Chapter 81

The carriage swayed, and the people inside were drowsy, yet they were also drenched in sweat. Even with both windows open, the weather near noon was unbearably hot, with no breeze at all. Even the horses pulling the carriage were listless, breathing heavily and moving forward with heavy steps. Xia Hongsheng looked outside and saw a tea stall by the roadside, with an old farmer fanning himself under a canopy, a few stacks of bowls on the table in front of him, and a copper pot beside it. Xia Hongsheng glanced at the sky, which was approaching noon, and then leaned forward, looking at the carriage beside him. The soldier on horseback immediately rode over: "Young... Master, what are your orders?"

"Let's stop here and rest for a while. It's too hot. We'll go under the canopy and let everyone else come in too," Xia Hongsheng said to the soldier.

The soldier immediately saluted and rode forward, shouting, "Master's orders, everyone rest!"

The carriage in front also stopped, and everyone got off. Xia Hongsheng jumped down and ran to the front with Xu Qixian. Xu Hui also jumped down from the carriage, waving a fan vigorously and said, "It's so hot, Brother Xia, why don't you make some ice and put it in the carriage?"

Xia Hongsheng laughed, but there was no water, and even if there was, there was no saltpeter! He shook his head and smiled, then saw Xu Xiaode come out and said, "Uncle Xu, let's go under the canopy to rest and have some tea."

As he spoke, he and Xu Qixian helped Xu Xiaode down from the carriage and went into the canopy. The old man had already stood up and was holding the water pot, looking at them.

"Your honors, my water is drawn from a cool well, icy cold and refreshing!" The old man patted his copper pot and said to Xia Hongsheng and the others, "And my water is different from others. Others just draw it from the well and serve it, but I boil it and then cool it down. A traveling doctor told me this. Drinking my water won't give you a stomachache!"

Xia Hongsheng and the others were still dressed in their usual clothes, and the soldiers were dressed like guards, so the old man assumed they were from a wealthy family.

"Ha, old man, how much do you charge for your water?" Xia Hongsheng asked with a smile.

"Little Master, give me one coin, and you can have as much water as you want, plenty of it!" The old man patted his chest. "If it's not enough, I'll draw more and boil it. Putting the water bag in the well cools it down quickly!"

Xia Hongsheng smiled and nodded, then took out half a string of coins and gave them to the old man. "Here, we have many people, one coin each, you count?"

"No need! No need! Too much, too much!" The old man quickly arranged the bowls.

While the old man was arranging the bowls and pouring water, Xia Hongsheng called out to the soldiers outside the canopy, "Everyone, come in and rest, have some water!"

Although there were not many soldiers, only about twenty, they were all Qutu Tong's personal guards. Some were already gray-haired, while others were young, the descendants of the guards who had died in battle, continuing to serve Qutu Tong in place of their fathers. Even so, only about twenty remained. Qutu Tong had sent all his personal guards to escort Xia Hongsheng to Chang'an. These guards were more than just ordinary soldiers to Qutu Tong, so Xia Hongsheng treated them with great respect.

The soldiers then entered the canopy, sat down, and drank from the bowls. The old man quickly refilled them.

The water was indeed refreshing, and after one bowl, everyone felt much better, their heads clearing, and they finally had the energy to speak a few words.

But then Xu Qixian whispered in Xia Hongsheng's ear, "Sigh, I still feel it's a pity, Brother Xia, why didn't you stay a few more days to get closer to Yue Xian? From what I can see, she already has some feelings for you..."

Xia Hongsheng glanced at Xu Qixian and ignored him.

The performance last night was a great success. This new form of performance successfully captured the attention of the audience, and the story was captivating. It was indeed a classic that had stood the test of time. Until the end of the flower contest, the audience was still discussing Du Shiniang and Li Jia, with many calling for Li Jia to be punished to avenge Du Shiniang. The actor playing Li Jia, Qiaor, was almost in tears and had to change back into women's clothing to bow. Yue Xian, with her beauty and talent, and the added brilliance of the performance, naturally became the flower queen. She was deeply grateful, but Xia Hongsheng, adhering to the noble principle of "gentlemen's friendships are as light as water," the chivalrous code of "not boasting about one's abilities or virtues," and the gentlemanly spirit of "doing anything for a lady," did not ask anything of Yue Xian. She was so moved that she took out a sachet and gave it to Xia Hongsheng.

Xia Hongsheng patted the sachet in his backpack and sighed. Sigh! It wasn't that he was really that noble or pure, it was just that this body was too small!

