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

Chapter 98 The Troublemaker, Mr. Liu
The years in the coroner's shop were peaceful. Although the sound of reading was less heard in the shop due to the wallpaper making, Xu Qing had inherited the spirit of dedication and love of learning.

Holding a scripture in hand and burning a censer of incense, swallows chirp in front of the eaves, there are cats and chickens in the shop, and there is also a maid who is quiet and silent when she walks, responsible for dusting and cleaning.

I wouldn't trade such a peaceful and tranquil life for an emperor!

Compared to the peaceful life of Xu Qing, the Crown Prince of the Changting Palace in Tianjin is in dire straits.

Ever since the King of Changting committed suicide at the mouth of Baishui River out of loyalty to the emperor and the country, following the death of the late emperor, many "rumors" have been circulating among the people.

In the eyes of the people, it doesn’t matter whether the emperor is dead or not. If he is dead, everyone might even add a chicken leg to their dinner to celebrate.

But the Prince of Changting is different. This prince is a true minister of the country. He cleared out the traitors, drove out the barbarians, and protected the country. He did almost all the good things he could do. It is because of this that everyone has had a peaceful life for decades.
How could such a capable and savior minister die in such an unclear manner?

For a time, all kinds of rumors such as poisoning and murder, ambush on the road, fear between the emperor and his ministers, and the emperor ordering the minister to die and the minister having to die began to spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital.

There was a mixture of truth and falsehood among them, and no one knew who had spread the news that Prince Changting was summoned by the late emperor before his death.

The current emperor sitting on the throne did not care much at first. After all, these subsequent impacts were within the expectations of the late emperor, and all the blame was borne by the late emperor. As long as the fire did not burn on him, these things would naturally disappear over time.

Until one day, a spy letter appeared in front of the dragon desk in the imperial study. It contained a rumor that before Prince Changting died, a close minister of the current emperor, a staff member and family guest of the new prince's mansion, witnessed Prince Changting committing suicide at the mouth of the Baishui River beside the Baishui embankment.

It is said to be a spectator, but in reality it is no different from supervising an execution.

Zhao Rong saw that the fire was burning his butt, so how could he sit still?

He summoned his confidants late at night and thought about countermeasures all night.

After that, there suddenly appeared a group of civil organizations in the market that dug up the negative information about King Changting.

But is it really that easy to dig up the negative information about Prince Changting?

After digging around, we didn't find much negative information about this civil organization. Instead, we gained a deeper understanding of the glorious deeds of King Changting.

Seeing that his own people would be affected if this continued, Zhao Rong's personal military advisor Cai Shichun began to implement the backup plan.

Since there is no black material, let’s create it.

Suddenly, rumors that the foreign king Zhu Cheng allowed his soldiers to massacre civilians, rape and plunder during the Northern Expedition suddenly dominated the headlines in the capital.

Later, there were rumors that the Prince of Changting had been bewitched by the evil people of Tianxin Sect and intended to rebel, and that the real culprit behind the assassination of the former Crown Prince Zhao You was Prince Zhu.

The story of the prince sleeping on firewood and tasting gall, pretending to be crazy and eating feces spread throughout the capital.

Some people said that the prince wanted to follow the example of the ancients, crying blood and holding his sword, and what he was plotting must be the rule of Dayong.

After the prince's remains were escorted back to the capital, Prince Zhu immediately became full of energy again. This was the flaw.

Some people didn't understand what was going on and asked, "Is the prince planning a rebellion?"

"if not?"

When the people heard this, they thought, this is a good thing!

Unfortunately, I can only think about it in my heart and cannot say it out loud.

Emperor Yongxing, Zhao Rong, sat high up in the hall, not afraid that rumors would backfire on him and he would be hit by bricks and tiles in front of the hall.

Anyway, he was having a lot of fun. When the rumors fermented to a certain extent, he came up with a plan and sent an envoy to Changting Palace to deliver a verbal decree.

At this time, in the Jinmen Palace, the Crown Prince, who had lost a lot of weight, was discussing with his family elders how to deal with the sudden imperial edict.

The imperial edict was only a verbal instruction and no written decree, so a special envoy conveyed it and asked whether Prince Zhu and his family had any intention of going to the northern border.

At first, Zhu Huaian thought that the emperor was testing him, but at the end of the oratory, Emperor Yongxing mentioned the chaos in the northern border. His Royal Highness is the son of Prince Changting, and he should follow his father's example and go to the northern border to hone himself, so as to live up to the family tradition.

In addition to the oral instructions, the special envoy who delivered the imperial edict also deliberately told some rumors, and the meaning behind his words was only one.

That is to let Prince Zhu set off immediately, leave Tianjin, and go to the border to avoid suspicion.

Prince Zhu thought, this was not asking him to avoid suspicion, this was clearly letting the tiger return to the mountain, allowing him to reorganize the forces in the north and avenge his father!
But is Emperor Yongxing really so stupid?
Prince Zhu naturally didn't believe it. In his opinion, this was undoubtedly a death warrant hanging over his head. No matter whether he took a step forward, a step back, or stayed in the middle, he could not stop Zhao Rong from wanting to harm him.

