The inauguration of the 52nd assembly is imminent.

Luan Yi continued, “But in my opinion, without Uncle Zhu, there would be no Yang Mou as he is today, nor would there be those towering temples. Without the temples, where would the incense money come from? Where would those seventy thousand strings of cash originate? Uncle Zhu’s effort and merit in building the temples far surpass Yang Mou’s by thousands, and the reward he receives should be much greater—at least fifty thousand strings per month would be reasonable. Yet Yang Mou is ungrateful, forgets loyalty for profit, and gives only a paltry sum to Uncle Zhu. I truly feel it is undeserved for Uncle Zhu!” As he spoke, he put on an expression of regret and pity.

Glancing at Zhu Ying out of the corner of his eye, Luan Yi saw the anger still etched on Zhu’s face, but also noticed that Zhu did not interrupt him. Instantly, he understood: at this moment, Zhu’s anger was not directed at him, but at the “ungrateful” Yang Mou. So he pressed on, “Why is Yang Mou so ungrateful? The reason is simple: he has a monopoly in Jinan. All the incense money in Jinan is his; he decides how much he earns, and the final word is always his. More importantly, he believes Uncle Zhu is dependent on him; without Yang Mou, Uncle Zhu would have no incense revenue and would lose considerable profit. Therefore, he decides how much—or how little—Uncle Zhu receives. Even if he gives nothing, Uncle Zhu can say nothing!”

“Nonsense!” Zhu Ying’s sudden outburst nearly startled Luan Yi off his stool. Realizing he had alarmed Luan Yi, Zhu Ying quickly composed himself and explained, “Don’t panic, Ziqi. I was speaking of Yang Mou, not you. For years I’ve wondered why Yang Mou keeps raising the incense fees, yet the tribute remains unchanged. So that’s his scheme! If you hadn’t pointed it out, I would have been deceived by that rascal.” He then shouted toward the door, “Someone, bring that scoundrel Yang Mou here! I refuse to believe I cannot deal with him.”

“Uncle Zhu, please, don’t be rash!” Luan Yi hurriedly stopped the officers and turned to Zhu Ying. “If you simply reprimand Yang Mou today, he’ll surely increase the tribute somewhat. It will seem that the issue is resolved, but in essence, is it? The next time he raises the incense fees, will you summon him again for another scolding, demanding more tribute?”

“Then what would you suggest, my worthy nephew?”

“I have a method that will ensure Yang Mou willingly offers the maximum tribute he can afford each month.”

Zhu Ying, intrigued, asked, “What method?”

Luan Yi cupped his hands and said, “I humbly request your permission to build a temple in Licheng.”

“This…”

Luan Yi continued to gently persuade him, “Consider this, Uncle Zhu. If I can establish a temple in Licheng, each month, apart from the fixed four pieces of glazed ware, there will be a substantial tribute presented to you. The exact amount is uncertain, but at least sixty percent of the temple’s income. Suppose I show such filial devotion while Yang Mou continues to offer you only trifling sums. Tell me honestly, Uncle, who would you favor more: the profit-seeking Yang Mou or your generous nephew?”

“Well…” Though he said nothing, Luan Yi could see from Zhu Ying’s expression that he was a man who cherished wealth, and would naturally side with the one who gave more.

Luan Yi went on, “If you favor me, Uncle, you will provide me with more convenience in your dealings. If I am favored, Yang Mou will naturally be less so. Thus, he will be forced to find a way to regain your favor. And how? There’s only one way—by offering greater tribute to win your trust and happiness. Hence, the tribute will inevitably rise. Likewise, I would not want to lose your favor either, so I too will raise the tribute. Whoever gives more, you will support. In this way, both of us will compete to offer higher tribute, and your monthly income will certainly surpass what you receive now, and increase month by month.”

“Well…” Zhu Ying could hardly deny he was moved; who wouldn’t want a heavier purse? “Your reasoning is sound.”

Luan Yi probed, “Then about the matter of building my temple?”

“Approved!” Zhu Ying nodded repeatedly. “Go ahead and do as you see fit!”

“Understood!” Luan Yi, overjoyed, immediately took his leave.

No sooner had Luan Yi’s figure disappeared at the far end of the courtyard than Sun Ru hurried out from behind the screen, anxiously addressing Zhu Ying: “My lord, how could you agree to let the Luan family build a temple in Licheng? True, perhaps what Luan Ziqi said is not without reason—maybe Brother Yang Mou has, for a time, been blinded by greed—but for years he has served you loyally, with much toil if not much merit! If he has erred, a mere scolding would suffice; why set the Luan family against him and create such a formidable rival?”

Sun Ru wished to say more, but Zhu Ying, his face clouded with anger, cut him off. “How dare you! You, a mere county deputy, dare speak to me in this manner? Foolish? Yang Mou has become more and more outrageous. Just a few days ago, my niece’s husband brushed against him on the street, and that madman had my relative’s leg broken by his men. Even a dog should look to its master, no? Does he hold me in any regard? Hmph…” The more Zhu Ying spoke, the angrier he became. “I’ve long wanted to put him in his place. The Luan family has come at just the right time. I want Yang Mou to understand that I am the true master of Jinan, and if I wish to make trouble for him, it is but the work of a moment.”

