Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

Just as Dou Fengjie stepped into the south gate of Longzhengfang, a flurry of street drums began to sound.

The neighborhood head, Tang Bugu, was waving a short jujube wood stick, shouting for the neighborhood residents to come in quickly. Once the drumbeat stopped, the neighborhood gate would be locked and could not be opened without reason.

Those who violated the curfew were dealt with ruthlessly by the Right Guard; ten strokes were enough to make someone lie obediently for half a month.

The neighborhood was still brightly lit. People of all ages didn't go to bed early; they were either playing around or laughing. There was even an old man doing pull-ups while hugging a tree branch.

"The Duke of Lu is incredibly bold!"

"This surprise attack from the Tang Dynasty, without any prior warning, is sure to succeed!"

"How many men and women have the Tuyuhun abducted from Longyou? They deserve it!"

Under the glow of the lantern, the common people discussed among themselves, quite optimistic about Hou Junji's surprise attack.

This is the difference between the south and north of the city.

The southern part of the city was mostly inhabited by commoners, whose knowledge and experience were inevitably limited.

The prominent families in the north of the city are clustered together, so their words are naturally more precise—though it doesn't really matter.

The abbot, Daozhen, dressed in a monk's hat, robe, and cloth shoes, appeared in front of the gate of Fahai Temple. He had a hint of anxiety on his face, but he still tried his best to maintain the demeanor of an enlightened monk.

Upon seeing Dou Fengjie, Daozhen forced a smile, clasped his hands together, and said, "Amitabha! Duke Zan, this humble monk wishes to discuss the *Mahaprajnaparamita Great Mantra Sutra* and the *Lingbao Infinite Salvation Supreme Sutra*. I wonder if Your Highness has the time?"

Offering unsolicited favors is either a sign of malice or theft.

Dou Fengjie smiled and said, "Since we have different paths, we cannot work together. There's no need to make things difficult for yourself."

"Abbot, please speak frankly."

Daozhen, whose skin was so thick it was impervious to swords and spears, blushed slightly: "Um, this old monk has heard that all the temples in the empire, including the three cardinal guides and the eminent monks in the capital, are recommended by the Court of State Ceremonies?"

The three cardinal principles in Buddhism are: the abbot, the senior monk, and the chief chant leader.

There were two types of great virtuous monks in the Tang Dynasty: one was the learned monk who participated in the translation of Buddhist scriptures, and the other was the monk who served as one of the Tang Dynasty's monastic officials and managed the temples throughout the country.

What Dao Zhen seeks is clearly the second type.

Dou Fengjie thought about it carefully and realized that in the official document recently issued by the Ministry of Rites, the Department of Sacrifices had delegated a tiny bit of authority to the Court of State Ceremonies.

In short, the Court of State Ceremonial was only responsible for the preliminary selection; the final selection rested with the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Sacrifices.

"The abbot must have entered the wrong temple with a pig's head in his arms. Although I am on duty at the Court of State Ceremonial, I have no access to such matters."

"To be selected as a Grand Master of Virtue, one must seek out the Minister of State Ceremonies or the Vice Minister of State Ceremonies."

Dou Fengjie gave Daozhen a serious look.

Monks are said to be pure of heart and have few desires, but they still have desires; it's just that their pursuit of fame and fortune is different from that of ordinary people.

Moreover, since the incident with Da Yu, the relationship between Fahai Temple and Dou Fengjie has become complicated. On what basis would Dou Fengjie help Daozhen?

Honestly, if Dou Fengjie hadn't deliberately sabotaged things, he would have been considered quite well-mannered.

Some things, once done, come with consequences.

Daozhen could only chant Buddhist prayers with a bitter expression, his body trembling slightly in the warm breeze.

Ah Lu glanced at Dao Zhen with a mocking look, then swung his hind leg, splashing a stream of foul-smelling urine onto the old monk's shoes.

With a triumphant bray, the donkey spun its tail and whipped several insects to death.

Once inside the courtyard, Dou Xi bolted the door, braced it, and led the three donkeys into the stable. He cursed indignantly, "This monk is truly shameless!"

It's just that Dou happy is young; if he lived a few more years, he would have found that such things happen all the time, and he would be furious.

Dou Fengjie moved his body leisurely and began practicing Tai Chi in a steady and composed manner.

For aiding digestion, a low-intensity martial art like Tai Chi is more suitable.

