Rebirth of the Princess Pearl

After the thrilling battle with the Snake Cult and the successful destruction of it, the palace returned to its former peace and tranquility. On this day, Emperor Qianlong was taking a leisurely walk in the Imperial Garden, with several young eunuchs serving him.

As they were walking, the young eunuch came to report: "Your Majesty, Taoist Qingfeng wants to see you, saying that he wants to reminisce about the past with Your Majesty."

When Emperor Qianlong heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he hurriedly said, "Please come in! Please come in! I haven't had a good chat with Taoist Qingfeng for a long time."

Soon, Taoist Qingfeng followed the young eunuch to the Imperial Garden. He was still wearing the Taoist robe, holding a whisk, and had a peaceful look on his face.

"I pay my respects to His Majesty. May His Majesty be in good health." Taoist Qingfeng bowed.

"Master, please stand up quickly. How come you have time today to reminisce with me?" Emperor Qianlong said with a smile, motioning Taoist Qingfeng to sit on a stone bench nearby.

After sitting down, Taoist Qingfeng sighed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, the matter of the Spirit Snake Cult has finally been completely resolved, and I have finally put my mind at ease. These few days in the palace, looking at the familiar plants and trees, I couldn't help but think of many things in the past."

Emperor Qianlong nodded and said, "Yes, Taoist priest, this time it is really thanks to you and your disciples. If it weren't for your help, who knows how far the Spirit Snake Cult would have gone. By the way, Taoist priest just said that he remembered something from the past, I wonder what it was?"

Taoist Qingfeng smiled slightly, looked at Emperor Qianlong, and said, "Your Majesty, do you still remember that when you were a child, about four years old, I often played with you. At that time, I often made soup for you to drink right away. You were still young at that time, and you laughed happily every time you drank the soup. Does Your Majesty still have some impression of it now?"

When Emperor Qianlong heard this, he had a look of reminiscence in his eyes and said with a smile: "Haha, now that you said that, I seem to have a little impression of it. I remember that I felt that you were amazing, you knew everything, and you took me to play with all kinds of novel things."

Taoist Qingfeng also laughed and said, "Yes, at that time the emperor was still a cute little kid. In fact, before that, I often practiced martial arts with your father, the fourth prince at that time."

Emperor Qianlong asked curiously, "Oh? The Taoist priest and the emperor are often together? Is there any story behind this?"

Taoist Qingfeng's expression became a little solemn, and he said, "Your Majesty, An Ning, especially the matter of the nine sons competing for the throne, it has caused a lot of uproar."

Emperor Qianlong frowned and said, "I have also heard about the nine princes' fight for the throne. I heard that at that time, the princes fought openly and secretly for the throne. It was really dangerous."

Taoist Qingfeng nodded and said, "That's right, Your Majesty. At that time, the Fourth Prince, who later became Emperor Yongzheng, was in the middle of it, and every step was very frightening. As for me, due to some coincidences, I was always by the Fourth Prince's side. First, to protect his safety, and second, to plan some things with him."

Emperor Qianlong was surprised and said, "So that's how it is. The Taoist priest once protected my father. It was not easy. What happened next, Taoist priest?"

Taoist Qingfeng continued, "Later, during an attack by the Spirit Snake Cult, the situation was extremely critical. For some reason, the people of the Spirit Snake Cult suddenly targeted the Fourth Prince and wanted to harm him. At that time, I tried my best and finally saved the Fourth Prince. However, I was also seriously injured in that battle. Fortunately, I was rescued by Taoist Qingxu and taken to Longhu Mountain to heal my injuries. I stayed there for many years."

Emperor Qianlong said with emotion: "So there are such twists and turns in this. No wonder you, Taoist priest, hate the Spirit Snake Sect so much. It turns out that you had a grudge against them as early as my father's time."

Taoist Qingfeng said solemnly, "Yes, Your Majesty. The Spirit Snake Cult has always committed many evil things, and has become even more evil in recent years, trying to get involved in the imperial palace. If we don't eradicate them completely, there will be no peace in this world."

Emperor Qianlong nodded and said, "Master, you are right. Now the Spirit Snake Sect has been eliminated, and the palace and the capital have returned to peace. This is all thanks to you, Master. By the way, Master, have you had any other interesting experiences in Longhu Mountain during these years?"

