Ouchi Taming the Cat, starting with the Ten Tiger Forms!

Chapter 603: Seeing Through Stealth
Li Xuan returned to the palace and reported to the two general stewards the matter of Master Shanle's non-cooperation with exaggerated details.

Shang Zongguan and Zhao Feng were not surprised at all.

"It would be problematic if Master Shanliao dared to trust you easily." Manager Shang said with a smile.

Zhao Feng at the side also said: "Ah Xuan, only people are afraid of ghosts at night."

After being reminded by the two stewards, Li Xuan felt less angry than before in Ci'en Temple.

He knew in his heart that the other party was on guard, and was just a little annoyed that things were not going smoothly.

In his expectation, if he could unite Buddhism and the Holy Fire Sect and add their strength, the Western Region Fire Demon might be able to be eliminated.

If Prince Zheng loses another second-rank expert, the palace will be more secure.

But now it seems that things are not going as smoothly as Li Xuan had thought.

As it turned out, Master Shanliao's concerns were justified.

In fact, Li Xuan was talking nonsense just now, and they were just the pot calling the kettle black.

In order to cover up his petty theft, Li Xuan brought up the Holy Fire Sect as an excuse. More importantly, he did not mention that the Western Region Fire Demon is now working for Prince Zheng's Palace.

He was afraid to bring up the name of Prince Zheng's Mansion, so the two old monks became scared.

At least we have to beat up the Western Fire Demon who tricked them first.

"For now, we can only wait for news from the Holy Fire Cult."

"If they can send some people to help, I will then discuss this with the two stewards in detail. Maybe we can use Monk Chengche to lure out the Western Region Fire Demon again."

Li Xuan was thinking in his mind, but he also had his own little plan.

"If the Holy Fire Cult can't help, then there's no point in telling me what Aimu told me."

Thinking this way, he decided to keep his conversation with Aimu secret for the time being.

Although Li Xuan had clearly stated before that he could not keep it secret, the excited Aimu still told him everything just now.

But Li Xuan didn't want Aimu to take too much risk just because she trusted him.

Aimu felt that this was too coincidental, a destined opportunity, and would definitely lead to success.

After all, Li Xuan, whom Aimu identified as the prophesied divine beast, confronted the enemy that the Holy Fire Cult had been pursuing for thirty years.

But Li Xuan knew clearly that if there was any mistake in this matter, even if it succeeded in the end, someone from the Holy Fire Sect might use this matter to make a fuss.

By then, the merits and demerits may offset each other, leaving Aimu with no benefit.

Li Xuan clearly remembered that the Holy Fire Sect had more than one candidate for the Holy Maiden, Aimu.

Aimu was so happy that she passed the annual assessment that she danced in the backyard to entertain herself. There must be people who are unhappy about this, right?

Li Xuan’s idea is actually very simple. If you are good to me, I will be good to you.

Although Aimu's kindness to Li Xuan was a little abnormal, it was indeed beyond words.

Therefore, Li Xuan did not want her to suffer any loss.

As for cats, they can just act as mirrors.

If you smile at me, I will smile at you.

If you are angry with me, I will be angry with you.

If I like you, I don't mind smiling at you first.

Being a cat is actually that simple.

Anyway, when Li Xuan talked about the feud between the Western Region Fire Demon and the Holy Fire Cult, he was just adding some background on the identity of the Western Region Fire Demon, plus a hope that might not be very certain.

After all, the Western Region controlled by the Holy Fire Cult is located in a remote area. Who knows how long it will take for them to receive news from Aimu and then send people to the capital.

It would be better to wait for the reinforcements from the Holy Fire Cult to arrive. It wouldn’t be too late for Li Xuan to tell the two stewards then. Besides, it could be a surprise, right?

"What about Ci'en Temple?"

Zhao Feng asked Chief Steward Shang.

"According to the plan, with two high-ranking Buddhist monks in charge, those young monks in Fuhu Temple will be able to be saved."

As Manager Shang said this, he couldn't help but look at Li Xuan and smile slightly.

Li Xuan felt as if his thoughts had been seen through, and he could not help but turn his head to avoid Manager Shang's gaze. He just fiddled with his tail, looking very busy.

"Ah Xuan, take good care of Monk Chengche's injuries in the next two days, and find out more information in the city."

Manager Shang also assigned tasks to Li Xuan, who seemed to be very busy.

Li Xuan nodded obediently immediately.

After confirming what they were to do next, Manager Shang left first.

Zhao Feng brought Li Xuan to the place where Monk Chengche was accommodated.

Li Xuan checked him and found that Monk Chengche's injuries had improved a lot and he was recovering quickly with the strong physique of a third-grade warrior.

