"Chen Wujiu, look, what's wrong with my foot? It hurts like a bone."
Sitting in the car, Qin Shihuang allowed the imperial physician Chen Wujiu to hold his feet. Chen Wujiu moved very carefully and tremblingly, as if he was holding the most precious jade. He squeezed and rubbed it gently with his hands, and then said to Qin Shihuang.
smiled and said:
"Your Majesty, it's just a minor problem, nothing serious. I'm afraid I was too tired from the journey and was invaded by the cold. I will prepare a medicinal soup for Your Majesty to soak in at night. When I get to the county and city walls, I will rest in the palace for a few days.
, just take your time and get better.”
Qin Shihuang was not very happy: "When I was in Xianyang, your teacher Xia Wuji said that the reason why my legs and feet are uncomfortable is because I always sit still and work hard and move around a lot. It's like an iron sword that is rusty and needs to be polished.
It will be fine in a few days, but now it has traveled from Xianyang to Jiaodong, but the pain is getting worse and worse."
Seeing that the emperor was angry, Chen Wujiu hurriedly leaned down, feeling panicked, as if there was endless thunder in his ears, and the fifty-six thousand pores in his body suddenly tightened, fearing that he would fall into the abyss accidentally.
He felt aggrieved in his heart. What Xia Wuqi meant was that the emperor was indeed overworked and needed to recuperate, but the emperor did not just go out for sightseeing. He did not miss any of the memorials that should be reviewed every day. This made it worse.
Work, if this can take care of your body, that would be strange...
"That's it, let's get down."
Qin Shihuang waved his sleeves and drove Chen Wujiu out of the carriage. When no one was around, he let out a sigh.
He is forty-four years old this year. The wealthy and honorable life has not made the emperor healthy. His legs and feet are tingling as soon as winter comes, and the hearing loss in his left ear is getting worse. Medicine and stone treatment can only be temporary, but cannot cure him completely.
The emperor could feel that his body was aging day by day. When he passed by the Lishan Mausoleum on his eastward tour, he saw that his mausoleum had been completed for half an hour, and an unprecedented fear struck his heart!
Death, just like the construction period of Lishan Mausoleum, seemed to be getting closer and closer to him.
Qin Shihuang was not afraid of anything except death.
If a few years ago, searching for immortals and medicine was just a casual thing, starting from this patrol, Qin Shihuang began to regard them as extremely important!
Now that the Yuezhi had been wiped out and the road to the Western Regions had been opened, Qin Shihuang asked the Wushi Luo to send a caravan to Loulan and begin to explore and visit the countries in the Western Regions bit by bit, while also looking for the whereabouts of the "Western Queen Mother State" and the "Ruins of Kunlun".
This was the case in the West, and Qin Shihuang in the East did not want to fall behind. After all, the theories of immortality told by the magicians were not as good as those of the Queen Mother of the West, but they were still very tempting.
Although the emperor still had doubts in his heart, what if it was true?
The slander of Confucian scholars after Mount Tai was enshrined in Zen made Qin Shihuang realize that if he wanted to truly unify the world, it would be difficult for him to take ten or twenty years, but would he still have that much time?
The desire for immortality becomes more and more urgent as we age and become increasingly unwell...
It was so urgent that anyone who dared to deny immortality, immortality, gods and ghosts in front of him would be despised and ignored by the emperor.
On the contrary, Qin Shihuang no longer scorned mysterious alchemists like An Qisheng. This old man had some ability and ability. He told Qin Shihuang about the possibility of immortality through Fangxian Dao, and also strongly recommended the emperor to go to Chengshanjiao in the east of Jiaodong.
Come take a look, you won't regret it.
"It's indeed a worthwhile trip..."
For Qin Shihuang, this was an unforgettable journey. It was early winter and the weather was already very cold. Fortunately, his chariot was specially made to protect against the cold. But when he lifted the curtain and looked outside, he could see that they were passing through the peninsula. A long and narrow lake with clean and clear water, pure and golden beaches, beautiful scenery, and hot springs steaming, bringing a touch of warmth here, and creating wonders that are not found in other places:
When Qin Shihuang's chariot approached, the vast expanse of white in the lake suddenly began to dance with a roar. It turned out that it was not white snow, but hundreds of white swans overwintering here!
The sky was filled with anger, swans and egrets were flying, and for a moment, Qin Shihuang only felt that his carriage was driving in a fairyland...
After passing the Swan Lake, you will reach the eastern end of the known world, which is the corner of the mountain.
