My personal opinion on Gensokyo

The greatness of the Tang Dynasty is unparalleled, and its prosperity is unparalleled in the world.

The young man, dressed in Tang Dynasty clothes and dressed like a nobleman, carefully took the black-haired girl's smooth and boneless white right hand to prevent the girl from being separated by the bustling crowd. Holding the girl's hand, he allowed the girl, who was completely intoxicated by the bustling streets surrounded by the sea of ​​flowers, to pull the young man around excitedly.

The black-haired girl had a great interest in everything about the divine capital Luoyang. She watched excitedly for a long time as countless sky lanterns released by noble men and women from the flower buildings on both sides rose into the night sky. She was surprised to release the lotus sky lantern bought for her by the young man herself. Then the girl's attention turned to the two sides of the market town. The noisy and bustling merchants, both Han and Hu, hawking their wares along the street, once again attracted the girl's attention.

Steamed cakes, Hu cakes, sugar-crunched cakes, honey cloud cakes, flower-folded goose cakes, purple dragon cakes, jade beam cakes, oil-boiled cones, crab roe biluo, five-color drink, Fufang drink, yogurt...

The various Western Region delicacies and Tang Dynasty delicacies were attractive in color and fragrant in aroma. Most of them were foods that Shang Yang had never heard of or seen before. The open-minded Tang Empire introduced countless foreign Western Region Hu delicacies, and integrated them with the original Tang Dynasty delicacies, creating countless novel foods, which amazed Shang Yang, a modern person from the distant future. However, Miss Ai had already disregarded all that and started to use the Tang Tongbao coins given to her by Shang Yang to start her food tasting journey from beginning to end.

After spending a long time in the bustling tavern neighborhood, Shang Yang and Ai, who were both a little full, finally found a way out of the bustling crowd and left the place to go to Handicraft Indulgence.

It was even more lively here, with more Han and Hu merchants setting up stalls and hawking their treasures from all over the world on both sides of the neighborhood brothels, including gems from the Western Regions, pearls from the South, exquisite jade pendants, and ambergris spices, which attracted a crowd of people from the sacred capital Luoyang to watch.

Seeing the dazzling ornaments here, the young man thought he should buy a few nice ones as gifts for Miss Ai. He was about to take the girl's slender hand and squeeze through the crowd again, but he was stopped by the black-haired girl whose eyes, as clear as a spring, suddenly reflected a dazzling light. She pointed to the central area of ​​the divine capital Luoyang in the distance and asked excitedly.

"Shang Jun, what is that?"

Love refers to the magnificent five-story Buddhist temple with dazzling brilliance - heaven.

The bright and glorious Wanxiang Temple and Paradise are the most eye-catching focuses of the sacred capital Luoyang. Thousands of lights are sprinkled on the magnificent Mingtang and the grand Buddhist hall. Among them, the dazzling and magnificent Paradise attracts countless Luoyang people to form a crowd that continues to flock there to worship the magnificent Buddha in Paradise.

The Saint Queen of Heaven believed in Buddhism, and there were countless people in the sacred capital of Luoyang who believed in Buddhism. On the birthday of the Saint Queen of Heaven, a grand Buddhist ceremony was held as usual in the magnificent heaven, which was 300 meters high. The heaven was also completely open to all the people of Luoyang, foreign envoys and Hu merchants, so that everyone could enter the heaven and worship the Buddha.

The construction of Paradise was completed only a few years ago, and the Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty had not yet had the opportunity to bring back to Japan the shock that it and the magnificent Vientiane Shrine had brought to them. However, when they saw this towering Buddhist temple, they were deeply shocked by it and brought the news about it back to Japan. The nobles and royal family who were keen to imitate the magnificent architecture of the Tang Dynasty were also deeply shocked. Under its influence, they decided to build the future Todaiji Temple in Nara.

"That's the Buddhist temple built by the Heavenly Queen Saint. Inside is a huge lacquer Buddha statue."

Gazing at the magnificent and dazzling heaven, Shang Yang felt marvelous while explaining love.

"...It really is three hundred meters high. Didn't the book I read say that three hundred meters was a fictitious height?"

"Wow... That must be the tallest building in the divine capital Luoyang..."

After hearing the young man's explanation, the black-haired girl's eyes were full of longing, and at the same time she asked the young man with some uneasiness.

"...Can we go up?"

"That should be all right. Miss Ai, do you want to go there?"

Recalling the historical records that Wu Zetian opened Mingtang and Tiantang for the people of Luoyang to visit freely, the young man asked the girl what she meant.

"Ok!"

The girl nodded vigorously, her clear eyes sparkling.

"I want to see the whole Luoyang from above!"

