Linxia

Chapter 227, Emperor Collapse

The next day, Emperor Hongtai sent someone to bring his beloved cat Shuangmei, and issued an imperial decree to reward Fang Lin for his contribution of presenting sweet potatoes, by promoting him to the third rank of the Jinyiwei commander.

The third-rank commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was still a nominal position, which meant he received more salary and had a good reputation, but sending Shuangmei was unexpected.

Perhaps Emperor Hongtai knew that he would not live long, and when a new emperor who did not like cats ascended the throne, Shuangmei's treatment would plummet; or perhaps Emperor Hongtai had a sentimental attachment to animals, and wanted Shuangmei to walk out of the palace on his behalf and follow Fang Lin to see the mountains and rivers of Daxia. In short, he sent it here.

This move attracted quite a lot of attention, especially as the situation in the capital was quite delicate at the time, and caused quite a stir.

Anyone who knows something about the inner palace knows how much Emperor Hongtai loves Shuangmei. He even set up a special official position for it. However, such a beloved cat was given to Fang Lin. What a favor!

At the same time, this incident also exposed Fang Lin's identity and put him at the center of public attention.

Fang Lin originally thought that as a person who had written a few novels, his fame was nothing in the eyes of the emperor. However, the fact was that after his identity was exposed, people came to his door one after another.

The majority were book fans who admired his reputation and sought to collect his calligraphy and paintings; there were also those who beat around the bush and asked about Emperor Hongtai's health; there were also those who wanted to ask for favors because they saw that Fang Lin was in the emperor's favor... It was so disturbing.

Faced with this situation, Fang Lin knew that it was time for him to leave. If he stayed any longer, many people would dislike him.

——Let me put it this way, the officials in the court can tolerate a scholar who has a name but no power among the people, but they cannot tolerate a favorite who may enter the court, even if it is just a possibility, even with Emperor Hongtai's current physical condition.

At this time, Missy had also finished packing and reached an agreement with Fang Lin to leave from the Grand Canal this time.

That morning, the air was filled with a light mist like smoke. Dong Zugao broke off a willow branch and said goodbye to him at the dock: "Your Majesty is in poor health... At this critical moment, the capital is like a whirlpool. It is wise for Brother Fang to leave at this time."

"Brother Dong knows me, and I have something to tell you as well."

Fang Lin said: "Brother Dong, you should protect yourself in the court. Don't be too rigid. If you can't stay in the capital, you can move to other places. If it doesn't work, you can just quit your job and become an idler in the mountains. Between people and officials, people are always more important. You must know: if you keep the official but lose the people, both the people and the officials will lose; if you keep the people but lose the official, both the people and the officials will keep."

"Brother Fang, I'll remember what you said." Dong Zugao held Fang Lin's wrist and felt a warmth in his heart.

He had made quite a few friends in the capital over the years, but most of them were due to their status and position. If he lost his position and his value was greatly reduced, many of them would probably become distant... For example, those friends would never say such words.

Only Fang Lin, who knew each other from humble beginnings and whose relationship transcended interests, would say this.

"That's good, Brother Dong. I'm leaving now." Fang Lin said take care and turned away.

Mr. Fang, Mrs. Fang, Tian Xuan and others have already boarded the ship.

Qiuqiu followed Fang Lin and stayed behind. At this moment, she was holding Shuangmei in her arms. The little girl loved this cat very much. They were inseparable these days and even slept together. She also waved her little hand and said, "Goodbye, Uncle Dong!"

Fang Lin and his party boarded the boat. Under the bright sunshine, the boat went away in the sparkling river. They kept waving to each other from afar until they could no longer see each other.

……

We took a boat along the canal when leaving, which was much faster than the way here. We arrived in Lin'an in just ten days.

When you come to Lin'an, you must visit West Lake.

It just so happened that Fang Lin's family was not pressed for time and did not have that many things to do. The same was true for Missy. Whenever they arrived in Daxia, they liked to visit the local attractions.

Today, we toured West Lake together.

"Fang, I've heard of West Lake and I also know Leifeng Pagoda because of your "Legend of the White Snake". That book is very good, very good!" Missy gave a thumbs up.

Upon hearing this, Fang's father, Fang's mother, Tian Xuan and others all laughed.

Mi Xi is from Taixi, with pure Western thinking. Unlike the euphemisms of Daxia people, she says whatever she wants to say and is very direct in praising people. Recently, they have gradually gotten used to it.

But what Missy said was true, and it was indeed so in fact. Fang Lin's book "The Legend of White Snake" further boosted the reputation of West Lake, attracting a large number of tourists every year.

Today, it seems particularly lively.

In the West Lake, there is a large lotus boat wrapped with red silk, as if someone is getting married.

The shore was full of people watching the fun, pointing and whispering to each other, as if they were mocking or making fun of something.

Fang Lin and his party stepped forward and heard what these people were talking about.

"The talented scholar Qian Qianyi from Jiangzuo and the famous prostitute Liu Yin from Qinhuai are getting married today..."

"They are several dozen years apart in age!"

"The world is declining!"

……

'Qian Qianyi, a talented scholar from Jiangzuo, and Liu Yin, a famous prostitute from Qinhuai?'

