Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 411 The Fish God Bird in the Lake Appears in the World, the Most True, the Most Benevolent, the Most Holy!
[Before you and Xie Yuan entered the pavilion, you saw a person sitting in a wheelchair from afar. You couldn't help but feel a little surprised - was that the Crown Prince of the Sui Dynasty, Liu Yuan? ]

[It is rare in history that the crown prince of a country is disabled. ]

[Su Yun seemed to have sensed your confusion and explained in a low voice: "When the Emperor of Sui was still an idle prince, he had a deep affection for his previous princess. It is said that after the princess died, he never remarried. Although His Highness Yuan is disabled, he has always been in the position of the Eastern Palace."]

[“A son’s honor depends on his mother’s.”]

[You nodded gently, understanding. This situation is not uncommon. Many wise and capable monarchs in history, even though they had countless concubines, always remained loyal to their wives and never abandoned their wives.]

[From this perspective, although this Prince Yuan was held hostage in the Sui Dynasty for many years, he still enjoyed a very high reputation among the people of the Sui Dynasty.]

[If he can maintain his father's favor, when he returns to the Sui Dynasty, he may have the opportunity to hold the sacred artifact and ascend the throne.]

[It is no wonder that Prince Yuan is so highly regarded among the nine major surnames.]

【You all walk into the pavilion.】

[Su Yun had a look of joy on his face. He quickly stepped forward and said with a bow, "Su Yun is late. I hope you can forgive me."]

[“Fourth sister is here too.” He turned his gaze to Su Shishi, his tone carrying a hint of intimacy.]

[Su Shishi stood up, bowed gracefully, and said softly: "Third brother."]

[As Prime Minister Su's adopted daughter, she often visited the Su residence during festivals and had long been familiar with Su Yun.]

[The courtesans who saw this did not dare to neglect him. They all stood up and saluted, respectfully addressing him, "Mr. Yun."]

[As the grandson of Prime Minister Su, his status in Bianjing is three times more important than that of the crown prince.]

[The three princes also nodded slightly to show courtesy.]

[Besides Su Yun, there are Xie Yuan, Xie Xuan, and finally you. ]

[Then, everyone's eyes fell on the young man who was the last one to enter the pavilion.]

[Liu Yuan looked at Xie Guan with a gentle gaze and said, "I guess this is Master Guan from the Banquet of Flowers, right?"]

[Although Xie Xuan was impatient, he still stepped aside, revealing Xie Guan who was walking at the end.]

[The boy is still young, but he has a calm demeanor. ]

[“Xie Guan, I’m honored to meet Crown Prince Yuan.”]

【Liu Yuan smiled even more when he heard this: "He is indeed a very elegant young man."】

[“You don’t have to call me Prince, just call me Liu Yuan. I’m a few years older than you, so if you like, you can call me ‘Brother Yuan’.”]

[His sincere smile and cheerful tone make people feel close to him.]

【After these words came out, Xie Xuan's face turned a little ugly. He had followed Su Yun to meet Liu Yuan several times, but he had never been treated like this before. He couldn't help but feel a little resentful.】

[The Prince of Changshengtian, Helan Zhenshu, who was standing behind Liu Yuan, sneered when he saw this, with a hint of sarcasm in his eyes, but he didn't say much.]

[Su Shishi had met Xie Guan before, and greeted him with a smile, "Shishi greets Master Guan."]

[The other three women saw the rumored Xie Guan for the first time, and each of them had a subtle look on their face.]

[The eyes of the woman in the colorful skirt flickered slightly, and her gaze stayed on Xie Guan for a moment, with a hint of surprise in her eyes. She looked carefully and saw that although Xie Guan was dressed in plain clothes, he looked simple among the gorgeous clothes of the crowd, but he had a sense of elegance, as tall and straight as a Huai bamboo. Even in the face of Liu Yuan's praise, he looked calm and unperturbed.]

