Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 99 Death
In the evening, as the sun sets, the Zhang River is dyed with a layer of golden red glow, which is so beautiful that it makes people intoxicated.

Not far from the Zhang River, there is a small village that is exceptionally lively.

Several people were squatting at the intersection, holding tiles and bricks, carefully smearing and laying them. The village wall, which was originally non-existent, was now being repaired bit by bit. Next to the craftsmen, several children were squatting, watching them work curiously.

The village was not too busy, but there were people living there. Plumes of smoke rose from the chimneys, and the occasional sound of adults scolding or children crying could be heard.

There were sounds of dogs barking from the south, and chickens and ducks foraging for food in the west.

Zhang Erlang lowered his head and stood beside Liu Taozi. Several people stood on a high place, looking at the quiet little village in front of them.

Zhang Erlang had successfully graduated from the law school. After completing his studies, he did not take the civil service examination, but instead took the initiative to request to be a village official.

Positions like township and village clerks were usually held by local people. Zhang Erlang met all the requirements, and he had someone to guarantee him, so he became a village clerk in Zhangjia Village very smoothly.

"I will leave a few people to help you. You have to take good care of them."

“Ask questions to the elderly and don’t act on your own.”

Liu Taozi gave a few instructions and Zhang Erlang agreed.

After Liu Taozi finished speaking, Tian Zilie stepped forward again, smiled and took Zhang Erlang's hand, and told him what they were going to do in the future.

Kou Liu came over at some point and bowed to Liu Taozi to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Mr. Liu! My mother has been settled."

"Well, that's good."

"It will take a few more days to get there. Now that everything has been arranged, let's get going quickly."

Everyone got on their horses, eight people in total, and left Zhang Village, galloping all the way until they reached the official road. Looking around, the official road led straight to the unknown distance.

Suddenly, there was a sharp cry of an evil bird. Liu Taozi looked up and saw a few pigeons flapping their wings, leaving a graceful trace in the air, and then quickly disappeared in the air.

The pigeon flew over hills and jungles, farmland and houses, and finally, it arrived at its destination.

Jinyang.

The whole city is like a mighty military fortress covered with spikes. The wall is not tall but very thick. Several soldiers walking side by side on the wall do not feel cramped. On the rough wall, the armored soldiers look particularly petite. There are crossbow carts everywhere and armored warriors are distributed everywhere you can see.

Even the palace exudes a huge and rough style, like a group of ferocious beasts.

Inside the palace, the soldier lowered his head, holding a letter, and walked around the corridors, passing by one soldier after another. Finally, he came to a palace.

An inexplicable humming sound was heard from the hall, sometimes louder and sometimes softer, and the soldiers were stunned.

The soldier didn't dare to knock on the door, nor did he dare to leave, so he just stood there listening to the sound.

"who?!"

The sound suddenly stopped and someone asked.

The soldier's voice was trembling, "Your Majesty, there is a letter from Prime Minister Yang, for you."

"Ruin my mood!!"

Suddenly a violent roar was heard from inside the house.

The soldier was so frightened that he knelt down in front of the door and said, "Please spare my life, my king! I didn't mean it."

"Someone is coming!!"

"Your Majesty~~~"

There was a rustling sound from inside, and soon someone opened the door.

He Shikai was wearing a long robe, underneath which was a naked body. The thing was dangling there, and the soldiers could see it when they looked up.

He Shikai's face was ruddy. He lowered his head and looked at the soldier gently, "Bring the letter here."

The soldier handed the letter to him tremblingly, and smiled, "Don't be afraid, the king is joking with you. Remember not to stand at the door and eavesdrop in the future."

The soldier thanked him hastily and then fled.

He Shiguan closed the door, turned around and looked at Prince Changguang Gao Zhan inside.

Gao Zhan was Gao Huan's ninth son.

He was sitting in the upper seat at the moment. He was handsome and magnificent, and exceptionally dignified and solemn. In terms of appearance alone, he was not much different from Gao Changgong.

He has thick eyebrows and big, bright eyes, which makes him look very attractive.

It's a pity that he was naked at the moment. This exposure was incompatible with his dignified face and seemed extremely weird.

He Shikai opened the letter casually, read it for a few seconds, and then started crying.

Gao Zhan was shocked and looked at him quickly, "Why are you crying?"

