I was forced to cultivate immortality when I just wanted to lie down

Chapter 194 Four Strategies for Establishing the Dynasty, Strange Incense Offerings

The Beijing-Tianjin area is prosperous, with merchants coming and going like ants. If a cultivator were to look down from the sky, he could even see a great dragon of national destiny coiled above the capital, while the vast and misty Tianjin area would appear as a bright pearl spat out from the dragon's mouth.

In contrast, the northern border, spanning thousands of miles, presents a desolate and wild frontier landscape.

On the Dragon Head Peak in the Northern Territory, Zhu Yongzheng, his skin no longer fair and sporting a few wisps of stubble, leaned on his sword and gazed at the vast landscape before him.

Behind him, Wang Liang, whose body had fully grown, accompanied him, along with an unremarkable royal guard holding a sword on guard.

Zhu Yong's original name was Zhu Huai'an. He was a stray dog ​​who was feared by the imperial family and had been forced to wander to the northern border.

The mountains and rivers before him, shrouded in clouds for thousands of miles, were the path he had taken.

In addition to his personal guards, he was accompanied by a convicted official dressed as a herdsman.

This man was named Li Zheng. He was originally from the family of a famous minister, but because he spoke out for justice, he was dismissed from his post and exiled by Emperor Longping. Even his wife and children were implicated.

Zhu Huai'an took a break from his busy schedule to climb Longshou Peak and enjoy the view. On his way, he happened to meet Li Zheng, who was living in seclusion in a humble abode.

At that time, Li Zheng was singing a hermit's song, which startled Zhu Huai'an, who had come to climb the mountain.

It's quite a coincidence that Li Zheng, who would have sung earlier or later, is now singing a hermit's song precisely because Prince Zhu has come to Longshou Mountain.

What a coincidence!

However, in reality, there aren't that many coincidences.

Longshou Mountain is where the King of Changting once raised his sword to the northern royal court to raise his flag.

From the moment Li Zheng learned that Prince Zhu was coming to the northern border, he built a humble dwelling at the foot of Dragon Head Mountain and waited for Prince Zhu to arrive, freezing like a grandson every day.

Li Zheng was once praised by the Prince of Changting as a talent fit for a king in times of chaos, but unfortunately he was born in a prosperous era.

Li Zheng originally thought so too, until he was stranded in the northern border, he only had one thought left, which was to hell with the prosperous era!
The Prince of Changting was so powerful that he threatened the emperor's authority, yet he remained loyal and righteous, hoping to leave behind a good name for all time. But what was the result? He still couldn't escape death.

Now that Prince Zhu has been exiled to the northern border, this is Li Zheng's only chance.

The northern border was divided among warlords, and the former subordinates of the Prince of Changting were the most famous. As long as Prince Zhu was willing to sweep away all evil, he would be willing to serve him.

Today, Zhu Huai'an and his two companions rode over on horseback. Li Zheng, who was as thin as a monkey, took one look and saw that this man had the appearance of a dragon and snake rising from the land, and that he harbored a murderous intent.

We don't know if this person has been living in a shabby room for so long that his brain has been frozen and his eyes have become blinded by hunger, but anyone who comes by can see so many strange phenomena.

Anyway, Li Zheng figured it out.

In his eyes, Longshou Mountain was a desolate place, so who would come here?

Aside from Zhu Shizi, who had lost his father and was 'exiled' to the northern border, he couldn't think of anyone else.

Zhu Huai'an was also puzzled. He had changed his name and never told anyone about his background. How come someone recognized him as soon as he arrived today? Was this person that powerful?

Zhu Shizi became wary and initially planned to deny everything, but if necessary, he would kill the man in the wilderness to silence him.

But when the other party heard that his name was Zhu Yong and not some Zhu Shizi, they became even more certain of his identity.

Zhu Huai'an found it strange and patiently asked him questions. He discovered that this person was indeed quite talented, but he liked to flatter others and kept talking about the Mandate of Heaven and the young dragon, as if he was afraid that others would not know that he was going to rebel.

