Chapter 217

The scorching sun is like fire, the grotto is cool.

The cave walls inside the grotto are vaulted, like a house; the cliffs wind, dividing into small rooms.

In the room, the spring sounds are faint, and the water sounds are clear.

Amidst the water light and rock shadows, there are stone pools and water ponds, with mist swirling. The water ponds are separated by stone screens, with gauze curtains hanging on the screens, and bamboo mats laid under the curtains; it is actually a semi-natural hot spring bath!

Deep in the bath, there are several separate stone caves, with white stone square pools in the caves, and the water is clear enough to reflect. Sunlight penetrates through the stone skylights, casting changing light and shadows in the water, like broken gold floating and sinking, bright and dazzling.

In one of the square pools, Wang Yang and Yuyang Le Pang were east and west, their bodies soaked under the water, their heads tilted back against the pool wall, eyes closed, looking content.

"Hot water is coming in on my side again... hiss... oh—"

Le Xiao Pang first took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, and finally made a satisfied and exaggerated call, as if even his bones had been soaked soft.

Wang Yang smiled: "Are you—uh... ah—"

Before he could finish speaking, the water temperature on Wang Yang's side rose sharply, and he couldn't help but let out a lazy moan from the depths of his chest, as if he had been reborn, his whole body having been passed through by immortal magic.

Le Xiao Pang couldn't stop laughing: "Brother, your call is more soul-stirring than mine!"

Wang Yang didn't open his eyes, struggled to adjust his leaning posture, and dragged out his voice:

"This call of mine, twenty years of cultivation, you, naturally, cannot compare..."

Le Xiao Pang smiled: "You haven't even been alive for twenty years."

Wang Yang said casually: "I was also cultivating in my previous life."

Xiao Pang laughed loudly: "High monks cultivate Buddhist dharma in their previous lives, and for you, you cultivate this!!"

Wang Yang still closed his eyes, a smile on his lips, and said slowly:

"Buddhism has the 'Vajra Lion's Roar', and what I cultivate is called the 'Warm Jade Soul-Stirring Chant'. It emphasizes using water temperature as a guide, using body and mind as a vessel, to chant the utmost softness and warmth in heaven and earth. Like your rough way of calling, that's not even touching the threshold."

Le Xiao Pang laughed like a pig. Several beautiful maids by the pool couldn't help but laugh.

Yuyang Le Pang swam two laps back and forth, returned to the pool side, and beautiful maids had already brought cut sweet melons and cold tea to him.

Xiao Pang ate a few pieces of melon, drank half a cup of tea, and said to Wang Yang:

"This place, although not as refined as the 'Yidu Two Springs', wins because it's in a grotto, and you can soak in the summer. In the whole of Jingzhou, this is the only place where you can soak in a hot spring in the summer. However, compared to the Henshan Spring and Yiling Spring, it's really lacking. When winter comes, let's go to Yidu and have a good soak."

Wang Yang opened his eyes: "Okay, it's best to wait for a snowy day; soaking on a snowy day is interesting."

Le Xiao Pang took a small breath: "Soaking in a hot spring on a snowy day?"

Wang Yang took the towel sent by the maid, wiped his face, drank another sip of iced orange juice (orange juice with honey and water), and pondered:

"Watching snow in a hot spring, watching the sea on a fine sandy beach, listening to the stream in a mountain pavilion at night, reading books when cold rain knocks on the window—these are all 'good pastimes'."

Le Xiao Pang tutted: "No, no, I have to memorize this! One day I'll show off in front of my father... eh? What was that word again???"

Le Xiao Pang thought for a while and clapped his hands: "Right, it's showing off! One day I'll show off in front of my father."

Wang Yang looked at Xiao Pang in surprise: "The word 'show' you used in the middle is very spiritual!"

Xiao Pang said happily: "Really? My word usage is also very spiritual, right?"

Wang Yang smiled: "Quite spiritual!"

The beautiful maid took the wine glass from Wang Yang's hand and said: "If the young master likes the scenery, you can climb the rocks after bathing; there are Cloud-Ring Peak and Wind-Riding Terrace on the mountain, and the scenery is very good. You can also designate people from our place as guides to follow and serve."

After the beautiful maid finished speaking, she lowered her head as if shy.

Le Xiao Pang said: "Are we going?"

Wang Yang knew Kong Zhangyu would come to find him today, and maybe he had already arrived by now, so he smiled slightly and said: "Go. I'm not in a hurry today."

"Okay!" Le Xiao Pang slapped the water, then hesitated: "But we have to eat, but the cooks here are average, four fruits and eight dishes, nothing to eat."

Wang Yang thought for a while and said to the maid: "You tell people to make some seasonal vegetables and wild game, no matter the style, just pick the fresh and signature ones, and then send them to the mountain, and we will eat on the mountain."

Then he asked Le Xiao Pang: "What wine do you want to drink?"

Xiao Pang looked at Wang Yang: "How about bamboo leaf?"

