HLnovel Chapter 142: Sneak into the Palace to Divinate
Chapter 142: Sneak into the Palace to Divinate
Baili Jingyao thought about it and felt that it was indeed the case. He had to see it with his own eyes to know the truth.
If the old Taoist priest is just a man seeking fame and reputation, I will not let him off easily and will kill him as soon as possible.
As the ruler of a country, what does he have to fear?
"My dear minister, what you said makes sense," he said slowly, "Immediately issue an order to summon Taoist Master Jiang to the palace for an audience."
He wanted to see if this guy had any real skills.
At this moment, Jiang Nianwei had already received the imperial edict and was preparing to enter the palace.
Baili Zhao stood aside with a complicated expression, "Sanniang, you have always been full of wisdom, but my father is, after all, a great hero with deep scheming. I am afraid that our plan..."
"We have already planned this, haven't we? I believe that with your deployment in the palace, this matter will be foolproof."
She had been planning for so long just to enter the palace.
"Serving the emperor is like serving a tiger. This is true."
Baili Zhao's worries were not groundless. He knew very well that his father had a changeable temperament and moodiness, and even someone as close as his own son could hardly guess his intentions.
"The emperor's wrath is enough to shake the court, let alone you and me. Once we offend him, imprisonment in the Heavenly Prison is considered a light punishment. Many loyal and good people have been beheaded because of a moment of carelessness."
Jiang Nianwei's smile gradually faded. She knew better than anyone that the unexpected disaster that had befallen her family in the past and the charges they had been accusations against were as heavy as shackles that had exiled their entire family to the ends of the earth, not to mention those loyal ministers and generals who had also suffered unjust accusations.
That's why she had to enter the palace. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
At first she just wanted revenge, to avenge the culprit who killed their family in the previous life.
Now it seems that things are not as simple as imagined. There are too many things involved, and if we don’t stay by the old emperor’s side, many things cannot be investigated clearly.
Only by entering the palace could she find a way to get close to the emperor's inner treasury and obtain the palace's property.
If she relied on Baili Zhao, she could easily enter the palace, but this would involve him.
Now, her plan definitely did not involve Baili Zhao, so Baili Jingyao naturally would not suspect him, so he felt relieved to summon her into the palace.
"A Zhao, I have kept everything you said in mind. The arrow has been drawn and the action is inevitable. I know that I need to be cautious every step of the way when entering the palace. However, I am not afraid because I know that you have set up a defense line in the dark, which follows me like a shadow and protects me. If the situation changes suddenly, I will find an opportunity and escape with wisdom."
Everyone knows that the imperial palace is magnificent and the pinnacle of power and glory, but she, beneath that brilliance, saw the hidden corruption and endless sadness.
Every brick and tile seems to be telling an unknown elegy, and the pile of bones are the unfulfilled grievances of loyal generals and innocent people.
Yes, the agreement of the past was still echoing in his ears. At that time, they had conspired to do this plan. He was still a little uneasy in his heart, secretly thinking that if things didn't work out, he would find another way and deal with it by delaying the situation.
But unexpectedly, her plan really succeeded.
Just as Jiang Nianwei was about to leave, Baili Zhao quietly hugged her from behind, his warm breath brushing gently against her ears, and whispered with reluctance and affection: "Sanniang, please take care of yourself on this trip."
Jiang Nianwei turned slowly and touched his lips with her fingertips. "Don't worry about me. I know what to do."
Since she was going to enter the palace, someone had to take care of the trivial matters in the capital, so she entrusted these heavy burdens to Hu Lianxue and Taozhi.
Hu Lianxue had some experience, so she immediately agreed, "Don't worry, young lady. I will definitely live up to your trust and handle all the affairs in the capital in an orderly manner, and live up to your expectations."
Taozhi, on the other hand, was embarrassed, her hands unconsciously tugging at the corner of her clothes, "Miss, you are really putting me in a difficult position. Since I was young, I have only been good at serving others, and I know nothing about account books. Looking at those densely packed numbers, my head is dizzy."
"I have been teaching you how to read the account books, how come you can't do it anymore? If I am not around, all these heavy responsibilities will fall on your shoulders. If you encounter difficulties, don't panic. You can always ask Yuwen Long to send a letter to Prince Yu's mansion, and someone will help you there."
Taozhi lowered her eyes, looking reluctant, "I am worried about you, young lady, please take me with you!
