Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Do the people in the Secret Buddha Temple know about this?
Of course I know.
Not only do I know it, I'm also very anxious.
Why?
Of course, because they are all big liars and cheats, how could they not know what elixirs are?
Pills usually contain erysipelas, and the more effective the pills are, the more erysipelas they contain.
But generally speaking, colleagues won’t tell others.
Moreover, the poisonous effects of different elixir recipes are also different and cannot be generalized, which will allow people to take advantage of loopholes.
The magicians of the Secret Buddha Temple were able to gain the emperor's trust because they used secret incense that contained a small amount of poison.
The preparation of this secret incense is extremely difficult and can make people clear-headed and relaxed.
Ever since the Secret Buddha Hall was moved into the palace, it looked like they were performing rituals, but in fact they were just secretly making secret incense.
Of course, all this effort has its benefits.
For example, when they built a secret Buddhist temple in the imperial palace, they collected a large amount of gold and silver, and the crime was blamed on a minor official.
Not only that, the handling of various rituals requires the contribution of precious magic weapons. These magic weapons are nothing more than gold and silver objects, which are both gorgeous and valuable.
In addition to their status in the emperor's heart, it is no exaggeration to say that they live a life of luxury.
The only bad thing was that Crown Prince Li Shoufu and others opposed the emperor's superstition about Buddhism, saying that it was of no benefit to the people and could not be made public.
Although the old emperor disdained these things, he was still concerned about his reputation and was unwilling to make it public.
If they were no longer in the secret Buddhist temple, but could walk out openly.
Then your reputation and status will be greatly improved.
The monks in the Secret Buddha Temple had a feeling that as the emperor trusted them more and more, they might not be confined to the small palace.
The existence of Mixiang indeed made the emperor trust them immensely.
They could also comfort the emperor by reciting Buddhist scriptures on weekdays.
The Secret Buddha Hall has a steady mind and a steady hand. They prepare the best incense for the emperor and try their best to ensure the emperor's health.
After all, they will only be taken seriously if the emperor is in better health.
In the past two years, the secret incense has become less effective, so the Secret Buddha Hall has taken out the secret incense with an increased dosage. However, their secret incense is just a tonic.
To put it bluntly.
They cared more about the emperor's health than the imperial doctors.
The honor and disgrace of the monks in the Secret Buddha Temple all depend on the emperor.
As luck would have it, the emperor has been in better health in recent years, and this is also the reason.
After Ji Yuan knew these things, he thought that these so-called mages should change their names to health masters.
But think about it again.
If the imperial doctors came to treat the emperor, he might not listen, or he might think the effect was too slow.
Wrapped in a layer of metaphysics, the emperor was willing to listen to everything and try everything.
Anyway, the people in the Secret Buddha Temple are very anxious.
They were anxious to see the living Buddhas' prescriptions for elixirs.
After all, we are in the same industry. If I can see the recipe, I will know whether there will be any problems with the pill.
But will the living Buddhas give it to you?
Of course not.
The two sides began to compete secretly.
The monk of the Secret Buddha Hall in the palace has been with the emperor for a long time and they have some affection for each other.
The living Buddhas living in the palace were far away, and the reputation of the elixir was too bizarre. The elixir was even directly named "God and Buddha Pill".
Just hearing this name made the old emperor salivate.
The emperor trusted them so much even though the elixir hadn't even been made yet.
If this elixir really has some effect, then is there any place for their Secret Buddha Temple to stand?
So the Secret Buddha Temple is anxious.
The best way is to expose the conspiracy of the so-called living Buddhas.
But do they dare to expose it?
Definitely not.
They can't just say that the pill is poisonous. If they do, what will happen to their own pills?
This matter is quite like the emperor's new clothes.
So I thought about it.
There is only one way.
That is to show more powerful skills, at least better than the living Buddhas.
It was not until the end of August that Ji Yuan finally saw the Secret Buddha Temple take action.
They didn't know how they persuaded the old emperor to hold a ritual on the first day of September.
This ritual was semi-public, with the purpose of praying for the emperor.
They also wanted to celebrate the emperor's gift from heaven. They wanted to formally tell the gods and Buddhas about this great event and ask for their blessings.
This attitude made the old emperor very satisfied.
He felt that the monks in the Secret Buddha Temple were very sensible, and that if the monks and living Buddhas on both sides worked together, he would definitely be able to achieve immortality.
The old emperor now holds the right-handed conch in his hand and never lets it go for a moment.
He also felt that the right-handed conch had a strange feeling. As long as he kept it by his side, it would make him full of energy. He even favored his concubine again and went to the Qinzheng Hall to work.
