It was better to wait until the matter was settled, and when he returned to Hetou Village, he would bring Chen Ermao along and deal with him in Hetou Village. The consequences for this kid would probably not be any better, and he would most likely end up in the river like Sanqiu.
...
The next morning, Wan Nian City was once again in an uproar.
In the moat outside the east, south, west, and north gates, schools of fish gathered again, and this time there were no fewer than the previous gathering.
The common people naturally became uneasy again, as this indicated that the sorcery performed by the monks and Taoists was no longer effective.
Coupled with the active dissemination and incitement by Yang Zhi and others, public opinion quickly surged into a tidal wave. By noon, the news had reached the imperial palace. Upon hearing the report, Xiao An's expression immediately turned serious. He had encountered a formidable opponent this time.
He also knew that the rituals performed by the monks and Taoists were not of much use, but he hadn't expected his opponent to be even more ruthless than him.
The reality was here, and he couldn't possibly set up altars to perform rituals at all four gates.
But before he could come up with a solution, Bai Han rushed in and bowed to him, "Reporting to Your Majesty, a guard just reported that the monks and Taoists performing rituals outside the west gate have all fled, not even taking their bounty."
Upon hearing this, Xiao An let out a long sigh, "Alas, so be it. If they run, you will find them again. Remember to find more."
Bai Han turned away helplessly, preparing to lead people to search for monks and Taoists again.
Meanwhile, in Hetou Village, Yang Chun received a carrier pigeon message from La Erduo. After reading it, Yang Chun hurried to find Cui Hongyu.
"Sister Hongyu, quick, look. Brother Xiaobei sent a letter from the capital, asking you to bring these things to the capital to find him."
Cui Hongyu took the letter and read it. Chen Xiaobei's letter was very brief, asking Cui Hongyu to bring the tiger, the large snake, the giant turtle, and the few pheasants she raised to Wan Nian City to find him.
The main reason Chen Xiaobei asked Cui Hongyu to personally bring these items was because these three fierce tigers only listened to Cui Hongyu, and rarely listened to him.
But as soon as these three tigers saw Cui Hongyu, they became as docile as kittens.
Cui Hongyu frowned after reading the letter. She couldn't figure out what Chen Xiaobei had gone through to need these things.
However, on second thought, it was true that tigers and large snakes were of little use to her. If they were sent to the capital, could they help Chen Xiaobei? It would be worth raising them for so long.
Once she understood this, Cui Hongyu first went to Chen Ermao's home.
As soon as Cui Hongyu entered, she called out to herself, "Big cats, don't make a fuss. I'm here to bring you food."
The tigers were indeed very well-behaved. They instantly quieted down from their boisterous jumping.
Standing at the door, looking through the wooden planks, they gazed at Cui Hongyu expectantly, waiting to be fed.
This scene left Yang Chun and the others behind Cui Hongyu dumbfounded. They never expected Cui Hongyu to have such a skill.
While feeding the tigers, Cui Hongyu said loudly, "Big cats, be good and obedient later. I have to put you in wooden cages and transport you to the capital. Do you hear me? No one is allowed to scare anyone else."
The three fierce tigers nodded while eating, as if they had truly understood.
After they were full, Cui Hongyu waved to those behind her. Chen Dayong and the others immediately brought in three wooden cages and, with Cui Hongyu's help, successively caged the three tigers.
Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, and for Cui Hongyu, it was as simple as taming a cat.
Returning home again, Cui Hongyu wrote a prescription, called Chen Xiaowen over, and instructed him to get more herbs from town. She didn't know how many days it would be before she returned, so she had to leave a few more doses of medicine for Chen Dachun.
After arranging for Chen Xiaowen, Cui Hongyu went to Chen Dachun's home.
Seeing her arrive, Cuihua rushed to greet her. Although she forced a smile, it was clear that behind the smile lay deep worry.
Chen Dachun had not been able to get out of bed for a month, and anyone would understand.
Cui Hongyu sat by the bed. Chen Dachun also looked worried, and asked Cui Hongyu with a sigh, "Hongyu, tell me the truth, will I not be able to stand up again?"
Cui Hongyu tried her best to force a smile, "Brother Dachun, don't overthink it. As the saying goes, illness comes like a mountain collapsing and leaves like drawing silk. You fell so badly, you'll have to lie in bed for several months."
As she said this, she took Chen Dachun's pulse and examined it carefully again. Chen Dachun's pulse was very normal, and there was nothing unusual to be seen, which also made her feel very surprised.
But she still had to say something comforting, "It's a little better than last time. I'm going to the capital. I've asked Xiaowen to get more medicine. If I run out of medicine before I return, ask Xiaowen to find Jia Wannian. Jia Wannian will naturally know what kind of prescription to give you."
After speaking, she turned to her second aunt, Xiu Mei, "Second Aunt, while I'm away, Qiaoer will primarily be with Shen Ziyan, but please make time to go and see her. I'm afraid Ziyan might get too busy to pay attention!"
Hearing this, Second Aunt Xiu Mei nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, leave this to me. I will make sure to visit twice a day." Su Dan Novel Network
After making these arrangements, Cui Hongyu returned home.
Chen Dayong and the others had been waiting for a long time. With their help, they pulled the three large snakes out of the large vats. In early winter, the three large snakes had already begun to hibernate, so it was not difficult to catch them.
As for the pheasants and the turtle, they were even easier to handle.
Soon, these so-called Four Divine Beasts were all ready.
According to the agreed plan, Yang Chun would escort Cui Hongyu to Wan Nian City, and he would also leave three people behind to maintain communication between Hetou Village and Wan Nian City.
Chen Dayong had to stay behind. If he left, the village would have no backbone.
As for the large canteen that Cui Hongyu had just established, it would be handed over to Qiuju, the widow of Lidong.
The purpose of doing this was simple: to allow Qiuju to earn more to supplement her household expenses.
With everything arranged, Cui Hongyu set off with the Four Divine Beasts for Wan Nian City.
At this time, in Wan Nian City.
Xiao Jingyun, who was in a state of distress, received some good news.
After days of continuous tracking and observation by Zhu Ziming, the Sima of the Ministry of Rites, and Tian Wenhao, the Sima of the Military Affairs Department, they finally located the secret liaison point of the Dalin Kingdom in their Wan Nian City.
Looking at the map presented by the two, Xiao Jingyun couldn't help but nod repeatedly.
"My two loyal ministers, you indeed handle matters with great care. This map is drawn very clearly."
Tian Wenhao bowed and said, "Your Highness, after so many days of observation, apart from these places, Bel has not had any other contact with the outside world. Therefore, your humble servant believes it is time to cast the net."