Chapter 22: The Hero
February 6th, noon.
Shen Kuo rode back to the Yang family and continued to look through the files of the hat demon case from thirty years ago, trying to find some information about the hat demon's flying method from the testimony of witnesses. He guessed that if the hat demon was pulled by a silk thread, it could only move in a straight line in the dark. He did find some clues from the testimonies of some witnesses that could confirm his idea, such as someone saw the hat demon fly directly over the city wall or the courtyard wall, but not around it. It seemed that the truth might be right in front of him.
At night, he ate a quick meal and rode to Yinan Bridge, a wooden bridge on the Cai River in the outer city, very close to Yang's residence. It only took one whip to get there from Shuntian Gate.
Xu Chong's horse was seen parked by the bridge from a distance. Shen Kuo urged the horse to go there. Xu Chong came out of Cui Dahu Soup Shop on the roadside with two purses in his hands, probably containing snacks. There was no one else around him.
"I thought you were going to bring a team."
"I have arranged the people. Tonight, it's just you and me who will patrol everywhere inside and outside. Too many people will delay things. You must know that the spies from Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Bureau are also wandering around outside. When they see suspicious people gathering on the street, they will come to question each other. If there is a commotion, it will delay things and give those evildoers behind the scenes a chance, right?"
Xu Chongxin's new job was actually quite thoughtful. Shen Kuo thought that this was indeed the truth. Yang Weide mentioned that the original intention of their group's existence was a sentence from the government: If the enemy is in the dark, I cannot be in the light either. So if there are too many people, it is easier to be exposed.
"How do you get there?"
"Lord Yang has speculated on seven points. Let's go through them and take a look at the bustling scene of Tokyo. I've heard that Tokyo's night market is magnificent. When I came here a few years ago, the palace was exorcising evil spirits every day, and I was dragged to guard the back garden of Yeonbok Palace. Later, Madam Zhang's funeral was delayed for more than a month, so I haven't been to the night market. Today is a good opportunity. I'm going to take a tour with Master Shen."
Xu Chong has already planned the route clearly.
"I won't refuse to visit the night market, but you know I lost my money on the boat."
"Brother, what are you talking about? Let's go."
Xu Chong patted his chest and heard the clanging sound of copper coins hitting each other in his clothes.
They rode side by side towards the Zhengdong Water Gate, where there was a large warehouse. It was a less lively place in Bianjing City and it was also the place where Yang Wei De calculated the seven possible locations where the hat monster might appear tonight.
Along the way, the two talked about how Yang Wei-de's "Jingyou Dunjia Fuying Jing" determined these positions. Shen Kuo had been corresponding with Old Yang for many years, so he naturally knew the field that the Yang family had invested their main energy in for thirty years. Although he had not had the opportunity to read "Jingyou Liuren Shending Jing" and "Jingyou Dunjia Fuying Jing", he knew the ideas behind these two books. The so-called three styles of Yixue are: Taiyi, Qimen and Liuren.
Among them, Taiyi Yingtian is to predict celestial phenomena and disasters, which is the job of Lao Yang Sitianjian. Liuren Yingren is to predict human disasters and civil unrest. Qimen Yingdi is often used in marching formations and civil engineering patterns to avoid evil. However, although Qimen originated from the River Chart and Luoshu, it only uses the two Yin and Yang Dun to calculate 1,800 situations, which is complicated and confusing. There are often contradictions in ancient books, so it is not easy to sort out the clues. Because Qimen often merges with the art of war, the "Jingyou Liuren Shending Jing" and the "Jingyou Dunjia Fuying Jing" are only kept in the palace and no one outside has seen them.
As for using these two books to make the calculations this time, it seems that Lao Yang has also tried his best. Especially when calculating the celestial phenomena, time and place at the same time, I don’t know how many variables will evolve, and then eliminate them one by one to keep the available ones.
"Mr. Shen, are Shaoqing Yang and Taoist Zhang from Longhu Mountain who is close to the emperor doing the same thing but he looks a little different from a Taoist priest." Xu Chong asked.
"I think the Chinese heritage all comes from the Three Changes, but the Gui Zang and Lian Shan in the Three Changes have been lost, leaving only the Book of Changes. The Book of Changes is not a Taoist book, and the Taoism of the pre-Qin period is different from the Taoism of the Han Dynasty. Mr. Yang is closer to the Taoism of the pre-Qin period. He does not fast and pray or seek immortality. He studies destiny, the stars, and even the great principle of the unity of heaven and man."
"oh oh."
"Although both Master Zhang's teachings and Yang Shaoqing's learning are commendable, they are far apart."
The two walked on the dark road, and behind them, sporadic fireworks were set off. Of course, these were only set off by the public. The one-month national mourning for Zhang Niangzi had ended three days ahead of schedule at Wen Yanbo's suggestion. Today was the first day that the government allowed entertainment.
They walked past the rice and charcoal warehouses, which were all surrounded by high walls and guarded against fire. The four people arranged by Xu Chong were squatting in the Dragon King Temple at the end of the street. For fear of fire, this small temple was built on the high ground in the southeast corner of the city, which overlooked the entire warehouse area.
