At 3:30 on the 9th day of the first lunar month, when the people from the Imperial City Department rushed into the gate of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Yang Wei De, the spring official on duty, had already set up tables and chairs under the armillary sphere of the observatory, heated a pot of wine, and arranged the roasted pork, roasted quail, and crispy tendons brought from home, and lit a brazier under the table. He originally planned to take advantage of the first day of duty after the New Year to raise a cup to the moon alone in the cold night, which was also a way to express his self-pity. Although the moon was waning, it did not prevent him from relying on his imagination to sigh about loneliness with the fairy Guanghan in the hazy moonlight. However, he did not expect that before he drank the first cup, several eunuchs with their guards and personal soldiers bumped into him, snatched the chopsticks from his hands without saying anything, dragged him down from the observatory, stuffed him into a warm sedan chair and headed straight for the imperial city.
The sedan did not go through Xihua Gate or Youye Gate to avoid the crowded area in front of the Imperial Street. Instead, it made a big detour, entered the palace from the Gongchen Gate in the north and went straight to Erying Pavilion.
Yang Wei De sat in the sedan chair, feeling anxious. He calculated with his right hand in his sleeve: At 12:30 pm, the king urgently summoned him to the palace. What good or bad luck does it mean? On the day of Bingyin in the month of Guiyou, the year is broken in the north, which is exactly the direction of the palace. It is also said that if the lord does not wear a crown in the day of Chou, he will not return home. The time is not auspicious. According to this calculation, there may be some trouble today. The food on the observatory will suffer, but the wild raccoon that climbed over the wall will benefit.
He was a muddle-headed official, but he also knew how to advance and retreat. Whenever he encountered something, he would always think of the worst: Was it because the astronomical report from the previous month was not verified and angered the emperor? In theory, it would not be the case. Over the years, his skills in observing the stars and predicting the country's destiny have not improved much, but he has learned a lot about the ability to read the emperor's mind and get along with everyone.
On weekdays, a group of colleagues from the Imperial Astronomical Observatory and the Imperial Academy of Astronomy often had banquets in wine shops, where they would share their experiences with each other and discuss how to make astronomical reports accurate in every detail, thus greatly pleasing the emperor.
The current government officials are generous and kind, and they have done quite a lot, but they have been alone for a long time, and it is difficult for them to feel at ease like the officials who just get by. So they always want to use astrology to predict natural disasters such as floods and droughts, epidemics and harvests, border troubles and wars. The Song Dynasty encounters these crises every year, and the changes in the positions of the stars in the sky always reveal some of them. Only after looking at them, can we see the clues is no powerful person who can make accurate calculations all the time. The real masters are ambiguous and clever. A good astronomical report should be like this: no matter what happens, when you look back, there is always 60% to 70% fulfillment.
He wondered, could it be that his own Liu Ren Divine Determination Method was inaccurate? Or was it that the Three Powers and Two Principles Determination of the Burial Place had gone wrong, and underground water had been dug out of the imperial mausoleum? Or was it that zombies had frozen to death on the bitterly cold roads of the capital recently, and the government blamed the astrology for the failure of the report?
However, although I did not explicitly write in my report submitted in the twelfth month that there would be a severe cold at the beginning of the year, I did not forget to include one when I listed more than thirty astrological changes that represent good or bad luck: if the star Tianxing offends the Ox and stays in the east for ten days, there will be a lot of rain and snow in spring, rivers will easily burst, and refugees will be prone to diseases... If these thirty items are explored one by one, they are comprehensive and there is no disaster that is not included.
After thinking about it, it was not this matter. Or maybe it was because the emperor asked about the change of the reign title, and I did not understand the emperor's intention and made an astronomical explanation that went with the flow? Looking back, I had carefully considered it and wrote in the memorial:

When the two stars in the north of Guanliang are in conflict with each other, and the clouds are pale, the new year may also be changed.

However, as the year drew to a close and there was still no response, I guessed that Your Majesty was hesitant as in previous years, so I wrote in the year-end report:

To the north of Tianshiyuan, Tianlao is dim, so it may not be appropriate to pardon, extend favors, or change the reign title.

With such a perfect response, it would be .
