Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 112
After meeting Wang Wei, Xue Bai guessed that it was Princess Yuzhen who had returned to Chang'an City, and she had temples in Luoyang, Wangwushan and other places.

Presumably, Master Qixuan also returned from traveling with her.

Leaving the restaurant and walking to Yuzhen Temple, the scene is really different from usual, there are many more horses and guards in front of the gate.

Xue Bai still went to the side door to knock on the door, and the visitor was a female crown whom he had never seen before.

"I've met a real person, I'll pay a visit to Teng Kongzi."

"Well, you little man, dare to come to Yuzhen Temple to hook up."

"The real person misunderstood me, Teng Kongzi and I are good friends."

The female crown beckoned him to come in, personally led him to the guest house, smiled and said: "I don't understand, who is not a 'friend'? Why do you think that Teng Kongzi is a dedicated practitioner, but you have a friend like you?"

All the way she talked, her voice was natural and kind, with a slight hint of teasing, and she drifted away when she arrived at the guest house.

Xue Bai waited for a while, and Li Tengkong came.

I haven't seen her for many days, she has lost some weight and looks a little thin.

"Are you here to find Master to treat Miss Yan? Master doesn't live here, so he just returned to Chang'an, and went to Zhongnan Mountain yesterday. He left a prescription for replenishing heart qi and blood. You can take it first, and you come with me."

After finishing speaking, Li Tengkong turned around and took Xue Bai to the alchemy room with a businesslike attitude.

"Can I go to Mount Zhongnan to pay respects to Master Qixuan?"

"Are you going?" Li Tengkong looked up with surprise, and said lightly, "If you want to go, find a time and I will take you there."

"So, thank you very much."

"I heard that you have been imprisoned again?"

Xue Bai said: "Today, I also want to thank you, thank you for..."

"No."

Li Tengkong was a little flustered, secretly annoyed Jiaonu and talking nonsense again.

She turned her back, pushed open the door of the alchemy room, and said: "I just went back because of some family matters, and when I learned about you, I asked a few questions, but I couldn't help at all."

While speaking, she walked to the medicine stove and quickly changed the subject.

"The prescription this time can be made into pills, and I'm almost ready, can you wait for a while?"

"Okay." Xue Bai said: "Whether you help me or not, if you beg for me, but you are ridiculed, I should thank you."

"You said that."

After all, Li Tengkong is a girl's mind. Recently, he was scolded by the eleven mothers every day, and then envied the fourteen mothers. When he returned to the Taoist temple, he was teased for dating men... In short, he was confused.

It was all because of Xue Bai, she couldn't help being a little annoyed at him, and finally said something annoyed at this time.It's not to blame him, but it seems to be flirting between men and women.

But after realizing it, it was she who felt that something was wrong, so she quickly stabilized her mind.

"Ahem, I'm a practitioner, so I won't be disturbed by gossip."

Xue Bai smiled.

Li Tengkong took a sneak peek, couldn't hold back, and asked, "Have you heard about it? My fourteenth sister."

"I heard that Du Wei and I have several mutual friends."

"Really? What do you think?"

"Everyone has their own aspirations."

From Xue Bai's point of view, Du Wei's bright future will definitely be affected by the Li family, and he will definitely not do such a stupid thing.

Li Tengkong flattened his lips in dissatisfaction and cursed in his heart.

"Go up to the ghost."

"What did you say?"

"Huh? I didn't say anything..."

~~
After taking the elixir, he walked to the corridor, just when he heard the melodious sound of the piano.

Under the peach tree on the other side of Yimen, a female crown is playing the piano, with a slim figure.

"I also have to learn temperament." Xue Bai whispered to himself.

Now the emperor has a good temperament, and having this skill by his side will greatly help his future. For example, Ge Nu is good at temperament.

Li Tengkong was about to speak, but a five or six-year-old boy ran from the corridor, followed by four maidservants.

"Senior sister, I'm going to play in the alchemy room, can I?"

"Go."

The childish child crawled across the threshold with a smile, raised his head, and tried his best to smell the smell of medicinal materials.

He looks pink and jade-carved, presumably both parents have excellent looks.

It was rumored that Princess Yuzhen had a son even though she was not married, so Xue Bai asked in a low voice, "Princess Yuzhen's son?"

Li Tengkong was a little nervous when asked by his ear, so he nodded.

At this time, the female crown playing the piano heard the movement, got up holding the piano, and walked towards this side.

Xue Bai originally thought it was Princess Yuzhen, but only now did he realize that the female crown was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl with a beautiful appearance, as beautiful as a peach or plum.

"Teng Kongzi."

