Seeing off the envoys of the Song State, Li Congyi also embarked on the journey back to Xuanzhou.

Three ships came, but more than three went.

Li Congyi bought two 500-stone boats at the Jinling government-run shipyard, which are not big ships, but they are not small boats. And this time, Li Congyi found that there were several more boats of two or three hundred stones in the fleet. asked Du Chengyin what was going on. This time, Li Congyi left Xu Shiming in Jinling, mainly because someone had to be staring at Jinling, and Du Chengyin had been in Jinling for a long time, so he had to go back to Xuanzhou first, start to sort out the product line again, and at the same time plan the logistics carefully.

The extra ships in the fleet are the ships of the Xianglian Boat Gang. Xianglian was able to maintain a boat gang after her husband's death, and she could withstand Wu Kai's harassment, of course, she was not an ordinary person. This rare encounter with Jiang Guogong's thigh, Xianglian decided to hug it.

Xianglian did not go to the Jiangguo Mansion recklessly. After inquiring about the situation with Liu Zai, he went to Xuanzhou Commerce and Trade and found Du Chengyin. The ships of the Xianglian Boat Gang are not large, and they are slightly insufficient to transport goods on the Yangtze River, but they are just right on the Shuiyang River. Du Chengyin had an idea, and this Xianglian boat gang was the fleet anchored under Xuanzhou Commerce. This time, the Xianglian Boat Gang went to the quarry empty, loaded it with iron ore, and then transported it to Xuancheng; After that, it was loaded with coal and other goods in Xuancheng and transported to Jinling, and then it traveled back and forth between Xuancheng and Jinling. Although it is necessary to hire the fleet of Zhang's shops, it is always more convenient to have your own fleet.

Li Congyi just knows about this kind of thing, and he doesn't study it in detail. I just discussed with Xu Meilan, and when my financial situation was slightly surplus, I would hurry up and buy some more ships from Jinling Shipyard. When the Song Dynasty invaded the Southern Tang Dynasty, the Southern Tang Dynasty sailors suffered heavy losses, and it was difficult to buy a ship from the Jinling Shipyard.

Waiting for Du Chengyin to leave, Xu Meilan laughed and said, "I heard that although the Xianglian gang leader is a little darker, he is also a great beauty......

This means that because Xianglian is a beauty, Li Congyi came to help. There are always some people in this world whose mouths are too broken, could it be Hu Yuan? Li Congyi slandered in his heart, but made Hu Yuan, who was enjoying the beautiful scenery of the Yangtze River at the bow of the boat, sneeze for no reason.

Of course, Li Congyi will not admit it: "Her arms are as thick as your legs, and she won't fall ......behind when she competes with another gang leader."

Xu Meilan smacked her tongue when she heard this, and her eyes widened: "Don't lie to slaves, adults......"

Sailing against the current, you need to borrow the wind, the wind direction is not favorable, the sail needs to be adjusted from time to time, but the small boat of the Xianglian Boat Gang is faster, and it will not be long before it surpasses Li Congyi's big boat. On the first boat, there was a man standing on the bow of the boat, dressed in a short costume, standing on the board. The face is indistinct, but although the figure is slightly strong, it is also a chest and a waist, and she is also a beauty from a distance. Xianglian looked at the cabin window on the second floor of the big ship, and there were two people looking at her, one of them was vaguely Jiang Guogong, and the other on the side was estimated to be Jiang Guogong's beautiful maid. The two ships were dozens of paces apart, and they didn't talk to each other at the moment, so they just made a move from a distance, and then gradually moved away.

Xu Meilan couldn't help but say angrily: "My lord's ability to talk nonsense with his eyes is really superb......

————

When they arrived at the quarry, Li Congyi stopped and did not leave, and the group went straight to the Guangji Temple.

Knowing that Jiang Guogong quarried stones, he came to Guangji Temple to worship the Buddha on the way, and the presiding master Miaoli was naturally overjoyed.

At that time, Fan Ruoshui was a monk in Guangji Temple for nearly half a year, and was deeply cared for by the presiding master Miaoli, so he was able to measure the hydrology on the surface of the quarry river and draw the shape. It was also with the support of Master Miaoli that Fan Ruoshui presided over the construction of the Linjiang Stone Cave Stone Tower.

