Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 220 Years Like Days
"Your Majesty…" The old imperial physician from the Imperial Hospital bowed slightly, his voice filled with sighs, and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty was already in poor health, and now she is six months pregnant. I'm afraid her days are numbered."

"How dare you!" Hanmei pointed at the old doctor, her anger blazing, and then shouted loudly towards the door, "Guards, drag this quack doctor away and behead him!"

"Hanmei." Just then, the Empress gently shook her head, indicating that she did not need to be so angry.

I know my own body better than anyone. Right now, the most important thing is the child in my womb who carries my hopes.

After a long while, the Empress asked in a gentler tone, "Imperial Physician Zhang, how much longer can I live?"

Seeing that the Empress had pardoned him, Physician Zhang hurriedly stood up and explained in a flustered and urgent tone, "Your Majesty, barring any unforeseen circumstances, you only have five years to live. But if we take out the Rejuvenation Pill treasured in the palace and combine it with the medicines we have prepared to prolong your life, you can live for at most three more years."

Upon hearing this, Hanmei burst into tears. Eight years? His Majesty is only in his twenties; even with these eight years, it's still far too short!

Eight years? That's certainly not enough! If only we could borrow another fifty years. The Empress said calmly and indifferently, "Imperial Physician Zhang, go and bring me the Rejuvenation Pill."

"This old minister obeys the order." Physician Zhang knelt down, bowed, and took his leave.

"Your Majesty," Hanmei said, her eyes filled with tears, as she supported the Empress with both hands, "Your Majesty, I will go and find him. I want to keep him by your side."

“He has his mission.” The Empress shook her head. From that day on, she dreamed of that pure white figure every day, as if it were calling to her. She knew that once the child was born, her life would probably be nearing its end.

the other side.

Beneath the Nine Heavens, atop the Conferred God Platform, the souls of those to be conferred titles manifested as semi-transparent phantoms.

Golden threads shot out from the Conferred God Platform, pulling out the souls of those whose names were chosen to receive their titles. Ye Beixuan read out the conferred titles based on their past and present lives listed on the list.

Those who were granted the title all remained calm as they stepped onto the Heavenly Staircase. They glanced back at the mortal realm one last time before ascending upwards without hesitation.

"Chen Qianru, appointed as the Seven-Colored Perch of the Heavenly River, in charge of the Heavenly River." Ye Beixuan looked up at the huge list in the sky, his voice, though not loud, clearly penetrated the world.

A huge and beautiful seven-colored perch was brought to the platform by the threads of the Conferred God Platform. Suddenly, the Heavenly River water flowed out on the Heavenly Staircase, and the seven-colored perch went upstream along the waterway, slowly returning to heaven with the Heavenly River water.

As she disappeared into the horizon, countless mountains and rivers began to rush forward at breakneck speed.

The crowd at the edge of the plaza below was already struggling to breathe under the weight of this force. What kind of power was this? They seemed to be summoned by some kind of mission.

"Zhang Daoling, bestow upon him the title of Heavenly Venerable Who Subdues Demons and Protects the Dao." As soon as Zhang Daoling's illusory figure appeared, the entire Northern Liang land was bathed in a blue light, which was the power of thought of the people of Northern Liang.

The old man's illusory figure bowed deeply to Ye Beixuan, then stepped onto the stairs, his righteous aura rising behind him as his illusory figure gradually ascended into the sky.

As the investiture ceremony continued, those whose names had not yet been read gazed at the 3,600 steps that pierced the ninth heaven, their hearts filled with even greater fervor.

Some even saw their close friends, who had been drinking and laughing with them not long ago, now climbing the steps with a determined look in their eyes.

The imperial edict once again shone brightly with golden light, revealing another name and her past and present life.

"The flower is silent; I hereby bestow upon it the title of Flower Envoy of the Western Lotus Pond." After Ye Beixuan read this aloud softly, a withered flower stem suddenly appeared on the stage.

In the imperial edict, a handsome monk dressed in coarse linen clothes is depicted sitting under a willow tree, meditating. He gazes at the nearly withered flower before him, waters it, then helps it sit upright, and smiles as he holds the flower in his hand.

In an instant, all kinds of flowers bloomed in the world, and in the mountains and rivers, hundreds of flowers competed for beauty.

The flower stems drifted slowly up the steps.

The crowd finally couldn't contain themselves any longer and began to make noise. At that moment, someone realized with a start that they were actually leaving their body; the imperial edict had already read their name.

Time flies, and another year has passed.

"Your Majesty, push harder!" Hanmei shouted anxiously from the side.

Inside the palace, Ye Xiaobei, the world's number one martial arts master, stood atop the imperial city, sword in hand. Anyone who dared to make a move today would be killed without mercy.

Inside the main hall, Prime Minister Qin Shaoyou was telling stories to his ministers, none of whom dared to make any rash moves.

"Wah!" A loud cry came from the inner palace.

Hanmei quickly took a hot towel and wiped the empress's forehead, which was covered in sweat, and then immediately brought the child to her.

The child was still young, his features had not yet fully developed, and his head was pointed, but his eyebrows and eyes were quite similar to Ye Beixuan's.

