Journey to the West: Beginning with the Apprenticeship of Bodhi Patriarch

Chapter 284: Emperor Ziwei Reincarnates
Huabiao Zhenren sent Niu Wang to inquire about the news, and he got the result. He learned that the current emperor is named Li Dan, the reign is Yongchang, and Chang'an City is no longer the Chang'an City during the reign of Emperor Taizong.

After hearing this, the Immortal understood that the fate of the Tang Dynasty had changed and it would no longer be as glorious as it was in the past. He sighed, "Emperor Taizong sought immortality but never achieved it. Now his fate has run out and the Tang Dynasty will never be prosperous again."

The Bull Demon King replied, "Master, prosperity is common in the world. But it mostly causes suffering to the people. As I have been trying to gather information, I have found a vendor selling coarse tea, who said that business is difficult. The prosperity of Chang'an City today has nothing to do with him."

The blue ox shook his head and said, "Ox King, it is common sense that the human world is difficult to cross, but if you worry too much, you may end up in a sea of ​​suffering."

The Bull Demon King said: "I saw their suffering, so I wanted to help a few, but I didn't intend to save them all."

Qingniu said: "Even if you have compassion, you cannot take the initiative to help. You must understand the principle that 'the problem is not the lack of wealth, but the inequality of wealth'."

The Bull Demon King pondered for a long time, nodded and said, "I know it."

The Immortal seemed not to care about what the Bull King said, and asked with a smile: "Let's not talk about this. Now that I have entered Chang'an City, I will know that the Emperor Ziwei has been reincarnated. Bull, do you know which princes have been born in the royal family in recent years?"

The Bull Demon King replied, "Master, I have never inquired about this kind of news. How about I go and inquire for a while, and then I will come and tell you about it after I know the news."

Upon hearing this, the Immortal shook his head and said, "Since you don't know, there's no need to go. Just walk with me forward. When we meet someone on the road, it won't be too late to ask."

The Bull Demon King obeyed the order.

The group did not linger any longer and got up, hurrying towards the city. They saw Bull Demon King leading the way, Zuo Liang leading the deer, then Zhenren climbing onto the deer, and Zhu Bajie and the Green Ox following closely behind.

The group entered the busy streets of Chang'an City, and saw people coming and going. They were all curious about the real person and looked around frequently, but no one stopped them. They all watched without moving.

Jiang Yuan urged the deer forward and drove to a place where he stopped an old man and said, "Brother, please stay."

When the old man saw the Immortals coming forward, he said, "If the foreigners want money for their performance, please go far away. I have no money."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, brother. I didn't ask for money. Just listen to me and I will explain it in detail."

When the old man heard that the immortal didn't want money, he heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Since you don't want money, I want to hear you talk. Why are you stopping me? Just tell me."

Jiang Yuan said, "I am an outsider who has come here to practice cultivation. But when I first came here, I saw the prosperity of Chang'an City, so I asked for information. I learned that it is the Yongchang Year and Emperor Dan is in power, but I don't know what his reign will be like. If it is appropriate, I will stay in the Tang Dynasty in the East for a long time."

The old man heard what he said, and pulled the real person's sleeve, saying, "How can you be so brazen as to talk about this here? If you want to talk about this, you can't do it here. Come with me to a deserted place, and I will tell you in detail."

Say it.

The old man grabbed the immortal and went out.

When the real person saw this, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he let the old man hold him and followed him.

The Bull Demon King and his companions wanted to stop them, but seeing that the Real Man was unmoved, they said nothing and just followed him.

When they arrived at a house, the old man invited them to drink a bowl of tea and said, "You are a brave young man. You dare to talk about such a big thing outside. Aren't you afraid that the official will chop off your head?"

Jiang Yuan was neither surprised nor afraid, and said with a smile: "I am an outsider, so I don't know the ins and outs. Please tell me what you have to say." The old man shook his head and said nothing. After a long pause, he said: "I heard that you intend to settle in the East, but you must not do so. Our country is no longer what it used to be. So you can't settle here. It's better to go back and settle in another place."

Jiang Yuan said, "Brother, what do you mean?"

The old man said, "If Taizong were alive, our country would have been prosperous, and you would have been blessed to have settled here. But now the country is in turmoil, and you must not come here to suffer."

Jiang Yuan asked, "Could it be that the current emperor has not done anything, so we cannot settle here now?"

The old man replied, "You, young man, don't know the ins and outs of this. I don't know whether the emperor is capable of doing anything, but the country is not controlled by the emperor, but by the queen mother. There are many rumors that the queen mother is planning to depose the emperor and establish herself. If she really deposes the emperor and establishes herself, the country will inevitably be in turmoil, and you will be in danger."

Jiang Yuan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, but I have my own ideas."

The old man felt helpless when he heard this, and said, "Why don't you listen to my advice? Forget it, forget it, forget it. Since you don't listen to my advice, there's nothing I can say."

Jiang Yuan said: "Don't worry, brother. I will be fine. But I still have a confusion that I need your help to solve."

The old man asked, "What's confusing you? Tell me."

Jiang Yuan asked: "It is the Emperor's Day in Chang'an City now. Has a crown prince been appointed?"

The old man smiled and said, "You are a little unintelligent. I told you long ago that the country is now controlled by the Queen Mother, and she intends to depose the emperor and establish herself as the emperor. How could she establish a crown prince? This is absolutely impossible, so there is no crown prince now."

Jiang Yuan asked again: "If so, has Emperor Dan had any children in recent years?"

The old man said, "Your question is very strange, and I don't know how to answer you. Fortunately, I met with some relatives and friends a few days ago, and just learned some news. His Majesty Li Dan now has three sons, and the one born in recent years is his third son."

Jiang Yuan said: "I just want to ask you a question, I wonder if the third child has been given a name?"

The old man said, "It is said that the heir is named 'Li Longji', which is a good name. I hope that our Tang Dynasty will be as prosperous as its name suggests."

Jiang Yuan knew what he wanted to know. He stood up, bowed to the old man, said goodbye to him, and was about to leave.

The old man stopped the immortal and said, "You young man, be careful. Although your group is aggressive, there must be people among them who can protect you. However, this is Chang'an City. If you are attacked here, these people will not be able to protect you. Therefore, if you really want to settle here, it is best to find a remote and quiet place."

Jiang Yuan knew the old man's good intentions, so he thanked him again and again, then stood up and left the house with Bull Demon King and his group and went outside.

As they left the house, the Bull Demon King stepped forward and asked, "Master, is this Emperor Dan's third son the reincarnation of Emperor Ziwei?"

The blue ox came closer and said, "You, the Bull King, are you still thinking about this? His third son must be the reincarnation of the Purple Star Emperor."

Zuo Liang smiled and said, "What if he is a vassal king and will be in a high position in the future? It's hard to say for sure."

(End of this chapter)