"Ji Lanzi."

Li Jilan agreed, a little curious about the relationship between the two, she couldn't help asking: "Who is this?"

"Xue Bai."

"So it was Xue Lang in person."

Li Jilan's eyes lit up, and he saluted generously, saying: "I also love to read Xue Lang's poems, Mr. Lang used the 'Sapphire Case' as a poem card, does it have the meaning of 'the beauty gave me a beautiful section, how can I repay the Qingyu case'" ?”

While speaking, she took two steps forward, staring at Xue Bai affectionately from the corner of her eyes, as if she was interested in him, but in fact she just loves poetry, but she has a pair of peach blossom eyes, and every frown and smile makes people feel glamorous.

Although she is still an ignorant and innocent girl, she is born with a troublesome appearance.

Xue Bai didn't know the poem she was talking about, so he replied, "It's just a random name."

"It's really a style of everyone. Xue Lang randomly named her with such artistic conception. I am honored to meet you today, can Mr. Lang give me some advice on the little girl's poems?"

"Ahem." Li Tengkong said hurriedly, "He still has something to do, so he has to leave now."

While talking, he pulled Xue Bai out vigilantly.

Li Jilan followed for two steps and wanted to talk to them, but Li Tengkong was in a hurry, so he had to give up.

……

Li Tengkong saw off the guests and turned back to the alchemy room. Princess Yuzhen was playing with her son while Li Jilan was standing aside talking.

"It's really a romantic person in Chang'an, no wonder even the saints appreciate it."

"What? Fanxin moved?"

"Tu'er just admires his talent."

While talking, Li Jilan turned around, saw Li Tengkong coming, and said, "Teng Kongzi, we are talking about your friend, 'Li Taibai in the sky, Mr. Xue in the world'."

Hearing this, Li Tengkong was taken aback for a moment, and when he looked, Li Jilan's cheeks were slightly flushed, and his almond eyes were full of affection, as if a spring heart had sprouted.

She knew she looked like this, but she was still worried that her Xue Bai would be taken away, so she forgot to answer for a moment.

Princess Yuzhen looked over and saw the two apprentices, one like a lotus flower and the other like a peach blossom, forming an interesting contrast, she couldn't help smiling.

"Ji Lan, go and sort out your poems. When it's empty, I'll invite Xue Bai to a banquet and comment on it for you."

"Really? Thank you Supreme Master."

Li Jilan showed joy, bowed and stepped back.

Princess Yuzhen put down the naughty child in her arms, let him play by himself, and asked Li Tengkong to come forward and speak.

"Don't care about Ji Lan, she has no schemes, she just looks flirtatious."

It was also recently that Princess Yuzhen brought Li Jilan back from Mount Wangwu. Knowing that the apprentices were not familiar with each other, she sighed and talked about Li Jilan's life experience.

"She is the daughter of Li Hua, the head of the Ministry of Industry. Although Li Hua is not a high-ranking official, her articles are famous all over the world, and she is upright and serious. When Ji Lan was six years old, she played in the courtyard and wrote poems. "Zongheng", Li Hua thought that his daughter knew the idea of ​​"marrying" at a young age, and feared that she would ruin the family style, so he sent her to this Taoist temple."

After hearing this, Li Tengkong sighed, "Ji Lanzi is a poor man."

"And you, guarding against the sisters of Shimen, and timidly, you just let that young man be snatched away by outsiders."

"The disciple didn't..."

"I just want to ask you, do you really want to marry him? If yes, you just nod, and I will make the decision for you. If you keep twitching, don't blame others in the future."

Li Tengkong looked up and saw that Princess Yuzhen had put her hands on her shoulders, her expression was free and easy, and there was encouragement in her eyes.

She was panicked, at a loss, and asked herself what kind of way she was cultivating now.

~~
Xue Bai left Yuzhen Temple, thought for a while, and instead of going to Yan's house, went to the Chang'an county government office to look for Yan Zhenqing.

"Teacher, this is the pill given by Master Qixuan, let Sanniang nourish the Qi and blood of the heart first."

Yan Zhenqing took the vase, was silent for a while, turned around and found a stack of old manuscripts, and handed it to Xue Bai.

"Look at the travel scroll of the old man when he was young."

"Thank you teacher."

"How are you preparing for the annual exam?"

"Students feel that their writing and calligraphy will benefit."

"Illusion." Yan Zhenqing commented mercilessly.

He stroked his beard and murmured, and said: "To apply for nurturing tomorrow, I will go with the old man to see someone after the Imperial College is over."

"Yes."