However, the desperate measures he had used before were somewhat violent, and he probably wouldn't be able to wake up today.

After Li Xuan confirmed the status of Monk Chengche, he sent a message to Chief Steward Shang:
"I'm afraid the earliest I can wake up is tomorrow."

"That's it..."

Zhao Feng seemed a little regretful. After all, Monk Chengche was an important key to unlock all the secrets, and he was the only one who knew best what happened in Jiangnan Road.

Although they have now speculated through information from various sources that it was Prince Zheng who was stirring up trouble in Jiangnan Road, what tricks he was playing remain to be confirmed.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs had previously asked local authorities to report information about Jiangnan Province, but there has been no response yet.

Calculating the time, it is indeed somewhat inconsistent with the efficiency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

"Hasn't the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Jiangnan Road responded yet?"

Zhao Feng nodded helplessly, and then explained: "Depending on the distance, the Ministry of Internal Affairs' response period will also be different."

"The principle is that the Jiangnan Road is five days, and you must report back to the capital within five days."

"It's not time yet, let's wait patiently."

Li Xuan nodded and didn't urge him any further.

He turned his head and looked at the place where Monk Chengche was resting. There was only a team of eunuchs in flowery clothes protecting it.

Li Xuan thought about it and immediately proposed to Zhao Feng:

"How about finding some disciples from Fuhu Temple to take care of Monk Chengche?"

"This old monk has a bad temper. If he wakes up and finds himself in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he might misunderstand me. It will be troublesome if he makes a scene here."

"When he wakes up and sees the disciples of Fuhu Temple, he should be able to calm down a lot. Moreover, those disciples can help us explain and serve as witnesses."

Zhao Feng was stunned, but after thinking about it, he realized that it did make sense.

"Ah Xuan is very careful now."

"I will arrange what you said immediately."

To be honest, Zhao Feng didn't know much about Monk Chengche. He only met him once on the night Bilge escaped from prison.

Zhao Feng's impression of him was just a third-rank Buddhist monk who hated evil.

And Li Xuan had more contact with Monk Chengche and knew this guy's temper.

If Monk Chengche wakes up and finds himself being controlled by the Imperial Household Department, he might misunderstand that they are in cahoots with the Western Region Fire Demon.

When he displayed the Vajra Shadow in the palace, Li Xuan was really not sure whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs could protect Monk Chengche.

It's impossible that all the masters of the Imperial Palace are as easy to talk to as Master Ye, right?
It is not impossible to kill Monk Chengche on the spot.

After checking on Monk Chengche's injuries, Li Xuan returned to Jingyang Palace to rest for a while. The two girls had already gotten used to Li Xuan's busy schedule, and whenever he came back, they would stroke his fur, scratch his head, and feed him snacks, allowing Li Xuan to rest comfortably.

They all knew that Li Xuan was busy with work and not playing around outside.

Princess Ankang and Yu'er clearly know the difference.

Li Xuan looked exhausted. He fell asleep without saying a word. That meant he was busy with work.

On the contrary, if the cat looks refreshed, walks with a breeze, and meows non-stop, it means it is having a lot of fun outside.

The two girls were also very considerate. They didn't ask Li Xuan what he was busy with. They just quietly prepared whatever Li Xuan needed.

With the help of two maids, Li Xuan slept comfortably until the afternoon, and all his fatigue faded away.

When he woke up, he found himself lying upright on Princess Ankang's bed, covered with a small quilt.

When he turned around, he saw delicious food prepared for him on the table, covered with a bamboo cage.

Li Xuan got up from the bed, stretched himself, then jumped onto the table and opened the bamboo basket. The aroma of hot food wafted into his nose.

Although it is winter now, it is very warm in Jingyang Palace.

It was only after the renovation of Jingyang Palace that Li Xuan learned that Daxing actually had "floor heating"!

It is said to be floor heating, but in fact it is just a kang.

In the bedrooms above the ninth concubine, there are fire channels underneath. Firewood and charcoal are burned in the furnace below, and the heat generated by the charcoal fire is allowed to spread along the fire channel and be discharged from the smoke outlet below. In the process, the floor tiles are heated, and the room is kept warm by utilizing the ground's own heat storage and the law of heat radiation upwards.

These rooms with kangs are called warm rooms. They are usually just sleeping rooms in the palace and are not very big.

After all, maintaining a warm room requires a lot of manpower and material resources, which is also a considerable expense.

Although Li Xuan earned a lot of money for the national treasury, Emperor Yongyuan was used to living a hard life and would not waste money just because he had money.

If Emperor Yongyuan had not considered the royal family's reputation, he would probably have cut off the floor heating for his concubines years ago.

When Li Xuan first heard about the warm room, he was amazed at the wisdom of the people of Daxing in their lives.

