Chapter 165

165. Chapter 164: The Worry of Re-cooking, Accumulating Feathers to Sink the Boat

At the same time, Nurhaci, whom Zhu Yijun was talking about, encountered a small trouble—he was intercepted.

The Xilamulun River, also known as the Huangshui by the Ming Dynasty, is one of the great rivers outside the Great Wall. Starting from Chifeng Pass, it winds to the pasture of the Khorchin tribe (now Tongliao), where the ancestral home of the Khitan is located, known as one of the mother rivers of the grassland.

Nurhaci never expected that when the caravan he was in was returning after completing the last leg of the journey, it would be intercepted by Han people on the mother river!

Han people! Their hands have reached so far!?

The Xilamulun River flowed quietly, the vast grassland made people feel relaxed and happy, plus the clear sky without clouds, it was originally a good scene—if you could ignore the hundreds of war horses surrounding the caravan, restless and neighing.

Nurhaci quietly stood on tiptoe and looked forward.

The leader of the caravan was negotiating something with the leader of the Han people, but unfortunately, they were too far away to see clearly.

The brave warriors of both sides were at daggers drawn, guarding against each other.

Kang Gulu drilled back from the crowd in a sorry state, one hand pressing on Nurhaci's shoulder, the other supporting his knees, panting heavily after bending down.

His voice was intermittent, and he shook his head repeatedly: "Eternal Heaven is above, you scared me to death, fortunately, it is not the robbers we guessed just now."

Nurhaci showed a concerned look and hurriedly asked: "Not here to loot? Then what is going on with these Han people?"

Kang Gulu was white and fat, with an inconspicuous beard, and his speech was slightly weak: "Not looting, saying they want to preach to us."

After speaking, he added: "The leader said, let us not panic, and don't get into a hard fight with these Han people."

Nurhaci was stunned and puzzled: "Preach?"

Kang Gulu recovered his strength and finally stood up straight.

He nodded and repeated the news he had just heard: "Saying it is the White Lotus Sect, believing in a mother Buddha called 'Vacuum Hometown, No-Birth Old Mother'."

"They insist on spreading the doctrine, and won't let us go if we don't listen."

Nurhaci was even more puzzled: "Are they people from the Ming Dynasty?"

He only knew that the Ming Dynasty believed in Amitabha, Guanyin, and Mahasthamaprapta, but had never heard of any White Lotus Sect.

Kang Gulu shook his head, his expression a bit solemn: "No, they are Han people from the Bansheng side."

Hearing this, Nurhaci couldn't help but frown.

Bansheng is actually the abandoned people of the Ming Dynasty, who gathered to build Han tribes.

Over the past hundred years, the Ming Dynasty has been strong on the outside but weak on the inside, and every day there are soldiers and civilians fleeing outside the Great Wall, criminals who have committed crimes, civilians avoiding taxes, and even armies that have defected on a large scale.

These Han people gathered with equally bottom-level Mongols and Jurchens, reclaimed wasteland, built villages, raised cattle and horses, and were also a force not to be underestimated outside the Great Wall.

Three years ago, the Khan of the Mongol right wing, in order to rely on the Ming Dynasty, lured and killed a group of Han people in Bansheng as a bargaining chip, and the power of Bansheng was greatly weakened.

However...

Nurhaci looked at the elite cavalry surrounding the caravan and exclaimed: "Even the armament of the abandoned people is so good, hundreds of cavalry!"

He estimated there were at least three hundred cavalry; his own tribe would have a hard time gathering thirteen sets of armor!

If he could take so many cavalry under his command... he would be willing to do anything.

Kang Gulu also nodded: "I heard that this is only one branch. The foundation of the Han people is really deeper than the East Sea; even if it leaks out from the fingers, it cannot be underestimated."

While the two were talking, the negotiation at the front of the team also ended.

Nurhaci clearly saw the Han leader call the patrolling cavalry behind him and retreat to the distance.

Then he pointed to twenty people dressed in Daoist robes, looking like priests, and walked into the caravan.

These twenty priests each held scriptures, treasures, rituals, and some bottles and jars that they didn't recognize, their expressions so pious that Nurhaci seemed to see Buddha light flickering.

