezhou City.
Those who left may have sensed the unrest in this place. The family got married at this time, and I don't know if they wanted to take advantage of the current somewhat peaceful situation to get the matter done.
In the past few years, the Central Plains has been in chaos and the so-called instability is no longer an invisible and intangible joke.
In the evening, lights were lit in the inn, and the air was still a bit hot. You Hongzhuo looked at the lights of thousands of houses in front of him in the dim light, wondering if this would be the last peaceful scene of this city.
I feel sympathy, but I don't care too much.
He has already experienced it.
************
After dark, the lights of thousands of houses reflect the lively atmosphere in the night sky of the city. With Zezhou as the center, spots spread, including military camps, inns, villages, small roads that were rarely visited in the past, and mountains and forests, which are also bright at this night.
There was a sparse light.
Zezhou City has not had such a lively scene for a long time, and the atmosphere inside and outside the city seems tense.
The atmosphere was tense and there were many things going on. At the Zezhou Zhizhou's mansion, some old country squires who had come together to ask the government to close the city gates and not allow outsiders to enter had just left. Zhizhou Lu Anmin was wiping the sweat on his forehead with a towel, feeling anxious.
I walked around the side hall a few times and sat down on a chair.
It is difficult to meet the demands of the old squires, and even if they refuse, it is not easy. But after all, they have left, and it stands to reason that his emotions should have settled down. But at this time, Lu Zhizhou obviously still has other difficulties.
, he thought uneasily on the chair for a while, and finally patted the chair, stood up, and went out to another reception room.
There were two guards and a maid guarding the door of the room. Lu Anmin walked over, lowered his head and asked the maid: "Has the girl eaten?"
The maid shook her head: "Sir, not yet."
Lu Anmin frowned, hesitated, and finally reached out and pushed the door open.
The Wu Dynasty collapsed and the world was in chaos. Lu Anmin reached his current position. He was once a Jinshi in Jinghan's sixth year. He experienced being named on the gold medal list, paraded on horseback, and also experienced tens of thousands of people being displaced, fighting and famine. Now, he is living among the tigers.
The king's men were guarding a city. Many rules had been broken, and he had seen many chaotic things with his own eyes. However, when the situation in Zezhou was tense, the person who came to visit him today,
But it actually made him feel a little surprised and troubled.
The door opened, and among the bright yellow lights, there was a table of already cold food. Sitting under the lights on one side of the room was a nun in monk's robes. This nun who practiced with her hair was long-haired.
He lowered his head slightly and fiddled with the rosary beads on his fingertips. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the nun raised her head and looked at Lu Anmin. Lu Anmin sighed in his heart.
In chaotic times, no one can help themselves. Threats to life, corruption of power, and people will change. Lu Anmin has seen too many things. But in this one glance, he can still detect something.
In the nun's eyes, she still survived stubbornly. That was something he wanted to see, but didn't really want to see here.
So he sighed and spread his hands aside: "Miss Li..." He paused: "...have you eaten?"
Facing this woman whose name was once Li Shishi, who was now probably the most troublesome and troublesome woman in the world, Lu Anmin said a greeting that had no originality or originality.
The nun stood up and bowed to him softly. Lu Anmin sighed again in his heart.
It's a pity that she's not just here to eat...
***********
The lights are on, the vegetarian room is bright, and there are voices.
"...When I was young, I was very high-spirited. After being named on the gold medal, I went to Fenzhou to serve as a county magistrate. It was a small county, and the governance was okay, but there were many things that I couldn't get used to, and I couldn't let go. After three years of evaluation, I ended up being punished.
...I was an upright person at that time, conscious of my status as a Jinshi, and never felt ashamed to read the books of saints and sages. Why should I suffer such insults? Even if there was an opportunity from above, I was still unwilling to clear it.
I suffered a lot in the past few years, so I simply resigned. Fortunately, I had some spare money at home, and my reputation was good, so I lived a good life for a while."
"...Later the Jin people went south and hid in Tibet with their family members. I also thought about gathering a group of people to resist. The people gathered, but soon they dispersed in a noisy manner. What do ordinary people know? The country is broken.
The family is dead and we have nothing to live on. We gather together and want to eat. Where can we find it? We have to grab it. I have a knife in my hand, and I am very capable of attacking the people around me. Haha, it is nothing like the golden man.
Both..."
