"Indeed."
The Lady of the County Magistrate said, "That was Lady Consort Li. Actually, the Saint has also come this time.
Many places throughout the land are suffering from famine, and the harvests have failed. The Court can only send disaster relief.
But it seems that in some places, officials are lining their own pockets. The Saint is making a deliberate incognito visit to see the situation for himself.
Of course, please don't spread this around, Divine Monk.
I'm only telling you this because I expect the Saint will definitely want to meet you, the Little Divine Monk, later."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei nodded. "Thank you for your trust, benefactor."
Normally, of course, he wouldn't speak carelessly about such matters.
However, Xu Lei and the beautiful woman before him had once been entangled all night, so there was naturally a different kind of trust between them.
Moreover, Lady Consort Li's visit today was likely as the Saint's vanguard.
She was here to see if this Little Divine Monk, Xu Lei, truly had any abilities, to see if he was worth the Saint's time to visit.
And just now, Xu Lei's performance and Lady Consort Li's reaction had clearly said it all.
"Actually, my husband and I wish to try for another son."
At this moment, the beautiful woman, the Lady of the County Magistrate, said, "Little Divine Monk, I wonder if you could perform Charitable Giving for me now?"
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei nodded. "Benefactor, you have an affinity with the Buddha. Please follow this little monk."
A few minutes later.
The two were once again embracing in the Almsgiving Room.
"Little Divine Monk, my name is Yu Fengying." As their lips parted, a delicate voice spoke. "According to the rules, once I leave the temple, everything will be forgotten. But while I am here, I want you to know my name."
"Amitabha Buddha," Xu Lei said. "Excellent, excellent."
Over an hour later.
Xu Lei and the beautiful woman reappeared.
"Where did you go just now?"
By now, Lady Consort Li had stopped studying the mathematical diagram. She turned to the radiant Lady of the County Magistrate and said, "I couldn't find you anywhere."
"I... I went to ask the Divine Monk for some guidance on Buddhist principles."
The Lady of the County Magistrate then asked, "Your Ladyship, have you solved it?"
"I have had many insights."
Lady Consort Li glanced suspiciously at the Lady of the County Magistrate, then looked at Xu Lei and said, "The Little Divine Monk truly lives up to his reputation. Thank you for your guidance today."
"Amitabha Buddha."
Xu Lei placed his palms together. "It is because you, benefactor, have an affinity with the Buddha."
「One day later.」
A slightly overweight, white-haired old man with a short beard, dressed in plain clothes, arrived at Longyuan Temple, accompanied by the similarly plainly dressed Lord County Magistrate.
Lady Consort Li and Yu Fengying also accompanied them.
Thanks to the warning from the Lady of the County Magistrate the day before, Xu Lei was naturally somewhat prepared.
Years ago, the Saint had planned to make an inspection tour, which led to massive construction projects here.
But in the end, he never came.
Now, he had arrived unannounced.
'The will of a sovereign is impossible to fathom.'
Xu Lei naturally pondered this. 'Why has he come to see me? How should I respond? Can I gain something from this?'
Ultimately, Xu Lei concluded that it was likely the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse he had presented years ago that had caused the Saint to truly take notice of him, this so-called Divine Monk.
Or perhaps, with the realm plagued by severe corruption and frequent famines, public order in various regions could hardly be rock-solid.
This Saint was probably at his wit's end, so he was clinging to a sliver of hope by coming to talk with a Little Divine Monk like him.
Even if he couldn't gain anything tangible, perhaps he could find a sliver of psychological comfort in a Buddhist Holy Land.
And what could Xu Lei offer?
Xu Lei couldn't turn the tide for a Dynasty in its final decline.
After all, this was internal decay caused by years of accumulated problems.
Many things couldn't be fixed simply by the ruler deciding to eliminate corruption.
For instance, there were the fiefdoms of the various Nobility, the members of the Royal Family bleeding the Dynasty dry, the major Noble Families entrenched in their own territories, and so on. The problems weren't that simple.
Therefore, Xu Lei had no intention of being a savior.
However, even if the Da Yu Dynasty was on the verge of collapse, Xu Lei hoped the chaotic times wouldn't arrive so soon.
After all, Xu Lei hadn't fathered enough children yet.
Thus, Xu Lei still went to meet the Saint.
Lady Consort Li and Yu Fengying went for a walk in other parts of the temple on their own.
Xu Lei, meanwhile, began to talk with the Saint and the Lord County Magistrate.
"This little monk learned some skills from my master."
Xu Lei said, "But if you two benefactors want this little monk to enter the mortal world and save it, I'm afraid I cannot agree.
I am a monk, and monks do not involve themselves in worldly affairs.
Some of my previous actions were already out of line.
I presented the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse because I could not bear to see the people suffer.
Of course, the Dynasty is now beset by deep-seated problems and widespread famines... If you two benefactors wish to hear some advice from this little monk, then I can say a few words."
"Please enlighten us, Little Divine Monk," said the noble-looking, white-haired old man.
"I am all ears," the Lord County Magistrate, a middle-aged Scholar, also said.
After Lady Consort Li returned, she had naturally told them how Xu Lei had utterly crushed her in mathematics.