The two of them went to the temple and heard the four people complaining about being assigned to such a remote place. Xu Chong took out the snacks he had bought, and the four people immediately smiled. Shen Kuo felt that Xu Chong was still thoughtful.
After the two of them finished their investigation, they left from the Bianhe Corner Gate, headed north and entered the city from Wangchun Gate. Although this is the outer city, it is indeed the location of the famous Lujia Lane. The restaurants on both sides of the street are also very impressive, and there are already crowds of people in front of the street. This is also a possible point where Yang Wei De calculated that the hat monster might appear. Shen Kuo looked up and looked around. There are many tall buildings here. If the hat monster is moving with a thin line as he thought, then hiding in a nearby attic is convenient, but he has another worry.
"Xu Jieji, I am a little worried that the hat monster may not show up tonight?"
"Are you worried about Lord Yang's calculations?"
"I dare not, but there are so many people on the street, even if it is a ghost, it would not make sense to come to such a place with strong yang energy."
"Haha, I don't think so. It's only the 11th hour now, so men and women, old and young, naturally dare to go out on the street. In two quarters, when it's the 11th hour, it's hard to say."
The two of them headed north to the Guangji River. It was also a prosperous place, but there were not as many people as in the market. Fengqiu Gate (North Gate) was seen in the distance.
"The Zoroastrian temple is over there." Xu Chong pointed.
"By the way, have you heard from anyone else who went there to buy oil?" Shen Kuo thought of this.
"The abbot said that there hasn't been any recently. But he did sell one last fall, and it was also a Western barbarian. But it's been so long that he can't remember what that man looked like."
"What a pity. By the way, I've often heard that the monks in the Zoroastrian temple can perform magic tricks."
"When the hat demon first appeared, the skeleton was disguised as a Zoroastrian monk, with a load thrown on the side. I have seen it all. There is an umbrella that can emit smoke. It is now kept in the Military Headquarters. Lord Yang has checked it and said it was used for magic tricks in the tile house. It has no particular use. I think that if it can be discarded in the same place, it is naturally not an important item."
"I would like to see the tricks of the Seven Sacred Swords."
"You don't have to go to the Zoroastrian temple. If you have time, go to the inner city's tile houses to look for it. I heard that the tricks of the Seven Sacred Laws performed by the vassal monks during the reign of Emperor Taizu have now been mostly exposed, and they are no longer popular. The most stubborn one now is Xue Tinghe in the western tile house. His tricks have never been exposed in the past few years. He is also the only one in the capital who dares to offer a reward and write it outside, waiting for the person who can break the situation to come and reward him handsomely. So far, no one dares to respond, and it has become a signboard. Even the "Goose Illusion Book" and "Goose Illusion New Edition" that can break the illusion have not included it."
“I wonder when I can go and see those wonderful tricks.”
"It's a pity that it's not on my way today, but I can go see the puppet show today."
"There is a puppet shed on Panlou Street, called the Wood Spirit Class. Their puppets are extremely lifelike. It is said that they were made by Master Yu Hao, a master of woodwork. They are larger than puppets from other classes. Not only can their hands and feet move, but their mouths can also open and their eyelids can move. They are good at acting, playing and singing, and they have some special stories to tell about them."
"How special?"
"When his puppet shed was closed at night, the puppets' eyes were covered and a talisman was pasted on the back of their heads. They said that if the puppets were not covered or the talisman was not pasted, they would run away."
"Haha, it's just like Xue Tinghe's magic trick and the one who offered a reward for someone who had solved the problem. It's just a trick to attract customers." Shen Kuo didn't believe such a ridiculous thing at all.
"Anyway, it's definitely worth a look."
"What are the interesting jokes in the puppet class?"
"I heard that there is a play that people in the capital love to watch the most, called "The Story of the Heroes of Chaos."
"Hero? Treason? Which dynasty is this story about?"
"It's not any dynasty. It's just that a certain dynasty in the past was in chaos, and a certain country was about to be destroyed. The king asked a magician to use magic to summon generals from the underworld to protect the country. However, he mispronounced the formula, and summoned traitors who betrayed their masters in the past dynasties, including Ying Bu, Lu Bu, Huan Xuan, Hou Jing, An Lushan, Zhu Wen, etc., which led to a series of exciting stories. In every storytelling, drama, and shadow play in the theater, there is no one who does not talk about "The Biography of the Heroes in Trouble."
"I seem to have heard my father mention this name when I was a child, but I didn't know it meant this."
"I asked about it, and it was banned more than a decade ago."
“Why should such a ridiculous story be banned?”
"Because, at that time, some court officials felt that the achievements of these people who killed their masters and seized power seemed to be a veiled criticism of our dynasty's Taizu. They also said that the identity of the author was questionable, and it might be written by a foreign country to cause trouble for our dynasty. Later, the emperor visited incognito and watched the puppet show secretly performed in Wazi. He felt that it was harmless. If it was forcibly banned, it would be difficult to completely stop it, and it would arouse people's associations, so they just ignored it."
