Chapter 192: Breathing Out and Raising Eyebrows
Chapter 192: Breathing Out and Raising Eyebrows
However, as Emperor Hongzhi laughed, a trace of disappointment flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his slightly raised lips curled with bitterness.
He laughed simply because he knew it was impossible. Doubling grain production could still be called an auspicious omen, but increasing it fivefold or tenfold would be classified as a fantasy.
If it were truly possible, it would require nothing short of a miracle.
It was precisely because such a thing seemed unattainable that he yearned for it, but after yearning, facing reality left him with nothing but a bitter laugh.
The bitterness in Emperor Hongzhi’s smile grew even more pronounced.
The only consolation was that Fang Jifan and the Crown Prince had not embarrassed themselves and had accomplished a great feat.
Emperor Hongzhi stood, perhaps due to excessive toil, his body appearing somewhat hunched. Then, as if remembering something, his brows slightly furrowed, and he issued a cold command.
“The Eastern Depot and Imperial Guard must mobilize. Within ten days, I want the Beggar Sect completely eradicated, and their leader must be captured.”
Previously, the imperial court had hesitated to act for fear of unintended consequences. Taking decisive action would require a full-scale operation, which could easily provoke public resentment. Now that such resentment had temporarily vanished, it was imperative to resolutely eliminate the sect.
Xiao Jing and Mou Bin exchanged glances, both suddenly feeling the immense pressure.
Nevertheless, they had no choice but to reply respectfully, “As you command.”
…
Ministry of Rites, Taoist Registry Department.
The Manager of the Taoist Registry Department had already completed all the procedures and had even removed Li Chaowen’s name from the daoist register.
The final step was to issue the document and notify the Celestial Master Mansion at Dragon Tiger Mountain.
If the Celestial Master Mansion raised no objections,
from that moment on, there would no longer be a Taoist named Li Chaowen in this world.
However, a sudden thunderclap in the clear sky caused the Manager named Wang Ming to instantly collapse onto the ground. He tilted his head, squinted his eyes, and looked up at the sky with a pale face.
Outside, dark clouds had gathered, and a fierce wind began to blow.
Clearly, a heavy rain was approaching.
Manager Wang felt as though he was going mad, his eyes wide with terror.
It was about to rain.
He abruptly recalled the Rain Prayer Ritual at the Eastern Palace.
Countless scenes flashed through his mind one after another.
His face turned ghastly pale, his lips grew white, and his entire body trembled. Then he remembered that not long ago, a young Taoist from Longquan Taoist Temple had come to the Ministry of Rites and given him a stack of Great Ming Treasure Notes.
Those Treasure Notes were still in his sleeve.
He clutched his sleeve tightly, thinking about the Treasure Notes…
The next moment, he couldn’t help but shudder. Then, in a frantic hurry, he rushed to the Official Chamber of the Supervising Secretary of the Ministry of Rites.
Though the Supervising Secretary held a seemingly low official rank, within the Ministry of Rites, he wielded significant power. Not only could he reject unreasonable imperial decrees directed at the Ministry of Rites, but he was also responsible for overseeing all departments within the ministry.
The young Supervising Secretary looked up with a puzzled expression, watching Manager Wang arrive breathlessly. He frowned slightly, his lips parting as if to ask a question, but before he could speak,
Manager Wang immediately slammed a stack of Great Ming Treasure Notes onto the Supervising Secretary’s desk.
“Shameless!” Manager Wang shouted righteously.
“The Taoists of Longquan Taoist Temple have sunk to such despicable levels. As recluses, they actually sent someone to bribe me with money in order to eliminate a rival and attack their own fellow Taoist. They even sought to strip their own junior fellow disciple of his daoist registration. Hah!”
As he spoke, his face contorted with rage, and he gritted his teeth.
“That shameless Zhang Chaoxian, that scoundrel, underestimates my character! He actually thought he could buy me off with silver and make me aid him in his evil deeds. Look here, this is the bribe he sent.”
