Chang'an Fantasy Night
Seven days after leaving the Three Realms Inn, Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok stepped into a dazzling passageway through time and space. At the end of the passage, a magnificent ancient city gradually appeared before them.
The city walls soared into the sky, the towers had soaring eaves and pointed corners, and the moat surrounded it like a jade belt. From within the city came the bustling voices of people, the melodious sounds of music, and the aroma of various delicacies wafted in the wind.
"This is..." Qi Diao Yanfei looked at the two large gilded characters "Chang'an" on the city wall, unable to hide her surprise, "Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty?"
Tashi Phuntsok felt the fluctuations of time and space around him: "It is indeed Chang'an, but the time node is a little unusual. I can feel that Chang'an from multiple eras is overlapping here."
As the two followed the crowd through the city gates, they were immediately struck by the sight before them. The streets were wide and straight, lined with shops and flags fluttering. Pedestrians crisscrossed the city, their attire varied: scholars and ladies in Tang Dynasty attire, Westerners dressed as Hu merchants, and even a few civilians in clothing clearly from the Song and Ming dynasties.
"Time and space are overlapping again," Qi Diao Yanfei whispered, "Just like the Three Realms Inn, but on a much larger scale."
As they walked along Suzaku Street, they heard a commotion ahead. A group of people gathered in front of a mansion, pointing and talking.
"It's already the seventh day," an old man shook his head and sighed, "Everyone in the Du family is unconscious, even the imperial physician is helpless."
Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok exchanged a glance and approached to inquire. It turned out that this was the residence of the poet Du Fu. Seven days ago, the entire family suddenly fell into a coma, and no one could wake them up.
"This is strange," Tashi Phuntsok said, sensing the energy fluctuations in the palace. "There are abnormal fluctuations in time and space."
At that moment, a middle-aged man in official uniform hurried over, followed by several imperial physicians. Seeing the crowd, the man frowned and said, "Please disperse and do not interfere with official business."
Qi Diao Yanfei stepped forward and saluted: "Sir, we may be able to help Mr. Du."
The official looked them over and, noticing their impressive demeanor, asked, "Who are you?"
"My name is Qi Diao Yanfei, and this is Tashi Phuntsok. We know a little bit about...special medical skills."
The official hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "I'm Li Xian, the Jingzhao Yin. Since you two are confident, why not give it a try?"
Entering the Du residence, they were met with a strange sight: Du Fu and his family were lying quietly on their beds, their faces rosy and their breathing steady, as if they were soundly asleep. However, no matter how they called out or shook them, they could not wake them up.
Tashi Phuntsok closed his eyes, sensing the situation, then opened them after a moment: "Their consciousness is trapped in a dream. More precisely, they are trapped in a different dimension constructed by poetry."
"The space created by poetry?" Qi Diao Yanfei pondered. She walked to the desk and saw a scroll of poetry spread out on it. It was Du Fu's "Two Poems in a Dream of Li Bai."
"The parting of the dead has made me silent, but the parting of the living is always sad..." She recited the poem softly and suddenly felt dizzy.
Tashi Phuntsok supported her in time: "Be careful! This manuscript is the entrance!"
Qi Diao Yanfei calmed herself and looked at the manuscript again. This time, she saw the words in the poem come alive, flowing and reorganizing on the paper, forming a tiny vortex.
"I understand," she said, suddenly realizing, "Du Fu met Li Bai in his dream. Their poetic energy was so intense that it inadvertently opened a space connecting dreams and reality. Now, not only Du Fu's entire family, but also Du Fu himself, is trapped in this poetic world."
Tashi Phuntsok nodded: "We must enter the poetic realm and lead them out."
Witnessed by Jingzhao Yin Li Xian, the two decided to venture into the realm of poetry. Qi Diao Yanfei placed one hand on the manuscript, while Tashi Phuntsok took her other hand and channeled his own space-time energy into it.
In an instant, the world spun around, and when they regained their footing, they found themselves in a world constructed entirely of poetic imagery.
The sky is filled with the bright spring scenery of "two yellow orioles singing in the green willows", but in the distance is a desolate scene of "the country is broken, the mountains and rivers remain, and the city is overgrown with grass in spring". The river flows with the mighty water of "the endless Yangtze River rolling in", while on the bank, dewy flowers bloom, "the flowers shed tears when they feel the time".
The scene of this world keeps changing with the mood of the poem, sometimes bright, sometimes gloomy, full of contradictions and inconsistencies.
“This is a poetic realm,” Qi Diao Yanfei exclaimed, “a space constructed entirely of poetry.”
They walked along a path crisscrossed with green mud and soon came upon a thatched cottage. In front of it, Du Fu was drinking with a man in white clothes, as elegant as a fairy. That man must be Li Bai.
"Mr. Du!" Qi Diao Yanfei called out.
Du Fu turned around and looked at them in surprise: "Who are you?"
Tashi Phuntsok stepped forward to explain, "Mr. Du, you and your family are trapped in a poetic world. In reality, you have been in a coma for seven days."
Li Bai laughed out loud upon hearing this: "Unconscious? We are all here drinking and expressing our feelings, how can we be so happy? How can we talk about unconsciousness?"
Qi Diao Yanfei looked around and said, "This place is indeed beautiful, but it is ultimately an illusion. Your family is still waiting to wake up in the real world."
Du Fu looked hesitant. "But... here, I can spend every day with Brother Taibai, discussing poetry. Returning to reality, I have to face the chaos of war and the suffering of the people."
At this moment, the poetic world suddenly shook violently. Mountains and rivers in the distance began to collapse, and cracks appeared in the sky.
"What's going on?" Li Bai stood up, mostly sober.
