National Division

His Royal Highness the crown prince went to the southwest to greet the return of Xingtie. The guard of honor finally returned to the capital at the end of August. All the officials came out on behalf of the emperor. Together with several princes, they knelt outside the city gate to welcome the auspiciousness from heaven; , and holding the jade plate of the "Bei Diou Jing" that has been recited 81 times nine times, waiting outside the city gate to take over the star iron and enter the temple to enshrine it;

Of course, there are also many discordant voices in this matter.For example, the crown prince was in danger several times on the way, and the identity of the assassin was unknown;

The queen's illness was actually caused by heart disease.Qi Jun got up early and headed to the southwest in the name of retreat and fasting. For such an important event, she gave away her feet because of her panic.As soon as the news of Qi Jun's disappearance in the Southwest Mountain came, the queen immediately fell ill. She felt regretful, afraid and ashamed, and tortured her so much that she couldn't sleep at night. It's useless and getting heavier.During this period, the concubines in the palace, led by Concubine Ye, often came to visit, especially Concubine Ye, who was very attentive, but every time she came, the Queen's illness became more serious.Feng En followed Qi Jun's order to stay in the palace, but he could only sigh at such a queen who couldn't help her up.

On the day of Mid-Autumn Festival, at the family banquet in the palace, the queen forced herself to attend the sick body, but fell into the lotus pond on the road. Fortunately, Shui Qian was pulled up, but she suffered from the wind and cold again, so she couldn't afford to get sick.

Qi Jun almost sat on pins and needles and finished the ceremony of welcoming Xingtie outside the city gate-this was only the first step. Emperor Jing'an had built a "star observatory" in the palace to worship Xingtie. The capital city was first enshrined in Zhenmingzi's Taoist temple, and then auspicious days were chosen to welcome it into the observatory, and it has since become the treasure of the town.According to Emperor Jing'an, he wanted to simply carve star iron into a seal to replace the current jade seal and become a national treasure, but he was dissuaded by Ma Mingzi, who said that star iron is gold from the sky, and it is not suitable to meet gold from the world. , and the engraving of the seals rarely required the use of a carving knife. Emperor Jing'an was afraid of offending Xingtie, so he had no choice but to give up.

Xing Tie was welcomed into his Taoist temple in the palace by Zhen Mingzi three times and nine times. Emperor Jing'an also respectfully burned three sticks of incense in front of the incense table, and then withdrew.Today, his face is full of radiance, his spirit is vigorous, and he looks at Qi Jun with rare satisfaction: "You have worked hard on the trip to the Southwest. Have you ever caught the traitor who assassinated? Who is so bold!"

Qi Jun bowed and replied: "These people seem to be well-trained. My minister was not on guard. The guards he brought were limited, and he was never able to catch anyone alive. Fortunately, Xingtie returned safely and was not injured. It is also fortunate that my minister did not disgrace his life." .”

Emperor Jing'an frowned: "If you walk with the guard of honor and there are many guards, you will be able to catch the assassin. You, after all, are young and impatient. The white dragon fish suit is a risky thing. The son of a daughter can't sit down, you He is the crown prince of a country, and he must never be so impulsive again in the future."

Qi Jun bowed his head and agreed.Speaking of him going out early in the name of fasting, Ma Mingzi originally wanted to put a big hat on him, saying that it was because he did not choose an auspicious day that the stars and iron could not return. Concern means that this matter has passed the test smoothly, and Ma Mingzi's words are useless.

"I heard that Xingtie welcomes home, and there is a stranger to give advice?" Emperor Jing'an was in a good mood and liked to talk, so he remembered the words of Qi Jun's memorial.

"Yes." Qi Jun was very anxious at this time, wishing to fly to Zichen Hall to visit the queen immediately, but on the surface he still maintained a respectful and calm demeanor, "If it weren't for this strange person's guidance, I'm afraid my son would be the queen at this time." I'm still searching hard in the southwest mountains, it's hard to go so smoothly."

"Oh? What kind of alien?" Emperor Jing'an was very interested, "Please come and let me meet you."

Qi Jun beckoned, and the two guards had been prepared for a long time, and they flashed to both sides, revealing Zhibai who was standing behind.

