Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 222, Section 221: Tranquility and Non-Action
Mao Sheng, who was in the side hall of the Daoist alchemy room, felt his stomach rumble and couldn't help but swallow.

Ever since he went through that period of hunger, he feels an intense, agonizing hunger every time he experiences it. Even before the appointed time, he is already craving food.

I wonder what the imperial chefs will be making today?

My master, fellow disciples and senior disciples replied that they had arrived in Xianyang, but there has been no further news since... When will I be able to receive an audience with the Queen?
He was half worried, half expectant, and a faint aroma of brown sugar filled the air—

Ah!
Having been imprisoned for so long, he can now find happiness in the mundane: there are obviously brown sugar wheat cakes today.

Mao Sheng sat there, a satisfied smile on his face.

……

Meanwhile, at Zhangtai Palace.

When Ji Heng first heard the servants relaying Qingyangzi's remarks outside Lanchi Palace, he found them agreeable but didn't take them to heart.

If he wanted to hear such flattery, the Grand Astrologer could rattle off a whole basketful.

But now that old man has become increasingly cunning. He rarely speaks anymore, but he has carefully examined everything, including the relocation of palaces.

What Qingyangzi said is not worth mentioning.

It's truly unexpected that the sorcerer Mao Sheng, who once uttered such outrageous words at Zhangtai Palace, had such a teacher. Clearly, he was a mediocre and useless individual, utterly incapable of great use!
If it weren't for the Queen's mercy, why would she spare his life now?
Even half a bowl of porridge a day feels like a waste.

He put down the bamboo slip in his hand: "Go and report to the Queen that the elixir workshop she requested has been built on the banks of the Wei River, not far from the Ironworks, and is heavily guarded. Once these Taoists are tamed and moved there, there will be no need for further worries."

Nine Heavens Responding Thunder God Pill!
Good name!
Since Qingyangzi spoke of thunderbolt fire, and the queen did not refute it, it is clear that there must be thunderbolt fire.

If anything goes wrong during the refining process, the Wei River is right next to it, a mighty and inexhaustible source of water, making it easier for the guards to salvage the situation.

After saying that, he couldn't help but savor the name again—

[Nine Heavens Thunder God]

This name, which originated in the Song Dynasty, was quite unfamiliar to Ji Heng, but he could perceive the Taoist ideas it represented.

After all, during the Zhou Dynasty, people believed that thunder was the voice of heaven and the movement of thunder was a divine book.

As early as the Xia Dynasty, people had already begun to worship thunder.

Such divine words and scriptures, how majestic and weighty they are! Since this divine elixir dares to use such a name, then the elixir is already complete—

His eyes sparkled, clearly showing his great anticipation.

As for the safety of refining the divine elixir...

Despite Qingyangzi's deep worry, Qingwei even uttered the words, "If I hear the Dao in the morning, I can die content in the evening."

But Qin Shi himself wasn't that worried.

Because of the early development of gunpowder, due to issues with technology and purity, its destructive power was not very great. It was only because the concept of putting people first had been ingrained in her mind for so long that she demanded multiple layers of protection.

only……

She received Ji Heng's message from Zhangtai Palace, but she didn't plan to take him to the workshop so quickly. Instead, she wanted to see in the palace first whether he was all talk and no action.

Qingyangzi was well-versed in family classics, and Qin Shi valued him highly, so he pressed him further:
When the master and disciple met, did they ever gaze at each other speechlessly, tears streaming down their faces?

The Red Woman quickly went out to inquire, and a moment later, she returned with a complicated expression:
"As soon as that Daoist Qingyangzi met Mao Sheng, he twirled his whisk a few times in his palm and gripped the handle tightly—"

The saying goes, "If the father wants the son to die first, then draw out seven wolves."

Although there were no seven wolves to draw at the time, the handle of the whisk was made of fine sandalwood, which was both hard and sturdy.

Of the master and disciple, only Mao Sheng, like a silly roe deer, happily went to greet them at the door. Before he could even timidly call out "Master," Qing Yangzi's whisk handle had already slapped him across the face!
With a crisp, loud "snap," the skin turned both red and white.

