Aunt Chen is back from the world of cultivation

In the Zheng family's courtyard in Nandu City, a servant came to report:

"Master, Marquis Jingnan sent someone to deliver a visiting card."

Zheng Yuannai took the visiting card and took a look at it. It was indeed an invitation from the Jingnan Marquis Mansion.

Although he did not enter the officialdom, he was not completely ignorant of the officialdom.

On the contrary, he also knew all the powerful figures in the Nandu City near Yangzhou.

Although Pei Xiao is only a garrison officer, his rank is not as high as his father's.

But this is the garrison of the Nando camp, which is of great significance and is mostly held by influential nobles.

Even though his military power was held hostage by the Minister of War and the Internal Garrison, he was still considered a powerful figure in the Southern Capital.

In addition, Pei Xiao is related by marriage to the Zhang family, which has already entered the cabinet. No matter whether they are civil officials or military generals, they should not underestimate him.

If his father, General Lin, had not been trusted by Admiral Caojiang and regarded as his half-son, it would have been difficult for him to be on equal footing with Governor Pei.

By this calculation, he is also a distinguished guest.

Zheng Yuannai knew that he had to be cautious when dealing with officials, so as to avoid saying something that the other party was afraid of and accidentally offending them. He instructed his closest servant:

"Go to Nandu City and ask around. Has anything major happened in Jingnan Marquis' Mansion in recent years?"

The Jingnan Marquis Mansion has become very famous recently.

It only took the servant half a day to find out everything about the Marquis of Jingnan's Mansion.

When he came back, he reported to Zheng Yuannai:

"Master, I have found out everything. If we talk about taboos, I'm afraid the strange illness of the Marquis of Jingnan's son is the same..."

After Pei Jin was poisoned, many of the people around him were replaced by Pei Xiao. No matter to Pei Jin himself or to others, they just said that he had a strange disease.

After hearing this, Zheng Yuannai began to ponder in his heart:

Did the Marquis of Jingnan come here just to visit him, or did he come to inquire about the miracle doctor?

If it is the latter, should he give him face and tell him about Cihang Temple?

It was not a difficult decision, and he made up his mind quickly.

Of course not!

A strong dragon will not overwhelm a local snake.

In terms of status, he was an outsider in Yangzhou and was certainly not as good as the Marquis of Jingnan who was stationed in Nando.

Telling Marquis Jingnan would undoubtedly add a strong competitor to himself.

Even if we want to tell him, we have to wait until he becomes a devout believer and gets the elixir.

Just as these thoughts were turning around in my mind, I heard the servant continue:

"Another major event in the Marquis of Jingnan's Mansion is related to the Cihang Temple..."

As he spoke, he reported the two conflicts between the Jingnan Marquis' Mansion and the Cihang Temple, as well as the subsequent incident in which he was summoned to the government office to respond to the lawsuit.

The servant was Zheng Yuannai's confidant, so he naturally knew that his young master had gone to Cihang Temple, so he found out about the matter in great detail.

After hearing this, Zheng Yuannai frowned.

Just based on the attitude of Cihang Temple when facing the tenfold compensation offered by Jingnan Marquis, he could be sure that Jingnan Marquis's Mansion was definitely on Cihang Temple's blacklist.

The Marquis of Jingnan's Mansion suffered such a huge setback that it may have become enemies with the Cihang Temple.

Fortunately, he had inquired before meeting Marquis Jingnan, otherwise, if he had rashly met with Marquis Jingnan and said something he shouldn't have said, it would have ruined everything.

Zheng Yuannai's wife, Wei, was also listening nearby. She sent the servant away and immediately asked hesitantly:

"My husband, do we still need to interact with the Marquis of Jingnan Mansion?"

"If we don't interact, I'm afraid we'll make enemies for my father-in-law. But if we interact, and the Cihang Temple finds out, they might think we're the same as the Marquis of Jingnan, which would be very disadvantageous for my husband's quest for the elixir."

"How can the Jingnan Marquis Mansion be as important as the Cihang Temple!" Zheng Yuannai said without hesitation.

Any hesitation for a moment would be a disrespect for your own life!

