Chapter 277 The Fish Has Been Hooked
Until the bright lights in the sky gradually dimmed in the starry sky, Zuo Rong still held on to this unrealistic hope.
Think about it, when Buddhism was about to be introduced to the Han Dynasty, didn’t Emperor Xiaoming have a beautiful dream about gods and Buddhas flying in the sky and circling around the beams?
This is somewhat magical.
It is possible that the four Buddha statues he had built attracted the attention of Buddhas from abroad to this place.
When he looked at the people present, he realized more clearly how beneficial it was to have such a miraculous sight.
If before these people only looked up to him because of the grand ceremony he put on, or because he invited everyone to share the Buddha's Bathing Festival meal, then at this moment, this incomprehensible spectacle made him receive even more awe-inspiring looks.
For someone like Zuo Rong who wanted to replace Tao Qian as the lord of Xuzhou, this was undoubtedly a piece of cake.
Immersed in such thoughts, he did not notice that at this moment, a person suddenly squeezed out of the crowd and headed straight for the outside of Gaoyou City.
In other words, shortly after the bright light in the sky came on, this person quickly got over his shock and decided to find out what was going on.
Everything Zhou Yu saw after entering the city made him unwilling to believe that a man like Zuo Rong could really be blessed by a miracle from heaven.
Due to the dim sky and the interference of candlelight, he could not accurately see Zuo Rong's expression, and naturally he could not know that he knew nothing about the accident. He just felt that this was a picture that the man had forged in order to make the effect of the Buddha's Bathing Festival reach its peak.
In order to confirm his judgment, he left the city without hesitation and chased in the downwind direction.
The plains of Guangling were crisscrossed with streams and woods, making it impossible for Zhou Yu to be sure that he could accurately capture the landing point of the bright light.
Fortunately, when he officially left the city, he vaguely saw a little reddish fire falling, and he could barely determine the direction. When he got closer to that location, he even heard a faint human voice.
As if sensing the sound of his arrival, the human voice quickly disappeared.
He followed the sound and saw only traces of people trampling on the grass.
He raised the sword in his hand, pushed aside the grass, and walked a little further away. Suddenly, he saw a spark by the stream in the distance. He hurriedly chased after it and saw a lamp that was about to go out.
This is a lamp woven from local bamboo.
The outer frame of the lamp is woven from thin bamboo strips, and a layer of paper is pasted on the outside. Unlike ordinary lanterns or lampshades, the top of this lamp is also sealed. The fuel storage area under the lamp had basically burned out, with only a little wax left. 1
Zhou Yu quickly grabbed the lamp and brought the escaped fish back.
The lantern became a little loose when it fell to the ground, and the paper stuck around it was torn by the grass and trees on the ground.
He touched the lantern and found that it was made of the newly launched No. 2 improved paper in Chang'an City, which was Xuan paper. He immediately asked someone to buy a few sheets from a nearby merchant.
A lot of paper has flowed from Guanzhong to other places, so it is not too difficult to buy Xuan paper.
After reassembling the lantern, Zhou Yu lit the newly installed paraffin wax with a wick. He then saw the hot air in the lantern fill the entire space and then float upwards.
If he hadn't pulled the lantern back, it would have really flown higher.
After confirming that this method could indeed make the lantern fly into the air, Zhou Yu looked at the bamboo lantern in his hand with a gloomy face.
Zuo Rong's method was really clever, turning a man-made scene into a miracle.
From Zhou Yu's perspective, he cannot just consider this matter in Guangling.
This not only made the people of Guangling more convinced that the religion spread by Zuo Rong did have a side that transcended nature, but also made Zu Lang, who came here for a visit, more convinced of Zuo Rong's abilities.
Thinking about hearing Zu Lang and his subordinates mention Sun Ce's name vaguely today, Zhou Yu had to make some worst-case scenarios.
At this time, he had not yet made clear Zuo Rong's intentions towards Xuzhou, but from the perspective of Yangzhou's interests, he felt that he had to impose some restrictions on Zuo Rong.
