The brothers Zhu Biao and Zhu Di, who had been dwelling on Wu Tao’s earlier words, found themselves unable to shake off their unease.
Seeing that Wu Tao had had his fill of drink, they thought this might be an opportune moment to coax the truth out of him.
With this thought, the brothers exchanged another look, rose together, and said, "We have long heard that the esteemed Immortal Qingyun is erudite, learned in ancient and modern affairs, and skilled in celestial calculations..."
"He is renowned for knowing what others do not, and understanding what others cannot. This humble prince, lacking talent, wishes to seek knowledge from the esteemed Immortal. We hope for your fulfillment!"
Wu Tao, already slightly intoxicated, chuckled at this. "You wish to seek knowledge from this humble Taoist? That is not a simple matter. This humble Taoist must first test you."
"What would the esteemed Immortal Qingyun wish to test us brothers on?" Zhu Biao asked, cupping his hands.
Wu Tao, holding his wine cup, clicked his tongue and said, "First, sing me a little song."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Liu Bowen, who had just taken a sip of wine, choked, nearly suffocating.
Patting his back, Liu Bowen quickly reminded Wu Tao, "Esteemed Daoist Brother Qingyun, you are drunk. Please do not speak foolishly..."
Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma, among others, wore expressions of utter disbelief. Was this truly the esteemed Immortal Qingyun, who was said to be an immortal from the heavens? Or was he a local ruffian or rogue in disguise?
Wu Tao, hearing this, grumbled indignantly, "Drunk? What drunkenness? How much have I drunk to be called drunk?"
"Don't make me laugh! My capacity for alcohol is such that I can drink ten thousand cups without getting drunk, and less than a hundred jin..."
"If you won't sing, I'll sing a little song!"
With that, the drunken Wu Tao separated a pair of chopsticks, holding one in each hand, and tapped them against the porcelain plate on his table.
Ding-ding-dong-dong, the sounds were clear and pleasant.
However, due to his vocal talents, Wu Tao's singing did not prove to be as pleasing.
"Following the gentle curves of mountains and rivers,
Riding horses through the Central Plains, the North, and Jiangnan,
Facing icy blades, swords, and the affections of wind and rain,
Cherishing the golden years bestowed by heaven.
To be a person of unwavering loyalty, unafraid of hardship and danger,
Our passion remains unchanged year after year.
To be a person with both joy and sorrow, good and evil clearly separated,
All for the sake of tomorrow in our dreams.
See the clanging hooves tread across ten thousand li of mountains and rivers,
I stand at the cusp of the storm, holding the sun and moon in my grasp.
May the human world find peace and contentment,
I truly wish to live another five hundred years.
To be a person of unwavering loyalty, unafraid of hardship and danger,
Our passion remains unchanged year after year.
To be a person with both joy and sorrow, good and evil clearly separated,
All for the sake of tomorrow in our dreams."
Tap-tap, tap-tap, tap-tap, a series of clinks as chopsticks struck porcelain, accompanied by a sonorous singing voice, emanated from Wu Tao.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded, at Wu Tao, who was lost in his own world, still singing:
"See the clanging hooves tread across ten thousand li of mountains and rivers,
I stand at the cusp of the storm, holding the sun and moon in my grasp.
May the human world find peace and contentment,
I truly wish to live another five hundred years.
I truly wish to live another five hundred years."
As the lyrics grew more imposing, Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Di listened with a mixture of envy and resentment. *This old man is already one hundred and twenty-seven years old and still not content? He wishes to borrow another five hundred years from heaven!*
In their eyes, this ambition dwarfed that of any emperor, by a hundred, a thousand times over.
As for Liu Bowen, he was utterly stunned. He cried out in his heart, *How dare he? How dare he?*
*To borrow five hundred years of life from heaven! Even the legendary Zhuge Liang, in his final moments, could not succeed in borrowing another ten years. He wishes to borrow five hundred years from heaven; is this not wishful thinking?*
Suddenly, a clap of thunder roared amidst the howling wind.
It interrupted Wu Tao's singing of the song he had learned from the future.