After a careful review, Old Yang calmed down a little and looked out of the sedan chair. He saw that the palace buildings were dim and most of them were not lit. There were quite a few guards patrolling everywhere. The atmosphere was solemn and strange, not like an ordinary New Year. The eunuchs holding palace lanterns on both sides looked unhappy. Judging from this situation, it must not be a small matter of a few people freezing to death in the capital. He did not dare to ask, so he could only wait until Erying Pavilion.
When the sedan chair arrived, there were already seven large sedan chairs outside. It seemed that he was not the only one who was summoned.
As soon as he got off the sedan chair, he saw Shi Quanbin, the palace guard, rushing towards him.
Old Yang quickly intervened and bowed: "Thank you for welcoming me personally."
Shi Quanbin on the opposite side quickly returned the greeting.
"Shaoqing, we are waiting for you. Several close ministers are waiting in the cabinet, waiting for you to discuss state affairs."
Yang Wei De couldn't help but feel flattered, and even a little frightened. Normally speaking, "state affairs" were not something that an official like him who was in charge of astronomy and divination could "discuss" with.
The Imperial Astronomical Bureau only provides astronomical consultation and other supernatural explanations for government decision-making. The divination books written by Lao Yang with great concentration: "Jingyou Liuren Shending Jing" and "Jingyou Dunjia Fuying Jing" are for this purpose. Of course, it is inevitable that they have always been hated by the literati. The court officials have their own nobleness and obsession, because although the old man, Master, also tells fortunes, he does not talk about strange and supernatural things. The literati hate the most that the treacherous and unpredictable astrological variables are mixed with temple calculations, so that His Majesty can always find excuses to play tricks. He still remembered that a few years ago, the emperor was exhausted by the Qingli New Deal, so he picked out a sentence from the astronomical report:

When a guest star appears and a solar eclipse occurs on the first day of the lunar month, harsh government orders may easily lead to quarrels and complaints, which is not auspicious.

He wanted to use this to temporarily postpone Fan Zhongyan's measures to deal with the three redundancies that had caused such a mess. The reports of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had always been ambiguous and could be accepted in any way. It was the emperor's job to use them as an excuse and take the blame. However, the ridicule of Wen Yanbo, the imperial censor in front of the palace, came quickly and directly. He read a poem by Li Shangyin in the court that implicitly satirized the emperor's superstition in divination. When he read the sentence: "Don't ask about the people, ask about ghosts and gods", he smiled and cast a glance at Yang Wei De, as if he saw through a ridiculous and flattering minister who was trying to please the emperor.
Fortunately, not long after this incident, Wen Yanbo was sent to Hebei Province to quell the rebellion by the emperor, who was gentle, benevolent, and never showed his emotions. It is said that he has not been allowed to return to Beijing until now.
"My Lord, you urgently summoned me today. Could it be... there is another border threat or epidemic?" Old Yang asked even though he knew it was not the case, wanting to find out something first.
Shi Quanbin leaned in and whispered, "It's not that. It's that Madam Zhang passed away."
"Mrs. Zhang passed away?"
Yang Wei De was at a loss for a moment, as this matter did not seem to have much in common with his business. Although he was a master of metaphysics, he was only a theorist who dabbled in metaphysics. There were still dedicated people to perform Nuo rituals, fasting and offering sacrifices, writing with a planchette, and incantations in the palace.
"Hey, not only that, the more terrible thing is that a few hours ago, a white-bone monster appeared in the city and spread nursery rhymes and prophecies. The monster also flew up from the ground and turned into a cloud."
Old Yang was shocked: "Did the prophecy come true?"
"There are thousands or hundreds of rumors in the capital every day. How could I ask you to come here if I didn't want to verify them? The nursery rhyme mentioned the death of the imperial concubine, and also mentioned... I don't even dare to imitate it. They are all vicious words that can shake the foundation of the country." Shi Quanbin lowered his voice.
"What kind of prophecy?"
"I have a transcript here." Shi Quanbin said as he took out a piece of paper and handed it over.
Yang Wei De grabbed it and read it for a few seconds, and his hands began to tremble. Most of these ten sentences were difficult to understand, but the last sentence: The Song Dynasty will end after the Demon King appears, is an exception. This sentence clearly shows the ultimate goal of overthrowing the Song Dynasty.
