I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 281 Your grandfather asked the same question back then.
Prince Shou, Li Mao, is now ten years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning).

When he was born, many of the children in the palace died young, so Li Mao was sent to his uncle's residence to be raised by Prince Ning and his wife.

Li Mao had a very deep relationship with his uncle and aunt, and now he had been living in the Prince Ning's mansion for nine years.

Li Mao sat by the window, gazing at the garden scenery at the end of autumn.

The bright autumn sun shone on him.

This was against etiquette, and the eunuchs and servants were in a panic, but because of their young master's noble status and growing age, they dared not step forward to stop him.

A young eunuch looked anxious.

"Shibalang, let's go downstairs. The lecturer will be here soon."

The princes' tutors were mostly learned and eloquent scholars who explained the classics to them; they were their teachers.

Thinking of that pedantic old gentleman, Li Mao sighed.

He didn't get down from the window, but instead waved his hand and instructed the eunuch:
“You may say that I have not yet recovered from my cold and am still ill, so I am afraid I cannot study. Please, Lecturer, go back first.”

The eunuchs dared not fabricate an illness for the Eighteenth Prince.

They said it tactfully:
"The sage bestowed the precious pearl in the hope that Shibalang would recover his health."

"If I hear that Shibalang is still ill, I'm afraid that's not good."

Li Mao touched the pearl he wore close to his body. The craftsman couldn't bear to drill a hole in such a precious pearl, so he wove a soft gold basket to hold it in.

This way, people can wear it around their necks and carry it with them to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.

He held the priceless pearl in his hand and played with it.

The servants were terrified.

"Eighteenth Brother..."

Li Mao jumped down from the window, still clutching the pearl in his hand, and casually said:
"Let's go to class."

To Li Mao's surprise, the usually pedantic old lecturer began telling him tales of gods and ghosts during class.

The old servant said, "Your Majesty's precious pearl is an auspicious omen."

"The sage bestowed the precious pearl upon the king, which shows how much he cherished it."

Li Mao did not quite agree.

Everyone says that his father and Consort Hui in the palace love him very much, but neither of them ever comes to see him.

At most, Consort Wu Hui would send a maid to look after him, asking him silly questions like whether his clothes were cold or if he liked the venison from last time.

He was raised by Prince Ning and frequented the homes of dukes and marquises.

How could they lack food and clothing?

The sage had come before, but Li Mao was running a high fever at the time and was in a daze. He didn't know when the sage came or when he left.

Li Mao remained silent.

Fortunately, the old lecturer didn't talk about the auspicious omen for long. Starting with the precious pearl, he began to talk about the peace in the world and the court's selection of virtuous and capable people.

"Since the founding of our Great Tang Dynasty, we have always promoted people based solely on their talent."

"Now the throne has been passed down to the sage. Roadside shops are lined with food and wine to welcome travelers, and inns have post donkeys that can carry a thousand miles without a single weapon."

"The imperial court is able to attract talented people from all over the country, so that there are no worthy people left in the countryside."

Li Mao listened and asked:
“I have heard that back in the time of Emperor Taizong, he wanted to summon Zhang Guo to the palace, but the man refused several times. Now, Father also wants to summon him, and has even gone so far as to grant official titles and houses to the monks around him.”

Is that why?

The old attendant nodded, quite pleased, looking at the young prince before him.

"Yes."

“That Master Guanyan was highly respected by several kings, and even the crown prince often discussed Buddhism with him. What’s even more remarkable is that Master Guanyan not only had a profound and detailed understanding of Buddhism, but also knew Taoist classics like the back of his hand.”

"For those who are truly virtuous."

"These are only the monks who follow Zhang Guolao."

The old lecturer sighed:
"I wonder what kind of immortal he was who was friends with Zhang Guolao."

He only spoke a little before the old lecturer went on to talk about the Five Classics, delivering long and rambling discourses that made the listeners drowsy.

Jiang She didn't listen any further. He put down his calculations and turned a page in his notebook.

"The sage asked the monks..."

