RPAGF Chapter 887 The Second Prince's Olive Branch
Chapter 887 The Second Prince's Olive Branch
“Well said, well said, the Buddha is merciful. There is always a way out in everything. Benefactor Zhang, you are destined to face this calamity, but there is also a hidden opportunity to resolve it. When the time comes, if you can meet someone whose birth chart is compatible with yours, you will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune and turn disaster into auspiciousness,” Yuantong said slowly, word by word.
Zhang Ping'an sat upright, not in a hurry to reply, but instead turned his head and instructed, "Pengpeng, Xiaoyuer, you two go to the dormitory and wait for me."
"father!"
"Uncle!"
Little Fish and Pengpeng were both a little worried.
Zhang Ping'an smiled, as steady as a mountain, and said while looking at Abbot Yuantong, "Since Abbot Yuantong has a solution, I must listen carefully. It is inconvenient for you two to be here. Listen to me, go to the dining hall and wait for me."
"Alright then, Dad, my cousin and I will be going now," Little Fish was clever enough to know that it was inconvenient for her cousin to hear these words. After rolling her eyes, she got up, took Pengpeng's hand, and left.
After everyone left, two more martial monks stood at the door, and they looked quite skilled.
As if sensing something, Zhang Ping'an put down his teacup and asked calmly, "The person Abbot Yuantong spoke of who turned misfortune into good fortune, could it be...?"
As he spoke, he dipped his finger in the tea and wrote the character "贰" on the table.
Upon seeing this, Abbot Yuantong lowered his head and looked extremely compassionate, slowly turning his prayer beads as he replied, "Indeed!"
"I knew you wouldn't be so well-behaved at Daxiangguo Temple these past few years. Could it be that you were behind the Crown Prince's health problems as well?" Zhang Ping'an asked again, his face darkening.
The crown prince was in his prime, and his health shouldn't have been so poor, which made it hard for him not to worry.
Yuantong did not answer the question directly. After a slight smile, he asked in return, "Isn't Zhang's most pressing concern to resolve his own problems rather than worrying about the Crown Prince?"
"Me? Didn't you say I would meet someone whose birth chart is compatible with mine and that I would turn misfortune into good fortune?" Zhang Ping'an lowered his head slightly and sipped his tea.
“Everything is constantly changing, and so is a person’s fate. Whether you can turn misfortune into good fortune depends on your choice, Benefactor Zhang,” Yuantong said, and then stood up.
He went to the bookshelf against the wall at the back, turned an inconspicuous vase, and then invited, "Mr. Zhang, why don't you come in and take a look before making a decision?"
Zhang Ping'an frowned slightly upon hearing this, sensing that the Second Prince might have done much more than he had imagined.
Once inside the dark room, Zhang Ping'an realized that the space was not small, and upon closer inspection, he discovered that there was even flowing air inside.
"To show our sincerity, today you can look at the outermost things. If you truly choose the Second Prince in the future, then all the secrets inside the Great Xiangguo Temple will be revealed to you."
After saying this, Yuantong pushed open the first door to the inner secret room and carefully lit a candle.
Zhang Ping'an then discovered that the outermost room contained the most confidential and core firearm blueprints of the imperial court, as well as most of the defense plans for the border regions.
He has some minor flaws, but he has mastered more in other areas than he has.
The importance cannot be overstated.
For a prince with no power or influence, obtaining these things was obviously not easy, which also demonstrates his capabilities.
After a moment's thought, Zhang Ping'an understood: "You have people in the Privy Council and the border army?"
"Since we've chosen this path, we can't rely on just words. We've made thorough preparations," Yuantong said calmly.
"You trust me so much? Aren't you afraid I'll report this to the Emperor?" Zhang Ping'an asked tentatively with a cold face.
Yuantong's expression remained unchanged as he turned his prayer beads and smiled faintly: "Of course I'm not afraid. As long as Benefactor Zhang still wants to live, he certainly won't bring this matter to His Majesty's attention. After all, His Majesty now regards Benefactor Zhang as a dying man. Dying a day earlier or a day later is the same as dying, so there's no difference. Taking a gamble might give him a glimmer of hope."
"Furthermore, Benefactor Zhang, do you think an emperor without a prince can continue to be emperor? Even the most majestic lion has grown old, and it is time to change the helmsman."
"Benefactor Zhang, please!"
After Yuantong finished speaking, he slowly walked out of the dark room and invited Zhang Ping'an to sit down and talk.
Zhang Ping'an gleaned something from these words, sat down again, composed himself, and asked, "The Third Prince has passed away, the Crown Prince is currently in poor mental and physical condition, and the Fourth Prince is far away in Fujian. Do you intend to harm him?"
Yuantong avoided the main point and changed the subject, saying, "There's no need for Benefactor Zhang to worry about that. What I want to discuss with you now is the matter of the Empress's burial."
They were all old foxes, and Zhang Ping'an knew that these were bait deliberately thrown out by Yuantong, just waiting for him to take the bait.
They certainly won't tell him their real plans and intentions now.
But the border defense blueprints and firearms blueprints really surprised him. He wasn't sure which people had secretly defected to the Second Prince.
Does this include his father-in-law?
From his previous conversation with his father-in-law, he vaguely sensed that Grand Tutor Qian was somewhat inclined to side with the Second Prince.
Even if they don't completely help the struggle for the throne and usurpation, they are at least neutral.
After a detailed conversation, Zhang Ping'an discovered that the Second Prince's strategy towards him was the same as his strategy towards Lord Wang.
Some things, he can just turn a blind eye to, and he doesn't need to be at the forefront.
This undoubtedly dispelled a great deal of his concerns.
In the end, Yuantong didn't pressure him, and when he saw him off, he still had a kind and benevolent look on his face.
No one could have imagined how outrageous their conversation had been.
"If Benefactor Zhang has made up his mind, then send someone to deliver a message to the Daxiangguo Temple."
"I will," Zhang Ping'an nodded.
When they arrived at the dining hall, the rest of the family had already arrived.
Except for Little Fish, who only had a vague understanding of the situation and looked at him with some worry, everyone else was all smiles.
Zhang Ping'an gave him a reassuring look and sat down with his family to eat vegetarian food.
After finishing their meal, the family returned to the city.
After finishing his meal, he stepped forward to report the day's results: "Today I personally followed Zhong Zheng and found that he was quite familiar with several of the martial monks in the temple. He said that he had learned a move or two from them before, but that was about it."
"Okay, I understand," Zhang Pingan nodded.
Seeing that Xiaoyuer was still waiting beside him, and knowing that the father and son had something to talk about, he tactfully lowered his head and said, "Sir, if there's nothing else, I'll go down first. I'll come and report any further news as soon as possible."
"Okay, by the way, we met a young novice monk named Huiyuan at the Daxiangguo Temple today. Remember to tell the gatekeeper that if he comes to our residence to beg for alms, let him come in directly and have someone inform me."
Zhang Ping'an had a premonition that this little novice monk would definitely come over in the next couple of days, and who knows what surprises he might bring.