Aunt Chen is back from the world of cultivation

After some consideration, Chen Qingzhu finally selected two formations.

The first thing to arrange is naturally the protective formation.

When faced with danger and unable to defeat the enemy, the disciples of Cihang Temple can hide directly in it. Once the formation is activated, no matter whether it is swords, arrows, artillery fire, people or livestock from the outside world, no one can enter.

After many investigations around the entire Cihang Temple, she chose a location in a cave not far from the back gate of Xiyuan.

This place was originally used to store firewood. The space is large enough to hide hundreds of people.

Moreover, the attributeless spirit stones that form the base of the array can be buried directly in fresh soil, and can make use of the majestic five elements of earth in the entire mountain to enhance the protective effect.

The protective formation of the Salesian Church was set up in the tallest row of houses in the church. A few days before setting up the formation, she asked Huijing to move the children in the house to other places to live temporarily.

Once the formation is set up, the room where the formation plate is located will be locked, and the key will be held by Huijing, the hall master alone.

The second thing to arrange is the spirit gathering array.

There are many plants in the mountains, and the wood-type spiritual energy is slightly richer than in other places.

In addition, she also has wood-type spiritual energy, and like attracts like. With this as the basis of the formation, she can gather the surrounding wood-type spiritual energy.

The concentration is far from enough for her to practice, but if an ordinary person stays within the range covered by the formation and is surrounded by wood-type spiritual energy, he will feel relaxed and happy.

If you stay longer, the effect of strengthening your body will be very obvious.

Such a room will undoubtedly make believers yearn for it.

She set up two rooms with spirit gathering arrays, planning to leave one for Rong Niang and the three managers to live in, and the other for the believers who performed well every time they burned incense.

Therefore, even when she is not here, believers will often come to Cihang Temple in order to stay longer in the room with wood-like spiritual energy.

This is another layer of protection for the disciples of Cihang Temple.

She believed that with Huiyun's ability, she could make good use of these two formations.

After setting up the formation, Chen Qingzhu will also need to use a large amount of jade to make fairy dew and spiritual liquid.

The elixir will naturally remain in Cihang Temple to develop believers.

The spiritual liquid is for personal use in cultivation on the road.

She is not able to make storage talismans yet. Jade is too big and carrying more would take up a lot of space in the bag. It would be much more convenient to compress the spiritual energy in it into liquid.

These preparations will undoubtedly take a lot of time.

Counting the time, perhaps we can wait until Zheng Yuannai's imperial edict of commendation is issued and make some arrangements before setting off.

*

As Chen Qingzhu prepared for his upcoming trip, the weather was getting colder.

At this time, the capital city was already covered with snow. Looking around, the whole world seemed to be wrapped in thick snow.

Pei Xiao, the male owner of the Jingnan Marquis's Mansion, was dressed in tight clothes and practicing swordsmanship in the martial arts field in the mansion.

He chopped the wooden stakes used for practice into flying snow, and there were gusts of wind, creating a terrifying aura.

However, this scene did not last long, and his figure suddenly stopped.

An intense pain that was difficult to ignore came from both knees, making it impossible for him to move at all.

"Bring a wheelchair!"

Pei Xiao shouted angrily, his face looking so gloomy that water could drip out of it.

He came to practice swordplay because he was a little upset, but his knee injury recurred after he made any intense movements, making his irritable mood even more gloomy.

What made him so upset was naturally the Concubine Shu's belly in the palace.

The imperial doctors had originally predicted that Concubine Shu would give birth more than ten days ago, but she still hasn't gone into labor.

It's hard not to worry about whether something might happen to the prince in her belly.

After all, there are many examples of delayed delivery resulting in stillbirth.

For the sake of the baby in Concubine Shu's belly, the Jingnan Marquis's Mansion also made a big gamble.

More than half a month ago, when they just arrived at the Beijing dock, their eldest uncle Zhang Jinghong suddenly attacked them, questioning why they had repeatedly concealed the fact that Pei Jin was poisoned, and even went so far as to bribe Doctor Qian sent by the Zhang family with ten thousand taels of silver.

Pei Xiao didn't understand what he meant, and said:

"I concealed it at the beginning because I didn't want my uncle and father-in-law to blame Pei for not managing the family well and causing trouble for Jin. If the outside world knew about it, it would also affect my reputation as an official. Now I have done my best to make Jin recover. Why does my uncle need to bring up the past again?"

Zhang Jinghong said angrily:

"Just because Jin Ge'er was lucky enough to be cured, will we no longer pursue the culprit and let him continue to be trapped in the future?"

Pei Xiao said frankly:

"The culprit has been sent to Cihang Temple to practice and pray for Brother Jin. He is not allowed to step into the Bo Mansion again for the rest of his life and will not threaten Brother Jin's safety again."

Zhang Jinghong sneered:

"I have already found out everything about that concubine. Apart from other things, the poison that Jin-ge was poisoned with is very rare and peculiar. How could a maid like her who never leaves the house and has no money or favor in the mansion get it?"

"The real culprit is someone else!"

He was the one who personally investigated Pei Jin's poisoning. Chen had sufficient motives to commit the crime and confessed his guilt. Pei Xiao did not think there was anything wrong.

