Chapter 40: Childhood
After leaving Princess Gao's mansion, Qiandeng ordered the carriage to go to Wubenfang first to look for Shang Nanliu in the merchant house.
The Shang family was a prominent family in Runan, but not very prominent among the aristocratic families in Chang'an. Their home had only three mansions, and the doorman was not very smart. After welcoming the county lady into the study, he just said that Shang Nanliu was out and asked her to wait a moment. After serving tea, he left.
Qiandeng took a sip of tea and looked up at the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall.
Shang Nanliu had excellent taste. In the center hangs Wang Wei's painting of Wangchuan Scenic Spots, showcasing the lush, majestic scenery of distant mountains and nearby waters. On the left and right walls are scrolls by Yu Shinan and Ouyang Xun, each showcasing a harmonious and vigorous style.
But besides these masterpieces of calligraphy and painting, there are two works with relatively simple brushwork hanging by the window, especially the one closest to the desk, which is written crookedly and is obviously a child's handwriting.
As she was watching, she heard hurried footsteps in the courtyard. Shang Nanliu strode in and asked anxiously as soon as he saw her, "County Lady, have you found out where Xiao Luo is?"
Qian Deng shook his head. "He hasn't been found yet. I came here to tell Shang Beijia that I just asked His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for a written order, requesting all government offices to cooperate in investigating Shang Luo's whereabouts. You can go to the East Palace later to get it, which will facilitate the search."
Originally, she could have gone to get it herself, but because of what happened at the princess's mansion just now, she felt strange in her heart. She thought that she should keep a proper distance from the prince and should not get too close to him.
Although Shang Nanliu was anxious and disappointed, he also knew that she was trying her best to find it, so he quickly thanked her.
Looking at Qiandeng's expression, he hesitated again and said, "County Lady, the capital is in turmoil right now. People are saying that the incident involving Princess Gao is related to your palace. Do you think Xiao Luo suddenly disappeared at this moment? Is it..."
Qiandeng frowned because Princess Changyi had caused a big disturbance in the streets, causing the Changhua Palace to be criticized.
The whole Chang'an was spreading the rumor that the person who killed Princess Gao was either the Uighur prince, the missing Shangluo, Ji Linyou who was at odds with the princess, or Xue Xiyang who had a close relationship with the princess... In short, the murderer must be in the backyard of Lingling County Lord.
"No matter what, the most urgent thing is to find Shangluo first. Now there is no news from him. If we delay for too long, it will definitely not be a good thing."
"Alas, I've already searched all my relatives, friends, and the places Xiao Luo loved to visit when he was little, but I've found nothing..." Shang Nanliu sighed. "Luckily, the county lady has obtained the Crown Prince's handwritten order. I'll immediately go and ask the guards in the surrounding courtyards. If that doesn't work, I'll search all of Chang'an. There should be some clues."
When you have no clue what to do, you can only cast a wide net.
Qiandeng nodded, and when he stood up to say goodbye, he looked at the childish calligraphy beside the desk again. His eyes fell on the signature and he recognized the two words "Shangluo".
Shang Nanliu saw her examining the calligraphy and said with a wry smile, "This is Yan Lugong's 'Encouragement to Study,' which Xiao Luo copied when she was seven. At that time, I had just passed the imperial examination and was filled with pride. I was full of longing for my children and my future, so I framed his calligraphy and hung it in my study to look at it often... I'm sorry to have made the county lady laugh."
"This shows Shang Biejia's sincere love for Xiao Luo. I understand it very well." Qiandeng said, and looked at the calligraphy next to him.
Shang Nanliu said, "This painting was taken after I passed the imperial examination and went to Mianchi. The local county magistrate and famous teachers and scholars accompanied me to visit ancient sites. There was a boy who was only thirteen years old with us - the same age as Xiao Luo now. He was said to be the most famous child prodigy in the county, and was brought here by the teacher.
"At the time, banditry was rampant. When we arrived, bodies were being salvaged in Mianchi. It turned out that during the famine and chaos, bandits were rampant and killing people, and the people suffered greatly. We reflect on the present and on the past, remembering how a mere scholar like Lin Xiangru was able to bring the world under his rule. We wonder when the current chaos will end. I personally drew the lot and drew the Jiangyang rhyme. A group of people were composing poems in Mianchi, and this one was written by that child."
