Echoes of My Heart Throughout the Court

Chapter 211: Daring! He’s an Auspicious Sign! (2 / 2)

[How boring. Isn’t this just a variation of the street trick, ‘I can guess your surname without you telling me’? I’ve seen this so many times at roadside stalls that I can’t even be bothered to play along anymore.]

Originally curious and considering teasing this “Daoist,” the emperor hesitated. Hearing Xu Yanmiao’s inner thoughts, he suddenly felt that showing interest in such a trick would be beneath him.

“Hmm. No need to guess. Go ahead and ask the Heavenly Venerables about the destiny of my dynasty instead.”

His indifferent tone made the Daoist uneasy.

…The emperor wasn’t like this yesterday.

Unable to think of a reason for the emperor’s shift in attitude, the Daoist assumed that he wanted to witness something even more extraordinary, finding the puppet movements and mind-reading unimpressive.

The Daoist bowed again and called for a brush and a bowl. The bowl, prepared by the imperial guards, was filled with cold water. Holding the bowl, the Daoist began to perform ritual steps and chant: “I respectfully summon the Primordial Heavenly Venerable…”

The small puppet representing the Primordial Heavenly Venerable began to move.

After chanting for a while, the Daoist widened his eyes dramatically as if filled with divine fury. He dipped the brush into the cold water and wrote on a blank talisman paper. His movements were stiff, as if controlled by an invisible force, like a puppet being manipulated. Slowly, words appeared on the paper, the strokes bright red, as though the brush had been dipped in cinnabar instead of water.

[What the—!] Xu Yanmiao was startled. [This Daoist really dares to say it! Isn’t he effectively cursing the emperor’s dynasty to end after just two generations?]

After all, it was currently the 34th year of the Tian Tong era!

The Daoist trembled from his neck down to his feet in a wave-like motion. After shaking, he jolted as if regaining his senses. Seeing the words on the paper, his expression turned both astonished and grave. “Your Majesty, this is a warning from the Heavenly Venerable. Given the current peace and prosperity of the nation, it is unthinkable for the dynasty to last only 44 years. This likely indicates… a monstrous evil within the country!”

Many officials were so shocked they were rendered speechless.

What’s wrong with living a good life? Why would you provoke a tiger like this? Do you think our emperor is the kind of person to believe in this nonsense?

The old emperor cast a faint glance at the Daoist and called over the imperial guards, whispering something to them. The guards retreated briefly and returned, dragging someone along.

A bundle of dirt-covered string was tossed to the ground.

The emperor sneered coldly. “The Primordial Heavenly Venerable? The Spirit Treasure Heavenly Venerable? Why would they require trenches to be dug underground, with ropes pulling them up and down to make them jump?”

Sweat began to bead on the Daoist’s forehead.

The emperor sneered again. “Did you not inquire before flaunting your tricks in front of my court? The Prime Minister used to sell medicinal ointments on the streets. Among the six ministers, there are former street performers, fortune-tellers, ballad singers, scribes, mule traders, and even a former gatekeeper at a gambling den—who here isn’t familiar with these market tricks?

“Not to mention, the little stunts you’re pulling? I’ve done them all before—back when I begged for a living.”

“Speak. Who sent you?”

The Daoist remained silent for a moment, then sighed. “Your Majesty, this humble Daoist has a clear conscience.”

The old emperor was speechless.

What do I care about your conscience?

Seeing that the Daoist refused to speak, the emperor waved his hand. The imperial guards prepared to drag the man away.

Just then, the hurried sound of soft satin boots brushing against the patterned stone floor echoed. Another group of imperial guards entered hastily. Judging from the grim expressions on their faces, the officials in the court instantly sensed that something was amiss.

The old emperor glanced toward Xu Yanmiao and stopped the guards from whispering their report. “Speak plainly. What is it?”

“Your Majesty! In the marketplace, a hen has reportedly turned into a rooster, and a strange green rainbow descended from the sky. The people are talking, saying…”

The court erupted into chaos.

Some phenomena could be dismissed as mere tricks, but a hen turning into a rooster? That was beyond human manipulation!

Throughout history, there had only been three documented cases of hens transforming into roosters. Each time, it led to political upheaval, with countless people exploiting the event to eliminate their enemies. The most extreme case saw an emperor execute two of his grown sons.

Prime Minister Dou urgently asked, “What are the people saying? Speak quickly!”

The guard swallowed hard and replied, “They say… a demon has descended into the world and resides within the court!”

