Chapter 1083
Chapter 1083
Pan Yu's eyes widened, and then she said with undisguised envy, "Big brother is so lucky."
Pan Hong nodded in agreement, then glanced at his second son and said disdainfully, "You'd better hurry up too. Forget it, you blockhead. I'll find someone among your colleagues for you."
"No, you already looked for a whole group of people when you were arranging a marriage for your older brother. If you go looking now, won't it just be the same people?"
Pan Hong: "Your brother is your brother, and you are you."
"No, if my brother doesn't like it, I definitely won't like it either."
Pan Hong rubbed his forehead and said, "Never mind, when your second uncle comes to Beijing, ask him to help you look for it back in your hometown."
Pan Yu opened his mouth, wanting to say, "The world is not at peace, how can we start a family?" But when he thought that his older brother was not at home and he was all alone, and that no one would stop his father from taking action, he swallowed his words.
The next day was Pan Yun's birthday. Coincidentally, Pan Tao brought his son Pan Bai into the city in the morning and caught up with the banquet at the palace.
The banquet began in the evening, but once noon had passed, the invited guests began to enter the palace one after another.
Officials of the fourth rank and above in the capital are allowed to enter the palace, and each person may bring two family members. The list was submitted a month ago.
Famous temples and monasteries across the land also sent Taoist monks to participate. In addition, Zhang Liuzhen of the Celestial Master's Mansion personally led people to the capital. He heard that the court would be offering sacrifices to Heaven this Mid-Autumn Festival. Although the National Preceptor could preside over the ceremony, according to the rules, this matter was still the responsibility of the Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion.
He had to go to the capital unless the emperor gave the order.
Since we'll be going to the capital sooner or later anyway, we might as well come early and witness this grand palace banquet.
Because there were many more monks, Taoists, and envoys from foreign vassal states in the capital, the number of imperial guards patrolling the city increased, and even the number of guards at the city gates doubled. Everyone entering and leaving the city was carefully checked, especially young and middle-aged men.
At the west gate of the capital, Xuanmiao and Tao Ji were stopped. Because Xuanmiao was carrying a sword, he was questioned more closely: What were they doing here? Where did they come from? How many days would they stay in the capital? Where did they plan to go? Did they know anyone in the capital?
I'll just ask them all anyway.
Just as Xuanmiao was about to answer, the two men being questioned beside him said smugly, "This humble Taoist is a Taoist priest from the Qianyuan Temple of Maoshan Mountain in Changzhou Prefecture. I am an old acquaintance of the Imperial Preceptor and have come here specifically to attend the Imperial Preceptor's birthday banquet..."
Upon hearing this, the soldier beside them became more respectful, looked the two of them up and down, and asked, "Shall we take a look at the invitation?"
"Invitation? What need do I have for an invitation to my relationship with the Imperial Preceptor? Do you know that back then, when the Imperial Preceptor committed a crime on the Grand Canal in Changzhou Prefecture and used magic to save people when the pleasure boat was on fire, it was because we protected her that she wasn't arrested and punished. As long as we go to the Taoist Registry and give our names, we will immediately be treated as honored guests. Hey, what are you doing?"
The soldiers' respectful expressions vanished the moment they heard that they had no invitations. With a wave of their hands, several men came out from behind, grabbed the two Taoist priests, and dragged them away.
"Hey, hey, we're telling the truth, we're not lying. We're not only Taoist priests from the Qian Yuan Temple in Maoshan, but we also work for the Taoist Discipline Office in Changzhou Prefecture. Back then, when the Imperial Preceptor and his nephew broke the law, it was we who protected them—"
After shouting, both of their voices cracked.
Xuanmiao and Tao Ji exchanged a glance. They had only received a message from their senior brother, and there was no invitation either.
"Stop looking, stop looking! I'm asking you two, what are you doing in town?"
Tao Ji pulled Xuanmiao behind him, his face full of respect: "Visiting relatives."
