Chapter 136

Someone says Americans or Mexicans don't actually like Chinese food.

Because they have their own food culture.

So, real Chinese food isn't really popular in America.

But those who've been know, or rather those who've been to real high-end Chinese restaurants know, real high-end Chinese food, no matter which country or city, is mostly welcomed by those people who can truly afford to enjoy it.

As for those roadside Chinese small restaurants, most are just at the level of being able to cook dishes until done at home, and the prices aren't too high either.

Because the clientele are bottom-level foreigners, therefore the ingredients and cooking methods are just like that.

There are even some Chinese restaurants that, to cater to the taste of bottom-level Americans, deliberately add a lot of sugar, salt, and such.

So it gives people an illusion that most Americans don't like eating Chinese food, and Chinese food sells cheap.

Actually.

Today's flowing-water banquet dishes, though they look crude, actually restore the essence of food.

The best ingredients often only need the simplest cooking methods to bring out their deliciousness.

This kind of ingredient's own original deliciousness actually suits the taste of most humans in this world.

This is why many people get tired of eating delicacies in the city, but when they return to a village banquet, they eat with great appetite.

Precisely because of this, encountering this most essential deliciousness for the first time, these few old Mexicans ate ravenously.

But while eating most happily, they suddenly heard the most experienced companion beside them say this.

Instantly... the sky fell!!!

Everyone's movements of shoveling food into their mouths froze as if paused, and there were even two who, because they stopped too abruptly, got food choked into their windpipes, coughing heart-rendingly in the blink of an eye.

Those few old Mexicans in the cell spent a night in trepidation, but no one came to take them out and execute them.

Qiu Ming, who came and went silently, after getting a definite answer from Chen Yaozu, was very satisfied.

And the news spread fast; early the next morning, when Tian Erdai led his new wife to video call his dad, his dad already knew a lot of the inside story.

In the video, the young couple performed the grand ceremony to the parents on the other end, then heard their mother's instructions.

"I heard your father say, your marriage won't have any variables from now on, it belongs to heaven, earth, humans, gods, and ghosts jointly witnessing.

Since there are no variables, you two must think for each other, give for each other, love each other and support each other until old age.

Moreover, your father also found out that due to that marriage certificate recognized by heaven and earth, the reproductive barrier between you two humans and ghosts has already been resolved.

That is to say, daughter-in-law can give birth to a few grandsons for us, since you can give birth, then do it early! Additionally, the most important point is: son, you guys over there must pay attention to safety!"

Then, Tian Fangfei, as the newly minted daughter-in-law, chatted a lot with her mother-in-law in the video.

Last night.

Chen Yaozu's family also stayed in this yamen's back courtyard.

Especially after seeing the Eastern-style wedding yesterday, Audrey was exceptionally proactive.

So when morning light was fully bright, she was still sleeping, as for Olivia and the two little ones, they had already gone back to school.

Chen Yaozu could only call to request a day off for Audrey, but he couldn't get leave himself, because there was still a case waiting for him.

After all.

A wedding is just a wedding, although it exercised the Great Ming Pacification Commissioner Office's power, since this was the first time using Ming law, Ming statutes, and Ming customs to conduct marriages and funerals, it was ultimately only teaching merit, and had no authority.

Since ancient times.

The Eastern ethnicity has an evaluation for the barbarians around the four directions, called awe of power but not cherishing virtue.

Being able to teach and transform is naturally good, but the premise is, teaching and transforming after subduing the locality with power, that's called half the effort for double the result.

So, theoretically speaking, the Great Ming's Pacification Commissioner Offices that suppress the surrounding barbarian lands, subduing the locality with power is one leg, teaching and transforming after subduing is the other leg.

Yesterday's wedding, performing the teaching merit, made his control over the yamen like a person with a broken leg, not quite right.

As long as today he establishes the authority, he counts as having "clicked" this leg of the Great Ming Pacification Commissioner Office back on.

The Fuzhou Gang people had already dispersed last night, but Wenzhou Fish, Zhou Jiping, Li Jianguo, and the other Forty-Nine Dharma Protector disciples were still there.

He specially kept people down, saying today he had arrangements for them.

"Hu Ying, beat the drum to assemble generals!"

By rights, if it were a local administrative yamen, whether county yamen, prefecture yamen, or a provincial administration commission yamen, they shouldn't use beating the drum to assemble generals to call people.

But the Great Ming Pacification Commissioner Office isn't an ordinary administrative yamen, this is a military and political yamen that manages the Great Ming Dynasty's suppression of barbarian lands, military-based, prestige-based.

So, once summoning troops.

That is beating the drum... one arrow piercing clouds, ten thousand troops and horses come to meet!