Apart from observing the stars and compiling calendars, or identifying auspicious omens to comfort the government, the most secretive task of the Sitianjian was to collect children's songs from the market and study them, trying to be the first to smell conspiracy. The piece of paper in his hand met all the elements of a political conspiracy, and there was no doubt that it was here to cause trouble.
Ever since someone carved the words "The First Emperor will die and the land will be divided" on the remains of a planet, almost all rebellions and palace coups throughout the dynasties have been based on prophecy. Whether it is the silk strip "Chen Sheng will be king, and the great Chu will rise" found in the belly of a fish, or the children's song "The blue sky is dead and the yellow sky should be established", they are all signs of the country changing color and the world collapsing. It is no exaggeration to say that among all the serious issues facing the empire, prophecy must be ranked in the top three. As for whether there is supernatural power mixed in, it is a secondary issue. The key to subverting a dynasty has always been the human heart, and the so-called witchcraft has always been only to shake the human heart.
"Look, you're scared too, aren't you? There are even more bizarre things."
"The demon you just mentioned ascended to heaven while sitting on the ground?"
"Yes. What a sinister thing. It is said that it first turned into a pile of dry bones, and then turned into a black cloud like a bamboo hat, and came towards the palace. Now the upright people are guarding the Forbidden Palace."
"Oh, is this the reason why there are so many guards from the Palace Guards here?"
"Exactly. It gives me chills down my neck just thinking about it."
Yang Wei De was not too worried about the ascended demon. His family's teachings were the study of supernatural phenomena. His father had received a secret order from Empress Dowager Zhangxian to study the heavenly book left by the previous emperor. The day before his death, he told him meaningfully: the mysterious things were not necessarily all magic, but more often were conspiracies.
Therefore, what really scared Yang Wei De was not some demon, but the prophecy itself, because that meant the action had already begun. Looking closely at the ten sentences of the nursery rhyme, the layers of progress, when it came to the sentence "The hidden fire dog shakes the country", the evil intention could no longer be concealed and was clearly on the paper. And for the time being, except for him, Old Yang, no one knew that the sentence "Swallowing the light and bowing the real dragon" would happen in fourteen days. Thinking of this, Yang Wei De subconsciously touched the letter he had just received in the afternoon in his sleeve.
Since ancient times, prophecies and divinations have been unable to incite chaos out of thin air, and they must deceive people's minds by the fulfillment of predictions. From this perspective, the person who compiled the prophecies and Yang Wei De are in the same line of work, but one is in the dark and the other is in the light; one has ulterior motives, and the other is just waiting to die.
According to his current prediction, the ten sentences of this nursery rhyme obviously contain a message used to pry people's hearts, usually something big is about to happen. Once the prophecy spreads, the gambling begins. Every time the prophecy comes true, the conspirator will add a layer of mysterious aura and the legitimacy of the Song Dynasty will be questioned.
Now the second prophecy about the concubine's early death has come true. This alone is enough to inject strong vitality into the whole nursery rhyme. It is impossible to prevent it from spreading among the people. The other prophecies are still in the unverified stage. Their language is strange and seems to have a certain meaning but is unclear. This is the characteristic of prophecy. The purpose is to be mysterious. If it comes true one after another, its incitement will inevitably increase sharply, and people will eventually tend to be inclined to the sinister psychological suggestion of "the country is shaken" or "the end of the Song Dynasty". Tomorrow morning, at most by noon, this nursery rhyme will spread throughout the capital along with the news of Concubine Zhang's death, and the whole city will be in turmoil. If you want to calm it down, you can only see through every piece of information first and then prevent it from happening.
Of course, as long as the event predicted by the nursery rhyme does not happen, its power will gradually disappear and eventually become invisible. However, it is difficult to predict what the prophecy predicts and take precautions, because such mysterious things, like the ambiguous astronomical reports he wrote, often need to be read afterwards to discover the mystery. Thinking of wearing this layer, Yang Wei De in the cold wind could not help but wipe the sweat with his sleeves subconsciously.
"Shaoqing also finds it difficult?"
"This rumor is so malicious that I am a little confused."
"So your Majesty has invited you here to discuss this matter overnight."
"The government is also here to listen to the discussion?"