"Your Majesty, congratulations! It's a boy! Please give him a name." Hanmei looked at the child happily, gently rocking him to coax him.

"Jiang Pingfan," the Empress softly uttered the name.

"Your Majesty, this child is destined for greatness. You should name him this." Hanmei held the child and reached out to tease him, causing the child's little mouth to open slightly.

“I only wish he could be more ordinary, not like his father. If he were ordinary, why would we be separated like this?” The Empress sighed softly, then struggled to sit up and stretched out her hands, saying, “Let me hug you.”

The Empress took the child, her face full of love, but her heart was filled with sorrow. My child! My child, I can only protect you for eight years. After that, the Great Zhou will have to rely on you alone. I will watch over you from heaven.

"Hanmei, heed my decree."

Hanmei was taken aback upon hearing this, and then immediately knelt down respectfully and said, "Hanmei accepts the imperial decree."

Holding the child, the Empress said solemnly, "I hereby bestow upon you the title of Consort Mei. From now on, the Crown Prince Pingfan will address you as his mother. If I am no longer here, you will be his mother."

"Your Majesty," Hanmei cried out as she knelt before the Empress's bedside, her face streaked with tears.

"Do you want to disobey the order?"

"Hanmei accepts the imperial decree... and thanks Your Majesty for your great favor." Hanmei bowed her head and kowtowed.

"Go down! I want to be alone with Fan'er for a while." The Empress did not look at her, but slightly lifted her clothes to breastfeed the child.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

at the same time.

Ye Beixuan stood on the Conferred God Platform. The snow on the platform had just melted, all things in the Tiankui Mountains were reviving, and the number of people from the many immortal palaces below had decreased considerably.

"Huikong." A voice resounded throughout the entire venue.

"Amitabha." Master Huikong put his hands together, bowed his head and knelt down. Then he was pulled onto the platform by the silk threads of the Conferred God Platform.

"I hereby bestow upon Master Huikong the title of Venerable Guide to the West." Ye Beixuan nodded slightly to Master Huikong.

The old monk emanated a light of guidance, and with his hands clasped together, he said in a compassionate tone, "I am the Venerable Guide of the West."

With a wave of his hand, a scene appeared, in which he guided countless monks who had achieved great spiritual cultivation to the West in his bottomless boat.

Then came the blood-red clouds that blotted out the sky, a scene of the fall of the Buddhas of the West.

"Ten thousand years ago, a sea of ​​blood raged. I sailed a bottomless boat in the Milky Way, leading the Buddhas of the West to descend to the mortal realm to undergo reincarnation and tribulations." As Huikong spoke, a bottomless boat appeared beneath his feet, and he slowly sailed towards the three thousand six hundred heavenly ladders.

"All Buddhas, return with me." This cry resounded throughout heaven and earth, countless rays of Buddha light spread between heaven and earth, the imperial edict shone brightly, and lotus flowers entered his soul one after another. Finally, he boarded a ship and disappeared into the horizon.

the other side.

Inside the Great Zhou Imperial Palace, a three-year-old child was mischievously running around, sometimes catching crickets, sometimes digging in the dirt.

"Your Highness, please slow down!" A maidservant beside him anxiously tried to stop him, but dared not disobey the prince's wishes.

"Stop!" A figure in white walked over angrily, her eyes filled with sternness, which frightened the young prince so much that he dared not move.

The young prince couldn't understand why his mother disliked him so much, when no one in the entire palace dared to disobey him and everyone doted on him.

"Greetings, Consort Mei." The maids bowed and stepped aside.

"Did the Crown Prince study his arithmetic homework today?" Hanmei asked the maid, squinting at her.

"This servant deserves to die." The maid hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, explaining, "Your Highness...this servant dares not disobey Your Highness."

"You insolent fool! From this day forward, increase my daily rations. If I can't figure it out, I'm not allowed to eat!" Hanmei glared angrily at the bowing maid and immediately ordered, "Hurry up and take the Crown Prince over to study!"

"Yes, this servant will go do it right away." With that, the maid hurriedly picked up the crown prince and ran towards the Imperial Academy, not daring to delay for a moment.

The little prince, being held in someone's arms, looked pitiful. He longed for someone to save him; he wished he had a father.

Another year has passed.

On the Investiture of the Gods platform, a bearded man sat upright, staring intently at the past and present life of a powerful figure on the list, as if watching a TV drama.

"Mao Fangping, Ma Rufeng." The list was read aloud again.

"It's finally our turn." Mao Fangping looked at Ma Rufeng beside him and said softly, "Come on, we're brothers, we'll be together wherever we go."

"I hereby appoint Mao Fangping as the Celestial Master of the Zombie Cultivation, and I hereby appoint Ma Rufeng as the Celestial Master of the Spirit Mediumship." Ye Beixuan nodded to the two of them.

The two then resolutely and slowly stepped onto the heavenly ladder until they disappeared into the clouds.

The wind howled past, causing Ye Beixuan's unkempt beard to tremble slightly, and his blue robe to flutter wildly in the wind, making his figure appear particularly desolate.

