The Old Abbot of the Ci 'en Temple accompanied Li Mubai to tour the Qu Chi first, then to the Furong Courtyard, and gradually they arrived at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
The Old Abbot laughed and said, "I'll let Old Benefactor Li know that Old Benefactor Wei, Old Benefactor Pei and the others have also come to the Ci 'en Temple to worship Guanyin. They are still at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, would Old Benefactor Li like to see them?"
Li Mubai snorted and said, "Those old fellows look repulsive, their words are boring. I won't see them. I'll take a stroll around and after paying my respects to Guanyin, I'll go back! "
While talking, the two of them arrived at the temple dedicated to Guanyin. Inside, there was a man burning incense and worshipping, his mouth praying, "Namo Great Mercy, Vast Inspiration, Guanyin Bodhisattva will grant all requests."
The Old Abbot did not know who that man was, he hurriedly winked at the receptionist monk, telling him to dismiss the crowd of worshippers and make room for Old Great Grandfather Li. Unexpectedly, before the receptionist monk stepped forward, Li Mubai had already exclaimed, "Ah! Isn't this Yang Langzhong? Are you also a disciple of Buddhism? "
Yang Fan had finished praying, he had just inserted three sticks of incense into the incense burner when he suddenly heard someone talking behind him. Turning his head to look, he quickly stepped forward and saluted, "Junior Yang Fan pays respect to Old Great Grandfather Li!"
After bowing deeply, Yang Fan straightened his back and said with a smile, "His Majesty worships Buddhism. Junior thinks that His Majesty is a man of great wisdom and virtue, yet he still worships Buddhism. Junior naturally should also be a devout believer!"
Hearing this, the Old Abbot revealed a slightly reserved expression, he gently stroked his beard and smiled without saying anything.
Yang Fan's tone suddenly changed, he said, "Junior had a serious illness a few days ago, now I have just recovered, I have another son, the family has a descendant. Today coincides with the big day of Guanyin becoming a monk, so I specially came to offer incense."
Li Mubai chuckled and said, "Good! Let this old man light a stick of incense for you, and then we will leave together. "
Li Mubai stepped forward and knelt on the praying mat. He silently prayed for a while, lit a high incense stick, and devoutly offered it. Only then did he get up and write a few more words on the merit book. The Old Abbot put his palms together and stole a glance. He saw that Old Great Grandfather Li's handwriting was extraordinary. It was such a large sum of money for incense. His two white eyebrows could not help but tremble a few times. He quickly restrained himself and maintained the appearance of an otherworldly expert.
The old abbot respectfully accompanied Li Mubai all the way to the monastery's mountain gate before stopping. After Li Mubai and the others had left, the old abbot hurried back to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Coincidentally, he saw several Guanlong Sect members who had raised funds to repair the Big Wild Goose Pagoda walking out of the pagoda, talking and laughing. He quickly chanted the name of Buddha and greeted them.
These believers had yet to donate any money for the incense oil, so how could the old abbot not serve them with all his heart …
After Li Mubai left the Mercy Temple, he didn't leave immediately. Instead, he asked Yang Fan to accompany him back to the lakeside of Qu River.
The two slowly walked along Qu River. Li Mubai asked, "Guan Long's group was dealt with so quickly?"
Yang Fan said, "This matter can be said to be difficult, but it can also be said to be easy. We definitely cannot leave Guan Long out of the matter of the Southern Border. If we don't give them some benefits, they will definitely make trouble for everyone. "
Li Mubai nodded his head.
Yang Fan said, "But, we can't let them take all the benefits. There are too many monks and not enough gruel. What can we do? We can only have them tighten their belts. In the future, if there are any benefits, we can just give them some more. Even though Guan Long is gradually declining, they are still a great force. Right now, we have a common enemy, so we should ally with them. This is in line with Old Grandfather's intentions! "
Li Mubai nodded his head again. Raising his eyebrows, he looked at him and said, "They will believe you just by saying this? Empty words are no proof! "
Yang Fan said, "Maybe they won't believe what I say. But, do they believe the words of the Head of the Xian Clan? Also, the Dugu Family will guarantee for me. "
Li Mubai twirled his beard and said coolly, "This is a meeting of the prestigious families. Ning Ke is a girl and shouldn't be participating. Also, her health is not good and she rarely goes out. You invited her today. You said that the Dugu Family will be the guarantor. Is it Ning Ke? With Ning Ke as the guarantor … they will believe it? "
Li Mubai slowly turned around, his old eyes fixed on Yang Fan. Raising an eyebrow slightly, he said, "You aren't acting for real and really like that girl Ning Ke?"
Yang Fan wasn't surprised that he knew that Ning Ke was participating in the meeting. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the other's speculation. He said, "Old Grandfather thinks that Yang Fan can't marry a girl of the Five Families, but he can marry a girl of the Guan Long Family?"
Li Mubai's eyes turned and he said, "Then this old man doesn't understand."
Yang Fan continued to walk with him and said, "Junior has said, one, I am guaranteeing to them as the leader of the Xian Clan. Also, the Dugu Family will guarantee for me. Miss Ning Ke's appearance is related to this matter, but the details are not what Old Grandfather thinks.