Tashi Phuntsok's face was solemn: "The poetic realm is beginning to collapse. Because the manuscript in reality is being damaged!"
It turns out that in the real world, Jingzhao Yin Li Xian saw that the two had not returned for a long time and thought that the magic had failed, so he was preparing to burn the manuscript to break the "evil magic".
"We must take them away immediately!" Qi Diao Yanfei said anxiously.
But Du Fu hesitated: "Let me have one last drink with Taibai..."
Li Bai smiled carefreely: "Brother Zimei, all good things must come to an end. If we are destined to meet again someday, we will."
Just when the poetic world was about to collapse completely, the four returned to reality through the channel that was about to close.
In Du's house, Li Xian was about to throw the manuscript of his poem into the brazier when he suddenly saw four people appear out of nowhere. He was so frightened that he stepped back repeatedly.
“Ghosts…ghosts!”
Qi Diao Yanfei stepped forward to explain, "Don't be alarmed, sir. Mr. Du and his family have already woken up."
Sure enough, Du Fu and his family woke up one after another, completely unaware of what had happened.
Du Fu looked at the manuscript in his hand, feeling lost: "Brother Taibai..."
Qi Diao Yanfei comforted him softly: "Poetry may be beautiful, but it is ultimately illusory. Reality may have its hardships, but it also has real warmth."
Du Fu sighed deeply and finally nodded: "Thank you both for your guidance."
After leaving the Du residence, Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok continued their stroll through Chang'an. As night fell and the lights came on, the nightscape of Chang'an became even more captivating.
They walked to the shore of Qujiang Pond and saw countless lotus lanterns floating on the surface, like a galaxy of stars falling on earth. On the shore, scholars and ladies recited poems and composed couplets, and music and music continued.
"This is the spirit of the Tang Dynasty," Qi Diao Yanfei sighed, "prosperity tinged with poetry."
Tashi Phuntsok frowned slightly: "I sense another abnormal fluctuation in time and space."
They followed the ripples to the foot of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, where the top of the pagoda emanated circles of strange golden light, echoing with the stars in the night sky.
"Someone is using the power of the pagoda to conduct time and space experiments." Tashi Pingcuo judged.
The two climbed up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and found an old monk on the highest floor. In front of the old monk was a bronze mirror, which reflected not the scene inside the pagoda but a vast starry sky.
"The two benefactors have finally arrived," the old monk said without turning his head. "I have been waiting for a long time."
Qi Diao Yanfei was surprised: "Master knows we are coming?"
The old monk turned around, revealing a kind and wise face. "My companions have some knowledge of time and space. Three days ago, observing the stars, we knew that a visitor from another time and space was approaching."
Tashi Phuntsok looked at the bronze mirror warily: "Master, what is the master doing with the power of the pagoda?"
Master Yixing smiled and said, "Observe. Observe the flow of time and space, observe the cycle of cause and effect."
He pointed to the bronze mirror and said, "Please look."
The scene in the mirror began to change: they saw the outbreak of the An-Shi Rebellion, the fall of Chang'an, and Du Fu's displacement in the chaos of war; they saw Li Bai drinking alone under the moon during his exile; they saw the historical trajectory of the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline...
"Is this... the future?" Qi Diao Yanfei was shocked.
Master Yixing shook his head. "It's a possible future. Spacetime is like a river, with main streams and tributaries. What I'm observing are all the possibilities."
Tashi Phuntsok pondered: "Master, do you want to change history?"
"No," Master Yixing sighed. "Cause and effect are cyclical and have their own destiny. Forcibly changing one place will inevitably cause greater chaos elsewhere. I simply want to preserve some sparks for this era."
He took out a scroll of Buddhist scriptures and said, "This is the Mahavairocana Sutra, which I translated. It contains the true meaning of Esoteric Buddhism. At some point in the future, it will help Buddhism survive the catastrophe."
Qi Diao Yan Fei suddenly understood something: "You want us to take it away?"
The mages nodded. "Traveler of time and space, please take this wisdom to where it belongs. At some point in the future, it will find its home."
Tashi Phuntsok took the scripture and felt the powerful energy contained in it: "We promise you."
Leaving the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the two men had mixed feelings. What they held in their hands was not only a scroll of scriptures, but also the hope of an era.
Walking in the night of Chang'an, Qi Diao Yanfei suddenly thought of something: "Phuntsok, is it a coincidence that we came to this era?"
Tashi Phuntsok pondered for a moment. "The Council of Guardians of Time and Space once told me that important journeys through time and space are often influenced by cause and effect. Perhaps we came here to fulfill Master Yihang's mission."
The next day, they decided to leave this era. In front of the time and space tunnel outside the city, Qi Diao Yanfei looked back at the majestic Chang'an City.
“That day, we stepped into the realm of poetry and witnessed the eternal friendship between Li Bai and Du Fu;
That month, we strolled through Chang'an and felt the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
That year, we accepted the heavy responsibility of carrying the spark of Buddhist wisdom;
In that life, we traveled through time and space just to protect the inheritance of civilization."
She recorded this experience in "Records of Observations in the Three Realms".
Tashi Phuntsok held her hand and said: "Every era has its glory and suffering, and its wisdom worth inheriting."
Qi Diao Yanfei nodded: "And we are the transmitters of this wisdom."
The two of them stepped into the time and space channel hand in hand and left this dreamy Chang'an night.
In the passage, Qi Diao Yanfei asked softly, "Where is the next stop?"
Tashi Phuntsok smiled: "No matter where we go, we are together."
Ahead, a new time and space awaits them. And the Great Sun Sutra in their hands will find its true home at some point in the future.
The mission of the time traveler is to pass on the spark of wisdom in infinite time and space, connecting the past and the future.
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