"If I agree, I'm afraid I'll be robbed and killed by bandits before I even set foot in the northern border."

"If you don't agree, you will be disobeying the king's order and will suffer no good consequences."

There are almost two factions, and I am not joking. This is not a joke.

Zhu Huaian couldn't sleep or eat, and his hair was falling out in clumps. At this moment, he began to miss the feeling of forgetting everything for a short time after taking the Forgetfulness Pill.

There are many troubles in the world, and the officialdom is even worse.

"I remember that the prince once left a treasure bag for Your Highness to open when the situation becomes absolutely critical."

Zhu Huaian suddenly woke up when he heard the reminder from the elders in his family.

He couldn't wait to take out the brocade bag that he kept close to his body. Inside was a piece of white silk cloth with only eight words on it.

"The emperor's grace has been fulfilled, and there are no taboos."

Zhu Huaian's whole body trembled, he felt his chest beating like a drum, his face flushed and his ears hot, and his hands holding the silk cloth couldn't help but tremble.

"Did you tell me about the treasure bag?"

"No explanation."

Zhu Huaian put away the silk cloth silently, his calm tone revealing an imperceptible tremor.

"Uncle, before I go to the North, I want to go to Linhe and visit some old friends."

On this day, a festive figure suddenly appeared on the street in the well.

The man was wearing a wide-sleeved square jacket made of maroon Ning silk, a melon-shaped hat on his head, and a birdcage in his hand. However, the cage did not contain a bird, but a small rooster that was completely snow-white without a single stray hair.

"Second Master, please take it easy today. Don't scare the kitten!"

The man called Erye held a little white chicken in one hand and two 'lion heads' in the other, and started spitting out a mouthful of saliva:

"Nonsense! Is your second master that kind of person?"

"But then again, in this world of mischief, your Second Master is also a well-known figure, a man who is worthy of being called a celebrity. When these little cats, dogs, and mice see me, they have to put themselves in the right place and know who is the grandmaster of all things cat and dog teasing!"

"Isn't that right, Uncle?" Mr. Feng said this to the little white chicken in the cage while blowing a whistle. The word "Uncle" is actually "Bai", but he has an accent, so it became "Uncle" when he said it.

The man next to him, wearing a long gown with wide sleeves, was a middle-aged scholar. He was holding a folding fan with a painting of a white snake spitting pearls, and he had an elegant and easy-going temperament.

"Mr. Liu, which road is this? Why does this place feel so unfamiliar to me? I have never been here before."

Mr. Liu's original surname was not Liu. His original name was Ji Ruinian. It's just that people in the underworld always called him Mr. Liu. As more and more people called him that, he got this name!
"This place has a history, how could Second Master not know about it?"

"What's his background? Is he more powerful than your second master's?"

Ji Ruinian waved his folding fan and jokingly said, "Not really, it's just that this street is famous for funerals. They can customize funeral clothes, bury the deceased, arrange the coffin, arrange the mourning hall, and even move the body for the funeral. Even if you want to move to a new burial site, they can do it all for you in one place."

"What the hell?"

"So it's a funeral venue? You know what, I can't even compare to that title. How unlucky!"

The two of them chatted and came to the coffin shop.

There was an ordinary old man basking in the sun at the door.

"Old man, good luck to you!" "I want to ask you something. Is there a fairy house with a cat temple on this street?"

Hu Baosong asked in confusion, "What hall?"

"Cat Fairy Hall."

"never heard of that!"

Mr. Feng was puzzled and said, "That's right. The place I saw from my uncle that day was exactly this street. Did I go the wrong way?"

Ji Ruinian said helplessly: "As the saying goes, a chicken has squinting eyes, a chicken has squinting eyes. This chicken's eyesight is not good to begin with, so it's strange that you can see clearly."

"Nonsense, you idiot! Your second master has never made a mistake in his life! This old man must be old and confused, and he can't remember things clearly. It must not be my mistake!"

The two men left the coffin shop and searched along the funeral clothing and paper-making shops, and finally stopped in front of a shop with a sign that said "Coroner".

"Finally, I found this shop. This sign, this pitch-black door panel... Hey, something seems a little off. Mr. Liu, have you noticed?"

"There is a yin energy." Ji Ruinian folded his folding fan, his eyes flashing.

"I know there's yin energy. How can anyone in our line of work not have some yin energy around them? I mean, there's something wrong with this shop. Look at my uncle!"

Ji Ruinian glanced sideways and saw the little fairy in Master Feng's cage flapping its wings, trying desperately to get out of the cage.

It looks like he doesn't want to enter this shop.

"This is the first time I've seen Uncle so scared. It shouldn't happen. He wasn't like this the last time he came here."

"Since you're here, why not go in and take a look? Tianjin is not like the capital. There aren't many powerful immortals here, not to mention a cat immortal. Don't forget that you're an expert at feeding cats and walking dogs. What's there to be afraid of?"

As the two were talking, a white figure suddenly flashed in front of the door that the coroner had opened.

"Did something just float by?"

"."

