As it turned out, after the Liao Emperor Taizong returned to the palace, time flew by in a blink of an eye, and seven or eight days passed in a flash.
Perhaps it was because they did not receive any messages from LIU XIA CAN.
The Lord of Liao ordered the fortune teller to read the "Si," select a propitious time, purify and sanctify himself for three days, bathe and anoint himself again, and then visit Chen Xian at the Laojun Temple.
The Marquis of Lu and a group of ministers were displeased upon hearing this, and they all went to advise the Emperor Taizong.
In the palace, the Marquis of Lu said, "Your Majesty has visited twice and paid excessive respect. That Chentao who only knows to play games and practice deception is afraid that he will be exposed for his trickery, so he avoids seeing the emperor and dares not face him. How can your Majesty be so easily deceived by this man?"
The Liao Emperor Taizong replied, "Not so. In the past, Duke Huan of Qi wanted to see Dongguo the Countryman and had to visit five times before he could meet him once. Emperor Zhao Liang of Han paid a visit to Zhuge Kongming and even went to his thatched cottage three times. Compared to that, how can seeing Chen Xian, such a divine being, be any less significant?"
Ti Yinyi Yefala, with a explosive temper, said, "Your Majesty's words are wrong. How can such a left-handed person be considered a divine being? As long as it is allowed, I will bring one or two Shaman priests and definitely catch him!"
The Emperor Taizong of Liao was so angry that he scolded, "The Emperor Zhao Liang of Han still visited Zhuge Kongming three times, and Zhou Wening would gladly carry Guo Taigong for eight hundred steps. Although I am the sovereign of a nation, why can't I learn from my predecessors? You are indeed impolite!"
Yelü Wa, scolded without a word, could only secretly seethe with frustration.
The Marquis of Lu and other ministers saw that the Emperor had already made up his mind and dared not persuade him. They could only accompany the Emperor Taizong again to the Laojun Temple.
To demonstrate sincerity, this time Emperor Taizong of Liao even had the procession stop a half mile away, get off the jade chariot, and walk to the temple with his officials.
Arriving at the gate of the Laojun Temple.
As the group watched, LIU XIA CAN hurriedly emerged from the temple.
The Emperor Taizong approached and asked, "Is Chen Xian in the temple today?"
LIU XIA CAN hurriedly bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Master returned this morning. I was about to go to the Imperial City to report, but I hadn't expected Your Majesty to have arrived already."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao was overjoyed, "Today, we are fortunate enough to be able to see Chen Xian."
The Marquis of Lu, Yelü Wa and other officials coldly laughed inside their hearts and were still dissatisfied with Chen Yun's attitude of not seeing them twice before.
Under the guidance of LIU XIA CAN, Emperor Taizong of Liao, the Marquis of Lu, Yelü Wa, and other officials entered the temple.
As soon as they stepped into the inner courtyard, LIU XIA CAN pointed to Chen Yun sitting at the window of the study and said, "Master is reading the Dao De Jing. Your Majesty may go see him."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao replied, "Good."
Saying this, he looked towards the many officials behind him, "You all wait outside. I will go in to pay respects to Chen Xian."
The Marquis of Lu and Yelü Wa, and others, answered in unison.
Emperor Taizong of Liao entered slowly, approached the door of the study, but did not immediately knock and enter, but stood at the door with respect as if waiting for Chen Yun to finish reading his book before knocking and entering to pay his respects.
Chen Yun was clearly sitting at the window, and even if he was reading with full concentration, he could still see someone entering with the corner of his eye. However, as if he didn't see Emperor Taizong of Liao, he continued to act as though he hadn't noticed and went on reading the Taoist classics.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao wasn't in a hurry, but looked calmly at the window, waiting for Chen Yun to finish reading his book.
The Marquis of Lu and Yelü Wa, and others outside the yard, frowned involuntarily when they saw this. They all thought Chen Yun was too impolite.
However, they dared not make a loud noise either, for the Emperor Taizong had just given an order.
The group stood there waiting.
This wait lasted for an hour.
Yelü Wa finally couldn't contain his frustration any longer, spitting curses with anger, "This Taoist is so disrespectful! The emperor has been waiting outside for an hour without a word from him. It's maddening! I'll go in right now and seize his Taoist books; see if he can do anything to me!"
