Outside the city gate, the shafts of wheels rolled over the ground and amid the noise of people and horses neighing, a scholar could be seen standing motionless in front of an old donkey in the distance. Some people wanted to go forward to find out what was going on, but were driven away by a Taoist priest nearby.
"What the hell are you looking at? Have you ever seen a human being?"
"Look again, believe it or not, this fist as big as a bowl can kill someone!"
After shouting at a few troublemakers to leave, the Taoist priest rolled up his sleeves and sat back on the stone under the city wall. He looked at the scholar in front of him who was motionless with his eyes closed, and said to the toad that was sticking its head out of the compartment:
"Your disciple has entered into meditation again, what's going on?"
"It was conferred by someone."
Taoist Toad didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. Once he was conferred the title, although his cultivation and status were different, he would be tied to the dynasty in cause and effect, and maybe everyone would suffer.
'I hope it's a good thing...'
Lu Liangsheng, who was not far from the door, was in a state of meditation. The golden autumn sun shone on his body, but he felt nothing. After a while, the sound of cicadas suddenly filled his ears. His hearing and consciousness returned, and the surrounding noise surged up again.
Lu Liangsheng opened his eyes, waved his hand to interrupt the Taoist who wanted to ask questions, and turned his head to look in the direction of Chang'an.
"Old Sun, please go back to Qixia Mountain first. I need to go to Chang'an."
He reached out his hand and stroked the old donkey's mane, then turned around to look at the Taoist priest who had his mouth slightly open, not knowing what to say, and smiled.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I was just named a demon spirit by the emperor. How can I not go over and thank him?"
**A demon spirit appears as a real person... **A demon
The Toad Taoist priest in the bookshelf compartment puffed up his cheeks. He was like a bitch... You call me a demon, are you kidding me? Quack!
"Okay, I'll go back to Qixia Mountain first. I don't like that imperial palace either."
The Taoist took some dry food from the bookshelf and hung it on his shoulders. He said nothing more, probably in a hurry to go back. He put two talismans on his legs, bent his body, raised a cloud of dust, and ran away in the blink of an eye.
Watching the smoke and dust drifting away, Lu Liangsheng snapped his fingers to remind the old donkey that was chewing grass to turn around. The old donkey flapped its long ears, chewed grass leaves and followed slowly behind. The man and the donkey walked along the official road outside the city. Their figures gradually became blurred, and in a flash they were more than ten feet away.
The sound of tinkling copper bells filled the mountain path. Outside the pavilion where he once met a young man named Li Yuan, Lu Liangsheng led his old donkey and stopped. Looking outside the mountain path, the red sun was hanging over the distant city wall, and the sunset enveloped the ancient and huge city like a tide.
"I wonder how Yuwen Tuo and Qu Yuanfeng are doing here."
When he came to Chang'an, besides wanting to see the emperor, he also thought of his two apprentices who were also here.
"After meeting the emperor, I asked what the two were doing and went over to take a look."
The sky gradually darkened.
Red lanterns were hung on the bustling Chang'an Avenue. In the brightly lit city, Lu Liangsheng and Lao Lu walked in the crowded night market.
Even though this is my second time here, I am still amazed by the prosperity here.
In the restaurant, the charming Hu Ji twisted her slender waist and flirted with the rhythmic Hu music. The drunkards sang loudly with their jars hanging, which made passers-by applaud. The women who traveled together covered their faces with veils, but when they saw a good-looking man, they became bold, looking around and lingering to look at him, then chuckled with their female companions, lowered their heads and walked through the crowd to leave.
Lu Liangsheng withdrew his gaze, touched his face, and laughed along with the others in amusement.
'What's so funny?'
A knowledgeable passerby explained and smiled as he pointed in the direction where the three women disappeared.
"My dear, you have a chance, why don't you hurry up and chase after him? It might be a marriage of destiny."
Hearing this, Lu Liangsheng suddenly understood. He shook his hands with a mixture of laughter and tears and thanked the man. He decided to let this matter go. He just felt that the women in the city had become so bold.
I came to the restaurant I went to when I first came to Chang'an. I came there in a hurry that time and didn't have much spare money. I ordered white milk rice, which was hard to eat. This time, I happened to have enough money, so I handed the old donkey to the waiter to take care of it in the backyard.
