C138. Gilded Legacy.
Two weeks later, Zhou Gongdan received a reply from Yuan Li.
The reply was brief, consisting of only a few lines with a simple message.
Yuan Li would create a fake auspicious sign, using the resources of the Granary Allocation Office to boost Wu Shanshi's image.
Zhou Gongdan's task was straightforward - to make Wu Shanshi believe that the auspicious sign was a result of his own actions, convincing him that he was the true Dragon Emperor.
In order to proclaim himself as emperor.
*
Lately, Wu Shanshi's temperament had been quite poor.
He couldn't focus on anything, yet when he went out, he felt that everyone he met looked down on him and criticized him.
Even his own servants, guests, and attendants in his mansion gave him the impression that they were secretly mocking him behind their respectful façades. Whenever Wu Shanshi thought about this possibility, he would erupt in anger without warning.
His temper became increasingly unpredictable, and even his wives and concubines dared not provoke him at such times.
Within the entire prefectural government, only Zhou Gongdan could manage to earn Wu Shanshi's favor.
Zhou Gongdan had been advising Wu Shanshi for a while, telling him that it wasn't yet a dead end, and that they needed to patiently wait for an opportunity to turn the tide.
Indeed, Wu Shanshi was somewhat calmed by his words and began anxiously awaiting the arrival of this opportunity.
In early May, a subordinate came to report that a strange stone had been found in a village in the countryside. The stone had a fearsome appearance, resembling a wild beast.
The villagers were frightened by the stone and reported it to the county magistrate. The magistrate also found the stone intriguing and reported it further up the chain.
Initially disinterested, Wu Shanshi's attention was piqued when the subordinate hesitated and mentioned, "The magistrate described the stone as slender and long, with claws like an eagle, scales like a fish, and a mane like a lion, it seems to be…"
The subordinate hesitated, unable to finish. Wu Shanshi was shocked - eagle claws, fish scales, lion's mane, wasn't that the appearance of a dragon?
Could it be a stone in the shape of a dragon?
Wu Shanshi suddenly became interested. "Where is this stone?"
"The Captain Huang has gone to retrieve the stone with his men," the subordinate replied, "It should be delivered to the prefectural government by this afternoon."
However, in the afternoon, the Captain Huang returned with his soldiers looking panicked.
Wu Shanshi furrowed his brows at their demeanor. "What's going on with you all?"
The Captain Huang, pale and trembling, knelt down on the ground, clearly shaken, "M-Master, the stone turned into a dragon and flew away!"
Wu Shanshi was taken aback. "What?!"
The Captain Huang shakily recounted what he had witnessed and heard in a terrified manner.
Accompanied by his soldiers, Wu Shanshi set off with the villagers to find the strange stone, half skeptical and wondering if it was a lie concocted by the county magistrate. However, upon seeing the stone, he was astounded to find that it was indeed as unique and lifelike as described, resembling a living creature.
The Captain Huang exclaimed, "My lord, this stone truly resembles a dragon. It appears to be a naturally formed stone, devoid of any signs of carving. With a serpent body, deer horns, and clearly visible scales, it truly resembles a real dragon."
Wu Shanshi, still skeptical, inquired, "And then?"
"Later, as I attempted to move the stone with my men, before we could even touch it, there was a deafening explosion, and suddenly, a white mist emerged. In my panic, I heard strange cries coming from within the mist..."
Intrigued, Wu Shanshi asked, "What kind of cries?"
Sweat beads as large as beans dripped from the Captain Huang's forehead as he whispered, "It was the roar of a dragon."
Wu Shanshi instinctively responded, "It couldn't be!"
"I also thought it impossible, but as the mist cleared, the colossal stone lay shattered in pieces. If not for a dragon emerging from it, how could such a massive stone have instantly fragmented? The stone undeniably bore the likeness of a dragon, my lord!"
Swallowing hard, Wu Shanshi narrowed his eyes at the Captain Huang, realizing that he was not fabricating the tale.
He harbored doubts - could dragons truly exist in this world?
And had a dragon truly visited Jizhou?
Dragons were the sign of the Emperor, after all...
With his heart racing, Wu Shanshi couldn't bear to dwell on these thoughts any longer, promptly rising to his feet. "Take me to that village at once!"
Upon hearing of the event, Zhou Gongdan hastened to join Wu Shanshi in visiting the village.
The cracked stone remained undisturbed, and Wu Shanshi witnessed firsthand the shattered fragments, alongside peculiar footprints resembling enormous eagle claws.
Gazing at the footprints and the scale patterns on the stone, Wu Shanshi began to waver in uncertainty.
Could it truly be a dragon?
But what purpose could the dragon have for appearing here?
A soldier ran over, "My lord, we heard strange cries in the forest!"
Wu Shanshi rushed over to investigate, scouring the woods but finding no trace of the dragon. Just as he was about to give up in disappointment, a sudden flash caught his eye, causing a sharp pain.
Peering closer, he spotted something hidden in the grass. Pushing through, he discovered a golden scale!
Trembling, Wu Shanshi raised the scale for a closer look, feeling the exquisite smoothness and slight protrusions, reminiscent of the scales on a serpent's body.
"This is definitely a dragon scale!" Wu Shanshi thought to himself, his breathing becoming rapid. He quickly hid the thing in his sleeve.
