After being choked to death by a copper coin, she became a demon Jin Ji in the other world

[Ahem, what are you talking about?]

Shen Yuelan, who was choked by Bai Juyi's words, looked helplessly at the eccentric old man in front of her. Although she thought so when she first heard about it, "Don't really say it out loud," the picture immediately came to her mind.

[This is their specialty! If you use snakes, scorpions, and centipedes to make wine, isn’t that drinking corpse water? If you use deer antlers and tiger penises to make wine, isn’t that drinking corpse water? You…………]

[Stop, stop, stop talking. If you continue, all my fine wines will be poured out.]

[Humph, it sounds like you can drink it now. ]

[Oh, that's right. Why not give them all to the neighbors that day and consider it a good deed.]

Tsk, I actually accidentally contributed to a folk story. What a sin, what a sin, Shen Yuelan complained inwardly.

[As long as you are happy, let's change the topic. We all know that you are a good poet, but do you have any other achievements? ]

[Well, I can't say that I have any achievements, but I do have some experience in editing books. I wonder if you have heard of "Six Notes on Classical History and Events by Bai Shi", which is a book of words and sentences compiled by me based on my own collection of books.]

[Um, I have never heard of it. Sigh, how sad! The master spent so much effort to compile a book, but this precious book has never been published since its creation, and is unknown to the world. It is really a pity.]

Bai Juyi hesitated to speak after hearing this. He wanted to blurt out that he had spent all his family wealth and worked hard to compile and collect these books, so how could he just hand them over to other people? But then he thought about it and felt that what Shen Yuelan said made sense.

Be it the famous poems or songs from all dynasties, the reason why they are passed down through the ages is not only because of the authors' brilliant literary talent, but more because these works are known to the public and are often praised by the people.

If he keeps his collection of books here forever, they will inevitably be lost and damaged after a hundred years.

[Young lady, what you said is absolutely right. I have learned my lesson. If someone comes to ask for wine in the future, I will not refuse. Come, since young lady doesn’t like brewing wine, then drink some plum wine that I brewed at home. This is brewed by Fan Su, it is very refreshing, I won’t give it to ordinary people.]

【Then I would like to thank you for the wine. 】

After three rounds of drinks, the banquet finally ended. Although Bai Juyi tried again and again to keep them, Shen Yuelan still took Shen Huanyan and others to bid farewell to the Bai Mansion. The remaining life of this old man in front of them would be as short as the reign of Emperor Wuzong. Shen Yuelan had already seen off Old Zhao, and she didn't want to experience the same separation of life and death again.

What's more, this great poet in front of him will continue to make a significant contribution to China's brilliant poetry culture in his remaining days, so Shen Yuelan cannot stay with him for too long.

[My dear friend, the friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water, while the friendship between villains is as sweet as honey. Although we met by chance, we felt like old friends from the first sight. It's a pity that all good things must come to an end, so we can only say goodbye here.]

[I just don’t know when we will meet again in this life after today’s separation. You are still young, but I am already gray-haired.]

[Sir, fortunes often lie in the shadows of misfortunes, and misfortunes often lie in the shadows of fortunes. How do you know that a long life is a blessing? ]

Bai Juyi was stunned when he heard this. After thinking for a while, he showed an understanding and then laughed out loud. He seemed to be laughing, but in fact he was crying. He understood Shen Yuelan's hint that the Tang Dynasty had been in danger for a long time, but there was nothing he could do.

Before Shen Yuelan left, Bai Juyi gave her a poem he wrote when he was sixteen years old.

[This poem "Fude Guyuancao Songbie" was written when I was sixteen years old. There is nothing special about the idea. It is just to express the feeling of reluctant farewell to a good friend. Please listen to it. ]

[The grass on the plain withers and grows again every year. Wildfires cannot burn it all, spring breezes blow it back to life. Distant fragrance invades the ancient road, clear green connects to the deserted city. I send the prince off again, with a feeling of parting.]

