Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Another dozen Taoist priests came by boat from the south, carrying large and small bags of chemical materials.

They were introduced to live in the city. There was a little Taoist priest who had never been to Tokyo. As soon as he settled his luggage, he went out to go shopping together.

After the disciples left, Wang Wenqing meditated and breathed out.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door: "I heard that my mentor is here. Disciple Quan Yang pays my respects!"

Wang Wenqing opened his eyes and smiled: "Come in."

Sa Shoujian pushed the door open and walked in, saluting Wang Wenqing: "It has been several years since we said goodbye in the past, and my mentor has become more and more diligent."

Wang Wenqing waved his hand: "You and I are just learning about Taoism. We didn't formally become a master at that time, so there is no need to treat each other as master and disciple."

“Once a teacher, always a teacher!” Sa Shoujian said.

The two talked about the past and even talked about Lin Lingsu.

Wang Wenqing became famous all over the world because he was recommended to Beijing by Lin Lingsu. He used the thunder method from the sky to pray for rain, and it actually rained.

Sa Shoujian also belongs to the Shenxiao sect and is said to have obtained the true biography of Wang Wenqing, Lin Lingsu and Zhang Jixian. In fact, when he was young, he was a quack doctor. He treated diseases and unfortunately killed people. If he couldn't survive, he simply changed his profession and became a Taoist priest.

The Shenxiao Sect, on the other hand, takes the practice of inner elixir as its foundation, and uses the method of talismans for external use, integrating a lot of things such as alchemy, talismans, incantations, mudra, Yubu, Qigong, Shen Shen, inner elixir, etc.

The practice system of this school can be directly copied to write fairy novels.

As the conversation gradually turned to the current situation, Sa Shoujian asked, "Did my mentor come to Beijing under an imperial edict?"

Wang Wenqing asked, "You too?"

Sa Shoujian said: "Not only did the disciples receive the edict, but the senior brothers from Longhu Mountain also came and lived in the west courtyard."

Wang Wenqing said worriedly: "The new dynasty has always suppressed Buddhism, and I don't know why your majesty summoned me."

Sa Shoujian said: "I heard that the officials want to make elixirs."

Wang Wenqing said: "What you and I practice are all inner elixir techniques. Although we also know how to refine outer elixirs, we are not as good as Longhushan after all. Why do you need to recruit all of us? And you have to bring a lot of alchemy materials." .”

"I don't know." Sa Shoujian shook his head.

Wang Wenqing really lamented that he and Zhu Guoxiang were in the same industry back then, and they were both real people who were given names by Zhao Ji.

Now he is still practicing Taoism, while Zhu Guoxiang has become emperor.

…

Wang Zhongfu is eighteen years old, lives in Xianyang, and comes from a wealthy family.

I passed the exam two years ago and went to Beijing to take the exam this year, but unfortunately I failed.

This is similar to another time and space, except that the exam location is different and the exam time is earlier.

Historically, he went to take the imperial examination, failed, and then participated in the martial arts examination, and suddenly he was in the first class of the high school martial arts examination.

However, after being admitted as a martial arts scholar, Wang Zhongfu's official career did not go smoothly. He spent a long time collecting wine taxes in the Puppet Qi and Jin Kingdoms, and became depressed and changed his profession to become a Taoist priest.

He also built a tomb of the living dead and changed his name to Wang Zhe, Taoist name Chongyangzi.

The fellow students who failed this year have returned home to continue studying hard, but Wang Zhongfu plans to stay in Tokyo to study.

He also signed up for an advanced training class for the Agricultural Advising Department. Anyway, as long as he did not officially become an Agricultural Advancing Officer, he could continue to take the imperial examination.

Unexpectedly, after signing up, he was picked out for no apparent reason and told that he wanted to join some chemistry research group.

Wang Zhongfu was confused about this, but after asking around, he finally got an idea.

"As you may know, this chemistry research group specializes in refining elixirs for officials!" Wang Zhongfu hurriedly went to tell his friends.

Several students who failed the exam were shocked. They did not want to be Taoist priests.

A failed student named Sun Junping asked: "Is it still too late to leave Beijing?"