The handwriting was jumping around in twos and threes, each character popping out one by one.

Jiang She raised an eyebrow; it was the first time he had ever seen a manuscript half-written.

The cat came closer and looked too.

"The words are moving!"

"Yes, it's moving."

The cat's round eyes stared intently; she now recognized many characters and read them aloud. There were still a few characters she didn't know, which Jiang She pointed out.

Once the cat had learned all the characters, it began to speak haltingly and in a childish voice.

"But... but those monks who were beheaded who were once by the side of the Prince of Qi?"

After saying that, the cat raised its head and looked at Jiang She. "What is beheading?"

"It means cutting off their heads."

"Can that person still live?"

"Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't survive."

After Jiang She finished speaking, he suddenly felt something and stared at the words that had stopped moving. Perhaps the reason for the monk's death was right here.

He thought about it.

We should inform Zhang Guolao.

……

In the Zhongtiao Mountains, there lived an old man, and the old man had a white donkey.

Zhang Guolao rode his donkey down the mountain and happened to meet a young cowherd. He was in a leisurely mood and soaked his feet in the mountain stream with the young cowherd.

"It's so cold!"

The little shepherd boy had just put his foot on the stream when he was so cold from the late autumn water that he pulled it back.

Zhang Guolao burst into laughter beside him.

Shortly afterward, he also hissed in pain from the cold.

After a while, the little shepherd boy carefully placed his feet lightly on the stream, gradually getting used to the water temperature. Only after his feet were fully immersed in the icy water did he turn his head to look at the person beside him.

This man is very old; he's an elderly gentleman with a completely white beard and hair.

"Why is the old man here in the mountains too?"

The young shepherd boy glanced behind the old man and saw a white donkey grazing. Putting himself in the old man's shoes, he figured out the reason without waiting for a reply.

"Could it be that you've come to herd your donkey, sir?"

The little shepherd boy still had one question in his mind that he didn't voice.

Do we still need to herd the donkey?
"almost!"

Zhang Guolao replied, "Let my donkey get some fresh air. It's usually confined in its cage. I'm not like some people who can hide their horses in their sleeves."

The little shepherd boy's eyes widened.

"Hidden in the sleeve?"

"Are you joking, old man?"

Zhang Guolao stroked his beard, looking at the little shepherd boy's wide, round eyes with surprise.

"I'm just kidding, haha, I'm definitely just kidding."

"Let's not talk about that. You came here to herd cattle, so why do you only have one cow?"

Zhang Guolao saw the ox eating tree leaves and dry grass on the ground.

The shepherd boy asked in return.

"You only have one donkey!"

Zhang Guolao thought this made sense, and the more he thought about it, the more ingenious it seemed.

"you are right."

The little shepherd boy proudly said that his family was already a wealthy family in the village, and that the cow was one they had bought. Only his family, the village chief, and the village head had cows.

Zhang Guolao listened with a smile.

The child has already mentioned where to graze cattle at different times of the year.

In spring, they let the grass grow green; in summer, they seek shade; in autumn, they rush to harvest the crops; and in winter, they search for dry grass.

Just as I was hearing about where to find hay in winter.

Zhang Guolao's ears twitched. He patiently waited for the little shepherd boy to finish explaining his ingenious plan.

He stroked his beard and smiled:
"That's a great idea."

"It's just that a good friend is looking for me, so the old man won't stay here any longer."

"Little one, it's fate that we meet again. You look a bit like your grandfather."

Zhang Guolao smiled as he watched the young shepherd boy. He called over the white donkey that was grazing, casually rubbed his feet on the grass to clean them, and then rode backwards on the donkey's back.

"Eh?"

"Sir, have you ever met my grandfather?"

Zhang Guolao waved his hand gracefully, his wide robe sleeves billowing in the wind.

In just a few breaths, the old man's figure had already disappeared into the distance.

The shepherd boy's eyes widened.

In the cold wind, only an old man's laughter could be heard.

"Your grandfather asked the same question back then."

【Ask for monthly ticket】

(End of this chapter)