I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 66 A Common Sight at the Prince of Qi's Residence

Underwater, a large, bluish-green fish can be vaguely seen.

Sanshui and Chuyi couldn't bear to blink. They leaned over the side of the boat, watching the big fish swim along in the water, neither moving forward nor backward.

The water was surging, and it was getting dark, so it was hard to see clearly.

"What kind of fish is this?" Sanshui asked in a low voice.

Chu Yi stared at it carefully and thought, "It looks a bit like a carp."

"Can carp grow this big?"

Looking around and seeing that no passengers were paying attention to what the two boys were saying, Chu Yi lowered his voice and said very quietly:
"This is a carp that has become a spirit..."

They rarely encountered spirits or monsters in Yunmeng Mountain, and even fewer in the foothills.

Many spirits and monsters in the world don't like to get close to people. After all, before they enter the Dao, their relationship is either one of eating and being eaten, or being eaten and eating.

Not to mention a fish demon this big.

Sanshui's eyes sparkled as she whispered a question to Jiang She.

“Senior, does this fish recognize you? We’ve traveled by water before when we came to Luoyang, but we’ve never seen a fish demon in the Luo River.”

Their master, a middle-aged man, also perked up his ears.

Jiang She looked down at the big fish that was greedy and refused to leave, swimming along with the boat, still wanting to eat two more drops of the green liquid from the daytime.

"I fed it once during the day, and it's a bit greedy."

Sanshui hurriedly asked, "What does it eat? I also brought some snacks; will it eat those?"

As he spoke, he took out the oil paper package from his bundle and untied the hemp rope binding it.

"You can try."

Jiang She didn't know whether these fish spirits in the water would eat human snacks.

Sanshui and his junior brother Chuyi shared some snacks, wiped their hands clean, and carefully broke them open, sprinkling them into the Luo River. The water rippled gently, with lit lanterns floating on it.

The two of them held their breath and watched.

"It's coming closer!"

After a few seconds, Sanshui sighed and said regretfully, "I didn't eat!"

Jiang She chuckled, realizing that the large carp was in a difficult position.

He tapped lightly on the gunwale with his fingers, and the fish, as if receiving a message, dived to the bottom of the water.

Looking again, the two craned their necks to examine the fish closely, but they could no longer see any trace of it.

After a moment of disappointment, the two asked again.

"Where does the senior reside? Master said we will stay in Luoyang for a while to visit fellow Daoists, so we can take this opportunity to pay our respects to the senior."

Jiang She then gave his address in Jixianfang.

Question: "Are there Taoist practitioners in Luoyang?"

The middle-aged man continued, "They are going to visit fellow Daoists at Hongdao Temple. Their grandmaster has some friendship with an elder of our sect, and they often visit each other."

Hongdao Temple was extremely famous, on par with Xuandu Temple in Chang'an. It was one of the top Taoist temples in Luoyang, and often held religious ceremonies to ward off disasters and pray for blessings for the imperial court and the Li Tang royal family.

Sanshui and Chuyi chimed in from the side.

Hongdao Temple is located in Xiushanfang, not far from Jixianfang where the elders lived.

His true intentions were laid bare; he was practically begging directly.

Seeing the two children's anxious expressions, Jiang She lowered his head and drank his tea, remaining silent for a long time.

He chuckled inwardly.

An unassuming boat ripples through the water. They sail on the Luo River under the night sky, passing lanterns and boats, passing the twinkling lights of countless homes.

He glanced at the banquet of princes and nobles and passed by in a flash.

The affairs of the immortals today are unknown to outsiders.

……

……

Inside the residence of Prince Qi, the lights shone brightly.

A dozen or so maids carrying lanterns presented the lamps.

Candles were lit in layers, and silk and gauze were used as curtains to veil the interior, preventing the night wind from blowing into the building. The room was brightly lit and intoxicating.

The flower hall was filled with fragrance.

The maids and servants prepared the feast with gentle and graceful movements, making no sound as they walked. They carefully placed the fine wine, delicacies, and precious cups on the table, then quietly and orderly withdrew.

Prince Qi, Li Fan, was fond of refined tastes and enjoyed promoting talented individuals, making him quite famous among scholars.

The banquets were often filled with beautiful women and fine wine, with elegant atmosphere and moving string music.