"Li Zheng, you say I am destined by Heaven to help me overthrow the world." Zhu Huai'an's smile faded, and he said, word by word, "But my Zhu family has always been loyal to the Zhao family and has never harbored any rebellious intentions. Aren't you afraid that I will hand you over to the court for punishment?"

Li Zheng laughed heartily and said, "Zhu Yong means 'to punish Yong.' Surely the Crown Prince didn't choose this name to contribute to the Great Yong Dynasty?"

Hearing this, Zhu Huai'an felt that the sarcastic tone sounded familiar.

Seeing that his thoughts had been seen through, Zhu Huai'an simply stopped pretending and asked Li Zheng directly, "You say you have the ability and talent, then I would like to humbly ask you for advice on how to overthrow the world."

Li Zheng's impression of Zhu Huai'an improved considerably because Zhu Huai'an was quite polite to him.

This monarch is capable!
Immediately, Li Zheng bowed respectfully, his gaze intense, and said:
“I have been observing the stars lately, and the Ziwei Emperor Star is showing an unusual light, like a lamp wick splitting into two. One wick is strong but gradually weakens, while the other is weak but gradually grows stronger. In my humble opinion, this is precisely in accordance with the young emperor’s mandate from heaven.”

Zhu Huai'an frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Li Zheng said:
“These are not flattering words. If you truly wish to conquer the world, you should take these four strategies as a guide.”

"One strategy: Heaven's mandate is in our hands. We can send sorcerers, monks, and Taoists to spread prophecies and omens, claiming that the transformation of the Black Water into a Qilin and the sprouting of Ganoderma lucidum from a withered tree are all signs of the rise of a dragon. We can also order Confucian scholars to compile a record of the oppressive and tyrannical policies of the previous dynasty and distribute it in the streets and among children's rhymes, so that all the common people know that the old dynasty is about to collapse and that the new ruler is the reincarnation of Mars to save the people."

In addition, it is said that the Zhao family's imperial tomb was struck by lightning, which is a sign that the will of Heaven has been lost and the true dragon is in the wild.

Furthermore, there are rumors circulating that the current emperor, a self-proclaimed ruler, murdered his brother to seize the throne, thus committing filial impiety. As the saying goes, there's no smoke without fire; the young master can exploit this to establish his own legitimacy as emperor. With this shift in power, his influence will grow.

"Second strategy: split the enemy at the central level. When I was recruited as an official, I heard that Grand Commandant He had an old grudge against Grand Secretary Shi and Prime Minister Yan. You can imitate the plan of the will—make a secret letter to the enemy using gold foil imitating the Grand Commandant's handwriting, and send a suicide soldier to 'carelessly' lose it. The current false emperor is quite wary of the heir apparent, and Grand Commandant He once greatly admired the prince."

At that time, the ruler and his ministers will inevitably distrust each other. When the time is right, the young master can then devise a plan to lure the Grand Commandant's protégé into turning against them, and the enemy will fall into chaos on its own.

Zhu Huai'an narrowed his eyes and re-examined Li Zheng: "Although the current court is full of treacherous officials, it is not lacking in capable ministers and generals. Why did you choose Grand Commandant He?"

Li Zheng laughed and said, "The Grand Commandant has many protégés and former subordinates who wield considerable influence over the court. He is grateful for the Zhao family's kindness and is willing to serve them to the death. If such people cannot be used for our own purposes, it's better to eliminate them as soon as possible. As for the other capable ministers..."

Li Zheng jokingly said, "People like Yan Xiang, Shi Jinzhong, and Pan Song are too selfish. They are either interested in internal strife or loyal to their own families. In my eyes, these people are more useful alive than dead."

"In other words, the world today might not be the way it is today without them."

Zhu Huai'an's eyes lit up, and he bowed deeply, saying, "Please explain the latter two strategies in detail, sir."

Li Zheng pondered for a moment and then slowly said:

"Three strategies to win over the aristocratic families. The Pei family of Hedong desires the profits from salt and iron. If the heir apparent wants to start a business in the future, we can secretly grant them permission to trade in the Jianghuai region. The Li family of Quyang is troubled by the struggle for succession by illegitimate sons. We should help the legitimate line to inherit the throne. It is also advisable to choose a virtuous lady from a prominent family to marry the young master, so that the aristocratic families can be united with us."