On the caravan side, there were also people walking through the front and back to appease everyone.

On one hand, they said it was just preaching and communication, and everyone should not be panicked; on the other hand, they blatantly said that if they saw any unusual movement, they should immediately subdue the person.

Nurhaci pulled Kang Gulu, found an inconspicuous place, and sat down cross-legged.

The two sat quietly in place, hands on their calves, convenient to take out daggers at any time, watching the group of Han people vigilantly.

A Han priest walked to the center of the crowd not far from the two and began to preach the doctrine alternately in Mongolian and Jurchen.

"Our White Lotus Sect was established in the third year of Shaoxing of the Southern Song Dynasty, which is the eleventh year of Tianhui."

"At that time, the Northern and Southern Song and Jin dynasties stood side by side, Amitabha and the Eternal Heaven Tengri were in the sky on the same day, and their supernatural powers resonated, so the No-Birth Old Mother was born, which inspired the leader of the White Lotus Sect, Mao Ziyuan."

"This holy spirit also symbolizes the union of the Central Plains and the grassland."

"Therefore, Bansheng, where Mongols and Han live together, is the promised holy land of the White Lotus Sect, and also the place of protection of the No-Birth Old Mother."

"Therefore, the several protectors of the White Lotus Sect... eh, several great priests, have Han people, Mongols, and Jurchens."

"..."

Nurhaci and Kang Gulu sat cross-legged and listened, couldn't help but look at each other.

Kang Gulu confirmed uncertainly: "Jin Dynasty... is our tribe, right?"

Nurhaci nodded hesitantly.

Kang Gulu looked puzzled: "When did Tengri give birth to the No-Birth Old Mother? According to his statement, is Amitabha a female?"

Tengri is the name of the Eternal Heaven, respected by the grassland.

Nurhaci shrugged: "Never heard of it, I don't know either."

Fortunately, they were not the only two who had doubts.

Someone immediately asked: "Are you talking nonsense? The Eternal Heaven is male, and the Buddha is also male, how can there be a daughter?"

The angle is very simple, and the language is very direct.

The priest smiled and shook his head: "Just listen to me slowly explain the doctrine."

"There are two sects in the world, one light and one dark. Before heaven and earth existed, there were these two, fighting endlessly in the past, present, and future."

"Whenever darkness gains the upper hand, there will be a great catastrophe in the world, heaven and earth will be destroyed, gods and Buddhas will suffer, and all living beings will perish. We must wait until light gains the upper hand for heaven and earth to be conceived and born again."

"The previous era was protected by the Eternal Heaven and Amitabha, so heaven and earth were saved from destruction."

"But the two holy spirits exhausted their supernatural powers and fell into a deep sleep. Before the two saints fell asleep, they used the power of reopening heaven and earth to conceive the No-Birth Old Mother."

"They pinned their hopes on the No-Birth Old Mother to guard the heaven and earth of this era."

The person who asked the question saw the Han priest talking eloquently and couldn't help but believe it three points.

The Mongols and Jurchens around fell into deep thought.

Only heard the priest continue to say.

"The duty of the No-Birth Old Mother is to save the children of the world and return to the heavenly world, avoiding catastrophe. This heavenly world is called the Vacuum Hometown."

"We believers exist to ferry the people of the world."

"Do you feel pain in life, often seeking but not getting it? Do you often feel that living in the world has no meaning? Do you feel at some moment that a scene you experienced is déjà vu?"

Nurhaci curled his lips helplessly.

Just now he was not sure, but now he finally understood, this is similar to those swindlers in the tribe.

He was thinking this, when he suddenly saw Kang Gulu beside him raise his hand.

Nurhaci turned his head in astonishment, only to see the priest nod gently, and Kang Gulu stood up impatiently, asking: "Priest, you just said that sometimes you will experience a déjà vu scene. I have encountered it many times. What is going on?"

Nurhaci pulled Kang Gulu's trouser leg, but the latter remained unmoved.

The Han priest smiled unfathomably and said nothing.

Just when everyone was puzzled.

The Han priest suddenly moved.

He waved his hand, and instantly a raging fire ignited in his hand, reflecting the astonished expressions of the crowd.

