Chapter 205 Epilogue 1
Recently, the civil and military officials have noticed that the emperor has changed.
In middle and old age, people experience a second spring in their careers and no longer complain about retiring. Their enthusiasm is such that they want to work until they die!
At his age, his dedication is so remarkable; it made everyone's hearts skip a beat.
Does the Emperor suddenly have a problem with the Crown Prince?
But isn't it a bit too late to voice your opinions at this point?
It's not that they want to rebel, Your Majesty. The main problem is that you've already tied most of the people in the court to the Crown Prince. If you don't want the Crown Prince to ascend the throne now, it means all their years of hard work and sacrifice will have been for nothing! Not only will their efforts be wasted, but they might even regress. Who can stand that?
Fortunately, after careful observation, they discovered that the Emperor's attitude towards the Crown Prince remained as good as ever, or even better.
The civil officials burned the Thirty-Six Strategies for Rebellion, and the military officers put away their worn-out weapons; everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The matter of "respectfully inviting the Crown Prince to ascend the throne" is no longer necessary, but why is Your Majesty so reluctant to do this?
Some old ministers who were about to retire in a few years felt particularly sad. The emperor was working too hard, which made the younger generation in their families "hope their father will become a dragon" and encourage them to work hard together. They were embarrassed to say that they were planning to retire early and go back to their homes to be old masters.
The imperial court was already quite turbulent, but once the emperor took the lead in getting involved, everyone became even more involved, each more intense than the last. As a result, the Qing Dynasty developed rapidly, undergoing tremendous changes day by day.
Train tracks were laid all over the country, and the Qing Dynasty's prestige spread far and wide, with the glorious scene of all nations paying tribute once again being staged.
As for overthrowing the Qing and restoring the Ming, the common people who were living a good life would be the first to object. As soon as such thoughts showed any sign, they would be arrested by the local people and taken to the government to receive a reward.
With the people's will aligned, a peaceful atmosphere prevailed throughout the government and the country, giving the ministers even more motivation to participate.
The reason why Kangxi was so evasive was twofold. On the one hand, it was to resolve internal and external troubles, unite the people, and better deal with the "body-snatchers" who might appear at any time. On the other hand, it was also because he secretly summoned Jebtsundamba Khutuktu and actually found a solution from him.
Returning to the latter half of the 43rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, Kangxi, under the pretext of celebrating the connection between the various Mongol tribes by steam trains, led a large group of ministers on another mission to Mongolia.
This time, Kangxi left Yinreng to oversee the country.
After discussing the matter with Yinreng, Kangxi, knowing he was still in good health and could continue to rule for several more decades, agreed not to force him to ascend the throne and to let him do what he wanted. Yinreng happily agreed.
When it was time to leave the capital, Kangxi made it clear to his court officials that he wanted to prove that the Crown Prince's position was still secure; he simply did not intend to abdicate and had no intention of deposing the Crown Prince!
To prevent some court officials from actually rebelling, he left Yinreng to oversee the country.
Don't think he won't see through the officials' disguise! Are they concerned about his health? Is that a martial arts demonstration? They're all being far too presumptuous!
This reason was so compelling that Yinreng had no way to refuse it.
Therefore, in the end, Yinreng stayed behind to oversee the country, while Yinti, Yinzhen, and Yinsi accompanied the emperor on his inspection tour.
Taking advantage of their trip beyond the Great Wall, Emperor Kangxi and his three sons secretly met with Jebtsundamba Khutuktu.
At their first glance, Jebtsundamba Khutuktu's gaze swept over the four members of the Kangxi Emperor's family. He then frowned slightly, placed his clasped hands in front of his chest, and said, "Your Majesty, at first glance, I sensed something amiss with the aura emanating from you all. Have you encountered anything strange or unusual lately?"
Kangxi and the others exchanged glances, all somewhat surprised.
