I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 235 Liu Ruan Encounters Immortals on the Rooftop
Two cups of wine were poured; Zhang Guolao drank one himself, and the other was placed in front of Jiang She.

The boat sails on the water, with green mountains lining both banks.

The two scholars went boating just as they had done years before, but their thoughts were very different now.

When they left the capital, they had spent ten years studying without achieving anything, had no way to pay their respects, and there wasn't even a single person in Luoyang who knew their names. They were filled with bitterness.

Now, sitting on the boat, surrounded by family and friends, having been brought back from the dead, I feel a renewed interest in the mysterious and extraordinary.

The two scholars exchanged a glance and couldn't help but ask.

"Jiang... are you two immortals?"

Zhang Guolao smiled and waved his hand.

"How can I be called a god? I am just a person who studies the way of immortality. I have wandered around the world for a long time and learned some insignificant skills. It is nothing to be surprised about."

"It cannot be compared to the way Jiang Xian lives and protects human life."

Yan Xuelin relaxed a little and chatted and laughed for a while. The two of them became much more natural and less nervous.

A stream flows by, I drink wine in the breeze.

"Back then, I brewed some wine, which tasted quite good. I happened to meet you two, and we got into a good chat, so I drank some wine to soothe my throat. That delayed you two for four years."

The two scholars hurriedly refused.

"Don't dare, don't dare..."

"That wine tasted wonderful. I've never tasted such good wine in my life. Haha, it's something I really miss."

Although neither of them understood metaphysics, they knew they had benefited greatly from the doctor's pulse diagnosis, the lightness of their muscles when they moved, and the old age of their classmate.

Besides, when I wake up, all my old friends and relatives are still there. What more could I ask for?
Jiang She watched them with a smile.

"We've brewed some more recently; would you two like to try some?"

“I dare not drink that!” Zeng Yuze blurted out.

They all burst into laughter, startling the birds flying through the forest.

Jiang She drank the wine brought by the two scholars; it was fine wine, with a mellow and pure taste, and a refreshing sweetness. After drinking half a pot, he asked, "Even so, it is true that it was delayed for four years."

"What are your plans for the future?"

Both of them thought about it carefully.

Zeng Yuze smiled wryly.

He said, "We went to Luoyang for ten years, but we didn't make a name for ourselves, so there's no need for us to study anymore. After ten years away, we returned home and found that what we loved most was the scenery of Yuezhou."

"Why not register my name at the academy, teach the students of Yuezhou, and spend more time with my wife and children at home?"

Yan Xuelin nodded in agreement.

"That's what I think too!"

"Thanks to Jiang Langjun, there are quite a few people in Kuaiji who want to get to know us now."

In the past few days, the thresholds of both companies have been worn down considerably.

Jiang She laughed and said, "The two of you are about to become famous throughout Yuezhou."

The two scholars never expected that after ten years of studying in Luoyang with little progress and unable to even enter the homes of the powerful and wealthy, they would wake up one day to find themselves famous throughout Yuezhou.

Zeng Yuze asked:

"Many people want to know what really happened back then. The rumors in the city are so lively that they're saying that you, sir, are an immortal from the ancient Yue region. Should we step forward and tell the truth?"

Jiang She shook his head, politely declining.

"I'm just traveling around here, and Yuezhou isn't a place I'll stay for long, so why bother showing up?"

"Let them spread it, and after a few years, no one will talk about it anymore."

Zeng Yuze thought about it and realized that made sense.

"Jiang Langjun's idea is brilliant."

Three to five years may be a short time, but it's enough for a person to go from youth to middle age and for gray hairs to appear at their temples. It's enough for the children in the family to go from babbling toddlers to reading children's books for their first education.

The words were spoken casually, but the two scholars recalled their own experiences.

The more I think about it, the better it seems.

"That makes sense, haha, Xue Lin, let's have another drink!"

The boat sails on the water, with the green mountains stretching out in all directions.