Master Feng paused as he was twirling the walnuts. Ji Ruinian, standing beside him, asked in surprise, "Uncle doesn't get on Master's body, so Master can still see ghosts?"

"That's enough nonsense. I'm not blind!" Master Feng pointed at his eyes while holding the plate of walnuts and said, "When I was young, I paid a lot of money to have these eyes opened by a master. They are considered acquired yin-yang eyes. Not to mention ghosts, even monsters in human form can be seen in their true form!"

"They say money makes the world go round, but I never thought it could also make people communicate with ghosts and gods."

Ji Ruinian sighed and said, "Are you sure this Daoist fellow inside is a Cat Fairy and not a disciple of the Sad Fairy?"

"You better understand now. You dragged me here for no apparent reason. If I had gone to the wrong party, the wrong place, I wouldn't mess around with you next time, no matter what!"

"That's right, it's definitely right. Just follow me in and you'll know."

The two were chatting outside, but Xu Qing in the shop had already noticed the movement at the door.

The maidservant, Xiu Niang, was quite sensible and knew to come to the counter to inform him.

As for whether it was safe to keep such a female ghost hanging around, Xu Qing was not worried at all.

Now that he has confirmed his identity as a spirit medium, it's normal for him to have a sad fairy by his side, right?
Not to mention a female ghost, even if there was another one, he felt that he could handle it.

Xu Qing put away the paper, pen, and talisman, straightened his clothes, and then went out to greet the guests.

Mr. Feng had a very loud voice, and although Ji Ruinian's voice was soft, it could not withstand Xu Qing's good hearing.

The two kept talking about the immortals, and when Xu Qing heard the familiar names of Erye and Mr. Liu, he immediately realized that it was 'Erye Feng and Mr. Liu' who had not been to the immortal banquet.

"My two fellow Taoists, I am the head of the Xu family of the Cat Fairy Hall. I am honored to be here. Please come in."

"Master Xu of the Cat Fairy Hall? Fellow Daoist, is your surname Xu? Could it be that you are also a martial artist, with the immortals serving as your assistant?"

Xu Qing smiled and said, "I am in a relationship with the immortals in the world of mortals, and there is no distinction between big and small."

Ji Ruinian's eyes lit up, and when he looked at Xu Qing, he couldn't help but nod.

This move is good, more sophisticated than Mr. Feng's.

On the side, Mr. Feng stepped over the threshold, and the first thing that caught his eye was a coffin.

There was a female ghost in white sitting on the flat coffin.

"This ghost in your house won't bite, right?"

When the embroiderer heard this, her eyebrows raised and she immediately bared her teeth.

If you are talking about ghosts, just talk about ghosts. Why do you have to compare her to a dog in a roundabout way and even dare to ask if she bites people?
"It doesn't bite. My ghost is quite humane."

"."

The embroiderer was so angry that she almost came back to life.

You are the one who understands human nature, and your whole family understands human nature!
With a hissing sound and a breath of cold air, the sulking embroiderer turned around and floated to the backyard.

It's time to feed the old hens in the backyard again.

"Didn't Fellow Daoist Xu run a Cat Fairy Hall? Why does he keep a ghost?"

Ji Ruinian asked curiously.

"I thought it would be fine to open one or two halls, so I just raised this ghost fairy, but this one was invited by Wu."

"."

Ji Ruinian put aside his previous evaluation. It seemed that this young man who was on horseback riding was not as particular as he had imagined.

"My surname is Ji, and my immortal family is a Willow Immortal. It and I are of the same generation. People around me like to call me Brother Liu and Mr. Liu.

The man next to me, surnamed Feng, is a well-known scoundrel in the Jinmen Flower and Bird Market. Everyone calls him Second Master. His immortal is this magical white chicken. He is neither civil nor martial, and he paid a fortune to get it from a master!

"Liu Suizui! What are you talking about? Explain clearly what you mean by half-literate and half-martial? My uncle is my treasure. I have always raised him as my own son. In terms of affection, he is much better than that scoundrel like you. Stop trying to sow discord between me and my uncle."

Mr. Feng was very talkative. After arguing for a while, he finally looked at Xu Qing.

"Friend Xu, serving an immortal is just like serving a small animal. You have to feed it good food, add good incense, and take it to find good things to do."

Master Feng looked at people with a superior temperament, "If we talk about the experience of raising cats and dogs, if you don't talk about this, then it's this!"

Mr. Feng raised his thumb and then his middle finger, meaning that he was either big or long, in short, very prominent.

People in this situation didn't know what the middle finger meant. When Xu Qing saw the gesture, he always felt that the other party was scolding him.

"By the way, where is your cat fairy? I remember it was a black lump of coal. Go and get it out so I can help you see what kind it is."

Ji Ruinian translated, "Second Master Feng cares about his reputation and likes to take care of young people. Just treat him as he is and don't worry about him."

Xu Qing raised his eyebrows. Was he being treated as a junior and ranking by seniority?
"I don't mind, but I'm afraid my cat might mind."

At this time, Xuanyu, who had just returned from a stroll outside, walked into the shop.

When it heard Mr. Feng's disrespectful words, its tail started sweeping mode, swinging left and right.

(End of this chapter)