Even Tian Erdai, who had persevered several times under the pomegranate skirt of Tian Fangfei who had restrained her own charm on their wedding night, was notified to come over.

Looking at the crowd of heads surging in the hall below, one sweep of the eye, people were basically all present, including Audrey who was still dozing in the back hall just now, also drawn over by the drumbeats.

Regarding this, Chen Yaozu pondered a bit, so he didn't say anything else, just decided to get straight to the point.

"Those present, except for Tian Hao and his wife and my wife, are all my sect's Dharma Protectors.

Therefore, today I want to lay it all out with everyone."

He stood up from the main seat on the public hall, took a few steps down to the hall floor, turned back and pointed at the four large characters "Upright and Bright" on top and said: "You are all my sect's Dharma Protectors, you should know this Daomen Twenty-Fifth Governance of mine is aimed at immortality cultivation."

At these words, the crowd was not surprised.

Chen Yaozu's miraculousness, and the many mysterious events occurring around him, had already proven the world they saw was merely the tip of the iceberg of reality.

So, a Go To-cultivating person saying he cultivates immortality, what's strange about that?

"Perhaps you were still wondering in your hearts before, what I spent so much money building this imitation ancient Eastern yamen for.

Today I'll tell you, this is our cultivation foundation!"

As these words fell, the crowd below had varied expressions; although they really couldn't figure out how a newly built house, an imitation ancient yamen building, could have any relation to a cultivation foundation.

However.

They held a kind of blind trust in Chen Yaozu; since Chen Yaozu said this was the cultivation foundation of everyone present, then it was, even if it wasn't.

Thus they fell silent, waiting for Chen Yaozu to continue.

Hearing no objections, Chen Yaozu naturally carried on speaking.

"During the Great Ming era, in every place the Great Ming conquered, in order to govern strategic passes, a Pacification Commissioner Office would be established locally.

For instance, the Old Port Pacification Commission, the Malacca Pacification Commission, the Sikkim Pacification Commission — traces of Pacification Commissions even once existed as far as Africa." As Chen Yaozu spoke, he stretched out a hand and pointed at the main seat on the dais: "And on the North American land, there should also have been a Great Ming Pacification Commission existing back then! Otherwise my establishment of the Twenty-fifth Patriarch of the Daoist Gate would not have proceeded so smoothly, and I would not have glimpsed a sliver of opportunity for cultivation.

Thus came the present Great Ming North America Pacification Commissioner Office standing anew upon this land, using the yamen in place of a temple to aid our cultivation.

And I hold the post of Great Ming Pacification Commissioner in an acting capacity, but this yamen lacks personnel; what is needed is for every single function of the entire yamen to be fully staffed before it can benefit cultivation."

Having spoken to this point, if anyone still failed to understand, they would not deserve the benefits coming later.

Especially Li Jianguo, face flushed with excitement yet forcibly suppressing it, and knowing how to play along: "Pacification Commissioner, please give your orders; we will surely go through fire and water, and absolutely will not refuse!"

Toward such a perceptive straight man, Chen Yaozu truly felt the other party lived up to having once been a professor.

But his pair of eyes, from the moment he got up this morning, seemed to have evolved as well.

At a glance he saw the luck flames atop old man Li Jianguo's head and on both shoulders — though vigorous, they were like sourceless water, rootless fire, liable to be extinguished suddenly at any moment.

He originally wanted to sigh, but thinking again he held it back:

"Li Jianguo!"

Li Jianguo hurriedly stepped forward and replied: "Here!"

Chen Yaozu turned back, cupping the copper official seal from the great desk in his palm, and turned his head to fix Li Jianguo with a grave stare as he spoke slowly.

"Originally last night I intended to summon you as Registrar; with your learning you ought to be worthy of that post! But you are an escapee from the country, and have not become a naturalized citizen; at present you are rootless wood, sourceless water — too thick a merit you cannot bear.

Yet in the matter of disaster relief, you spared no toil and offered strategies, achieving fair results, dipping into a measure of disaster relief merit; only this gave you some capacity to bear it.

Therefore, for now I can only appoint you as Acting Chief Clerk of the Great Ming North America Pacification Commissioner Office — are you willing?"

Hah? "Of course, I am willing to accept the post of Acting Chief Clerk!"

Li Jianguo was chilled to the bone by the sentence-after-sentence delivery, thinking he had no chance, but never expected that in the end he would actually be appointed Acting Chief Clerk of this yamen.

Though it is acting, with a good start, turning regular should not be difficult.

So he agreed joyfully.

The instant Li Jianguo agreed, his originally somewhat hollow spirit state immediately settled into calm.

