Chapter 150 The Conflict Over the State Religion, and the Quota for Blessed Land

The more Ma Jiangbo thought about it, the more his heart burned with excitement.

In his fantasies, he had already succeeded as the Revered Master of the Sword Palace, holding beauties in his arms, traveling the world with his sword, and brimming with high spirits.

Wherever he went, everyone bowed their heads in submission and knelt to pay their respects.

It must be said, no one knew how to dream better than Ma Jiangbo!

Gao Yang had only just died, yet he was already daydreaming.

Ahead, She Manman noticed the subtle changes in Ma Jiangbo's expression and couldn't help but frown slightly.

Did this person have some serious illness?

He was smiling one moment and looking serious the next.

"Brother Qin, we are old friends of many years, so let's speak plainly!"

The Tongzhou Prefecture Governor, She Zhijiu, spoke, revealing the purpose of his visit.

"Ever since that battle decades ago, His Majesty has been severely injured, and his wounds have never healed."

"Recently, there have been rumors in the palace that his old wounds have flared up and he is in critical condition. Now, he is being controlled by the Empress Dowager, and the power of the imperial court has fallen into her hands."

"It is rumored that the Empress Dowager intends to appoint a Crown Prince without consulting the ministers."

"The Great Jin Dynasty is currently in a turbulent time. If she acts so arbitrarily, it is very likely to shake the foundation of the state and cause our Great Jin Dynasty's thousand-year Legacy to be destroyed in an instant."

Venerable Wen Jian, dressed in a green robe, stroked his long beard and remained silent.

As a Supreme Grandmaster, although he lived in the Jianghu, he was quite knowledgeable about some matters in the imperial court.

For instance, the friend before him was promoted by the Chancellor, Xiao Hanwen.

For instance, the current Empress Dowager was not the Emperor's biological mother; she was only made Empress by the late Emperor due to her prominent Family background.

And for instance, the struggle between the Empress Dowager's faction and the Chancellor's faction was becoming increasingly intense, and the court ministers had an extremely strong desire to purge the relatives of the Empress...

Coupled with the internal and external troubles of the current Great Jin Dynasty, all these pointed to an unstable situation.

Although the Hidden Sword Palace was far away in the Jianghu, it could not remain aloof from the world.

But getting involved could also bury their thousand-year Legacy.

Compared to this, Blade Demon Yan Chu was not much of a disaster; at most, it was a minor ailment.

Then, She Zhijiu continued: "This is Eunuch Wang from the side of the First Prince. He has some words he wishes to say to you, Brother Qin!"

"This humble servant greets Venerable Qin!"

The old eunuch beside She Zhijiu stood up and bowed.

"Eunuch Wang, you are too polite. Please, speak your mind!"

Venerable Wen Jian flicked his sleeve, and Eunuch Wang involuntarily straightened his body and sat back down.

"Very well, since Venerable Qin has ordered it, this humble servant will speak directly!"

"His Majesty's health is not good, and I fear his days are numbered. Currently, the royal Family has three adult princes: the First Prince, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince. They are the ones most likely to ascend to the throne."

"Among them, the First Prince not only has the support of Chancellor Xiao but also has the backing of the Hanging Temple, and his uncle is a general commanding troops at the border."

"Regardless of his personal character or his background, he is the only candidate for the Crown Prince."

"My visit this time is to convey a message for the First Prince. As long as the Hidden Sword Palace is willing to pledge allegiance to the First Prince, once he ascends to the throne, he is willing to gift the Hidden Sword Palace a quota for the Blessed Land."

A quota for the Blessed Land? What is that?

Ma Jiangbo was a bit confused hearing this.

He did know about the Hanging Temple; it was one of the three Buddhist temples, possessing a transcendent status in both the Jianghu and the imperial court, far beyond what the Hidden Sword Palace could compare to.

It was an absolutely top-tier sect.

Venerable Wen Jian's breathing suddenly became heavy after hearing Eunuch Wang's words.

However, he was, after all, the Revered Master of a Palace and a supreme powerhouse of the Mountain Shaking Realm.

So he did not lose his composure.

With an impassive face, he asked: "The Hanging Temple has always been transcendent and detached from the secular world. Why would they help the First Prince?"

