Everyone boarded the carriage and went to Mount Wuyun outside the city. They climbed up high and looked into the distance, holding hands as they traveled.
Although there were many people, Xu Xian was already prepared. He cast a spell to hide their faces so that they wouldn't be surrounded by people and ruin their mood.
After admiring the chrysanthemums, Xiaoqian felt that the noise was too loud, so they left the main mountain path and followed the broken stone steps in the grass, ascending a small peak beside the main peak. Turning around and looking down, they saw that there were as many people as ants on the mountain path. The noise echoed in the valley, and the entire peak seemed to be immersed in this festive atmosphere.
It was almost noon. They found an open space in the dense forest and set up a table with wine and dishes. The mottled sunlight fell on the bamboo mat. Xu Xian looked up and saw the sunlight shining through the gaps between the branches and leaves like stars. The smile of the woman beside him became brighter and brighter.
Xiaoqian took out the chrysanthemum wine that she personally brewed when the chrysanthemums first bloomed and filled everyone's cup. Then, Xu Xian raised his cup and smiled at them. He took the lead and drank it in one gulp.
Ao Li couldn't wait to drink it. She smacked her lips and looked like she was savoring the aftertaste.
Xu Xian praised, "It really is a good wine. Xiaoqian's wine making skills are also so good!" Yun Yan and Xiaoqing also praised.
Xiaoqian smiled sweetly and was very happy. She filled his cup again and said, "Then I'll invite you to drink a few more cups!"
Then, Xu Xian teased Xiaoqing. It would be better if the wine was a little sweeter. Of course, he was just teasing her. This little girl really cared about her face. Obviously, they already had sex, but she refused to be intimate with him in front of others. He didn't expect that Xiaoqing would actually put a mouthful of wine into his mouth. It was just as he wanted. It was inevitable that he would be pestered by Ao Li again, so he wanted to try this taste.
There was also Yun Yan's zither and Xiaoqian's wonderful dance. It was a great entertainment for the eyes and ears.
Amidst the laughter, time passed quickly. Unknowingly, the sun had risen.
Xu Xian couldn't help but sigh, "Even if you have great power, you can't have a moment of time. This is what it means to have a man's limit!"
Yun Yan said, "My husband, you can't say that. Our lifespan is already far above that of mortals, so we still have a long way to go. It's better not to waste time sighing and forget about the people in front of us."
She was already tipsy, her eyes were blurry, and her cheeks were flushed red. She swayed as she stood there, like a swaying flower branch.
"My beloved wife is right!" Xu Xian smiled and pulled her into his embrace.
Xiaoqing, however, said, "What a frog at the bottom of a well. If one's cultivation is deep enough, it's not strange to even stay in time."
When Xu Xian heard that, he pondered and did as Xiaoqing said.
Since there was a talisman that could open up space in this world, maybe there really was a great person that could distort time. However, that was far from the realm that he could come into contact with now. He smiled and said, "Don't talk big. Your cultivation is not even as good as mine. If I am a frog at the bottom of a well, then you are a toad at the bottom of a well. Hmm, a female toad!"
This made Xiaoqing angry, and she insisted on competing with him again.
Xu Xian asked curiously, "Didn't we compete last night?
I, your official, advanced bravely, and Qing 'er was defeated. "
Xiaoqing was even more annoyed. Ao Li asked naively, "Xiaoqing, is it true?
You lost again! "
Yun Yan and Xiaoqian understood the meaning behind it. They looked at each other and smiled. They stopped the furious Xiaoqing and stared at Xu Xian who was still laughing. "Husband!" "Husband!" Their reproachful eyes seemed to say: Haven't you bullied me enough?
Xu Xian immediately raised his hands in surrender, indicating that he would obey the two madams' orders.
They came to the edge of the cliff hand in hand. They saw the distant mountains as dark as ink and the quiet lake. It was a beautiful picture of Jiangnan, unfolding under the setting sun.
It was hard to tell whether this body was in the world of mortals or outside of it.
The sky was getting dark. Xu Xian came to the foot of the mountain with them. He sent Yun Yan, Xiaoqing, and Ao Li to the horse carriage, but he stayed with Xiaoqian. Today he would stay in the mountain for the night. Tomorrow, Yun Yan and Xiaoqing would follow him to Lingnan. Tonight was the last time he and Xiaoqian would be together.
The horse carriage went far away. Xu Xian said to Xiaoqian, "Let's go back!"
At this moment, a horse galloped over. When it came near, the rider dismounted and saluted, "Officer Xu, I finally found you. The Prefectural Magistrate invites you to Aiwan Lou to drink wine and compose poems!"
"The Prefectural Magistrate?"
Xu Xian tried hard to remember the Hangzhou Prefectural Magistrate that he had only met a few times. They didn't even have a shallow friendship. He didn't know why the Prefectural Magistrate suddenly invited him!
The rider looked at Xu Xian's expression and quickly explained, "It's not the original Prefectural Magistrate. It's the new Prefectural Magistrate!"
He also felt a little strange. From afar, there seemed to be a woman beside Xu Xian, but when he got closer, he couldn't see her anymore.
"The new Prefectural Magistrate?"
Xu Xian had stayed in the capital for a few months, but he didn't know that Hangzhou had a new Prefectural Magistrate. After asking around, he found out that the new Prefectural Magistrate was Li Siming. He couldn't help but sigh at the speed of this kid's promotion.
However, now that Pan Wang was in power, he could be seen in a new light just by relying on his relationship with Pan Yu. Not to mention that he was a great scholar who was originally a Zhuangyuan.
After the family banquet at noon on the Double Ninth Festival, it was time for the banquet. It wasn't like the Mid-Autumn Festival, where the whole family reunited to admire the bright moon.
