Chapter 91 Chapter 91 is the only genuine version...
Gu Zhizhuo almost didn't sleep the whole night.
She hadn't suffered from insomnia for a long time since her rebirth. After tossing and turning for a while, she simply got up and opened the window.
On that early summer night, the wind was still somewhat cool, blowing away her inner anxiety and irritability.
Before they knew it, the dawn had broken and Qiongfang's voice could be heard outside. She called out softly, "Girl."
"Come in."
The door opened.
Qiongfang brought Sishi and Qingwei in with warm water, helped her wash and eat, and went to the front yard early.
As soon as the morning hour arrived, Wuweizi arrived, bringing with him two little Taoist boys.
Wuweizi was wearing a yellow robe embroidered with auspicious beasts and clouds, and a lotus crown on his head. As he walked slowly, his white hair and beard moved in the wind, and his sleeves fluttered, he looked like the Three Pure Ones walking out of a painting, inspiring awe.
"Master."
Gu Zhizhuo went forward respectfully and performed the disciple's salute.
"Good disciple."
Wuweizi had a smile on his face and looked kind and gentle.
After the master and disciple exchanged a few words, the old lady came over with others to pay their respects. Except for Lu and Xu'er who were still in confinement after giving birth, all the members of the Gu family were present.
The etiquette is extremely thorough.
"Master, the altar is ready. Please come in."
Wuweizi walked with a flourish and asked, "When does the ceremony begin?"
He was asking about Ziji's induction ceremony. Gu Zhizhuo said, "One quarter after noon."
Wuweizi remembered this and said with a smile, "Go ahead. I will do my best."
"Master."
Gu Zhizhuo didn't say thank you. She leaned her forehead on his shoulder and rubbed it coquettishly, just like in the previous life, and then she went out with Gu Yican. The other members of the Gu family would stay in the house.
Zi Ji's entry into the cabinet is an exceptionally grand event. All the royal family members, nobles, civil and military officials in the court will enter the palace and then follow the imperial carriage to the Zi Ji Pavilion.
After Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, he established the Ziji Pavilion, which was located to the right of the Taimiao. Famous officials of all dynasties who had made outstanding contributions to the country could enter the Ziji Pavilion and enjoy the great fortune of the country and the worship of the people.
According to etiquette, Gu Zhizhuo was a girl and was not qualified to participate in such a ceremony.
But Gu Zhizhuo came with the emperor and stood calmly in the first row with Gu Yican, as if she belonged there by nature.
The eyes of those around her were cast upon her, either overtly or covertly. She wore no court robes or men's clothing, and even the skirt could not conceal the sharpness of her eyes. It was unknown when, perhaps the moment she stepped onto the throne, looking down upon the ministers and facing the emperor, she had the right to break free from the constraints of the boudoir and etiquette, and move above the heavens.
Xie Yingchen looked at her introvertedly and gently, his eyes as clear as water with a faint smile.
The Prime Minister did not say anything.
Duke Wei hesitated for a moment and did not speak.
These two men did not move, and half of the civil and military officials in the court fell silent as well.
Chen Xu glanced at the confused faces of the crowd with interest. He stroked the red string on his wrist and nodded almost imperceptibly in Li Deshun's direction. Li Deshun smiled respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, the auspicious time has arrived."
The emperor walked up the stairs with an expressionless face.
He had not attended court for some time since he fell ill, and the bright yellow dragon robe seemed a little too big for him.
He wore a crown and looked down at everyone, the dragon pattern glowing faintly in the scorching sun.
He said in a solemn and dignified voice, "Announce the decree."
Boom!
The large bronze bell in front of the pavilion struck its first stroke.
Li Deshun agreed and unfolded a bright yellow imperial edict, which granted Duke Zhenguo Gu Taotao entry into the Ziji Pavilion.
Boom!
The second bell rang.
The smoke of cigarettes rises slowly.
Boom!
Officials from the Ministry of Rites began to recite the achievements of the Duke of Zhenguo.
This is a book written and edited by scholars from the Hanlin Academy. After today, it will be distributed to all states and prefectures so that everyone can know about it.
Gu Zhizhuo listened silently, his thick eyelashes slightly drawn back, a bitterness welling up in his heart. Daddy first went to the battlefield at the age of twelve. With him in the Northern Frontier, the Northern Di hadn't been able to set foot in the Central Plains for twenty years.
In the western border, he swept across the territory and made the people of Liang terrified.
