Although Taichang Shi Yanchang had been accused of misleading the emperor in the eyes of some censors, in fact his main responsibility was to observe the celestial phenomena, calculate the solar terms and formulate the calendar.
These jobs really need people with good brains to do, and often seem a bit mysterious, but Yan Chang rarely does anything unnecessary on weekdays. He is the most Buddhist among the court officials. He will not flatter, and it is not his turn to give direct advice.
However, as the director of the Imperial Observatory, he would inevitably be pushed to the forefront by the emperor for matters such as water and land ceremonies.
In the Sitianjian place, the directors of all dynasties did have some special qualities. They had been observing the celestial phenomena and the four seasons for a long time, day after day and year after year, and perhaps they could understand some subtleties. It is not without reason that they could sense the old beggar's specialness among the masters just like observing the stars.
But Yan Chang never thought that he would be in trouble because of the old beggar, and now he lay on the ground and dared not move.
The emperor sneered and pointed his finger downwards.
"Capture the Chief Astronomical Observer Zheng Yanchang and this old beggar!"
"yes!"
At the emperor's command, the guards around him instantly jumped up, their advanced martial arts skills bringing them outstanding explosive power.
In an instant, figures flashed by, and a knife was placed on the old beggar's neck from three directions: left, right, and back, and his neck was surrounded by the blades.
Two other knives were placed on Yan Chang's neck. The guards took away the jade sceptre and detained him with his hands behind his back. His whole body was in the hands of the guards like a child at their mercy, and they pulled him up directly.
Yan Chang's face was pale, his heart was beating so fast that it almost jumped out of his chest, and his mind was filled with thoughts like "It's over, it's over..."
"Yan Chang, I want to ask you, who asked you to recommend this old beggar? The King of Wu or the King of Jin?"
The two princes looked terrified, and almost simultaneously stepped out to kneel, and cried out for justice.
"How dare your son do such a treasonous thing!" "Your son didn't know!"
This was truly an unexpected disaster for the two princes, and they hated Yan Chang even more at this moment.
"Why… "
Yan Chang closed his eyes and sighed softly, trying to calm himself down before opening his eyes again.
"Your Majesty, I recommended him myself, and it has nothing to do with the two of you. Mr. Lu is truly a great man, but I didn't know that he dared to speak such treasonous words in the court. I know I am guilty..."
Emperor Yuande snorted coldly and looked at the old beggar. He saw that his expression remained normal, especially the pair of eyes staring at him. His gaze was very calm, and he felt some inexplicable feelings in his heart.
"So what about you? Was someone instructing you to..."
Emperor Yuande paused, hesitated for a moment, and continued.
"Or do you really want to say that just now?"
Among the mages who made way to the sides of the hall, some looked calm but were uneasy in their hearts, while others seemed to be gloating.
The jade-faced monk was also among the group of monks. At this moment, he looked at the old beggar and then the old emperor, and murmured to himself and sighed.
"Good be to the Great Bright King Buddha..."
The old beggar just looked at Emperor Yuande and did not answer him immediately. Instead, he looked at Yan Chang, who looked as pale as death.
"Hey, Master Yan, I'm sorry to have to let you down..."
At this point, the old beggar raised his head to look at the emperor, and a smile appeared on his face again, but he no longer had the solemnity and respect he had shown in the first question. Instead, he was cynical as when begging normally.
"Your Majesty, this matter is all because of me, the old beggar, who spoke wildly. It is not Lord Yan's fault. It has nothing to do with the princes. How about this? Execute me, the old beggar, and your Majesty will be relieved."
Execution
Yan Chang was now extremely sensitive to this word, and then he realized that it was not him who was being talked about, but this old beggar who was asking for death.
Although the court officials on the side had many speculations in their minds, such as the possibility that it might be to protect the mastermind behind the scenes, they did not dare to discuss it at this moment, so the front of the hall was very quiet.
The old emperor's expression was uncertain as he stared at the old beggar.
It took him a long time to utter a word.
