"Elixir of jade?" Cao Rui laughed softly, "Jade is an ornament, how could it be something to be eaten?"
Cao Zhi shrugged, "The subject has not eaten nor believed that jade can attain immortality. Jade is nothing but ordinary objects, not rare elixirs of immortal beings."
Cao Rui glanced at Cao Zhi, "This analysis angle is unique, yet it is not without reason."
Jade is rare among the common people, but ordinary among officials and nobles. If one can become immortal by taking jade, then immortality is too cheap.
Cao Rui nodded and said, "Let's go. After seeing this cong lu pan, the gentlemen shall accompany the emperor for a tour in Chang'an. Tonight, join the emperor for a banquet at the palace."
Everyone agreed.
Chang'an City is a place that many of the present officials have visited many times. Cao Rui saw these Han palaces as fresh, but others may not.
The real value of accompanying the emperor on a tour lies in 'accompanying the emperor', rather than 'the tour itself'.
In the evening, a banquet was set up in the palace of Chang'an, and the important ministers accompanying him also attended the banquet.
Chang'an is a large city, unparalleled to places like Chenchang and Danjiang.
Cao Rui moved into the palace, and the officials also moved into big houses within the city. Their diet, clothing, and other necessities directly improved by a level.
These generals who have been with the army for half a year have lived in the tents outside for half a year. Now that they have stayed in Chang'an City, it takes them some time to adapt.
In terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, the housing is one aspect, but food has seen a significant improvement.
Including the banquets, the standards are also extremely high due to the presence of the emperor. There are a total of 28 courses tonight.
As the victory had just returned, a little bit of indulgence was fine. No one was complaining or saying anything about extravagance or waste, and there was no watchman saying anything about frugality.
The banquet began gradually. Apart from the absence of music and dance, everything else was perfect.
After drinking for more than half an hour, Cao Rui became slightly tipsy. Inexplicably, the conversation turned to the cong lu pan that he had seen in the day.
Cao Rui said, "Emperor Wu of Han believed the words of alchemists, expending a great deal to build this cong lu pan, which is indeed baseless."
"Is there any truth to the notion that one could easily become an immortal while sitting in the palace of Chang'an?"
Xin Bi sat at his own table and said, "Your Majesty, this year I have heard of a very strange thing. If Your Majesty is willing to listen, I will tell it to Your Majesty."
Cao Rui nodded, "Xin Qi knows a lot, please tell us so that we can listen together."
Upon hearing the emperor's words, the people at the banquet turned their attention towards him. Since Emperor Cao Rui had gone to war with Chen Jiao and Yang Fu, the position of Censor in the entire Great Wei was under Xin Bi's control.
If talking about strange stories and anecdotes, the firsthand secrets that Xin Bi could share would certainly be the most interesting.
Whether it's officials or common people, the nature of liking gossip is always consistent.
Xin Bi cleared his throat and slowly said, "Your Majesty, do you remember the governor of Bohai, Sun Yong?"
Cao Rui said, "I know this Sun Yong. He is from the Beihai region, and served as the governor of Bohai in the second year of Huang Chu. His political achievements were quite commendable."
Xin Bi continued, "The subject has known Sun Yong for a long time, but I did not know that he once followed a Taoist named Wang He Ping."
"In April, I heard that this Wang He Ping died of illness in Naping at the beginning of the year, and his body was exhumed after his death to become an immortal. He also left behind more than a hundred volumes of Taoist texts for Sun Yong."
"Very strange."
Cao Rui frowned: "Can you explain what 'mummification' means?"
Cao Zhi spoke up from beside him, "Your Majesty, I know about the concept of mummification."
"Tell us," Cao Rui said.
Cao Zhi looked at the emperor and said, "The term 'mummification' refers to the concept of dying and then being resurrected, leaving behind one's physical body like shedding a chrysalis in order to ascend to a realm of immortality."
"It's about Emperor Wu of Han today," Cao Zhi explained. "There was a Taoist named Li Shaojun during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, who became an immortal after undergoing mummification."
"It's about Emperor Wu of Han again," Cao Rui shook his head. "People are not perfect, nor is nature. As a ruler of the human world, there is no reason for him to become an immortal and continue to live forever."
Cao Zhi continued, "The emperor speaks the truth. Once upon a time, Emperor Wu of Han had a dream at night. In his dream, he was touring Mount Song with Li Shaojun. On the mountain path, there were immortal children holding jade scepters riding dragons from above the heavens. They announced that they were Too Yin true spirit inviting Li Shaojun to the realm of immortals."
"Not long after, Li Shaojun passed away. When he was being prepared for burial, his body suddenly disappeared, but his clothes remained in place, intact as if shed like a chrysalis."
Cao Rui took a sip of wine, using the effect of the alcohol to snort, "In my view, maybe Li Shaojun could not obtain immortal pills for Emperor Wu of Han, so he set up such a trick to escape."
"However, to speak of it again, I also had a dream, and I wonder if it has any omens."
Cao Zhi asked, "What did Your Majesty dream about?"
Cao Rui said, "I dreamed that in the two places of Lueyang and Chijing, the sky was dyed red and the ground was filled with sulfur. The soldiers were fighting fiercely without stopping, and before they died, they looked at me with eyes full of resentment..."
Scene after scene was recounted in detail.
The emperor's tone was very calm, but the officials present all had serious expressions on their faces.