Chapter 290: On Shouyang Mountain

After bidding farewell to Bai Juyi, Shen Yuelan and others began to look for a place to live near Luoyang City. Because of the events of Dongjing in the Northern Song Dynasty, Shen Yuelan was still afraid of Luoyang City in the Tang Dynasty, which was also Dongjing, and she did not dare to live there.

Therefore, they had to find a sealed and auctioned temple outside the city as a place to live. Because it was relatively remote, the price was relatively cheap, only 20 strings of cash were enough, and these 20 strings of cash were equivalent to 6 yuan in later generations.

You should know that although this property is a bit far from Luoyang City, it comes with a whole mountain, which was managed quite livably by the monks who originally lived here.

There are fruit trees all over the mountain, farmlands at the foot of the mountain, streams flowing through the mountain streams, and houses clustered on the mountainside. How pleasant it is!

Not to mention the 6 yuan, which could not even buy a toilet in the same geographical location in later generations. Even in the Tang Dynasty, it was only because Shen Yuelan happened to catch up with the good thing of "Emperor Wuzong's destruction of Buddhism".

Otherwise, not to mention whether it is possible to acquire this house at the same price, even the monks originally living in this temple would not easily move out of this rare place for meditation, allowing Shen Yuelan to take advantage.

Shen Muguang is still a child at heart, so naturally she will go crazy when she sees the beautiful mountains and rivers. Shen Yuelan is not afraid that anything will happen to her, but she is afraid that she will lose herself.

Although she really wanted her to behave herself for a while, under the little girl's repeated requests, Shen Yuelan had no choice but to let Shen Huanyan take her for a stroll in the mountains, and to hunt some game or pick some fruits and vegetables to eat.

The mountain that Shen Yuelan purchased is part of Shouyang Mountain. Although it is a bit far from Luoyang, it is also a mountain with rich historical heritage. The most famous legend here is the story of Boyi and Shuqi.

Boyi and Shuqi were the two sons of the king of Guzhu State in the late Shang Dynasty. When their father died, he left a will that Shuqi would succeed him. However, Shuqi gave up the throne to Boyi because he was the eldest son. However, Boyi believed that he could not disobey his father's order, so he ran away. Shuqi also refused to succeed to the throne and fled.

Later, King Wu convened a meeting of 70 princes in Mengjin, and after crossing the river, they deployed their troops in Muye. King Zhou of Shang sent troops to resist them. The slaves turned against King Zhou in the battle line, and King Zhou burned himself to death in Lu Tai, and the Shang Dynasty perished.

Boyi and Shuqi were loyal to the Shang Dynasty and were ashamed to eat Zhou millet, so they lived in seclusion in Shouyang Mountain, picking wild vegetables for food. Later, they met a woman who said, "Zi Yi does not eat Zhou millet, which is also a plant of Zhou."

The two men were so ashamed and angry that they starved themselves to death and were buried in Shouyang Mountain.

The dynasties have had mixed opinions about them. Some people think that the two are wise men and gentlemen, while others say that they are fools. There is a poem that says: [It is the most comprehensive to take on the responsibility without giving up, but it is difficult to save the situation without the people. The world has never had a fixed master, so why starve to death on Shouyang Mountain. ]

Regardless of whether the actions of the two were appropriate at the time, at least for the descendants living here, their experience of loyalty has left a strong mark on this mountain and left a lot of spiritual wealth for the people here.

In addition, the tombs of emperors and empresses of the Wei and Jin dynasties are also mostly buried nearby. It can be said that the cultural landscape here is extremely rich.

Of course, the above-mentioned tombs have nothing to do with the hill occupied by Shen Yuelan. After all, there are many hills under the name of Shouyang Mountain, and many of them are suitable for living.

No one would leave a livable place and instead live near a cemetery where negative energy gathers. Even when a temple is relocating, it will not choose a place too close to an emperor's mausoleum. Therefore, Shen Yuelan is not too worried about suddenly having a ghost neighbor.

