Chapter 184: Crossing at Chencang Unnoticed – The Deceptive Move
Chapter 184: Crossing at Chencang Unnoticed – The Deceptive Move
Now, everything was ready except the east wind.
To ensure no one interfered with the rain prayer ceremony… Zhu Houzhao and Fang Jifan both quietly decided to keep it a secret.
They first set up the altar in secret, and then Li Chaowen was invited down from the mountain.
In fact, Li Chaowen had no choice but to come down, because news of his theft and embezzlement of the temple’s property had spread throughout the temple.
The Eldest Martial Brother had framed him, and appeared to have bribed the Taoist Registry Department of the Ministry of Rites, planning to have him completely expelled from the temple.
Li Chaowen stood before Fang Jifan, trembling all over, feeling very unreliable in his heart.
He wanted to cry—he didn’t know how to pray for rain! Being a Taoist was just his profession. But he didn’t believe a single sentence from the Daoist Scriptures.
Then Zhu Houzhao personally summoned him.
He saw Li Chaowen with his legs shaking, afraid to even lift his head. He hunched over, his face sallow.
Zhu Houzhao looked suspiciously at Fang Jifan and frowned as he asked, “This… is the very professional master?”
“Yes, Your Highness—he is an extraordinary man from outside the world.” Fang Jifan said firmly.
Zhu Houzhao reached out and lifted Li Chaowen’s chin, making him look up. His frown deepened. “He doesn’t look like it.”
The rain prayer ritual was a big event. Even if something went wrong, he could shift the blame, but still—he was the Crown Prince. He couldn’t let things look too bad.
Zhu Houzhao looked at the pale and trembling Li Chaowen before him and felt even less confident. His clear eyes shifted around.
“Old Fang, you aren’t deceiving This Palace, are you?”
“This is just how extraordinary people are.” Fang Jifan insistently continued to speak against his conscience.
In fact, he also felt that Li Chaowen wasn’t very photogenic.
“I… I don’t pray for rain… I… I—” Li Chaowen trembled violently. Then his knees gave way, and he knelt down suddenly, grabbing Zhu Houzhao’s legs and begging in a shaky voice:
“This… this humble Taoist… begs Your Highness to spare this humble Taoist’s life…”
Zhu Houzhao’s brow furrowed deeply. He felt that Fang Jifan was insulting his intelligence. His nostrils flared slightly with unease, and he glanced sideways at Fang Jifan.
“Old Fang, This Palace feels strangely uneasy inside.”
Fang Jifan was also fed up with Li Chaowen’s cowardice and for a moment didn’t know what to say.
Finally, he spread his hands. “Your Highness, the man is already here…”
Zhu Houzhao: “…”
…
The continuous drought had already filled the Capital with a strange atmosphere.
Indeed, the recent weird weather had given many people topics to use for incitement.
Thus, children’s rhymes spread everywhere—this was even more serious than the memorials reported to the palace.
On the streets, many people were whispering about various things. Most people in this world still deeply believed in ghosts and gods.
Therefore, Liu Jian was quite worried about this.
He advised Emperor Hongzhi, asking His Majesty to absolutely not let the Eastern Depot and Imperial Guard arrest the rumor-mongers.
It wasn’t that those spreading false rumors weren’t hateful.
But the instigators behind them couldn’t be easily tracked down.
If the Eastern Depot and Imperial Guard started large-scale arrests of ‘Rebel Faction’ members spreading rumors, past experience showed that the most likely outcome would be the real rebellious instigators escaping, while ordinary folks who liked to gossip and innocent children would end up being labeled as rebels!
If that happened, not only would the problem remain unsolved, but new issues might even arise.
In the Grand Secretariat, after noon, Liu Jian took a short nap.
Soon, a eunuch hurried in. “Lord Liu, it’s bad—there’s trouble. His Majesty urgently summons Lord Liu and the others to the Warm Pavilion immediately.”
Liu Jian was startled. The entire Capital Region was already like dry wood awaiting a spark—what could have happened now?
He was extremely worried. His face turned ashen, and without even straightening his attire, he hurriedly went with Li Dongyang and the other two to the Warm Pavilion.
When they arrived at the Warm Pavilion, Emperor Hongzhi’s face was clearly very grim. He looked up at them while scolding Mou Bin of the Brocade Guard.
“A rain prayer ritual? What rain prayer? He is the Crown Prince! Has the Crown Prince also gotten involved with illicit shrines? If this gets out, won’t it become a huge joke?”
Emperor Hongzhi’s gaze was especially severe. He glared fiercely at Mou Bin as if he wanted to skin him alive.
Mou Bin was already drenched in sweat from fear. He knelt on the ground, trembling, and said:
“Your servant deserves death. There was no hint beforehand, only later did we notice some traces. I dared not delay and immediately investigated, only to find that the Crown Prince had invited a Taoist to perform a rain prayer ceremony…”
Emperor Hongzhi was so angry that smoke seemed to rise from his head. His eyes were wide open as he angrily said:
“If common people make offerings at illicit shrines, that’s one thing—but he is the Crown Prince, my son…”
The so-called “illicit shrines” weren’t directly related to the literal meaning, but referred to temples and Taoist sites not officially recognized. They were usually built by the people—some worshipped the Earth God, some the Dragon King, and other unknown deities and spirits.