Emperor Kangxi coughed lightly and said slowly, "The Living Buddha has discerning eyes."
At Kangxi's prompting, Yinzhi stepped forward and briefly explained the origins of the "greedy visitor from another world," a story that was three parts truth and seven parts falsehood. He concealed the existence of Zhang Xiao and the system, only saying that it was a visitor from another world with the ability to possess another's body.
After Yinzhi finished speaking, he gave Jebtsundamba Khutuktu some time to process his words. Kangxi then pressed on, "If someone were to reappear, usurping another's place and taking over another's body, I wonder if the Living Buddha has a way to resolve this?"
Jebtsundamba Khutuktu paced slowly, gently twirling the prayer beads in his hand, making a soft rubbing sound. After a moment, he said, "Everything in the world has its cause and effect, its destiny... It seems that Your Majesty is not entirely without options."
Jebtsundamba Khutuktu was no fool; he could naturally tell they were hiding something. After a little thought, he realized that this method of subduing the otherworldly beings must be related to the Buddha's disciple, and that the emperor probably didn't want to use this method.
"I wonder why His Highness the Crown Prince did not come this time?"
"The Crown Prince will naturally remain to oversee the country."
Jebtsundamba nodded. From their expressions, he had already discerned the answer; it was indeed related to the Buddhist disciple.
Kangxi's gaze was fixed on Jebtsundamba Khutuktu, and the air in the tent seemed to become stagnant because of the solemn atmosphere.
Seeing that he had guessed some of the clues, Kangxi stopped beating around the bush and asked directly, "Living Buddha, I have heard of a method that can closely link an individual's fortune with the fate of the Qing Dynasty, thereby erecting a barrier over the territory of the Qing Dynasty to keep out all those unknown outsiders. Is this feasible?"
Upon hearing this, Jebtsundamba Khutuktu's face showed a moment of surprise. After a brief moment of contemplation, the Living Buddha nodded slightly: "Your Majesty, this technique does indeed exist. Theoretically speaking, it is not a myth that one person's fate can bear the calamity of the entire nation and build a protective barrier."
The tone shifted, and Jebtsundamba's expression grew even more solemn: "However, Your Majesty, the difficulties and dangers of this matter are beyond imagination. First and foremost, the person who can be bound to the fate of the nation is no ordinary person. They must possess an extremely pure and unyielding destiny, and be blessed by the heavens and earth. Such a candidate is one in a thousand years. In all my life, I have seen only His Highness the Crown Prince who stands out."
Seeing the increasingly grim expressions on their faces, Jebtsundamba Khutuktu seemed to understand something.
"Furthermore, even if a suitable candidate is found, creating the barrier to block evil forces will inevitably consume one's own lifespan. How can an ordinary flesh and blood body withstand such a loss?"
Moreover, a ceremony that so tightly binds an individual's fate to the destiny of the nation is extraordinary; I have only heard of it, but it is truly beyond my ability to perform.
Good news, the method works; bad news, the method doesn't work.
After listening, Kangxi unconsciously tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his chair, his eyes growing increasingly deep. No matter what, he had to find a way to replace Shi Zhan.
If Jebtsundamba Khutuktu is not an option, then he will gather all the talented and extraordinary people in the world. As for sacrificing his lifespan, as long as it's not for ensuring success, he would be willing to sacrifice anyone else.
Regarding the concept of destiny, Kangxi looked directly at Jebtsundamba Khutuktu and asked in a deep voice, "I am the ruler of a country and the master of the world. Can I be considered to have a destiny that is blessed by heaven and earth?"
Jebtsundamba Khutuktu was surprised. He clasped his hands together and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty is inherently closely linked to the fate of the nation, and naturally possesses the destiny that meets the requirements. However..."
"That's fine then!"
Kangxi interrupted him directly, saying that for the sake of preserving the dynasty and for the sake of the Qing Dynasty, "I am in this position, and I must govern accordingly."
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