The priest had flames burning on his hands, and said compassionately: "These omens are all the inspiration of the No-Birth Old Mother."

"This is a symbol of the end times! It is also a reminder from the Old Mother!"

As soon as the words fell, the flames extinguished instantly, and a scroll appeared in the priest's hand.

He gently unfolded it: "Little friend... brave warrior can ask this question, obviously you have been inspired by the Old Mother, and you are a predestined person. Look at this 'White Lotus Morning Repentance Ritual' carefully, and you will surely have some insights."

Where have the simple grassland people seen such a magic trick? Many people knelt to the ground and called out for a miracle.

Kang Gulu crawled to the front of the visualization map and kowtowed repeatedly: "No-Birth Old Mother is above, Priest, in the future when I sacrifice to the Eternal Heaven, I will definitely worship the Old Mother together."

Many people around followed suit and walked up to kneel and worship.

The priest was very satisfied when he heard this.

But he still shook his head meaningfully: "I just said, Bansheng is the promised land of the Old Mother, the place of ascension."

"Only by following me back to Bansheng to worship the Old Mother can you ascend to the Vacuum Hometown."

"Worshipping the Old Mother in other places is all in vain."

Hearing this, a tangled expression appeared on Kang Gulu's face.

After a while, he showed a disappointed look: "Then forget it."

After speaking, he winked at Nurhaci; obviously, he was just playing around.

However, he was fake, and naturally, some people were sincere.

Many people hurriedly asked how to join the White Lotus Sect and how to enter Bansheng.

The Han priest looked around when he heard this.

After a while, he stood on a high place and said loudly: "Those who enter my sect are brothers and sisters, sharing food and clothes."

"Ride good horses together, live in warm houses together."

"No longer cold, no longer hungry, no longer being ordered around, no longer sinking into the sea of suffering and seeking but not getting."

He paused and raised his voice to the maximum: "Those who enter my sect will be issued six stones of grain per person per year, cattle and sheep will be grazed and shared, and those recorded in the cavalry guard teaching group will have an extra four taels of reward silver!"

"Regardless of Mongol, Han, or Jurchen, treat them equally!"

As soon as the words fell, three or five people gathered around the Han priest, asking for details.

Kang Gulu was squeezed to the side, but he was not annoyed. He climbed up and turned to run to Nurhaci's side, excitedly: "Dou! Promised land! Are we going or not!"

Saying that, he pulled Nurhaci and wanted to join in.

Nurhaci hurriedly grabbed and shook off Kang Gulu's hand: "Ahun, stop playing, someone is watching!"

Kang Gulu was a bit disappointed: "Alright, alright."

He turned to look at the priest's direction and smacked his lips: "Actually, Bansheng is not far, it's fine to go and see, it's still in time to go home."

"It feels like it's quite true."

Nurhaci shook his head speechlessly: "Unless you are at the end of your rope, who would leave a good tribe and run to live together?"

Kang Gulu is at least the son of a Khan, although he is a wild seed, he can always share some family property when he grows up, and it will be fine after his father dies.

Nurhaci is in the same situation.

Don't look at him and his brother Shurhaci relying on picking mushrooms and wood ears to satisfy their hunger all day.

But this is because they are not yet adults.

When he can pull the bow full and ride a horse, his father's family property will not be all occupied by his stepmother.

Kang Gulu joked: "Maybe you will be at the end of your rope one day."

Nurhaci rolled his eyes at his cousin, and secretly spat at the crow's mouth in his heart.

He is the one who wants to be Temujin, how can he be at the end of his rope.

While the two were talking, five or six people had already stood behind the Han priest, preparing to go to the "Promised Land."

The latter was still very satisfied, leaving a sentence that there are Han slaves, they can also be redeemed at market price and sent to Bansheng.

Then he led the people away.

The caravan leader was a bit dissatisfied, but feared the cavalry guards watching outside, so he had to swallow his anger.

Lu Nanchuan counted the believers who had "converted" this time.

About seventy people.

He nodded with satisfaction, bowed to the caravan leader to thank him, and without waiting for a response, turned his horse around and ordered left and right: "Let's go, take the converted believers on horseback, let's go back to Bansheng first."

