I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 59 Discussing Taoism with Wang Wei

What is this?
Qiu Nei stared at the puppet, which had facial features painted on it, so lifelike that it seemed about to open its eyes at any moment. The puppet's limbs were four smaller wooden sticks, carved with simple hand and foot shapes, and it was covered with a small garment.

It's somewhat strange and mysterious.

"Ear reward god?"

Yunjiao nodded, pointed to the bag beside him, which was full of money, and said, "I used to help people with their boats. One day I met an old man who took care of me on the boat for a few extra days. Before I disembarked, he saw that I was working hard carrying things, so he gave me this."

"They say it's called the God of Whispers, and it should be carefully worshipped."

"This messenger can speak, so don't take it lightly; it's crucial!"

Is this the thing that brings good fortune?
Qiu leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the object.

"Why would my brother tell me about such a good thing if he didn't enjoy it himself?"

He grinned widely, sipping his turbid wine, "You think this thing is easy to raise? I've been planning to find someone to help take care of it, and you just happened to walk right into my door!"

Qiu Nei felt his heart pounding, and he swallowed hard.

half an hour.

How should I raise it?

……

……

It was a fine day, and Jiang She took a stroll through the streets.

I found a bustling street with restaurants on both sides and many small vendors nearby, and pedestrians everywhere.

At this time, there were many kinds of entertainment. Surrounded by the crowd, a man balanced a long pole on his head, with a young boy suspended in the air on the pole, supported only by the pole. He performed handstands and acrobatics, his body light and agile, doing somersaults and all sorts of thrilling things.

It made one's heart tighten and then gasp in surprise.

They all took out some money and put it into the bamboo basket as a tip.

There were also people performing magic tricks involving planting melons and trees.

The martial arts performer planted melon seeds in an open space, then began chanting incantations, opening and closing his arms in a dance-like manner. Soon, the melon seeds sprouted and grew in front of everyone.

Flowering and fruiting.

He was met with cheers, and money rained down on the ground.

Jiang She watched with great interest.

Yuan Danqiu asked, "Is this an illusion?"

He remembered that the people who had swindled people in the Lu family before claimed that they could "breathe and turn their breath into flames," but in reality, they were using illusion magic.

Li Bai looked closely; his eyes were different now, and according to the mountain god, they could see through illusions.

"It's not an illusion."

Jiang She shook his head.

He said, "I'm quick-witted and quick-handed; I'm considered one of the best in this trade."

The cat followed the person, watching the vines climbing upwards from afar, its paws reaching out as if to grab them.

Further on, I saw a street puppet show.

Yuan Danqiu, with his sharp eyes, saw the broker who had shown them the house that day talking to someone and taking a few small clothes for the puppeteers from the puppeteer.

"Is that a broker—?"

Jiang She looked up.

Qiu Nei had changed into a brand-new set of clothes and was standing sideways, gesturing to the puppet. He reached into his pocket and after a while, counted out a handful of money and handed it over.

After getting the items, they left in a hurry.

Li Bai stood on the other side, facing the broker's face. He glanced at him and raised an eyebrow slightly.

Did this person not wash up this morning? Why does their forehead look a bit dark?

As the group watched the puppet show, they heard the sounds of revelry coming from the restaurant. Several people walked down the stairs, talking, and the smell of alcohol was noticeable from afar. They were dressed in brocade robes, with jade belts around their waists and brocade boots on their feet.

They were all elegantly dressed and refined.

They chatted and laughed with ease, suggesting they were either scions of prominent families or young gentlemen from bureaucratic households.

Among them, a man in white was subtly surrounded by these wealthy young men. He was elegant and reserved, and spoke little. When others joked with him, he would only nod and occasionally respond with a few words.

"Mojie, we have a day off the day after tomorrow, shall we go watch a polo match together?"

The person surrounded by people spoke calmly:
"There are still some articles that haven't been organized yet, and I'm afraid I won't have much free time these days. Let's meet another day. I'll give you a jar of Jiannan Shaochun wine; the aroma of Sichuan wine can also add to the fun."

Someone laughed and said, "Doesn't Wulang know Wang Wei?"

"Many women enjoy polo and often go to watch it together, but Wang Wei prefers peace and quiet and would probably avoid them as much as possible."

The crowd erupted in laughter, and the young men, thinking of the young women in Luoyang and the carriages blocking the Wang family's gate, also laughed.

Pei Di was also in the crowd, watching as Wang Wei's expression gradually faded.

Wang Wei found it rather boring. He was still thinking about what Lu Xiang had said. He had been traveling around Luoyang these past few days, but he had not seen the immortals that Lu Xiang had mentioned.

