Chapter 1744: The Son of Heaven's Words Are Golden and Jade, Recognized by the Heavenly Dao; How Can They Be Reneged?

Chen Chen Guanlou cleared out a room in the celestial prison specifically for Physician Mu to store poisons.

Publicly, it was claimed that Physician Mu had worked tirelessly and earned great merit, and that it was no longer suitable for him to continue working in the cramped consultation room of the pharmacy alongside the young men.

No one objected!

Physician Mu should have been enjoying a separate office long ago.

As a physician, it was quite normal for his room to be filled with various bottles and jars of medicines. No one suspected that the porcelain bottles contained poison. In the celestial prison, no one would be foolish enough to deliberately enter a room and eat the medicine as if it were rice; everyone feared death!

After dealing with the poisons, Chen Chen Guanlou went with Physician Mu to Jade Spring Palace to burn incense and pray to the Daoist Ancestor to dispel bad luck.

Upon seeing Chen Chen Guanlou, Pure Yang True Man immediately looked displeased, his nose and eyes all askew.

It was also his own fault; he could not stand flattery. The moment he heard it, his brain turned to mush. Originally, the debt was only eight thousand taels, yet now it had accumulated to eighteen thousand taels.

What was even more infuriating was that he could tell at a glance that Chen Chen Guanlou had made up his mind not to pay.

It was enough to make one's blood boil!

"What are you here for?" He spoke to Chen Chen Guanlou without any courtesy, making it clear he did not welcome the other.

"I am here to burn incense. Rest assured, I will definitely pay the incense money. Fifty taels, that is quite a lot."

Pure Yang True Man gritted his teeth; he could not fight, nor could he scold, and his heart was filled with resentment.

He then looked at Physician Mu. "And you?"

"This old man has also come to burn incense. Recently, everything has gone wrong; could it be that my fortune is unfavorable? True Man, you are skilled in fate; later, please calculate my fortune for me, will you? I will not let you calculate for free! I understand the rules!"

Physician Mu truly wanted a calculation.

Li Shuan, that annoying fellow, became a prison warden; it was truly bad luck.

Having thieves in the house and getting entangled in a murder case was even more bad luck clinging to him!

He must have his fortune calculated, otherwise he could not find peace of mind.

Pure Yang True Man did not refuse; pointing to the statue of the Daoist Ancestor, he said, "Burn incense first! Sincerity makes it effective!"

Chen Chen Guanlou and Physician Mu, both with sincere hearts, burned incense and prayed for a smooth year without waves or ripples. After inserting the incense and candles into the incense burner and offering the oil money, they went to the quiet chamber in the back mountain to drink tea.

After Emperor Yuan Ding ascended the throne, Jade Spring Palace was met with coldness.

Emperor Yuan Ding both used and guarded against Jade Spring Palace; he also took elixirs, but very infrequently. After all, he was young, full of endless bull-like strength, and did not need elixirs as assistance. Only occasionally, when his body was unwell, would he use elixirs to perk himself up.

He never summoned Pure Yang True Man, spoke to the Daoist Priests of Jade Spring Palace without courtesy, and severely reprimanded the Daoists of Jade Spring Palace, forbidding them from going down the mountain at will to deceive people.

Due to the Emperor's attitude, Jade Spring Palace was neglected, and the incense offerings were not as abundant as in the past. However, the sales of elixirs were still in such high demand that supply could not meet it. As long as there were elixir formulas to refine elixirs, Jade Spring Palace would not collapse.

Compared to the deserted courtyard of Jade Spring Palace, the Jixia Academy on the neighboring mountain peak was much more lively.

It was said that the number of scholars applying to Jixia Academy had increased year after year in recent years, and the quality of the students improved every year.

Next year was again the year of the grand competition, and Jixia Academy was confident in taking the first prize. This was merely a rumor in the Jianghu, but many people believed it implicitly. Even more people were waiting and watching.

If next year the students of Jixia Academy truly took the first prize, at that time, double the number of scholars would flood into Jixia Academy to seek learning. Jixia Academy would restore its former glory, and the honor of being the number one academy under heaven would be just around the corner.

"Old Daoist, your Jade Spring Palace and the neighboring Jixia Academy indeed have conflicting eight characters. When you are doing well, they suffer misfortune. When you are neglected, their family prospers. Is there some meaning to this Jade Spring Mountain?"