"If you really have magical powers and mysterious magic, show them to me. As long as they are true, I will not only forgive your crime, but also confer a title and reward on you!"
As soon as these words were spoken, there were whispers of discussions among the court officials. Even Yan Chang looked at the old beggar with hope. He had seen Ji Yuan wielding his sword and dancing in the moonlight. The old beggar saw him catch a cat, but from the conversation between several masters at that time, it seemed that the cat was also extraordinary.
But the old beggar smiled wryly and shook his head.
"No need, just execute the old beggar."
"you… "
The old emperor gripped the handles of the dragon throne tightly with both hands, leaned forward and spoke sternly.
"Do you really think I dare not kill you?"
Even though the old beggar had three sharp knives pointed at his shoulders, he seemed to ignore them. With his hands held by the guards, he simply tilted his head and rubbed the blades to scratch his shoulders.
Even the guards nearby couldn't help but secretly marvel at the old beggar's courage. They grabbed his hands and used their innate qi to probe his body, and they realized that his body was "empty", and he was not a martial arts master.
After the old beggar finished scratching his itch, he still looked at the old emperor with the same expression, and there was even a hint of pity in his eyes.
"Your Majesty, there is no need to bother killing an old beggar. Your Majesty, please proceed."
The veins on the back of the emperor's old hands were flexing due to the force and excitement, and his chest was heaving with anger. The way the old beggar looked at him made him furious.
“Hehehe… Good! Guards in front of the palace, listen to my order. Take the old beggar out of Yongning Street immediately and behead him as a warning to everyone!”
"The Imperial Astronomical Bureau will be in charge, and the Ministry of Rites will be in charge of speaking..."
Yan Chang on the side couldn't help but tremble, and fine beads of sweat kept oozing out of his cheeks.
"Dismissed from his post and thrown into prison!"
"Yes Yes!"…
Yan Chang's whole body seemed to have lost all strength and fell down. Two guards carried him and dragged him out of the hall. He used his remaining strength to look at the old beggar. He walked steadily and was escorted out of the hall by several guards.
After the two "criminals" were escorted out, the hall became silent, and the two princes were still kneeling on the ground, not daring to stand up or raise their heads. They could even feel their father's eyes on them.
"Hey, you two, get up!"
"Thank you, Father!"
The two of them thanked En in unison, and when they stood up, they subconsciously looked at each other, and saw a lingering fear in their brother's eyes.
After experiencing such an incident, many of the remaining fifteen magicians in the hall were trembling with fear. The lessons of the past were right before their eyes. The other officials from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and the Ministry of Rites who were in charge of the ritual assembly were also very nervous.
As the saying goes, an emperor's orders cannot be neglected. Since the emperor personally ordered the immediate execution in front of the palace, the guards naturally perked up and immediately escorted the old beggar to the street outside the palace.
There was no need to wait even until noon. The palace guards personally escorted the old beggar, followed by a group of imperial guards, and escorted him directly to Yongning Street as if he were a court minister who had committed a crime.
The imperial guards held spears and halberds and cleared the way for pedestrians in front.
"Go away, go away, don't block the road!" "Stray people, please stay away!"
When many people saw this situation, they realized that someone was going to be beheaded, and immediately many people followed from the periphery, and more people with bad intentions rushed over after hearing the news.
"It seems like someone is going to be beheaded over there!" "Really?"
"Just go and take a look and you'll find out!"
"Wait for me."
Watching a beheading is also a special kind of lively scene.
"Hey, there seems to be an old beggar in the prison car?" "Is it the minister who came out of prison?"
"No, he's really a beggar. Look at his clothes, they're not even prison uniforms!"
"That's true..." "This beggar doesn't seem to be afraid at all?"
"Are you scared silly?"
…
This scene also attracted some special people, including Ji Yuan and several Yu Huaishan Taoist priests.
Ji Yuan also followed the crowd of ordinary people moving with the prison van and shouted in the direction of the prison van with a puzzled look.
"Mr. Lu, what crime have you committed?"