After speaking, he gently flicked the reins.

Carrying people on horseback, Lu Nanchuan walked in front and slowed down.

Perhaps it was boredom, the left and right gathered to chat: "Teacher, six dou of grain a year, is it a bit too much, should we..."

Before he finished speaking, a whip suddenly lashed on his back, making the person who spoke grunt, almost falling off the horse.

Lu Nanchuan's face was ugly, staring at the people around him, making them lower their heads and dare not look directly.

He said coldly: "We were all driven to the outside of the Great Wall by the corruption and abuse of the imperial court, why don't we learn something good?"

Everyone was silent.

After Lu Nanchuan finished this sentence, his expression softened, giving everyone a step down: "Besides, this grain is not paid by me, I can't make this decision, do I have to be hungry every meal in the future for a full meal?"

Bansheng has developed to this day, and the number of refugees from all ethnic groups has reached as many as 100,000.

Self-sufficiency is actually no problem.

But if you want to live decently, or even raise cavalry guards, it is a bit of a fantasy.

The person who was whipped just now apologized with a smile: "The teacher is right, I was short-sighted."

With a step down, everyone borrowed the slope to get off the donkey.

Another person said: "The teacher's words are reasonable. In the past six months, I don't know what happened to Xuan-Da, but they are much more generous than before. Horses, armor, as if they don't need money. We can't offend them because of small things."

Hearing this, Lu Nanchuan sighed inexplicably: "The world is like this. We are displaced for half a tael of broken silver, but for some people, it is just a number on the account book."

He shook his head, ended the topic, and asked about the main business: "How many people were recruited this time?"

Left and right hurriedly reported: "Teacher, this time, there are 200 people who joined the sect, and more than 100 slaves bought."

Lu Nanchuan clicked his tongue: "It's so difficult. You say, how did my grandfather shout and gather thousands of people in Shanxi back then?"

Everyone was silent.

And they were embarrassed to say that it might be the imperial court blowing the cow for your grandfather.

Someone who saw well hurriedly inserted: "Teacher, this is different."

"The imperial court is corrupt and degenerate, causing the people to live in misery. Mr. Lu came out in response to the world, wanting to ferry the people with the Vacuum Hometown, and the people naturally welcomed him."

"Thousands? That is the limit of Shanxi, not Mr. Lu's limit. If it were in Jiangnan, I am afraid it would be more than 100,000 or a million!"

"But outside the Great Wall, it is different."

"The people live and work in peace and contentment, and everything is flourishing."

"The suffering experienced is not enough, so naturally there is little interest in the Vacuum Hometown."

Everyone looked at this protector, and couldn't help but sigh in their hearts. This kind of cow can be blown out. No wonder every time they ferry believers, they have a full harvest.

This angle, even if a knife is placed on your neck, you can't think of it.

Lu Nanchuan remained sober, and smiled when he heard it.

The Mr. Lu in the protector's mouth, which is his grandfather, refers to Lu Mingzhen, the teacher of the Shanxi White Lotus Sect.

He was keen on studying religious classics all his life, saving the dying and healing the wounded, and occasionally rebelling in his spare time.

But his luck was not very good. When he rebelled once, he didn't pay attention to the timing of entering the field and was caught by the imperial court and beheaded.

Fortunately, the White Lotus Sect, scattered is a sky full of stars.

Although Lu Mingzhen was beheaded, his apprentice Zhao Quan and son Lu Xichuan ran away and took refuge with the Altan Khan.

The Han traitors and foreign tribes merged, that's incredible, directly doing big things.

Zhao Quan and Lu Xichuan worked hard, recruited desperate people, persuaded border troops to surrender, and ferried the people, actually creating a tribe, directly letting the Altan Khan grant Zhao Quan a chieftain status.

But the title of chieftain is certainly not in line with Han aesthetics.

So, Zhao Quan built "Toad Palace" and "Phoenix Pavilion" in Bansheng imitating the regulations of the imperial palace, opened the government and established the system, and Lu Xichuan built "Dao Court," claiming to be the Daoist ancestor.

Not only that, the two are also very good at behaving.

