This was the first time that Chen Tianhua went to Dongyuan Study Room to meet Li Cunzhi.

In the Li Mansion on the south bank of the Yunsi River, Li Cunzhi's study is on the second floor of the main building, next to Bai Suling's master bedroom.

Passing through the long pavilion, rippling lotus pond, and garden-style lawn, you can see Dongyuan in the distance.

It is surrounded by mountains with water, towering ancient trees, winding corridors, pavilions and willow shades, making it rich and natural.

There are many guards outside.

Dongyuan Study actually also has supporting facilities such as reception and negotiation rooms, rest rooms, bathrooms, and tea pavilions.

As for the study room in the main building, few people can enter it.

It is simple and elegant, without too many extravagant decorations.

The snow-white walls are hung with freehand landscape paintings, calligraphy panels and pictures of mountains and rivers.

There are some antiques and historical books on the bookshelves on both sides.

In the main position of the room, there is a rectangular sandalwood desk with curved legs and curled ears, with some secret music and letters placed on it.

Behind the desk is a high-back sandalwood chair.

In the study room of the official residence, Li Cunzhi took off his general uniform, changed into his family clothes, and sat upright on an imperial chair.

He decided to make an appointment with Chen Tianhua right here.

In front of the sandalwood desk, a guard had already placed a mahogany Eight Immortals chair for Chen Tianhua to sit and report and talk.

Tonight, he was wearing a black brocade robe and did not wear any jade belt.

The dark and heavy colors of the clothes and simple decorations convey a sense of solemnity and solemnity.

Be generous and decent, your heart is like a pond, and there is no ripple in an ancient well.

Li Cunzhi is fifty-four years old, energetic and possesses military power. He is one of the few direct relatives of the Li family who is currently leading troops and is above the rank of general.

When he was fifteen years old, he came out of his hometown and joined the Huai Army. He started as a soldier, studied hard and practiced hard, and due to his family, he steadily improved.

In the first two years, he suppressed the Boxer Rebellion with outstanding ability and remarkable results, leaving dozens of Li clan members behind who spent their days eating, drinking and having fun.

Therefore, as reputation and status continue to rise, ambition will continue to expand. This desire and the soil environment are mutually reinforcing.

"My son-in-law, Huazhi, I would like to pay my respects to my father-in-law." As soon as Chen Tianhua stepped into the black door of the study, he quickly knelt on the carpet and kowtowed in greeting.

Previously, we met in the restaurant in an informal setting, with simple etiquette, but in Dongyuan it was different, the setting was formal.

Besides, he came with a mission in mind, so his etiquette should be more solemn in order to win the favor of his master.

"My dear son-in-law, please get up quickly and come forward and take a seat." Li Cunzhi did not expect that Chen Tianhua would salute as soon as he entered the door. He had trouble getting up, so he hurriedly raised his right hand and said loudly.

"Thank you, father-in-law."

After the ceremony, Chen Tianhua took a few steps forward and sat on the Eight Immortals chair, straightening his waist and looking straight.

The first thing that caught his eye was the huge character screen on the wall behind Li Cunzhi.

On it are dancing dragons and phoenixes, with lines of large characters written in dripping ink:

"...Singing while drinking wine, the geometry of life..."

This is a "Dan Ge Xing" composed by Cao Cao, a great hero during the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period.

Chen Tianhua recognized that this was definitely not the calligraphy of his father-in-law, because Li Cunzhi started his career in martial arts, his martial arts was acceptable, but his literary talent was not good enough to be mounted on a wall.

It should have been excerpted and written by some famous scholar and then given to him.

Cao Cao in history was a versatile man in both civil and military affairs. He made great achievements in governing the country, commanding the army, and composing poetry.

In addition to this calligraphy treasure, there are many things belonging to this historical figure in the study.

This shows that the owner of this study, Li Cunzhi, admired Cao Cao very much, and especially admired his sinister ways and strategic methods.

Cao Cao has a famous saying that has been passed down to this day: I would rather betray others than teach others to betray me!

This also became his motto.

"Hua Zhi, did you encounter something disturbing when you went out this time, and did you need your father-in-law to vent your anger and save your face?"

There was no need for opening remarks between them, he said it directly, as if to comfort and protect.

This afternoon, he came back from inspecting several military camps. Before returning to his official residence, he first went to the Yamen of the Administrative Commission.

There, Zuo Gang came in to see them and found out that they were back.

Zuo Gang naturally told Li Cunzhi about his experiences along the way.

Li Cunzhi was also astonished by Chen Tianhua's riding and shooting skills and military accomplishments. He couldn't figure out where he learned it from?

I don’t have such experience and opportunities to practice hard.

This is truly a miraculous thing and a miraculous person.

However, these miracles appeared in his beloved son-in-law, not others. Li Cunzhi didn't care too much. He asked and sighed a few words and didn't think much about it.

Anyway, for the Li family, this is not a bad thing after all, it should be considered a good thing and a blessing.

It's just that in Li Cunzhi's mind, he looked at this son-in-law with admiration and deep admiration.

"I would like to report to my father-in-law that I have been aggrieved on the way out. Such trivial matters are of no importance. How dare I disturb you, my father-in-law? My son-in-law is visiting you tonight because he actually has something important to report to you. Many matters require your strong support, my father-in-law."

Chen Tianhua coaxed his hands and said.

"Well, you have some measure." Li Cunzhi touched the beard on his chin with his hand, nodded and praised: "If you have any ideas, you might as well tell me."

"Yes, father-in-law."

Seeing that Li Cunzhi had given him permission to talk, he cleared his throat and poured out what he had seen and heard during his trip to Changxing, his personal experiences, his thoughts, and the opinions he had exchanged with Chen Zongyu in the office that morning.

However, what he described was well thought out, with well-chosen language, clear regulations, and sufficient reasons. It was entirely from the perspective of the self-development of Fengzhong Bank and the family.

During the description for more than half an hour, Li Cunzhi listened attentively. Apart from asking what time he couldn't hear clearly, he did not interrupt Chen Tianhua's narration for fear of disrupting his thinking. He did not even dare to take a sip of tea.

This kind of serious attitude was rare in his life. Even when listening to military intelligence reports, he was not so serious.

Ding Jiu, the captain of the guard standing outside the study door, also felt strange. At this time, the general would usually shout and let them go in to bring tea.

But tonight, it was quiet inside, and no movement or voice could be heard outside the door.

Of course, the sound insulation of this study room has been specially processed.

Li Cunzhi listened very carefully and attentively, not missing every detail, and he was thinking while listening.

Ever since he supported Chen Tianhua in establishing Fengzhong Bank, he had determined that his beloved son-in-law would be closely linked to his future career.

When he got to where he is today, he also encountered the death of his family leader Li Zhongtang. He understood that the future path depended entirely on himself.

Yuan Shikai's ability to support him this time was entirely out of repayment for Li Zhongtang's many years of kindness.

However, Yuan Shikai's move was very strange. Leaving Li Cunzhi alone in Zhejiang seemed to be a perfunctory prevarication.
Chapter completed!