Chapter 51: Chrysanthemum, Ancient Sword and Wine (I)
The chrysanthemum was the favorite flower of the Central Plains scholars. Chrysanthemums were not uncommon, and Tanyu Prefecture, where Fan Xian stayed back then, was rich in such flowers. Tanyu Chrysanthemum Tea was a famous product of Qing, and over the years, the Fan House in Kyoto had to purchase many of them from the old ancestors’ side into the capital every year.
Because of this, Fan Xian was quite familiar with this kind of flower, and often thought of the small yellow flower that bloomed on the side of the cliff by the sea in Tanyu. He knows that although chrysanthemums are hardy, and Yuan Zhen’s poems in his previous life had even said that this flower had bloomed more than any other flower, but it is not a winter plum, and in this kind of cold weather in late fall, I’m afraid that it should have withered into mud.
Carriage through the mountain under the heavy tight to the extreme of the barrier defense, in the big inner guards and forbidden army under the watchful eye, Fan several young people out of the carriage, along the autumn stream next to the mountain road to climb up for a long time, a turn through the water is not as early as spring and summer abundant waterfalls, will be steeply see a side according to the Qing Temple style temple appeared in front of the crowd, appeared in the face of the mountain stone such as axe like carving out of the cliffs.
Suspended temple built on the mountain, with wooden pillars layer by layer stacked upwards, the widest place is only about ten feet, it looks like a thin layer of stickers, being hand-pasted on the flat cliff face. Autumn wind in the mountain is very strong, whistling past, so that the viewer can not help but feel a sense of awe, always can not help but worry about these winds will not seem like papier-mâché general temple will be blown down and rolled away – Legend has it that this is the earliest of the Qing country a temple, is by the belief in the temple of ascetic monks one brick, one stone, one wood, a total of hundreds of years of time, the intention is to promote the temple of the supreme light! The purpose of the temple is to promote the supreme light of the temple and to urge the world to be good.
The temple has never interfered in world affairs, mysterious, but it seems that thousands of years always in the dark influence on the continent’s wind and clouds rise and fall. In many rumors that have disappeared in the long river of history, you can vaguely see the figure of the temple, coupled with the ascetics, although the number is not large, but has always been endowed with a very positive, very popular with the people, so the temple in the hearts of the common people, the status of the temple, is still quite high.
As the ruler of the royal family, for both can not affect their own, but still has a certain mysterious influence of the temple, to maintain a considerable respect, this kind of surface work, is the politicians are best at doing things, but also they are most willing to do things.
Therefore, it had become a rule that the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Conference held every three years by the royal family of the Qing Dynasty was scheduled to be held at the Hanging Temple. Chrysanthemum Appreciation Conference, to a greater extent is in order to harmonize the conflict of interest between the royal children, deepen the understanding between each other, so as to avoid the kind of fish death situation, at least, don’t appear decades ago, the two princes at the same time was assassinated, a time the Qing Dynasty is not even able to find a successor to the throne of the horror of the situation.
The royal family of Qing is not flourishing nowadays, so the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Meeting will also invite some in-laws and even the closest families of the royal family to participate. According to the practice of these recent years, the Qin family Ye family, the two pillars of the military are naturally part of the Qin family, the Qin family has considerable strength in the military, the Ye family has been stationed in Kyoto for many years, and the family has the only one of the great masters of the State of Qing who is in the public eye, and the status is also a bit transcendent.
Other than that, there were a few old princely families that had been appointed at the time of the founding of the country, as well as a few newer families, such as the Ren family, which had yet to have a remote county princess – as for the Fan family being able to be ranked amongst them, it wasn’t because of the Fan family’s power nowadays, which wasn’t really placed in the hearts of royalty in the courtiers’ families, nor was it because of the fact that Fan Xian had married Wan’er, and thus had a relationship with the royal family. Not because Fan Xian married Wan’er, thus having a sneaky kinship with the royal family – but because that old ancestor of the Fan family, personally embraced His Majesty and King Jing, the two brothers, of which the closeness, not for outsiders to say that also, just by the theory of personal relationship, the Fan family is the closest family of the royal family.
Fan Xian panted and stood with his arms folded under the hanging temple, looking at the four sides of the Qing country standing in twos and threes, could not help but mumble in a low voice: “Appreciate chrysanthemums and chrysanthemums, where are these chrysanthemums?”
Fan Shangshu had been invited to a sheltered position long ago at this time, the older generation will always have some privileges. Carriage parked at the bottom of the mountain, a group of guards were left outside the forbidden army’s range of defense, so the Fan family came to only one man and two women left in this iron triangle match. Lin Wan’er, one of the triangles, laughed and pointed down the mountain, “It’s here.”
