The struggle for the throne during the Jiajing reign

Chapter 97 Mutual Restraint

On the sand table, the spirit writing brush moves haphazardly, the sand marks intertwine and intertwine, dot by dot, curve by curve, seemingly without any order or logic, ordinary people can only look on in confusion, unable to discern any meaning at all.

The hall was so quiet that only the smoke from incense could be heard. Jiajing stared intently at the sand table, his brows furrowed, trying to decipher the secrets of heaven hidden in the messy sand.

Tao Zhongwen slowly stepped forward, bent down to carefully examine the patterns on the sand, and after a long while straightened up, his expression becoming increasingly respectful and solemn, before slowly speaking.

"Your Majesty, please look. The celestial sphere is in full bloom, with swirling clouds and faint signs of purple clouds reaching the top and a dragon ascending to heaven. This signifies that Your Majesty's inquiry is certainly feasible."

He deliberately focused only on the style and spirit of the handwriting, avoiding any mention of court affairs, and guiding every word and phrase toward the idea that the emperor was virtuous and destined to become an immortal.

Although he didn't read what the emperor had written, the apprentice in charge of burning the paper money had already secretly signaled to him with hand gestures that if they hadn't been able to fool the emperor for ten years, they would have been dragged down and beheaded long ago.

It's not difficult to explain. You just need to take a look when you turn around to burn the paper. If you don't have the chance, then just burn it directly. The ink is special. After the paper turns to ash after burning, the ink marks left on the paper will remain for a moment.

Moreover, anything the emperor could ask about to Heaven was bound to be of great importance. The questions were always the same few, and there had been almost no mistakes over the years.

Jiajing's pupils dilated slightly. He looked down at the sand streaks again, and the originally chaotic lines suddenly came to life.

That winding upwards is a dragon; that circling back and forth is a cloud; those tiny indentations left by the tip of a brush on the sand are purple clouds piercing the sky—

Heaven did not write a single word, yet it showed him everything.

"it is good."

Tao Zhongwen lowered his head and stepped aside, his face expressionless. He had repeated the words "definitely feasible" over and over again for ten years, and each time the emperor believed him without a doubt.

It wasn't because he was particularly skilled at resolving the chaos, but because what the emperor wanted to hear was never the truth; all the emperor wanted was confirmation.

He is certain he can live forever, he is certain he can become an immortal, and he is certain he can sit on this dragon throne forever.

Soon, Jiajing wrote down the second question. The disciple put the paper into the cauldron and, as he got up to return to his place, moved his right foot slightly forward. The question concerned matters of the court. He then extended his right index finger first and then slowly made a hand seal. The question concerned the Ministry of Rites.

As the restoration of order was completed, Tao Zhongwen slowly stepped forward and once again bent down to examine the sand table closely. The sand marks were still the same, chaotic and disorderly.

But after a moment, the solemnity on his face gradually turned into relief, as if he had seen some remarkable secret in that tangled mess.

"This image is different from the previous one. The previous image was about the divine person's destiny, while this image is about human affairs."

Your Majesty, please observe: though the left mark is strong, its tail is light; though the right mark is shallow, its roots are deep. Only the middle mark, running from bottom to top, runs through the entire pattern, impartial and unbiased, taking the middle way. This is the image of moderation and righteousness.

As Heaven has decreed, rites should return to the proper order.

"The rites should be upright and just."

Jiajing slowly straightened up and repeated those four words in a low voice.

"This is the will of Heaven, I know it."

What do you know? I know nothing.

Tao Zhongwen didn't want to offend Yan Song, nor did he want to help Xu Jie for no reason, so he chose to remain neutral.

Moreover, he didn't dare to manipulate the emperor every time by claiming divine will; he didn't have the guts or the ambition.

Most of the time, the hexagrams are ambiguous, and the final outcome depends on what the emperor himself thinks.

This time, however, he was about to make his move because Prince Jing clearly did not trust him and even harbored hostility towards him. Prince Yu, lacking his own opinions and easily swayed by others, had already begun to believe in him. Therefore, it was imperative to make Prince Yu the rightful heir to the throne!

Under his guidance, the emperor still wrote down the third question. A moment later, Tao Zhongwen saw his apprentice's left hand forming a sword incantation, and his heart was at ease.