Otherwise, there is no guarantee that he would not use the same method of deceiving the people to help Zu Lang and cause trouble for Sun Ce in Yangzhou.
It is impossible for him to be so lucky every time to detect the other party's tricks, and if the people were to bow down to him as they did today, then there would be a real fire in the rear.
Unfortunately, he could not directly mobilize the Yangzhou army to impose sanctions on Zuo Rong, and it would be better if he did not show up in person.
Otherwise, this internal problem in Yangzhou would turn into a dispute between Yangzhou and Xuzhou.
Zhou Yu looked at the special lantern in front of him and pondered for a long time.
Perhaps, he needed to find a suitable opponent for Zuo Rong, and it would be best if this opponent was not a shrewd person like Lu Su or Chen Deng.
A name quickly flashed through his mind -
Zhang Yi.
When Zhou Yu made this decision while looking at the lantern, in a village not too far from Gaoyou County, there were also two people looking at a lantern in front of them.
In the dim light cast by the candlelight on the table, two equally beautiful faces were revealed.
Of course, since they were all wearing men's clothes at the time, perhaps they should be called Junxiu.
They rented a group of houses in this village under the pretext of collecting mountain products. They had subordinates guarding the area, so they did not have to worry about what they said.
Qiao Lan said to Qiao Ting who came from Donghai County, "It's amazing that you can think of using this method to improve Zuo Rong's image."
This flying lantern might also be called a Kongming lantern, which was invented by Zhuge Liang when several improved papers first appeared in Bingzhou. However, it was seized by Qiao Yan as soon as it appeared.
After all, the display of Changan Xinlu and the things that needed to be displayed at the cocktail party were already enough, and there was no need to add another item out of nowhere.
Things like Kongming lanterns can be used as signal lights, and there is no guarantee that they may be used to surprise the enemy at any time.
However, Qiao Yan thought about it and decided to tell Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting how to use this thing so that they could send out a distress signal when necessary.
Now that it is used here, it can be considered a solution.
Qiao Ting replied, "My sister is not bad either. After she found out that someone was following the landing point of the lantern, she made a judgment on his identity and left one of the lanterns to him."
This lamp could fall into the hands of Zuo Rong's own people, into the hands of Zhou Yu or Zhang Yi's people, or it could be taken away by them directly, but it must not fall into the hands of Tao Qian or Zu Lang's people. If so, it would go against their goal.
The act of launching the Kongming lantern into the sky is intended to increase the stakes on Zuo Rong and lure Tao Qian into the game, but they must not be allowed to discover the secret.
After the two sisters finished speaking, they smiled at each other.
The situation in Xuzhou was complicated, and the forces involved were not necessarily strong, but there were many of them. However, they broke the balance first with this move.
And since this step was not wrong, it was time for them to take the next step.
Qiao Lan had to rush back to Sheyang County to ensure that Zhang Yi could appear in this chaos at the right time.
Anyway, the reason she left Sheyang earlier was to purchase mountain products, and now was the time to complete the purchase.
Qiao Ting needs to return to Donghai County in order to better monitor Tao Qian's actions.
Perhaps, she needs to add some fuel to the fire.
The two sisters didn't say much. They completely wiped out all traces of weaving lanterns and pasting paper nearby, and then turned back north, as if there was just an ordinary merchant who had received a batch of goods here, and now that the goods had been received, there was certainly no need to stay here.
But their actions undoubtedly created a ripple in the calm waters of Xuzhou that could not be calmed down for the time being.
One day after Qiao Ting returned to Xuzhou, what happened at the Buddha Bathing Party in Guangling County was presented to Tao Qian.
What’s interesting is that Zuo Rong is not that stupid.
This news does not mean that Zuo Rong, the spokesperson of the Buddhist sect, has been blessed by the Buddha and that divine beings and Buddhas have appeared. Instead, it means that -
It was thanks to Tao Qian that Buddhism was provided with an environment for development in Guangling County that the story of miracles appearing in the world came into being.
In this sentence, the role of Zuo Rong as the middleman has not been eliminated, but a considerable part of the credit has been attributed to Tao Qian.
