Chapter 161
Chapter 161
The first day of the first lunar month in the forty-fourth year of Huayuan.
Before daybreak, the procession to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth set out from the imperial city.
Starting from Chengtian Gate, go all the way to the Temple of Heaven and Earth in the southern suburbs.
After a lapse of seven or eight years, the old emperor once again offered sacrifices to heaven and earth.
The news had already been released in advance, and many people were waiting on both sides of the road, hoping to get the emperor's favor.
There is another reason, which is to see the Living Buddha.
Everyone knew how the emperor's health was before, and now that he had suddenly gotten better, it naturally attracted attention.
The matter of the Living Buddha is not a secret, and many people have knelt on both sides, praying for the Living Buddha's blessings.
In just a few months, various Buddhist sects have emerged inside and outside the capital, including not only Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism, but also some secret Buddhist sects that appeared from nowhere.
In the past, Shuntian Prefecture would take care of it, but now it doesn’t.
If the emperor believes it, how can we control it?
Looking at the kneeling people, the emperor got out of his sedan chair and waved to everyone from the sixteen horse-drawn carriages.
This scene shocked the people of the capital.
Turns out it’s true.
After the emperor took the Shenfo Pill, his health really improved.
He looks ruddy and seems to have gained some weight.
If the emperor eats more, he will surely become a Buddha, right? He will surely be able to live forever, right?
Many people knelt on the spot, begging for a little grace.
Especially those who were sick or had patients at home, all knelt down and kowtowed.
It's truly a miracle.
The emperor is holding a magic weapon in his hand, so they must ask for one back, maybe it can help prolong their life.
Ji Yuan stood in the team, looking not very happy.
Fortunately, all the officials were marching forward in the wind and snow, and no one looked very good, so no one paid attention to him.
Ji Yuan looked at the jubilant emperor, then glanced at the three living Buddhas enshrined behind him, his eyelids drooping slightly.
As they walked all the way to the southern suburbs, the red light on the emperor's face became brighter and brighter. It was not only due to the effect of the elixir, but also because of the people's kneeling worship.
He hadn't enjoyed this feeling in a long time.
The more this happened, the more eagerly the emperor looked at the living Buddhas.
OK.
His health hasn't been this good for a long time.
In front of the Altar of Heaven and Earth, the Emperor, wearing extremely heavy sacrificial garments, slowly raised his head.
The Temple of Heaven and Earth still stands.
Just like him, he is still the emperor of Tianqi Kingdom.
The old emperor had a smile on his face, but his steps suddenly became unstable. Fortunately, the people around him supported him in time.
He got up early today. It was freezing cold, and he got out of the carriage again. His body was still very hot, and his legs and feet suddenly felt weak.
Living Buddha Terry quickly handed over the pill.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the old emperor swallowed the magic pill, then sniffed the right-handed conch in his hand, his expression showing satisfaction.
Prince, the Fifth Prince is watching.
The emperor's eldest grandson wanted to stop him, but he withdrew his hand.
The old emperor has never liked his eldest grandson, and the eldest grandson has very ordinary feelings towards his grandfather.
The eldest grandson of the emperor looked at the eyes of the people around him and tugged hard at his father's sleeve.
The prince retracted his gaze and sighed, "It is indeed the Living Buddha's elixir."
He is thirty-five this year, and although he doesn't need elixirs, he still feels emotional.
But does he really feel comfortable?
In fact, it is very contradictory.
On the one hand, his father no longer suspected him, which made him feel much better.
But on the other hand, he seemed to be getting further and further away from that position.
I don’t know if it’s because of the long wait, but the prince is almost used to it.
The other ministers, especially the veteran ones, looked at him with envy.
It seems that this divine pill is really useful.
The old emperor smiled and said, "Okay, after the sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven and Earth is over, I will reward you handsomely."
After saying that, the old emperor even glanced at Ji Yuan.
The meaning of this statement is self-evident.
