Chapter 787 The Imperial Advisor is Stunningly Beautiful (14)
The Emperor was not one to make things difficult for himself, and most importantly, he didn't want to wrong his Imperial Advisor. "Alright."
Lord Jiang breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly arranged for a carriage, and half an hour later, he was staying at the residence of the merchant surnamed Zhao.
After arranging things for the Emperor, the Imperial Preceptor, and all the other officials, Jiang also had to prepare food and arrange for maids to serve the Emperor and the Imperial Preceptor. In short, Lord Jiang was extremely busy.
Nothing happened that night. The next day, all the people in the city gathered in front of the altar, partly to look up at the emperor's face, as news of the emperor's arrival had already spread throughout Jizhou City.
Secondly, I wanted to catch a glimpse of the Imperial Advisor and witness his ability to summon wind and rain.
Despite the sweltering heat, their bodies drenched in sweat, and their lips chapped, not one of them left.
As noon approached, the Emperor and the Imperial Advisor finally appeared together.
The Grand Preceptor's twelve disciples went up to the altar and stood in their respective positions, then sat cross-legged.
The Emperor and the Imperial Advisor walked hand in hand onto the altar.
Ning Yan began setting up the altar; she had to put those things she had collected from the officials to the test.
So the officials and common people below watched as the Grand Preceptor conjured up items out of thin air, including but not limited to jade, gold, calligraphy and paintings, porcelain, and even tattered clothes and belts. They were all astonished and their mouths were agape!
The people below pushed forward one by one, eager to witness the miraculous act performed by the Imperial Preceptor!
Someone in the crowd shouted, "Is the Imperial Preceptor a fairy? Only fairies can conjure things out of thin air; that's what they write in the storybooks!"
This statement not only gained the approval of many ordinary people, but even the emperor, who heard the commotion, believed that his Grand Tutor was a fairy!
At noon, the master of ceremonies began to preside over the ceremony, and the second item on the agenda was the emperor's speech.
Ning Yan told him that most people wouldn't understand those flowery words, so he should speak more plainly so that they would understand his meaning better and be more grateful for everything he had done for them.
The Emperor, dressed in the Ming Dynasty dragon robe with the imperial sword hanging at his waist, stepped forward and spoke loudly: "Three days ago, I received a report from Prefect Jiang, who rushed to the capital. For more than three months, Jizhou and Tangzhou have not received a drop of rain. The farmland is parched and the rivers are dry. I am deeply concerned about the suffering of the people, so I have brought the Imperial Preceptor to Jizhou to set up an altar and pray to the heavens for rain!"
After speaking, he turned and took two steps to the side, making way for the desk behind the stage and the solemn and dignified Imperial Advisor.
Ning Yan straightens her index and middle fingers together, while bending the rest of her fingers naturally, and recites a spell:
"The Five Emperors and Five Dragons descended with light and wind."
It spreads its influence widely, assisting the Thunder God.
Of all the lakes and seas, water is the most important source of all things.
The divine mandate was given, and Chang Chuan obeyed.
Anyone who dares to disobey will be punished by the Thunder God.
"Hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"
After the incantation was finished, a talisman appeared in Ning Yan's hand. The talisman ignited without wind and turned into ashes.
Before the ashes could drift far away, the wind rose!
"Mother, the wind is picking up!"
It's so cool, it really looks like it's going to rain!
As the child spoke, the sky and earth changed color, and the once bright and clear sky grew darker and darker.
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a deafening roar of thunder!
Within a quarter of an hour, raindrops began to fall!
"Oh, it's raining, it's really raining!"
The crops are saved! We don't have to fight for water anymore!
The prime minister and others were the most clever; they took the lead in kneeling and shouting "Long live the emperor!" three times!
"Heaven has sent down sweet rain! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Imperial Preceptor!"
The people knelt willingly, shouting, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Imperial Advisor!"
Seeing that the rain was about to intensify, Ning Yan quickly led the Emperor down from the altar, into the carriage, and back to the Zhao residence.
No sooner had they entered the living room than the rain outside intensified. The people of Jizhou City jumped and danced with excitement in the rain, and the whole city rejoiced!
The rain continued until early in the afternoon. The Prime Minister sent people out to check the extent of the rainfall, the river level, and the water accumulation in the fields.
Soon the Minister of Agriculture returned to report that the drought had been severe, and the rain had finally filled the previously dry riverbed with water. Some land that had not yet been cultivated could be planted with seasonal crops after a few days of drying.
The rain covered a wide area, not only Jizhou, but also Tangzhou, Huaizhou and surrounding counties, which perfectly resolved the severe drought in the south.
In the following days, the emperor did not rush back to the capital. Instead, he led his men to Jizhou to observe the local conditions and inspect the river channels and embankments. He and the imperial advisor were warmly welcomed by all the people. The emperor did not show it on his face, but a sense of pride and ambition arose in his heart.
It turns out that his people are so easily satisfied. Their only wish is for a year of good weather and plenty of grain, so that they can save up some spare change and buy their grandson a pound of meat if he craves it.
After spending eight days in Jizhou, the emperor led his entourage on an inspection tour of six southern prefectures before finally returning to the capital at the end of August.
On the first morning after returning to the capital, the emperor issued an imperial edict to confer the title of empress.
The title of Empress was bestowed upon Daoist Zixu and Grand Preceptor Ning Yan.
No one in the entire court objected.
Soon Ning Yan received the imperial edict to be made empress.
The imperial edict was filled with every praise imaginable, lauding the Imperial Preceptor as unparalleled in heaven and earth. Ning Yan thought that Yuan Yan must have gone bald from racking his brains over this edict.
The wedding was set for October 16th, which was more than a month away, but the Emperor had already instructed the Ministry of Rites to make preparations, so the wedding was not rushed.
The happiest person in the whole world was the Empress Dowager.
Now that she has regained her youthful appearance, the Empress Dowager can't stop smiling every day.
Her son was getting married, and to a woman who was like a celestial imperial advisor. That brat was truly blessed with good fortune despite his foolishness. So the old lady began to clean out her private treasury again.
In the middle of the morning, eight large boxes of items were packed and delivered to the Imperial Preceptor's residence.
By the way, Ning Yan has moved out of the palace.
The former residence of King Cheng was converted into the residence of the Imperial Preceptor.
Ning Yan will stay here temporarily before the wedding.
Moving out of the palace has its advantages, such as making shopping much more convenient, but it also has its disadvantages, such as people frequently coming to your door asking for favors.
Upon seeing Ning Yan, Lord Zheng immediately knelt on the ground, his voice trembling with tears. "Imperial Preceptor, please help me! My daughter made an appointment with someone to go to Qiufeng Tower yesterday, but she didn't return by nightfall. The manor immediately sent people to look for her, but they couldn't find her."
"I have no other choice but to trouble the Imperial Preceptor."
He and his wife originally had three sons, and they had this precious daughter when he was thirty-two. The child was truly pampered and raised by their family. If something were to happen to the child, not to mention his wife, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to bear it.
Ning Yan looked at the pile of gift boxes brought by this high-ranking official of the third rank and spoke directly:
"Give me her birth date and time. If you don't have it, just write down any character."
"Yes, yes, yes, I remember my daughter's birth date and time."
Lord Zheng reported his daughter's birth date and time.
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