After the peasants and soldiers were established, this was the first time they were on a mission, and so many peasants and soldiers gathered in front of the town office that the people living nearby went out and came to the street to watch the excitement.
The mayor personally took the peasant soldiers and the grain tax officials on the road together. Almost everyone watching the excitement knew that something must have happened.
However, just to watch the fun, no one was brave enough to actually go with the peasants and soldiers. They were worried that if a war really broke out, they would accidentally hurt themselves.
There were only a few children, chasing the peasants and soldiers.
However, these children did not follow the team very far when they were caught and dragged back by the parents and elders of the children who were chasing after them.
The Bujie Temple is built on the mountainside and is the most popular temple in the eight surrounding villages. Before the arrival of the Tiger-Character Banner army, dignitaries from the county often came to the Bujie Temple to offer incense and pray for blessings. Even the magistrate would visit the temple every year. Stay in Bujie Temple for a while.
Now that Yanqing Prefecture was captured by the Tiger Banner, Zhizhou did not surrender, but fled Yanqing Prefecture with his servants overnight.
The newly appointed magistrate was an official dispatched by the Tiger-Character Banner, so naturally he no longer went to Bujie Temple, but many wealthy families in the city still used to go to Bujie Temple to pray.
Even without Zhizhou going to Bujie Temple, Bujie Temple is still prosperous, and the money for sesame oil every month is enough to feed and drink the monks in the temple.
Chen Guang led the team to the foot of Bujie Temple Mountain.
There is a pavilion at the foot of Bujie Temple. Whenever something happens, a Zhike monk will guard it here.
When the Zhike monk in the pavilion saw Chen Guang's arrival, he walked out of the pavilion and greeted him.
Chen Guang did not deliberately conceal the fact that he came to Bujie Temple, so before the team arrived, someone had already sent the news to Bujie Temple.
"Young monk has met Almsgiver Chen." The monk Zhike clasped his hands together.
As a temple in this town, Bujie Temple naturally knows about Chen Guang, the mayor, even if he has never met him, he has heard of him. Zhike Monk also wants to be familiar with local officials, so he knows Chen Guang.
Chen Guang turned over and dismounted, looked at the monk with red lips and white teeth in front of him, and said jokingly: "I am not a benefactor, and I will not give any money for sesame oil to your Bujie Temple. Instead, I want to take things from your Bujie Temple."
"Donor Chen is joking." A trace of embarrassment flashed across Zhike Monk's face.
Chen Guang said: "I'm not kidding you. Let's go and take me to see your abbot."
With that said, he led the horse and prepared to go up the mountain.
"The young monk will naturally welcome Almsgiver Chen when he comes up the mountain, but please stay at the bottom of the mountain with the weapons Alchemist Chen brought to prevent him from bumping into the Buddha." Zhike Monk put his hands together and stood in front of Chen Guang.
Chen Guang, who was stopped, narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "Little monk, do you want to stop me?"
"It's the Buddha who wants to stop him." Zhike Monk stood still with his hands clasped together.
Chen Guang chuckled lightly and said: "Young monk, you can't stop me. As for whether you can use swords or weapons, it depends on whether the monks in your Bujie Temple know what's going on."
"The young monk knows that he can't stop Almsgiver Chen, but if Almsgiver Chen really wants to force his way in, isn't he afraid of making the Buddha angry?" Zhike monk asked in return.
Chen Guang laughed and said: "I don't believe in Buddhism. Even if your Buddha is angry, it will be of no use to me. Get out of the way, otherwise don't blame me for taking action."
"Amitabha." Zhike Monk knew he couldn't stop him, so he had to get out of the way.
Chen Guang did not go up the mountain immediately, but said to the Zhike monk on the side: "Go back and tell your abbot to prepare the things. No one can owe me anything for the Tiger Flag."
"The young monk will bring the message to Almsgiver Chen." Zhike monk put his hands together and bowed, then turned and walked towards the Bujie Temple on the mountain.
He walked faster and faster, and when he got to the back, he was almost jogging all the way.
"Let's go up the mountain." Chen Guang greeted and led the horse towards the mountain.
The peasant and soldier teams behind followed, and the grain tax officer also took the four-wheeled cart up the mountain.
Chen Guang did not walk too fast, leaving time for Zhike Monk to go in and deliver the message.
When he led his team outside the Bujie Temple, the abbot of the temple and a group of monks were already guarding the door of the temple.
"Amitabha, this poor monk has seen Almsgiver Chen." A fat monk with a fat head and fat ears saluted Chen Guang with his hands clasped together with a smile on his face.
The other monks standing around the fat monk also clasped their hands.
"Monks don't lie, but the great monk has violated the precepts." Chen Guang looked at the fat monk in front of him and said with a smile.
The fat monk said with a calm expression: "May I ask Almsgiver Chen, this poor monk didn't lie, so how could he violate the precepts?"
"You, a great monk, are quite good at arguing." Chen Guang said, "Let me ask you, you call yourself a poor monk, but the monk's robes you wear are better than those worn by most common people down the mountain. Looking at your fat head and big ears, I'm afraid I can't find another person as fat as you in the surrounding villages."
Hearing this, the corners of the fat monk's mouth twitched.
"You are sophistry." Zhike Monk stood up and accused.
After hearing this, Chen Guang just smiled, looked at the fat monk and said, "Great monk, I came here to collect grain taxes. All the people in this town have paid grain taxes, and you are the only one who has to leave the temple."
"Amitabha, don't you know, Donor Chen, that the temple does not need to pay taxes to the court?" said the fat monk.
Chen Guang has one hundred right hands,
First, it does not take up space and can be stuffed on the body easily. Second, Liu Heng likes to use pipes when smoking, which also makes Tiger Flag insiders prefer pipes.
After a pack of cigarettes, the policeman who had left earlier came in from outside.
"Mayor, the peasants and soldiers are all here. When should we set off?"
Chen Guang knocked the ashes from his pipe, then brought it to his mouth and blew on it, then put it on his body. Then he picked up the teapot on the table and drank some water. After putting it down, he said: "Let's go!"
With that said, he stood up and walked out.
The policemen followed closely behind him and left the signing room one after another.
The office space in the town is an ordinary courtyard, with wing rooms on both sides and several main rooms at the back. A wooden board is posted in front of the courtyard door with the name of the town office.
Chen Guang walked out of the town office gate.
A team of more than thirty to forty peasants and soldiers had gathered outside the door. In addition to the peasants and soldiers, there were also several grain tax collectors and a four-wheeled cart.
"Report to the mayor, the team has been assembled."
The captain of the peasant and soldier team came to Chen Guang and raised his right arm across his chest in salute.
Although the peasant soldiers are not regular troops, their team structure is based on the template of the regular army. The only thing lacking is that the training time of the peasant soldiers is not as long as that of the regular army, and the food is also a little worse. They can only eat enough, and there is no guarantee that they will have meat and eggs for every meal. A lot of them are things that have been eliminated by the regular army.
Chen Guang nodded and said loudly: "Order the team to advance towards Bujie Temple."
The peasant and soldier team leader turned around, faced his team, and shouted: "The target is Bujie Temple, let's go."
Peasants and soldiers who had received professional military training lined up in neat lines and began to move forward.
In the team, most of the peasant soldiers walked at the front holding long guns, in the middle was a team of peasant soldiers holding matchlock guns, and at the end was a peasant soldier carrying a squatting tiger cannon on his shoulder.
The grain tax officer followed the four-wheeled cart.
Chen Guang got on the horse that the policeman had brought over, and led several policemen to the front of the team.
