Chapter 6: The Golden Python

Since the thief broke into the prince's room, the prince seemed to have been "scared" and hadn't left the courtyard for seven or eight days. He stayed in his room every day, unwilling to go out. However, there were two days he couldn't avoid: the first and the fifteenth of each month, when he had to go to the Taoist temple to offer incense.

In a blink, it was the first day of the eighth month, and it was time to offer incense again. After breakfast, Zhao Cheng, accompanied by Jianxi, Fengxi, and two young eunuchs, came to the temple to kowtow and offer incense to the Three Pure Ones. Then he listened to Qingyun explain the *Tao Te Ching*: "The universe was originally a chaotic void. Pangu opened the heavens and the earth, and Nuwa molded humans and all living things from yellow clay."

During the previous few times Qingyun explained the scriptures, the prince yawned continuously and fell into a drowsy state, making Qingyun feel extremely unsuccessful. This time, he changed his approach, starting with Taoist stories to try to spark the prince's interest. His idea was good, but he never imagined that Zhao Cheng's soul came from the future. These mythological stories had been told by teachers in kindergarten, and picture books and animated shows were everywhere, so they were no longer fresh. Moreover, the versions from the future, after countless edits, were far more captivating than the original version Qingyun was telling.

"Ah," Zhao Cheng promptly covered his mouth, suppressing the yawn that had reached his throat. He looked at Jianxi and the others, who were listening with great interest, and then at Qingyun, whose saliva was flying and whose face was contorted with various expressions to make his story more vivid. Despite the old Taoist's efforts, Zhao Cheng couldn't muster any interest and finally closed his eyes, meeting with the Duke of Zhou.

"Alas, the prince doesn't seem to be one of us," Qingyun sighed when he saw Zhao Cheng fall asleep again. He hurriedly ended his lecture, instructed two disciples to send the prince to the quiet room, and then hid in the alchemy room.

"Second Master, I heard that there is a golden python in the back garden. Is that true?" Qingyun's eldest disciple, Mingyue, brought a bowl of iced plum soup and sat down, smiling as he asked.

"No, I've never seen it. Jianxi, have you heard of it?" Zhao Cheng was taken aback; he indeed hadn't seen such a thing in the garden. "No, I haven't seen it either!" Jianxi shook his head and said.

"Hehe, Second Master, don't try to deceive me. A few days ago, I met the old gardener Zhangtou, who told me personally. The python is covered in golden scales, with two protrusions on its head like horns. Master said it is a spiritual creature that can become a true dragon after cultivation and passing the heavenly tribulation!" Mingyue refused to believe Zhao Cheng, thinking he was lying.

"Tsk, Old Zhangtou's eyes are failing. He might have mistaken a tree root for a python, just talking nonsense!" Zhao Cheng took a sip of the plum soup and laughed, thinking that such stories of ghosts and spirits were often proven to be nonsense in the future, and he couldn't believe that a snake could turn into a dragon.

"Exactly, Second Master and I played in the garden every day recently and never saw it, nor did Old Zhangtou mention it. He must be lying!" Jianxi pointed at him and said, "Oh, I get it. You want to play in our garden but can't get in, so you're making up stories to trick us, right?" Jianxi seemed to suddenly understand and laughed.

"Master, you're wronging me. A few days ago, Old Zhangtou's grandson was possessed, and he came to the temple for a talisman to drive away the evil. He said it in front of everyone, and Master heard it too. We didn't believe it at first, but he swore he saw the python spitting mist on the rock in the morning. How could that be false?" Mingyue, seeing that no one believed him, was almost in tears and said with a flushed face.

"Alright, let's assume what you said is true. We'll ask Old Zhangtou this afternoon. If you're lying, your master will beat you with a stick!" Jianxi, seeing Mingyue's urgency, laughed and said.

"Fine, if I'm lying, let my master beat me with a stick. But if I'm telling the truth, you have to take me to see the spiritual python!" Mingyue said defiantly.

