Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 262 True King of Hell, Living Bodhisattva

Sizhou, Wutai City.

There was a heavy snowstorm and the whole city was shrouded in it. Apart from the scattered snow, nothing else could be seen.

In the alley, four people were walking in the wind and snow, wrapped tightly and cursing.

Every time they arrived at a house, they would stop and knock hard on the wooden door.

The sound was lost in the snowstorm and could not be heard.

Those men were a little angry. Two of them walked forward and attacked the wooden door with weapons. Soon, the wooden door could not withstand the force and was broken open.

The yard was covered with snow, and they knocked on the door of the inner room again.

The door to the inner room was slowly opened, and several people rushed in roughly, pushing the man who opened the door aside.

Then he quickly closed the door.

There were several people sitting in the narrow and dark inner room. The man was wearing thin clothes and had pale lips. A woman was hiding in the bed with three children in her arms. She was wrapped in many things and shivering in the wind.

The four men examined everything in the house.

"Why didn't you open the gate just now?!"

"Sir, the snow and wind were too strong, so I didn't hear it."

The clerk waved his hand, his face full of displeasure.

"Okay, okay, let's not talk about this anymore. It's time to hand in the tax."

He took out the document from his bosom, "Niu Changgenghu, wife Niu Yang, four children."

Niu Chang was very surprised, "Sir, I have already paid all the taxes for this year."

"The harvest is for next year."

"Besides the mouth tax for next year, there are other miscellaneous taxes for the winter."

"The snowstorm is so strong that it blocks the roads. We need to collect the road clearing tax. In addition, there is the logging tax and the snow worship tax. This year, Empress Dowager Lou passed away. The whole country is in mourning and needs to pay a sacrifice to the emperor. You have four children, so we need to pay the tax. Well, how many sheep do you raise?"

Niu Changgeng just stared at the clerk without saying anything.

"I'm asking you?"

“Not even one”

"killed?"

"died."

"I have nothing left in my family. There are only a few of us. There is nothing else. There are no taxes or levies. I can't pay them."

The official raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean? Resisting the tax?"

His eyes passed over the man and looked at his wife and children behind him.

The man slowly took out a rusty hatchet from behind him and looked at the four people in front of him without saying a word.

The official said nothing, but looked at the three people behind him and said, "See if there is anything we can take."

The three of them began to search around, taking whatever they could find.

The man protected his family and looked at them coldly.

After searching through boxes and cabinets for a long time, they only found some trivial things. The only thing worth money was two sheepskins. These sheepskins had not been processed and smelled bad, but they did not dislike them and packed them up and took them away.

"I'll let you off this time. When the snowstorm dies down, you'll have to pay me back double. Remember this. Even with such a heavy snowstorm, we still have to go out to work. You're a grown man, why are you hiding at home? Go out and work more to help support the family. Don't be so lazy!"

The official scolded them a few words and turned away with the rest of the people.

The moment the door was pushed open, wind and snow rushed in suddenly, and the woman began to tremble. Fortunately, the man closed the door in time.

The man's eyes were red and he slowly sat aside. He could hear the sound of people rummaging through things in the yard.

"have they gone?"

The woman asked.

The man nodded slowly, and the woman slowly took out a small pot filled with food from the tattered bedding.

"Well, how about borrowing some from the Zhao family?"

The man just kept a straight face and still didn't say anything.

After an unknown amount of time, there was a knock on the door again.

The bull chief stood up even more violently, his whole body trembling, "Beast, beast!"

He took out the hatchet again, pulled the door open, and prepared to chop.

"Old Cow! It's me! It's me!!"

The man who came hurriedly shouted, and Niu Chang put away the knife in time.

The visitor hurried in, closed the door again, nodded to the woman apologetically, and then looked at Niu Changgeng. The man was dressed rather warmly and it was obvious that he came from a well-off family.

This is Niu Changxin’s new neighbor, his surname is Zhao and his name is Kuseng.

