Chapter 208 Large-scale construction projects
Jiang Lin "looked" at the line of large characters in his sea of consciousness and was slightly stunned.
Jiang Lin reacted immediately and bowed three times again in front of the statue of the Emperor.
"No taboos..."
Jiang Lin chewed on these four words silently, with a smile on his lips.
It seems that even the Emperor can't stand it anymore.
Jiang Lin is no longer a rookie, and he has already had some understanding of the foundation of his small Taoist temple.
Although Ziwei Temple is small, the fact that it is named "Ziwei" is very telling.
This Taoist temple is a direct descendant of the Emperor who has left his name in Ziweiyuan.
Moreover, no matter what, the current events in Hangzhou City are directed at Ziwei Temple, and there is even a suspicion of defiling Ziwei Emperor.
In fact, even if the Emperor didn’t say it, Jiang Lin would do it.
It’s just that now I have fewer worries.
Jiang Lin took a deep breath, stood up and walked out of the main hall.
Xiaoqing had already strolled to the backyard to turn the soil, while Bai Suzhen and Tu Shanyu were still waiting quietly outside.
After Jiang Lin came out, Tu Shanyu nodded to him, tidied his clothes meticulously, and walked into the main hall.
Jiang Lin looked at Tu Shanyu kneeling before the statue of the Emperor and couldn't help but glance at the statue of the Emperor.
There was something of a guilty look in that look.
"Fellow Daoist, why is this Young Master Tushan following you?"
Bai Suzhen asked casually, but there was inquiry in her tone.
It's not that she doesn't know how to hide, nor is it that she doesn't know how to beat around the bush, but she knows that being straightforward is often the best thing to do in front of Jiang Lin.
"I seem to have forgotten something..."
Jiang Lin muttered to himself, looking a little confused.
Bai Suzhen was stunned when she heard this. She looked at Jiang Lin deeply and asked, "About this Tushan Young Master?"
Jiang Lin was silent for a long time, until Tu Shanyu came out of the main hall after offering incense, then he shook his head and said imperceptibly: "Not only..."
Bai Suzhen's expression changed and she didn't ask any more questions.
"Master, what are you going to do next?"
Tu Shanyu asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Jiang Lin touched his cuffs and took out a bag with some heartache.
Slowly opening it, there was a sea of jewels and treasures inside.
"I plan to use this money to renovate the Taoist temple."
Jiang Lin looked at the dilapidated environment of his own Taoist temple, and the heartache he had felt about spending the largest sum of money in his life suddenly disappeared.
"The walls need to be rebuilt, and the doors need to be replaced. The main hall and the backyard, everything is very old."
"Half of the kitchen door has always been broken, and water will flow back when it rains."
Jiang Lin spoke like he was counting the details on the back of his hand, and his eyes became brighter the more he spoke.
"Look here."
As he spoke, Jiang Lin walked to the wall and pointed at a broken piece on the wall. The edges of the broken piece had become rounded, and it was obvious that it was very old.
"This piece was when I was a kid and a thief crawled in and tried to steal something."
"But the most valuable thing in the house at that time was the old man's Taoist robe."
"Not only did he not steal anything, but he was also scared when he left. He was so panicked that he climbed over the wall and left, but he also pulled a piece of the wall down with him."
"I wanted to build it up again, but the old man said no. Leaving this gap would let thieves know that there is nothing good to steal in this broken Taoist temple."
"But it should be unnecessary now."
Jiang Lin's voice gradually became louder, and his excitement was almost visible to the naked eye.
He took two steps back and spread his arms as if to cover the entire wall.
"I plan to tear down the earthen walls and replace them with fine bluestone walls. I will also build an eaves on the top, so that it looks more impressive!"
"Also, the door needs to be replaced with a better one. The teacher's statue is facing the door, so this is not only for appearance, but also for the inside."
Jiang Lin talked incessantly about his plans. He had started planning these things a long time ago.
And now, Jiang Lin wants to realize all these things.
He turned and looked at Bai Suzhen and Tu Shanyu, his eyes shining.
"What do you think?"
Tu Shanyu and Bai Suzhen looked at each other, silently wrote down what Jiang Lin had just said, and then nodded at the same time.
"I just said there was nothing wrong with my plan."
Bai Suzhen looked at Jiang Lin, and seeing the bright smile on his face, her heart suddenly felt a little sour.
She could almost imagine that after her master passed away, a child stood in the dilapidated Taoist temple, speaking with great vigor and dreaming dreams that seemed almost impossible at the time.
After waking up from the dream, I am still faced with helplessness.
But it's different now.
