In the 2nd year of the Song Dynasty, there were two brothers of different surnames in Yongping County, Hejian Prefecture, named Zhang Cong and Tan Rong. They grew up together and their relationship was better than their own brothers. When I grow up, I do everything together. Maybe it was because of bad luck. The two brothers did a lot of business and never made any money. Seeing that both of them were at the age to get married, but they had no money to get married, they often lamented that their fate was unfair.
Episode 0 One year, the county had a severe drought, and there was almost no water within a radius of hundreds of miles. The crops in the fields were almost dead, and people were panicked for a while. The local county magistrate tried every means to find monks, Taoist priests, , and fortune tellers came to ask for rain, but many people found them, but no one could ask for rain! The county magistrate posted another notice: As long as someone can ask for rain, he will be rewarded with 200 taels of silver. The county magistrate is also helpless to ask for rain in this way!
One day, Tan Rong saw this notice, returned home and found Zhang Cong and told him about it, and joked to Zhang Cong: If only we could pray for rain! This will not only make money, but also gain popularity and gain both fame and fortune! After hearing this, Zhang Cong slapped his thigh and said: What's the difficulty! , Let’s go and tell the county magistrate quickly that we will definitely be able to get rain within three days!
Tan Rong smiled and said: When did you have this ability? Why don't I know? If you ask for something, the county magistrate blames you, but we can't afford to take care of it! But Zhang Cong said seriously: Don’t worry, I know what’s going on, let’s give it a try. If you ask for rain, you will have money. If you can't ask for it, you will be scolded at most. What are you afraid of? Besides, those who prayed for rain before were not successful, aren’t they okay? After hearing this, Tan Rong felt it made sense, so the two rushed to the county government and told them about the rain!
On the day of the rain, Tan Rong was unsure and asked Zhang Cong: Are you sure? What should I do on altar ? Zhang Cong said: Don’t worry, when you arrive at the altar, just follow the actions of the Taoist priests before and pretend to behave! If you don’t know how to do what I do, you will do what you do!
So the two of them put on Taoist robes and hats, and jumped up pretending to behave on the altar, saying spells that they couldn't understand! It’s strange that it started to rain the next day, and it took a whole day, and people ran in the rain to celebrate each other! The county magistrate fulfilled his promise, not only rewarding them with 200 taels of silver, but also rewarding them with a lot of silk and fabric!
The two happily divided the silver and silk. At this time, Tan Rong thought they were lucky. He happily said to Zhang Cong: Haha! This is really what we brothers should make money. We have encountered such a coincidence! Zhang Cong smiled mysteriously: Do you really think we two rely on luck? After hearing this, Tan Rong asked incrediblely: Can you really pray for rain? Tell me quickly, how did you do it? But Zhang Cong said: The secrets of heaven cannot be revealed! However, no matter how Tan Rong asked, he just refused to say it!
Let’s talk about Hejian Prefecture It has not rained for a long time. The prefect heard about the successful pursuit of rain in Yongping County, so he ordered the magistrate of Yongping to take the two to Hejian Prefecture to ask for rain. After receiving the order, the county magistrate immediately sent someone to ask Zhang Cong for money. However, because Zhang Cong had something to go out, he did not find him and only invited Tan Rong to the county government. The county magistrate told Tan Rong about the matter and said: If you succeed in asking for rain, you will be rewarded with 500 taels of silver. After hearing this, Tan Rong's eyes lit up and wanted to agree, but he didn't want to ask for rain and hesitated whether to agree! The county magistrate said again: Once you have successfully prayed for rain, you will not have to worry about food and drink in the future and enjoy wealth and prosperity.
Tan Rong thought of what Zhang Cong said before and felt that Zhang Cong must have a solution, so he made his own decision and agreed! After returning, Tan Rong went straight to Zhang Cong's house. He waited until the evening when Zhang Cong came back. Tan Rong went up and said excitedly: We can make money again! Then he told Zhang Cong about his promise to ask for rain.After hearing this, Zhang Cong said angrily: Why didn’t you discuss it with me and agree? Tan Rong said: What? Don't you want to make money? Last time I heard what you meant, you seemed to be able to ask for rain, so I agreed!
