Chapter Sixty-Five
Pei Jiangping addressed the Imperial Preceptor as "old man" simply because, although the current Imperial Preceptor's age was unknown, he was certainly older than Protector Pei, and she did so to show respect.
Li Zhi knew that if anyone could meet and talk with the Imperial Preceptor, they would absolutely find it unbelievable that the elegant and beautiful immortal in front of them had lived for at least a hundred years.
As far as Li Zhi knew, the Imperial Preceptor Rong Qi, who had lived for over a hundred years, had been the Imperial Preceptor of the current dynasty for more than fifty years. In such a long time, three emperors of the current dynasty with the surname Sun had changed, enough for the world to forget Rong Qi's origins.
Some say that with such looks and demeanor, how could an ordinary family raise someone like Rong Qi? It might be possible if she were born into the royal family of a previous dynasty and raised in luxury.
Some say that although Rong Qi is now no different from an immortal, he was originally from a poor family. Not to mention the royal family, Rong Qi was just raised as a stable boy and was lucky enough to get a good opportunity in the chaotic world.
Li Zhi couldn't tell which version was true.
In his previous life, he served as an official in the previous dynasty, but he never interfered in the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. Rong Qi was usually only responsible for the grand imperial sacrifices, the prayers before and after the imperial examinations, and the biennial peace ceremony in the capital.
In addition, Rong Qi rarely appeared in court, adopting an attitude of never interfering in state affairs, which won the hearts of the civil officials.
Therefore, Li Zhi's understanding of him was not very extensive.
Like ordinary people, the moment he cared about most and was most impressed by Rong Qi was the peace ceremony initiated by the royal family at the end of September every two years.
This was a tradition of the Sun dynasty. Every two years at this time, a grand parade was organized in the capital, and members of the royal family would participate, leading the procession on magnificently decorated tall horses.
As the Imperial Preceptor, Rong Qi would wear elaborate and exquisite robes on that day, dressed as an immortal, and sit high in a specially made carriage, revealing his face without any cover, to pray for the cheering people on both sides.
He simply smiled throughout, yet this alone was enough to elicit gasps of amazement from the people who had seen him before.
There were even more disrespectful rumors that a noble lady had caught a glimpse of Rong Qi at the Anmin Festival. It was just a fleeting glance, but it made her lose her appetite for months after returning home. From then on, no ordinary man could catch her eye, and she wasted her life at home, becoming an old maid.
In the Anmin Festival, Rongqi was not originally the main character, but over the years, the procession became increasingly dull and tedious, and he became the only surprise that the people looked forward to in the festival.
On the morning of the festival, the procession would depart from the east gate of the capital, slowly circle the city, and then proceed to the imperial temple on the outskirts of the city, where the emperor would complete the remaining ceremonies.
Afterwards, the emperor would stay in the imperial temple with his family for a short period of time to pray for the people.
Of course, Rong Qi would also accompany the emperor throughout the entire process.
The Sun family hoped to demonstrate national strength through the annual peace ceremony, letting all nations know that they were the people's support.
The scene of the Imperial Preceptor Rong Qi was the most spectacular moment in this grand performance.
Aside from the Anmin Festival, Li Zhi also saw Rong Qi in the Golden Palace during the palace examination the year he passed the imperial examination.
That was another duty of his as the Imperial Preceptor—to pray for the nation before and after the imperial examinations, hoping that the examinations would select talented individuals who were loyal to the court and had ideals and aspirations.
When Li Zhi and the other students bowed to the emperor on the dragon throne, Rong Qi was sitting to the emperor's left. He turned slightly away and did not accept the full bow from the students.
In Li Zhi's view at the time, the Grand Preceptor and the young emperor had a harmonious relationship.
Later, after Li Zhi had been navigating the political landscape for a long time, he heard a secret rumor that the emperor was born to a concubine, and that his two older brothers were both legitimate sons and eldest sons, and that their maternal families were also of high status. Originally, this position should never have been his.
The Imperial Advisor played a crucial role in his ascension to the throne.
By then, Li Zhi and the emperor had already reached a harmonious relationship. As the years went by, the emperor became increasingly silent. Li Zhi keenly sensed that the emperor was no longer as trusting of the imperial advisor as he had in his youth.
