Early the next morning.
A thousand government soldiers escorted three hundred thousand taels' worth of gold, silver, and treasure back to Hangzhou. Twenty-seven large chests filled more than a dozen carts. Meanwhile, the reports from Old Eight and Ten also reached Capital City.
Jiajing was delighted.
After more than two years of construction, the Longevity Palace was finally taking shape, and now there were another three hundred thousand taels of silver-even if the sum was limited compared with the national treasury, it still saved a considerable expense.
The popular uprising in Shandong had been suppressed, the disaster victims pacified, and there was little activity in the Southeast or from the Demon Cult. Apart from the restless Tatars in the north, court and country were stable. Everything could be said to be going his way, so he was particularly generous.
Upon receiving the news, he immediately ordered Hu Zongxian, who also served as governor of Zhejiang, to seal the treasure in the treasury for military use. Then he sent an edict to Lu Bing, promoting Old Thirteen to Qianhu of the Northern Pacification Office, granting him three thousand taels from the imperial treasury, and bestowing one "Immortal Pill"!
The money was secondary. Being granted an "Immortal Pill" demonstrated extraordinary imperial favor.
Though called an "Immortal Pill," it was of course not medicine that would let someone ascend to immortality after swallowing it, but a supreme-grade spiritual medicine Emperor Jiajing took regularly.
The [Limitless Elixir].
It was refined by the two great immortals, Tao Zhongwen and Lan Daoxing, using the essences of various exotic beasts. Taking it could ward off all illnesses and extend one's life.
Only a very few received the medicine as a mark of imperial favor.
The Thirteen Guardians stood together, sharing honor and disgrace. Liu Zhenyuan was delighted