The vegetation coverage rate in the Guanzhong area during the Tang Dynasty was relatively higher than that during the Song Dynasty. At least Shen Yuelan could still see several ancient trees on her hill.

The manor agent who sold the hill to Shen Yuelan was an agent with an official background. When he introduced the property to Shen Yuelan, he boasted to her that the ancient trees were said to be related to Boyi and Shuqi.

But whether they are just passers-by or the end point in the lives of the two people, no one can tell. At least in Shen Yuelan's red eyes, these trees are not that mysterious. They are just old elm trees.

Compared to those useless elm trees, Shen Yuelan cared more about the treatment of her stomach. Although they had brought a lot of food from the other world for emergency needs, since they were in the Tang Dynasty, they naturally had to try the unique delicacies of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang Dynasty was an era of abundant food. Although not as abundant as the later Song Dynasty, thanks to the huge tribute system and developed transportation network, the emperors or noble families in the capital Chang'an were always able to enjoy special products from all over the country.

Clams from the coastal areas of Shandong, sugar-coated crabs from the Yangtze River basin, fermented white fish from northern Anhui, dried ginger from Zhejiang, loquats and cherries from southern Shaanxi were all on the list of local tribute at the time.

In addition, foods imported from foreign countries were also a major feature of the Tang Dynasty's cuisine, such as mare's milk and grapes sent from Gaochang, betel nuts and bananas from Annan, pine nuts from Silla, and pepper from Magadha, all of which appeared on people's tables during the Tang Dynasty.

Of course, these seemingly intimidating ingredients are not new to Shen Yuelan and others, but in fact, if they do not use some special means, it is normally impossible or difficult to get these things.

After all, they are tribute foods, which are difficult for ordinary people to get access to. Even if they occasionally appear on the market, they are extremely expensive and ordinary people can hardly afford them.

At least Shen Yuelan didn't want to go to Luoyang City again just for food. She had the best chef at home who could recreate the taste of the Tang Dynasty.

After little Twilight was tired of playing, Shen Huanyan successfully brought her [trophies] back to their residence. What she brought back was very rich. In addition to mountain mushrooms, wild vegetables and pears, there were also several fresh pheasants and rabbits.

[Huh? Are there still wild sheep around here? ]

Among the ingredients Shen Huanyan brought back, there was actually mutton, although it was not a whole one.

[It's good enough to be able to hunt wild rabbits in Guanzhong, how could there be wild sheep to eat? That's the domestic mutton I bought at the "grass market" held between several villages at the foot of the mountain. I thought it was good, so I bought some and will make "Leng Xiu Lamb" for you later. ]

[Haha, "Cold-cooked Lamb"? That was Wu Zetian's favorite. She cooked the lamb with spices, removed the bones while it was hot, flattened the meat, and sliced it thinly when eating. Oh, it was really luxurious.]

[After all, this is a dish that is praised as "Zhen Lang sacrificed his life to serve the country", so I think it must have its unique features. I will try it later. By the way, what do you like to eat as a staple food? Hu Bing? Or Tang Bing? ]

[I want to eat "Gulouzi". I will take one pound of mutton, put it on a giant Hu pancake, put pepper and black beans in between, moisten it with crisps, put it in the oven, and eat it when the meat is half cooked. Oh, it's delicious just thinking about it. Huanyan, you bought mutton, so let's make it together. ]

【What is "Gulouzi"? To put it bluntly, it is just mutton pie. What's so special about it? Besides, mutton is the main dish. Eating mutton-filled pancakes will make you sick. It's better to eat "Huotu". Although it is similar to noodles, at least it is not greasy. 】

[No, I want to eat "Gulouzi"! "Gulouzi"! ]

[Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say. Let's eat "Gulouzi". Really. ]

Chapter 291 Holiday in the Mountains

Just as Huanyan said, this mutton combo was indeed very greasy and people didn't want to eat it after just two bites. Fortunately, little Twilight took out a few handfuls of wild garlic from his arms at the right time. Although the little guy was covered in mud when he came back, at least the meal was a success.

