Chapter One Hundred and Sixtieth Writing the Sacrifice
The guards around Li Xiuyuan were naturally loyal, and even the imperial guards stopped him without hesitation.
In the eyes of the guards, they were only loyal to the Li family. Even if the court wanted to take someone away, they would not allow it.
This kind of die-hard loyalty that existed only in ancient times would be difficult for people of later generations to understand.
"We are ordered by Master Feng Zhizhou to summon all the scholars in the city. Your young master is also a scholar. Naturally, we have to summon you too and advise you not to resist, otherwise the consequences will not be something that you two guards can bear." The officer was stern.
scolded.
With the orders from the prefect and their status as court officials, they have nothing to fear.
The guard glared at them: "You dare to move and see if I will cut off your arm."
After saying that, he wanted to pull out his sword.
The officers were immediately startled and couldn't help but take a few steps back.
I didn't expect these guards to be so fierce, and they would draw their swords at each other if they disagreed.
"You all should retreat first. Don't draw your sword here."
Li Xiuyuan came to his senses at this time, waved his hand and signaled to the two guards around him.
It was not a wise choice to have a conflict with the imperial guards in the city, but he did not blame the guards. On the contrary, he was quite touched by the guards' loyal protection.
"Yes. Young Master."
The guard responded and put back the half-drawn waist knife, then took a few steps back.
"This young master is still sensible and deserves to be a scholar. However, he was ordered by the prefect to summon all the scholars in the city. The prefect has given an order. If the scholars in the city cooperate with us, we will not use violence. If they do not cooperate, we will not use force.
Even if you are strong, you have to summon all the scholars. I hope this young master will understand and cooperate with us."
The officer also spoke to people when he saw them. When he saw that Li Xiuyuan was tall and handsome, he was a scholar, and there were guards around him to protect him, his tone became much more polite.
"I understand, I'll just go with you." Li Xiuyuan said.
"Young Master, be careful, these servants don't know what tricks they are going to get up to," the guard warned.
"It's okay, there are so many scholars here, everything will be fine." Li Xiuyuan was not worried at all.
The guard didn't say anything more.
"Sir, please go to the thatched hut in front. The prefect is already waiting inside." The officer pointed to the hay hut in front.
Li Xiuyuan nodded, told the guards to wait here, and then followed the officers.
At this time, other scholars in the city were also brought into the thatched hut one after another by the guards from all directions.
When I first entered the hay shed, I saw the body of the old priest being carried in by the guards and placed next to it, surrounded by soldiers guarding it.
Li Xiuyuan entered the hay shed and when he passed by the corpse of the old priest, he stopped, then bowed his hands, bent down and saluted, and bowed three times to the corpse of the old priest.
"Unfortunately, why is there still a dead body here?"
At this time, a passing scholar was startled when he saw this and hurriedly dodged away.
"Pa~!"
Just as the scholar finished speaking, a sticky substance was thrown away from somewhere outside the hut and landed on his face.
The scholar wiped his face and immediately trembled with anger. He shouted loudly: "I am a local scholar and a person with a great reputation. I don't have to kneel before an official. Who is it? Who is throwing cow dung at me?"
"This scholar, this person who died here is the capital Jijiu in front of you. Not to mention your fame, even if you have won the first prize in the exam and been named on the gold list, you can't help but salute the Jijiu Master, and the Jijiu Master is nearly 20 years old.
Gu Xi, I was in charge of the Dragon King's sacrifice this time. I just lost my life in order to appease the Dragon King's anger. The prefect ordered me to guard here. You must not talk nonsense here, otherwise the people nearby will throw you more than just cow dung.
"
A knife-wielding squad leader lowered his voice and said seriously.
The scholar trembled when he heard this, immediately covered his face with his sleeves, and left in shame.
Li Xiuyuan glanced at the scholar and said nothing. After giving the gift, he sighed lightly and turned around to leave.
At this moment, the hut is full of scholars, and the number of people is still increasing.
It looks like the prefect is about to give orders again.
"Hey, it's you, Mr. Li, are you here too?"
At this time, a scholar in the crowd raised his hand and waved, shouting.
"Guorong?" Li Xiuyuan was stunned when he saw that familiar face.
Ning Caichen came over and said, "Mr. Li, you made a mistake again. My name is not Guorong, but Caichen."
"Sorry, I couldn't help but shout out. By the way, Guorong, were you brought here by the guards?" Li Xiuyuan said.
"..."
Ning Caichen looked strange and said: "Exactly, I didn't expect to meet Mr. Li here by such a coincidence, so I came here to say hello."
"Master Li, I'm afraid something is going to happen in the city today. The Lord Jijiu in charge of the Dragon King's sacrifice has died. I'm afraid the Wujiang Dragon King matter won't be settled so easily. I don't know if the magistrate will summon us this time.
What are these scholars doing? Could it be that they want us to work together to fight the Dragon King of Wujiang?"
Li Xiuyuan's eyelids twitched: "Where do you have the courage to fight the Dragon King of Wujiang? All the scholars here together probably can't even catch a dog, let alone a dragon."
"Haha, I'm just talking." Ning Caichen scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
"Quiet, quiet, all quiet, the prefect has something to say."
At this time, the policeman strode over and shouted loudly, signaling everyone to quiet down and stop whispering or making noise.
When they heard that the prefect was about to speak, all the scholars immediately became quiet and stopped talking among themselves.
The fat prefect was supported by the government servants beside him and stood on a chair. Then he gestured and said, "I am the prefect of Guo Beicheng. I have invited you here for one thing only. Then
It is to continue the Dragon King’s sacrifice, calm down the Dragon King’s anger, and let the heavy rain that was supposed to fall for thirty days end early. Have you seen the body of the old Jijiu Master over there?”
