Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 223 Farewell to Changan

The sweet-scented osmanthus is blooming fragrantly in the courtyard, and Yan Yan is standing before the painting.

She still wears her hair in a bun, tied with a red hairband, and her hair hangs naturally on her shoulders, looking very pretty. But some of her best friends have already styled their hair into buns, which she thinks is more attractive.

It was not appropriate for Xue Bai to come to meet her. Because he was about to travel far away, he was able to come over and talk for a while.

"What are you drawing?"

"Zhongnan Mountain." When Yan Yan saw him coming, she muttered angrily, "I have only been to Zhongnan Mountain, and I can neither paint Li Mountain nor Beimang Mountain."

"Are you annoyed with me?"

"Don't you think it's annoying that you don't take me with you when you go out to play?"

Xue Bai asked: "Do you want to go to Luoyang with me?"

"No."

Yan Yan actually stopped being angry after saying this. She looked up and saw that Xue Bai was actually thinking about it. She was shocked instead, thinking that she had no excuse to go to Luoyang unless... she got married early.

"I don't want to go. I have no story to read."

"Then I'll write a letter and send it back every month." Xue Bai said: "When the teacher's term is completed, I will rush back to Chang'an. By then..."

"Stop talking." Yan Yan glared at him demonstratively, and then said: "When my grandfather was the captain of Liquan County, he had a Mr. Yin as his staff. Mr. Yin now lives in Lizhengfang, Qin Ruo If you want to hire him, go and hire him yourself."

"Okay, Master Wife has told me."

"My grandpa also wrote about the county captain's experience at that time, do you read it?"

"Master Wife has sorted it out."

"Then you still come to me for advice?"

Xue Bai said: "I will feel at ease after asking for advice. After all, it was you who helped me take the exam."

"Thank you for remembering."

After not seeing each other for a while, the two of them didn't know what to say. Xue Bai was a little curious about what Yan Yan would be like after getting married, so he talked about how Xue Yunniang started to control Du Wulang after the marriage... Gradually, laughter rang out in the courtyard. Voice.

Yan Kai, the youngest son of the Yan family, stood in the courtyard gate and scratched his head. Seeing that the two were chatting happily, he couldn't bear to disturb them, but he still stepped forward and said, "Brother, please come to the hall."

"Okay." Xue Bai looked at Yan Yan and said, "Then I'll go."

"just go."

Yan Yan waved her hands as if she didn't care.

After Xue Bai walked through the courtyard gate, she stood on tiptoe and looked over there for a while, then turned off the painting of Zhongnan Mountain she was painting, revealing the unpainted figure below, and looked dissatisfied at the person in the painting. Muttered something.

"You'll come back as soon as my term is over. Hey, that's a nice thought."

~~

Xue Bai led the horse out of Dunhuafang, lowered his head, and could still recall Yan Yan's bright eyes and the shallow dimples when she smiled.

A girl always hides her thoughts, unlike a beautiful woman who always tells her what she wants, so he often doesn't understand her thoughts. It is shameful to say that although he has read thousands of sails, he rarely has the experience of being a childhood sweetheart, so he is inevitably a bit clumsy.

After walking for a while, he came to his senses and had missed the east gate of Shengpingfang. So he looked around and simply walked around Chang'an alone to say goodbye to it for a while.

This area is Leyouyuan, the place where he feels most at home in Chang'an.

During the Wu Zhou Dynasty, Princess Taiping built a garden here. Later, the sage gave the garden to the four kings Ning, Shen, Qi and Xue.

After going around in a circle and returning to the west gate of Shengpingfang, Xue Bai still couldn't bear to go in, so he went to Jinchangfang to buy Hu cakes to eat.

He prefers to eat dishes such as roasted lamb legs and water basin mutton, while Hu Bing only likes to eat the one at the north gate of Jinchangfang. At this time, the old Western Region vendor with a fluffy and gray beard is still busy there, as if forever. Don't leave.

Xue Bai handed over two coins, and the old Hu man tacitly wrapped a hot Hu cake just out of the oven with reed leaves, and said with a smile: "Lang Jun hasn't been here for a long time."

"I'm sorry that the old man still remembers me. He went out for a trip..."

They were not familiar with each other, and he didn't know that he was the number one scholar, nor did he know what kind of story he had, but there were a lot of sesame seeds on the Hu Pancake, which was fragrant and crispy.