The living Buddhas helped the old emperor to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.
And the old emperor will give corresponding rewards.
Give these people 50 million kilograms of good seeds.
No matter how hard the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of Revenue, and Ji Yuan tried.
For this sacrifice, everything returns to the starting point.
This time, the emperor has made up his mind to reward the living Buddhas.
The price is the hard work of all the people of Ning'an Prefecture.
Ji Yuan smiled and seemed to have compromised.
Many people in the court were calculating the price.
Is this appropriate?
It seems appropriate.
It's just the food grown by hundreds of thousands of people with hard work.
It's just transferring the good seeds of our people to other people.
In exchange, the most honorable person in the world can come to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth.
It’s really worth it.
But is it really worth it?
If he doesn't become emperor, will the world be ruined?
If he doesn't become the emperor, is there anyone else in the world who can become the emperor?
The snow is getting heavier today.
The sacrificial ceremony is still grand.
The booming ceremonial music, the burning incense and candles, the singing of praises by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, everything was so solemn.
The old emperor slowly stood up on the altar. He wanted to preside over the ceremony himself. He wanted to offer sacrifices to the gods of heaven and earth with his own hands!
He is indeed the son of God, which is why he is favored by the Living Buddha.
The old emperor held incense and candles in his hands, and a right-handed conch shell in his sleeve.
He is very familiar with this process.
Even though it had been eight years in the past, it had crossed his mind many times.
The old emperor took a deep breath, his whole body was filled with heat, and when the cold wind blew, the restlessness in his heart became more and more intense.
It feels like there is a fire burning inside the body.
It's so hot.
The old emperor looked at the others who were wrapped tightly in the wind and snow.
He seemed to be the only one who was hot.
The Shenfo Pill is really good.
The old emperor stood there and everyone around him looked at him.
It's time to move on.
What's wrong with the emperor?
The prince also looked over in confusion.
The prince had presided over three sacrifices and was familiar with the procedures.
Now is the time to step forward and kowtow.
What happened to father?
The three living Buddhas were also nearby and whispered, "Your Majesty, it's time to kowtow."
The old emperor didn't move. He heard someone talking, but he only felt the burning sensation in his chest.
The burning sensation made it hard for him to breathe or even move.
"emperor?"
Another gust of cold wind blew by.
The emperor had just taken a step forward to kowtow when he suddenly leaned forward and fell in front of the Altar of Heaven and Earth.
"emperor!"
"Father!"
"Someone! Hurry up and bring the imperial physician!"
"Where's the Shenfo Pill? Take another one!"
When Ji Yuan heard the last sentence, his expression became strange.
The people around him were panicked.
"Quick! Where's the Living Buddha? What's going on?!"
"Your Majesty?! Your Majesty?!"
"Someone come quickly!"
Everyone looked towards the high altar.
The emperor, dressed in heavy sacrificial robes, was submerged in the crowd. He was surrounded by countless people. He could not see outside, and the people outside could not see him.
Ji Yuan had only one sentence in his mind.
The crowd is too dense and does not comply with first aid standards.
But he just stood in the audience and watched.
People here don’t know whether it is a rule or not.
Just like the people here, they have no idea what the elixir does.
"Quick! Carry the emperor to the palace!"
The Temple of Heaven and Earth naturally has a palace for the emperor to rest.
It was originally just cleaned up hastily, as no one expected the emperor would actually stay there, so it was empty inside. Although it wasn't dilapidated, it wasn't in great shape either.
The Crown Prince followed closest, and the Fifth Prince was pushed by Scholar Chu and also walked forward.
The two brothers looked at each other, not knowing what to see in each other's eyes.
But there is one expression that is consistent.
Secretly happy.
A very secret joy.
The entire Temple of Heaven and Earth was in chaos.
"The emperor has been given acupuncture! Maybe he can be saved!"