"Old Jijiu Master was nearly 70 years old and unfortunately died for this sacrifice. However, Old Jiujiu Master said before his death that there is only one last way to calm down the Dragon King's anger this time, and that is to invite a person with a very noble destiny.
The scholar wrote a sacrificial inscription, climbed to the nearby pagoda, burned the inscription, and begged the Dragon King for forgiveness. Only in this way could the heavy rain stop."
After finishing speaking, the magistrate took a breath and said: "But I want to say it beforehand. There is a certain danger in going up to the temple to worship. You still need to think about it in your heart. But what I want to say is, you
We are all people who have read the books of sages. Now that the people are in trouble, I don't want to see you all being timid and self-protective, with no regard for the life and death of the people. Therefore, I beg you for the safety of the people in this city, don't be stingy with yourself.
"
His words were moved with emotion and righteousness, and were quite provocative.
No matter how virtuous an official who can sit in the position of prefect is, at least he will not be a mediocre person.
No matter how corrupt the court is, the official must at least pass the exam step by step, and to be an official, he must at least pass the exam.
I would like to ask how someone who stands out from countless scholars, becomes a child student, a scholar, a scholar and then an official can be so bad.
Sure enough, after what the prefect said, these scholars were ignited with enthusiasm and volunteered one by one.
"It is my lifelong wish to pray for the people. Even if the magistrate doesn't say it, I will still write a memorial in my later life, go to the pagoda to worship, and appease the Dragon King's anger."
"That's right. We have read the books of saints and sages. Now that the people are in trouble, how can we not stand up and ask the magistrate to give me pen and ink? I will write a memorial and go to the temple to burn incense and worship."
"I would also like to be born late."
These scholars shouted loudly one by one, for fear of falling behind others.
Li Xiuyuan is a mature person and will not be incited so easily. He pondered for a while and felt that the person with extremely noble fate mentioned by the old Jijiu Master should not be him.
Although all the ghosts and gods know about my identity as a born saint, only the ghosts and gods with high status know it a little bit. Little ghosts and demons don't know it, and ordinary people, even if they are wise, cannot know it.
"If Laojiujiu is not referring to himself, then are there other people here who have extremely precious lives? Or maybe Laojiujiu doesn't know who's life is more valuable and is just casting a large net to catch fish, giving it a try?"
Li Xiuyuan thought for a moment and felt that the latter was most likely.
If the old priest knew who had a very noble destiny, he would have named him by name, and he would not have asked the prefect to summon all the famous scholars in the city.
As for why he wants to find someone with a noble destiny, Li Xiuyuan also knows a thing or two.
Because people with noble fortunes are, to put it bluntly, people with profound merits, and this kind of people are secretly protected, so the Dragon King of Wujiang will still have some scruples.
With scruples, there is the possibility of conversation.
If you are sincere, you may have a chance to appease the Dragon King of Wujiang.
This may be what Lao Jijiu was thinking.
But Li Xiuyuan felt that if things were really as he suspected, there would be little chance of success.
The Dragon King of Wujiang acted too domineeringly, to the point of being unreasonable. If they could have communicated with each other, Lao Jijiu would not have died here.
For a moment, Li Xiuyuan fell into deep thought.
At this time, the magistrate once again touched his palms and said: "Okay, I am very pleased that you young people are so dedicated to serving the people. Come, please prepare pens, inks, paper and inkstones. Please write a memorial essay for each of you.
Submit it to me for review. When the time comes, I will select the best sacrificial texts, and you will go to the temple in person to burn them and worship. I hope someone can appease the Dragon King's anger with a piece of sacrificial text."
Soon, the guards carried more than a dozen wooden tables into the straw shed, arranged them neatly, and prepared pens, inks, paper and inkstones, just waiting for the scholars to get started.
"I come."
A scholar volunteered, rolled up his Tibetan show, strode to a wooden table, twirled his pen and dyed ink, thought about it and immediately started writing a memorial text.
"How can I be left out of such important things for the country and the people?"
There was also a child who was so enthusiastic that he pushed his way through the crowd to occupy a seat and write a memorial text.
Ning Caichen, who was next to Li Xiuyuan, also seemed to be infected. He squeezed forward, picked up his pen, splashed ink, and wrote a memorial essay without thinking.
Ning Caichen's literary talent is definitely one of the best among this group of scholars. I don't know if it has something to do with the fact that he often copies books for others.
"Don't be anxious, don't be anxious. Every scholar here needs to leave a memorial text. There is no need to fight for it. Someone can come and add more words." The magistrate said.
The servant responded and left quickly. After a while, he moved a table from nowhere and added a place for the scholar's door.
"Now that you're here, let's try it."
Li Xiuyuan thought to himself, casually walked to a wooden table, pondered for a while, and began to write a memorial poem.
For a moment, there was only the sound of pen and ink in the thatched shed.
But Li Xiuyuan had just finished writing the memorial text, when a scholar came over angrily, took away the unfinished memorial text, and said, "What kind of memorial text are you writing? The Dragon King was so angry that it rained heavily.
The memorial text should be emotional and rational, but your memorial text is full of murderous threats. If the Dragon King sees this memorial text, he will definitely become even more furious. Please step aside and stand aside.
Watch and see how I write the memorial text."
After saying this, the scholar grabbed the ink pen again, took out a piece of rice paper, spread it on the table, and started writing by himself.
"Um?"
Li Xiuyuan frowned, what is this? A grab for position?
Looking at the scholar again, he seemed to be the scholar who had cow dung thrown at him before, but now his face was stained with rainwater, and he seemed to have found a place to wash off the cow dung.