Chapter 53: God’s Warning (Two Chapters Combined into One)

The scholar was so shocked that he sat down on the ground. He ignored the pain and muttered to himself: "Miracle, miracle, this is a miracle!"

Not only this scholar, but everyone who witnessed it thought so.

This is indeed a miracle, but it is not a good miracle.

An ominous sign emerged in almost everyone's heart. Crows were ominous creatures to begin with, and now countless crows gathered here, like dark clouds covering the sky. This couldn't be an auspicious sign, it was a disaster, a disaster was about to happen!

The black cloud spread by the crows continued to expand, and countless crows flew over from all directions.

Some of them rushed here from the mass grave after hearing the news. We are all crows. This amazing event requires your participation, and ours as well.

We are not here to disrupt, we are here to join!

Seeing these unfamiliar faces, the Beijing Lao Liu who organized this grand event was furious: [Grass (a plant), everyone who didn't participate in the rehearsal, get out! Get out! Don't disrupt the formation!]

The boss of the mass grave was wronged: [We are not here to destroy it, we are here to join...]

Beijing Old Six: [Just watch us pose!]

......

The people under the sky only saw countless crows flying over, and the lid became bigger, but then, a corner of the lid cracked, and a group of crows separated, and then, the huge lid also dispersed.

"Are these crows going to fly away?"

Someone asked, and silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. After all, who wants to see crows? They are not magpies. Normally, seeing one crow is considered unlucky, let alone so many of them.

"Thank God, these ominous things have finally receded."

"Let's go home and kowtow to the Lord Tianzun a few more times. Wuliang Tianzun, good luck!"

At this moment, a childish voice came from the crowd: "Look, what is that?"

The people who were about to go home stopped and looked up at the same time.

“Oh my God!”

"This is?"

"May the Lord of Heaven bless you!"

"Don't bother Master Tianzun at this time. This is Kuixing Tower, so let's pay our respects to Master Kuixing."

"No, it's not enough to just worship Master Kuixing, we also have to worship Master Confucius!"

"All of you, all of you, all of you!"

Shocked by what he had heard, Master Bai ran out of his house in dishevel. He stumbled up the Kuixing Tower and stared in amazement at the crows that were gathering in ever-increasing numbers. Suddenly, he realized something and shouted, "Filial piety! It's filial piety!"

At the same time, outside the Kuixing Tower, a crowd of people knelt down. Among them were scholars who came to worship Kuixing, businessmen who opened shops and stalls nearby, and ordinary people who came here to stroll around.

Master Bai only glanced downwards, and then, as if his blood had been pumped up, he waved his sleeves and shouted to the huge word "filial piety" in the sky, "Crows repay their parents, and lambs kneel to their mothers!"

"Foster father, oh foster father, I have been lonely and poor since childhood, and have failed the imperial examinations many times. I am grateful that you did not despise me for my humble origins and dull talents, and that you and I have formed a father-son relationship in this Kuixing Tower. From then on, I have had a strict father to guide me. You are both my father and my teacher. I will be grateful for your kindness for three lifetimes..."

"Foster father, oh foster father, you left too early. I pray every day, hoping for an afterlife where I can warm your quilt in winter and fan your pillow in summer. Foster father, can you hear me..."

Every word Mr. Bai spoke was laced with blood and tears, and he only regretted that he could not go with his adoptive father. Before he finished speaking, a child in the crowd burst into tears: "Dad, you left too early. You left before I was even born. I didn't even have the chance to hold a banner and a pot for you. Woo woo woo, I am so unfilial!"

Obviously, this is a posthumous child.

A kind-hearted person nearby immediately comforted him: "Good boy, don't be sad. Your father will not blame you if he knows about this."

The child cried and asked, "Really? Will my father really not blame me? But I am so unfilial!"

"How could that be? You weren't born at that time. Ignorance is not a crime." said the kind-hearted person.

At this moment, a scholar suddenly beat his chest and stamped his feet, then knelt on the ground and burst into tears: "My father passed away eight years ago, and I have lived in a hut beside his grave for three years. My mother passed away five years ago, and I observed mourning for another three years. In these eight years, I have missed the imperial examinations twice. However, I have no regrets, no regrets!"

Everyone sighed: "What a filial son! This is a true filial son!"

More and more people were crying, and there was a lot of crying outside the Kuixing Tower. Even a few thugs who were collecting protection fees nearby were crying their hearts out. At this moment, they were the same as these scholars and were equal.

Wang Dasha cried until his nose was covered with snot bubbles. His companions asked him, "Why are you crying along with me? Didn't your father die because of you?"