Going further, there is a carriage shop not far to the north of Daci'en Temple. The owner is a Uighur. When he saw Xue Bai from a distance, he rushed over to say hello.

"Mr. Lang's horse hasn't had its hooves trimmed for two months. Can you let me do it?"

"Okay, brush it. I'll come back later."

"Okay! Mr. Lang must have gone on a long trip. The horse's hair is covered with mud. I would like to tell you that Chang'an is the best place in the world. Where else should I go? I dream of becoming a native of Chang'an."

Xue Bai couldn't help but smile after hearing this and said: "I also think Chang'an is the best, but I don't necessarily want to stay in the best place."

Suddenly I heard cheers outside Daci'en Temple. Someone was performing there, causing a sensation.

Pedestrians passed by one after another, and some stalls quickly packed up their stalls and moved to nearby places to sell. The grandmothers were hunched over, carrying baskets, and hurried over. There were flower sellers and fruit sellers.

Xue Bai then went over to take a look, instead of pushing into the crowd, he just stood outside and felt the atmosphere.

After listening for a while, he realized that he was actually watching Aunt Gongsun. She had made a living nearby when she was a girl. Now she had temporarily resigned from her post as a worshipper and returned to her hometown. Before leaving, she wanted to perform another sword dance.

Most of the onlookers around were just watching the excitement, and occasionally some knowledgeable people could be heard talking about it, saying that Zhang Xu, the "Grass Sage", watched Lady Gongsun dance her sword and incorporated the dance into calligraphy; Wu Daozi, the "Painting Sage" After watching Lady Gongsun dance her sword, I was inspired by its charm, which evolved into a unique way of using the pen. Her movements were round and floating, and the paper was full of wind, which was called "Wu Dao Dancing in the Wind".

The calligraphy, painting, singing and dancing of the Tang Dynasty are full of charm in Chang'an.

Just as he was joining in the fun, someone pulled Xue Bai. When he turned around, he saw that it was a young novice monk.

"What's wrong with the mage?"

"Amitabha, this donor, would you like to watch the performance from a high place?"

"Ok?"

The little novice monk smiled sheepishly and said, "As long as the donor gives me ten dollars, I will take the donor to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda."

Since we were just wandering around, Xue Bai handed over ten copper coins and the young novice led him up to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

"Hey, there are Xue Zhuangyuan's poems and manuscripts there. Would you like to buy a copy?"

"That's not necessary. Does the mage earn some pocket money?"

The little novice monk secretly looked around and said, "I saved up money to go to Fengweilou to eat stir-fried vegetables. The taste is the most authentic."

The Big Wild Goose Pagoda gets steeper as you climb up. Looking out from the highest window, you can even see the walls of the Imperial City from a distance. It can be said that you have half of Chang'an in your sights.

Xue Bai went up to see Chang'an first, planning to go to the fourth floor to watch Lady Gongsun dance her sword. On the steps, he saw that the young novice monk had brought a few more young scholars. It seemed that his income was good today.

One of them Xue Bai also knew was Zhang Ji, who wrote "The sky is full of frost as the moon falls and crows cry"... You can meet poets everywhere in the Tang Dynasty. Xue Bai has long been used to it. He is quite willing to drink with Zhang Ji. One cup, but today the other party has friends, so he retreats to the fifth floor.

Although the view from the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is good, it is a bit far away. First, I watched the eldest daughter-in-law dance "Xihe Swordsman", and then watched her disciple Li Twelve Niang dance "Swordsman Hunduo".

They wear military uniforms, their hair is tied up, their postures are valiant and unrestrained, they hold single swords with tassels on the handles, combining strength and softness. The dance is like a rainbow and a dragon, with a majestic and majestic spirit, which fully demonstrates the spirit of the Tang Dynasty.

In the next few hundred years, I am afraid that no woman will be able to move the world with such a sword.

Looking at these, Xue Bai couldn't help but think that his feelings for Chang'an City may not be as good as those of these people in this world. In fact, he cherished Chang'an City even more.

~~

"Xue Lang, something happened!"

It was night before I led the horse back to Shengpingfang. A hundred steps away from Du's house, Quan Rui had already hurried over. He should have been keeping watch here.