Chen Chen Guanlou's imagination ran wild; since they were calculating fate, why not first discuss the opposite fortunes of the two families on Jade Spring Mountain. Could it be that they truly conflicted?

Physician Mu had never thought in this direction before; now, suddenly hearing Chen Chen Guanlou say this, he thought, indeed it was so.

He looked at Pure Yang True Man with great concern. "Is it truly a conflict of eight characters? Does Jixia Academy suppress you?"

Pure Yang True Man remained unmoved by the eight winds, stroking his beard with the demeanor of a high master. "Why do you not say that Jade Spring Palace suppresses Jixia Academy?"

Hearing this, Chen Chen Guanlou immediately chuckled.

Physician Mu, however, believed it implicitly. "How so?"

Pure Yang True Man pointed to the buildings. "Do you still remember how Jade Spring Palace came to be?"

Of course they remembered.

That great battle...

It was all Chen Chen Guanlou's merit!

Master Qi of Jixia Academy voluntarily offered his head, and Chen Chen Guanlou severely slapped Jixia Academy in the face. Emperor Jian Shi went with the flow and simply divided half of Jade Spring Mountain, granting it to Pure Yang True Man to build Jade Spring Palace. Because of this, Jixia Academy closed its mountain gates for several years and no longer displayed its former arrogance.

Fortune turns like a wheel; it had not even reached the thirty-year cycle of east and west rivers, only a mere dozen years, and the two families had reversed again. Now it was Jixia Academy's turn to be arrogant and show off, while Jade Spring Palace kept a low profile.

As the saying goes, worldly affairs are impermanent!

"My Danyang Sect built Jade Spring Palace on Jade Spring Mountain, originally to share in the fortune of Jixia Academy. Before, Jixia Academy monopolized Jade Spring Mountain; how glorious it was, glorious for hundreds of years. Since my Danyang Sect built Jade Spring Palace, we have taken away half of the hundreds of years of fortune. This proves exactly that we suppress them. The current situation is merely temporary. The fortune we took away cannot return to Jixia Academy. The glory next door is merely a final struggle."

"Good! Old Daoist indeed has spirit!" Chen Chen Guanlou clapped his hands and cheered. He most admired the old Daoist's ability to act superior in any situation at any time; no wonder people outside believed the old Daoist's words implicitly.

Physician Mu was very curious. "Once the fortune is shared, can it not return?"

"Back then, the Son of Heaven's words were golden and jade; even immortals had to respect the Son of Heaven by three points. A mere Jixia Academy, what could it do?" Pure Yang True Man maintained the demeanor of a high master, not placing the neighbor in his eyes.

Chen Chen Guanlou agreed completely. "Jade Spring Mountain was divided into two, and it was Emperor Jian Shi who issued the decree openly. It is equivalent to the Son of Heaven personally splitting the fortune connected to Jade Spring Mountain into two parts; one part remained with Jixia Academy, and the other was given to Jade Spring Palace. If there is a Heavenly Dao, how would the Heavenly Dao dare not recognize the Son of Heaven's golden and jade words? Since the Heavenly Dao has recognized it, how can the fortune return to Jixia Academy? Unless..."

"Unless what?" Physician Mu transformed into a curious baby.

Chen Chen Guanlou smiled ambiguously. "Unless the current Son of Heaven denies Emperor Jian Shi's decree from that year and issues a new decree to 'set things right'. But, is it possible? What reason does the Emperor have to deny the decree that divided Jade Spring Mountain in half back then? If he truly dares to issue such a decree, the Zhengshitang would spit in his face on the spot! A son does not speak of his father's faults! He has not yet grown to the point where he can arbitrarily deny the late Emperor's decrees. Not even in another twenty years!"

Emperor Jian Shi did not dare to openly deny Emperor Emperor Taixing; he only dared to secretly do some small things to slander Emperor Emperor Taixing's reputation and criticize certain actions of Emperor Emperor Taixing.

Emperor Yuan Ding did not even have half the ability of his father.

At least while Emperor Jian Shi was alive, Xie Changling was very obedient.

The current Prime Minister Xie is truly a man who kills anyone who blocks him, and a Buddha who kills anyone who blocks him. If the Emperor blocks the way, he simply moves the Emperor out of the way! How arrogant! A veritable powerful minister, recognized by the world!

In such a situation, what could Emperor Yuan Ding use to recover the fortune shared away for Jixia Academy?