I became an immortal in the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 62 The Scholar on the Boat
"it is good!"

As soon as the dice stopped rolling, three colors appeared, and the surrounding crowd cheered loudly. Qiu Nei's face lit up with a radiant smile, and the dealer handed him six strings of cash with a half-smile.

Someone nearby said enviously, "Who's that? He's got good luck."

In just half a day, Qiu Nei had already earned dozens of strings of cash, an amount equivalent to his income over four or five years. His head was spinning with each win, a surge of heat swirling in his chest, a feeling of unreality, a light, floating sensation that kept making him want to laugh.

Hearing the compliments and congratulations, I felt an indescribable joy.

In just half a day, his previous fear of the informant had vanished. He'd earned so much money in just half a day; given more time, he could probably earn enough to buy a house!

The dealer sized him up and asked with a smile:

"Hey bro, you're having such a lucky day?"

Qiu Nei felt the puppet in his arms poke him, and only then did he come to his senses, falling to the ground from his lightheaded dizziness.

He waved his hand.

"Good luck, good luck."

The dealer nodded, having already made some calculations in his mind, and asked with a smile, "With such a good run of luck, how about another round of dice games?"

Qiu Nei touched the inner ear of the messenger through several layers of cloth, feeling extremely pleased and satisfied. The gamblers around him encouraged him, and some even placed bets.

He laughed and said loudly:
"None dare disobey!"

……

"Ear reward god?"

Yuan Danqiu looked surprised, "This is..."

The character "神" (god) in the name evokes images of the supernatural.

Jiang She said, "You and Taibai take this old lady to the vicinity of the South Street Treasury, walk fifty steps east, and enter a door."

"It should be just in time."

Yuan Danqiu, full of excitement, turned to leave, but was stopped by Li Bai, who then led the old lady and servants. The group headed towards the south street of Jixianfang.

The old woman was skeptical, not knowing what it was all about, only that she could get her money back.

Only when I got closer did I realize what place it was.

He muttered, "Why are you taking me to a gambling den? This isn't a clean place..."

Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu looked at the fighting cocks at the door and realized that the broker had gone to gamble. They asked in surprise, "Can the God of Whispers really make people win money gambling?"

Curious, I walked inside and saw that the man named Qiu Nei had dark circles under his eyes, was much thinner, and looked rather frail, but I didn't even realize it.

Surrounded by gamblers, he had piles of copper coins in front of him, forming a small mountain.

The old woman looked straight at them.

Li Bai suddenly remembered something.

"What did the master do after he called us here?"

……

……

Jiang She took out a small handful of money from his pocket, counted out ten coins, and paid them to the boatman.

The boatman exclaimed in surprise, "Young master, you've given too much!"

The young man in blue was holding a cat in his arms, tilting his head to look at him.

The boatman chuckled, realizing that this was payment for two people. He poled the boat, which slowly glided across the water, creating ripples on the Luo River that shimmered like silk in the sunlight.

"My lord is truly discerning."

Jiang She smiled, holding the cup, and poured himself a drink from the jade bottle in his robes. He had drunk with the Old Deer Mountain God once before and thought it tasted quite good.

Strange noises seemed to come from the air.

Something seemed to be moving underwater, causing ripples on the surface of the water.

The boatman was an experienced sailor on the Luo River. He had never felt the river surface was as strange as it was today. He felt as if there was something in the river. Looking at the blue water, he couldn't figure it out for a moment, so he just held the long pole firmly.

"Please sit tight, it's windy today."

Jiang She also sensed something.

Two drops flew into the water with a flick of the finger, falling into the water and instantly creating ripples.

Before long, the river calmed down again.

There were two other men on the small boat, dressed as scholars. Seeing Jiang She with a black cat nestled in his arms, enjoying the river breeze, and reading a book, they noticed his refined demeanor and struck up a conversation.

Where is this young man headed?

"I'm going to visit someone outside the city." "Is it an old friend?"

We didn't know each other before.