"My lord, my two younger brothers were beaten to death in Cheng'an."

Gao Zhan heard this and waved his hand in disdain. "He's just a brother, not a son. Why worry about him? Take my third brother Gao Jun for example. He is my brother and he always makes things difficult for me. It was only because my second brother killed him first. Otherwise, I would have killed him sooner or later."

"Your Majesty, I didn't want to let such a small matter disturb you before, but this letter from Prime Minister Yang actually scolded and questioned you about this matter, and asked you to kill the villain around you. Seeing him humiliating you like this, and I was powerless to do anything, I cried so bitterly."

He Shikai handed the letter to Gao Zhan in front of him while crying.

Gao Zhan took the letter and glanced at it.

"It's not as exaggerated as you say. Prime Minister Yang only said that your brother brought disaster upon himself and Lu Yao cannot be blamed. If he asked me to discipline the people around me, then naturally I have to do it."

Hearing Gao Zhan's words, He Shikai quickly changed his words, "Your Majesty is right, I misunderstood Prime Minister Yang's meaning, but you have always been strict in disciplining your servants, why did Prime Minister Yang say that?"

Gao Zhan shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Just continue!"

"only!!"

He Shikai quickly knelt down.

"Your Majesty!!"

Suddenly there was another shout outside the door. Gao Zhan was furious. He jumped up suddenly, "Who is it again?! Who is it again!?!"

The voice outside was noticeably weaker, "Your Majesty, King Changshan asks you to go to his palace immediately."

Hearing the name of King Changshan, Gao Zhan calmed down instantly.

He quickly put on his clothes and said, "Okay, go back and tell Sixth Brother that I'll be there right away."

At this moment, in the palace of King Changshan.

The young King of Changshan, Gao Yan, sat in the upper seat with a solemn expression, surrounded by his close associates.

King Changshan was equally handsome, with a strong face that made people feel respect when they looked at him. There was a shallow scar on his forehead, which made him look even more majestic.

Gao Huan had an extremely outstanding appearance, so all his descendants were extremely beautiful, except for the current Majesty Gao Yang.

Gao Yan cleared his throat, looked around, and asked, "What did I do wrong today?"

When the people around heard his question, they were not surprised at all.

Wang Xi, the aide, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, you have repeatedly advised Your Majesty not to get angry and beat people, but today you repeatedly beat your subordinates with a horsewhip. This is really inappropriate."

Hearing this, Gao Yan nodded, "You are right."

He looked around and said, "If I get angry and want to hit someone in the future, remember to remind me."

Gao Yan often gathers people together, asks them to point out their shortcomings and mistakes, and then correct them. He also spontaneously reflects on his own mistakes.

Just as everyone was talking, Gao Zhan was finally brought in by the soldiers, followed by He Shikai.

Gao Zhan walked unsteadily, his face flushed, and walked strangely in front of Gao Yan, bowing to greet him.

"Zhan, His Majesty is seriously ill and the Crown Prince is young, so we have to take care of everything. We can no longer indulge in entertainment at this time. We must shoulder the heavy responsibility."

"only."

Gao Yan's gaze then fell on He Shikai who was standing behind him. "You were the one who broke into the Cheng'an County Government Office and beat up the Cheng'an Magistrate?"

He Shikai was stunned and quickly knelt in front of Gao Yan, "Your Majesty! I just went to inquire about the case. How dare I be rude to Cheng Anling?"

"You are just a favorite of the Outer King. How dare you be rude to a fifth-rank minister?!"

"Someone, take him out and punish him with a cane!"

Gao Zhan was anxious and stood up quickly. "Sixth brother! Forgive him for my sake. I asked him to go! Sixth brother, his brother died in Cheng'an. Isn't it wrong for him to be angry about this? If I died in Cheng'an, would you be able to stay calm?"

Hearing his words, Gao Yan hesitated, "Forget it, I'll forgive you this time, but if you dare to be so presumptuous again in the future, I will kill you."

"Thank you, King Changshan!!"

He Shikai was trembling with fear.

Gao Yan ordered everyone to leave, and asked his brother to come forward, holding his hand, and said earnestly: "Zhan, you are smart and strategic, why do you want to hang out with such a villain? Don't you know what kind of person he is?"

Gao Zhan lowered his head and touched his nose, "Brother, I know what kind of person he is, but you don't know what he's like. Brother, why don't you come over tonight and give it a try..."