Zhibai is wearing a royal blue plain cotton robe today, and his jet-black hair is pinned on top of his head with a smooth peach wood hairpin.He was born with a good appearance, and after these days, the scars on his face and body have all disappeared, and his whole person can be said to be as gentle as jade, which is the most respected image of a man in the Sheng Dynasty.He was thin and thin. He was wearing an ordinary cotton robe and a pair of hemp shoes under his feet, giving him a sense of floating in the clouds. Against the backdrop of the guards on the left and right, he looked even more elegant.Even though he was facing the Son of Heaven, he didn't restrain himself and panic. He took two steps forward calmly and made an inquiry with one hand: "Buddha of Immortality, I know the truth, I have seen the Holy One."

Emperor Jing'an couldn't help but widen his eyes slightly in surprise: "Xiao Daoist is so young?" He was used to Ma Mingzi's childlike appearance, so he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled about Zhibai.

Qi Jun couldn't help tightening his heart, secretly hated that it was not night, otherwise he would have let Zhibai hold a beam of moonlight, and immediately shocked Emperor Jing'an into a heavenly man.Zhibai smiled: "A person who cultivates the Tao does not depend on the appearance of the young and the young. My Taoist school pays attention to the formation of the Yuanying, returning to the innocence, and the youthful face and hair. It is only a shallow way of the Tao. Returning to the basics and returning to the truth is the righteousness."

Emperor Jing'an was both surprised and happy when he heard it, but he couldn't help being a little bit puzzled, and asked tentatively: "I wonder how old Xiao Dao is this year?"

Zhibai tilted his head to think for a while, and sighed: "The years in the mountains, it is difficult to remember the spring and autumn. I only remember a ginkgo tree at the mountain pass. When the poor road entered the mountain, the mouth of the square bowl was thick and thin. Now the three of them are hugging each other."

The ginkgo tree grows slowly, and it takes at least 600 years for it to grow from a thick bowl to the thickness of three people hugging each other.When Zhibai said these words, Emperor Jing'an was terrified, and the surrounding middlemen, guards, and maids all gasped. Although they didn't dare to whisper, they couldn't help but exchanged glances with each other in surprise.

Even Qi Jun was shocked by Zhibai's words, his expression changed slightly, and when he thought of Zhibai's magic technique of holding the moonlight, he wondered whether Zhibai really had hundreds of years of life.

Emperor Jing'an originally thought that although Zhibai was young, his words were like a fairy, but when he opened his mouth and said that he had five or six hundred years of life, he became suspicious, coughed dryly, and glanced at Qi Jun: " Has the Taoist priest practiced for so long?"

Zhibai sighed: "Things have changed, and people have changed. Today's clothes have wide sleeves and are still black. I still remember that narrow sleeves and left lapels were popular at the time. The country respected wood virtues. It is very different from people today."

Emperor Jing'an was a person who was familiar with history books, and he calculated secretly with his fingers. 600 years ago, it was the period when the frontiers were in chaos. It is indeed Shangmude's.However, he used to be too many monks and priests, and now he is more suspicious, so he pondered for a while and did not speak.

Qi Jun was thinking about the queen in his heart, so he took a step forward and said: "Father, please know that Daoist Bai is here, and he also wants to pray for the blessing and prolong the life of the queen mother. My son thinks, please know that Daoist Bai is going to Zichen Hall."

Only now did Emperor Jing'an remember that the imperial doctor had indeed reported to him that the Empress was seriously ill, and he was afraid that it would be difficult to recover, but he was preoccupied with the important matter of Yingxingtie, and had not visited Zichen Hall yet.No matter what, the empress is the empress after all, thinking of this, Emperor Jing'an nodded: "I am also going to visit your mother, you might as well go together."

The Zichen Hall was filled with a strong smell of medicine, and the doors and windows were closed tightly. Once inside, the smell mixed with incense could almost push people out. Emperor Jing'an couldn't help frowning, and the maid next to him quickly explained: "The imperial doctor said that the empress is cold. If it enters the lungs, you must not be exposed to the wind, so the servants dare not open the doors and windows."

The imperial doctor was checking the queen's pulse, saw Emperor Jing'an and Qi Jun, and hurriedly knelt down to pay respects, but Emperor Jing'an didn't want to go to the inner hall, so he asked casually: "How is the queen's condition?"

The imperial doctor glanced at Qi Jun carefully, opened his mouth but couldn't speak.Qi Jun's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Why didn't you answer my father's question?"