PS1: The food in this chapter are all real historical delicacies from the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty was an era of mutual integration of Western Hu cuisine and local cuisine, and constant innovation. Some of the characters can no longer be typed using the input method and can only be replaced by homophones.

PS2: The new version adds relevant descriptions about Luoyang, the sacred capital of the Tang Dynasty, and the Jing Tang Dynasty is complete.

PS3: Today is the last update at midnight. If there is no special situation, if there is no update before midnight on the same day, then either there will be two updates in the afternoon of the next day, or it will be set to update regularly at dawn in the morning to avoid disturbing your rest at night. Occasional rest is another matter.

Volume 1 Heian Past and Present Stories: Chapter 15 Always by Your Side

After moving back and forth among the bustling and laughing crowd, and gradually approaching the magnificent paradise in the center of the divine capital Luoyang, the young man and the girl subconsciously looked up at the five-story wooden tower that was three hundred meters high.

"Wow, it's really amazing. How did they build such a magnificent tower..."

Miss Ai covered her mouth which was slightly open in surprise and looked up at the magnificent tower that seemed to reach the sky.

"It's like it's leading to the heaven where the gods live..."

Shang Yang also looked up and carefully admired this magnificent tower, which had long been destroyed by changes in dynasties and natural and man-made disasters in the past history of his world. He truly felt the grand spirit of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

The Son of Heaven regards the whole world as his home; without magnificence and splendor, his authority cannot be strengthened, and future generations cannot surpass him.

The magnificent five-story heaven, over 300 meters high, is the product of the Empress of the Tang Dynasty turning her ideal into reality.

The young man and the girl stood at a corner of a square platform built to support a five-story tower. The bustling people of Luoyang were entering in an endless stream through the gate of heaven facing the stone steps of the platform to pay homage to the Heavenly Buddha.

The black-haired girl eagerly and naturally grabbed the young man's right arm, and followed the flow of Luoyang people, taking advantage of every opportunity to approach the entrance to heaven.

"Shang Jun, come quickly!"

The girl called out to the young man and pulled him together to squeeze into the gate of heaven. After entering the gate, the young man and the girl were shocked again. The five-story heaven was hollow in shape, and the huge Buddha statue occupied almost all the space in the five-story heaven. The Buddha, which was engraved by skilled craftsmen with a lot of effort, was extremely huge. Just on the Buddha's twisted little finger, more than a dozen people could stand. The Buddha's face was extremely compassionate, with half-open eyes, as if the huge Buddha was looking at the people who were worshiping in front of the statue with compassion.

Everyone who had come in and saw the huge Buddha for the first time was so stunned by it that they subconsciously stopped their noisy chatter and put their hands together, burning incense and praying to the Buddha sincerely. Amidst the incense, the Buddha became even more sacred.

The black-haired girl, facing this magnificent Buddha, was suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, and tears could not stop flowing from her eyes as clear as springs.

The girl, who had never had a good thing happen to her since she could remember, had the most incredible, most desired, and even dreamt-of experience in these two days...

This was the best thing a girl could have ever imagined happening in her short life...

Is it the gods and Buddhas who are protecting me...

With her clear eyes filled with tears, she gazed quietly at the face of Buddha, who was full of compassion and mercy for the world, amidst the smoke of fireworks. The girl couldn't help but think so.

However, this thought quickly disappeared, and the black-haired girl shook her head lightly.

...No, now, the Buddha in front of me is just a huge statue that can't move or walk, but the one who suddenly found me, suddenly treated me inexplicably, and suddenly brought me to Luoyang City in the Tang Dynasty, and made me experience wonderful experiences that I never dared to imagine, was him who was by my side.

The girl's gaze on the giant Buddha naturally fell on the handsome face of the young man who was also looking at the Buddha while she was holding his arm.

...This is Shang Yi Ling Yi Qi = Thinking of the things that happen to be a sheep (しょうよう).

The girl's beautiful face, still filled with tears, revealed a beautiful smile.

Before the young man noticed the beautiful smile, the black-haired girl turned her face to the side, released the hand that was holding the young man's right arm, gently closed her eyes, and clasped her fair hands together like the other people in the hall of heaven praying for Buddha's blessing. The girl prayed earnestly to the huge Buddha.

This is my only wish... May the Buddha bless Shang Yangjun to be safe and sound forever...

Then, the black-haired girl finished her prayer and wiped her eyes, which were still filled with tears, with her sleeves. Because of her nervousness and a little force, the light makeup she had applied when she went out was wiped off.

Wiping away her tears hastily, the black-haired girl stretched out her fair hand and gently held the young man's right hand in the face of the young man's slightly puzzled expression.

"Hurry up, Shangyang!"

The girl's eyes were a little blurry and red. She called out the young man's real name naturally and urged him with great joy.

"We're going to the highest place!"