[The seventh girl of the Li family originally leaned against the railing with her arms folded, but now she stood up. Her eyes were like a knife, sweeping Xie Guan from head to toe three times. Finally, she uncrossed her arms and her expression eased a little. At least the one chosen by her family was not a "crooked melon and jujube". ]

[The person with the strangest look in the room is the woman in the green dress playing the zither.]

[Her fingertips paused, and the strings suddenly trembled rapidly, like a bird flying over the water, and then forced themselves to calm down.]

【Attracted several people's attention. 】

[The woman in the green skirt lowered her eyes and stared at the end of the zither, but the tips of her ears were stained with a light red.]

[The atmosphere in the pavilion changed quietly due to Xie Guan's arrival. Everyone had different thoughts, but they all had to admit that although this young man was dressed simply, he had his own eye-catching temperament.]

【Su Yunze will introduce everyone in the pavilion to you one by one.】

[The woman playing the zither is the courtesan, Song Tingting. She did not attend the banquet, but grew up in Qimochunfang. According to Xie Yuan, this woman has an extraordinary background, and although she is in Qimochunfang, she is a free person. When she saw you, she showed a hint of shyness, which made you a little confused, after all, this should be your first meeting.]

[The woman in the colorful skirt is the courtesan who is good at raising birds mentioned by Xie Yuan, her name is Cai Huang.]

[It is said that when she sings, she can attract hundreds of birds to flock to her. Her eyes are smiling, and there is a bit of inquiry in her eyes.]

[Su Yun was a little embarrassed when he introduced the last woman dressed in men's clothing, saying: "This is the seventh daughter of the Li family."]

[You are slightly surprised when you hear this. You didn't expect to see the woman you want to marry here.]

【Li Qinlan just raised her hands and clasped her fists, ignoring you.】

【Xie Yuan glanced at the courtesans in the pavilion, and secretly sighed that this trip was worthwhile.】

[Originally, this trip was for an elegant gathering among the lush forests and bamboos, with incense burning in the bamboo stream, gurgling streams, wine flowing in the winding stream, and reciting poems and composing couplets. What a pleasure! ]

[Unfortunately, now that there is an uninvited guest, Li Qinlan, everyone is unable to proceed as planned. ]

[Especially when Li Qinlan just said confidently, "I have a way to make Xie Guan give up," the atmosphere became more subtle.]

[Liu Yuan smiled slightly, breaking the silence, and said: "Just before Master Guan arrived, we were discussing 'How can fish in the lake understand the joy of fish'."]

[Su Shishi's eyes were full of smiles. "I wonder what Master Guan thinks about this?"]

[Hearing this, you cast your gaze towards the lake. You see a few carps swimming leisurely, occasionally popping their heads out, stirring up circles of ripples and spreading out layers of halos.]

[All the courtesans are looking at you, and the woman in the green skirt also stops playing the piano. ]

[You laughed and said, "How can a fish in a pond know the world outside the mirror? How can we understand the joy of a fish? The floating light is hanging high in the sky, with no support, and it looks at you across the water and laughs at you."]

[“A spoonful of water makes a river, a pile of dust makes a mountain, the heaven and earth are one with me.”]

[“If you don’t think, Kunpeng will be free. If you think, Kunpeng will not be free. The same is true for the fish in the lake.”]

[As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the pavilion looked thoughtful.]

[A hint of approval flashed across Liu Yuan's eyes, and he clapped his hands and smiled, "From what you said, you have really revealed the true meaning of 'fish joy', and there is a bit of Taoist saying in it."]

[Kong Du snorted coldly from his nose. The Taoists hated stinky noses the most among Buddhists.]

[Li Qinlan raised her eyebrows slightly when she heard this. ] [Song Tingting lowered her eyebrows and smiled lightly, and gently plucked the strings of the zither with her fingertips. ]

[Su Yun also sat down, with a smile on his face.]