"Visiting relatives? What's your name? Where do you live? What do you do?"
Tao Ji said, "Master Qingyuan, the Left Right Master of the Daoist Registry..."
Tao Ji calmly gave his address and added that if that wasn't enough, he could also provide the other person's birth date and time.
This made the soldiers look at him more closely, and they asked, "Are you Taoist priests too?"
Tao Ji and Xuan Miao had just returned from committing a crime. In order to avoid being hunted down, they specially changed out of their Taoist robes. In fact, they only removed their disguises before entering the city.
Otherwise, the soldiers would have seen two bearded men.
However, this did not match their household registration and travel permit, so it was removed.
Tao Ji nodded with a smile.
The soldier flipped through their travel permits and asked, "Do you have a travel document?"
Tao Ji took out two spies.
To everyone's surprise, the soldiers investigated even more thoroughly: "Taoist priests from the Sanqing Temple on Sanqing Mountain? Isn't that where the Imperial Preceptor came from? If you already have Taoist credentials, why do you need travel permits?"
Xuanmiao thought he was being long-winded: "Who said you can't get a travel permit if you have a passport?"
Tao Ji quickly patted her hand to comfort her and said to the soldiers, "If you don't believe our identities, you can go to the Daolu Si Zuo Zhengyi to verify them."
"So you really are from the same school as the Imperial Advisor?"
"Yes, but we were traveling and did not receive an invitation to the Imperial Preceptor's birthday banquet. We cannot provide one to you as you ask us for one."
The soldier thought for a moment and did not let the person in easily, but he did not take the person either. Instead, he pointed to the small house in the city and said, "Please wait a little longer, and we will talk to you after we have verified the information."
The soldiers at the city gate treated the two men fairly politely, mainly because the dish didn't look fake.
Master Qingyuan was entertaining high-ranking monks from all over the country at the palace gate when he was suddenly called out to be recognized, leaving him somewhat bewildered.
When he arrived at the city gate, Xuanmiao and Tao Ji were already sitting at a noodle stall by the gate, eating a bowl of noodles and a bowl of dumplings.
Qingyuan paused silently for a moment before forcing a smile and stepping forward to greet them: "Why didn't you inform the Imperial Advisor beforehand that you two were coming to the capital?"
Tao Ji thoughtfully said, "Senior Brother Qingyuan, you don't have to laugh if you don't want to."
Qingyuan's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a gloomy expression: "You still talk in such an annoying way."
Xuanmiao tossed down a handful of copper coins, stood up, and asked the soldier, "Can we leave now?"
The soldier looked at Qingyuan.
Qingyuan nodded slightly and said, "These two are indeed the Imperial Preceptor's senior brothers and sisters."
The soldiers at the city gate were somewhat apprehensive and quickly apologized to the two men.
Neither Xuanmiao nor Tao Ji cared.
Tao Ji even gently reassured them, "You were just doing your duty, it wasn't offensive."
He paused for a moment and then said, "The noodles and dumplings at this noodle stall near the city gate are really awful. Is he doing this because of connections?"
The soldier returned his gaze with sympathy, everything unspoken.
Tao Ji sighed and said to the shop owner who came to collect the money, "Shopkeeper, even if you've pulled some strings, you should at least make sure the food tastes good, right? Otherwise, no matter how good the location is, you won't be able to sell anything in the long run..."
Seeing the boss's angry face, Qingyuan quickly grabbed Tao Ji and hurried away, saying, "Let's go, let's go..."
After walking a dozen steps, Tao Ji finally broke free from his hand: "Senior Brother Qingyuan, you are too rude. You tore my clothes off."
"You're being impolite by saying someone's noodles don't taste good in front of them."
"That's because it doesn't taste good. We always need to be realistic. Even if you don't say anything and I don't say anything, he's still immersed in the fantasy that his business is doing very well and that his food is delicious. He'll never improve his skills in his lifetime. One day, when his connections are gone, how will he make a living? Or, if one day even his connections can't protect his terrible cooking skills, what will he do then?"