Lotus blossoms, strong liquor, and beautiful pillows. Boundless romance.

In a corner of the hall, the sound of strings could be heard, playing the melody that Li Guinian composed for Wang Wei's poem "Acacia" years ago. The music was clear and stirring.

The guests sat idly in twos and threes, all of them wealthy and elegant.

The room was filled with noise. The musicians played their instruments, the guests drank and laughed, people praised the Prince of Qi's new paintings, and beautiful women whispered sweet nothings. The clinking of cups and jade ornaments filled the air.

"Is this Zheng Qian's landscape painting? I thought the previous one was already superb, but I never expected him to be so innovative and improved."

"There's also a poem by Zheng Qian on it..." someone read aloud.

"Great painting!"

"That's a fine piece of music!"

Someone in the room remarked with emotion, "This is a poem by Wang Wei. So many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Wang Wei is still so young. His talent in his youth is truly enviable."

The Prince of Qi was a middle-aged man nearing forty, with a pale face.

He wore a cinnabar-colored casual robe with a gold-hooked jade belt around his waist, and the floral and bird embroidery on his robe shimmered in the lamplight.

He raised his hand slightly.

The beautiful woman beside him carefully picked up the jade cup with her delicate hands.

Prince Qi sipped his wine and made a comment.

"Wang Wei's poems possess the beauty of sound, rhythm, and emptiness."

He smiled and beckoned to one of the people seated, saying:
"Mojie, come here."

"We haven't seen each other for a month or two. I sent someone to inquire before, and the Wang family said you went traveling. Where did you go? Did you hear anything?"

The crowd surrounded Wang Wei, making way for him to be at the front.

I went to Xiangyang.

Prince Qi raised an eyebrow slightly and asked lazily, "What are you going to Xiangyang for? Does Mojie have any old friends there?"

"Having heard some interesting stories about Xiangyang, I was curious and made a special trip there."

Some of the guests had heard about it and asked, "Is it about the Lu family in Xiangyang who encountered immortals?"

The King of Qi listened with a smile, and when the music gradually faded, he raised his hand and told them to continue playing.

He drank his wine, leaning against the beauty's lap, looking relaxed and languid.

He didn't take the guests' stories about encountering immortals in the rural areas of Xiangyang to heart.

The guests started chattering amongst themselves.

"I heard that an old lady was celebrating her birthday, and some of the guests in the courtyard, as well as the Lu family and servants, all had a great dream. The things in the dream were exactly the same as the real thing, and they spent their whole lives in it."

"Well... whether it's seventeen or nineteen people, I heard they've already been invited by a wealthy local family, but I don't know if that's true."

"If he hadn't eaten or drunk for seven days, he would probably be dead by now!"

Some speculated: "Could it have been spread by the local county magistrate?"

The Prince of Qi drank his wine and watched them talk.

As they talked, their gazes fell on Wang Wei again, and someone asked:

"Mojie, you went to Xiangyang, is that true?"

In the eyes of everyone.

Wang Wei put down his wine cup.

"I've heard of it."

He said, "Not only that, but I also heard a poem. I, Wang Wei, am not talented enough to play it on the pipa."

Everyone became interested.

Wang Wei was extremely knowledgeable in music, a master of the pipa, and skilled at playing the guqin. He was also aloof and preferred to play and appreciate music alone, rarely showing off in front of others.

Today, however, I am willing to play music, which is a rare treat to hear.

The servant hurriedly brought over a pipa.

……

The song is over.

All around was quiet, the strings of the zither fell silent, and everyone quieted down.

Holding my breath, my mind was still lingering on the sound of the pipa, as if I were at that banquet, hearing the roar of tigers, the cries of monkeys, and seeing snakes and pythons moving about.

Immortals chatted and laughed, while earth deities and spirits served them at their side.

During the banquet, gods and ghosts laughed loudly, sang wildly, and drank heartily, all for the sake of getting drunk.

It is ethereal and otherworldly, a melody not of this world.

The Prince of Qi straightened up.

He asked, "What is the name of this piece?"

Wang Wei put away his pipa, somewhat dazed, and it took him a couple of breaths to come back to his senses, recalling his mediocre poem.

The voice is light and calm.

"Nighttime Ghostly Feast, Drunkenly Hearing the Wondrous Dao"

(End of this chapter)