This is the emperor's private matter. As a subject, as long as the emperor is not so incompetent as to threaten the country and the state, and does not interfere with the cabinet's decisions in every matter, it is best to let him hate or love whomever he wants. Once the emperor has hated or loved enough, he will naturally stop.
As he recalled this, Li Zhi's thoughts suddenly drifted away. He suddenly remembered that night again and began to trace back the events little by little.
Something must have happened that night, something that resonates with what's happening now.
Li Zhi, who was already a Grand Secretary at the time, strictly adhered to the duties of a subject and never interfered in the emperor's private affairs.
But the emperor crossed the line first.
That night, the emperor found Li Zhi.
This was a middle-aged man skilled in martial arts and archery, who always appeared in front of people with a radiant spirit, as if he had inexhaustible energy.
But that night, he looked as if he had aged suddenly.
That day was the anniversary of the death of Consort Pei. In previous years, the emperor would be depressed at this time, but that day was different. He seemed to be immersed in the past and unable to extricate himself.
The emperor, trembling, grasped Li Zhi and instructed him, "There is something I need to ask you to do."
He had lost his composure. Li Zhi lowered his head, avoiding looking at the emperor's face, and whispered, "Your subject obeys the decree."
“No, not as a subject, Li Zhi.” Sun Sanlang’s voice trembled as well. This tough man seemed to have encountered something that caused him extreme pain. “I realized it too late. The court and the harem, there are eyes watching me everywhere.”
He tightened his grip, repeatedly emphasizing, "This is a private matter. You must remember not to let anyone know."
Who is watching him?
Li Zhi felt a chill run down his spine.
He didn't really believe anyone could keep an eye on Sun Sanlang. He was a ruthless emperor who was closely connected with General Pei's faction and held military power. Even the Grand Secretary who had restrained him when he first took office had long since died at his hands along with the Grand Secretary's empress granddaughter.
Sun Sanlang didn't explain clearly; after saying that sentence, he seemed to regain his senses.
His tone became calm, and he said coldly, "You and my sister go together to help me find a monster."
Li Zhi didn't quite understand, so he subconsciously repeated, "A monster?"
"Bring him back, I want to see what he looks like now," Sun Sanlang said.
He did not explain why to Li Zhi.
After leaving the palace, Li Zhi felt that it was best for him to know nothing.
That day was the anniversary of Consort Pei's death, and the emperor's outburst likely involved palace secrets.
Li Zhi vaguely learned that before Consort Pei left the palace, she had a child, but the child could not be born, which greatly affected Consort Pei and even slowly drove her to madness.
Ten years ago, she died in madness, along with half an emperor.
This was once evidence of an emperor's infatuation. Although Li Zhi scoffed at it, after seeing such an emperor that day, he felt that there might be some truth to the claim.
"Li Zhi."
Did you hear that?
"What are you thinking about?" Protector Pei waved his hand impatiently in front of Li Zhi. "I've called you several times."
Li Zhi snapped out of his reverie and apologized, "I was thinking about the case just now."
On that day, Grand Secretary Li Zhi accepted the emperor's commission, thinking it was just a palace secret. Now, the Celestial Master Li Zhi suddenly realized that there was an unseen hand in the palace, ruthlessly manipulating the emperor's life.
Indeed, mortals cannot comprehend things beyond their comprehension.
While Li Zhi listened absentmindedly to Protector Pei talking about what parts of the petition he had written needed to be revised, he pondered the meaning of life.
This was the fourth time Protector Pei had requested revisions. After making a series of requests, she urged Li Zhi to immediately pick up a pen and make the changes.
After everything was revised to her specifications, Protector Pei picked up the document and looked at it from left to right. He was still not satisfied and sighed, "Forget it. Changing it like this only makes it stranger. I think we should just use the first version you wrote."
The sudden blow made Li Zhi stop thinking about Rong Qi. He was heartbroken but remained calm as he found the original version among the pile of files on the table. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Protector Pei say, "Wait, I think this one should be rewritten. Don't use the official script. Think of whatever you want to use."
