I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 72 Ying Zheng's Coffin and Abalone

The Prince of Qi asked so urgently that Li Bai could even hear the pounding of the Prince's heart.

Inevitably, this also made him think about his career path.

There is no better opportunity than this.

Prince Qi is the current emperor's brother, a descendant of Emperor Ruizong, and has always had a deep friendship with the sage. Moreover, he is in poor health and has a great interest in Taoist cultivation.

What's the point of recommending a merchant's son who can't take the imperial examinations to prolong one's life?
Li Bai lowered his eyes and slowly grasped the cup on the table.

Do not move for a moment.

他 说:

"Your Majesty is overthinking it."

Li Bai picked up his teacup, tilted his head back, and drank the tea in one gulp.

Then it was put back on the table.

he laughed.

"The story of immortals is completely fictitious. Bai Tian was just drunk that day and wrote some poems."

"With good poetry and good wine, life is joyful, and one will feel inspired."

Li Bai, at the age of twenty-five, made his choice.

For a moment, everyone in the quiet room stared at this unrestrained and even somewhat disrespectful young man, their gazes fixed on him.

King Qi asked:
"Is this really just a complete fabrication?"

Li Bai laughed and said, "The poems I write are what I don't know about others."

The Prince of Qi remained unmoved and continued to ask, "Is there really such a thing as encountering immortals in Xiangzhou?"

"I have indeed heard of it, but I don't know if it's true or not," Li Bai said, with a touch of longing. "If there really are immortals in the world, that would be a wonderful thing."

Prince Qi: "How so?"

Li Bai picked up the teapot, poured himself some tea, and said:
"People are burdened by money, seek official titles, or spend their entire lives struggling to survive just to have two meals a day. There are many things in the world that do not go as one wishes."

The Prince of Qi listened attentively.

Let's see what else he can say.

Li Bai leaned back on the armchair and smiled slightly:
"However, the methods are different."

"In Bai's words, the Dao is like the bright moon in one's heart. To dedicate one's entire life to seeking the Dao, even if it means wasting time or even seeking the path until death, is truly wonderful."

"He sought the moon to die, and embraced the moon to his death."

"Isn't it delightful?"

"I wish I could encounter a deity or a Taoist immortal!"

Their spirited demeanor drew the attention of even the middle-aged man. The two disciples from Sanshui Chuyi were particularly captivated.

The Prince of Qi stared at him for a long time, observing the wistful look on his face, until he confirmed that he had indeed not had an encounter with immortals. Only then did he slowly withdraw his gaze.

He said, "It is indeed a good poem."

He coughed softly.

The attendant beside him quickly handed him a handkerchief and gently patted his back.

The eunuch offered a subtle reminder.

"His Majesty is unwell. The abbot and the imperial physician said that it is not advisable to agitate his mind."

Li Bai smiled apologetically.

The Prince of Qi needs medicine again, and the Taoist temple is ultimately not a convenient place.

Before leaving, the officials of the Prince's Palace asked the middle-aged cultivator Qingyun to leave behind the method of recuperation.

Cavalry guards led the way, with maids carrying vermilion round fans and curved canopies on either side of Prince Qi. Eunuchs and officials of the Prince's residence followed him, followed by a large retinue.

The group left in a mighty manner.

Unable to obtain the elixir and medical skills from Yunmeng Mountain, and having learned that he was not suited for Taoist cultivation, he also heard that Li Bai, who wrote such poems, had never actually seen immortals.

Sitting in the carriage, Prince Qi's face was grim.

The eunuch called out softly, "Your Majesty..."

Prince Qi lifted the carriage curtain and looked back at the Taoist temple that was gradually receding into the distance.

He harbored a vague longing for immortals.

It is unknown who has sought immortality throughout history.

How many people have seen immortals, and how many have attained enlightenment?

When the Qin Emperor died, abalone was used to mask the stench of his corpse.

Emperor Wu of Han also failed to prolong his life, while Emperor Taizong died after taking medicine.

