Chapter 21 Interpretation

The next morning, the old Taoist Zhang Tianshi, who was delivering stones, was notified to go to Furong Palace to meet Princess Taiping, which was the second-story palace that passed through the broad bridge on the lake from the palace gate.

It is already spring time by day, but the severe cold that has just passed the twelfth lunar month has not decreased. Huaqing Palace is still shrouded in the white snow, and there is no sign of spring.

However, places with hot springs will be warmer, such as the Changchun Hall where Princess Taiping lives can be seen from its name.

Princess Taiping was thinking about building this Huaqing Palace before the New Year, just to avoid winter. They probably would not return to Chang'an after spring.

The eunuch in front shrank his neck and endured the cold, leading the old Taoist and others forward from the lake, making people speechless.

However, Liu Qi and Bai Yue couldn't help looking around, looking at the beautiful snow scene in the palace, especially Bai Yue was a little girl, watching with curious eyes.

The old Taoist reminded: With many thoughts, we are going to meet Princess Taiping, don’t make any mistakes.

When they entered the Furong Palace, a warm breath came to their faces. The three of them were amazed at the gorgeousness and nobleness inside. Baiyue silently looked at the many palace maids standing among the layers of curtains, each wearing beautiful clothes woven in silk.

Tsk tsk... Liu Qi couldn't help but make a sound.The eunuch in front of him snorted, probably with a sense of contempt.

After walking for a while, my eyes suddenly became clear and I arrived at a very spacious and bright place with many candles on the lamp stands in broad daylight.

This is at the home of the people. They go to bed early in order to save lamps and oil at night. They even light the lamps during the day and have to be called a prodigal son.

There is a wooden platform above, and there is a high and wide landscape painting screen behind the platform, but the throne in front of the screen is empty at this time. Princess Taiping has not arrived yet, and a group of palace maids and eunuchs are standing around.

The person who brought them in said: The Taoist priest is here for a while, Your Highness will arrive.

The old Taoist nodded slightly while rubbing his goatee as if he was a fairy-like man in his answer.

Unfortunately, his follower Liu Qi really didn't cooperate and pointed at the frame of a painting and said: It's not made of gold, right?

Old Taoist: ...

Liu Qi said as he looked at the frame and wanted to look closer. Unexpectedly, he hit a large case next to the wall with a bang. He was very strong when he bumped into a big body. The huge sturdy wood case moved directly to the position. A porcelain bottle placed on it shakingly seemed to fall off.

Ah！

The people around couldn't help but make a sound, staring at the shaking bottle in a daze. Even if the one who stood closest was too late to rescue him, it was too late to watch him shake it twice, and finally he tilted his head...

It broke into porcelain pieces with a clang.

Liu Qi's face suddenly turned into a pig's liver, and he looked at the old Taoist with a sad face.

A eunuch said angrily: Do you understand some rules?!If you don’t know the etiquette, you can cure you a sin of disrespect!

The old Taoist hurriedly said: The bad disciple has no knowledge and accidentally broke things. I will wait for the palace to come down to apologize to her.

At this moment, a eunuch on the stage walked down. The eunuch below hurriedly stopped and called Eunuch Yu respectfully. Now this eunuch has a higher grade.

Who is he not Yu Liben?

Yu Liben said: Isn’t it just a bottle?I will bother Your Highness in everything, what else do we have to do?He asked someone to clean up the fragments, and the matter ended here. The Taoist priest was the distinguished guest that His Highness wanted to summon, so he must not be neglected.

The eunuchs hurriedly said respectfully: Yes.

The old Taoist thanked Yu Liben and glared at Liu Qi again. Liu Qi lowered his head and said nothing, becoming much more honest.

At this time, several people carried the stone transported by the old Taoist and the others from afar, and put a piece of red satin on the floor, and then placed the stone on it.

After a while, a group of people hugged each other, two gorgeously dressed men came in from the curtain, but saw the gorgeous woman with thick makeup and thick clothes, a bright red long skirt, and a jewelry-like look. Even if she had never seen Princess Taiping herself, anyone could guess that it was her when she saw such a woman.

There was also a tall man wearing a purple flower brocade robe next to her. His full forehead, quiet eyes, and a little dark face. The heroic spirit between her eyebrows was introverted, and his steps were very steady when he walked. The old Taoist was stunned when he saw it, guessing that this person was Xue, and he felt that he was not a good person.

Yu Liben hurriedly met him, bent his waist very low, and then said something softly in Princess Taiping's ear.The old Taoist thought to himself: I'm afraid it's about Liu Qi breaking the bottle?

As soon as Princess Taiping's inadvertent eyes swept across Liu Qi's body, and without mentioning that, she walked straight to the throne. Xue Chongxun hurriedly stepped forward and gently held her hand. She sat upright with a domineering look, and brushed her wide sleeves, a captivating majesty invisibly emanating from above.

The old Taoist took the two disciples forward and said, "I will pay homage to Your Highness in the mountains."

Please get up, why don’t you move someone to the Taoist priest?Princess Taiping said casually.