Liu Bowen jolted awake. Being closest to Wu Tao, he lunged forward, covering Wu Tao's mouth and shouting in a panic, "Esteemed Daoist Brother, stop singing! Esteemed Daoist Brother, stop singing! You are drunk!"
He wasn't afraid of Zhu Yuanzhang's anger, but rather of heaven seeing Wu Tao's arrogance and striking him with lightning, reducing him to ashes.
However, Wu Tao did not appreciate the gesture.
He roughly pushed Liu Bowen aside, his eyes widening, his neck stiffening, and he declared forcefully, "Who said I'm drunk? Who said I'm drunk? What nonsense are you spouting..."
"I told you earlier that I am not drunk, I am perfectly lucid. You don't believe me, do you?"
"Hmph! Don't think I don't know. You all think my singing is unpleasant, don't you? Wait, I'll sing you something nice now!"
*Sing again? If you sing another song about borrowing life, you'll truly be courting death!*
At this moment, Liu Bowen’s face twitched uncontrollably.
He desperately wished he could slap himself and ask why he hadn't performed a proper divination before coming here!
"Esteemed Daoist Brother Qingyun, you are truly drunk. Please, do not sing anymore." Liu Bowen pulled and dragged, trying to get Wu Tao out of there before he said anything more outrageous.
"Heh heh... Esteemed Immortal Qingyun has great spirit. To borrow another five hundred years from heaven, I must admit my inferiority!"
Zhu Yuanzhang forced a smile, thinking to himself, *Shameless! He's lived one hundred and twenty-seven years and still isn't satisfied, wishing for another five hundred.*
*Five hundred years from now, my Great Ming Empire might not even exist.*
Just then, the Crown Princess, with the young Zhu Yunwen by her side, bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang and Empress Ma, then found a table and sat down.
Meanwhile, the drunken Wu Tao continued to sing at the top of his lungs.
"With a feather fan and a silken cap, I laugh and talk,
Ten thousand armies are no match for me.
The three-foot sword of a hypocrite,
The wolf's fire beacon, I playfully manage.
Born in troubled times, I act without speaking,
I seek no judgment for my merits or demerits.
For whom is the lamp lit, for whom is the rouge applied?
Let anyone laugh at me for being too wild.
The rain keeps falling, the wind keeps blowing,
Who will discuss the world with me over wine?
A thousand arrows fly, killing intent like a swarm of insects,
Who will tolerate me settling in this chaotic world?
The three-part division of the realm, for whom is the struggle for hegemony?
Now my sword points to the ends of the earth,
Yet I only wish to play the zither for you.
Henceforth, I shall be free from worldly cares.
The endless changes of grudges and resentments,
Who will brew me a cup of hot tea?
You broke your fingernail for him,
Yet he did not offer a single word of care in return.
The rain keeps falling, the wind keeps blowing,
Who will discuss the world with me over wine?
A thousand arrows fly, killing intent like a swarm of insects,
Who will tolerate me settling in this chaotic world?
The three-part division of the realm, for whom is the struggle for hegemony?
Now my sword points to the ends of the earth,
Yet I only wish to play the zither for you.
Henceforth, I shall be free from worldly cares.
In the end, my life was spent in battle,
Fighting for the Three Kingdoms on your behalf."
The song grew increasingly imperious, the melodies transporting everyone to the battlefield, causing them to lose themselves in thought.
The long song lasted for a full quarter of an hour. When he finished, Wu Tao let out a drunken burp.
He raised his wine cup and drained it again. He scanned the faces of Zhu Yuanzhang and the others with his eyes and snorted, "How was it? Can this humble Taoist's song be heard?"
Everyone was silent, still immersed in the content of his song.
Although Wu Tao's poor singing voice had greatly diminished the charm of the two songs, they were all intelligent people and could discern the imposing spirit and capability within the lyrics.
However, this contemplation did not last long. Soon, Zhu Yuanzhang's face darkened, becoming extremely grim.
This was because Wu Tao, in his drunken state, was reciting a work with annotations by a literary master from later generations.
"Through study and examination of historical records, one knows the beginning and end.
In the primal era, the Three Sovereigns ruled; Fuxi, Shennong, and the Yellow Emperor were all called Human Emperors, dwelling in the upper ages.
Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Di Ku, Yao, and Shun abdicated their thrones, sharing the realm, called the Age of Descending Sages!
When Wu Tao first recited 'Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors,' Zhu Yuanzhang and the others were still nodding in agreement.
They knew that the subsequent dynasties and the rise and fall of rulers would be summarized next.
Xia passed down through lineage, changing to hereditary rule; it was a family affair. Four hundred years, the Xia altar was moved.
Tang conquered Xia, establishing the Shang dynasty, which lasted six hundred years until the demise of Zhou. The millennium-long slave era was a headache.
King Wu of Zhou, initiated the execution of Zhou. Zhou then prospered, implementing enfeoffment, which lasted eight hundred years, the longest.
Zhou moved east, the king's authority waned. War and strife ensued, and rhetoric prevailed.
Zhou lost its cauldron, initiating the Spring and Autumn period, ending in the Warring States. Five hegemons grew strong, seven states emerged. War raged for five hundred years.
The Ying Qin clan, initiated unification. It passed through two generations, then the Chu-Han contention.
Gaozu rose, establishing the Han dynasty. Until Emperor Ping, Wang Mang usurped.
Guangwu rose, founding the Eastern Han. Four hundred years, ending with Xian.
Han perished, dividing into Wei, Shu, and Wu. Chaos ensued for decades, fighting for the realm. Called the Three Kingdoms, continuing to the Jin dynasties and beyond!
Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen succeeded. They were the Southern Dynasties, with their capital in Jinling.
The Northern Wei divided into east and west. Yuwen Zhou, and Gao Qi.
The Northern and Southern Dynasties coexisted, a fleeting bloom!
Emperor Gaozu of Tang, raised an army. He ended the Sui chaos and established the foundation of the nation.
Twenty generations, three hundred years. Liang destroyed it, and the nation was renamed.
Liang, Tang, Jin, and Later Han. Called the Five Dynasties, all with their reasons.
The prosperous Song rose, inheriting the throne from Zhou. Eighteen generations, north and south were mixed.
Liao and Jin, both claimed the title of Emperor. Yuan destroyed Jin, ending the Song dynasty.
The territory was vast, surpassing previous dynasties. Ninety years, the nation's fortune declined.
Taizu rose, founding the Great Ming. Called Hongwu, with his capital in Jinling.
Passed down through generations, Zhu Yunwen sat on the throne for only a short time before being overthrown.
Zhu Di emerged victorious, gaining the throne, becoming Emperor Chengzu, and moved the capital to Yanjing.
The Ming Dynasty had sixteen emperors, starting from the people and ending with Chongzhen.
Eunuchs wielded power, rebels were like a forest. Li Chuang emerged, the imperial神器 was burned.
Chongzhen died, the Great Ming perished. Two hundred years of foundation turned to dust!"
Upon hearing that the Great Ming had perished, all of Zhu Yuanzhang's hopes vanished.
His entire attention was focused on the phrase, "Sixteen generations, two hundred years of foundation, Chongzhen died, the Great Ming perished."
His face contorted, shifting between emotions, looking ferocious and terrifying.
"Rumble, rumble!!!!"
Coincidentally, the sky outside suddenly filled with thunder and lightning, as if trying to drown out Wu Tao's voice.
However, beneath this immense thunder, Wu Tao's voice remained incredibly clear and precise, reaching the ears of everyone present.
"Emperor Shizu of the Qing, received Heaven's mandate. He pacified the four directions and united the Han territory.
From Kangxi, Yongzheng, to Qianlong and Jiaqing, the Manchu power reached its peak.
During the Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns, disturbances arose, starting with Britain and France, and troubling the capital.
After Tongzhi and Guangxu, the Xuantong Emperor was weak; nine emperors reigned, and the Manchu Qing fell.
Revolution arose, abolishing the imperial system, establishing a constitution, and founding the Republic of China."
Every word was spoken with a clear intonation, without the slightest error. After Wu Tao finished, the entire hall fell silent!
Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and the others turned ashen-faced. Even the younger generation, Zhu Biao and Zhu Di, were no exception.