Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Since things had come to this point, Qin Ling Shuang could only let him do as he pleased.

It wasn't that she didn't want to resist, but that she simply didn't have the strength; she quickly convinced herself of this.

Half an hour later, the two walked out of the cornfield hand in hand.

Qin Ling Shuang still looked incredulous.

"How...how did you do that? That's amazing."

"This is hard to explain to you. Just understand that I didn't mean to take advantage of you. If I were that kind of person, I would have had many opportunities in the past."

Qin Ling Shuang shook her head: "I wasn't talking about those three, I was talking about how amazing you are..."

"Forehead."

......

Meeting the next day.

As soon as the officials had taken their positions, an imperial censor stepped forward and reported:

"Your Majesty, since the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Five City Garrison began patrolling the city day and night, the ghostly phenomena in various parts of the capital have been greatly reduced."

"In my opinion, the so-called haunting by wronged spirits is mostly caused by human beings, and the common people are ignorant and spread rumors."

"This matter cannot be allowed to continue. Your Majesty, I request that the relevant authorities thoroughly investigate who is behind this."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion erupted in the hall.

Some people say there's nothing wrong with what they're saying, and all signs indicate that it was done maliciously.

But some people objected, saying, how could a person do such a thing?

Candles won't light, a baby cries, blood-red characters appear out of thin air, snow falls in September... Which of these things isn't mysterious and enigmatic?

This is beyond human capability.

Seeing that the time was right, Han Cao calmly stepped forward.

"Your Majesty, it's not necessarily true that it was all man-made."

"Since ancient times, celestial phenomena have corresponded with human affairs. When the ghosts were haunted in the capital, it happened to snow heavily. It would be inaccurate to attribute it all to the troublemakers."

"It is better to believe in ghosts and gods than to believe in their non-existence. The common people burn incense and worship Buddha to ward off evil spirits, and the imperial court may also do the same."

"Why not invite that folk master to perform a ritual in the palace? This will bring peace to the palace and the people. Even if it is a man-made disaster, we will not suffer any loss."

"At this turbulent time, I, your old minister, advise that it is better to do more than to leave anything out."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shao immediately nodded.

"The Prime Minister is indeed mature and prudent. Then bring the person up."

Before long, the high priest was led into the hall by two eunuchs.

Today he changed into a Taoist robe from the Central Plains.

He was thin and bony, with his clothes fluttering in the wind, and he did indeed look somewhat like an immortal.

The high priest entered the hall, neither humble nor arrogant.

His gaze swept over the assembled officials, finally settling on Chen Shao, at which point he gave a slight bow.

"This humble Taoist, Yun Zhongzi, greets Your Majesty."

"Master, I've heard you possess great supernatural powers. Do you know any exorcism techniques?"

"Exorcism is merely a means for us to make a living; it is but a minor skill."

Chen Shao laughed:

"Words are not enough. If you are truly capable, you will need to be verified on the spot. I do not wish to see another Guo Daoren."

The high priest said calmly, "This person falsely claims to be a Heavenly Soldier of the Six Jia, but he has no real skill whatsoever. His talismans and magical steps are nothing but empty words, and his attempt to conjure soldiers from beans has only made him a laughingstock."

"This is a disgrace to the Daoist sect, an injustice deserving of divine punishment! He deserves to be struck by lightning and annihilated, body and soul!"

"My teachings are the orthodox teachings of the Six Divisions; how can they be compared to mine?"

"Of course, words are meaningless. I can demonstrate on the spot, but the ritual requires some items. I wonder if Your Majesty can provide them?"

"What do you want? Just say it, Taoist priest."

"All you need are some ordinary items: a basin of charcoal, a pot of vegetable oil, a bowl of water, several sheets of yellow paper, three candles, and a copper coin."

These were indeed commonplace, and the eunuchs quickly prepared them, lining them up in a row in the hall.

"Begin your performance."

The high priest smiled slightly: "I've made a fool of myself."

He first took three white candles and placed them side by side in the incense burner.

He rolled up his sleeves and made a spell, running his fingers over the candle wick one by one while chanting incantations.

Strangely enough, the three candles spontaneously combusted without a flame, instantly producing three clusters of bluish-green flames.

Chen Shao narrowed his eyes, thought for a moment, and immediately understood the reason.

