Chapter 9: The Evil White Jade Capital
Li Jing, who had always been as stable as a mountain, actually fell to the ground and wept bitterly. Li Er was confused, as were the courtiers. Seeing that Li Jing’s grief was not a temporary act, tears came down, his voice became hoarse, and he kept begging the emperor to let him take a long vacation. He wanted to go find his brother to soothe the pain of many years of longing.
The affection between them seems to have long surpassed friendship and turned into a huge mountain of back-to-back mountains. Could it be that he and the bearded guest are a pair, and Hong Fu Nü is a strange third party?
“Yun Ye, you tell Minister Li where the bearded stranger went. Don’t hide it.” Li Er was probably annoyed enough to yell at Yun Ye.
“Your Majesty, the bearded man went to the White Jade Capital and probably won’t be back.”
In the Tang Dynasty, the imperial power was already deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and the world was full of unknowable places. There was the Queen Mother in Kunlun Mountain, the Dragon King in the East Sea, the gods and Buddhas in the sky, and the King of Hell in the underworld. There were gods and immortals everywhere, and even if you were squatting in a latrine, there might be a wretched immortal peeking at you. So what’s wrong with adding a White Jade Capital to Lao Tzu? Besides, the name I came up with makes people want to go and see it. Yun Ye’s heart was filled with a wicked sense of humor.
“Nonsense! White Jade Capital is another name for the moon. Who can climb to the moon?” Li Jing is indeed a talented person in both literature and military affairs. His first reaction was that Yun Ye was talking nonsense.
“General Li has a great sense of authority. He just kicked the marquis in the back and now he’s accusing him of talking nonsense. Who says there’s no one on the moon? There’s Chang’e, there’s the Jade Rabbit. Maybe that bearded guy admires Chang’e’s beauty and has a way to get to the moon to see her.
Cheng Yaojin’s short temper exploded, and he had long regarded Yun Ye as his own nephew. It didn’t matter if he kicked Yun Ye over and over again, but he was unhappy when others kicked him.
General Li’s military achievements were too great, and he had long been annoying to the courtiers. It was rare to have the opportunity to ridicule Li Jing, so when would it be? Therefore, the whole hall laughed.
His Majesty Li Er’s face turned green, and he coughed twice. The hall immediately fell silent. He looked at Yun Ye viciously and asked, “What happened in Baiyu Jing? Tell me the truth. If you’re talking nonsense, I’ll send you to Baiyu Jing.” A very vicious threat.
“How dare I speak nonsense in this hall? I also asked my master where White Jade Capital was. The answer I got was a beating. It was the first time my master had ever beaten me, and I didn’t even feel it on my butt, so I remember his words very clearly.
The master said: Everyone wants to live forever. From emperors to ordinary people, everyone dreams of extending their lives, but they don’t know that living forever is a big joke. Buddhism requires tranquility, Taoism requires inaction, and Confucianism explores the middle way. In the end, they all want to turn people into stone.
“Turtles live long because they are slow, trees live long because they don’t move, and only stones last forever. To extinguish human desires, to sever human relationships, to cut off the five senses, to block hearing and sight, is this still human? Not knowing the difference between cold and heat, not knowing the difference between good and bad, not knowing right and wrong, not having a sense of home and country, not having a sense of family, not having joy, not having sorrow, is this any different from rotten wood? The reason why humans are different from animals is that we have thinking, we understand etiquette, we know about family, we can work, we can create, we can transform the world, and we can also create the world, allowing all things in the world to be used for my own purposes. This is the true nature of a human being.
“To go beyond one’s abilities and try to pursue the illusory immortality is to be ignorant of the heavens’ arrangement. If you want to live forever, you will have to turn into a stone. It is ridiculous that the world’s ignorant people are like moths crying and rushing to turn into stones. I am half a step into the White Jade Capital, but I have to pull back, because I don’t want to become a stone in the world. I want to be happy, sad, sorrowful, and in pain, but I don’t want to become a stone.”
“The master also asked me: Do you want to be a human for a hundred years, or a stone for ten thousand years? I replied that I would rather be a human for a million years than a stone for ten thousand years. The master was very happy and touched my head and recited a poem: “In the sky is the white jade capital, with nine palaces and twelve cities. The immortal touches my head, and I become immortal. After hearing this poem, I had nightmares for several days, always thinking that a stone-like immortal wanted me to become a stone like him. The master held me in his arms for two days before I could escape from the nightmare. This is what I know about the White Jade Capital.