"Madam Zhang has passed away. The emperor is currently mourning in the Imperial Palace. It is inconvenient for him to come in person, but someone will copy the officials' comments."
Yang Wei De hid the note and followed Shi Quanbin into Erying Pavilion.
In the Erying Pavilion, ten chairs were arranged facing the empty dragon throne in front. Seven ministers were already seated, and they had already been arguing loudly before the arrival of Yang Wei De, a fourth-rank official. Old Yang did not interrupt their heated debate when he entered, and in fact, no one paid much attention to him. He bowed deeply to the dragon throne in front of him, then turned around to bow to other officials, but no one paid any attention to him. Only Kaifeng prefect Lü Gongchuo stood up slightly and bowed to Yang Wei De.
Without waiting for the eunuch to lead him to his seat, Yang Wei De wisely sat at the last seat, leaving two seats in the middle empty.
He knew that in the Song Dynasty, civil officials were different from civil officials. Although they were all officials in the same palace, the Si Tian Jian was not well received by the important officials in the court, because most of the Si Tian Jian officials were recommended, and astronomical knowledge was too obscure. It was all inherited from family traditions, so it was inevitable that fathers and sons, uncles and nephews would recommend each other. Officials who were inherited from their fathers were naturally not as strong as those who passed the imperial examinations. The court officials even regarded the Si Tian Jian as a potential enemy, because the officials were partial to the mysterious and often used the Si Tian Jian's interpretation of the secrets of the sky to easily overturn those long essays that quoted classics, which was particularly hated. So at this moment, Yang Wei De knew that he had to keep a low profile, and temporarily sit and listen quietly without making hasty comments.
After listening for only a moment, Old Yang realized that they were not arguing about nursery rhymes and evil spirits, but that the emperor wanted to hold a funeral for the empress in the Huangyi Hall with rites and hold court for seven days.
Wang Gongchen, a Hanlin scholar, believed that death was the greatest thing, and that it was okay to be flexible about this matter. He also cited the story of the death of Consort Wu Hui in the previous dynasty, and how Emperor Xuanzong later conducted a funeral with proper ceremony. There was no public criticism in the history books, but the people all remembered that Emperor Xuanzong valued friendship and loyalty, and said: the gains outweighed the losses.
Prime Minister Chen Zhizhong believed that this matter was of great importance and should not be taken lightly. The death of a person was minor, but the law was major. If one neglected the law and only considered the immediate gains and losses, it would not be the behavior of a wise ruler. The two sides argued back and forth, each holding their own views. The other onlookers either twirled their beards and nodded or listened attentively, seeming to be intoxicated by these repetitive words.
Yang Wei De agreed with Wang Xue Shi's compromise. It was fine to bury the imperial concubine with the ceremony of a queen, after all, she was already dead. Since Empress Dowager Zhang Xian had set a good example in the harem, the ancestral system had been riddled with holes, so there was no need to worry about such a small transgression now. Just as he was thinking about when to get to the point, the eunuch brought in two more people. Wang Xue Shi, who was arguing fiercely, also paused.
Yang Wei De was also startled when he saw the people coming. The one walking in front was the scholar Bao Zheng, and following closely behind was the former prime minister Wen Yanbo.
Wen Yanbo was obviously the leader of this group of people. He walked over and greeted everyone one by one. Yang Wei De felt a little timid, but when Wen Yanbo turned to him and bowed, he not only paused for a while, but also seemed to bow further. Yang Wei De hurriedly bowed deeply in return.
After sitting down, the important ministers continued to argue. Wen Yanbo did not participate in the debate on exceeding the rules, but he would sneak a glance at Lao Yang from time to time, which made him feel a little uneasy.
After a while, the chief eunuch Zhang Maoze came in and delivered His Majesty's oral order: Your opinions have been copied down in the Huangyi Hall, and I have been informed of them. I will weigh the importance of each one myself, and you are all requested to return to the court for further discussion; Spring Official Yang Wei De, Zhongwu Army Jiedushi Wen Yanbo, and Direct Academician Bao Zheng will stay for the time being, as they have other tasks to assign them.