Not long ago, due to the war around Jinyang, many people fled here. Zhao Kuseng was one of them. After he moved here, he often helped his neighbors. Over time, he gained quite a reputation and everyone respected him.

Zhao Kuseng sighed, "Those people just left. I thought they must have come to your house first, so I came to take a look."

Niu Changgeng shook his head, his eyes filled with indescribable depression, "Brother, they are trying to force me to death."

“Don’t worry.”

Zhao Kuseng lowered his voice and pulled Niu Changgeng aside, "There is something I want to discuss with you."

"We are ready to leave, do you want to come with us?"

The head of the ox was even more surprised. "Where are you going?"

"Shaquan."

"Hengzhou."

Niu Changgeng was confused, "Brother, are you going to be a dead person? I don't understand."

"You don't understand. Hengzhou is different from here. There aren't so many chaos over there when collecting the dead. Old Li, Old Wang, Old Tuxi and the others are all leaving. There are more than 30 households and hundreds of people. Do you want to leave?"

Niu Chang was even more stunned, "I still don't understand."

"That's under the rule of General Mandrill. They won't make things difficult for you. What's so special about you here? What do you have besides this shabby house? Farmland? Livestock? Or do you have parents to support?"

"They will provide shelter for the dead over there. At least you won't starve to death."

Niu Chang looked at his wife and children and said, "I am willing to go there with my elder brother, but I don't know if my family can walk such a long distance."

"You don't have to worry about this. I have contacted several companies and brought out a lot of things to ensure that everyone can arrive safely. Besides, the wind and snow are getting smaller and smaller. I just want to ask you, do you want to go?"

Niu Changgeng gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go!!"

The snowstorm still hadn't subsided.

However, it is indeed much smaller than the previous few days.

The heavy snowstorm at the border this year was unimaginable and extremely severe for outsiders.

But for the locals, this is already very good. They had seen worse things when they were young. Although there are still blizzards now, it is really much better than in the past. Many old people said that in the past, a blizzard could freeze an entire town to death, but now at least it is not so terrible.

In the wind and snow, a group of people hurriedly moved forward on the official road.

In such weather, there are very few officials on duty outside, and they are not afraid of being discovered if they take the official road.

Niu Changgeng looked at the people sitting on the donkey cart and found his wife and children inside. His heart gradually calmed down, but suddenly he felt a little frightened.

What if that place is not as beautiful as the rumors say?

Zhao Kuseng walked in the middle of the team, squinting his eyes, looking at the people in front and behind him, his lips trembling slightly, and no one knew what he was saying.

A young man suddenly appeared beside him and said coldly, "You are too slow. It's okay now. In a few days, when the snow stops, if you don't leave the state, you may be discovered and may have to abandon some of your people."

Zhao Kuseng glared at him. "We have gone to so much trouble to gather such a group of people. If we were just a group of young and strong people going to Hengzhou to settle down, wouldn't that arouse suspicion?"

"Why is it so troublesome?"

"It's just that troublesome. Do you think Hengshuo's scattered officials are fools? Look at us, who looks like a deceased person? It would be more appropriate and reasonable for us to go with them."

The young man had a solemn expression and looked somewhat aggrieved.

"It's better to go there, it won't be so troublesome"

"Don't complain!"

"only."

After walking for three days, the wind and snow finally subsided, and the villages and towns in the distance became vaguely visible. Fortunately, no officials came to block the road. After walking through the rugged mountain roads, on the sixth day, the group finally left their hometown and came to a completely unfamiliar place.

The official road leads to Hengzhou. The border between Hengzhou and Sizhou is so obvious that anyone can find out at a glance that they have arrived in Hengzhou.

This is mainly because there are road protection forests on the official roads in Hengzhou.

Although the trees were still relatively small and sparse at the moment, they were completely different from the bare ground in Sizhou. As we walked, roadside forests suddenly appeared on both sides of the official road, extending into the distance.

