Chapter 32 Ascension
Kusunobu Nishi seemed to be stunned by the shock and was unable to react for a while. He turned his head in astonishment and looked outside through the iron gate that was blown open, but what he saw were fallen and broken plants on all sides of the monastery, as well as the ruins of a collapsed wall with bricks and stones scattered about five or six feet away.
...Is this the noise that would occur if an alchemy furnace exploded?
The Prince of Duke Mu sighed, "How rude! I originally told them to quietly make the elixir and test the medicine in the garden, but I didn't expect such a thing to happen in front of the distinguished guests... I will go down to take a look at the situation, please wait a little longer, sir."
If the superior likes something, the subordinates will like it even more. Lao Deng was obsessed with the path of the golden elixir, so naturally his close nobles and important ministers followed his lead. Every household had an elixir recipe and furnace, and they repeatedly tested various secret recipes for becoming immortal recorded in ancient books and documents, and any effective results would be recorded in detail; they also had to write elaborate reports to present to the emperor. From a certain perspective, this can probably be considered a violent enumeration of human big data. A national-level project that can be recorded in the history of scientific development.
As an absolute confidant of Master Feixuan, Duke Mu's Mansion certainly plays a very important role in this grand immortal cultivation project team. In the future, he can even be named as the second author when publishing papers in the "Taoism" magazine. It is also reasonable that a furnace of immortal pills is always being refined in the Duke's Mansion's garden. It was only because the messenger came so suddenly that the furnace had not yet been extinguished that such a big commotion was caused.
The prince was obviously very concerned about the elixir. After drying the water on his body, he hurriedly got up and limped out. Kusunobu Nishi was stunned for a moment, but slowly stood up, followed the prince through a messy garden, and approached the wall that was directly affected by the explosion.
The bluestone wall collapsed by more than two or three feet, and the gap was filled with scattered bricks and tiles, leaving the ground in a mess. There were more than a dozen craftsmen standing inside and outside the gap. When they saw the prince coming, they immediately bowed and saluted without saying a word.
The servants of the Duke's Mansion were obviously very experienced in dealing with such accidents. They had already cleared a space among the pile of bricks and tiles, on which they placed two chairs. The prince sat down angrily:
"It exploded again?"
Hearing the word "again", the corner of Nanye Nishi's mouth twitched when he was following closely behind. The leading craftsman nodded cautiously without saying a word, probably also being dazed by the loud noise.
The prince rolled his eyes:
"I told you to be careful and careful, but you never listened! It seems that the people are fine, but what about the alchemy room?"
The craftsmen carefully pointed to the brick-red rubble on the ground, indicating that this was the alchemy room, or had been an alchemy room - in order to save costs, the new alchemy room was built using loose bricks and stones, which of course could not withstand such an earth-shattering explosion.
This did not surprise the prince. But he looked around and became even more confused:
"What about the alchemy furnace bestowed by the emperor?"
The craftsmen looked at each other, and finally pointed forward cautiously. The prince and Kusunoki Nishi looked outside the wall and saw the half-collapsed rockery in the garden and the half-broken alchemy furnace embedded on the top of the rockery, weighing at least two or three hundred kilograms.
As for the other half of the furnace... the head craftsman pointed upwards, and the two men looked up again and saw the furnace cover hanging on the old locust tree above their heads and swinging from side to side.
The traces are so clear that the cause and effect of the loud noise are also clear at a glance. Even an absolute layman in alchemy like Kusunoki Nishinin could easily guess the horrific scene that occurred in the alchemy room a quarter of an hour ago - the explosion must have occurred in the core of the alchemy furnace, and the violent air waves expanded and swelled in a very short time, quickly shaking open the sealed furnace, and blowing the furnace cover weighing fifty or sixty kilograms flew onto a seven or eight foot high locust tree, while the remaining furnace body was launched out like a cannonball, destroying the alchemy room and penetrating the wall, and directly embedded in the rockery several feet away.
As for the power of the explosion... Kusunoki Nishi used his feet to push the broken bricks on the ground and could easily make out the dark color of the cross section. The Duke's Mansion was wealthy and powerful, and when building the villa, they adopted a similar method to that used by Emperor Gaozu when he built the city wall of Nanjing. That is, they mixed lime with fine clay and burned it into lime bricks, which were then tightly bonded together with glutinous rice water and sorghum candy. The wall built in this way is strong and reliable, and even an awl cannot create a crack.