The ministers who had a heated debate left in high spirits, and the eunuchs moved away the extra chairs, leaving only four. The guard Shi Quanbin then gave the copied nursery rhymes to Wen Yanbo and Bao Zheng. It seemed that Yang Wei De, Wen Yanbo, and Bao Zheng were late because the government had deliberately arranged it.
The two of them quickly glanced through it. Bao Zheng seemed a little surprised, but there was no change on Wen Yanbo's face.
"It was the emperor's intention to leave the three of them behind. The emperor has already made a sacred decision on the funeral with the rites for the empress. He just asked the court officials and the imperial censors to discuss it tonight and spread some rumors first. Right now, this sinister nursery rhyme and the monster are the most important. According to the interrogation of several people who were present at the time by the Imperial City Department, they all gave the same testimony, saying that the strange man who left the nursery rhyme turned out to be a skeleton after he dropped his cloak. He turned into a cloud and stayed above Zhichi's head for a while before flying towards the imperial city. The time was 15:30, which was 15:30 earlier than the time of Hai when the imperial concubine passed away. Such a terrifying and bizarre matter is the top priority..."
"The emperor doesn't want the Imperial City Department and Kaifeng Prefecture to handle this kind of treasonous matter?"
Wen Yanbo probed, he had already guessed the emperor's general intention of leaving only three people.
"When the Imperial City Bureau copied the nursery rhyme, Zhang Tianshi was fasting and offering sacrifices in front of the emperor. Tianshi believed that there must be something sinister behind this incident. If it was made public, everyone in the capital would be in danger. Although the emperor was in great sorrow, he also realized the pros and cons and agreed to investigate secretly. Therefore, only capable officials were selected, and they were not to be sent by the government offices in the capital, so as to avoid their peers from moving around and leaking the news. The emperor said: If the enemy is in the dark, I cannot be in the light either."
"Bao Xiren was the prefect of Kaifeng and has solved countless suspicious cases. It goes without saying that he is the right choice." Wen Yanbo stroked his beard, as if he was a little puzzled by the emperor's will. "Yang Shaoqing is in charge of astrology at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, so he is naturally indispensable. But why is there an old man here? I just returned to the capital from Hebei, I am afraid..."
"Minister Wen, didn't you see? The last two sentences of this prophecy, 'If Wang Ze is restored, he will shine in the sky', should be Wang Ze, the leader of Maitreya Sect in Beizhou, who was annihilated by you two years ago. Back then, you attacked Beizhou through a tunnel and destroyed the nest, but you failed to capture the witch Saint. The emperor thought that this matter must be related to Maitreya Sect. It happened that you were returning to the capital to report on your work, and the scoundrels in the dark would not know about it, so you were the first person the emperor chose."
"Oh, oh, oh, so that's how it is. I am so dull. The emperor's will is wise. The enemy is in the dark, so I can't be in the light either. Hmm, I can't be in the light either..."
Wen Yanbo suddenly became enlightened. Yang Weide watched from the sidelines and thought that Wen Yanbo was pretending to be confused. Although prophecies have always been mysterious, they cannot be too profound because they only deceive ordinary people and peddlers. This sentence is not too profound, and Wen Yanbo must have understood it.
"Mr. Bao," Shi Quanbin turned to Bao Zheng, who had a dark face, "you are the second most selected minister by the emperor."
Bao Zheng smiled slightly, with a hint of disdain at the corner of his mouth.
"He is not really a capable official, but just a redundant and unemployed person who has been dismissed from his post."
"Here you are, the job has come. The government still values ​​you."
"Haha, I have no choice but to share the worries of the emperor, but the intention of treason is clearly on paper, and the theory of the netherworld is too absurd. Let me say first: this matter must not involve ghosts and gods, and your majesty should not listen to the Heavenly Master and think this way first."
Shi Quanbin was speechless for a moment, because Bao Zheng easily denied the supernatural power that the emperor was most worried about.
"All prophecies, nursery rhymes, and auspicious omens are cleverly arranged by people with ulterior motives. However, even the most calculated tricks will leave clues. I am confident that we can find the source after some time. I have investigated cases of pretending to be gods and ghosts and deliberately creating mystery in the local areas and the capital. I think it is best not to bother Zhang Tianshi and Yang Shaoqing to intervene in this case, so as to avoid multiple orders and deviate from the main purpose of the investigation, which will only increase disagreements."