Xue Bai was a little curious, and after waiting for a while, Yan Zhenqing didn't say anything, but instead asked, "Have you caused trouble recently?"

"No." Xue Bai said: "If there is something to do, I will definitely tell the teacher in advance."

"That's good."

Yan Zhenqing was still nodding, but he heard the Zhuzi ask another question.

"Teacher, do you know that Wang Zhongsi, the Jiedu envoy of the Four Towns, has returned to the court?"

"Are you thinking too much?"

"Don't cause trouble, this matter has nothing to do with me." Xue Bai emphasized again, before continuing to ask: "But for Shibao City?"

Yan Zhenqing asked back, "Where did you get the news?"

"Teahouses and restaurants are talking about it. It is said that the sage has decided to take down Shibao City and issued an edict to consult the strategy."

This matter is indeed no secret, but it has nothing to do with many people in Chang'an City, so only a few people who pay attention to current affairs are discussing it.

Yan Zhenqing saw at a glance that Xue Baixiang's inquiry about this matter was not aimless, and said coldly, "How are you doing?"

"May I ask the teacher, is it possible to avoid the battle of Stone Castle?"

"I'm afraid that Wang Zhongsi's return to the court this time will not be able to stop this matter."

"Since it must be fought, the student may have a weapon to give to Wang Zhongsi. What does the teacher think?"

"How courageous." Yan Zhenqing scolded immediately.

As soon as he heard it, he understood that if this weapon was useful, if Xue Bai didn't say it was dedicated to the saint, it would be equivalent to giving Wang Zhongsi a part of the holy family that could have been obtained.

Why?Make friends with generals.

Xue Bai was also probing, and seeing the teacher's reaction, he knew that this move was too risky, and replied: "The student is wrong, it is dedicated to the saint."

"What weapon is it?"

Yan Zhenqing asked out of concern, and immediately realized that he couldn't compete with the students, so he waved his hand, "You don't have to show me any strange ideas you have..."

"Teacher, please take a look."

Xue Bai had already unfolded a scroll in front of him, which caught him off guard.

"Is this...a catapult?"

"Students guess that today's catapults can still be improved. This kind of counterweight heavy catapult may increase its range and power several times. I named it 'Big Stone Cannon'. What does the teacher think?"

"The name is good, but the picture is too sloppy. If we only rely on this sketch, we can't make it."

"Students only have a rough idea, and they only have a preliminary idea. Whether it is useful, whether it can be made, and how to make it has to be discussed with the craftsman."

"Do you know how to communicate with the old man beforehand?"

"Exactly. The teacher told the students to be safe, and the students listened, so I came here to ask, is this possible?"

Yan Zhenqing got up, pacing back and forth, thinking with his hair.

Offering weapons is easy to say, but in this situation, it is bound to be involved in power struggle again.But if it is true what this kid said, the range and power will be increased several times, and it may save many soldiers from the Tang Dynasty from dying.

Finally, Yan Zhenqing made up his mind and replied, "It's possible."

"Isn't the student causing trouble?"

"Do you have any skilled craftsmen you know?"

"Still searching."

~~
The next day, the sound of reading was heard in the Taixue Hall.

Du Wulang leaned over and asked Xue Bai in a low voice: "Can you go to Fengweilou today? Mrs. Daxi wants to thank you."

"busy."

Xue Bai focused on his studies, and without looking back, he stretched out his hand to push Du Wulang's head away.

Du Wulang thought that the official positions of relatives and friends had been arranged, but he and Xue Bai didn't even get a Jinshi. It was really wrong, so he decided to study hard.

"A gentleman's affairs are filial piety, so loyalty can be transferred to the king..."

I don't know when I fell asleep again.

When he woke up, the class was over and everyone else had left. Yang Xuan who was sitting in front was soundly asleep, and Xue Bai was packing up his pen, ink, paper and inkstone.

"Let's go."

"There is a cultural banquet today, do you want to go together?"

"Okay, how can Wen Yan miss me, who is there?"

"I don't know."

When he was about to leave the door of Yi, Du Wulang suddenly reminded Xue Bai to look at the person outside the door, and muttered softly.

"Did you see that old man? The son of the country sacrificed wine, Duke Wei, with a taboo name of 'Shu', Jingzhao Weishi. The official was the prince's concubine, doctor Yinqing Guanglu, a scholar of Jixian Hall, and compiled the tenth chapter of the national history. Yu Nian, is this the first time you've seen me?"

Xue Bai saw that Wei Shu was in his sixties, with a long gray beard, and he was leading a donkey, and was putting scrolls into the donkey's rucksack.

