Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 146 Pills (Part 1)

The steam from the sesame porridge wafted around him, and Lü Shang lowered his eyes to hide the glint in them.

After Lü Yongji drank the pine needle tea, he clearly "saw" that the stagnant grayish-brown aura on Lü Yongji's shoulders and neck was gradually dissolving, like snow melting in spring, reshaping Lü Yongji's body that had been worn out by years of hard work.

This Changchun Pill truly has the effect of prolonging life; just a small amount of pill powder added three to five years to Lü Yongji's lifespan.

If it is a whole Changchun Pill, it can add at least two or three hundred years to one's lifespan.

"My lord, the imperial carriage is waiting at the gate."

Just then, Lü Quan lifted the carved curtain and whispered from outside.

"Um,"

Lü Yongji gave a faint reply.

After breakfast, Lü Shang followed Lü Yongji into the carriage. Four strong horses with coats as white as frost stood proudly, their manes and tails adorned with auspicious knots made of fine red gold ropes. The horses' hooves made a soft, rustling sound as they trod on the bluestone slabs.

The carriage swayed slightly, but the four strong horses trotted at the same time, making it even more stable than an ordinary carriage. The sound of servants whipping their horses could be heard from outside the brocade curtain, and twelve servants in tight-fitting clothes led the way.

As the imperial carriage arrived at the capital, the bronze lions in front of the palace gates gleamed coldly in the morning light.

The carriage came to a stop in front of the Zhuque Gate. Lü Yongji lifted the brocade curtain. The morning frost on the bluestone slabs had not yet melted. In front of the palace gate, two rows of soldiers in full armor from the Marquis of Wu's mansion stood guard, their swords at their waists gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Lu Shang followed Lu Yongji out of the carriage. He swept his wide sleeves across the carriage shaft, adjusted his jade belt, and the two of them stepped over the nine-tiered steps, passed through Guangyang Gate, and slowly walked into Ganlu Hall.

Inside the Ganlu Hall, the long and narrow steps were illuminated by flickering candlelight reflected on the white marble bricks. When Lü Shang looked up, he saw Emperor Yang Jian, dressed in casual clothes, looking down as he read memorials behind a gilded table with coiled dragon patterns on the throne.

"His Majesty,"

Lü Yongji and Lü Shang entered the hall side by side and bowed in greeting at the foot of the steps.

The candlelight in the hall made the dark dragon pattern on Yang Jian's casual clothes seem to move around. He put down the memorial in his hand and said, "No need for formalities, please take a seat."

Four eunuchs carried forward a low, vermilion-lacquered stool, and Lü Yongji and his son Lü Shang thanked them and took their seats.

Yang Jian's gaze swept over Lü Shang, the candlelight casting a faint shadow at the corners of his eyes. A smile played on his lips as he said, "Cousin, you've raised a fine son."

Lu Yongji lowered his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips, and replied, "Your Majesty's word fills me with trepidation. It is an honor for my Lu family to serve the country and share Your Majesty's burdens."

Yang Jian nodded slightly and said, "I am very pleased that you have this intention."

“I know why you entered the palace, and you don’t need to worry. He Louzigan is looking after you in Liangzhou, which is perfect for a young man like him to gain experience.”

"With Rongding gone, in the current political situation, the only maternal relatives I can still trust are Feixiong, who is capable of being sent to guard the border."

"Your Majesty, since you have entrusted me with this border post, I would not dare to shirk my duty even if it meant sacrificing my life!"

Lu Yongji stood up abruptly, bowed, and said, "However, I humbly request Your Majesty to bestow upon him a chief secretary who is well-versed in border affairs and capable of suppressing the various ethnic groups, both Han and non-Han, so that he can manage both internal and external affairs."

His voice deepened, and his gaze swept over the flickering candlelight in the hall. He said softly, "The border regions have always been deeply intertwined. Without a capable ally, it is truly difficult to manage both the Han and the barbarians in a comprehensive manner."

After listening, Yang Jian tapped the yellow memorial on his desk with his fingers and laughed, "Cousin, you and I are thinking the same thing." "Don't worry, I have made arrangements for the Chief Clerk, the Military Advisor, and the Six Ministries Military Advisor in Liangzhou."

