On the outskirts of Chang'an, the sun shines on the Bahe River, and the banks are lined with willow trees.
After walking along the river for a long time, Xue Bai was exhausted.
He stopped, propped up his knees and looked down. He saw that Qing Lan was still wearing the same pair of ill-fitting boots and asked, "Are you tired?"
Qing Lan had something on her mind that she had been hiding all night, but when he showed her concern, her eyes turned red.
"What's so tiring for me as a slave? I just feel aggrieved. I said last night that we would keep our names anonymous, but it seemed that I was ruthless to my master and only wanted your beauty. But it's not easy for you to say 'go back to Chang'an to correct the situation' Who are we? Who are we two? Those people carried us in a carriage for most of the day, and we couldn’t even get back to Chang’an, and we didn’t even know where we were..."
As she spoke, she turned away and wiped away her tears.
Xue Bai pointed to the river and said: "Everything has to be done little by little. There must be a home along the river. Let's find that home first. Okay?"
"Um."
Xue Bai was very patient and asked again: "After we find this person, ask for the way back to Chang'an, go back and pawn this fox fur coat, settle down, calm down, and then talk about the next step, okay?"
"good."
Since the accident, Qinglan Ronggong has only complained a moment ago. After hearing this, he nodded, stepped forward to support Xue Bai, and whispered: "It's good to have you."
Xue Bai nodded.
The two of them walked upstream for a long time, supporting each other, and finally saw the bridge in front of them.
"Look!" Qinglan was overjoyed and pointed ahead: "There is a small market!"
"Do we have money?"
"Yes, I have twenty-six dollars left in my wallet."
Although she only had some change, Qinglan was still very happy thinking about having something to eat.
Xue Bai smiled and watched as he walked.
There is a small market next to the official road, and the porters for hire are squatting with their arms folded next to the stall selling Hu cakes to keep warm. Next to them is a tea stall, and opposite is a carriage and horse shop, which smells like horse manure.
An old man with a dark face had hitched up his donkey cart early and was trying hard to induce his stubborn donkey to turn around with straw.
Several children around were laughing and laughing. They ran around the donkey cart and screamed, "The stupid donkey of Lao Zhuangtou won't turn around!"
The coachman, Lao Zhuang, had a sharp eye. When he saw someone coming, he immediately shouted: "The handsome man and the pretty lady, you can tell at a glance that he is a nobleman going to Chang'an. Can you hire a carriage? The carriage is too expensive, but the donkey carriage is just right!"
Children around him shouted: "A donkey cart that doesn't turn around is not good!"
"Go, go, don't make trouble here, little old man."
The old village head dismissed the naughty boys, and hurriedly rushed to Xue Bai to chat, and said: "Master, are you going to Chang'an? It's a long way from here. If you walk thirty miles, it will take you a day. It's night." It's so cold...Hey, the girl's shoes don't fit her feet either."
“May I ask how much it costs to go to Chang’an East Market?”
"Mr. Lang is so polite." Old Zhuangtou stretched out his hand and said with a smile, "Three hundred dollars."
"So expensive?" Qing Lan took out her purse and quickly covered it again.
"How can I say it's expensive? It takes a whole day for me to go back and forth, and the price is the same even if I bring a cart full of luggage."
Xue Bai asked: "This is the cost of chartering a car. Are there any cheap vehicles?"
The old village head smiled and said: "Yes, sir, you can wait for other merchants to share the travel expenses. It costs sixty yuan per person to ride in the big carriage."
"Thank you, fellow man. Let's go on foot." Xue Bai said, "May I ask where there is a shoe store?"
"Mr. Lang is so polite, just call me Lao Zhuangtou." Lao Zhuangtou was still cheerful and pointed: "If you want to buy shoes, you have to go to the big market ahead, which is about three to five miles away..."
"Old Zhuangtou!"