This feeling is really great.
It’s like being young again.
The more the old emperor acted like this, the more anxious the Secret Buddha Hall became and the more they wanted to do something.
When Ji Yuan heard Nie Shiming say this, he couldn't help but ask, "Is the Secret Buddha Hall no longer a secret?"
"Since the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, they have been entering the palace repeatedly. We can no longer hide it."
The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is on August 15th.
Today is August 25th. It's only been ten days, but I can't sit still anymore.
We may even have to take some major measures.
From this we can also see that the living Buddhas living in the palace do have some abilities and can fool the emperor around.
Nie Shiming was also waiting for an assignment. When he had nothing to do, he would come over and chat with Ji Yuan and Cai Fenglan.
Most of the things in the court were heard from him.
This is not difficult to guess. It is most likely that Prime Minister Li released the news through the Minister of Personnel. The Minister of Personnel is Nie Shiming's uncle, and the news is spread very quickly.
"So the emperor should have important officials present at this ritual, saying that they can all enjoy the blessings of the gods and Buddhas."
In fact, I just want to silence those who oppose me.
Let the officials see what a miracle is. After seeing it, they will definitely not object anymore.
I guess this is also the mages' rhetoric.
No matter what, the monks in the Secret Buddha Temple obviously no longer want to stay behind the scenes and want to enjoy the praise of the world like the Living Buddha.
"It can't be me, right?" Ji Yuan said.
Unexpectedly, Nie Shiming actually nodded: "Yes, you are one of them."
Cai Fenglan also realized something: "Your Majesty, does this mean that Ji Yuan will be the head of the Rubber Department?"
If he were sent out, he would not be allowed to participate in such a secret sacrificial ceremony.
Even Nie Shiming's uncle was unable to participate in this ceremony.
Nie Shiming conveyed the message on behalf of Prime Minister Li, and the meaning of his words was the same.
Let Ji Yuan be mentally prepared.
Ji Yuan just smiled and said nothing more, "I will be ready."
Cai Fenglan couldn't help but think that during this period of time, Ji Yuan was indeed making preparations. On the one hand, he was writing about how to cultivate wheat seeds, and on the other hand, he was planning the construction of steam engines. He also said that it would be best to find a new type of material for road construction.
This is the preparation for Jiyuan, the preparation for going to the northwest.
The emperor said that he wanted Ji Yuan to stay in the capital just to make money for himself, which was simply ridiculous.
But the emperor is being ridiculous for more than just this one thing.
On the first day of September, Ji Yuan was invited to attend the grand sacrificial ceremony at the Secret Buddha Temple, and he even brought official uniforms specifically for the sacrificial ceremony.
It is said that these clothes have been blessed and consecrated by the Secret Buddha Temple personally, and they are extremely beneficial to the body after wearing them.
The first thing Ji Yuan did when he got the clothes was to look inside. If you smell it carefully, you will find that the clothes have a faint fragrance.
This fragrance is slightly lighter than the incense burned in the Emperor's Diligent Government Hall, but they are clearly from the same source.
Ji Yuan just felt it was unlucky, so he left the dog outside to ventilate until the smell went away.
It’s easy to imagine that there is no secret method. It’s most likely the effect of the medicine.
It seems that the Secret Buddha Temple is indeed anxious and wants to win over more people to believe in them.
This was the first official counterattack by the Secret Buddha Hall against the living Buddhas.
September 1st.
Ji Yuan put on his official uniform that had been hung out to dry, and the smell of the fragrance was no longer on his body.
It was not until he arrived at the palace that he understood what Nie Shiming meant when he said that only a very small number of officials were invited this time.
This was the first time the emperor took his subjects to the Secret Buddha Temple, so the occasion must have been extra grand.
Headed by the Emperor, followed by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Five Princes, as well as Duke Xie and Duke Zhao.
There were also Prime Minister Li, Grand Secretary Chu, and two other Grand Secretaries, Grand Secretary Zhang, the Minister of Punishments, and Grand Secretary Liu, the Minister of Rites.
Ji Yuan was not unfamiliar with these people. After all, he sat next to them at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.
Everyone was not surprised to see Ji Yuan coming.
Among all the young officials in the court, only Ji Yuan stood out.
The emperor also intended to let Ji Yuan be in charge of one of the treasury's money bags, so he naturally attached great importance to him.
The ministers of the Jiyuan Dynasty saluted.
Because it was a small gathering, everyone's attitude towards Ji Yuan was very clear.
