I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 131 What is "Riding the Clouds and Mist"?

The old man asked, "How so?"

Jiang She spoke in a relaxed tone.

Before the Qin Emperor, people only knew that Mount Tai was majestic, the source of all things, and the place where the sun rises. They believed it to be a sacred mountain that could communicate with the heavens. At that time, there were only legends of ancient emperors performing the Fengshan ceremony.

"Until the Qin Emperor, who believed that his achievements surpassed those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and that he was ordained by Heaven, the first Fengshan ceremony was held."

"Later monarchs followed suit."

"Furthermore, Buddhism and Taoism have taken root in people's hearts. Thus, the title of Lord of Mount Tai came into being, which is believed to be the place of the underworld, where people return to Mount Tai after death."

"I'm afraid future generations will discuss this..."

"There will be a deity to offer sacrifices, and the incense will continue to burn continuously."

Jiang She paused here. His tone was indifferent, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

"That might be hundreds of years from now."

Zhang Guolao stroked his beard: "Several hundred years from now... If this old man can live to that time, I would like to witness it together."

Jiang She smiled upon hearing this.

They walked along the mountain path for a long time. It wasn't until nightfall, when they were almost at the summit, that Jiang She noticed the monk was shivering from the cold and suggested they rest for a while.

They gathered firewood, lit it, and the three of them and the cat gathered around it to keep warm.

The cold firewood crackled and sparks flew, dispelling the chill.

Zhang Guolao didn't know anything about burning firewood and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Only the monk glanced at it a few more times. Firewood in winter is just as hard to burn as firewood on rainy days. It usually needs to be dried for ten days to half a month until it is completely dry before it can be lit without emitting black smoke.

The moonlight shone on the snow.

All was silent. There were no insects chirping, no birds singing; every sound seemed amplified, and one could even faintly hear the barking of dogs and human voices from the distant mountains below.

The moonlight reflected off the snow.

The forest was not pitch black, but a clear, clean blue, shimmering with silver light.

Jiang She held a piece of flatbread in his hand, shared a small portion with the cat, and stroked the cat's shiny black fur: "We'll eat mutton when we go down the mountain."

While eating his flatbread, Jiang She walked along the mountain path, gazing down at the landscape below.

You can see the emperor's entourage, see the lights in the distance, and hear many footsteps.

Very anxious, walking hurriedly.

……

……

Down the mountain.

Walking through the woods, looking at the dark, looming mountains in the distance, Zheng Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

He was granted a minor official position of the ninth rank before the Fengshan ceremony, and his father-in-law, the prime minister, had placed him in the Fengshan procession. Tomorrow was his big day, and he absolutely could not afford to make any mistakes.

Wipe the cold sweat from your forehead with a handkerchief.

Zheng Yi turned around, still looking like a young and talented man.

About three zhang behind the two men were the guards assigned by the prime minister to investigate. Zheng Yi told them to stay away from him and not to hear their voices.

He asked his attendants, "Who said that Mount Tai has disappeared?"

The attendants carried lanterns.

"It came from the imperial palace, and the people at the Dai Temple said so too. Today at noon, Mount Tai seemed to disappear for a moment, which I heard was quite frightening."

I have seen with my own eyes that Mount Tai is still standing.

"Nonsense!"

"Could it be that your eyes are playing tricks on you after only a quarter of an hour?"

Zheng Yi pointed to the dark, towering mountains.

"You're telling me that something as massive as Mount Tai could disappear?"

The attendant was also speechless. After stammering for a while, he said, "That's what the legend says, and that's what the people at Dai Temple say too. We've already increased the incense offerings and are holding a ceremony to celebrate."

"and……"

"And what?"

"Moreover, the Prince of Hedong suddenly fell seriously ill. The imperial physician said that his days were probably numbered, saying that..." The attendant carefully recalled the information he had gathered, "It seems that his body fluids and blood were all deteriorating."

Zheng Yi was surprised.

"The Prince of Hedong? Not the Prince of Qi?"

"It was the Prince of Hedong who suddenly fell seriously ill, as if he were about to die. He was talking to the young master of the Wang family when he suddenly collapsed on the table."

Zheng Yi pondered.

