Chapter 65: The Great Wild Goose Pagoda Amidst Red Dust

  Tang Guan took Xiao Qi out of the door, and Wu Chengsi was stunned at the sight.

  Tang Guan only then discovered that this official was going out, and indeed it was no ordinary response, a large team of horses lined up at the end of the alley.

  Wu Chengsi smiled and said: "Little friend, come on"

  Tang Guan looked at the tall horses in front of him and said, "Sir, this book boy has been with me since childhood, his merits cannot be ignored. Can he ride a horse with me?"

  Wu Shengsi's eyebrows furrowed upon hearing this, and he looked towards Xiao Qi. On that side, a guard who seemed to be his confidant had been about to flare up in anger at these words, but immediately restrained himself - Tang Guan was not someone that such a minor figure as him could afford to provoke.

  After a moment, Wu Chengsi's eyebrows finally relaxed and he smiled: "Today is the young master's big happy day, since that's the case, it's all up to you to be happy."

  Tang Guan was originally looking at Wu Chengsi with a seemingly smiling but not smiling expression. When these words came out, he couldn't help but feel a burst of astonishment.

  "Wu Chengsi is really tolerant, he hasn't even touched his bottom line with this, it seems that him leading the horse for Feng Xiaobao was true"

  "Tang Guan hesitated for a moment before responding: 'Sir, I was wrong.'"

  "No need, no need" Wu Chengsi waved his hand and then gave a signal to one of the armored soldiers in the team. The man jumped off his horse and knelt down on one knee, clasping his hands together in the shape of a stirrup.

  Tang Guan exchanged a glance with Xiao Qi, and Xiao Qi stepped forward, stepping on the man's hand and flipping onto the horse.

  Tang Guan also took a step forward, and Xiao Qi stretched out his hand to pull him up, only then did he flip onto the horse's back.

  Neither of them knew how to ride a horse, and as soon as they got on, before they could even grab the reins firmly, the horse suddenly became restless.

  The two of them hastily hugged each other tightly, and the soldier took a step forward and stopped the horse.

  Tang Guannai's official hat, which was several sizes too large, tilted slightly to one side, making him look somewhat comical.

  Wu Shengyi smiled and said: "Presenting the ceremonial fan to the sick young master, it will surely become a wonderful story. You all take good care of him and bring the top scholar to tour Chang'an."

  "Yes!" The crowd responded in unison, and afterwards, acquaintances exchanged a glance. Wu Cheng's behavior was somewhat strange, as if he always wanted to save face, but when encountering certain people, he completely didn't care about saving face.

  Take a look at the two of them now, that young man wearing official robes is probably none other than Tang Qubing, who has been causing a stir throughout the city.

  "Drive!"

  The cavalry slowly began to move, and naturally there were people leading the horses in front of Tang Guan.

  He and Xiao Qi were also stable on top, Tang Guan turned his head to smile at Wu Chengsi, who slightly nodded his hand.

  Until the horse team turned out of the alley, Wu Chengsi's smile slowly faded.

  A cold hum came from his mouth, "Hmph, a small man has achieved his goal", and then he turned back to look at the prosperous house in front of him, shaking his head slightly.

  "Haha, Guan Ge, look over there!"

  Xiao Qi was extremely excited on horseback, occasionally pointing and gesturing.

  Pedestrians on the street saw this horse team from afar and hastily dodged to one side, knowing that a high-ranking official was passing by.

  But when they saw clearly who was sitting on the horse, they burst into a commotion.

  "It's Tang going to be cured!"

  "The top scholar has arrived!"

  For a time, the streets became lively, and the bosses of the shops all rushed out. Tang Guan looked around, his big hat bobbing up and down on his head.

  "He's really just a kid!"

  The surrounding warriors saw the common people so excited and were also surprised, but soon they let it go. After all, that young man on horseback was like a legendary figure now.

  At the age of nine, he was already a champion, and no one dared to say how old he would be when he became a marquis or prime minister. Tang Guan also gradually became excited on horseback.

  "Haha, this is more like it, after all I'm also the youngest champion in history"

  With great fanfare and prestige, a young and outstanding talent emerges, drawing in crowds from all over.

  When the horse team drove past the flower building, Tang Guan looked back again, and it was the Wind Language Pavilion.

  At this time, the building was already crowded with women in flowered dresses, secretly looking down.

  That old procuress stood outside the door, looking over this way. Tang Guan had a hat covering his face so it was hard to see clearly, but Ma Hou's little seventh daughter could see very clearly.

  "Ah! It's you!" The old procuress exclaimed, but was unfortunately drowned out by the surrounding noise.

  In Fengyu Pavilion, in the kitchen.

  A frail little girl kept adding firewood to the stove, her face covered in soot, with only a pair of bright and lively big eyes constantly twinkling.

  "Cough...cough..."

  The thick smoke choked her into a fit of coughing, and her small face scrunched up.

  In the room there was also an old prostitute who had lost her beauty with age, washing and scrubbing at one side.

  She saw her on this side, ink marks coughing, rolled up her sleeves, and came over to pinch her ear and scolded: "Little vixen, you can't even do such a thing well, what's the use of keeping you by the old procuress?"

  The girl was in pain and hastily begged for mercy, "Auntie, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong"

  Just then a young servant ran in, shouting: "The number one scholar is coming! The number one scholar is coming!"

  The old prostitute released the little girl upon hearing this and rushed out excitedly. No wonder there was no movement inside the house, it turned out that everyone had gathered outside the door.

  The little girl rubbed her ears and also looked out the door, hesitated for a moment, and carefully followed out, blending in with the crowd.

