Notes on Longevity

Chapter 99: An honest official is not truly an official; immortality is not a magic formula.
"What do you mean by that? Do you really want to die?" Tang Wanchao questioned him.

Zhang Jinggong stood up, and Tang Wanchao's other hand moved slightly, but he didn't raise it.

"Lord Tang, is that a knife or a sword in your hand? I'd guess it's a sword. But according to some etiquette, only gentlemen can use swords. You don't seem to be worthy of it." Yan Yu smiled at Tang Wanchao, his eyes almost narrowed into slits.

Upon hearing this, Tang Wanchao stared intently at Yan Yu, then lowered his hand again, just as he was about to raise it. There was a sound of metal hitting a wooden board. "I was too hasty," he said.

“Yes, Lord Tang, you’re in a bit of a hurry.” Yan Yu smiled at Tang Wanchao. “As soon as I got back, you rushed to find us. Aren’t you being foolish? Anyone with a brain knows what you’re up to.”

"But what's wrong with seeking personal gain? Whether it's the Dayan or the Wu Dynasty, which official in the Southern Kingdom isn't greedy?" Tang Wanchao sighed, somewhat annoyed and indignant.

“That’s right, but killing someone is wrong.” Yan Yu stood up and looked at him, saying softly, “Lord Zhang and I were planning to come to you in a while, but who knew you were in such a hurry. Now that you’ve killed someone, we can only take your head to see His Majesty.”

"Yan Yu, can I ask you a question?" Tang Wanchao also stood up and stared at Yan Yu's handsome, clean, and youthful face as he asked.

"What's the problem?" Yan Yu asked.

"Are you human or what? How come you haven't changed at all?" Tang Wanchao asked curiously.

"This has nothing to do with you." Yan Yu didn't even look at Tang Wanchao. He went to the door and kicked it open.

"I heard you've lived for over two hundred years, is that true?" Tang Wanchao called out as he watched Yan Yu's departing figure.

Standing to the side, Zhang Jinggong looked on in disbelief, his face full of confusion. He kept thinking about what Tang Wanchao had said: "He's over two hundred years old."
how can that be possible?
No one in this world can live to be two hundred years old.
Zhang Jinggong was stunned; his mind went blank. Tang Wanchao's first question to him was whether he was human, and only then did he say this. Wasn't Yan Yu human?

Tang Wanchao could no longer see Yan Yu. He turned to Zhang Jinggong and sighed, "Lord Zhang, you are still young. There are many things in this world that you don't understand. Compared to you, there are countless people like us who crave power and money. And you, what do you want to be an official for? Also, you are too upright; you are not suited to be an official."

Zhang Jinggong was somewhat taken aback and could only watch Tang Wanchao walk out the door. He went to the pavilion and looked out the window at the groups of soldiers in iron armor on the lake shore, and the other officials being held captive to the side. He sighed inwardly, for those who kill will ultimately be killed.

The sound of Tang Wanchao coming downstairs brought Zhang Jinggong back to his senses. His mind was in a mess and he couldn't concentrate, so he had no choice but to follow him downstairs.

After Zhang Jinggong came downstairs, Yan Yu stood in front of the soldiers, holding a horse in his hand, watching him slowly approach. He said to Zhang Jinggong, "Zhang Jinggong, this is His Majesty's handwritten letter."

Zhang Jinggong took the letter with some confusion, and then heard Yan Yu say, "His Majesty's meaning is very simple: your personality is not suitable for the capital."

As he spoke, he pulled out a black iron plaque shaped like an overturned tile from his pocket. A line of words on it stood out: "You are pardoned nine times, your descendants three times, and you shall not be punished." Zhang Jinggong hesitated for a moment, then took the iron plaque with trembling hands, tears streaming down his face.

"We're heading to the palace now. You should go back to your residence and prepare for your transfer." Yan Yu patted Zhang Jinggong on the shoulder and then handed him the horse reins.

"Return to the palace," Yan Yu shouted to the soldiers as he turned and mounted his horse, walking forward without looking back.

As Zhang Jinggong read the emperor's letter in the snow, he finally managed to suppress a loud sob. He didn't understand. It was normal for an honest official to be targeted by other officials, but why would the emperor send him such a letter?

In the fortieth year of the Shangyuan era, on the eighth day of the first month of winter, "Zhang Jinggong was criticized by the officials for being too calculating and was demoted to Beishan County, where he served as the county magistrate of Qingshan County."

"Is this why Master was demoted?" Ping An frowned after hearing this. He could accept and understand what the emperor had said earlier, but why would an honest official be demoted?
"Yes." Emperor Wen Shang shook his head helplessly. "Back then, Father had no choice but to do this. If Lord Zhang were alive today, he would undoubtedly be in a high position with great power and influence. However, the political situation at the time did not allow it. Father was also protecting him. If he were to return to the court, it would be more than just a few officials targeting him. Father can only protect him for a while, not forever. This is the only way."

"Hoo," Ping An took a deep breath, unsure of what to say.

"Now that I've answered your question, can you do me a favor?"

"Your Majesty, please speak." Ping An immediately stood up upon hearing this; he had almost forgotten. He had been so focused on asking about his master that he had overlooked why Emperor Wenshang had summoned him today.

Emperor Wenshang stood up and looked around: "As I mentioned earlier when I talked about your master, the reason why my Dayan Dynasty has been able to stand for a thousand years is because Emperor Shenwu once sought a bit of opportunity from an immortal. It is said that that immortal was also from Penglai. Since you are going to Penglai, I would like to ask you to help me find that immortal again and ask him if he can pass on the complete art of immortality to the royal family."

"The complete art of immortality?" Ping An stood up in shock. "Your Majesty possesses the art of immortality?"

"Yes, but it's incomplete." Emperor Wenshang left his seat and walked towards the passage below, staring blankly at his dragon bed. "This technique is known only to each emperor, empress, crown prince, and crown princess. Moreover, each emperor only reigns for sixty years, after which he must abdicate."

"Why?" Ping An asked, puzzled.

"Although this technique has brought a thousand-year foundation to our Great Yan Dynasty, it has also brought pain to the royal family. If you are able to meet the immortal on your journey, please ask Him to pass on the complete art of immortality to us, or to remove the curse. Moreover, hundreds of years ago, the late emperor already went to seek it, but he either never returned or returned in despair. Now we can only sigh that it is good to have mastered the art of immortality, but an incomplete one brings suffering."

Emperor Wen Shang wore a mournful face, filled with regret and sorrow. This reminded Ping An of something his Uncle Qing Shui had told him: "What you can see but cannot touch, what you know but cannot understand, this is the pain of immortality. If I had known this beforehand, why would I have pursued immortality?"

This touched Ping An deeply, so he asked Emperor Wen Shang, "Where is that immortal?"

(End of this chapter)