"Don't be anxious, Uncle Quan speaks slowly."

"Wulang was detained by the Nanya patrol in the imperial city and is still in Jinwu Prison."

"What did he do?"

"I didn't say anything before going out. I heard that he took some students who are not qualified to borrow books to the East Library to borrow books."

Xue Bai felt relieved after hearing this, comforted Quan Rui, and walked to the study first.

Outside the study, Lu Fengniang was crying, but fortunately she was not panicked; this was the first time Xue Yunniang had seen her husband arrested after their marriage, so she was really worried, and her tears kept falling.

"Brother, Li Lang..."

"It's fine."

Xue Bai waved his hand and led them into the study room, where they saw Du Youlin sitting there holding a book, not knowing whether he read it or not. "Uncle, don't worry. I already greeted Genu yesterday to ensure that he is safe and sound."

"I've never been worried."

Du Youlin acted like the head of the family, glared at Lu Fengniang, and waved to her to take her daughter-in-law out and stop making noise here. Then, he called Xue Bai to sit down and talk.

"If you want to leave Beijing, especially if you leave Guanzhong, you must make peace with Li Linfu first, lest he take the opportunity to deal with you. Uncle Guo and Mrs. Guo Guo will not be able to protect you in time."

"What my uncle said is true." Xue Bai said, "I want to test whether Ge Nu supports me in becoming an official in the Eastern Capital. We will know from whether he is willing to transfer his official position to my uncle."

Du Youlin couldn't control his expression. He raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?"

Xue Bai nodded.

Du Youlin couldn't help but laugh and said: "This is really... I originally wanted to find a leisurely job in the library, how can I do such a powerful job?"

The deputy land and sea transportation envoy is definitely a good job. Even if you don't intend to be greedy, getting this good job means a different future...

~~

The next day, Li Linfu only slept for two hours again.

He knew that he should sleep a little longer, but there were too many things in his mind. He woke up at the slightest disturbance and could not fall asleep again.

During the discussion, a staff member came forward and reported: "Right Prime Minister, a small incident has occurred... Those students later caused trouble, and the Left Prime Minister had no choice but to come forward to appease them. The Jinwu Guards detained the leading few in Nanya."

"Du Li?"

This was the first time Li Linfu uttered this name, because he had never taken this boy seriously. Looking back at it now, he could no longer even remember what the boy who was lounging next to Xue Bai looked like.

"Go and bring him here. If you have anything to say about the truth, ask him."

"Right Prime Minister? This... shouldn't be the case, right? He has neither official position nor talent. How can he be worthy of being summoned by the Right Prime Minister?"

"Bring it here." Li Linfu sighed: "It doesn't hurt to meet such a little person once in a while."

Then some staff went to Jinwu Prison to pick up someone. After half an hour, they led Du Wulang back to Youxiang's Mansion.

Li Linfu had already dealt with several official documents for accounting, and took time out of his busy schedule to deal with this small matter.

He was not worried that Du Wulang would assassinate him, so he ordered someone to set up a screen and watched Du Wulang come in shrunken, his small eyes still half-closed, looking listless.

"Meet...meet the right prime minister."

Du Wulang shouted "Brother slave" happily in private, but he was still very scared when he arrived at the Youxiang Mansion. He couldn't control himself and his calves were shaking.

At that time, his whole family almost became the unjust ghosts of the emperor and was sent to Lingnan, but it was the handiwork of this prime minister.

Li Linfu glanced at him with majestic eyes and said lightly: "You have no energy at all. Did you not sleep well in Jinwu Prison? But are you homesick?"

"Yes, yes, I didn't sleep very well. I... I fell asleep at midnight. Not long after dawn, I was escorted out... not long after."

"Still sleepy!" Li Linfu couldn't help but yelled, thinking that he only slept for two hours a day, "What can you accomplish?!"

"I……"

Du Wulang lowered his head in shame and wanted to wipe his nose, but he didn't dare.

Li Linfu didn't bother to talk to such people. He sat down, took a sip of the refreshing tea soup, and said, "Do you know what you have committed?"

"We didn't commit any crime, we just had a few arguments with those officials... um."

"Did Xue Bai instruct you?"