Zhang Cong said: Last time was last time, I was sure, but this time I don’t know if it can be done! I think it’s better to explain it clearly to the county magistrate and turn it off!
Tan Rong said unhappily: You have agreed, how can you still refuse? Besides, how did you do it last time, just do it the same as last time. If you really want to ask for it, you won’t fight for this money!
Zhang Cong said: This time it was the prefect who ordered that if he couldn't ask for rain, he was afraid that he would be small and he might even go to jail!
Tan Rong said angrily: Then tell me how you succeeded in asking for rain last time?
Zhang Cong said: I said it on purpose last time that I lied to you. How could I do any magic? Tan Rong thought Zhang Cong didn't want to tell him, and was afraid that he would learn, so he turned around and left angrily. When he got home, Tan Rong couldn't sleep. After thinking about it in the middle of the night, he decided to go to the county government tomorrow to refuse the matter of asking for rain!
Let me tell you here. Among many ancient stories, there were many stories about fortune-telling and rain. There was a reason why we could ask for rain. For example, the story of Liu Bowen asking for rain in the Ming Dynasty, and Zhu Yuanzhang was the King of Wu, a drought occurred in Jiangnan. Liu Bowen is in charge of astronomy. Zhu Yuanzhang asked him why the drought occurred and how he could ask for rain in the world. Liu Bowen said: "It has never rained because the people in prison have grievances." Zhu Yuanzhang believed Liu Bowen's words and sent him to the prisoners in Xiangzhuo.
Liu Bowen investigated and found that there were indeed many unjust cases. After reporting to Zhu Yuanzhang, he rehabilitated the unjust case and released the wrongly arrested person. Sure enough, within a few days, there were dark clouds and then it rained heavily. Seeking rain and rehabilitation are two unrelated things. Liu Ji cannot have the magic of asking for rain. However, he understood astronomy and might have observed that the weather would change, so he took this opportunity to persuade Zhu Yuanzhang to rehabilitate the unjust case. There are many interesting stories in the Ming Dynasty. If you want to know the interesting stories of the Ming Dynasty, it is recommended that you read "What Things in the Ming Dynasty" to not only understand history, but also increase your knowledge. I've seen it three times, and I can't stop watching it every time. Click the link below to read or buy it.
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The next day, Tan Rong came to the county government to explain his purpose, but the county magistrate said angrily: Are you teasing the county magistrate? It was too late at this time, and I should report it to the prefect. If you don’t want to ask for rain, go and tell the prefect to go! Be careful that your life will be lost if you deceive the imperial officials! After hearing this, Tan Rong was so scared that he didn't know how to get out of the county government.
Tan Rong found Zhang Cong again in desperation and begged Zhang Cong to save him! Zhang Cong had no choice but to tell the truth: I have an old problem with my legs. I found that when it rained, my legs hurt badly, for many years. Last time you said I was asking for rain, my legs hurt so much, so I thought it was going to rain, so I went to ask for rain. But I don’t know when it will rain this time!
Tan Rong felt half-hearted after hearing this, and said with a sad face: It’s over! Life is hard to protect this time! Seeing that Tan Rong was so unbearable, Zhang Cong said to him: It’s not impossible, now he has to bet? Tan Rong hurriedly asked: What are you doing?
Zhang Cong said: I'll go with you. When you get there, you pretend to be a trick. If my legs hurt, you go and ask for rain. If I can't feel it, you can say that the venue is wrong and there are too few offerings. In short, find excuses to delay time. I will tell you one day if my leg hurts!
Tan Rong thinks this is really a gambling for luck, but there is no other way, so he can only do it according to Zhang Cong’s method!
Fortunately, Tan Rong was very lucky this time. The second day after he arrived in Hejian Mansion, Zhang Cong's leg hurt, so Tan Rong went to the altar to cast spells and pray for rain. It started to rain heavily on the morning of the third day. The heavy rain fell for a day and a night, solving the problem of drought.The prefect was very happy and rewarded Tan Rong with 500 taels of silver and allowed Tan Rong to stay in the prefect to be the master!
