mtl008 Chapter 654 Trouble is coming
Chapter 654 Trouble is coming
Around noon...
Liu Bei, accompanied by Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang, went out into the street with a clear goal: to the storyteller's tavern that was on fire. Inside, they found an old man telling stories at a table, speaking fluently and passionately, while the audience listened intently with serious expressions.
Zhuge Liang called over the shopkeeper and asked in surprise, "Wasn't it said that Young Master Cai Jia was telling stories here? Why is someone else here today?"
He was the son-in-law of a prominent family in Jingzhou and was very familiar with the four major families of Jingzhou. He had also met Cai Jia. Besides, the storyteller's age was not right. How could Cai Jia be that old?
The shopkeeper replied, "Young Master Cai Jia talked all day yesterday and ruined his voice. This gentleman was hired by me at great expense from among the audience who listened to Young Master Cai Jia's storytelling yesterday."
Although the shopkeeper can't tell stories, he's very good at business. Yesterday, he sold tea so well that the kitchen was on fire, which shows how tempting the tea business is.
Therefore, upon learning that Cai Jia was not coming to tell stories, the shopkeeper immediately posted a recruitment notice and hired a storyteller to continue the tradition.
It's actually quite effective; although it's not as popular as yesterday, it's still much better than usual.
Money is indeed the biggest driving force; as long as there is money to be made, people will flock to it.
Zhuge Liang smiled with satisfaction and said, "Bring us some tea too, so we can listen to what's going on."
The dining tables in the hall were all occupied, so the four of them could only sit on a long bench against the wall, enjoying the tea with the people while holding the large teacups brought by the innkeeper.
I must say, it actually tasted quite good.
After listening for more than half an hour, the four got up and left. Walking on the street and looking at the crowds coming and going, Liu Bei sighed, "I haven't seen such a prosperous scene in many years. This is what a prosperous age should look like."
Since Liu Bei raised his army to suppress the Yellow Turbans, almost every place he passed through was filled with war and chaos. The faces of the people along the way were filled with fear. He had not seen a genuine smile on the faces of the people for a long time, and now seeing one suddenly was somewhat unsettling.
Zhuge Liang waved his fan and said, "The fact that District Chief Yu Yang can arrange such a complex place as the commercial district so well shows that he is a capable person."
Unlike other places, commercial districts have a complex population composition and high mobility, making them very difficult to manage. If not careful, unrest can occur, causing businesses to fail.
However, the commercial area in front of us is orderly and there is no chaos at all, which shows that District Chief Yu Yang has really put in a lot of effort in management.
If someone can handle such a complex environment as a commercial district, then being a county magistrate or prefect would certainly be no problem.
Liu Bei was very satisfied with Yu Yang's work and was about to say a few words of praise when he suddenly heard people discussing "The Legend of the White Snake" by the roadside, so he instinctively went over to them.
"Fahai is really something. What business is it of his, a bald monk, to let Xu Xian and Bai Niangzi live their own quiet life behind closed doors? He's just meddling in other people's business."
"I can understand, after all, humans and demons are different. But his son is not right. Your mother fought Fahai with magic, but you won by power. It's obviously not a matter of martial ethics. And the imperial examination is the same. How can you recruit someone whose mother has a criminal record?"
"You can't say that. His son is a reincarnation of the God of Literature. If we don't rely on the government's help, are we going to fight Fahai with a knife? That would be so undignified."
"So you still have to study. Only by studying can you have a future. People like us who can't read are just wasting our lives. It's a pity that the imperial court doesn't have the imperial examination system. If it did, I would work myself to death to support my son's education. Maybe he could even become the top scholar."
"Speaking of which, Xu Xian is really lucky. His wife cultivates immortality and his son becomes the top scholar in the imperial examination. If I could become Xu Xian, I would gladly shorten my lifespan by ten years."
Just as there are a thousand Hamlets in a thousand people's hearts, the same story will naturally be interpreted differently by different people. For example, right now, the discussion among a few people is quite heated.
Seeing that their discussion had turned into an argument, and even almost to the point of a fight, Liu Bei decisively interjected, "Brother, you just said that the imperial examinations cannot admit people with criminal records?"