After this sentence was spoken, the civil and military officials who were suffering from the cold in the court first breathed a sigh of relief, but then became confused again.
Your Majesty, can he be saved?
Is this a good thing?
When this happens suddenly, everyone will nod subconsciously, thinking it must be a good thing.
The emperor was rescued.
But when they calm down now, everyone has their own thoughts.
Ji Yuan followed the people from the Ministry of Revenue into the palace. At the moment, there was a panic inside and outside the palace. No one was busy preparing charcoal fire. The officials huddled together to keep themselves warm.
The court officials who used to be so arrogant among the people were now no different from ordinary people. Most people thought, well, no matter how sick the emperor is, he should also care about their well-being.
With this thought, more things came to mind.
Someone said, "How is the emperor now?"
After that, everyone seemed to have thought of something, their expressions immediately became nervous and worried, and they all muttered: "The emperor has the protection of heaven and earth, and he will definitely be able to turn danger into safety."
"Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, he will be fine."
"With the Living Buddha here, everything will be fine."
The emperor had been ill at the Temple of Heaven and Earth for less than a quarter of an hour. The court officials were panic-stricken at first, but then they calmed down and put on their masks again.
No matter what everyone was thinking, everyone looked worried at this moment.
Ji Yuan wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, and his expression was serious, but his words aroused everyone's thoughts.
"Hasn't the emperor taken the divine Buddha pill and is now healthy?"
"Why is it like this all of a sudden?"
“Is there something wrong with the Living Buddha?!”
There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Ji Yuan said.
Because since the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, he has been questioning the Living Buddha.
He was also the first to reveal the secret Buddhist temple.
Everyone seemed to suddenly realize what was going on, but they were still trying to cover it up, saying, "How could that be? After taking the elixir, the emperor's health clearly improved."
"Yes, everyone can see that the emperor's health has been restored by the Living Buddha."
"That pill is indeed somewhat useful."
These people's words seem to be trying to excuse the living Buddhas.
In reality, the emperor's body is closely linked to the living Buddha and elixir.
The Ministry of Revenue was the department of Grand Secretary Chu. When they heard Ji Yuan questioning the elixir, they quickly went to find Grand Secretary Chu.
Scholar Chu also took one before leaving!
But the person who came hurriedly was not Mr. Chu, but an unexpected person.
The emperor's eldest grandson.
The eldest grandson of the emperor went straight to Ji Yuan and asked, "Do you think it's the Living Buddhas' fault?"
Ji Yuan did not dodge and said directly: "Yes, they are backed by the Southwestern countries, especially the Hehui country. They are not of our race and their hearts must be different."
The emperor's eldest grandson widened his eyes.
yes.
Those are just some barbaric small countries, who knows what they have done.
"Come here! General Zhang, return to the capital immediately and arrest the Southwestern Barbarians first!"
"And all the living Buddhas, watch carefully, we can't let them escape!"
The sixteen-year-old eldest grandson of the emperor has always disliked these living Buddhas, but now he has found an opportunity.
Ji Yuan asked another question, a question that everyone was concerned about.
"How is the emperor's health?"
The eldest grandson of the emperor frowned in silence, and after a moment he said, "The imperial physician is still treating him."
"If you don't wake up tonight, you have to prepare."
As soon as these words came out.
Lengthy uproar.
Really? !
Your Majesty! ?
Has it really come to this?!
No wonder the emperor’s eldest grandson came out to give orders!
But how could this happen!
The emperor looked very healthy this morning!
He even stood on the carriage and greeted everyone.
Even though it was so cold and there was so much snow, he still had a rosy complexion and looked fatter than usual.
It shouldn't be like this!
And it’s never a good time to fall ill.
He fell down at the Altar of Heaven and Earth.
The emperor's eldest grandson came in a hurry and left in a hurry.
The ministers were left with stiff expressions, and countless thoughts exploded in their minds.
Last year, everyone thought that the emperor was very old and in poor health. Everyone was actually prepared, after all, the emperor had been ill for several years.
