The Ape Man shook his head, and the beardless Eunuch asked subconsciously, "A pity about what?"

The Ape Man glanced at him, a bizarre smile spreading across his face. "The workings of fate are unpredictable and must not be revealed. Rather, let me tell you a story. Whatever you understand from it is entirely up to you."

"Listen to a story? I like that."

Bai Yongyan rubbed his hands together and moved his position a little closer.

"One day, Xin Gongping, the Magistrate of Gaoan County in Hongzhou, along with his friend Cheng Shilian, set out for Chang'an to accept his appointment. They encountered heavy rain on their journey and took shelter at the Luoxi Yulin Inn."

The Ape Man said in a deep voice, "Within the simple inn, the two met a traveler clad in green. The man introduced himself as Wang Zhen—quick-witted and eloquent—earning the respect of both Xin and Cheng. After three rounds of drinks, Wang Zhen claimed he had the ability to prophesy and told them the place where Xin Gongping and Cheng Shilian would stay the next day, as well as the food they would eat.

"He also stated that he could only travel at night and would not be able to accompany them the following day.

"Xin and Cheng shared a smile, naturally disbelieving. The next day, they left the inn and continued on their way, only to stay and eat exactly as Wang Zhen had predicted, to their great surprise.

"That night, Wang Zhen appeared, and the three traveled by night to Yue Village. Wang Zhen asked if they could guess his identity. Xin Gongping guessed he was a reclusive sage. However, Wang Zhen shook his head and denied it. 'I am an Underworld Official,' he said."

An Underworld Official?

The faces of the guests changed subtly. Yu Qingqiu's half-closed eyes suddenly snapped open, and he stared intently at the Ape Man.

The Ape Man, however, seemed completely oblivious to the murderous intent and continued to narrate the story at an unhurried pace.

"Xin Gongping inquired if Wang Zhen was the only one to welcome the Emperor. Wang Zhen shook his head. He stated there were five hundred armored soldiers and a general, all surrounding the trio in the desolate wilderness, invisible to Xin and Cheng.

"At dawn, Wang Zhen bid farewell to the two men again. When they reached Huayin, he appeared once more, providing a lavish feast of meat and wine. He sincerely invited Xin Gongping to witness the Emperor's ascension.

"Xin Gongping agreed. Although Cheng Shilian wished to join, Wang Zhen warned that his fate was too weak to witness the welcoming ceremony.

"Xin Gongping went alone to the appointed location west of Ba Bridge. He felt a chill as a troop of well-armored soldiers materialized, with Wang Zhen among them.

"Following Wang Zhen, Xin Gongping met the general who commanded the five hundred troops. They entered through Tonghua Gate and stayed in a temple for several days without an opportunity for the Emperor's 'welcoming.'"

The Ape Man paused momentarily and scratched his furry wrist. "The general became increasingly restless. He said the appointed time was near and they could wait no longer, but with the Emperor guarded by so many gods, it was difficult to proceed.

"Wang Zhen then proposed a plan, suggesting a nighttime banquet with enough meat and strong scents to make the gods drowsy.

"The general smiled and nodded. He led the troops through Danfeng Gate, across Hanyuan Hall, through Xuǎnzhèng Hall, and surrounded the palace where the banquet was held.

"Xin Gongping, following the soldiers, entered the hall. He heard pleasant sounds of string and woodwind music, with joyful singing and dancing. However, the musicians and dancers were expressionless, like puppets, oblivious to the soldiers invading the palace. All the candle flames gleamed with moonlight, casting the image of the current Emperor seated on the throne, his expressionless face overlooking the entertainment.

"Suddenly, a bizarre figure with a long beard, dressed in a green shirt and black trousers, stepped forward. He was carrying a foot-long golden dagger and offered it to the general, drawing out his words, 'The time has come.'

"The general presented the golden dagger to His Majesty. The music ceased abruptly. The Emperor, dizzy and disoriented, was escorted to the western chamber and did not reemerge for a long time. As the general grew impatient, noises from the chamber suggested the Emperor was bathing and changing clothes.

"After a while, the Emperor boarded the Jade Palanquin, leaving the chamber.

"The general, upon seeing the Emperor, did not kneel but simply bowed. He asked whether the Emperor still had a clear conscience amidst earthly turmoil.