The power that can destroy such a wall in an instant... The corner of Kusunoki Nishi's mouth twitched for a moment.
Prince Mu ignored the Japanese envoy's small move. He slammed the chair and shouted angrily:
"I told you to be careful, and now you've ended up like this! You've caused me so much trouble, you've caused me so much trouble!"
He looked up at the stove cover, still furious, and said sternly:
"This was originally a pill made for His Majesty, but now you have messed it up! How am I going to explain this to the palace? I will never let you off easily for doing something like this. You are too reckless. I was originally planning to give you a seventh-rank official position, but now, in order to punish you for this heinous crime, I can only give you an eighth-rank official position!"
After such a violent and wanton venting of anger, the craftsmen could only bow and apologize in fear and obediently accept their seventh-grade punishment.
After the last eighth-rank criminal left the garden, the prince turned around and apologized to the envoy, asking him to forgive this unintentional mistake. The envoy stared in silence for a long time before he finally spoke slowly:
"The prince said that this is a pill made for His Majesty. Could it be that the pills that His Majesty the Great Emperor of your country has been making for many years are all of this kind..."
Are all these things of this level?
"Not all of them are this kind of thing." The Prince of Mu was very frank: "In fact, this is a new product that has been produced in recent years, and it practices a brand new route to becoming an immortal."
Kusunobu Nishi repeated subconsciously: "A completely new route?"
The prince was very happy to share the technological innovations in alchemy and cultivation with the foreign vassal, and introduced them with great interest:
"This is the idea proposed by the Taoist priests of Mount Longhu. They believe that simply pursuing immortality with the golden elixir can only lead to the status of an earthly immortal at best, which is not in line with the status of His Majesty Feixuan Zhenjun Wanshou Emperor Daluo Jinxian Zhang Wulei Gongguo Da Zhenren. It is necessary to ascend to heaven in broad daylight to become a heavenly immortal, which is the basis for Your Majesty to practice the alchemy. I personally also agree with this route of ascending to immortality, so I have been conducting repeated experiments and presenting gifts to Your Majesty..."
Kusunoki Nishi looked around and for the first time doubted whether there was something wrong with his understanding ability: "This is... Ascension?"
"How can it not be ascension?" Mu Qi said confidently: "May I ask the messenger, what does the word 'ascension' mean?"
Kusunobu Nishi was about to answer, but suddenly he was speechless - Chinese and Japanese cultures are interconnected, and both have a basic understanding of the Taoist art of becoming immortals and achieving longevity; but limited by the current productivity and the poverty of real-life experience, even in the most imaginative Taoist art of cultivating immortals, the imagination of ascending to heaven after becoming an immortal is quite boring, and is far from the various bizarre magical powers of later generations; in the minds of most people, the so-called "ascension" is really just flying in the sky!
As for "flying in the sky"... do you dare to say that this alchemy furnace has never flown in the sky?
Kusunobu Nishi's eyes bulged out.
Perhaps the shock was too strong. After a short awkward silence, he managed to speak:
"Isn't this a bit unreasonable..."
Is there such a way to "ascend"?
Mu Qi disagreed: "Cultivating immortals is supposed to be unexpected and unimaginable! Your Excellency said that my method is unreasonable, but does that mean that ordinary methods of cultivating immortals are reasonable?"
If you can believe that taking mercury, black lead and sulfur can give you immortality, why can't you believe that people can fly into the sky with the help of elixirs? In the final analysis, it’s because your thinking is not liberated enough! ——The prince once used this as an excuse to the eunuchs in the palace who were inspecting the elixirs, and the eunuchs were so stunned that their eyes were wide open and they had nothing to say. Today, the old tune was repeated, and the Japanese envoys were also dumbfounded and speechless.
They have nothing to say, which means that the prince’s approach is impeccable and should be continued. So the person concerned was full of confidence and explained to the envoy enthusiastically:
"This theory is the source of my inspiration. I think that taking lead and mercury to seek immortality is not very safe; the route of ascending to heaven is more reliable. Didn't the alchemists in the early Tang and Song dynasties discover that elixirs made from sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter can make the elixir furnace ascend temporarily? Of course, the power of this ascension is still very weak, and can only make small objects float a few feet in the air, which is still far from the realm of immortals 'traveling in the North Sea in the morning and Cangwu in the evening'. But as long as the formula is improved, the power of the elixir is strengthened, and the toughness of the torso is increased, it will definitely reach the point where adults can ascend to heaven in broad daylight!"