"What the government said is very wise, and it is easy to do nothing and rule by doing nothing. But I still don't understand why some people like to read such nonsense."
"It's all about chaos. Brother Shen is very knowledgeable, so he may not know the hobbies of ordinary people. When we talk about ancient times, there are always historical conclusions, and heroes often fail to achieve their ambitions. Only stories that are similar to ancient times but not modern are interesting. It is known that when this chaotic group of heroes was passed down in the world, there was no ending. Therefore, after being performed by different troupes, there were seven or eight endings, and the masters who achieved the kingdom were also different. Therefore, each ending we heard was different and quite fresh. There was even a section about Lu Bu conquering the world, which is more interesting than real history."
"I'm getting a little tired of listening to this nonsense."
"Let's go, let's go, I've arranged everything, the last stop is there."
Xu Chong has already filled up his schedule for tonight, but there is no time left for the Hat Monster to appear in his schedule. It feels like he is just using business as an excuse to go out for fun. He doesn't think that Lao Yang's prediction will come true.
"So, the place where Lao Yang calculated that the hat monster might appear last is in the wood elf class?"
"That's it. Let's hurry up, we'll be in time for the night show."
In fact, Shen Kuo was itching to try it out. Although he was averse to this kind of fictitious history, it sounded interesting to let fierce warriors who had never met each other across dynasties fight each other.
The two inspected all the locations along the way. Although Shen Kuo had doubts about his teacher Yang Wei De's method of calculating directions, the route itself covered most of the inner city of Bian Jing, which was acceptable.
Along the way, they found that the number of pedestrians on the road was gradually decreasing. As Xu Chong expected, everyone was very interested in the long-missed night market, but they were still in awe of the hat monster that appeared late at night.
Arriving at Pan Street, the last place in this line where the hat monster might appear, Xu Chong couldn't help but want to go into the puppet show to watch. The last show was about to begin. He arranged a few brothers here and had already bought the front row seats, waiting for the two of them to arrive. This group of people treated Lao Yang's hard work as a joke.
Xu Chong introduced Shen Kuo to the others. The leader of these people was called Wang Sheng, an officer of the Xichuan Road Qixiasi. He happened to be in the capital for business during the New Year and was sent to the palace to protect the emperor. Later, he was assigned by Lao Bao. In fact, he often went to the palace to guard the Kunning Palace recently. Many things happened during the New Year, and the emperor became suspicious. He no longer trusted the guards around him, but trusted these officers from other places.
The group drew lots to decide on two unlucky guys to be on duty at a high place. The rest of the group waited excitedly for the puppet show to start, and no one thought about official business at all.
This puppetry class called the Wood Spirit Class claims to be the best in Bianjing. It is probably not a lie. Not only are the puppets vivid, but the performances are also excellent. Their puppets are larger than those of other puppetry classes. Each one is about two feet three or four inches tall, as big as a three or four-year-old child. It is not easy to operate such a large puppet to jump and leap, which is also the specialty of the Wood Spirit Class.
The Biography of the Heroes of Chaos was written by an unknown author in an unknown era. He probably lamented the cycle of history, and that the cunning and treacherous always got the upper hand, so he came up with a story about bad guys killing each other. This story had no ending in the storytelling stage. Maybe the author gave up, or maybe the author died, anyway, leaving an open ending. However, an unexpected thing happened, that is, every troupe in the capital city performed it, and the endings told by Mr. Gu were not exactly the same.
Shen Kuo had never heard of such a narrative that was detached from history. At first, he acted a little self-righteous and just watched from the sidelines. He did not shout when others cheered him, and he was unmoved when others threw money at him (naturally, because he had no money at all).
However, after resisting for a while, he gradually immersed himself in this brawl and spoof story and couldn't extricate himself. He didn't expect that this thing, which was completely unconstrained by historical facts and made up, would be so attractive?
After the show, he still felt a little unsatisfied. Xu Chong dragged Shen Kuo to a nearby night vision wine shop to drink, which made him feel quite embarrassed. He originally felt that he had a responsibility on his shoulders. Watching the puppet show could barely be regarded as monitoring the hat monster. Now he had to drink too. Wouldn't this delay things?
Xu Chong had already thought of a reason. He felt that the elegant seats in the restaurant were the best place to have a good view and to monitor people from all directions. As for eating and drinking, it was also a disguise.
Although Xu Chong's words were bizarre, they were self-consistent. Shen Kuo was persuaded by his words and had to go with him.
This place is called Panlou Street, and the highest point is naturally Panlou Main Store. This building is almost as high as Fanlou, with three floors full of pavilions, and it is very much in line with Xu Chong's idea. No one competes with them for these good seats to watch the night view. It is almost midnight now, and looking down, the pedestrians on the street are getting fewer and fewer. Only the small stall selling wontons across the street is steaming, with three or two customers sitting sparsely. Obviously, the fireworks in front of the Imperial Street could not save the people of Bianjing from the secret fear in their hearts. During the day, the hat monster is a topic of conversation at the wine table, but at night, the hat monster becomes a nightmare outside the window.