An old woman came running from the south of the official road and shouted: "I have a big customer going from Lantian County to Chang'an. A car on the road has a broken wheel. I have to divide half of the books into another load. Can a stupid donkey pull it?!"
"How can you not pull it? You will be fed every day! Has the price been determined?"
"Go quickly, there's a reward for you."
The old man was so happy that he didn't want the stubborn donkey to turn around again, so he hurried away.
Xue Bai and Qing Lan went to buy Hu cakes.
Hu cakes in Chang'an city cost two yuan each, but here they cost three yuan.
The two hoped to buy six of them with sixteen yuan, so that they could have some money left to buy shoes. The old woman selling Hu biscuits was kind-hearted and gave them one more.
From being buried alive to finally holding the warm biscuits, Xue Bai took a deep breath before taking a hard bite.
He walked on the snowy official road and looked back several times until he could no longer see the old woman...
~~
"Xiao Langjun, we meet again!"
When Lao Zhuangtou saw Xue Bai and Qing Lan who were avoiding the official road, he quickly pulled the donkey cart and said hello with a smile.
"Hello fellow fellow."
"Young Master, wait a minute." The old man got off the carriage in a hurry, bowed his hands to a rider behind him, and said, "Young Master, can you give them a ride?"
It was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a beautiful beard, a slender face, an indifferent expression, and eyes as calm as an ancient well. He was wearing a plain robe and a scarf on his head. He held a rein in one hand and a hand in the other. A string of Buddhist beads. Although the decoration is not luxurious, he is very elegant. He is obviously from a famous family.
Xue Bai looked at each other, but before he could say anything, a child came forward on horseback and said: "The donkey cart is filled with my master's rare books..."
"Wuchen." The middle-aged man stopped the boy, nodded to Xue Bai, and said, "If you don't mind, young man, how about we go together?"
"Thank you sir." Xue Bai followed suit and made a cross-hand salute, and said, "Xue Bai, may I ask your surname and honorable name, sir? So that I can repay you later."
He thought carefully that although Dong Gong wanted to bury him alive, he was not a fugitive and was not afraid of people knowing his name. He even planned to let more people know his name.
"There is no need to talk about repayment." The middle-aged man refused to give his name and said, "It is inconvenient to go out, so we should help each other."
"It's true what you said sir."
Only today did Xue Bai feel the many inconveniences of living in this era. He was more able to understand the meaning of the four words "mutual support" and also understood the reason why people of the time lived together with their families and neighbors.
The middle-aged man nodded with a smile and urged the horse away.
His eyes were still indifferent. This smile did not show joy, but seemed a little compassionate.
Seeing that this big customer didn't like to talk, even the old boss didn't dare to talk too much on the way to Chang'an.
Fortunately, this section of the road was flat and easy to walk, and we arrived in Chang'an after half a day.
~~
There are three gates in the east of Chang'an City: Tonghua Gate, Chunming Gate and Yanxing Gate, collectively called "Chun Gate".
The Chunmen area is densely populated with wine shops, making it a good place to have a drink. Therefore, there is a poem that says, "Before I drink Qingmen wine, I feel like I am drunk and dreaming."
The motorcade entered Chunming Gate.
Xue Bai looked around and saw many restaurants, with swaying flagpoles, high curtains and fluttering red curtains. There are performances in every restaurant, including kaikos playing flutes, musicians playing Ou, acrobatics and sumo wrestling, and drinkers can also be seen throwing pots or performing drinking orders and playing various games.
What is more eye-catching is Hu Ji who is looking for customers in front of the door. Most of them have blue eyes, slightly curly hair, rouged lips, and thin clothes, exposing their white muscles. They twist their waists and frequently wave their bare hands to invite people into the store.
Half the city's high-rollers were drunk and singing.
"Mojie!"
Suddenly a shout was heard, and several people from the Kang family wine shop ran out and rushed towards the middle-aged man in plain robes who had taken Xue Bai along.
