From the moment the Holy Religion was born, it was accompanied by the baptism of blood and fire. Even within the Holy Religion, there were multiple sects, and internal conflicts have not subsided for hundreds of years.
The only mission of these fanatical believers is to spread the light of Allah to every corner of the world.
The East is such a rich and beautiful place. There is no desert here. People don’t eat dates or drink camel milk that has a strong smell. Birds and flowers are everywhere. The food output of the poorest land is higher than that of the richest oases. Even higher, but such a place can only be dominated by pagans. Whenever they think of the grievances God has suffered, believers like them will feel extremely guilty and ashamed.
For the belief in his heart, Hussein risked his life and wealth to come to this land to establish a sect. But this place is really different. In Hou Zi's opinion, these hateful Han people are simply incompetent! They are as exclusive as oil and water. They have no interest in the mysteries of God. The Buddhas they believe in ask them to recite sutras every day, and some people like to draw charms to drive away ghosts. They can stand such gods!
Hussein was well aware of the difficulty of expanding his power in the east, so he had no choice but to return to Dashi to bring in reinforcements. However, there were not only thousands of mountains and rivers in between, but his life was almost on the road. If it was simply going underground to Nanyang, it would be relatively easy. At least the sea journey was not that far, and the journey between Dashi and Dongfang spanned several continents, plus storms and waves. Why did the Pu family settle in Dongfang after they came to Dongfang? Walking the route once is like walking through the gate of hell.
Liang Chuan saw that Hussein was in such a state of desolation that he fell ill at sea. The journey to the sea was more than ten thousand miles away. The medical conditions on the ships in the Middle East were backward and the sanitary equipment was incomplete. Once an infectious disease or fever occurred, he would Can easily take a life. However, the technology of the merchant ships in the Middle East at this time had also reached a certain level. However, Hussein was unlucky when traveling back and forth. He encountered two storms, which contaminated the medicinal materials, water sources and food on their ships. They had a narrow escape from death. No exaggeration.
Liang Chuan didn't come here to reminisce with him, he wanted to get his gold back, because he had to go back to Fengshan for an unknown amount of time. Although Qingyuan's business would continue to develop, after all, he couldn't expand any further. He would have more money. It is convenient for others to return to this place to use as start-up capital.
"I'm very happy to have you back, but our friendship is old. Does the gold you promised me last time still count?"
Hussein now wants to win Liang Chuan into his own camp, because although these old-school outsiders from the Pu family also believe in the Holy Religion, they are tied together purely for business interests and do not allow others to set foot in it.
Now even the Huawairen Chamber of Commerce in Qingyuan County is led by the Pu family. Hussein and the others will be squeezed out if they don't leave after doing business.
"Of course it counts. I have prepared all the gold for you. Come with me to the ship to get it!" Hussein said sincerely.
It was almost midnight when the two of them were chatting at Hussein's house. Why did they have to go to the boat again so late? Liang Chuan looked at Hussein's extremely sick face and thought that there was nothing he could do. The two of them arrived at Qingyuan Port in a carriage.
It was not until midnight that the boatmen at the port stopped their work. They were people, not machines, and they needed to rest. Since entering the port in the past two days, they have been intensively moving and unloading cargo. The competition in the port is extremely fierce. There have been several fights, and I can't make money even if I have no physical strength. At worst, I will lose my business and have to fight back.
They looked at Hussein like the God of Wealth. Without these Tibetan people bringing back goods, their business would not be able to continue. But when they saw Liang Chuan, their expressions changed. Any new face, especially a Han face, would be regarded as coming to steal business. Most of the laborers were contracted by Han people.
Especially for a Han Chinese like Liang Chuan, who doesn't look like a businessman, but he looks like a coolie at first glance.
Hussein's sea-going ship was very big, but compared to the treasure ships, it was a bit inferior. It was not the Oriental-type treasure ship built by Liang Zao and his shipyard, but Da Shi's own giant ship. The bow and stern were very warped, similar to the stars and the moon. shape.
When the black sailors on the ship saw Hussein coming, they lowered the partition and the two men stepped on the partition and boarded the ship.
It was also the first time that Liang Chuan left land and boarded this kind of sea ship.
There is no wind or wave in the harbor, and the ship is as smooth as land. There were various spices and some betel nut, a small amount of colored glaze and some glassware stacked on the boat. Liang Chuan took a look and saw that several black people were carrying camel skins and striped cloth, and there were actually a lot of rhinoceros horns covering them!
They are all good things, but I don’t see the gold I want!
Liang Chuan asked coldly: "Dear friend, where is the gold? Take it out and blind me!"
Ever since he got on the boat, Hussein's face showed a kind of morbid fanaticism. It was obvious that he was almost running out of fuel, but he looked back and felt like he was at the end of his strength.
Liang Chuan felt even more furious when he saw it. What the hell was this kid doing today?
"How can gold be placed on the deck? Such valuable things must be stored in the ship's warehouse. Come with me."
Liang Chuan frowned and followed Hussein. He was careless and walked too hastily today, and did not tell Yelu Zhongguang that if there was any situation, he could fire an arrow and they would come to support him.
However, he deliberately stayed close to Hussein. If this kid was up to something, he was sure that he would be able to throw him onto the deck and crush him to death with one blow. With his own strength, he is not afraid even if his black guards come.
As soon as he entered the cabin, he still didn't see the gold. Liang Chuan saw a face he didn't want to see, Pu Geng, and his incompetent son Pu Shouchang. The entire cabin of the ship was filled with a circle of outsiders with brown eyes and green eyes, all of them had big beards and deep eye sockets. After scanning around, Liang Chuan was the only Han Chinese.
"Hussein, what do you mean?"
Liang Chuan knew that he might have been deceived today, and he met Pu Geng, an old acquaintance. This banquet was destined to be a bad one.