Is it really impossible to meet him?

Did we really miss out?
He looked boredly down at the street below the building, where many people were watching the street performers and cheering.

Wang Wei paused for a moment, feeling that one of the figures looked quite familiar.

It seems like... I've seen it before.

It was a few people I met by the roadside when we were almost in Luoyang.

Wang Wei examined it carefully, and a slight thought struck him. The young men from the Yang and Cui families beside him were still chatting and laughing about the polo team; he clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.

"I saw some friends over there. I'll go take a look. You all should go to the next house for drinks first."

With that, he went down from the platform.

Go into the crowd.

Young Master Cui was puzzled.

"Mojie?"

Pei Di chimed in from the side, "Let him be. Let's go. Wang Wei doesn't want to watch the polo match, so we'll go by ourselves."

"Let's have dinner at Dong's Winery tonight. Their wine and entertainment are the best!"

The group of young men didn't care, and Wang Wei, who was always aloof, didn't think much of it either. He called his friends, and they rode horses or boarded carriages, heading in a grand procession to the bustling South Market.

Only Cui Langjun, riding on horseback, glanced in the direction Wang Wei had gone.

Wang Wei's friend?

I had never heard of it before.

Jiang She was watching a puppet show. The craftsman's fingers were suspended on strings, and when he moved his fingers, the wooden puppets below followed suit and made various movements. The story was about a young scholar who encountered demons and ghosts while studying.

Demons and ghosts laugh outside the window, while scholars hide inside the house.

The craftsman even created two voices, one asking and one answering, which made people burst into laughter.

He was watching intently.

I heard voices beside me.

"Your Excellency, we meet again."

Jiang She turned around and saw a man dressed in white, with jade pendants around his waist, walking over from a wine shop in the distance. He clasped his hands in greeting.

The face was familiar; Jiang She, with his excellent memory, recognized it.

"So it's Young Master Wang."

Wang Wei said, "I never expected to meet you all in Luoyang. It seems we are destined to meet."

Li Bai recognized him as the member of the Wang family from Taiyuan they had met on the road, who was seeking immortality, that is, looking for a teacher.

How did we run into each other again?

Yuan Danqiu asked a narrow-minded question.

"Young Master Wang asked me about matters concerning immortals; have you found them?"

Wang Wei shook his head.

A hint of regret crossed his face: "Never."

He said, "It's not convenient to talk here. How about I invite you all to go upstairs?"

Wang Wei's expression was somewhat different from when they met a few days ago. Perhaps his temper had been tempered by not having searched for immortals for some time. He suddenly felt like chatting with strangers he had just met.

The tea and wine expert turned around and came back in when he saw people.

He asked instinctively, "Has Young Master Wang forgotten something?"

"Let's find a good spot and serve some good tea."

The group sat in good seats by the window. Jiang She looked at the young man with a somewhat gloomy expression and comforted him, saying, "Nine times out of ten, things in this world don't go as planned, so don't worry too much about it."

Wang Wei smiled and picked up his wine cup.

He gazed at the floating clouds in the sky, thinking about the time since he was demoted to Cangzhou four years ago, and the various unpleasant things he had experienced in Luoyang after resigning from his post.

He shook his head: "You're right, I don't want to think about these things."

He said, “I lived in Luoyang for several years. The tea served here is from Mengding Mountain. It tastes quite good. You are welcome to try it.”

"It could not be better."

When the tavern served tea, Wang Wei mentioned that when he read Taoist scriptures, he rarely saw any descriptions of supernatural powers or techniques. He asked Yuan Danqiu if such things were unorthodox or heretical.
Yuan Danqiu had no idea about this, so he looked at Mr. Jiang.

Jiang She thought for a moment.

Leaning back on the low table, holding a teacup in one hand, he said in a relaxed tone: "Because magic and supernatural powers are not important; they are just a derivative of cultivation."

"Those who follow the Great Way pay attention to the opportunities between heaven and earth. Those who follow the Lesser Way focus on magic and supernatural powers, which are what are called minor arts."

"When one cultivates to a certain level, wisdom will naturally arise."

"It was not something I deliberately sought."

Wang Wei listened attentively. He vaguely felt that this gentleman who did not wear a Taoist robe had a more profound understanding of Taoist principles than the Taoist priests who did wear robes.

"You also understand the Dao?"

Few people asked him such a question. Jiang She smiled and thought for a moment.

He simply said, "I know a little bit."

　Thank you to "Ming Dynasty Zhao Weizuo" and "Eating Grapes and Spitting Out Grape Skins" for the donations!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)