"Mojie! Hahaha, I will tell you that Mojie has been moved to the post of Wailang, a member of the Treasury Department. He should return to Chang'an to take up his post in the next two days."
"Brother Yuan?! I haven't seen you for many years."
"Have you sorted out your Wangchuan business?"
"I started sorting it out a little at the beginning of the year, and even wrote a few poems about it."
"Mojie has a new poem?! Haha, read it quickly."
"It takes less than a year to go eastward to the mountains, and it's time to plant spring fields after returning. The grass is green and dyed in the rain, and the peach blossoms on the water are red."
"Okay! What a lovely pink blossom on the water."
"..."
Xue Bai looked at the middle-aged man in plain robes. He was surprised for a moment, and then couldn't help but smile with some sudden realization.
This person is called Mojie, and it is very likely that he is the same person - Wang Wei and Wang Mojie.
Listening to their conversation, it turned out that Wang Wei had a Wangchuan villa in Lantian County, so he moved from Lantian County to Chang'an to serve as an official.
Xue Bai first thought it was a coincidence, but then he thought it might not be a coincidence. With the brilliance of the poetry world in the prosperous Tang Dynasty today, who knows how many great poets who have stayed in Qingmen Restaurant today?
He suddenly raised the corners of his mouth and smiled to himself.
The prince sent people to take him out of the city and bury him alive, but the poet Wang Wei sent him back to Chang'an City.
This journey allowed him to finally begin to understand this era.
It has the darkness of arrogance, luxury, and struggle for power, as well as the splendor of abundance in warehouses and dazzling articles. They are intertwined with each other to form the heyday of the Tang Dynasty before our eyes.
Such a prosperous Tang Dynasty would not waste Xue Bai's fighting spirit, it would only make him more inspired.
~~
On the street, the conversation between Wang Wei and his friends continued.
"By the way, why isn't Brother Chu here?"
"It wasn't because of Supervisor He's poem that Mojie knew something was going on in Chang'an?"
"What's the matter?"
"The Wei Jian case was repeated, and the prince divorced again... He Jian died of illness the year before last, but Ge Nu spread his poems everywhere and deliberately misinterpreted the poem's meaning. It was a poem about joy in seeing the scenery of his hometown again. It was said that the prince was dissatisfied. But who doesn’t know that Wei Jian’s case happened at the beginning of the year, and He Jian’s poem was written the year before that, so the timing is wrong..."
"Be silent and don't mention state affairs in the street."
The drinker known as Yuan Er was a little drunk, but he said loudly: "Why don't you dare to mention it?! Haha, others are afraid of Ge Nu, but I am not!"
"Silence, silence...Wuchen, you take your luggage and go home, and I will have a small gathering with the gentlemen."
"Here."
Xue Bai stood up, crossed his arms again and said, "Thank you, sir."
"It's just a trivial matter, it's not worth mentioning."
"Not only did Mr. Xie give me a ride, but also Mr. Xie's poems inspired me."
"Oh? Which poem?"
"Even if you die, you can still smell the fragrance of a hero's bones."
Wang Wei was stunned when he heard this, and his eyes suddenly showed a little wistfulness.
Even after death, I still smell the fragrance of my chivalrous bones, and even I have forgotten that I once had such a poetic style.
When he turned around again, he saw that the young man had left with the donkey cart.
…
The convoy passed Daozhengfang.
Ahead I heard children singing again.
"The jasper is as high as a tree, with thousands of green silk ribbons hanging down. I don't know who cut out the thin leaves. The spring breeze in February is like scissors."
Xue Bai had heard it once in Xingningfang, and after considering the conversation he just heard, his view of the current situation became clearer.
Once this poem has a subjective feeling, it seems that the first two sentences can be understood as the image of the prince in the hearts of the courtiers. As for the last two sentences, they are like complaining that the saint who was more powerful than Yao and Shun cut off his branches and leaves?
~~
"Hush!"
