The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 154 Three-Element Great Elixir

Because the emperor loved cranes, there was a row of crane houses on the west side of the rabbit garden in the Western Garden. They were not released in any season, and were not allowed to migrate south in winter. The houses were built with thick earth and wood walls.

Wooden lattice windows covered with thick cotton paper.

The house is lined with dry grass and reed mats, and charcoal braziers are always placed in the corners to keep the birds warm and protect them from the cold northwest winds. After several generations of domestication, the cranes have become accustomed to spending the winter here.

On this day, on the high platform of the West Garden, the altar was solemn. Lan Tianyu, wearing a purple Taoist robe and holding a whisk, stepped forward in the steps of the Big Dipper.

"Burn incense!"

The young Taoist priest presented the incense sticks, lit them in the burner, and thick smoke rose straight up, filling the air with fragrance that drifted on the wind towards Taiye Pond.

Lan Tianyu chanted an incantation while making hand seals: "Respectfully addressed to the Immortal Master of Penglai, the Pure-hearted and Wondrous Daoist Master Lü, the sword lies across the seven cold stars of the Big Dipper, the elixir is refined nine times to bring back spring—"

"Riding a crane, the Dharma body descends to the altar; the disciple, with devout heart, takes refuge and pays homage, humbly hoping that the Patriarch will descend to the mortal realm."

Burn talismans, strike the chime, and flick the whisk.

A moment later, white feathers flashed in the clouds, and three white cranes circled down, circling the altar three times before landing in front of the steps. They called out softly with their long necks, their postures graceful. After a while, they flew back and circled the smoke, unwilling to leave.

With its snow-white feathers and a touch of crimson on its crest, the crane appears even more ethereal and graceful against the backdrop of the cold sky and wisps of incense smoke.

In the dead of winter, Jiajing, dressed in a thin Taoist robe, had a strangely flushed face. He looked up anxiously and asked, "How is it?"

9

Meanwhile, another Taoist priest nearby was interpreting the divination slips. He and his disciples suddenly bowed and exclaimed, "Master Lü has descended upon the altar on a crane!"

Jiajing strained to see, but could not spot the immortal on the crane's back. He could only ask the Taoist priest with the ability to see ghosts: "Lu..."

Where are our ancestors, and what did they look like?

After kneeling and kowtowing, the Taoist priest looked up and murmured, "Your Majesty, Lu Zu is on the back of the crane in the middle. He has the air of a Taoist immortal, with a crane's head and a tortoise's back, a tiger's body and a dragon's cheeks, and phoenix eyes facing the sky. His eyebrows extend into his temples, his neck is slender and his cheekbones are prominent. His forehead is broad and his body is round. His imperial beams are straight and his complexion is yellow. There is a black mole on the left eyebrow and a tortoise-like pattern on his feet. Behind him, there are thousands of auspicious rays of light. He is the true image of an immortal."

After saying this, blood tears suddenly streamed from his eyes, and he covered his eyes and kowtowed repeatedly.

Jiajing was deeply moved upon hearing this, and his hands unconsciously went into his sleeves as he chanted a Taoist prayer.

After Tao Zhongwen's body was dissolved, the newly arrived Taoist priests were initially well-behaved upon entering the palace. However, as they gradually adapted and learned the palace rules and the emperor's preferences, they began to display their unique abilities.

Huang Jin wore a pious expression, but inwardly he sighed. His Majesty's old ailments had recently recurred: headaches, yin deficiency with excessive fire, insomnia, and palpitations.

The patient suffered from repeated bouts of night sweats due to physical weakness, and the Imperial Hospital's herbal decoctions could only provide slow relief.

As a result, His Majesty began to use pills that were more effective, and the most effective ones were those made by Master Hu, who was not far away, refining pills in the open air in the cold wind with one arm bare.

According to the Taoist priests who practiced spirit writing on cranes, Hu Dashun's "Golden Book of Longevity" was personally bestowed by Lü Zulan. It contains a formula for a three-elemental elixir of immortality and disease prevention, the main ingredient of which is innate mercury refined from black lead, which is then calcined into clear jade powder for medicinal use.