After listening, Li Zhi closed his eyes and slowly put down the first draft in his hand.
After a long pause, he opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmly replied, "Yes."
While Li Zhi was being tormented by Protector Pei in the yamen, Baozhu, completely unaware of the situation, secretly ran to Pei's residence to play with Pei Xuanji, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
Since the last time Pei Xuanji deserted her post to go to Tiger Roar Mountain for an off-duty mission, forcing her mother to attend the banquet alone, Pei Xuanji has been busy in the capital for five days straight, passing by her home three times without entering, for fear of being caught by her family.
Until Protector Pei sent a letter cursing her, saying that Madam Zeng had come to her door demanding that she return her youngest daughter and blaming her for leading Pei Xuanji astray.
It was clearly Pei Xuanji who wanted to become the Heavenly Master, yet she made it sound as if she had been abducted by her aunt. Pei Jiangping, who was upright and honest, had never suffered such humiliation in his life. He immediately had a big argument with his sister-in-law at the entrance of the official residence. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He ordered Pei Xuanji to take responsibility for her actions and to hurry home to settle things with Madam Zeng.
Otherwise, she would petition the Minister of the Temple of Strange People to dismiss Pei Xuanji on the spot, in order to set the record straight.
Not satisfied with that, Pei Jiangping added a harsh threat: "If your mother comes looking for me again, I will sever all ties with her on your behalf!"
When Pei Xuanji received the letter, she was terrified to see that her aunt and mother's already strained relationship had been exacerbated by her. She ran home in a panic.
After returning home, he was first punished by Madam Zeng with family discipline, who pinned him down in the ancestral hall and gave him a good beating. Then, he was lectured by his older brother and sister-in-law in turn. As such, Pei Qi had been obediently staying at home for several days without going out, feeling so bored that he was about to grow mold.
At this time, Baozhu wrote to say that she wanted to come and see her, and Pei Xuanji was naturally happy to do so.
After waiting for a while, Baozhu finally climbed over the wall and entered General Pei's mansion with a roast duck in her left hand and a roast chicken in her right. Pei Xuanji was overjoyed and chattered away with Baozhu, having endless things to say.
After hearing about Pei Qi's ordeal after returning home, Baozhu said sympathetically, "You're so old now, and your mother still beats you."
"That's right, go out and ask around, which girl in her twenties still gets beaten up?" Pei Qi got angrier and angrier as she spoke, viciously stuffing the whole roast chicken leg into her mouth, and pulling out a clean bone with a clenched lip.
Baozhu patted Pei Qi's round head reassuringly and gave her advice: "Next time you should still go do the work. After a while, they'll get used to it."
“That’s true. My mother is in her sixties, and in a few more years she won’t be able to hit me anymore. My father is away most of the year, and he probably only hits me once a year,” Pei Xuanji nodded.
One dared to come up with a bad idea, and the other actually dared to use it. The two careless sisters were relieved and happily ate all the chicken and duck that Baozhu had brought. Pei Xuanji then secretly took out a bottle of her privately stored wine from under the bed.
The aroma of the wine was enticing; one sniff told you it was good wine. Pei Xuanji said mysteriously, "I stole it from my older brother. He's always so arrogant and always lecturing me."
Baozhu's eyes lit up, and she was about to break the seal and drink with Pei Xuanji until they were drunk when she suddenly heard Madam Zeng's voice coming from the courtyard gate.
The two sisters, Ma Daha, were taken aback and hurriedly started tidying up. They barely managed to restore Pei Xuanji's room to its original state before Madam Zeng entered.
Mrs. Zeng hurriedly pushed open her daughter's bedroom door, when suddenly a delicious aroma of food wafted into her nostrils. She forgot what she had prepared to say and asked in a daze, "What's that smell?"
On the roof beam, a pearl holding a pile of chicken and duck bones in its arms, upon hearing this, quickly conjured a gust of demonic wind, instantly blowing away the smell in the room.
Madam Zeng, pressing her wind-blown hair, finally remembered the important matter and walked up to Pei Xuanji, saying urgently, "Your cousin Shi is in trouble. Didn't I tell you last time that he had a fight with his family and moved out, and we can't find him?"