"The Emperor declared himself troubled by the worldly chaos, his mind in disarray. But now, he had cast aside all earthly concerns, with nothing left on his mind.

"The palace maids and concubines sobbed and wiped away the blood. They were unwilling to let go of the Emperor departing on the Jade Palanquin. Yet, the general merely laughed heartily, leading the Jade Palanquin out of the Palace, and gracefully left."

Having said that, the Ape Man's expression turned rather strange. "Xin Gongping, having witnessed the scene of ascension, was later taken by Wang Zhen to the home where Cheng Shilian was staying. There, he saw with his own eyes Wang Zhen's figure slowly disappearing into thin air.

"Cheng Shilian asked him about the details of the ceremonial reception, but Xin Gongping merely said he would tell it another time.

"Months later, news came that the Emperor had passed away. The following year, Xin Gongping was promoted to the Yangzhou Jiangdu County Register."

The Ape Man surveyed the guests, whose expressions varied, and asked in a Youyou voice, "Ladies and Gentlemen, do you understand what was conveyed?"

The hall was utterly silent, with no one responding.

CLATTER.

Bai Yongyan placed his chopsticks on the wooden dish and said indifferently, "This 'welcoming the Emperor,' of course, refers to the Emperor. The Underworld 'welcoming the Emperor' naturally means sending the Emperor to heaven.

"However, if it were a normal procession conducted by an Underworld Official, it would be expected to happen when the Emperor is gravely ill, beyond the help of medicine, and the Underworld Messenger comes to receive him.

"In the story, however, Wang Zhen and the general's actions were mysterious, not resembling those of the living. They somehow managed to enter the capital and station themselves in a temple close to the Palace. It's likely that they were treasonous officials masquerading as Underworld Officials.

"The general complained that the Emperor was protected by many gods. Here, 'many gods' presumably refer to the Emperor's personal bodyguards.

"During the night banquet, the treasonous officials managed to draw away the Emperor's bodyguards and, with daggers in hand, 'invited' the Emperor to ascend to immortality.

"Subsequently, the Emperor was taken to the western chamber to bathe and change his clothes. This supposed bathing was probably the application of the executioner's axe.

"The concubines were crying and wiping blood from the floor. This meant that the Emperor seated on the Jade Palanquin, after emerging from the chamber, was already a corpse."

Bai Yongyan glanced around at the guests, who were as silent as cicadas in winter. He spread his hands with nonchalance and casually said, "I remember, the cause of death of the previous Emperor Shunzong was very suspicious, right?

"At that time, Emperor Shunzong attempted to reform court politics. But due to the opposition of the eunuchs and a circle of courtier allies, the reform ultimately came to nothing.

"The group of eunuchs, to eradicate the problem once and for all, directly forced their way into the Palace. They coerced Emperor Shunzong to abdicate, turning him into the Supreme Emperor. They then transferred the throne to the then sixteen-year-old Crown Prince, who is the current Emperor.

"Shunzong attempted to send people to Qinzhou, asking the Longxi Strategist to dispatch troops to depose the new emperor. But the plot was uncovered, the envoy killed, and Shunzong was placed under house arrest.

"The following year, the current Emperor claimed that the Supreme Emperor had been ill for a long time and needed to reside within the inner court of the deep palace, away from public view.

"Five months later, the Emperor announced the death of the Supreme Emperor due to illness. This just coincided with the time described in Xin Gongping's Ascension story.

"If the 'Ascension of Xin Gongping' you've just described is indeed about treasonous officials rebelling and secretly executing Emperor Shunzong, then these officials are most likely the group of eunuchs who previously helped the current Emperor win the struggle for Crown Prince.

"The reason for fabricating characters like Xin Gongping, Cheng Shilian, and Wang Zhen is to discreetly record the true events that occurred through the format of bizarre tales."

Bai Yongyan glanced at Yu Qingqiu, whose expression had soured to an extreme, and said nonchalantly to the Ape Man, "The meaning of this story is quite simple. Since the Supreme Emperor, who once attempted to reform court politics, was forced into abdication and even killed by the eunuch faction, then the current Emperor also witnessed—and perhaps even participated in—the eunuch faction's plan to harm the Supreme Emperor. Therefore, he naturally would not push for political reform."

(Xin Gongping's Ascension Record is from the "Continuation of Mysterious Records" written by Li Fuyan during the mid-Tang Dynasty.)

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