Chapter 46: The Fujiwara Family

  Jingliu had already said that he wanted to go in and take a look, and Suifeng couldn't say anything about it. Moreover, from Changming's words, he learned that Su Tian might also be a Taoist disciple, so he naturally felt more affection for the Taoists.

  He didn't mind the time anymore, nodded and walked in first. Jingliu followed closely behind him, then Ikeda Hyōei and Ayanokōji. After passing through the mountain gate, there was a stone path leading to the main hall. On both sides of the stone path were two small fields where vegetables and herbs were planted, and next to the stone path were two rows of ancient trees with unknown names, and two young Taoist priests sweeping the ground under the trees.

  The gentle stream quietly pulled at the hem of his wind-blown clothes and whispered: "Which god is being worshipped here?"

  As she asked this, he secretly thought to himself that she must have had a good understanding of the customs of Zhongtu before. Fortunately, he also knew about these things and wasn't caught off guard, so he replied: "This place is at the peak of Mount Tai, so we should be worshiping the Great Emperor of Eastern Peak. The Great Emperor governs the life and death of humans in the nine states under heaven, the promotion and demotion of officials, and the eternal peace and prosperity of great undertakings..."

  Just as the wind had not finished speaking, a sudden "ah!" of surprise was heard from Jingliu.

  "What's wrong?" Following the quiet gaze, I saw a white-clad warrior kneeling on the cushion in the center of the Myōshin Great Hall. From his attire, it seemed similar to that of Itoda and others, and the style of the long sword at his waist was also similar - he was indeed a Japanese warrior.

  The Japanese warrior knocked three times, and a middle-aged Taoist stood beside him. The Japanese warrior seemed to be anxiously talking to the Taoist, who closed his eyes and pondered, but it was unclear what he had said.

  "How do you know that person?" Su Feng turned his head and asked in a low voice.

  Jing Liu bit her lip, seemingly very reluctant, and finally nodded only when she had no other choice.

  As the wind turned around and took a look, both Jing Tian and the well had awkward expressions on their faces, lowering their heads as if they had done something wrong and were afraid of being discovered. The wind had more or less figured it out by now, that Jing Liu must have secretly snuck out to play without telling her family, and that white-clothed warrior was very likely someone from Jing Liu's household.

  "Who is that in your household?" asked Feng gently.

  "Ah?" Jing Liu was stunned, "How did you know?!"

  With a faint smile, she didn't respond, and instead pulled Qing Liu's wrist to head towards the inner palace. After taking only two steps, Qing Liu still seemed reluctant, and Su Feng softly said: "You've been out alone for so long, you've had your fun, it's time to go home. And to be honest, there are many skilled fighters in Zhong Tu, and even Ji Tian and the others can't guarantee your safety."

  She reached the entrance, and her wrist was released by the wind. She walked in with a calm expression. After glancing around at the decorations inside the hall, she found that they were not much different from those of the Bi Xia Temple. Probably because the Taoist disciples emphasized clarity and naturalness, the layout was also very simple.

  There is only one statue of the East Mountain Great Emperor in the main hall, wearing a full-body black Taoist robe, holding a lotus flower in his hand, with a divine and elegant demeanor, vividly lifelike. But it was built very high, with piercing eyes, having a bit of the flavor of ruling the world.

  Perhaps hearing the footsteps of the crowd, the Fuso warrior slowly turned his head and saw Sei standing next to Shizuka.

  "Still waters, is it really you?" The tone was tinged with a few parts of disbelief, and also a few parts of surprise and delight.

  Jing Liu lowered his head, somewhat stuttering, "Second Uncle..."

  Shizuka called out to herself, and Fusō Musashi jumped up in surprise, exclaiming: "Shizuka, it's really you! I was so worried when you disappeared back then. This time, I didn't plan on bringing you along to negotiate with the Central Plains, but I couldn't persuade you otherwise. Who would have thought that you'd sneak off without even saying goodbye, taking Ikeda and the others with you? If I couldn't find you, how could I face your father?"

  He lowered his voice and said: "I just want to come out and play for two days, and then I'll go back home..."

