The lightning illuminated the window paper, casting a bright light on the dark room, and for a moment Tang was plunged into darkness again.
The sound of rain was like the sky river bursting its banks. The heavy rain had been going on for an hour.
Thunderstorms in summer come quickly and rain heavily, but they also go away quickly. It is rare to last for more than half an hour. However, heavy rains lasting for half an hour are not uncommon here. Zhang Yingchen knew that this was probably caused by the Little Ice Age.
The impact of climate anomalies.
"It's a pity that there was heavy rain and thunder!" Zhang Yingchen couldn't help but sigh secretly, otherwise he could have shown his "magic power" on such a thunderstorm night, and made a big show of making thunder and magic medicine. But so far,
This lightning has never hit the cage. The ridges around here are all taller than the iron cage. It is really difficult for lightning to hit the cage. It is difficult to "do it" in the cage. It seems that there is no way.
It is difficult for lightning rods and other lightning rods to attract lightning with just an iron cage.
Although he had already thought of other ways: making a wooden pole, attaching an iron tip to the top, and using a thin iron chain to lead it down the pole, the blacksmith shop replied that there was too much work making iron chains recently and he was busy.
But come on, you have to wait several days to complete it. The banker's servants went to several blacksmith shops in and outside the city, and they all gave the same answer.
"It's really strange. Why are people making iron chains for no reason?" Zhang Daozhang never came up with a solution.
Strangely enough, since he couldn't act in law, he had no choice but to continue his job: lobbying for bankers.
Through these days of activities, he learned a lot about the banker. He originally thought that this family was just an ordinary country gentleman, but he did not expect that it was still very powerful in the local area.
The Dadianzhuang family moved from Linhai, Jiangsu Province in the early Ming Dynasty. The current Mr. Zhuang Qianzhuang is the fifth generation grandson of the Dadianzhuang family. Originally, the Zhuang family was just a poor family in Dadianzhuang. The family was very poor. Zhuang Qian sold a house when he was young.
Shaobing later benefited from the appreciation of Mr. Wang Kai of the local school and became a student for free. From then on, he had the opportunity to enroll in school. He was a Jinshi in the 47th year of Wanli and served as an official in the Runing Prefecture. Later he was promoted to the Censor of Zhejiang Province.
, Shaanxi patrol censor. After the second year of Chongzhen, Jin entered the pass, and Zhuang Qian led his troops north to meet King Qin. In the second year, he retired and returned to his hometown.
It is said that he is retiring from old age and returning to his hometown. In fact, Zhuang Qian is not very old. However, his health is not in good condition. Zhang Yingchen took advantage of the situation and taught many ways to take care of the body and prescribed various medicines for taking good care of the body. Under his careful care,
Next, Mr. Zhuang's body improved a little, and everyone in the village became more respectful to him as a Taoist priest.
In addition to Mr. Zhuang, who is capable of both literary and martial arts, Zhuang Qian also has a cousin who is Wu Xiangsheng. During the Tianqi period, he was awarded Luokou garrison for his military merits and was a military attache. Zhuang Qian's second brother Zhuang Sheng is the third brother of Sui Gong Zhuang Bi and his cousin Zhuang Ding
They were all born in Lin, Zhuang Qian's eldest son Zhuang Xialing was also born in Suigong, and his second son Zhuang Heling was born in Lin.
Generally speaking, the Zhuang family is a standard wealthy family with educated officials. It is a well-known and powerful Jin gentry family in Dadianzhuang and even the entire Yizhou area.
If this family can be loyal to the Senate, it will be a huge help in the Lunan area. At least in Yizhou, they will have the ability to control the wind and rain.
He has sent a letter to the center, requesting the Great Library to immediately inquire about the detailed information on the Dadian Zhuang family in Yizhou. The information should be sent to Linqing and forwarded to him as soon as possible.
If he could master more specific information about the banker, his work here would be more targeted. Just as he was thinking about it, there were footsteps outside the door, and a servant of the banker came in. "Is the Taoist priest ready for dinner?"
"Okay, you can take it away." Zhang Yingchen waved his hand and suddenly asked: "Why didn't Lao Zhao come today?"
Lao Zhao was assigned by the banker to serve him specially. On weekdays, he delivered meals and water and did all the menial work.
"Yes, Lao Zhao has something to do at home and has gone home." The servant answered while packing his things, "Does Taoist Master have dinner?"
"Okay." Zhang Yingchen nodded and asked him to retreat.
Zhang Yingchen studied a stack of pulse tables carefully under the candle, thinking about how to continue to nurse Mr. Zhuang's health. Suddenly there was lightning and thunder outside, the candle dimmed, and the firelight flickered. He quickly protected the light, and the light gradually became brighter.
Originally, the brightness of such candles was extremely limited. The earthen wax made of animal and vegetable fats not only had low brightness, but also had to be trimmed all the time to maintain the brightness.
Zhang Yingchen picked up the scissors and trimmed the candle flowers, but the light became increasingly dim.
"Weird!" He put down the scissors, and suddenly a faint fragrance appeared on his nose.
