Lin Wanrong was close to her, so his eyes were sharp. With a glance, he saw the contents of the lot. Needless to say, this was definitely a marriage lot. Just reading the gatha, even he, the Great Hoodwinker, was confused. What did this lot mean? Why did it suddenly become profound?
The Grand Mistress saw Lin San peeking at her and hurriedly hid the lot. Her face blushed as she said, "What are you looking at? I'll go find the old monk to dispel it. "
After she finished speaking, she went to find the old monk. Lin Wanrong shook his head as he watched. Women were women after all. Marriage matters greatly affected them. Even a strong woman like Xiao Yuruo was not immune.
The day passed in a leisurely manner. However, after the Grand Mistress finished asking the old monk to dispel the lot, the smile on her face seemed to lessen. It was replaced with a look of confusion. It was unknown what the old monk said to make the Grand Mistress like this.
Lin Wanrong thought, That old monk is the same as me in hoodwinking. I'm afraid he didn't say anything useful. It was all ambiguous. The only difference was that he took two taels of silver from you, but I did it for free.
Today's outing was not small. Not only did the Grand Mistress smile more, but she also met a god like the Minister of Revenue, Xu Wei. It was not a wasted trip.
And that yellow-clothed old man, who knew what kind of bigwig he was. How did Uncle Wei know him?
Who cares who he is, as long as he doesn't harm me. Don't think about things you can't figure out. This was Lin Wanrong's creed.
On the other hand, that Lady Xiao was a little strange. After asking for the lot, her mind was heavy. It was as if the marriage lot had been bothering her. Lin Wanrong did not know what the old monk said, but he could not help her even if he wanted to.
When they returned to their residence, the Grand Mistress told them that they were free to go out the next day. She told them not to cause any trouble and went back to her room.
Xiao Feng and Xiao Cui, on the other hand, looked pleasantly surprised. It seemed like they were going to travel hand in hand. Lin Wanrong laughed mischievously.
After returning to the house and putting away the West Lake Misty Rain Painting, Lin Wanrong suddenly remembered that he had to find a buyer for the painting. Wasn't the yellow-robed elder a good sucker? How could she have forgotten such a serious matter after chatting with him for so long? Failure!
Early the next morning, the Grand Mistress returned to her strong character and went out early to visit the famous ladies in Hangzhou.
Lin Wanrong, on the other hand, had nowhere to go, so she wandered around the city alone. The area of Hangzhou was not big. It was very convenient to go back and forth between the north, south, east, and west. There were many big and small alleys, but there were not many interesting things.
When he came to the vicinity of a residential house close to the Su Causeway in the east of the city, he found that the place was surrounded by hundreds of people. In the bustling crowd, everyone knelt on the ground and shouted in unison, "The White Lotus Goddess has appeared."
"The White Lotus Goddess?" Lin Wanrong was very sensitive to the two words "White Lotus Goddess". When he heard it, he hurriedly squeezed forward.
In front of him was an extremely spacious place. In the middle of the place, there was a white jade Buddha statue. It was a dignified woman with gentle eyebrows and thin eyes. She looked very kind.
Strangely, this white jade Buddha statue was not one of the Bodhisattvas in the temple. Lin Wanrong had also never heard of the name of the White Lotus Goddess. What was even more surprising was that this White Lotus Goddess actually had half of her body buried in the ground. The surroundings were filled with offerings and incense burners. Countless believers knelt around and shouted, "The White Lotus Goddess."
A burly man stepped on a high place and shouted, "Believers, brothers and sisters, the benevolent White Lotus Goddess has appeared."
As soon as he shouted, countless followers below began to shout along with him, "Lady White Lotus has appeared!"
Although there were many people, Lin Wanrong observed carefully and saw that there were many "believers" in the middle who were looking around.
Lin Wanrong understood and couldn't help but sneer in his heart. Damn, these are all fake.
"In the past few months, the magical power and merits of the White Lotus Goddess have been seen by all believers. The Buddha statue is buried deep in the ground, but it can grow an inch every day. Why is this? This is the benevolent White Lotus Goddess displaying her magical power to us believers. She will save us who are suffering. We, the White Lotus Dharma Assembly, are the special envoys of the White Lotus Goddess. We are here to help everyone. As long as you join the White Lotus Dharma Assembly, everyone who joins will be brothers and sisters. Everyone will have clothes to wear, food to eat, and bask in the grace of the White Lotus Goddess.
The man encouraged loudly. Immediately, many ordinary people kowtowed to the White Lotus Goddess Buddha statue and joined the White Lotus Dharma Assembly.
Damn, what grow an inch every day? What the hell is this? This White Lotus Dharma Assembly is so similar to the White Lotus Sect. One look and you can tell it's not something good.
Just as Lin Wanrong was deep in thought, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind. Turning around, he saw a thin and hearty face. It was Xu Wei, Xu Wenchang, who Su Di had gifted him yesterday.
Why is this old man here? Lin Wanrong was stunned. It's really a small world.
