Since the nationwide campaign to eradicate the Maitreya Cult, Zhen Zangzhu's house has been surrounded by spies like a spider web. Idle men, beggars, salesmen, and night incense collectors pay attention to all kinds of suspicious and unsuspicious people coming and going in front of Zhen's house, and pay attention to each other.
Of course, Zangzhu had noticed it a long time ago, and he would look bad when he returned to his door every day. Even so, the spider web did not catch any useful prey, and he kept waiting day after day.
Zhen Cangzhu's sister, Zhen, opened a girls' school, teaching girls music, chess, calligraphy and painting. Everyone in Jinling City knew that Zhen Cangzhu was now a popular figure in front of the King of Wu. The business of the girls' school was very good, and many people wanted to borrow Zhen's help.
She wanted to catch up with her brother so that she could show her face to the King of Wu.
It was raining heavily that day. Zhen Zangzhu and Mr. Bao had a drink outside and returned to Zhen's house to look at something. When they entered the house, they heard from the boys that there was something wrong with the carriage on the way back from the girl.
A monk repaired the axle for her in the rain, which was a blessing. Zhen Zangzhu casually sent someone to Zhen's place to ask which temple the monk belonged to, so that he could donate some incense money someday. Not long after, the man
He said back and forth: "That monk never left a Buddhist name, let alone which temple he belonged to." Zhen Zangzhu then gave up and went to see things with Mr. Bao.
When Mr. Bao returned to Bao's house, his second brother came as usual and asked him if he had anything interesting to do today. Mr. Bao chatted some gossip and mentioned that the monk helped Miss Zhen repair the axle. Mr. Bao was slightly surprised: "Monk
?What kind of monk?" Third Master Bao said, "I don't know. Monks are so compassionate that they didn't even leave a Buddhist title." Second Master Bao turned around in his mind several times and was speechless.
Early the next morning, the Bao family sent a spy from near Zhen's house to guard Zhen's girls' school. Because the man lived next to Zhen Zangzhu's house, King Wu's people felt strange when they saw him, so they followed him the next day.
, only then did we know that the Bao family was paying attention to the Zhen family. That man was an old spy. He glanced at the door of the Zhen family's girls' school and saw that something was wrong with three or four people. After asking around again, he also heard people talking about the monk helping Zhen.
It was time to repair the carriage shaft. It was raining heavily that day. In the rain, a monk wearing a raincoat and a bamboo hat stood silently, looking at the girls' school from a distance.
King Wu's spies secretly followed the monk. The monk didn't do anything. He just watched Zhen's carriage leave the tavern and turned around. The spies followed the monk all the way to the inn and asked the innkeeper.
The monk was actually from Jiangxi! He had been here for more than half a month. The spy calmly took out Prince Wu's waistband and waved it in front of the innkeeper. The boss was so frightened that he sat on the ground. Then he asked the monk in detail,
He also ordered him to pay attention to the monk's behavior.
Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a bad move. The next morning when the monk went out, the innkeeper got the order from Prince Wu's Mansion, and looked at the monk with a strange look. The monk was very alert, and immediately went back to the house to pack his luggage, and wanted to check out and leave. The innkeeper talked with him
He stalled the time by talking nonsense, while winking and ordering the boy to go out to report the news. When the people from Prince Wu's Mansion arrived, the monk had been gone for a quarter of an hour. After all, the monk was not from Jinling. When the government soldiers all over the street made a fuss, he was quickly arrested.
Caught.
When he was taken back for interrogation, the monk refused to admit his guilt at first, until his eyes flashed a few times when he mentioned "Lord Zhen". Then he simply said: "I want to see Lord Zhen."
Zhen Zangzhu rushed to the cell immediately. He saw that the monk was in his fifties, with a fat head, big ears, and cunning eyes. He looked like he was not a serious monk. Then he coughed: "I am Zhen Zangzhu."
The monk recited the Buddha's name and said with a smile: "Li Dalang, the iron swallow of Kyoto, unexpectedly became a high-ranking member of the Wu Kingdom. At first, the poor monk almost thought Master Zhen was a court eagle dog."
