The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 230 Chen Tuan's Visit
After seeing off Li Tinggui and the other two, Li Yi immediately returned to the Palace Guard Office.

By the time he had finished handling all the matters, the sun outside the window was already high in the sky. Although his stomach was already rumbling, he did not eat in the government office, but instead rushed home without stopping.

Li Yi had originally planned to get back by noon and have a proper lunch with Fu Erniang.

Unfortunately, due to the heavy workload of official duties, it was delayed until now.

I imagine my wife has already had lunch and is taking her usual afternoon nap. When I get back, I can only wait for her to wake up and spend some quality time with her, to ease my worries about our impending separation.

Upon reaching his familiar vermilion gate, before Li Yi could even rein in his horse and dismount, the gatekeeper Zheng Ada, with his sharp eyes, spotted him and hurriedly trotted over to greet him, eagerly reaching out to take the reins.

Li Yili landed quickly and dismounted, handing the riding whip to a nearby guard. He casually asked, "Have any guests come to the house today?"

He figured that the emperor would be leading the expedition tomorrow, and Chen Tuan should leave the palace by today at the latest. Zuo Congtan had previously said he would invite him to his residence for a chat, which would be within the next day or two.

Zheng Ada hurriedly replied respectfully, "Reporting to you, Master, someone did come to visit this morning. They came back with Mr. Zuo and went directly to the side courtyard on the east side. They sent lunch in at noon, and they are still inside and haven't come out yet."

"Did Master Zuo invite him back?" Li Yi paused slightly, then immediately realized, "Is the person who came an elderly Taoist priest?"

“Yes, Ah Lang!” Zheng Ada nodded vigorously. “An old Taoist priest with white hair, and also wearing a female Taoist priest’s robe.”

"A female Taoist priest?" Li Yi was genuinely taken aback upon hearing this. But he quickly realized that a female Taoist priest was a female Taoist nun.

Because ordinary women do not wear crowns, only female Taoist practitioners wear yellow crowns, hence this saying... presumably, she must be Zuo Congtan's junior sister?

At this moment, curiosity overshadowed the thought of eating.

Li Yi planned to first meet Chen Tuan, the "Sleeping Immortal" who was quite legendary in historical records from his previous life.

He turned to Zhao Pu beside him and said, "Zeping, you take the brothers to have lunch first. There are some things I need you to do this afternoon."

"Yes, Commander!" Zhao Pu replied.

Li Yi said no more, nodded slightly, then turned around and headed straight for the east side courtyard.

The midday sun was a bit dazzling, but he moved with the speed of the wind, quickly passing through several layers of eaves and arriving at the gate of the side courtyard.

The courtyard gate separating the inside from the outside was ajar, and faint voices could be heard coming from inside, but the volume was not loud and was not very clear.

Li Yi paused briefly, then raised his hand and gently knocked on the door. The conversation inside the courtyard stopped abruptly, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Immediately afterwards, a series of light and steady footsteps sounded, approaching from afar.

With a creak, the courtyard gate opened from the inside, revealing Zuo Congqin's slightly smiling face.

He saw Li Yi outside the door, but his eyes showed little surprise. He simply nodded slightly and stepped aside, saying, "General Li has returned. It's just in time. My senior brother has already left the palace today, so I will introduce him to you."

"Then I'll be so bold as to disturb you!" Li Yi nodded with a light laugh and stepped across the threshold.

The courtyard is serene and elegant, with several slender bamboos leaning against the wall, their branches and leaves swaying gently in the breeze, casting sparse and dappled shadows.

In the center of the courtyard, beside a simple blue stone table, sat an elderly man with white hair and beard.

The old man had a gaunt face and warm, deep eyes that seemed to hold the marks of time. What was most striking about him were his half-open eyes, which appeared to carry a hint of sleepiness.

Sunlight fell on the old man's white hair and long beard, reflecting an almost silvery sheen that contrasted sharply with his ruddy complexion.

White hair and a youthful face!

The word instantly popped into Li Yi's mind.

If Zuo Congqin is already sixty years old this year (by Chinese reckoning), but looks like he is not yet fifty, this is already considered a rare and remarkable way to preserve his youthful appearance.