"Alright, it's settled. Get ready for the beating!" Jianxi laughed.

At noon, they had a vegetarian meal at the temple. Although it was just ordinary food, it had a unique flavor when prepared by the young Taoists. With no one watching, Zhao Cheng had a satisfying meal. After a brief rest in the quiet room, he went to Qingyun's warehouse, grabbed a few bottles and jars, and left the temple, content.

This mansion was originally a garden estate built by a minister in the capital, intended for retirement. Unexpectedly, he got into trouble in his old age, and the estate was confiscated and turned over to the government. This benefited Zhao Cheng.

The entire compound was divided into three sections. The main buildings were in the central section, with the main gate facing north, followed by the front hall, back hall, and rear rooms, all with five rooms. The courtyard was surrounded by connected rooms, and the garden was at the back. The western section had stables and carriage houses, followed by storage rooms, and the last part was a small Taoist temple where Qingyun and his disciples lived to "ward off evil." The eastern section was their main living area, with the ancestral hall, large kitchen, and stage in the front, and four courtyards—Spring Garden, Summer Rhythm, Autumn Makeup, and Winter Posture—behind.

The back hall had a second gate, and everything beyond it was the inner courtyard, managed by the eunuchs, with no one else allowed to enter. The front part was the outer courtyard, managed by the household staff. Zhao Cheng, now seven years old and unmarried, occupied only the Winter Garden, with the rest of the courtyards empty. Both sides were adjacent to the garden, and one could pass through the garden by going through two side gates to reach the eastern living area.

"Jianxi, where are the guards?" Zhao Cheng turned the corner of the temple and walked to the garden gate, asking. The guards from the outer courtyard's duty room were supposed to be here to prevent people from entering, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Second Master, everyone has been on night duty to prevent thieves these days. They must be tired and have gone to rest somewhere!" Jianxi immediately answered.

"Hmm, why don't you manage them? It's a disgrace. There are women in the inner courtyard. How can outsiders enter freely? Arrange for people to take turns on duty and prevent outsiders from entering!" Zhao Cheng scolded. These people had forgotten their lessons and were becoming lax again.

"Yes, yes, I'll discipline them and arrange for people to guard the area when we get back!" Jianxi answered as they walked, "Second Master, do you think what Mingyue said is true? Is there really a python in the garden?" Jianxi asked again.

"Who knows? I've never seen it." Zhao Cheng said indifferently. The garden had trees and water, and snakes like cool places, so it wasn't strange to have snakes, but since the garden was newly built, it was unlikely to have a large snake.

"Second Master, it's still early. Shall we go look for it?" Entering the garden, Jianxi instructed the young eunuchs to secure the gate and hurried to catch up with the prince, smiling.

"Hmm?" Zhao Cheng hummed, looking at Jianxi and the others, who were all full of anticipation. He couldn't help but smile wryly. Although these people were incomplete, they were still teenagers, and they had been cooped up in the house for days, so they were eager to see something new. "Alright, I want to see what Mingyue looks like when he gets beaten. Let's go look for it!"

"Great, Fengxi, take the prince's things to the small study and inform the head eunuch that the prince will play in the garden for a while and then return!" Seeing Zhao Cheng agree, Jianxi was delighted and turned to instruct Fengxi. Although Fengxi was reluctant, he dared not disobey and left with a grim face.

The back garden was large, covering more than thirty acres. Although it wasn't as grand as the imperial palace, it had pavilions, terraces, and towers, and the rain corridors around it kept one's feet dry even in heavy rain. It was now the season of blooming flowers, and the garden was fragrant.

"Old Zhang, what did you tell Mingyue about a python in our garden? Where is it? We're here to see it!" Turning the corner of the corridor, Jianxi shouted at an old man who was leading two gardeners to trim the trees.

"Master Jianxi has come!" The old man raised his head, put down the pruning shears, and bowed, "Oh, Second Master has come too. You haven't been to the garden for a while. A few days ago, a large python appeared behind the rockery. It was quite long and looked very scary!" The old man spoke loudly, looking fearful, and Zhao Cheng didn't think he was lying.

