I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 284 Zhang Guolao Appears Before the Palace (+2)

Zhang Guolao finally managed to pull his sleeves back, then tugged at the wrinkled sleeves and straightened his clothes.

Seeing that the monk was about to drink, he revealed himself and snatched the wine away.

"Plop plop—"

Pour it into your mouth.

The entire hall was astonished. All the officials and palace servants looked at the old man who had suddenly appeared. His clothes were disheveled and wrinkled, and there was a white donkey beside him. No one knew when he had appeared in the hall.

"This is?!!"

"Are you Zhang Guolao?"

"It really is Zhang Guolao!"

Zhang Guolao, who was said to have refused several imperial summons, actually appeared in the palace.

The officials were thrown into a panic, wanting to snatch back the poisoned wine, yet cautiously refraining from making a move at that moment. Their bodies were somewhat stiff.

The official from the royal court who had proposed the execution of the monk was terrified and begged for forgiveness in a low voice.

"I knew that Mr. Zhang Guo was coming, so I came here to give it a try."

"I hope Mr. Zhang Guo will not take offense, please do not take offense..."

The officials in the Prince's residence were apprehensive, fearing that the powerful figure would punish them.

Legend has it that Zhang Guolao possessed incredible supernatural powers; perhaps a single glare from him could send poisoned wine down his throat.

Zhang Guolao had no time to pay attention to the busy officials, nor did he care about the imperial guards who rushed from outside the palace. His gaze was fixed on the emperor who had been startled on the throne.

Zhang Guolao chuckled and asked.

“The emperor is coming to find this old man, and he's even willing to execute a monk.”

"What is it you want?"

The emperor rose, and the eunuch beside him carefully helped him up.

"Are you perhaps Mr. Zhang Guolao?"

Zhang Guolao frankly stated:

"it's me."

Hearing this, Gao Lishi instructed the imperial guards on duty outside the palace to keep a close watch on the person.

Your Majesty has finally found a master, we cannot afford to let him slip away again.

The emperor stepped forward and took two steps.

"I wonder if that immortal who rode the clouds away on Mount Tai back then was a friend of Master Zhang Guo?"

Zhang Guolao stroked his beard.

"He's a good friend of mine."

The emperor asked again.

"Why is that person not here today? When I led all the officials to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony, the immortals rode away on the clouds. Were they inspired by this prosperous era and wished to bestow blessings upon all living beings?"

Zhang Guolao glanced at him.

"It has nothing to do with any of that. That day, I was simply discussing Taoism with my friends atop the clouds. Who knows when the emperor and his officials arrived?"

That's quite a blunt statement.

The eunuchs and ministers glanced at the emperor cautiously.

The emperor was not angry; instead, he treated the old man leading the donkey with much more courtesy.

"What kind of magic is this? Is there really a way to achieve immortality in this world?"

Zhang Guolao looked the emperor up and down, then glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the smiling Jiang.

I looked around at the servants, officials, and guards in the palace.

"You can't understand it."

For some reason, the officials and palace servants felt a sense of loss.

Gao Lishi stepped forward and asked:

"how do I say this?"

Zhang Guolao shook his head and said:
"Anyone with an official rank, whether an emperor or someone who is always scheming, is too shrewd in interpersonal matters; they only have six of the seven orifices open."

"I know absolutely nothing about spiritual practice."

"Even if a great path were laid out before you, it would be of no use."

As Zhang Guolao finished speaking, he casually pulled the monk up.

"Take this monk for example. Although he is stubborn, not very bright, and always causes trouble by being too kind, Heaven favors the simple-minded and he is just right for spiritual practice."

Zhang Guolao glanced at the assembled officials, then at the emperor.

"Someone like this has only been in Chang'an for a few months. If I hadn't come—"

“He’s dead.” The officials and eunuchs who had just identified him all lowered their heads, speechless.

Some of them were astonished to discover that Master Guanyan was the monk from Yanzhou at the time, and were filled with longing for such supernatural events as resurrection.

Some people find it strange, and since sages admire the Way, they might as well offer their explanation so that the sages can seek the Way and they can also benefit from it.

Others are driven by fear, worrying that they will be punished if they don't tell the truth.

The emperor looked at the old man.

After speaking, the man stroked the donkey as if no one else was around, showing no anger or rebuke, as if a donkey was more important than the ministers in the palace.

The Emperor said:
"I hereby bestow Shengguang Temple upon the monk as compensation."

"As for the proposed Prince Qi's friend, Wan Junliang..."

He paused, glancing at the officials and attendants. The official from the Prince's residence who had proposed the execution broke out in a cold sweat, his head bowed low.

"Demoted to a minor official position."

Qi Wangyou was a fifth-rank official, while Dianqian was an eighth-rank official. This demotion was like falling from heaven to hell.

The officials of the Prince's Palace trembled with fear.

"Your Majesty, I know I was wrong and thank you for your grace."

After dealing with these matters, the emperor turned to Zhang Guolao and asked, "What does Mr. Zhang Guolao think?"

Zhang Guolao glanced at the monk and asked, "Monk, what do you think?"

The monk put his hands together in prayer and whispered a Buddhist chant.

Zhang Guolao picked at his ears; it was those strange noises from those bald monks again. He nodded and decided not to change the emperor's decision.

He casually said:

"Alright, he's drunk the poisoned wine. The old man is suffering from severe poisoning and unbearable abdominal pain. He's going back to die. You may all leave now."

As he spoke, he led the white donkey.

"Let's go back!"

All the officials broke out in a cold sweat.

The emperor immediately gave the order.

"Quickly summon the imperial physician! He must examine Elder Zhang Guo immediately—"

The guards quickly restrained Zhang Guolao and moved him to a side hall. Someone brought out the nectar accumulated by the imperial family for refining medicine; it was clear, sweet, and could ward off evil and detoxify.

……

The hall was in complete chaos. Jiang She, having watched the commotion, walked up behind the monk and patted him on the shoulder.

"Let's go."

The monk was startled when he heard a familiar voice.

"gentlemen?"

Jiang She responded, flicked his sleeve, and called over the cat that was running around in the main hall. He and the monk went together to see the commotion in the adjacent side hall.

"Let's go see what Old Guo is doing."

Jiang She said with interest, "This is going to be interesting."

……

……

Several imperial physicians rushed over and carefully took the pulse of this legendary figure.

The pulse... is very strong.

The imperial physicians exchanged glances, all feeling surprised. He looked at the elderly man with completely white hair and beard, thought for a moment, and respectfully asked:
"Sir, could you please open your mouth so we can examine your tongue?"

Zhang Guolao opened his mouth.

The imperial physicians were horrified to see that the master's teeth had been tainted by the poisoned wine, turning charred, rotten, and on the verge of falling off.

Zhang Guolao remained calm and composed.

He whistled, calling the donkey over, and searched the chest on the donkey's back, finding a small ruyi (a type of scepter).

In front of many imperial physicians, he knocked out all his blackened and rotten teeth!
Everyone was shocked.

"Mr. Zhang Guo!"

"You, you...!"

Zhang Guolao glanced at the entrance of the side hall, then casually found a packet of medicine and applied it to his teeth. After doing all this, he exposed his wrist and continued to have the imperial physicians take his pulse.

"Alright, you can continue your consultations."

In a side hall, a young eunuch witnessed this scene, quietly turned around, and reported the news to Gao Lishi and the emperor.

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)