Chapter 45: The Mountains and Waters Have an Appointment

  Tian Ai Nu was spoken to in this way, and she couldn't help but feel a little shy, her cheeks flushing red like the first blossoms of peach flowers, looking indescribably lovely and charming. However, her bright and enchanting eyes were gazing at Liu Jun Huan with a fiery passion, as if she had really developed some feelings for him.

  Liu Junwen knew that drinking this cup of wine would make Mrs. Yao even more displeased, but the beauty's tender feelings and the men's envious praises around him made his heart flutter, so he couldn't say no to the offer; he took a deep breath, picked up the cup, bowed slightly and said: "Thank you, young lady."

  Having said that, he raised his head and drank a cup of grape wine in one gulp.

  Tian Ai Nu smiled and said: "Young Master is indeed a good drinker, his temperament is also very refreshing, I... am very delighted!"

  She finished speaking quickly and smiled at him radiantly, as if she couldn't help but feel shy, Tian Ai Nu picked up her skirt and ran back.

  Liu Jun heard such moving words and looked at this moving figure, his heart was shaken, and he couldn't help but think: "The women of the Great Tang are always straightforward, but the women of Dunhuang are even more so. Such a young girl is really too charming!"

  The fragrance lingers, the beautiful shadow is before my eyes. Liu Jun's heart is infatuated, unwilling to turn around, but when he sees Mrs. Yao, his intoxication suddenly clears up, and he can't help but secretly exclaim: "Bitter!"

  At this time, Mrs. Yao's face had turned as black as a burnt pot lid.

  ……

  The carriage moved forward, Tian Ai Nu leaned against the headrest, and slightly closed her eyes.

  That wine is really strong.

  Her identity is very special, before, she had worries but no one to tell, but in front of Yang Fan this stranger who once parted ways and may never meet again in this life, she doesn't need to bury all her worries in her heart, as long as it won't expose her current identity.

  She doesn't need to hide all her nature, cry when she wants to cry, laugh when she wants to laugh, this makes her very relaxed, and the emotions that have been suppressed for a long time are somewhat indulged. It's also the first time she's had so much to drink, after a round of hot dancing, now the wine is taking effect, she really has a few points of intoxication, but this slightly drunk feeling, it's really great.

  Yang Fan looked at her flushed cheeks, took out his own cushion from behind his waist, and gently placed it on her shoulder, also propping up her back, making her sit more comfortably. Only then did he softly scold: "You want to get close to him, just pretend to be drunk, why do you have to really drink so much."

  Tian Aini closed her eyes, letting the gentle breeze blowing in from outside caress her cheeks. Her silky hair fell down and gently brushed against her face, while her ear, shaped like a yuanbao (a type of ancient Chinese ingot), appeared and disappeared. After hearing Yang Fan's words, Tian Aini didn't open her eyes, but softly said: "I drink because of him."

  "What's the reason for that?"

  Tian Ai Nu slightly shook her head as if she had something but didn't say anything.

  The wheels rumbled, sounding somewhat dull in his ears. He saw Tian Ai Nu leaning against the corner of the carriage, seemingly asleep. Yang Fan didn't ask her again and instead leaned back gently against the seatback, closing his eyes to feign sleep.

  After a while, Tian Ai Nu's soft voice came over: "I drink, I'm happy, I learn to make the best food, learn to cut the best clothes, want to make my place as comfortable as possible, everything is just because... I don't want to be wronged..."

  Yang Fan gently opened his eyes and looked at her.

  Tian Ai Nu leaned against the corner of the car, as if she had fallen asleep. She still didn't open her eyes, and her voice was murmuring like a dream. There were faint tear stains at the corners of her eyes. She said softly: "Because I treat every day as my last!"

  Yang Fan gazed at her for a long, long time. A lovely young girl like a flower, why would she have such feelings and thoughts? What secrets was she hiding in her heart, how much pressure had she endured? Yang Fan really wanted to ask her who the person was that saved her from the refugees' mouths back then, but he just looked at her, ultimately not asking out loud.

  The rumbling sound gradually faded away, the carriage left the quiet and peaceful crossroads paved with blue bricks and flagstones, and entered a narrow and winding yellow earth alley...

  ……

  The mountains and rivers have a destined encounter.

  The mountain will move if the water doesn't, and the water will move if the mountain doesn't.

  As long as you have a heart, you will always meet by chance.

  Liu Junwen endured the humiliation and apologized repeatedly, trying to placate her. She coquettishly tried every trick in the book on the couch, finally managing to coax Mrs. Yao into changing from anger to joy, no longer resentful. Only then did Liu Junwen put his mind at ease.

  To please Mrs. Yao, he arranged for her and several noblewomen with whom she was close to go on an outing a few days later, the destination of which was not too far away, just by the Luo River.

  The news was soon learned by those cunning and treacherous people under Chu's crazy singer, so "Xiahou Ying" also came.

  The Luo River flows gently, accompanied by many magical legends.