  The Japanese warrior sighed and said, "This place is not like Japan. The Central Plains are complex and treacherous, even I don't dare to move around recklessly. You actually ran out so casually, fortunately, I had heard from the people of the Ikeada family that you were going to come to Mount Tai, and previously you had also gone to the Ikeada family to inquire about this western journey. So I came to Mount Tai to try my luck, just now I asked this Taoist priest, and he said that fate is right in front of us, but I didn't understand what he meant. Unexpectedly, you really arrived." The Japanese warrior's expression became excited again, and his eyes looking at the Taoist priest beside him were also full of respect.

  The Taoist priest struck a pose, saying lightly: "This humble Taoist has only spoken the will of heaven, and does not dare to make any arbitrary interpretations. Since the matter here is settled, I bid you farewell, gentlemen. This humble Taoist takes his leave." With that, he retreated to the side of the statue, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, ignoring Ruan Feng and the others.

  With a subtle change in his expression, he seemed to sense a hint of innate aura on the Taoist's body, but it was very vague and fleeting, unclear. "I didn't expect that even an ordinary Taoist here would have such strength, the wonders of the Mystic Gate are indeed profound and unfathomable." Su Feng thought to himself.

  It wasn't until now that the Japanese warrior noticed Fēng's presence. He bowed and respectfully asked, "I am Fujiwara Kōji, may I ask who you are?"

  He hurriedly returned a courtesy, still feeling somewhat awkward in his heart. The other party was already old enough to be his uncle, and no matter what, he was an elder. It felt like being scolded by an elder. He replied: "I am Suifeng, I met Jingliu on the road and we came to Mount Tai together."

  Jingliu hummed and said in a delicate voice, "It's not like that at all. When I first ran out, I didn't know where Mount Tai was or which way to go. Luckily, I met him. Let me tell you, don't underestimate him, Feng Gege's martial arts are formidable. We encountered some mountain bandits halfway, and Feng Gege took care of them with just a few moves." After finishing speaking, she glanced at Sui Feng with some pride.

  Helpless with a hint of frustration, this little girl actually said something like that.

  As expected, after listening to Jing Liu's words, Fujiwara Hakuren's gaze towards Sui Feng changed greatly. He said with some surprise: "I didn't expect that at such a young age, you are already a master of the highest level, I apologize for my disrespect."

  "Please, sir, do not speak of me in such a manner. I am but a humble wanderer, drifting through the world, and do not deserve such an honorific title. If I am not mistaken, your brother is the Kanpaku of Japan, is he not? Your own status is exalted, whereas I am truly nothing."

  As the words were spoken, Bo Er's expression changed, and he was about to speak when he suddenly noticed a slanting ray of sunset shining into the great hall. It was already late in the day, and if they delayed any longer, they would not be able to make it down the mountain. As if remembering something, Bo Er changed his tone and said: "It's getting late now, and soon it will be dark. Why don't we take advantage of the remaining daylight to head down the mountain? I've rented a house at the foot of the mountain, and if you're not opposed to it, would you care to come as my guest? There are some matters I'd like to consult with you about."

  "Wait, Jingliu suddenly exclaimed, 'It's already evening? I didn't even notice, Feng Gege, can we leave now?'"

  Smiling faintly, he shook his head and didn't speak, taking three incense sticks from the side, lighting them up, and bowing to the East Emperor. He then inserted the incense into the incense burner in front of him. Only then did he turn around and smile at Bo Er and Jing Liu: "Since you've come here, how can you not pay respects to the Eastern Peak Emperor before leaving?"

  Bo Er hesitated for a moment, then said: "What the master says is absolutely right. Since we have come to the Central Plains, we should follow the rules of the Central Plains. Jing Liu, and also Bing Wei and A Yan, you should also offer incense to Dongyue Dadi."

  The quiet stream is fine, after all, has always been very respectful of the Zhongtu culture, with a humble and reverent expression, bowed three times, still muttering something. While Inada's two faces had some helplessness, obviously they had already bowed earlier, why did they have to bow again in a different place?

  The wind didn't care about them, and he quietly sensed everything here. Although the Taoist temple wasn't big, he always felt that there was a kind of inexplicable aura lingering here. It was as if this place could really connect heaven and earth, bringing down heavenly power to the mortal world.

