In Qingxin Temple, in Suxin Courtyard, under the persimmon tree.
Lan Xia and Fu Lu were sitting around a small table. Fu Lu was sewing clothes, while Lan Xia was holding the soles of her shoes.
"Oh." Lan Xia suddenly stopped what she was doing, tilted her head and asked, "Fu Lu, how many times have we been to Qingxin Temple this year?"
Fu Lu said: "This is the fourth time."
Lan Xia sighed, "Is this the fourth time? Could it be that the Young Lady is not acting on a whim, but really wants to become a monk?"
Fu Lu said without raising her head: "Do you still think the Young Lady is joking?"
Lan Xia held her chin with one hand, her face full of sorrow, "It's not that I thought, it's that I hope. I hope the Young Lady is joking."
Fu Lu spread out the sleeves and folded them skilfully, "The Young Lady has said that she will give us our freedom after she becomes a monk."
Lan Xia asked: "The Young lady and we grew up together, how could you be willing to separate like this?"
Fu Lu paused and said, "So what if you don't want to leave? Miss will not change her mind for you or me."
Lan Xia said cautiously, "We don't have that much ability, but the Second Young Master does. The Second Young Master has his heart set on the Young Lady now, and the Young Lady liked the Second Young Master in the past..."
Fu Lu finally gave her a look, "Lan Xia, what do you want to say?"
Lan Xia tentatively said, "I was just thinking, if we can help the Second Young Master regain the favour of the Young Lady, wouldn't everyone be happy?"
Fu Lu looked her up and down, "Have you accepted Qiao Mu's benefits?"
Lan Xia denied it: "No, am I that kind of person?"
Fu Lu said: "Yes."
Lan Xia: "..."
Fu Lu stared at her motionless.
Lan Xia was defeated and faced her finger with a guilty conscience, "I accepted from him a few boxes of pastries from Bazhenzhai, that's all..."
Fu Lu was speechless, "Just a few boxes of pastries to bribe you. Lan Xia, you are really——"
"What I do is called going with the flow." Lan Xia defended herself weakly, "I don't want the Young Lady to become a monk, and neither does the Second Young Master. Since we both want the same thing, wouldn't it be good for us all to work together?"
Fu Lu wanted to scold her a few words, but she swallowed the words before she spoke and sighed: "Lan Xia, remember, what you think is good does not equal to what the Young Lady wants."
Lan Xia knew what she said made sense, but when she thought about being separated from the Young Lady, she felt extremely depressed, "Fu Lu, are you willing to see the Young Lady escape into Buddhism?"
Fu Lu said nothing.
Of course she doesn't want to. She hopes that the Young Lady can marry a caring man and live a happy and harmonious life together. It would be best if she has three children, and she can accompany them to grow up like she did with the Young Lady. But she also understands the Young Lady better than Lan Xia. Instead of making small moves to plot against the Young Lady, it is better to wait and see what happens. After all, judging from the current attitudes of Third Young Master Zhou and Second Young Master, it is not as easy for the Young Lady to become a monk as imagined.
She sewed her clothes again, and suddenly remembered the cookbook, "Lan Xia, what do you think of Third Young Master Zhou compared to Second Young Master?"
"Third Young Master Zhou?"
Lan Xia immersed herself in thought for a while, and compared it in a meaningful way, "In appearance, he is about the same as the Second Young Master. In terms of family background, he is slightly better than the Second Young Master. In terms of personality... the Second Young Master used to ignore the Young Lady's affection. He was sarcastic and ridiculed the Young Lady as soon as they met, but now both of them have changed, one is more attentive than the other."
She covered her cheek and twisted her eyebrows in confusion, "Both are good, it's too hard to choose."
Fu Lu shook her head and sighed: "It's a pity that the Young Lady doesn't like either of them."
The two chatted for a while, then lowered their heads and started working again. After a while, Fu Lu wanted to go back to the house to get something, and heard someone knocking on the door.
Fu Lu hurriedly opened the door, still wondering, Miss came back so early today? When she opened the door, she saw Cui Muli standing outside. She called in surprise: "Second Young Master?"
After hearing this, Lan Xia stood up straight and turned around. She saluted the visitor, and called out respectfully: "Second Young Master."
Fu Lu followed and saluted, but she was muttering in her heart: Why is the Second Young Master here?
Cui Muli glanced at the courtyard and asked, "Where is your Young Lady?"
Fu Lu said: "Miss is chanting sutras in the main hall and will not come back until dinner time."
Cui Muli asked: "Only today?"
Fu Lu said: "It's like this every day."
Cui Muli said: "Take me there."
*
The temple is magnificent, the pillars are pure and clean, and the Buddha statue is solemn.
