I come to see Bai Yujing today

Chapter 81 Earn a reputation that allows you to speak at any time [Monthly ticket plus more]

In the ten days of May, the sun is blazing brightly, like a flame filling the sky, pouring out all its light and heat.

Chen Zhian felt refreshed all over, even his skin, flesh and bones were much more relaxed.

No wonder some people always say that when practicing Taoism, one should have free thoughts. Today, after venting his anger in front of Si Hougui who had been showing off in front of me several times, Chen Zhian walked much more briskly.

Returning to the Imperial City from the West City, he even slowed down his pace to appreciate the beautiful scenery in the city.

In the Huanglong River, lotus flowers are bright, alternating between red and pink.

The passers-by hurried by, each with a different look.

Different sounds were also coming from the buildings and shops along the street.

There were also many small vendors carrying shoulder poles and backpacks shouting their wares. Chen Zhian bought some rice cakes and two strings of candied haws before returning to Fosang Street.

In the yard, he was eating candied haws and rice cakes with Li Xushi when he heard someone knocking on the door.

These past few days, people often came to deliver letters and ask for paintings, but Chen Zhian was busy refining his true essence and digesting the medicinal power of the Five Zen Flowers, so he had no time to take care of all these things.

The people who went to Eunuch Liu to deliver the letter were all prominent figures. Eunuch Liu could not afford to offend them, so he could only deliver the letter.

Chen Zhian usually didn't even look at it, but just put it on the desk in the room.

The person who went to pick up the letter today was Li Xushi, and as usual he handed it to Chen Zhian.

He licked the candied haws carefully, with a look of intoxication on his face.

The diet on Laojian Mountain is simple. For Li Xushi, this highly sweet snack is actually more delicious than the big fish and meat he eats all day.

Chen Zhian originally took the letter and casually placed it on the table in the octagonal pavilion, but when he glanced at the official seal on the envelope, he couldn't help but frown.

"Li House?"

Chen Zhian thought about it, opened the envelope, took out the letter and took a look.

The frown deepened.

This letter was not even written by the Minister of Revenue Li Zhuqiu, or any prominent relative of the Li family. Instead, it was written by a manager of the Li family.

The wording in the letter was polite, retaining the dignity of a noble family, but between the lines, it revealed a kind of arrogance that Chen Zhian had always disliked.

"Brother, what is written in this letter?"

Li Xushi saw that Chen Zhian opened the letter and read it carefully, which was rare for him. He also saw that his brows were furrowed, so he couldn't help but ask curiously.

Chen Zhian casually put the letter aside and said, "It's funny to say that if you want to enter some noble families, you can't get in even if you wear out your shoes and squeeze your head."

"But if you don't want to go, and you have a letter like this, you have to go."

Li Xushi was not well-versed in worldly matters and did not know the deep meaning of Chen Zhian's words. He smiled and said, "Is someone inviting Brother to a banquet?"

Chen Zhian shook his head: "Looking at the tone of this letter, it's not a formal invitation. It sounds bossy. I think it's the Minister of Revenue who wants to see me."

"Minister of Revenue? What rank?" Li Xushi finally finished eating the candied haws, but he was still not satisfied.

"Second rank."

"Wow! He is such a high-ranking official? If he were in a certain realm of cultivation, wouldn't he be a man of destiny? Then, do you want to go, Senior Brother?"

"Don't go."

Chen Zhian said, "I've been there before, and the Minister of Revenue was there too. When I saw the look in his eyes, I knew I didn't need to go again."

"Then I won't go." Li Xushi said with a smile: "Being a second-rank official is not a big deal. My master is a cultivator who knows everything about fate."

Chen Zhian put the matter behind him.

Two days passed.

Chen Zhian received another letter, and the official seal was still from the Li Mansion.

"Why are you writing again?"

He opened the letter and even though he was well-educated, he couldn't help showing some anger on his face.

The letter read: "After the court ceremony, when you leave Xuan Tianjin, I will give you whatever you want!"

Just four sentences, not even twenty words.

Chen Zhian's name was not on the letter, and he didn't even sign his name.

But Chen Zhian knew who wrote it.

He calls himself an old man and is so arrogant. Who else could it be except Li Zhuqiu who has been in a high position for many years?

"What do you want?" Chen Zhian raised his eyebrows. He didn't even think about writing a reply to talk about the ridiculous engagement.

"This Li Zhuqiu is really interesting. He has been high and mighty for so long that he probably thinks his words are law. He can just say something like that and people like me will be kicked out of Xuan Tianjing.

If you don't want to leave, just give me some bones."

When Chen Zhian thought about this, he remembered what Li Fushu had said, and he suddenly raised his eyebrows.

"Aristocratic families, high-ranking officials, and nobles, can they really not let people speak?"