The new generation genius who is famous in the three realms and the only black law wizard in the human world, if he spreads the word, there is no telling how many legal systems will scramble to use the most precious and luxurious materials to rebuild the Taoist temple for Jiang Lin.
But even so, Jiang Lin's choice is still the scene he imagined as a child.
Jiang Lin breathed a sigh of relief, shook his wrist and said, "This time, we kill two birds with one stone."
"I'm here to help."
Tu Shanyu walked to Jiang Lin with a smile and said, "The Taoist priest has tasted my cooking skills."
Before Jiang Lin could say anything, Bai Suzhen said, "I will contact the workers."
Bai Suzhen added, "And Xiaoqing is also a good worker."
"Okay, then, split up. I'll go and exchange these jewels for gold and silver."
Jiang Lin smiled and nodded.
In the backyard, Xiaoqing, who had just finished tilling the vegetable patch, was leaning on a hoe, admiring the fruits of her labor, completely unaware that she had been "sold" by her sister.
…………
The Ziwei Temple on Longjing Mountain needs to be rebuilt, expanded, and the golden body reshaped.
This piece of news has become the hottest topic among the part-time workers and farmers in Hangzhou these days.
Because this is a big job, and a big job means more manpower, which means wages, and means another livelihood.
Even in Hangzhou, a fertile city in the south, poor people still make up the majority of the population.
During the slack season, no one would mind using their labor in exchange for a considerable reward.
Especially for the renovation and expansion of a Taoist temple.
"This is a good thing that will increase your merits."
On the widest main road in Hangzhou City, many people gathered in front of the billboard, looking at the most conspicuous notice on it.
"Master Jiang from Ziwei Temple in Longjing Mountain is planning to expand the temple and is now recruiting workers. Those with skills are the best, but even if you don't have any, you can still help move bricks, stones and wood."
A scholar stood next to the notice board, reading out the notice from time to time.
The notice was written in very clear language, but for many people who could not read a single word, they still needed someone to shout it out.
"Isn't this a public notice? How can it be used to recruit workers for Ziwei Temple?"
"You do not know?"
"Brother, tell me?"
"Let me tell you, this Taoist priest Jiang from Ziwei Temple is no ordinary person. Don't look down on his young age, he is very capable!"
"Hasn't it been rumored recently that Taoist Xiao Jiang from Ziwei Temple has disappeared?"
"He is not missing, he went to Kyoto! And he made a lot of money from incense offerings!" "Also! Do you know who gave this money? It was the current emperor!"
"You guys, Taoist Xiao Jiang wants to use the money from the incense offerings granted by His Majesty to repair and expand the Taoist temple. Can the county magistrate come and support him?"
The one who was surrounded in the middle like the moon surrounded by stars, with a smug look on his face, raised his arm and shouted.
"My dear old man! You must seize this opportunity!"
"Those who have the strength and skills, hurry up and go to work on Longjing Mountain!"
"You know, this is not just about accumulating merit for your family. The wages you can get are all from the emperor! What a blessing this is!"
"So, we are also eating a portion of the emperor's food?"
"Hahahaha! That's right!"
For a moment, some people were preparing to go home and pack up their things to go up the mountain, while others started walking towards Longjing Mountain.
Although I can't build a house, but the notice also said that I can go there if I have enough strength.
However, amidst this enthusiasm, a discordant voice was heard.
"But I heard that there is a snake demon in Ziwei Temple..."
As soon as these words came out, the people around him suddenly became quiet.
The man who spoke had a look of panic on his face, and continued mysteriously: "Do you all know what happened in Guo's manor?"
"A family of five, all of their bones were broken, and they were sucked dry! This must have been done by a snake demon!"
"I'm going to work at Ziwei Temple, but it's on the mountain, and I have to sleep at the construction site at night!"
After the man finished speaking, he shrank his neck, squeezed out of the crowd and ran away, as if he was afraid of being targeted by the snake demon.
The person who spoke at the beginning rolled his eyes when he saw that everyone was in a dilemma.
"shit!"
He threw his hands and shouted, "What happened to the murder case in Guojiazhuang? The county government hasn't come to a conclusion yet. How can a lazy guy like him know so much? He is just a gossipy bastard!"
“Even if there really was a snake demon in Ziwei Temple, that was when Taoist Xiao Jiang was not around!”
"Now that Taoist Xiao Jiang is back, he has real skills!"
"You know, Taoist Xiao Jiang has met His Majesty! Doesn't he mean that His Majesty is blind?!"
"In my opinion, he must be afraid that someone else will take his job! He must have secretly run away to the mountains now!"
This man spoke in a very logical manner, and his words calmed the people around him.