Xie Miao knelt down on the futon, and clasped her hands together. She wrapped a string of Buddhist beads between her palms, closed her eyes and muttered something.
"Namo Amitabha Night Dotagado Ye Duo Di Ye Ta Amili Du Po Amili Duo Sidanda Po Viami Duo Vikalanda Ami Duo Vikalanda Gami Gana..." (quoted from the literature "Rebirth Mantra")
A tall figure stood beside the door, staring at her quietly.
Incense was burning in front of the Buddha, and amid the smoke, she was chanting sutras devoutly. Her brows were quiet and hazy, like a wisp of mist in the air that could disappear at any time.
Cui Muli spoke subconsciously, breaking the uneasy peace, "A-Miao."
Xie Miao opened her eyes, followed the sound, and asked unexpectedly: "Cousin Cui? Why are you here?"
Cui Muli said: "I heard from mother that you are staying at Qingxin Temple for a short time. I happen to be passing nearby and came to see you."
It just so happens?
Xie Miao frowned slightly and said calmly: "Thank you for your concern, Cousin. I'm fine here."
Cui Muli slowly approached and stopped half a step away from her. The girl knelt and raised her neck. The young man leaned over and looked at her deeply.
Their eyes met silently, and in the room full of sandalwood, he felt slightly apprehensive, but her eyes were clear and unmoved.
He thought with regret, if it had been before...
He turned away and knelt down on the futon beside her, "Today is my uncle's death anniversary?"
Xie Miao gently twisted the beads and said, "En."
He took out a scroll of copied scriptures from his sleeve and said, "I copied the Rebirth Mantra to commemorate my uncle with you."
Xie Miao flatly refused, "It's not appropriate."
Cui Muli sighed: "It turns out you lied when you said you are as close to me as brother and sister."
Xie Miao: "..." Oops, he rebelled against the general and captured the entire army.
Cui Muli followed after and said: "In public terms, my uncle is a senior official in the officialdom. He fulfills his duties loyally and cultivates himself to bring peace to the people. In terms of private matters, my uncle was an old friend of my father's during his lifetime, and he is also connected to the Cui family by marriage. As a junior, I should serve him and it is also reasonable to offer incense and worship."
His words were clear and concise, and his words were profound, leaving Xie Miao speechless.
As Cui Muli said, Cui and Xie are in-laws, and Madam Xie has just given birth to a son to the second branch of the Cui family. As Madam Xie's niece, she has been taken care of by the Cui family for many years, how can she refuse Cui Muli's kindness?
She compromised and said, "My cousin is thoughtful."
Xie Miao lit three sticks of incense and handed them to Cui Muli. After taking them, he bowed respectfully three times, offered the scriptures to the Buddha, and recited the "Rebirth Mantra" with Xie Miao.
After reciting a round of sutras, Xie Miao said: "It's getting late. Cousin, be careful on the road."
Cui Muli straightened the corner of his robe and stood up, "I wanted to talk to you about Madam Zou and Cong'er... Since it's late, we'll talk another day."
Xie Miao: ...She suspected that he did it on purpose, but there was no evidence.
"Wait a minute." She changed her words with a calm expression, "It's just my eyesight. It's still very bright today. Why don't my cousin come back to the courtyard with me and sit down for a while?"
Cui Muli cupped his hand in obeisance, "In that case, it would be impolite to refuse."
*
Back in the courtyard, Fu Lu and Lan Xia saw that they had something to say. After serving tea, they walked out the door and left.
The two sat under the persimmon tree. Cui Muli looked up at the leafy persimmon tree and asked, "Did you pick the fruit here when you made persimmons last year?"
Xie Miao said: "En."
Cui Muli said: "It must taste very good."
Xie Miao was about to say that it was natural, but suddenly she remembered that the persimmons that time were not given to him at all.
"..." She didn't know what to say, so she simply pretended not to hear.
Cui Muli had a very good demeanour. He smiled nonchalantly, picked up the tasteless tea and took a sip.
Finally, Xie Miao couldn't bear it any longer and asked, "Cousin, how are Madam Zou and Cong'er doing?"
Cui Muli said: "I have secretly sent them out of the capital. They will not be in danger for the time being, but if the disaster silver is not found for one day, the Emperor will not give up on capturing them."
Xie Miao took advantage of the situation and asked, "What about the disaster silver? Is there no news yet?"
Cui Muli's answer was very familiar, "A-Miao, it is inconvenient to disclose the details of official business."
Xie Miao rolled her eyes in her heart. Just when she was about to give up, she heard his tone change, "But since you are already involved, it doesn't hurt if I reveal a few things."
