Niao Ni
Chapter 517 White Clouds Rise from the High Mountains
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The next day, just before dawn, a procession departed from Danzhou Port. Befitting an imperial entourage, the display was anything but ordinary. Though the full regalia weren't on display, the line stretched for nearly three *li*, a dense crowd guarding the opulent imperial carriage at its center, making for a truly impressive sight.
The commoners of Danzhou knelt on the ground, respectfully kowtowing to the departing Emperor. Perhaps this was their first and only chance in this lifetime to see the Emperor. As subjects of the Qing Kingdom, none wished to miss it.
Fan Xian rode his horse, lagging behind the procession, a worried expression on his face as he watched the line moving along the official road. He was about to accompany His Majesty to Mount Da Dong for the Heaven-Worshiping Ceremony, yet his heart was filled with unease and uncertainty.
The night before, he'd met with Ren Shao'an in secret and learned that the reason His Majesty had chosen Mount Da Dong for the ceremony wasn't merely because His Majesty yearned for the freedom of open air, the encounter of years past, the sea breeze of Danzhou, but because... the original plan to hold the ceremony at the Qing Temple in the capital had encountered intractable difficulties.
What difficulties? – No one in the Qing Temple of the capital was qualified to preside over such a grand Heaven-Worshiping Ceremony!
It was truly an absurd reason. The Qing Kingdom had always revered warfare. While they respected ghosts and gods, they kept their distance. Especially under the influence of the current Emperor, the power of the ascetic priests of the Temple system was gradually waning in Qing. The orthodox Heavenly Dao led by Ku He of Northern Qi was unable to enter the temples of Qing.
The only remaining few high priests of great virtue had encountered problems one after another in recent years. First, the high priest, after returning to the capital from preaching in the Southern Wilderness, died of old age and a stroke less than a month later.
The Second Priest, Master San Shi, died tragically in the woods outside the capital.
Fan Xian vaguely guessed that the deaths of the Qing Temple's high priests were probably orchestrated by His Majesty in secret. But in that case, Mount Da Dong really was the only place to go for the Heaven-Worshiping Ceremony. After all, it was said to be the most temple-like place in the world, the most mysterious place, the place with the most thriving incense.
But… was it only for such an absurd reason?
Fan Xian spurred his horse, frowning as he caught up with the procession. The Imperial entourage's security work was proceeding methodically, not requiring much of his attention. Especially seeing the Long Saber Tiger Guards, numbering over a hundred and interspersed among the Imperial Guards, he should be reassured.
Seven Tiger Guards could rival Haitang Duoduo; what was the concept of a hundred Tiger Guards?
He *should* be reassured, but he remained uneasy. In many people's minds, Fan Xian was perhaps a master of intrigue and scheming, but he knew himself well. He understood that his calculations weren't particularly brilliant. The reason he had been invincible in both Southern Qing and Northern Qi was because he had Yan Bingyun's help, Chen Pingping's protection, and, most importantly... his greatest backing was the Emperor. With that as his support, he could overcome any obstacle. What was there to truly fear?
But if an intrigue was aimed at his own backer, Fan Xian admitted he didn't have enough wisdom to handle such a grand affair.
He had a clear understanding of himself, so he was particularly cautious and sensitive. Thinking of the question that had been lingering in his mind since yesterday, he felt a hint of vigilance.
The Emperor's inspection tour was such a significant event. Even if he was adrift at sea at the time, cut off from the Oversight Council's intelligence network… Yan Bingyun, who was in charge of Council affairs in the capital, certainly had a way to notify him. The internal lines of the Qi Nian Group had always remained open. Why hadn't Yan Bingyun informed him in advance?
He summoned Wang Qinian and asked a few questions, receiving the report that the Council's reports were as usual. He couldn't help but scratch his head, not saying anything more, and giving a self-deprecating smile. He felt he was being too suspicious, bordering on the pathological.
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Traveling by land, it only took a few days to see that solitary mountain by the sea, blocking the eternal sea winds, obscuring the eastern sunrise, lonely, fiercely stubborn, like half a jade stone piercing the sky.
Fan Xian rode his horse, following beside the Emperor's carriage, subconsciously raising a hand as a visor, squinting as he looked at the mountain in admiration. This was the third time he'd seen Mount Da Dong by the sea, and yet every time he saw it, he couldn't help but sigh, marveling at the wonders of creation.
Such a magnificent sight, how could it not broaden one's mind? In addition to marveling, Fan Xian also felt regret and irritation. He had lived in Danzhou for sixteen years, yet he had no idea that such a sacred place existed not far from his hometown. Otherwise, he would have taken Wu Zhu there to play often back then.