In his life, he never lost a battle and had countless glorious military achievements.
"...Duke Gu Taotao has spent over twenty years in the military, achieving immortal feats and unparalleled achievements."
Unparalleled achievements... Gu Zhizhuo silently recited these words. The result of unparalleled achievements is death without an intact body, suppression of the soul, and loss of luck.
Tears kept falling from the corners of Gu Zhizhuo's sore eyes, soaking his face.
When he came to his senses, the Ministry of Rites had finished reciting, and the emperor personally carried the tablet into the main hall of Ziji Pavilion.
"younger sister."
Gu Yican called her.
Gu Zhizhuo nodded and followed him into the main hall.
Other officials were still standing outside.
The huge main hall is extremely solemn, with only twelve tablets enshrining the twelve founding heroes of the Great Qi Dynasty. They were all brought into the hall by Emperor Taizu and the previous emperor themselves.
Gu Zhizhuo lifted her skirt and stepped over the threshold. At that moment, it was as if a breeze was blowing through her internal organs, and her chest, which had been aching for several days, suddenly felt much more comfortable.
The emperor placed the tablet representing Gu Taotao on the altar and burned incense.
Boom boom boom!
The big bell rang again, and the dull sound was like thunder, rumbling and echoing throughout the heavens and the earth.
One sound after another.
Wuweizi, who was standing in front of the altar, seemed to be distracted by something. He muttered something and suddenly opened his eyes.
Only Wuweizi could see that there was a ball of thick purple air in the sky rushing towards the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion. This ball of purple air was mixed with strands of golden light of merit, and it was rushing towards the small vortex above the northeast corner.
The vortex suddenly grew larger, and the air around it kept boiling, as if it was going to completely swallow up the purple air.
Wuweizi held the talisman between his fingers, raised the whisk in his hand, and silver threads fluttered up.
The Zhenguogong Mansion was already covered with talismans, and at the same time, these talismans moved without wind and flew into the air. This scene made everyone in the Zhenguogong Mansion astonished.
"He's truly a god."
The lady murmured to herself that although her girl was stubborn, she was still quite capable, and she actually managed to have such a divine master.
The lady had no idea what he was saying. She only saw his clothes fluttering and all the talismans igniting at the same time without any fire, and a ball of fire the size of a bean suddenly appeared.
"Glowing?"
The lady rubbed her eyes and looked again. Yes, she was not mistaken! Dots of silver light appeared around the talisman, like clouds and smoke.
"rise."
The talisman slowly fell down, and the silver light rushed to the northeast corner, merged into the purple air, and was sucked into the vortex.
"…Evil and filth dissipate, the Dao Qi remains. Hurry and obey the command." (Note: The Divine Mantra for Purifying Heaven and Earth)
The purple energy suddenly surged and turned into a giant sword, cutting the vortex in two.
boom.
There was clearly no sound, but everyone in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion suddenly felt a rumbling sound in their ears. The rumbling sound was so loud that even the earth shook.
"Second sister, third sister. Look, it's Caixia!"
“What a beautiful rainbow.
Gu Zhinan exclaimed in surprise and pulled the sleeves of his two sisters.
The vortex disappeared.
The lingering purple air enveloped the sky above the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion like colorful clouds.
Gu Baibai felt a mixture of respect and fear. After his injury, his spine ached constantly, especially when he was at home. Perhaps it was due to the excessive dampness, but the pain often made him drenched in sweat and he wished he were dead. Yaoyao had given him acupuncture several times, but it only managed to alleviate the pain. Until now, a warm feeling like a gentle breeze brushed across his aching back, as comfortable as sleeping under the scorching sun.
"receive!"
The colorful clouds turned into tiny specks of light, pouring down.
Done.
Wuweizi had a smile on his face, and the silver threads of his whisk fluttered down.
Boom boom boom!
The bronze bell struck a full 108 times. All the civil and military officials burned incense one by one and marveled at the rosy glow in the sky above the Ziji Pavilion.
After the emperor offered incense, the ray of light appeared and lingered for a long time, accompanied by the smoke of incense.
They had all heard that when the Zi Ji Pavilion was first built, it was covered with rosy clouds for three whole days. They originally thought it was just a rumor, but they didn't expect it to be true.
The bells stopped ringing and the ceremony was over.
Everyone needs to accompany the emperor back to the palace and perform the ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows before they can return home.