He sneered and stood up: "Let me give it a try."

Chen Zhian stood up and went to the backyard and knocked on the wall.

Li Xushi poked his head out.

"Come on, I'll take you out for a drink."

"Drink?" Li Xushi nodded hurriedly and said with a smile, "I miss the rice wine brewed by Senior Brother, but I haven't had it for a month. Senior Brother, do you really want to take me to drink?"

Chen Zhian nodded and said with a smile: "I have something to do at the restaurant, so I can take you with me."

After the two men left the yard, Chen Zhian asked the doorman in black to deliver a letter to the Inspectorate, and then walked out of Fusang Street and arrived at Qiluo Street on the banks of the Huanglong River.

Chen Zhian had been to Qiluo Street before and went to Lanyueju with Jiang Taiping.

But today Chen Zhian did not come to Lanyueju. He stood at the street corner and looked up, and saw the largest and most imposing restaurant on Qiluo Street.

This restaurant actually has a towering vermilion lacquered door with an exquisitely carved door knocker with an animal head holding a ring, which looks magnificent.

"Yinhe Tower."

Above the bamboo door, there is a gilded plaque with the two Chinese characters "Yinhe" written in bold and unrestrained strokes.

Chen Zhian had already inquired about it. There were countless luxurious restaurants in the entire Xuantian Capital, each with its own name, but the most famous, even the most famous in the world, was the Yinhe Tower.

Yinhe Tower has a history of hundreds of years. Long before Daxi fell apart, Yang He, the white-robed prime minister of Daxi, came to Xuantianjing, went to Xiuba Mountain, and also came to this restaurant.

Perhaps he had foreseen Daxi's decline and future, so Yang Heyin got drunk here and wrote a popular poem.

According to legend, when Yang Heyin wrote this poem, a crane appeared from the clouds on the bank of the Huanglong River and landed above the pavilion.

Yang Heyin was drunk and staggered onto one of the cranes, which flew into the clouds.

It was this incident that made Yinhe Tower famous, and since then it has become the most prestigious restaurant in Xuantianjing and even in the entire Dayu.

To this day, Yang Heyin's poem is still engraved on the ceiling of the restaurant, for people all over the world to admire!

The two of them then entered Yinhe Tower. Li Xu had never seen such a luxurious and grand restaurant before!

As you step into the building, the courtyard suddenly opens up, with a clear spring gurgling between the rocks, splashing crystal water and making clear and pleasant sounds, like the sound of a ringing pendant. Extremely precious red carps shuttle among the water plants, looking contented.

There are luxuriant flowers and trees all around, and exotic flowers are blooming, which is beautiful beyond words. Walking through the courtyard, not to mention the carved beams and painted buildings in the hall, with dragons and phoenixes hovering on the beams, there is a huge glazed lamp hanging in the air for five consecutive floors, which is brilliant and radiant, illuminating the entire restaurant as bright as day.

And on this glass lamp, there is an engraved poem by Yang Heyin. Through the light and shadow of the glass lamp, diners and writers can see the poem as long as they look up.

Even the brushwork and ink were copied from Yang Heyin's own handwriting!
Li Xushi couldn't help but open his eyes wide and exclaimed in amazement.

Chen Zhian looked up and saw the poem reflected in the huge glass cup.

[The vast river is surging, and the beacon fires fill the sky. I recall the majestic palaces of the past, where the kings and princes were crowned. I was intoxicated by the sound of stringed instruments, and the beautiful scenery was beyond measure. Once the bandits rose up, the royal aura faded.

The city walls are broken, the clothes and hats are scattered, and the common people are worried. The setting sun is weeping blood, and the bones in the wilderness are crying. The wise men are sad to leave their millet, and the heroes have vain ambitions to restore the country, but they are powerless to stop the raging tide. Looking beyond the clouds, I dream of my homeland.

It is said that Yang Heyin was born in Liang State, but Liang State was invaded by Qi State and destroyed. When Yang Heyin was young, he had to move his family to Daxi to avoid the war.

This poem seems to be about Liang State, Yang Heyin's hometown.

But in fact, almost everyone knows that the reason why Yang Heyin wrote this poem was indeed to commemorate the Liang Guoyong.

At that time, Daxi was already very old. The three major families were fighting each other, the royal family was in decline, the country was on the verge of extinction, and the people were in chaos.

Yang Heyin was the Prime Minister of Daxi and had extraordinary cultivation, but he was unable to turn the tide, so he wrote this poem.

Chen Zhian read it carefully and felt that this poem was filled with a strong sense of sadness. When others read it, they could not help but think of the vast river waves, the flames of war in the sky, the destruction of the old country, and the tears of the common people.