Tan Rong was extremely excited and wanted to share the money to Zhang Cong, but Zhang Cong refused and said to him: You just need to accept the reward from the prefect. Never be his master. There will be such a lucky chance several times, and there may be many times, but as long as one is not lucky enough, I am afraid that your life will be difficult to protect when the matter is revealed!
Tan Rong was still in excitement at this time. He thought that Zhang Cong was jealous of becoming a master, so he said this and did not listen to advice at all. Seeing this, Zhang Cong sighed and asked Tan Rong to take care of himself, and then went home by himself!
, and Tan Rong was deeply trusted by the prefect for seeking rain, and he was very glorious for a while! After that, Tan Rong's luck was surprisingly good. Every time the prophecy was successful, which made the prefect and everyone respect him even more. Tan Rong gradually lost himself, and sometimes even felt that he really had the ability to predict the future!
Once, an antique inkstone was missing in the mansion. That inkstone was the favorite thing of the prefect. It is said that it was the inkstone that Wang Xizhi used once used by the saint of calligraphy. In fact, the inkstone was stolen by a servant in the mansion. The prefect searched for a long time but couldn't find it, so he asked Tan Rong to calculate who stolen the inkstone and where it is now. The servant was frightened when he heard about it, so he secretly found Tan Rong, gave him money, and kept kowtowing to beg for mercy, hoping that Tan Rong would not say that he stole it! Tan Rong said to the servant: You secretly dig a hole in the yard of the study, put the inkstone in it, and then bury it in the soil! I have my own explanation at that time, keep you safe!
Later, Tan Rong said to the prefect: The inkstone was not thrown away, it was hidden in the yard. You can find it by digging the soil there! So the prefect took people to look for it, and it was found, and then rewarded Tan Rong with a lot of money!
everyone says that if you have money, you will become bad. Tan Rong is now in a wealthy way and is trusted by the prefect. He enjoys such a respected life. He was worried that he would not understand magic at all and would expose himself. By then, I will have to live a life of not having the last meal, and even my life will be difficult to save. The only person who knows his background is Zhang Cong. As long as Zhang Cong doesn’t say it, he can rest assured! So for his glory and wealth, he decided to kill Zhang Cong.
Tan Rong secretly spent money to hire a killer. On that day, the killer found Zhang Cong's family and decided to wait until Zhang Cong fell asleep before taking action at night. In the evening, on the way home from business, Zhang Cong passed an alley and was pulled by a mysterious man. Zhang Cong wanted to shout. When he saw the mysterious man's face clearly, he said in surprise: Why are you? The man told him not to speak out, and then led Zhang Cong to find a place where no one was...
In the evening, Zhang Cong returned home, and after dinner, he turned off the lights and went to bed. The killer waited for an hour and felt that Zhang Cong was already asleep. So he secretly climbed over the wall, gently pried open the door bolt, sneaked into the room, and came to Zhang Cong's bed. Seeing Zhang Cong sleeping with his head covered, he raised his knife and chopped it. Unexpectedly, the knife slashed on Zhang Cong's body, as if it was chopped on cotton, and there was no sound of the knife stuttering into his bones. The killer was shocked and knew that he had been exposed. He was about to escape. At this time, he stretched out his hands from under the bed and grabbed the killer's legs and pulled it back hard. The killer's center of gravity was unstable and fell to the ground, with stars appearing. The owner of the hands crawled out from under the bed before the killer could react and tied the killer's hands and feet with the prepared rope.
This person is either Zhang Cong. After Zhang Cong tied up the killer, he wanted to send him to the government tomorrow, but at this time, the gate of Zhang Cong's house was knocked open and several officials came. The leader seemed to be dressed in a big way! The man went into the house and saw that Zhang Cong was alive. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he didn't say anything more. He just said to Zhang Cong: I have received the report that someone is going to assassinate you tonight, so I came to capture the murderer. Then he ordered the yamen runners to take the killer away!
