Chapter 89: Master Shangguan
Luding Mountain is about an hour's journey from the downtown area. The two hired a horse-drawn carriage in the downtown area and went all the way to the foot of the mountain. Mengxi got off the carriage and looked into the distance. He saw the mountains in the distance were shrouded in clouds and mist, appearing and disappearing from time to time, as if the peaks were piercing the clouds, high and majestic, and like a spectacular landscape painting with rich and thin ink in front of him. He felt in a good mood. Seeing a pavilion on the mountain, he and Zhiqiu walked up the bluestone steps slowly:
"Second Madam, when you get to the pavilion above, you can see the Luding Lake behind . There are willow trees by the lake bank, and a long corridor. There is a pavilion at the end of the corridor, and there are lotus flowers in the lake. I came here once with my brother two years ago, and this is my second time here."
Knock on Zhiqiu's head with a fan:
"Remember, call me Young Master. I will climb to the top of the mountain and look down on all the other mountains. Let's go to the pavilion on the top of the mountain to rest and take in the beautiful scenery. Then we can go to the lake to play. How can we see all the beautiful scenery in one day? When I leave Xiao Mansion, I will stay here for a few days and appreciate it slowly and carefully."
"Yes, sir."
Zhiqiu looked at the second grandmother helplessly. Her second grandmother really took leaving the house as a big deal, but at this time, there was no way to persuade her. She could only sigh in her heart.
The two of them came to the pavilion. Mengxi leaned against the railing, looking at the picturesque scenery of lakes and mountains. He felt relaxed and happy, and could not help chanting loudly:
The east is about to dawn, don't say you are leaving early. I have walked through the green mountains and I am not old, the scenery here is the best.
"Ha! Ha! Ha... I have traveled through the green mountains and I am still young. The scenery here is unique. Good poem, good poem. Good scenery goes with good poem. Sir, you have great literary talent."
Mengxi and Zhiqiu turned their heads at the same time, and saw a young man about twenty years old, wearing a moon-white long robe, a jade crown on his head, and holding a folding fan, fanning himself gently as he walked up the stairs . His loose long robe fluttered gently in the breeze, making him look more and more elegant. He exuded a noble and graceful aura that made people want to worship him. Behind him were two people dressed as servants.
What a romantic and handsome young man! Meng Xi, who loved chasing after handsome men and beautiful women in her previous life, suddenly brightened up her eyes. Mr. Xiao was also very romantic, but this spring-like smile was much more pleasing to the eye than his icy face.
The young man in white went up to the pavilion, looked up, and was secretly surprised that there was such a handsome young man in the world. He couldn't help but think of a poem: "A beauty is like jade, what a young man like jade!" When he saw him, he liked him very much and stepped forward to bow:
"I am Shangguan Hong. I am out for fun today and I have the chance to meet you. I am so lucky. May I ask your name?"
"I am Li Mengtan"
"I have never heard of any young man in Pingyang City who is so well-mannered and handsome. I guess you are not from Pingyang."
"I am from Pingyang, but I left home when I was young and traveled with my master. I seldom return to Pingyang, so you have never heard of me."
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Nice to meet you, nice to meet you. Meeting is fate. Shall we call each other brothers?"
"Okay! Brother, please"
Mengxi and Shangguan Hong hit it off right away. They sat in the pavilion for a while, then left the pavilion and came to the shore of Luding Lake. It was Mengxi's first time to travel in the ancient times. Looking at the beautiful scenery of the lake and mountains, he felt very happy. When he saw the lotus in the water, which was so beautiful and fragrant, he said with great emotion:
"Chrysanthemum is the hermit among flowers; peony is the noble among flowers; lotus is the gentleman among flowers. I love the lotus because it grows out of mud without being stained, and washes in clear water without being coquettish."
"What a person who is untainted by mud and clean in the water, who is not evil. Brother Tan's words are truly noble and upright, pure and elegant, and the aftertaste is long and meaningful. However, in this world, how many people can remain untainted?"
Oh my god, this works too. I can win a prize by copying. If I had known this, I should have used it to cheat for food, drinks, and handsome guys. Why should I stay in Xiao's house and suffer that kind of bullying?
Seeing Master Shangguan praising her, Mengxi felt very excited. She gently waved her folding fan, imitated Master Shangguan's big steps, walked side by side with him, and talked to him leisurely. After all, Shangguan Hong was a real Da Qi person. He knew Da Qi's politics, business, customs, etc. like the back of his hand. This was exactly what Mengxi urgently wanted to know at this stage. After so many years of marriage, Master Xiao had never talked about these things with her. She listened carefully and felt like she had found a treasure.
