I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 70 Prince Qi Seeks Medical Treatment and Immortality
At Hongdao Temple, the abbot, Taihe Daoist, examined the pulse of Prince Qi and scrutinized the nobleman's complexion.

He remained silent for a long while.

He had seen countless patients, and from their pulse and complexion, he could tell that Prince Qi's health... should be deteriorating within the next year or two.

This is something you shouldn't say to someone important.

The subordinate hurriedly asked, "How is it?"

Taihe Daoist showed no sign of surprise and said with a smile, "It's best not to drink alcohol when you have this kind of illness. Your Majesty is worrying too much and should pay more attention to your health. The imperial physician should have also given you this advice."

Prince Qi was famous for his love of poetry and wine.

The official asked, "The mistake was made at the banquet. Your Majesty had a few drinks. Is it serious?"

"Drinking once or twice occasionally is fine as long as you don't overdo it."

The Taoist priest asked, "How much does Your Majesty usually drink?"

Prince Qi had silver needles inserted into his face, back, arms, and legs, waiting for treatment. Someone had made a silk screen to shield him from the outside breeze.

He closed his eyes.

"Enjoy a small drink three to five times a day."

Master Taihe: "That's quite a lot. You should drink less alcohol, avoid cold winds and drafts, stay away from worldly affairs, and keep your mind at peace..."

"The king knows."

The subordinate official, his brow furrowed, tugged at the sleeve of the Taoist robe and asked the abbot:
"For this chest tightness and shortness of breath, could you perhaps refine a few pills? The necessary ingredients will be provided by the Prince's Palace, so the Abbot need not worry."

Taihe Daoist tried to pull his sleeve back, but couldn't budge it.

I don't know where a mere scholar like myself got such strength.

The abbot thought for a moment, "Refining the elixir will take some time. First, the imperial physician will perform acupuncture and prescribe medicine. After ten days, the elixir will be ready. At that time..."

The subordinate hurriedly asked:

"Will it be cured then?"

The abbot swallowed the unspoken words, "Things will get better then," realizing he couldn't speak directly to the benefactor, otherwise the person would really die and he would have to come looking for him.

He carefully considered his words and said:
"It will have some effect, but it also depends on how Your Majesty takes care of your health, whether you drink excessively, whether you are calm and peaceful, and whether you stop overthinking and letting your emotions fluctuate... After you have done these things, it is up to fate."

……

Once the officials loosened their sleeves, the abbot, Master Taihe, hurriedly went to consult ancient books and alchemical formulas, taking the opportunity to distance himself from Prince Qi.

He summoned a disciple and instructed him to teach the servants of the palace a method for cultivating inner strength and improving health, which they practiced several times each morning. This exercise strengthened their muscles and bones, and had some effect.

Inside the alchemy room.

The disciple asked, "Master, you've been talking for so long without revealing anything. Is it possible that Prince Qi's illness is not improving?"

The Taoist Master Taihe sighed.

"Judging from the lifespan of Prince Qi, I am afraid it will be within the next year or two."

The disciple was taken aback.

"So fast?"

The disciple hadn't expected it to be like this, and frowned as he recalled how the Prince of Qi had appeared when he arrived.

"He looks perfectly fine, and he can still drink five glasses of wine every day..."

Taihe Daoist shook his head: "I asked the imperial physician and the officials of the Prince's Palace, and Prince Qi has already started coughing up blood, which is somewhat similar to... the previous Empress Zhangsun."

Empress Zhangsun passed away at the age of thirty-six.

The Prince of Qi is almost forty years old.

The two walked through the alchemy room, ignoring all the metals and minerals commonly used in alchemy. The Taoist Taihe did not stop for a moment, not even glancing at lead, mercury, gold, jade, or cinnabar.

It contains ingredients such as ginseng, astragalus, schisandra, wolfberry, licorice, pine resin, poria cocos, and honey...

He carefully considered the prescription.

Stroking his beard, the Taoist Master Taihe plucked out a few strands of his long beard, and muttered, "If Prince Qi really does something wrong, I will go and ask Yunmeng Mountain if I can go into the mountains to cultivate in seclusion for a few years and avoid the storm before coming out again."