The two scholars were at a loss for words. Smelling the aroma from the young man's cup, they asked, "What kind of wine is this? We have never smelled such a fragrance before."

"Homemade."

"My lord, you have excellent skills!"

"Exactly! Even the best wines in Luoyang's main restaurants don't smell this good!"

They hadn't noticed it from a distance, but now that they were closer, the two scholars felt an indescribable refreshing aura emanating from it. It made them feel much lighter and more comfortable.

Is there any wine like this in the world?
Although they were curious, they suppressed their curiosity and did not ask to borrow a cup to try.

Jiang She noticed the book boxes at their feet, and several trunks on the other side, presumably filled with clothes and miscellaneous items, and asked, "Are you two leaving Luoyang?"

A wry smile appeared on their faces.

One of the older men said, "We are from the same hometown. We came to Luoyang in the third year of the Kaiyuan era, and it has been ten years now."

"Ten years ago, I thought about coming to the Eastern Capital to study, and I also wanted to get to know some of the scions of noble families and officials. If I submitted my examination paper and won the favor of some powerful person, I might even pass the imperial examination."

He sighed as he spoke.

"I never imagined that ten years would be wasted in vain, a complete waste of time."

His voice was desolate: "I am almost forty years old now, and there is not a single person in Luoyang who recognizes me."

These two scholars, a microcosm of the students across the Tang Dynasty at that time, wasted ten years of their studies, unable to gain access to education, and with no path to the imperial examinations, ultimately returned to their hometowns.

Jiang She said gently, "Now I know my husband."

"May I ask your honorable name?"

The two men were taken aback, not expecting anyone to say such a thing.

Busy said:

"My name is Yan Xuelin!"

"My name is Zeng Yuze!"

The dejection on their faces lessened somewhat, and the older scholars talked to Jiang She about their hometown, the local customs and food of Kuaiji, and Wang Xizhi's Orchid Pavilion Banquet.

Seeing that Jiang She was reading a Taoist scripture, it seemed he had some interest in metaphysics.

Then he talked about the Dan Mountains and Chi Rivers of Siming, and what he saw in his childhood: the deep valleys, waterfalls, and streams on the mountains.

Surrounded by bamboo groves, the area is rich in medicinal herbs. I've heard that there are Taoist priests singing songs on the mountain, but they never appear. There are also foolish men at the foot of the mountain who think there are immortals, but they are just hermits living in the mountains. It's quite amusing.

As they got into the conversation, their mouths became dry, so Jiang She poured them two cups of wine to moisten their throats.

The scholar drank it, and his eyes lit up.

"Good wine!"

"When I left Luoyang, I was frustrated and unsuccessful. I never expected to meet someone like Jiang Langjun!"

"If you come to Siming someday."

"We must go to Kuaiji. I will invite you, Jiang Langjun, to drink the fine wine of Kuaiji!" Yan Xuelin laughed.

"That would be disrespectful."

The Luo River flows on both sides of the boat, its ripples receding into the distance. The streets and pedestrians on both banks gradually become miniature images, until finally the walls of the houses lower and disappear. As the boat sails out of the city gate, the number of people gradually dwindles.

All that could be seen were rows and rows of green mountains.

The boat travels on the water as if it were traveling through the mountains.

I felt the vastness of the world.

They were almost at their destination when Jiang She was about to disembark.

The other two scholars bowed again and took their leave.

The younger scholars felt a pang of regret as they watched the man disembark. They had gotten along very well with this stranger, and it would be a great pleasure to become friends with him.

The scholar opened his mouth as if to say something to persuade the other person to stay, but looking at the other person's blue back, he only managed to ask a question.

"Whom is Jiang Langjun going to visit?"

The cat rubbed against his feet, and Jiang She was already standing on the shore.

He said, "People who have taken the wrong path."

The scholars on the boat were all taken aback. After they grasped the meaning, they looked up again, only to see the mountains covered in lush greenery and shrouded in mist. The young man was nowhere to be seen.

(End of this chapter)