Seeing that he couldn't make it, the imperial doctor had no choice but to bow his head and said: "My lady's phoenix body was originally weak, but now she is suffering from a cold outside, and inside... she is worried too much. She will be fine until next spring."

Emperor Jing'an couldn't help but change his face.The imperial doctor's speech has its own set of rules. The saying that you will be fine until spring means that the queen will not survive this winter.No matter how much he disliked the queen, after all he was the married wife, so he immediately entered the inner hall regardless of the unpleasant smell in the hall.

A thick black satin curtain was hung on the queen's bed, and one side was rolled up with a white jade hook at this time, revealing the queen's face.When Emperor Jing'an saw it, his heart suddenly sank, as if something was missing under his feet.He doesn't understand medical science, but when the first emperor and the empress dowager passed away one after another, he was able to serve beside them, and he saw the deathly look on the faces of dying people with his own eyes.Now the empress looks calm, but her complexion has turned from sallow to paper-like pale, and there is a thick dead air between her brows. He doesn't need anyone to take a pulse, he can understand that the empress is already exhausted. The phase, life is not long.

"Quickly invite the national teacher to pray for the queen!" Emperor Jing'an could only think of this sentence in a hurry, "Please ask the national teacher to practice the law!" Emperor Jing'an thought of a series of consequences in an instant.He dotes on Concubine Ye Gui and loves his second son Qizhang, but it doesn't mean that he is willing to let Concubine Ye Gui take the post.If Concubine Ye Gui is the queen, then the relatives of the Ye family may not be able to shake, and it will become a trend that cannot be lost.

"Your Majesty—" Wang Jin, the man next to Emperor Jing'an, lowered his head and said cautiously, "A few days ago, the palace had chanted scriptures and prayed for the empress, but, but the national teacher said..."

"say what!"

Wang Jin lowered her head lower: "The national teacher said that the number of days is so long, even if you try your best, you must obey the destiny."

This clearly means that the queen's life is over!Qi Jun's fingernails sank into his palms, he turned around abruptly, and pulled Zhibai towards him: "Please pray for the longevity of the queen, the Taoist priest!" The words sounded like metal and iron, and every word was like a knife's edge.

"Can the Taoist priest have a solution?" These words reminded Emperor Jing'an that Zhen Mingzi was helpless, and there was a little Taoist priest who claimed to have lived for five or six hundred years!

Zhibai glanced into the tent, and sighed softly: "Poverty, try your best. Please give me a pen and paper from the emperor."

With this sentence, the maids in the court naturally ran to get pens, inks, papers and inkstones. Zhibai spread the plain paper on the long table and looked at the timing when Emperor Jing'an was watching the queen by the bed, and asked Qi Jun in a low voice: "Your Highness's opinion?" Are you ready?"

Qi Jun understood what he was asking, and said decisively: "You just cast spells!"

Zhibai sighed again, and murmured while rubbing the ink: "Take a hair and move the whole body, and the changes after that will be a blessing or a curse, beyond human predictability..." Picking up the pen and dipping it in the ink, it fell off with a snap on the paper.

After he drew four or five strokes, Qi Jun couldn't help the corners of his mouth twitching, and Emperor Jing'an also came over, took a look and frowned and said: "Master Dao, this is——the painting is—" The strokes, turning eastward and westward, are simply ghostly symbols!

Knowing that he was very calm: "This is a peach tree. Poor Dao has never learned painting skills, and he just chooses the god."

Now Emperor Jing'an couldn't help the corners of his mouth twitching.He is good at calligraphy and painting, and he can tell at a glance that this is really "less art of painting". I can't tell what kind of tree it is.

Zhibai drew six or seven strokes, and a "peach tree" took up the entire plain paper. The thick ink lines were like twisted worms, twisted into a ball underneath, with teeth and claws on the top, and there was no leaf.Although Qi Jun was worried about the queen, he couldn't help but said at this time: "This-how does this look like a peach tree?" There are also peach trees in the palace, although they have been pruned, they will never grow like Zhibai's painting .In the peach tree he described, the trunk is coiled across the ground like an old plum tree, and the branches are stretched too long, which is not right no matter how you look at it.

"The queen mother's flat peach blossoms in the sky, and it blooms in the spring of 3000. Thanks to the filial son's will, the spirit was stolen and dropped into my house." Zhibai chanted, put down the brush, and stretched out his hand to Qi Jun, "Please stretch out your right hand, Your Highness."