Zhen Zangzhu frowned: "If you have something to say, say it quickly. There is no need to involve people you don't know."
The monk said: "Master Zhen has become a high official, but do you still remember your friends in the green forest?"
Zhen Zangzhu said: "Zhen doesn't recognize the master."
The monk chanted: "Li Dalang, do you still remember the case you committed in Cangzhou seventeen years ago?"
Zhen Zangzhu narrowed her eyes and looked at him for a long time, then suddenly said: "Is the master the same as that day?" The monk nodded. Zhen Zangzhu said "Oh" and stood up, "Master has changed a lot. Back then...what happened to master?"
To become this fat?"
The monk touched his belly and said cheerfully: "Oh, Master Zhen still remembers the poor monk. I never thought that that stupid young man back then is now a noble man."
Zhen Zangzhu waved her hands repeatedly: "I don't dare to take it. Thanks to the prince for not giving up, I will become an idle official in front of his old man and make a living."
The monk smiled at him for a long time and then said seriously, "Everyone in the green forest said that Li Dalang Yi Bo Yuntian was a first-rate figure of Song Gongming and Song Gongming."
Zhen Zangzhu raised her eyebrows and said, "Master, are you looking for me if you have something to do?" The monk smiled and pondered for a long time in silence. Zhen Zangzhu said tentatively, "I heard that Master is coming from Jiangxi. Yuanzhou seems to be..."
There was a strange look in the monk's eyes. After a while, he said: "The poor monk is indeed a member of the Maitreya sect." Zhen Zangzhu looked sideways. The monk said, "The poor monk wants to make a deal with the King of Wu and all the kings in the world. Please ask Zhen.
Sir, be the middle man."
Zhen Zangzhu's eyes flashed: "What does master have in hand?"
The monk said: "This poor monk wants to return to secular life and go to Japan."
Zhen Zangzhu said: "These are easy to talk about, and I can also prepare some silver for Master."
The monk waved his hand and said: "There is no need for money. It is very easy for a poor monk to get money." Zhen Zangzhu smiled. The monk said, "Now the whole country is destroying Maitreya. I think the kings know about it."
Zhen Zangzhu asked slowly: "Where is he."
"The poor monk doesn't know." The monk's brows moved. "The Maitreya religion is huge. The poor monk only knows a few other things."
"for example?"
"The important leader of the Maitreya Cult everywhere."
Zhen Zangzhu was shocked: "Master knows the list of Maitreya Cult leaders?"
The monk nodded and then said: "I won't go to Japan anymore. When will King Wu send troops to South America?"
Zhen Zangzhu said: "We will leave in the autumn."
The monk said: "The poor monk seeks two layman identities and goes to South America with the soldiers of King Wu."
"Easy to say."
The monk repeated: "Two."
Zhen Zangzhu smiled and said, "Twenty is easy."
"Then let's take twenty," the monk said, "to be prepared for any emergencies."
Zhen Zangzhu smiled and shook her head: "Pay the money with one hand and deliver the goods with the other hand?"
The monk pointed to his head: "They are all here."
Zhen Zangzhu said: "How do we know if it is true?"
The monk said: "I trust you, Li Dalang. Just check it out. After you check it out, you will know whether it is true or false."
Zhen Zangzhu and the monk bowed their hands and left the cell. Then they immediately reported everything they said to King Wu. In fact, there was someone else eavesdropping next door to the cell, who was listening to what Zhen Zangzhu said. King Wu asked about this.
The origin of the monk. Zhen Zangzhu said: "Wei Chen doesn't know who he is. In his early years, when Wei Chen was walking in the green forest, he did a business in Cangzhou..." He coughed and his face turned red. King Wu smiled slightly. Zhen Zangzhu said again
He coughed twice and continued, "I almost got caught by someone. I hid in a roadside temple in a panic. A monk hid me and told them that I went to the back mountain... Later, the master said that he was also on the road.