The old Taoist found that there was a female Taoist beside Princess Taiping with beautiful eyes and beautiful eyes wearing Taoist robes. She thought to herself that Princess Taiping must also be interested in Taoism, so she led a Taoist priest to serve her all the time.

At this time, Princess Taiping looked at the stone in the hall and asked: What is the word on it?

Yu Liben stretched his neck and glanced at it and said: I don’t recognize that kind of character, it’s a bit like the seal script from the ancient pre-Qin period.

Princess Taiping looked at the old Taoist again, and the old Taoist hurriedly stood up and said: There are four words in total, and the last two words are interpreted as "Hedong", but the old Taoist is not understanding the first two words, and is thinking about it.

When Xue Chongxun heard the word Hedong, he mentioned the gods. His hometown is Hedong, so he is naturally more sensitive to these two words. It seems that this stone is obviously related to politics. What is not about himself?

Princess Taiping said: Yu Liben, go and call a few erudite scholars to come and have a look.

Let's wait!

The old Taoist suddenly said, "I don't think that the doctoral knowledge in Huaqing Palace is not enough... He said while calculating, and said seriously. God's will is like this, so I can't unravel the first two words, so I should let it go and not force it."

How to let it go?Princess Taiping was not anxious when she saw that he was mysterious and asked with great interest.

The old Taoist said: When it is time to unravel the meaning, it will naturally open up, and let it go.Why not wait for His Highness to return to Chang'an and let the Chinese civil and military officials take a look at it together? There are always thousands of officials and officials who are well-versed in the past and the present? Isn't it natural to understand?

Princess Taiping pondered for a moment and immediately laughed: It's interesting, it's just natural that it's interesting...

Xue Chongxun had no expression on his face, but he cursed in his heart: He said a lot of nonsense and made such a mysterious and vain just a bad idea. He took it to the civil and military officials of the court to explain it, isn’t it just to create momentum?

Princess Taiping smiled and said: How long have you known Zhang Renyuan?The stone was excavated from the mountains, but Zhang Renyuan's memorial was written by him.

The old Taoist said: I didn’t know this before. I discovered this strange stone. I knew it very well, so I reported to the official nearby. This is why General Manager Zhang met with me for the first time.After seeing the strange stone, General Manager Zhang said that since the strange stone was made by me, I should send it to Guanzhong, so I would be lucky enough to see Your Highness.

Princess Taiping naturally doesn't believe his words. The most unbelievable thing is probably the argument that the old Taoist and Zhang Renyuan have never met, but it doesn't matter whether the truth or falsehood of this matter is, what's important is what it is useful.

She also said mysteriously like an old Taoist: Whether you are an old friend or have just met Zhang Renyuan, he asked you to give this stone, so how do you interpret these words also have something to do with Zhang Renyuan.

Yes, I will definitely carefully examine their meaning.The old Taoist responded seriously.

Princess Taiping nodded with satisfaction: Then you can stay in Huaqing Palace for a while. When we return to Chang'an, you must follow me to come back to the ministers and give me a speech.

After saying that to the old Taoist, she turned to look at Xue Chongxun sitting next to her: Are Chongxun tired of staying in Huaqing Palace, do you want to go back to the court?

Xue Chongxun thought to himself: If I am in a hurry to return to Chang'an, wouldn't I just want to express my ambitions to the civil and military officials of the court?

He thought about it and said: The climate this year is extra cold. The hot springs in Huaqing Palace are indeed a good place to spend the winter. It is better to wait until the air is warm before going back.

OK.Princess Taiping smiled and nodded.

The old Taoist listened to the conversation between the mother and son, and then politely said: "You are willing to ask for advice, what sect is the Taoist priest around His Highness from?

What does it have to do with you?Yuqing said coldly.

The old Taoist said in awkwardly: It doesn't mean it, it's just asking for advice casually, it's fine if you don't want to say it.

Princess Taiping said with a smile: She is just committed to refining elixirs to cultivate the immortal path, and she does not care about other things, and is afraid she has no interest in discussing Taoist methods with the Taoist priest.

Cultivate immortals and ascend to heaven?The old Taoist smiled when he touched the goatee, shook his head and sighed.

Princess Taiping said curiously: What?Could it be that Taoist Master has other insights?

Yuqing couldn't help but say: This is a thief and mouse-eyed person, but in order to get close to His Highness, I think it's mostly a fake Taoist priest who seeks fame, so there is no need to talk to him.

Xue Chongxun also had a smile on his lips when he heard this. If he hadn't been self-reliant, he would have almost applauded. Only a person like Yuqing who is not good at false condoms could say such ugly words in person, but it sounds so cute and silly.

He glanced at the two followers of the old Taoist priest again, and found nothing suspicious. However, he noticed that the little loli was quite cute, following a vulgar old Taoist priest and a strange-looking man. He was between these two old bachelors, and he didn't know what he would do.

Anyway, Xue Chongxun completely disbelief of the old Taoist priest in front of him, just as Yuqing's words expressed his opinion.

But he was too lazy to care about those three people. Since his mother wanted to do something with this, why should she intervene?