Cui Geng hesitated: "And let this official think carefully......"

The history of Wu Zetian and Princess Taiping sharing a male pet is recorded, coupled with the death-free gold medal that can be verified at any time, Cui Geng has no doubt about Hui Fan's identity.

But how to deal with Hui Fan, he is in a dilemma.

Put? Undoubtedly, it is a strong enemy. This Huifan monk is not only unclear with Her Majesty the Empress, but also rich and rival the country. If he slows down, he will definitely be a difficult opponent.

Don't let go? There are more than 1,000 people at the scene, how to keep it secret? But as soon as someone reports the case, the Zhang brothers might as well get the treasure? If Her Majesty's death-free gold medal is nothing, he will die.

What to do?

"Cui Jingzhao, and listen to the old man."

Cui Geng here hesitated, and Yan Liang, the leader of the Cao Gang over there, was in a hurry. Without it, who will Hui Fan deal with first after he gets out of trouble? It's not the high-powered Jingzhao Yin Cui Geng, it's not the Tianhuang nobleman Li Longji, it must be the Cao Gang as a soft persimmon!

Yan Liang said: "When the interruption continues, it will be chaotic!" I also asked Cui Jingzhao to put this Huifan monk and even the monks and soldiers of Tianwang Temple to correct the Fa on the spot, and it was a hundred. As long as you agree to this, we will help you up and down, and only your horse will look forward. ”

Song Genhai said disdainfully: "There are many people who are willing to work for our Lord Cui, are there three or two big cats and kittens from your Cao Gang?" ”

Yan Liang looked at Li Longji and said proudly: "If our Cao Gang sells itself and boasts, Cui Jingzhao may be suspicious. Why don't you ask King Linzi to introduce the true strength of our Cao Gang. ”

Li Longji was dripping blood in his heart at this time, and secretly thought that he had worked so hard to hide that the imperial court had come to Baqiao, and even risked his life to get involved in the Cao Gang and Tianwang Temple, didn't he just want to subdue the Cao Gang? It's good now, not only did he not achieve his goal, but he also had to hand over the Cao Gang to him.

However, the situation is stronger than people. He was no longer happy, because he was afraid of Monk Huifan's revenge, so he had to tell the truth about the situation of the Cao Gang.

It turned out that these people in front of him were just young men who could be assembled by the Cao Gang in three days. The real strength of the Cao Gang is that there are gangs all over the world.

These gangs are the boatmen, except for the porters at the wharves and the porters who pull the boats.

These shipwrights set off from their homes in April every year and arrived in Yangzhou in June, where they loaded local grain on a northbound ship. In August, it enters the Bianhe River through the Huai River and reaches the mouth of the Yellow River in October.

At that time, the Yellow River was at its most flooded, making it possible for ships to pass through Sanmenxia. Risking their lives, the boatmen crossed the Yellow River and Weishui to arrive in Chang'an in late November.

Now that the boatmen are still on the way, the Cao Gang has been bullied by the monks of Tennoji Temple and has no temper. Otherwise, there are still three catties of nails in the broken ship, and the Cao gang of four or five thousand people is not so easy to deal with.

After listening to this, Cui Geng said suspiciously: "Wait, according to what you mean by King Linzi, it is in October every year that the Cao boat can pass through Sanmenxia." So how do these ships go back to Yangzhou? ”

"Can't go back." Li Longji smiled bitterly: "Therefore, the Cao Gang buys ships in Yangzhou every year, and sells boats in Baqiao. So much so that the price of grain is known as fighting rice and money. ”

Cui Geng was surprised: "Fighting rice and money? So expensive? ”

Yan Liang interjected: "Although fighting rice and money is an exaggeration, forty or fifty wen is always required, and when the year is bad, it will be seventy or eighty." ”

Cui Geng converted it and muttered: "That's the same amount of money for one stone of rice, but it's really expensive." What if the grain is brought and the court refuses to accept it? ”

This question reached the key point, the price of rice in Chang'an is far from the price of a stone of rice, and it can only be that the imperial court does this wronged in order to stabilize prices.

