Chapter 1099
Arrogant
Chapter 1099 Arrogant
The Taoist monks who were summoned by Pan Yun to preach on the grasslands all knew that the blizzard on the grasslands in early spring had little to do with the punishment from the Eternal Heaven. The main reason was the first point Pan Yun made: the moon has its phases, and the seasons naturally have their ups and downs. This is nature, an unchangeable law.
The laws of nature cannot be changed, but calamities can be altered.
If people on the grasslands could foresee snow disasters and prepare in advance, they could reduce casualties and losses during heavy snowstorms.
The imperial court and various departments also prepared disaster relief supplies and procedures well in advance to carry out post-disaster work.
Doing a good job in the three aspects of pre-disaster, during-disaster, and post-disaster work will greatly reduce the losses and casualties caused by snow disasters.
This is why natural disasters are unpredictable, yet humanity continues to fight against them.
Whether they are Taoists or monks, they all feel that fighting against oneself and against Heaven is more interesting than fighting against people.
The superstitious man-made disaster caused by this severe snowstorm not only shocked both the Taoist and Buddhist camps, making them realize from their covert struggles that if it was not curbed, the spread of cults would far exceed that of orthodox religions. What was most frightening was that most cults would impersonate gods and Buddhas and would also become associated with both camps. If the imperial court were to issue an order banning Taoism and Buddhism...
Oh, the Imperial Preceptor is a Taoist priest, so he might not ban Taoism, but he will definitely ban Buddhism.
These were the thoughts of the monks and nuns, but the Taoist priests did not think so.
Only the Taoists knew that after Pan Yun became the Imperial Preceptor, they did not receive any real benefits; in fact, the court's control over Taoism became even stricter.
A well-informed Taoist priest learned that someone in the court had proposed abolishing the tax exemption policy for monks and Taoists, and the Imperial Preceptor had not voiced any opposition.
Therefore, if these cults truly angered Pan Yun, she would indeed ban Taoism and destroy Buddhism.
As a result, both camps began to regulate their disciples, and Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries began to actively promote the correct way of believing, cooperating with the imperial court to suppress all cults.
This is at the grassroots level, but the imperial court also recognized the role of "early warning" in dealing with natural disasters.
They cannot control the arrival of natural disasters, but what if they knew about them in advance?
A runaway carriage can kill a person if it hits them. But what if you knew in advance that a runaway carriage was going to hit you?
If I can't dodge, can't I at least build a wall in front of me, cover myself with a thick blanket, and prepare doctors and medicine in advance to minimize the damage?
The court officials finally shifted their attention from the Imperial Preceptor to the other monks and Taoists.
The Imperial Preceptor was too dazzling and his status too special, so much so that they focused on him and thought that he was seeking personal gain by setting up a branch of the Imperial Observatory and recruiting a large number of Taoists as low-ranking officials. Now it seems that he can select talents from among them.
The Imperial Preceptor can foresee the celestial events of the next three years. These Taoist monks are not as capable as the Imperial Preceptor; they can at least foresee three to five days in advance.
If another disaster relief emergency department is established to cooperate with the local government, the situation can be controlled in the event of another natural disaster.
The courtiers were very excited and pleaded with the emperor to urge the imperial advisor to return so that they could discuss the selection of talent and the establishment of a disaster relief emergency department.
The emperor wanted the Grand Preceptor to return even more than they did, and urged her several times with yellow talismans, but she brushed them off each time.
They said it would be soon, but three months have passed and they still haven't returned.
The emperor was heartbroken. For the Grand Preceptor, the journey from the grasslands back to the capital would only take two or three hours. Now, was she unwilling to even spare two or three hours for him?
The emperor was both heartbroken and furious: "What exactly is on the grasslands?"
Cheng Jing wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Kuang has submitted a memorial stating that the vaccination rate for smallpox on the grasslands has reached 40%. The Imperial Medical Academy has also submitted a memorial stating that the risk of smallpox prevention through smallpox vaccination has decreased, and except in very rare cases, there will generally be no problems. The Imperial Preceptor may be staying on the grasslands, or perhaps he is observing the situation regarding the eradication of smallpox."
"Isn't this something that Miao and Tao Yanbai are doing? I even sent so many imperial physicians to assist them. The Imperial Preceptor isn't skilled in medicine, so it would be better for him to return to the capital sooner."
The emperor instructed Cheng Jing to draft an edict urging Pan Yun to return to the capital via telegram.
The yellow tally could not urge anyone to act, because that was a private matter for the emperor.
The information was sent via telegram, which was in plain text and was considered an imperial edict.
Even for the sake of the emperor's face, Pan Yun could no longer ignore it. So, that very night, Pan Yun returned to the palace.
The emperor locked himself in his study and refused to see anyone, saying he was handling state affairs.
Empress Wang hurriedly came from the inner palace to entertain the Imperial Preceptor on behalf of the Emperor, and said softly, "Your Majesty still has some childish temper."
Pan Yun was neither Yu Qian nor a strict official. She was very tolerant of the emperor's occasional temper tantrums, since they were only directed at her and did not affect ordinary people.
She apologized to Empress Wang: "I have indeed neglected Your Majesty; it is my fault."
There was no shirking of responsibility, not even an excuse.
Cheng Jing immediately began to secretly relay the message, and the emperor in the main hall looked much better upon hearing this.
Cheng Jing glanced at his face and said at the right moment, "Your Majesty, I see that the Grand Preceptor looks quite tired. He must have a lot of things to do on the grasslands."
The emperor's expression improved, but a hint of unease crept in: "Has the Grand Preceptor been prepared for his meal?"
"Her Majesty brought a food box and is currently having a meal with the Imperial Preceptor."
The emperor hesitated for a moment, then stood up: "Let's deal with the rest of the memorials tomorrow."
Cheng Jing immediately and attentively served the emperor to the side hall.
Upon seeing the emperor, Pan Yun smiled and stood up, looking at him with a smile as she stood by the dining table.
Upon seeing her, the emperor could no longer contain his grievances and began to complain about her incessantly for a long time.
He couldn't get her to come back, and the reply on the yellow talisman was perfunctory. There was also the sudden pressure from the court due to the superstitious activities on the grasslands, and his martial arts skills were not improving no matter how he practiced them...
Pan Yun listened quietly, nodding repeatedly to affirm him and encourage him to continue.
The empress, standing to the side, looked embarrassed, feeling that the emperor's complaints were shameful.
Isn't this all part of an emperor's job?
How can you complain about such a small setback?
She tried to interrupt the emperor several times, but Pan Yun calmly clapped her hands to stop her.
Pan Yun knew that being an emperor was very stressful, especially after he had the idea of immortality, the double pressure made him feel very depressed.
He can comfort himself, but he also needs an outlet for his emotions.
Pan Yun knew that he didn't need her to provide solutions; he just wanted someone to listen to him.
Her gaze swept over the emperor and empress, finally settling on the empress's belly, and she sighed softly.
The emperor spoke for half an hour and drank half a pot of tea before stopping.
Pan Jun smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please go change your clothes first. We will continue our discussion in another place later."
The emperor really wanted to go to the latrine. Seeing that Pan Yun was so considerate in even this, he felt both comforted and indignant. If he was so resourceful, why couldn't he get the money back for the past few months?
The emperor rose angrily and said, "Go to the side hall of the palace. I want to have a good talk with the Imperial Advisor."
(End of this chapter)