The old man in front of us was even more exaggerated. His hair and beard were all white, but his face did not look withered or decayed. On the contrary, his complexion was full and rosy, making it really hard to guess his real age.

Li Yi couldn't help but wonder, just how old was Chen Tuan?

According to scattered historical records from his previous life, Chen Tuan participated in the imperial examinations at the end of the Tang Dynasty. There are even rumors that he was summoned by the Tang emperor and was even given palace maids as a reward.

Regardless of the veracity of these rumors, it can be inferred that Chen Tuan was already an adult before the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period began.

And now he must be at least eighty or ninety years old, right?

In an era where people in their forties or fifties can call themselves "old men," living to eighty or ninety is extremely rare. Not to mention Chen Tuan in history, who did not die until he was 118 years old.

Not only do they live a long life, but they also maintain their health so well.

Even with the advanced medical and cosmetic techniques of later generations, maintaining a good condition is still very difficult. The fact that this level of achievement was indeed somewhat beyond the realm of common sense in ancient times.

Just as Li Yi was thinking, Chen Tuan put down his teacup and stood up to greet him: "This must be the famous General Li, right? I am Chen Tuan, a recluse from the mountains. Today, I have brought my junior sister to visit you abruptly, disturbing your peace and quiet. I hope the general will not take offense."

Chen Tuan's voice did not sound old; instead, it carried a unique warmth, like a clear mountain spring flowing, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility to those who heard it.

Li Yi immediately composed himself, cupped his hands in return, and said, "I dare not accept such praise! I am Li Yi, and I have long admired your sage's name. I am overjoyed to meet you today, and there is no question of blame on me."

"I hope the general doesn't mind my intrusion." Chen Tuan flicked his wide robe sleeves, his movements casual and natural, yet exuding an indescribable air of otherworldly grace. "Daoist Master, please!" Li Yi slightly raised his hand in greeting.

The three then walked to the stone table and sat down in order of host and guest.

As a de facto host of the place, Zuo Congqin picked up the tea kettle on the small charcoal stove, first poured a cup of hot tea for Li Yi, then filled the teacup in front of Chen Tuan, and finally refilled his own teacup.

Li Yi picked up his teacup and took a sip. At that moment, he suddenly recalled Zuo Congtan's words of "short life but high spirit" when they returned victorious from the conquest of Shu last year.

At the time, Zuo Congtan said it came from the divination of his senior brother Chen Tuan, and historical records show that Chen Tuan was indeed proficient in physiognomy.

Thinking of this, Li Yi couldn't help but have some ideas. He turned his gaze to Chen Tuan and said casually, "I've heard that you are well-versed in the principles of the I Ching, and especially skilled in physiognomy. May I ask if you could read my face?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Tuan slightly raised his eyes, his gaze gentle and peaceful, like a deep pool in an ancient well, seemingly calm but able to see through people's hearts.

Just as Li Yi was watching Chen Tuan with a hint of anticipation, waiting to see what insights this legendary "Sleeping Immortal" would have.

Unexpectedly, Chen Tuan suddenly asked in return, "When the Emperor of the Great Zhou summoned me to the palace, he asked if there were any magical arts in the world that could grant immortality or conjure gold and silver. Does the General know how I answered him?"

Li Yi was taken aback, not expecting Chen Tuan to steer the conversation toward the emperor, let alone to ask him a question in return.

Before he could even choose his words and reply, Chen Tuan answered his own question: "This humble Taoist says: Your Majesty is the ruler of the four seas and governs all the people. You should be focused on governing the country. How can you so easily believe in such things as alchemy and magic?"

He paused slightly before continuing, "My words were somewhat offensive, but His Majesty the Emperor is magnanimous and did not blame me. On the contrary, he found me to be upright and wanted to appoint me as an advisor. However, I have always been carefree and undisciplined, so I firmly declined His Majesty's offer and was thus able to leave the palace."

Li Yi fell silent for a moment after hearing this. He thought to himself: As expected of a Taoist master who cultivates self-discipline, he spoke very skillfully. Although he did not explicitly refuse, he managed to shut me up.

