Chenghuang belonged to the Taoist gods, the god of the land, supervising the affairs of the yin and yang worlds, and played an important role in the social life of the Ming Dynasty.

Shinto can "secretly help Wang Gang", from the Ming Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang, until the Jiajing and Zhengde years, the emperors of the Ming Dynasty have all their efforts to support Taoism. In the first year of Hongwu, Ming Taizu enshrined the god of the city god of the world, and called the "emperor" in the city god of Tianfu capital, and used the etiquette of the king to be highly respected.

The prefectures and counties of the world have also built the City God Temple, where there is a city, there must be a City God Temple. According to the system of the Ming Dynasty, after the magistrate took office, he first had to pay homage to the local city god, stay in the temple, and swear in front of the gods, "Yin and Yang in the outside to settle the people". The criminal department, magistrates, and Jinyi guards ...... often try cases and errands in the City God's Temple, showing that the gods are above and justice cannot be deceived in the dark.

According to the practice of Chongyang County, the first day of every month is a big day to worship the city god.

As soon as the city gate was opened in the morning, the people of Sixiang entered the city in an endless stream, rushing towards the City God Temple located in East Second Street, in addition to burning incense and worshiping the gods, they also had to rush to see the City God patrolling the streets, worshiping the gods and fasting Jiao, this day is a rare entertainment and rest time.

The East Second Street is crowded with people, very lively, selling breakfast, singing, fortune telling, and ...... of performing arts, plus the people who come to see the excitement, filling the small square in front of the City God Temple.

In front of the temple gate, there are dozens of gentry and wealthy merchants in the county, who look up into the distance from time to time, waiting for the arrival of the county order Xu Bingzhong. They are all people with some status in Chongyang County, and they were invited to participate in today's worship ceremony, although they are in groups of three or five with their own small circles, but they are still together as a whole, and they are clearly distinguished from ordinary people.

The tooth merchants were rich but not expensive, bowed their heads in front of the gentry, and had no common language with each other, Qian Wailang of the Xiangchu Commercial Bank, Song Daguan of Longmaochang, and Zhao Butou ...... of Chongyang Wharf, more than a dozen tooth merchants formed a group of their own, and they were complaining.

"Did you hear that? The silver rose to twenty taels! "Qian Wailang is an official and well-informed.

Immediately the crowd cried out.

"Huh? If you want so much, didn't the water bandits run away? ”

"Song Jiang is in Tongcheng, and the county still has to repair the city defense and provide relief to the victims, anyway, change the law and ask for money."

"Clever name, tyrannical expropriation, I will be bad in the hands of these corrupt officials!"

"Alas! I wanted to hide out today, but I was forced to come by Xu Daling, it's like a Ming robbery......"

"Brothers, please be careful!" Song Daguan said: "Xu Daling is also to keep me safe in Chongyang, and twenty taels of silver is not much, which of you can't take it out?" ”

"That's not a strong wind, I won't donate this silver today!" Some people are not convinced.

"I don't donate either! Every time I sacrifice to the city god, I have to make a lot of money, and now it has risen to twenty taels of silver, and I have been busy again for half a month. Someone responded.

"Don't pretend to be poor, last month in Wuchang Mansion, it cost you twenty ......taels of powder to comb a fan," someone revealed.

At this time, there was a seven-stick gong sound in the distance, which means that "the military and civilians are waiting for the avoidance", which is the arrival ......of the county order Xu Bingzhong. The people fled to both sides, and the gentry and tooth merchants dressed and bowed their heads, ready to greet their parents.

The gong that opened the way was getting closer and closer, but the onlookers were restless, pointing and talking excitedly, as if something strange had happened, and the gentry and tooth merchants looked up and couldn't help but freeze.

Xu Bingzhong wore a black-edged green Luo robe, a black-edged red Luo robe, a crown and a ribbon, and was dressed in a very formal sacrificial dress, but he came on a horse, and Wang Kefan walked side by side with him, only slightly behind half a horse's head.

"This, what kind of system is this......?" Several elderly scholars with meritorious names were heartbroken, and their faces changed at that time, and the others were also in an uproar, doubting, ridiculing, disdainful, envious, and both.

The city god sacrifice is a very important official ceremony, the imperial court has a complete set of corresponding rules and regulations, Xu Bingzhong, as the parents of the county, should have a full set of ceremonial guards, horse stick official sedan chairs, in order to maintain the dignity of the imperial court, so openly riding in and out, it is too frivolous!

According to the Ming system, civil officials are not allowed to ride horses, but they are all special occasions for the Venerable to avoid, such as the presence of governors, imperial historians and other dignitaries, Xu Bingzhong should ride a horse to accompany him. However, the supreme commander who worships the city god today is Xu Bingzhong, he lost his identity in front of a six-rank military attaché, and the two of them walked side by side, which was simply a bad etiquette and a humiliation for Shilin!

