The summer is scorching, and the heat is steaming. On the official road exposed to the scorching sun, amidst the twisting light and shadow, dozens of riders arrive, raising dust and shaking the ground.
Cheng Sanwu and his party, lightly equipped with fast horses, left Tongguan in the east, took the Liangjing Avenue to Luoyang, the eastern capital, crossed the Yellow River in the north, then turned east to Xinxiang, which was regarded as entering the boundary of Hebei Province. Then they headed northeast along the Yongji Canal
Let's go and arrive in Weizhou.
Everyone reined in their horses and looked around. There was smoke and dust on the official road. Thousands of refugees were walking slowly with their families.
"It seems that the drought in Hebei is more serious than imagined." Chang Qing, who was riding a yellow gelding, frowned.
Not long ago, the saint issued an edict and sent Xuanfu envoys to Hebei to provide relief. He also ordered Xuandu Guan and Zongsheng Palace to dispatch people with profound Taoism to pray for rain and relieve the drought.
However, Changqing couldn't wait to wait for others to prepare, so he took the first step in the name of looking for the spiritual place to build the altar, and rushed to Hebei Road with the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Unexpectedly, not long after arriving at the border of Hebei Province, I would see an endless stream of refugees on the official road. They were all in ragged clothes and skinny, their cheeks were darkened and reddened by the scorching midsummer sun. They walked slowly and numbly, following the crowd.
Just do it.
"Are these people fleeing?" Cheng Sanwu asked.
"We have laws in this dynasty. If a certain place is hit by a disaster, we must either move millet to help the people, or immigrate people to take millet." Changqing explained: "Weizhou is the administrative center of Hebei Province, and the warehouses are abundant. The nearby disaster-stricken people moved to eat, so the government allocates relief.
More convenient."
Afu on the side smiled lightly and said: "In the early years of this dynasty, our capital was Guanzhong. If there was a severe drought, wouldn't we just move the capital to Luoyang? Even the emperor would not be immune to this disaster, let alone ordinary people?"
Changqing glanced at her. She really didn't know what was so funny about this. Monsters were just monsters after all, and she couldn't be expected to feel compassion for mortals.
Without further delay, a group of people went straight to Guixiang City, where Weizhou was governed, which happened to be adjacent to the Yongji Canal and also had a warehouse and barn under Wang Yuanbao's name.
This time when he entered the city, Afu did not beat around the bush and directly showed his identity as the Minister of Internal Affairs. When the state government officials saw him, he immediately went to inform him. The Weizhou governor hurriedly came outside the state government offices to greet him.
"Xue Yongnian, the lower official, pays homage to the envoy."
The governor was not wearing a crimson official uniform, but was wearing a light green shirt, and the belt around his waist was not tied tightly, as if he had been resting on the couch just now.
Entering the Dezhou government office, Xue Yongnian immediately invited Afu and others to sit down, and ordered the maid to bring iced drinks. He saw a large ball of finely crushed smoothie in the exquisite Xing kiln white porcelain bowl, with stone honey poured on it.
Milk, cheese, and a few lotus seeds are also garnished, which is sweet and fragrant.
"Your Majesty, please use it with caution." Xue Yongnian's face was full of flattery, fearing that he would dissatisfy these sinister and vicious guys in the chamberlain.
When Cheng Sanwu saw the iced cheese, his index finger twitched. From Chang'an to now, he has been in a hurry. Although he has stayed at the official post, he has hardly had a good meal.
When he was about to enjoy it, he found that no one else made any move except himself. Afu always smiled, which made people feel uneasy; Qiang Yujun showed disdain and tilted his face, waiting to watch the show.
As for Changqing, he looked at the ice drink in the bowl. There was a maid behind him fanning the fan to stir the wind. The heat outside seemed to have nothing to do with it. Anger gradually appeared on his face. He asked in a deep voice: "Prince Xue, the people under your rule are suffering because of
How can you enjoy such cold things with such peace of mind despite the severe drought and heat?”
The expression on Xue Yongnian's face froze. He was indeed taking a break in the cool air of the government office just now, but wasn't he taking out this cold thing just to please the envoys?
You must know that this broken ice is hard-won. Xue Yongnian asked Taoist priests to prepare it with ice and saltpeter. Even as the governor of Weizhou, he could only use it to cool down on the hottest and unbearable days, and would not easily use it to cool down.
Take it out to entertain guests.
"This... the lower official will inevitably be tired after traveling a long distance, so I plan to entertain him for a while and then talk about business." Xue Yongnian reluctantly defended.
Changqing was about to get angry when Afu interrupted: "The imperial envoy sent by the imperial court is already on the way and will arrive shortly. We are not here to provide disaster relief."
Hearing this, Chang Qing had to shut up obediently. Afu looked at Xue Yongnian: "I heard that there is a Jingguang Goddess in Hebei Province. She has many followers and a monk group under her command. She has also been to Weizhou before?
”
"It's true." Xue Yongnian felt guilty.
"Even if a monastic group has passed the customs and traveled across the state and counties with great fanfare, Governor Xue never asked about their origins?" A faint light flashed in Afu's blue eyes.