He whispered, “Well… the King of Hedong just killed a monk, and now he’s about to die himself. What retribution.”

The attendant was startled and looked around. Fortunately, they were in the mountains and the guards were far away.

"My lord, be careful with your words."

"understood."

Zheng Yi casually agreed. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Those virtuous individuals invited by a sage were all highly accomplished, possessing profound spiritual cultivation…

He asked, "How is the Prince now?"

"I don't know yet, but I've heard that he has regained consciousness. We can't go to the Fengshan ceremony."

Zheng Yi clicked his tongue, feeling a little regretful.

The attendant peered into the dark forest. Mount Tai was so high, who knew what wild animals might be resting inside? What if the palace guards hadn't cleared them out properly...

He asked somewhat nervously.

"My lord, shall we continue walking in?"

Zheng Yi looked at the mountain in the snow from afar and shook his head: "Go back and have the guards turn back. Make sure Mount Tai is still there, and that will be enough to report to my father-in-law."

They walked back in a large group, and it was already 7:45 PM.

After reporting back to his father-in-law, Zheng Yi also made a special inquiry about the Prince of Hedong.

Before going to bed, he enthusiastically told his attendants:

"I didn't know until I inquired. Some people say that Mount Tai disappeared because there were immoral people in his entourage. The King of Hedong also happened to fall ill."

“My father-in-law said that the sage originally intended to confer the title of Heavenly King upon the God of Mount Tai.”

"Now they'll probably have to seal it off even more."

As the attendant listened, he couldn't help but yawn, and tears welled up in his eyes.

"My lord, it's already 11 PM..."

Before dawn tomorrow, my lord must first go to the Dai Temple to offer sacrifices before climbing the mountain.

Such solemn sacrificial rites usually begin seven quarters before sunrise, just in time to witness the transition from yin to yang and the union of heaven and earth.

It is for dawn.

They need to get up even earlier to prepare ceremonial items.

I'm afraid I won't even get an hour's sleep.

Zheng Yi knew it was time to sleep. Tomorrow he would be promoted several ranks and, as an accompanying official, would ascend Mount Tai with the emperor to observe Zen meditation, which would be extremely time-consuming and laborious.

But he couldn't help but say:
"My father-in-law said that Mount Tai really disappeared for a moment. Tell me, why is that?"

The attendants accompanied the young man to Mount Tai in the evening, and by the time they returned it was almost 9 PM. They were chilled by the cold wind, hungry and sleepy, and were already somewhat delirious.

The attendant, with his eyes closed, mumbled:

"The Lord of Mount Tai is displeased..."

"There can't be some kind of deity, can there?"

Zheng Yi closed his eyes as well. He lay on the bed, his attendants sleeping at his feet. He thought about the scenery he would see from the summit of Mount Tai the next day when he accompanied the emperor on the Fengshan ceremony.

Thinking of his sudden rise in official rank, Zheng Yi forgot all about the Prince of Hedong and the immortals, and fell into a deep sleep...

……

……

Jiang She woke up to see the sunrise.

A red sun rises in the distance.

Golden light shone through the mountains, and the clouds shimmered with iridescent colors. From afar, the mountains were bathed in golden light, and the pines and cypresses on the mountains, covered with ice crystals, also shone with a translucent brilliance. The mountain mist was thick, making them seem as if they were floating in a sea of ​​clouds.

Standing atop the mountain, one feels as if they could easily part the clouds with a wave of their hand.

The mountain wind was cold, and the cat curled up drowsily beside him. Next to them were the leftover firewood from last night, which flickered faintly in the wind.

Jiang She called the cat to wake it up.

The cat was drowsy and couldn't open its eyes.

Jiang She said gently, "This is the Mount Tai we climbed last night."

Zhang Guolao and the monk also opened their eyes, sat on the mountaintop, and looked down at the surging sea of ​​clouds, the golden light shining down, the myriad glows in the sky, and the turbulent wind and clouds.

This is the yang energy at the beginning of a day, which is ever-renewing.

Looking at the sea of ​​clouds, Zhang Guolao recalled Jiang She's words from the previous day, and his heart stirred. He couldn't help but ask:

"Mr. Jiang, what exactly is 'riding the clouds and mist'?"

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)