【Xie Guan was someone he had praised many times. Just from their conversation just now, he knew that Xie Guan was a man of extraordinary conversation and not just an ordinary person. He was also proud of it.】

[Song Tingting played the zither for everyone. The lake breeze blew gently, bringing a sense of comfort. The atmosphere in the pavilion gradually became better.]

[Liu Yuan sang while beating his chopsticks, looking carefree and free from the restraints of his princely status, as if he were just a scholar indulging himself in the beauty of nature.]

[When Monk Dukong saw this, a look of obsession appeared on his charming face.]

[The sound of the zither gradually fades away, but the lingering sound seems to linger between the beams of the pavilion.]

[Although Li Qinlan was reluctant, Su Shishi pulled her to sit down.]

[Cai Huang stood up and said, "I am willing to sing a song to cheer you up."]

【Xie Yuan immediately clapped his hands and cheered. 】

[However, the song sung by the woman in the colorful skirt was not an ordinary one, but a ventriloquist imitating the chirping of birds and insects in the early morning.]

[Her voice is sometimes as clear as a yellow oriole singing in the valley, and sometimes as gentle as a lark singing in spring, making people feel as if they are in the mountains and forests in the morning light, and feel peaceful.]

[The last bird call was long and clear, not like the sound of an ordinary bird, but like the cry of a hundred birds and a phoenix. ]

[You are distracted and look back, only to see a group of birds flying around the pavilion on the lake.]

【Xie Yuan pointed at the birds with a look of amazement and said, "Look! Egrets, gulls, oriental white cranes, white spoonbills... there are more than a dozen species of birds!"】

【Everyone in the pavilion was attracted by this strange sight and stood up to watch. 】

[Su Yun smiled slightly, "These birds all came here because they heard the sound."]

【Xie Xuan could no longer conceal the surprise in his eyes.】

[Liu Yuan exclaimed: "Miss Caihuang is indeed worthy of her reputation, this skill is truly heavenly!"]

[After Cai Huang finished singing, the flock of birds circling over the lake still did not disperse. She looked a little proud and glanced at you.]

[The flock of birds gradually dispersed, leaving only a pair of slender birds with colorful tail feathers and colorful down on their abdomens, flying into the pavilion and attracting attention.]

【Xie Yuan was surprised and blurted out, "Zhao Mingluan!"】

[Cai Huang showed a trace of surprise on her face, "I didn't expect that Master Yuan is so knowledgeable that he could recognize such a divine bird."]

[Xie Yuan was a little embarrassed. He just liked the "Fengwuzhi" of various places, especially the "Xu Xian Travel Notes" written by the great master. He could almost recite it by heart and put it under his pillow at night.]

【Xie Xuan also spoke, with an expression of disbelief on his face, "Could this be the legendary bird from the North Sea?"】

[“According to legend, the Zhaoming Luan was transformed from an ancient god. Out of compassion for the difficulty of distinguishing good from evil and loyalty from treachery in the human world, it transformed itself into a bird and descended to the mortal world. It lives in the North Sea all year round. Whenever a major disaster strikes the human world, it will flap its wings for nine days, hover above the sky, and make a clear and long cry to show the will of heaven.”]

[Cai Huang nodded slightly, "This bird was obtained by my grandfather by chance in the past. After five generations of nurturing, we finally got this nest of rare creatures, one male and one female, in pairs."]

[You are slightly surprised and curious about Cai Huang's origins. She is a prostitute, but she doesn't need to attend the banquet and can enjoy raising birds. This is obviously unusual.]

[Two Zhaoming Luans fluttered around the pavilion, their wings shining brightly, just like the legendary phoenix descending, dazzling the eyes.]

[Liu Yuan's eyes were piercing, he was secretly amazed, a hint of deep meaning flashed in his eyes, and he whispered: "The appearance of the divine bird, could it be a sign that there will be a great disaster in the world?"]