That was why the Saint had come today, intending to ask Xu Lei to leave the monastery and serve as an official.
But of course, Xu Lei couldn't possibly agree.
'Becoming an official in the last days of such a corrupt Dynasty would not be a good move.'
But Xu Lei didn't want the Dynasty to fall too quickly either. He needed to buy a few more years to father his children.
"The Dynasty suffers from deep-seated problems. This little monk won't point them out one by one. In truth, I live a secluded life here in Longyuan Temple and don't know the specific details, but I can guess a thing or two based on the changes in the people's livelihood across the land."
Xu Lei said, "In my humble opinion, to solve this predicament, there is only one path: reform."
"Reform?"
The Lord County Magistrate's expression turned solemn. "Little Divine Monk, your thoughts align with my own. But reform... that word is easy to say, yet how difficult is it to implement? Leaving all else aside, how should one go about this reform?"
Xu Lei was inwardly surprised.
The Saint was right beside them, yet the Lord County Magistrate had jumped directly into the conversation. The Saint, however, showed no particular change in expression.
Seeing this, Xu Lei knew that this Lord County Magistrate must be in the Saint's favor.
"Regarding this, this humble monk has heard my master discuss some ideas before."
Xu Lei continued, "When facing a Dynasty bogged down by deep-seated problems, there are certain strategies that could be implemented, which might have some effect..."
"What kind of strategies?"
The old man said, "Please speak plainly, Divine Monk."
Several hours passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Lei gave a detailed account of some of the policies from the Wang Anshi reforms in Earth's history, such as the Farmland and Water Conservancy Law, the Square Field and Equal Tax Law, the Green Sprouts Law, the Service Exemption Law, the Equitable Transport Law, and the Baojia system.
"Truly eye-opening."
After listening, the Lord County Magistrate was filled with solemn respect. "The Little Divine Monk's master is truly an Enlightened Monk. I have had similar thoughts before, but I never conceived of such strategies."
"What a pity, what a pity."
The old man sighed. "That such a great monk is focused only on achieving Buddhahood and is unwilling to enter the mortal world to bring peace to the land."
"The strategies are good,"
Xu Lei said, "but their implementation will surely face countless difficulties and obstacles. They cannot be carried out by anyone who is not a person of great courage and wisdom, one who can cast aside life and death."
Hearing this, the Lord County Magistrate fell into contemplative thought.
Xu Lei glanced at the Lord County Magistrate. 'This middle-aged man seems a bit idealistic. He's not going to be the fool who tries to lead this reform, is he?'
But Xu Lei couldn't control what happened next. Since the Saint had come to visit him, his goal was to convey this information to him.
This would allow the Dynasty to delay its collapse for a while.
In the process, he could also gain some benefits for himself, allowing him to be more efficient in his 'charitable giving' of offspring.
"Reform is like scraping poison from the bone; it will likely cause deep and painful wounds."
Therefore, Xu Lei said to the old man, "The true foundation is still one's own Life Force.
This little monk lives a secluded life in Longyuan Temple. For you, benefactor, to come from your supreme position to this small temple shows you have an affinity with the Buddha.
In that case, this little monk will present one more item today to increase the nation's strength!"
"What?"
The old man was astonished, thinking he had misheard. "A single item can increase the nation's strength?"
The Lord County Magistrate was also astounded, but Xu Lei's past actions had already proven that he was indeed a capable man.
He didn't question it, but he simply couldn't imagine what it could be.
In response, Xu Lei led the two of them to the backyard of the courtyard where he lived in the temple.
"This thing is called a 'potato'," Xu Lei told them.
This was something Xu Lei had brought from Earth. He had been growing it in the temple for himself, eating a little here and there, but now, he thought he might as well present it.
"A 'potato'?" They were both perplexed.
A few more minutes passed in the blink of an eye.
Xu Lei finished explaining the characteristics of the potato.
"This thing is really edible?"
"It has an astonishing yield per mu and it's edible?"
The Saint and the Lord County Magistrate were both shocked and overjoyed, yet they hardly dared to believe it.
Of course, at this moment, they also understood the meaning behind Xu Lei's earlier declaration: 'to increase the nation's strength!'
If it could increase grain production, wouldn't that strengthen the nation from its very roots?
After all, in this era, food is heaven to the common people!
Grain is the foundation of everything.
"It is already late today."
Xu Lei said, "Tomorrow, this humble monk can cook it and invite you two benefactors to have a taste."
That night.
The Saint, Lady Consort Li, Yu Fengying, and the others all stayed the night at the temple.
The Lord County Magistrate, however, went back down the mountain. As the local "father and mother official," he still had various matters to attend to.
Yu Fengying, on the other hand, was to stay behind to accompany Lady Consort Li.
In the blink of an eye, the dead of night arrived.
「In the Almsgiving Room.」
Having finished her bath, Yu Fengying appeared once more, her long hair flowing. She sat on the edge of the bed, her full hips and graceful, enchanting figure on display. After raising a delicate hand to brush back her hair, she immediately shed her robes, leaving only a faint pink dudou.
At that moment, Xu Lei also entered the Almsgiving Room again through the small door.