Taoist Qingfeng smiled and said, "There are many interesting things, Your Majesty. In Longhu Mountain, I can practice Taoism and study scriptures with my fellow disciples every day. The scenery in the mountain is also beautiful. Moreover, I often meet people who come to seek Taoism. They bring their own stories, and it is also interesting to communicate with them."

Emperor Qianlong listened with great interest and said, "It sounds really good. Sometimes I envy you for your comfortable life. I am not like you, who have to deal with so many government affairs every day and am very busy."

Taoist Qingfeng waved his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wrong. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven and is responsible for the well-being of the people of the world. Although handling government affairs is hard, it is also for the peace of the world. My free life is just to cultivate my body and mind in the mountains. Compared with your Majesty's achievements, it is insignificant."

Emperor Qianlong said with a smile: "Haha, Taoist priest, you are too modest. But I also understand that peace in the world is not easy. Just like the incident with the Spirit Snake Sect this time, if you are not careful, it may lead to a disaster."

Taoist Qingfeng nodded and said, "That's right, Your Majesty. So the guards of the palace, as well as the public security of the world, must always remain vigilant. Although the Spirit Snake Cult has been destroyed, who knows, some other force might emerge one day to cause trouble."

Emperor Qianlong frowned and said, "What the Taoist said makes sense. I have also been thinking about this issue. I plan to strengthen the guards of the palace, increase the number of guards, and improve their training intensity. At the same time, I will also ask officials from all regions to pay attention to local conditions and report any suspicious forces to the court immediately."

Taoist Qingfeng twisted his beard and said, "Your Majesty's move is very wise. In addition, Your Majesty can also cultivate some trusted forces of his own, such as some young people with martial arts and wisdom, and have them on standby at any time in case of emergency."

Emperor Qianlong pondered for a moment and said, "Well, Taoist priest, this suggestion is good. I will consider it. By the way, Taoist priest, you have been in the palace for such a long time this time. Are you used to it?"

Taoist Qingfeng smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am doing very well in the palace. The people in the palace are very polite to me, and I can often chat with the princes and princesses, which is quite interesting."

Emperor Qianlong smiled and said, "That's good. If you like it, you can come to the palace more often in the future."

Taoist Qingfeng bowed quickly and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will obey your orders."

At this time, Xiaoyanzi, Ziwei, Yongqi, Erkang and others also came to the Imperial Garden for a walk.

Xiaoyanzi saw Emperor Qianlong and Taoist Qingfeng from a distance, and shouted, "Father Emperor, Taoist Qingfeng, what are you talking about here? It's so lively!"

Emperor Qianlong smiled and said, "Xiaoyanzi, we are here to reminisce about the past. Taoist Qingfeng is telling me about the past."

Little Swallow came running over and said, "Hey, what happened in the past? What happened in the past? Tell me about it!"

Ziwei also came over and said with a smile: "Yes, Father Huang, Taoist Qingfeng, we want to listen too."

Yongqi and Erkang also said: "Your Majesty, Taoist priest, why don't you tell us about it, so that we can understand the past of this palace."

Taoist Qingfeng smiled and said, "Haha, since everyone wants to listen, then I will tell you more. This story has to start from the reign of Emperor Kangxi. At that time..."

Then, Taoist Qingfeng repeated in detail to Xiaoyanzi, Ziwei, Yongqi, Erkang and others what he had told Emperor Qianlong before, about the battle for the throne among the nine sons during the reign of Emperor Kangxi, as well as the childhood stories of Emperor Yongzheng and Emperor Qianlong.

Little Swallow's eyes widened as she heard this. She said in amazement, "Wow, there were so many things in the past! There are so many stories in this palace!"

Ziwei also said with emotion: "Yes, after hearing these things, I feel that this palace has a long history, and I also understand that the throne is not easy to come by."

Yongqi nodded and said, "That's right. We must work harder in the future to protect this palace and the emperor so that the world will always be peaceful."

Erkang also said: "Yes, every piece of history in this palace is a precious treasure, we must cherish it."

After hearing this, Emperor Qianlong said with relief: "Haha, I am very happy to see that you have such an idea. The peace of this palace and the peace of the world all depend on you young people."

Everyone responded with smiles, enjoying this rare quiet time in the imperial garden while continuing their discussion about the past and future of the palace. It seemed as if time had slowed down at this moment, and the friendship between them grew deeper with each conversation.