[The Prince of Changshengtian, Helan Zhenshu, had a greedy look in his eyes. The northern grasslands have always revered the divine birds. When he saw these two Zhaoming Luan, he was already eager to make a move and could hardly control himself.]

[He suddenly opened his hands and tried to catch one of them, but in a flash, two Zhaoming Luans appeared in another place like phantoms and lightly avoided his capture.]

[Cai Huang saw this and smiled softly, "Prince Helan, this Zhaoming Luan is known as a divine bird, so it naturally has the power of a divine bird. Its speed is so fast that even a martial arts master cannot reach it."]

[As a martial arts practitioner, Helan Zhenshu tried several more times, and the result was indeed as Caihuang said, it was difficult to touch the two Zhaoming Luans. ]

[Cai Huang paused for a moment and continued, "Moreover, this bird has a noble nature and does not want to fall into the hands of ordinary people. It only wants to live in the phoenix tree. If it is forcibly captured, it will rather die than surrender and starve to death. Although my ancestors and grandchildren have been blessed to raise it, we only feed it from a distance and never dared to hope to get close to it."]

[A hint of strangeness flashed across her eyes, "Today is really strange. They actually spread their wings and flew out on their own."]

[After hearing this, Helan Zhenshu could only sit down helplessly, but the greed in his eyes did not diminish.]

[It doesn't matter for Cai Huang, but Zhao Ming Luan is extremely fast. Let alone He Lan's real skills, I'm afraid that even if Da Qi's Shen Yin Division came, it would be in vain. ]

[Su Yun laughed out loud, "Today is really an eye-opener."]

[“It is said that there is a male and a female Zhaoming Luan. The male prefers those who are truly kind and virtuous, while the female has a special liking for those who are extremely treacherous and evil. The two are inseparable. If the male chooses a master, the female will resolutely hit a rock and die; conversely, if the female chooses a master, the male will do the same.”]

[Li Qinlan heard this, her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and her gaze followed closely the pair of Zhaoming Luan flying in the air.]

[Cai Huang nodded slightly, "Mr. Yun is right. It is said that when the Master was out to sea, a Zhaoming Luan suddenly appeared on the bow of the ship. The male bird folded its wings and landed on the bamboo slips, while the female bird cried three times and crashed directly into the reef in the sea."]

【Everyone nodded in agreement after hearing this. As the most holy teacher of Confucianism, the Master has a noble character, so it is only natural that he is favored by the male bird.】

【Only the Buddhist disciple Dukong had a flash of disdain in his eyes, and sneered in a low voice, "Master is just a hypocritical person."】

[Although his voice was soft, everyone in the pavilion heard it.]

【Liu Yuan frowned slightly, looking displeased. After all, this was in Bianjing, the capital of the Great Qi Dynasty, and discussing the Master's affairs could be big or small, especially since Su Yun was the grandson of Prime Minister Su. However, he did not say much.】

[Li Qinlan suddenly had an idea and asked, "What if the two birds choose the same master?"]

[Su Yun was choked by this question and was speechless for a moment, "He is both a 'great villain' and a 'truthful and kind' person? How can there be such a person in this world?"]

【Cai Huang smiled slightly, "It is indeed recorded in ancient books that if two Zhaoming Luans choose a master, this person must be a natural saint, a combination of truth, goodness, and holiness."】

[Everyone was surprised to hear this, but they did not delve into it and just thought it was a legend.]

[Xie Yuan looked up at the pair of divine birds in the sky. Their feathers shone with colorful brilliance in the sun, and their cries were clear and moving. He couldn't help but feel an infinite yearning to travel around the world.]

[He murmured in a low voice: "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. If I stay at home all the time, how can I have the chance to see such a magical object?"]

[As he was sighing with emotion, Xie Yuan suddenly let out a soft cry. ]

【"Um?--"】

[In his sight, the two divine birds actually flew down low, seemingly heading in his direction.]

(End of this chapter)