Zuo Rong was able to spread the Buddhist teachings and develop his power to this extent. He was also able to gain Tao Qian's trust and be asked to supervise the grain transportation, which showed that he was quite capable.
He was inflated by the unexpected miracle and his move to win over Mi Zhu was bold, but he did not dare to challenge Tao Qian directly.
Moreover, he realized one thing when this accident happened.
For him, this is not only an opportunity to further win over the hearts of the people, but also another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He bowed his head to Tao Qian at this moment, but it was just... just a temporary measure!
"Guangling Buddha Bathing Ceremony..." Tao Qian looked at the subordinate who came to report the news and asked, "Did you really see the scene of thousands of bright lights floating in the sky with your own eyes?"
"That's right." The subordinate replied affirmatively.
One cannot blame others for being startled when they saw this scene in Guangling and for bowing down as well. Nor can one blame him for not fully recovering when he returned to Donghai County to report the news to Tao Qian. After all, no one had ever told him that if the top of the lampshade was sealed and the lamp was light enough, the heat generated by the ignition and heating could directly carry the lamp into the air.
He just felt that although Zuo Rong's show was so grand that it was shocking, he still had some ability. Moreover, the other party did not take all the credit for himself, so he seemed to be a loyal subordinate of Tao Qian.
He asked, "Does the Lord want Zuo Rong to return to Donghai County to report on his duties?"
Tao Qian pondered for a moment and replied, "Okay, let him come back."
Although things like Zhang Jue's Taiping Dao had been exposed as not being that miraculous eight years ago, and Tao Qian did not take Buddhism seriously when he appointed Zuo Rong, thinking that it was just a means to control the people, but when he heard that such a miraculous thing had happened under his rule and had been verified by others with their own eyes, he could not help but have some hope for it.
Tao Qian is not moving at all now. Does he really not want to move?
Probably not.
If he could regain the physical strength of a young man, or if his two sons could be a little more capable, Tao Qian would never refuse to plead with the gods and Buddhas.
If Zuo Rong really gained a deeper understanding of Buddhist principles through reading Buddhist scriptures and reached the point where he could communicate directly with the Buddha, Tao Qian would inevitably have some concerns.
But before he could send the news to Zuo Rong, he heard some rumors in the county seat of Tan in Donghai.
The story of the Buddha's appearance during the Buddha Bathing Festival in Guangling spread to other counties in Xuzhou. It was not just Tao Qian who wanted to "take a shortcut", but also the rest of the people in Xuzhou.
With the autumn harvest just a month away, those who wanted to see the Buddha's glory in person planned to go to Guangling County as soon as possible.
Although the round trip will take up a lot of time, because the Buddha Bathing Festival has passed and the Buddha's appearance may not appear again, but things like praying to the gods and worshipping Buddhas still need to be done by oneself. There is no reason to let others do it for you, or even wait for the Buddha to visit you.
This can be said to be a case of sincerity working for the benefit of the soul.
Tao Qian: “…”
Although it is impossible for these people to know that he really thinks so, this sentence really sounds like it is implying something to him.
He thought again and decided that he would rather believe that Zuo Rong could communicate with the Buddha.
In this case, asking Zuo Rong to return to Tan County to report on his work and give an explanation for the scene might be a bit simplistic and crude, and might even offend the Buddha.
If there really is a Buddha.
So what these people say makes sense.
He considered and said, "Forget it, I'll go to Gaoyou myself."
He ordered again: "Bring more people with you."
If Zuo Rong's theory of communicating with gods and Buddhas is true, bringing more people with him can show his respect for Buddhism.
If the strange phenomenon in Guangling was completely fabricated by Zuo Rong and it was some unspeakable secret, then let someone arrest Zuo Rong on the spot!
Stop messing around with all this nonsense on his turf!
The cicadas' chirping in July is so noisy that it gives people a headache.
When Tao Qian set out for Guangling, several carrier pigeons also flew into Guanzhong from Xuzhou.
The deciphered message was sent to Chang'an by a special person from Meiwu where the outpost was located and handed over to Guo Jia who was in the Grand Marshal's Mansion.