With mountains and cliffs twisting and turning, and people in the sea, it is the most remote area in the east of Qi, and it is also the first place to see the sunrise in the Central Plains. That is why the "Sun Lord", one of the eight gods of Qi, is worshiped here.
Qin Shihuang got off the carriage at the Sun Temple. The wind was so strong that he had to press his crown to walk. However, he saw that the head of the mountain was like the sharp edge of a spear, thrust straight into the sea. The mountain wall near the sea was like a chip, and the sea waves were rolling under the cliff. , the water flow was rapid, and huge waves several feet high were hitting the cliffs. It was like a stormy sea crashing on the shore. Flood waves were also surging in the distance, with no end in sight.
"An Qisheng, where is the mirage you mentioned?"
When the wind subsided a little, Qin Shihuang looked around, but there was nothing but dark blue water.
An Qisheng lobbied Qin Shihuang about the story of Sanxian Mountain. If he made it up all by himself, it would be difficult to win people's trust. However, the reason why Yanqi has more legends about fairy mountains is that in addition to the fact that the land is close to the sea, the sea and sky are bright and dim, and the islands are confusing and vague. In addition to the dangers and magic of sailing, which triggers people's rich associations and reveries, there is another important reason, that is, mirages...
An Qisheng told Qin Shihuang that in the sea to the east of Chengshan, there are clouds from time to time, such as palaces, terraces, battlements, people, chariots and horses, and crowns. There are even immortals passing by in the sky, and the sounds of chariots, horses, humans and animals can be distinguished one by one. , the locals call it Haishi.
He said that it was the fairyland of Sanxian Mountain, but it was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Only a virtuous king like Qin Shihuang might be able to climb up there and find out...
Qin Shihuang was very interested and came to Chengshan, hoping to encounter a sea market. However, after waiting here for a day and a night, apart from the magnificent sunrise scenery of the East China Sea, the "sea market" in An Qisheng and Lu Sheng's words clicked. There are no shadows.
Seeing Qin Shihuang's hesitant expression, the alchemists had already thought of ways to smooth things over: "Your Majesty, how can the sea market be seen every day? It usually only happens once in ten or a hundred years. Maybe the time has not come yet?"
The emperor was a little disappointed, but he still asked people to clear the way. He personally walked to the corner of Chengshan to see the stone tablet erected by the Qi people decades ago.
Today's storm was much smaller than yesterday. Qin Shihuang took Li Si, Ye Teng, Hei Fu, Ziying and other ministers, as well as An Qisheng, Lu Sheng, Han Zhong and other alchemists to trek hundreds of steps and finally reached the foot of the big stone monument. Only then did he see clearly, the three large characters on it, which had been exposed to wind and rain and were somewhat faded:
"The end of the world!"
This place really feels like the end of heaven and earth. Standing on the cliff and looking at the vast sea waves, Qin Shihuang breathed a long sigh of relief. It seemed that his mood had improved from the disappointment of waiting for a mirage.
The rest of the people accompanying him had their own thoughts.
Lu Sheng was sizing up Heifu. He thought that this person was the great enemy of Warlock Fang, and he had been on guard against Heifu making him a stumbling block. But along the way, Heifu did not rashly give advice. Perhaps he knew that the emperor had already warned him.
If you are obsessed with this matter, saying to your face that it is impossible to seek immortality and seek enlightenment would be counterproductive.
He didn't talk nonsense and tell stories whose origins he couldn't explain clearly to confuse the audience.
Jiaodong is not Longxi. This time, there is no old Wu Ya around Heifu to endorse him.
The same thing will have very different effects when told by different people. For example, An Qisheng's story about Penglai Fairy Mountain is the best because he is famous. If you talk about it from another person, it will be greatly discounted.
Therefore, Heifu looked particularly silent, which made Han Zhong whisper to Lu Sheng: "This Heifu Commandery, how well you cooperated with us at the beginning, but after hearing what the thousand-year-old man said, the emperor has decided to search for immortals in the East China Sea.
…”
But Lu Sheng did not think that his side had completely won, nor did he think that the black man had completely given up. Warlock Fang's plan was still short of the last step before they could determine the victory and get the emperor to support the mission of going to sea to find immortals.
So, taking advantage of this favorable atmosphere, the alchemists began to request Qin Shihuang that they could go to Langya to worship the Lord of the Four Seasons, stay there for a while, and wait until next spring to take a boat out to sea to find the Three Immortals Mountain!
