Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 197 Always by my side
The seventy-year-old Emperor Shang Xuan has already shown signs of old age. After decades of working hard on state affairs, as the emperor, he looks much older than some ordinary wealthy men of the same age.

When ordinary rich men reach a certain age, they can enjoy their retirement in peace, but he cannot. The heavy burden of the country and the people falls on his shoulders. He has to worry about state affairs, family affairs, and world affairs, big and small matters. It is a double burden on his mind and body, so naturally he ages faster than ordinary people.

Even if there are countless famous doctors to treat you, strong people to guide you, and panaceas to nourish you, external forces are just external forces after all. A person's energy and spirit are limited. Even after decades of hard work, they still cannot withstand the ravages of time.

He is not stupid, nor is he too authoritarian, but he is old and cannot refuse to obey.

It is precisely because he is not foolish and does not pursue pleasure that he ages faster than ordinary people.

However, a "dragon" is a dragon. Even though he is old and has been in a high position for a long time, his every word and action still shows his dignity and majesty. Although the dragon is old, anyone who touches it will die. The older he is, the more cautious people around him become. No one dares to speculate what the "old dragon" will do suddenly.

Looking at the seemingly ordinary picture in his hand, he became more and more satisfied, and the wrinkles between his brows seemed to relax a lot.

The old eunuch beside him was his playmate who grew up with him, his most trusted confidant, his shadow, and the knife in his hand!

And one of the people who knows him best.

Precisely because of this understanding, the old eunuch felt more bitter. The emperor was old and had worked hard for the country all his life, but he didn't have much time to indulge in pleasure. He could only find ways to please him, hoping that he would be in a better mood.

Cautiously approaching to examine the painting of pine and crane symbolizing longevity, the old eunuch thought it was unremarkable at first glance, secretly thinking that anyone who had studied painting for a few years could do better than this. However, he soon spotted the amazing aspect.

He immediately said, "Your Majesty, this picture is wonderful. Using the word 'Shou' as the brush and ink to paint it, and hiding the words 'Longevity', it is really thoughtful and ingenious. No wonder it can please Your Majesty."

Glancing at him, Emperor Shang Xuan curled his lips and said, "Nonsense! Do you think I can't see these things? I'm asking you to look at the paintings and see if there's anything special about them besides the surface. I'm not asking you to figure out how others are trying to please me. If that's all you can see, then stand aside."

"Your Majesty, please calm down. I am taking a look and have already made some progress," the old eunuch said with a smile.

Nodding, Emperor Shang Xuan smiled and said, "Tell me about it."

Looking at the picture, the old eunuch's face showed a trace of emotion, and he subconsciously said: "Your Majesty, this picture is not simple!"

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll really ask you to get out of here," Emperor Shang Xuan said speechlessly.

The old eunuch hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please don't be impatient. Let me explain slowly. Look here, here, here, and here... these dozens of longevity characters mixed in are a little different from the other longevity characters."

"Oh? Tell me what's different." Emperor Shang Xuan immediately became interested. After being reminded by the old eunuch, he also felt that the dozens of longevity characters were different, but he couldn't tell exactly what was different.

The dozens of different longevity characters pointed out by the old eunuch happened to be the ones Chen Xuan had figured out while observing the mountains, rivers and nature during that period, but he was able to find them all at a glance. His vision was truly amazing.

After organizing his words, the old eunuch pondered, "Looking at the entire map, every detail is made up of the word 'longevity'. The only difference is the different writing methods and the characters from different countries and regions. And those dozens of longevity characters are the characters of our Jing country, they have only changed their forms. But each character is ordinary and seemingly insignificant. This is what makes it so valuable."

"Go on," Emperor Shang Xuan seemed to understand something after hearing what he said.

Then the old eunuch continued, "Those dozens of longevity characters are ordinary and easy to be overlooked, just like the grass, trees, bricks and tiles around us. Usually no one pays attention to them, but they are real. I can only describe them in two words: natural."

"Of course?" Emperor Shang Xuan raised his eyebrows.

The old eunuch's eyes flashed with surprise and he said, "Your Majesty, I think I understand why your Changchun Gong has loosened up and your spirit has relaxed after seeing this picture."

"What do you mean?" Emperor Shang Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly. He was not in a hurry at this moment. With his experience and vision, he almost understood what was going on. He continued to ask just to get further confirmation from others.

Then the old eunuch continued, "Yes, Your Majesty has probably guessed it. Those dozens of extremely natural longevity characters can clearly be seen as an alternative mental method, which can only be understood but not explained. It is extremely consistent with the mental method of Changchun Gong that Your Majesty is practicing. It is better and more consistent than the original mental method of Changchun Gong. Observing it has led to the smoother operation of Your Majesty's skills, and his spirits have naturally improved."

"Hmm," Emperor Shang Xuan nodded slightly, having understood the key.

Then the old eunuch burst into tears of joy and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! With this picture, your Changchun Gong will surely achieve a breakthrough, and longevity is just around the corner. What a picture of pine and cranes prolonging life! It's absolutely right, a propitious omen. This is an auspicious omen sent to Your Majesty by God through the hands of others."

No one cared more about Emperor Shang Xuan's health than the old eunuch. To him, being able to extend Emperor Shang Xuan's life was more precious than any rare treasure.

But Emperor Shang Xuan didn't show much joy on his face. Instead, he calmed down, put the map down and said with a smile: "It's a pity that it came too late. If it had been ten years earlier, I might have been ecstatic. Now, it's just to let me live a few more years."