Having said this, he still felt it was not enough, and took out a piece of silk from his sleeve and showed it to the envoy. This silk letter records the results of various experiments conducted by Duke Mu's Mansion in great detail. Judging from the experimental records alone, Prince Mu's idea is indeed being steadily implemented and has achieved gratifying results. In the initial tests, the light alchemy furnace filled with elixirs only rose less than three feet. In the most recent tests, the craftsmen have successfully made the alchemy furnace weighing 500 kilograms rise 15 times in the air, a height of nearly five meters. The continuous increase in the ascension height and the continuous expansion of the ascension time fully prove the absolute correctness of the elixir's ascension route.
Obviously, since a heavy alchemy furnace can fly up to the sky under the powerful effect of medicine, what about Master Feixuan who weighs only a hundred pounds? As long as a few minor technical difficulties can be overcome (such as how the ascending individual can keep his limbs intact), the Taoist's long-cherished dream of becoming an immortal will be just around the corner!
How can physical ascension not be considered ascension? In fact, this kind of ascension is much more reliable than some mysterious techniques! Some alchemists keep talking about the primordial spirit and the primordial infant, but has anyone actually seen it with their own eyes? On the contrary, the pot lid that flew into the sky after using the elixir was visible to everyone and there was absolutely no falsehood about it. The prince's confidence is also well-founded.
But unfortunately, the Japanese envoys were still too shallow and lacked the ethereal inspiration needed for cultivating immortals. Faced with this experimental idea that could completely change the course of the entire Taoist world, what Nanye Nishinin thought of was not the glorious vision of becoming an immortal, but some boring and vulgar facts:
If these refined pills were used in a naval battle to "raise" the remaining objects weighing hundreds of pounds, such as shells and boulders, the effect would probably be...
Kusunobu Nishi took a slow, gentle breath.
In a complex and frightened mood, he noticed some details that were easily overlooked. For example, the silk that the prince handed to him was embroidered with tiny dragon patterns and dates, which meant that these experimental records would be regularly sent to the palace to be reviewed personally by Master Feixuan, and had received absolute attention from the highest levels; what the prince said about "refining the elixir by order" and "presenting it to the emperor" was definitely not a lie!
Precisely because of this, a certain guess that had just arisen in the conversation became even more distinct and terrifying at this moment - if Fei Xuan Zhenjun, who was hiding in the deep palace, ordered the nobles to refine such "pills" on a daily basis, then the emperor's true intentions would be impossible to guess!
People always like to judge others by themselves. Having been immersed in ambition and desire for too long, it is natural that Kusunoki Nishi's thinking tends to lean towards some conspiracy theories. If Japan concealed its aggressive ambitions with a low-key, ignorant and polite appearance, then what was the emperor hiding behind his mysterious and spiritual appearance?
Being so obsessed with "pills" and repeatedly experimenting with "ascension", it can't be... it can't be that he also wants to open Tata, right? !
He knew the nature of Emperor Da'an, that the emperor was cold and selfish, greedy, insidious and cunning, and that this was an irrefutable crime. However, there are many uses for extorting money; using the money to build palaces and create artifacts for one's own enjoyment is called corruption and cowardice, and one will never amount to anything great; using the money to research "elixirs" and cause explosions is generally called "warmongering"!
For the people who were being plundered, there was little difference between the two uses. But for the giant neighboring country of Central Plains, these two things are the boundary between life and death!
Which path will the emperor, who now lives in seclusion and is insatiable in his greed, choose? Kusunoha Nishinin didn't know the answer, but his face gradually turned pale.
The prince did not notice the change in the messenger's expression. He carefully examined the broken furnace, and a look of frustration slowly appeared on his face:
"I originally planned to present this new elixir as a gift to His Majesty on his birthday, but it turned out like this! The only solution now is to refine it again... I heard that the envoy will leave soon, so why not stay and celebrate His Majesty's birthday? It can also express the peace and friendship between China and Japan!"