After that, Fan Ruoshui dived to Bianliang, and participated in the Song State Imperial Examination and won the Jinshi. At the request of Zhao Kuangyin, the emperor of the Song State, Li Yu politely sent more than 30 members of the Fan Ruoshui family to Jiangbei, but the attitude of the Southern Tang Dynasty government towards Fan Ruoshui can be imagined.

Fan Ruoshui was a monk in Guangji Temple for half a year, and donated a large amount of money to build a stone pagoda, which could not be covered up. Although Fan Ruoshui's plans were not known, the government's support for the Guangji Temple also plummeted. If this is not supported, it is a constraint, and it will be difficult for the believers of Guangji Temple to evade land tax in the name of donating temple fields. It is the original temple of Guangji Temple, which is also closely watched by Dangtu County.

Master Miao Li fantasized about changing the current passive situation through Jiang Guogong, but he didn't know that this would only get worse.

Guangji Temple actually has a great history, it is one of the oldest Buddhist temples, but it is located in a strategic place and has been repeatedly destroyed in wars. At this time, Guangji Temple is prosperous, in the three-entry quadrangle courtyard built according to Cuiluo Mountain, the four heavenly king halls, Wei Dao Palace, Daxiong Treasure Palace, Guanyin Pavilion, Meditation Hall, Dharma Hall, Guest Hall, Dining Hall and so on are readily available.

Li Congyi put incense on the hall one by one, and offered incense money, so Master Miaoli invited Li Congyi to sit in the guest hall.

As soon as he sat down, Li Congyi said: "My father has dreamed of the stone Buddha in the stone cave and stone tower of Linjiang at night recently, and he is confused, so he came to your temple to worship the Buddha." ”

When Master Miaoli heard this, he was a little frightened. Only said: "This temple has a Linjiang stone cave in Niuzhu Mountain, and there are stone towers and stone Buddhas in it, which are all donated by believers. Unexpectedly, he had an induction with Jiang Guogong, and promised to do a Dharma service, and then sincerely ask the Buddha, or have something to gain. ”

Li Congyi nodded, "Please take my father-in-law to have a look." ”

So Master Miaoli led the way and led everyone to the riverside cliff of Niuzhu Mountain.

Li Congyi looked at it, and sure enough, hearing is false, seeing is believing, listening to Zheng Deshui's description and seeing it with his own eyes, he feels completely different. This Fan Ruoshui in the Niuzhu Mountain riverside cliff, actually in the whole boulder carved out two stone caves, and in the stone cave each chiseled out a diameter of more than one meter of the stone tower, the stone tower up and down are connected with the boulder as a whole, at a glance you know that it is extremely solid.

There is a hewn path that leads to two caves. Fan Ruoshui also took great pains to carve a number of Buddha statues on the walls of the stone cave in order to hide people's eyes and ears. There is incense smoke curling in the incense burner, and I think there are many believers here.

"Can there be Jiangbei believers who come to your temple to worship the Buddha?" Li Congyi pretended to ask casually.

"This temple is a big temple around, every year in the first month of the year, there are some Jiangbei believers who cross the river to come to incense, there may be on weekdays, this temple is not clear."

"Fan Ruoshui still has a communication with the mage?"

Hearing Li Congyi suddenly ask this, Master Miaoli's temples jumped suddenly: "Master Fan Shi is not over, and I am a person outside the party, so I no longer have contact." ”

Li Congyi was silent for a while, and said, "My father wants to be quiet here." Pointing at Zheng Deshui and Liu Zai again, "You two stay, and the others wait outside first." The Mage had no choice but to withdraw from the cave with the others.

Liu Zai previously thought it was incredible to build a pontoon bridge on the Yangtze River, but when he saw this stone tower, he also felt that Fan Ruoshui was really talented. "If you want to get rid of this stone tower quietly, without being suspicious on the other side, I am afraid there is no way to think of it."

"If Fan Ruoshui is allowed to detect, he only needs to prepare iron in advance, and then melt the iron into liquid and pour it into the cracks of this boulder, which can also be used as bridge piles, but it will only take a few more days." Zheng Deshui also said.

