The golden bell strikes twenty-four times, the jade chime strikes twenty-nine times, and the bells and chimes strike together again, thirty-six times each.
A clear and transparent sound lingered over the capital city, swaying out in circles like water ripples. All the people in the city gathered in front of the gate of Sanyuan Palace. Some devout worshipers had already knelt down and recited silent prayers.
"The golden bells are ringing, and the jade chimes are ringing harmoniously." Yun Qi knocked on the wall of the carriage with a jade bone fan, and said to Lu Anran, "This is to summon the gods of the ten directions to come to the Dharma assembly."
The two of them went out together now to enter the palace. This palace was not that palace, but the Taoist Sanyuan Palace.
The reasons were not quite the same, and the people they met were also different. It just happened that Yun got up to have a meal at Ji Qingfang and summoned someone at the same time.
There was something that Lu Anran didn't quite understand, "Is the chef of the Criminal Division on vacation?"
The jade bone fan twirled in Yun Qi's hand, and his peach-blossom eyes glanced sideways, "I'm just eating you for two meals, you're stingy."
Lu Anran held his forehead, "Guanyue said that you are meticulous about eating, and even the water for cooking must be clear springs from mountain streams."
"I can differ from person to person...ah~" He paused deliberately, and then prolonged his voice, which contained an indescribable ambiguity.
Lu Anran's eyes drifted and looked outside the carriage.
Yun Qi propped up his chin and said nonchalantly: "It's best to have things like food, clothing, housing and transportation. If you don't have them, you won't die. I was born rich, so why should I blame myself so harshly? Don't you think so?"
Lu Anran was noncommittal, but felt that the tone was very unsatisfactory.
"But after eating your meal, I would like to remind you that your cousin has been very close to Princess Ding'an recently."
Lu Anran hadn't heard anything from Lu Jianyu for some days, and he probably knew that she was like a fish in water among the rich families in the capital city, and was doing well.
Yun Qi chuckled and said, "You two sisters from the Lu family are really interesting. She is swaying her head so hard that you won the favor of the eldest princess."
Lu Anran raised her eyebrows and thought deeply. She went to Sanyuan Palace today and received the message from the eldest princess. Since the spring banquet at Yaxianju, she had never interacted with the eldest princess on any occasion, so she was confused about this invitation.
"It's not right to be a matchmaker for you. The third prince is a few years younger than you. It's not right."
Lu Anran looked at him speechlessly. What he said was so outrageous that she didn't even bother to pay attention to it.
But Yun Qi stopped smiling and said seriously: "What are you doing with such a look? A few days ago, I heard that the queen planned to introduce her niece to Nangong Zhi."
"Mr. Gu's daughter?" Lu Anran shook his head again, "Didn't he ask the emperor to withdraw from the mission? Who is in charge of the imperial guard now?"
Yun Qi raised an eyebrow with unknown meaning and said: "Zhou Ji, the former deputy general of Marquis Wu'an."
Lu Anran understood that his confidant was here.
Yun Qi chuckled and said, "This incident happened before the queen even asked for the marriage. It will be difficult to mention it later. I'm afraid that the emperor will get angry again when he hears about the Gu family, and the gain will outweigh the loss." A woman who can stay in the harem for a long time They are all smart people, not to mention the queen who has been in the harem for many years.
After saying that, Yun Qi was still gloating: "It's a pity that Nangong Zhi's good deeds failed and he lost his beautiful wife."
Lu Anran said smoothly: "If the prince feels it is a pity, why not ask her to be your marriage partner."
"I can't do that," Yun Qi blinked, "I've made up my mind."
Lu Anran turned her head to look at him, but she saw a hint of amusement in his eyes. His face suddenly turned red and he looked away unnaturally. On the surface, he looked calm, but in his heart, it was like a strong wind passing by, causing waves to surge into the sky.
The carriage stopped and the two separated. One went to the back hall of Sanyuan Palace to see the eldest princess, and the other walked towards the front hall.
—
Usually at this time, the emperor was still in Linhua Palace watching the memorials handed over by the ministers, but now he came to Sanyuan Palace in person, and there was a person with an immortal spirit beside him.
He has a whisk and a Taoist robe with a white background and blue edges. He is thin and tall, with a straight waist, standing like a pine tree. His eyes are tightly closed and he performs kneading with one hand. Just looking at his appearance and movements, he is an extraordinary person.
The emperor stood aside with his hands behind his hands, and he didn't show any emotion. He was just waiting for the man to suddenly open his eyes, and the emperor's eyelids twitched.
"Master Dongyue, can you tell a divination?"
Dongyue Zhenren looks like he is only in his early forties, but he is actually in his sixties, which makes people believe that he must have some immortal magic and spiritual energy in him.
He flicked the whisk in his hand and pointed in a certain direction, his eyes blazing brightly, "Three hundred miles south of the royal capital, Diqiu."
The emperor lowered his eyelids, rubbed the jade ring with his fingers, and repeated thoughtfully: "Emperor Qiu?"
"The upper hexagram is Dui, and Dui is Ze; the lower hexagram is Kan, and Kan is water. Water seeps into the bottom of the marsh, and the middle of the marsh dries up. This is the trapped hexagram." Dongyue Zhenren raised two fingers of his left hand and interlocked the remaining three fingers. He spoke in an otherworldly tone, "There is no water on the lake. If you are trapped and impoverished, nothing will come of it. You must practice virtue and remain silent."
The emperor had believed in Taoism for many years and had dabbled in it, so he said: "Under the water, nothing can grow, but the gentleman is poor and the villain is overflowing."
