She can't afford to mess things up at the crucial moment.
"Who would use words like 'gentle and kind' to describe a general? You should be described as having iron swords and iron horses, great talent and strategy, bravery and skill in battle, and invincible. Besides, my opinion is not important," she said.
After she finished patting herself on the back, she patiently waited for Yuwen Sheng's response.
Will he acknowledge her "unwavering loyalty"?
But as they waited and waited, neither of them uttered a word along the way. Even after they reached Wujue Temple, he still didn't say a word about her flattery.
...I guess this flattery really got him on the right track.
Sigh, it's not easy to become a court jester.
When they arrived at Wujue Temple, they found the temple gates wide open, welcoming guests. Monks were there to greet them, and many people had already gone inside.
They were a little late, but it didn't matter. The Jichun Craftsmen's Association hadn't officially started yet. The invitation said noon, taking the time when it was the brightest and most sunny.
Upon entering the temple, after checking their invitations and registering the number of people in their group, a gray-robed monk led the way for them.
They walked through rows of unique and distinctive houses with blue tiles, each of varying sizes, nestled among lush bamboo groves, exuding tranquility and rustic charm.
We arrived at the temple's meditation hall.
The suddenly open scene before him made Zheng Quchi's breath catch in his throat.
She truly hadn't expected the journey from the secluded and deep bamboo forest path to the vast expanse of the Shuixie Pond before her.
The temple grounds, paved with white railings and gray stone, were set up on the water. Every few steps there was an arched bridge, and between two bridges was a stream that meandered around several stone-carved lotus platforms. In the very center of each lotus platform were stone-carved and lacquered Bodhisattva statues.
This truly demonstrates both the profound Buddhist nature of Wujue Temple and subtly flaunts its extravagant wealth.
Now, there are many display stands on these water features, and many different sizes of artifacts have already been placed on the stands, but there are still many other places for water feature displays to be placed.
The gray-robed monk explained to Zheng Quchi and the others, "These are all display stands of the Jichun Craftsmen's Guild. Currently, there are no restrictions on the location. You can choose any suitable empty space to place your artwork."
"Um, could we ask how the shortlist for the Jichun Craftsmen's Guild was selected?" Zheng Quchi asked.
The gray-robed monk explained to her, "After a short rest, at noon, a great philanthropist will come to observe and judge the works. The shortlisted works can generally be divided into three categories: color, art, and technique."
"Color, that is, appearance. If one can attract people with appearance and get them to spend money on spring rewards, then one can be considered to have gained something."
"Art, of course, refers to the exquisiteness of the artwork. If one can amaze people with its complex and difficult craftsmanship and spend money on spring rewards, that counts as one part."
"The skill is ingenious, novel, and unique. It is innovative and eye-catching. People will throw money at it to reward them."
With Yuwen Sheng present, the others could only listen and dared not overstep their bounds to ask questions. However, Yuwen Sheng, being a general, did not have a deep understanding of the craftsmanship of the artisans, so he was happy to hand over the main stage to Zheng Quchi.
"What is the Spring Appreciation Silver Coin?" She seemed to have caught a key word.
"Oh, it's this copper coin with a thin string tied to it, which has received incense offerings from our temple for a long time."
The gray-robed monk took out a particularly exquisite hanging coin tied with a red rope: "This is a Spring Award Silver Coin specially made by our temple in collaboration with the Jichun Craftsmen Association, used for scoring purposes when qualifying for the competition."
Zheng Quchi asked suspiciously, "This...is it given to us for free?"
"Why would you think that, benefactor?" the gray-robed monk asked in surprise.
Zheng Quchi's lips twitched as he saw the man's affected expression of surprise.
If not this way of thinking, then what should she think?
The gray-robed monk slowly said, "These are the gifts that each benefactor receives after making an offering. I wonder how many the benefactor would like?"
Giving alms? Isn't that just asking for money?
"If it's just one, how much should be donated?" she asked tentatively.
"Ten taels of silver."
"..." You could have just robbed them, but you still gave them a copper coin instead?
Her earlier bad feeling finally came true at this moment. Had they fallen into a money-grabbing scheme?
She immediately said, "Then we don't want it."
"You don't want it anymore?" The gray-robed monk clearly hadn't expected this answer.
"Yes, can't we just accept the reward directly? Why do we have to spend this spring reward money?"
"...Of course you can, but you can also use these spring reward money to invest in your own artwork. Are you sure you don't want to?"
"No," she insisted.
"I see..." The gray-robed monk seemed stunned by her resolute attitude, and after a long while he said, "Oh, I just forgot, the organizer, Gongshujia, seems to have exchanged a batch of spring reward silver coins in advance, so that every participant can get one."
Zheng Quchi smiled enigmatically: "Oh, is that so? This master's memory is really not very good; he can forget such an important matter."
"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk indeed has a terrible memory, I am ashamed."
Judging from his calm expression, he didn't look ashamed at all.
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