It seemed as though no amount of cursing could vent his anger. As he continued, Wang Ming’s tone grew even more venomous.
“I, Wang Ming, live in a humble home with empty sleeves. I cherish many things, but the one thing I care least about is wealth. Can silver really buy off an imperial official? Can silver… make ghosts turn millstones? He must have been blinded by greed, driven to madness. Utterly shameless!”
The young Supervising Secretary looked solemnly at the righteous Manager Wang, feeling a sense of admiration.
He composed himself and said with a soothing smile,
“Manager Wang, please calm down. Tell me everything from the beginning, in detail.”
Manager Wang slammed the desk repeatedly, his entire body shaking with rage, and he coldly fumed,
“I cannot explain it in detail! This has enraged me beyond measure! As an official, I follow the teachings of the Sage and have always kept money at arm’s length. Yet a Taoist temple like Longquan Taoist Temple, even one ennobled by the imperial court as ’eminent figures,’ actually attempted to bribe me. The more I think about it, the more horrified I am. How has the world fallen to such a state? Look, look—this is the dirty evidence! I played along to catch them red-handed, and now we have both the culprit and the proof. Such a vile and despicable person—I, Wang Ming, will never share the same sky with him!”
…
The rain poured down heavily.
Even before Li Chaowen returned to the mountain, news had already spread that Junior Fellow Disciple Li was to be enfeoffed as a Perfected Master.
In truth, whether the news was true or false didn’t matter much. Now that rain had been successfully prayed for, the imperial court would not hesitate to reward them. The entire Longquan Taoist Temple shared in the honor.
But in the Ancestor Lü Hall, Zhang Chaoxian spat out a mouthful of blood. His wrinkled face was completely drained of color, pale as paper, and utterly unsightly.
Around him, many righteous junior fellow disciples had already gathered.
“Senior Brother! I can no longer hold back! You have committed countless evil deeds, turning Longquan Taoist Temple into a place of chaos. All the junior fellow disciples dared to feel anger but not speak out. You acted arbitrarily, but the wheel of justice turns, and retribution is inevitable. We are all cultivators of the Tao—we could tolerate you for a while, but not forever. Admit it yourself—how much of the temple’s wealth have you embezzled? Don’t deny it! The estate at your old family home in Baoding has been renovated again and again. Where did that money come from?”
The junior fellow disciples now understood Zhang Chaoxian’s predicament and showed him no mercy. They righteously condemned him.
“You had an affair with Widow Zhang—I know about it. Widow Zhang had no one to rely on after her husband died. You saw an opportunity and visited her place frequently for some time.”
“As cultivators of the Tao, how can we allow such a black sheep to remain? You even arranged for your nephews to obtain daoist registration, allowing them to live lavishly in the temple. Did you think no one knew? I personally heard them secretly calling you ‘Uncle.'”
“Shameless!”
“Disgusting!”
In an instant, accusations flew like spit, and countless scandals—some true, some fabricated—were tossed about. The group seemed suddenly possessed by the spirit of moral righteousness, all filled with disdain for Zhang Chaoxian.
“We must report to our Master and expel this black sheep from our ranks!”
“I also heard he tried to bribe the Taoist Registry Department to harm our fellow disciple Chaowen!”
“He’s worse than a dog!”
Zhang Chaoxian found it impossible to defend himself. He felt deeply aggrieved, clutching his chest as he watched his junior fellow disciples surround him. He knew that if he uttered a single word of rebuttal, he would likely be met with physical violence. The authority he had built over the years had vanished in an instant. Overwhelmed by shock and fury, he spat out another mouthful of blood, spraying it like rain.
“Pfft…”
Blood splattered across the floor and onto his body, staining his Taoist robes. He looked utterly disheveled, yet no one showed him any sympathy. Instead, they continued to condemn and insult him.
“Senior Brother, your days of comfort are over.”
“A despicable person like you doesn’t belong in our Longquan Taoist Temple.”
Zhang Chaoxian could only tremble, clutching his chest. Just then, a young Taoist hurried up the mountain and entered the Ancestor Lü Hall.
