Chapter 558 I am Hai Rui Hai Gangfeng of Hainan

In an alley in Xuanningfang next to the Yongkang Bridge in Nanjing City, a wandering Taoist was beating a fisherman’s drum and singing loudly.

“I use the magic water to use my soul, and I lay the altar to worship Laojun. I look at the table and collect the food, but I have no sincerity at all. I just eat wine and meat, and walk around the streets to kill time. If anyone has a disaster or disease, please help me make money!”

The song is melodious, playful and funny.

When he arrived in front of the gate of a courtyard, the Taoist looked around and saw that there was no one around, so he quietly knocked on the door.

After a while, the door opened a crack, revealing a pair of eyes. When they saw the Taoist’s appearance clearly, they were surprised and happy. They quickly opened the door and let the Taoist into the yard.

He stuck his head out to look around, then closed the door tightly.

“Uncle, why are you here?” Huangfu Tan asked in surprise.

Ren Boan scooped up a bucket of water, gulped it down, and let out a long breath: “I came to see you. When I came out, I promised Cailian that I would take good care of you.”

Cai Lian was the maiden name of Huangfu Tan’s wife, who lived with her two children in a small town outside Suzhou.

Hearing his wife’s name, Huangfu Tan couldn’t help feeling a little melancholy.

“I wonder how they are doing?”

Ren Boan looked at Huangfu Tan, guilt flashing in his eyes, “It’s me who harmed you. I insisted on dragging you out into this muddy water, and ended up trapping you in it.

Luckily it was Mr. Hai who asked you to do something, otherwise how would I explain it to Cai Lian?”

“How did uncle find me?”

“Your residence was arranged by the Royal Guards. How can I find it?”

“Is your uncle working for the Royal Guards?”

Ren Boan did not answer, but asked: “What do you do for Lord Hai?”

“The matter of the Southern Examination in the first year of Longqing. These past few days I have been contacting the scholars who did not bribe and failed the examination, and also those who paid money to buy the title of Juren from Ruan Rendao.
Gather testimony and evidence.”

“The Duke of Hai is finally going to investigate the events of the Southern Imperial Examination in the first year of the Longqing reign. But there are too many dirty things in this world, how can the Duke of Hai investigate them all?”

“Uncle, what are you doing?”

“Don’t ask about my affairs.”

Ren Boan was a little surprised when he saw Huangfu Tan.

You ask me, and I tell you everything; I ask you, and you tell me not to ask?
Ren Boan sighed, “You work for Lord Hai, and your work is aboveboard, so you don’t mind telling me about it. I work for the Royal Guards, and my work is shady and secretive, so if you can avoid knowing it, it’s best that you don’t know it.”

Huangfu Tan couldn’t believe it. “Why is Lord Hai entangled with the Jinyiwei?”

“Why not? The Imperial Guards are the emperor’s eyes and ears. There are some things that are inconvenient for Lord Hai to investigate, but the Imperial Guards are just right for them. Haoju, a big prison may be set up in Jiangnan. I don’t know how many families will be ruined and how many people will die!”

Huangfu Tan said coldly: “Those corrupt officials and the wealthy and powerful who bully men and women, I think it would be better if they were killed cleanly. Only when they are killed cleanly can the people live a good life.”

Ren Boan shook his head: “It’s not clean. Once this group is eradicated, a new group will grow. If the country prospers, the people will suffer; if it perishes, the people will still suffer.”

Huangfu Tan was somewhat dazed, but then he became excited again, “Fortunately, the Ming Dynasty has Lord Hai. With him here, the Ming Dynasty still has hope.

In the past few days, I have been taught by Lord Hai, and I feel more and more that the Ming Dynasty is really undergoing a great change, and it will become better than we expected.”

“The Ming Dynasty will get better, really?” Ren Boan asked back, his tone full of disdain. He paused and said, “You are still young, it’s always good to have hope in your heart.”

After a few more pleasantries and some careful instructions, Ren Boan got up and left.

“Haoju, I have something to do and I’m leaving now. I don’t know when we’ll see each other again. Remember, you still have Cailian and the child, so take good care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry, uncle. But you, be careful about everything.”

Ren Boan smiled, waved goodbye and left the courtyard.

“Playing the fishing drum, singing Taoist songs, talking about life, death and fame. Singing Taoist songs, playing the fishing drum, talking about gods, immortals and the past and present. The immortals have their own joy in the mountains, and ordinary people have their own worries in the world.”

The singing, accompanied by the sound of fishermen’s drums, echoed slowly in the alley and spread to the yard. Huangfu Tan listened quietly, waiting until Ren Boan’s singing faded away, disappearing like a wisp of smoke in the bright sun.

“Deep in the night, cranes fly through the blue autumn sky, and the west wind blows a cold sword. Don’t let down the three lights or people, don’t cheat the gods or the poor. Uncle, we may meet again, but I hope it’s not another Nan Ke dream.”

Ren Boan, dressed in Taoist clothes, walked around and finally came to the back door of the Western goods store. He knocked on the door three times, long and two times, with a series of short sounds.

Soon someone opened the door, let Boan in, and led him into the upper room where Su Feng was waiting for him.