Because he was being chased so urgently, I gave him his name, but he refused to tell me his Buddhist name. After the matter calmed down, I went back to the temple to inquire about him, but the monk in the temple said that he was the one who paid orders.
A wandering monk."
King Wu nodded and asked, "Do you trust him?"
Zhen Zangzhu said: "Since he said that he can wait for the princes to check it, why bother to coax me if it is false? I think the government's raids have been fierce these days, which has made them anxious. Besides, he doesn't want other benefits, as long as he The identities of several people who returned to secular life." He lowered his voice and said, "It's obvious that they want to escape."
At this time, the second master of the Bao family was also there, so King Wu asked him. The second master Bao said: "Since ancient times, when trees fell down, the hozens scattered, and the birds fell into the forest after eating. It was unusually tight. But he took such confidential information and only exchanged it for a few dollars." I don’t quite believe in his identity.”
Zhen Zangzhu smiled and said, "I don't believe him if he wants money."
"Oh? What's the reason for this?"
Zhen Zangzhu said: "Look at how fat he is, and the monk's clothes inside are made of silk. It shows that this guy is very rich."
Mr. Bao suddenly realized: "Yes, he has taken the Maitreya Sect's money with him!"
"He has money, what does he need money for?" Zhen Zangzhu narrowed his eyes, "I'm afraid this is not a tree falling down and the hozens scattering, but a prison guard stealing someone, killing someone with a borrowed knife, and letting the golden cicada escape from its shell. South America is separated from our country by such a big sea, and the place is so different. Big. When he has money and status, he suddenly becomes a rich man, and then marries two beautiful wives and beautiful concubines. Within a few years, he will have a house full of children and grandchildren."
King Wu couldn't help but nodded: "That makes sense."
Second Master Bao thought: "It's just too abrupt. I don't dare to believe it."
Zhen Zangzhu said: "Just look at whether the list he gave is many, but it is incomplete. If there are only a few dozen names, it cannot be said that this person is a cover for the Maitreya sect, abandoning soldiers to protect the commander. If it is complete, it is possible to drive out the Maitreya sect. It means..."
Mr. Bao smiled and said, "So, this time we either fell into a small scam or got a big deal?" Zhen Zangzhu smiled and nodded.
Mr. Bao then went to see the monk in person. He thought there would be some negotiation, but he didn't expect the monk to be so tight-lipped. He picked up the pen and just kept writing, writing more than a dozen directories in one go. It has been a long time. Bao Erye asked curiously: "Master actually remembers so much?"
The monk said: "The poor monk has no other advantages. He has the best memory." After finishing writing, he added, "In the past two months, we have searched everywhere for the Maitreya Cult, and the superiors deliberately disguised some of their followers as the Great Food Cult to avoid this disaster. "Second Master Bao nodded slightly, holding the directory in his hands and still feeling like he was in a dream.
Among them, there must be a part of the Wu State. The Maitreya Cult is not small in the Wu State, but it is hidden deep. The Wu State immediately sent soldiers to arrest them overnight. According to the list, they arrested more than 300 people, large and small. Because they were captured Suddenly and clearly he had a name, and almost no one escaped. When he was brought back for a trial - it turned out to be true! The important leaders of the Maitreya Cult were all there. After more than ten days, a few who slipped through the net were also caught. The Maitreya Cult is here The Kingdom of Wu really captured them all in one fell swoop. The King of Wu was so surprised that he ordered his people to copy the list given by the monk several times and send it secretly to all countries by express horseback with a speed of 800 miles.
In just a few months, in addition to the Jiangxi bandits that were everywhere and making it difficult to attack, the Maitreya Sect that had been around for hundreds of years was almost uprooted. However, the Supreme Emperor still could not find it. Because the monks once said that they intended to let the followers disguise themselves as the Dashi Sect, the kings also I have begun a thorough investigation of the Dashi Cult. This is a story for another time.
King Wu couldn't believe it was so easy to win. After beheading the more than 300 leaders of the Maitreya Cult, he still wondered and said to himself: "My great grandfather has not wiped out, but the lonely king has wiped out?"
