Translator – Xiao He Lian
This is a translation hosted on KnoxT, copies found elsewhere are either stolen or plagiarized. Please support the translator by reading it at KnoxT.
Chapter 68
The dense white water mist in the bathroom gradually rose. Lu Yan leaned back against the wall of the tub. Immediately, an irresistible drowsiness suddenly struck him, causing him to involuntarily close his eyes.
The whole person seems to fall asleep ……
==============
The seventeenth year of Yuanqing, early June.
It has to be said that people have an innate curiosity about mysterious things.
In less than a month, the story of Taoist Master Ge spread throughout the city of Chang’an. Suddenly, the words “Taoist Master Ge” could be heard everywhere, in teahouses, restaurants, Pingkangfang and shops in the East and West Markets.
Even women and children were discussing this matter.
So much so that on the day when Taoist Master Ge came to the capital, the city of Chang’an was as lively as the Lantern Festival. Everyone was looking forward to seeing Taoist Master Ge in person.
Taoist Master Ge’s appearance was indeed extraordinary. He wore a gray-blue Taoist robe and a headscarf1(A kind of headscarf in ancient times. A piece of silk is folded into a bamboo slip and hung down from the top.)
on his head. He had the air of an immortal and his appearance was majestic and magnificent.
However, just as he was halfway there, he was stopped by an imperial decree and taken into the palace.
The three departments investigated this person’s identity day and night. Lu Yan even made a special trip to Luzhou to ask about Taoist Master Ge’s age. The people of Luzhou only said that Taoist Master Ge had either gained eternal life or was the reincarnation of a god who came to protect Jin Dynasty.
Indeed, Emperor Chengyuan was a very suspicious monarch. Even though people spread the legends about Taoist Master Ge as being miraculous, in his opinion, this Taoist Master Ge did not have much real ability.
What’s more, the idea of the reincarnation of gods was not favored by the emperor.
The first difficult question Emperor Chengyuan gave him was to ask him to predict the country’s fortune and the fortune he predicted was for the 17th year of Qingyuan.
Why does he have to predict for this year?
The reason is simple. He cannot make up stories about the country’s destiny within this year. After all, the end of year is just around the corner. If what he predicted does not happen, Emperor Chengyuan will immediately issue an order to convict him guilty.
Taoist Master Ge had long been praised to the highest position by the people, so he had no choice but to agree to this matter.
So most people in the capital were still waiting to see Master Ge make a fool of himself.
Fifth day of the sixth month, the weather was very good.
Emperor Chengyuan, accompanied by officials of the fourth rank and above, set out early in the morning on horseback, leaving from Chunming Gate and riding at full speed all the way, arriving at Qingyun Temple at the foot of Mu Mountain that evening.
This Qingyun Temple was built by the previous emperor.
Emperor Chengyuan brought hundreds of officials to watch Taoist Master Ge predict the nation’s destiny. To put it bluntly, he did this just to take Master Ge’s life with a legitimate reason.
Emperor Chengyuan sent people to quickly set up the battle formation, but before he could even say “start”, Governor Zheng from Jingzhao Prefecture collapsed, holding his chest. His face was blue and purple, he was having difficulty breathing, and veins on his forehead were bulging, as if he was going to die in the next moment.
Everyone immediately called for the imperial physician. At this moment, Taoist Master Ge walked over calmly, pressed on Zheng Zhonglian’s chest hundreds of times and blew a few breaths into his mouth.
The officials had never seen such a scene before. They raised their sleeves to cover half of their faces, revealing looks of contempt and sympathy.
Emperor Chengyuan frowned and looked at the center of the hall, clenching his fists and after a moment, Zheng Zhonglian opened his eyes.
No one could have imagined that such an action of Taoist Master Ge would later be rumored to mean that one could extend one’s life by passing on a breath of immortal energy.
Emperor Chengyuan called Lu Yan over and whispered, “Sanlang, is there any sign that Zheng Zhonglian was poisoned?”
Lu Yan shook his head, “Your Majesty, there is none.”
“Okay, you go back first.”
After the commotion, Taoist Master Ge cast a divination. He didn’t know if it was a coincidence, but when he was sitting cross-legged, the sky became darker and darker, as if it was going to rain heavily.
Taoist Master Ge closed his eyes and kept mumbling. Half an hour later, he suddenly opened his eyes, knelt on the ground, and bowed towards the sky.
Then his face became solemn.
The emperor raised his eyebrows and slowly said, “I wonder what the Heavenly Master has discovered?”
“I dare not speak.”
Emperor Cheng Yuan glanced at him and said, “You can speak as you please.”
Taoist Master Ge shook his head and said, “In the seventeenth year of Qingyuan, there will be four great disasters in Jin State.”
The officials were talking to each other. Some shook their heads and sneered, while others muttered, “Playing tricks.”
Immediately, Taoist Master Ge stood up, trembled all over, raised his hands high, and said word by word: “In June of the seventeenth year of Qingyuan, a plague will break out in Chang’an City.”
“In July, there will be a flood along the Yellow River. This flood will be different from previous ones. Once it occurs, it will last for several years.”
“And, in September, there was another earthquake in Shu.”
“As for the last disaster, I dare not say anything…”
As soon as he finished speaking, the whole hall was in an uproar.
The right prime minister slammed the table and stood up, “You are just an ordinary person, how can you see the changes in the sky! Who sent you to speak nonsense in front of the Emperor? You must be a spy from another country!”
