Chapter 244: Driving the tiger to swallow the wolf, killing three birds with one stone

Whether it is Wang Yin, Pang Wanchun or Du Wei, they are all frustrated people.

Joining Manichaeism was a helpless act.

In the whole Shezhou, there is no chance for them to succeed.

The channels for promotion are gone, and the heroes are unwilling to live in humiliation, so they can only rebel.

Looking at the entire Jiangnan region, Manichaeism has become increasingly powerful. Who else can they turn to except Fang La?

Jiangnan is different from Shandong. Shandong has more bandits, while Jiangnan has more evil cults.

More than four hundred years ago, during the Yonghui period of the Tang Dynasty, a woman named Chen Shuozhen from Muzhou used Manichaeism combined with Taoism's Gezao sect to confuse the people, started a rebellion, and proclaimed herself "Emperor Wenjia."

Now, Fang La has inherited his mantle and calls himself "Holy Lord".

The Jiangnan rebels were unique, and the God Worshipping Society seven hundred years later captured their essence.

Are they really religious?
In fact, religion serves ambition.

Chen Jinnan and Wei Xiaobao said something very good.

If we want to deal with the Qing Dynasty, we have to use some stupid people. To deal with those stupid people, we must never tell them the truth. We must hypnotize them in the form of religion and make them feel that what they are doing is right. Therefore, "Anti-Qing and Restoration of Ming" is just a slogan, which is actually the same as Amitabha Buddha.

In short, if you succeed, you will get countless money and women. Are you willing to go?

Fang La had painted a big picture, and people like Wang Yin, Pang Wanchun and Du Wei were naturally looking forward to it.

Unless Cao Jie paints a bigger picture, he can't win the hearts of these people.

Therefore, this wine is doomed to be useless.

But Cao Jie does things one thing after another, it is not the case that he would just invite them to drink casually.

While everyone was drinking awkwardly, Lu Shinang arrived in Shezhou City.

Deng Yuanjue invited the heroes of Shezhou to a banquet, without hiding anything, in order to attract Manichaeism.

Two flowers bloom, one branch each.

The county lieutenant Yang Bangyi was also attending the banquet. He was in his thirties and in the prime of his life. Just like Yang Zhi, he had strong muscles and bones, a tall and mighty stature, and it was obvious at first glance that he was a man who had achieved great success in refining his essence.

But there is one difference between him and Yang Zhi. This man is very heroic and handsome.

Taking the letter written by Zong Ze handed to him by Chao Gai, Yang Bangyi read it word by word and was deeply moved.

Zong Ze was from Yiwu, Wuzhou, next to Shezhou. When he was young, he heard and saw the corruption of the officialdom and the frequent foreign enemies in the Song Dynasty, which gave rise to his ambition to save the country and the people.

When he was less than 20 years old, Zong Ze resolutely left home to travel and study. This lasted for more than ten years and he studied in dozens of places.

Among them was Yangjiazhuang in Jishui County, which was the descendant of the Yang family generals whom I met at that time.

Later, Zong Ze passed the imperial examination and became a local official. Later, he was in mourning at home, and the teenage Yang Bangyi studied under him for a year.

This is the relationship between them.

"Mr. Chao, how are you doing in Shandong?" Yang Bangyi asked after putting down the letter.

Chao Gai did not know the contents of the letter. Seeing that the county lieutenant was in a good mood after reading the letter, he was relieved and said, "Mr. Zong has reclaimed a piece of wasteland near Liangshan Lake. In his spare time, he picks chrysanthemums under the eastern fence. He looks several years younger."

"Sir, you have been so concerned about the common people, but the court treats you like that... Alas!"

Yang Bangyi sighed slightly: "Now that chaos has broken out in Jiangnan, the imperial court has not taken it seriously and has even started a large-scale construction of a Taoist temple... After all, I don't have the courage and ability to sacrifice myself for the people like you, sir!"

"I see that County Magistrate Yang has governed Shezhou quite well. I have not seen any bandits blocking my way along the way."