On the night of the beheading of the Maitreya cult, the neighbor next door to the Zhen family heard something going on in their house. The house of the Zhen family originally belonged to the Bao family. Earlier, while Zhen Zangzhu was not at home, the neighbor secretly punched the wall in their backyard.
It was a good hole for peeping. I saw that at the second watch, Zhen Zangzhu and the monk placed many incense candles in the courtyard, chanting sutras and burning paper until the fifth watch. Both of them wore cassocks.
.
The next day, the neighbor hurriedly ran to report the matter to Mr. Bao. Mr. Bao was stunned. He closed his eyes and thought for a long time, then slapped the case and shouted: "I know!" The person who made the order asked his eldest brother to return home, and the two brothers went to Bao together.
The master went forward.
Mr. Bao told his eldest brother everything about what happened to the neighbors of the Zhen family last night, and said slowly and calmly: "Zhen Zangzhu is indeed not an ordinary person. This whole matter is a trap, and even the princes and the Maitreya Cult were involved.
"
Master Bao glared at him and said, "Now that you understand, tell me quickly!"
Mr. Bao Erye laughed and said: "I sent people to inquire about the green forest road in the capital. There is indeed a thief named Li Dalang, but he does not have the title 'Iron Swallow'. The monk made up this title."
Uncle Bao thought: "So the monk and Zhen Zangzhu are in the same group?"
Mr. Bao nodded: "We have always been in the same group. They are all Maitreya sect."
Uncle Bao was slightly surprised, and after thinking for a while, he snapped the case: "The guard committed theft, borrowed the knife to kill, and the golden cicada escaped from its shell!"
Second Master Bao touched his palm: "Brother is right! Once you have figured this out, everything will be clear. Zhen Deren secretly hid a son to continue his incense. He didn't want the Maitreya Cult to be more meticulous than the court in finding people, so he sent Zhen Deren to hide the pearl.
Abducted. The Tiangang Star Chart was actually donated by Zhen Zangzhu, and he exchanged the religious tokens for his status in the religion. However, this person was too thief-minded, and together with the monk, he embezzled a large amount of money from the Maitreya Sect. Because he was afraid that the incident would come to light,
He deliberately set a big trap and used the hands of all the kings in the world to destroy the Maitreya sect. The monk got money and freedom, and Zhen Zangzhu became a high-ranking member of the Wu Kingdom. From then on, he was blessed with good fortune and a prosperous road."
Uncle Bao nodded repeatedly: "No wonder Zhen Zangzhu believed what the monk said from the beginning. It was a play performed by the two of them just to hand the list into the hands of the princes."
Master Bao said: "It's hard to say whether Zhen Zangzhu is really Zhen Zangzhu."
Mr. Bao smiled and said: "It doesn't matter whether it is true or not. He has Zhen Deren's autographed letters and paintings. Who dares to say that he is not it? Even if he is not, the real Zhen Zangzhu must have long been dead. Now this is Zhen Zang
Zhu." After a while, he couldn't help stroking his palms again, "I just said this person is weird! How can there be so many coincidences. The traitor of the Maitreya Sect didn't look for anyone else, just him, and still lives in his house!"
Mr. Bao thought for a while, stroked his beard and said, "I'm afraid that's it."
Uncle Bao asked: "Do I need to tell the prince about this?"
Mr. Bao glanced at him: "Why tell the prince? What benefits can we get? Mr. Zhen has made such a great contribution, and his master, Master Yiseng, is also the uncle of the prince. Now he is becoming more and more favored by the prince. Our family is pinching
Isn’t it bad for an important minister to have a shortcoming?”
Uncle Bao said: "This is a great merit, how can it be regarded as a shortcoming?"
Second Master Bao said: "Being a member of the Maitreya Cult is not a shortcoming. Being a prisoner and stealing from others, but betraying and surrendering to the enemy is a stain that cannot be washed away even if you die." He laughed in unison with Master Bao and his son.