Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 17 Li Xian's Past

After Liu Jianjun finished reciting his poem, Li Xian remained standing there.

He now believes that the poem was indeed written by Liu Jianjun.

Because if one hadn't lived in Sichuan for sixteen years, it would be absolutely impossible to compose a poem that so accurately summarizes the topography of Sichuan.

"Those they guard may not be their own, but have transformed into wolves and jackals. They avoid fierce tigers in the morning and long snakes in the evening; they grind their teeth and suck blood, killing people like flies..."

Li Xian murmured the contents of Liu Jianjun's poem, feeling that Liu Jianjun had vividly described the dangers of Sichuan in just a few words.

The dangers of Sichuan lie not only in its towering mountains, but also, and perhaps more so, in the treacherous officials who garrisoned the region like wolves.

"Hey, you have a good memory. I only read it once and you remembered it!" Liu Jianjun leaned closer, still with that same grinning face. "So, with my poetic talent, I could easily be a prime minister or something in the imperial court, right?"

Li Xian had initially admired Liu Jianjun, but his two sentences left him both amused and exasperated.

"If we're talking about poetic talent, your poems are indeed rare, but if you think you can become prime minister just by writing poems, then you're sorely mistaken. What's tested in becoming an official is your writing skills and your ability to govern the world, not just your ability to recite a few poems!"

Liu Jianjun's talk of becoming prime minister was clearly just a joke. He walked over and sat down next to Li Xian. "Is this poem just rare?"

“Well, I admit I’ve never seen such a magnificent poem before.” Li Xian was truly impressed.

Liu Jianjun's poem not only depicts the majestic and insurmountable grandeur of the Shu Road, but also intertwines history, reality, and mythology in a sweeping and complex way. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a masterpiece that will be remembered for thousands of years.

Li Xian found it hard to believe that such a talented poet as Liu Jianjun could be hidden in this remote and impoverished place as Bazhou.

"If things go smoothly this time, I'll introduce you to someone; you two will surely have a very pleasant conversation," Li Xian said softly.

Liu Jianjun got excited and leaned closer to Li Xian, his face full of curiosity: "Who is it?"

"Prince An," Li Xian said softly, a figure with the same youthful talent appearing in his mind.

At that time, that person was a compiler in his own household. His essay, "Ode to the Qianyuan Hall," amazed his father and all the officials in the court, who praised him as a genius of the Tang Dynasty.

But since he was expelled from the palace, Li Xian has lost all contact with him and doesn't know how he is doing now.

“Prince…An?” Liu Jianjun looked blank. “Is there such a person?”

Li Xian was stunned.

Is there any scholar in this world who doesn't know Zian?
That's not right.

Although Zian was young, he had become famous at a young age, and his reputation had long been known throughout the Tang Dynasty. Since Liu Jianjun was studying under a demoted official from Chang'an, there was no reason why he hadn't heard of him.

"He's not a prince, but someone surnamed Wang, with the courtesy name Zi'an. Haven't you ever heard of Zi'an? And you haven't heard of the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng either?" Li Xian asked curiously.

This time, Liu Jianjun had a look of sudden realization: "Oh! You mean Wang Bo! Of course I know the Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, that thing... it's about... it embraces distant mountains, swallows the Yangtze River, vast and mighty..."

"The Pavilion of Prince Teng...when was it ever located beside the Yangtze River?" Li Xian interrupted, looking puzzled. "Moreover, this passage doesn't seem to appear in Zian's preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng..."

Li Xian swore he rarely saw such an embarrassed expression on Liu Jianjun's face.

Li Xian even thought that Liu Jianjun didn't feel embarrassed.

But now, Liu Jianjun is awkwardly digging his toes into the ground—his toes are sticking out of his straw sandals.

"Liu Jianjun?" Li Xian called out softly.

"No, no... You should have mentioned Wang Bo earlier! I told you we don't have any special customs about courtesy names in this remote, impoverished place..." Liu Jianjun chuckled awkwardly, then suddenly slapped his forehead, as if remembering something, and loudly proclaimed, "Yuzhang, the old prefecture; Hongdu, the new capital. Stars divide the constellations of Wing and Chariot, the land connects to Heng and Lu, that's it! Isn't it!" Li Xian smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right. Zian is also a talented poet. When you go to Chang'an, I'll introduce you to him."

Li Xian thought that Liu Jianjun, a man of poetic talent, would be delighted to hear that he wanted to introduce Wang Zian to him, but Liu Jianjun shook his head listlessly: "I'm afraid I can't introduce him."

"Why?"

"Why? You've been demoted to this place, do you think he'll be any better?" Liu Jianjun rolled his eyes, found a blade of grass somewhere, and started wildly whipping the ground in front of him.

Finally, he put the grass root in his mouth again, lay down on the ground, and rested his head on his arm, sighing, "Having mastered both literary and martial arts, I'm just offering them to the emperor! You old Li family... sigh, never mind."

Liu Jianjun stopped halfway through his sentence, leaving Li Xian in suspense.

Li Xian initially wanted to keep pressing him, but after looking at the desolation in Liu Jianjun's eyes, he felt that Liu Jianjun was particularly different at this moment.

It was filled with a sense of vicissitude that seemed out of place for a young person.

He thought for a moment, then lay down on the ground like Liu Jianjun, only to discover that from this angle he could see the sunset in the distance.

The winter sun is not glaring; it gently falls on your face, making it feel as if you are being caressed by some soft feather, causing a ticklish sensation.

Li Xian said softly, "Liu Jianjun, let me tell you my story."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jianjun immediately propped himself up on his elbow, turned his head to the side, and looked at Li Xian with surprise, saying, "Tell me about it! I'd really like to hear what Chang'an is like!"

Li Xian smiled and glanced at Liu Jianjun, then looked at the setting sun in the distance.

"Chang'an is a prison..."

"Your idea is quite novel!" Liu Jianjun's voice suddenly rang out.

Li Xian glared at him, and Liu Jianjun immediately gave an awkward smile: "Go on, go on."

Li Xian then continued to gaze at the setting sun in the distance and said, "I was born in this prison. When I was young, I was favored by my father. Everyone around me revolved around me. Apart from the stars and the moon in the sky, whether it was a Persian cat or the best glazed tiger-head ewer of the Tang Dynasty, as long as I asked, it would be delivered to me the next day."

Liu Jianjun interjected, "If that's so good, why did you still call Chang'an a prison?"

Li Xian shook his head with a wry smile: "If things could always be this good, that would be great, but..."

"But after my eldest brother passed away, that goodness began to change."

"By then I was an adult, and I easily understood what was hidden behind that kindness. Because my elder brother had passed away, I would be the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, the one destined to inherit the entire Tang Dynasty. Their kindness towards me began to have an ulterior motive, like...like..."

“An investment!” Liu Jianjun said.

“Yes, an investment, an investment that’s highly sought after!” Li Xian nodded, thinking that Liu Jianjun’s word summed it up perfectly.

"Hidden behind their kindness are gaping maws of blood. Through their eyes, I see a greed that seems to want to devour me whole. I told my father about my fear, but he said it was normal. But I don't think it's normal..."

Before Li Xian could finish speaking, Liu Jianjun interrupted him.

"Hey, why do you keep talking about your father? What about your mother? Shouldn't boys generally be closer to their mothers? After having this thought, didn't you think to ask your mother?"

Although Li Xian found it strange that Liu Jianjun was so curious about his mother, he nodded and said, "My mother... doesn't like me."

……

(End of this chapter)