Ming Dynasty: I am truly not the Emperor of Longevity

Inside a secret room in the Marquis of Wuding's residence.

"Didn't you assure me that His Majesty's plan to have the five-year-old crown prince oversee the country was absolutely impossible?!"

Duke Guo Xun grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it on the ground in front of Duan Chaoyong. The teacup shattered into several pieces, and tea spilled everywhere.

"If we make a request that His Majesty absolutely cannot fulfill, and ultimately fail to refine the elixir of immortality, His Majesty cannot blame us."

Now, His Majesty has summoned the Prince of Ying to the capital to assist the Crown Prince in overseeing the country, and the ministers have no reason to object anymore.

Before long, His Majesty will truly be in seclusion in the Western Garden for cultivation!

If we fail to concoct the elixir of immortality by the end of the two-year period, we will both die without a burial place!

"Please don't be angry, Lord Guo."

Duan Chao stepped over the tea spilled on the ground and sat down on the official's hat chair next to him.

"The Ming Dynasty has always been very strict in guarding against the foreign princes and the imperial family. The reason why the current emperor is able to sit on this dragon throne is because of Emperor Chengzu's Fengtian Jingnan campaign!"

From the Yongle reign to the Zhengde reign, rebellions by vassal kings were nothing new.

Among those who rebelled and were subsequently quelled were Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han; Zhu Zhifan, the Prince of Anhua; and Zhu Chenhao, the Prince of Ning.

Even more people participated in the struggle for the throne.

Emperor Yingzong also seized the opportunity of Emperor Daizong's serious illness to launch the Tumu Crisis and regain the throne.

The Prince of Ying was already twenty-one years old, and was also the youngest son of Emperor Xian, and His Majesty's only younger brother.

Besides the Crown Prince and the three young princes, Prince Yu and Prince Jing, Prince Ying was the closest member of the imperial clan to the emperor by blood and also the most threatening prince to the Crown Prince.

I truly never imagined that the Emperor would dare summon the Prince of Ying to the capital to assist the Crown Prince. What was he thinking?

"You're asking me? Am I supposed to ask His Majesty?"

Guo Xun's tone was filled with anger.

"The Prince of Ying will soon be entering the capital. This time, His Majesty is truly going to live in seclusion in the Western Garden, isolating himself from the outside world to focus solely on cultivation. How should we deal with this?"

"As for the Western Garden, I will naturally be in charge of keeping His Majesty calm."

Duan Chaoyong showed no fear whatsoever.

"Lord Guo, you are also taking my 'Red Lead' elixir. You have personally experienced how magical it is. As long as I can continuously provide it to His Majesty, he will believe that his cultivation is constantly improving and that he will soon attain immortality."

As for what happens after the two-year term is up, I have my own plans, and I will definitely not let you or me suffer any consequences.

I'm a little worried about that old Taoist priest, Tao Zhongwen.

Although he was tricked into giving us ten thousand taels of silver and vouched for us before the emperor, he must have realized what was going on long ago.

They didn't expose us simply because they didn't want to get involved.

They're probably thinking of some way to distance themselves from us now.

This Taoist priest is the emperor's most trusted. If he were to undermine us in front of the emperor, we'd be in serious trouble.

"Unfortunately, Master Tao refused to try the 'Red Lead' elixir."

"It's a shame he was a Daoist master who received an imperial decree and a second-rank salary."

Guo Xun sighed.

"This stuff is so effective that once this old Taoist priest uses it, he will be unable to stop using it."

As long as he still wants this "Red Lead" elixir, he can only ask us for help; he will never reveal it to His Majesty.

"Tao Laodao won't eat it; he wouldn't dare."

Duan Chaoyong waved his hand.

"He is a Taoist priest with a lineage, and he truly understands Taoist alchemy."

I also know how toxic it would be to refine a pill with the effects of my "Red Lead" elixir!

"What?!"

Guo Xun suddenly stood up.

"This stuff is highly poisonous?!"

Not only did you give it to me to eat, you also offered it to the emperor!

"Lord Guo, please calm down."

Duan Chao pressed down with both hands.

"According to the Taoist alchemy known to Master Tao, lead oxide is the tiger and cinnabar is the dragon. The alchemy emphasizes the union of the dragon and the tiger, with the tiger capturing the dragon. After nine cycles in the alchemy furnace, the golden elixir is refined."

To achieve the same effect as my "Red Lead" elixir, a lot of cinnabar, lead oxide, and other auxiliary materials need to be added during the alchemy process.

The "golden pill" refined using this method is extremely toxic. Taking just one pill may not show any major problems in the short term.

If taken over several days, at least three pills and at most five pills, death from bleeding from all seven orifices is inevitable.

"Lord Guo, how many of my 'Red Lead' elixirs have you taken these past few months? And yet you're still perfectly fine!"

"Master Duan, I was just a little excited. Please forgive me."

Upon hearing Duan Chaoyong's words, Guo Xun immediately calmed down.

Yes, ever since I first tried this "red lead" elixir a few months ago, I've been taking one every two or three days.

Because the elixir was so effective, after taking it, one felt refreshed and full of energy.

While he himself wasn't as extreme as the emperor's claim of sleeping with seven women in one night, Guo Xun felt that he had at least returned to the state he was in when he was in his twenties or thirties, or even better.

This is why he agreed without hesitation when Duan Chaoyong proposed to present the treasure to the emperor.

But once the effects of the medicine wore off, he reverted to being a sixty-year-old man, listless and feeling utterly lost.

Not long after experiencing this huge drop in mental state, Guo Xun took the second "Red Lead" elixir, then the third and the fourth.

Over the past few months, I have taken at least forty or fifty pills.

If it were truly the highly toxic Taoist "golden elixir" that Tao Zhongwen believed in, his own grave would be overgrown with weeds by now, how could he still be sitting here so full of life!

"My elixir recipe requires not only the 'red lead' of a young girl, but also several other secret ingredients. Although I also add a little cinnabar and lead oxide, the amount is only a fraction of that of the Taoist 'golden elixir.'"

Duan Chaoyong laughed heartily.

"Even if you take one pill a day, it won't be a problem."

His Majesty, having grown accustomed to the vigorous and energetic state after taking the elixir, never wanted to return to the days without the "red lead" elixir.

You, Lord Guo, are most aware of this point yourself, so I need not elaborate.

Under heaven, only I, Duan Chaoyong, am capable of refining this "Red Lead" elixir!

Even if the emperor emerges from seclusion two years later and realizes he hasn't attained immortality, he still won't be willing to kill me!

"So, you had this planned all along!"

Guo Xun sighed deeply.

"Having truly experienced the feeling of reliving one's youth, who would want to lose it?"

You approached me under the guise of refining "immortal silver," wasn't that your real intention?!

You really succeeded!

Even though I know the truth, I wouldn't dare do anything to you!

I also have to pay out of my own pocket to fill the hole of the 40,000 taels of "celestial silver" I promised His Majesty every year.

Now I understand. Your original plan was to first set a condition that His Majesty could not meet, thus absolving yourself of responsibility for not being able to refine the elixir of immortality.

As a second-best option, how about making His Majesty inseparable from your "red lead" elixir, gradually replacing Tao Zhongwen and becoming the emperor's most trusted alchemist?

"Since Lord Guo has seen through it, this humble Taoist need not deny it."

Duan Chaoyong seemed completely unconcerned about Guo Xun's attitude.

"His Majesty will soon be in seclusion, and I will be spending most of my time in the West Garden. I will leave the affairs outside to you, Lord Guo."

I wonder if His Highness the Prince of Ying is also interested in the path to immortality?