"Yuntai, you see that these people have strange expressions, can you guess what they are thinking in their hearts?" Xu Bingzhong turned sideways on the horse and asked Wang Kefan in a low voice.

"Eight or nine are not far from ten, 'the gentleman is not heavy but not authoritative', 'there is a loss of the imperial court' and the like."

"You'd better avoid the important. In addition to these clichés, they must still be scolding me for sweeping the floor and flattering Wu Ben! ”

Xu Bingzhong stretched out his hand and stopped Wang Kefan, who was about to ask for guilt, and said with a smile: "You don't have to take a little bit of false fame to heart, I just want to deliberately build momentum for you." However, there is only a limit to what I can do to help you, and it depends on your own means......"

The army of water bandits is still eyeing Chongyang, threatening Chongyang, Xu Bingzhong's honor and disgrace and safety are pinned on the Gongyi camp, Wang Kefan proposed to raise military salaries when worshipping the city god, and he agreed without hesitation.

However, he is only responsible for beating the side drums, and the bad guys still have Wang Kefan to do it, and he can't make too much trouble, so as not to cause trouble.

“…… Most of these people are short-sighted, guarding thousands of family wealth but refusing to donate money, is it still good for them when the city is broken? ”

Xu Bingzhong paused for a moment, and then instructed in an accentuated tone: "But you and I are both officials of the imperial court, if they are unwilling to help, they must not violate the laws of the imperial court and use the army to be strong." ”

It's okay to ask for money, biedong is coarse, and you can let them obediently take out the money by themselves, that's your ability.

"Please rest assured that students have their own ......"

While speaking, he came to the gate of the City God Temple, Wang Kefan turned over and dismounted, took a step back to let Xu Bingzhong go, his eyes swept towards the crowd, and he had already seen Yu Sanlang and Su Hanzhang, both of whom looked a little nervous.

Xu Bingzhong greeted the gentry and led Lu Chuanying and other subordinate officials into the Chenghuang Temple, where a group of Taoist priests were setting up Jiao practices, with the sound of fine music and the faint smoke of cigarettes. The old Taoist led everyone into the main hall, reverently confessed to the statue of the city god, and went to the side hall to invite the wooden master of the city god and the city god Niangniang. (A smaller wooden statue, dedicated to the city god when traveling).

Everyone donated some incense money to the temple, and then looked at Xu Bingzhong together, according to the unwritten rules for many years, before the city god patrolled the streets, he also had to donate a sum of merit silver to the county.

The group of tooth merchants muttered to themselves in the back row, quite dissatisfied in their hearts. They thought they knew the inside information about the price increase of Gongguo Silver, and twenty taels of silver were a little painful, but they had already reached this occasion, so they could only grit their teeth and admit it.

"Fellow villagers, the previous water bandits committed me Chongyang, and they all relied on the Gongyi Battalion to kill the enemy bravely to ensure the safety of the people in my city......" Xu Bingzhong spoke, warmly praised the achievements of the Gongyi Battalion, and really praised it fiercely.

This is all a real credit, and there are a lot of echoes in the crowd, but the brain is already thinking that something is wrong - when he was worshipping the city god, why did the magistrate go off topic?

Xu Bingzhong deliberately paused, and his face became heavy: "It's a pity that the thieves and minions attacked Wuchang Mansion, and the food and salary of the Gongyi camp have been cut off, so I have no choice but to leave Chongyang." ”

"How?" Yu Saburo was the first to call out.

"The Gongyi Battalion must not leave!" Su Hanzhang also stepped forward.

Many gentry and wealthy households are talking and worried, Song Jiang is in Tongcheng, King Dulong is still in Yanglou Cave, if Gongyi Camp is gone, Chongyang will be over.

However, more people were silent and heard the subtext in Xu Bingzhong's words.

Seeing their wary looks, Xu Bingxin shook his head secretly, these people are in the lead, it is not easy for them to take out real money, Wang Kefan is afraid that he will not be able to raise much military salary. Looking back and thinking about Wang Kefan's attitude, he is solemn, and there is still a lot of hope for the report, and when the two sides are stiff, they must restrain him and don't do anything out of the ordinary.

"Everyone, if you want to stay in the Gongyi camp, you have to rely on the generosity of your father and elders, and the county doesn't want any money for this month's merits, and hand it over to Mr. Wang Qian as military salary."

Xu Bingzhong made up his mind, no matter what he said today, he had to at least give Wang Kefan a few hundred taels of silver, lest the Gongyi camp really pull his legs and leave.