Pei Xuanji found it strange and, forgetting her guilty conscience, asked, "And then?"
"Oh dear, I never expected that he moved out because he was bewitched by a monster." Madam Zeng clutched her handkerchief, looking at her daughter with great concern. "How could there be a monster in the capital? What kind of work did your Yiren Temple do to let a monster into the city? Monsters eat people."
As Madam Zeng spoke, the pearl on the roof beam sounded more and more familiar. Putting aside her prejudice against monsters, she remembered that Bai Yutuan's husband was also surnamed Shi. But didn't they get married because they loved each other? How did it become that in Madam Zeng's mouth, Young Master Shi was bewitched by a monster?
Madam Zeng was unaware that there was a monster in her daughter's room at that moment. She kept rambling on about how wicked the monster was. Pei Xuanji was sweating profusely as she listened and quickly interrupted, "Cousin Shi is such a grown man, how could he be bewitched by a monster? Is this just a lie he made up?"
Madam Zeng was displeased and scolded, "How can it be a lie? Your aunt sent someone to tell you that your cousin from the Shi family sent a letter home saying that he was being harassed by some kind of white rabbit spirit and asked the family to find a Taoist master to exorcise the demon."
Baozhu immediately realized that Madam Zeng was referring to the two people she knew. A surge of nameless anger welled up in her heart, making her grit her teeth in hatred.
This young master Shi is truly a wicked man; he actually portrayed himself as an innocent and pitiful person who had been deceived by a monster.
She calmed herself down and then heard Madam Zeng say, "The Celestial Master went and injured the monster, but he couldn't catch her. What a vicious monster! Before she escaped, she even injured your cousin Shi, who is still unconscious."
“Since the monster has hurt people, the nature of the matter has changed.”
Upon hearing this, Pei Xuanji's nonchalant expression finally turned serious.
As she spoke, she got up to change into the Taoist priest's uniform.
Madam Zeng watched her movements and whispered, "What are you going to do?"
Pei Xuanji turned to look at her mother and asked in confusion, "You came here to say all this just to ask me to go and help? If you don't want me to go, I'll write a letter to Aunt Jiang Ping."
Upon hearing the name Jiang Ping from Pei Xuanji's mouth, Madam Zeng's eyebrows shot up in anger, and she retorted, "What does this have to do with that person?"
“Then I’ll go,” Pei Xuanji said helplessly.
This time, Madam Zeng stammered and couldn't speak.
She was indeed Young Master Shi's mother. Although she was also Pei Xuanji's aunt, this aunt was much younger than Madam Zeng. Madam Zeng, as the eldest sister-in-law, raised her single-handedly and then married her off, so naturally she treated her differently from Pei Jiangping, that aloof and troublesome man.
After Pei Xuanji finished dressing, Madam Zeng watched her leave and stammered, "Be careful, and stay safe."
Pei Xuanji responded and walked away.
Mrs. Zeng stared at her with a complicated expression.
But before she could even feel the shock, as soon as her daughter stepped out of the courtyard, a lot of chicken and duck bones suddenly fell from the house, hitting Mrs. Zeng all over.
Leaving aside how Mrs. Zeng jumped up and down and berated her daughter.
Pei Xuanji left without saying goodbye to Baozhu, which naturally showed that she trusted Baozhu completely and felt that there was no need for them to be too polite to each other.
But when Baozhu saw Pei Xuanji walking away, she gritted her teeth, used her magic, and ran off in another direction.
The white jade demon harmed a mortal, who turned out to be a powerful and wealthy person. According to the Celestial Master's methods, such a demon should be executed immediately.
But that is the law of mortals. Why can mortals, without distinguishing right from wrong or asking why, sentence a young, ignorant monster to death?
Baozhu knew that Baiyutuan was not a bad monster, and that what the young master Shi said was all a lie. She had to get there before the Celestial Master, save Baiyutuan, protect her, and send her safely out of the capital.
Baozhu's heart continued to sink.
She wandered through the capital city, searching for the escaped white rabbit spirit.
She was sometimes clear-headed and angry, sometimes confused and sad.
This time, she and her best friend Pei Xuanji embarked on two completely opposite paths.
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