"If you run away, your career in this life will be ruined. The chemistry research team was convened by the government!" The unsuccessful student who answered the call was called Zhao Ang.

Wang Zhongfu said: "You must first meet with the official and then find an excuse to resign."

Zhu Sheng regretted this very much. If he had known better, he would not have persuaded the Agriculture Secretary to sign up.

There are two types of people who participate in the advanced training class of the Department of Agriculture. One type is like Wang Zhongfu, who simply wants to gain experience and does not really want to be an agricultural officer; the other type knows that there is no hope of being admitted to the Jinshi, so they simply become an agricultural officer to find a new path. .

Now that I heard that I was going to learn alchemy, everyone felt like they were mourning for their heirs.

After suffering until the agreed date, Wang Zhongfu and others went there with trepidation. When they arrived at the place, they became even more desperate.

Because there were already a large group of Taoist priests standing outside the house, and those might be the teachers who taught them alchemy.

Several failed candidates and a group of Taoist priests stood in the room and looked at each other. In fact, they all had no idea what was going on.

The old Taoist priest Chen Yang suddenly appeared and was brought by the eunuch.

Zhang Shixiu, the Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain, came forward to bow to him as a Taoist priest. After registering his number, he asked: "I heard that Brother Chen Dao also came to Beijing under the imperial edict, and even went to the palace to have long talks with officials. I wonder where he practices in the immortal palace?"

Chen Min returned the favor and said: "Pindao has no teacher or cave. He only practices on the hills of his hometown. He lives by growing medicinal materials in exchange for money and food. He also occasionally provides free medical treatment to the villagers."

After listening to this, all the Taoist priests not only did not despise him, but instead respected Chen Min even more.

Such Taoist priests with unknown origins are very wild, and the leader among them is Lin Lingsu.

Never offend!

Zhang Shixiugui, as a contemporary Celestial Master, also paid homage to Chen Yang again. No matter what, he first established a good relationship.

In "Water Margin", the master of Ruyunlong Gongsun Sheng is called Zhenren Luo, and his prototype is most likely Zhang Shixiu's disciple Luo Deng.

The Zhang Tianshi in front of me is still Gongsun Sheng's master (laughs).

The first version of Thunder Technique was created by Zhang Jixian, a heavenly master of the previous generation, and it was not closely related to the inner alchemy technique.

Zhang Jixian had no wife or children, and spent his whole life studying Taoism. According to legend, Wang Wenqing and Sa Shoujian were both his disciples.

Wang Zhongfu, who has not yet transformed into Wang Chongyang, is now standing among a group of Taoist priests as a failed candidate. He raised his hands and asked: "Masters, are you gathering today to make elixirs for the officials?"

Zhang Shixiu couldn't figure it out and could only answer: "Maybe."

Sa Shoujian said: "Brother Taoist knows the art of external alchemy and can make elixirs for Your Majesty. But we are practicing inner alchemy and are not good at refining external elixirs."

Wang Wenqing said: "The officials may be able to make elixirs themselves. In the former Song Dynasty, they even took out Ganoderma lucidum as big as a millstone."

The Taoist priests talked to each other, but Chen Min smiled and said nothing.

Wang Zhongfu asked: "Zhenren Chen must know the inside story, please give me some advice."

Everyone then recalled that Chen Min had had a long talk with the emperor, and they all bowed and asked the old Taoist priest for advice.

Chen Min cupped his hands and said: "This is not about refining elixirs, but about exploring the way of transformation and rebirth of all things."

Transformation of all things?

This stuff was even more nonsense than alchemy, and the Taoist priests and the people were confused.

Chen Min added: "His Majesty also said that he prepared some utensils and materials, but I don't know if they are here."

Everyone turned around and looked at the center of the big house.

It was a long table with a marble top and a lot of messy things on it.

Tianshi Zhang came over to observe carefully, pointed to a ceramic vessel and said: "This is a bit like the elixir cauldron used for alchemy, but it is smaller."

It is called an elixir when refining elixirs, and it is called a crucible when preparing traditional Chinese medicine. In fact, the shapes and functions are similar.

"Where is the alchemy furnace?" Another Taoist priest asked.

