On a July afternoon in Dongchu, the scorching sun is unbearable. Unless there is something that must be done, everyone would rather hide in a cool place and wait until the sun turns a little to the west and the weather is not so hot and terrifying.
Go out and do things.
The same goes for businessmen. Most of these small businessmen are alone outside. What they fear most is getting sick. Most of them have some skills. If they encounter a robber, they may not die. If they can't, it's not a bad idea to sacrifice their money to save their lives. But if they get sick,
It is common to lose both people and money - so in order to prevent heatstroke, they would rather find a place to rest until the weather allows people to travel, and then continue to set off.
In a small tea shed at the intersection of the three roads, a middle-aged man with an ordinary face that makes people forget at a glance was sitting on a table near the middle. He took a sip of cool fried wheat tea and felt a burnt aroma and coolness.
From the mouth to the bottom of the heart, and then spread to the whole body, so the originally hot weather seemed to feel a little better.
"Good tea!" He praised, took another sip, savored it carefully, and couldn't help laughing, "Shopkeeper, your tea is not ordinary fried wheat!"
"Of course, this is Mr. Wu's recipe from Jishitang, and it's called Qingxin Tea. What do you think, sir?"
"Good! Good! This bowl of wheat tea is as good as iced sour plum soup!" Xingshang praised.
"Hey, I've had iced sour plum soup before, but since the recipe for this refreshing tea spread, there have been much fewer deaths from heatstroke in the past two years. In my opinion, that iced sour plum soup may not be as good as ours.
Here’s the Qingxin tea!”
The businessman smiled slightly and nodded secretly.
When it comes to relieving summer heat and quenching thirst, iced sour plum soup is probably better than Qingxin tea. But how much does iced sour plum soup cost? How can ordinary people afford it? You can drink enough Qingxin tea for a penny. I guess the cost is not high, even poor people can afford it.
——This is a good thing that can truly save the world and save people!
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask: "Mr. Wu from Jishitang...could he be Wu Chengwu Xingtang, the Marquis of Jishi who is known as the 'Southeast Medical Marquis'?"
"That's right! Lord Wu established the Jishi Medical House, collected many medical books, and taught children to read and learn medicine. He also invited famous doctors from various places to give lectures and exchanges, and discussed and compiled many good prescriptions. Each of these good prescriptions is valuable.
Thousands of gold, but he said that his parents are old and he would like to pray for their good deeds, so he distributed all these recipes... We can drink this heart-clearing tea, it is all his kindness!"
The merchant nodded repeatedly: "This is my first time doing business in Zhaoyang County. I heard people say outside that this Lord Marquis has great supernatural powers and unparalleled martial arts. He is a first-class figure among the land gods. I don't know if it is true or not?"
"Haha! Then you are mistaken! We do have a land god Wu Houye in Zhaoyang County, but it is not this one, it is his younger brother Mr. Zhifei Wu Jie. This Jishihou was originally Mr. Zhifei's,
It's just that this Marquis is obsessed with immortality, and he rarely sees anyone all day long, and his official duties are very important.
As for the titles, they were all transferred to my elder brother. We usually call them, some say 'Big Marquis Wu, Little Marquis Wu', and some say 'Mr. Wu, Marquis Wu'. Of course, scholars like to call them 'Xing'
Mr. Tang, Mr. Zhifei'...Actually, they are all the same."
"Oh, one!" Xing Shang suddenly understood, patted his head, and said with a smile, "No wonder I always think that things about Lord Wu sound weird. He is also a businessman who teaches, he is also a man who helps the world by hanging pots, and he is also successful in martial arts and cultivating immortals.
…It turns out they are two brothers!”
"That's right! If you have only one person, no matter how talented you are, you won't be able to do so many things." The shopkeeper laughed, and the tea guests all laughed.
There were also talkative people among the tea guests nearby, so they came over and talked about other topics: "During your journey, have you noticed that our Zhaoyang County is different from other places?"
Xing Shang was stunned for a moment and recalled: "If you didn't ask, I really didn't find out! The situation in Zhaoyang County seems to be much better than elsewhere!"
After saying this, he sighed secretly in his heart and worried about his family far away.
...The situation in the Great Chu State in recent years is really not good, and the people's lives are not stable!
Ordinary people may not think so, but well-informed people like Xing Shang know that the situation in Da Chu has been really bad in recent years - the climate is not normal, and there is always too much rain;
The countries in the country are not very friendly either. Daqihe in the north
The big men in the west are all watching, and there have been many wars in Dongshan County. Corruption is quite prevalent within the imperial court. Even though a group of officials headed by Lin Lushan, the Minister of Household Affairs, tried their best to increase revenue and reduce expenditure, they can only do so reluctantly.
It is difficult to maintain and save any more.
There are natural disasters above, enemies outside, and corrupt officials inside... Fortunately, I have some skills today, and I still have a group of dedicated ministers. Otherwise, I'm afraid the country would have been in big trouble!
But everyone knows that this situation is only temporary.
The natural disaster will pass sooner or later. Foreign enemies will not act rashly if they cannot find an opportunity. The key to the problem actually lies within the imperial court.
During the Xiong Hao Rebellion, a large number of ministers with outstanding character and talent were martyred, so that most of the remaining important ministers in the court were some wise and self-protecting wallflowers. However, these wallflowers had deep roots, and even the emperor could easily touch them.
