Chapter 1458: The Monk Zhitong

The Lu Wang was momentarily disheartened, waved his hand, and left!

He didn't even bother to ask the Hou Fu Liu Guanshi about the situation in Jingcheng!

Song Anxu, looking utterly unfazed, smiled and asked Chen Chen Guanlou, "Do you really believe our child will be especially outstanding when he grows up?"

"Of course! Don't you believe in yourself? You're so outstanding, and so am I. Two outstanding people added together, Dabao can't be bad! And just look at Dabao's looks—when he grows up, he might even be better-looking than me!"

Chen Chen Guanlou wasn't talking nonsense!

Setting aside the times when Song Dabao was playing in the mud and eating, when he was washed clean, he was absolutely gorgeous! Just like a baby from a New Year painting—anyone who saw him would praise what a beautiful child he was. Big eyes, a high nose bridge—just these two features alone meant the child wouldn't be ugly when he grew up.

As for how handsome he'd end up, that would depend on whether he'd change awkwardly during puberty! Whether he'd grow uglier, or grow more handsome!

Song Anxu immediately started showing off upon hearing this. "I gave birth to him!"

"Your contribution is the greatest!"

The two of them showed off together for a while before getting down to business.

"Why did the Hou Fu suddenly send such a grand gift? It's overly lavish."

"Originally, I only prepared a New Year's gift. I didn't expect it to be so lavish! Don't feel burdened, just accept it."

"What is the Hou Fu after? The Lu Wang Fu has no plans to rebel! Our troops aren't strong, and although our grain stores are plentiful, we absolutely won't bring them out to support Marquis Pingjiang. You must make this clear to the Hou Fu!"

Song Anxu represented the interests of the Lu Wang Fu at this moment; she would never let the Wang Fu fall into danger.

Chen Chen Guanlou told her not to worry. "I don't need to say it—the Hou Fu is also clear on the Lu Wang Fu's stance and choices. Sending such a lavish gift is simply wanting to be relatives with the Wang Fu, to interact as relatives from now on! More friends, more paths. Also, Marquis Pingjiang has no plans to rebel—don't make wild guesses, alright?"

Song Anxu chuckled lightly. "Are you sure we're making wild guesses? North and south of the great river, everyone in the world knows Marquis Pingjiang harbors rebellious intentions, it's just that the timing isn't right. If not for the escape route of that great overseas island, I'd estimate he'd rebel this very year!"

This year was the tenth year of Emperor Jian Shi!

Chen Chen Guanlou grimaced. "Is it really that exaggerated?"

Song Anxu said with a firm expression: "Not exaggerated at all! Between the feudal princes, it's not that they all cut off contact with each other. On the contrary, they often exchange information. We've discussed it—given Marquis Pingjiang's situation, if he doesn't rebel this year, it's a dead end for him.

Fortunately, the Hou Fu pulled something out of thin air and suddenly decided to develop the great overseas island, which is equivalent to finding an escape route, giving the court a buffer, and giving Marquis Pingjiang a dignified way out. We even made a bet—whether Marquis Pingjiang rebels, can he take half the Jiangshan?"

"Not take the whole world?"

"He can't!" Song Anxu said affirmatively.

"The court's army isn't weak, and the group of court officials led by Xie Changling aren't weak either. Also, we feudal princes wouldn't just sit and watch Marquis Pingjiang nibble away at the great Qian Jiangshan. Once our fundamental interests are touched, we would definitely send troops to fight for the court and maintain the integrity of the Jiangshan!"

"Would the Emperor feel at ease letting you send troops? Isn't he afraid you'd become too powerful to control?" Chen Chen Guanlou didn't quite believe it!

"Compared to the Jiangshan being nibbled away by Marquis Pingjiang, the feudal princes becoming too powerful to control is clearly less important! We all share the surname Song, all descended from the same ancestor, so our fundamental interests are aligned. Even if a certain feudal prince rebels, at least the Jiangshan still bears the surname Song!"