Qian Deng looked at the signature of the poem, feeling a little dazed for a moment: "Yan... that child is Yan Penglai?"
"Hey, how did the county lady know that?" Shang Nanliu was a little surprised. "Indeed, at that time he had not yet been given a name by the saint, but now he is Yan Penglai, the Minister of the Imperial Astronomy Office."
Qiandeng looked at the words on the scroll word by word. The handwriting of the thirteen-year-old Yan Penglai was neat, and the structure was still immature, but with a hint of elegance. It was a seven-character poem.
I temporarily parted the clouds and looked at the green mountains, and the sight was desolate and heartbreaking.
I have walked through thousands of peaks and my bones have turned white. I have crossed thousands of rivers and my blood has turned into frost.
The tragic songs of Yan and Zhao leave behind a shabby scene, while the lofty aspirations of the Three Qins remain in the humble alleys.
What's the use of being a melancholy scholar? The Qingming Festival is the beginning of the day.
She murmured subconsciously: "I really can't tell..."
Thirteen-year-old Yan Penglai is so talented and ambitious, with a broad vision and lofty aspirations in his heart.
But now, Yan Penglai, who is twenty years old, does not care about worldly affairs. He buries himself in Buddhist and Taoist scriptures and lives as a recluse.
Of course, it wasn't bad either. After all, the noble and detached officials of the Imperial Ascension Office didn't need to do any real work, and a life of peace and happiness without worries was the best life for most people in the world.
——Anyway, how many people can stick to the ambitions they set and the path they longed for when they were young?
Shang Nanliu looked at her expression and asked, "Does the county lady know him too?"
Qiandeng was slightly startled, then she remembered that Shangnan had been away from Beijing for many years and obviously didn't know that Yan Penglai was also in her backyard.
She had no intention of hiding it: "He is one of my candidates for husband."
Shang Nanliu was stunned for a while, and an expression of "this rebellious son is finished, he has no chance of winning" appeared on his face.
"What a coincidence. When I saw his poem, I loved it so much that I brought it back to Beijing, had it framed, and hung it next to Xiao Luo's calligraphy. I taught him that this was his goal. If he could reach this level by the age of thirteen, I would be very pleased."
Who would have thought that fate would arrange for the thirteen-year-old Shangluo and the nineteen-year-old Yan Penglai to stand in front of Qiandeng together, reaching equality in another sense.
Qiandeng took another look at the poem written by Yan Penglai when he was thirteen years old, and said goodbye to Shang Nanliu.
He hesitated and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Qiandeng saw that he had something to say, so he asked what was wrong.
"Nothing, I just think Yan Penglai is a little careless... Since he's a candidate for your husband, he shouldn't be involved with anyone on Princess Gao's side."
Qiandeng thought for a moment and asked, "How is Zheng Raoan?"
Shang Nanliu was relieved to see that she knew. He said, "That's right. I just visited the Princess Gao's residence and bought a drink at a teahouse to quench my thirst when I saw them meeting for tea. The county lady knows that Yan Penglai's cleanliness is well known throughout Chang'an. So when he met someone in a street teahouse to drink a drink made by ordinary people with ordinary water, I took a closer look and found that his cuffs were stained with dust. A fairy man who wears white every day really shouldn't come to the mortal world."
Qian Deng said, "Yan Penglai mentioned this to me. Zheng Raoan was the magistrate of Mianchi before and he took good care of him."
Shang Nanliu nodded: "When I first went to Mianchi, Zheng Raoan praised Yan Penglai highly. But later he brought Yan Penglai to the capital, and that's why he got close to the Princess's Mansion."
Qian Deng didn't mind this and only asked, "Shang Biejia seems to know Yan Bucheng very well?"
"Not really. I just think it's a shame that a seedling that could have grown into a towering tree was moved into a bonsai because of its graceful appearance and became an object for people to admire."
Qiandeng's gaze fell on the poem on the wall. He stared at it for a long time and couldn't help but sigh.
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