The flower contest in Luoyang was over, and Yue Xian would probably leave Luoyang. He was going to Chang'an, and it might really be a long time before they met again. Unlike in the modern world, where you could leave a phone number, add a WeChat, and have a video call, or buy a ticket and arrive the next day... Sigh... Fate is unpredictable, and the most regretful thing in life is to miss out...

"Brother Xia, what are you thinking about so deeply?" A pleasant voice sounded in Xia Hongsheng's ear, interrupting his thoughts.

"Cough, cough..." Xia Hongsheng cleared his throat, reining in his unintentional sentimentality, and smiled at Xu Hui. Before he could speak, Xu Qixian said, "Ha, your Brother Xia is thinking of a red-haired beauty!"

Xia Hongsheng smiled. "Don't listen to your brother's nonsense. I'm thinking about life, the future, and living..."

Before he could finish, Xu Hui pouted in disdain.

"Uh, well, actually, I remembered a poem." Xia Hongsheng felt the hot wind and said, "Do you want to hear it?"

"Recite it!" Xu Hui and Xu Qixian were immediately curious, as they enjoyed such things.

"Green locusts and tall willows, the new cicadas sing, the warm wind first stirs the strings. Under the green gauze window, the incense smoke rises, the chess game awakens the midday nap. A light rain passes, the small lotus turns. The pomegranate flowers are about to burst. The jade basin's delicate hands play with the clear spring, the jade pearls shatter but remain round." Xia Hongsheng recited slowly. "How is it?"

Xu Qixian was initially stunned, then he shrugged and spread his hands, mimicking Xia Hongsheng's usual manner. "What can I say? All the poetry I've read for years seems useless. I can't compare to you, you're a genius!"

Xu Hui nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Alright, actually, I didn't write this poem." Xia Hongsheng shrugged. "The writer is called Su Shi."

"Su Shi?" Xu Qixian scratched his head and looked at Xu Hui. "You read more, have you heard of him?"

Xu Hui shook her head.

Xia Hongsheng was somewhat surprised at Xu Hui's reaction, then looked at Xu Qixian with a black line. You have the nerve to ask!

After drinking water and eating dry rations, and refilling their water bags with the old man's water, they set off again, continuing along the official road to Chang'an.

Xia Hongsheng was bored in the carriage and fell into a drowsy sleep. When he woke up, he felt sore all over from the jostling and didn't want to sit in the carriage anymore. But he couldn't ride a horse, so he sat in the front, startling the carriage driver.

Reflecting on his recent experiences, Xia Hongsheng felt a sense of沧桑 (cang桑sang, meaning the vicissitudes of life). He had traveled back over a thousand years to the early Tang Dynasty, when the ambitious Li Shimin had just ascended the throne after the Xuanwu Gate Incident. Han and Tang! Han and Tang! The Han and Tang Dynasties were a source of pride for countless Chinese people, and the name of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was as famous as thunder. The glory of the Heavenly Khan still captivated people even over a thousand years later. Now, he could actually see him, the legendary emperor, the eternal Heavenly Khan! Thinking of this, Xia Hongsheng felt a surge of excitement.

After some thought, Xia Hongsheng jumped down from the carriage, ignoring the driver's calls, and hurried to the front carriage, stopping it and getting in. He then said to Xu Xiaode, "Uncle Xu, when I arrive in Chang'an, I will probably have to meet the emperor. I don't know what etiquette to observe. Could you please guide me?"

Xu Xiaode chuckled and said, "Nephew Jingshi, it's good that you have this thought. However, in my opinion, you should prepare nothing and learn nothing. You are still young, and if you make a mistake in the court, what harm will it do?... Ha, the emperor is the emperor, and the imperial majesty is the imperial majesty!"

Xia Hongsheng was taken aback and was about to ask again, but he saw Xu Xiaode smiling at him, looking like a sly old fox. Ah, no wonder Xu Hui is like a little fox, it's genetic!

Seeing Xu Xiaode's expression, Xia Hongsheng didn't ask anymore. Frowning, he suddenly had a thought and, after careful consideration, understood Xu Xiaode's meaning.

For someone who has achieved some success and earned merit, minor mistakes not only do not affect people's good impressions but also make them feel more genuine and trustworthy. On the other hand, if someone appears perfect, people may find it hard to believe and may doubt their sincerity, as no one is without flaws. Xia Hongsheng, being young and having earned a title for his achievements, was already envied. At this time, he needed to show some flaws to reduce the threat he posed in the eyes of others and to make the authorities feel that he was controllable.