The crowd below has dwindled to half its original size. They went from initial fear to numbness, and now they accept it with equanimity.

"Lan Cangqing." With a soft call, a phantom figure condensed on the Conferred God Platform. His body was skinless and covered in blood and gore, just like the skinned body after being peeled off.

Ye Beixuan was slightly taken aback. Looking at Lan Cangqing's past and present lives, he realized that he was just a Chongming bird that often rested on the willow tree.

"I hereby bestow upon Lan Cangqing the title of Chongming Immortal, to dispel the darkness of the world."

Lan Cangqing looked at Ye Beixuan, his eyes filled with no resentment, but he nodded respectfully. The imperial edict shone brightly with golden light, and beams of golden light entered his soul.

A clear cry resounded through the heavens and earth. The skinned Lan Cangqing finally transformed into a Chongming bird and soared toward the Heavenly Ladder.

At this moment, thousands of birds surged into the Tiankui Mountains, lined up in a row, and respectfully paid homage to this king of birds.

As the giant bird disappeared into the clouds, thousands of birds sang incessantly, as if bidding it a farewell.

At this moment, the imperial edict once again shone brightly with golden light, revealing a three-legged toad that seemed to devour the heavens.

It had once committed many evil deeds, but was later subdued by a handsome willow god who allowed it to cultivate beside its original form until it transformed into a golden toad.

"Qiu Ziming," Ye Beixuan read the list again.

A phantom image condensed on the Conferred God Platform; it was actually a meat pie, which was Qiu Zimo, who had been smashed to pieces by the Myriad Ghost Demon Infant.

"Now I hereby appoint Qiu Zimo as the Golden Toad that Swallows the Heavens, to guard the wealth of the human world."

As soon as the words were spoken, beams of golden light from the imperial edict struck the meat pie, causing it to gradually expand until it finally burst open under the pressure, revealing a three-legged toad inside. The toad looked up and opened its huge mouth, its entire body radiating golden light.

The toad bowed respectfully to Ye Beixuan, its whole body gleaming with golden light, and hopped slowly towards the Heavenly Ladder.

After a year, it finally leaped to the top and disappeared into the clouds. In an instant, all the pests in the world retreated, the weather became favorable, and the crops grew lush and vibrant.

the other side.

A five-year-old boy sat upright in a chair, while a group of dancers below swayed their graceful figures and sang and danced.

"Your Highness, Your Highness the Crown Prince, please stop playing around." The beautiful maidservant looked at the Crown Prince and called out helplessly. This little brat neither practices swordsmanship nor likes to study literature, but he just loves listening to music. The key is that no one teaches him. He's born a little lecher.

"I won't learn these. They're all child's play. What's the use of learning them?" the young prince said with disdain. "If I'm going to learn something, I'll learn the most powerful thing in the world."

The beautiful maid said anxiously, "My little darling, Consort Mei will be at the gate soon."

"What?" The little prince was so frightened that he rolled off the chair and said in a panicked voice, "Quick, bring me all my homework books. That fierce woman is too scary. She will spank me."

The maid hurriedly and hastily brought the arithmetic book to the table, and the young prince quickly sat down in a chair, pretending to be deep in thought.

Just as he finished doing all this, a figure in white hurriedly walked in; it was Consort Mei.

Seeing the young prince deep in thought, she smiled knowingly and nodded in satisfaction. At the same time, she gestured to the maid behind her to walk quietly so as not to disturb the prince's studies.

They walked quietly to the table and looked at the Crown Prince. Consort Mei stared at the young Crown Prince's homework, and her previously satisfied expression instantly changed; she was so angry that she almost had a stroke.

"Oh! You dare to lie to me again." Hanmei rolled up her sleeves, picked up the ruler next to her, and was about to hit him.

The young prince, bewildered, quickly jumped off the chair and cried out, "Mother, Mother, I don't know what I did wrong! I was only focused on my studies, why did you hit me?"

Hanmei was so angry that her chest heaved violently. Holding a ruler, she pointed at the little prince and said, "You still dare to say that? Look at your homework yourself."

The little prince then looked at the table and realized with a start that the books were upside down. It was a mistake, no matter how careful he was. It was all Qinqin's fault. From now on, he would punish her by making her coax him to sleep every day.

"Mother," the little prince hurriedly knelt down pitifully and begged for forgiveness, "Mother, I was wrong."

Hanmei was so angry that tears streamed down her face. His Majesty was busy with countless affairs of state and didn't have many years left to live. If the Crown Prince continued to be so incompetent, he would probably be unable to support the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Never mind." Consort Mei sighed sadly, then continued, "I've invited Ye Xiaobei, the number one swordsman in the world, to teach you swordsmanship. You must be obedient and not be rude, because he is your father's disciple, so he is your senior brother, understand?"

The young prince's eyes suddenly widened, his dark pupils darting back and forth as he asked curiously, "Mother, what kind of person is my father?"

Hanmei smiled slightly, then suddenly looked up at the sky, sighed, and said wistfully, "He is a very special person."

Just then, a maid rushed in to report: "It's terrible, it's terrible, Consort Mei, His Majesty... His Majesty... he's vomiting blood!"

(End of this chapter)