Heavy fog in the South China Sea.
Nanhai County Magistrate Li Zhi sat in a residence, flipping through the latest letters he had received.
This place is said to be quiet, but in fact it is desolate. But Li Zhi did not care about the rough environment. He read the letter while drinking tea, with a clean figure and elegant sleeves, looking like a great scholar of the time.
When Xianzhu was still alive, Li Zhi was an outstanding leader of the Li family, leading the aristocratic families in Chang'an to compete with the imperial power. However, Xianzhu had been gone for a year, and Li had long been driven back to Jinling by the emperor to retire, and Li Zhi was even demoted to Lingnan.
The current emperor is a wonderful man.
When Xianxu was alive, he fought against Xianxu on equal terms. When Xianxu died, he was "sorrowful and wanted to die", and the whole world mourned for Xianxu for a year. Even the emperor did not kill all the Li family, saying that he did it for the sake of Xianxu's face.
Yes or no, it’s up to the emperor to decide.
Anyway, Li Zhi was demoted to the remote Nanhai County, and he probably won't have the chance to return in this lifetime.
The letter that Li Zhi was reading at this time was written by his niece, Princess Danyang Mu Wanyao. Mu Wanyao wanted to come to visit him in person, but she disappeared before she even arrived. When Li Zhi mentioned his niece, he sipped his tea and sighed...
The door of the bamboo house was pushed open, and Mrs. Li came in to pour tea for her husband. When Li Zhi saw his wife coming, he asked casually, "But the princess's letter came again?"
Madam Li said, "The princess has not sent any letters for three days... Sir, do you want to send someone to check?"
Li Zhi's face changed slightly, and he tapped the long table with his fingers. Lingnan is not an easy place to stay. When he first came here, his young son almost died. In the evening, he shook a delicate young lady... Li Zhi immediately said, "Call the county magistrate in, we have to send someone to pick up the princess."
That afternoon, a team of knights left the South China Sea and rode at full speed to Dayuling Mountain in search of Princess Danyang.
-----
At this time, the forest was dense and foggy.
Mu Wanyao and Chunhua walked in the potholes in the forest, one step deep and one step shallow. Fang Tong and other guards followed the princess after asking someone to look after the carriage.
They wandered in the forest for several days, all in an attempt to find the white bull tea tree.
Mu Wanyao blamed Yan Erlang over and over again in her heart. Why did he tell her about this unknown tea tree? Since this tea tree was interesting, why didn't he take the initiative to give it to her, and let her find it herself?
Yan Erlang went to take the exam, but in Mu Wanyao's heart, it was useless for him to take the exam, so he might as well stay and take her to find tea trees.
For several days in a row, the fog in the mountains and forests became thicker and thicker.
As outsiders, they did not feel anything unusual. They only felt that the transportation here was inconvenient, the mountains and forests were vast, and the roads were rugged. The guards were only on guard against the princess being injured by wild animals or falling into the water or waterfalls. No one felt there was any danger.
Deep in the woods, Mu Wanyao became more and more annoyed the further he walked.
Suddenly, Chunhua, who was holding her arm, pointed in the direction of a cliff that jutted upward from the top of the mountain and said in surprise, "Look, my lady! Is that the white bull tea tree we are looking for?"
Everyone looked in the direction Chunhua pointed and saw a lush short tree growing alone in front of the mountain wall. When they compared it with the portrait in the princess's hand, they found it to be exactly the same.
Immediately, everyone became excited.
Mu Wanyao also smiled for the first time in many days: "Let's go, there must be a few more tea trees next to that tree. Let's go dig a few and bring them back to Chang'an. If we dig up this tree, we will go to Nanhai to see my uncle."
Chunhua was about to respond, but suddenly she felt a drop of water dripping from above and splashing on her forehead.
Chunhua wiped her forehead and looked up at the gray sky. She said worriedly, "My wife, it seems to be raining."
Mu Wanyao comforted her: "It's okay, we will leave after we dig the tree, it won't take too long."
-----
In Guangzhou, a large number of scholars walked out of the provincial examination hall, and for a moment they felt dizzy and unsteady on their feet.