"You fucking beast!!"

"Where's my riding whip?!"

Gao Yan was furious, and he jumped up to grab the whip. Gao Zhan quickly dodged, "Brother! You have reflected on it before. You can't get angry and hit people again." "My King!"

The soldier's exclamation interrupted the farce in the house.

Gao Yan raised his horsewhip and Gao Zhan hid under the table. Both of them looked at the soldiers who broke in.

The soldier was trembling, his face pale, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

Gao Yan was stunned, his lips trembled a few times, and then he rushed out, and Gao Zhan hurriedly followed him.

The two of them ran wildly all the way, and the soldiers along the way knelt down one after another. No one tried to stop them, and they rushed all the way into the hall at the back.

The hall was very dark, as the emperor did not like lights.

Only by the bed at the innermost part, there were a few soldiers holding torches, barely creating some light.

Gao Yan and Gao Zhan hurried here and heard soft sobbing sounds.

Crown Prince Gao Yin knelt beside the bed, crying and wiping his tears.

Gao Yang was lying on the bed. At this moment, he still looked crazy with disheveled hair, but his body was thinner. The rows of ribs were clearly visible, and his head looked like a skull, as if a layer of skin was covered on the bones.

Gao Yan's eyes were red, he quickly knelt down beside Gao Yang and gently grabbed his hand.

"His Majesty."

"His Majesty!!"

Gao Yang slowly opened his eyes.

His eyes were unusually calm, not as crazy as usual, but clear. Looking at the familiar eyes, Gao Yan trembled all over and burst into tears, "Brother."

Gao Yang looked at his brother in front of him, his eyes fixed on the obvious scar on Gao Yan's forehead.

"Does it still hurt?"

"Brother, it doesn't hurt."

Listening to the intermittent crying sounds nearby, Gao Yang frowned, looked at Crown Prince Gao Yin with difficulty, then looked at Gao Yan again with a hint of pleading in his eyes.

"Take it if you want, don't kill."

Gao Yan shuddered all over and didn't reply.

Gao Yang did not force him. He licked his dry lips and said weakly, "All funerals should be kept simple. Although the ancient mourning system was three years, Emperor Wen of Han's practice was also one of the systems of the past. I decided to follow suit. The mourning period will be thirty-six days. The royal family, officials, and the court should focus on official business and end the mourning as soon as possible."

After Gao Yang finished speaking, he slowly closed his eyes, and after a moment, he stopped breathing.

"The emperor has collapsed!!!"

The eunuchs shouted loudly, and the prince's crying became even louder.

Gao Zhan knelt on the ground, but his eyes were fixed on the prince with a fierce look.

Gao Yan stood in front of the spirit tablet. He wiped away his tears and then looked at the prince standing beside him. He walked forward and helped the prince up.

Gao Yin was still crying bitterly.

Gao Yan patted his head and said, "Prince, I am here with you, so you don't have to be afraid."

He looked at his brother Gao Zhan who was standing beside him, "Send someone to inform Yecheng of the incident immediately, and have all the officials come to Jinyang to support the crown prince to ascend the throne in Jinyang."

Liyang.

Several clerks were standing at the door, shouting something loudly.

A group of clerks were busy with their heads down, looking haggard.

Some people were carrying items, some were riding back and forth on horseback, and some were teaching a few white-haired old men how to welcome the county magistrate later.

This situation and scene are extremely familiar.

Several officials stood at the front and looked at each other.

"This new county magistrate is no pushover. I heard he was appointed directly by the imperial court. He must have a powerful backer."

"So what? No matter how powerful the backer is, we are still the ones doing the work. He is not from Liyang."

Several officials gathered together, discussing the new prime minister who appeared out of nowhere.

The road was very dilapidated, full of potholes and water. The officials almost had to kneel on the ground to clean it up.

The city wall behind them was short and broken, with several huge gaps clearly visible.

The clerk cleared his throat and asked, "Have all the beggars been driven away?"

"They have been fought off long ago. There is not a single one left. Don't worry."

As they were talking, an official suddenly came riding up on horseback and announced, "The county magistrate is here! Here he is!"

The official was a little surprised and looked up at the sky. "So fast?"