Fan Xian froze and took a step towards the edge of the cliff, an annoying autumn wind blew in his face, and he couldn’t help but squint his eyes, followed by a breath of air as he praised, “What a beautiful place.”
The cliff on which the Hanging Temple rested was slightly sunken inward, like a U-shape, and the mountain path went up along the side, so when he came up, Fan Xian didn’t notice anything strange in the piece of mountain field beside the mountain path. At this time, when he climbed to the top and looked down, the view was extremely wide, and he found that this mountain field was actually full of chrysanthemums, which were much darker in color than the general varieties, and were flooded with golden yellow, and the shapes of their petals were a bit on the long and narrow side.
“The golden yellow chrysanthemums are indeed in keeping with the royal style.” Fan Xian stood at the edge of the cliff, looking at the golden star-like flowers roaming the mountains, and marveled, “It’s really an anomaly that it blooms so fiercely in such cold weather.”
Lin Wan’er explained, “It’s the Golden Thread Chrysanthemum, it’s said that after the completion of the Hanging Temple, the then Northern Wei Heavenly Dao Master, Root Dust, personally transplanted it here, and it’s been a major spectacle in Kyoto ever since.”
“Root dust?” Fan Xian leisurely sighed, “Could it be the Great Master Bitter Lotus’ Great Grandmaster’s Great Grandmaster?”
“Precisely.”
Fan Xian shook his head, still looking down the mountain. After looking a few more times, he realized that those heterogeneous chrysanthemums were not very flourishing, the soil between the mountains was not fertile, so it was often several feet apart that a chrysanthemum would be born, it was just that at this time the distance between the flower viewer and the mountains and fields had already been pulled apart to the maximum extent, and so it formed a kind of visual illusion; it made it look as if those starry golden flowers had already taken up every corner in the mountains and fields, and the color of the mountains in the late autumn was the same as the color of the mountains and fields. With the mountain color in late autumn, it seems particularly opulent, soft flowers spread the majestic momentum.
Some people had already come up to greet Fan Xian, but since His Majesty had been rather cold towards him lately, and because Wan’er’s status didn’t allow those young sons of the great clans to talk too much about what young people should be talking about, they only exchanged pleasantries and then parted again. Fan Xian smiled gently as he spoke with the crowd, but on the other hand, he began to let his mind go, feeling a bit bored, and subconsciously began to observe his surroundings in accordance with his professional habits.
The Hanging Temple hung alone in the mountains, with a cliff behind it, and there was only one road up the mountain. Today, the royal family of the Qing Dynasty gathered here, under the mountain has long been scattered with the forbidden army, heavily fortified, the inner perimeter is led by the Palace Dignity of the great inner guards carefully guard, as for those low-brow eunuchs, whether there is Eunuch Hong’s disciples and grandchildren, who does not know, only Fan Xian did not see the tiger guards figure, slightly strange. However, with the current arrangement, it could truly be said that not a drop of water could leak through, not to mention any assassins, even if a mosquito were to fly up the mountain, it would still be a huge headache.
He smiled and greeted Ren Shaoan, looking at the other party somewhat embarrassed to be dragged away, and smiled in his heart, his father in law had resigned from the prime minister for a long time, and those original connections were finally fading away. Looking upwards, Fan Xian couldn’t help but squint his eyes, the most powerful people in the country of Qing were all in this wooden temple at the moment, and from afar, he seemed to be able to see that on the top layer, a figure wearing bright yellow clothes was caressing the railing and watching the scenery. That person was naturally His Majesty the Emperor.
Looking up, Fan Xian heart some inexplicable emotions, brain suddenly a turn, very funny fantasized a scene – if at this time the Northern Qi people or the Dong Yi City masters, this hanging temple burned, this world will suddenly become what? Of course, he also knew that Kyoto was heavily fortified today, and it was simply impossible for such a thing to happen, but he was still very indulgently envisioning that if he were to climb up to this temple, which landing points should he choose, and what kind of route should he choose, so that he could go up to the top in the shortest amount of time.
It was really purely just professional habit.
A eunuch hurried over from the temple, and the young nobles on the empty apron in front of the temple hurriedly dodged out of the way as the eunuch walked up to the Fan trio and said in a very respectful whisper, “His Majesty has summoned Miss Wan’er for an audience.”
Lin Wan’er froze slightly, glanced at Fan Xian, and softly asked, “Eunuch Dai, just summoning me alone?”