Although the court had banned jade mining on Mount Da Dong, it didn't strictly prohibit people from entering the temple to pray. If Fan Xian had come to play often back then, presumably no one would have stopped him.
But if he were still a child, entering Mount Da Dong today wouldn't be so easy.
At the foot of the mountain, flags fluttered, and thousands of people were lined up in rows, blocking all roads leading up to Mount Da Dong. Three days before, the imperial edict had reached Mount Da Dong. The priests and monks of the mountain temples were waiting respectfully before the mountain gate for the arrival of the Imperial entourage, while those who came to burn incense had already been driven down the mountain by the local state troops.
This solitary mountain, at this moment, was enveloped in a suppressed, solemn atmosphere with thousands of people holding their breath and staying quiet, all for the sake of that one person, the most powerful person under heaven.
Eunuch Yao stepped onto the footstool and helped His Majesty the Emperor, dressed in formal attire of dazzling imperial yellow, out of the carriage. The Emperor stood on the platform in front of the carriage.
Without any command, thousands of people at the foot of the mountain knelt down in unison, shouting "Long live the Emperor!"
The Emperor waved his hand calmly, signaling the crowd to rise. After being helped down from the carriage by Eunuch Yao, he very naturally broke free from the eunuch's grasp, put his hands behind his back, and walked towards the newly renovated, gleaming white jade mountain gate.
Grand Eunuch Hong followed behind His Majesty.
Fan Xian lagged back a few steps, calmly observing the situation.
Reaching the mountain gate, the priests in robes respectfully bowed to the Emperor once again, then, with extreme flattery, hunched over and invited His Majesty to ascend and listen to the imperial decree.
Fan Xian watched this scene and chuckled inwardly. The monks of Qing were indeed not as highly regarded as those of Northern Qi.
The Emperor didn't immediately move, looking at the magnificent mountain gate, he smiled gently and said, "The first decree arrived a month ago, the exact time of My arrival was set three days ago. The temple's response was quite swift, but don't disturb the people too much. A mountain gate is so gorgeous; be careful not to run out of money for the Da Dong Road."
The priests looked embarrassed. The head priest of the Dongshan Temple explained in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, it is just a mountain gate. The temples on the peak are still as they were twenty years ago, without the slightest change."
The Emperor smiled slightly and said, "That's good."
He Yongzhi, the governor of Dongshan Road, who had hurried over to attend to the Emperor, wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking to himself not to flatter in the wrong way. Fortunately, the Emperor's later words were relatively gentle.
The Emperor glanced at the governor, frowning as he said, "Didn't I tell you in the letter not to come?"
Governor He Yongzhi was one of the seven circuit governors of the realm. Although his position was slightly lower than Xue Qing's, he could still be considered a first-rank official, but in front of the Emperor, he didn't show the slightest airs of a great man, forcing a smile as he said, "Your Majesty rarely leaves the capital, and is now visiting Dongshan Road. Your subject and the officials of the Road all feel honored, how could we not come to serve you."
Clearly, the seven circuit governors were all trusted confidants of the Qing Emperor. The Emperor smiled and scolded, "Get back to your Luozhou. As a governor, you should lead the army of the region and do your duty. When have I ever lacked people to serve me…" He looked at Fan Xian behind him and said, "With Supervisor Fan following, you can go back."
He Yongzhi dared not object, knowing that this Emperor, though gentle in appearance, was always firm in his decisions. He didn't dare delay any longer. He knelt down and kowtowed, nodded to Fan Xian as a greeting, and hurried back to Luozhou, where the governor's mansion was located.
Fan Xian watched with a smile, not saying a word.
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Mount Da Dong was extremely high. If measured by Fan Xian's units, it was at least two thousand meters. And around this mountain, other than the sea, there was only plains. The two contrasted each other, making the mountain peak appear even more abrupt and towering into the sky. Anyone wanting to climb it couldn't help but feel trepidation.
Fortunately, the Da Dong Mountain facing the sea was a smooth jade wall, while the side facing the land had accumulated millions of years of soil and life. On both sides of the stone steps, green grass grew, and tall trees reached into the sky, their branches and leaves like green fans shading the rising sun of summer. With the mountain breeze gently dancing, it was like countless small fans, bringing a slight coolness to those walking in between.
Perhaps it was this tranquil and beautiful scenery that gave the people going up the mountain to burn incense the courage to finish these seemingly endless stone steps.