The candle wick had been soaked in sulfur powder long ago. He had flint powder hidden between his fingers, and with a flick of his sleeve, a spark fell into the wick, where the sulfur ignited upon contact with the spark.

The flames are green because the sulfur has been mixed with copper salts.

It ignites spontaneously without fire; it's just a charade.

Of course, what you learn is yours to keep, and that's exactly what we lack most right now.

Yun Zhongzi picked up a bowl of water, made a hand seal with his left hand, and drew a few circles around the rim of the bowl with his right fingers.

Amazingly, ripples slowly appeared in the clear water in the bowl, and soon, several dark red lines floated on the inside of the bowl, resembling talismans.

He raised the bowl above his head and bowed in all directions, making the runes even clearer.

"This is a Heavenly Water Talisman, which can dispel evil spirits."

After he finished speaking, he splashed water in the center of the hall. The water did not scatter when it hit the ground, but instead condensed into a human shape.

Judging from its shape, it resembled a man, hunched over, looking miserable.

The hall fell silent instantly.

"This is..."

Chen Shao thought about it for a long time this time, and luckily he had read a lot of magic trick explanations in his previous life, so he actually figured it out.

The bowl is hot while the water is cold. The inner wall is coated with alum, which reveals characters when it comes into contact with water.

The characters were naturally written long ago.

The water stains didn't dissipate because he had secretly sprinkled a layer of extremely fine sand on the ground, which absorbed the water and prevented it from flowing away.

As for the human figure, once water and sand are poured on it and it sinks, its outline will become visible.

"That's really a wild idea," Chen Shao thought to himself, admiringly.

When the high priest saw the change in everyone's expression, he knew that the time was right.

"If there are wronged souls lingering in the palace, these ghosts harbor deep resentment, and if they are not eliminated, great calamity will surely follow."

The group looked at each other, unsure how to respond.

If there are wronged spirits, then it truly confirms the rumors circulating that the retired emperor died unjustly.

If it's not true, then it's clearly so magical; otherwise, how could a person's image appear out of thin air?

Chen Shao, however, didn't mind. "Taoist Master, how should we exorcise the wronged spirit?"

The high priest nodded slightly and ordered someone to bring over the oil cauldron.

The charcoal fire under the pot was burning very brightly, the oil noodles were bubbling and steaming.

He rolled up his wide sleeves, revealing his arm, chanted a spell, and suddenly plunged his entire right hand into the boiling oil.

Most of the court officials, who were accustomed to a life of luxury, had never seen such folk tricks before, and immediately gasped in astonishment.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Yun Zhongzi withdrew his hand, holding a shiny copper coin between his fingers, and raised it above his head.

"A divine gift of copper coins can ward off evil spirits!"

Chen Shao took everything in, but his expression remained completely unchanged.

This doesn't require much skill; it's just a matter of putting vinegar at the bottom of the pot.

The vinegar boils first when added to the oil, causing the oil to churn, even though the oil temperature is actually still low.

The copper coin was hidden in the sleeve, and when the hand reached out, it slipped into the oil and was then taken out, as if it had been fished out of the oil.

Seeing that the emperor remained calm, the high priest knew he had encountered a tough opponent.

It seems I'll have to pull out all the stops.

He then took a stack of yellow paper, drew talismans with a vermilion pen, and suddenly sprayed them with a mouthful of water.

The talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, turning into a ball of white flame and burning to ashes in mid-air.

Instead of falling to the ground, the ashes swirled and rose towards the top of the palace, lingering there for a long time.

"This is the fire of the purification altar; it can burn away evil spirits!"

Yellow phosphorus spontaneously combusts when it comes into contact with warm water... Chen Shao immediately solved the problem.

The high priest then took three peach wood nails and drove them into the gaps between the floor tiles in the center of the hall, forming the shape of the three realms.

Then he stood in the nail array, trembling all over, and closed his eyes to chant incantations.

His lips didn't move, but a sinister voice emanated from him:

"I died a terrible death... Why didn't you save me... I want you to pay with your lives..."

The voice was surprisingly similar to his.

Oh, it's ventriloquism, and I've even imitated it.

Chen Shao asked with great interest:

"Master, what is the name of this wronged spirit?"