Hearing this, Sun Ru became even more anxious. “My lord! You have many relatives; how can Brother Yang Mou be expected to know them all? Perhaps he truly didn’t realize the man’s connection to you, and that led to this unfortunate outcome. You know yourself, all these years, how faithful Brother Yang Mou has been. When you point east, he never goes west. Quietly, he’s solved many problems for you that couldn’t be handled openly—he’s rendered great service. You should treat him well.”

“Nonsense! By your logic, am I now the ungrateful one?” Zhu Ying, domineering and condescending, bore down on Sun Ru and said harshly, “Yang Mou is but a dog I keep, and now he dares to bare his fangs at me? I’ll make him understand: a dog is kept and discarded at my whim. If I lose him, there are plenty more who would wag their tails for me. Without him, I still have Luan Yi.”

Sun Ru, nearly in tears, continued, “My lord! Brother Yang is a true man of Jinan, someone we know inside and out. But who is this Luan Yi? He is unfathomable, not someone you can easily control. My lord, to discard Brother Yang is to lose your own arm. I beg you, reconsider.”

“There is nothing to reconsider. My mind is made up.” Zhu Ying paused, remembering that Sun Ru had been a loyal subordinate for many years and that his words just now had been heavy-handed. So he softened his tone a little. “Do not worry. If Yang Mou is unkind, I, Zhu Ying, will not be unjust. I will not allow the Luan family to squeeze him to the point of ruin. Only a small punishment is needed, and then I’ll have Ziqi withdraw; the Luan and Yang families will live in harmony, each as my right and left arms—wouldn’t that be best?”

Zhu Ying thought Sun Ru would respect his decision, but to his surprise, Sun Ru, still deeply distressed, continued to plead, “My lord! You must not. If the Luan family grows too powerful, it will certainly bring disaster to Jinan…”

Zhu Ying interrupted him again, “Enough! Alarmist talk. With me here, what disaster could possibly befall Jinan? Even if the King of Heaven himself came to Jinan, he wouldn’t stir up a ripple. Be it Yang Mou or Luan Yi, if either dares oppose me, I’ll make sure they don’t live to see the next sunrise.”

“My lord…”

“Enough! Someone, escort Deputy Sun out.”

With this order, Zhu Ying silenced Sun Ru, forcing him to swallow his words. Two burly men approached, and, as if escorting a prisoner, they drove him out of the prince’s residence.

Once outside, Sun Ru, anxious and at a loss, paced in circles. What now? If Yang Mou gets into trouble, he and that other person in the prince’s residence would surely be next. Alas, Zhu Ying was too shortsighted to see it.

Growing ever more worried, Sun Ru decided to go to Yang Mou’s residence to discuss a solution. He recounted everything he had heard that day, word for word. But Yang Mou, far from anxious, actually laughed. “What? Luan Yi wants to build a temple and collect incense money? Ha! He’s just a merchant—making money is one thing, but preaching is quite another. Don’t worry, Deputy Sun. When he opens his altar, I’ll send some men to cause a ruckus at his temple. He’ll never get the incense burning. Let’s see how arrogant he is then.”

Hearing this, Sun Ru’s worries eased somewhat. Indeed! No matter how clever Luan Yi was, he was just a scholar-merchant at best. As a businessman, what could he possibly know of the tricks and rites of the trade? When Yang Mou sent his men to stir up trouble, surely the temple’s reputation would be ruined. He’d like to see how Luan Yi’s temple could survive then.

While Sun Ru and Yang Mou were plotting how to deal with the Luan family’s altar opening, Luan Yi was quietly perfecting the details for the ceremony. In truth, his plan had been finalized before he even arrived in Jinan; all that remained was to refine it.

According to his initial plan, the first step was to build a grand cathedral at the foot of Mount Li in Jinan—the main church of the Holy Mother’s faith in Jinan, Mount Li Cathedral. The main structure would take three months to complete, situated just north of the industrial district. From a distance, it looked like a residential estate; closer inspection revealed much the same, but stepping through the gates, one would see the difference.

The compound was divided into three courtyards. Entering the first gate, one was greeted by a two-story main hall standing tall at the center. The hall was built of blue bricks and gray tiles, imposing and magnificent, its roof ridge adorned with a vivid relief of Nuwa patching the sky. At each end of the ridge perched a chiwen—a dragon-fish—each with a sword through its back, symbolizing being forever nailed to the roof to ward off fire with water. Along the four corners of the roof, seven mythical beasts stood in a row: the lion for majesty, the tianma and hippocamp for good fortune, the suanni for ferocity, the xiayu for fire prevention, the xiezhi for justice, the xingshi for wisdom, and finally, an immortal riding a crane.

Anyone familiar with traditional Chinese architecture would instantly recognize that the Holy Maiden’s main hall followed the typical layout of a Ming and Qing dynasty imperial palace. By Qing regulations, only the governor-general’s main hall was permitted seven ridge beasts; for lesser officials or commoners, exceeding this number was a crime of violating rank. Fortunately, this was not the Manchu Qing but the Eastern Han; while there were still restrictions, the mythic elements such as ridge beasts were not strictly regulated—only dragons and phoenixes were forbidden. This gave Luan Yi ample room for creativity.