The furnishings inside the house were extremely simple, consisting entirely of furniture and items made from wood from the mountains.
Yinti was led by the fortune teller to sit cross-legged with the old man in front of a window.
"Go and pour the guest a cup of tea," the old man said.
"Thank you very much, sir!" Yinti looked at his white hair and beard, and his dignified appearance made him even more certain.
"Your Highness, please let this old man see your hand," the old man said.
Yinti quickly extended his hand to show the old man.
The old man repeatedly touched Yinti's palm, then looked at his face, and finally took out his own celestial divination chart and examined it.
"Your Highness, I am aware of your situation. I am afraid I cannot help you. Please return home." The old man bowed to Yinti.
"Why is this, sir? You must tell me." Seeing the old man's resolute attitude, Yinti was even more eager to know.
Beside him, the old man's apprentice had already placed two cups of camellia tea on the small wooden table. Seeing that his master seemed unwilling to say more, he said to him, "Master, the prince has a noble appearance. Why don't you give him some pointers?"
"Your Highness is born with a noble appearance, but there are people who are even more noble and prominent than Your Highness. If Your Highness wants to deal with that person, the risk is too great. I urge Your Highness to think twice," the old man advised.
Yinti pondered for a moment, then looked out the window at the bare rocks and the tender grass peeking out from among them. He withdrew his gaze and said, "Thank you, sir. But I am not the kind of prince who is idle and carefree. I would be grateful if you would be so kind as to give me your guidance."
The old man picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said to Yinti, "Does Your Highness really want to hear it?"
Yinti seemed to have made up his mind and nodded.
"Go outside and help me dry those firewood and herbs," the old man said to his disciple.
After the fortune teller left, leaning on his cane, Yinti said, "Although he is blind, he is no different from an ordinary person."
"It was precisely because I saw his cleverness that I took him as my apprentice. Although my apprentice's eyesight is failing, his judgment and actions are extremely accurate. If Your Highness could take him as your advisor, it would certainly be of great help to your great cause," the old man said.
“Very well, I also like him very much. So far, I have not inquired about his life or the name of his esteemed disciple.” Yinti asked.
“Mu Zhi, his surname is Gao, his given name is Tan, and his courtesy name is Mu Zhi,” the old man said.
“Gao Tan. May I ask your name, sir?” Yin Ti read it aloud.
"I am a hermit from the mountains, and I have long forgotten my own name and other worldly matters. However, they all call me 'Old Hermit of the Mountains.' If Your Highness is so kind, you may simply call me 'Old Man of the Mountains,'" the old man said.
“Very well, then I shall call you ‘Old Man Shan.’ Old Man Shan, do you think I’m destined to spend my whole life confined to the position of Prince Heshuo? In what way am I inferior to the Crown Prince? I don’t know what Father Emperor is thinking, giving him chances again and again,” Yinti said with dissatisfaction.
"Forgive my bluntness, but the current Crown Prince is a reincarnation of the Purple Star, destined to be the Crown Prince. If Your Highness wishes to usurp his throne, you must remove his destiny as Crown Prince!" Old Man Shan said, stroking his goatee.
"Please tell me frankly how to remove his title of Crown Prince," Yinti said.
"The Crown Prince was once deposed. Does Your Highness know why the current Emperor deposed the Crown Prince?" Old Man Shan asked.
"I'm not entirely sure about that. I only remember that when the second prince went to greet him, he did something that displeased Father Emperor. Also, when the eighteenth prince died, the crown prince was actually having fun with palace maids in the army. These two things made Father Emperor think that he was not a kind and filial person," Yinti said.
"Your Highness only described the surface appearance correctly, but did not reveal the Emperor's true intentions," said the old man.
"Please speak frankly, Elder Shan," Yin Ti said.
"The reason why the current emperor deposed the crown prince was because the crown prince was actually incompetent! But later he reinstated the crown prince, which puzzles many people. It is said that the current emperor is a very wise emperor, and he would not repeat the same mistake. But he still reinstated the crown prince who had long been disappointed. I think there must be some reason for this," said the old man.
Yinti nodded and said, "Actually, I also find it strange that Father Emperor suddenly reinstated him as Crown Prince. He was clearly deposed. What you said makes me even more puzzled."
"The Prince is the Emperor's eldest son and has made outstanding military achievements. There must be many people in the court who support the Prince, so why does the Emperor ignore them?" Old Man Shan continued.
"Indeed. I truly do not understand why Father Emperor treats me this way." Yinqi had long harbored resentment towards Kangxi, and now it was no longer undisguised.
“Your Highness, the Emperor’s affairs are beyond your control. But if Your Highness could go to this Ziwei Star, there might still be a chance,” said the old man.
"Please speak frankly, Elder Shan," Yin Ti said.
"Does Your Highness know of a medicine in this world that can cause hallucinations and even drive people mad?" the old man asked.
"I've heard of it. Is there really such a thing?" A look of surprise appeared in Yinti's eyes. When he thought that the Crown Prince was an obstacle to his future, he really wished he could get rid of him immediately, without caring about brotherly affection at all.
"Of course there is. If someone is given this drug and then cursed with magic, the person under the curse will die soon," the old man said.
Yinti's eyes widened, a glint of light flashing within them. He had long considered the Crown Prince his nemesis, and hearing such words now filled him with immense shock.
"Elder Shan, can such a secret technique eliminate the opponent without anyone noticing?" Yin Ti swallowed hard.
“Exactly. However, Your Highness, this kind of magic is very dangerous. It cannot be known by too many people. Once it is leaked, or too many people know about it, it will be easily broken, and then it will no longer be effective,” said the old man.
After pondering for a moment, Yinti asked again, "Elder Shan, is it possible to perform this spell on multiple people?"
A look of surprise flashed across Shan Lao's face, then he asked, "Does Your Highness have someone else you want to get rid of?"
Yinti nodded and said, "This person is a baby who is still being breastfed. I think this child is too extraordinary. If he grows up, he will surely become my enemy."
The old man nodded and said, "That's fine. As long as the birth date and time of the person to be cursed are engraved on the peach wood, the spell can be cast at the same time."
Yinti gritted his teeth and said, "After saying so much, will Elder Shan perform the ritual? If so, then it is truly Heaven's help to me, Yinti. If you and your disciple can fulfill my wish, then you will surely become my close ministers and my benefactors in the future."
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