Jiang Nianwei gently wiped away the tears from her eyes and said with a smile: "If you go with me, not only will you not be able to help me, but it will distract me and make me worry. You should know that your young lady has all kinds of abilities and is able to cope with the ups and downs of the world. You can stay here and manage the shop in an orderly manner, which is the greatest support for me."
After saying this, she went into the house and changed into Taoist clothes.
Tang Ming took her into the palace and whispered to her along the way, "Master Jiang, remember to be cautious with every word and action after entering the palace, and never easily provoke the emperor's wrath. I know that you have boundless magical powers, but in front of the emperor, you must restrain your edge, so as not to offend the emperor."
"Mr. Tang's good advice will be kept in mind and I will not slack off in the slightest."
And it was also the first time that she met the legendary Emperor Jing, Baili Jingyao.
Among middle-aged men, he was considered handsome, but due to his indulgence in sexual activities, he was in poor health, his steps were unsteady, and his figure had gradually lost its former uprightness due to the extravagant lifestyle, and had become a bit bloated.
Jiang Nianwei could tell at a glance what kind of indulgent life he led.
She waved her whisk in a pretentious manner, then knelt on the ground, her voice clear and respectful: "Your Majesty, long live your Majesty. I, Jiang Nian, greet your Majesty."
"Master, please stand up!"
At this moment, Tan Yangshuo, who was standing beside the emperor, fixed his eyes on the Taoist priest who had appeared out of nowhere, and a sense of crisis surged in his heart.
After going through untold hardships, he finally won the dragon's favor. This Zhaiyue Tower is the result of his hard work. Now a Taoist priest named Jiang has appeared halfway through.
Hearing that he could still call the shots in the capital, he wanted to see for himself whether this man really had the ability to change his fate.
So, he made a request to Jiang Nianwei in a nonchalant but sharp manner: "I heard that Taoist Jiang Nian has great magical powers and can change the weather. I have never seen such a wonder in my life. I really yearn for it. I wonder if you can be merciful and let me get a glimpse of the secrets of the world and experience the extraordinary style of calling the wind and rain?"
Jiang Nianwei understood what Tan Yangshuo meant and realized that he was deliberately making things difficult for him.
She ignored him and explained in the direction of Baili Jingyao: "Your Majesty, the art of calling the wind and rain is actually the exquisiteness of following the weather, taking advantage of the terrain, and gathering the people. The three complement each other and none of them can be missing. The last time I used it, I have already consumed a lot of my magic power. I need to retreat and recuperate until the time is right before I can use it again."
"I understand. Master Tan, please don't force me!"
Baili Jingyao was not interested in controlling the wind and rain; he was only interested in immortality.
"I heard that Taoist Master Jiang is already hundreds of years old, but he still has a youthful face and a lively look. His cultivation must be extraordinary. This is exactly what I want to achieve."
Jiang Nianwei pondered in her heart, and sure enough, things in the world were just as she expected. She smiled faintly, but said modestly, "I am extremely ashamed. I have only been in this world for more than 200 years. Compared with the profound cultivation of my fellow disciples, I am just a firefly, which is not as bright as the bright moon."
When Baili Jingyao heard this, his eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had discovered a rare treasure in the world, and he carefully examined this seemingly ordinary old Taoist.
The old man looked to be about fifty years old, with half of his face hidden under a thick beard and his eyes gently covered by a layer of light veil, making him mysterious and unpredictable, making it difficult to see his true appearance.
But none of this matters. What matters is how he cultivated to be over two hundred years old. This is what he cares about most.
"Master, do you have any method for self-cultivation? Although I am the emperor, I am very interested in the way of self-cultivation. I hope you can give me some advice."
"I can't say I can give you any advice. If Your Majesty is interested, I am willing to teach you everything I know. Your Majesty is a rare talent. If you practice Taoism, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort."
A hint of complacency flashed across Baili Jingyao's eyes, while Tan Yangshuo had a look of resentment on his face, as if there were thousands of ants gnawing at his heart. He was plotting how to teach this seemingly detached old Taoist a lesson.
"Your Majesty, since Taoist Jiang cannot summon the wind and rain, why not let him use his other unique skill - fortune-telling? It is said that Taoist Jiang's fortune-telling is very accurate and effective."
Baili Jingyao nodded in agreement: "Master Tan's words make sense. In this case, Master Jiang, please tell me a fortune. I will listen attentively to see if your fortune can reveal the secrets of heaven."
Since Jiang Nianwei came here, she was naturally prepared to deal with it. Fortunately, she had read the novel before.
He also heard a lot of palace secrets from Baili Zhao and got to know him well.