"In addition, the Qianxi route is also very important to the young master. If we can get the help of Qianxi merchants, it can at least reduce the master's hard work by ten years."

Li Zheng paused for a moment, then suddenly cupped his hands and smiled, "As for the last strategy, Young Master has already grasped its essence, so I need not say more."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Huai'an became even more curious.

"Please, sir, say a few more words."

Li Zheng shook his head and chuckled.

"The fourth strategy is called: Concealing the Sharpness of the Arrow. To put it bluntly, it means to prepare for war, hide one's strength, and stockpile grain."

"This strategy is of paramount importance and should have been the first choice, but unexpectedly, the young master Bizheng is even more far-sighted, going so far as to change his name and identity, and not even revealing his status as the heir apparent."

Zhu Huai'an was stunned for a moment, and his hand subconsciously reached for the brocade pouch at his waist.

Li Zheng was a capable minister whom his father, Prince Changting, greatly admired, but according to the other party, the person who gave him the brocade pouch seemed to have a more accurate and far-sighted vision than Li Zheng.

"If I had known this would happen, I should have brought Brother Xu to the Northern Border no matter what, even if I had kidnapped him."

Zhu Huai'an deeply regretted his actions.

Jinmen Prefecture, Linjiang County.

Two things have happened in Linjiang County recently. One is that the wife of the newly appointed county magistrate, Chen Guangrui, has given birth to a son.

Many people came to visit during this period, but Xu Qing didn't take it to heart when he heard about it.

No matter whose happy occasion it was, he was never the one to take the initiative to go and offer his congratulations.

As someone who deals in the dead, he has some self-awareness.

Even when Wu Zhiyuan got married, Xu Qing didn't plan to go.

However, Wu Zhiyuan did not look down on him. He sent invitations to both Hu Baosong and said that if he did not go, it would be disrespectful to him and that he did not consider him a neighbor or friend.

On that occasion, Hu Baosong sent Wu Zhiyuan some amulets for protection as a congratulatory gift.

Besides the county magistrate's joy at having a son, many unfamiliar faces have also arrived in Linjiang County in the past few days.

I heard that the newly established Mirror Bureau in the capital is here to handle some case.

Xu Qing didn't care about this. He was just a law-abiding businessman who did small business, didn't cause trouble, and only collected corpses to send people to their final resting place.

Customers have never given a bad review.

In the eyes of the neighbors, Shopkeeper Xu was a kind and generous scholar who not only delivered eggs to the shop every few days, but also frequently visited the elderly who had no one to take care of them.

Even though some people don't have membership cards, and even though they are chased away by old men and women with brooms when they visit and post small advertisements for filial piety funeral services, Manager Xu never complains.

In addition, Manager Xu also provided the displaced people living in Xinyaofang with grain worth no less than a thousand taels.

Everyone praised Manager Xu for his kindness, but he didn't take all the credit. Instead, he frankly said that the relief grain was sponsored by a man named Shang Shaoyang and his son who wished to remain anonymous.

When he mentioned Shang Shaoyang's name, Manager Xu raised his voice. How could someone who doesn't crave fame or fortune be the target of the Mirror Bureau's investigation?

At least while the Mirror Bureau was wreaking havoc and conducting a massive search throughout the city, Xu Qing's shop remained completely unaffected.

The reason is simple: his coroner's shop has become a model of integrity in Linjiang County. Even the county magistrate has praised it, saying that his Xu family shop is humane and well-run.

When Constable Zhao Zhonghe patted Xu Qing on the shoulder and talked about this, Xu Qing was overjoyed.

This county official is quite nice. If I have the chance to patronize his shop in the future, he can give me a 20% discount.

In the coroner's shop, Xu Qing offered incense to his teacher Liu Youdao and his master Yang Qiying.

Today is the Ghost Festival. In addition to offering incense to his sect, Xu Qing also prepared a lot of offerings.