Eunuch Dai, an old acquaintance of Fan Xian’s, and knowing what kind of comments would be brought about if Fan Xian wasn’t summoned to the temple amidst the scene of all the people’s attention, secretly glanced at Fan Xian with an apologetic look and said stoically, “His Majesty has no other decree.”
Fan Xian smiled and said to Wan’er, “Then you go.” After a pause he chuckled softly and said, “Uncle always loves his niece the most, this I know.”
Watching Wan’er disappear into the blackened door of the Hanging Temple, Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and said nothing, leading his sister toward another corner, ready to check out the possibly unique scenery over there. Unexpectedly, someone refused to let him take it easy, and a slightly uneasy voice rang out, “Master.”
Turning back to look, it was indeed that girl Ye Ling’er, and looking at the other party’s somewhat uneasy face, Fan Xian knew exactly why. Next year, Ye Ling’er was going to marry the second prince, and between himself and the second prince, there seemed to be a fight-like struggle, but in reality, it was secretly a blood spattering and violent, and the other party, since she was Ye Chong’s daughter, where would she not be clear about the real reason in between.
He looked at Ye Ling’er and smiled gently, saying: ”What are you thinking about? Is it because you blame me for bullying your future husband too much?”
Ye Ling’er saw that he looked at ease, which returned to her previous sparse heart, smiled and spat, saying, “I was worried that you wouldn’t talk to me anymore.”
Ruo Ruo laughed from the side, “Where are these words again?”
Ye Ling’er sighed and said, “Lao Er doesn’t know where he is …… After the card table is missing him alone, it’s still a little uncomfortable.” Fan House in the back garden, this one or two years from time to time will open mahjong mat, the four people on the table are Fan Ruo Ruo Fan Si Zhe siblings, the other two is Lin Wan Er and Ye Ling Er this pair of girlfriends close friends.
“It’s still not you and Ruo Ruo sending money to Fan Si Zhe and Wan Er.” Fan Xian said with a smile, “You can also lose less when this card game breaks up, you can’t wait to be happy.”
As he was talking, Qin Heng came over from afar, and before he even got close, he already yelled, “What are you guys hiding here to talk about?” Seeing that his voice was loud and clear, I’m afraid he was deliberately trying to make the crowd hear him clearly. Fan Xian laughed bitterly, “Talking about mahjong tiles.”
Qin Heng came to his senses and tapped Fan Xian on the shoulder, saying, “I’m good at this.” He glanced around and frowned slightly, “The Chrysanthemum Appreciation Society …… is supposed to be an opportunity for His Majesty to bring the sons and daughters of these great clans closer together, yet you are so cold around you?” With Fan Xian’s smoldering power today, even if those people were inferior to their status, they would always come to flatter a few times, and would never make it so cold.
Fan Xian face a quiet, should say: “Today realize that this chrysanthemum can only be viewed from afar, can not be close to play …… my temperament you also know well, this is intolerant and these people to say what …… as for the friendship close,” he laughed. “He laughed:” really do not have this interest.”
The so-called Chrysanthemum Appreciation Meeting, in his opinion, was nothing more than a place of socializing similar to the previous world such as a wine party, and somewhat like a tea party, whereby one could show one another’s affinity with the royal family and establish one’s status. Just for Fan Xian, he simply does not care to rely on the majesty of the imperial power to declare their existence, so feel really boring.
Qin Heng was already thirty years old and had a wife at home, but the people of the Qin family were bound to come to see the yellow flowers every three years, and he had already seen them for I don’t know how many times, and had long since grown tired of them. Hearing Fan Xian say this, he couldn’t help but nod.
Today, the Second Prince and Prince Jing had not been dismissed from the palace by special decree, and were still under house arrest, so they did not come to the Hanging Temple.
“Master, the scenery here is nice, make a poem.” Ye Ling’er blinked those incomparably clear eyes.
Fan Xian always felt like he was going to be blossomed every time he saw this girl’s eyes that glowed like jewels, and subconsciously squinted his eyes as he responded, “Master has long since said that he will no longer make poems.”
Ye Ling’er calling him master could still be seen as a little girl’s playfulness, and the anecdote had long been spread in Kyoto, but Fan Xian actually sashaying about calling himself master was somewhat comical, and both Qin Heng and Fan Ruo Ruo couldn’t help but laugh.
Qin Heng snickered, “The little order that little Lord Fan wrote in Northern Qi is already popular all over the world, do you still want to hide it from us?”
Fan Xian felt a big headache and casually threw out a responsive poem, shaking his head, “Don’t spread it outside, I’m most disgusted with things like writing poetry right now.”
