Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Cao Zhi indeed kept his promise.

Cao Zhi had just finished lunch at the official residence when he went to the North Palace to seek an explanation. About an hour later, he returned to the Court of State Ceremonial and told everyone that the emperor would be receiving them in the study of the North Palace at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM).

Several people had waited anxiously for months, with Ge Xuan waiting the longest, even about a year. Upon hearing this, they naturally smiled. However, Cao Zhi still had some doubts about the timing of the meeting.

Why meet these people at night? It's reminiscent of Emperor Wen of the Former Han Dynasty meeting Jia Yi in the middle of the night. I wonder what the emperor was thinking.

Cao Rui himself, who proposed this time, simply did so because he was busy with official duties during the day and had no free time, so he arranged it for the evening.

At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), Attendant Wang Su led in Zhang Sheng, Ge Xuan, Zhi Qian, and Liu Chang, who were all ready. When the five of them entered, Guan Lu, the scholar of Chongwen Temple, was already standing respectfully waiting in the study.

About fifteen minutes later, Cao Rui slowly walked in. The men bowed respectfully. Cao Rui's gaze swept over their faces, then he sat down and said calmly:

"I have always known your names. I originally intended to summon you all at the beginning of the year, but due to many trivial matters in the court, I have postponed it again and again until today."

"Lord Wang, please take your seats."

Although it was night, the study was still brightly lit, as if it were daytime. Inside the study, six armored soldiers stood at attention on each side, swords at their sides. On the left, behind them, Li Xi and Zhuge Xu, both Gentlemen-in-Waiting, sat behind a desk taking notes, while on the right, Cao Zhi, the Grand Herald, and Wei Dan, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, listened in.

The group bowed and expressed their gratitude once more. Wang Su sat to Cao Rui's right, while Guan Lu, Zhang Sheng, Ge Xuan, Liu Chang, and Zhi Qian sat opposite him.

Cao Rui nodded slightly: "The questions I have asked you all today shall be kept within this study and shall not be divulged outside."

"Zhang Sheng, Ge Xuan, and Liu Chang, you three belong to the Five Pecks of Rice sect, the Alchemy sect, and the Yellow Turban sect, respectively. I ask you, are there immortals in this world? Please answer in order."

"Your Majesty, I obey your decree." Zhang Sheng stood up respectfully, bowed to Cao Rui, and then replied, "Your Majesty, my great-grandfather, the Celestial Master Daoling, was an immortal."

"How can you prove it?" Cao Rui asked calmly.

Zhang Sheng replied, “During the reign of Emperor Shun, my great-grandfather received the Supreme Daoist Lord’s descent in Shu, who personally bestowed upon him the Zhengyi Mengwei Talisman, the Three-Five Demon-Slaying Male and Female Swords, and the Yangping Zhidu Gong Seal. He then went to Qingcheng Mountain to subdue the Eight Demons and Slay the Six Heavenly Demon Kings, thereby stabilizing Shu. This can be verified.”

Cao Rui said, "These are the three magical artifacts that your Five Pecks of Rice sect has passed down through generations?"

"Indeed." Zhang Sheng replied with his hands clasped. "I have already brought these three magical artifacts with me. If Your Majesty wishes to see them, you may examine them at any time."

Cao Rui nodded, and Wang Su said a few words to Li Xi, the Gentleman Attendant-in-Ordinary behind him. Li Xi then came out of the study and went outside to fetch the three items.

Cao Rui examined it carefully and found nothing extraordinary about it; even the material was quite ordinary. So he said indifferently, "Zhang Sheng, why did your great-grandfather Zhang Daoling go to Shu to preach at that time?"

Zhang Sheng replied, "At that time, my great-grandfather received enlightenment from the Supreme Lord of Tao, and thus entered Shu to kill evil spirits and spread the doctrine."