The Marquis of Lu quickly pulled him back, "Yelü Yinyi, please don't act rashly like that. The emperor can wait; what if you do such a thing, it would make him wait even longer for nothing?"
Yelü Wa just said it. He understood that he couldn't afford to offend Chen Yun, even if he thought of him as a wandering Taoist.
Another hour passed in waiting.
Seated at the window, Chen Yun slowly put down the Taoist scriptures, reciting poetry: "Sitting alone and observing the Taoist classics, I am helpless to explain myself to the world; Only the Khitan dynasty today is the true dragon, and only they know that a celestial being lives in this room."
After reciting his poem, Chen Yun slowly stood up and said, "Your Majesty has been waiting outside for quite a while; I deeply apologize for that. Please come in and talk inside."
Meanwhile, the door of the study opened.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao saw that Chen Yun was six feet tall, with a face like jade crown, wearing a yellow robe and a blue clothing, appearing ethereal and magnificent with an air of immortality.
He had none of the grandeur of a ruler; his hands hung at his sides as he walked into the room.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao bowed and kowtowed, saying, "The Khitan Yelu Deguang has long heard of the great name of Chen Xian, which is as well-known as thunder. I had the honor of paying my respects to you twice before, but was unable to meet you. Today, I am fortunate enough to see your divine appearance, and it is a great blessing in my lifetime."
Chen Yun smiled and said, "I am but a idle man of the mountains. I have been honored by Your Majesty's frequent visits, which is deeply embarrassing."
After getting to know each other, Chen Yun invited Emperor Taizong to sit down, took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom, and ordered LIU XIA CAN to soak the fruits in the bottle to make tea.
In no time, LIU XIA CAN brought the tea.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao looked at the tea in the cup and noticed that it was filled with a fragrant mist. He couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, what kind of tea is this, Chen Xian?"
Chen Yun replied calmly, "This is known as the Two Hearts Tea."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao asked for an explanation, "What is Two Hearts Tea?"
Chen Yun said, "If Your Majesty's heart is connected to the welfare of the common people, and he can treat everyone equally, it is a immortal tea that can prolong life. However, if Your Majesty only cares about the benefits of his own country and does not consider the Han people equally, it is a poisonous tea. The toxicity will definitely be released in the future and take Your Majesty's life. Would you dare to drink it?"
The Emperor Taizong of Liao laughed heartily, "Though I am the emperor of the Khitan, my ambition is for all under heaven. Whether it be Han people or Khitan people, I will definitely treat everyone equally. This tea, I am naturally daring to drink."
He was very humble in front of Chen Yun, even using the term "I" instead of "Your Majesty," and instead referred to himself as "I."
After speaking, the Emperor Taizong of Liao lifted the cup and was about to drink it all at once.
Chen Yun reached out and intercepted him, looking deeply into his eyes and said, "Your Majesty, I have not spoken falsely. Please think carefully whether you want to drink this Two-Heart Tea."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao spoke with determination, "I have thought very clearly, and I will drink it."
Chen Yun then did not try to stop him.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao drank the tea and the fruit in one gulp.
After the tea, Chen Yun said, "From the letter Your Majesty left before, it is clear that Your Majesty cares deeply for the people. However, I am but a man of the mountains and fear that I do not have the talent to govern a country. I fear I will disappoint Your Majesty."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao said, "Chen Xian, you are a great master of Taoism. Whether you have the talent to govern a country or not, I would still like to hear your wise advice."
Chen Yun humbly said, "I am just a Taoist and dare not speak of the world."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao appealed to Chen Yun with reason and emotion, saying, "Chen Xian is a great master in the Taoist alchemy. My Khitan now rules the north, and there is no reason why we cannot rule the entire world in the future. Do you really not wish to propagate your teachings in the territory of the Khitan? If you are willing to point out a clear path, I will ensure peace throughout the world in the future and certainly establish Taoism as the national religion."
Chen Yun nodded slightly and said, "Since Your Majesty says so, it would be disrespectful for me to refuse any longer. Alright, I will give you my shallow opinions."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao was overjoyed and said, "Please advise me on how to proceed."