The Stairway to Heaven was a spiral staircase that circled the building. Although it was already late, Ai showed no sign of fatigue. She dragged Shang Yang along and ascended to the second and third floors of Heaven...

Every time they reached a floor, Miss Ai would drag Shang Yang to the window, gazing out at the divine capital Luoyang, which presented a different view due to the different heights of each floor, and then she would shout out in surprise...

The topmost floor of heaven, the fifth floor.

As the top floor of heaven, heaven had reserved an external observation deck on the fifth floor for visitors to walk out and overlook the entire Luoyang city. By the time the young man and the girl reached the fifth floor, many Luoyang citizens had already gathered on the fifth floor, vying to be the first to overlook the entire divine capital Luoyang from the outer fence.

Beneath the dazzling sea of ​​stars and the Milky Way, fireworks sparkle, Kongming lanterns fly into the night sky, the stars are twinkling, the sacred capital Luoyang is brightly lit, the crowds are noisy, bustling, and the sky is filled with a sea of ​​flowers...

This is the atmosphere of worldly life that is unique to the Tang Dynasty, and this is the prosperous era that is unique to the Tang Dynasty.

The nobles and common people who had reached the top of heaven cheered and rejoiced at this prosperous and flourishing world. Some of the timid and fearful of heights, their calves trembling, gazed reluctantly at the prosperous and flourishing scene of the divine capital Luoyang beneath the magnificent heaven...

The girl was so excited that she grabbed the outer fence and handrail, gazing at the flowers in the sky and the fireworks in the world.

The wind blows the girl's long hair.

This is the Tang Dynasty, a paradise on earth.

It is the greatest country in the world.

The prosperous Tang Dynasty with a sea of ​​flowers all over the sky satisfied all the girl's yearnings and fantasies.

It was more beautiful than all the beautiful dreams the girl had ever had in her life...

Under the brilliant Milky Way, the sky is full of flowers, and thousands of fireworks and the stars in the sea of ​​​​stars complement each other, turning into the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Jiutianchang opens the palace, and all nations pay homage to Mianqi.

The young man's eyes were also full of yearning. The Tang Dynasty in history and texts was only a glimpse of the glory of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in the past. Only when he really came to the prosperous Tang Dynasty did the young man realize what a proud and open prosperous Tang Dynasty this was. All the gorgeous words in the world were not enough to support the glory of the prosperous Tang Dynasty.

Looking out at the sacred capital Luoyang, the Taichu Palace is magnificent and golden. That is where the Empress of the Tang Dynasty is hosting a banquet for envoys from all over the world.

Outside the Taichu Palace, in Luoyang City, thousands of houses were ablaze with lights, a sea of ​​flowers filled the sky, fireworks were blooming, the nobles and common people were lingering in the taverns and streets, the talented women of the Tang Dynasty played the clear pipa, the cheerful Hu people beat hand drums and danced dances of the Western Regions, the people of the Tang Dynasty laughed and sang and danced, Luoyang City was prosperous and glorious, with many people coming and going, and the world was bustling with fireworks.

Just as the young man was extremely excited and wanted to pull the girl over to watch the city of Luoyang immersed in a sea of ​​joy.

The fragrant wind enters your arms.

The stunned young man subconsciously hugged her as she threw herself into his arms.

"I, I can't believe this is true..."

Throwing herself into the young man's warm embrace, the girl hugged him tightly and burst into tears...

"Shang Yang, tell me, is this really a beautiful dream...?"

"Of course it wasn't a dream."

The young man holding her gently stroked the girl's long hair.

"This is the real Divine Capital Luoyang. I really brought you to the Tang Dynasty."

"...Then, what about Shang Yang?"

The girl cried softly with a hint of fear, filled with anxiety.

"Could Shang Yang be my dream...?"

"Once I wake up from a dream, it disappears and I can't find it anywhere..."

"……Won't."

The emotions conveyed by the girl filled the young man's heart, and he subconsciously hugged the girl tightly in his arms. The young man put aside all his worries and made an eternal vow to the girl in the most determined and gentle tone of his life.

"I'll always be there for you."

PS1: The candy has been distributed.

PS2: So I didn’t finish coding the second chapter yesterday, so I’ll finish it tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Volume 1: Heian Tales of the Past and Present: Chapter 16: Peaceful Days

The winter morning sun dispels the gloom and chill of early spring nights.

A new day has descended upon the land of Nara, and the sun shines on the Fujiwara-kyo neighborhood among the three mountains of ancient Nara, awakening the capital of the Yamato court.

