I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 183 The Death of the Prince of Qi
Yuan Danqiu took the letter.

"It was written by Li Bai," he said. "I'm going to send it to a friend tomorrow."

Du Fu stood there for a while before walking into the main room with his uncle. He took another look at the man named Li Bai.

He was about ten years older than him, dressed in white, tapping a chessboard with one hand. When someone came in, he didn't get up to greet them. He was casual, unrestrained, and had an air of unconventional arrogance about him.

Upon seeing them enter, Li Bai raised his eyes and greeted them.

"Young Master Du has arrived."

He lowered his gaze further, glanced at Du Fu, and smiled.

"Young man is fine too."

Du Fu suddenly realized what was happening.

He snapped out of his reverie, still clutching the letter in his hand. He couldn't recall what his uncle had said to the two of them, and only asked when their conversation paused.

"Was this letter written by Young Master Li?"

Li Bai glanced up and casually nodded. "It's me."

When guests arrived, he simply swept up the chessboard and cleaned it up, earning a glare from Yuan Danqiu.

Du Langjun noticed that something was wrong with his nephew. He took the letter and was about to return it to him when he glanced at it and was also stunned.

After a while, Du Langjun sighed.

"Having lived here for so long, I never knew my lord possessed such literary talent."

"Any other poems?"

Yuan Danqiu casually recited two poems beside him.

Du Langjun grew increasingly alarmed as he listened, his gaze hardening. He gripped Li Bai's hand tightly, refusing to let go, and exclaimed in amazement, "Young master, your talent is unparalleled; you are destined for the imperial court. I, Du, have only a small power, but I am willing to write a letter and recommend you to the governor of Yanzhou..."

Being recommended to the governor of a prefecture is a rare and fortunate opportunity for scholars throughout the land.

Soaring to great heights.

Li Bai thought for a moment, then instead of answering Du Langjun, he asked a question.

"Has Young Master Du finished reading the letter?"

Du Langjun nodded.

He had just taken the opportunity to read the letter the other party had written. It was somewhat impolite, but the writing was amazing. The writer's talent flowed freely, like a vast ocean, surging forth... So what if it was impolite?

Li Bai said:
"The letter is not a lie; everything written is true."

The Du family uncle and nephew were both somewhat stunned. They had privately suspected that the family next door was no ordinary one.

Li Bai picked up his wine cup and smiled, saying:

"Danqiu Sheng and I traveled with you, and once saw the Five Sacred Mountains in a single day."

"I have also sat at the same table with the mountain gods and water deities, drunk fine wine on the mountaintop, eaten fish that lived in the clouds, listened to the old Taoist priest talk about the events of a hundred years ago, and taken the opportunity to see the scenery of the world."

"The Way is like the bright moon."

"I do not seek to pluck the moon from the sky, but I wish to die embracing the moon."

"Wealth and status are not what I seek; I thank you for your kindness, Mr. Du."

"But Taibai is unwilling."

As he spoke, his eyes were unrestrained. Seeing the two members of the Du family stunned, he simply smiled slightly, raised his cup to drink, and the light filled the room.

Du Fu stared blankly.

I actually felt a certain longing for it.

……

……

Jiang She stayed in the palace for several days.

On the fourth day, the officials of the Prince's Palace were suddenly able to speak. Overjoyed, they wept and kowtowed to thank the Bodhisattva for her divine intervention, and also thanked the God of Mount Tai for his protection.

He was overjoyed and became much more lenient towards the governor of Yanzhou's apology to the Prince of Qi.

He waved and said:
"It's just that the child is anxious. If the King and the Prince are unharmed, then there's nothing to worry about."

The governor of Yanzhou responded with a forced smile, his face contorted with anguish.

They went together to visit Prince Qi, but both father and son were seriously ill, struggling to breathe, and it was unknown when they would die. For the first time, the governor of Yanzhou imitated his mother, praying to every god and Buddha in the heavens, hoping that the two princes would live for two more years.