When making alchemy, the alchemy cauldron (crucible) is usually placed on the top of the alchemy furnace, in the large round hole above the furnace lid.

Everyone hurriedly looked for the alchemy furnace, but never found it. Instead, they found many strange and strange things.

Among them, there are especially many glassware, and most of them are marked with graduations.

"There is mercury here!" a Taoist priest shouted.

Other Taoist priests quickly came over to take a look and saw a note with "mercury" written on it on a ceramic jar.

Sure enough, it is still alchemy. The mercury is all ready, and the lead must also be there.

Wang Zhongfu suddenly fell into despair. Will he really become a Taoist priest in the future? Let's get up early and ask Wang Chongyang to count the balls.

At this moment, another large group of officials came in, and they were all important ministers of the cabinet.

The cabinet actually received a memorial recommending Chen Min, but the cabinet ministers were busy with everything, so how could they remember such an agriculturist who was a Taoist priest?

Prime Minister Zhai Ruwen shouted angrily: "Where is the demon Chen Min?"

Chen Yang felt unhappy and cupped his hands and replied: "Chen Yang is here, not a demon."

Master Zhong stepped forward: "To confuse officials into making elixirs, what else is it than a demon? Now is the Ming Dynasty, do you still want to be Lin Lingsu?"

Chen Min explained: "Pindao was recommended to Beijing because he wrote a book on agriculture."

Li Hanzhang said angrily: "You use farming to please the sage's preferences, and then you confuse the officials to make elixirs and practice Taoism. You are actually planning to do this!"

Chen Min was even more speechless and defended: "Today is not about making elixirs, but about exploring the way of transformation and rebirth of all things."

"Sir, please kill this thief!" Huan Guo shouted.

However, Li Bangyan stood up to stop him and tried to smooth things over by saying, "My dear gentlemen, please don't be impatient. With your majesty's wiseness, how could you be deceived by evil talk? This Master Chen is still wearing a coarse sermon robe. At first glance, he is not a person who is greedy for wealth. .”

"He knows that His Majesty advocates simplicity, and wearing a coarse sermon robe is also to suit His Majesty's wishes!" Qian Chen said.

Li Bangyan was extremely speechless. The emperor did not believe in the telepathy between heaven and man, and it was these ministers who were anxious. The emperor now wants to refine elixirs and practice Taoism, but these ministers are still anxious.

Don’t you know that everything should go according to the emperor’s will?

This time even Meng Zhao, Qian Chen and others came, and they were indeed a little impatient. The main reason was that Song Huizong was obsessed with this matter and had already made the ministers have a stress reaction.

Refining alchemy and cultivating Taoism is just the beginning. Once you are addicted to it, it will be a nationwide Taoist temple. Taoist priests will be rewarded with land, and officials from all over the country will be asked to donate Ganoderma lucidum and other medicinal materials.

With the wisdom displayed by Zhu Guoxiang and Zhu Ming, they should not do this.

But there are too many random rumors, about the emperor meeting immortals overseas and getting three volumes of the Book of Heaven. Zhu Guoxiang also had a criminal record and donated Ganoderma lucidum as big as a millstone to Song Huizong.

All these things are related to Taoism, which makes people worried.

The dynasty has just been established, and the finances have just gained a surplus. We must not mess around any more. We must nip the emperor's monasticism in the cradle!

"The emperor has arrived!"

"The Queen is here!"

"The prince has arrived!"

"..."

A series of sounds came, and the emperor and the prince arrived with all the royal family members.

There are even several-year-old grandsons.

Is this a plan for the whole family to practice Taoism?

The ministers were horrified and ignored the etiquette of the country. Prime Minister Zhai Ruwen took the lead to kneel down in violation of the rules, and led the officials to kneel down and admonish: "Your Majesty, the matter of immortality is illusory, and wise emperors like Qin and Han Wu have also suffered from it. I hope your majesty, prince , think twice before taking action!”

Zhu Guoxiang laughed loudly: "Okay, okay. It just so happens that you are all here, let's appreciate the way of chemistry together!"

(Junior high school chemistry knowledge has been returned to the physical education teacher. I won’t update it today. I’ll review it tomorrow before writing it.)