After putting the scroll away, Wei Shu lifted his foot, but failed to get onto the donkey's back. He was old, fat and clumsy. He turned around and saw two disciples, beckoning.

"Come on, help the old man."

Xue Baisui and Du Wulang stepped forward and helped the sacrificial wine onto the donkey's back.

Wei Shu sat down, took a look at Xue Bai, and asked, "Are you that Xue Bai whose literary talent fluctuates?"

"Students are."

"Haha, Yan Qingchen invites you, you and I are going to the same place, let's go."

"..."

Du Wulang couldn't help but stare again.

Before drinking with the doctor and Siye, there was a big Chunwei case. It has only subsided for a few days, but I have to drink with Jijiu again.

What if there is another big Qiuwei case at that time?
~~
As a dignified son of the state offering wine and a master of literature and history in the world, Wei Shu's house is very large, which is worthy of Jingzhao Wei's door.

But when you go inside, you can see that Wei's house is the same as Xue's house in the simple and empty style.

Wei Shu was not because of gambling, but because he had more than [-] volumes of books in his family, all of which he bought, checked and published by himself.

In addition, there are hundreds of volumes of authentic Caoli manuscripts since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, ancient steles, ancient vessels, prescriptions, formats, money records, seal records, etc., and contemporary names and titles, all of which are complete.

The old man showed off all the way, and when he entered the lobby, he called the old servant to buy wine.

Not long after, four middle-aged people came together, two of them were Yan Zhenqing and Zheng Qian, and the other two were in their thirties.

"Haha, Xue Bai is already here, and now that the Qing officials have arrived, we can count 'Han Yu' together." Wei Shu clapped his hands and laughed, "Let's invite the two little ones to pay respects."

Everyone laughed.

Yan Zhenqing was older, and he was not polite, and introduced his two friends.

"Xiao Yingshi, named Maoting, known as 'Master Xiao' and 'Mr. Wenyuan', Lanling Xiao, a descendant of the Nanliang clan, and the seventh grandson of Poyang King. He was Fuwen at the age of four, Bu Taixue at the age of ten, and the number one scholar at the age of 19. He first started his career as a secretary, and now he is an official as the school manager of Jixian Hall."

"Li Hua, courtesy name Uncle Xia, Li family of Zhaojun, 20-year-old Jinshi. He has lived in seclusion for many years. He has been admitted to the Bo Xuehong CI Department, promoted to the Secretary of the Provincial School, and now serves as the head of the Ministry of Industry. The two of them are called "Xiao Li ', the literary name is famous all over the world."

"This is Xue Bai, a villain with mediocre talent. Have you met the two gentlemen?"

"Student Xue Bai, I have met Mr.

"Don't be too polite." Li Hua said: "Master Xiao and I agree with your article very much, the humanities and prose are too complicated..."

~~
Previously, Du Yi had told Xue Bai how to follow the Qingyun Righteous Way in eight steps, and it would be difficult to understand without examples.

And these people in front of them are examples.

The earliest of them was Jinshi at the age of 19, and the latest was Yan Zhenqing who was in high school at the age of 25. All of them first served as school scribes, orthographic letters, and were released as county captains... They all climbed in the direction of the important ministers of the country.

Wei Shu is already a master of literature and history today; Yan Zhenqing's future achievements needless to say; Zheng Qian was favored by the emperor, and he was called "Three Wonders";

It's a pity that Li Linfu manipulated the aspect and blocked their way to become Zai Zhi, and then there were troubles in the world.

But they are all geniuses, and they are walking the most stable path that only geniuses can take.

This is Yan Zhenqing showing his connections to Xue Bai, which means he really recognizes this disciple.

……

"This villain's talent is not bad, if Duke Wei doesn't believe it, you can give him a try."

"Since the Qing minister has opened his mouth, there is no reason for the old man not to believe it. It is rare to get together today, let's have a drink and talk about the article."

Being with a group of geniuses, Xue Bai also felt the pressure.

However, he even lobbied Shifo, and today he will not forget to make friends with officials and make progress hand in hand.

After a round of drinking, he set his sights on Li Hua.

"Director Li works in the Ministry of Industry Department?"

"good."

"The student has a weapon that he wants to dedicate to the saint. I wonder if Master Li is interested in making it?"

Although Li Hua was a Jinshi at the age of 20, his luck was very bad. He had been selected for many years and did not wait for the Que member. He was released when he was over [-] years old.

He recently heard that three people in Ke Chunwei were elected by the Ministry of Officials and directly made up the county lieutenant and secretary.

"If the Secretary of the Ministry of Industry can help, Xue Langzi will just ask."

(End of this chapter)