Fan Ruo Ruo was looking down and reminiscing on the lines of “It’s not the flower that favors the chrysanthemum, but there is no other flower that blooms when this one is finished”, when he heard his elder brother sigh, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”
“Because being chased down and asked to write a poem is the most painful thing in the world.”
Fan Xian spoke at a lope, and then promptly laughed out loud in the midst of the trio’s perplexed gazes, laughing so happily, so privately, and so headlessly.
The dignitaries gathered in front of the Temple of the Hanging Sky were drinking tea and chanting poems and gossiping, but when they suddenly heard the laughter, they cast their eyes over in shock, and saw the four young men at the edge of the cliff, and quickly recognized the identities of these four, and couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor in their hearts. Little Lord Fan’s reputation was known all over the world, but he had already lifted the Second Prince off his horse, and now he was standing with the younger generation of the two Qin Ye families, could it be that this represented something else?
Fan Xian would not care about other people’s gazes, but suddenly his nose twitched slightly, smelling a hint of fire-smoked flavor, thinking could it be that today’s main meal is ham? He turned his head, only to see that a hint of black smoke that was extremely difficult to notice was rising from a corner of the Hanging Temple.
The five senses in the field are sharp, naturally he is the leader, but no other people found anything strange, even those who are watching around the great inner guards did not have any reaction.
And those people were still looking at the four young men standing against the wind at the edge of the cliff, their hearts did not know how many feelings were born, how much envy.
As soon as the autumn wind passed, the black smoke seemed to be ruffled and suddenly flourished with great fury, and fire suddenly appeared amidst the blackness, while Fan Xian’s body had already swept towards the front of the overhanging temple along with this gust of wind in a rapid and incomparable manner.
“Qin Heng, protect these two girls.”
At the sound of his words, he had already arrived in front of the temple, looking at the fiery head that erupted violently from there, feeling the heat that pummeled his face, and with a swing of his palm, he cleaved away one of the Da Nei guards who had been throwing swords indiscriminately at him, cursing, “Blind in the eyes?”
The fire rushed up, because the Hanging Temple is a wooden structure, so the fire started extremely fast, those young dignitaries who participated in the Chrysanthemum Appreciation Meeting exclaimed in alarm and dodged in all directions, and it was a chaotic mess for a while. Even though it was high and dry in the fall, the fire came too strangely, and the commander of the forbidden army, Gong Dian, was on the highest floor at the moment, so the guards below could not help but be a bit flustered.
Fan Xian scolded the guards and eunuchs, “Where is the prepared sandstone?”
It was only when he gave the word that these people sobered up a little, knowing Fan Xian’s identity, and began to follow his command, methodically proceeding step by step. First, they went and invited out those elderly ministers on the first floor of the temple, then hurriedly sent their guards upstairs to escort them and pass on the news, while at the same time separating out a dozen or so masters and beginning to carefully set up defenses around them.
The reaction was quick, the action was very clean, although those powerful nobles were terrified, but the guards and eunuchs still gathered courage in extinguishing the fire, and in a short time, they suppressed the fire downstairs. Those bosses, including Fan Shangshu, took the opportunity to retreat from the first floor, only that the stairs of the Hanging Temple were narrow, and the people who reported the fire were slow, so the people on the top floor could not retreat for a while.
Seeing his father unharmed, Fan Xian felt slightly at ease, but still had palpitations, did not expect his previous fantasy to become a reality, if this fire really spreads, the emperor …… who is enjoying the view from the top floor is only afraid of really dying.
Definitely someone arson, do not know how the other party can hide identity, into the guard so tightly in front of the temple, just this arson means is too poor, actually let himself found.
Things are definitely not that simple, Fan Xian was in front of a cluttered temple, forcing himself to keep his composure, analyzing the matter, but never had a clue, but thinking that Wan Er was still on the top floor at this time, his mood was slightly chaotic, it was hard for him to calm down, and a trace of an ominous feeling was born in his heart, just that he didn’t dare to hastily ascend the stairs at this time, for fear of being taken advantage of by someone who had the heart to do so.
“Fan Xian, go up and escort him!” Fan Shangshu walked up to him and said coldly.
“Yes.” Fan Xian had already had this in mind, and at this point, he had no time to study the rather elusive look in his father’s eyes as he led the two guards who were highly skilled in martial arts and marched towards the top floor of the Hanging Temple. Only he refused to take the stairs, instead, his feet stomped on the ground, and his entire body transformed into a black shadow, stepping on those narrow and incomparable flying eaves of the Hanging Temple, like a flexible and incomparable ghost, crawling towards the top of the building.