Taking this medicine can strengthen the body's foundation, cure diseases, and prolong life. With prolonged use, one can transcend the mortal world, radiate immortal light, and ultimately be guided by Lü Dongbin to ascend to immortality.

"So Father is unavailable right now?"

Huang Jin nodded: "Master Hu has just refined the Three Elements Great Pill, and His Majesty is currently meditating to refine it after taking it."

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Zhu Zaizhen looked at Huang Jin with some concern, only to see Huang Jin slowly shaking his head.

He didn't say anything, but the meaning was clear: this matter couldn't be advised against, especially by a prince; to speak out would be a crime.

Zhu Zaizhen handed the painting to Huang Jin and said, "After Father Emperor refines the elixir, Huang Ban, please present it to me."

After taking the elixir, the emperor was completely different from his usual self, and Zhu Zaizhen was unwilling to risk offending him.

After returning to the palace, he took Xiaoshuang to Princess Chang'an's side. Her health was really not good, just as the saying goes, "illness comes like a landslide and goes like pulling silk."

It took raising them from summer to winter to be considered a great success. Standing in the hall, he was overjoyed to see his younger brother carrying a half-grown kitten in.

"Sister looks much better."

Chang An gently stroked the cat's head. Xiao Shuang was affectionate and would lick his hand whenever it saw it.

"Yeah, nobody cares anymore."

Zhu Zaizhen knew she was referring to the head maid: "You should have told me sooner."

"My sisters are all like this, how can I bring it up? Besides, she's been looking after me for so many years." Princess Chang'an felt a pang of pity. "I heard she was expelled from the palace, but she seems to have found a way to make a living, right?"

"Yes, she's stolen quite a bit of your jewelry over the years. A few pieces would be enough for her to live on for a lifetime."

Actually, that old woman had died long ago.

After being slapped by Tao Ze, she finally woke up and was a little unsteady on her feet. The eunuchs' interrogation didn't get anything out of her, but when they sent people to search her room, they found a lot of gold and silver, far more than she could have saved.

In addition, it was absolutely impossible to easily let such a person who had served the princess for so long leave the palace. If she said something she shouldn't have outside and tarnished the princess's reputation, even being torn to pieces would not be enough to save the imperial family's face. Therefore, the Directorate of Palace Attendants used severe punishment.

However, there's no need to let Chang An know about this, lest he feel guilty.

The siblings happily played with Xiaoshuang for a while, played chess, and Zhu Zaizhen even showed her his painting skills, only to be mercilessly ridiculed by her.

After having dinner together in the evening, Zhu Zaizhen leisurely returned to his palace. His attendant helped him change his clothes and then reported, "His Highness Prince Yu hasn't shown his face all afternoon. It seems he's been in his palace with that maid the whole time."

Zhu Zaizhen shook his head and laughed, "I'm afraid you're really going to give me a nephew or niece."

Ma Dezhao's expression was somewhat solemn: "Your Highness, the Imperial Grandson still carries some weight."

"My dear father, he has taken another new elixir today, which shows how determined he is to achieve immortality. If you tell him now that you have become a grandfather, it will not be good news for him."

"perhaps--"

"There's no possibility of anything." Zhu Zaizhen sighed. "I've done so much, yet I still dare not hope that Father will extend his love to my children. How could there be any possibility of anything for my brother's children? Most likely, I won't even see them, and they might not even have their names."

According to regulations, when a prince is three months old, the Ministry of Rites selects an auspicious day to hold a naming ceremony, where the emperor bestows a name upon him and records it in the imperial genealogy.

Both Prince Yu and he were like this, even faster, being made kings before they were three years old.

Historically, the names of Prince Yu's sons, including Zhu Yijun, were only given after the death of Jiajing and in the first year of the Longqing reign.

At night, a clear chime sounded. Huang Jin calmly washed his hands, entered the study, and saw that His Majesty was still with his eyes closed. He then poured water to moisten his handkerchief, knelt down, and crawled forward to wipe His Majesty's hands.

Then, in a low voice, he reported: "Nothing else happened, except that His Highness Prince Jing went out of the palace. According to the report from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it was because Xu Wei had a conflict with Li Panlong, Wang Shizhen, and others, and they got into a fight."