Xu Wei smiled and said, "Little brother, we meet again."
Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "Lord Xu —"
Xu Wei shushed him and said, "This is not the place to talk. Little brother, please follow me."
Lin Wanrong followed Xu Wei. The two of them went to a nearby restaurant and sat near the window. They could see the White Lotus believers.
Xu Wei smiled and said, "Little brother, we really have some fate."
Lin Wanrong nodded and said, "Lord Xu, I didn't expect to see you here either."
Xu Wei shook his head and smiled. "Little brother, I saw that you were a straightforward person yesterday. Why are you not straightforward today?"
Lin Wanrong asked curiously, "What do you mean by that, Lord Xu?"
"I came to Hang this time for personal service and not to attract attention. You don't have to treat me as an official of the Imperial Court. You can call me Mister Xu or Mister Wenchang. Like yesterday on the Su Di, you can call me Old Mister. If you call me Lord Xu, isn't that tacky? "Xu Wei said with a smile.
So that's how it is. This Xu Wei is quite heroic and doesn't seem like someone from the bureaucracy. Lin Wanrong nodded and said, "Since Mister Xu has said so, I will naturally comply."
Xu Wei sighed and said, "As an official in the Imperial Court, there are many taboos. One has to pay attention to every aspect of conversation and discussion. However, in this Jianghu, one can be free and unfettered. Wenchang was also a scholar in the past and lived such a free and unfettered life. However, things have changed now. When one speaks and does things, there are many more misgivings. It makes one sigh. "
Xu Wei indeed had some temperament. His words sounded like he was speaking from the bottom of his heart, as if he didn't treat Lin Wanrong as an outsider.
Lin Wanrong wasn't someone who was easy to deal with. Xu Wei's words sounded comfortable on the surface, but it made people mistakenly think that he was sincere. After thinking about it carefully, other than sighing with emotion, he didn't say anything else. This was the art of speaking.
However, Xu Wei was a high-ranking official, yet he could be so modest and amiable to a little servant; it was indeed very rare.
Lin Wanrong also had some admiration for this Xu Wei. He laughed and said, "What does Mister Xu mean by saying these words? You are the most talented and knowledgeable in the world, and you are also an extremely high-ranking official. There isn't anyone in the world who doesn't admire and revere you. The matters of the Imperial Court and the matters of Jianghu, to your cheerful and open-minded character, they are all the same life experiences. What's the difference? "
Xu Wei looked at him happily and said, "Little brother, your words have a deep meaning to them. The officialdom and the Jianghu are both life experiences. Good, good, these words have touched the bottom of my heart. "
He saw that although this Lin San was dressed like a servant, his manner of speaking was calm. Sitting together with him, a high-ranking official of the Imperial Court, unexpectedly he didn't have the slightest bit of bashfulness. He was quite amazed. Yesterday Su Di was absolute, today he spoke with assurance and composure. This young man's talent and manner were not simple.
Lin Wanrong laughed and said, "Mister Xu, I didn't expect to meet you in this small alley. Speaking of which, it is really unexpected."
Xu Wei laughed and said, "I also didn't expect to see you again after parting yesterday. I won't hide it from you, Xiao Ge, but the old man is also a restless person. When I was young, I liked to travel the world, and I have some interest in all kinds of strange things. It's just that after I entered the Imperial Court, there were many official matters in the Imperial Court, and I couldn't get away, so I gradually got delayed. This time I had the opportunity to come to Hangzhou again, so I stole half a day of leisure in my fleeting life. I went out for a stroll, but I didn't expect to encounter this kind of thing. "
This Xu Wei had a wide circle of friends, was knowledgeable, had extraordinary experiences, and had a preference for novel things. It was no wonder that he was known as the world's most learned scholar.
Xu Wei said again, "I've met Xiao Ge twice, but I still don't know Xiao Ge's distinguished name?"
Lin Wanrong laughed and said, "How could I dare to be distinguished in front of an elder? My name is Lin San, a small servant of the Xiao Family in Jinling."
"The Xiao Family in Jinling?" Xu Wei was startled. "Are you the descendant of Minister Xiao?"
Minister Xiao? Lin Wanrong was stunned for a moment, and then remembered that the Xiao Family's old master had been the Minister of Rites in the past, and was one generation older than Xu Wei. Wasn't that Minister Xiao?
"Yes, yes." Lin Wanrong hurriedly said. If he really ran into Xu Wei at the Jiangzhe Chamber of Commerce tomorrow, it would be best if he could get close to him in advance.
Xu Wei sighed and said, "In the past, Minister Xiao was the head of etiquette in China. He strictly abided by etiquette and was a model for the world. It's a pity that he passed away many years ago, and no one can connect to him anymore. "
Speaking of this, Lin Wanrong was a complete novice. He didn't understand anything, and could only smile awkwardly.