Dou happy also stood aside and began to imitate him in a very serious manner.

"It is somewhat similar to the Tai Chi Chuan of Cheng Lingxi of the Southern Liang Dynasty, but it is also different."

Dou Shang glanced at it.

There are several theories about the origin and founder of Tai Chi Chuan, including Cheng Lingxi of the Liang Dynasty, Xu Xuanping of the Tang Dynasty, Li Daozi of the Tang Dynasty, Hu Jingzi of the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Sanfeng, and Chen Wangting.

The techniques of Lifting Hand, Shuttle, Single Whip, and Grasping Sparrow's Tail were already present during Cheng Lingxi's time.

Dou Fengjie's boxing skills are only at a beginner level; he lacks the ability to deflect force effectively, making it difficult to use in actual combat.

"This old servant saw a seventeen-year-old monk named Shili in a temple. He has already mastered Tai Chi. Young master, you may spar with him."

Dou Shangping stated this calmly, but in reality, he was telling Dou Fengjie that his Tai Chi was just a showy facade.

Dou Fengjie had no way to refute this point.

The Tai Chi I practiced before time travel was all for health and wellness; who would dare to practice a real killing technique!

Dou Fengjie seemed to have heard the Buddhist name Shili somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where.

Dou Fengjie mastered some of the fierce boxing styles popular during the Tang Dynasty, and relying on his great strength, he could even bully others.

However, when faced with a martial art like Tai Chi, which uses softness to overcome hardness and combines both softness and hardness, one will definitely suffer a loss.

"Make arrangements so that I can meet with this Zen Master Shili when I have time and learn the essence of Tai Chi."

Dou Fengjie was quite interested in this and didn't care that Dou Shang pointed out his lack of skill.

-----------------

April 1st.

Having bathed all day, Dou Fengjie entered the Honglu Temple's Department of Foreign Affairs feeling refreshed and energetic, walking with a brisk pace.

The biggest advantage of not having the Minister of Ceremonies is that it saves us from having to take ginseng morning and night.

After all, none of the Vice Ministers of the Court of State Ceremonies were suitable to receive an audience.

"Shangguan, a monk is looking for you, isn't he?"

The wife of the Clerk Zhan Cheng was all smiles, her small eyes almost squinting.

These days, not just anyone can be called a monk; only monks with a certain status deserve this title.

"Hehe, even the three chieftains in my workshop can't stand being left out."

Bei Menshuang grinned smugly, baring his rat-like teeth.

Those two yellowed rat teeth were particularly conspicuous.

"That's a matter for you, Junior Minister, or at the very least, for the Chief Minister of Ceremonies to handle. Is it any of my business to concern myself with this?"

Dou Fengjie laughed heartily.

If it doesn't concern me, I'll stay out of it.

Let them fight it out. They can sit on a high place and eat a dried persimmon to calm their nerves.

Zhao Dekai, the Grand Secretary, led in a young man with leopard-like eyes and an iron tower-like build.

Dou Fengjie's eyes widened, and he punched the other man in the chest: "Cheng Chumo? Aren't you still in mourning?"

Cheng Chumo winked slyly, then punched Dou Fengjie on the shoulder in return: "What, the superior can disobey orders and refuse to grant a pardon, but old Cheng can't?"

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.

The friendships forged at the Imperial College were deeper than those for others.

The old bandit Cheng Yaojin had a clever plan: to have Cheng Chumo fill the vacancy left by Dou Fengjie.

After Dou Fengjie was promoted, Cheng Chumo followed suit step by step.

The key point is that Dou Fengjie was not averse to this scheme.

Cheng Chumo didn't care about starting as a ninth-rank official. Being able to follow Dou Fengjie and learn how to deal with foreign tribes was a great pleasure for him.

In any case, Cheng Yaojin's title of Duke will eventually be inherited by Cheng Chumo, and Cheng Chumo doesn't care that much about rank.

What Cheng Chumo didn't know was that he almost didn't survive the old bandit.

If Cheng Yaojin hadn't been hoping that his eldest son would fill Dou Fengjie's place, he wouldn't have wanted to ask Li Shimin for a merciful decree to revoke his father's marriage.

After all, Cheng Chumo's mourning period was coming to an end at the end of September.

The small Honglu Temple brought together three classmates; even without forming a faction, outsiders would consider them to be one.