He put the master into his sleeves and went up to the second floor to sit down on a seat near the railing. Not long after, the waiter came over to announce the dishes. Before he could speak, Lu Liangsheng said:
"I want one serving of lamb cannon, one serving of scallion-cured chicken, two servings of cheese, and two cups of plum juice."
In his sleeve, the Toad Taoist unfolded a booklet. His round webbed head moved across the names of the dishes, and his magical voice came out.
"Liangsheng, another bowl of oily rice!"
After sending the waiter away, Lu Liangsheng asked curiously, "Master, how did you know about Tuanyoufan?"
"Master is an expert in food, you know that."
Speaking of food, the Toad Taoist pushed aside the rustling silver coins, sat cross-legged and nodded slightly: "This meal is very rich, fried shrimp, grilled fish, chicken, goose, pork, mutton, sausage, egg custard, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and fermented black beans. It is extremely rich. If you don't eat a bite, wouldn't it be a waste of time?"
"So, Master, how did you get hunted down by several sects in the first place?"
Judging from his love of eating alone, the master shouldn't be the kind of demon cultivator who stirs up trouble. Lu Liangsheng couldn't understand what happened to a demon cultivator who loved eating that he would be chased.
"Hmm... I ate too much back then and forgot what I ate. I might have accidentally eaten the precious elixir in their house."
"Haha... Master really knows how to joke."
The restaurant was bustling with noise. In the middle of the suspended second floor, on the large viewing platform, dancers were beating waist drums with their bare feet. Uplifting vocals echoed up and down. The waiters were sweating as they carried the dishes up and down the stairs. Soon, the master and apprentice had their fill, paid the bill, and then went downstairs in satisfaction. They took the old donkey that the waiter brought to the door.
As the night deepened, the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, and the sound of the night watchman striking the clapperboard could be heard in the distance.
"The autumn nights are cool, don't open the windows, be careful of thieves breaking in, and losing your wife..."
Bang bang…
"It's dry, be careful with fire..."
Bang bang…
…
The night watchman carrying a lantern walked through the deserted streets, with occasional dogs barking. Lu Liangsheng, leading the old donkey, approached the imperial city, walked straight through the thick walls, and went between the palace buildings. Following the direction of the dragon energy, he walked through the somewhat gloomy palace road. Outside the Daxing Palace, the palace guards who were patrolling heard the sound of bronze bells, turned their heads to look over, pressed down the weapons in their hands, and shouted loudly.
"Who are you to dare to trespass into the imperial city?"
"Please inform that Lu Liangsheng from Qixia Mountain pays a visit to His Majesty."
Lu Liangsheng
The soldiers on that side looked at each other. During the night duty today, they were told that if a scholar named Lu Liangsheng came to see them, they should not stop him. They thought that the man in front of them must be him.
Besides, everyone is not stupid. It is impossible for ordinary people to enter the imperial city by leading an old donkey.
Immediately, someone put away his spear and said, "Sir, please wait a moment." He handed the weapon to his companion and ran to Daxing Palace to pass on the message, with the sound of armor rustling. Not long after, a eunuch came trotting and whispered in the soldier's ear. The latter came back and saw that Lu Liangsheng was still there, and his expression became much more respectful.
"Master Lu, His Majesty and Duke Yue are waiting for you in Xuanzheng Hall."
It seems that these two people had already thought of using this method to make me come to see them, but it was really hard for the current emperor and the Duke of Yue to do this.
After all, Lu Liangsheng still felt a sense of vanity and satisfaction in his heart.
No one is perfect.
"Lead the way!"
Taking the reins, Lu Liangsheng stretched out his hand and asked the soldier to lead the way and take him over. Afterwards, the eunuch who was waiting took over the soldier's position, taking small steps all the way, walking half a step slowly behind with a flattering smile.
"Slow down, sir. I can't keep up with you."
Lu Liangsheng had encountered the coldness of the eunuchs when he entered the palace for an examination during the Chen Dynasty. He just smiled and didn't dare to say much. He came to the outside of the Xuanzheng Hall and asked Lao Lu to wait outside the hall.
He walked up the stone steps and bowed towards the palace.
"Lu Liangsheng from Qixia Mountain greets His Majesty!"
The voice was clear and upright, lingering between the palace and the hall, causing the guards, who were originally a little depressed, to suddenly shudder and feel a warm and peaceful breath spreading throughout their bodies.
One by one, they became energetic and reacted. They looked at the scholar who was bowing over there, their eyes full of gratitude.