"Nonsense, our Second Master is of royal blood. The snake would bow to him!" Jianxi snorted, "But if you're lying, I'll come back and knock out your teeth!"

"I wouldn't dare, Master. I saw the snake basking on the rock in front of the pavilion on the hillside just now. It should still be there. Be careful not to get bitten!" Old Zhang pointed to the rockery, his words filled with concern.

"Alright, let's go see!" Jianxi saw some wooden poles used for scaffolding and grabbed a few, giving one to each of the young eunuchs and keeping a longer one for himself. "You two go ahead, be careful not to scare it away!" He instructed the young eunuchs to go first, protecting Zhao Cheng from behind, and ignored Old Zhang.

The rockery was built from excavated mud, with the highest point over ten meters tall. It was covered with trees and various strangely shaped lake stones, and several pavilions were scattered on it. A path made of green stone slabs led to the top, creating a beautiful scene. The young men, eager to find the python, followed the old gardener's directions to the back of the hill, paying no attention to the flowers and plants.

As they walked, Zhao Cheng suddenly felt a sense of unease. The hill was covered with dense vegetation, and anything happening on top would be invisible from below. If someone wanted to harm him here, it would be a perfect place.

"Second Master, we're almost there. I wonder if we'll see the python?" Jianxi, unaware of Zhao Cheng's concerns, held his hand and said excitedly.

"Oh!" Zhao Cheng responded absentmindedly, wondering if he was being overly cautious. He had come here on a whim, so how could someone have known to set a trap? He touched the gun tucked in his waist and felt reassured.

---

The back garden was vast, covering more than thirty acres. Although it wasn't as grand as the imperial palace, it had pavilions, terraces, and towers, and the rain corridors around it kept one's feet dry even in heavy rain. It was now the season of blooming flowers, and the garden was fragrant.

"Old Zhang, what did you tell Mingyue about a python in our garden? Where is it? We're here to see it!" Turning the corner of the corridor, Jianxi shouted at an old man who was leading two gardeners to trim the trees.

"Master Jianxi has come!" The old man raised his head, put down the pruning shears, and bowed, "Oh, Second Master has come too. You haven't been to the garden for a while. A few days ago, a large python appeared behind the rockery. It was quite long and looked very scary!" The old man spoke loudly, looking fearful, and Zhao Cheng didn't think he was lying.

"Nonsense, our Second Master is of royal blood. The snake would bow to him!" Jianxi snorted, "But if you're lying, I'll come back and knock out your teeth!"

"I wouldn't dare, Master. I saw the snake basking on the rock in front of the pavilion on the hillside just now. It should still be there. Be careful not to get bitten!" Old Zhang pointed to the rockery, his words filled with concern.

"Alright, let's go see!" Jianxi saw some wooden poles used for scaffolding and grabbed a few, giving one to each of the young eunuchs and keeping a longer one for himself. "You two go ahead, be careful not to scare it away!" He instructed the young eunuchs to go first, protecting Zhao Cheng from behind, and ignored Old Zhang.

The rockery was built from excavated mud, with the highest point over ten meters tall. It was covered with trees and various strangely shaped lake stones, and several pavilions were scattered on it. A path made of green stone slabs led to the top, creating a beautiful scene. The young men, eager to find the python, followed the old gardener's directions to the back of the hill, paying no attention to the flowers and plants.

As they walked, Zhao Cheng suddenly felt a sense of unease. The hill was covered with dense vegetation, and anything happening on top would be invisible from below. If someone wanted to harm him here, it would be a perfect place.

"Second Master, we're almost there. I wonder if we'll see the python?" Jianxi, unaware of Zhao Cheng's concerns, held his hand and said excitedly.

"Oh!" Zhao Cheng responded absentmindedly, wondering if he was being overly cautious. He had come here on a whim, so how could someone have known to set a trap? He touched the gun tucked in his waist and felt reassured.