Wednesday, May 29, 2024

253 Luan Da

A12.17

In the spring of this year, Marquis Lecheng wrote a letter to recommend Luan Da. Luan Da was a palace maid in charge of daily life affairs in the palace of Jiaodong King Liu Ji. He had previously learned from the same master as General Wencheng, and later became an official in charge of preparing medicines for the Jiaodong King. At that time, Marquis Lecheng's elder sister was the queen of Jiaodong King Kang, and she had no son. After King Kang died, the son of another concubine was made the heir king. However, Queen Kang had committed promiscuous acts and did not get along well with the new king. The two tried their best to harm each other. When Queen Kang heard that General Wencheng had died, she wanted to please the emperor, so she sent Luan Da to meet the emperor to discuss alchemy with the recommendation of Marquis Lecheng. Although Emperor Wu killed General Wencheng, he regretted letting him die so early and lamented that he did not let him give up all his alchemy. When he met Luan Da, the emperor was very happy. Luan Da was tall and handsome, and he was very strategic in his words. He dared to talk big and acted very decisively. He boasted, "I have traveled back and forth in the sea and met immortals such as Anqisheng and Xianmen Gao. But they all thought that I was of low status and did not believe me. They also thought that King Kang was just a prince and was not worthy of being given those immortal arts. I have made suggestions to King Kang many times, but King Kang did not employ me. My teacher said: 'Gold can be refined, the Yellow River can be blocked, the medicine for immortality can be obtained, and the gods can be summoned.' I am now afraid that I will be killed like Wencheng, then all the alchemists will keep silent and dare not mention the art of alchemy again!" The emperor said, "Wencheng died by accidentally eating horse liver. If you really can get me the magic of the immortals, what should I be reluctant to give up? "Luan Da said, "My teacher never asks others for help, it is others who ask him for help. If Your Majesty must invite my teacher, you must first make me of noble status, let me have my own family, treat me with the etiquette of entertaining guests, and not despise me, and let me wear various seals, so that I can convey the words of the immortals. But it is not certain whether the immortals will come. In short, you must make your messenger noble, so that you can invite the immortals." So the emperor asked him to perform a small magic to test his effectiveness. He performed a chess game, letting the chess pieces hit each other on the chessboard.

其春,乐成侯上书言栾大。栾大,胶东宫人,故尝与文成将军同师,已而为胶东王尚方。而乐成侯姊为康王后,毋子。康王死,他姬子立为王。而康后有淫行,与王不相中,相危以法。康后闻文成已死,而欲自媚于上,乃遣栾大因乐成侯求见言方。天子既诛文成,后悔恨其早死,惜其方不尽,及见栾大,大悦。大为人长美,言多方略,而敢为大言,处之不疑。大言曰:“臣尝往来海中,见安期、羡门之属。顾以为臣贱,不信臣。又以为康王诸侯耳,不足予方。臣数言康王,康王又不用臣。臣之师曰:‘黄金可成,而河决可塞,不死之药可得,仙人可致也。’臣恐效文成,则方士皆掩口,恶敢言方哉!”上曰:“文成食马肝死耳。子诚能脩其方,我何爱乎!”大曰:“臣师非有求人,人者求之。陛下必欲致之,则贵其使者,令有亲属,以客礼待之,勿卑,使各佩其信印,乃可使通言于神人。神人尚肯邪不邪。致尊其使,然后可致也。”于是上使先验小方,斗旗,旗自相触击。

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