The two dukes were obviously friendly. They both wanted to marry their daughters to Ji Yuan, so that Ji Yuan would be a member of the royal family from then on.
Those who had a good attitude included the Crown Prince Li Shoufu, the Minister of Justice and others.
As for those with bad attitudes, they must be the Fifth Prince, Grand Secretary Chu, and Minister of Rites Lord Liu.
When Ji Yuan had just won the top spot in the imperial examination, Lord Liu tried his best to marry his granddaughter to Ji Yuan, but Ji Yuan would rather run away to Ning'an Prefecture than get married, which was quite a joke.
Even if it was only Lord Liu's unilateral wish, Ji Yuan's silence was a lack of respect. In addition, he stood on the side of Grand Scholar Chu, so naturally he hated him.
The atmosphere on the field was a bit awkward.
Ji Yuan discovered another problem.
The secret fragrance on his official uniform was removed, but it was still on everyone else’s, and the effect was the same for him among them.
No wonder a room full of older officials still have time to quarrel.
But didn't anyone else notice this obvious problem?
Not likely.
The eldest grandson of the emperor, who arrived last, whispered, "They all know, but they don't mind."
"I even like Mika."
The emperor's eldest grandson came over dressed in a tight outfit, and it seemed that he had just come from the training ground.
Ji Yuan was startled and quickly saluted.
Speaking of which, the last time I saw the emperor's eldest grandson, he was only eleven years old. Now he is fifteen or sixteen years old, and he is obviously a little more mature.
Just a little bit.
Ji Yuan did not respond to this, but simply said, "Meet the eldest grandson of the emperor."
"You're welcome." The eldest grandson of the emperor said, "Anyway, this thing is really disgusting, just don't touch it."
Young people naturally disdain the dense fragrance that can refresh the mind and increase physical strength.
Especially the emperor's eldest grandson who loves martial arts.
But others are different.
Even the prince was not too opposed to it.
No wonder the Secret Buddha Temple has existed for so long.
If it weren't for the appearance of the Living Buddhas, the Secret Buddha Hall would probably have made everyone intoxicated by the secret fragrance in these subtle ways.
This secret Buddhist temple does things in a safe and stable manner and uses medicines in a restrained manner.
Ji Yuan smiled.
It seems that finding a "competitor" for the Secret Buddha Temple was the right choice.
The emperor's eldest grandson is right.
The people here, even the crown prince and Prime Minister Li, are not averse to Mixiang.
One is that the emperor has been using it for a long time and the side effects are not serious.
Second, this thing has always been precious and is not easily taken out.
This time, the sacrificial uniforms were fumigated with dense incense, which gave everyone who received the uniforms a pleasant surprise.
Even the emperor thinks it smells good.
They are using it, so of course it’s right.
It turns out that this secret Buddhist temple sacrifice was intended to win over court officials and regain the emperor's trust.
Ji Yuan was standing at the end of the team. Just as he was about to get on the carriage prepared by the palace, the eldest grandson in front of him called out to him, "Ji Yuan, would you like to ride in the same carriage with me?"
The emperor's eldest grandson is four or five years younger than Ji Yuan, and is very interested in things outside the capital. He most likely wants to ask what Ning'an Prefecture in Dianzhou Prefecture looks like.
Ji Yuan naturally agreed. All the way to the palace, the emperor's eldest grandson's face was full of surprise.
"Can we reach the sea through the river in Ning'an Prefecture?"
"When you reach the ocean, there are still many isolated islands, and even more land?"
“It turns out that the world outside is so vast.”
The emperor's eldest grandson was still shocked by what Ji Yuan had said about overseas events when the carriage arrived at the palace.
This made him feel quite regretful. It would be great if he could go abroad to have a look.
But now, the emperor's eldest grandson needs to cheer up. He doesn't believe in any magicians or living Buddhas.
You must see what tricks these people are playing.
But in the end, the eldest grandson of the emperor still pulled Ji Yuan aside and said, "Let's talk about this again when we have time. Is overseas really that interesting?"
Ji Yuan nodded.
Of course it's interesting.
Potatoes, corn, rubber trees, sweet potatoes, each one is interesting.
The conversation came to an end and Ji Yuan caught up with the team.
The palace is finally about to begin.
He wanted to see what this secret Buddhist temple was.
This palace is located on the outskirts of the capital. It was originally unremarkable and the old emperor did not like the scenery here very much.
But after the palace was rebuilt five or six years ago, the old emperor began to come here often.
Now everyone knows that a secret Buddha temple was built inside so that the monks of the secret Buddha temple can live there.
The old emperor came over from time to time just to see the wizards.