The nobles, dressed in formal attire and high hats, emerged from their mansions and boarded sturdy carriages. Their drivers, charioteers whipping the oxen and horses, carried them along Suzaku Avenue to the main gate of Fujiwara no Miyabi. Palace gate warriors, responsible for guarding the palace gates, guided the nobles' carriages to a stop at the side of the Fujiwara no Miyabi main gate. The high-ranking nobles, dressed in formal attire and high hats, disembarked and filed through the main gate to attend the court meeting in the Fujiwara no Miyabi Court Hall.

To the north of Fujiwara no Miyabi, there is a small, nameless palace.

Although the court in front of the inner palace became noisy due to the gathering of more and more nobles and palace guards, the inner palace, which served as the residence of the royal family, was still very quiet, not to mention the small palace to the north of the inner palace that had always been ignored.

Inside the palace, on the tatami bed.

Rub...rub...

The black-haired girl drowsily raised her hands, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and slowly stood up, her beautiful face revealing a dazed and confused look. The low blood pressure after waking up takes a long time to subside, and after getting up, the girl will remain in this sluggish state for quite a while.

After a while, the confusion in the girl's clear eyes was gradually replaced by a radiance of coming to her senses. The black-haired girl looked around the palace expectantly.

The young man with black messy hair did not appear in the black-haired girl's expectant sight.

This fact made the girl who just woke up in the morning feel a little lost.

As of today, a full month has passed since the night when the girl and the young man set out for a trip to Luoyang, the sacred capital of the Tang Dynasty.

That night when they were touring Luoyang City, the girl was so excited that after playing till she was extremely exhausted, she leaned directly into the arms of the young man and fell into a deep sleep.

So, the young man, also feeling a little tired, gently picked up the dark-haired girl curled up in his arms and walked towards the Luoyang city gate. The Tang Dynasty was open-minded, and it was not uncommon for young scholars and noble daughters to travel together to explore Luoyang at night and talk about love. Without many people noticing, the young man carried the dark-haired girl out of the Luoyang city gate and found a secluded place where no one would notice. He picked up the girl again and flew into the night sky, flying back to Nara, Japan.

Then, the next day, the girl, who had never played so long at night, felt unwell and started to have a fever. The young man was very surprised to see this. After the main goddess's innate medical ability diagnosed and conjured up medicine, he fed the girl fever-reducing medicine every day and took care of her by her side for two days.

However, apart from the bad thing about having a fever, two good things also happened after the trip to Tang State.

The first is that after confirmation by Miss Lord God, the abnormal historical cause and effect entangled with Miss Ai is indeed slowly falling off, turning into ordinary cause and effect power, and being absorbed by the cause and effect secret ceremony operated by Miss Lord God, replenishing the causal power stock of the cause and effect secret ceremony, and successfully achieving open source.

The second point was a "good thing" for the young man himself. After taking care of the sick and frail girl for two days, the girl, who had been extremely insecure since she could remember, was moved by the young man again. After she gradually regained her vitality, the black-haired girl became more intimate with the young man.

In ancient Japan during the Nara period, being sick was an extremely dangerous thing for anyone. Even a common fever or cold had a certain mortality rate. However, in the girl's eyes, even though she was in danger of infecting the young man with a dangerous disease, the young man still stayed by her side to take care of her until she was lucky enough to recover. This was a huge touch for the girl.

Although the young man actually didn't think that the fever and cold caused by catching a cold were a big deal, not to mention that there was Miss Lord God to diagnose and provide medicine.

This also made the main goddess, who was actually the biggest contributor to the girl's recovery, secretly complain about the young man for not mentioning it after seeing the black-haired girl become more intimate with the young man after her recovery.

After Ai recovered, Shang Yang took Miss Ai out of Fujiwara Palace on several suitable daytimes during the month to visit other places in Japan. This was to allow Ai, who had never left Fujiwara Palace since birth, to truly explore the outside world, and also to act in accordance with the steps planned by Miss Lord God.

The trip to Tang State has already impacted the solidified historical structure to the maximum extent. The causal force entangled with Ai is constantly dissolving and being continuously absorbed by Miss Lord God using the causal secret ritual. At the current stage, it is not suitable to take Ai to Tang State to impact the historical structure, as that may cause the overall collapse of the historical structure. However, it is suitable to take Ai away from Fujiwara Palace, which theoretically she will never have the chance to leave in her lifetime, and continue to cause subtle impacts on the solidified historical structure. These subtle impacts will be precisely controlled by Miss Lord God and used to disintegrate small sections of historical cause and effect. This is a delicate operation similar to constantly pulling out the base of a tower built of building blocks without causing the overall collapse of the tower built of building blocks. During this period, most of Miss Lord God's energy was concentrated on this delicate operation.

So this month, apart from taking Miss Ai out for travel from time to time, Shang Yang has spent most of his time accompanying Ai who lives in the small palace, and using the secret ritual of cause and effect to prepare future food for Ai as her three meals a day.