Qingyuan: "...You're really worrying." Tao Ji: "Just doing one good deed a day."
Xuanmiao walked beside the two and asked, "Shall we go straight to the palace? Is my senior brother still there?"
"Master Wang has already gone back." Qingyuan looked at Tao Ji, then at Xuanmiao, and sighed, "Junior Sister, you've worked hard all these years."
Xuanmiao remained calm and said, "It's not hard work."
Qingyuan: "Junior sister, are you really not considering going back to Longhu Mountain? Although Sanqing Mountain has produced a national advisor now, given how quickly Pan Yun gets into trouble, I always feel that you will have a very hard time in the future. You don't know, she injured herself when her soul left her body a while ago, and she was almost imprisoned in the Yellow Springs..."
Not many people knew about this, but coincidentally, the emperor was so desperate that he summoned the left and right officials of the Daolu Division to come up with a solution, which is why he was fortunate enough to know about it.
To be honest, he's lived quite a long life and was a disciple of the previous Celestial Master. He's seen a lot of things, but this is the first time he's ever seen a Taoist priest from the Third Marquis cultivate his soul and end up in the Yellow Springs.
Xuanmiao glanced at him and said, "We just came down from Kunlun Mountain."
Tao Ji added, "We cannot stay in the capital for long; we are being pursued."
Qingyuan immediately shut his mouth. Okay, the two of them have gotten into trouble again. Moreover, the other party knew they had entered the capital and still dared to chase after them. The two must have committed a serious crime.
Alright, the second brother won't criticize the eldest, and nobody can talk about anyone else in peace.
As Qingyuan walked, his gaze gradually became vacant as he pondered: "The generation of Wang Feiyin of Sanqing Mountain is a mess, each one of them is a troublemaker. I wonder what the next generation will be like."
Miaozhen, Miaohe, and Tao Yanbai have been in the capital for quite some time, and it seems that no one has ever heard of the three of them causing trouble.
Qingyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as the next generation is reliable.
It wasn't that Qingyuan wanted to worry about this, but rather that the Daolu Division was in charge of this. Especially after Pan Yun became the Imperial Preceptor, he was dedicated to promoting the methods of cultivation and wanted to use talismans and magical artifacts among the common people. In the future, there would be more and more connections between cultivators and mortals, and more and more troublesome matters.
It should be noted that although he was the head of the Daolu Division, he was still above the Ministry of Rites. He was only a sixth-rank official with a very low salary.
Although he was not subordinate to the Celestial Master's Mansion, the Celestial Master's Mansion was the supreme authority of Taoism in the world, and he had to follow its orders in many matters. He also had to coordinate the relationship between the Celestial Master's Mansion and the royal family and the court.
And now, there's another one: Sanqingshan.
So tired. Another day where I want to retire and live a secluded life.
Qingyuan had no idea that just as they were heading towards the palace from the west gate, a caravan entered from the southeast gate, which was diagonally opposite them.
A handsome young man sat on the carriage shaft, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar capital city. His eyes sparkled: "I never expected there to be so many bicycles on the streets of the capital. The capital city truly lives up to its name!"
He stood up, turned around, and waved to the cars behind him: "Everyone, speed up! We'll rest as soon as we get there. Wang Xiaojing, get ready to come with me to the palace to offer birthday greetings."
Wang Xiaojing responded loudly, attracting the attention of people on both sides of the street. Knowing that this group was going to the palace to celebrate the Grand Preceptor's birthday, everyone made way for the motorcade to go first.
Indeed, the young man was Wang Cong, who had just returned from overseas.
He gratefully clasped his hands in greeting to everyone. When they arrived at the villa they had rented in the capital, he immediately dragged Wang Xiaojing to the well to take a bath, changed into clean clothes, shaved his beard, and happily took a box and rode in the carriage to the palace.