Seeing that Xie Miao was not polite at all and stared at him with a pair of dark eyes, Cui Muli raised his hand to cover the smile on his lips and said softly: "Someone secretly sent me a letter, stating that the disaster money was buried in the residence of Wang Keyi, the governor of Hangzhou."
......who? Wang Keyi?
Xie Miao seemed to be listening attentively, but actually she was secretly complaining. What Wang Keyi? She clearly wrote about Zhou Sihui's mansion! It seems that in just half a month, Cui Muli and Zhou Niannan have stolen the disaster money and transferred it to Wang Keyi's courtyard in Hangzhou.
She has an impression of Wang Keyi, the uncle of Wang Yongqi, the Minister of War, and one of the driving forces behind the disaster.
Treating others with their own method is very good and very fair.
She pretended to be shocked, "Could it be that this Hangzhou Governor is also involved in the disaster silver case?"
Cui Muli nodded.
She asked: "You still need to continue to investigate?"
"The task of eradicating evil has been completed. Now that this matter has begun, it should have a perfect ending." Cui Muli said.
Xie Miao deeply thought so.
He added: "In a few days, I will rush to Hangzhou to investigate the case in person."
Xie Miao politely wished him a safe journey and success.
Cui Muli said: "Before I leave, I would like to refill my uncle's and aunt's death lamps with oil to express my condolences. Can A-Miao -"
"No need." Xie Miao interrupted him abruptly, her eyes condensed into a cold silence. Looking carefully, her fingertips were trembling slightly, "I appreciate my cousin's kindness."
Cui Muli's hesitation disappeared and he smiled: "Okay."
*
After leaving Qingxin Temple, Cui Muli did not return to Cui Mansion, but went to a private house in the suburbs.
In the hall, Fan Lekang had been waiting for a long time. When he saw him, he stood up immediately, and strode forward with a brocade box in his hand. He said respectfully: "Lord Cui."
Cui Muli responded softly and sat on the main seat, "What do you want from me?"
Fan Lekang couldn't hide his joy and stretched out the brocade box in his hand, "Fan has fulfilled his mission and completed what the Lord asked him to do!"
Cui Muli opened the lock of the box and measured the silver object in the box. It was about the size of a palm, with a short barrel, exquisite workmanship, and a cold sheen all over it.
Fan Lekang hurriedly said: "This thing is called a revolver. Compared with fire guns, it has a longer range, and higher accuracy. It is not affected by weather, has no danger of exploding the chamber, and is easy to carry. The most important thing is that the person who created it is already dead. This is a unique pistol in the world."
Cui Muli raised his eyebrows, "Dead?"
Fan Lekang said: "Yes, Fan heard that the master was indiscrete when he was drunk. He became evil after seeing this thing and killed him to seize the treasure. He secretly brought it back to Da Qi."
Cui Muli commented calmly: "He is quite a ruthless character."
Fan Lekang said: "The big boss takes advantage of both black and white, and his character and methods are beyond the reach of others."
Cui Muli asked: "Aren't you afraid of being retaliated by him?"
Fan Lekang said: "Fan is confident that the master will not find any clues." After speaking, he added: "Don't worry Lord Cui, this matter was done by Fan. Even if something happens, it will never implicate you. "
Cui Muli said no more. He stood up and walked inside. Fan Lekang was unable to react in time, but Shen Yang reminded him: "Hurry up and follow him."
There is a cave behind the house, where a tall and beautiful poplar forest stands. The sky is high and the clouds are wide, and flocks of birds are perching among the branches. Looking from a distance, they seem to have borne fruit.
Cui Muli picked up the revolver, and loaded it under Fan Lekang's instructions. He pulled down the hammer, then aimed at the target and pulled the trigger——
After a bang, a stone twenty feet away exploded violently. The mountain bird flew away in fright. Fan Lekang blurted out and praised: "Good marksmanship!"
Cui Muli pulled out the magazine, "How many bullets are there in total?"
Fan Lekang opened the red silk covering in the box and revealed the remaining bullets. "There are four more bullets left. The master once asked the craftsmen to do it the same way, but the newly made bullets always have various problems."
"En." Cui Muli inspected the pistol and said absently: "I heard that the head of the Changfeng Escort Bureau is headstrong and arbitrary. The people below him have already complained, and they all want to reform and elect a new leader."
Fan Lekang swallowed hard and was so nervous that he couldn't speak.
Lord Cui means...could it be...
Cui Muli said: "I think you are worthy of this position."
Fan Lekang's eyes turned red. He knelt down with a bang, cupped his fists and shouted: "Fan will definitely work hard and live up to Lord Cui's expectations!"