Then... the rain pattered urgently on the banana leaves!
"You unfilial disciple! I have repeatedly warned you never to reveal my identity if anything happens!" "Now you have caused me to lose face, my resolve to waver, and my peace of mind to be shattered! You have also caused your fellow disciples to be looked down upon, and even your cultivation of non-action has been lost—and you still have the nerve to call me master?!"

Mao Sheng felt wronged and pained, but fortunately, his dignity and integrity had already disappeared after being tormented in the palace for many days.

Therefore, he quickly burst into tears:

"Master! How can you blame me? It's clearly because our Taoist sect's Golden Elixir scriptures are incomplete!"

"I finally refined the Golden Elixir, but the King refuses to take it and insists I consume it. Doesn't our ancient texts say that only those born with great fortune can take this elixir? Is he trying to kill me?"

"The Queen demands that I refine a golden elixir every seven days! If I fail to do so, I will not be allowed to eat my fill!"

"Master!"

His earnest plea was like the cry of a cuckoo, a lament of blood.

"Haven't you noticed that your disciple has lost weight?!"

Qingyangzi had whipped him from head to toe, his back, belly, buttocks and legs until they were a bloody mess. At this moment, the handle of his whisk was teetering on the verge of breaking.

He snorted, and his serene, otherworldly face suddenly contorted into a ferocious expression:

"If you can't even get enough to eat in the palace, why did you insist on urging us to come?!"

"Do you think your master, fellow disciples, and elder brothers can just endure hunger and deprivation?!"

Mao Sheng burst into tears: "Master! But the Queen is truly a celestial envoy from Kunlun. Not only can she cultivate external and internal alchemy, but she also possesses the Six-One Mud Technique and the Nine-Turn Rejuvenation Elixir..."

"Our sect only has the three methods of Golden Elixir cultivation so far!"

"If you don't want to learn, what are you doing in Xianyang?"

Upon hearing Mao Sheng's words, his fellow disciples quickly swarmed forward again, patting their master's back to soothe him, throwing the tattered whisk to the ground, and sternly admonishing him:
“Our junior brother’s skills are not yet proficient, so we, as his senior brothers and sisters, should naturally do our best to help him.”

“Indeed, indeed. Although Junior Brother is foolish, he is not ignorant of quality. That Kunlun Immortal Technique must indeed be true—”

“Master, don’t worry! Everyone knows how much you love your disciples. I’m an unfilial junior brother! Let him make the first batch of the Nine Heavens Thunder God Pill tomorrow!”

With everyone chiming in and offering their support, Qingyangzi's complexion improved considerably.

The next moment, a eunuch suddenly announced from outside the door:

"May I ask, esteemed immortal masters, would you like some food?"

He whispered a reminder: "Once you are all settled, we should invite the Queen to witness your abilities in person."

If they don't eat their fill, and their performance suffers, wouldn't their future be even worse?
After a long and arduous journey, and with little time to spare before entering the palace, everyone was already starving.

The thick door opened, and Qingyangzi's wide sleeves covered the handle of his whisk, leaving only his long, flowing, snow-white hemp hair exposed at his elbows.

His disciples surrounded him respectfully, but Mao Sheng was hidden behind them, his face completely obscured.

The elderly Taoist priest possessed an air of otherworldly wisdom, with white hair and a youthful face, his eyes gentle and clear. The male and female Taoist priests beside him also exuded a gentle, serene, and peaceful aura.

"Thank you all for your trouble. We cultivators can use whatever we need."

Huangmen smiled and said, "Yes. But the Queen has ordered that since Maosheng's devotion to Taoism is not sincere, he should fast for a day."

Mao Sheng, his face swollen and cheeks puffed out, looking utterly miserable: ? ? ?

　Here they are! There aren't many, but there's no time to spare, so I'll stop here for now.

　　[The Qin Dynasty had a whisk (a cleaning tool, similar to a feather duster), but Taoism did not have one. The connection between the whisk and Taoism only formed after the Eastern Jin Dynasty. But it feels strange not to include something here, so I've created this myself.]

　　(End of this chapter)