Wang Dasha cried out, and cried even more sadly: "My father is dead, and I don't even have anyone to be angry with. Wow——"

As soon as Jinyiwei Commander Lu Gan arrived, he saw the scene in front of him: countless people were lying on the ground and crying loudly. This was what a national mourning was like.

Lu Gan raised his head and looked at the word "filial piety" that was getting bigger and bigger in the sky. He then looked at the crowd. Those people were in tears and rushed to tell how they had fulfilled their filial piety to their parents before and after their death. At this moment, looking around, they were all filial sons!

These people are more exaggerated and more contrived than each other. In Lu Gan's opinion, they are all suspicious.

But what about these crows?

This is a real crow, not a paper kite.

Lu Gan's hands were stained with blood and his heart was as hard as iron. He never believed in ghosts and gods.

If there really were ghosts and gods in this world, he would have been punished countless times.

But everything he saw shattered his three views.

All weird and supernatural, all weird and supernatural!

Lu Gan reminded himself again and again not to be fooled by these illusions. It was a sleight of hand, an illusion, and supernatural.

He rubbed his eyes subconsciously and opened them again. The crows were still there, the word "filial piety" was still there, and even the crying that filled the sky was even more deafening.

"Wang Zheng, go to Kuixing Tower and see if anyone is practicing the art of warding off evil there."

Not hearing Wang Zheng's answer, Lu Gan turned his head and saw Wang Zheng wiping the snot off his face with his sleeve.

Lu Gan was disgusted by what he saw and shouted angrily, "Wang Zheng!"

Wang Zheng finally stopped wiping his nose. He wiped his tears and said, "I'm sorry, Master. I just thought of my mother. My mother was tortured to death by my grandmother. Her death was so unjust. It's my fault that I'm unfilial. I haven't been able to avenge my mother until now. I'm so unfilial, wuwuwu!"

Lu Gan was so angry that he wanted to hit someone. Your mother has been dead for twenty years, and your grandmother has been dead for more than ten years. I have never seen you speak up for your mother before, but now you want to be a filial son. What? Are you going to dig up your grandmother's grave and whip her corpse?

Lu Gan looked at Zhang Da again: "Zhang Da, you go."

Zhang Da felt that if he did not express something in such an occasion, it would seem that he was very unfilial, so he was brewing his emotions, and when Lu Gan called his name, his eyes were already filled with tears.

Lu Gan looked at him coldly, flicked his sleeves, and squeezed into the crowd with the other men, leaving Wang Zheng and Zhang Da, the two embarrassing ones, behind.

He wanted to go up to Kuixing Tower himself to see if there was a demon hiding there. At this moment, he was waving a peach wood sword and commanding these crows to stir up trouble.

There was no crying sound upstairs in Kuixing Tower, at least no one was crying loudly.

Scholars express their thoughts in their own way.

Mr. Bai was dressed in white and kneeling on the ground. Around him were also many scholars kneeling. They looked respectful and were muttering something in their loud voices, even drowning out the crying outside.

Lu Gan listened attentively. It was the Book of Filial Piety. These scholars were reciting the Book of Filial Piety!

Lu Gan waved his hand, and his Jinyiwei searched the Kuixing Tower from top to bottom, inside and out.

Apart from these scholars who recite the Book of Filial Piety, there is no one else.

Not to mention the demon Taoist wielding the peach wood sword, not even a single mouse was seen stealing the offerings.

So, these crows are not really driven by humans, but...

Lu Gan came from a military family and had not read many books of sages. He did not like them and could not even recite the entire Book of Filial Piety.

But at this moment, he remembered two sayings: A sheep kneels down to thank its mother for feeding it, and a crow repays its parents by feeding them.

He walked out of Kuixing Tower half-believing and half-doubting, and the scarlet flying fish suit on his body stung everyone's eyes.

When they just went in, the people outside were just lying on the ground crying, and they didn't see them until now.

"Jinyiwei? Are Jinyiwei here to arrest someone? Who?"

"It can't be for catching crows, right?"

"Are they here to arrest us? What crime have we committed?"

At this time, a young scholar stepped forward and saluted Lu Gan, saying, "Sir, do you know that loyalty is disregarding one's own life, while filial piety is disregarding shame? Loyalty means devoting one's life, while filial piety means devoting one's whole being?

Crows repay their parents, and lambs kneel down to suckle. Even animals know to miss their parents, let alone three years of feeding and ten months of hard work. How can a human forget their parents?

"My student Wang Zihan has read poetry and books since childhood, and has a rough understanding of etiquette and morality. I have always been deeply concerned about this. I wonder if you have fulfilled your filial duties to your parents?"

Lu Gan narrowed his eyes slightly, and his cold gaze shot at the young scholar like a sharp arrow. The young scholar was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, with skin so dark that his facial features were blurred.