When they arrived at the palace gate, most of the guests had already gone inside, and the entire palace path was quiet.
Wang Cong took out an invitation and handed it to the guard.
The guards carefully checked their identities before letting the two people in.
There were eunuchs and palace maids in the palace to guide you.
Wang Cong's invitation was different in style. As soon as the eunuch saw the cover of the invitation, he immediately led the way to the main seat.
Wang Cong glanced at the sky and figured his junior uncle must still be at the Imperial Observatory at this hour, so he asked, "May I go to the Imperial Observatory first?"
The eunuch knew that he was the Grand Preceptor's junior disciple and respectfully said, "The Grand Preceptor is currently in the inner palace and not in the Imperial Observatory."
"In the harem?"
"Yes, the two empresses have prepared generous gifts for the Grand Preceptor. However, the Grand Preceptor's three nephews are currently seated at the main table. Master Wang will know this as soon as he goes there."
The banquet was divided into three sections: the central section and the left and right sections. Those close to Pan Yun, important court officials, and various important vassal envoys were seated in the central section, while the rest sat in the left or right sections.
Wang Cong arrived late, so as soon as he entered, everyone turned to look at him.
Miao Zhen, who was already seated, was talking to Pan Hong and his son with her head down. When she saw Wang Cong, she immediately stood up and walked quickly forward: "Senior Brother, you actually made it in time."
Wang Cong grinned: "Of course, I'm taking the sea route. I received the news as soon as I docked at Guangzhou Port. Once I got the invitation, I immediately ordered the fleet to head north and unload the cargo at Tianjin Port. I consulted two divinations on the way, and both were very auspicious, which means I will definitely make it."
Wang Cong quickly bowed to Pan Hong first, and then exchanged bows with Pan Yu.
The two looked up and were both startled when they saw each other, silently thinking to themselves: This person is rather dark-skinned.
Miaozhen also said, "Senior Brother, you've gotten so much darker."
Wang Cong touched his face: "Really? But many people say I'm now incredibly handsome and dashing..."
Pan Yu burst out laughing. Wang Cong paused, looked at Pan Yu, and wanted to frown, but then he remembered that the other party seemed to be of a higher generation than him, so he held back.
Pan Yu said, "I've heard that it's very sunny at the beach, and people on ships tend to get tanned more easily than people on land."
"That's right, I'm tanned because of sun exposure. Young Master Pan, what's this?"
Pan Yu said, "When fighting in the field, it's common to get tanned from the wind and sun, and as a military general, I don't care."
Pan Yu paused for a moment and then said, "You can call me Pan Yu, and we can call each other brothers."
Upon hearing this, Wang Cong became a little closer to him, his eyes sparkling, and he feigned hesitation: "This...isn't that inappropriate, given what happens to Junior Uncle..."
“You do your thing, we do ours.”
Wang Cong readily agreed and immediately called out, "Brother Pan!"
Pan Yu smiled and called out "Brother Wang" as well. The people nearby, seeing them chatting happily, were momentarily unsure whether to feel envious or jealous.
But who should we envy?
On one side were Pan Yun's father and elder brother, his own flesh and blood; on the other side were Pan Yun's apprentice nephew, also his own flesh and blood.
They can't even get a word in edgewise when other people are so loving and affectionate.
Only Heaven and their own hearts know how much they also long to join in, to love and cherish each other, or at least one of them.
Hu Cheng walked forward with a smile amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, with Kuai Xiang following behind him.
Pan Hong then stood up and introduced them.
The Ministry of Works had intricate connections with artisans and merchants, so Wang Cong quickly engaged in a lively conversation with Hu Cheng and Kuai Xiang.
Pan Yun and Miao Zhen, in particular, both loved the Ministry of Works, and spent 90% of their time in the capital there.
The gazes of the crowd towards Hu Cheng and Kuai Xiang shifted from envy to jealousy. (End of Chapter)