"And this so-called quota for the Blessed Land would not be able to attract them, would it?"

"They are themselves located on a Blessed Land."

Eunuch Wang smiled with self-importance, his voice shrill: "Our Great Jin Dynasty has always revered Daoism more than Buddhism. Looking back five hundred years, the state religion has always come from the Daoist sects. Now that the Qingyang Palace has been our state religion for over a hundred years, how could the Buddhist sects not covet this position?"

"Hmm!" Venerable Wen Jian nodded slowly.

The world's Daoist sects originate from the Great Jin Dynasty. Of the four Daoist temples, two are in the Great Jin Dynasty: Dragon Tiger Mountain and Qingyang Palace. For the past few hundred years, these two sects have taken turns holding the position of state religion, enjoying endless incense and Luck.

The Hanging Temple is also a top-tier sect, so naturally, they would be envious.

And the only thing the First Prince can offer to move them is the position of state religion.

However, achieving this is not easy.

Although there are not many Daoist Disciples, many have received favors from Dragon Tiger Mountain and Qingyang Palace, and many in the imperial court are their people.

There are also numerous Daoist temples in the Jianghu, and they would never easily allow the Hanging Temple to become the state religion.

Of course, Venerable Wen Jian did not care about these things.

What he cared about was how much of a bargaining chip the First Prince could offer.

After a moment, he spoke slowly: "The current situation is unclear, and His Majesty's actual condition is not clear. One quota for the Blessed Land is not enough to make my Hidden Sword Palace take the risk."

"I want three quotas!"

Hearing this, Eunuch Wang immediately shook his head and said: "Venerable, that is asking for too much. The First Prince does not have many quotas for the Blessed Land in his hands; at most, he can only give you two."

Seeing Venerable Wen Jian open his mouth to continue, Eunuch Wang added: "Venerable, don't be in such a hurry. This humble servant has a letter here, given to you by Palace Revered Master Jiang of the Yue Nü Palace. You should read it first before deciding!"

"A letter from Caiwei for me?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Hexuan's expression noticeably brightened.

It was obvious that the Palace Revered Master Jiang, that orchid in the empty valley, was also Qin Hexuan's dream lover.

Even with his state of mind characterized by a clear Sword Heart, he could not suppress his excitement.

She Manman took out a letter and respectfully presented it to Venerable Wen Jian, "Uncle Qin, this is what Revered Master asked me to deliver to you personally."

"Good!" Venerable Wen Jian carefully took the envelope, opened it, and read it meticulously.

Looking at the delicate and elegant handwriting on the letter, it was as if the cold and arrogant young girl he had met decades ago appeared before his eyes again, dressed in white, testing her sword against the heroes of the world above Lake Tai in Nanzhou.

"Very well, two quotas for the Blessed Land. My Hidden Sword Palace is willing to join the First Prince's faction and assist the First Prince in ascending to the throne!"

After reading the letter, Venerable Wen Jian agreed without hesitation.

Since Caiwei and the Yue Nü Palace had joined the First Prince's faction, his Hidden Sword Palace would naturally advance and retreat with the Yue Nü Palace.

"Good! Brother Qin is straightforward!" She Zhijiu clapped his hands and laughed.

As a friend of many years, he naturally knew what his old friend's weakness was.

With just a letter, he had pulled the other party to his side.

"Then who is supporting the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince?" Qin Hexuan asked.

Eunuch Wang explained: "The Third Prince's mother comes from the Yuwen Clan and is the niece of the Empress Dowager. The Fourth Prince's mother only comes from an ordinary official Family, so he is not worth worrying about. However, he spent some time cultivating at the Qingyang Palace when he was young, so perhaps the Qingyang Palace will support him."

Qin Hexuan stroked his beard and nodded, having sorted out the situation in a moment.

The Yuwen Clan has a Legacy spanning thousands of years; it is a true thousand-year-old aristocratic clan and was one of the most prominent families in the previous dynasty.

When it comes to foundation, it is not weaker than the Qingyang Palace or the Hanging Temple.

In this way, the First Prince's true opponent is actually the Third Prince; the Empress Dowager will definitely do her utmost to support him in ascending to the throne.