"Don't worry." Li Changzhou said confidently, "There are temples in the palace. We can just melt down the golden statues inside. There's no need to kill anyone."

In his quest to become an immortal, Li Changzhou has indeed done a great deal. Leaving aside the facts he boasted about to the Jiajing Emperor, he is now attempting to melt down the golden statue of Buddha.

On the twelfth day of the first lunar month, the weather was clear, with thin white clouds floating in the blue sky, which was as blue as the sea.

Li Changzhou and Emperor Jiajing returned from the moon and sat facing each other to discuss the matter of separating the dragon vein.

"The dragon vein is the aura of the emperor, as well as the aura of all living beings and people. Your Majesty may build a five-colored lantern pavilion in the capital city, thirty feet high, and hang five-colored lanterns according to the four directions of heaven and earth. On the day of the Lantern Festival, Your Majesty shall personally hang the brightest lantern at the top."

"So that I can be separated from the dragon vein?"

"I will need to use some methods. After the separation, I will guide a portion of the dragon vein into the Golden Crown. As long as His Majesty wears the Golden Crown, he will still be the emperor by destiny."

The Jiajing Emperor nodded slowly.

"I have some matters to report to Your Majesty regarding the Golden Crown," Li Changzhou said.

"Please speak, sir."

"The golden crown that can be entrusted with the dragon vein cannot be made of ordinary materials. It must first be His Majesty's golden seal, and secondly, the golden statue of Buddha in the palace."

"Granted." The Jiajing Emperor did not hesitate.

As for the golden seal, he could simply make another one if it was gone; as for the golden statue of Buddha, as a Taoist, he had long disliked it and wanted to scrape off the gold powder to use for repairing palaces.

"In addition, I would like to ask Your Majesty to collect all the Taoist books in the world. On the Lantern Festival, I will integrate all these scriptures into the golden crown. When Your Majesty wears the golden crown, you will be able to access all the Taoist books in the world at any time."

Emperor Jiajing glanced at Li Changzhou.

In his autobiography, "From Emperor to Citizen," Puyi, the last emperor of China, said that even if Emperor Chongzhen had not committed suicide because of the fall of his empire, he would have done so because he was left with only one eunuch by his side.

As an emperor, being flattered and surrounded by followers is the norm.

Emperor Jiajing would readily accept anyone who went to great lengths to flatter him; he would only find it strange and unacceptable if the other party did not do so.

Emperor Jiajing was very cautious when facing Li Changzhou.

The prospect described by the other party is far too rosy; they seem to care about everything.

But he had no other choice but to go through Li Changzhou, as only Li Changzhou could lead him into the Daoist sect and help him achieve immortality.

"I heard yesterday," the Jiajing Emperor said slowly, "that I have entered the Daoist path and will face a life-or-death calamity; 104 years later, the Ming Dynasty will be brought to chaos by someone with the same surname as the real person."

Li Changzhou smiled.

He said:

"Lao Tzu said: 'The Way of Heaven is to take from those who have too much and give to those who have too little.' Your Majesty's entry into the Dao is an example of having 'too much.' Since I began seeking immortality, I have also had 'too much,' but with each tribulation I pass, my magical power inevitably increases greatly. I have survived countless near-death experiences to gain the supernatural abilities to ascend to heaven and descend to the earth today. If Your Majesty hesitates and looks back, immortality will be nothing but empty talk."

The Jiajing Emperor remained silent, his face ashen.

After a long silence, he asked, as if talking to himself, "Was it worth it?"

"I have nothing of value, and all my magical power was acquired through gambling. There's nothing worth it or not. Besides, without immortality, everything is just fleeting illusion."

"Is it worth it to go through life-and-death tribulations and sacrifice the family's legacy in order to enter the Dao?"

Li Changzhou stared at the Jiajing Emperor.

"Has Your Majesty ever read Su Shi's 'Ode to the Red Cliff'? The moon is bright and the stars are few, crows fly south, Cao Mengde conquered Jingzhou, captured Jiangling, his ships stretched for a thousand miles, his banners covered the sky, he poured wine by the river, and composed poems with his spear across his hand. He was a hero of his time, but where is he now?"

Li Changzhou then smiled and said:

"If Your Majesty does not enter the Dao, can the Ming Dynasty last for ten thousand years? Since ancient times, emperors have sought immortality. After Your Majesty passes away, your descendants will also follow this path, gambling with the Ming Dynasty in pursuit of eternal life and longevity, living as long as heaven and earth."

The Jiajing Emperor gripped the armrests of the sandalwood chair tightly with both hands, his entire body gradually exuding a sharp aura.

He stared into the void for a long while before slowly speaking: "Since this calamity was inevitable sooner or later, I might as well take it upon myself. If I succeed, the Ming Dynasty will last for a thousand generations; if I fail, I will be branded a foolish emperor!"