Fang Lin was at a loss when he heard these two names: "Just like the Wei Zhongxian and Li Shizhen I saw before, are they flowers in this time and space that are similar to the history of the previous life? The world is different, and the timeline is naturally different. However, in this world, will they still follow the original trajectory?"

On the shore, there were many people throwing rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves.

On the boat in the lake, Qian Qianyi's temples were slightly gray. He glanced at his wife and sneered, "Are you scared?"

Liu Yin glanced at the people on the shore, raised her head slightly, the wind blew her bangs, and they fell on her pouty red lips, making her look playful and cute. She snorted and said, "They are envious!"

Qian Qianyi laughed, reached out and brushed her bangs, and said, "My beloved has black hair and fair skin!"

Liu Yin glanced at him and said, "I love my husband because his hair is like my skin, and his skin is like my hair."

……

Fang Lin and his party rented a boat and went over.

"Huai'an Fang Zidun wants to see you. The Fang Zidun who wrote Linjiangxian: The Rolling Yangtze River Flows East? Come in!"

"I prefer Mr. Fang's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Investiture of the Gods, and White Snake."

Qian Qianyi was a "talented scholar from Jiangzuo", so he would welcome a celebrity like Fang Lin; Liu Yin, who had once been a prostitute and said "I only make friends with literati and celebrities", would not refuse him either.

It can be said that with Fang Lin's current reputation, no matter where he goes or how famous the prostitute is, there will be no barriers to meeting her.

Fang Lin and his party were invited on board, where they met Qian Qianyi and Liu Yin. Qian Qianyi, needless to say, had white temples and a long beard, and looked to be in his fifties or sixties; Liu Yin was a young girl, her red clothes blew by the cold wind, revealing her exquisite curves, as if she was about to fly away with the wind. Against the backdrop of the West Lake, she looked even more pitiful.

Although she looked petite and fragile, she was as suave and elegant as a celebrity. She followed Qian Qianyi without any restraint and bowed gracefully: "Greetings, Mr. Fang!"

Missy followed and when she saw Liu Yin, she was shocked by the beauty of this oriental woman.

Fang's mother, Tian Xuan, Qiuqiu and other women and children were all stunned and thought the other person was good-looking.

"Recently, Xiling praised Liu Yin, and Taohua was praised as the most beautiful woman. Today, I saw that she was indeed extraordinary."

Fang Lin toasted the couple with a glass of wine, which was more of a toast to the latter, to the other's temperament and integrity. The historical figures of the previous life seemed to overlap with the people in front of him: "Congratulations, both of you."

"Haha, everyone thinks it's ridiculous for an old man who is almost sixty to marry a beautiful young girl. But when they truly love each other, they realize that all moral ethics and worldly prejudices are false. As long as two people love each other and are willing, what does it matter even if there is an age difference of dozens of years?" Qian Qianyi said with a smile.

"If I have a true friend in this world, I will die without regrets." Liu Yin was in high spirits.

Fang Lin looked at the two of them. No matter what the future holds, at least they are a perfect match at the moment. He said that this was a love from heaven, and from this incident, he could see the freedom and openness of Daxia today. He did not stay for long. He left after a glass of wine, as if he came here just to see the two of them and say congratulations.

"What a strange man."

“A person who can become famous all over the world has his own style.”

……

After bidding farewell to Qian Qianyi and Liu Yin and his wife, he continued his journey.

"That girl's beauty is just like the water of West Lake!" Missy made no secret of her love for her.

"Yes, I think that compared to the Jiangzuo talent, Brother Lin seems to value Miss Liu more."

"Sister Xuan is very perceptive. That couple may both be famous figures in history. In fact, the latter may be more famous than the former."

Fang Lin smiled and said, "Let's not talk about them, let's have fun on our own!"

……

After leaving Lin'an, Fang Lin and his party took the Jiangyin route. He planned to go to Cifu Temple to meet the monk Lianzhou who had saved Fang's father and mother.

It was already evening when we arrived in Jiangyin.

Fang Lin and his party arrived at Cifu Temple, explained their purpose, and went in under the guidance of a young monk.

Monk Lianzhou looked much older than before. At this moment, he was sitting on a small stool under the eaves of the temple, fiddling with his things and making a purple clay teapot.

At this time, under the moonlight, an old ginkgo tree in front of the courtyard, with its simple and vigorous trunk, shows the vicissitudes of time under the faint silver-white moonlight, especially the galls on the trunk, which are truly a work of nature.

Monk Lianzhou looked at the old ginkgo tree and subconsciously pinched the shape of a teapot according to the gall on the trunk.

Seeing the other party's current state, Fang Lin stopped Fang's father, Fang's mother and others who wanted to speak, and waited quietly together.

At this moment, there was no sound, and time seemed to stand still, passing silently as the teapot embryo rotated.

When he finished making this purple clay teapot, Monk Lianzhou came back to his senses and looked at the finished teapot. He felt that it was far beyond his normal level.

At this time, he saw Fang Lin and his party coming and asked them to sit down. He looked at the purple clay teapot again and said with a smile, "It is fate that you, Mr. Fang, came. I was inspired to make this purple clay teapot. I will give it to you, Mr. Fang, as a gift to the destined one!"