"Maybe they don't care about small fights!" "Lieutenant Yang said they are vegetable eaters and demons?"

"Besides them, who else could there be in Jiangnan?"

"I would like to give the county lieutenant a great gift. I wonder if County Lieutenant Yang has the courage to accept it?"

"Oh!"

Yang Bangyi raised his thick eyebrows and advised: "It is not easy to suppress the leader of Manichaeism. Mr. Chao came from Shandong and does not know how powerful Shezhou is. Don't let him capsize here."

Chao Gai's eyes were firm, and he grinned and said, "Lieutenant Yang, since I dare to speak, I have a perfect plan."

Opposite him was the person Mr. Zong entrusted the letter to. Yang Bangyi did not dare to look down on him. He clasped his fists and said, "Mr. Chao, please feel free to speak."

"I see that in Shezhou, Manichaeism is not the only religion that dominates. Why doesn't County Magistrate Yang use the power of Buddhism?"

"The Jiuhua Zen sect is declining, and the imperial court is preparing to promote the Shenxiao sect. This is difficult!"

"That's wrong! Take Baoguang Temple for example. They are absolutely unwilling to abandon Shezhou. As long as the county lieutenant shows a little kindness, they will be willing to help. My brother is a distinguished guest of Buddhism and is willing to help the county lieutenant."

"Oh!"

Yang Bangyi was somewhat tempted. Although the Shenxiao Sect did not like Buddhism, Buddhism was an indispensable existence for Shezhou.

Originally, Buddhism and Taoism lived in harmony, but suddenly Lin Lingsu appeared, suppressed Buddhism, and promoted the Shenxiao Sect.

It would be fine if you were dedicated to preaching, but you used preaching as an excuse to build large-scale projects, wasting people's money and time, and thus forcing the common people to convert to Manichaeism.

Ordinary people just want to have enough to eat, and they vote with their stomachs to decide which religion to follow.

Be it Taoism, Buddhism, or Manichaeism.

Lin Lingsu was responsible for the rise of Manichaeism in Jiangnan.

At this time, Chao Gai directly took out his trump card and said leisurely: "My brother is Mr. Zong's last disciple, and he is known as Shandong's Little Mengde in the Jianghu. That's Cao Jie."

Yang Bangyi straightened his back slightly, his eyes became sharp, and he asked happily: "Where is my junior brother in Baoguang Temple now?"

"I'm not here today. My brother invited a few heroes from Shezhou to drink."

"Oh!" Yang Bangyi was slightly puzzled.

Logically, this letter should have been delivered by this junior fellow apprentice. Why did he send someone here but ended up drinking with other people?
Chao Gai explained: "It's not that my brother wants to neglect the county lieutenant, but he is preparing to give him a big gift. Those Shezhou heroes are one of them, and the other is the leader of Manichaeism."

Hearing that they wanted to earn money from Manichaeism, Yang Bangyi quickly said, "Don't take any risks."

"There is no need to be nervous, County Lieutenant. My brother has made a good plan, and with the help of the Buddhist sect, he will not stand in danger. County Lieutenant, why don't you gather the troops and take this opportunity to make a great contribution?"

Yang Bangyi pondered for a moment. No matter what his junior brother Cao Jie planned, he could not just stand by and watch.

If something unexpected happens, how can I face Mr. Zong in the future?
Immediately, Yang Bangyi summoned the county chief and over a hundred yamen runners, prepared their weapons and waited for orders.

Soon, the news that Lu Shinang and his leaders had arrived in Shezhou was presented to Yang Bangyi.

Elder Yuan Chen of Baoguang Temple also led the monk soldiers and stood guard outside Shezhou City with copper sticks in hand, blocking Lu Shinang's way.

The government, Buddhism, and Manichaeism are about to collide because of Cao Jie's action.

The chaos in Shezhou is getting worse and worse.

He could turn his hand to make clouds and turn it back to make rain, and he could drive tigers to devour wolves. When it came to the means of causing trouble, Cao Jie was very skilled.

(End of this chapter)