Pu Geng was also particularly shocked, why did this kid also appear in their evening meeting?
Tonight was the meeting that Hussein invited local businessmen from Qingyuan who believed in God. Hussein released news that God’s will had appeared in the East, and the Grand Imam and Imam of Mecca in the East also supported it. His words were intended to spread God's will in the East.
As believers of Allah, they cannot ignore the will of Allah, but they are not three-year-old children. They cannot let someone manipulate them at will under the pretext of Allah's will. This meeting was held on this sea ship.
When Pu Geng saw Liang Chuan appear, he was even more convinced that Hussein wanted to collude with the Han people to increase his own strength. Liang Chuan has been in the limelight recently. Whatever he does can cause a stir in Qingyuan County, the key is this kid There is also the shadow of Weiyuan Tower behind him. He had someone check it out, and the ambiguity between him and Weiyuan Tower cannot be escaped!
"Liang Chuan, what are you doing here?" After Liang Chuan asked Hussein, Pu Geng also questioned him.
Hussein found a throne for himself, which was inlaid with green emeralds. He sat down and said, "This is the messenger of God in the East who told you!"
As soon as Hussein finished speaking, everyone was shocked at first, and then became furious.
There is not only a business conflict between them and Hussein, the native food merchants who mainly focus on Southeast Asia, but also a doctrinal conflict. It is probably a similar conflict between Sunnis and Shias. Some people support Ali. Some people support Hassan. Unfortunately, the history is surprisingly similar. The Pu family who supported Ali are the majority today, while Hussein who supported Hassan is the minority today.
Even Liang Chuan, the messenger of Allah who was built by Hussein himself, may not necessarily wear the same pants as him.
"Hussein, you are blaspheming against God. I know Liang Chuan. He is a Han Chinese who is greedy for money. He bet with me a few days ago and won a lot of money from me. How can a Han man be the messenger of God? Han people and us We are so incompatible that even a single mosque in Qingyuan cannot stand upright because these Han people are resisting it in every possible way!"
Hussein said: "This Liang Chuan has sworn to me in the name of God that he will build a mosque for us in Qingyuan. You can ask him yourself."
Everyone looked at Liang Chuan with sharp eyes like eagles. Liang Chuan didn't say a word, neither admitting nor denying.
Pu Geng said: "Don't use him as a cover. He is just a country bumpkin selling bamboo baskets in the alley. I often see him going to the Dragon King Temple, Guan Gong Temple and the Monk Temple to burn incense. What if he is the Messenger of God? To offer incense to the Buddha?”
Upon hearing this, everyone began to whisper to each other, "Except for their brothers in the religion, those who believe in other gods are pagans. In his eyes, pagans are the ones who deserve to die. Those who are not of my race must have different hearts. This Chinese saying is not only true for It applies to the Han people, and it also applies to the Semu people.
Pu Shouchang said sinisterly: "His family lives next to the temple. I can testify to this!"
Hussein said with a look of pain on his face: "Messenger of Allah, why don't you tell them the oracle that God has told you?"
When Liang Chuan saw that everyone's suspicious eyes were focused on him, he had already asked the Hussein family woman a thousand times in his heart, please don't blame me for everything, you can fight to the death among yourselves. I am happy, but Don't drag me into the water as a scapegoat.
If he were to be involved in their religious struggle today, he might not be able to live a peaceful life in the future. Liang Chuan used to deceive Hussein for the sake of winning the war, and today he can also deceive everyone here.
"I am not a believer in Allah, and I don't know what you are talking about. I only know that Hussein deceived me into getting on this ship by saying he would give me two thousand taels of gold."
What Pu Geng wanted to hear most was this answer. He licked his tongue like a poisonous snake and said to everyone: "I told you, this person is very greedy for money. The Han people are all mercenary at heart. They are not worthy to be followers of Allah!"
Due to Liang Chuan's denial, many businessmen who were still wavering at first turned to Pu Geng. Everyone unanimously accused Hussein of being shameless and blaspheming against God, and scolded him without hesitation for using Han people to pretend to be the messenger of God. And low-level means are used to gain status in Qingyuan.
If it weren't for the laws of the Song Dynasty, they would even want to directly judge this blasphemer.
"Hussein, we are so disappointed in you, and we won't tell anyone about this, but you'd better not set foot on the land of the East again in the future, otherwise it will be bad for you and me." An older Semu leader It must be somewhat similar to Hussein, and he said to Hussein in a serious and sincere way.
Hussein sat on the chair like a defeated rooster, completely powerless. Only a few people knew the allusions in the religion. It is naturally impossible for believers like Pu Geng who settled in the East several generations ago and lived among the Han people to understand Knowing the holy scriptures of the religion and the economic interests involved behind the religion, they would never give in. To give in would be to admit that Hussein was superior to them, and they would never compromise.
As for Liang Chuan, he also inquired about it. He even found out the little information about Liang Chuan's official background. Why was Liang Chuan confident enough to help him build a mosque in Qingyuan? How dare he say such a thing if he didn't have the strength.
But all this was beyond his expectation. It was because he was too impatient. He rashly wanted to establish a foothold in Qingyuan, but he did not expect to lose to these established local forces.
When Liang Chuan saw everyone leaving, he asked, "What is that, the gold between us..."
Hussein said feebly: "You are obviously true, why don't you help me?"
Liang Chuan said: "Helping you means going against so many Muslims. I'm not stupid. Isn't it because the old man hangs himself that his life is too long?"
While the two were still staring at each other, a crossbow arrow suddenly shot into the cabin with a hiss from the ship window and was nailed to the hull. Liang Chuan took a closer look at the one-meter-long crossbow arrow with a A cloth bag containing a ignition fuse.
gunpowder!