Lü Yongji said, "Since Your Majesty has said so, then I am relieved."

Yang Jian shook his head and said, "Parents all over the world have the same heart. Cousin, I know you are worried and confused. However, if Fei Xiong wants to stand on his own, he has to go out and face some storms on his own."

His palm caressed the edge of the memorial on the imperial desk, the candlelight casting a faint shadow between his brows. He chuckled softly, "However, I can understand your feelings as a father. When I sent Amo to Bingzhou back then, it was also very difficult for me to part with him."

The name "Amo" was the childhood name of Yang Guang, the Prince of Jin. Yang Jian was a devout Buddhist, and the childhood names of his children were all closely related to Buddhism. For example, Yang Guang's name "Amo" means "virtuous woman" in Buddhism.

Lu Yongji's throat bobbed slightly, and he bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty is wise, I have remembered it."

"It's good that you can remember it."

Yang Jian nodded.

Lu Shang stood silently by, watching Emperor Yang Jian and Lu Yongji converse. As a junior, Lu Shang had no room to speak at this moment and could only wait quietly in the hall.

It wasn't until noon that Lü Yongji took his leave from Emperor Yang Jian. After receiving Yang Jian's permission, Lü Yongji and Lü Shang slowly withdrew from the Ganlu Hall.

The father and son descended the white marble steps, their boots making a clear, resonant sound as they touched the brick surface, startling a few gray sparrows from the eaves, which fluttered and flew over the palace wall.

Just before leaving the palace gate, Lü Yongji suddenly stopped and said, "Tomorrow, come with me to Fajie Temple in the west of the city to offer incense to your mother."

Lu Shang replied: "Yes,"

Lu Yongji sighed, “When your mother left, she was most worried about you. Now you are an adult, the emperor has appointed you as a county duke and sent you to guard the frontier. In a little over a year, you will also be getting married. We should go and see your mother.”

As Lü Shang gazed at the newly added white hairs at Lü Yongji's temples, a lump rose in his throat. A gust of wind swept past the locust tree beneath the palace wall, swirling a few new leaves onto his wide sleeves.

He gathered the leaves in his palm, recalling how his mother used to string locust leaves into wind chimes and hang them by his bedside when he was a child. He gently shook his head at the delicate, clear sounds they made.

The bronze lions in front of the palace gate were already warm from the sun, and the four sturdy horses pawed impatiently. The golden auspicious knots shimmered in the wind, casting dappled light. Lü Shang helped Lü Yongji onto the carriage.

"drive,"

With a whistle from the driver, the carriage rolled over the bluestone slabs of Zhuque Street. As the sunlight gradually slanted, it cast long streaks of light on the red-gold auspicious knot on the carriage shaft.

Lü Shang lifted half of the brocade curtain and saw the new leaves of the weeping willows by the roadside fluttering in the wind, casting dappled shadows.

A Hu woman selling apricot blossoms walked by with a bamboo basket on her shoulder. Water droplets on the petals in the basket were covered with fine dust. In a teahouse on the street corner, several merchants dressed in Hu-style robes with turned-down collars were brewing tea around a stove. The white steam coming out of the copper kettle spout, mixed with the indistinct Turkic laughter, drifted into the carriage on the wind.

The carriage made a soft, crunching sound as it rolled across the flagstones. Looking at the locust leaf in his son's palm, Lü Yongji sighed softly, "If only your mother were still here."

"She suffered a lifetime of hardship with me, a poor man, and just when she was finally supposed to enjoy life, she left us, father and son. Your mother was truly unlucky in her life."

The carriage slowly turned into the alleyway, the bronze rings on the vermilion gate of the mansion making a clear, melodious sound. Lü Yongji stepped down from the carriage and walked slowly into the Qi County Duke's mansion.

Watching Lü Yongji's retreating figure, Lü Shang touched the jade bottle in his sleeve and murmured, "Indeed, I am unfortunate. If Mother were still alive, this Longevity Pill would be half for each of us, as a token of my filial piety, to repay the kindness of giving me life."

(End of this chapter)