The chatter suddenly stopped, and there was an eerie silence in the room. No matter how slow the reaction is, the person who reacts also understands at this moment that Xu Bingzhong is going around to make the gentry and rich families present pay money.

Immediately afterward, there was a sudden echo sound. Everyone calculated very clearly, the total amount of merit silver was only two or three hundred taels of silver, and this money was originally going to be donated to the county government, so what did it matter if the Gongyi Battalion took it?

"Yes, this is what I'm waiting for!"

"Wang Qian's total merits are brilliant, and he deserves to be rewarded!"

"The contempt is Long Maochang, and I am willing to donate twenty taels of silver!"

Song Daguan suddenly appeared and directly doubled the Gongguo silver, which immediately attracted angry eyes from the surrounding people. He smiled absently, stepped forward to Xu Bingzhong and Wang Kefan, and leaned over to make a proud gesture.

Everyone secretly regretted in their hearts, this Song Daguan was really cunning, and he made a big splash with only twenty taels of silver, but everyone was not a person inside and out.

Xu Bingzhong was overjoyed, since someone took the lead, others also had to donate more silver, and nodded with a smile at the moment.

"Song Daguan really values righteousness over wealth...... "He is ready to commend Song Daguan."

"Yes, Song Daguan really values righteousness over wealth, but twenty taels of silver is still too little." Wang Kefan suddenly interjected and interrupted Xu Bingzhong.

Xu Bingzhong and Song Daguan were suddenly stunned with smiles on their faces, and they turned their heads to look at Wang Kefan together.

"Gimbal what do you mean?" Xu Bingzhong tried his best to keep his voice low, but he couldn't suppress the anger in his heart, greed was not enough to swallow the elephant, isn't this a disservice? If it weren't for the public eye, he would have almost scolded a fool.

"General Wang, the old example of merit silver in our county is ten taels of silver, and twenty taels of silver is a lot!" Song Daguan deliberately raised his voice, twenty taels of silver is nothing to him, but this person can't afford to lose it, since this Wang Kefan is not interested, then slap him backhand.

"Your name Long Maochang has a prosperous business, and the profit every month is around four or five hundred taels, and this month I made a sum of money from Gongyi Camp, is it too little to take only twenty taels?" Wang Kefan is calm, tells the facts, and reasones.

"This, General Wang has some misunderstandings......" Song Daguan couldn't help but be startled, his mouth was messy, but his heart jumped a few times, as if he had suddenly fallen into the prey of a trap, and felt a burst of inexplicable fear.

How does Wang Kefan know the details of Long Maochang? It seems that he has been prepared for a long time, secretly investigating himself, and wants to take Long Maochang under the knife!

"General Wang learned that the profit of the disdain is far less than five hundred taels, and most of the cash silver has also been sent to the Wuchang Mansion counter, and now there is really no money in the account, and twenty taels of silver has been exhausted...... "Song Daguan is the shopkeeper of the big tooth line, and he is quite experienced in dealing with people and things, and after his mind is settled, he opened his mouth to fight back, not only biting to death without money, but also carrying out Wuchang Mansion outside the words, implying that Long Maochang's background is deep.

I won't have a hard top with you, but as long as these twenty taels of silver, do you like it or not?

"Don't you have any money? It's okay. Wang Kefan's smile was very kind: "I have a merit book here, and Song Daguan can draw a charge first." ”

As he gave his command, Jing Liang stepped forward in response and held a book of merit and achievements in the shape of an account book to Song Daguan's eyes, Song Daguan looked at it and immediately cried out.

"Five hundred taels?! General Wang, I really don't have so much money! ”

With a bang, everyone in the side hall almost exploded, and the gentry and tooth merchants were all taken aback, five hundred taels, this number is too amazing!

A Longmaochang family costs 500 taels of silver, how much should others donate? The gentry and tooth merchants immediately hated the enemy and pointed the finger at Wang Kefan. Some people begged each other softly, some people sneered, some people bluntly reprimanded, and some people supported and encouraged Song Daguan, and they must not sign and draw a pledge on this merit book.

Xu Bingzhong was angry and anxious on the side, if he made trouble like this, he would definitely break up, wouldn't it be all messed up!

was about to persuade each other to suppress his grievances, but Wang Kefan spoke again.

"Since Song Daguan is unwilling to draw a charge, he is not reluctant, let's talk about this matter later."

He lightly put down this sentence, and even let go of Song Daguan, turned around and came to Xu Bingzhong, and said with a smile: "It's not early, please let the old man of the city god go to patrol the street." ”

"Oh, patrol the streets, first ask the old man Chenghuang to patrol the streets......" Although Xu Bingzhong was inexplicable, a turmoil disappeared invisibly, and he couldn't ask for it.

However, what is this Wang Kefan doing?