Chapter 2994: Frankness (Reward for the book friend "vivi涵笑")
The prince turned to look at Bai Shan and shook his head again, "She's a little old. If she were three or four years younger, she would look like him. Although you are also good-looking, the most suitable one should be Yang Heshu. He was a man of extraordinary appearance when he was young."
Bai Erlang couldn't help but shout, "Prince, are you reading some random books?"
The prince glanced at him calmly. Bai Erlang shrank his neck, but he was still a little unconvinced. "You read miscellaneous books yourself, why did you confiscate my books?"
The prince looked away and said coldly, "The Lost Records is not considered a miscellaneous book."
After these words were spoken, not to mention Bai Erlang and Bai Shan Zhouman, even Tang He couldn't help but look down on the prince. Just read miscellaneous books. Who didn't read a few books of strange stories and wonders when they were young... Oh no, it's miscellaneous books.
Even now, Tang He would read it, so it is not shameful to read miscellaneous books, but it is shameful to read them and not admit it.
The only book that clearly identifies Taibai as the son of the White Emperor and a young man of extraordinary appearance is the miscellaneous book "Shiyi Ji" written over two hundred years ago.
The Crown Prince said, "Even if you don't read 'The Lost Records', most people would consider Taibai a man, a warrior with a sharp sword. Not to mention Zhou Man, even Bai Shan wouldn't be suitable. We have to find one among the army. But what special significance does Taibai have? Do you want to be him?"
Tang He quickly explained, "Your Highness, that was a long time ago. After the founding of this dynasty, the people generally believed that Taibai was a woman dressed in yellow, wearing a cockscomb on her head, and holding a pipa. This is recorded in detail in the 'Seven Stars Disaster Prevention Technique'. In it, she is in charge of virtual disasters and diseases. Your Majesty and the ministers at court are also familiar with this."
The prince: "...Isn't that a book on Tantric Buddhism? Zhou Man, don't you believe in Laozi and Zhuangzi? Why did you convert to Buddhism?"
Zhou Man scratched his head and said, "As long as it makes sense, it's not impossible."
The prince despised her, thinking her faith was weak, "Is it convenient?"
"Hey, whether it is Taoism or Buddhism, they can encompass everything. Didn't Tantric Buddhism also define Taibai?" Bai Shan was very open-minded. If Tantric Buddhism could set the image of Taibai, why couldn't they create another one?
He also urged Zhou Man, "You can't play the pipa, why don't we just tell people that Taibai was holding the zither?"
Zhou Man was indeed moved.
Prince: ...
He was in no hurry to go to the front yamen, so he simply turned around and looked at them seriously, "Why do you want to be Taibai?"
Bai Shan was about to speak when Zhou Man stopped him and explained himself.
When the prince heard that it was to promote the Medical Bureau, he fell into deep thought.
The Crown Prince was in charge of the Imperial Medical Bureau from the beginning, and even now, the superior-subordinate relationship between him and the Imperial Medical Bureau still exists, so...
He thought about it and felt that it would be okay to let her be a deity for a while, but...
"You should know when to stop and be careful of backlash," he said. "Throughout history, matters involving gods and ghosts have always ended badly."
Zhou Man's eyes widened. "That's not the case, is it?"
The prince glanced at them with disdain and said, "Not really? Humph, immortals in the mortal world will either be exposed in the end, or they will achieve enlightenment and ascend to heaven."
Attaining enlightenment and ascending to heaven = death.
Zhou Man thought for a moment and said, "I will try my best to avoid the first option. As for the second option, Your Highness, everyone is mortal. Perhaps I can live to be a hundred years old before achieving enlightenment and ascending to heaven."
Prince: "...as long as you are happy."
But why did he have to know the secret of such a calculation? Although a little troubled, the prince was still a little happy, so he gave her a suggestion, "Don't spread it too far. Find a few trustworthy people to go to some remote rural areas to spread the word, and don't do anything else. If it's just a rumor, well, if it gets out of hand, you can just spread it again."
Zhou Man and Bai Shan were delighted to see that he actually agreed. Bai Erlang even said, "Don't worry, Prince. We have a lot of experience with this. She used to be a fairy under the Taishang Laojun in our village."
The prince looked at Zhou Man suspiciously. So you have a criminal record?
Bai Shan quickly said, "This wasn't spread by her. It's because she was smart and learned medicine quickly since she was young, so the nearby villages had some speculation."
"Yes," Bai Erlang sighed, "We all believed it when we were little. She believed it herself, too. If we ran into trouble, we would secretly perform rituals, hoping that the Jade Emperor in Heaven would help us."
The prince: "...you also know how to perform rituals?"
"I know a little, but it's mainly Dao and Daoxu who do it." Bai Erlang thought of the eggs they gave to Dao and Daoxu for the ritual. They were all taken from their small farm. As a result, they secretly burned incense and performed shaman dances behind the Taoist temple, but in the end they failed to get Taishang Laojun to perform a miracle.
Bai Erlang glanced at Bai Shan and Zhou Man.
When they were young, he and Zhou Man both believed that she was the reincarnation of a fairy, but Bai Shan didn't believe it at all. But for some reason, he and Zhou Man didn't believe it so much when they grew up, but Bai Shan began to believe it again.
The prince suppressed his laughter and nodded to them, saying, "It's good that you have experience."
He then warned, "Don't tell anyone else about this. Just a few of us will know about it."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and Zhou Man didn't plan to tell anyone else. Well, His Majesty is the highest superior, so it is enough to tell him.
But he is not someone else, he is the prince's father!
The prince didn't expect that Zhou Man was planning to tell his father. He held back his laughter and led them to meet Governor Guo and others in front.
Governor Guo had already been waiting in the front yamen with officials from the governor's office and county magistrates. When he saw the prince coming out with Bai Shan and Zhou Man, he sighed inwardly and had a new understanding of the degree of favor the two of them enjoyed.
When the prince met so many people this time, he had only two things in particular to give instructions. One was the salt-drying method and salt fields; the other was the promotion and popularization of the medical department. He hoped that all counties could provide assistance.
Especially the salt fields, which involve national politics and require special attention.
Of course, the Medical Department is also very important, as it concerns people's livelihood.
Everyone just thought that the prince was partial to Bai Shan and Zhou Man and didn't think much about it. Anyway, they agreed to it in front of him and would talk about the rest later.
Zhou Man received support and took advantage of the situation to apply for some money and convenience from Governor Guo, then went home to write a letter to the emperor.
That's right, she didn't write a memorial, but a letter.
She felt that it was shameful to advertise herself as a fairy. She was no longer a child. When she was a child, her neighbors talked about it so much that she had the illusion that she was the reincarnation of a fairy. But now she has grown up and she clearly knows that she is not Taibai, but she is going to pretend to be Taibai.
But Koko said that it was a star, not a person, and there was no one on it, so she accepted it quite quickly.
The letter was sent back to the capital along with Mingda's letter. She wrote back to report her safety and to tell the emperor and empress that the prince had already left Qingzhou. She and her husband would stay in Qingzhou for the summer vacation and would not continue to go south with the prince.
The letter was quickly delivered to the capital. The emperor opened the letter from his beloved daughter first. After reading it and missing his daughter, he picked up Zhou Man's letter and opened it.
See you tomorrow
(End of this chapter)
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