Just now they were on the verge of a fight, exchanging verbal attacks and refusing to give in, but now they have turned to peace and friendship. The contrast is so great that it is really incomprehensible. But Kusunoki remained silent for a moment, and only said in a low voice:
“…I didn’t prepare any gifts.”
"This is nothing." The prince was very generous: "It's just that if the envoy can write the appreciation of the Qingci well and then sign the free trade agreement between China and Japan, it will be a great gift! Your Majesty will take care of the rest."
Kusunobu Nishi stopped talking. His expression showed a slight struggle, and it was obvious that he did not want to stay to express the peace and friendship between China and Japan. Unfortunately, the persuasiveness of that batch of pills was probably a little too strong. After a long silence, he finally did not refuse.
·
It is still unclear whether the emperor will tolerate Kusunoki Nishishi, but it is clear that he will not tolerate the prince. There are spies densely spread inside and outside the capital, and even the smallest movement may alarm everyone, let alone an alchemy furnace that rises to the sky in broad daylight? So, that afternoon, the alarmed Master Fei Xuan quickly sent eunuchs to check the aftermath, and scolded the Prince of Duke Mu for being "frivolous and impetuous, shocking"!
However, there is a need for novelty in reprimanding such things. He could still be aggressive and condescending after reprimanding him once or twice, but in just two years, the palace has sent imperial envoys at least five or six times to reprimand, fine, and put the prince in solitary confinement just for his various misconducts. Now everyone is tired, and even the eunuchs who deliver the prince's orders are listless and annoyed.
After finally finishing reading the reprimand that had been repeated so many times that it had become a fixed template, Eunuch Huang, who was ordered to teach the nobles, sighed deeply and glanced casually at the mess in the garden:
"What did the prince do again?"
Mu Qi stood by with his hands hanging down, lowering his eyebrows and looking submissive, showing the utmost respect for the decree:
"I am just experimenting with the elixir..."
The corners of Eunuch Huang's mouth twitched slightly, but he remained silent. To be honest, as the director of the East Factory and the hub of intelligence in the capital, he received endless reports from the Duke's Mansion, but he had no way of understanding the twisted train of thought behind the various behaviors of the Prince of Duke Mu's Mansion... Logically speaking, the nobles practiced alchemy and magic to curry favor with the Lord and consolidate their status; it was not surprising that they would sometimes use unexpected tactics to achieve victory. But no matter what, when it comes to alchemy, what matters is the medicinal power, not the destructive power, right?
Is there something wrong with Prince Mu's understanding of Taoism?
Eunuch Huang didn't understand the prince's theory of "physical ascension" to immortality (in fact, the most holy and wise Fei Xuan Zhenjun might not understand much), but he instinctively felt that it was not right, and subconsciously wanted to give some advice:
"I'm afraid this thing won't be very effective. Why is the prince still working on it..."
Mu Qi immediately defended himself:
"My Lord, you may not know that I can already make the 200-jin furnace lid fly to a height of more than ten feet. This is truly a huge improvement!"
Eunuch Huang choked for a moment. After all, he was not well-educated enough to systematically refute it from the perspective of orthodox immortal cultivation theory. He could only barely utter one sentence:
"According to your method, won't the alchemy furnace eventually fall down? How can this be considered as ascension..."
"That's because it flew too low!" Mu Qi disagreed. "There are thirty-six heavens in the Taoist scriptures. The place where the Daluo Heavenly Immortals live is in Taihuang Huangzeng Heaven, 18 million feet above the ground. In other words, as long as a mortal's body can be raised to more than 18 million feet, it can permanently break free from the constraints of the mortal world and never fall to the ground again."
Eunuch Huang was slightly stunned: "...Is the prince joking and deceiving us?"
Mu Qi was very unhappy: "Why do you say that, eunuch? I am refining the elixir for your majesty with all my heart, how could I lie to you!"
The Duke's son always keeps his word and will never tell lies. One zhang is about three meters, and an altitude of 18 million zhang from the earth has reached the geosynchronous orbit of outer space. If Lao Deng could really rely on the power of the elixir explosion to ascend to this place, then he himself must have been close to the first cosmic speed and would orbit the earth forever, and of course he would never land again.
Of course, whether the ascended Lao Deng likes Taihuang Huang Zengtian who is in the synchronous orbit may not be certain. However, don’t worry about how Lao Deng feels, just tell me whether this method can help you ascend to heaven!
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