“Mr. Ren, please take a seat.”

“You’re too polite, Su.”

“My name is Baicheng, Mr. Ren, you can just call me Baicheng.”

Ren Boan was stunned, then replied: “My name is Taifu Xiujing.”

“Mr. Xiu Jing, please have some tea.”

“Thank you, Brother Baicheng.”

After Ren Boan took two sips of tea, Su Feng asked, “Mr. Xiu Jing, have you found any trace of Shao Jian?”

“Brother Baicheng, I’m here to visit you.”

“Where is he?”

“It’s in Nanjing.”

“Nanjing? He actually came to Nanjing. No wonder our people in Suchang area couldn’t find this guy even after digging three feet underground. He actually came to Nanjing.

Mr. Xiu Jing, have you met him?”

“Yes. He came to Nanking to avoid disaster.”

Su Feng smiled, “Mr. Hai is really the Guan Gong statue on the shrine. As soon as he was revealed, not only the officials and gentry in Jiangnan were in a state of panic, but even these scoundrels were frightened and ran around in panic.”

“Brother Baicheng, Shao Jian is a visitor and has close ties with officials and gentry. He knows very well that when Lord Hai comes to Jiangnan, a group of officials and gentry will definitely be in trouble.

What he was afraid of was that he would be pulled out.

Shao Jian knew that if he were to meet Lord Hai, he would be beaten to death with a stick, just like killing a stink bug.”

Su Feng curled his lips and said, “Rats and reptiles are the most alert. Once they sense danger, they will run away in advance.”

“Brother Baicheng, can you tell me now what you want me to do by asking me to find Shao Jian?”

Su Feng walked to the door, looked around, found that there was no one around, closed the door and returned to his seat.

“Did you know that Shao Jian has two booklets in his hand?”

Ren Boan’s pupils shrank.

It seems that my guess was right. The Jinyiwei deliberately wanted the two booklets in Shao Jian’s hands.

Only a few people knew about the two booklets in Shao Jian’s hands, and he only found out about them by accident.

Seeing the look on Ren Boan’s face, Su Feng smiled, “It seems that Mr. Xiu Jing knows about it. That’s easy. We, the Jinyiwei, must get these two booklets.” Seeing Ren Boan’s hesitation, Su Feng smiled even more naively, “Mr. Xiu Jing knows how powerful these two booklets are.”

“To be honest with you, Brother Baicheng, when I first heard that Shao Jian had these two booklets, I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat, and I was certain that Shao Jian would eventually die without a burial place.

How dare he have that thing?
It was also after knowing about the two booklets that I made up my mind to leave Shao Jian and stay away from the visit to avoid being implicated.

I never thought that I would not be able to escape after all.”

Ren Boan looked at Su Feng and continued hesitantly: “Brother Baicheng, you also know the importance of those two books. Shao Jian must have hidden them very secretly. I have no way of finding out.”

“It doesn’t matter. I know Shao Jian keeps those two books very close to him. Not to mention you, even his close confidants who have followed him for decades may not know about them, let alone where they are hidden.”

“Brother Baicheng, why did you let me get close to Shao Jian?”

“I need your help to confirm whether the two books are real or fake. From your reaction, I know that these two books do exist.

Now I need your help to find out whether Shao Jian carries these two booklets with him or hides them somewhere else.

You are a veteran in the world, and this little test is easy for you to handle.

After the test, we have a plan in mind, and we, the Jinyiwei, will complete the rest.”

Ren Boan remained silent.

Su Feng said: “I know this is very dangerous, but don’t worry, we have people outside who can attack at any time. We also have people in Shao Jian’s confidant who can support you at any time.

Shao Jian is suspicious by nature, and he is suspicious of the people around him during an emergency. On the contrary, you, an old friend who suddenly appeared, might be able to find a loophole and make him reveal his flaws.”

Ren Boan thought for a moment and said, “Dushi Su, I will give it a try. If I fail and lose my life, please help Huangfu Tan for my contribution.”

Su Feng looked at Ren Boan intently and nodded, “Don’t worry, Mr. Ren. Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, regardless of whether you come back alive or not, I, Old Su, will remember this favor.”

“Thank you!” Ren Boan said with a bow.

“Thank you for your hard work!” Su Feng replied with a bow.

Su Feng remained silent as he watched Ren Boan leave. A deputy came forward to report.

“Everything is going on. The commander of the Nanjing Left Guard Regiment of the Guard Army, Wang Tianhua, is here.”

Su Feng was stunned, and quickly said, “Please come in.”

Wang Tianhua, dressed in casual clothes, walked in. Su Feng politely bowed and said, “Commander Wang, what brings you into the city this time?”

“I have received a military order from the Right Censor of the Metropolitan Censorate and the Governor of Jiangsu Province, Hai Gong, ordering us to take a battalion of soldiers and horses and wait in the Yuhuatai area.

Our troops have assembled and are on standby at the designated location. According to the law, we must report to you.”

The Guard Army was reorganized from the elite military academies and soldiers of the Jinyiwei stationed in various places.