I heard that every time you come out, you feel relaxed and refreshed.
Ji Yuan thought, this is psychotherapy and drug treatment?
Looking at the environment inside, as soon as you enter the palace, you can smell bursts of fragrance, which is the real fragrance of flowers, both elegant and refreshing.
Indeed, this kind of environment really makes people feel happy.
If I remember correctly, these well-proportioned scenes were all designed by Mr. Cheng.
Walking along the corridor inside, the road begins to change. There are symbols of secret Buddha everywhere, and many places are inlaid with scriptures, which makes people feel mysterious and ethereal.
Until we stepped into the square in front of the main hall, this place is very large and can easily accommodate hundreds of people. The white altar looks solemn and dignified.
The main hall gate opposite is even more majestic, with a group of gods and Buddhas glaring at it, which makes people can't help but perk up.
What a beautiful palace, what a beautiful secret Buddhist temple.
From the outside, it looks like just a temporary palace of the emperor.
In fact, the carved beams and painted buildings inside are so shocking that ordinary people can never imagine.
The hidden Buddhist temple is truly shocking.
Fortunately, the officials here all hold high positions, so Ji Yuan could not recover from his trance for a long time staring at these Buddha statues.
His expression made the emperor and everyone in the Secret Buddha Hall very satisfied.
When Ji Yuan looked away, he still saw the emperor's eldest grandson's look of disbelief.
era?
Is Ji Yuan also going to be bewitched?
Of course not.
Ji Yuan was just calculating how much silver would be needed to build such a magnificent building.
Sir Cheng, at which step did you go wrong that you were punished like that?
Why does he go crazy when he sees incense and candles?
Because of all these gods and Buddhas?
This is just outside the temple.
What if we enter the temple?
However, Lord Cheng was demoted to Ning'an Prefecture before the renovation of the Secret Buddha Hall was completed.
So who is doing the subsequent projects?
Is there a situation like the Cheng family?
Ji Yuan didn't know, he just smiled at the emperor's eldest grandson and then looked away.
The old emperor looked at his ministers with a smile, then turned to look at the mage and said, "Mage Jin, let's begin."
In the past few years, the Secret Buddha Hall has only performed rituals twice a month, apart from the secret incense. Although the old emperor feels better than before, there has not been much change.
If not, we would not seek other ways to achieve immortality.
The appearance of the Living Buddha made them show their true abilities.
The old emperor was happy to see this kind of fight.
It was like seeing the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince fighting each other.
It seems his balancing act has always been useful.
Soon, the ritual in the Secret Buddha Hall officially began.
On the towering white altar, there appeared a group of monks, chanting Buddhist scriptures, which could be heard from the platform down, making people feel as if they were surrounded by the Buddhist sounds.
The old emperor saluted first, and the people behind him naturally followed.
The sacrifice is about to begin.
The wizard in a golden and red robe slowly stepped forward. The torch in his hand first ignited without fire, and then he placed it in the center of the altar.
If Cai Fenglan were here.
He will definitely find out that this action has been done before in the era.
Torches lit the altar, and then the door of the house opened.
And here, what slowly opened was the door to the main hall of the Secret Buddha Temple.
A scent even fresher than the dense fragrance wafted towards him. Even if Ji Yuan held his breath, he could still smell the fragrance, which made his whole body shudder. Then his expression relaxed, as if he was immersed in the quiet air.
Everyone subconsciously looked inside the hall.
Light the altar and the Buddhist gate will open.
If you look further inside, you will find that the hall is filled with a fairy-like aura and an indescribable fragrance.
The old emperor walked inside subconsciously.
The master was surprised and fell to the ground, kneeling down to worship the towering Buddha statue in the hall.
"My Buddha has appeared."
"My Buddha has appeared!"
The five monks here knelt down together, then formed a circle, chanting secret scriptures. It is said that only their branch can understand this secret scripture.
The purpose is to communicate with gods and Buddhas.
It was all so bizarre and shocking, as if a miracle had happened.
How did such a huge palace door open by itself, and where did the fairy air come from?
As the monks finished reciting the scriptures, the Buddha statue emitted a faint red light and then disappeared.
The young monk next to him said, "The Buddha is coming. It is the Buddha who is coming."
After saying this, he also knelt at the feet of the Buddha statue, and the warmth of the gods and Buddhas seemed to still remain in his hands.
A young eunuch hurried over, also lying on the ground, to touch the edge of the Buddha statue.
Warm.
Is the Buddha coming?!
This miraculous scene made everyone excited.