Those famous wise men wanted to save the country and reverse the situation, but in the end they were powerless and unable to reverse the tide!
"This poem... no wonder it attracted the attention of the immortal cranes. It is truly extraordinary."

Chen Zhian sighed and felt a little embarrassed again.

He had previously planned to gain some fame for himself so that he would have the opportunity to speak at any time, so he came to Yinhe Tower with the help of the letter.

"Well, such a poem cannot be called perfect without the company of better poems."

Chen Zhian threw away the shackles in his heart and looked at the waiter of the restaurant who was walking towards him.

When Li Xushi saw the waiter, he felt that this restaurant was even more extraordinary. Even the waiter was wearing silk clothes embroidered with white cranes.

He walked with his body straight and when meeting guests, he would never kneel or bow, but would just bow according to the etiquette of a scholar.

“No wonder there are so many literati here.”

Li Xu had already seen that the Yinhe Tower was crowded with writers and poets. Some of them used their brushes to paint the beautiful mountains and rivers and the elegant figures.

Someone was playing the zither, the sounds of the strings were melodious and like crying and complaining.

Some people also recited poems and composed lyrics, which were either passionate and generous, or graceful and tender, drawing cheers from the people around them.

If a good poem was encountered, a servant would climb up a ladder to the two sides of the huge glass lamp and hang the poem up for everyone to admire.

Just when Li Xushi was distracted, the waiter smiled and bowed, saying, "Gentlemen, do you have your names? If you respond to my name, you can go up to the fifth floor."

Chen Zhian and Li Xushi looked at each other in surprise.

This Yinhe Tower is indeed extraordinary, but it follows a purely elegant style.

The waiter would call out the name of the person. If the scholars and writers in the building heard this person's name and responded loudly, they would go up to the fifth floor and sit on the highest place.

“It is indeed a place to become famous.”

Under normal circumstances, given Chen Zhian's personality, he always wants to keep a low profile.

But when he came to Xuantianjing, it was just like what Chu Muye had told him before.

After seeing the whirlpool in Xuantianjing and the unattainable doorstep of the aristocratic family, Chen Zhian suddenly felt that some fame and reputation was a good thing.

At the very least... it won't allow a person like Si Hougui to provoke or humiliate us at will.

He would not be allowed to be ordered around by the high-ranking Minister of Finance who could just write a letter to him.

So Chen Zhian said to the waiter in front of Li Xushi's surprised eyes, "Painter of the Imperial Household Department, Chen Zhian."

The waiter's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "The court painter of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mr. Chen Zhian, who painted the light silk fan with white orchid flowers!"

As soon as the waiter shouted, many waiters in silk crane robes stood still and called out the names one after another.

It was like waves, one after another, from the courtyard to the pavilion, and even people were shouting at the door.

Li Xushi was frightened by this scene, blinking his eyes, a little at a loss.

If people kept shouting and calling out names like this, how would the diners and scholars in the restaurant enjoy their meals?

The waiter may have seen Li Xushi's confusion, and while the other waiters were still calling out names, he smiled and said to the two of them, "It's not that we call out names just because someone reports their name. We have been in Yinhe Tower for a long time, so the worshippers in the tower will naturally write down the names of the people in the world and tell us about them every day.

When I serve tea and wine on weekdays, I also listen to guests talking about it.

We only call out names of those who are already famous.”

The waiter had just finished speaking.

The roll call has come to an end.

The restaurant suddenly became much noisier, and someone asked loudly, "Is it the painter from Sunan Mansion?"

"Is he the one who painted the picture for Princess Linglong?"

"That's the one! He even wrote a poem for Lady Longyue. It's like a fairy descending to earth. Her smile is more brilliant than the stars, and the words "color" are the most important!"

"So young?"

"Mr. Chen, I heard that your painting is different from ink and color, but is painted with seven colors, which is quite good? Maybe I can see your calligraphy today?"

……

Responses came one after another in Yinhe Tower, with even a drunken scholar standing at the railing and calling out loudly.

"You two, please go up to the fifth floor."

The waiter immediately made a gesture to invite you two to go upstairs.

Li Xushi looked around and saw countless pairs of eyes staring at the two of them.

So he also opened his eyes wide and took a close look at Chen Zhian beside him.

"Brother, you are so famous?"

“It’s not big enough, these people are just here to see it.

Just being a court painter and writing a poem won't make you famous."

Chen Zhian said in a low voice.

He raised his head again and looked at the huge glass lamp hanging in the air.

On the lamp, Yang Heyin's poems shone brightly.

Chen Zhian came to Yinhe Tower today, wanting to earn himself a reputation where he could speak at any time.

At the same time, he also needs to let his grandfather know that ordering him around and humiliating him at will...

It will make him angry.

His anger was no joke.

ps: I updated the chapter yesterday because the monthly votes exceeded 100.

(End of this chapter)