  They finished their incense and several people went down the mountain together. Fujiwara Tokiaki walked beside Sui Feng, asking him many questions about Zhongtu. Sui Feng was curious about their intentions and answered them one by one, also asking a few questions in return. It turned out that he had come as a representative of Japan's Kanpaku to discuss opening trade between the two countries with the Tang Dynasty. He brought a personal letter from Kanpaku, but still couldn't meet with the Tang Dynasty's prime minister, only meeting an idle official who didn't care about the matter, and ultimately failing to achieve his goal. Tokiaki spoke of this matter with a tone of helplessness.

  The Tang Dynasty has always been open and inclusive to the outside world, and it's not difficult for trade to take place. However, the current prime minister is Li Linfu, who is currently obsessed with auspicious omens and is not in Chang'an. Even if he were really in Chang'an, he probably wouldn't pay attention to a mere Japanese kanpaku (crown prince).

  Trade is open, and goods are circulated, which is originally beneficial to the country and the people. Unfortunately, Li Linfu is keen on power struggles, and today's emperor is also infatuated with the beauty of the imperial concubine, where can he care about national affairs and people's livelihood?

  Following the wind, he could only sigh and shake his head, unable to do anything about it. As for national affairs, if they didn't reform now, who knew how many signs of defeat were hidden beneath the prosperous surface? He could only offer a few words of comfort, saying that the prime minister was busy with state affairs and had gone to Jiangnan for the time being, and couldn't rush back at the moment, so the Fujiwara family would have to wait patiently.

  A few people walked down the road, although the road was still rugged and difficult to walk. After all, it saves a lot of physical strength from top to bottom. It took less time to go down the mountain than to climb up, and finally arrived at the foot of the mountain before the sky completely darkened.

  Mount Tai has been a place for emperors to offer sacrifices since ancient times. With various Taoist temples built on the mountain, there are always believers coming to burn incense every day, and tourists from all over the world gather to admire the grandeur of Mount Tai. Therefore, at the foot of Mount Tai, it is not just a piece of wilderness, but also several households that form a village. Almost every household has several empty rooms that can be used for travelers to stay overnight, which is equivalent to the entire village being a large hotel.

  Fujiwara was after all a noble of Fusang, and with Bohai bringing several attendants, he didn't mind the travel expenses, so he rented a mountain villa to stay in.

  That night, a big table of wine and dishes was set up to celebrate the final finding of the Fujiwara family's young lady, and Sui Feng was also invited to attend. After declining several times, and since there was really no other place to have dinner, he had to agree. Fortunately, it was only some people from the Fujiwara family and the guards from the Iida family, and did not involve anyone from the Tang Dynasty government, so Sui Feng felt at ease.

  On the wine table, cups and chopsticks were intertwined. He was also forced to drink a few cups with the wind. He wasn't born with a strong capacity for liquor either, and after a few cups, he felt slightly drunk.

  Following the wine, Bo Er tentatively said: "Sir, you are so heroic and young, it's just a pity that although the Tang Dynasty has a thousand-mile horse, there is no Bo Le, why not follow our fleet back to Fusang this time? With your abilities, you will surely make a big splash in Fusang."

  Suī fēng yǎn jué dào: "Suī fēng běn jiù shì yī jiè cǎo mín, nǎ lǐ tán dé shàng qiān lǐ mǎ yī shuō. Bó èr xiānshēng shuō xiào le."

  Translation:

  "Following the wind humbly declined: 'Following the wind is just a commoner, where can we talk about a thousand-mile horse? Mr. Bo Er is joking.'"

  Mr. Bo Er also knew that although the Tang Dynasty and Fusang were nominally friendly, they treated guests from Fusang with courtesy. However, he also knew that few people in the Tang Dynasty were willing to go to Fusang, which was considered a backward Eastern country, no different from the Western Barbarians in their eyes. Who would be willing to go? He sighed inwardly and suddenly remembered something, changing the subject: "I have a rare treasure here, obtained locally, but unfortunately, Mr. Bo Er's eyes are not discerning enough to recognize what it is. I wonder if you can take a look?"

  Put down the wine cup with the wind, took a slight breath, and then asked: "What is it?" Yu Xuan wishes all book friends a happy new year here! If you like this book, remember to collect it. If you can have a vote, that would be best.