  Two young men were seen on the horse, and Tang Guan had already taken off his hat, constantly waving to the people on both sides of the road. With a face full of joy and pride, she was stunned by this sight.

  She had seen him before, and just recently too - the young man who stopped the pimp from hitting her. She was hiding behind the crowd, watching him with a mixture of caution and admiration.

  Listening to the gossip and discussion of the surrounding prostitutes.

  "What a handsome young man! The one behind him is even more handsome, seems like I've seen him somewhere before"

  "Haha, give up already, you. I'm a top scholar, and all the famous courtesans in the quarter dream of being my patron."

  "Ah, it's just too small, I used to think he was a handsome young man, if only he were a bit taller"

  These women of the wind and dust spoke without reserve, and the little girl's eyes also gradually became dull as they followed the movement of the horse team.

  "Have you heard? The famous courtesan of Luoyang in Pingkang Li has specifically asked to meet this young champion?"

  "Ah!? So young and already seen, I heard she hasn't even started working yet."

  "Hush, this champion scholar is quite impressive, but our flower queen isn't bad either, how many princes and young masters have fallen at her feet"

  "If one day I can become a courtesan too"

  "Haha, keep dreaming, people are born perfect, hidden away in temples and pavilions since childhood, already handsome from a young age. Who's like us, these withered flowers and fallen willows..."

  The little girl heard this, withdrew her gaze, lowered her head and listened to them say: "Well, we can't think about being a courtesan anymore. This has to start from a young age, and one must also be chosen by a noble person. Once selected, they won't have to suffer the hardships of being trampled on like us."

  Upon hearing this, the little girl lifted her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes as she gazed at the horse team disappearing into the distance, and silently turned back to enter the courtyard.

  She walked slowly to the well, gently rolled up her sleeves, and scooped water from the bucket.

  A layer of grime peeled off, revealing a hint of skin tone.

  She washed on one side, and tears welled up in her eyes, her slender hands quietly washing away the dirt that had been covering up her true face all along.

  "There are no perfect people in the world, only because a bright pearl is covered with dust." The fields and paths were all cleared away, and a person who was so beautiful that even the heavens would sigh in admiration stood there, staring blankly at her own reflection in the water.

  Yes, she is beautiful, so beautiful that even she herself doesn't dare to believe it. If Lin Yuheng's beauty is a kind of gentle and approachable one, then hers is "only in heaven, not on earth".

  In the midst of the bustling world, she was a nameless orphan girl, and fate was vast and unpredictable, leaving everyone helpless.

  Even Tang Guan himself didn't know that on this day, a courtesan made up her mind to become the top courtesan in Luoyang because of him.

  The horse team drove away, and Tang Guan and Xiao Qi also came back to their senses from the excitement.

  Although both sides were still lined with onlookers, they no longer waved as they had before.

  Suddenly, a tall and majestic pagoda appeared in the distance.

  Tang Guan saw this building and his heart moved, asking: "Where is that place?"

  The man leading the horse heard this and looked up with a smile: "Zhuangyuan Lang, that is the Wild Goose Pagoda."

  "Big Wild Goose Pagoda?" Tang Guan stroked his chin, recalling a legendary story, that was the naming of the Wild Goose Pagoda, unfortunately the person who named it appeared many years later.

  Tang Guan smiled lightly and said, "In that case, I'll take care of it first."

  "I want to go there and take a look"

  Jia Shi heard this and was slightly stunned, hesitating for a moment before saying: "Zhuangyuan Lang, that is a Buddhist place, it's not suitable for us to go there now."

  "What's wrong? I said let's go and we'll go"

  The general hesitated for a moment, then remembered Wu Chengsi's order and shouted to change direction. In an instant, the cavalry turned around and headed towards the Wild Goose Pagoda.

  Xiao Qi looked at the increasingly close Goose Pagoda and smiled: "What a big tower!"

  Tang Guan smiled slightly, and the wild goose tower was named. The flower arrangement was sent to the banquet. Since there were no fellow students "pooling money to visit prostitutes" together, it's not bad to have a classic love story either.

  "Halt!" The cavalry immediately came to a stop.

  Tang Guang looked towards the front door and only then discovered that the pagoda was actually built in a temple.

  "Da Ci En Temple"

  He immediately jumped off his horse with Xiao Qi and walked forward, surrounded by armored soldiers who dismounted their horses and followed closely behind.

  They had not yet knocked on the door when a young monk opened the temple gate and an old monk came out from it.

  "Amitabha Buddha, the champion scholar has arrived at our humble temple, and I am ashamed of not having gone further to welcome him."

  "The monks all know my name now, hehe" Tang Guan smiled secretly in his heart and stepped forward to pay respects: "Master, the student wants to go in and worship, to fulfill my virtuous wishes."

  This old monk seems to be in charge here and is also familiar with Tang's affairs. Now that Buddhism is flourishing, hearing Tang say this makes him feel proud too.

  He immediately said: "The champion is a Wenqu star descending to the world, and heaven has revealed it. With such a heart, the small temple will be born with splendor!"

  Tang Guan heard this and smiled. Xiao Qi stood beside him, looking at the group of bald monks, suddenly feeling amused, and his interest in the temple's great pagoda increased a bit more.

  The first volume has ended, and we are entering our second volume. Tang Guan has already entered the palace, entered the era's field of vision, in Chang'an, in the alleys, amidst the rolling red dust, what will happen? Will it be a splash that creates a different kind of wave? Or will it be a heartbreaking farewell to the world? Some people say that writing about suffering is too cruel, but there are countless hardships in the world. I don't have a Buddha's heart, so where does my sorrow come from?