But what Zhang Jinghong said was not without reason, and he spoke so confidently. In order to give an explanation to the Zhang family, he had to bring up the old case again.

"Who did my uncle find out?"

Zhang Jinghong pointed directly at Zhang who was standing next to him.

Zhang immediately looked as if she had suffered a great injustice:

"Brother, the heavens can see my motherly love for Jin'er. In order to cure his leg, I would rather kneel for three days and three nights. How could you misunderstand me like this?"

Zhang Jinghong sneered and said:

"Last year, not long after your stepmother regained her fertility, Brother Jin was poisoned. How could such a coincidence happen in the world?"

Pei Xiao was shocked by the news and immediately asked someone to take Zhang's pulse.

Zhang said sadly:

"No need to take my pulse. I did inadvertently get my body back in shape. But just to prevent Brother Jin from thinking too much and to prevent you from being embarrassed, Uncle, I took the contraceptive soup on my own. I didn't expect that this would be my fault in the eyes of my uncle. Haha, it's hard to be a stepmother. People are not lying to me..."

Zhang Jinghong was not moved by these words at all, and blurted out a series of questions:

"You are all thousand-year-old foxes, stop pretending! If it wasn't you who did it, why would you repeatedly prevent the Zhang family from learning the truth, and even use 10,000 taels to bribe the doctor for this?"

"Also, why did your wet nurse's son insist that you were the one who ordered him to set fire to Cihang Temple? Wasn't it to silence the aunt who was practicing in Cihang Temple?"

"Later, your wet nurse was able to take away 10,000 taels of silver and the seal of the Marquis' Mansion under the strict supervision of the Marquis' Mansion. Before she was arrested, she was stabbed to death by Zhang Gui, your most trusted companion. What a coincidence!"

All the old memories came to my mind.

Pei Xiao doesn't think he is a confused person.

The initial doubts were immediately resolved by the key clue that Zhang Jinghong said that Zhang had regained her fertility.

The anger of being fooled and deceived burned in my chest.

He finally understood how vicious and scheming his beautiful step-wife was. She simply disgusted him to the extreme!

Zhang is still trying to argue:

"The old story has been explained clearly in court, and I don't want to say more. Big brother wants to convict me based on his own conjecture. Even if you report it to His Majesty, I will not accept it!"

"Shut up!"

Pei Xiao shouted angrily, wanting to smash Zhang's sweet-talking mouth.

She only dared to continue to deny so shamelessly because she had already killed the person and destroyed the evidence.

However, he couldn't even stand up from the wheelchair and fell back heavily.

It was this fall that brought him back to his senses.

Zhang Jinghong's expression eased a little because of his reaction, and he said:

"Brother-in-law, I still call you brother-in-law. As the head of the family, you must give me and the Zhang family a satisfactory explanation for this matter."

explain?

Judging from Zhang Jinghong's attitude, if he does not severely punish Zhang and ensure Jin'er's safety and status, the direct branch of the Zhang family will probably turn against him completely.

But the direct branch of the Zhang family was satisfied, so how could the Concubine Shu in the palace let it go?

He had to choose between the direct branch of the Zhang family and the Concubine Shu.

After pondering for a long time, he finally made up his mind, calmed his expression, and slowly spoke:

"Uncle, you can't slander my wife's reputation just because she has regained her fertility and might give birth to a child that would threaten Jin'er's status."

"Unless you can provide irrefutable evidence, I will always believe in my wife!"

Zhang Jinghong's expression suddenly became very ugly:

"Good! What a sycophantic Jingnan Lord!"

Zhang, who was standing by, immediately showed an expression of great emotion, which did not seem fake, and made Pei Xiao feel much better.

No matter what this woman's character and personality were, she really cared about her husband.

Even though he was declared by the most authoritative doctor in the field of bone and muscle surgery to have both legs crippled, she never showed any disdain and remained as gentle and caring to him as ever.

Zhang Jinghong was not someone who could be easily dealt with. Now that the two sides had already fallen out, he showed his true colors.

"Since you choose to protect this vicious woman, then give Jin Ge'er a chance to live!"

"Write down the contract. Brother Jin and your Jingnan Marquis's horoscopes are incompatible. He must be raised in another family until he is 20 years old and then set up his own family. Only then can his life be guaranteed."

"Otherwise, I will make this matter known to everyone in the capital. I wonder if the mothers' families of the ladies in the palace will let you off easily!"

The Concubine Shu is the only one who enjoys His Majesty's favor in the palace and has the most children, which is like oil boiling on a raging fire.

Those ladies who came from big families couldn't do anything to Concubine Shu for the time being, but once this matter got out and they got hold of some evidence, these people would rush forward and try every possible means to deal with the Jingnan Marquis' Mansion and cut off Concubine Shu's right-hand men.

No one can guarantee that this matter can really stand up to scrutiny.

After careful consideration, Pei Xiao finally signed the contract requested by Zhang Jinghong, which was equivalent to handing over his eldest son to the Zhang family.

She gave up her legitimate son, the support of the Zhang family's legitimate branch, and even her own dignity, all in the bet that the baby in Concubine Shu's belly would give birth to a healthy prince.

If he loses the bet, he will become a joke.