In a small courtyard dedicated to stacking sundries, dozens of believers among the banker's servants have gathered in the corridor. They all said with solemn expressions that today the guardian messenger will come here in person to teach the law and kill the banker with the Heavenly Thunder Dharma.
The "demon" in the house.
In the middle of the yard, there is a small black iron tripod, which has accumulated less than half of the water because it was left in the rain.
As for the "demon" in the house, Xiangtou didn't say who it was. Anyone with a little bit of intelligence would know that it was probably Daochang Zhang who lived in the west courtyard next to the warehouse.
Some believers say that Daozhang Zhang is a demon. This is because Daozhang Zhang practices medicine and medicine in his house and even in the city. He has cured many people. He is usually kind and treats everyone equally regardless of high or low. No matter how you look at him, he is a good person.
.
But they dare not disobey the "will" of "above". Xiangtou has already said that this is a matter under the personal care of the altar owner. Speaking of the altar owner, many of them ordinary believers have never seen him. However,
Everyone said that his magic power was extremely high. If he hadn't cast a spell secretly to save the flood this time, I don't know how many people would have been saved.
"I heard that there are also guardian envoys from Jinan Zongtan who are coming..." The crowd murmured.
There are dozens of believers, men, women, old and young. However, all of them hold incense and candles devoutly, waiting for the arrival of the guardian angel. To them, the arrival of the guardian angel is nothing more than the arrival of gods.
Thunder was rumbling, and lightning pierced the sky from time to time, illuminating the dark courtyard brightly.
Xiangtou, who had been looking at the sky, suddenly screamed: "The time has come! Burn incense and welcome the messenger!"
A large bunch of lit incense was thrown into the small iron cauldron in the courtyard. There was water in the iron cauldron, but the incense did not go out when it fell. Instead, it burned more violently. The flames intersected with the rain, and the green smoke filled the courtyard.
A strange aroma suddenly filled the air.
Xiangtou took the lead in reciting sutras. Amidst the muttering of sutras and mantras, the believers shook their bodies one by one and fell into a state of intoxication.
During the chanting, the incense on the stove started to act strangely. Green smoke slowly rose up. The smoke became heavier and heavier, gradually filling the entire courtyard with a blur. Countless tongues of fire began to make a slight explosion.
Jumping, like lightning, like flowing fire, hidden in the haze and constantly jumping. In the mist, it seems that a red figure can be seen descending from the sky. Suddenly, there is a thunder, and a ball of fire rises into the sky. Everyone looks confused.
As if waking up from a dream, he stood there blankly. The flames in the furnace had burned out, and even the embers were gone. There was still only half a cauldron of clear water, as if nothing had happened.
However, in the courtyard under the eaves, there is already a girl in red. She is wearing a pomegranate red dress, covered with a yellow gauze robe, with a pair of maid hairdos, and a seven-star sword hanging from her waist. She looks elegant.
It's also weird. The swastika picture embroidered on the robe, the lotus flower and Baoluo flicker and change.
Heavy rain poured into the courtyard, but the girl in the courtyard did not get wet or wet. The owner of the incense, as if he had come to his senses, shouted: "Welcome the guardian messenger!"
All the believers had been intoxicated for a long time. They all knelt down and chanted sutras together, as if intoxicated.
Under the cover of the dark rainy night, Min Zhanlian and his men sneaked into Dadianzhuang.
The journey went very smoothly. With the support of the believers in the village, they quickly crossed the gap in the fence, and then with the support of the believers among the villagers' servants, they successfully sneaked into the manor house through the corner door in the backyard.
The guardian messenger had already entered the manor a few steps ahead of him. According to the plan agreed upon by both parties, she should be "performing the Dharma" in the manor at this moment, preparing to let the believers see the power of the "righteous/Dao/Great/Fa" once again.
It was not just Taoist priests who deepened their impression and worked hard to preach in the village and valued Zhuang Qian's family. Although the members of folk religions in the late Ming Dynasty were overwhelmingly from the bottom of society: farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, sailors and small traders,
There are very few intellectuals and gentry. But this does not mean that these upper classes are closed to the social elite.
In fact, at the beginning of Zhuang Qian's illness, the sect had already lobbied the Zhuang family's family members through the believers among the servants of Zhuang's house to let the "magic" from the sect to treat the illness, but they were all rejected because Lu Nan was a member of the White Lotus Sect.
, Jin gentry families are extremely wary of such folk religions.
Min Zhanlian wiped the rain off his face and waited for the last door in the corridor to open. He walked to the bottom of the corridor and opened a door, which was the courtyard where Taoist Zhang lived.
After knocking three times on the door as agreed, the door immediately opened, and two men dressed as servants flashed out, and they let the group in silently.
He was startled, and a group of people had quietly arrived in the corridor. They were all dressed in black and wearing bamboo hats, squatting silently in the shadow of the corner. The sound of rain, thunder and dense rain blocked his senses.
If it hadn't been for a flash of lightning, he would have almost missed it.
"He is a member of our sect. He came with the envoy." The servant whispered, "Your things are behind that door. The door opposite is the courtyard where the Taoist priest lives."
Min Zhanlian nodded: the kites and chains had been quietly transported into the village house by the believers a few days ago, and now they just need to assemble them on the spot.