AD 290, the first year of Taixi in the Western Jin Dynasty.
The beginning of summer has passed, the cicadas are chirping for the first time, and the rice fields are green and sparkling.
The Central Plains is about to usher in another year of bumper harvest.
This is the tenth year since the three kingdoms were reunited. The people who have endured wars for a long time have been able to live and work in peace and contentment and thrive.
In the prosperous age of Taikang, Luoyang City, despite its numerous shops, fluttering signs, and prosperity, was shrouded in a sense of panic and uneasiness.
It has been quietly circulated among the people: Emperor Sima Yan is seriously ill and difficult to recover from.
Passers-by are in a hurry, so be careful what you say and do.
The street vendors did not dare to hawk loudly. They just used cattail fans to drive away the bees and insects on the food, or whispered to the passers-by, or kept silent to organize their items.
The Huayang Palace in the imperial city was already in a state of mourning.
In addition to the continuous patrols of the imperial guards guarding the city, everyone from the concubines to the princes to the palace maids and eunuchs were required to be confined to their residences and were not allowed to go out at will without a warrant.
However, all this silence was suddenly broken.
Under the scorching midday sun, a little eunuch held a piece of white silk in his hand and trotted at an extremely fast speed. The ruffles of his clothes struck by the wind made a sound, which sounded a bit alarming in the silent restricted area of the palace.
The moment he stepped into the Hanzhang Hall of the emperor's palace, he was struck directly by a ray of light in front of the door. He didn't see clearly who attacked him, and he didn't have time to make any sound. He fell to the ground in his arms. On top of the silk, the bright red blood quickly smudged the white silk away, making it extremely dazzling.
There was no struggle, no twitching, no breathing.
Silence returned to Hanzhang Hall, except for the crackling sound of the wick of the seven-star life-extending lamp that became abrupt and clear again.
"Ahem, cough, cough..." A low and hoarse voice came from the yellow curtain: "...Jiulang, has someone sent you blood lamp oil to extend your life again?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Standing in a dark corner, Xu Jiulang dropped the sticky blood from the Zixu Sword into one of the Huayang Palace lanterns on the golden brick floor in front of the dragon bed, with a clean and neat movement.
Taking a closer look at the lamp oil, it was thick and dark red, with an indescribable weirdness, but the brightness of the wick did immediately increase a lot.
There are seven or forty-nine Huayang palace lanterns of different sizes. They are not ordinary oil lamps, but are made of fine and pure bronze. They are shaped like a kneeling palace lady holding a tray with both hands. Because of its special structure, the wick does not move. The lights cannot be extinguished by the wind, and there is no smoke or dust.
The Seven-Star Life-Extending Formation is an ancient Taoist magic. It involves setting up seven big lamps in the direction of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, and placing small lamps around them according to the person's destiny, praying that the Big Dipper communicate with the upper world and achieve the purpose of extending life.
The coughing in the curtain grew louder, and it took a long time to calm down.
"Sure enough, I feel a little stronger...cough cough cough..."
"Your nephews refused to come by themselves, but sent a young eunuch to inquire about your life and death..." Xu Jiulang's voice contained no emotion.
"Haha, I'm afraid I'm pretending to be sick and will kill them... If 7,749 people can come today, I can help my children and grandchildren guard the country for a few more years... Ahem..."
"Zhuge Liang failed to use this method last time. Your Majesty, please don't have too many illusions. You can delay this as long as you can."
These words were quite harsh. Xu Jiulang walked out of the shadows. The Zixu Sword had been wiped clean and put behind his back. He was thin and straight. If it weren't for the official uniform, he would have looked like an immortal.
"It's already this time, can't you comfort me with a few words?" Sima Yan was not angry at all. He just lay flat on the dragon bed and gasped, "I have no regrets in this life, and the only thing I'm sorry for is..."
"You tried your best." Xu Jiulang's voice lowered, and you could still hear his faint sigh, "Your Majesty, everything you did was right. If it weren't for you... the prince might not have survived."
"Maybe this is life." Sima Yan's breath became disordered again, and Xu Jiulang quickly stepped forward and gently opened the curtain to check the situation.
Sima Yan, the founding emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, was not as skinny as expected on the dragon bed. Instead, he was a middle-aged man with an extremely strong body. He had been fighting for his whole life. Even though he was seriously ill and bedridden, his momentum remained unabated, except for the blood that continued to flow from the corners of his mouth. It's unsettling.
"Has the order to extend grace been carried out?" he suddenly asked.
Xu Jiulang was stunned for a moment and then replied: "I have been doing it, but it also takes time. Only the legitimate son cannot be the king. I think these twenty-seven princes have many sons. How can they give up their fiefdoms?" Woolen cloth?"
"I'm afraid I'm wrong and have laid hidden dangers for Zhong'er." Sima Yan coughed again, "Jiulang, you have done a lot for me in Jingyang for ten years. If I can't pass this test, you have to Protect my son for me...cough cough cough..."
"Your Majesty..." Xu Jiulang knelt down straight.
"I know, and I'm also embarrassing you. You didn't want to go down the mountain, and your life in Xiaoyao Mountain was so happy. But, you know that I lack a trustworthy person around me, so you disobeyed your master and became an official. For ten years. Jiulang... cough cough cough, after my death, you can resign and go into seclusion, but Xuanji Palace will still be your home, so that Zhong'er can find you... cough cough cough... You also know, Zhong'er's That queen harbors evil intentions..."