Let's burn some offerings at the crossroads, burn some offerings on Wujiu Slope, and then take the immortals from the Cat Immortal Hall to the Water Gate Bridge Courtyard to celebrate with the embroiderer.

It's the Ghost Festival, which only comes once a year. The embroiderer was obviously very happy. She inhaled a lot of alcohol and, slightly tipsy, even performed a flying head trick for everyone.

Xuan Yu had never seen this spell before. It was the first time he had seen it, and all the cat fur on his body stood up like rain from the dark clouds in the sky.

During the meal, Xuan Yu finally couldn't resist asking the embroiderer what it felt like when her hair flew up.

The embroiderer blinked and recalled, "It's like swinging on a swing, it seems to have feet, but it also seems like it doesn't. This spell isn't hard to learn. If Xuan Yu wants to learn it, I can teach you."

Xuan Yu's eyes widened. Thinking about how her cat head flew around, she decisively shook her head and said, "I won't learn! It wouldn't be fun if a dog or a bird carried my head away!"

The embroiderer was also somewhat frightened upon hearing this.

“The embroiderer knows how to weave cloth. If all else fails, she can weave a rope to tie around her body so she won’t lose her head.”

"."

Xu Qing, who was standing nearby, felt his brain throb. He thought to himself, "This isn't like flying a kite with a string attached!"

After celebrating the festival with the embroiderers, Xu Qing and Xuan Yu returned to the coroner's shop and simultaneously showed expressions of confusion.

“Xu Xian’s family, the incense offerings in the Dharma realm seem a bit off.”

Xu Qing also sensed a wisp of incense that was different from the previous one mixed into the incense realm.

After closing the shop door, Xu Qing reached back and pulled out a strange, blood-red incense stick from a golden incense-filled realm.

Although the incense was blood-red in color, it was filled with an indescribable vitality.

Xu Qing closed his eyes and carefully sensed the source of the incense. After a short while, he opened his eyes and said in surprise, "Someone has built a temple for me and sculpted a statue of a god."

Xuan Yu, who also sensed the source of the incense, opened his eyes: "And the longevity tablet of the Xu family, what exactly did the Xu family do?"

Xu Qing also looked puzzled.

He's just an honest zombie. Even if he does some good deeds occasionally, he's not good enough to be worshipped with a longevity tablet.

"This matter must be thoroughly investigated!"

Building a temple in one's own home and building a temple spontaneously by the public are two completely different things.

For immortals, the latter is undoubtedly an unparalleled honor.

But for Xu Qing, it was full of uncertainties.

Today is Ghost Festival, and few people go out at night. Following the strange incense smoke, Xu Qing and Xuan Yu tracked it all the way and finally arrived at a newly built small temple outside the city.

Outside the temple gate, moonlight shone down, and the words "Baosheng" could be faintly seen on the plaque.

As Xu Qing approached the temple, an inexplicable feeling arose within him. In addition to this strange feeling, he could faintly hear the laughter of a baby in his ears. The laughter was not loud, but it seemed to be able to pierce through one's soul.

Xu Qing felt increasingly strange. He walked into the temple and saw the three large characters "Ruyi Hall" written in front of the incense hall where the statues of the gods were placed.

Inside the hall, there is a statue of a female immortal. The immortal holds a Ruyi scepter in her left hand and drags a blood-red bottle with small characters engraved on it in her right hand.

Xu Qing walked closer to take a look and discovered that it read "Blood Lake Crossing the Calamity".

At this moment, Xuan Yu, who had been wandering around the temple, suddenly called out, "Master Xu, there is your memorial tablet here!"

Xu Qing glanced to the side and saw from afar that the tablet read "The Divine Tablet of the Goddess of Life Protection".

To the left and right of the memorial tablet, there are also red couplets for prayer.

The left side of the inscription reads: 'May your descendants be blessed with peace and safety.'

The inscription on the right reads: 'Praying for many children and abundant blessings'

Xu Qing stared wide-eyed. Who erected this memorial tablet?
And it's even a temple dedicated to granting children?!

(End of this chapter)