Yan Shisheng stood at the door and saw the scholars coming out one after another. He then thought of what Mu Wanyao said a few days ago that they could not send two scholars from Lingnan to Chang'an in a year, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Compared with the prosperity of the Central Plains, Lingnan was known as a "land without education". For ordinary people from the Central Plains who were banished here, they were just waiting to die, so how could they have any hope of returning?
It's just a matter of fate.
Even if he studied on his own, his father would drink all day and not care about him at all. The Yan family used all their strength to support him to study, but it was only because they were a small family and did not lack the money, and Yan Erlang was thin and not suitable for farming...
When Yan Shisheng was thinking about these things, students from behind kept greeting him. Yan Shisheng also greeted them one by one with a smile and wished everyone good results this year.
In fact, most people know that they will never make it, but Yan Shisheng speaks softly and gently, making people feel like they are in the spring breeze. Everyone likes to interact and talk with Yan Erlang... A voice came from behind: "Yan Erlang, you haven't left yet?"
Yan Shisheng turned around and saw that it was the young genius Liu Wenzhi who came.
Seeing Liu Wenji coming, the scholars who were talking around Yan Shisheng looked away one by one: "Yan Erlang, I have something else to do. Let's talk another day."
Liu Wenji came over and saw that there was a large area around Yan Shisheng. He didn't think those scholars were annoying him at all. He said, "They are just a bunch of rabble. Why do you always hang out with these useless people?"
Yan Shisheng's expression remained unchanged: "Lingnan is a poor place, and there are scholars all over the world. How can there be any useful or useless? Brother Liu's words are very unreasonable."
A trace of contempt appeared on Liu Wenzhi's handsome face.
Yan Shisheng never offended anyone, but Liu Wenji was different. These mediocre people would never leave Lingnan in their lifetime, but once he left, he would never come back.
Although Liu Wenzhi was proud of his outstanding talent and learning, his father always boasted in front of him about Yan Erlang's tactful way of dealing with people, which made Liu Wenzhi feel subtle jealousy and disdain when facing Yan Shisheng.
Liu Wenji asked Yan Shisheng: "How did you do in the poem and fu we tested? Are you confident this year?"
Yan Shisheng saw the look in Liu Wenzhi's eyes that was wary of him.
Yan Shisheng smiled.
He said, "Brother Liu knows me well. I have never been good at writing poetry, and my prose is just mediocre. How can I have confidence when Brother Liu is around?"
Liu Wenzhi raised the corner of his mouth.
But he felt that he was too proud, so he boasted hypocritically: "Actually, you are quite good. My father often praises you in front of me. If there are two places in the state exam, the place below mine will definitely be yours!"
Yan Shisheng nodded with interest. He found Liu Wenzhi's forced praise interesting.
Liu Wenji followed behind him: "Yan Erlang, are you planning to go home?"
Yan Shisheng nodded: "To be honest, Brother Liu, I am very tired after traveling for several days. I just want to go home and sleep for two days."
Liu Wenzhi's heart moved.
I thought of the beautiful maid I had met in Yan Shisheng's house.
The maid was staying at the Yan family with her mistress. I wonder if they are still there at this moment?
Liu Wenji was too embarrassed to ask Yan Shisheng, so he took the initiative to ask: "Your home is closer, can I go back to your home to rest for two days, and then come back to my home?"
Yan Shisheng looked at Liu Wenzhi thoughtfully.
In a flash, his mind quickly connected together a series of traces of Liu Wenzhi in his home.
He had some guesses in his mind, but he didn't show it on his face. He just said in his usual friendly way: "Okay."
-----
The rain started to fall, as continuous as sand.
As Mu Wanyao expected, there were several tea trees growing on the edge of the cliff.
She was afraid that the guards would be clumsy and damage the tea tree, so she and Chunhua planned to dig out the tree themselves.
At first, there was no surprise. When the tree roots were pulled out of the soil and everyone relaxed their vigilance, a snake emerged from the soil. It jumped out at lightning speed, spitting out its tongue and biting the two girls' muddy hands...
Chunhua screamed as the snake bit her wrist. She kicked and hit the snake, but couldn't get rid of it. She felt a sharp pain in her wrist!
The snake was about to go into Chunhua's sleeves. With a "ding" sound, she saw a flash of white light in front of her eyes, and saw the snake being nailed to the ground by the dagger that Mu Wanyao pulled out of his sleeves. The snake trembled twice and then became silent.