"Your Majesty..." The old eunuch's face turned pale.

Waving his hand, Emperor Shang Xuan said: "I know my situation well. Go and ask that old man to come and take a look."

“…Yes,” the old eunuch opened his mouth and went there in person as he was told. It was impossible for an ordinary person to be invited.

After he left, Emperor Shang Xuan looked at the picture and shook his head, saying, "If only I had come ten years earlier..."

Not long after, the old eunuch respectfully accompanied an old man here.

The old man had long snow-white hair, but his skin was as delicate as a baby's. His eyes looked like a centenarian, but his figure was that of a young man in his early twenties. Everyone bowed respectfully wherever he passed.

He is one of the few masters in Jing Kingdom, and the mainstay of the imperial palace. As long as he is there, no one can threaten the safety of Emperor Shang Xuan. He has served several emperors and is a true ancestor-level figure!
"Your Majesty," the white-haired old man said respectfully when he arrived. After saying "Stand up," Emperor Shang Xuan said politely, "I'm sorry to bother you to come over."

"Your Majesty, I do not deserve your kindness," the white-haired old man saluted again. The older he got and the more noble his status was, the more he abided by the rules and he did not overstep the boundaries in the slightest.

He himself has almost no taboos, but the dignity of the royal family needs people like him to maintain it.

Asking someone to take a seat, Emperor Shang Xuan said, "Mr. Rong, on the way here, Daban should have told you everything. I want to hear your opinion."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Could you allow me to take a look first?" Rong Lao stood up and said.

Emperor Shang Xuan simply handed the picture to him personally.

After carefully examining the painting, Rong Lao pondered and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. This painting is indeed the most fitting for Changchun Gong."

"This is not a happy event," Emperor Shang Xuan suddenly said with a deep look in his eyes.

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings suddenly became silent. Except for Emperor Shang Xuan, everyone lowered their heads with a look of fear on their faces. Only Elder Rong could remain calm.

After a moment, Emperor Shang Xuan shook his head and looked at Elder Rong and said with a smile, "Elder Rong, what is your opinion?"

He smiled, and the anxious hearts of the people around him were slightly relieved.

"Your Majesty, do you need me to tell you the truth?" Mr. Rong said frankly.

Emperor Shang Xuan smiled and said, "Just say it."

"Changchun Gong is a Taoist practice. With this diagram, if Your Majesty practices it with concentration in the future, there is a 10% chance that you will reach the Xiantian Jiazi stage and prolong your life. Otherwise, it will only keep Your Majesty energetic for a few years," said Old Rong calmly.

These words resounded like a thunderclap in everyone's heart. If one thinks deeply about the meaning contained in them, it will make one's scalp tingle and hair stand on end. Only Mr. Rong would dare to say such words without any scruples.

If it were anyone else, whoever said that would die!

"Since Master Rong has said so, I will not pursue that unrealistic fantasy. I am not stupid yet," Emperor Shang Xuan said with a calm smile.

No one dared to respond.

Then he said: "Big companion, send Rong Lao back."

"I'm leaving now," Rong Lao left as he said.

After dismissing his attendants and being alone, Emperor Shang Xuan looked out at the palace with a deep gaze, his eyes like a pool.

I thought that the arrival of this picture was a good thing for me, but it was different for many people.

"Since God is taking care of us, let's use the extra years to live up to this blessing. I want to see who gets impatient first!"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but cough lightly with a pale face. Fortunately, no one saw it. He turned to look at the picture and his expression became better.

Soon, his chief eunuch returned. Seeing the eunuch's mixed expression, Emperor Shang Xuan asked, "Where did you submit this painting? Who created it?"

When Emperor Shang Xuan first noticed this painting, the old eunuch had done his homework in the short time he had left twice, and replied without hesitation: "Your Majesty, this painting was presented by Liuyu Academy and was created by a student named Gao Jingming."

"Well, this picture will always be with me from now on," Emperor Shang Xuan nodded.

The old eunuch was shocked when he heard this, thinking that just for this one point, the student named Gao Jingming had already won the emperor's favor, but he didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse.

Emperor Shang Xuan then continued, "The academy is thoughtful. They are honoring Gao Jingming according to the etiquette...."

"Your Majesty, Gao Jingming is fourteen years old. He is the eldest son of the Gao family in Yang County and the younger brother of Prince Qing's Concubine Yu," the old eunuch said quickly. This simple answer contained so much content.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Shang Xuan pondered for a moment, countless thoughts turning in his head, and said: "He is so young, it is not appropriate to make it public, otherwise it will harm him. I will give him a pair of calligraphy to encourage him, without going through the ritual process. I remember that the Gao family of Yang County was a sixth-rank imperial edict, right? If you promote him to the first rank, Gao Qing can also be promoted to the next rank. That's it. If someone makes things difficult for me, my dear companion, you will order the arrangements and remember that no one can find fault with them."

"According to the purpose"

After answering, the old eunuch hesitated and said, "Your Majesty, do you want to learn more about Gao Jingming? He was able to draw this picture, and perhaps he can further improve it. It would be helpful to you, Your Majesty..."

"I know what you mean, but forget it. I am not stupid, nor am I the kind of person who refuses to accept his fate. Judging from the brushwork in this painting, the young man has already reached his limit. Asking for more is just asking too much. Besides, do you know how much trouble this unnecessary move will cause?" Emperor Shang Xuan waved his hand.

"Yes, I was inconsiderate. Your Majesty, please forgive me..."

(End of this chapter)