Liu He traveled all the way, since he hit the land of the three rivers of Gyeonggi, he didn't talk much, but he observed very carefully, and he had already seen that the farther away from the hinterland of the Central Plains, the economic situation of the people at the bottom was basically the same, and most of the people he saw had vegetables, clothes, ropes, and shoes, and a little stronger, that is, a number of scarves and a few patches on his clothes, and the children were dirty, unclothed, and few wore shoes.

He said in his heart: "Years of disasters, epidemics, and serious annexations, but the imperial court is still eager to levy and expropriate, the place is as fierce as a tiger, the people have worked hard for a year, and the income is not enough to make a living, and the people are not able to make a living." The rich man has thousands of acres of fertile land, slaves and maidservants, and thousands of tricks; Poor people who have no money sell their fields, houses, wives and children, and when they have sold everything, they sell themselves again. ”

In the past 12 years, in order to be familiar with the situation of the times, Liu He has gone to the neighboring township to investigate and study, and what he has heard and seen is shocking, and the hardships of the people's lives are beyond imagination. Sometimes when he wakes up from a nightmare in the middle of the night, he often can't help but rejoice: fortunately, he crossed through Liu Yu's house, and his family has a good field and a house, so he doesn't have to worry about eating and drinking, otherwise, he would have starved to death on the side of the road.

In the past 30 to 40 years since Emperor Huan, floods and droughts have continued in various places, and the locust plague in Qizhou has almost affected the whole world, and hundreds of people have abandoned their homes and moved to exile.

Compared with other counties, the Central Plains is not bad. Liu He listened to the Taixue classmates who traveled abroad and came back and said: "The harvest has been poor year after year, the people are hungry and poor, they have been displaced from the countryside, and they are starving to the side of the road, as if they were twenty years ago. ”

It can be seen how difficult the people of the world are.

Liu He was afraid of the Yellow Turban Uprising because he was afraid of death, and he was afraid of death because he had at least some food and some clothing.

However, after learning more and more about the situation of the times, after seeing more and more people destitute and hungry, while the rich and noble people were in hundreds of houses with fine clothes and fine food, he could not help but think: "How can the common people not rise up and rebel?" ”

When Liu He was in Luoyang, he heard the children sing a ballad: "Hair is like a leek, cut and reborn; The head is like a chicken, cutting and singing. Officials don't have to be fearful, and small people can never be taken lightly." Many years ago, before he crossed over, when he was in school, he read this ballad, but he didn't feel it at the time, but now I hear it and feel it. He clearly heard the darkness of the times and the unwillingness of the people.

Chen Jiu smiled and said, "Lao Wang, Lao He! Today's Taiping Dao is very powerful! This Taiping Road is my family's great sage and good teacher Zhang Jiao established, now, Qing, Xu, You, Ji, Jing, Yang, Yan, Yu, people in eight states, where do you not know the Taiping Road? Now there are no less than 100,000 congregants in the world, and every family worships the portrait of the great sage and good teacher and his old man. ”

"A few days ago, Ah Weng was infected with a cold, and he also invited Taiping Dao to treat it, and he was fine the next day." A companion next to Chen Jiu interjected.

A few more chimed in and said, "yes, yes." The talisman water is more effective than medicine, as long as you are devout and faithful, no matter what disease you have, you can eat it as soon as you eat it. ”

Xu Rong sneered twice and said, "Pretending to be a god and playing a ghost will deceive a foolish man and a foolish woman!" ”

Huang Zhong also had a cold face and said: "I hate that the court doesn't listen to the advice, indulges it, and lets this generation coax the world." ”

Liu He said: "What a great sage and good teacher, Zuo is just a charlatan who knows a little about magic." ”

Chen Jiu and the others were not stupid, and when they heard the meaning of the three people's words, they were all stunned.

Xu Rong is a capable official, with far-sighted vision, and from a military strategic point of view, there are no less than 100,000, which is too dangerous; Huang Zhongjiu has been in Beijing for a long time, and he must have heard that Yang Ci wrote to the Son of Heaven to request the ban on Taiping Dao.

"Don't say that! Taiping Dao is simply a living immortal," Chen Jiuyi grinned, gushing out of his thoughts, "The great sage and good teacher, his old man, can turn stones into gold, take things from empty bags, soar through the clouds, drag nine oxen upside down, and steal the sky to change the day!" He posed as he spoke.

"You're still in one set." Liu He waved his hand, "Have you seen all of these?" ”

"I haven't seen it." Chen Jiuyi drooped his head.

Xu Rong also felt ridiculous: "You haven't seen him, how do you know this?" ”

"I've heard that! I haven't seen it, but some of us here have seen it. Chen Jiu pointed to the team of displaced people behind him, "The great sage and good teacher are compassionate and compassionate, treat the people kindly, and save the Li people...... There is no money for treatment, and there is food and shelter when you join the church. ”

After listening to a few words, Liu He couldn't help it, asked bluntly, and said, "Use this talisman to cure diseases, so spiritual?" ”

"As long as you are sincere, you can cure any disease." Chen Jiu was categorical.

"I have a friend who contracted typhoid fever last year, and he also asked Taiping Dao to treat him, but he couldn't be cured."