【belch!】

A rich garlic aroma gushed out of Shen Yuelan's mouth, almost making her turn her head back. She had to eat a few bites of the pear to freshen her breath. Although the result was not ideal, it was at least better than nothing.

After eating and drinking, she lay on the rattan chair in the quiet courtyard, basking in the afternoon sun. It was so comfortable, but there were some blind mosquitoes flying around Shen Yuelan.

There were mosquitoes in later generations of China, and there were naturally many in the Tang Dynasty. Many people even wrote about them in poems. Wang Jian, a Tang Dynasty poet, wrote in "Jingmen Xing": [In March in the south, mosquitoes and gnats are born. At dusk, no human voices can be heard. The gauze curtains are as thin as fog, and the buzzing of mosquitoes bites my skin through my clothes. ]

The poem says that mosquitoes in Lingnan start to breed in March. There are so many of them that the buzzing of mosquitoes covers up the human voice. Silk curtains cannot block them at all. Mosquitoes can bite people through clothes. This scene is terrifying just to think about. No wonder Lingnan was regarded as a place of exile during the Tang and Song dynasties.

The great poet Liu Yuxi also wrote "Gathering Mosquitoes Ballad", which says: [In the deep summer night, the orchid hall is open, and the mosquitoes are waiting in the dark, making a sound like thunder. The noise is shocking at first, and it seems to come from the South Mountain. The noise is exciting and the darkness is dark, and the ignorant cannot tell the difference and the listeners are confused. Dewdrops drip on the flowers, and the moon rises in the sky, and the sharp beaks greet people but cannot touch them. I am seven feet tall and you are like a thorn. I am alone and you are many, but you can hurt me.]

This poem by Liu Yuxi actually has another meaning. He uses mosquitoes to metaphorically represent the sinister bureaucrats of the time, but this does not prevent us from feeling the great poet Liu's deep hatred for mosquitoes.

In addition, the poet Meng Jiao also has a poem called "Mosquito", which says: [In the middle of May, hungry mosquitoes are still buzzing. I am begging for blood and flesh, so why do I feel that my life is insignificant? I would rather feel ashamed of myself, and drink from others to survive. I wish to be the veil of the world, so that the night view will be clear. ]

The general idea of this poem is, I want to rest on a summer night, mosquitoes are hungry, they come to suck my blood, not knowing how to cherish their lives. Mosquitoes, you don't like to work, aren't you ashamed to live by sucking blood? I wish I could turn into a mosquito net so that people all over the world can sleep peacefully.

It must be said that the last line of this poem, "I wish to be the tent of the world, to make the night view clear.", is similar to Du Fu's "I wish I had thousands of mansions, to shelter the poor people in the world, to make them happy, to be as stable as a mountain in the wind and rain! Alas, when will I suddenly see this house in front of me? My own broken house is enough to freeze to death!". They are both about seeing the big picture from the small, and extending the sigh from small things to national affairs.

In short, there were just as many mosquitoes in the Tang Dynasty as in later generations, so Shen Yuelan had to invent an insect repellent talisman for herself and stick it on herself and everyone else.

Although it is not impossible to stick it directly on the house, people have to go out sometimes, and it is impossible to stick it all over the Tang Dynasty, so it is most appropriate to stick it only on people.

After isolating the most annoying species in the Tang Dynasty, Shen Yuelan felt that the whole world was quiet. Of course, it was only quiet, not peaceful. The buzzing sound of mosquitoes would still fly past Shen Yuelan's ears from time to time.

But one should not be too greedy. It is good enough that it does not bite you. Why should one press further and kill you all?

It is nice to have some free time in the busy life, but you cannot drink too much. After resting for a few days in the ancient temple in the mountains, Shen Yuelan and others went down the mountain again, planning to try their luck somewhere else.

They were already very familiar with Sichuan and Shu. During the Tang and Song dynasties, there were limited changes in the southwestern region, and Shen Yuelan did not intend to waste energy revisiting the old place.