After all, immortality, alchemy, and physiognomy are all illusory mystical arts. Even the emperor couldn't get a result from asking. If Li Yi insisted on digging deeper, wouldn't he seem ungrateful?

With this casual remark, Chen Tuan not only politely declined the request for face reading, but also expressed his rejection of metaphysical discussions and divination.

Zuo Congqin, who was standing nearby, quickly spoke up to smooth things over, saying, "Senior brother did indeed study physiognomy under the tutelage of the Taoist Master Ma Yi. But that was only to explore the principles of divination and numerology and to align with the natural way of Yin and Yang. It was nothing as mysterious and extraordinary as people imagine... I'm afraid General Li will be disappointed."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi picked up his hot tea and took a sip, but he knew perfectly well what was going on... When Zuo Congtan mentioned the divination before, he spoke with great conviction, but now he was denying it.

Of course, Li Yi had no resentment towards Zuo Congqin, let alone disappointment.

This request for face reading was just something he mentioned on a whim.

Even though experiencing such a bizarre event as time travel instilled in him a sense of awe for the mysteries of heaven and earth, it was far from enough for him to succumb to "superstition."

In his view, physiognomy and fortune-telling are ultimately too ethereal and unrealistic; if you believe in them, they exist, if you don't, they don't.

Otherwise, if someone were to point at his face and assert that he would surely die tomorrow, would he really just sit idly by and wait to die?

Li Yi put down his teacup, cupped his hands in a frank manner, and said, "It was I who was presumptuous and impetuous!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept through the corridor, and amidst the rustling of bamboo leaves, Chen Tuan let out a slow sigh.

"I know General Li has asked this question because my junior brother said something he shouldn't have..."

His gaze shifted to Zuo Congqin, who stood to the side looking embarrassed.

“My junior brother suffered a great upheaval in the past, and his heart is still troubled. At that time, he was too obsessed with alchemy and talisman techniques, vainly seeking the path to immortality, and instead became deeply trapped in the shackles of his inner demons, forgetting the original intention of us cultivators.”

"Fortunately, my junior brother met General Li, which was nothing less than a trial for him to cultivate his mind in the world. When I saw my junior brother again this time, I saw that the gloom between his brows had disappeared and his eyes were much clearer, which showed that he had realized something. I must be grateful for the General's guidance. I thank you in advance on behalf of my junior brother!"

After listening to Chen Tuan's words, Li Yi said with a slightly self-deprecating tone, "Daoist Master, you flatter me too much. I was initially interested in Daoist Master Zuo's beloved daughter, which is why I had the opportunity to get acquainted with him. At that time, I was in a hurry, and my methods... well, they weren't exactly honorable. I half-begged and half-forced Daoist Master Zuo to come to Tokyo."

"On the contrary, Master Zuo's arrival in Tokyo has been of great help to me. I should be the one thanking him."

Li Yi's words were so direct that Chen Tuan was momentarily stunned.

His eyes, which seemed half-asleep, widened slightly, holding a hint of indescribable surprise. They lingered on Li Yi's face for a moment, as if he were re-examining the young martial artist before him.

After a moment of silence, Chen Tuan suddenly clapped his hands and laughed loudly: "In this mortal world, people's hearts are unpredictable. I have lived for many years and have seen countless hypocrites and treacherous people, but I have rarely seen the word 'sincerity'!"

"I haven't met a person as straightforward and unpretentious as General Li in many years!"

This undisguised praise made Li Yi's face flush slightly, and he was about to say a few words of humility.

However, just as he opened his mouth, before he could utter a word—

The tightly closed door of the west wing of the side courtyard was slowly pushed open from the inside.

The afternoon sun eagerly poured into the slightly dim doorway, outlining the silhouette of a slender and graceful figure.

Immediately afterwards, a clear and melodious female voice, tinged with a languid sleepiness, rang out like pearls falling onto a jade plate.

"What great joy has come your way, Senior Brother? You're laughing so heartily that it's shaking the rooftops and has woken me from my sweet dream."

(End of this chapter)