After September, the emperor took the elixir given by the Living Buddha and seemed to be getting better.
Although all the civil and military officials in the court found it unbelievable, they accepted this fact.
Now, there has been a sudden change.
Those who were fine in the morning, what about now?
Now just lie down!
He also said he might not survive the night!
What on earth is going on!
When the court officials gathered together, they talked a lot.
Anyway, no one cared about them, and the topics of conversation became more and more off-topic.
From the emergence of living Buddhas, to the secret techniques in the southwest, to the lion-like mouths of foreign races.
Someone else asked, "Is He Huiguo in a hurry to get the rice seeds and leave because of this?"
Everyone present is smart, and smart people can naturally connect everything from simple clues.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Maybe this was a scam from the beginning.
The southwestern countries learned from somewhere that the emperor wanted to prolong his life, so he brought in a living Buddha and some elixirs to temporarily replenish his energy.
What for?!
It must be the seeds of Champa rice!
Fifty million kilograms of seeds!
But I didn't expect that I would get out of hand. Taking too much good medicine will make you sick, let alone these pills made of unknown materials?
There is another point that no one has mentioned.
Perhaps according to the living Buddhas, it is not necessary to take such a large amount of elixirs.
But the emperor was anxious to offer sacrifices to heaven and earth, and to prove that he was in good health on New Year's Day, so this scene happened.
But these are all speculations, and no one can provide real evidence.
The court officials outside could all guess what was going on, and the grand secretaries following inside had already guessed the cause and effect.
Again, these are all speculations, and we don’t know what the specific situation is.
Considering the emperor's age and physical condition, it is possible that he suddenly fell ill.
In other words, Ji Yuan wanted to lead this matter to the elixir.
Scholar Chu was helped out by someone. His body was still hot, but his heart was cool.
He shouldn't!
You shouldn't have taken that pill!
Seeing the emperor eating well, everyone thought it was something delicious!
The emperor’s illness, is it related to the elixir?
I don’t know if it matters, but he’s feeling uneasy right now.
Even a shrewd person like Mr. Chu can be deceived by illusions, let alone other people.
If you want to blame someone, you can only blame the fact that the pill looks good!
Or maybe it's just that older people want to make themselves younger.
It’s just like modern elderly people buying health products.
Whether you are a farmer, a university professor, or an intellectual of any other kind, you cannot avoid being tempted by health products.
There was deathly silence in the inner hall.
The only sound was the busy work of the imperial physicians. They wiped the sweat from their heads and felt that the emperor's health had suddenly taken a turn for the worse, with all his meridians becoming confused.
It obviously wasn't like this before.
Ginseng soup and acupuncture were all of no use.
Only the head of the Imperial Hospital had his eyes downcast.
No matter how many times I tell you that pills are useless, you still don't believe it.
This is not the end.
There is no cure for medicine.
Now that something really happened, the Imperial Hospital had to accompany us.
Of course, he still looked anxious, but the needle in his hand was steady. He tried to make the emperor breathe more slowly, induce vomiting as much as possible, and then give him some detoxifying medicine.
The imperial doctors looked at the dean, only to see him slightly shaking his head.
"Prince," the emperor on the bed suddenly said. His breath was weak, but he could sense everything clearly.
He felt as if his internal organs were burning and rotting.
I don’t know if it’s the smell of the palace or the problem in his body, but one can smell the stench of decay.
The old emperor's soul seemed to be torn apart. He watched himself fall down in the Temple of Heaven and Earth, and looked at the people surrounding him, as well as his son's anxious eyes.
Until he was carried into the palace, and then there were the royal doctors surrounding him like flowing water.
Of course, there was also a dispute between the eldest grandson of the emperor and the crown prince.
His eldest grandson who had always been disliked said affirmatively: "It's a problem with the elixir. We should arrest the living Buddhas and the barbarians in the southwest!"