"He couldn't be cured because he was insincere." The crowd unanimously retorted.

"So how to judge whether this is sincere or insincere?"

"There is a god in the head, sincere or insincere, the god knows himself."

Liu Hexin said: "The illness is cured because of sincerity, and the reason why it is not cured is because of insincerity." Sincerity or insincerity is up to God. Although it is a fallacy, it is difficult to refute. Those who die will die, but those who have recovered will surely become loyal believers, and there is no medical fee, so it is no wonder that Taiping Dao can continue to grow and develop. ”

In my previous life, I saw many similar cases in TV dramas, where the people of Taiping Dao cured the patient's disease, but refused to ask for money because the patient's family was poor, which was very compassionate and kind. Think about it, if the Taiping Dao is not unique, it is not to act compassionately, but also to persuade people to be kind, how can the court keep ignoring it? If it is not considerate of the people's will, how can the people believe in the religion one after another?

Xu Rong sighed: "This generation is benevolent and cunning inside, and if the court doesn't care about it now, it will become a disaster in the future." ”

"I don't care if you believe it or not, anyway, I have the real benefits of the Taiping Dao, I have to believe it! The year before last, I ran out of Luoyang and begged all the way back to my hometown, but I didn't know that the fields were occupied by local tyrants. The yamen sent someone to arrest me, but I had to flee from my hometown again, without food or drink, and in the middle of the road, it rained again, and I fell ill on the side of the road. Ma Yuanyi, the marshal of the canal who was catching up with Taiping Road, passed by with his team and saved my life with great mercy. He also wrote a few talismans, burned them and drank them, and he was cured within three days! The grace of saving life should be reciprocated by the spring, but I have no money and no patience, but fortunately, I can't write two horse characters in one stroke, so I worship the master, and I am filial to him, which is also a little heart. ”

These words aroused Liu He's contemplation, and seeing that their old acquaintances were all talking about their native dialects, they called Xu Rong and Huang Zhong to go back to the post station first.

Xu Rong saw him frowning all the way, sullen, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong with you?" ”

"I'm thinking about this peace thing."

Huang Zhong shook his head: "This Zhang Jiao, it's terrifying just to think that he can have so many believers. Although they are all poor people who have no money, the more people there are, the more powerful they are, and the more powerful they are, the more they can't let go, and their hearts will rise with the tide. Emperor Guangwu, who was born in Nanyang, was also a poor man, and his ambition was just to be a Jinwu and earn a marquis or something, what happened? After a little Hebei to incorporate the copper horse, the heart is big! Besides, there are so many people at the bottom who rely on you to eat and dress, pointing to you for being rich and prosperous, and people want to climb dragon scales and phoenix wings. The words 'it's hard to ride a tiger' are not adulterated at all, do you think this is the meaning? ”

Xu Rong's face also froze.

Liu He sighed: "An ordinary ordinary ordinary person has won so many people's hearts, and so many people in the Kanto region respect him, can he be repaid like this?" It's almost Gyeonggi, if they really turn it back, how can they clean it up! The Qiang people are fighting in Liangzhou, and now Xianbei is disturbing my northern Xinjiang, if the Central Plains is reversed, this Han world will be dangerous. ”

"By the way, the common people follow Zhang Jiao just to eat mixed rice, if everyone can live and work in peace and contentment, who will follow him to leave his hometown and wander around?" Xu Rong said with emotion.

"yes!" Liu He felt reasonable, "When I arrive in Youzhou and beat Xianbei away, I must let the people live a stable life." I also hope that those begging people will not be trapped, even if they follow me to Youzhou, I will find a livelihood for them in Lulong? ”

Huang Zhong is not very optimistic: "It's hard to say, they are all poor people in one place, and they are still willing to be together." After all, Taiping Dao can now give them food and drink, and let them live together, so the common people don't care who is in charge! Whoever gives them a way to live, who can make everyone live a good life, will follow whomever he wants! ”

Liu He couldn't help but shake his head: "Establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a life for the people, continue to learn for the saints, and open peace for all generations!" As an official, I will ensure that the people are fed and clothed, that the cultivators have their fields, and that the laborers will reap their fruits, and that the world will be stable from now on. ”

Xu Rong and Huang Zhong listened, and immediately knelt down: "We will meet the lord!" Although the lord is younger than us, his ambition is admired by us! Although we are shallow and mediocre, we will not give up on the king, and we are willing to serve the work of dogs and horses for the king, and we are willing to do our best to follow the lord and complete this grand wish! ”

"Hurry up, two of you! And what can he do! In the past, Emperor Gaozu made a white horse oath, and today he is willing to swear with the two of them to high-five, and he will fight for his life for this grand wish! Liu He stretched out his palm.

Immediately, the three of them high-fived, and from then on, Xu and Huang followed Liu He and were unswerving.

Sure enough, when the refugees returned to the pavilion in the evening, they all said that they would follow Chen Jiu and them, and they also thanked Liu He for taking them all the way. Liu He couldn't stop it, so he let them go.

Early the next morning, the refugees kowtowed to Liu He and said goodbye with tears. The team of displaced people went south, and Liu and the three servants continued to lead their troops north.