Cao Rui shook his head and smiled. Zhang Daoling's arrival in Shu to spread Christianity coincided significantly with the Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou. With the upheaval in Yong and Liang, the route from Yizhou northward to the Central Plains would be blocked. Ultimately, the Zhang family had simply found an opening, and it was all for the purpose of rebellion.

However, Cao Rui understood that the emperor was not the son of heaven, and Zhang Daoling might not have killed many evil spirits on Qingcheng Mountain, so there was no need to expose them immediately. Cao Rui then looked at Ge Xuan: "Ge Xuan, you tell me."

Ge Xuan, the eldest among them, possessed an air of otherworldly wisdom. He cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I often practice alchemy in Jiangnan and regard it as the method to achieve immortality."

"Have any of those who took the elixir become immortals?" Cao Rui pressed.

Ge Xuan replied, "Not yet. However, I have already received instruction that the superior person ascends to the void and is called a celestial immortal. The middle person travels to famous mountains and is called an earth immortal. The inferior person dies first and then sheds their skin, which is called a corpse-dissolving immortal. According to my alchemical teachings, after consuming it, one can achieve corpse-dissolving immortality after death."

"Then why don't you take the elixir?" Cao Rui asked again.

Ge Xuan cupped his hands and replied, "This humble Taoist is not yet nearing the end of his life, so I cultivate diligently every day, waiting to take the elixir before I die."

Cao Rui shook his head again and pointed at Liu Chang: "You are the Liu Daoist who once roamed the seas, right? I have heard that you believe in the Yellow Turban Rebellion. What else can the Yellow Turban Rebellion do besides gathering people to rebel? Look at the two people beside you. Zhang Sheng's Dao can kill evil spirits and listen to the teachings of the Supreme Lord. Ge Xuan's Dao can lead to immortality through corpse liberation after consumption, and ascension after death. What about your Yellow Turban Dao?"

Liu Chang stood up, trembling all over. Unlike Zhang Sheng and Ge Xuan, who remained calm, he knelt down with a thud and kowtowed repeatedly without saying a word.

Upon seeing this, Wang Su frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Liu Chang, you must not lose your composure in front of the emperor. What are you doing?"

Liu Chang raised his head, looked in Cao Rui's direction, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, I dare not deceive you. I can only recite the Taiping Jing (Scripture of Great Peace), and I do not know any talismans or magic, nor the methods of the Great Teacher of Virtue. It is only because of the previous turmoil that I was caught up in the remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and then, because I was literate and learned the Taiping Jing, I inherited these remnants of the Yellow Turban Rebellion... To tell you the truth, I can only recite the Taiping Jing, and I know nothing else, nor do I know what immortals are!"

As Liu Chang spoke, Zhang Sheng beside him frowned slightly, revealing a hint of disgust. Ge Xuan, being more mature, remained composed, but inwardly he too began to despise Liu Chang.

We all came here to preach and teach these methods before the emperor. If the Yellow Turbans lose face in front of the emperor, do you think we'll look good too?

Cao Rui shook his head and looked at Wang Su: "Minister Wang, I remember this person was a scholar at Chongwen Temple, right?"

"Indeed," Wang Su replied, cupping his hands in greeting, though a hint of embarrassment lingered on his face.

Cao Rui said softly, "This man is said to be the son of Liu Chong, the King of Chen during the Han Dynasty. Given his sincerity, let him continue to serve at Chongwen Temple. There is no need to strip him of his official position. Let him do whatever he wants. Great Wei is not short of supporting this idle man."

"Let him go."

"Your subject obeys the decree," Wang Su replied, bowing respectfully.

Liu Chang repeatedly kowtowed to express his gratitude, even to the point of weeping bitterly.

In fact, for him, saying these words today was a great relief. Because of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, he was included among these people. He didn't know anything about immortals or magic, but he had to wear Yellow Turban clothes and a yellow turban every day in Luoyang, becoming an outcast in the Chongwen Temple. It was truly torturous.

As Liu Chang walked out of the North Palace, he had never felt so relaxed. (End of Chapter)