"Old Hu, what are you talking about again? You're going to change your soul. Who are you trying to fool with such nonsense?"
"Oh, this matter was not said by me, but by Master Juezhen from Wansongling Baoen Temple."
"Master Juezhen? Master Juezhen from Tubo? Is he really what he said?... That may be true. Please tell me what is going on."
"The master didn't directly say King Zhong. What he said was that on the second day of the second lunar month, he was meditating in meditation and suddenly felt something. Then he saw with his Dharma eye an evil dragon that was glowing with evil light and hovered over the imperial city for several weeks. Then it turned into a plume of black smoke and shot into the palace!"
"February 2? The weather on that day was a bit evil. It was the day when we were supposed to pray for rain, but the rain came uninvited, and the thunder and lightning were terrifying. Could it be an evil dragon causing trouble?! It's just that this has something to do with King Zhong. what relationship?"
"We all know that King Zhong used to be a fool, but now he is completely different, right?"
"Indeed, it is said that the former loyal king could not even speak clearly, and his mind was about the same as that of a three-year-old child. Suddenly, not only did his temperament change drastically, but he was also able to learn martial arts and be good at all six arts. I heard he is still there It's really amazing that he can fight with the ministers in the court and not fall behind!"
"Hey, many people don't know that all this change happened on the second day of February!"
"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."
"Originally, the loyal king had been in a coma for several days, and the doctors at Hanlin Hospital said that he could not wake up. But on February 2, when the evil wind was blowing and the thunder was rolling, the evil dragon rushed into the palace, and he suddenly woke up. Come here, don’t think too much about the cause and effect!"
The people at the table fell silent, as if they were beginning to think about the key points here.
When Zhao Mengqi heard this, he also admired the imagination of the person who spread the rumor. He actually conjured an evil dragon out of thin air, and even said it had a nose and eyes, which made him almost believe it.
In addition, I don’t know whether the monk Juezhen mentioned in these people’s words has true Taoism, but his prestige and reputation seem to be quite high. With a casual word, people actually regard him as a guide and no longer question him.
Now that this guy is involved in spreading rumors, I don't know if he is being used by others, or if he has ulterior motives, and he needs to be investigated by the Imperial City Department.
Just as he was thinking about it, the voice on the other side started talking again, "Brother Hu's words reminded Xie of something. Last year, I stayed in Wujiang for a while because of business..."
"Wujiang? Last year, there was a flood in Taihu Lake, which almost destroyed Wujiang County. Brother Xie was in danger!"
"No, don't interrupt. Just listen to me. Wujiang County is adjacent to the east bank of Taihu Lake. It has abundant water and soil and convenient transportation. It was originally prosperous and peaceful, but a sudden flood made it extremely miserable. Many houses and fields were destroyed. They were all flooded and destroyed, and countless people were displaced, hungry and cold..."
"No, Brother Xie, we are talking about Prince Zhong, why are you talking about Wujiang for no reason?"
"Yu Dacai, please stop interrupting. Listen to what I have to say. I don't know how you managed to accumulate such a huge fortune with such an impatient temper!"
"Hey, brother Xie, please continue, I won't interfere with the head office."
"Where did I say... Oh, yes, not only Wujiang, but the entire Taihu Lake suffered a major disaster. Let's talk about this Taihu Lake. It has been very peaceful for a hundred years, but there was a black dragon in the lake. Last year It was just when it flew into the sky and transformed into a dragon, but somehow, the transformation failed at the last moment and did not fully achieve the dragon form. So the black dragon became mad and abused its magic power to cause trouble, causing a flood to wreak havoc on the world."
"Is it true? Is there such a thing? This black dragon can't transform into a dragon. What does it have to do with the people? How can you vent your anger for no reason!?"
"Jiao is inherently violent and capricious, treacherous and promiscuous, often harmful but unprofitable. He has endured it for hundreds of years just to transform into a dragon, but in the end he failed. His true nature was revealed as he gave up on himself. I can only lament that millions of people have suffered like this." What an unnecessary disaster.”
"It is rumored that if this dragon fails to transform into a dragon, it will be close to its end. So the evil dragon from Taihu Lake that Brother Xie mentioned came to Lin'an to find a way out?"
"Brother Hu's words are on point. This is exactly what Xie means. This evil dragon is about to die and disappear, so naturally it will not wait for death. And this emperor is also the incarnation of a true dragon, wouldn't it? Its way out?”
"You two are saying that the evil dragon took over the loyal king in order to transform into a dragon again? Isn't this a bit ridiculous?"
"Hehe, Yu thinks it makes sense. Most likely, this loyal king is possessed by an evil dragon!"
A group of people continued to gossip, and the rumor became more and more elaborate, and it was perfectly linked with the other rumors about King Zhong's debauchery and violence.
Zhao Mengqi held his chin and listened silently. He felt deeply that some people really went to great lengths to discredit him. Not only did they find other ways to deny his identity, but they also blamed himself for the Taihu Lake flood.
This kind of thing about ghosts and gods sounds very nonsense, but it is popular among the people, and there are probably many people who are willing to believe it. If some Buddhists and Taoists come in and add fuel to the flames, this shit basin will be in trouble.
Under the deliberate instigation, some ignorant people were definitely not willing to let the evil Jiao, who had done many evil things, become an official of the Song Dynasty out of fear. Maybe they would also arouse public anger because of the Taihu Lake flood and want to get rid of it quickly!
It seems that this wave of betrayal is really fierce. Some people are no longer limited to the court, but are attacking from all directions and angles, preparing to shoot Zhao Mengqi to death at once.