No. In the past, they could not do anything strange because Prime Minister Shi and others were suppressing them. The righteousness in the court overcame the unhealthy trends, but now...
Whenever national affairs are mentioned, anyone who cares about the country will shake their head and sigh.
If this continues, God knows what the country will become!
Xing Shang sighed again in his heart, and then his thoughts turned back to the topic at hand.
In this smoky atmosphere, Zhaoyang County was completely different from other places, showing a prosperous scene. Along the way, he saw that the crops in the fields were growing very well, and he knew at a glance that a good harvest was in sight; it was even more rare.
What's interesting is that most of the passers-by looked very energetic, and many people's faces were filled with the light of happiness.
For a businessman who has to go out alone to make a living, this happiness is really dazzling...
"Your Zhaoyang County... I think it seems to be particularly prosperous... No, I can't say it is particularly prosperous. It just feels like... like a family that is slowly getting rich. Life is getting better day by day. Well,
That’s what it feels like!”
"Haha! Brother, you have such a good sense!" The tea guest laughed, patted his shoulder, and raised his thumb in a very familiar manner, "I have met many foreigners, but you can say it so aptly.
Still the first!”
"The days are getting better day by day. I like this statement!" The store owner also laughed, "In recent years, our Zhaoyang County has had bumper harvests every year, and the official and private warehouses are full, and there is still room for help.
The lives of the disaster-stricken counties are indeed getting better day by day!"
"And the place is also very peaceful. Not only have we not heard any news about bandits for a long time, but we have also caught many bandits who were crossing the border - for example, the famous bandit Zao Manxiong, who is a lone bandit who is known for being good at deceiving people.
Thief, so rampant
No one has been able to catch him for many years, but in the end he lost his temper right here. It is said that he was beheaded and sent to the palace to be disciplined." The tea guest took up the topic and told some secrets that not many people knew.
, "It is said that it is because his surname is Xiong!"
"Could it be that he is really a descendant of our Dachu royal family?"
"Although there are not many people with the surname Xiong, it is not only from our Da Chu royal family. I guess it comes from somewhere else... Anyway, he is a eunuch."
When talking about this topic that all men can understand, everyone couldn't help laughing.
After finishing laughing, Xingshang asked curiously: "But why is this? Why is the situation in our entire Chu Kingdom a bit bad, but Zhaoyang County is getting more prosperous day by day?"
"Haha, there are two theories. Which one do you want to hear?"
"Come and listen to them all!"
"This...according to the official statement, Zhaoyang County officials at all levels work hard, are diligent and honest, and have good weather, which is why we have today's prosperity..." Seeing the uninterested looks on everyone's faces, the tea guest smiled and added this
Duan skipped over and said, "But according to the legend among us people...it is blessed by gods!"
"Immortals?" Xingshang was stunned, "Is there any immortals in Zhaoyang County?"
"Of course!" The tea guest looked a little surprised when he saw everyone, and immediately became energetic, "Do you know that the owner of Zhi Feizhai, Mr. Xiao Wu, is actually a god!"
"What?!" Xingshang almost jumped up, "Are you mistaken? Land gods and real gods are two different things!"
The so-called "land gods" are ordinary people's description of those people who have advanced to the realm of innate martial arts. They have all kinds of mysterious abilities. They can control the air and volley, kill people a hundred steps away, and can sense danger before it comes...
These wonderful abilities are just like those of gods to ordinary people, so they are called "land gods".
But...land gods are still mortal bodies, not real gods!
Seeing the suspicious look on the merchant's face, the tea guest was not only not angry, but even more proud: "Actually, I didn't know at first, but later... do you remember the dragon riot in the Xiaohuai River last year?"
"Of course I remember! The dragon turned over and the floods started to surge... But luckily we were prepared and protected the dam. Otherwise, I'm afraid there would be two or three counties and the entire year's harvest would have been ruined!"
"Hey, do you know how to protect the dam?"
"...could it be?"
"That's right!" the tea guest lowered his voice mysteriously, "I happened to be near the dam at that time, and I saw the wave rising, and there were several people higher than the dam! I was about to cross the head of the dam,
I saw a flash of red light, and a man wearing light blue clothes came to the dam. With a wave of his sleeves, the wind roared and pushed the water into the air."
"There was a white dragon on the wave, swaying its head and tail, trying to lift the water higher. At this time, a bolt of lightning from the Tianshan Mountains came over, shot from the head of the white dragon, and slammed it to the bottom of the water. The water splash was like
It’s a heavy rainstorm!”
"Shoot...shoot to death?!"
"That's right! With just one arrow, the white dragon was shot to death! Then someone from the sky shouted, 'You evil beast! My senior brother tried to persuade you to ignore it, but since you are so reckless, don't blame us for being ruthless!
'Ah! The sound was really like thunder, and there were flashes of thunder in the sky, as if a god from heaven descended to earth!"
"Oh!" Everyone opened their eyes and exclaimed in sincere admiration.
"Then, I saw a person descending from the clouds. He was also dressed in light green, carrying a big bow that seemed to be made of lightning. He saluted the person before - guess who the person before was?"
"Who is it?"
The talkative tea guest smiled and drank half a bowl of tea. He waited until everyone was anxious and then said unhurriedly: "That's our little Marquis Wu!"