When we arrived at the east gate of the East City, the old man pulled the donkey cart and said with a smile: "You have to drive a car. Next time you go to the east of the city, please remember to take care of your business!"
"Okay." Xue Bai responded with a smile and said, "See you soon, fellow fellow."
"You're so polite, young man. Goodbye... eh, eh."
Xue Bai and Qing Lan saw off the donkey cart and walked into the east gate.
In front of you is a bustling scene.
The long, wide and straight street has no end. You can only see neat shops on both sides, with eaves, balconies, wine bars, and lanterns. The streets are full of people and there are a dazzling array of goods.
"Let's go buy shoes first."
Qing Lan quickly glanced at Xue Bai and said: "This way."
The two walked for a while and heard the sound of drum music getting louder. As they got closer, they saw a stage set up in front of them, with more than ten beautiful girls dancing on it. It was really beautiful.
Xue Bai looked around and saw no one taking orders to collect money, so he couldn't help but ask: "What is this doing?"
Qinglan pulled him away and said: "The one who sells Silla's maids."
Xue Bai looked back again, thinking that all the beauties from all over the world were sent to Chang'an, no wonder he met so many of them recently.
Going further south, I didn't see the pawn shop yet, but turned into an alley selling food.
A burst of aroma hit my face.
Various steamed food shops are equipped with steaming trays, rising up like clouds of steam, spreading the fragrance far away; the oil pans in the fried food shops are crackling, frying the mixed meatballs until they are golden; there are also various pastries; sprinkled with Spiced roast lamb, grilled hump.
"Are you hungry?" Qing Lan now knew that Xue Bai ate a lot, so she said: "We still have ten dollars, so we are not in a hurry to buy shoes. Eat something first, and then buy something after we have pawned the fox fur... That's right , did you know that the word 'buying things' comes from the East and West markets of Chang'an."
"I know."
"What do you want to eat?"
"How much does a bowl of water basin mutton cost?"
"Mutton noodle soup? It's exactly ten dollars. I'll buy it."
Xue Bai grabbed her and said, "Then what do you want to eat? Let's fill our stomachs first."
"Well, let me take a look." Qing Lan looked around, and finally pointed at a stall and said: "Horse hoof cake."
"Then let's eat this first, and then we can eat mutton soup noodles after pawning the money."
"good!"
Qinglan nodded vigorously and added: "When my wife made winter clothes for Wulang, she spent 20,000 yuan on just one fine fox skin. She also found the best craftsman in Chang'an, plus other materials. At worst, it’s worth thirty thousand dollars!”
Having said that, after the two of them laid down the horseshoe cakes and visited several pawn shops, they only pawned less than 5,000 yuan.
If this amount were all converted into copper coins, it would be nearly twenty kilograms. Fortunately, the pawn shop was very considerate in doing business. He asked Xue Bai to make a list of the things he wanted to buy, hired someone to make a trip, and asked all the shops to deliver them all.
When the two of them left the pawn shop, they had both changed into jackets and robes, wore turbans on their heads, and soft-soled slippers on their feet. They each carried a small baggage, which contained everything they needed, including daggers, medicine for wounds, etc.
The remaining money was exchanged for a piece of silver and some copper coins that were easy to bring.
Qing Lan finally cheered up, pulled Xue Bai and said, "It's a lot easier to change into men's clothes. I'm not so scared anymore, otherwise I'm always afraid of being recognized."
"Don't be afraid. If Dong Palace has such power in Chang'an, they won't bury us alive..."
The mutton noodle soup at Chongjia Store in Dongshi is said to be a craft from Weinan and is quite famous in Chang'an. That afternoon, they each ordered a bowl and drank from the big bowls.
Qing Lan put down the bowl, looked at Xue Bai, with a bright smile on her face, and said, "Isn't it delicious?"
"Um."
"Where are we going now?"
Xue Bai didn't even think about it and said directly: "Ten Kings' House."