"That's not true. I am a student of the Imperial College. I am a Ming Jing student in high school. I am also... well, I have a little reputation in Chang'an City, right? I used to take them to the East Library to borrow books. Most of the students do not study. It would be better for these students to make progress. I just thought about it and discuss it with the left prime minister to see if we can accommodate... directly grant them a qualification. The method is also simple, if you can write and do math, just fill out a document for borrowing books... "

After all the chattering, Li Linfu finally asked, "Why are you looking for Chen Xilie?"

"The Zuo Prime Minister and I have some friendship." Du Wulang responded, "My biggest connection in the court is... the Zuo Prime Minister."

"is it?"

"It's true that Prime Minister Zuo came to drink my wedding wine and gave me congratulatory gifts. He also contributed to the death of my father-in-law."

"Chen Xilie helped?" Li Linfu was displeased and scolded: "Xue Bai used the name of his true colors to intimidate Li Tan. When will it be Chen Xilie's turn to help?!"

Du Wulang was trembling with fear.

Seeing that he didn't answer, Li Linfu said habitually, "When?!"

"I, I, I...I heard what the left prime minister said. I didn't want to cause trouble. I just wanted to use my connections in the DPRK to ask questions. I didn't press the situation. If I, I, I started to make trouble, they wouldn't talk to me alone. listen……"

"Confused."

Du Wulang still didn't know where he was confused.

Or the staff of the Right Prime Minister's Office couldn't stand his stupidity and reminded him: "Are you looking for the Left Prime Minister? Can he have the responsibility to stand up for the students in the world?"

"what?"

The staff member crossed his hands and saluted, and said solemnly: "In both the government and the public, only the right prime minister can have such a broad mind."

Li Linfu nodded lightly.

He figured it out. Yang Hao had been trying to win the hearts of poor scholars, so he couldn't do nothing. Borrowing books is just a small matter, and by accepting it for this reason, it can actually show the majesty of the Prime Minister's Palace.

In addition, the saint wants to use Xue Bai to investigate the king's pheasant, and he and Xue Bai have a tacit understanding on this matter.

"Right Prime Minister?" Du Wulang was confused for a while and asked, "Then the Right Prime Minister agreed."

"Don't cause any more confusion to the truth from now on."

"Yes Yes."

Du Wulang was overjoyed. For a moment, he felt that Mr. Li Lin was not bad. After a while, he realized that he couldn't forget the pain after the scar healed.

"Here is a document, take it back to Du Youlin." Li Linfu waved his hand impatiently.

~~

After leaving the Prime Minister's Mansion holding the document in his hand, Du Wulang still felt like it was a dream.

In the past, he went to Jinwu Prison once, and walked to the Prime Minister's Mansion once... He seemed to be used to it, but this time he accomplished a big thing independently.

Thinking about it again, when the government issued announcements and reports, the poor people all over the world cheered and shouted his name, but he did not join in the fun. At that time, he was setting off for Luoyang. After his success, he retired. Go, there are many realms.

"Luoyang!"

After returning to Shengpingfang, Du Wulang said something forcefully and waved his hand towards the sky.

He could finally leave home with his wife, no longer having to be disciplined by his parents, and feel free.

Just thinking about it made him feel happy, so he strode home and saw Xue Yunniang crying and waiting for him at the door. He rushed up and hugged her.

"Yun Niang, don't worry, it's not the first time I've been in prison... Do you know that we are going to Luoyang soon, and I will take you to see the beauty of Longmen Mountain. Hey, wait a moment, I will give this to Ah Lord."

Taking the documents and going to the study, Du Wulang knew that he would have to be taught a lesson by Du Youlin again, but it didn't matter, he was leaving home soon, so he had to endure it.

"Grandpa, this is the document that the right minister asked me to bring back."

"Bring it here."

Du Youlin glared at his son fiercely, took the document with a straight face, glanced at it, a smile appeared on his face, and turned to look at Xue Bai.

"It seems that I am also going east."

"what?"

Du Wulang couldn't help but look at Xue Bai, opened his mouth and said a few words silently.

"..."

Xue Bai ignored him, only thinking that now everything in Chang'an was settled and he was ready to set off.

Parting was a big deal, and he also thought about whether to go to Yuzhen Temple to talk to Li Tengkong and Li Jilan face to face, but after much thought, he decided against it.

　Chapter 2 will be posted an hour later~

　　

　

(End of this chapter)