After seeing Quan Li off, Xie Wan entered the West Hall of Taiji Hall in Taicheng and exchanged a few casual words with Sun Chuo, Regular Mounted Attendant and Academician, and Palace Attendants Gao Song and Zhang Ping. The emperor still had not appeared, so Xie Wan asked Sun Chuo why deliberations had moved from the East Hall to the West Hall.
Sun Chuo said, "You haven't heard, Regular Mounted Attendant Xie? The East Hall was haunted four days ago. His Majesty refuses to go there now."
Xie Wan said, "I heard about Lu Song slaying a ghost, but wasn't it later said that he had deceived His Majesty with sleight of hand and could not be trusted?"
Sun Chuo said, "So they say, but His Majesty has not set foot in the East Hall since that day. What can we do?"
Zhang Ping said, "Word in the streets is that Lu Song's ability to remain underwater without drowning and walk through fire without feeling heat was all trickery. Even his exorcisms were false. Fortunately, his wicked schemes were exposed early. Otherwise, with such a sorcerer constantly at His Majesty's side, he would surely have thrown the government into chaos."
Xie Wan asked, "If he is a sorcerer, why not punish him under the law as a warning to others?"
Sun Chuo said, "The Prince of Langya staunchly protected Lu Song. He has already left the capital and returned to Xuzhou."
Gao Song, who had been sitting upright without a word, spoke then. "His Majesty summoned two men that day: Chen Caozhi of Qiantang and Lu Song of Xuzhou. In just half an hour, the difference in their character became plain. Though Chen Caozhi is Ge Zhichuan's disciple, he frankly stated that he had never studied alchemy. He did not