This change was so sudden that it was shocking.

Niu Changgeng was a little surprised at this moment. He looked at the tree in front of him and then looked behind him.

On the left side of the official road, there is a large courtyard.

The courtyard wall was high, and many buildings could be seen inside, with smoke rising from some of the buildings. The gate was open, and a few old horses were resting in the trough near the gate.

Someone spotted them, and the next moment, several warriors came out of the mansion, led by an official, and quickly blocked the official road, blocking their way.

Seeing this familiar combination, Niu Changgeng and many farmers who followed them were filled with fear.

An official with several soldiers, this combination is really too classic.

The official came up to them and looked at everyone one by one.

"Passing by?"

Zhao Kuseng hurried forward and said timidly, "Sir, we have no past and no identity documents. We are dead."

"Dead person?"

The official asked in disbelief, and then looked at those people again.

Zhao Kuseng hesitated, and Niu Changgeng stepped forward and said, "Sir, we are all civilians from Wutai City in Sizhou. We can't survive here. We heard that you are recruiting dead people, so we came here to seek refuge."

The official suddenly realized what was going on. He led the soldiers to check one by one to make sure these people were not carrying any weapons. He also saw the women and children on the donkey carts and asked them about the situation.

"You guys wait here for now."

The official turned and left.

Niu Changgeng looked at Zhao Kuseng who was standing beside him, "Brother, is that right?"

Zhao Kuseng shook his head and said, "Don't be afraid."

Soon, an older official came out, and the official who had just followed him explained the situation here to him.

"If you want to confirm their identities, you shouldn't let them stay outside. It's so cold, and there are children and women."

"Come in, put the cart and donkey over there. Mr. Wang, take them to put their things. Mr. Liu, take the rest of the people into the courtyard first and give them some hot water and food."

"only!!"

Niu Changgeng and others walked into the courtyard. This was an official office. There were also such offices in Sizhou. They were usually responsible for collecting horse and carriage taxes, checking in and out horse-drawn carriages, etc. Important entrances and exits of official roads would be set up here.

The women and children were arranged to rest inside the house.

The official asked about their situation again, and found out their original address, industry, identity, etc.

"This is your passage. Take it. Later, this person will take you to the village on the other side. You can stay there for the time being."

It took the official only one hour to issue them a pass, and they were led to a distant village.

Everyone was somewhat afraid, so they followed the official and set off again, arriving at the nearest village.

An old official was already waiting for them with a smile on his face.

The village was quite small, but the roads were clean and swept. Some villagers opened their doors curiously and observed these strangers.

The old official walked in front of those people and said, "My last name is Hou, you can just call me Old Man Hou. There are not so many houses right now, so you can squeeze into one first. If you have the strength, you can also build a house by yourself. Don't worry, there is no construction tax here. If you want to go to the county to make a living, you can ask me for a house for free, but you can't lose it or give it away."

The old official arranged everyone into different houses in the villages and towns.

Because of the war, there are still many empty houses.

The sky gradually darkened. Zhao Kuseng sat in the house, surrounded by many people, who all looked happy.

"Finally we're in. Now that we've passed the exam, can we go to the school to take the civil service exam?"

Zhao Kuseng shook his head. "Don't be too anxious. Wait a moment. Now is not the past. It's not easy to get in. Don't ignore those small details. Be steady."

He said very seriously: "In the past year or so, our colleagues in Heng, Shuo and other places have suffered heavy losses and have lost their whereabouts one by one. Many places have become unfamiliar, making it difficult for us to move forward. This time the general has restarted the lighting plan, and we cannot fail!"

"We must do something important for the general. We can't let Liu Taozi be so rampant!!"

The rest of the people were extremely excited and nodded one after another.

Suddenly someone ran into the house, "Brother, someone is approaching!"

The crowd quickly dispersed, some fled, and some hid.

The room was quiet.

The old official knocked gently on the door.