Jiajing's lips curled slightly upward: "Is it still because of the discussion on poetry and literature?"

"Yes, Xu Wei had a sharp tongue. He even made the newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) cry. His fellow graduates were furious, and five or six of them ganged up on Xu Wei."

Jiajing snorted lightly, his tone somewhat disdainful: "Poetry and literature are minor arts, not worth discussing. So-called talented people are all just vulgar people."

"They don't understand any of this; they're only concerned with the present."

Huang Jin put down the handkerchief, reached out and took His Majesty's hand, gently rubbing it.

"What did he go to do?"

Huang Jin replied, "His Highness took Zhang Juzheng to watch the excitement, but they missed it. Instead, they found a scholar who had been scolded to tears by Xu Wei by the roadside and took him home. Oh, and His Highness also sent a painting."

"What painting? A new work by Xu Wei?"

Emperor Jiajing did indeed quite like Xu Wei's style, collecting several excellent works and stamping them with his own seal of appreciation.

Huang Jin couldn't help but laugh: "This servant thinks it's His Highness's handwriting, but it's a painting by Xu Wei."

Jiajing opened his eyes. The power of the pill had not yet dissipated, and there was a faint red tinge in his eyes. The heat in his body after consuming the Three Elements Pill had not subsided, and there was still a slight tremor in his fingertips.

He had never actually seen what Xu Wei looked like, but the thought that it was drawn by that scoundrel made him somewhat disdainful. Even a famous teacher can't necessarily produce a great student.

"Put it out, I'll take a look in a bit."

"Yes."

After a moment, Jiajing's fingertips returned to calm, and he slowly stood up with Huang Jin's help: "This pill is a bit too strong, not as good as Master Tao's."

9

Huang Jin said, "The pill formula is good, but the alchemist might be lacking. After all, Master Tao achieved immortality through corpse liberation, while Master Hu is still young and his skill is somewhat inferior."

The most formidable people are the dead.

After Tao Zhongwen's death, his disciples obediently gave up their positions, and the later Taoist priests did not pursue and kill him. As a result, with corroboration from all sides, Tao Zhongwen's fame actually increased, and people inside and outside the capital began to want to build temples to worship him.

Jiajing walked behind his desk and sat down. Huang Jin brought the painting and unfolded it on the desk. In the candlelight, the painting depicted a strange-looking person with a bruised and swollen face, whose injuries were exaggerated and comical, and who was even laughing.

Jiajing stared at it for a moment, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"What a pity for my seal."

Jiajing looked at the painting and then at the calligraphy: "Go and get that seal and stamp it on."

Huang Jin placed the seal of "Caution in Speech and Action" on the Eight Treasures Inkpad and brought it over. Jiajing reached out and pressed it down slightly before stamping it directly three inches above the "Auspicious Snow Receiving Heaven" seal.

"The drawing skills aren't great, but the style is quite interesting. I'll keep it."

"promise."

After making the Emperor happy, Huang Jin began to talk about things that weren't so pleasant, such as Prince Yu—

After listening, Jiajing showed no expression. According to the rules, before a prince leaves his residence for his wedding, he should be taught by palace maids how to conduct himself, so that the prince can learn restraint, gentleness, and taboos, and avoid embarrassment and rudeness on his wedding night.

However, it shouldn't have been Consort Kang who acted on her own. Prince Yu himself was also someone who couldn't control himself, despite the fact that everyone in the court praised him for being kind and respectful.

What's so praiseworthy about someone who can't control themselves in important matters but follows the rules in trivial ones?

Impatient welled up in Jiajing's heart instantly, but he remained calm on the surface, staring coldly at the remaining candle on the table.

"Consort Kang has failed to live up to my expectations. She has not been able to restrain the prince from cultivating his self-discipline, but instead has led him to indulge in boudoir activities and lose his maternal virtue. Therefore, she is hereby demoted to the rank of concubine and moved to another palace. The imperial edict shall be read aloud in public by the eunuch in charge, and Consort Kang shall kneel to hear and accept her punishment."

Huang Jin agreed, but was secretly alarmed. The promotion of Consort Jing's mother could not shake the positions of Consort Kang and Prince Yu, but the demotion of Consort Kang was a real blow to their foundations.