In short, Old Grandfather, do not worry. Junior will not harm my own interests to cater to other people, and there is no reason to abandon the strong for the weak. Also, they are paying attention to the many vacancies in the Southern Border. This matter must be resolved within the year. Without three to seven years of hard work, I won't be able to build up a power that completely belongs to me. My every move now is under your control, and in the long run, you'll see the true nature of a person over time. What's there to worry about? "
What Yang Fan said was the truth. Li Mubai was at ease and snickered. He walked forward with his hands behind his back and did not ask any more questions.
In order to gain the trust of the Guan Long Family, they had to pull them over and not push them away. This was one of the strategies that the aristocratic families of Shandong were using to fight against the Empress. On this basis, they would give some benefits to the Guan Long Family. The aristocratic family leaders all knew this, so they tacitly agreed to Yang Fan's promise to the Guan Long Family.
However, because the Guan Long Family was weak, they valued this opportunity even more. It would be difficult for them not to demand an exorbitant price. This was especially so when they saw the excitement of the aristocratic families of Shandong. It was even more difficult. Li Mubai was also slightly curious and wanted to know how Yang Fan would convince them.
Yang Fan was deliberately mystifying, so he didn't ask. To say that Yang Fan was in the Cao camp but his heart was in the Han camp, he would not even think about it. What the Guan Long Family could give Yang Fan would never surpass the benefits of being the master of the Xian Clan. Yang Fan had no reason to betray them. Also, he could control the enormous power of the Xian Clan, but he could not make it his own and cut off the connection between them and the aristocratic families. Yang Fan could not hide the slightest movement from them. There was no need for him to worry.
He could never imagine how Yang Fan had gained the trust of the Guan Long Family. Yang Fan only did one thing — expel all the people around the elders of the Guan Long Family, including the boat girl next to Miss Ning Ke. Then, he told the leaders of the Guan Long Family one thing: his relationship with Shanghai Wan'er!
When the Dugu Family had contacted him, expressed their willingness to cooperate with him, and pushed for him to become the master of the Xian Clan, he had set his eyes on Guan Long's power.
If he could become the master of the Xian Clan, he needed this external power. He was not willing to be a puppet under the control of the old people, even if it was temporary. On this point, he, Shen Mu, and Young Master Jiang had the same thoughts. If he could not become the master of the Xian Clan, he needed this power even more.
Therefore, he had long ago told the Dugu siblings of this matter and asked them to investigate this matter.
The Shangguan Family had always been an important force of the Guan Long Family, and it had been defeated by Wu Zetian for the benefit of the Guan Long Group. Now, the Shangguan Family had not been cleared of their crimes, but because Shanghai Wan'er was one of Wu Zetian's most trusted officials, she had obtained a certain amount of freedom, and had also established certain connections with the families of the Guan Long Family.
Right now, the core of the Shangguan Family was Shanghai Wan'er. The Shangguan Family did not have a master, and Shanghai Wan'er was the de facto master. It was a bit awkward for a woman to be the master of a family, but the situation of the Shangguan Family was originally very special, and the Guan Long Family was very corrupt, so they did not care.
If the master of the Shangguan Family, which belonged to the Guan Long Group, was Yang Fan's wife, then why would they not trust Yang Fan? The fact that Yang Fan was willing to tell them this big secret was enough to gain their trust. Therefore, when Ning Ke took out Wan'er's handwritten letter, the Great Wild Goose Pagoda was immediately filled with a harmonious atmosphere.
If you want to gain the complete trust of others, you have to be honest with them. Which of the people who could stay in the Great Wild Goose Pagoda was not a shrewd person? Each of them was a thousand-year-old fox, so they could only treat each other with sincerity. It was precisely because of Yang Fan's use of this killer weapon that their talks could go so smoothly.
After all, even if they used both the carrot and the stick, the benefits they could gain from this incident in the Southern Border were still limited. But if the master of the Succession Hall of the aristocratic families in Shandong was the son-in-law of the Guan Long Family, then in the long run, how much benefit would they gain?
These aristocratic families never considered problems in terms of months or years. Their inheritance was too long, and their considerations were also too long. Some major actions often had to consider the impact of decades, hundreds, or even thousands of years later. Since there were such long-term benefits, of course they would rather make concessions in the short-term.
Li Mubai walked a few steps and stopped by the river. Looking at the white clouds and blue sky reflected in the river, he said slowly, "The emissary of the imperial court will soon arrive in Chang 'an, and you will soon return to Luoyang. When you leave the capital, you will still be a doctor of the Ministry of Justice, but when you return … hehe … "
Li Mubai smiled and turned to look at Yang Fan with his hands behind his back, saying, "Do you understand what you will soon master?"
The old man was obviously a chatterbox, and now he was in high spirits. Of course, Yang Fan would not spoil his fun. Yang Fan bowed and said, "Please enlighten me, old grandfather!"
Li Mubai said in a clear voice, "Power! A very special kind of power! "
He proudly glanced at Yang Fan and said, "In this battle between you and Lu Binmi, you relied on wits and strength. What do you think he has mastered? Is it that group of Jianghu heroes and martial arts masters from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks? Wrong, absolutely wrong. In the end, it was only a group of guards, and it was the most insignificant force. It was even to the extent that it couldn't be considered as force at all! Do you know what the real power you are about to inherit is? It's the loudest sound, it's the invisible elephant, it's the true power that can turn the sea into mulberry fields! "
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