This is a sinister strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Jiaodong is Heifu's territory. Many things are difficult to handle here, but Langya is different. That is the new base camp of Warlock Fang. Their plans and their suggestions to Qin Shihuang,
Heifu is beyond reach...
At this time, Heifu, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke. He came forward and said:
"Your Majesty, the sea pirates are still entrenched on the islands of Qidi and raid the coast from time to time. How can we find the fairy mountain with peace of mind? Furthermore, the sea is vast and the wind and waves are huge. Once lost, it is difficult to return. I heard that the son of a daughter cannot sit still.
Tang, the son of a hundred gold, does not rely on balance when he is established. The person who suggested it really has ulterior motives!"
"Wiping out the pirates and clearing the islands, isn't this a matter within the scope of the Jiaodong County Sheriff?"
When Lu Sheng saw that Hei Fu had fallen into the trap, he sneered in his heart and immediately said: "Your Majesty, you might as well ask the governor of Jiaodong County to attack the pirates before spring, and I will wait until it is too late for your Majesty to go to sea!"
Qin Shihuang frowned and looked at Hei Fu: "Keep out the pirates before the spring begins. Hei Fu, can you do it?"
"I'm afraid not."
Heifu reported truthfully: "Your Majesty, three feet of ice is not a day's cold. When Qi died, Sima Yongmen sent Qi's boat division into the sea, leaving nothing behind for the court. In the past few years, Zhutian has been secretly communicating with him.
Supplying money and food. On the other side of the sea, there is Dongyi Lord Chang Canghai Lord, who takes in the remnants of the Six Kingdoms and tries to restore the country day and night... In contrast, the Jiaodong ships and soldiers are insufficient. If you want to completely eliminate the pirates, it is not possible.
It won’t take more than half a year!”
"Then I will give you one year!"
Qin Shihuang was not a patient man. He said coldly: "If the bandits are not wiped out within a year, then the Jiaodong County Sheriff can be replaced by someone else!"
"only!"
The emperor then looked at the magicians who were gloating about their misfortune: "The governor of Jiaodong said that the sea is so vast that boats can easily get lost, and Master Qin has never gone deep into it. What are your countermeasures?"
Lu Sheng said quickly: "As for the position on the sea, I am about to recommend someone to your Majesty. With this person, you will never lose your way on the vast sea."
"who?"
"Langya man, Xu Shi! Xu Shi is also an alchemist, but he has learned the art of looking at the stars to identify positions. He has gone to sea dozens of times. He can be used as a guide, taking boys and girls out to sea to explore the way for His Majesty."
Lu Sheng pointed to the sea road at Chengshanjiao: "Your Majesty, Xu City is coming from Langya to pay homage to Tianyan today. We will arrive by boat at noon!"
"Good." Qin Shihuang looked a little better, so he sat in the pavilion for a while, also wanting to see what kind of person Xu Shi was.
An Qisheng and Lu Sheng looked at each other and secretly thought that their plan was complete! Han Zhong looked at Hei Fu with sarcasm in his eyes and silently stepped aside. This favorite of His Majesty the Emperor had lost all his prestige today.
Zhang Cang was very anxious when he saw this, and came over and said anxiously: "Hei Fu, you are just like me, you are just a critic, wouldn't you just jump into the trap of the Alchemist? If you can't clear the sea within a year,
Kou, aren't you guilty?"
Hei Fu didn't take it seriously and said with a smile: "I was guilty. It was a year later, but some people are guilty in a moment..."
Zhang Cang was confused: "What do you mean by this?"
Heifu raised his head and looked at the sun, and said with a smile: "Warlock Fang's plan is a chain of links. First let Lu Sheng, Han Zhong and others encourage His Majesty to come east. An Qisheng will prepare early and hide in Zhifu Island to use Sanxian Mountain.
I will lobby your Majesty, and finally let Xu Shi, who can make sea voyages a reality, appear in a boat, so that your Majesty will have no doubts. In this way, everything is ready, and all we need is the east wind. What a pity..."
Heifu looked at the Fang Warlocks who looked proud and felt that everything was under their control. They stretched their necks to look at the sea in anticipation of Xu Shi's arrival. He lowered his voice and said to Zhang Cang:
"That's all I'm saying, but let alone today's noon, even if it's tomorrow's noon, we will definitely not be able to reach Xu City!"
"When you talk about Haishi, Haishi doesn't show up, and when you talk about Xushi, Xushi also misses the deadline. Do you really think that our Majesty has a good temper and tolerates being teased again and again? This is not the crime of deceiving the emperor, what else can it be!?"