Xue Yongnian trembled. Except for Afu, everything around him seemed to gradually disappear. Whatever she wanted to ask, she wanted to tell her everything.
"That group of monks comes from Yique, the eastern capital. In addition to passing the customs, they also have a letter of recommendation from the king who stayed in the eastern capital. They hope to promote Buddhism through this trip." Xue Yongnian's eyes were a little empty and confused: "I saw them all the way.
He was begging for alms and practicing asceticism and did not ask for any offerings. He must have been an eminent monk who strictly abided by the Buddhist rules and precepts, so he didn’t ask too much."
Afu was silent for a moment after hearing this, and then asked: "Have you ever seen Pure Light Goddess in person? How would you describe her?"
"I have seen her. She is about 20 years old. She is quite beautiful. She is dressed in white and has loose hair. She walks barefoot." Xue Yongnian said: "But she never speaks, and all secular affairs are taken care of by the accompanying monks."
"Is the Pure Light Goddess casting spells to rain down the boundaries of Weizhou to eliminate drought?" Afu asked.
"That's not true." Xue Yongnian replied: "When Jingguang Tiannv left Weizhou, the drought was not serious."
"Where did they go after leaving Weizhou?"
"Go north along the Yongji Canal to Qinghe River in Beizhou." Xue Yongnian did not hide anything.
Afu looked at his companions and motioned for them to ask questions. Qiang Yujun was the first to speak: "How many people are there in that sangha? Are there any masters among them?"
"There are about fifty or sixty people in the Sangha. As for the masters... please forgive me for my poor eyesight. I can't tell the difference at the moment." Xue Yongnian's eyes showed a bit of confusion.
Qiang Yujun tsked slightly, quite dissatisfied with Xue Yongnian's incompetence, and waved his hand without saying anything else.
Cheng Sanwu, as always, quietly picked up the porcelain bowl and scooped two mouthfuls of ice-cold honey milk for himself, while Changqing thought for a moment and asked: "Since the Pure Light Goddess is casting spells to rain elsewhere, why are there still so many refugees fleeing to Wei?"
State boundaries? Or even continue southward?"
Xue Yongnian looked strange and replied: "Even if she really has magic power, Jizhou, Shenzhou and other places that were hardest hit by the disaster are not densely populated and have vast fields. How can a few rains alleviate the disaster?"
Changqing was stunned when he heard this. This situation made him a little surprised. But when he thought about it, it made sense.
Although there are magic spells in Buddhism and Taoism, if you want to manipulate the nature of the heaven and earth, and command the wind, rain, and snow, even if an expert in this world goes to the altar to cast spells, at best it will interfere with an area of several miles around, and even a county cannot be completely covered.
Covered.
This is why even though the emperor sent Taoist practitioners to Hebei to pray for rain, Prime Minister Lu still asked Wang Yuanbao to provide food, because he did not expect this rain to reverse the drought, but just to calm people down a little.
Seeing that no one had any doubts, Ah Fu snapped his fingers, and Xue Yongnian trembled again. His eyes became brighter, and he lowered his head and held his forehead in confusion, but did not dare to ask any more questions.
"In the coming days, we may visit Governor Xue." Afu stood up and left the table, with a cold smile on her face: "In addition, I don't want what was discussed in this meeting to be spread to the outside world.
Farewell."
After saying this, Afu turned and left. Seeing this, Cheng Sanwu quickly took the iced cheese from the bowl into his mouth, wiped his mouth casually and stood up together.
Xue Yongnian did not dare to be careless and hurriedly sent him out. He also said along the way: "If the envoy has any instructions, just send someone to pass the message directly. The subordinates must do their best!"
After the servants from the Ministry of Internal Affairs left the government office, they came to the hotel to stay. After a little tidying up, several people took the initiative to come to see them before they had a meal.
"Liu Changxu, Chief Supervisor of Hebei Province, pays homage to Mr. Shang Zhang." The leader is dressed in civilian clothes and is smart and capable.
"The action is quite fast." Afu praised: "Your people were watching outside the government office just now, right?"
"I dare not hide it from Shang Zhangjun, yes." Liu Changxu answered with his hands crossed.
"You must have met Mr. Qiangyu." Afu introduced the people around him: "This is the new Mr. Zhaoyang. As for this one... he is Mr. Changqing. He came to Hebei to pray for rain with us.
My colleagues are coming."
Liu Changxu saluted one by one and changed his expression slightly at the same time. He is actually one of the few purple-ribbon envoys in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He also serves as the supervisory supervisor stationed in Hebei Province. He is in charge of a group of spies and has a high status. He knows better than the average person that Gong Chen
Wei sent three of the ten Tai Sui at the same time, which shows how much Chang'an attaches importance to the situation in Hebei.
"Just now we went to the Weizhou government office first, not because we don't trust you." Afu reassured, and then said: "It's just that there are some things that we can't wait until Xue Yongnian is ready to understand."
"It should be so." Liu Changxu did not dare to ignore it.