"...Everything is at the discretion of the Emperor."
Xu Jiulang, whose surname is Xu Mingxun, is the magistrate of Jingyang County. He is an honest official and has outstanding political achievements.
His other identity is that he is the only descendant of the famous Sanqing Taoist and the only sorcerer of Emperor Sima Yan.
"Let's do another divination for Zhong'er... Let's also take a look at my fortune..." After saying too many words, Sima Yan was obviously exhausted and lay down again.
After Xu Jiulang said yes, he knelt on the spot and began to mutter something with the turtle back and three copper coins he had with him.
There are six lines in total, and the pattern of each line needs to be recorded before the final hexagram can be formed.
This process was a bit long. Sima Yan turned his head and looked at him quietly without speaking.
Inside the dormitory, it was extremely quiet.
Only the occasional crackle of the oil lamp and the clang of copper coins hanging on the rope could be heard.
Gradually, the sound became louder and louder, making it impossible to hear anything.
Just like shouting to the sky, the heaven and the earth resonate together, deafening and enlightening.
However, when the last line appeared and Xu Jiulang lowered his head to write down the pattern, the door of the dormitory was suddenly kicked open, and a loud voice shouted: "Father, what on earth are you doing? What's the matter at noon? Door? My queen said you were going to die? She asked me to come and see you, and she also said she would bring a piece of white silk to extend your life..."
The strong wind followed this person's footsteps into the dormitory, and half of the 7749 Huayang Palace lanterns on the ground were instantly extinguished, especially the seven main lanterns, all of which were extinguished.
It was completely dark in the dormitory, and even the strong sunlight at noon could not shine in.
Faced with this sudden change, Xu Jiulang's expression changed drastically, and he immediately stood up and drew his sword to stab the man.
But he was stopped by Sima Yan's loud roar: "Jiulang, this is Zhong'er!"
"Your Majesty!" Xu Jiulang also shouted, his voice filled with despair.
"This is what fate should be, don't force it." Sima Yan sat up again, his eyes shining brightly, and he looked at the visitor calmly.
The visitor was almost the same model as Sima Yan, only younger.
If he doesn't speak, he is no different from ordinary people.
"I didn't do it, it wasn't me, it wasn't me." He squatted on the ground and hugged his head, sticking out his huge butt, looking extremely funny.
"Sima Zhong!" Sima Yan's voice became louder, "In the future, you will be the king of a country, take on your responsibilities!"
"It's not me, it's not me, don't hit me!" Sima Zhong still held his head, even crying.
Seeing this, Xu Jiulang couldn't help but kicked him, "His Royal Highness, you have to promise the emperor!"
"It's not me, it's not me!" Sima Zhong became more and more panicked. He suddenly stood up and turned around to run away. However, he tripped over the silk on the ground and looked extremely embarrassed.
But this did not stop him, and he shouted loudly: "Don't hit me, don't hit me, it's not me, it's not me..." He stumbled out of the dormitory.
The light from outside the hall finally shone in, and it was clearly seen that the wicks of several seven-star life-extending main lamps were soaked in blood lamp oil and could no longer be ignited.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince!" Seeing Sima Zhong running out in such a mess, Xu Jiulang wanted to chase him back, but in the end he turned around and glanced at Sima Yan first.
"Forget it, he has always been timid and can't make any trouble." Sima Yan was in excellent condition at this time. Although the corners of his mouth were bleeding, his whole face was smiling.
"Your Majesty!" Xu Jiulang seemed to realize something, and immediately knelt down at the Emperor's feet, looking at him nervously, and regardless of etiquette, he directly took his pulse.
At this time, Xu Jiulang's hands were shaking and he couldn't hold himself steady at all.
"Returning to the light? Haha, it's good." Sima Yan still smiled and said, "Tell me how the hexagram is."
"About the prince or the fate of the country?" Xu Jiulang asked in a trembling voice.
"Let's talk about the fate of the country first."
"After you leave, the world will be in chaos for three hundred years."
"Hahahahahaha..." Sima Yan suddenly turned red and laughed extremely loudly, "The world is in chaos after all."
"The prince...'s hexagram is a bit strange."
"How?" Sima Yan raised his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with great effort.
He also found that the blood could not be wiped off at all, and his voice gradually became hoarse, sounding very scary.
"There is a phoenix in the prince's hexagram... This sixth line only explains the phoenix's hexagram: the phoenix dances in the sky, turning misfortune into good luck. The luan and the phoenix soar into the sky... But because the prince came in later, it has not been completely recorded... …”
At this time, the thick red oil from a fallen Huayang Palace lantern flowed into the turtle shell, and the wick burned strangely, causing the three copper coins to gradually turn red and blurry...
"That ugly woman Jananfeng?"
"Feng is located in the southeast direction and has never come to Luoyang City."
"What are these words? Could it be that Zhong'er will have two queens?" The light in Sima Yan's eyes gradually dimmed. He supported his body with his hands and stared at the burning turtle shell.
Xu Jiulang, who was already in tears, looked at the emperor who was gradually losing his strength and stretched out his hands to support him. "The hexagram shows that this woman is a phoenix born once in a thousand years, which is extremely precious. If the prince wants to keep it, If you want to be the emperor, you must marry this woman as your queen. Can the Western Jin Dynasty continue to maintain..."
"Find her out!" Sima Yan used his last strength to shout these four words without hearing Xu Jiulang's words.