Then he secretly gave the scholar a look.
The latter immediately reacted and shouted, "Those who move bricks, stones and wood will get 200 taels a day! Those with skills will get 400 taels a day! Food and lodging are provided! Three meals a day! Rice and flour for every meal, and a big piece of fat meat once a day!"
After these words were spoken, everyone fell silent and looked at the scholar.
Every eye was shining, with a hint of accusation at times. Why are you telling me such an important thing now?
The scholar thought for a moment and added, "There are also an extra five kilograms of flour every day that I can take home!"
boom!
The people were in an uproar, and some even scrambled to come up, fearing that what the scholar said was false.
Looking at those pairs of red eyes, the scholar added weakly: "After the work is completed, each person will receive five taels of silver, a piece of fine cloth, and twenty catties of meat..."
After saying that, the scene fell silent again, and the people's expressions had gone from shock to disbelief.
The voice of the scholar sounded again: "Master Jiang said that this money was awarded by the emperor, and he will definitely not be able to spend it all on building the Taoist temple. In this case, why not find a way to benefit the people..."
"damn it!"
At this time, a commoner shouted.
"Even if it costs me my life to finish this job, I will go!"
This sentence really hits the nail on the head.
Yes, since it was the money given by the emperor and endorsed by the county government, it can prove two points.
First, this is true. If you work at Ziwei Temple, you can really get so much.
Second, Taoist Xiao Jiang is a master who is worthy of the emperor's approval and has real skills. If this is the case, then Ziwei Temple must be a blessed place. How could there be monsters there?
There are not so many fools in the world.
After understanding this truth, almost all the people rushed towards Longjing Mountain.
For a moment, the only people on the billboard were the scholar and the man who spoke at the beginning.
The two smiled at each other, made an appointment, and came to a secret place.
The scholar raised his hand and stroked his temples, his movements as gentle as a woman's, and said with a smile: "It seems that your father's reputation is still useful. Look, just one sentence has reassured the people."
The man waved his hand casually and said, "If it's useful, feel free to use it. You're welcome."
After saying that, I couldn't help laughing.
The scholar waved his hand, and after a flash of light, it turned out to be Liu Yunxiu.
And the one standing aside was naturally the eldest princess of the dynasty, Zhou Rou.
The two girls smiled at each other and walked hand in hand towards the direction of Prince Song's Palace in Hangzhou City.
"It just so happens that my father has stripped the King of Song of all his titles, so the King of Song's mansion just happened to be vacant, which is a good deal for me."
"This is not cheap. Our Princess must live in a good place."
"If you like it, I'll give you the deed later."
"I really mean it."
"Do you really want it?"
The two girls played around for a while and then got down to business.
"What about the person who made up the story?"
"Don't worry, there's also a centurion from the Bureau of Compilation here with me, so that man won't get away."
"As expected of Her Royal Highness the Princess."
"Go, let's talk business."
Zhou Rou helplessly patted the unruly Liu Yunxiu and said seriously, "Although it is better to guard against the people's mouths than to guard against the river, spreading rumors is not one of them."
"We need to investigate this matter quickly. If it turns into a big mess, I won't be able to face the Taoist priest."
Liu Yunxiu laughed and said, "Yo yo yo."
She imitated Zhou Rou and acted like Daiyu: "I don't have the face to see the Taoist priest~"
"you……"
Zhou Rou glared at her helplessly and said, "You don't care at all?"
"Who said that?"
Liu Yunxiu shook his finger and said with a smile, "You are not the only one who has connections in the court. I have already told my eldest nephew, and he will send a team of imperial censors to rectify the customs and clear up the rumors."
As she spoke, she said sternly, "Behind this incident, there must be the involvement of the Taoist priest's mortal enemies. But since they are ready to use the people's hearts as a knife, it just happens to hit our strong point."
"I just don't believe that an emperor and a prime minister can't suppress the rumors in Hangzhou!"
Zhou Rou also nodded, and then suddenly thought of something.
She said a little embarrassedly: "When do you think we should go see the Taoist priest?"
"He doesn't know that you and I are in Hangzhou."
Hearing this, Liu Yunxiu asked anxiously, "What's the matter? Are you feeling amorous, little beauty? I have learned the art of transformation, so why don't I transform myself into a fake one to entertain you?"
"Screw you."
Zhou Rou rolled her eyes and whispered, "You don't know, there's news from my men."
"Beside the Taoist priest, besides Miss Bai who has been managing Ziwei Temple, there is another one..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yunxiu turned around and walked back in the direction he came from.
"See you now!"
(End of this chapter)