Engrossed in their conversation, the two scholars became quite drunk, rambling on about their feelings. Jiang She stroked the cat, surrounded by new and old friends, holding a wine cup in one hand, his fingertips dabbing at the wine. On the table, a character gradually dried up.

Zhang Guolao took a few more glances.

"Is that alright?" Jiang She smiled but did not answer.

With one hand supporting his cheek, he continued to read the book in his hands with great enjoyment. The book happened to be about the scenery near Jiangnan, specifically the chapter on Tiantai Mountain.

"In the fifth year of the Yongping era of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu and Ruan went to Mount Tiantai to collect medicinal herbs..."

……

……

Tiantai Mountain.

Since the Qin and Han dynasties, Mount Tiantai has been said to be the abode of immortals.

The mountains are said to be magnificent. Legend has it that Liu Chen and Ruan Zhao from the Han Dynasty encountered immortals in the mountains, married, and stayed for half a year. Longing for their hometown, they went down the mountain to return, only to find that several years had passed and they had only found their seventh-generation descendant.

Throughout history, there have been countless poems and essays written in ink.

Today, Tiantai Mountain is especially respected.

Master Sima Chengzhen practiced asceticism here. He entered Taoism at the age of twenty-one and is now a Grand Master of the Shangqing Sect, trusted and summoned by several emperors. This has attracted many literati and even princes and nobles to visit him.

In Taoist temple.

Under a shady tree, two people are playing chess.

An elderly man and a young, elegant woman.

The woman, dressed in simple white clothes, appeared to be in her early twenties. She wore no extravagant jewelry, yet still exuded an air of nobility. A dot of cinnabar on her fair forehead added a touch of Taoist ethereal beauty.

He casually surveyed the chessboard, his fingers slender and delicate as he picked up a chess piece.

"I'm getting off here."

The woman laughs.

"It is rumored in the foot of the mountain that there are immortals in Yuezhou who can bring the dead back to life. Do you think it is true or false, Master?"

Sima Chengzhen stroked his beard and smiled, examining the chessboard.

Princess is a skilled player, but you need to play carefully; a slight carelessness can easily lead to defeat.

"I have lived in these mountains for a long time and have never heard of any immortals."

"Yuezhou must be the same."

"It's mostly a coincidence. The local doctors couldn't cure that corpse-like illness, but the person just happened to wake up, and that's how this story came about. But pharmacies and doctors have their own difficulties in making a living."

"We don't need to expose him."

The woman smiled.

“The master’s words make sense.”

Her gaze held a hint of curiosity.

Several years ago, when the emperor performed the Fengshan ceremony, Princess Yuzhen was ill and did not accompany him. Later, she learned that many miraculous events had occurred in Yanzhou.

I heard it was also related to Zhang Guolao. Princess Yuzhen didn't go to Yanzhou and didn't see the calligraphy scroll in front of the wild temple.

But she had also heard people say it.

On the day of the Fengshan ceremony, immortals rode by on clouds.

All the civil and military officials in the court said that this was a sign of the dynasty's prosperity, and that His Majesty was virtuous and that the whole world submitted to him.

The court painter wanted to depict the imagery, but as soon as he painted the eyes, the paper was burned, because immortals cannot be depicted with mortal brushes.

Princess Yuzhen, unaware of the truth, took it as a joke.

Continue playing chess with the old man.

Sima Chengzhen had lived for many years and was a skilled chess player. In just two or three moves, he easily trapped the white pieces. Princess Yuzhen pressed her head, trying to think of a solution.

At this moment.

A maidservant hurried over from outside the courtyard, her face beaming with joy. She stopped and curtsied when she saw the two playing chess under the tree.

"What's the matter?"

Princess Yuzhen looked up and put the chess piece aside.

The maids were puzzled. Their princess had always revered Master Sima, so why did she speak up halfway down this time?

She bowed and smiled:

"Princess, King Mojie has arrived."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)