No one expected that the princess would carry a dagger with her...
Fang Tong and other guards came over. Fang Tong pulled Chunhua up from being bitten by a snake. He saw Chunhua's slender white wrist quickly turn purple and black...
They looked at the princess nervously, and saw that the dagger in the princess's hand was stuck in the snake. Mu Wanyao squatted on the ground, but her face was a little pale. Mu Wanyao said, "I'm fine."
However, Fang Tong did not dare to be careless, because next, they heard a "sizzling" sound coming from all directions in the wild forest surrounding them. He looked up, and with amazing eyesight, he saw a group of snakes rushing towards them from all directions... The guards drew their swords one after another, and sweat oozed from their foreheads.
Mu Wanyao asked someone to pick up the tea tree she had dug out and stood up. She looked at Chunhua and saw that Chunhua had fallen into Fang Tong's arms, and her face was already sweating and her body was shaking.
Mu Wan frowned.
She had only read about the many snakes in Lingnan from books, but this was the first time she had seen one...
Fang Tong said: "Princess, let's leave here quickly!"
Mu Wan shook her head and said, "I'm afraid it's hard to get out."
She ordered: "Light the fire!"
Chunhua felt cold all over, and her consciousness gradually began to blur. She was supported by the shoulders of Guard Fang, and at this time she could only barely say one sentence to remind the princess: "It's raining... I'm afraid the fire can't be lit..."
At dusk, I was silent.
But she still took a step forward, letting the fine raindrops splash on her long eyelashes, making them misty. She held the dagger, her long sleeves swept, and stood in front of the guards, looking coldly at the snakes in all directions: "Light a fire!"
Even if we have to fight, we must fight for a way to survive!
-----
The drizzle continued, rustling into the night.
At midnight, the Yan family heard a violent knock on the door. Liu Wenji was also awakened by the rapid knock on the door. He leaned on the window and saw the eldest and third sons of the Yan family wearing straw raincoats and holding torches to open the fence door, while a row of majestic guards stood at the door.
The leader of the guards shouted, "Where is the princess? Where did you hide her?"
Father Yan was trembling in fear and hiding in the house, not daring to go out. The youngest daughter Yan Xiaozhou hid behind her two brothers and timidly stuck her head out and asked, "What princess?"
The other party pushed them away impatiently: "Get out of the way!"
Yan Sanlang shouted, "Why are they breaking into people's houses again? Brother, let's stop them!"
Yan Shisheng had fallen asleep after returning, but was also awakened by the sound of rain and shouting outside. He put on his clothes and went out, just in time to see the guards and his two brothers pushing and shoving, and it seemed that a conflict was about to break out.
Yan Shisheng stood in the cold rain corridor, his robe slightly lifted, his long hair half tied up, his eyes dark and calm in the cold night, and he asked, "What happened?"
Yan Xiaozhou was also afraid that they would fight. He turned around and saw his second brother standing solemnly. He was surprised and complained, "Second brother, what princess are they looking for? How would we know what princess?"
Yan Shisheng was silent.
He said slowly: "I know."
Everyone about to start fighting: “……!”
In an instant, both the Yan brothers and the guards sent by the Nanhai County Magistrate to pick up Mu Wanyao, all looked at Yan Shisheng.
The leader of the guards looked at him and saw that he was just a scholar, so he grinned and said, "It seems that you are the head of your family. Do you know which princess we are looking for?"
He said he was looking for the princess, but in fact he also wanted to take the opportunity to break into people's houses at night and steal some money.
In remote areas, soldiers are thieves. When thieves pass by, it is like combing, but when soldiers pass by, it is like shaving.
Yan Shisheng looked at these uninvited guests and said with a smile, "The person you are looking for is Princess Mu Wanyao of Danyang who once married into the Wuman tribe and returned to our country after the Wuman tribe dispersed, right?"
Yan Shisheng said: "The princess did stay at my house a few days ago, but she has left now."
Everyone: “……!”
The three children of the Yan family, including Yan's father who was hiding in the house, all stared at Yan Shisheng in a daze.
Live under the same roof and eat from the same bowl of rice.
There is such a big gap between people.
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