Yan Liang introduced: "It turned out that it was the imperial army that transported the grain, which was called "Cao Ding", and the cost remained high. The name of fighting rice and money was handed down at that time. Later, Qian Weili, the head of the household department, wrote to the imperial court to improve the Cao Yun, and only then did the people transport grain. The imperial court stipulated that if you wanted to transfer grain, you had to first obtain a document issued by the household department. The grain bought can only come from Yangzhou Taiping. In other words, before we and the Cao Gang left, we had already negotiated the price and quantity with the government. ”

Cui Geng groaned: "No matter how strict the Cao Yun system is, if the Cao Gang colludes with the officials, they will make money every year, I'm afraid the Dragon King of the East China Sea will be tempted!" ”

Yan Liang smiled bitterly; "In the past, my Cao Gang was indeed beautiful, and the head of the household department to manage the Cao grain was indeed the world's first-class fat shortage; It's just that after His Majesty moved the capital, Cao Yun was dispensable in the eyes of the imperial court, and my Cao Gang's life was not easy, so I could only barely maintain it. ”

Cui Geng understands that even if he "barely maintains", with the strength of the Cao Gang with four or five thousand children, it cannot be underestimated.

Then, it can be seen that the strength of Tennoji, which is the enemy of the Cao Gang, is also quite large.

He thought for a while, looked at Hui Fan and said, "The strength of the Cao Gang is extraordinary, and this official is really tempted." Great monk, if you can't take out the greater benefit than the entire Cao Gang. That can't be said, this official wants to ...... Kill people! ”

Monk Huifan's eyes rolled wildly, and he said: "The poor monk has tens of millions of family fortunes, and he is willing to sacrifice it to Cui Jingzhao." ”

"Hmph, kill you, aren't all the money from the official?"

"The poor monk can speak well for Cui Jingzhao in front of His Majesty."

"With the Zhang brothers in the way, it's hard to say whether you can see Your Majesty now, next."

"Next, next......" Hui Fan's mind was racing, and his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said: "The poor monk has some power in Chang'an, which should be able to help Cui Jingzhao." ”

Cui Geng said disapprovingly: "The four major gangs in Chang'an, this official has never heard of such a number one as Tianwang Temple. ”

Hui Fan said: "That's different! In Chang'an, the little monks do serious business. Therefore, not among the four major forces, in fact, when it comes to real strength, the poor monks are by no means under the four major gangs. ”

"Serious business?"

"It's serious business, indeed. The parents of the little monk are Tianzhu nobles. Fifty years ago, in order to avoid the Tianzhu Rebellion, they brought a large amount of gold and silver treasures to settle in Chang'an. For decades, my family's business has spread all over the country, and I have this tens of millions of family assets.

Cui Geng originally thought that this Hui Fanyang borrowed the strength of Princess Taiping and took advantage of it, so that he had this tens of millions of family wealth. Now I understand that the ancestors of the monk Huifan have left a huge fortune.

He wondered, "Then why did you become a monk again?" ”

"The little monk has been weak and sick since he was a child, and my father was afraid that it would be difficult for me to raise him, so he let the little monk enter the temple to practice in order to seek the blessing of the Buddha. Only wait for the young monk to become an adult, and then return to the secular to inherit the family business. It's just that the little monk is very talented, and he was accepted as the heir of the mantle by the host of Tiannoji Temple. Later, my master died, and I succeeded to the throne as the new presiding officer of Tennoji, so I was too lazy to return to the world. ”

Cui Gengdao: "It seems that your property in Chang'an City was left by your ancestors?" ”

"That's true. In fact, the little monk has always followed the rules and studied Buddhism intensively, and did not dare to do anything beyond the rules. It was only later, because the little monk had an encounter with Princess Taiping and even His Majesty, that he didn't know that the sky was high and the earth was thick, and he raised monks and soldiers and did some wrong things. Now the little monk is willing to change his past, and please ask Cui Jingzhao to be merciful and spare the little monk this time! ”

After speaking, Monk Huifan knocked his head like a chicken smashing rice, and his work was not big, and his forehead was covered with blood.

Cui Geng's heart moved, and said, "You have had a murder case over the years?" ”

"The little monk doesn't dare, absolutely not!"

"That Yan Jiaojiao was kidnapped by you, has her innocence ever been damaged?"

"Absolutely not."

"This one...... I can't spare you. Cui Geng groaned: "However, there is no basis for empty words, and the official does not believe in any gambling curses and swears." What are you going to do to convince me that you are sincere in your desire to change your ways? ”