Chapter 192: There are many bad people in the turmoil
Yangzhou City has many temples.
The Chenghuang Temple is located in the north of the city. It was built in the Sui Dynasty and is very large.
After being destroyed by wars and repaired several times with funds raised, only the four huge ginkgo trees surrounded by people in front of Nanmu Hall and the bluestone well on the west side of the temple are said to have been there since the temple was built.
It is said that when Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty went to Yangzhou to see Qionghua, his concubines and beautiful women lived in this temple.
Those four big ginkgo trees were named "Four Palace People" by Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty because they once provided shade for beauties.
When the beauty was dressing up, she accidentally dropped her rouge into the well, and the water in the well instantly turned red, so the ordinary well was named "Rouge Well".
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The eldest son and eldest grandson of the founding hero Rong Guogong, and the best candidate to succeed him in the future, Master Jia Lian personally posted a message, inviting the eight major salt merchants in Huaihe and Huaihe Rivers, as well as thirty salt companies in Yangzhou, to come here for a banquet. Who dares not to come? Before the time came, these thirty-eight wealthy salt merchants all stood in front of the big screen wall at the entrance of the Chenghuang Temple and waited.
There is no such thing as a good feast.
In particular, the eight major salt merchants who had recently hosted a "roasting tail banquet" for Jia Lian knew better that what Jia Lian invited in return was the real "Hongmen Banquet".
But no one expected that Jia Lian would hold this "Hongmen Banquet" in the City God's Temple.
Is that a place to eat?
But even though they knew that the person coming was not good, the salt merchants still didn’t dare not go.
No matter how rich a businessman is, he is still a common man and must rely on the "backbone" behind him to support him.
This time, they heard that Mr. Zhen Huanzhen, the director of the Lianghuai Salt Administration, had also been invited to come, and the salt merchants calmed down.
If you have a leader, then just follow.
Even if you die, you will still have someone to support you.
As for Yanzheng Master Zhen Huan, he had heard his nephew Zhen Lian come back from the "burning tail banquet" and described in detail Jia Lian's various behaviors at the banquet. He already understood Jia Lian's shrewdness and secretly felt that something was wrong.
I plan to avoid seeing you.
However, the signature on the invitation was not just Jia Lian himself, but also the name of Lin Ruhai, the censor of the Salt Patrol. As a result, he, the Lianghuai Salt Administrator, had to bite the bullet and come to the banquet.
There are some things, and sometimes, it is inevitable to "bounce your head against the golden bell".
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"Second Master Lian is here!"
The Lianghuai Salt Administration and the Lianghuai Salt Patrol Censor have not yet arrived, but Jia Lian arrived first.
So a group of salt merchants, led by the eight major salt merchants, hurriedly came out and knelt in rows at the entrance of the Chenghuang Temple.
Today's Jia Lian has changed from the cheerful and careless manner that day at the "Tail-burning Banquet". At this time, he is wearing azure tapestry python pattern arrow sleeves and a sky-blue feather gauze-covered white fox and crane cloak. He has a calm and steady demeanor.
Stable, walked out of the sedan, his face covered with a layer of ice.
Jiang Chunsheng, the leader of the eight major salt merchants, felt a sinking feeling in his heart: Today’s scene and momentum are really not good.
Just as he was about to speak, someone came to report in a hurry:
"Master Zhen of Lianghuai Yanzheng is here!"
"Master Lin, the Salt Censor of the Huaihe River, is here!"
Two people riding eight official sedans, one east and one west, arrived at the gate of the City God's Temple almost head-to-head at the same time.
Everyone bowed down to greet him.
Mr. Zhen Huanzhen, who has a round and rosy face, and Mr. Lin Ruhailin, who is tall and thin and looks like a crane. After greeting each other, they held hands and exchanged greetings very affectionately.
One of them said: "Mr. Lin's income has been reduced. I hope you can take care of yourself for the sake of the country."
Another one also said: "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Zhen. I have a few minor illnesses, but they are nothing to worry about."
The two of them were humble and gave way to each other, coming and going as if they were old friends for many years. They couldn't see the life-and-death tactics behind them.
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Jia Lian is the host of this banquet. After welcoming him, he leads the way:
"The banquet is arranged inside. We have asked them to set up a tent and cook it on a large charcoal stove. It is very warm inside. Please come."
Warm?