“Martial Uncle Chaowen has returned to the mountain!”
Upon hearing that Junior Fellow Disciple Chaowen had returned, the Taoists were overjoyed. Without even bothering to grab umbrellas, they rushed out into the rain toward the mountain gate. The entire group was drenched, but no one cared.
In the distance, a sedan chair steadily approached. As the chair was set down, before Li Chaowen could step out, a young Taoist, already soaked from the rain, opened an oil-paper umbrella and held it over the sedan, shielding Li Chaowen from the downpour.
Li Chaowen descended from the sedan and walked slowly a few steps. The young Taoist followed closely, holding the umbrella, ensuring that despite the heavy rain, not a single drop fell on Li Chaowen.
The other Taoists, drenched and disheveled, bowed to Li Chaowen in the rain. “Greetings, Senior Brother (Junior Fellow Disciple)…”
Li Chaowen, with his hands clasped behind his back, snorted coldly. He didn’t even glance at them, knowing that from this moment on, his life had completely changed.
There was no need to show any courtesy to these senior brothers, junior fellow disciples, or nephews.
His gaze shifted toward the temple. His brows lifted slightly as he casually addressed the group, “Oh, you’ve worked hard.”
His tone was light and somewhat lazy.
“Senior Brother…” one Taoist stepped forward, trying to ingratiate himself.
“Please ascend the mountain, Senior Brother. Our Master is still in seclusion, but I believe he will see you soon. Also… that scoundrel worse than a dog, Zhang Chaoxian, has been wreaking havoc in our Longquan Taoist Temple for years. Now that his deeds have been exposed, we need you to handle the matter… You must be hungry, Senior Brother. The Vegetarian Hall…”
Li Chaowen slowly extended a hand from behind his back and pressed it down gently, speaking calmly.
“Enough. I am not hungry.”
In the blink of an eye, the person who used to refer to himself as “this humble Taoist” now called himself “I.”
Yet no one found it the least bit odd. At this moment, when they looked at Senior Brother (Junior Fellow Disciple) Chaowen, they sensed an extraordinary dignity about him, much like Zhang Chaoxian in the past. Their eyes were filled with reverence and respect.
Everyone broke into smiles. “This humble Taoist deeply admires…”
“Enough of this flattery,” Li Chaowen said, clasping his hands behind his back again. His voice was now softer than before, unhurried—not because he lacked energy, but because… from today onward, even if he spoke as quietly as a mosquito, everyone in Longquan Taoist Temple, except for our Master, would have to strain to listen.
Because… he… was the man who had once summoned wind and rain…
He sighed deeply in his heart. Truly, times had changed. The corners of his lips curled slightly as he addressed the group with a knowing, half-smile.
“I am not Zhang Chaoxian. I do not enjoy hearing such flattering words. We who cultivate the Tao should live simply and avoid worldly vanities.”
Each of his words was accompanied by the sound of rain, yet all his fellow disciples exerted themselves to hear him clearly.
When he finished speaking, everyone cheered, “Well said! Senior Brother (Junior Fellow Disciple) embodies noble character and selfless dedication. You remain indifferent to fame and wealth, saving the common people with your profound understanding of the Tao. This humble Taoist is not your equal. Admirable, truly admirable…”
Li Chaowen’s expression remained completely unreadable. He raised his head slightly and spoke softly.
“Let’s go up the mountain.”
But just then,
the sound of horse hooves echoed.
The galloping was urgent. All the Taoists turned to look in the direction of the sound.
The newcomer was Deng Jian, who served under Fang Jifan.
Deng Jian had been sent to deliver his Young Lord’s instructions. Breathless, wearing a Straw Rain Cape, he galloped on horseback, dismounted outside the mountain gate, and said, “Which one is Taoist Li? I am here under the orders of the Newly Established Count…”
Newly Established Count…
As soon as he heard the title “Newly Established Count,” Li Chaowen, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, exuding an air of authority, suddenly dropped to his knees at Deng Jian’s feet.