Taoist Master Ge smiled, “Right Prime Minister, please calm down. I will explain a few things to you. Today is the third day of June, there is still almost a month to the plague I witnessed… If it did not happen within a month, what would happen to me? How could I not know?
Then, Taoist Master Ge bowed deeply to Emperor Chengyuan and said, “I came to the capital this time with my whole heart for the Great Jin Dynasty. Today, I am risking my life to make a remonstrance.”
Emperor Cheng Yuan narrowed his eyes…a month, it’s not that he can’t wait.
In the end, he saved Taoist Master Ge’s life.
After that day, Emperor Chengyuan sent the Jinwu Guards to guard all the major pharmacies and clinics in the East and West Markets, and to suppress any people with fever or rashes they encountered. After this move was made, all officials were counting the days until June passed.
In June in Chang’an, the most frequently asked question is: How many days are left in June?
By June 29th, even Emperor Chengyuan began to laugh at himself for having lost his mind and believed the nonsense of the Heavenly Master. He secretly ordered the Ministry of Justice to arrest Heavenly Master Ge the next day and put him directly in the prison of the Ministry of Justice to execute him.
But on June 30th, dozens of patients with fever and rashes appeared in several clinics in Chang’an East City overnight. After another day, the situation could no longer be stopped.
At the end of June, people in Chang’an were in panic, and almost everyone believed what Taoist Master Ge said.
Since Taoist Master Ge said a plague would come, it really came.
Since the plague happened, can the flood be far behind?
Once the epidemic broke out, it lasted for several months, leaving no one safe in various departments such as the Imperial Medical Bureau, Ministry of Works, Ministry of Personnel, and Jingzhao Prefecture. This disaster was not yet over, and the Great Jin immediately encountered an unprecedented flood. Emperor Chengyuan had to order the removal of Taoist Master Ge from the prison of the Ministry of Justice.
Finally, at the suggestion of Taoist Master Ge, Emperor Chengyuan handed over the task of flood control to Li Di.
After the incident was settled, no one in the Jin Dynasty dared to say a word against Taoist Master Ge.
Emperor Chengyuan couldn’t help but meet with Taoist Master Ge. He bent down, looked into Taoist Master Ge’s eyes, and murmured: I have something to ask Master Ge.
“It is my duty to share your majesty’s worries.”
“What exactly is the fourth disaster?”
Taoist Master Ge smiled and replied, “It is your Majesty’s fate.”
“Is there a solution?”
“Of course there is a solution.”
In this world, everyone has inner demons.
The inner demon of Emperor Cheng Yuan is his sons in the palace, each one more greedy than the other, and his gray hair that increases day by day.
Emperor Chengyuan had been a prince and the crown prince of the Eastern Palace. When he actually sat on the dragon throne, he knew better than anyone that this supreme power could never be relinquished from the moment he possessed it.
Lu Yan watched the usually unfathomable emperor become thinner and thinner. In just one month, he looked emaciated and coughed up blood every day. He first stopped attending court and hid in his room. Later, he sent people to take out all the money from the treasury and started a large-scale construction project to build a holy altar on the side of the North Mountain.
Who doesn’t love supreme power?
Everyone loves it.
But in the eyes of Emperor Chengyuan, no matter how much he struggled, whether to centralized imperial power or to conquer all directions, in the end, he still had to give up the throne.
And who among his sons would sincerely burn a stick of incense during the Qingming Festival2(The Qingming Festival or Ching Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day in English)?
None.
What a person wants in life may not be fully recorded in history books, but it must be clear in one’s heart and mind.
By the time all the officials reacted, Emperor Cheng Yuan had already gone a little crazy. Practicing Taoism, refining his body, and prolonging his life had already surpassed his pursuit of power.
However, this statement is not accurate enough. It should be said that in the eyes of Emperor Cheng Yuan, if he could cultivate the art of immortality, then all the things he had longed for would last forever like his lifespan.
After the earthquake in Shu in September, Emperor Chengyuan completely suspended court, and handed over the position of crown prince to the Sixth Prince and lived alone in Changqing Temple in the North Palace.
He went into seclusion at the end of September and didn’t see anyone.
During this period, Empress Xu knelt in front of the Taoist temple in plain clothes, crying and begging the emperor to come out every day.
Lu Yan went there with the Grand Princess several times, but was turned away every time.
Empress Xu’s eyes were red. She held the Grand princess’ hand and said, “Jing’an, His Majesty has always loved you. Please go in and persuade him. I think this is wrong. His Majesty is not cultivating Taoism, he is clearly wasting his life. That stinky Taoist priest didn’t even let His Majesty sleep! He even made His Majesty stew an eagle, saying that only by boiling the eagle to death can you achieve eternal life.”
“Jing’an, do you believe in this art of immortality? Do you believe it?” Empress Xu burst into tears. “Jing’an, His majesty has always been close to you. It is true that I am Ye’er’s biological mother and I hope he can sit on the throne of the East Palace, but it is also true that I have been husband and wife with Your Majesty for decades! I don’t believe that the Taoist priest really has the ability to make people immortal!”
Princess Jing’an asked, “Does Your Majesty think so too?”
Empress Xu took Jing’an’s hand and nodded.
T/N – I will be posting an extra chapter this Saturday. {Nov 2nd} 🥰🥰 for my bday