Throughout history, imperial courts strictly banned these, fearing that ignorant commoners would be tricked into giving money, or even incited to rebel.
The main characteristic of illicit shrines was often their various activities.
For example… rain prayer rituals…
From the imperial court’s perspective, official rain prayers could be considered a kind of ceremony, just an activity to communicate with heaven.
But many unofficial rain prayer rituals held other hidden intentions.
What made Emperor Hongzhi angry was that Zhu Houzhao’s wish for heavy rain was commendable. But now they had come up with this rain prayer—that was something else entirely.
It was inexplicable—utterly ridiculous.
The critical thing about rain prayer rituals was that nine out of ten times they failed to bring rain. If you prayed and no rain came, wouldn’t that be like adding fuel to the fire? Wouldn’t it imply that the court had failed in virtue and earned heaven’s punishment?
The Crown Prince was simply causing trouble, basically adding to his own problems.
These days, because of the drought and the people’s ignorant talk, Emperor Hongzhi had already been so worried that he couldn’t eat or sleep. Now he was even angrier—his face turned pale, his chest felt tight, and he could hardly catch his breath.
Regarding this matter, Mou Bin dared not hide anything. He truthfully reported what he knew.
“That Taoist is named Li Chaowen, registered at the Longquan Taoist Temple. I secretly checked his background—his reputation in the temple isn’t good; it’s said he even embezzled temple property…”
Emperor Hongzhi’s face immediately turned even paler, and his body trembled slightly.
Another one mingling with Taoists… The previous Emperor had been like this, and now his own son was too…
Emperor Hongzhi felt as though the alchemists who refined immortal elixirs and those who performed so-called rain prayers haunted him like a nightmare.
For a moment, he closed his eyes deeply. How could his only son…
“However… I also found that the Newly Established Count Fang Jifan seems… also involved. In fact, he is the mastermind.” Mou Bin hesitated, but then decided to report honestly.
“What did you say!” Emperor Hongzhi’s eyes snapped open. He looked sharply at Mou Bin and demanded sternly.
Mou Bin was startled. Outside, he was the cold and merciless Commander of the Imperial Guards, but here he was as meek as a lamb.
He said, “What I meant was… this matter also involves the Newly Established Count.”
Liu Jian’s eyelid twitched, but he noticed the anger on Emperor Hongzhi’s face had lessened considerably.
Though he still appeared angry, his expression wasn’t as fearsome.
“Was it Fang Jifan secretly planning this?” Emperor Hongzhi asked meaningfully.
“Yes.” Mou Bin nodded heavily.
“Oh.” Emperor Hongzhi responded very softly.
In that short moment, Emperor Hongzhi’s face had become unreadable.
He simply nodded lightly and then said slowly, “We must continue to investigate this matter and see what kind of mischief they are really up to.”
Mou Bin froze, feeling he must have misheard.
Actually, when he revealed Fang Jifan’s involvement, he’d felt a bit guilty, knowing that if His Majesty found out someone was behind the Crown Prince’s actions, Fang Jifan would definitely be doomed.
But who would have thought…
“Your servant… obeys the decree.” Mou Bin responded, though he felt his back was soaked with cold sweat.
What was this Fang Jifan? Why did His Majesty suddenly change his attitude? Or… was His Majesty just biding his time?
Either way, as the Commander of the Imperial Guards, Mou Bin knew he needed to carefully consider this change in His Majesty’s attitude.
After Mou Bin withdrew, Emperor Hongzhi sighed deeply in his heart.
Then he looked up and glanced at Liu Jian and the others, saying slowly, “You all have sons too, don’t you?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The three nodded.
Emperor Hongzhi looked thoughtfully at them before saying:
“You all have sons, and I have a son too—and I only have one son. But why is this rebellious son so troublesome? Forget it, let’s not bother about him for now. Let’s just wait and see what kind of trouble they plan to stir up next. I suspect that while they claim to be praying for rain, in reality, they are probably crossing at Chencang unnoticed—a deceptive move—after all, Fang Jifan is quite clever…”
Hearing this, Liu Jian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. But he nodded thoughtfully, quite in agreement:
“You’re right. I also think Fang Jifan wouldn’t really urge the Crown Prince to do something as pointless as a rain prayer ritual.”
Emperor Hongzhi’s expression had now calmed, though his eyes still showed a trace of worry.
He sighed deeply again inwardly and tapped the desk before him with his knuckles.
“I summoned you all here because Commander of the Imperial Guards Mou Bin also reported another matter: last night, a small patrol team of Brocade Guards was attacked. Four died!”
Liu Jian and the others’ expressions changed drastically. Sure enough… trouble was coming.
The traitors behind this clearly couldn’t hold back any longer. Seeing that the court wasn’t acting further against the rumors, they had made their move.
What they wanted was for the court to panic, then arrest Rebel Faction members everywhere, so they could take the chance to stir up even greater public resentment.
The months of drought had already made many people prefer to believe in ghosts and spirits rather than the imperial court.
Liu Jian’s face fell.
Emperor Hongzhi also looked serious and deeply worried.