"You asked me if I wanted to take credit for the Battle of Pingyuanbao. I was afraid of being implicated, so I said no. Now—I hope my father-in-law can keep his promise."
Wei Ling had no idea what Luo Shenyuan was up to, but he was deeply puzzled, even suspicious. These doubts gnawed at him like ants.
Luo Shenyuan actually didn't want to be involved in Zeng Heng's affairs. After all, he had made his fortune thanks to Zeng Heng, and exposing some of his social circles would be detrimental to his career. For example, the Baoding circle, where prominent officials and scholars would rely on for communication, was a secretive one, virtually unknown to outsiders.
Lu Jiaxue had pushed him to this point, and there was nothing he could do.
Otherwise, once Zeng Yingkun falls into Lu Jiaxue's hands, he will definitely be tortured into confessing.
Luo Shenyuan left the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion.
Daci Temple is very quiet, especially the courtyard where the man lives. It is so quiet that not even the birds are singing.
The temple was nestled against the mountains and beside the water, the sound of bells and chimes echoing through the mountains as the sun set. The yard had just been swept of fallen leaves, leaving the bluestone tiles spotless.
"Why are you here today?" Daoyan slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was also sharp, but this was a contrast to his meditation.
Luo Shenyuan took the incense from the incense box next to him and walked into the house.
He burned incense to the Buddha. The sky outside was getting darker. The sky here had a flavor of rouge and purple at night. It was unusually gorgeous and heavy.
Daoyan wore a monk's robe, a string of Buddhist beads wrapped around his wrist. He looked like an ordinary monk, nothing special. He didn't seem like the god of war who had quelled the Japanese pirate rebellion in Fujian.
"My sins are grave," Luo Shenyuan said, looking at the gold-leaf statue of Sakyamuni. Back when he was at the Dali Temple, he'd come here almost every day to burn incense. After all, the blood on his hands was too much to count.
Daoyan had the boy make tea and pointed to the kang bed for him to sit cross-legged. "My master took you in as his disciple when he stayed in Baoding for a few days. He said you were gifted and intelligent, and that your future should not be underestimated. But I felt you were troublesome from the first sight. After all, as soon as you arrived, my master had the servants slaughter my chicken and give it to you to eat, so that you could replenish your body. However, you are indeed the only one in our Zhou School who has been involved in worldly affairs, so I have to keep you informed."
Luo Shenyuan remained silent. There was always charcoal in the stove inside the house, used to boil water. The warm charcoal felt gentle and warm compared to the fierce wind outside.
The wind started to blow outside the partition again.
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