The floor heating in Jingyang Palace is an improved and enhanced version.

Even though the golden pig basks in the sun in the pond every day, its contribution to Jingyang Palace is significant.

When Jingyang Palace was being renovated, they specifically requested special modifications to the pond. When the craftsmen asked, they learned that Jingyang Palace had such a great treasure, and immediately even the design plan of the warm room was revised.

Today, Jingyang Palace has the largest warm room system in the entire imperial palace, which covers almost all buildings except some special warehouses. It is also a twelve-hour uninterrupted heating system, which has made countless nobles in the palace envious.

Even the Eighth Prince and his companions have been visiting Jingyang Palace more frequently recently, coming over to use the water and heating for the three little ones.

In the residences of the princes and princesses, except for the East Palace, no one had the enjoyment of a warm room and could only rely on burning charcoal for heating.

However, burning charcoal for heating is inconvenient and is far less comfortable than the water heating in Jingyang Palace.

When the weather gets cold, everyone will realize how good Princess Ankang is.

Although many princes and princesses did not say it, they were very envious of the Eighth Prince and his brothers and sisters who were on good terms with Princess Ankang.

I heard that they always wore summer clothes in Jingyang Palace and ate chilled fruits and various ice cream snacks. How can one not be envious?

The eighth prince was a man who loved to show off, and he made the matter known to everyone in the palace.

Many people secretly reported that the construction of Jingyang Palace exceeded the rules, but all their reports fell on deaf ears.

Some people went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to report directly, and even found Zhao Feng, but they were all pushed back with the words "This is His Majesty's order."

After all, the renovation of Jingyang Palace was the reward Princess Ankang won in the Imperial Garden Competition.

This reward was approved by Emperor Yongyuan himself. Who would dare to ask Emperor Yongyuan to take back his order?

After this, the palace's small actions against Jingyang Palace suddenly decreased. Now they can only make a few remarks behind the back, mention the decline of Jingyang Palace in the past, sigh that things have changed and people have changed, and protect their last insignificant sense of superiority.

But in the West Palace, if you just raise your head, you can see a corner of the magnificent eaves of Jingyang Palace, and that insignificant sense of superiority will be shattered on the spot.

"Oh my, life is so good now~"

Li Xuan smacked his lips and licked the plates clean, saving Yu'er the trouble of washing the dishes.

After he finished his meal, he went outside to look for the two maids and discovered that they were both in the backyard.

Yu'er was practicing martial arts in the backyard, and her whole body was already steaming hot.

Princess Ankang was squatting in the snow, drawing some weird pictures on the ground.

What spoiled the view was that there was a huge white tiger's butt sticking out by the pond, swaying seductively. It was obvious that Dabai was looking for the golden pig.

Li Xuan shook his head and rolled his eyes helplessly.

He then meowed loudly, and the two girls in the backyard turned their heads immediately.

"Ah Xuan, you're awake!"

Princess Ankang stood up quickly, holding a branch that she had broken off from somewhere in her hand.

Yu'er also asked, "Are you going out again?"

"Come back early today, meow."

"You guys take good care of the house cat!"

Li Xuan wagged his tail at the two maids, turned around and left the palace again.

"Ah Xuan, be careful on the road~"

Hearing the soft voices of two girls behind him, Li Xuan couldn't help but smile knowingly.

He thought to himself: "Dear Prince Zheng, you should die sooner rather than later!"

Li Xuan wasted his good life and had to travel outside every day, all because of King Zheng.

……

After leaving the palace, Li Xuan went to Ci'en Temple first.

He saw that the guards outside the temple had really been lifted, and only two disciples from Ci'en Temple were guarding the gate.

Li Xuan sensed it briefly and found that Master Chenghai and Master Shanle were also in the temple, and the young monks in Fuhu Temple were also safe.

He was nodding slightly in relief, but his expression suddenly changed.

Li Xuan hunched his body and looked to the side.

At the same time, Master Shanliao appeared there.

"Cat donor, you are here again."

"It seems that you care a lot about Ci'en Temple."

Master Shanliao said with a smile.

Li Xuan did not dare to be careless.

He felt something was not right last time.

Li Xuan is very confident in his ability to hide, and his Yin-Yang Qi is enough to allow him to completely blend into the world.

But no matter whether it was the last time or this time, Li Xuan suddenly realized that the other party had discovered him in advance.

Last time, Li Xuan just thought it was a coincidence, but today it seems that there is something wrong with this old monk.

Master Shanliao's long, snow-white eyebrows covered his eyes, leaving only a pair of curved eye slits visible.

The seemingly kind and harmless old monk made Li Xuan extremely alert.

"What kind of Taoism is this old monk?"

(End of this chapter)