Mengxi would occasionally talk about her own insights, opinions and anecdotes, and her words were full of wit and wisdom, which Shangguan Hong had never heard before. He would have been surprised if he had heard them, because these were Mengxi's experiences in the 21st century. The more they talked, the more they got along, and it felt like they had met too late.
After staying in the lakeside corridor for a long time, Shangguan Hong looked up at the sun, which was almost noon, and said to Mengxi:
"Brother, there is a restaurant in front of us, called Deyue Tower. The second floor faces the lake. Sitting alone in front of the window, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the lake. It is a good place to enjoy Luding Lake. Seeing that the sun is approaching noon, why don't you and I have a drink together? What do you think, brother?"
"Good! This is exactly what Meng Tan meant."
After hearing this, Zhiqiu secretly tugged at the Second Madam's clothes and shook her head at her. After all, she was a young lady from an aristocratic family, so how could she drink and chat with others so easily?
Mengxi is a modern person, so why would she care about these things? Besides, she has never considered herself the mistress of a noble family. What's more, she is now wearing men's clothes and her face has been washed with medicine. Who can recognize that she is the mistress of the Xiao family?
Ignoring Zhiqiu's suggestion, Mengxi went up to Deyue Tower with Master Shangguan, and went to the second floor. They asked for a private room facing the lake, and sat in front of the window. The breeze in the small building made them feel very comfortable. Mengxi raised her glass and said to Master Shangguan:
"I am so lucky to meet you today. Come, I will offer you a toast."
"My dear brother, you are so broad-minded and knowledgeable. I have never heard of anything like this before. It is refreshing and I feel that I have met you too late. Come, let us drink this cup together."
The two of them raised their cups together, emptied them in one gulp, and began to drink slowly, gradually becoming more and more excited, and the wine was flowing. Mengxi was not very good at drinking, and after a few cups she was already a little drunk. Thinking of how she had been suppressed every day in the Xiao Mansion, why would she be so unrestrained? She spoke more and more, raising her cup to Shangguan Hong and said:
"Brother Shangguan, a real man should travel the world and be happy in his heart. But Mengtan has been weak since childhood and can't even tie a chicken. He has a lot of passion but I always wish I could have a confidant in this life. We can forget about the mountains and rivers together and laugh at the lakes and rivers. Wouldn't it be better to plant it quickly? Come, Brother Shangguan, let's drink this cup together."
As he spoke, he raised his cup and drank it all. Shangguan Hong also drank it all and laughed:
"It is enough to have a bosom friend in life. We should treat each other with the same feeling. Brother Tan is really a bosom friend of Shangguan. However, with your literary talent and knowledge, you should serve the country and bring peace to the people. You should be appointed as a prime minister. As the saying goes: A man should be awake to manage the affairs of the world, and drunkenly lie on the lap of a beauty. How can he forget about mountains and rivers and spend his old age in the rivers and lakes?"
Seeing Shangguan advising her to pursue a career in government, she could not help but sigh inwardly. She was just a little girl, and being able to travel all over the mountains and rivers of Daqi was enough for her life. It would be better to let others worry about national affairs. She did not want to continue this topic and laughed:
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Let's drink as a song. How long is life? How can there be no song with such good wine? Meng Tan will sing a song for Brother Shangguan to toast him."
As he spoke, he used bamboo chopsticks to hit the bowl as an accompaniment, and under the influence of alcohol, he began to sing:
The vast sea laughs, and the surging tides on both sides
Floating and sinking with the waves, only remember today
The sky laughs, the world is full of ups and downs
God knows who will win or lose
The mountains and rivers are smiling, the mist and rain are far away
The raging waves have made the world so beautiful
The breeze laughs like loneliness
There is still a glimmer of evening light left in the heroic spirit
The people are smiling, no longer lonely
The pride is still smiling foolishly
La la…
Shangguan Hong was stunned when he heard this and exclaimed:
"My dear brother, you have such a thrilling, heroic and heroic work. Shangguan is ignorant of it. Come, bring the zither!"
A servant at the side found a guqin from the waiter. Shangguan pushed away the cups in front of him, placed the guqin in place, and actually started playing along with Mengxi's singing. It seemed that Shangguan was also a genius. He memorized the rhythm after only listening to it once. He was a little awkward at the beginning, but gradually he got into the mood and started to sing along. Even Zhiqiu and Shangguan's two servants were infected by the heroic spirit and started to clap their hands. For a moment, the whole private room was filled with the sound of "the mountains and rivers are smiling, and the mist and rain are far away."