Li Congyi couldn't help frowning. There should be no trace of this stone cave tower in the future, otherwise it must be a well-known scenic spot, or even an Internet celebrity check-in place. There are cases of quarrying pontoon bridges in the past, and other places can also build the Yangtze River pontoon bridges, that is, quarrying has been through wars, and it is estimated that no one cares about this stone cave tower. That should be caused by the collapse of the cliff wall near the river.

"Can you make a fuss on this cliff?"

Zheng Deshui's eyes suddenly lit up, "My subordinates have an idea, maybe you can give it a try." ”

When he came out of the stone cave, Li Congyi said to Master Miaoli: "My father meditates in the cave, only to feel that his body and mind are ethereal, and he seems to have realized. I want to be here for a few days. "Master Miaoli has no other words.

Li Congyi set up a thatched house on the cliff by the river and wanted to participate in meditation here.

On the second day, a little monk came to report to Master Miaoli, saying that the Lord Jiang Guogong had found a craftsman, and he was going to start construction on the cliff, and temporarily sealed the place near the left side of the stone cave, saying that the construction was dangerous and the believers were not allowed to approach. Master Miaoli hurriedly came, and sure enough, he saw that a tent had been erected on the cliff wall, so he went to find Jiang Guogong.

I saw Li Congyi looking at the river view outside the thatched house, and when he saw Master Miaoli coming, he said excitedly, "My father's magic hand happened today, so I wanted to inscribe the stone on this cliff." Now that the mage is here, he might as well give some advice. Master Miao Li looked at a piece of Chengxintang paper on the table, and there was a poem, Cloud:

The boat passed down the mountain and went straight up to see the monk.

The mooring climbs the quarry, and the edge cliff goes to the temple gate.

The short hedge covers the bamboo, and the dangerous road steps on the pine roots.

But looking at the bottom of the Cangjiang River, the sails returned to the smoke and fainted.

(Note, this poem was written by Mei Yaochen of the Song Dynasty)

Master Miaoli couldn't, so he had to praise Jiang Guogong, and asked: "I look at the cliff scaffolding, does Lord Guogong want to carve other things besides this poem?" ”

Li Congyi said: "I went to Zen in the stone cave last night, and I realized that these two stone caves are on this cliff, and from the river, they are like two black holes that want to choose people and devour them, isn't it contrary to my Buddha's spirit of compassion? Therefore, my father wanted to carve more Buddha statues on this cliff to show that my Buddha blessed the ships and travelers on the river. ”

"Good, good." When Master Miaoli heard this, he put his mind at ease, as long as Jiang Guogong didn't sabotage, then let him go.

Li Congyi pulled Master Miaoli to drink tea and said Zen.

Of course, the tea is Jiang Guogong's Biluochun, and the tea is made with the water of the Chiwu well in the temple. Zen, of course, is taught by the Wonderful Master. However, Jiang Guogong occasionally responded with a sentence or two, but it made Master Miaoli feel endless.

After staying in Guangji Temple for ten days, Li Congyi was about to leave, and invited Master Miaoli to come to the cliff to admire.

I saw that the two stone caves, the entrance of the cave was also slightly widened, and it became a spire window style, and a square cloud pattern was carved at the entrance of the cave, and it was also painted with red and yellow colors; The surrounding area is symmetrically carved with twelve Buddha statues several feet high, although the lines of the Buddha statues are simple, but also like the shape, the Buddha statues are also engraved with frame-like moire around them, and they are also painted with colors. There was a poem engraved on the left and right, one was the poem that Master Miaoli had seen before, and the other was:

The rolling Yangtze River is passing away, and the waves are sweeping away the heroes. Success or failure turns empty, the green mountains are still there, and the sunset is red several times.

On the white-haired fisherman river, accustomed to watching the autumn moon and spring breeze. A pot of turbid wine is happy to meet, and many things in ancient and modern times are laughing and talking.

(Note: This is Yang Shen's "Linjiang Immortal" in the Ming Dynasty, which is the opening speech of the Qin and Han dynasties in the third paragraph of "Twenty-one Historical Bullet Words")