Bao Zheng was so direct that it inevitably made Yang Wei De feel very embarrassed. Although he didn't want to get involved at all, this Bao Hei was too embarrassing.
Shi Quanbin turned to Yang Wei De and said, "Yang Chunguan, you are the master specially selected by Zhang Tianshi for the emperor."
Yang Wei De thought to himself, "Zhang Sizong, oh Zhang Sizong, you wicked old Taoist priest, I am doing my job and it doesn't bother you. Why do you have to involve me? If I confront Lao Bao every day, won't he bully me to death?"
"Then I have to thank the Heavenly Master for his kind words."
"The emperor lost his wife today. He was very sad at first, and was horrified when he saw Tong Yao. He was at a loss for a moment. Fortunately, Tianshi Zhang proposed a strategy in front of the emperor: this matter is so strange that we can only investigate it secretly. He also mentioned that you have learned a lot. With you here, if someone uses strange techniques to hide their tracks, they will definitely not be able to hide them. You can help the two of you follow the clues to find the culprit. The three of you have no real vacancies and have not been in the government office in Beijing for a long time. It is not easy for the thieves to notice. Although this matter is serious, the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Imperial City Department can receive the imperial edict to investigate, but it is best not to move."
"This... doesn't it mean that only the four of us old men are going to catch the thief?" Wen Yanbo said.
"Not really. I just had to find a cold government office to handle the case."
"What government office?"
"The emperor has specially assigned me to the Military Head Office. You gentlemen can temporarily investigate in the secluded courtyard in the backyard of the Military Head Office outside Xihua Gate. Most of the officers there are from other places, and they are all unfamiliar faces. If I am transferred, it will not be easy for the news to leak out. Master Zhang also thinks it is a good idea."
Yang Wei De was about to act flattered and praise the emperor for his wisdom, but he heard Bao Zheng beside him shaking down his sleeves without any concealment.
"Such a serious matter is actually heard everywhere by Master Zhang. Since the last emperor, our dynasty has worshipped sorcerers' spirit writing and astrology, and the trend of worshipping gods is too strong. Master Zhang has been here for more than ten days since Longhu Mountain in Raozhou. The palace prays to the gods with Luotian Dajiao all day long. If his decree could have summoned the gods from heaven, Madam Zhang would not have died so early. He also said that the evil man behind the scenes would use strange techniques to hide his tracks and that he wanted to investigate secretly. Master Tianshi and others have not left the palace, neither have they seen the scene, nor have they asked for testimony, let alone look for clues, but they have determined the tone of the evil man's evil magic for Your Majesty. How can you not be led astray by the mastermind behind the scenes? Such frivolous and absurd remarks are simply misleading the emperor and the country."
Bao Zheng had a stern face, as dark as before, and it was hard to tell whether he was really angry or just pretending. Of course, everyone could tell that he was scolding the Heavenly Master on the surface, but in fact he was teasing the emperor, and also making Yang Wei De feel bad, because the Si Tian Jian also did this.
There was something that Lao Yang had thought over and over again and felt was not appropriate to talk about in this occasion, but given the current situation, he had to bring it up in order to save some face.
"Three of you, since the three of us have received the royal order to jointly investigate the nursery rhyme case, I have a clue to report."
"Yang Chunguan hasn't been to the scene yet, how can there be any clues?" Bao Zheng said coldly.
"Of these ten nursery rhymes, the ones we know today are the second one about Madam Zhang's death and the ninth one about Wang Ze's return."
"So what?" Bao Hei sneered.
"As far as I know, another sentence will come true soon."
"Oh? Yang Shaoqing, tell us about it." Wen Yanbo suddenly became interested.
"It's the line about the true dragon that swallowed Fuguang and bowed down."
"The light is the day, and swallowing the sun, is it a metaphor for a solar eclipse?" Wen Yanbo asked.
"What the Minister of Literature said is correct. According to the current trend of the stars, there may be a total solar eclipse on the second day of February."
"The second day of the second month?" Shi Quanbin was shocked. "That is the day when the government goes out of the city to worship the round mound. Could this be the day that the country is shaking?"