These remarks were made by a young man in his late twenties. Upon hearing this, the young man said, "That's right. How many people drowned when Lady White Snake flooded Jinshan Temple? But just because her son became the top scholar in the imperial examination, she suddenly became the victim. What about the people she drowned?"
"Lady White Snake is a fairy, and her son is a top scholar, but we are just ordinary people. If we were in Lady White Snake's world, I would definitely be one of those unlucky people who would drown."
Liu Bei continued, "So you think Fahai did the right thing?"
The young man nodded and said, "That's right. Bai Suzhen's mistake was that she had the ability to turn the clouds and rain upside down. When she got angry, she could flood Jinshan Temple. What can we ordinary people do when we get angry? After Xu Shilin became the top scholar in the imperial examination, he turned black into white and released her mother. Would such a person stand up for us ordinary people after he became an official?"
The old man next to him said, "Nonsense! It was Fahai who started the trouble first. If Fahai hadn't provoked Lady White Snake, would she have flooded Jinshan Temple?"
The young man immediately retorted, "Can't they settle their matter privately? Can't they find a secluded place to fight it out one-on-one? Why do they have to let it slide in the city? What did the people in the city do to her?"
"You're just a peddler destined to wander the streets and alleys, do you really think you're some top scholar riding a horse and wearing red flowers?"
The old man was speechless after being rebuked. Enraged, he swung his carrying pole at the young man. Liu Bei quickly grabbed the pole and said, "Brother, calm down. We're just chatting, why are you hitting him? It's not that serious."
The old man immediately turned his gun on and shouted, "Who are you calling 'brother'? How old are you? How dare you act like an old man in front of me?"
Liu Bei laughed and said, "I am sixty-one this year, and you look like you are seventy, brother?"
The old man fell silent for a moment, and after a long pause, he said with a complicated expression, "I am fifty-six years old this year, and you are my brother."
Liu Bei: "..."
Everyone: "..."
The old man looked much older than his actual age, probably because he worked a lot.
Although Liu Bei had fought in the north and south, he was, after all, a ruler. In addition, his career had been going well recently and he was in a good mood, so he looked much younger than his actual age, appearing to be only in his early fifties.
Liu Bei was also stunned for a moment before awkwardly laughing and saying, "Then listen to my advice, brother. We're both so old, don't be so hot-tempered."
After saying that, he turned to the young man and said, "Don't take it to heart by arguing with an old man. Just go about your business."
The young man wanted to argue, but he held back his words and turned to leave. The government office treated the elderly well; a seventy-year-old would even be given a dove-shaped cane. Those who carried the dove-shaped cane were exempt from taxes, could use the imperial road, and were granted judicial immunity. Their status was equivalent to that of an official with a salary of six hundred bushels of grain.
Although the old man in front of me is not yet seventy, he is still an old man. If we really make a scene, it will not do me any good. If he gets angry to death, I will be in legal trouble. I can't afford to offend him.
The young man admitted defeat and left. Liu Bei chatted with the old man for a few more minutes before also taking his leave. On the way, he said to Zhuge Liang, "To be honest, what the young man said earlier wasn't entirely unreasonable. It seems that we need to be cautious about implementing the imperial examination system. We also need to establish some rules in advance. Otherwise, if we really bring the descendants of thugs who rob and plunder into the court, who knows what might happen?"
Zhuge Liang echoed, "That is indeed a problem, but there's no need to rush. We still have plenty of time. What should we do next?"
Liu Bei pondered, "Let's go to the Marquis of Shence's residence and see what Anguo is up to, and what his plans are next."
They weren't good at publicity, so they had to let Guan Xing take full responsibility. But they needed to know Guan Xing's action plan so they could be mentally prepared in advance, lest Guan Xing suddenly surprise them again, which their hearts couldn't handle at their age.
The group walked lightly toward the Shence Marquis's residence, unaware that Guan Xing was in trouble.
Just as they were leaving the commercial street, two eminent Buddhist monks, Kang Senghui and Mou Zi, arrived at the Shence Marquis's residence and shouted loudly at the gate: "Guan Xing, come out here! What do you mean by slandering our Buddhist sect like this?"