With a trembling voice, Priest Pu Qing stole a glance and was instantly startled!
The Emperor's appearance!
How was it exactly the same as Zhu Mo in his youth?
Could it be?
Heavens!
...
Meanwhile, Jiajing,
Had no time to consider the old Taoist Pu Qing. His thoughts raced back to the imperial estate on the Han River in years past...
So,
It was indeed this Taoist who saved Mo'er! That fisherman hadn't lied. The Taoist had taken Mo'er across the river northwards overnight... and had mistakenly killed that fisherman...
When Priest Pu Qing spoke just now, he immediately understood—
The one who set the fire and committed the murder back then must have been Yang Tinghe**, and behind him were the remnants of Prince Ning's faction. They were dissatisfied with his abolishment of the Prince Ning vassalage, harbored resentment for his beating over two hundred officials to death, and actually colluded with the remnants of rebel princes to attack his child!
Jiajing trembled all over, his body chilling from head to toe. After a long while, he gradually calmed down and asked again, "When you found the child, did you see anyone? Did he run out by himself, or was he rescued by someone?"
"I, I didn't see anyone... The fire was too intense, and there was a smell of tar. I thought it must have been premeditated. Everyone in the estate was dead, and the air was filled with the smell of burning! The child was crawling in a small ditch behind the estate, there was water in the ditch... When I rescued him, the child's face was purple!"
The scene at the time was too horrific. Priest Pu Qing was always shaken whenever he remembered it.
It was too terrifying!
He was a wandering Taoist, well-traveled and knowledgeable. How could he not know that this estate was the imperial estate of King Chu, and someone dared to burn it? Mo'er must have been royalty from the estate. Otherwise, why would the jade pendant he carried have the character "Ming" on it? Poor child, even born in an imperial estate, he still suffered such a calamity?
Thinking about it, Pu Qing also began to sob quietly.
After an unknown amount of time,
When Pu Qing stole another glance, the Emperor was long gone. The锦衣卫 (Imperial Guard) official Wu Feng, who had brought him, was now quietly standing behind him.
"Pu Qing, I have two imperial edicts for you. Will you accept them?"
Wu Feng's round face was expressionless, his voice sounding like it came from the underworld.
A thought suddenly flashed through Pu Qing's mind—
Was he going to be silenced? kuAiδugg
He immediately shouted, "I accept! I accept!"
"Good. Listen carefully! By imperial decree, Priest Pu Qing, regarding the events by the Han River thirteen years ago, including today's entry into the palace, if any third person comes to know of it, the nine generations of your family will be exterminated!"
Ah?
"I, I would never dare to reveal a single word!"
"Good. The second imperial edict. Pu Qing has rendered service to the royal family. You are granted leave to return to the True Martial Temple on Mount Wudang to live out your days in peace. Respect this!"
Ah!!
"Many thanks to Your Majesty for your grace!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
After receiving the imperial decrees,
The two left the palace through a side gate.
Wu Feng further instructed, "The Emperor has no rewards for you. At the True Martial Temple, do not speak too much, and you will naturally enjoy endless blessings... When you see young master Zhu Mo in the future, do you know what to say?"
"I know, Lan Shenxian (Immortal Lan) is my junior apprentice-nephew, and he promoted me..."
"Mm."
...
At this point,
Jiajing understood everything—
Zhu Mo was indeed Zhu Zaimo. This was now beyond doubt.
He had already been certain in his heart, but given the gravity of the matter, how could he not verify the details if he was to pass the throne to him in the future? That Taoist Pu Qing was also sensible, and he expected no mishaps.
This matter that had weighed on his heart for over a decade, his biggest concern, was finally resolved today...
Lu Fang, who was serving nearby, saw Jiajing's peculiar expression and surmised it was about Zhu Mo again, but he could no longer make sense of it.
...
The next day,
Zhu Mo did not want to go to the Hanlin Academy to exchange pleasantries with those people. He spent a long time loafing around the capital by himself.
He returned to the Hanlin Academy around noon.
Zhang Juzheng was pacing back and forth in the Hall of Rites, having waited for a long time. Upon seeing Zhu Mo, he exclaimed, "Excellent! Zixuan, there is an imperial decree!"
"The decree states: Scholar Zhu Mo possesses considerable talent and strategy. The strategy he proposed for managing the affairs in Jiangnan is quite reasonable. As many difficulties in Jiangnan remain unresolved, Zhu Mo is appointed as Special Envoy for Jiangnan Disaster Relief, and may act as circumstances dictate. Respect this."
Special Envoy for Jiangnan Disaster Relief?
This,
Was unclear.
Did he have authority?
What rank was it?
Was he an official or not?
It also didn't clarify who he was accountable to. What should he do if he encountered a Governor or Governor-General? What about the Yan family's people if they caused trouble?
Seeing his bewilderment, Zhang Juzheng whispered, "Zixuan, go with confidence! This assignment, having no rank, is best. It's perfect to be an imperial envoy as a commoner, making it most convenient to handle matters. Having a rank would only make you subject to the court's regulations..."
Zhu Mo's eyes lit up upon hearing this: This made perfect sense!
He immediately asked casually, "When do I depart?"
Zhang Juzheng smiled, "Now that you are an imperial overseer, when do you wish to depart? What personnel do you require? Feel free to tell me, and I will surely make all the arrangements flawlessly!"
Zhu Mo thought: This person is certainly the most familiar with the court's regulations. I should ask him more.
He immediately pulled Zhang Juzheng to sit down, and the two chatted for over half an hour. Zhu Mo gained a thorough understanding of the various situations in Jiangnan, the court's systems, and the techniques for handling matters.
---
When he left the Hanlin Academy, dusk was approaching.
Zhu Mo bought two fish, thinking he would have grilled fish today and depart tomorrow.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the back street, he found something was amiss:
It was almost dark, yet the entire small market was still bustling. He felt something was slightly off, but couldn't quite pinpoint it.
And with a creak, he pushed open the door, only to see two people already sitting with smiling faces at the stone table in the small courtyard.
These two,
Were the old Taoist Fei Xuanzi from the capital, and the old servant Li San who was always by his side!
As it turned out,
Jiajing had been restless all afternoon. Suddenly, he missed Zhu Mo dearly and decided to visit incognito again.
...
"Haha, unexpected guest, has this surprised Master Zhu?"
The old Taoist greeted him with a smile, sitting there without moving.
Li San stepped forward, guiding Zhu Mo to sit down, and said,
"Master Zhu, the Daoist Master passed by today and didn't bring any gifts. So, this old servant brought that thousand-year-old Lingzhi mushroom. The Daoist Master always carries a tin of Longjing tea wherever he goes. Just now, seeing that no one was at your residence, this old servant went into the kitchen himself to boil water. Look, the tea aroma is just coming out. Quickly, have a taste!"
Zhu Mo had a very good impression of these two. Seeing that the old Taoist Fei Xuanzi's complexion was also good, unlike the gloomy appearance he had seen last time, he said happily,
"Old Taoist, thank you for gracing my humble abode. I happen to be craving something today, and I got two fish. Let's just grill them, and we can have a good chat tonight!"
The old Taoist was overjoyed and urged Zhu Mo to sit down. Li San quickly served the Longjing Lingzhi tea.
As Zhu Mo held the cup, he felt an extraordinary aroma wafting into his nostrils, refreshing his spirit. He thought this tea must be quite expensive, and this old Taoist was quite capable, perhaps a retainer of some prince.