He even felt a certain fullness; his fifty-something, nearly sixty frame straightened several degrees in an instant.

Although Tian Erdai didn't quite understand, with his female ghost wife at his side, plus the psychological preparation the golden characters on the marriage certificate gave him last night, his acceptance of novel things was very high.

He obviously could understand that holding a post in this so-called Great Ming North America Pacification Commissioner Office was probably no small opportunity for everyone present.

The enthusiasm and anticipation of everyone present were finally stirred up.

Everyone wanted the next bowl of hot soup for themselves, so all eyes turned to Chen Yaozu, waiting for him to speak.

"Wenzhou Yu, although you are a U. S. citizen, and for the past ten-odd years you have done no small amount of evil.

But not long ago you participated in disaster relief, never lazy, never slacking, saving countless lives.

Though merit and fault cannot offset each other, it still gives you a few points of confidence to bear merit.

Therefore, I appoint you as Registrar of the Great Ming North America Pacification Commissioner Office.

This post is responsible for pursuit and capture, inspection of prisoners, public security and such matters — are you willing?"

Wenzhou Yu heard this and was overjoyed, hurriedly stepping forward and loudly saying willing, willing; after he accepted these words he experienced the same feeling as Li Jianguo.

Spiritual fatigue was swept clean in an instant, instantly restored to full health.

He finally understood why Li Jianguo just now had that air of calm detachment, because one's own feeling is known most clearly only to oneself.

"Hu Ying!"

"Here!"

A dashing woman in full red armor appeared before everyone, and behind her she brought several white armored soldiers.

"You are a Mirror Spirit, bearing merit!

Therefore today I summon you as Commandant of the Great Ming North America Pacification Commissioner Office, leading the Spirit Mirror Thirty-Six Ghosts as troops.

Responsible for all mysterious conflict matters, apprehending mysterious crime demons, ghosts, and evil spirits, defense, and guarding the Pacification Commission and other military affairs."

Hu Ying heard this and was filled with joy, hurriedly accepting: "My Lord, Hu Ying will surely not disgrace the mission!"

With this appointment issued, the void sensation originally belonging to a ghost on her body lessened by several degrees, and at this moment a trace of swift and decisive military aura actually emerged on her.

Next, only the Assistant Magistrate responsible for all documents and archives, warehouses, grain and horses, tax collection and such affairs remains.

The Instructor responsible for cultural education.

And the Patrol Inspectors responsible for inspection work at each strategic pass.

In this moment, expectation shone in the eyes of everyone present, waiting for the arrangement of these three posts.

The Assistant Magistrate post is the weightiest; the matters it is responsible for are equivalent to the Pacification Commissioner's deputy — that is, the Second-in-Command of this Great Ming Pacification Commissioner Office.

Although this yamen is not a real government office, and receiving these posts does not mean they passed the civil service exam and became officials.

But Seal Mastery Celestial Master Chen Yaozu just said this Great Ming Pacification Commissioner Office relates to the cultivation foundation.

Cultivation! Everyone knows, this means becoming an immortal and attaining the Go To! The higher the post, the higher the opportunity.

By rights, in terms of ordinary status, among everyone present Zhou Jiping's identity is the highest.

He is the new Sect Leader, new Hall Master of the Fujian Bang Los Angeles Branch.

Although everyone knows Zhou Jiping is merely a spare piece Chen Yaozu placed to control the Fujian Bang Los Angeles Branch.

But precisely because of this, Zhou Jiping believes he is Chen Yaozu's confidant — the Assistant Magistrate post, if not me, then who?

"If I can become Assistant Magistrate, I'll ask the Celestial Master to let you be Instructor; you and I are both of teacher origin, managing education is a perfect fit!"

However his wife was rather more clear-headed, gently tugging his sleeve and whispering in his ear: "Look at Professor Li; he's an escapee from the country, in insight and ability to handle affairs his capability throws us several streets away.

Even so, he only managed to secure the position of Acting Chief Clerk.

Then are you and I not the escapees from the country spoken of by the Celestial Master?

She knew in her heart that if it truly came to reckoning, Professor Li's weight was far heavier than theirs!

At the very least, Professor Li had repaid society for many years, and had taught batch after batch of students, only running out at the verge of retirement.

That could not be considered too great a betrayal of the country and society's nurturing.

But the two of them, husband and wife, had enjoyed a peaceful society, fair education, and were beneficiaries of the country's education subsidies from childhood to adulthood.

As a result, they emigrated not long after starting work! Just now the Seal Mastery Celestial Master said the escapee from the country Professor Li had thin fortune, no roots behind him, and could not bear that position.

Could it be that her own husband could bear it? She did not believe it! (Chapter End)