Zhang Cong escaped, and thanked Tan Rong's sister Xiangyu. That day she saw a mysterious person coming to look for Tan Rong, and accidentally heard the news that Tan Rong wanted to kill Zhang Cong. Xiangyu didn't want her brother to commit a crime, so she found an excuse to return to her hometown.Xiangyu grabbed Zhang Cong halfway and told him the matter. So Zhang Cong put his clothes into the quilt and pretended to be himself. Tan Rong had no idea about all this happening with
, and he was still waiting for news about the killer. The next day, the prefect called Tan Rong to him and said, "Master Li has always not believed that you can make a clever plan. He said that you are witchy and confused, and he has been playing tricks on me." This official does not believe Master Li's words, but he wants you to show your skills in public. What do you think?
This Master Li is another master in Hejian Mansion. His real name is Li Qing. Since Tan Rong was appointed as the master by the prefect, his position in the hearts of the prefect has become less important. Originally, the prefect would discuss with him when there was something happening, but now the prefect doesn't follow his advice. Li Qing felt that his position was threatened and had been trying to find an opportunity to move Tan Rong down, so he sent someone to secretly follow him. After a long period of follow-up observation, Li Qing felt that Tan Rong was a ignorant and confusing person, but there was no evidence.
When Tan Rong heard the question from the prefect, he didn't know how to answer. At this time, Li Qing said, "Brother Tan is superb in Taoism, I believe he will not refuse. I asked someone to prepare a cabinet with something in it. If Brother Tan can guess, I would like to worship you as my teacher and respectfully serve you from now on." After saying that, someone asked someone to carry a cabinet up and then asked Tan Rong for another call!
Li Qing did not give Tan Rong a chance to refuse. He is now in a difficult situation. At this time, he regretted not obeying Zhang Qing's words, but now he can't help! Tan Rong looked at the prefect and saw that the prefect staring at him with a sharp look. He understood that the prefect agreed to it. Tan Rong thought she had to gamble again, hoping that her luck would be as good as ever. Tan Rong looked at the cabinet and heard something moving inside. He determined that the cabinet was filled with a living thing. Thinking that the prefect usually likes dogs, he guessed that there was a dog inside. He swallowed and said tremblingly: There is a dog inside. After saying that, he closed his eyes, afraid that he had guessed wrong!
Li Qing smiled after hearing Tan Rong's answer and said: Brother Tan is really amazing, you guessed it right. Tan Rong was excited after hearing this and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but Li Qing's next sentence changed drastically. Li Qing looked at Tan Rong with a mocking look and suddenly said with a sneer: But he is not an ordinary dog, he is a dog that kills people like a silence! After saying that, someone opened the cabinet.
When Tan Rong saw the things in the cabinet clearly, he opened his big eyes in disbelief, his eyes full of surprise and fear. It turned out that what was placed in the cabinet was not something, but a person. This person is the murderer sent by Tan Rong to assassinate Zhang Cong!
It turned out that Li Qing also discovered the secret of Tan Rong killing Zhang Cong, so he led someone to follow the killer, hoping that after the killer succeeded, he would catch him on the spot. But what he didn't think of was that Zhang Cong was not killed, but this didn't matter. As long as the murderer was brought back for interrogation and let the killer confess, Tan Rong would have nothing to say and would be doomed!
That night, Li Qing interrogated the killer, and soon the killer confessed to Tan Rong. Li Qing handed the confession to the prefect and said to the prefect: Tan Rong has been pretending to be a fool!
So there is a scene where Tan Rong guesses things! Tan Rong knew that the matter was exposed, so he took the initiative to admit his crime and said that he did not know how to do Taoism, and it was all a lucky chance to beg for the rain! The prefect was very angry after hearing this, but thought that Tan Rong also made some contributions, so he ordered someone to beat Tan Rong for fifty times, life and death are all the way!
Tan Rong was still lucky. He was hit by fifty boards and did not kill him. He was just disabled and could no longer walk! After Zhang Cong found out, he took Tan Rong back to his home and took care of him carefully. Seeing that Zhang Cong was still treating him like this, Tan Rong regretted it and hugged Zhang Cong and cried bitterly.
Later, Zhang Cong and Xiangyu got married, and the two took care of Tan Rong together. With his intelligence, Zhang Cong made a lot of business and made a lot of money!
The story ends here.The author’s story thoughts on Nian: Don’t be too greedy in life, you must know how to retreat bravely and stop at the right time.