Treating Marquis Jingnan as an honored guest was based on the desire to establish good relations with him.

If this is not the premise, Marquis Jingnan and his father are in charge of the navy and the army respectively, and Admiral Caojiang is also the emperor's confidant, so he has no need to be afraid of Marquis Jingnan.

So... he planned to sell Marquis Jingnan without hesitation, and for a good price!

After thinking for a moment, Zheng Yuannai suddenly came up with a good idea.

"Everyone in Nandu knows about this. The rest of the believers must have listed Jingnan Marquis Mansion as a taboo. Simply not having any contact with us does not reflect our value at all..."

"Prepare the car, I want to go to Cihang Temple immediately!"

Previously, Cihang Temple had treated him normally, and he thought that he would be no different from ordinary believers in the future.

Unexpectedly, Cihang Temple actually has such a powerful enemy as Jingnan Marquis Mansion!

Isn't this a godsend opportunity to let the master of Cihang Temple know the strength of his family?

"But it's already noon, and it will be dark when we get to Cihang Temple. We will have to travel at night when we come back!" Wei advised.

"Marquis Jingnan will come to visit tomorrow. If I don't go now, I won't have time. I have to go to Cihang Temple to discuss some ideas."

Of course, asking for advice is just a cover.

The key point is to let Cihang Temple know his sincerity, Zheng Yuannai, and for the sake of Cihang Temple he can completely stand against the Jingnan Marquis Mansion.

Moreover, as long as Cihangguan said a word, he and his father would do their best to deal with the Jingnan Marquis Mansion.

Only in this way can he demonstrate his importance as the son of a third-rank general and quickly become a believer that the temple master dare not disrespect.

Seeing that her husband had made up his mind, Wei dared not persuade him any further and said:

"Then I will go with my husband!"

Soon, the two of them boarded an inconspicuous green-curtained carriage, brought a few guards, and set off from the back door to Cihang Temple.

When we arrived at Cihang Temple, it was already late and the gates were closed.

After knocking on the door, Kundao immediately went to report to Huiyun.

Huiyun welcomed Zheng Yuannai and his wife in. After listening to their purpose of visit, Huiyun felt that the matter was of great importance and she did not dare to take any action on her own.

"Please wait here for a while. I will go and ask the abbot for instructions."

Upon hearing this, Zheng Yuannai gave his wife Wei a look that hinted at complacency.

He knew that this trip would not be in vain.

Behind him is a third-rank general.

How could Cihang Temple, with its powerful rival, the Marquis of Jingnan’s Mansion, not need the full support of the Zheng family?

Look, Taoist Huiyun has already reported to the abbot, and the abbot will definitely receive him.

In this way, he will be able to quickly catch up and get the elixir first!

However, he never expected that his thoughts would be completely in vain.

*

He arrived at the right time, as it was Chen Qingzhu's dinner time.

Because she has to practice all night, she will eat dinner later than the average Kundao.

With the presence of the wives of wealthy businessmen from Nandu City, the food quality of the entire Cihang Temple has risen sharply.

Taibai Tower was owned by the richest family, the Liu family. Mrs. Liu failed to give Taibai Tower's VIP ID card, and said that in order for the master to have more delicious meals, she must send a chef.

Chen Qingzhu didn't plan to let outsiders get involved in the kitchen for the time being, so he just asked someone to send a cook to Taibai Tower to observe and learn.

The boss lady instructed that the cook must be taught carefully, and even after only ten days, the cook's cooking skills improved dramatically.

After coming back, I cooked a special meal for Chen Qingzhu, and the food he made was much more delicious.

After practicing for a whole day, being able to eat a table full of delicious meals is undoubtedly a soothing to the body and mind.

When Huiyun came, Chen Qingzhu had just finished his meal and was brewing some top-quality tea for himself in the tea room.

Although these things do not have any spiritual energy, they are also the most delicious taste in the world. Smelling the fragrance of tea makes people feel relaxed and happy.

"Master, General Zheng's son Zheng Yuannai is here..."

She repeated Zheng Yuannai's words.