Shen Yuelan now wants to go to the west, but it is the early years of Huichang now, and the Tang Dynasty is no longer as powerful as it used to be. It probably only retains control over the Han provinces and parts of Annan and the Northeast.

About six or seven years later, the last paperhanger of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Li Chen, would gradually retake the Hexi states (now western Gansu) that were originally under the control of the Uighur Khanate and Tubo.

[Speaking of which, the Uighurs are currently in the process of losing their country. Should we go join in the fun? ]

Xiao Yuhuan, who loved to watch the fun, wanted to show off in the west, so she suddenly mentioned the Uighurs who were almost dead.

Speaking of the Uighur Khanate, it was once a part of the Turkic Khanate, the old enemy of the Tang Dynasty. In the conflict between the Tang Dynasty and the Turkic Khanate, it stood firmly on the side of the Tang Dynasty, and successfully counterattacked with the support of the Tang Dynasty, defeated the Turkic Khanate, and became the overlord of the northern grasslands.

Relying on this relationship, the Uighur Khanate had a very close relationship with the Li Tang Dynasty in history, and had sent troops many times to help the Li Tang Dynasty quell rebellions, although the price the Li Tang Dynasty paid was quite heavy (allowing the Eastern Capital to be looted and losing the support of the people).

However, such a powerful steppe khanate perished in 840 AD. After suffering multiple blows from natural disasters, internal strife and foreign invasions, its capital was conquered by the Khitan Khanate from Central Asia, and its tribes were torn apart.

The Tang Dynasty seized the opportunity in 847 AD and, taking advantage of the internal strife in Tibet, sent troops to regain control of Qin, Yuan, Wei, Fu, He, Wei and other states; and the local tyrant Zhang Yichao from Shazhou, after losing the constraints of the Uighurs, successfully expelled Tibet and brought parts of Hexi, Longyou and Beiting in the Western Regions back to the rule of the Tang Dynasty.

[This Zhang Yichao is quite interesting. Without his promotion, even if Emperor Xuanzong of Tang had the huge wealth accumulated during the reign of Emperor Wuzong, he might not have enough power to take back the Hexi states.]

[Well, it can be said that heroes are made by the times. Tubo was also poorly managed in the late Tang Dynasty, and the exploitation of the people in the Hexi states that originally belonged to the Tang Dynasty was even more severe. ]

[The darker the reality, the better the memory. Under the oppression of the Tibetan nobles, the locals naturally wanted to return to the rule of the Tang Dynasty. Zhang Yichao came into being in such a background.]

[Are you sure you want to go to the west? That place is still under the influence of Tubo. Zhang Yichao's uprising will not start until six or seven years later. We will only see slavery and exploitation there. When you see it, will you save them or not?]

Shen Yuelan's question caused everyone to be silent. They knew that if they encountered injustice, they would most likely want to step forward to lend a hand, but could they save the hundreds of thousands of people in the Hexi states?

And who among them could bear the chain reaction caused by the rescue? Shen Yuelan would probably have to take the blame.

Xiao Yuhuan naturally thought of this as well. Her face turned slightly red and she quietly changed her words, changing the destination to Suzhou and Hangzhou. The situation there wasn't that good right now, but at least there weren't any major disasters, so everyone had no objection.

Chapter 292 Outside Gusu City

In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, Suzhou and Hangzhou belonged to Zhejiang West Road. Because it was developed relatively late, the social environment here was more peaceful than the chaotic Central Plains region.

Basically, there would be no rebels visiting here, and no vassal states were willing to establish their own regime here. Therefore, before the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, this place was always under the control of the central dynasty, probably.

At least at this time, the Western Zhejiang Province where Suzhou and Hangzhou were located was still under the control of the Tang Dynasty. The capital of Western Zhejiang Province was Suzhou, and Hangzhou did not gradually develop until the end of the Tang Dynasty and became the vanguard of this area. Therefore, Shen Yuelan planned to go to Suzhou first to see the excitement.