Qi Jun stretched out his hand, Zhibai grabbed his index finger and put it into his mouth, biting down, Qi Jun's index finger was bitten by him immediately.The maidservant next to him almost exclaimed when she saw it, and the look in Zhibai's eyes was indescribable - is this a dog, how can it bite someone with its mouth open!

Zhibai didn't care, he took Qi Jun's index finger and pressed down on the paper.With this press, a drop of bright red blood quickly spread on the plain paper, right between the branches he painted, at first glance, it looked like a peach blossom in full bloom.Zhibai let go of his hand in satisfaction, and folded the plain paper.

Strange to say, this rice paper is light and thin, if you paint on the front side, there will naturally be ink stains on the back side, but when Zhibai folded the plain paper, everyone could see clearly, the back side of the plain paper was white and clean, as if it had never been seen before. Average used.At this time, everyone saw some clues, and they didn't care about pursuing Zhibai's biting, and they all watched his every move helplessly.

Zhibai folded the plain paper into a small piece, brought his index finger to his mouth, and bit down again.Now there is no fuss anymore from the palace servants, they all watched him press the bitten finger onto the paper and smear it.The bright red blood was smeared on the paper, as if it had been sucked in by something, without leaving any traces.The inner hall was so quiet that a needle could be heard, except for the queen's hard breathing on the bed, everyone else held their breath unconsciously, and their backs felt cold.

Zhibai smeared on the paper, because the blood was sucked into the plain paper, no one could see what he drew, only his face turned pale gradually, as if he was struggling.After half a cup of tea time, he suddenly withdrew his finger, panted wearily, pointed to a maidservant next to him and said, "burn this paper to ashes, don't touch gold and iron objects, put it in a jade cup .”

The palace maid took the folded paper hesitantly, wanted to open it very much but didn't dare to touch it, but Emperor Jing'an couldn't help but said: "Master Daoist, can you open it and have a look?"

Zhibai nodded casually, pointed to another servant girl and said, "Go and collect the dew of herbs, rinse the paper ashes and ask the empress to take it."

Baicao dew water really exists in the palace, but the concubines pay attention to tea drinking, so they collected all kinds of water, including snow water from plum blossoms, dew from lotus leaves, and rainwater from copper pans, and so on.Although the Empress doesn't drink tea, Emperor Jing'an is fond of tea. Naturally, water should be prepared in Zichen Hall for the Emperor Jing'an's visit, Baicaolu is one of them.

At this time, the palace maid holding the plain paper couldn't wait to unfold the paper, and all the eyes in the hall were cast on the paper, and Qi Qi gasped——the peach blossom that Qi Jun touched with his finger blood had turned into a peach blossom. It became a peach fruit, and the blood stains dyed the peach fruit bright red, lifelike, and even the criss-crossed ink strokes were a bit like a peach tree.

Emperor Jing'an was inexplicably shocked.If it is said that he still had doubts about Zhibai at first, but now he has no doubts at all, and he was even a little afraid that his previous suspicions would be an offense to Zhibai, so he quickly said to Wang Jin: "Take my Jiuhua Yulu Cup to be used by real people."

Wang Jin hurriedly responded, not even dispatching the little ones, and trotted to get the cup carved from suet white jade by herself. Although it is only the size of a fist, the outer wall is carved with nine kinds of tangled flowers, which are specially kept by middle-aged people on weekdays, so it is extremely precious.

The maidservant of the palace tremblingly folded the drawing paper again, and lit it in the jade cup, and saw that the flame jumped up to more than two feet high, it was not like a piece of ordinary rice paper can be ignited, the heat was so strong that it forced Xiaogong to ignite The servant girl backed away.The color of the flame was red, but there was no smoke, but a faint sweet fragrance wafted out, rushing into the noses of everyone in the hall, they all felt their minds cleared up immediately, and their chests were relieved. Get it clean.

After burning a stick of incense for a long time, the flames gradually extinguished, but the Jiuhua Yulu cup was as white as ever, except for a handful of paper dust at the bottom of the cup, which shone faintly with golden light.Qi Jun washed it himself with Baicaolu and brought it to the bed.The queen didn't recognize anyone anymore, but fortunately she was fed with a jade spoon, and she was able to drink the ashes.Zhibai watched from the side, and smiled slightly: "Just let the empress rest well."