“Luò Sīgōng, why are you taking me to the Longde Hall!”
Although the Wanli Emperor was already going to the Longde Hall, it was a sudden whim, thinking there was a problem with the Longde Hall. Now, the Commander of the Imperial Guard also wanted to take him to the Longde Hall at such a critical juncture, which made the Wanli Emperor’s doubts even stronger.
What exactly had been discovered in the Longde Hall?
Luò Sīgōng protected the Wanli Emperor, and everyone retreated to the Jiaotai Hall, then arrived at the West Six Palaces. Empress Wang also hurried to catch up.
“Your Majesty, what is this?”
Empress Wang was still unclear about the situation, only seeing some lights in the distance.
The Qianqing Palace and the Kunning Palace were separated by the Jiaotai Hall and two squares. From a distance, they had no idea what was happening ahead.
“I am also very confused right now! You follow me!”
“Luò Sīgōng, what exactly did you find out!”
The Wanli Emperor asked Luò Sīgōng about the current situation. Luò Sīgōng quickly reported everything that had happened in the Longde Hall and all that he had seen and heard.
This greatly surprised the Wanli Emperor.
What was Mount Wudang trying to do, sending such a powerful Taoist priest into the Forbidden City to clean house?
Was it because I rewarded Zhāng Xiǎnyōng of Longhu Mountain, and Mount Wudang was unhappy, so they sent a hidden junior to show off?
“Good Mount Wudang, sending a master and hiding it, saying he was just a young junior who could recite scriptures and had little magical power!”
The Wanli Emperor was only happy for a moment when he heard that Jī Xiàng was very capable. Then, what he thought of was Mount Wudang’s failure to report! Wasn’t this deceiving the emperor!
Consort Zheng, after being surprised, also incited from the side: “This little Taoist priest in the Longde Hall is indeed problematic! Mount Wudang concealed the abilities of this Taoist priest who entered the palace. Could it be that they were waiting for this critical moment to jump out?”
“Perhaps this great fire, these divine monsters, were all brought in by him!”
Consort Zheng looked frightened and pale: “Mount Wudang, are you trying to repeat the fate of the late emperor and send another Táo Zhòngwén into the palace to confuse Your Majesty!”
Luò Sīgōng quickly defended: “Your Highness, please forgive me, but from what I saw, Daoist Jī should have no connection with the divine monsters entering the palace and setting fires!”
Consort Zheng angrily said: “If he has no connection with the divine monsters entering the palace, according to what you saw and heard, how would he know that the divine monsters would come to kill him! And you say it’s not a conspiracy!”
Luò Sīgōng was speechless for a moment, and as he was thinking of how to defend himself, the Wanli Emperor spoke.
“Because that is the Longde Hall, the former Xuanji Treasure Hall!”
Consort Zheng was stunned. Seeing that the Wanli Emperor was a little absent-minded, as if he had thought of something, Empress Wang, with her keen observation, stepped closer and asked, “Your Majesty, are you thinking of Emperor Shizong?”
“Yes, Empress knows me!”
The Wanli Emperor said in a deep voice: “The old Xuanji Treasure Hall was originally the Qin’an Hall. The current Longde Hall is the newly built second Xuanji Treasure Hall, which was renamed Longde Hall during the reign of Emperor Muzong.”
“Emperor Shizong often practiced Taoism, performed sacrifices and rituals many times in the Xuanji Treasure Hall, often worshipping Zhenwu, Ruizong, and Haotian. The sacrificer in the Longde Hall was a Taoist priest from Mount Wudang, and the highest god of Mount Wudang is Zhenwu.”
“Constantly worshipping Zhenwu, repelling water and fire, so these divine monsters are afraid that the Taoist priests of Mount Wudang will summon the magical arts of the Zhenwu department to obstruct their assassination of me…”
But Consort Zheng did not understand: “Then, during Emperor Shizong’s reign, the palace fires were even more severe than today, with three halls, two towers, and fifteen gates destroyed. At that time, there was no mention of Zhenwu having any effect!”
The Wanli Emperor was silent for a while, thinking to himself that Emperor Longqing might have thought the same as you. After all, Zhenwu had been worshipped for many years, and the palace still often caught fire. Since it was useless, it was directly moved away.
But the divine monsters in this fire entering the Forbidden City might have been caused by the relocation of Zhenwu. Emperor Jiajing placed the statue of Emperor Zhenwu in the Longde Hall, not to prevent fires…
“Perhaps, back then, Shizong placed these divine statues precisely to prevent these divine monsters from entering the Forbidden City.”
Zhenwu subdues demons.
Zhenwu moves, and demons dance.
As for the frequent fires in the palace back then, the Wanli Emperor believed it was caused by Emperor Jiajing refining elixirs everywhere. At that time, many palaces were cleared by Emperor Jiajing to house Taoist priests and refine elixirs everywhere, even the Yangxin Hall next to the Qianqing Palace was used as an alchemy room.
“Let’s go to the Longde Hall to see the situation first!”
“That little Taoist from Mount Wudang in the Longde Hall has such great abilities, yet Mount Wudang conceals it. I will definitely make those old Taoists explain to me later. I want to see what their intentions are in sending such a highly skilled Taoist priest into the Forbidden City!!”
“Also, Luò Sīgōng! You said those fire gods came to kill me, but why would they do that? I don’t even know them!”
The Wanli Emperor passed through the West Six Palaces. Along the way, many palace maids and eunuchs led the way with lanterns. The flames flickered in the lanterns. The Wanli Emperor’s eyes were fixed on the swaying lights, and for some reason, he felt a great sense of danger.
The talisman on his chest was again giving a warning.
Thus, just as everyone was about to pass through the West Six Palaces and reach the turn of the corridor, he stopped due to the sense of danger in his heart.
“All of you, stop!”
The Wanli Emperor’s face darkened, he stopped the guides, and pointed at them:
“Extinguish all the lights in your hands!”
The Wanli Emperor gave the order, and his gaze also fell on the palace maids at the entrance of the corridor. From this corridor, one could reach the Northwest Three Palaces, and then from the long corridor of the Northwest Three Palaces to the outer palace. But now, at the entrance of this corridor, those two palace maids made the Wanli Emperor’s heart pound violently!
This was not the heartbeat of meeting love at a corner!
It was the fear of great danger!
In the Wanli Emperor’s eyes, he could still see the flames. At this moment, he suddenly looked around. All those who had come out of the Qianqing Palace with him had extinguished their lights, but these palace maids and eunuchs in the West Six Palaces were ignoring his orders!
Luò Sīgōng also noticed this problem at this time, and immediately drew his sword to protect the Wanli Emperor. The remaining Imperial Guards were also pale-faced, and the Wanli Emperor roared again:
“How dare you disobey my orders!”
These people remained motionless.
“Your Majesty, what is wrong with Your Majesty?”
A familiar voice came. The Wanli Emperor recognized it as one of his concubines in the West Six Palaces. These concubines seemed to be completely unaware of what was happening outside, and now they rushed out from their respective palaces with confused faces, accompanied by palace maids.
Consort Zhou, Consort Xu, Consort Liu.
But in the Wanli Emperor’s eyes, these palace maids lowered their heads and their faces could not be seen. And his three concubines seemed to have not noticed anything unusual. This strange situation made the Wanli Emperor’s heart raise a great sense of vigilance again!
The Wanli Emperor suddenly shouted:
“All of you, stop, do not move a single step!”
“Anyone who dares to approach, Luò Sīgōng, kill them all!”