After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Zhu Yuanzhang still felt very eager to know about the future.
By learning from history, we can understand the rise and fall of dynasties. Now, with a way to directly glimpse the future, we can at least avoid bad choices.
For example, that damned Emperor Xuanzong Zhu Yunwen, Old Zhu still feels lingering fear towards him.
The Prince of Xiang and his family faced death. He appeared cheerful as he ate zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), but deep down he was also grieving.
Now that Zhu Yunwen knows the foolish things he did, Zhu Yuanzhang spares the boy's life out of respect for the crown prince, ensuring that he will never have another chance to touch power.
Liu Xian didn't care what the emperor was thinking; she only cared that she had achieved her goal. Satisfied, she nodded and then made her request:
"Your Majesty is wise. I am about to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation, but before that, there is a Human Tribulation that needs to be removed first."
Human calamity?
They understood that Liu Xian wanted the emperor's help in dealing with this so-called "human calamity," but Liu Xian did not explain what the human calamity was.
The others were puzzled. Zhu Yuanzhang seemed to have thought of something. After pondering for a while, he ordered everyone else to leave.
"Wait, the Crown Prince and... the Prince of Yan, please stay behind."
Before the group that had obeyed the order to leave had taken more than a few steps, Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated and added another sentence.
These words stirred up a tidal wave in the hearts of these nobles!
The emperor dismissed them, clearly not wanting them to know about the conversation between Liu Xian and the emperor, but he also kept the crown prince and the Prince of Yan behind.
The Crown Prince is the rightful heir, so it's understandable that he stays behind. But the fact that the Prince of Yan also stays behind leaves room for others to speculate about the Emperor's intentions.
A fierce battle is about to begin. Who will win and who will lose? Some princes have already begun to consider whether to place a bet and gamble on whether their family can gain merit in supporting the emperor.
After everyone left, Zhu Yuanzhang ignored his two sons, seemingly treating them merely as decorations, and looked directly at Liu Xian.
"When you say 'human tribulation,' are you referring to the Dao Alliance? They've been making quite a few moves."
In recent years, as the belief in Liu Xian has spread, the Dao Alliance has also become increasingly assertive, resorting to various methods every now and then to disgust people without actually killing them.
For example, it is claimed that Liu Xian was a disciple of a certain Taoist deity, and that he was guided by the deity to descend to the mortal world to cultivate.
Many people actually believed it, and even went so far as to add their own interpretations and elaborate on the story.
Other things, such as tarnishing the reputation of the Liuxian Temple and secretly robbing believers, are commonplace.
Liu Xian said with a half-smile:
"Your Majesty, why ask a question you already know the answer to? The power of the Daoist sects is considerable when they unite. Aren't many of your ministers at court at the beck and call of the Daoist sects?"
Taoist beliefs have been rooted for thousands of years, and their foundation is extremely vast. Even if Ling Xiao uses two methods simultaneously, it is impossible for him to deplete them in a short time.
There are also intangible things that cannot be compared to the newly established Liuxian Temple.
Now that she has reached a critical moment, she must eliminate any threat in advance to ensure that she has the best "timing", "location", and "people".
Zhu Yuanzhang choked for a moment, then said directly:
"I can intervene, but there must be a limit; I cannot afford to pay too high a price."
He set a bottom line, and his methods were simple: he used his power to intimidate people. From today onwards, he sent troops to seal off all the well-known Taoist sects, allowing entry but not exit.
However, the time limit only lasted until Liu Xian's tribulation ended, and only the gate was sealed; no other emperors were appointed.
Ling Xiao also understood that this emperor was blatantly putting the concept of equivalent exchange out in the open.
You get what you pay for; the emperor was only willing to pay this much in exchange for Liu Xian's "prophecy".
To Zhu Biao and Zhu Di, who were standing by like wallflowers, the emperor, who should have been majestic and awe-inspiring, and the immortal who should have been detached from the world, were actually haggling over every penny like merchants in the mortal world when it came to making deals.
Zhu Di had a sudden realization: anyone can be swayed by profit, the key is whether the profit is big enough.
After several rounds of back-and-forth negotiations, the conditions finally reached a level that satisfied Ling Xiao.
Liu Xian nodded without hesitation and said, "Deal."
The most tense part ended, and the atmosphere immediately eased.
"When does Your Majesty plan to use these two opportunities? My time to transcend tribulation is not far off."
The meaning is clear: if they don't act soon, this demon immortal will be too busy undergoing tribulation to fulfill the agreement.
"Not far, not far, it'll be at the morning court session in three days," Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, taking a sip of tea and smacking his lips.
Even Ling Xiao was a little curious. In the early morning court of the orthodox dynasty, there were no fewer than three or four hundred officials. How could Zhu Yuanzhang dare to listen to the prophecies of his descendants in front of so many people?
Aren't they afraid that some "scandalous things" will be exposed and made people laugh?
No way, no way, does he think his dynasty can last for thousands of generations? Otherwise, how can he be so confident?
The two men surnamed Zhu behind Zhu Yuanzhang were also shocked. What was their father going to do? Was he going to strip the Zhu family of its reputation?
Zhu Di was even more worried, knowing that the emperors to come would all be his descendants.
If some, well, not-so-wise emperor were to appear, wouldn't that also implicate him?
Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at their expressions, narrowed his eyes, and snorted:
"Countless dynasties have perished in history, and the Ming Dynasty was no exception. Knowing some of the circumstances of later generations can serve as a warning, and perhaps we can discover some problems early on, allowing the Ming Dynasty to last a little longer."
Oh, so you wanted to learn from your children and grandchildren to cross the river, to learn from their strengths and make up for your weaknesses. That's quite a bold idea.
Ling Xiao gave him a thumbs up, and then decided to choose two of the most bizarre emperors to open the eyes of their ancestors.
…………
Zhu Di returned to the palace with a heavy heart, only to run into his own wife, Lady Xu.
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