Chapter 63: Zhao Zhenren's Silver-Tongued Persuasion

Located at the end of Chongwen Street is a large residence with three courtyards.

It covers a vast area and is decorated in a grand and elegant style; looking across the entirety of Chongwen Street, it can be considered to stand out from the crowd.

This is the residence of the wealthy merchant Liang Mancang.

His family has lived in the capital for generations, and by the time it reached his generation, it was already the fourth.

Through the strenuous efforts of several generations, although the Liang family cannot be said to be the wealthiest in the region, in this vast capital, they are considered to have a substantial family fortune.

Liang Mancang is forty-eight years old this year; he had a son at the age of thirty, and thinking it was a blessing, he named him "Liang Bangrui."

Who would have thought that this child would be weak and sickly, contracting consumption at a young age. After a doctor examined him, he predicted that he would not live past twenty.

Liang Mancang had a son in his middle age; how could he bear to see the white-haired bury the black-haired?

Therefore, he spent a great deal of money for doctors to treat his son.

It is just a pity that the effects were minimal; seeing his son's body growing weaker day by day, Liang Mancang was anxious, and just at this time, the Princess was selecting a husband, so he came up with an idea.

Just past dawn this day, Liang Mancang and Lady Liang got up early, paced to the Guanyin statue enshrined in their home, knelt on a yellow cushion, and begged with palms pressed together: "Merciful and compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva, I beg you to protect our Bangrui, grant him health, and let him survive this calamity."

"The two of us are willing to spend our Higo days with blue lamps and ancient Buddhas, eating vegetarian food and chanting sutras for the rest of our lives."

As the two spoke, their voices choked with sobs, and two hot tears welled up in their eyes.

Afterwards, the two knocked their heads three times with a "thud, thud, thud" before standing up.

Lady Liang was weak and nearly stumbled, so Liang Mancang hurriedly reached out to support her.

Lady Liang stood steady, looked at her husband, pointed at the Guanyin Bodhisattva, and complained: "It is all because of you, you wretch, for doing so many deceitful and wicked things when you were young, that is why Bangrui is suffering this retribution."

"Give me back my son, give me back my son."

Liang Mancang grabbed his wife's hands, tears and mucus streaming down his face, and said: "It is all my fault, it is all my fault; as long as Bangrui's illness can be cured, I am willing to scatter my family wealth and do one good deed a day to atone for my sins."

As the two spoke, they hugged each other tightly and wailed loudly.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside the hall, and then the butler came to report: "Master, Zhao Zhenren has arrived."

"Quickly, go bring Rui'er here too," Liang Mancang shouted excitedly, his cheeks flushed.

Before long, the four of them were crowded into the main hall.

Sitting in the seat of honor was the Liang family mistress, and to the left of the two sat a youth of seventeen or eighteen with a pale face and sunken eyes.

On the right side sat a middle-aged man dressed as a Daoist priest.

He appeared to be about forty years old, with thin cheeks, eyes that were bright and spirited, and a few wisps of a goat beard on his chin.

As the draft blew, his beard danced, giving him quite the air of a transcendent being.

"Zhenren." After sitting down according to the etiquette for host and guest, Liang Mancang immediately bowed and pointed to his son, saying, "Can my son really be saved?"

Zhao Zhenren feigned slight anger and barked: "Since you came to find me, why ask this question?"

"Yes, yes, yes, this old man spoke out of turn." Liang Mancang shook his head repeatedly and added: "As long as Zhenren can save my son, I am willing to scatter my family wealth to thank you."

Zhao Zhenren smiled and shook his head, putting on the appearance of an expert from beyond the world: "Wealth is merely an external possession; if one is blindly obsessed and drowned in it, it will instead ruin one's Daoist cultivation."

Look, look, what is called an expert?

This is an expert.

Liang Mancang looked at his wife triumphantly, then turned his head back to look at Zhao Zhenren and asked: "I wonder how Zhao Zhenren plans to save my son?" Zhao Zhenren smiled and said: "Didn't I tell your son to go participate in the Princess's husband selection?"

"Yes."

"That is the method to cure the illness."

"Ah?!" Liang Mancang was puzzled, and the three people in the room also widened their eyes, signaling for Zhao Zhenren to continue.

"Think about it, that Princess is of royal blood and carries a trace of dragon Qi. If he becomes a husband with your son, as long as that trace of immortal Qi is transferred to your son, what illness could not be cured?" Zhao Zhenren smiled and explained methodically, "Secondly, while the quack doctors outside may be at their wits' end regarding your son's illness, the imperial physicians in the palace surely have better treatment plans."

"Thirdly, once he is selected as the Imperial Son-in-law, your family will become relatives of the Emperor; the carp will transform into a dragon, and the prospects for the Higo future will be incomparable."

"Right!" Liang Mancang stomped his foot and gestured excitedly: "This is a business that is guaranteed to profit without loss."

"You only know your business; is your son's life more important, or is your business more important?" Lady Liang knit her brows and scolded with her eyes narrowed.

Liang Mancang scratched his head and smiled awkwardly, and just as he was about to explain, Liang Bangrui at the side suddenly turned red in the face and began to cough violently.

"Cough, cough..."

"Rui'er!" The couple cried out in alarm and hurried forward to pat their son's back.

Zhao Zhenren took a look, shook his head, took two amber-colored pills with a faint fragrance from his bosom, and said in a low voice: "These are miraculous medicines I brought down from Longhu Mountain; give them to your son first."

Upon hearing "Longhu Mountain," the three of them instantly widened their eyes.

Liang Mancang hurriedly took them with trembling hands, then took out two one-hundred-tael silver notes and handed them to Zhao Zhenren: "I know you have no interest in money, but you absolutely cannot refuse this."

Zhao Zhenren reluctantly accepted them.

"Zhenren, rest assured, if my son is chosen as the Imperial Son-in-law, I will personally go to Longhu Mountain to build a Daoist temple for all the Zhenren. Rui'er, why don't you thank Zhenren yet?" Liang Mancang said softly.

"Thank you, Zhenren." After taking one pill, Liang Bangrui indeed felt his body improve quite a bit.

"No need to thank me; I am just wandering here and happen to have a predestined affinity with your son." Zhao Zhenren shook his head and explained his intention to leave, "Now that the heavenly secrets have been leaked, I must hurry back to Longhu Mountain, otherwise there will surely be disaster."

Saying this, he cupped his hands and hurried out of the Liang residence.

After some twists and turns, Zhao Zhenren went straight to a quiet teahouse.

After announcing his name, Zhao Zhenren was led to a private room.

Inside, a man wearing a black round-collared robe was half-leaning on a chair; it was Han San.

"Third Master." Seeing Han San, Zhao Zhenren hurriedly bowed with a tremble.

"Is the matter all handled?" Han San asked with narrowed eyes.

"It is all handled; this family was persuaded by me, and they intend to spend a great deal of money to snatch that position." Zhao Zhenren said with his hands hanging down.

"Did they give you the silver?"

"G-gave it."

Hearing this, Han San stood up and yawned; how could Zhao Zhenren not know what that meant.

With trembling hands, he fished two banknotes from his bosom and handed them to Han San.

"Yo, this son of a bitch is actually quite generous. You, a swindler selling fake medicine, are also giving two hundred taels of silver?" Han San saw clearly, let out a shout, then snatched one note, patted Zhao Zhenren on the shoulder with a smile, and threatened, "Now, take this silver, and after you leave the capital, neither of us knows the other, understand?"

"Understood. Understood."

(End of this chapter)