Warm your grandma’s legs!
As soon as everyone entered the temple, they felt that there were cypress trees on both sides of the stone corridor, blocking the sky and the sun, adding to the overwhelming coldness.
On both sides are numerous Shinto steles, spiritual achievement steles, merit steles, narrative steles, and all kinds of cold stone steles, standing in staggered rows, like gray-white dead faces, staring at a group of people walking in. It's like walking through a cemetery.
, making people feel even more chilly in the back.
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The first time you enter is the Shanmen Hall.
Jia Lian stopped, looked at the couplet in front of the palace, and solemnly read:
"Yin repays yang and yin repays yang; late retribution and quick retribution must be repaid in the end;
Heaven knows and the earth knows, people know and ghosts know, what is ignorance?
Good luck!"
The second step is to enter the fourth level of Cao Gong Hall.
Jia Lian stopped again and read the couplet:
"If you bully you, why should I bully you;
If people betray others, why should God betray others?
Wonderful!"
The third entrance is the trial hall.
"No matter how lawless you are, do you still have the courage to go to the evil mirror stage here?
You must know that I can forgive, why not put down the butcher knife and turn around."
The fourth entrance is to the City God’s Hall.
"The whispers of the world are heard by heaven like thunder;
The dark room is dark, and the eyes are like lightning.
Oops, I didn’t know the couplets in the City God’s Temple were so insightful! They speak directly to people’s hearts!”
These couplets are all made of black wood and have big blood-red characters, which are like dripping human blood and pierce the eyes.
Many people's hearts trembled when they saw it, and everyone felt like their hearts were clogged.
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The greenhouse was set up in the courtyard of the Chenghuang Hall.
The middle hall is dedicated to the City God, the east and west side halls are dedicated to the ten halls of Yama, and the east and west corridors...
"Second Master, the banquet has been set up in the corridors on both sides. We respectfully invite you all to take a seat."
Xing'er now had a delicate face with a knife face. When he came to hit Qian, his every move was exemplary, but a little stiff.
Everyone looked towards the east and west corridors and saw that there were indeed ten tables for banquets.
No one cares what food is on the table, because the wooden fence next to the table is filled with clay sculptures of the eighteen levels of hell: the mortar hell, the stone grinding hell, the sawing hell, the stone pressing hell, and the oil hell.
Pot Hell... knives, oil pans, axes, cannons, and all kinds of terrifying criminal laws are all available.
The lifelike bull-headed and horse-faced faces, impermanent in black and white, and all kinds of ferocious ghosts, all kinds of unfaithful, unfilial, unkind, unjust, greedy, murderous, and evil people, hanging guilty sticks around their necks, pressing their heads and pulling their feet.
, stuff it into the millstone, press it into the oil pan...
As soon as a person stands aside, he will feel the wind is miserable and ghostly, let alone having to sit next to a banquet.
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Jia Lian had no worries in his heart. Seeing the changed expressions of the salt merchants, only Zhen Huan tried to remain calm. He couldn't help but secretly laugh in his heart, but he deliberately gave in with a straight face.
Seeing everyone sitting down at the table in fear, Jia Lian's expression suddenly changed, his face was filled with spring breeze, and he smiled easily:
"A few days ago, thanks to the favor of eight wealthy salt merchants, I had a chance to experience the 'Tail-burning Banquet'. It was really an eye-opener for me.
It's disrespectful to come and go without reciprocating. Today, I'm returning to the banquet, and even Master Zhen and Master Lin came to show their appreciation. It's a great honor, a great honor.
I'm just not as wealthy as you, but I want to be sincere, so I chose a place where sincerity brings spiritual success.
Come on, let’s raise a toast and ask the City God to testify and see if I’m sincere or not.”
Everyone couldn't tell what the meaning of these words was, so they all raised their glasses and were about to say some polite words to warm up the atmosphere.
Jia Lian waved his hand again:
"Play music, how can you drink wine if you are so dry? I can't afford dozens of top-notch thin horses."
Several musicians on the side listened to the instructions and hurriedly started playing and singing, but the lyrics were written by Jia Lian in advance:
"Good and evil will eventually be rewarded, and the way of heaven is reincarnation.
If you don’t believe it, look up and see who God will spare.”
The song was sad and melancholy, like an elegy, and made everyone's hair stand on end when they heard it.