Master Dongyue nodded slightly: "Yes, the so-called dragon swims in shallow water and everything does not go as expected, because it is trapped in the dragon array. It is necessary to set up a dipping altar to invite the three pure, dust-extinguishing methods, to sincerely connect the three realms, to represent the heavens, and use the holy power to The power of Taoism, scriptures, and grace, together with the power of believers, can pray for blessings, eliminate disasters, and turn danger into peace."
The emperor's eyes moved slightly: "What the real person said is that the turning point is in Emperor Qiu?"
"Emperor Zhuanxu became an immortal at the age of ninety-eight, but his physical body was buried in Gaoyang Hills, which gave him the name of Emperor Qiu." Dongyue Zhenren led the emperor to look south, "It is this breath of immortal energy that traps the dragon. When the stars shift, When the dragon star flies to the high position in the middle of the sky in the south, it means that the flying dragon is in the sky and has no restraints."
There was a hint of deep thought in the emperor's eyes. He trusted Dongyue Zhenren very much. This kind of trust was different from that of the Marquis of Wu'an, but rather a reverence for Taoism and heavenly law.
Before the incident, he met Dongyue Zhenren, who was still sweeping dust in a small Taoist temple before his reputation was revealed. The other person told him: "It is like a dragon when it enters the water. Once it rises, the real dragon changes into the sky."
The emperor was astonished, and he sincerely invited him. He then calculated the time for the attack, and it turned out to be a success.
This time, what the emperor asked Master Dongyue to calculate was if he prepared to march to the north and completely capture the northern territory, what would be his chances of winning?
Master Dongyue spent more than half a year and set up a Taoist altar in Sanyuan Palace for ninety-nine and eighty-one days, and the result was calculated today.
"I understand." The emperor raised the wide sleeves of his dragon robe and said, "If the real person is affected, please go to Diqiu for me."
Dongyue Zhenren hangs a whisk in his right hand, bends the index finger of his left hand, puts one palm upright in front of his chest, looks down, bows his head forward and salutes, "Immeasurable Heavenly Lord."
—
The outside of Sanyuan Palace is bustling with activity, but the closer you get inside, the quieter it becomes. Every entrance is guarded by guards, and no one is allowed to approach.
Lu Anran also met Zhou Ji, the newly appointed commander of the Imperial Guard. He didn't look like a warrior in appearance, but he was very energetic. His face was slightly longer, and when he looked at people with his eyes, he would make the other person feel a sense of oppression.
The small garden at the back is separated from the living room and has a resting room for the female family members.
Lu Anran was led to the outside of the small garden pavilion. The maid stepped back with blessings inside, leaving her standing alone.
The surroundings were empty, but there were white gauze on all sides of the pavilion. It was not clear whether there was anyone inside, but there was an instinctive gaze on her.
After about a cup of tea, the white gauze directly opposite was lifted, and a palace maid came out, "The eldest princess invites Miss Lu to come in and talk."
The pavilion itself is simple and simple, but it is now covered with soft brocade silk cushions, several fresh fruit refreshments are placed on the table, and the smell of sweet milk penetrates into the nose. It suddenly changes and looks new.
After Lu Anran saluted, the eldest princess asked her to sit next to her, "I heard that you people in the north have a salty taste. How about you try the sweet milk I cooked today?"
Lu Anran was a little surprised. She didn't expect the eldest princess to have such a leisurely taste. She took a sip from the bowl and had to admit that the taste was excellent.
The eldest princess herself refused to eat, and her eyes fell on Lu Anran, "Do you usually eat with your face covered?"
"I am afraid that I will offend Her Highness the Princess." Lu Anran only took a sip and put it down.
The eldest princess lowered her gaze, "Isn't it delicious?"
Lu Anran lowered his eyes half-way. Whether the food is delicious or not is not important. The key is who you share the table with. "I may be accustomed to eating salty food, so I can't taste the desserts in the royal capital."
The eldest princess raised her hand and asked people to remove these things from the table. There were fewer people waiting in the pavilion, and it suddenly became empty.
"Can I see your face?" the eldest princess said directly.
Lu Anran hesitated for a moment, then reached behind his ears and took off the lanyard. The right half of his twisted face was exposed to the air, with ferocious meridians on it, like a grimace.
The eldest princess was startled, and then her eyes showed high pity and a slight sigh of relief.
"My lord, I'm sorry." Lu Anran put on the brocade mask again.
The eldest princess smiled: "No problem, it will be very hard for you to do this."
Lu Anran frowned, not quite understanding the meaning of this sentence.
"Although you don't want to have such a face, you must have been criticized since childhood and not understood by everyone."
"fine."
The eldest princess shook her head with a regretful expression, "What a pity."
Lu Anran himself was very calm, so he didn't quite understand why the eldest princess looked so sorry, "I'm used to it."
The eldest princess still sighed, "It's no wonder you took this path."
Lu Anran didn't understand the eldest princess's thoughts, just as she didn't understand that the eldest princess's current invitation was just to express her sorrow on her face.
Logically speaking, Lu Anran intervened in the Divine Fox Case in the Capital City, and the Gu family lost power because of this case. Gu Qinmu even lost his job. The eldest princess is a queen, so she should give a blank look when meeting her, or be like Princess Ding'an. Seeking revenge is normal, but something like this is not normal.
"You and Prince Yun are very close, has he seen your face?" The eldest princess suddenly changed the subject.
Lu Anran was shocked. Is this the real topic?
"My daughter and Prince Yun have never discussed this aspect." It was an allusion to unfamiliarity.
Sure enough, a trace of satisfaction flashed across the eldest princess's face, "Everyone says that Prince Yun's words and deeds are incompatible. From this point of view, he is still a gentleman."
Lu Anran was silent, she probably understood the princess's purpose.
The eldest princess raised her lips slightly and smiled dignifiedly without losing her royal manners. "You are working for a widow. Although you have the ability to find out the truth and redress the injustice of others, I think that if things continue like this, it is not the right path."
