The streets in the city were noisy, and the merchants on the road were driving cattle and horses. The carts behind them were loaded with various goods. It is said that some of them were transported from the Western Regions. Commodities always need some gimmicks. If they are novelty items from the Western Regions, their items will sell better.
It's already winter, and the fields in the farmers' homes have been harvested. They will be much more relaxed in winter, and they will come to the market when they are free. It's a new year, and they have to buy some new things.
Under a house on the side of the road, a child was sitting by the door, holding a book with a sad face. Books are not such a scarce item these days. A few years ago, printed books were all the rage. Now there is a library a few streets away, where you can read books every day, and you can buy a copy for a few copper coins.
Judging from the child's age and appearance, it should be that the township school he attended is about to take an exam. He hasn't prepared much, and I'm afraid he won't be able to pass it and go home to be punished.
A few young scholars were laughing and walking down the street. They were all wearing uniform bluish-white robes, and passers-by on the side of the road would show some envy in their eyes when they saw their clothes.
If you have children, you will tell your own children that you will learn from those people in the future.
This is Xuchang, and there is a hundred academies of Chinese studies nearby, and those scholars are wearing the uniform clothes of the academies. The students of Baijia Academy are all students who have been admitted from various state schools, and those who are excellent can be directly appointed by the imperial court. Therefore, in the eyes of the common people, at least they will be high officials in the future.
And the students of those academies are also proud of their spring breeze. They are at the best age in their lives, and they also have their own visions for the future, and they have the blood to fight for and serve them. Everything they have at this time is the best.
The streets are really lively, and in a few days it will be the Lantern Festival. At that time, every house will hang a light in front of the door, and the city will not be closed overnight, and the night market will be open for celebration and sacrifice all night.
That's why the businessmen rushed back to the city at this time, and the college was also on holiday so that the scholars could go sightseeing.
A person in gray and white clothes walked among the crowd with a bamboo hat and held a black stick in her arms. She seemed a little out of place with the noisy streets around her. She walked quietly through the street.
Sometimes she would stare at the smiling farmers passing by the side of the road in a daze. Sometimes she would stand by a merchant's shop to see what was on it. Sometimes she would stand silently outside the door of a bookstore, watching the scholars inside read. The owner of the bookstore saw her and invited her in with a smile, but she just smiled and shook her hand.
On the way, Gu Nan inquired about many things, and she realized that it seemed that only twenty years had passed since the Battle of Chibi.
But everything has changed so much.
She asked a passerby the way to Baijia Guoxue, and walked there.
The academy is built on a mountain, and in the middle of the mountain path is a long stone step called Shushan Road.
There were a lot of people in front of the mountain road, and the selection examinations for colleges in various states ended a year ago, so it happened to be the time when students from all over the country came to enroll.
Gu Nan didn't approach, but stood far away under a tree, watching the students receive their enrollment signs in front of the mountain, step by step over the stone steps, and walk up the mountain.
Their bodies were straight, their eyes were full of yearning and anticipation for what they wanted, and their expressions were full of high spirits. This is their pride, because they have learned what they have learned, and this is their ambition, because they need to start here and make something.
Gu Nan who was standing opposite under the tree smiled selfishly, turned around and walked down the mountain in the opposite direction from them.
At a separate intersection at the foot of the mountain, Gu Nan stopped at the intersection, and a young scholar walked in front of her, carrying a bag, travel-stained, with sweat on his forehead, and seemed a little anxious.
He was here to report, but had gone the wrong way earlier.
The scholar saw the fork in the road before him, and his face became more anxious. He couldn't tell which way was right.
At this time, he saw Gu Nan at the intersection, walked up, bowed down and asked.
"Sir, may I ask if you know how to get to Baijia Academy?"
"Oh." Gu Nan smiled lightly and turned around, pointing to a road.
"Over there."
The scholar thanked him and hurried to the academy.
Gu Nan stood where he was, watching him gradually walk away.
As she said, she won't be the one who gets the attention of all people at the end and is praised for generations. All she can do is the one who stands at the intersection and points out the way for everyone who comes.
She hopes that this academy will be that intersection, and everyone passing by will eventually reach their end and achieve what they have learned and sought.
Perhaps what every predecessor has done is nothing more than that. All schools of thought, no matter whether they are right or wrong, what they have done is just to point out a possible path for future generations.
Maybe they are wrong and are reviled by thousands of people, or maybe they are right, but few people trace the source.
But they have always stood there, generation after generation, paving the way for the correct road to heaven that will eventually appear.
Gu Nan put down his hands and prepared to leave.
But suddenly a voice appeared in her ear, Wen Sheng asked her.
"Aren't you going to take a closer look, this prosperous world that you asked me to die for?"
She was not surprised, but turned her hands behind her back, looked up at the clear sky, and said with a smile.
"No need, Sheng Shi, I don't need someone like me. I just took a look at it."
After speaking, on that road, walk away silently.
There was a long silence at the intersection.
It must have been a gust of wind before the voice reappeared, with a sigh.
"Why bother?"
The voice is very soft, far away in the mountains and rivers.
Even in this prosperous age, within a few hundred years, there will be another chaos. It is said that the world is not benevolent, but those who are not benevolent and cause chaos are obviously just human hearts...
The Lantern Festival ceremony started at night, and the lights illuminated the entire city, making the night like daytime. The firelight and the stars in the sky reflected each other, reflecting a beautiful scene in the world.
Guo Jia was about to go out, but when he came to the door, the guard suddenly reported to him that a strange person had sent a letter today. The man was wearing a bamboo hat and wearing white clothes.
He took the letter in a daze, and the flickering light in front of the door illuminated the four words on the unopened letter.
Blessed by filial piety.
The streets all over the city are very lively, except in front of a mansion, which is a little deserted.
A woman was sitting in front of the door, she was wearing a martial robe, it was rare to see women dressed like this. There was only one lamp lit in front of the gate of the mansion, and the light was dimly lit, illuminating the woman's face.
She has also reached middle age, but because of her martial arts practice, she doesn't seem to have aged too much, her appearance is heroic, and she still seems to be still young at that time.
She leaned against the door and watched the bright lights in the city.
"Here." The door was pushed open, and another woman stood in the mansion door and looked at the person sitting in front of the door, lowering her eyes and whispering.
"Qi'er, go back to the house earlier, it's cold outside."
The woman named Qi'er turned her head and responded: "Yes, I see, sister Xiu'er, you should go back first."
"That's good." The woman in the door nodded helplessly and closed the door gently.
The winter wind made people's faces dry and cold. The woman sat in front of the door, wondering what she was thinking.
A sound of footsteps came towards the cold door of the mansion, and stopped slowly when it reached the front of the mansion.
After a while, a somewhat jerky voice asked.
"Girl, what are you doing sitting here?"
The woman sitting in front of the door stared at the lights of Wanjia with ecstasy in her eyes, and said, "I'm waiting for someone."
A man who won't come.
"En." The voice responded, and the footsteps seemed to be going further away, but finally stopped.
On the street, Gu Nan took off her bamboo hat and looked at Lingqi.
"Qi'er."
Lingqi's body stopped for a while, and she turned her head in a daze.
Gu Nan stood there and smiled at her.
The person in front of the door had red eyes.
There is a lamp in the door, and it is the same as before for those who come.