Now even the old and experienced ministers could not sit still, and the fragrance just now seemed to make them immersed in this world.
The sound of Buddhist scriptures in my ears became clearer and clearer, making me believe that the gods and Buddhas had descended.
Ji Yuan watched coldly.
It seems that the steam door opening method he gave privately was improved by the other party.
Improvements in all aspects, including vision, hearing and smell.
In modern times, it can still be said to be an excellent live interactive performance.
In this context, it is a thoroughly feudal and superstitious activity.
The people in this secret Buddhist temple must have been rehearsing for some time.
The door is opened with steam.
The smoke rises after cooling the boiler.
temperature?
Is there any need to say more?
The boiler must be under the Buddha statue.
And that dense fragrance is probably not a good thing either.
But it's probably not that dangerous.
The people in the Secret Buddha Temple were not brave enough to directly poison the people present.
After all this trouble, the old emperor has become convinced of the wizards' abilities.
But the mages' faces changed drastically. They kept kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, muttering to themselves.
When the magicians presented the new elixir, the old emperor couldn't help but ask, "You can also make elixirs?"
"No." The mages said, "I'm just telling you that this pill is poisonous."
"The gods and Buddhas are not happy, so there is a red light."
As soon as he finished speaking, the pill was crushed and placed into the silver container.
The silverware turned black in an instant.
It is poisonous indeed!
These magicians in the Secret Buddha Temple played tricks, and the final conclusion was, don’t eat the elixirs of the living Buddhas!
That's poisonous!
It’s really poisonous!
It’s better to use safe incense!
The old emperor's expression turned cold for a moment, and he was doubtful.
Looking at the black silverware, I thought of the miracle just now.
Ji Yuan sighed secretly in his heart.
Then look at the reactions of the people around you.
It seems that sentence is really true.
The people in the world who least wanted the old emperor to take pills casually were actually these evil wizards.
After all, the old emperor is really gone, and they have no one to rely on.
As fate would have it, they were truly loyal to the emperor.
Unfortunately, sometimes loyalty to the emperor is actually the wrong thing to do.
The emperor looked grim. On the one hand, he wanted to believe that the gods and Buddhas had descended, but on the other hand, he felt that the living Buddhas' elixirs were really useful.
In the end, which one should I believe?
"What kind of gods and Buddhas are coming?"
"Your Majesty! Don't be fooled by these messed up tricks!"
When everyone was silent, Ji Yuan stood up again and directly exposed it: "How can the smoke of gods and Buddhas be hot air?"
"And the Buddha's light is red."
"What was that fragrance just now? Are you trying to murder the emperor?"
Is this the era?!
Doesn’t he hate living Buddhas?
He also expressed his attitude at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.
That’s why they invited Ji Yuan over!
Ji Yuan pointed at the altar and said, "Your Majesty, I just took a look at the altar when others were not paying attention. It seems that there has been some tampering on the altar."
“That’s why it looks like a miracle has happened!”
"Your Majesty, please check it yourself."
ah?
What is this doing?
While everyone was still immersed in the miracle, Ji Yuan secretly went to the altar? And checked the situation?!
Li Shoufu reacted first: "Are you sure?"
"This is a crime of deceiving the emperor."
The prince also said: "If the Secret Buddha Hall really did this, it is really abominable."
Their faction has always disliked the Secret Buddha Temple, and now they have seized the opportunity.
The fragrance just now had dissipated a little at this moment, allowing everyone to gradually regain their senses.
The faces of everyone in the Secret Buddha Hall changed drastically.
They had just performed a perfect ritual.
How could the flaw be discovered?
Even the magical device was obtained by them by accident.
How could it be discovered?
What a pity, this kind of thing is like a magic trick. As long as one flaw is discovered, all the subsequent flaws will be exposed.
The guard who was ordered to check the altar shouted: "Your Majesty! There is a pipeline here!"
"There's a charcoal fire burning in the pipe, and there seems to be water underneath!"
When you light the charcoal fire on the surface, the charcoal fire underneath has actually been burning for a long time.
The temperature heats the water, and the hot air pushes the main hall door.
Then smoke was released, and the main hall looked like it was filled with fairy air. Soon, the red light of charcoal fire emerged, and the Buddha statue also became warm.
The old emperor looked at everything in disbelief, gritted his teeth and said, "Dig out the things from the altar for me! Quick!"
The emperor's eldest grandson looked at Ji Yuan.
Oh My God!
I thought he was going to be possessed!
How did he find out!
No matter how Ji Yuan discovered it!
This secret Buddhist temple was about to surface when it was about to be destroyed!
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