"... Just like that, we dispersed, and then we ran, hid, and hid. My first wife and my eldest son... died in the war, my father died, and I was about to starve to death twice.
The concubine abandoned her daughter and ran away with others..." In the light, Lu Anmin, who was speaking, held a wine glass with a smile on his face. He paused for a long time and smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly, "I thought at the time, maybe people
It’s still not going away, but it’s better…”
The nun opposite gave him a piece of food with chopsticks. Lu Anmin looked at him for a moment. He was nearly forty years old and had an elegant temperament, which is when a man is at his most attractive. He stretched out his hand and said, "Miss Li, you're welcome.
"
He said and smiled slightly: "Now that I think about it, the first time I met Miss Li was more than ten years ago. At that time, Bianliang was still there, Fanlou was still there, and I lived next to Yujie
In the afternoon, I like to go to a Laozhou noodle shop to eat soup noodles and meatballs. It snowed heavily that year, so I went there in the winter and waited until next year..."
The nun opposite also smiled fondly: "The one Lu Zhizhou saw was still a little girl."
Lu Anmin looked at Master Li's face: "At that time, Miss Li was probably more than ten years old, and she was already one of the top people in the fan building. Among the girls at that time, Miss Li's temperament was the most different from others. She was out of the ordinary, and maybe she was also
Therefore, now that everyone has disappeared, only Miss Li is still famous all over the world."
The teacher lowered his head: "How can I be famous enough to move the world..."
Lu Anmin Su Rong said: "Last June, when there was a flood in Puyang, Miss Li ran back and forth, persuading the wealthy households around her to provide food and porridge for disaster relief. Countless people were alive. This feeling will be remembered by everyone in the world."
"That can't be considered my doing." Shishi whispered, "It's not me who provides the food, and it's not me who suffers. What do I do? It's just a shy face, going to various places.
Every household just knelt down and kowtowed. They said they were becoming monks and practicing spiritual practice, but in reality, they were just entertaining people with sex. In the end, I took on this false reputation and was terrified every day."
The woman spoke calmly, but Lu Anmin was slightly stunned for a moment, and then murmured: "Miss Li... she has achieved this level."
"Everyone has his own destiny." Master said in a low voice.
"Yes." Lu Anmin lowered his head to eat some food, and then drank a glass of wine. There was silence in the room for a long time, only to hear Shishi say: "Lu Zhizhou, Shishi came here today because he has something to ask for...
"
Lu Anmin just nodded silently.
"I beg Lu Zhizhou to find a way to close the city gate and save those who are dying."
Lu Anmin shook his head: "...Things are not as simple as Miss Shishi thought."
"But there is always a way to save innocent people from dying." After the woman finished speaking, Lu Anmin did not answer. After a while, she continued to speak, "On the bank of the Yellow River, the ghost king was bound, and 400,000 hungry ghosts were washed away.
The killing has turned into a river of blood. Now you have captured the king lion boy here and dealt with it in a big way to serve as a warning. Why bother affecting innocent people? Outside Zezhou City, thousands of hungry ghosts are heading this way.
Come here, please let Wang Shitong go. He will be here soon. If these people come to Zezhou, it will be difficult for them to have justice, and it will be difficult for Zezhou to have peace. You have an army. You can disperse them and drive them away. Why bother?
I have to kill people..."
Lu Anmin sat upright: "Does Miss Shishi know that it is very dangerous for you to come to Zezhou now?"
The woman looked at him: "I just want to save people."
"The situation here is complicated, Master, you don't understand." Lu Anmin paused: "If you want to save people, why don't you ask that person?"
The teacher was confused for a moment: "Who is it?"
"...The one with the black flag."
She understood and looked at Lu Anmin: "But... he is already dead."
Lu Anmin put down his chopsticks with a snap, tilted his head and stared at her, trying to distinguish the authenticity of this.
The reason why Lu Anmin doesn't want to see Li Shishi is not because her existence represents the memory of some good times. The reason why she makes people feel troublesome and troublesome is not only the purpose of her coming today, but also the current situation in Zezhou.
, if you want to draw it to the end, most of it is inseparable from the existence of "that person" in his mouth. Although I have heard rumors that the gentleman is dead many times before, but at this time, in the other party's mouth,
Hearing such a straightforward answer, Lu Anmin felt a little confused for a moment.
Whether this was true or false, he couldn't tell clearly for a while...