After finding out Qiao Yan's current location, Guo Jia took the letter and walked into the Pond Bridge in the mansion. He saw a small boat parked in a corner of the pond not far away. An oil-paper umbrella covered the stern of the boat. He couldn't see clearly whether there was anyone on the boat. The only thing sticking out was a fishing rod.
Guo Jia couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.
More than a month ago, Qiao Yan successfully issued a liquor restriction order, which meant he had successfully taken back the authority to brew wine. However, although summer is approaching, the heat is still unbearable. Some people who particularly like iced drinks find life unbearable and want to ask Qiao Yan to relax the restrictions on alcohol.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that they hoped that Qiao Yan would sell some of the strong liquor that had already been brewed in Bingzhou.
Anyway, these wines were not brewed using grain after the alcohol restriction order was issued, so it is better to sell them.
As a result, Qiao Yan turned around and began to recommend milk tea to these people, saying that it could also relieve some of the pressure on dairy product inventory in Liangzhou and Bingzhou.
If anyone asked again, she would pretend not to be there.
The question is, after the harvest in autumn, we will take out another batch for sale.
Whoever grows the best land and pays the highest taxes can purchase a larger share.
Anyway, even if they brewed some now, they wouldn't be able to drink it in time, so they might as well just keep quiet.
At present, all affairs in Chang'an City are proceeding in an orderly manner. The only thing that has not been settled yet is Ren Hong's position as the Grand Historian. She took a break from her busy schedule to rest here.
Guo Jia jumped onto the boat from the shore and saw Qiao Yan remove the bamboo hat from his face, sit up in the cabin, and stretch out his hand towards him, "Give me the news from Xuzhou."
"Why can't it be somewhere else?" Guo Jia asked as he handed over the letter.
Qiao Yan replied nonchalantly, "Yuan Benchu is busy raising mules, brewing wine, and dealing with garlic extract. He doesn't have the energy to spare. The autumn harvest is approaching, and most places won't see any action. It's just that Xuzhou hasn't stopped yet."
Although the current governors have escaped the poverty they faced when they first took office, they are still not so far as to ignore one season's harvest.
If they really raised an army at this time, unless it was a situation like Qiao Yan's attack on Guanzhong at that time, it would only cause complaints from the people in the state and give the opponent an opportunity to take advantage. So why do such a thankless task?
The hot wind from the water blew over a basket of ice that she had placed at the stern, making the breath on her face feel a little cold.
She casually opened the letter and saw what was written on it. The smile on her face became even brighter.
This was certainly not the letter sent by Mi Zhu after he made a judgment on Zuo Rong, but the one sent to Qiao Yan by Qiao Ting after he completed the behind-the-scenes work in Donghai County.
The letter said that when it was sent, Tao Qian was already preparing to set off for Guangling County.
No, it cannot be said to be Guangling County.
He did not deliberately hide his whereabouts during this trip by car.
So perhaps in order to prevent the governor's tendency to pray to gods and Buddha from becoming too obvious, he directly raised the banner of inspecting various places before the autumn harvest to others.
His first stop was not Guangling, but Pengcheng State.
One must pass through Pengcheng State and enter Xia Pi before reaching Guangling County.
In this way, there is nothing to criticize about his actions.
Perhaps in Tao Qian's view, his action was to give the Buddha a rest period.
After all, it's too tiring to appear frequently.
But no matter what his thoughts were when he made this choice, the moment he went to Guangling County, he was about to gamble his life.
Zuo Rong may not have the ability to go north to attack Donghai County, but he definitely has the opportunity to take action on his own territory.
There was only one thing that was a little troublesome for him.
When he chose to attack Tao Qian, how could he give a convincing reason!
The realization of this situation made Qiao Yan extremely satisfied with the performance of Qiao Lan and Qiao Ting. Now it all depends on how the second half develops.
She closed the letter in her hand and said to Guo Jia, "Fengxiao, the fish has taken the bait."
Just as she said this, the fishing rod she had placed on the boat began to shake.
She looked back and said with a smile, "That's great, double happiness."
There are fish caught here too.
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