"Mr. Shi, you have a good point. I also think that if there is a solar eclipse when the government is offering sacrifices at the round mound and praying for a good harvest, it will be very unlucky. In addition, the second day of the second month is also called the Dragon Raising its Head. If the heavenly dog ​​swallows the sun and there is no main star in the sky, it also fulfills the sinister metaphor of the real dragon bowing its head."
"There is no sun in the sky, and a real dragon bows down? Dangerous, so dangerous." Shi Quanbin slapped his thigh in hatred.
"Yang Shaoqing, is the solar eclipse on February 2 confirmed?" Wen Yanbo asked.
"Uh... I'm 70% sure. If the snow stops and the clouds clear tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, and the direction of the stars becomes clearer, we can make a rough conclusion."
"That's strange," Bao Zheng interrupted. "Yang Shaoqing only dared to say 70%, so how could the person behind the scenes dare to write it down in a nursery rhyme? Shuowen Jiezi says: "Prophecy means to be verified. If it doesn't come true, it is worthless. How dare he bet that 30% will not come true? Or he can see 90% and Shaoqing can't?"
"All I can say is that there is always someone better than you." Yang Wei De didn't expect that Bao Zheng would find another wonderful angle to despise him again.
"It seems that the mastermind behind the scenes dares to bully our Song Dynasty?" Bao Zheng said sarcastically.
"Of course we have people in the Song Dynasty. Although the Sitianjian's holiday in the first month did delay the time, and the thick clouds and heavy snow after the New Year prevented observations, which delayed the time for a few days," Yang Wei De made up an excuse, "However, the eclipse in the capital on February 2 was calculated by a junior of mine ten days ago. I think he calculated it more accurately than the mastermind. He in Jiangnan was able to calculate that there would be a total eclipse in the capital in more than a month, so his ability is no less than that of the mastermind. Who dares to bully the Song Dynasty that there is no one?"
As he spoke, he took out the letter paper from his sleeve and handed it to Bao Zheng.
Bao Zheng quickly glanced through it and handed it to Wen Yanbo.
The letter was written by a young man named Shen Kuo, who modestly sought advice on this astronomical phenomenon that even the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had not predicted. In terms of time, he predicted a total solar eclipse near the capital on February 2, a full 35 days in advance, while the young man was in Haizhou, thousands of miles away at the time.
"This Shen Kuo is..." Wen Yanbo asked.
"One of my nephews was born in the ninth year of Tiansheng. He is now a clerk in Haizhou under the protection of his father. He is in charge of the water affairs of the river. I have some old acquaintances with his father. He often writes to me to ask about astrology, so we are like teacher and student."
Wen Yanbo thought for a moment and said, "Born in the ninth year of Tiansheng, he is only 24 years old. Yang Shaoqing, can you write a letter to ask this young man to come to the capital as soon as possible to investigate this matter together?"
"Oh, that's no problem. He was going to resign from his post in the spring and go to Beijing to take the imperial examination. He was going to stay at my house."
Bao Zheng was somewhat puzzled by Wen Yanbo's decision to invite Shen Kuo, and his fleeting doubt was noticed by Wen Yanbo.
"Brother Xiren, I think this case is very strange. It is not like the usual tricks to confuse the public. It is very clever in every aspect. The key to breaking prophecies is to have the foresight. If we don't have someone who can see through the foresight, we will inevitably be passive. Since Shen Kuo has seen through the secrets before leaving Jiangnan, we might as well let him come. Of course, if what he learns is useful, that would be the best. If it is useless, that's fine too."
"What the Minister Wen said is absolutely right!"
"That would be the best, Yang Shaoqing. You should write a letter now to invite Shen Kuo to the capital to investigate the case and give him a temporary assignment as the chief of the astronomical bureau. If he can't help with the case, it can be considered as going to the capital in advance, and he can study for the imperial examination at home."
"Yes, sir." Yang Wei De said respectfully.
"Yes, whether it's entering the officialdom through one's father's influence or relying on astrology and divination, they are all side doors and not the right path for students. Only the imperial examination is the straight and narrow road." Bao Zheng's words always made Yang Wei De feel hurt.
Wen Yanbo turned to Shi Quanbin and said, "My Lord, when Yang Shaoqing's letter is finished, please ask the Imperial City Department to send a fast horse to Haizhou. No delay is allowed. I hope he can arrive before the second day of February."