Chen Qingzhu handed Huiyun a cup of tea:

"Have a cup of tea before you go. Tell him that Cihang Temple does not interfere with the private interactions of its followers. Let him decide whether to interact with Jingnan Marquis's Mansion or whether to oppose Jingnan Marquis's Mansion for Cihang Temple."

Huiyun had no mood to drink tea, and said in confusion:

"Master, this Mr. Zheng is quite important. If we don't tell him to do something, wouldn't it be a waste?"

Chen Qingzhu took a sip of hot tea, his eyes fixed on the mist rising from the kettle, and spoke slowly and calmly.

"It is precisely because he is of great importance that he must be tamed."

"Huiyun, you have to remember, no matter if he is a dragon or a worm outside, once he arrives at Cihang Temple, this temple master will make him coil up and become a worm."

She was not completely indifferent to the affairs of Cihang Temple.

Huiyun would report to her after dinner what happened every day, which new pilgrims came and how they performed.

Therefore, she was well aware of the performance of the general's son in the previous two times.

Not to mention that she had already made arrangements for the affairs of the Marquis of Jingnan's Mansion and did not need Zheng Yuannai to add to the effort.

Even if it is really necessary, they should beg to be used instead of Cihang Temple taking the initiative to ask.

Except for the Qin family, who are particularly devout and have already cultivated a certain degree of loyalty, she will not take the initiative to order others to do anything.

Huiyun immediately realized where she was wrong:

"It was my fault for not considering it properly."

She is always used to judging the importance of each believer with a secular perspective.

Even if they appear to be treated equally on the surface, in their hearts they will be ranked according to their secular status.

But this is not enough.

The master of the temple is to be above the secular dignitaries, so she must treat these dignitaries as ordinary people from the bottom of her heart and tame them into more devout believers on behalf of the master of the temple.

Seeing that she looked thoughtful, Chen Qingzhu knew that he didn't need to say anything more.

Huiyun has always been very smart and can always understand what she means quickly.

She felt completely at ease leaving the task of dealing with pilgrims to her.

*

Zheng Yuannai didn't have to wait too long before he saw Taoist Huiyun coming out.

I thought she would ask him to come in and see the abbot, but I didn't expect that although Taoist Huiyun's attitude was gentle, she was still as distant as before.

What he said was even more unbelievable to him.

"Fellow believer, the abbot said that our temple does not interfere with the social interactions of believers. Whether to interact with the Jingnan Marquis' Mansion or to oppose the Jingnan Marquis' Mansion for the sake of Cihang Temple, please make your own decision."

Then he issued an order to expel the guest without hesitation.

"It's getting late. My temple doesn't accept outsiders. Please leave the mountain as soon as possible."

The pride in Zheng Yuannai's heart was instantly shattered.

He never expected that even after he said that much, Cihang Temple actually refused the help of the General's Mansion.

This makes his behavior seem ridiculous.

He suddenly remembered that the servant had once said that in the case of the Jingnan Marquis Mansion, the presiding judge was Yan Tongzhi, who showed no mercy to the Jingnan Marquis Mansion and conducted a public trial, causing the Jingnan Marquis Mansion to lose face and ruining its reputation throughout the entire Nandu City.

When he was burning incense on the first day of the new year, he suddenly saw the shadow of Mrs. Yan Tongzhi in the crowd.

Obviously, Yan Tongzhi and his family are also believers of the temple master.

However, given Tongzhi Yan's status, even if he tried his best, he did not cause any substantial damage to the Jingnan Marquis Mansion.

He is a third-rank general, with the support of the first-rank Duke Dingguo, Admiral Caojiang. His power is many times stronger than that of Yan Tongzhi!

The only problem is that he should have done a good job before asking for credit, but now that this has happened, he has ended up being at a disadvantage.

He quickly made a statement to remedy the situation:

"The master is enlightened, but the enemies of Cihang Temple are the enemies of believers. Please wait and see!"

He asked Huiyun some more questions before saying goodbye and leaving.

After returning to the carriage, he had secretly made up his mind that he must plan carefully and show his ability in dealing with the Jingnan Marquis Mansion, so that the temple master would look at him with admiration!