The Daoist’s gaze flickered toward the guards before returning to the emperor. With a sorrowful tone, he said, “Your Majesty, does this not confirm the truth of my words? There is a demon in the court!”

“Old fool! What do you know?”

The emperor rose angrily, bellowing, “Demon? He possesses a pure and noble heart. It is clearly an auspicious sign!”

The Daoist replied, “Your Majesty, I understand it is difficult for you to accept that the Crown Prince is a demon…”

The old emperor froze for a moment. “The Crown Prince?”

“Oh.” He sat back down. “So, you’re talking about the Crown Prince.”

During the Jin Dynasty’s Yongjia era, a man from Tianzhu (ancient India) crossed south of the Yangtze River. He was skilled in several tricks: severing and reattaching his tongue, and breathing fire. Crowds gathered wherever he performed.

Before severing his tongue, he would first extend it to show the audience. Then, he would cut it with a knife, causing blood to spill onto the ground. He placed the severed tongue in a container and passed it around for everyone to see. When observed closely, half of the tongue remained in the container. Shortly after, he would retrieve it and reattach it. After a while, those seated would see his tongue restored to its original state, leaving them unsure if it had truly been severed.

When reconnecting severed objects, he would use a piece of silk. He and another person would each hold one end, cutting it in the middle. Afterward, he would rejoin the two pieces, and the silk would appear seamless as if it had never been cut. Skeptics tested this and confirmed the silk was genuinely severed.

For his fire-breathing trick, he prepared a substance in a container, mixed it with sugar, and blew repeatedly. Then, opening his mouth, flames filled it. He used these flames to ignite cooking fires. Additionally, he threw books, paper, and rope into the fire. Spectators watched as they burned to ashes. Yet, when he sifted through the ashes, he retrieved the original items unscathed.

— Records of the Search for the Supernatural

On “Magic Performances”:

The term “magic tricks” is referred to as “Cai Lizi.” This profession is divided into various categories:

• Standard tricks are called “Cai Lizi.”
• Tricks incorporating martial arts are known as “Qianzi.”
• Traveling performers are called “Tiaochugong.”
• Foreign magic tricks are labeled “Setang Lizi.”
• Human-headed spiders, talking heads, and mythical creatures are collectively known as “Xingpeng” (fabricated).
• Large-scale tricks onstage are called “Luohuo” or “Xiehuo.”
• Small tricks are called “Mozi Huo” (or “Single-color Lizi”).
• Private performances are called “Jiadangzi.”
• A poorly executed trick is termed “Paoliao Huo” (exposed act).
• Tricks using hidden mechanisms are referred to as “Menzi.”

Specific tricks also have their unique terms:

• “Miaozi” refers to the “Immortal Plucking Beans” trick.
• “Lalashan” describes producing wine from a pot.
• “Penghuazi” is creating lotuses in a cup.
• “Zhaozi” involves rings clashing.
• “Jiuzi” refers to conjuring a large bowl.
• Sword swallowing is called “Minqingzi.”
• Swallowing iron balls is “Gunzi.”
• Knife tricks are “Daxing” (particularly fake).

These are the various jargons and classifications within the world of magic performances. Among them, “Cai Lizi” is considered the most disciplined profession today.

— Miscellaneous Talks of the Jianghu

On Predictive Tricks:

A game called “Immortal Picks a Play” uses two small booklets containing hundreds of play titles. If someone secretly remembers a title from the first booklet, flips through the second, and is asked which page contains their chosen play, the performer can accurately guess it.

— Miscellaneous Talks of the Jianghu

On the “Water Charm”:

A brush is placed in a bowl of cold water. When the performer chants, they dip the brush in the water and write on yellow paper. The writing appears red, as if written in cinnabar.

After investigation, it was discovered that the water contained a small amount of dissolved alkali. When mixed with the brush, the alkali reacted with the paper, causing it to turn red. This chemical method creates the illusion of a magical charm.

— Miscellaneous Talks of the Jianghu

On “Jumping Cloth Figures”:

Small cloth figures are buried in jars under the ground. When activated, the figures appear to jump and move on their own.

It was later revealed that beneath the site, a trench had been dug with a bamboo tube and strings connected to metal springs. Hidden operators in a nearby theater pulled the strings, causing the cloth figures to move as if alive.

— Miscellaneous Talks of the Jianghu

“You call her a demon; I call her a blessing.”— The First Volume of Investiture of the Gods