"Please rest assured, Minister Wen. I will write it right away."
"Don't write nursery rhymes in the letter. Just write about important cases. I must ask him for advice in person. Please come to the capital as soon as possible before the second day of next month."
Yang Wei De sat down to write the letter. According to Wen Yanbo's wishes, he did not mention the specific case, but he made it sound extremely mysterious and urgent.
Once it was finished, it was handed over to the eunuch to be sent to Haizhou by express horse.
"Minister Wen, it's already Chou hour. Why don't we go to the crime scene?" Bao Zheng was anxious to go to the scene.
"Brother Xiren, I don't know how to survey the scene. I'm also a little sleepy and my mind is slow, so I'd better not go." Wen Yanbo declined calmly.
"I'm just afraid that if we wait until dawn, the heavy snow will cover the traces, or pedestrians will trample on the site..."
Bao Zheng was just insisting that Wen Yanbo go with him when he heard a noise outside. A young eunuch came in in a daze and tried to speak something in Shi Quanbin's ear.
"Why are you so flustered? Don't whisper. Say it in front of all the gentlemen."
"I was patrolling the Imperial Garden at night and saw...saw a cloud of evil fog hanging in the air, as big as Fan Yang's hat. It was spreading and lingering, and it was very scary."
"A demonic fog as big as a hat? What about the Holy Chariot?" Shi Quanbin said in shock.
"The Holy Chariot is still in the Imperial Palace, protected by the imperial guards and Master Zhang Tian's disciples."
"Let's go and have a look at the Imperial Garden." Bao Zheng showed no fear and rushed out alone. Yang Wei De and Wen Yan Bo followed closely behind him.
Several people, accompanied by a dozen eunuchs holding lanterns and sticks, went to the Imperial Garden. The imperial guards of the Imperial Guards had surrounded the Imperial Garden but did not dare to go in. Looking from afar under the flickering lights, there was a cloud of smoke that seemed to be there and not there. The smoke was getting thinner and thinner, and it seemed to be dispersing.
Bao Zheng walked past the crowd and headed straight for the smoke, with Yang Weide following closely behind him. Wen Yanbo just stood in the distance without moving.
By the time the two got closer, the smoke had completely dissipated.
"There must be a traitor in the palace!" Bao Zheng said.
Yang Wei De didn't say anything, but squatted down to check. He found that the mud on the ground was a little loose, revealing something. He asked the eunuch to hold a palace lantern to illuminate it, and found that it was a white object, so he picked it up. He pulled out a small skeleton about a foot long from the soil. The white bones were connected to the hands and feet with silk threads. He thought that if he pulled the silk threads, it would move like a puppet, but it was not a common bamboo and wooden puppet, it was just a small skeleton made of bones, holding a long bamboo spear in its hand.
Everyone was speechless, only Bao Zheng saw the tiny handwriting on the long spear held by the little skeleton, and quickly asked Shi Quanbin to find a sharp-eyed eunuch to copy the text. What was copied was clearly the four pillars and eight characters. Shi Quanbin read it carefully twice and his face was already pale.
"This seems to be Madam Zhang's birthday."
"When did this cloud of smoke appear?" Bao Zheng asked.
"Someone saw it around 11:00 yesterday." The young eunuch replied quickly.
"Before Madam Zhang passed away...why didn't you report it then?"
"At that time, I saw it from a distance and thought it was the smoke from the Nuo ritual or the incense smoke from the gods. There have been too many such scenes in the palace recently, so no one paid much attention to it. Moreover, Madam Zhang was still dying at that time, and the palace was in chaos, so no one went all the way to the Imperial Garden to check. At midnight, the guard said that there was an evil spirit in the palace and we should be on guard. When I rushed to see it, I could see clearly that it was not an ordinary smoke. It was just hanging in the air, motionless."
"Can anyone see what this smoke looks like?" Bao Zheng asked quickly.
"It looks very flat, like the Fanyang hat worn by soldiers in the same period." A eunuch replied.
"Could it really be the hat monster in the rumor?" Yang Wei De was speechless in panic.
Bao Zheng snorted. He realized that things were quickly sliding towards chaos and evil. If he couldn't find clues quickly, the direction of the investigation might be controlled by Yang Wei De.