She knows everything about the past, but it is difficult to verify what will happen in the future.
Now it depends on what he wants to achieve.
"Your Majesty, I don't know what you want in your heart. What do you want me to predict? If your Majesty has a lot of thoughts and can't make a decision, why not just pick a word at random? I am willing to use my humble strength to help you unravel the mystery."
Baili Jingyao was also hesitant. He couldn't ask questions that were too strange, nor could he ask questions that were too simple. Fortune telling was a good suggestion.
He glanced around and his eyes fell on the ground.
"Why don't you use this word 'earth' as a guide to help me solve the confusion that is lingering in my mind."
"The whole world belongs to the king. The character '土' is composed of two horizontal lines and one vertical line. The "two" indicates that there are two things that bother Your Majesty the most. The vertical line indicates that these two problems can actually complement each other and are mutually causal. As long as Your Majesty can make a move, you can simplify them, combine them into one, and solve them all at once."
Jiang Nianwei's words were like distant mountains in the morning mist, hazy yet seemingly full of deep meaning. When one savored them carefully, one would find that every word was pearls of wisdom and impeccable.
Baili Jingyao stared at him thoughtfully, "You two, retreat for now."
Tan Yangshuo was filled with anxiety, with a look of worry between his brows.
He knew very well that Jiang Nianwei, who seemed ordinary, actually possessed extraordinary skills, and it was difficult to guess her true intentions.
"Your Majesty, this person has great skills and I'm afraid he has evil intentions. I really can't leave with peace of mind."
"If he really wanted to harm me, he could have done it long ago. Why wait until now? You guys should withdraw first. I have my own ideas."
Tang Ming and Tan Yangshuo stared at each other for a moment, but finally gave in reluctantly. There was an undercurrent of unwillingness in the air.
Tan Yangshuo sneered, his words mixed with sarcasm: "Master Tang, where did you come from to invite this hermit master? Is there any hidden plan that is unknown to the public?"
Tang Ming's expression remained unchanged upon hearing this, and he responded calmly: "Master Tan is wrong. There are many talented people in the world, and you are not the only one leading the way. As your Majesty's right-hand man, we should open our minds and help your Majesty. If you are limited to your own opinions, wouldn't you lose the breadth of mind of a minister? How can you stop others from recommending talented people to join in the great cause?"
Tan Yangshuo was secretly angry but could not get angry on the spot. He could only think to himself that one day, he would have to get rid of Tang Ming. As for this Taoist Jiang, as for that Taoist Jiang, his identity and ability, whether he was a hidden master or a quack who was just filling in the gaps, would soon be revealed.
Emperor Jing's heart was like a deep pool shrouded in fog. He was extremely suspicious and had not yet let down his guard against Tan Yangshuo, let alone this Taoist priest who suddenly appeared and whose identity was a mystery.
Tan Yangshuo walked into the Taoist temple built specifically for him in the palace. Deep in the temple, there was an unknown secret path that led directly to the Zhaiyue Tower.
The Zhaiyue Tower is a majestic building with a total of twenty-one floors. It is the tallest building in the palace when viewed from the outside.
The first ten floors are a carefully crafted paradise, and each floor imprisons stunning beauties born in the dark times and lunar calendars from all over the world.
Starting from the eleventh floor, the style of painting suddenly changed. This place was no longer a land of pleasure, but Tan Yangshuo's holy place for alchemy.
Each level was more eerie than the last, and the air was filled with a strange medicinal fragrance.
Those once lively beauties turned into elixirs in the furnace one by one.
He went straight to the eleventh floor, and as soon as he stepped through the door, he could feel a strange and eerie atmosphere.
Hanging on the wall are lanterns made of beauty skin, and on the table are drumheads made of beauty skin.
Two "little Taoist priests" dressed in Taoist robes but with strange faces, like messengers from the underworld, escorted a dying woman slowly forward, with her eyes half open and half closed.
"Master," one of the young Taoist priests said in a low and hurried voice, with a hint of excitement that was difficult to conceal, "This girl has reached the point of exhaustion. Should we start refining her immediately?"
The woman trembled, her voice filled with fear, "Master, didn't you say that you would let us go as long as we were over 21?"
"Let you go? That's just a lie to deceive you. You women are so gullible."
He waved his hand, telling the two young Taoist priests to hurry up and stop harassing him.
At this moment, inside the palace.
Jiang Nianwei knelt on the ground, and Baili Jingyao walked to her side. "I do have two worries. Taoist priest, do you know what they are?"