Lu Gan had served as the commander of the Jinyiwei for many years and had accumulated great prestige. The young scholar was intimidated by his power and took a few steps back, but then he stood firm and stubbornly puffed out his chest, "Excuse me, sir, have you been filial to your parents?"

Lu Gan's face was as gloomy as water as he spoke word by word, "My father was ill for three years, and I personally tasted his medicine every day. Now that my father has passed away, even though I am a military officer, I have still mourned for him for three years. My mother is still alive and well, and she is enjoying the happiness of her children and grandchildren, and she is living out her days in peace."

The young scholar was obviously very satisfied with Lu Gan's answer. He clasped his fists and saluted again: "Your Excellency is kind and filial. You will surely be a good official. I wish you a prosperous career and a bright future!"

Lu Gan remained calm, looked at him deeply, and nodded: "Wang Zihan? You are so brave at such a young age. Not bad, not bad!"

After saying this, he left with his men.

The word "filial piety" in the sky is getting bigger and bigger, and there are more crows today than ever before.

In the Changshou Palace, the retired emperor walked out of the alchemy room and climbed to the highest point in the palace. Before he could stand still, several crows flew past his face. The retired empress was so frightened that she took a few steps back and was supported by two Taoist children so that she did not fall.

Crows, lots of crows. Except for the word "filial piety" which can also be seen in the Changshou Palace, there are crows everywhere in the capital.

A fat, pale-faced man wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed with emotion: "I've only heard of the Magpie Bridge Fairy before. On the seventh day of the seventh month, all the magpies fly into the sky. But what day is today? What are these crows doing here? Are they here to build a bridge too?"

Of course not. The crows are not here to build a bridge, but to arrange words, the word "filial piety".

The Emperor Retired was also looking up at the sky: "There are so many crows! I have seen so many crows in my entire life, but not as many as I saw today."

On the streets of the capital, a madman in a tattered scholar's robe ran down the street, shouting, "Heaven's warning, Heaven's warning! You unfilial descendants, Heaven has had enough, so He sent crows to warn you. If you don't obey, you will die, die, all of you!"

This madman was well-known in the capital. He took the exam many times and failed every time. Finally, he went crazy.

Several children came running over, also shouting as they ran: "The crows repay their parents, the crows repay their parents, the heavens are warning you, the heavens are warning you!"

After running across a street, the children separated. They earned five cents for each street, and the more they ran, the more they earned.

Imperial Palace.

Emperor Yongjia also saw the huge word "filial piety" in the sky. He thought the same as Lu Gan, that someone was controlling this.

The first thing he thought of was Prince Liang's Mansion.

This morning, Censor Jin hit his head against the pillar, and then crows gathered overhead. These two things were too coincidental. Unfortunately, the people who went to investigate Censor Jin have not returned yet, and Lu Gan has not returned either.

At this moment, the eunuch came to report that Lu Gan had arrived.

Emperor Yongjia quickly summoned Lu Gan to come in. Lu Gan was dressed in a serious manner, and his expression became even more solemn when he saw Emperor Yongjia.

"Mr. Lu, have you caught the person who is practicing the art of warding off evil?"

Emperor Yongjia was certain that someone was practicing the art of witchcraft, and Lu Gan had never let him down.

Lu Gan shook his head: "I deserve death, but I didn't find anyone practicing the art of warding off evil."

Emperor Yongjia frowned deeply and said, "Tell me in detail."

Lu Gan then recounted in detail what he had seen and heard today, talking about the people crying in the streets and the scholars kneeling on the ground reciting the Book of Filial Piety. Emperor Yongjia sighed and closed his eyes.

At this time, the eunuch who had just come in hurried in again. Seeing that Emperor Yongjia was dozing with his eyes closed, he looked at the emperor, then at Lu Gan, and finally looked at Eunuch Li for help.

Eunuch Li winked and asked him to come forward. The eunuch whispered a few words to Eunuch Li, and Eunuch Li waved his hand to let him retreat.

"Old Li, is there something wrong?" Emperor Yongjia said in a faint voice.

Eunuch Li stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, more than a dozen imperial censors have gathered outside the palace to see you, and Prime Minister Feng has also arrived."

Emperor Yongjia sighed silently in his heart. He knew what these people were here for. Every day when there was a strange phenomenon, even if it was a heavy snowfall or no rain for several days in a row, these people would make him issue a self-criticism edict.

Of course, this is not just directed at him. It has been like this since Taizu came to power. Taizu issued a self-criticism edict, and the retired emperor also issued one. Now it seems it is his turn.

Whenever the emperor issued a confession of guilt, was it always done under pressure from these ministers?

"Let them all come in, Lord Lu, you stay and listen to what they have to say."