Mortals cannot see the fairy islands of Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou, nor can they wait for Xu Fu's ship to seek immortality; only the empty Bailiang Terrace remains.

The Prince of Qi sighed. His subordinate, following closely behind the carriage, jogged and said, "Those people..."

Prince Qi waved his hand, picked up the ginseng tea, and sipped it slowly.

He didn't know when it started, but he felt a tightness in his chest, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on it, and at times he could hardly breathe.

The Prince of Qi said, "Prepare the gifts as before and send them to their residence."

"Continue the investigation in Xiangyang."

He patted his chest, gently smoothing it out, while the accompanying officials from the Prince's residence went to summon the imperial physician and the abbot. Everyone in the courtyard was mobilized because of the Prince's health.

King Qi murmured:
"The legendary immortal who made people dream must be more powerful than these cultivators from Yunmeng Mountain."

Even if the immortals are hard to find, he will still insist on coming.

……

……

"Taibai".

Yuan Danqiu sat in the Taoist temple, thinking and sensing that something was amiss.

He asked, "Before at the Lu family's house..."

He felt the same way when he was at the Lu family's house. He always felt like there was something behind him, either a sudden chill or as if he had bumped into something.

Upon closer reflection, perhaps it wasn't cicada urine.

Yuan Danqiu stared intently at Li Bai.

Li Bai turned his head away, not looking at him, and said to Sanshui, "What are you all doing in Yunmeng Mountain?"

Sanshui and Chuyi stared intently at the procession of Prince Qi, their gazes straining to leave the tall horses and crimson fans. They muttered to themselves:

"How impressive!"

Sanshui then remembered to answer Li Bai's question: "On the mountain, we usually just meditate, read some scriptures, practice calligraphy, practice swordsmanship, and learn some supernatural powers and magic... Occasionally, we go down the mountain to play."

Yuan Danqiu called out again.

"Taibai!"

Li Bai ignored him and continued to ask about the three rivers.

What can you all do now?

Sanshui glanced at them strangely, wondering why the person next to the senior hadn't answered.

She said smugly, "Have you ever heard of the art of flying?"

Li Bai had never heard of it.

Sanshui was even happier.

He added, "There's also the art of escape..."

She didn't learn this one very well; it was too difficult. She hadn't mastered it yet, and only mentioned it to fill the gap. Sanshui vaguely skipped over it and moved on to the next one.

"Furthermore... through incantations, the pure energy between heaven and earth is drawn into the dew, so that the dew can ward off evil and purify the air."

Sanshui said proudly, "Ordinary people can feel relaxed and less sick after drinking it. If practitioners drink it, it can also purify their minds and clarify their will. We in Yunmeng Mountain call this nectar."

The group left the courtyard where Prince Qi had temporarily stayed and strolled around the Taoist temple.

He added from the side, "I really understand this from the first year of junior high."

"Actually, the best rain and morning dew are from the day of Grain Rain and Qingming Festival, but unfortunately there is too little of that."

“Master only takes it out when he is entertaining important guests. We are not allowed to drink it normally. Last time, Sanshui secretly took it out and was punished by kneeling incense.”

Li Bai thought about the wine he had drunk.

He asked.

"I've heard of a kind of wine, said to be a precious brew from the Earth Deity. It's said that if ordinary people drink it, it can cure serious illnesses and prolong life. It's also said that if practitioners drink it, it can be equivalent to a month of meditation. Is it brewed in the same way?"

Neither of them had ever heard of such a thing.

"Then we don't know..."

As they were talking, Yuan Danqiu finally seized an opportunity during their conversation.

He grabbed Li Bai.

"is that you?"

Jiang She couldn't help but laugh out loud, revealing his figure.

The group immediately looked over, and Yuan Danqiu felt as if he had been saved.

"gentlemen!"

He said, "Before, at the Lu family's house, I thought it was cicada urine falling from the tree, but now that I think about it, cicada urine doesn't look like that."

"Sir, who did this?"

(End of this chapter)