"Come and tell us about the situation in Hebei Province and the movements of Dayun Jingguang Goddess." Afu motioned for the other party to take a seat.
Liu Changxu said yes. He could see that among the three masters in front of him, Zhang Zhangjun was in charge of the overall situation.
"Today, the five prefectures north of Beizhou, Hebei, Zhao, Shen, Ding, and Heng, have been most affected by the drought, and most of the seedlings in the fields have withered. The other Hebei prefectures have also had no rain for more than a month, and the Zhang River and Hutuo River have almost stopped flowing."
Liu Changxu unfolded a map of Hebei. The lines are simple and not very detailed. It can barely be used to determine the direction. Watch his fingers click:
"The Pure Light Goddess and her group of monks are currently patrolling back and forth among the five states. They occasionally cast spells to bring rain. The people wherever they go are grateful. Some even ordain themselves and follow the Pure Light Goddess."
When Afu and others heard this, they all frowned: "How many people are following the Pure Light Goddess now?"
"There are more than 200 people who have ordained themselves, and more than 3,000 people have been following behind to make a splash." Liu Changxu replied in a deep voice.
"Three thousand people? Are they just following them all the way?" Cheng Sanwu asked puzzledly: "Then what did they eat on the way?"
"Whenever the Pure Light Goddess goes to a place, she leads people to the prefecture and county government offices, begging the government to open warehouses to provide grain, or to ask wealthy households to provide porridge." Liu Changxu replied.
Upon hearing this, Lord Qiang Yu sneered: "Great! Gather the refugees to press the government. This alone is enough to mobilize the government and army to kill them all."
Chang Qing was puzzled and said: "Jingguang Tiannu and others can just hold the customs clearance certificate, but why haven't the prefecture and county governments in Hebei put restraints on the refugees? Thousands of people walk in groups, and a little incitement will lead to chaos!" Afu picked up some clues from this and asked: "These refugees have been following the Pure Light Goddess? Aren't they stopping at the abundant land of Canglin to eat?"
"Yes, and wherever the Pure Light Goddess goes, more and more refugees follow her." Liu Changxu replied: "We also send people to follow her secretly, and inform the refugees of their approximate location by letter every few days." p>
"Can your human hands touch the Pure Light Goddess?" Afu asked.
"I'm afraid it won't be easy." Liu Changxu shook his head slightly: "It seems that there are guardian ghosts and gods beside Jingguang Heavenly Lady. Once evil spirits and thieves get close and offend, they will be immediately captured by the guardian ghosts and gods. I didn't dare to let my spies reveal their identity easily, so I didn't test it.
”
"What do you think?" Afu looked at Changqing. Regarding magic, he still has to ask someone who is good at it.
Chang Qing pondered and said: "Those who practice Buddhism profoundly will indeed be accompanied by Dharma protectors and Jialan warriors. Anyone who offends is not allowed to get close. Ordinary swords and weapons cannot hurt Pure Light Goddess. Even if they are hostile and reveal themselves too much,
They will also be noticed by these invisible guardian ghosts and gods, so that they can inform their owners and take precautions."
"Are these guardian gods so powerful?" Cheng Sanwu asked curiously: "I thought they would just hit people with their fists randomly."
Afu and Changqing had both heard him talk about Pang Yanjin's abilities and knew why he mentioned it. Changqing explained: "The guardian ghosts and gods have different origins, or after subduing the demons, they converted them with secret laws and spells, and they have been guarded for generations.
The mountain gate monastery; or the gods, dragons, mighty ghosts and gods who live in the Six Mortal Dharma Realms, hear the merits of the Buddha's Dharma and are inspired by it; or the divine generals and immortal officials who have settled in the blessed land of cave heaven, and the mortal magicians have imagined the true form of the Taoist officials.
, the flying talisman summons... The Pure Light Goddess has the guardian ghosts and gods by her side. Even if she is deeply asleep, external demons still cannot offend her."
Qiang Yujun asked curiously: "How far can the guardian ghosts and gods of Jingguang Heavenly Lady be able to protect her?"
Changqing didn't quite understand: "Of course it can only be close or not far."
"Then if I set up a bow and shoot an arrow four or five miles away, can her guardian ghosts and gods sense it in advance?" Qiang Yujun asked again.
Changqing understood now, but he was particularly shocked. It was beyond imagination to set up a bow and shoot an arrow four or five miles away. Even the winch heavy crossbow used to attack and defend the city had a range of only about a thousand steps, which was only more than three miles when converted.
.However, when it comes to the battlefield, it doesn’t matter whether it hits or misses a thousand steps away. The real use of a heavy crossbow is at a distance of three to five hundred steps.
At this moment, Mr. Qiangyu claimed that he was shooting arrows four or five miles away. It can be seen that his archery skills are already extraordinary and cannot be deduced by common sense.
"If you can really shoot an arrow at such a distance, you should be able to do it..." Changqing was secretly shocked. The masters of the Ministry of Internal Affairs should not be underestimated. The power of arrows that can fly four or five miles can be imagined.
If it were me, facing such cold arrows without any defense, I would probably be stabbed through the heart.