Li Siming, the new Prefectural Magistrate, also invited some gentry and scholars to drink wine and compose poems. When he heard that Xu Xian had returned, he sent someone to invite him.
It just so happened that someone had seen him before, so he came to this Mount Wuyun.
Before Xu Xian could reply, he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. When he turned around, he saw Xiaoqian's beautiful face ready to turn into sadness at any moment. Xu Xian smiled at her, telling her not to worry. Even if there wasn't this gentle 'threat', he wouldn't be able to attend the banquet.
Xu Xian waved his hand and said, "Let's not drink wine, but I do have a poem. Help me give it to the world's number one scholar to congratulate him on his promotion!" Arriving at the small pavilion next to him, he took out a pen and paper from his sleeve, waved the pen, and gave it to the knight.
The knight carefully took the paper, afraid that it would be stained with ink. However, he revealed a troubled expression. If the person he invited didn't show up, he was afraid that it would give the Prefectural Magistrate the impression that he wasn't doing his job well.
He wanted to persuade him again, but when he raised his head, Xu Xian had already gone far away. He hurriedly chased him out of the pavilion, but Xu Xian had already disappeared without a trace.
He could only take the paper and go back to report.
At this moment, the Ai Wan House by the West Lake was brightly lit and full of distinguished guests.
The person sitting on the main seat was Li Siming. The melancholy of the past had completely disappeared, and he appeared to be proud of his success.
His arrogance had decreased a lot, and he had gained a bit of official prestige.
The dishes had all been served, but no one moved their chopsticks.
The messenger that Li Siming had sent to find Xu Xian had not returned yet. The people present were either famous gentry in Hangzhou or famous scholars. They were all somewhat dissatisfied, but the Prefectural Magistrate didn't say anything, so they could only wait patiently.
One of the people at the same table said with a flattering expression, "Official Li has been promoted to Prefectural Magistrate. I don't believe that there's anyone who doesn't know that Xu Xian returned to Hangzhou and didn't come to visit. He really doesn't know etiquette!"
Li Siming smiled, "I'm afraid he really doesn't know, and even if he does know, he may not care!"
His words were interpreted as dissatisfaction with Xu Xian. Immediately, someone echoed, "He was transferred to Lingnan this time, and he's still just a small county magistrate. How dare he be so arrogant!"
This was the most important thing. The current Xu Xian was no longer the Poetry Immortal who was in the limelight. He was just a small county magistrate who was sent to Lingnan. Even though he had composed a few poems, he did not have the slightest influence on the court.
"Yes, yes!"
"I'm afraid he's also frustrated and doesn't have the mood to do anything!"
Voices of agreement rose one after another.
Li Siming suddenly laughed out loud.
"Why are you laughing, Your Excellency?"
Li Siming waved his hand and said, "I just remembered that I was just a small teacher in the academy, and I was often called arrogant. I wonder if you guys were among them?"
His words made everyone feel ashamed. Back then, Li Siming often called himself the world's number one scholar, but he didn't say anything good.
Li Siming continued, "I only feel that the world is changing, like the clouds in the sky.
Today I'm in a quagmire, but tomorrow I might step on the clouds. I'm afraid it's too early to make a conclusion! "
"You're right, Your Excellency!"
Everyone was alert. Xu Xian was still young, and it wasn't that there was no one in the court. It was really hard to say what would happen in the future. Wasn't there a living example in front of them?
Now that they spoke carelessly, if it reached his ears, it might be a disaster.
They couldn't help but admire Li Siming's experience in handling matters. He didn't show his emotions, and even if he was dissatisfied with Xu Xian, he didn't show it. Instead, he spoke up for him. No wonder he could become the magistrate.
The shallow child in their eyes suddenly became a profound adult.
Li Siming's many arrogant words and deeds in the past now seemed to be astute.
Li Siming looked around at the admiring eyes around him and sighed in his heart, "The evaluation of life is all about the word" success or failure "!"
In fact, he didn't have much dissatisfaction with Xu Xian. His temperament didn't care about etiquette. He wasn't like ordinary bureaucrats who felt offended when others were a little bit careless.
At this moment, a horse galloped over from downstairs. The knight trotted up the stairs and carefully passed on Xu Xian's message. With both hands, he presented Xu Xian's poem.
Li Siming took it and looked at it. His eyes lit up and he recited loudly, "Building a hut in the human territory, but there is no noise of carriages and horses.
Asking the ruler, how can he be like this? His heart is far away, but he is biased.
Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountain.
The mountain air is beautiful day and night, and the birds are together.
There is a true meaning in this, but I forget to speak when I want to argue. "
His voice gradually lowered, and he repeated the last sentence of the poem, "There is a true meaning in this, but I forget to speak when I want to argue!"
He couldn't help but immerse himself in the meaning of the poem. He looked around. Although he was surrounded by stars and hundreds of people, he lacked the freedom of 'picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely seeing the southern mountain'. He couldn't help but sigh, "He's more comfortable than I am!" The original joy of being promoted suddenly faded a little.
"Let's start the banquet!"
Xu Xian and Xiaoqian held hands and rode a cloud to the mountain. Hundreds of demons and beasts avoided them, and they went straight to the depths of the cave.
Xu Xian put her on his knees and asked about condensing the divine seal.
Xiaoqian answered one by one, and suddenly said, "Husband, let me show you something!" Then she clapped her hands lightly, "Come out!"
Xu Xian saw a pair of identical girls coming out from behind the screen. They were Cai Yin and Mei Niang. They held each other's hands tightly and looked at Xu Xian with an expression of facing death calmly.
If it wasn't for Xiaoqian's smile, Xu Xian would have suspected that they wanted to assassinate him.