Only the old beggar's head was exposed outside the prison van, and he was still wearing shackles and shackles. He barely turned around and shouted at Ji Yuan.
"Mr. Ji, I have offended the emperor in court, and I shall be beheaded!"
Ji Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but at the same time he was a little curious. If this old beggar didn't get away, would he really be beheaded
But before he had time to think about it, two imperial guards immediately came to Ji Yuan and looked at him seriously.
"Who are you and what is your relationship with the criminal?"
"Uh... Sirs, please understand that I just had tea with this old beggar. I have nothing else to do with him!"
Ji Yuan bowed, his expression calm and his demeanor composed under a smile.
Several imperial guards looked at each other and didn't make things too difficult for him. They just asked him to get out of the way.
But the imperial guards let Ji Yuan go, but the old beggar did not let him go.
"Mr. Ji, I heard that people can have a meal before being beheaded. How about you help me prepare a bowl of food for me?"
Seeing his look, Ji Yuan smiled, nodded, and turned to leave.
When Ji Yuan came back, the old beggar was pinned in the middle of Yongning Street, surrounded by a large group of people from a distance.
"Please make way, please make way, I am here to serve you my last meal!"
Ji Yuan apologized and squeezed forward. When the people around him heard that it was a last meal for the executioner, they immediately made way for him, and soon Ji Yuan was able to squeeze through the wall of people.
Several monks from Yuhuaishan stood together, looking at Ji Yuan and the old beggar with strange expressions.
"Uncle Master, what's going on here?"
The old man who was asked thought about it carefully with uncertain eyes.
"Just watch."
Ji Yuan carried a bowl full of minced meat with sauce and rice, and after greeting the surrounding imperial guards and imperial guards, he walked over to the old beggar. By then, the old beggar's shackles had been undone and he could eat by himself.
"Mr. Lu, please use it."
The old beggar took the bowl with a big smile, said "thank you" and started eating with big mouthfuls.
He quickly finished the full bowl of rice, and it tasted so delicious.
"Hiccup~~~"
After a burp, the old beggar returned the bowl and chopsticks to Ji Yuan.
"Hehe...Mr. Ji, you'd better move a little further away, so that the old beggar's blood won't stain your clothes. Oh, you are a pure body, so you don't need to be afraid of this little bit of dirt."
Ji Yuan took the bowl and chopsticks, shook his head, and slowly walked back to the group of spectators outside.
It seems that this old beggar is really going to be "beheaded", which reminds Ji Yuan of the ghost mother he captured before, who was also able to come back to life after being beheaded.
"Since you've finished eating, then get going. Don't blame us for being ruthless. Blame yourself for committing a capital crime!"
After the palace guard finished speaking, he personally acted as an axeman, drew his sword and raised it high, while the old beggar just knelt on the ground with his head down.
All the onlookers almost subconsciously shrank their bodies, and there was a gasp and trembling in the crowd.
The next moment, the guard swung his knife.
"Puff..."
Heads rolled down, blood spurted from necks, and many spectators trembled.
“Ah…” “Ouch…”
"Hiss..."
Ji Yuan opened his Dharma eyes and looked carefully at the old beggar, and suddenly he understood something.
About four or five breaths later, something happened that made all the onlookers and executioners shudder.
The headless corpse lying on the ground stood up again on its own, staggering forward and feeling around.
“Ah…” “Ghost!”
"It's a zombie, run~~!"
“Ah…” “Run…” “Don’t push me!”
…
A large number of common people fled in panic. The surrounding imperial guards and palace guards were all horrified. They couldn't escape or advance, and their bodies were a little stiff...
"Hey, here, here!"
The head that rolled to the side also started talking, as if guiding the body to come find itself.
After another moment, the headless body held up the head and pressed it back on its neck.
“Crackle…Crackle…”
The old beggar twisted his neck, making a crackling sound, and then looked at the guards in front of the palace with a smile on his face.
"Alas, the fate of this dynasty cannot be easily affected. The relationship between me and the old emperor as a master and disciple is over!"