At this moment, a group of people appeared in the distance, all riding on fine horses. The leader was really tall, riding a huge green horse, kicking up a cloud of dust, and galloping towards here. Behind him, there were many knights, all of whom looked unfriendly, tall and strong, with long swords on their waists.

Seeing this, the officials were horrified. Someone whispered, "Could it be that he is from Jinyang?"

The group of people quickly appeared in front of the officials.

"Greetings to the County Magistrate!!"

Everyone knelt down with their luggage, even a few old men in the distance were saluting with great effort.

Liu Taozi rode on a big horse, looking at the ruddy-faced clerks in front of him, then at the ragged officials, and finally at the short city wall behind them.

There were some soldiers inside and outside the city gate. They were not wearing armor and looked quite thin. There were even a few half-grown children among them.

Yao Xiong looked straight at the old men and scattered officials, and suddenly looked at Tian Zilie standing beside him. The two of them exchanged glances with each other in tacit understanding.

Kou Liu was confused.

"I am the county magistrate Liu Taozi, with the courtesy name Zhizhi."

Liu Taozi spoke, and Tian Zili stepped forward and showed the document to everyone. Everyone bowed again, "Greetings, Lord Liu!"

Just as a few old men were about to step forward, Liu Taozi rode his horse into the city, and the knights followed. The clerk hurriedly ordered the clerks to send the old man back, and he quickly followed Liu Taozi and the others.

Everyone rushed into the county town. The roads in the city were also muddy and difficult to walk on. Most of the buildings on both sides were short, old and dilapidated. The building complex was obviously not as connected as Cheng'an, and the houses were not next to each other. There were many gaps. Liyang was obviously not as big as Cheng'an, whether in terms of land area or population. Judging from the appearance alone, this place was like a township in Cheng'an and could not be compared at all.

Yao Xiong's eyes were full of disappointment, and he had no expectations for the county government.

When they arrived at the center of the city, they were surprised to find that the court was not dilapidated. It was the most luxurious building in the city. Its tall stature was out of place in the county town. Not only was it tall, but the walls had been carefully repaired, looking new and beautiful. There were all kinds of strange patterns on the walls, stretching endlessly. The gate had just been painted, looking brand new and tall.

At the gate of the county government office, one can finally see two soldiers, fully armed and quite majestic.

The official panted and finally caught up with Liu Taozi. He stepped forward and blocked Liu Taozi's way. "County Magistrate, County Magistrate, you've gone the wrong way, you've gone the wrong way!"

"This is the county government office! Not the county government office!"

"The one across the street is the county government office!"

The official pointed at the other party, and a dilapidated and shabby courtyard came into view. Yao Xiong looked at the tall mansion on the left, then looked at the small mansion opposite, and muttered: "What the hell is going on?"

The official hurriedly explained, "Mr. County Magistrate, Liyang County is the seat of Liyang County. The prefect, county magistrate, and county lieutenant all work here. In addition, all the county officials also work here."

"The county magistrate lives in a nice place, why isn't the county government building being repaired?"

"This"

Several officials lowered their heads and said nothing.

Liu Taozi and the others turned around and prepared to enter the dilapidated county government office. Just as they reached the door, they heard shouting not far away.

Everyone looked sideways.

A group of people came from a distance. They were all wearing black clothes and holding strange musical instruments in their hands. They shook the instruments vigorously and shouted loudly in a language that no one could understand. They all sat on big stools. There were four laborers in front and behind who were carrying the stools with great effort to make them sit steadily.

Under each person's buttocks, there are four laborers, who are sweating profusely, bent over, carrying large stools, and moving forward step by step.

On both sides, there were knights gathered, holding bottles in their hands, soaking water with willow branches and then using them to sprinkle water.

Those people sitting on the benches were all fat, with big heads and big ears. They had strange looks, peculiar hair, and even weirder accents.

They chanted in unison and were carried by the laborers as they passed by the gates of the two yamen without stopping to salute.

"These are the monks of the city."

The clerk began to explain.

"They are performing a ritual to exorcise a ghost. In the past few months, an evil ghost has appeared in the city, causing a lot of trouble. The people are deeply uneasy. In order to get rid of the harm to the people, the governor invited the masters of Chongguang Temple to perform a ritual to exorcise the ghost."

"Evil ghost."

Liu Taozi spoke in a low voice, looking dimly at the foreign monks who were chanting Buddhist scriptures in the distance.

(End of this chapter)