Zhou Gongdan's eyes flashed, pretending to be puzzled as he asked, "Lord, what is this?"
Wu Shanshi looked around and whispered, "Wen Ning, this is probably a dragon scale."
"A dragon scale?" Zhou Gongdan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Is there really a dragon in this world, Lord?"
Wu Shanshi hesitated at the question.
As a member of the aristocracy, he vaguely understood that the legends of dragons, qilins, and other mythical beasts were political tools used by rulers to deceive the people. But did these mythical beasts truly exist in the world?
That was uncertain.
Seeing his hesitant expression, Zhou Gongdan casually furrowed his brows and pondered, "The descent of a real dragon is a great auspicious sign... But isn't the Emperor in Yangzhou? How could a dragon appear in Jizhou? Lord, we need to be careful and keep this matter hidden, or it may lead to unfavorable rumors spreading."
Understanding Zhou Gongdan's implication, Wu Shanshi realized that a real dragon symbolized the Emperor. If a real dragon descended in Jizhou instead of Yangzhou, did that mean the aura of the Emperor was in Jizhou?
... The thought excited Wu Shanshi even more.
Suppressing his fluttering thoughts, he nodded and said, "Wen Ning is right. It's uncertain whether this is a dragon; I think there's something strange about this village. We should stay here for a few more days."
Although he verbally expressed uncertainty, in his heart, Wu Shanshi was convinced that the scale he had found was indeed a dragon scale.
Zhou Gongdan nodded in agreement, "I will stay with you, Lord."
They stayed in the village for three days, but nothing happened. There were no sightings of a dragon, nor any more traces or sounds of a dragon. Wu Shanshi's disappointment grew, and he began to doubt his speculation.
Three days later, a group of blind soothsayers arrived in the village.
When Wu Shanshi received the news of their arrival, he was puzzled. Why would the soothsayers come to this rundown and desolate village?
Upon questioning, the elderly leader of the soothsayers hesitated to explain and only said, "We sensed the presence of dragon qi here, so we came."
Wu Shanshi's heart skipped a beat, maintaining a calm expression on his face, he asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The blind soothsayer counted on his fingers and replied, "About three days ago, we sensed changes in the heavens and earth, felt the presence of a real dragon, and followed the aura of auspicious beasts to this village."
Wu Shanshi looked back at Zhou Gongdan with surprise, and they both exchanged bewildered looks. Zhou Gongdan quickly asked, "If a real dragon appears, what does it signify?"
The blind soothsayer hesitated for a moment and struggled to speak.
Impatient, Wu Shanshi urged, "Hurry up and speak!"
The blind soothsayer said in a low voice, "The Emperor is known as the real dragon Emperor. Dragons rarely appear, but if they do..."
Wu Shanshi held his breath, urging the soothsayer to continue. He finally whispered, "It probably means that the Emperor is present in Jizhou..."
Wu Shanshi was stunned, his face turning bright red.
At this moment, he didn't need the soothsayer to say anything, as he had already figured everything out.
Why would a dragon appear in Jizhou?
It was because the aura of the Emperor was present in Jizhou. And as Wu Shanshi was the governor of Jizhou, everything in Jizhou belonged to him. So, the reference to the aura of the Emperor naturally pointed to him.
Did Wu Shanshi have the aura of the Emperor?
Could Wu Shanshi... become the Emperor?
His hands trembled, and after a while, he waved for the soothsayer to leave and paced continuously in the room. After a short pause, Zhou Gongdan finally spoke, "Lord, what should we do?"
Wu Shanshi stopped in his tracks, his mind clouded with thoughts, not quite understanding Zhou Gongdan's meaning, "What do you mean, what should we do?"
Wasn't this a good thing?
Zhou Gongdan sighed heavily, looking worried, "My Lord, if this news spreads, it might not be favorable for you. The Emperor still reigns, and if people hear about the aura of the Emperor in Jizhou, you might be seen as disrespectful... even as if you are trying to proclaim yourself as Emperor!"
Proclaim himself as Emperor?!
Wu Shanshi was shaken to his core. Those two words seemed to have an irresistible appeal, causing his rationality to waver.
Yes, to proclaim himself as Emperor.
Wu Shanshi knew that Zhou Gongdan was right, but he wasn't particularly pleased at the moment.
He was convinced that he now possessed the aura of the Emperor. Why should that clueless young Emperor in Yangzhou, who knew nothing about ruling, enjoy the throne when he, the chosen true Emperor, had to conceal this fact and act as if nothing had happened?
The more Zhou Gongdan advised him, the more Wu Shanshi resisted. But with his only adviser cautioning him, Wu Shanshi couldn't find a way out, so he suppressed his impulse and let Zhou Gongdan handle the matter.
The following month passed unusually calmly.
However, Wu Shanshi's thoughts were consumed by the scale and the words of the soothsayer. The more he thought, the more obsessed he became.
Day and night, he was haunted by thoughts. One night, he even dreamt of a golden dragon telling him that he, Wu Shanshi, was the new Emperor, the rightful ruler.
Upon waking up, the tumultuous emotions from the dream left Wu Shanshi feeling empty. Unconsciously, his obsession with becoming Emperor grew deeper.
Another half a month passed, and from somewhere in Jizhou, a prophecy began to circulate.
Soon enough, this prophecy reached Wu Shanshi's ears.
"Three hundred years after death, the three golds shall rise."