The prince said, "Take good care of your grandfather's health first, and we can talk about other things later."
"Besides, it may not be a problem with the pills."
The emperor's eldest grandson sneered and turned away.
The old emperor was in so much pain that he couldn't speak, but his brain knew what the conversation meant.
It is easy to capture the living Buddhas. They are right here and we can just lock them up.
The barbarians in the southwest lived in the capital, sixteen small countries, with a few hundred people.
If you want to catch them, you need soldiers.
As the eldest grandson of the emperor, he wants to gather soldiers and generals to control the capital.
Good plan, good means.
He even began to appreciate it a little.
His son, his prince still believed that he would get better and that the rest would be dealt with later.
The prince is confused!
But think about it again, the prince was not like this when he was young.
It took more than ten years of hard work for me to become an excellent son.
So he tried hard to speak and called out "Prince".
In fact, the sound was so low that no one would have heard it if there was no one serving.
The prince and others came in hurriedly.
The emperor is awake!
Or wake up before night!
When Ji Yuan in the outer hall heard the news, he raised his eyebrows slightly.
Is your life so great?
Not bad.
Ji Yuan searched around and found the people of the Crown Prince and the Emperor's eldest grandson. He took the initiative to say, "I wonder if the Living Buddhas have confessed. Can they tell me the formula of the elixir or the method to detoxify it?"
If other officials were asked, they would definitely not answer.
Moreover, Ji Yuan’s words directly indicated that the problem was with the elixir.
It is still unclear whether the emperor’s illness is related to the elixir.
It’s actually hard to answer.
But the era is different.
Be it the Crown Prince, the eldest grandson of the Emperor, Prime Minister Li, or even the Emperor, they all praised him highly.
So they thought for a moment and said what they could.
"They haven't said it yet. They only said that the recipe was given by Prince He Hui and his men."
"They have written down the ingredients, but they don't know how it works."
"And they said that there is absolutely no problem with the pills. They themselves have taken pills and they are fine."
Ji Yuan's inquiry soon spread to the inner hall. Not long after, a senior eunuch came to greet him respectfully: "Master Ji, the crown prince, Prime Minister Li wants to see you."
Under the gaze of everyone, Ji Yuan walked into the inner hall without changing his expression.
The heat from the inner hall hit me in the face.
At the beginning, there was no charcoal fire in the inner hall, but after someone said something, the charcoal fire became too strong.
At this moment, in the inner hall, there were the fifth prince, the eldest grandson of the emperor, Prime Minister Li, Grand Secretary Chu, and two other grand secretaries.
The prince was in the bedroom and was summoned by the emperor alone.
When the era came, everyone looked over immediately.
The emperor's eldest grandson spoke first: "Ji Yuan! Do you also think there is something wrong with the elixir?!"
Everyone looked over.
There was something strange in the inner hall.
The young eldest grandson of the emperor and the era seem to be one.
They also believed that there was something wrong with the pills and that they were unreliable.
The older officials, however, secretly hoped that the elixir was useful and it was not the elixir's fault.
Even if the emperor fell ill, it was because of his own health.
Why?
Because most of them took the pills.
Except Prime Minister Li.
It can be seen that scammers really don’t need any sophisticated means. It’s just a matter of whether the scam touches your heart.
Ji Yuan replied: "I think it is indeed a problem with the elixir."
The emperor's eldest grandson nodded, as if he was affirmed.
But no one agreed.
Whether it was the inner hall or the bedroom, there was deathly silence.
No one dares to take off the emperor's new clothes.
But the era is about to be revealed.
He wanted the old emperor to know clearly the cause of his death.
It is also necessary to let him know what his greed has brought.
Ji Yuan said directly: "If you want to know whether those pills are poisonous, just let the living Buddhas eat them."
"Take out the ingredients and formula for the elixir, and each person can choose one. After taking half a pound, you will see the effect."
ah?
What are you talking about?!
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