In terms of organization, it is still under the Jinyiwei, and its daily management is also directly responsible by the Jinyiwei.

There was a deputy commander-in-chief and admiral of the guard army.

However, according to the new national military law, provincial governors have the right to mobilize local guards to deal with local emergencies.

However, the transferred guards must report to the Jinyiwei’s local agencies. Currently, the Jinyiwei only has the Zhenfusi in its local agencies.

Because Hai Rui was going to Nanjing to investigate a case, Zhu Yijun gave him the authority to mobilize the Nanjing Guard.

The Jinyiwei also notified the Nanjing Guard Army early on and asked them to be on standby at all times.

“Yuhuatai?” Su Feng muttered twice, and suddenly remembered, “Tianjieyuan is there. In the past few days, Lord Hai has been asking us to help investigate Tianjieyuan. It seems that we are going to take action.”

Wang Tianhua said he didn’t care, and even had some expectations: “Tianjieyuan has been in a mess in recent years. It’s time to clean it up.”

Su Feng glanced at him and said nothing.

Tianjieyuan is just a cover, there is a bigger movement behind it.

At this time, the deputy ran in again and whispered twice in Su Feng’s ear.

Is Wang Cheng, the chief of the Eastern Depot, here?
Su Feng’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly said to Wang Tianhua: “Commander Wang, I have received your report document. I have something urgent to do now, please stamp the receipt and have someone send it to you later.”

“Okay, Sudu, please do as you please.”

The gate of Tianjie Temple on Yuhuatai was wide open. In addition to the tide of devout pilgrims pouring in, there were also hundreds of tourists strolling in the front yard of Tianjie Temple.

Monk Zhongyuan from Tianjie Temple hurriedly walked by and caught a glimpse of a group of six people. The old man in the lead had an extraordinary demeanor. Although he was dressed very ordinary, his every move revealed a sense of majesty.

Could it be that some official or gentry came here for a visit?
Tianjieyuan is a popular check-in spot in Nanjing. Officials who are on their way to take up posts in various places will come here to visit when they pass by Nanjing.

Monk Zhongyuan is most keen on making friends with the powerful and influential.

Since you don’t want to reveal your identity, I’ll just treat you as an ordinary tourist.

“Amitabha, is this donor’s first visit to Tianjieyuan?”

The dark-faced old man who led the group had his hands behind his back, looking around. When he heard the voice, he turned around and saluted, “Returning the salute to the great monk, this old man is indeed here for the first time.”

“I am the head monk of Tianjie Temple, Monk Zhongyuan. I am free, so I will show you the way.”

The old man’s eyes lit up and he replied with a smile: “Thank you very much, Master.”

Monk Zhongyuan led the way, introducing as he walked: “Our Tianjie Temple is vast and deep, with thirty-six halls, as well as the West Pavilion, Bell Tower, etc. It has both the tranquility of natural mountains and forests and the splendor of murals.

Surrounded by hills and shaded by green trees, with morning bells and evening drums, and majestic temples, the environment is quiet and simple, like a world away from the world.

Many poets and writers like the old gentleman stayed there, either feeling relaxed and happy, reluctant to leave, or reciting poems and composing fu, realizing the Zen.

During the Hongwu reign, Qingqiuzi Gao Jidi once wrote a poem: “After the rain has passed over the imperial city, the fragrance condenses into the secluded Buddhist world. Spring eaglets in the orchard, doves dancing in the flower palace. Ten thousand shoes gather with the bell, and the eternal flow flows into the realm.”

Monk Zhongyuan transformed himself into a gold medal tour guide and introduced the old man and his group of six with great pride.

The old man listened with great interest and asked, “I heard that Tianjie Temple is the largest main temple in the south of the city.”

This just hits the spot where Zhongyuan itch.

“That’s right, that’s right. I have two secondary temples under my command, the one in the city called Jiming and the one in the city called Jinghai. I also have twelve temples under my command, the twelve Buddhist temples of Qingliang, Yongqing, Waguan, Jiufeng, Cheng’en, Puyuan, Jixiang, Jinling, Jiashan, Puhui, Hongji, and Jiehui, as well as twenty-six nunneries.”

“That’s right. I heard that the monk Huichi from Waguan Temple raped a woman, the monk from Puyuan Temple killed someone for debt collection, and there were thirteen other monks who committed serious crimes and fled to Tianjie Temple. They were protected by you, and Yingtian Prefecture did not dare to arrest them.

I also heard that your temple selected hundreds of beautiful women, and even redeemed official and private prostitutes, first ordained them as nuns and placed them in the 26 subordinate nunneries. They were then sent to the Tianjie Temple in turn for the heads of the East and West classes to enjoy.

Is this possible? “

Well, he comes with bad intentions!
I was wrong today, he turned out to be here to mess things up!
Zhong Yuan’s face was gloomy, and he stared at the old man fiercely, asking in a vicious voice: “Who are you? How dare you come to my Tianjie Courtyard and make trouble!”

The old man said calmly: “I am Hai Rui Hai Gangfeng from Hainan!”

Monk Zhongyuan’s rosy face turned pale in an instant, like a peeled egg.

(End of this chapter)