Qian Zhu picked up his wine cup and toasted the emperor, "In the early days of my military career, every battle I encountered resulted in soldier casualties, causing me great grief. I have had countless nightmares."
"Your Majesty having such dreams indicates that you are an exemplary benevolent ruler, a sage king like Yao and Shun. I honor Your Majesty with this cup of wine!"
After saying that, Qian Zhu drank the entire cup of wine in one gulp.
Cao Rui knew the good intentions of Qian Zhu, so he slightly raised his wine cup with his right hand, nodded to him, and then drank another cup.
As Xin Bi, Cao Zhi, and the emperor themselves shared some stories, the atmosphere in the hall became increasingly lively, and even Sima Yi, who was usually quiet at banquets, began to tell stories.
Sima Yi interjected, "I have heard about a strange dream, but not about me. It's about Jiang Ji, the governor of Yangzhou, also known as Jiang Zitong."
"Jiang Ji?" Cao Rui laughed, "With his sharp wit, could he also encounter such strange events?"
Sima Yi smiled, "If it were an ordinary dream, I would just dismiss it as jest. But this dream, I believe, was something he truly experienced."
Cao Hong clapped the table and jeered, "Zhongda, tell us! I want to hear what Jiang Zitong dreamed."
Sima Yi ignored Cao Hong and stroked his chin, speaking slowly, "Last year, when Jiang Zitong returned to Luoyang with the army before assuming his post as governor of Yangzhou, his wife had a strange dream while he was serving as the Commander-in-Chief of Troops."
"Your Majesty may not know, but Jiang Zitong now has only one son. In fact, he had another son who died of a plague in the 22nd year of Jian'an."
Cao Rui nodded noncommittally. In this era, losing a son was not an unusual thing, especially not during the 22nd year of Jian'an when there were so many mourning families.
At that time, five of the "Jian'an Seven" had already passed away!
Sima Yi continued, "Jiang Zitong dreamed that his son was serving as a laborer in the underworld, exhausted and in great distress. Thus, he sent him a dream."
"In the dream, his son said that there was a person named Sun A to the west of the Grand Temple who was about to die and take up office as the magistrate of Taishan County in the underworld. He hoped that Jiang Zitong would find this Sun A and ask him to help his son switch to a better position."
"The next day, Jiang Zitong went to the west of the Grand Temple and found Sun A. Although he was not afraid of death, he agreed to Jiang Zitong's request. Just half a day later, Sun A died of palpitations."
"Half a month later, Jiang Zitong's deceased son came in a dream, saying that he was now in charge of documents in the underworld and no longer suffered as a laborer."
Cao Rui sucked his lips, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Listening to such stories is interesting, but when the characters turned from gossip to people he was familiar with, like Jiang Ji and Emperor Wu of Han, Cao Rui felt a bit strange.
Moreover, the detailed description by Sima Yi does not sound like it was fabricated. After all, who would use their friend's name to fabricate such a story for idle talk at a banquet?
Cao Rui sighed softly, "Daydreams and nightmares, it's really pitiful for Jiang Ji to encounter such things."
Xin Bi, on the side, interjected: "Subject has previously heard from the Security Official of Chang'an that there is a woman in the city of Chang'an who emerged from an ancient tomb discovered during the period of Li and Guo's uprising."
"The Security Official questioned her, and she actually spoke of many events from the palace of the Western Han during that time."
Cao Rui smiled, "Xin Qi, do you think this matter is true? Is this woman a woman from the Han Dynasty?"
Xin Bi laughed out loud: "How can modern people know about the affairs of the palace in the Han Dynasty? No one can verify it on both sides. If I were to look at it, this woman might be a grave robber who was discovered by chance and had to fabricate lies."
"There is another case similar to this woman's."
Cao Rui raised his eyebrows and looked at Xin Bi: "What else?"
Xin Bi nodded: "At the beginning of the year, someone in Taiyuan mistakenly dug up a tomb, from which a woman emerged. The tree on the tomb was at least thirty years old."
"The Security Official said, 'We don't know how this woman survived in the tomb for thirty years.'"
Cao Rui asked again: "What do you think, Xin Qi?"
Xin Bi replied, "According to my view, how can there be so many people in the tombs? Either they are tomb robbers, or there are some locals who hide people and claim to have emerged from the tomb when discovered."
"It's just an excuse to use these supernatural events to prevent people from delving deeper."
"Xin Qi, you said it!" Cao Rui laughed and clapped his hands. "From now on, if there are any more 'ancients' suddenly appearing in the great Wei, let them be treated as fugitives."
Xin Bi bowed and said: "I will remember that."
Cao Rui raised his wine cup, laughing and saying, "Today, at this feast with all of you, I've heard many interesting things. In the future, if any of you have such strange and amusing stories to share, do not hesitate to tell me."
"To the white!"
"To the white!" The officials raised their cups together, some shouting "Long live Your Majesty," others saying "Long live."
By the latter half of the banquet, the situation had started to become somewhat chaotic.
After everyone finished drinking, Xiahou Xian, who had been silent most of the time, took advantage of the wine to share something.
"Subject has," Xiahou Xian said with a bow, "previously been entrusted with the mission to the White Water Pass. On my way there, I was accompanied by Assistant General Cheng Xi, also known as Cheng Shenbo. We had many conversations together."
"Your Majesty may not know, but Cheng Shenbo is extremely skilled in face reading, especially in reading prints." (Chapter ends)