……

Outside the quiet room.

The official was surprised when he heard his subordinate's reply.

"Is that so?" Upon receiving an affirmative answer, he hurriedly entered the clean room, bowed to the Prince of Qi who was meditating with his eyes closed, and said:
"Your Majesty, three guests have recently arrived at Hongdao Temple, and their identities are somewhat unusual."

The Prince of Qi listened with his clothes half-draped over his shoulders and his eyes closed.

The subordinate official respectfully said, "The guards asked the Taoist priests in the temple, and they said that they were disciples who practiced asceticism in Yunmeng Mountain and had not set up a temple. Their words and actions were very respectful. Upon further investigation, I found that many of the miraculous abilities of Hongdao Temple originated from Yunmeng Mountain."

With his head covered in silver needles, Prince Qi raised his head.

"Yunmeng Mountain..."

The subordinate official looked somewhat agitated.

He crossed his hands and said, "According to legend, Yunmeng Mountain is where Guiguzi lived in seclusion. It is not far from Luoyang, both located in Henan Prefecture."

Inside the quiet room, each person was lost in their own thoughts.

The Prince of Qi couldn't help but recall the widely circulated legend of the encounter with immortals in Xiangyang. Since ancient times, the Chu Ci, Zhuangzi, and Huainanzi have all written poems and essays about immortals.

The room was quiet for a couple of breaths.

"Go check."

Prince Qi said, "Go and invite him carefully!"

After the officials of the Prince's residence left as ordered, Prince Qi began to cough again, his face pale. A eunuch hurriedly came over with concern, handed him a handkerchief, and asked in a high-pitched voice:
"Does Your Majesty feel more comfortable now?"

The Prince of Qi asked, "What do you think of Yunmeng Mountain?"

The eunuch gently wiped away the blood that the Prince coughed up with a handkerchief, and then brought him ginseng tea to soothe his throat. He earnestly said, "If a master can cure Your Majesty, it is their good fortune, and Your Majesty will certainly not treat them unfairly."

The Prince of Qi chuckled.

He frowned as he looked at the ginseng tea: "It smells strongly of medicine."

He was about to throw up, but he frowned and drank it anyway, then asked someone to bring some candied fruit to ease the bitterness.

"Your Majesty..."

The eunuch bowed and carefully instructed, "They have already gone to invite the master from Yunmeng Mountain. Your Majesty must take good care of yourself and must not drink alcohol again after today."

The King of Qi did not speak.

He lightly touched his chest—several long needles were still stuck there, and he couldn't touch them. He could feel that every breath he exhaled carried a metallic, metallic smell.

My lungs feel heavy and I'm having trouble breathing.

The situation has worsened in the last few days.

Prince Qi, Li Fan, was half-draped in an apricot-colored brocade robe, his chest casually exposed and studded with silver needles. He was surrounded by eunuchs, attendants, and officials.

He gazed out the window at the ginkgo trees, their leaves lush and verdant, a sight to behold.

His life was nearing its end.

……

……

The attendants made their way to Jixianfang.

Two young disciples were listening to their master talking to a senior. The senior was sitting casually in the courtyard, with a large tree above him. He spoke of the Great Dao in a calm voice, tinged with a hint of regret.

Sanshui is very young.

For some reason, I also felt a sense of regret and composure.

She looked at Chu Yi and saw her junior brother's gaze meet hers, realizing that he also had this inexplicable thought.

Sanshui thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll drink too."

Jiang She couldn't help but smile and took out a stack of pastries from the kitchen for them to eat. He watched as the two children's worries vanished instantly, and they ate rather pickily, breaking off pieces of the filling from the pastries, finishing the inside before eating the outside.

Halfway through the meal, Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu returned, carrying two small bags of food.

It was originally used to bribe cat slaves.

Just in time, the little boy was greedy, and Sanshui and Chuyi helped the cat solve most of its problems.

The remaining half was resolved by Jiang She.

The group was talking and eating at the same time.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps could be heard in the distance. After a quarter of an hour, a knock came from outside the courtyard. The person's voice was high-pitched, asking:
"Are the guests inside from Yunmeng Mountain?"

(End of this chapter)