Fang Lin didn't know much about purple clay teapots, but he inexplicably felt that this teapot was good, so he asked, "Master, what is the name of this teapot?"

Monk Lianzhou looked at the old apricot tree in the courtyard and said, "The old apricot tree accompanies the bright moon, and the peach blossoms offer sacrifices to the God of Spring. Let's call it 'Gongchun'!"

Fang Lin was shocked when he heard this. He didn't expect that the world-famous "Gongchun" purple clay teapot in his previous life would appear in front of him.

He thanked him, took out the one thousand taels of silver he had prepared long ago and gave it to Monk Lianzhou as a gift, asking him to accept it.

Fang's father and mother were also grateful. Monk Lianzhou had no choice but to accept the money, saying that it should be used as incense money for repairing the temple.

"Master, why can't I see Jingwen?" Fang Lin asked.

Jingwen is the little monk who followed Monk Lianzhou at the beginning.

"Jingwen went out, so he sent the Lotus Sutra, which I had chanted for twenty years and written with my own blood, to Jiuzu Mountain in Yunnan for offering."

Monk Lianzhou paused for a moment and continued, "There was another person traveling with Jingwen, a strange man just like Mr. Fang."

"I am just an ordinary person and cannot be called a remarkable person. However, the lay Buddhist mentioned by the master must be extraordinary." Fang Lin said with a smile.

"This lay Buddhist spent most of his life recording the mountains and rivers of Daxia. Without government funding, he spent most of his time walking on foot, and with limited resources, he traveled all over Daxia."

Monk Lianzhou sighed, "People nowadays love to travel. I think that travel in this world can be divided into three categories: secular travel, human travel, and spiritual travel."

"So-called vulgar travel, with lasciviousness in front, bells and drums behind, towers and boats everywhere, and delicacies from mountains and waters filling the whole square. Men and women meet, but the ripples do not enter their hearts, and the clear music does not please their ears."

What does this mean?

In other words, vulgar tourism is nothing more than comparison and showing off wealth, which loses the original meaning of sightseeing.

Fang Lin subconsciously thought of what he had seen before, when Master Jiang and Young Master Qian were fighting in the river and throwing money around. This must be what "vulgar travel" was.

"The so-called human travel is when the sky is clear, the wind blows, the moon shines, and everything is washed away. One sleeps on rocks and rinses one's mouth in the stream, listens to birds and sits on flowers, draws a brush, climbs a height and writes a poem, old men in the fields compete for seats with him, and deer and elk become close friends."

This means that traveling is to appreciate nature and enjoy the beauty of tourism.

Fang Lin believed that this trip he and his group were on was of this kind.

"The so-called spiritual wandering has no boundaries or boundaries, is truly without falsehood, sweeps across the eight poles, enters and exits the six directions, touches the boundless, takes advantage of the wonders of the vastness, and rests in the land of nothingness."

This kind of "spiritual travel" has made the whole world its home, almost like a travel of an ascetic monk, traveling to the ends of the earth, like a wild crane, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people.

"From my perspective, the only person in the world who deserves to be called a 'spiritual traveler' is that layman!"

Monk Lianzhou sighed, "I accepted the money from Mr. Fang, but I also wanted to help him and make him feel better."

Fang Lin was lost in thought when he heard this. He felt that the man's identity was about to be revealed. He asked with some excitement, "Master, may I know the name of that layman?"

"That lay Buddhist's name is...Xu Xiake."

……

But he said.

Xu Xiake and Monk Jingwen set out from Jiangyin, intending to enter Yunnan via Jiangxi and Hunan.

When passing by the Xiangjiang River, they encountered robbers. The two jumped into the water to escape, but their luggage was lost. Monk Jingwen caught a cold again. Xu Xiake remembered that a friend named Jin was in Hengyang, so he went to Jin's house.

However, this friend named Jin had already distanced himself from Xu Xiake because he saw that Xu Xiake was not working hard and was wandering around. In addition, his family was not well-off and had no spare money, so he refused the deal.

At this critical moment, Monk Lianzhou sent his disciple Jingnian to catch up and bring fifty taels of silver, which allowed Xu Xiake and Monk Jingwen to continue their journey.

This incident was recorded in "Xu Xiake's Travel Notes" and was talked about by later generations.

……

Not to mention that Fang Lin donated money to Cifu Temple and indirectly helped Xu Xiake, a few days after Fang Lin and his party arrived in Jiangyin, they heard the news that the tomb of Emperor Hongtai had collapsed, and the whole world was shocked.

Wow!
Fang Lin offered sacrifices to the north and poured a cup of wine into the river, knowing that the journey was about to end.

'During this trip, I heard about Ge Chong, Zhang Huaian, Mi Wanzhong, Li Shizhen, Qian Qianyi, Liu Yin, Xu Xiake... many famous people. It can be seen that Daxia was already in a state of prosperity, and the prosperity had reached its peak. Now, perhaps it is the end of its prosperity.'

'With all the changes happening, it's time to go back.'

……

(End of this chapter)