"Get going!"
The Imperial Guards led the way, followed by the Imperial Guards, and everyone followed the Imperial Carriage.
"Is it raining?"
Someone whispered, "No, it looks like hail."
Each hailstone was as big as a thumb and fell on everyone with a crackling sound.
The capital was covered with dark clouds. Some people couldn't help but look back at the Ziji Pavilion. It was still shrouded in rosy clouds, with a clear distinction between light and dark.
Prime Minister Song's brows twitched slightly, and he stared at the sky in astonishment. The expression on his face was comparable to the day when thunder struck in broad daylight, when he saw with his own eyes the lightning strike the eaves of Xixiang Tower.
He subconsciously looked at Gu Zhizhuo. She was raising her hand to catch the hail. When she met Prime Minister Song's gaze, she smiled slightly, as if to say: I was right.
The hailstones were only as big as fingers at first, but they kept getting bigger and bigger. By the time the imperial carriage returned to the palace, the hailstones were as big as children's fists and as dense as raindrops.
It is already July and it is a hot day, but hail suddenly fell. This is not unusual.
After Song Shoufu emerged from the palace, he stood on the Meridian Gate wall. From afar, he could see the people retreating into their homes or standing under the eaves, a dark cloud shrouding the capital.
"In August, in Qingzhou, there was an earthquake."
Prime Minister Song muttered to himself.
Gu Zhizhuo said that if there really was hail in seven days, he would believe her.
From that day until now, it has been exactly seven days.
When he went out in the morning, the sun was shining brightly. Prime Minister Song was feeling a little relieved, but he didn't expect that hail would really fall!
If the hail is real, then the Qingzhou earthquake must also be real.
If someone else had said this, Prime Minister Song would have simply sneered.
But it was Gu Zhizhuo who said it.
Hailstones smashed the oil-paper umbrella and fell on him. The attendant holding the umbrella behind him hurriedly advised: "Sir, Miss Gu said that you need to take care of your health for another three to five years, so don't stand anymore."
Prime Minister Song withdrew his gaze and left the Meridian Gate amidst the relief on the faces of his attendants.
He rushed back to Wenyuan Pavilion and immediately drafted a memorial.
Knowing that an earthquake was highly likely in Qingzhou, Prime Minister Song could not ignore it. After submitting the memorial, he summoned the cabinet and said, "Thunder in broad daylight and hail in hot summer are both ominous signs. Ancient records state that unusual omens in the sky are sure to bring about great disasters."
“How can we prevent it?!”
Minister Mo said, "Prime Minister, there are strange signs from heaven... Should we ask the Emperor to issue an imperial edict to censure his sins?"
Minister Mo was not the only one who had this idea.
Throughout history, if strange omens continue to occur, it is a great omen and the king must issue an edict of remorse.
For several days in a row, memorials flew into the imperial study like snowflakes.
Some people impeached the eldest princess for being promiscuous and the emperor for allowing her to commit crimes.
There were those who impeached the emperor for his extravagance, which had led to the decline of the treasury.
There were also those who impeached the emperor for not following the will of the previous emperor and not appointing a crown prince...
Several memorials even claimed that rumors circulated that the Duke of Zhenguo was aggrieved by the injustice of his death and had sought redress from the late emperor upon entering the Ziji Pavilion. The emperor had sent down a strange phenomenon as a warning. Otherwise, why would hail have fallen upon the Duke of Zhenguo entering the Ziji Pavilion? The Ziji Pavilion was shrouded in a rosy glow, and even the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion was bathed in rainbow clouds that day.
The emperor was confused by the impeachment memorials.
He threw everything he saw at once, and flew into a rage in the imperial study. In a fit of rage, he fainted again.
The imperial study was in chaos.
This time, however, the emperor woke up soon. However, when he woke up, his vision was dim. He rubbed his brow and asked weakly, "What time is it? Why don't you light the lamp?"
Li Deshun was startled, and after finally finding his voice, he quickly said, "Your Majesty, this servant is here."
He suppressed his trembling voice and looked at the bright sky outside.
It's just noon!
"Go and light the lamp!"
Li Deshun froze in place, sweat dripping down his forehead. He wondered if he should tell the emperor it wasn't even dark yet. He quickly signaled a eunuch to call in the imperial physician, then cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, can you see me?"
The emperor rubbed his aching brow, and the figure in front of him gradually became clearer. The light around him was dazzling, as if the blindness just now was just an illusion from not waking up from a dream.