Yun Ye sincerely hoped that Li Er would listen and stop dreaming about immortality. How many wise emperors have fallen into the pit of immortality, leaving only a laughing stock for all eternity.
Li Jing stopped talking, his face showing no sign of joy or worry. He bowed to Yun Ye and said, “I wonder if your master has ever mentioned my brother, the bearded guest. I was rude just now. I hope you will tell me the truth.”
“Uncle Li, I’ll tell you the truth, so don’t be angry,” he said, bowing to the courtiers in the hall. “I’ll repeat what my master said. Please don’t blame me, and please forgive me, or I’ll be beaten to a pulp.”
Li Er said with a gloomy face: “You just tell the truth, and I will make a decision.”
“It’s a promise, no blame.” Yun Ye quickly hammered his heels.
The hall burst into laughter. The officials were curious about what his master had said. Did he mean to put everyone in the hall in there?
“My master said: the more capable fools like the bearded guest who have the ability to get in, the better. Now that the world is beginning to be ruled by virtue again, I wish I could turn all the scourges of the world into stone so that the world could be more peaceful for many years. The bearded guest probably still can’t get in. He has obsessions and mixed thoughts that he can’t let go of. Even if he gets to the White Jade Capital, he won’t be able to escape without getting a layer of skin peeled off.”
As soon as Yun Ye finished speaking, he ran behind the pillar and hid, determined not to come out.
Li Jing was furious, thinking about the unknown fate of the bearded guest and the fact that Yun Ye’s master was gloating. He wanted to catch Yun Ye and vent his anger, but seeing that he was hiding behind the pillar and could not be easily captured, he could only say “hey” and stop talking.
Fang Xianling smiled and said, “Your Majesty, I don’t think this is a bad idea. Those who stir up the world are all extraordinary people. If we put all these talents in the White Jade Capital, I would be happy to follow them. Hehehe…”
For a time, the whole court was scrambling to go to the White Jade Capital. Of course, there were plenty of self-promoters, such as the old fool Yuchi. You’re already a piece of stone, so what are you fighting for?
Li Er’s court became a market, noisy and chaotic, which made Li Er frown and cough for a long time to stop the nonsense of the courtiers. Seeing Yun Ye hiding behind a pillar and sticking his head out to look, he was angry and ordered the eunuch to catch him.
“Hmph! Turning the imperial court into a market is a disgrace. Since Minister Li has finished asking questions, the bearded guest has brought his own misfortune upon himself, so don’t be sad. Although he obtained the divine potato seed, it was Yun Ye who presented it to me. I have said that I will reward his extraordinary achievement with a marquis title and reward his hard work with a fortune. I will not go back on my word. Come, present the crown and belt.” Two eunuchs brought a purple-gold crown and a scarlet robe.
Lao Cheng smiled and said to Li Erli, “My son and Yun Ye are very close, so how about I help him put on his crown?”
Li Er smiled and agreed.
The music played on both sides of the imperial throne, and the Minister of Rites, Wang Gui, read the edict in an accent that was very pleasant to the ear. The four palace maids slowly walked up and removed Yun Ye’s outer robe, took off his gold crown, combed his hair with a comb, and braided it into a bun , and then dressed him in a scarlet robe and a jade belt, bowed and then left. Old Cheng came over unsteadily, took the purple jade crown and put it on Yun Ye’s head, fixed it with a jade hairpin, and tied the crown belt under his forehead. He lectured loudly, telling him to be loyal to the country and repay the emperor’s favor. The music stopped, and the lecture ended. Fang Xuanling personally tied the purple and gold fish bag for him, and led him to bow three times and nine times to thank the emperor for his favor. Li Er gave a few encouraging words, and the ceremony was over. The eunuch announced that the court was adjourned, and Li Er took the lead in leaving on his imperial litter.
The courtiers surrounded him and congratulated him, leaving Yun Ye at a loss for what to do.
Niu Jinda said with a smile, “You have become a real marquis. When will the banquet in your mansion begin?”
Lao Cheng said, “This kid has a good mouth. The food he makes still makes me drool. It can’t be done without some excitement. I’ll let your aunt organize it. Your family can’t do it.”