Thousands of Imperial Guards were deployed at the foot of Mount Da Dong. Accompanying the Emperor as he ascended Mount Da Dong to worship Heaven were Grand Eunuch Hong, Fan Xian, the Minister of Rites, and other ministers, as well as several attending eunuchs. Over a hundred Tiger Guards were also cautiously scattered around the Emperor, but they were not walking on the stone steps but on the mountain paths, which were more difficult.
Ten thousand stone steps truly tested one's will and energy. The people called this long staircase the Ladder to Heaven. Only by climbing it could one show sincerity and be able to rely on the magical power of the Dongshan Temple to treat illnesses.
But today, this group wasn't a group of commoners seeking gods. The Tiger Guards walking on the stone steps could still support themselves, and even the eunuchs seemed to have energy to spare, but the Minister of Rites and Ren Shao'an, these civil officials, were about to collapse. Not caring about losing face in front of the Emperor, they supported their waists, gasping for breath.
Fan Xian had been climbing mountains and cliffs since he was a child, so these ten thousand stone steps were naturally no problem for him. He didn't even pant once. He paid attention to these people and discovered that the eunuchs following the Emperor were so effortless, he couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement – Grand Eunuch Hong was certainly a monster, and he also knew that Eunuch Yao was skilled in martial arts, but even the eunuchs serving tea and water were experts, which couldn't help but make him feel that there were indeed hidden dragons and crouching tigers around the Emperor.
He didn't know how long it had been before the group finally reached the top of the peak. Including several priests and several civil officials, everyone collapsed weakly on the ground, unable to recover for a long time.
The Emperor glanced at these people mockingly, but was too lazy to blame them. He walked alone with his hands in his sleeves to the edge of the cliff on the peak of Dongshan, looking at the floating clouds in front of the cliff and the sun in the upper-right, his expression was extremely calm, extremely happy, as if he had finally achieved, or was about to achieve, a goal.
Fan Xian followed behind him, smiling slightly, seeing that the Emperor's chest was rising and falling slightly, his face was flushed and slightly sweaty. It seemed that although His Majesty's body was strong, he was no longer the young man who went to war on horseback. He was just forcing himself for the sake of the Emperor's dignity.
After resting for a while, the accompanying personnel began to arrange the ceremony and the troublesome arrangements for accommodation and food, while the Emperor and Fan Xian were still standing on the edge of the cliff, the father and son seemed to be attracted by the wonderful scenery under Mount Da Dong, not saying a word, just staring blankly at what was in front of them.
In front of them was the sea, the endless sea, but the sea seen from here was different from the sea seen on the Danzhou Wharf.
The sea at Danzhou was so close and yet not easily accessible, surging or undulating, close at hand, the sound in the ear, the white foam wetting the trouser legs.
The sea under Mount Da Dong was so far away and indifferent. Standing on the cliff, one couldn't hear the sound of the waves roaring at all. Looking down along the smooth jade-like mountain wall, one could only see streaks of white lines on the sea, one after another, hitting the stone wall of Dongshan, wetting the feet of Dongshan, doing eternal futile work.
In front of the cliff was a layer of extremely thin and light clouds, like white paper, slowly flowing between the cliffs, high or low. The red sun on the sea had already risen, but it didn't seem to be much higher than Mount Da Dong. Standing on the mountain, the sun seemed particularly close, the light penetrating through those white clouds, reflecting distorted and beautiful lines, gradually making those pure white clouds even lighter, so light that they were about to disappear into the air.
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Watch the clouds dissipate, observe the tides ebb and flow? Fan Xian subconsciously rubbed his nose, laughing self-deprecatingly, why was he standing here, standing beside the Emperor? Then he saw the Emperor's body sway.
Fan Xian was shocked, reaching out with lightning speed, his left hand like a cattail leaf fan, his fingers slightly bent, exerting force, in an instant, great coffin splitting and small techniques were all used. In the flash of lightning, he grabbed His Majesty's hand and pulled him back a step.
Beneath their feet was a bottomless abyss. If they fell from here, where would there be any chance of survival? After a moment of palpitations, Fan Xian felt that he had been rash, apologized, and then noticed that Grand Eunuch Hong looked at him with a very strange look.
The Emperor gently stroked his forehead, naturally not angry, but laughed self-deprecatingly, "It seems that I am indeed getting old. Looking for too long makes me feel dizzy."
Suddenly, the Emperor put down his hand, looking at Fan Xian with a smile and asked, "Do you believe that there are really temples of gods in the world?"