After saying this, Song Anxu laughed and continued: "Marquis Pingjiang not rebelling is the right choice. He's at such an advanced age—once he rebels, he'll be utterly exhausted, unable to sleep at night, and won't last more than a few years before he works himself to death! By then, the troops under him will inevitably fall apart. If it were Chen Chen Guanfu leading the rebellion, he's in the prime of his life and could hold out for another ten or twenty years! Marquis Pingjiang, forget it!"

Her tone and expression both indicated she didn't think much of Marquis Pingjiang's rebellion!

Therefore, she wholeheartedly endorsed the Hou Fu's choice—to step back, develop the great overseas island, giving the court dignity, and giving themselves dignity as well.

At the same time, she made her stance clear: she would accept the gift sent by the Hou Fu. But don't expect the Wang Fu to support the Hou Fu. On the contrary, once fundamental interests are touched, the Wang Fu would firmly stand on the Emperor's side.

Chen Guanlou probed: "If the Hou Fu invites the Wang Fu to develop the great overseas island together, what would you decide?"

"I would refuse! Doing business together to make money is fine! But developing the great overseas island together is very dangerous and unnecessary for the Wang Fu. The Wang Fu is deep inland, far from the sea. Developing the great overseas island is too costly for us, not worth it. Purely doing business is no problem. I've always wanted to expand maritime trade! The Wang Fu is too rich—if this money isn't used to make more money, it's an absolute waste!"

Look!

Look at what she's saying!

Does that even make sense?!

What does it mean that the Wang Fu is too rich?

Chen Chen Guanlou really wanted to complain, but in the end, considering the little chubby one's face, he let it go!

The Wang Fu has been operating for several hundred years, with such a vast fief—it was perfectly normal to be rich.

The Wang Fu's income came from many sources; besides land tax and commercial tax, a large portion came from trade activities!

The great Qian Jiangshan is so vast, with a huge population and many demands. Business was very easy to do!

On the fifteenth of the first month, the Lu Wang Fei went to the temple to burn incense, and specifically called Chen Chen Guanlou along.

Upon arriving at the temple, they realized the incense burning was a pretext; the real purpose was fortune-telling.

Rumor had it that the abbot of Zhenjiang Temple, the Monk Zhitong, possessed great wisdom, able to see a person's past, present, and future, and was especially efficacious!

The Lu Wang Fei and Chen Chen Guanlou were led by the Monk Zhitong's senior disciple to a quiet room.

The Monk Zhitong had been waiting for a long time.

Chen Chen Guanlou looked at the other party. He appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with a benevolent face, the standard appearance of a Gao Seng who had attained the Dao. But upon closer inspection, Chen Chen Guanlou was suddenly shocked to find that he couldn't see through the other's cultivation.

In this small Zhenjiang Temple, hidden dragons and crouching tigers!

He suspected Zhitong was also a Grandmaster!

Only a Grandmaster could completely conceal their cultivation, making it impossible for others to see through them at all.

For a moment, he gathered his spirits and treated this meeting with caution.

"Master, this is my Dabao's biological father, surnamed Chen, named Chen Guanlou. Please take a look—will the coming year be smooth? And regarding my son, can the matter of getting pregnant go as I wish?"

Song Anxu didn't come today; perhaps it was a deliberate arrangement by the Lu Wang Fei.

Chen Chen Guanlou squatted on the cushion, bowed slightly, and performed a junior's greeting. "Greetings, Master!"

"Did the donor come from Jingcheng?"

"Yes!" Chen Chen Guanlou replied with a smile.

"Very good, very good!" The Monk Zhitong said with a beaming smile.

The Lu Wang Fei remained silent and didn't rush to ask questions.

"The donor may leave now!"

Huh?

Chen Chen Guanlou was astonished!

He pointed at his own face. "Master, you're skilled in physiognomy, yet you haven't given the result. At least let me know my situation."

Monk Zhitong laughed and said, "The words 'very good' are enough!"

Wang Fei Lu heard this and immediately asked, "Master, what you mean is, Chen Guanlou he…"

"Very good, very good!" Monk Zhitong played his word-game, refusing to say a single word more.

Only the two words "very good"!

Wang Fei Lu clearly knew the other's speaking style, and a look of joy immediately crossed her face!

"Little Chen, quickly thank the Master!"