Promoting yourself, isn't that embarrassing for your superiors? So, the two gave advice and persuaded the Altan Khan to ascend the throne as Emperor.

Building cities and palaces, holding the enthronement ceremony, all arranged for the Altan Khan—although after the imperial court heard about it, they left a way out for themselves and the Altan Khan, claiming to the outside world that the strong wind blew down the palace's main beam, crushing several people to death, and the Altan was so afraid that he didn't dare to live in it.

This is not all.

After the White Lotus Sect opened the government and established the system, while being keen on pleasure, the rhythm of causing trouble did not stop.

In the first year of Longqing, the ninth month, "The disaster of Fen-Shi was the plan of Quan and others"—the disaster of Fen-Shi, which is the change of Shizhou and Fenzhou, two great battles, were all planned by Zhao Quan and Lu Xichuan.

These two great battles, Fenzhou and Shizhou were tragically slaughtered—"The women who kept their chastity stepped into water and fire and died, countless," "tens of thousands of men and women died," "the city fell, those who threw themselves into wells, temples and wells were full, corpses were everywhere."

Tens of thousands of men and women were killed, fodder and livestock were countless, everything passed was empty, and the dead were everywhere.

This formed a huge hatred with the Ming court.

It made them offer rewards and promise official positions to take their lives.

Fortunately, if you mix in the world, you will always have to pay it back.

Because of the old story of Bahang, his wife was middle-born by his grandfather Altan Khan, and in a fit of anger, he surrendered to the Ming Dynasty. When everyone was negotiating, they took this group of White Lotus Sect as a certificate of submission—"And because of the old story of Bahang, they lured and arrested Quan and others to Yunshi Fort to wait for orders."

After the people were in place, they were naturally all shot.

This branch of the Shanxi White Lotus Sect, below the teacher Lu Mingzhen, apprentice Zhao Quan, and son Lu Xichuan, all died in this encounter.

But, scholars have the rituals of scholars, and folk societies have the habits of folk societies; it is not that you can solve it thoroughly by killing the leader.

There are various reasons for forming a society, which can often be traced back a hundred years.

Take Lu Nanchuan's life experience as an example.

【In the first year of Yuan Yanyu, Weishan dried up, taxes were heavy and famine occurred, people traded children for food, disaster and disease were everywhere, women hid in mountains and forests, men swore brothers, led the crowd to attack the county town for food, conquered Cangshan, Pizhou, Liaocheng, Dixian, and approached Jinan.

The Shandong Provincial Governor sat in Jinan, opened the granary to release food to appease the righteous army, distributed money, helped redeem children for families who sold children, and the righteous army dispersed.

The leaders and backbone were arrested and sent to the capital, and hundreds of people were beheaded.

Those without descendants were adopted to continue the lineage, and those without parents swore brothers to support the elders together.

Returning to their hometowns to help each other, relatives and clans shared a genealogy.】

The surviving believers claimed the widows and orphans, migrated and fought, secretly elected new teachers, or integrated into other folk organizations to continue the uprising.

Its centripetal force is not low at all.

Therefore, the death of Zhao Quan and Lu Xichuan does not mean the end of the matter.

As soon as Lu Nanchuan appeared, all the widows, orphans, and young men gathered under the command of this teacher, and instantly he gathered thousands of people again.

It's just that after learning the lesson, he didn't continue to stay under the eyes of the Altan Khan.

Now, they have gained new help, maneuvering between Xuan-Da, Altan Khan, and the Duoyan Three Guards, doing business, recruiting, and transporting, developing rapidly.

They have already gathered 800 cavalry and 1,000 infantry, and there is a trend of returning to the old business.

Lu Nanchuan looked back at the caravan just now, a bit regretful: "The Jurchens are now a plate of loose sand, most suitable as a source of soldiers, it's a pity that our sect is too small now, and we can't eat it in one bite."

A protector immediately advised: "Teacher, the lesson of the previous teacher, we must be steady and steady."

Lu Nanchuan collected his emotions and nodded: "You are right, steady and steady! When I go back, I will go to Puzhou myself to see if I can find that one to ask for some firearms."

Left and right said in unison: "Firearms are good! Firearms are good!"