However, this was only the superficial reason. In fact, Shen Yuelan wanted to go to Suzhou to see beautiful women. Suzhou, also known as Gusu, is the land of Wu and Yue. It has been rich in beauties since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Therefore, the beauties here are mostly called "Wu Wa".

Shen Yuelan had met Bai Juyi not long ago, and he had praised her at a banquet: [The erhu is played with twang and twang, and Wu Wa has beautiful eyebrows and long eyes.]

Although Shen Yuelan pretended to be very good, her unusual behavior of running out as soon as she arrived in Suzhou City was still noticed by several people. Xiao Yuhuan and others who had also made travel plans naturally knew that there were beauties everywhere in this place, so they were wary of Shen Yuelan's little thoughts.

They didn't want to interfere with Shen Yuelan's private life, but they were afraid that she would go to a brothel and get involved with people she shouldn't. Brothels in ancient times were similar to entertainment companies today, and Suzhou was the leader in this industry because of its many beauties.

Many famous figures in the Tang Dynasty would come here from time to time to have fun. Running into Bai Juyi was already beyond everyone's expectations, and they couldn't let Shen Yuelan cause trouble again.

After Shen Yuelan was lectured by Huanyan for a long time, she was allowed to go to their destination today, Huqiu. Shen Yuelan couldn't help but sigh that Huanyan was becoming more and more like a nanny.

Tiger Hill is located seven miles northwest of Suzhou City and on the north bank of Shantang River. It is said that King Helu of Wu was buried here. Legend has it that three days after Helu’s burial, a white tiger crouched on it, hence the name. Another legend says that the hill got its name because it looks like a crouching tiger.

Tiger Hill is not high, only about 30 meters, but it has pleasant scenery, with "Three Wonders, Nine Benefits and Eighteen Scenic Spots", among which the most famous are Yunyan Temple Pagoda, Sword Pond, Thousand-Man Stone and Zhenniang Tomb.

Tiger Hill has not only picturesque scenery, but also historical stories and is a Buddhist holy place. Therefore, since the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Tiger Hill has been famous all over the world. No matter who comes here, they must go to Tiger Hill to take a look.

Shen Yuelan was naturally no exception. She still remembered how the demon sword princesses who went to Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions to collect the contract half tael showed off to her when they came back. Naturally, she also wanted to experience the customs of Suzhou and Hangzhou.

It’s a pity that Huanyan and the others watched her too closely this time, so she couldn’t experience the beauty of [Wu Wa]. It’s such a pity.

But it’s also good this way. It is a pleasant thing to appreciate the scenic spots of Gusu City in the Tang Dynasty with a relaxed mood. At least it is far away from the chaos of the Central Plains and the environment looks fresher.

Compared with the mountains in Guanzhong that have been cut down and are almost bald, the lush vegetation in Suzhou can almost be described as primeval forest, and there are a lot of old trees over a thousand years old.

Looking south from here, the dense forest is endless, and there is a faint fog surrounding the forest. The further south you go, the thicker it becomes. I guess that is the so-called "miasma". This thick gas is the main obstacle to human development to the south.

But humans also have their own ways. More than ten kilometers away from Tiger Hill, thousands of civilians dressed as laborers are working hard in the primeval forest. Their job is to cut down all the ancient trees as thick as millstones.

The fallen trees will be used as raw materials for repairing the palaces of the Li Tang Dynasty, and the land that originally belonged to the forest will become fertile farmland on which the local people depend for their survival. This is actually what the so-called development is all about.

All environments that are not suitable for human survival are destroyed and gradually modified into land suitable for human habitation. This is how humans have cut through land from the north to the south and from the east to the west. This process is primitive and barbaric, but it is a necessary step in the accumulation of civilization.

People in later generations cannot blame their ancestors for their short-sighted behavior, because they are all beneficiaries of their ancestors' pioneering spirit. Therefore, even though Shen Yuelan felt a little distressed, she did not say much. After all, this is the so-called "civilization."

But just because Shen Yuelan didn't curse doesn't mean others won't curse. A young man in his thirties was so angry at the bustling scene in the distance that he started cursing.