Xu Wei sighed and said, "How has Miss Guo been all these years? I haven't seen her for more than twenty years since we parted ways in the capital. Time flies, and the years fly by. It's really like an old saying. "
Miss Guo? Lin Wanrong was stunned for a moment, but then he understood. Lady Xiao's maiden name was Guo, and Guo Wuchang was her nephew. Wasn't she Miss Guo?
Lin Wanrong had a headache when he thought of these connections. What did this have to do with him? He just didn't expect Lady Xiao to be acquainted with this high-ranking official in the court, but he had never heard her mention him. It seemed that she wasn't a simple person in the past.
"Oh, I haven't been in the Xiao Family for a long time, but seeing that Madam still looks the same, and the two Misses are extremely filial, it seems that they're not bad." Lin Wanrong answered cautiously.
Xu Wei said, "Yesterday on the Su Causeway, the girl with you, was she the Xiao Family's Grand Mistress?"
Lin Wanrong nodded. Xu Wei sighed and said, "I saw that she was sixty to seventy percent similar to Miss Guo when she was young, so I didn't dare to rashly ask. I didn't expect that she was the descendant of an old friend."
Xu Wei's attitude towards the Xiao Family made Lin Wanrong feel at ease. Even if something really happened at the annual meeting tomorrow, Xu Wei would definitely lend a helping hand.
Lin Wanrong didn't want to talk about this with him any longer, so he said, "Mr. Xu, did you invite me here to talk about this White Lotus Spell Assembly?"
Xu Wei snorted and said, "What White Lotus Spell Assembly? This is the Evil Sect of the White Lotus."
Lin Wanrong thought to himself, as expected, I knew it was those bastards from the White Lotus Sect, the same old farts.
Xu Wei said, "Little Brother Lin, do you know about the White Lotus Sect?"
Lin Wanrong laughed and said, "Why wouldn't I know? I was even abducted by them in the past. "
"Oh?" Xu Wei said curiously, "Little Brother Lin, you actually had such a fortuitous encounter? That makes this old man feel quite strange. "
Lin Wanrong told him about how he and the Grand Mistress were both taken captive. Xu Wei was a shrewd person, and also the number one strategist of the current Emperor of China. He stroked his beard and said, "There's something strange about this matter. As far as I know, the White Lotus Sect kidnaps people for their money, and they won't let them go until they see the money. You and Lady Xiao escaped too easily. "
Lin Wanrong naturally wouldn't say that Xiao Qingxuan had rescued him, so he said, "It was Suzhou Weaver Master Tao Yu's son, Tao Dongcheng, who borrowed a battalion of troops from the Jiangsu Commander-In-Chief Master Cheng. That's how we were able to escape."
Xu Wei smiled mysteriously and said profoundly, "If that's the case, then it's no wonder. I'm afraid the White Lotus Sect's intention towards Lady Xiao isn't as simple as kidnapping money. "
There was a hidden meaning in Xu Wei's words, as if he knew the twists and turns of the matter. He paused for a moment, then continued, "The White Lotus Sect has caused the most trouble in Jiangsu and Shandong. I'm afraid the officials of these two provinces can't escape responsibility."
Lin Wanrong thought, do I need you to say this? In the Jiangsu Province, other than that old fox, Lomin, the other Cheng De, Tao Yu and his son, I'm afraid they're all in cahoots with the White Lotus Sect.
Xu Wei continued, "The Jiangsu Governor, Lomin, is a good friend of mine. I know his difficulties. He's the head of a province, but he can't mobilize the Commander-In-Chief. It's indeed a bit difficult."
Xu Wei had been immersed in the ways of the officialdom for many years, so he was naturally clear about it. He smiled at Lin Wanrong and said, "Little brother Lin, in the future, if you have any difficulties, go find that Lomin. Just say that it's Mister Wen Zhang's request, and he will naturally help you."
Wanrong thought, do I still need your face? I've now accepted Lomin's son as my younger brother, and that old fox is very respectful to me. However, Lin Wanrong naturally had to thank Xu Wei for his good intentions.
Xu Wei's gaze fell on those believers who were worshipping the White Lotus Goddess in the distance, and he sighed, "In the past, the White Lotus rebelled because they were starving, so it was indeed pardonable. Unfortunately, they were used by people with ulterior motives, and they went further and further. They burned, killed, and looted, committing all sorts of crimes. Even the common people hated them. Exterminating the White Lotus is the most important thing. "
Lin Wanrong asked curiously, "Mister Xu, since the White Lotus Sect has always had a bad reputation, why are there still so many believers worshipping it?"
Xu Wei explained, "This is the effect of their bewitchment. These believers that you see worshipping the White Lotus Goddess don't know that the White Lotus Dharma Assembly is the White Lotus Sect. In addition, their bewitchment is quite attractive to the common people, so there's what you see now. "
Lin Wanrong looked into the distance, and saw a few loyal believers actually coming from the entrance of a distant alley. They kowtowed three times and kowtowed nine times, and their worship of the White Lotus Goddess could be said to be deep in their bones. He couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "In this world, the most terrifying thing is bewitching people's hearts. Mister Xu, what bewitchment are you talking about, what is it? "
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