Zhao Kuseng opened the door, the old official greeted him with a smile, and then followed him into the house. The other people in the house also stood up to greet him.

The old official sat down immediately, holding a book in his hand.

"Excuse me, bother Mr. Zhao? Well, I see you have no children? Are you alone?"

"Yes. When the Zhou people attacked us, all my family members fled."

"Ugh."

The old official shook his head. "These days, Mr. Zhao, if you don't object, your household registration will be in An Village."

"I have no objection."

"Well, okay. Tomorrow, the county official will come here to officially register you. I have reported your case to the county, and they will reissue you with winter supplies. You are the only one in your family, so you will be given a winter coat. How tall are you?"

Zhao Kuseng answered truthfully.

The old official said again: "In addition, we will give you some winter food. It's not much, but it will be enough to eat. Can you still farm?"

"I'm alright."

"Okay, then I'll apply for more land for you. What is your year?"

"Fifty-three."

"Since you are over fifty, I will give you an extra ten acres. At your age, you don't need to participate in the reclamation. We can talk about the rest before the spring. You can just rest here and recuperate. Also, let me ask you, do you need an heir?"

"what??"

"It's like this. There are many orphans in the county, without a father or a mother. The county government pays to take care of them. You don't have any family members or children. If you want a child, you can apply for adoption."

Zhao Kuseng was at a loss for a moment and shook his head, "Let's talk about it later."

After the old clerk finished the registration, he looked at the next young man and verified his situation in the same way.

"Young man, I see that you have no family, but you are still in good health. If you are willing, you can go to the academy, learn literature first, and then become an official. I see that you are also smart. The academy charges fees, but I can lend it to you. After you pay off the money after doing the work, you can eat and drink, and the academy will provide it."

The old official said a lot, and then he sighed, "I also learned about the situation in Sizhou, and I have reported it to the county. Maybe the General Wei's Mansion will ask about this matter. It's not easy for you to travel a long distance. This is how it is these days. It's not easy for everyone. But don't worry, life will get better and better. Due to the war this year, taxes have been waived, and some oxen have been sent. I guarantee that everyone will have oxen to use next year."

"No thanks. The border is poor, where did all these things come from?"

"If we divide it evenly, it will be enough for many of us to eat. Don't worry."

"It will get better and better in the future. By the way, a few doctors will come to the hospital tomorrow. If you feel unwell, you can go and see them. It's free to see a doctor at the hospital."

The old official said a lot, took the document, said goodbye to everyone, and left with a smile.

The house was still silent.

Zhao Kuseng wanted to say something but stopped himself. He looked at the people around him. They also had their heads down, and no one knew what they were thinking.

"I'll take a rest first."

The night grew darker and darker, and the house became dead silent.

The next day, everyone went out and headed for the old official's house. As soon as Zhao Kuseng arrived, he saw Niu Changgeng wearing thick clothes, holding several pieces of cloth of different sizes in his hands, and trembling with excitement.

"They really gave us winter clothes and allowed us to chop wood! No taxes!"

"Brother, look at how nice my clothes are."

Niu Changgeng kept touching his clothes. The clothes were not new, nor too thick. They were obviously taken off someone, but Niu Changgeng liked them very much.

"Some millet was sent this morning, saying it was borrowed and will be returned in the autumn harvest. I have lived for more than 30 years, and this is the first time I have seen the government lend grain."

"You've come to the right place. You've come to the right place. General Mandrill is truly a Bodhisattva, a living Bodhisattva."

Niu Changgeng started talking more than before, chattering and talking to himself.

Zhao Kuseng also took his clothes and put them on. For a moment, he felt mixed emotions and felt as if he was being pricked by needles all over his body. The clothes seemed to be constantly shrinking and tightening, causing Zhao Kuseng unbearable pain.

"Mr. Zhao? Are your new clothes comfortable?"

“Oh, comfortable.”

“Comfortable.”

ps: I’m much better now, I’ll resume updating twice a day starting tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)