  Legends such as the Hetu Luoshu, Qin Shi Huang's inspection tour of Luoyang, sacrificing to the Luo River, suddenly a "Black Headed Old Man" emerged from the water, shouting loudly at him: "Come and receive the treasure of heaven", the excited Qin Shi Huang danced with his hands and feet, singing loudly: "The waters of Luoyang, their color is cyan. Sacrificing to the great marsh, suddenly facing south..."

  How could Wu Zetian let Emperor Gaozong monopolize beauty in the past?

  Then, last year in the Luoshui River someone suddenly dredged up a stone with four large characters engraved on it: "The Holy Mother descends to the people, eternal prosperity to the imperial cause." The Luoshui River had again produced an auspicious omen!

  Wu Zetian was overjoyed and immediately declared the stone as "Tianxuan Shengtu", conferred the god of Luoshui River as "Xiansheng Hou" and renamed Luoshui River as "Yongchang Luoshui". The national title also changed to Yongchang Year 1.

  It seems like from this story onwards, everyone has heard of many years passing by. Has it really been that many years?

  No.

  It was just because Wu Zetian liked to change the year number.

  Women, from ancient times to the present, even if they are the only female emperor, as a woman, can't help but have an emotional side.

  Today's stars are brighter, Wu Hou is very happy and wants to change the year number; Tomorrow's rainstorm is bigger, Wu Hou is unhappy, she also wants to change the year number; The day after tomorrow, Wu Hou grew a new tooth, Wu Hou is happy again, she still wants to change the year number.

  As a result, during the period when Wu Zetian was in power, the year number had to be changed twice or even three times a year, resulting in countless "first years". Just from the perspective of the year numbers, many Tang people wanted to talk about something that happened in a certain month and year, but they had to calculate for half a day before knowing which year it was relative to the present.

  Whether the heavens have ordained Wu Zetian to manifest a divine sign with the God of the Luo River, in order to support Wu Zetian's continuation of Qin Shi Huang's great achievements, is not important to the common people. What they care about is only whether their own bellies can be full.

  The Luo River produced a "miracle", and Wu Zetian was overjoyed. Under the guise of reciprocating the peach, she issued an edict prohibiting fishing in the Luo River. This caused hardship for the fishermen who lived on both sides of the Luo River. They had to either give up their ancestral occupation of fishing or move away from the Luo River and make a living by fishing elsewhere.

  Many fishermen moved away or changed their profession, which made the two banks of the Luo River a quiet and peaceful place, becoming a good place for officials and nobles to enjoy the autumn.

  At this time, the Luo River was still a vast and endless marsh, with boats plying back and forth in the middle of the river, their sails towering above, blocking out the sun. The riverbanks were lined with willows that provided shade, and fragrant grasses grew thickly.

  A long bridge spanning the Luo River, with people and vehicles crowded on it. This bridge is called "Tianjin Bridge", because it connects to the main gate of the imperial city, every morning when the moon is still high in the sky, the bridge is bustling with activity, thus becoming a famous scene in Luoyang, known as "Tianjin Morning Moon".

  By the Luo River's bank, serene and peaceful.

  On a vast and empty riverbank, bamboo poles were inserted into the ground, closely surrounding the river water with a circle of cloth, only leaving one side facing the river to enjoy the scenery. Inside the cloth enclosure, shengs were being blown and guzhengs were being plucked, faintly transmitting the sound of music and songs, looking like a wealthy family was celebrating the autumn here.

  A hundred feet away, in another location, a circle of canvas was also set up, but still dozens of steps away from the riverbank. Some servants were cooking and preparing various delicacies outside the canvas, with meaty aromas wafting through the air. On the open space in front of the canvas, two strongmen were engaged in sumo wrestling. Inside the canvas enclosure was Mrs. Yao's entourage.

  At this time, another group of people arrived, dressed in bright clothes and riding angry horses, obviously rich or noble.

  The robust men of Bendant were one by one majestic and powerful, surrounding a pair of young boys and girls in the middle, who were also riding magnificent horses.

  The young man and woman both wore embroidered hats, narrow-sleeved robes with turned-up collars, and a pair of black deerskin boots on their feet, with a slender waist and a straight back, looking elegant and refined.

  The young man had a slender figure, thin waist and long arms, bright eyes like stars, nose like a hanging gallbladder. Only when he smiled, there were two dimples on his cheeks, which made him look even more handsome, but also reduced a bit of the heroic spirit of a man.

  The girl was a little shorter than him, slender and delicate, with bright eyes and white teeth. Because she was wearing men's clothes, she looked even more handsome.

  These two young people were Yang Fan and Tian Ai Nu.

  Next to them was a high-headed horse with a golden leopard crouching on its back, and the animal trainer followed closely behind the leopard.

  They stopped by the Luo River, as if they also wanted to enjoy the scenery and have a picnic.

  The place they chose happened to be right between those two tents.

  Note: In the Tang Dynasty, a tame leopard would often crouch on its master's horseback when accompanying him on hunting trips or outings.