It continued until New Year's Eve.

The sky was pitch black, filled with stars.

The starlight spilled across the glazed tiles of the palace, casting a soft glow on the ground. The imperial physicians dared not relax their vigilance, leaving three men on duty, while attendants also remained in the hall.

The hall was brightly lit. In a small corner of a side hall, several eunuchs, not daring to speak loudly, huddled together, spending money to have some good food prepared and setting up a small table.

They were talking about the two kings' serious illness.

A eunuch whispered:

"Prince Qi has been in poor spirits these past few days. He used to only cough up blood, but now he's vomiting blood."

"I feel... it seems that Prince Qi doesn't have much time left. Last time I was sweeping, I overheard the imperial physician mention that he only has a few days left."

"The imperial physicians were so worried that several of their beard hairs fell to the ground."

The candlelight flickered, and the people around them lowered their voices.

"The Prince of Hedong isn't much better. He's awake for no more than an hour a day, and his meals consist of minced meat and soup. I heard he can't swallow anything anymore."

The man was surprised.

"The Prince of Hedong is so young, and he was perfectly fine just two months ago. How could he suddenly become so ill?"

"How would I know to go..."

They talked for a while, ate food, and drank wine, during which an eunuch remarked.

"Once the two kings are ready... we can return to Chang'an."

"It's a pity about that kid Le Lou. He was beaten thirty times for talking too much and didn't make it through." The eunuch said, raising his wine bowl. "That kid used to sweep snow with me. Let's toast him."

As they were talking, a voice came from afar.

"The Prince has awakened!"

In an instant, all the palace servants sprang into action. Calls came from outside the hall, and several people hurriedly grabbed a couple of lightly flavored dishes to fill their stomachs before returning to their respective duties.

Zhang Guolao heard them talking.

He was all smiles at first, but when he heard the others mention the talkative eunuch who died, he couldn't help but sigh.

The last time I saw them, they were still shoveling snow.

This time, however, they were just skeletons, and no one knew where they were buried.

He remarked to Jiang She with emotion:

"Life is as worthless as grass; this has always been the case in the imperial family."

The group entered the opulent and luxurious bedroom.

The Prince of Hedong had woken up and was helped up to sit on the bed. He was in slightly better spirits, and his face was flushed, showing signs of health.

The officials of the Prince's residence didn't even have time to eat before rushing over.

Seeing the Prince of Hedong like this, the officials in the Prince's residence forced a smile and greeted him in a low voice. When the Prince of Hedong asked about the imperial physician, they also forced a smile and answered. They talked for half an hour.

Zhang Guolao asked with a smile, "What do you think, sir?"

Jiang She glanced at it and said indifferently.

"A flash of light."

The monk standing nearby sensed something; he now possessed the lifespan of Li Jin, the Prince of Hedong. If it weren't for the two masters saving his life, he, a poor monk without any imperial physician to keep him alive, would have died long ago.

As the King of Hedong spoke, his voice gradually weakened.

He asked, "How is Father?"

The officials of the Prince's Palace wiped away their tears.

"His Majesty is well."

"I hope Your Highness recovers soon. It's almost the first day of the new year, time for the family reunion dinner. His Majesty is still concerned about Your Highness..."

Li Jin's voice gradually became indistinct.

Even kings and nobles do not know why they die until their last breath.

He cared about his health, his title, and the peonies and fine wines of Chang'an and Luoyang. But he never remembered that a monk had been killed by him with a single blow.

For kings and nobles, it was nothing more than a minor incident, a small mistake.

In the brightly lit, magnificent bedchamber, several people watched as the Prince of Hedong breathed his last.

The first day of the first month of the fourteenth year of the Kaiyuan era.

The first quarter of midnight.

Zhang Guolao glanced sideways at Jiang She, which matched what Jiang She had said.

Not a moment off.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)