Then he instructed the spirit medium to do as he had previously told him.

A moment later, Tao Zhongwen flicked his whisk and walked slowly to the sand table. Looking at the north corner, he said, "Your Majesty, please look. The great star is shining brightly, located in the position of the North Star. It corresponds to the Ziwei Emperor Star, which is Your Majesty."

His gaze shifted slightly downwards, landing on two small sand marks below the North Star: "There are two small stars faintly visible beside it, one on the left and one on the right, positioned below the Imperial Star, corresponding to the two princes."

The sand mark on the left is solid and robust, with a calm and restrained texture. It is endowed with the nature of soil, which is characterized by its steadiness and composure. Its energy is gentle and peaceful, and it has the virtue of bearing and encompassing. It is calm and composed without being ostentatious.

The sand mark on the right has sharp, angular edges, with flames bursting outwards. It is inherently fiery, fierce, and restless, with a blazing and intense energy. It is inherently prone to conflict with metal.

Tao Zhongwen didn't mean to say that the prince corresponded to that star, but he added at the end: "Earth produces metal, fire cannot coexist with it; those who follow metal will be safe, those who oppose metal will be in danger."

Upon hearing this, Jiajing narrowed his eyes slightly. In this dynasty, the left is considered superior, so the one on the left is undoubtedly Prince Yu, and the one on the right is Prince Jing. Moreover, he himself was born on a Xin day, with Xin metal as his day master.

By this time, Jiajing's complexion had turned from red to white. The excitement that had persisted since he took the elixir had not subsided, but the weakness and headache that came from within began.

His eyes were somewhat bloodshot as he scanned the sand table. The sand marks were still messy, but among those curved and intersecting lines, he could clearly see a ball of fire devouring a piece of gold.

Huang Jin stepped forward anxiously, about to speak, but Jiajing seemed to have anticipated this and waved his hand to stop him in place.

Jiajing walked slowly to the sand table alone, stretched out his hand, and wanted to touch the Ziwei Emperor Star that symbolized him, but he was also afraid that if he touched it rashly, he would damage the foundation of his destiny.

After a long while, Jiajing slowly turned around: "Is this truly the will of Heaven?"

Tao Zhongwen recited his Taoist name: "Yes, if there is even half a lie, I am willing to suffer the calamity of being reduced to ashes."

Earth, Metal, Fire, Fire overcomes Metal—the principle of mutual restraint in the natal chart swirled in Jiajing's mind, and suddenly his vision went black, and his body swayed as if about to collapse.

Huang Jin was shocked and quickly stepped forward to support him firmly: "Your Majesty's health is of utmost importance. You should return to the inner palace to rest first."

"Let him take up his fiefdom, let him take up his fiefdom—Huang Jin, go and deliver the imperial decree—"

Tao Zhongwen was overjoyed upon hearing this, and on the surface, he hurriedly ordered someone to fetch the prepared nectar, which was actually a medicine to relieve erysipelas.

The art of alchemy has existed for over a thousand years. As an expert in this field, Tao Zhongwen would not have dared to feed the emperor such a large dose of elixir if he hadn't been absolutely certain of his abilities.

As for whether it would damage his foundation, he couldn't care less at this point. His grandson had passed the provincial examination and become a Juren. He dared not hope that he would become a first-class Juren in a few years, but becoming a second-class or third-class Jinshi was not a problem.

By accomplishing this task and expelling Prince Jing to his fiefdom, he had rendered meritorious service in supporting the emperor's ascension to the throne. His grandson's career would naturally be smooth sailing, and his disciples and descendants would continue to enjoy wealth and honor.

Several Taoist priests immediately helped Jiajing into the palace to lie down, and then fed him sweet dew. The emperor's originally painful face eased slightly, but his brows were still furrowed.

"Eunuch Huang, it seems His Majesty has ordered you to deliver the imperial decree."

Huang Jin had already sent someone to fetch the imperial physician. Upon hearing this, he sneered, "Yes, but please forgive my ignorance, His Majesty did not specify who the decree was for, so I dare not act rashly. I must wait for His Majesty to wake up before requesting the decree."

"you!"