However, this is not an illusion.
The emperor could feel that his eyesight was getting worse day by day.
Three imperial physicians came in and took the patient's pulse one after another, then gathered together to discuss the matter. Several princes diligently attended to the patient.
Xie Jing arrived in a hurry, and he was the last one to arrive among the princes.
"Father."
Xie Jing's face was covered in mud and he knelt on the ground as soon as he entered. Facing the emperor's indifferent face, he hurriedly said, "Father, I went to Taiqing Temple. I heard that an old immortal had come to Taiqing Temple, so I went there specifically to ask for this amulet."
Xie Jing presented a red lucky bag with both hands.
The dissatisfaction on the emperor's face disappeared, and he said helplessly: "You..."
Xie Jing leaned over his couch and choked up, saying, "It is because I, your son, am useless and cannot share your worries."
"Get up quickly."
The emperor leaned against the pillow behind him and stroked the lucky bag. His fingertips could clearly feel a folded talisman inside, and his expression softened a little.
Xie Jing stared at his movements, his heartstrings aroused.
He felt uneasy if Ke'er stayed in the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion for one more day. He really couldn't understand why Gu Zhizhuo and Ke'er were so incompatible. If it was because of his empathy, she had already retaliated, so why should he hold a grudge against her?
But no matter what the reason was, Xie Jing was unwilling to delve into it further.
He had been to Taiqing Temple today. Neither Qingping Zhenren nor the legendary old immortal was there, only the temple master was present. He had asked the master for this amulet, and he had also specially chosen the lucky bag containing it. On one side was a large "Fu" character, and on the other side were the characters "Tianming."
Xie Jing didn't get up. He knelt before the couch, very close to the emperor. He controlled his pounding heart and said, "Father, why don't you ask the Taoist Master Qingping to come and tell us a fortune?"
The emperor patted the back of his hand thoughtfully and said nothing.
The eldest prince felt a little jealous, but there was nothing he could do. His father had doted on Xie Jing since he was young, and all his brothers had to stay away from him.
In the future, this position will most likely fall into his hands. The eldest prince always behaves like his "dearest elder brother" in front of him, but he never expected that he would come to ask for his help.
The eldest prince calmed himself down and said sternly, "Third brother, how can the fate of the country be decided by a Taoist priest?"
"Master Qingping is no ordinary Taoist." Xie Jing turned to look at him, his eyes solemn. "Master Qingping's Taoism is profound. He is a master who has attained the Tao, the incarnation of the Three Pure Ones. Father also knows this."
Xie Jing was filled with gratitude, thinking of giving his eldest brother a generous gift later. He feigned indignation and said, "Brother, why should you be bothered just because your younger brother invited Master Qingping?"
The eldest prince snorted coldly, "Third brother really trusts Qingping. Haha, I don't know if it's because he is truly an enlightened master, or because he said that your sweetheart is a woman destined for good fortune."
"My Royal Brother, be careful with your words!" Go on. The Third Prince suppressed the corner of his mouth that was about to rise and signaled frantically with his eyes.
"Third brother, are you trying to say that the constant disasters in Daqi are because your father didn't find you a blessed woman as your consort?!"
"That's enough."
The emperor rubbed his aching brow and interrupted them impatiently with a harsh tone.
The eldest prince was afraid of angering the emperor, so no matter how much Xie Jing winked at him, he didn't dare to say anything further. He wasn't the third prince, who had been favored since childhood. If he displeased his father, the third prince could just go over and give him a shoulder pat, but he would be despised.
"The blessed girl of destiny?"
The emperor looked at Xie Jing expressionlessly, "Do you want to marry her?"
Qing Ping Zhenren once said that Ji Nan Ke was a woman destined for good fortune, destined to bring prosperity to her husband and the country. Whether believed or not, since this story had spread among the people, it was impossible to let Ji Nan Ke stay among the people and marry.
"Your Majesty," Xie Jing said expectantly, "Yes. I have admired Miss Ji for a long time, and I beg Your Majesty to grant me your blessing."
…
There was a sudden buzzing in Ji Nanke's ears, and she was in a trance. The pen in her hand fell on the paper, and the spread ink was like a black spot that stained the crossbow sketch drawn on the paper.
Somehow, her heart started beating suddenly, as if a heavy hammer had hit her heart hard.
She shuddered, a sharp shiver filling her with uneasiness.
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