Chen Yun spoke slowly, "Since the fall of the Tang dynasty, the world has been in turmoil, and the common people have been displaced. Out of compassion, I have come to offer a plan for establishing your rule. At present, many states are established in the Central Plains, and it is not advisable to take them lightly. Your Majesty should first subdue the surrounding regions such as Jili, stabilize the Hedong area with the Tangut, conquer the Western Mountains' towns, seize the Héxún capital city, pacify Bohai to the east, break through Dalugu tribe, control ten thousand miles from east to west, and then seize Youzhou in the north and resist against many small states in Central Plains. Only then will there be an opportunity to challenge for mastery of the world."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao originally had such thoughts in his heart. Now that he heard Chen Yun's words, which were consistent with his thoughts, he couldn't help but secretly praise Chen Yun, who may have been a man of the world without involvement, but indeed had great wisdom for conquering the world.
Of course, Emperor Taizong of Liao's visit to Chen Yun was not just for the purpose of seeking advice on how to seize the realm, as he already had a plan in place.
The reason for this question was that Emperor Taizong of Liao was preparing to lead an expedition in person against the Tangut.
On the other side, there are many strong Taoist masters who are blocking unification.
He wanted Chen Yun to subdue those shamans.
"Your words, Chen Xian, have cleared my confusion, as if I have seen the blue sky after removing the clouds." Emperor Taizong first complimented Chen Yun, and then stated his purpose, "But now, my royal prince is facing the powerful shamans in the campaign against the Tangut and is unable to make progress. May I ask, Chen Xian, what excellent plan do you have to defeat them?"
Chen Yun smiled and said, "I observe the celestial phenomena at night, and I see that the Tangut's fortune is on a decline. They will soon submit, but there is indeed still a small resistance. After I fought in Jiangling, I haven't moved my hands and feet for a long time, so I feel a bit rusty. This time, I will accompany Your Majesty to campaign against the Tangut and definitely clean up this small obstacle."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao was overjoyed and stood up, bowing deeply to express his gratitude.
He bowed and requested Chen Yun, "Although I strive to govern the country with diligence, there are still many enemy tribes surrounding the Khitan who are covetous of our territory. I hope, Chen Xian, considering that you care for the welfare of the world, you will come out of retirement to help me. I, Deguang, will respectfully listen to your wise counsel."
Chen Yun stood up, with his hands behind his back, and said, "Your Majesty has requested me three times. If I do not agree, it would be disrespectful. Since Your Majesty does not discard me, I will willingly do my best for it."
The Emperor Taizong of Liao was overjoyed and ordered Lu Marquis and Yelu Yinyi, among others, to present him with generous gifts.
Chen Yun did not refuse the gold, silver, jewels, and precious stones, and allowed Liu Xiachan to accept them.
Later, he and Liu Xiachan accompanied the Emperor Taizong back to the Imperial City together.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao, eager for talent, had a long talk with Chen Yun while burning candles all night.
...
The next day, they attended the morning assembly.
The Emperor Taizong invited Chen Yun to sit in the court.
He looked down at the officials of both civil and military, and said, "Today, I wish to confer the title of 'Great Minister of National Protection' upon Chen Xian. Do any of you have an opinion on this?"
The officials of both civil and military were all looking at each other in amazement.
To be honest, they were definitely not too happy about it in their hearts.
After all, Chen Yun had just been called out of retirement and had not yet established any meritorious service. How could he be titled as the Great Minister of National Protection?
It was just that the Emperor Taizong's words were worth a thousand gold. Although the officials dared not refute him, they all kept their heads down and did not respond to this question.
The atmosphere in the court was somewhat stagnant.
Chen Yun paid no attention to it. He knew that he had not yet truly shown his abilities, and that was why the Khitan's many civil and military officials were reluctant to express their opinions.
The Emperor Taizong of Liao looked at the officials in this way and was somewhat displeased.
He had to temporarily set aside this matter and turn to discuss another issue. "The prince has been attacking the Tangut for a long time without success, and I originally intended to lead the expedition myself. However, Chen Xian has offered to take my place, breaking through many shamanistic priests of the Tangut. Gentlemen, do you have any differing opinions?"
What?
Chen Xian is going to campaign against the Tangut to subdue those shamanistic priests.
All the civil and military officials were surprised to hear that Chen Yun, who had just emerged from retirement to assist, was willing to take on such a tough task.
They couldn't help but glance at each other with a spark in their eyes, thinking, This is a good opportunity to see just how powerful Chen Xian really is!
(This chapter is complete.)