The maid apologized: "There is no bamboo leaf wine here, but there is freshly brewed green mash."

Wang Yang said: "Just this."

The beautiful maid bowed shyly and went to arrange it.

Xiao Pang looked regretful:

"The cook's craftsmanship here is really average, can't make any exquisite dishes, and there are no beautiful concubines playing the zither and singing... sigh, I originally wanted to treat you to Fragrant Snow Pavilion."

Wang Yang smiled:

"We carry wine up the mountain, facing the scenery to eat; what we eat is a wild interest. If the dishes are too exquisite, they will be discordant. The chirping of birds can become the joy of host and guest; the charm of grass and the intoxication of flowers can be compared to beautiful concubines at our side. As for the cook's craftsmanship, let's not be too fussy."

Le Xiao Pang opened his eyes wide: "My god, it's good to have talent; even if the dishes are not good, he can talk about them in a fancy way..."

Wang Yang rested his elbows back on the pool edge and sighed lazily: "Mainly because I ate two meals at Fragrant Snow Pavilion yesterday, and I'm a bit tired of it..."

Xiao Pang gasped, looked at Wang Yang sideways, and asked seriously:

"Tell the truth, were you showing off just now?"

Wang Yang smiled and dismissed the serving maids. He swam to Xiao Pang's side with a gossipy expression:

"I heard from He Sanlang that looking at Jiangling, he was the first to know about the 'Three Beauties of the Imperial Capital', and the city's pursuit of the three beauties was all started by him."

Le Xiao Pang sat up straight from the water, splashing a piece of water:

"He's farting!

He hasn't even left Jingzhou; what bird does he know!

I grew up in Danyang; when I heard about the three beauties, he was still playing with mud!

His news is all third or fourth hand, just enough to fool children who haven't seen the world.

Like me, a real expert, including Yin Xiao Wu, he can't even get a word in during our conversations!"

Expert... conversation...

Okay, okay, really professional.

Wang Yang suppressed his laughter: "Then let me ask you, have you heard of a friend of Xie Xie Niangzi Xie Si surnamed Xiao?"

To find out information about an idol, asking the fan leader is definitely correct.

Although Xie Xinghan is not an idol, she is famous, so after Wang Yang got the "Xiao" surname clue, he immediately thought of Le Xiao Pang, this "star-chasing boy".

"Lanling Xiao?"

"Should be."

"Then there are many! Just the clan women are several! Princess Changcheng is also familiar with her, and she is also surnamed Xiao."

Wang Yang's heart moved, and he asked:

"Princess Changcheng? Is she knowledgeable?"

Could she be a princess?

"I don't know about this; I only know that the princess wanted to have a pure conversation with Xie Xie Niangzi Xie Si, but Xie Xie Niangzi Xie Si refused no matter what."

Wang Yang thought for a while and asked again: "Is the princess beautiful? The kind of beauty that topples cities and countries."

Le Xiao Pang scratched his head: "I'm not very clear about this either. But since she didn't enter the Three Beauties of the Imperial Capital, she shouldn't be that beautiful. But if you want to say topple cities and countries..."

Le Xiao Pang was like a lit candle, his whole person became a bit more spirited, his expression excited:

"Then it has to be the Three Beauties of the Imperial Capital! Taking any one of them alone, beating them up—is that the word?"

Wang Yang nodded with a smile.

Le Xiao Pang's expression was proud, he waved his hand, his tone impassioned: "Taking any one of them alone, beating up the Princess of Peng Cheng of the Northern Barbarians!"

Wang Yang laughed and covered his face; Le Xiao Pang said: "What are you laughing at? This is true! The fake Princess of Peng Cheng is known as the most beautiful in the world, and after seeing the portraits of the three beauties, she couldn't even eat!"

Wang Yang remembered the story of the portrait beating well and didn't want to destroy Le Xiao Pang's sense of belief, so he smiled: "Yes, yes, the atmosphere of our dynasty is naturally not something the Northern Barbarians can compare to."

Le Xiao Pang was smug: "That's natural! Eh? One of the three beauties, the daughter of the Marquis of Xichang, is surnamed Xiao, and is a close friend of Xie Xie Niangzi Xie."

Wang Yang's eyes lit up: "This Marquis of Xichang is?"

"Xiao Luan, Prime Minister Xiao, the Emperor's cousin, Marquis of Xichang, a die-hard Crown Prince supporter; now he seems to be either the Right Vice Minister of the Secretariat or the Left Vice Minister, I can't remember clearly. I don't know much about his affairs, but his daughter..."

Le Xiao Pang clasped his hands together, excitedly:

"It is said that Xie Xie Niangzi Xiao was extremely intelligent when she was young; at the age of eight, she played chess against four people at the same time and won all four games, known as a child prodigy! She could recite articles after reading them once! But it seems her temperament changed after her mother passed away; she doesn't like to socialize, rarely attends banquets, and doesn't have pure conversations with people; it seems she doesn't understand poetry? In short, her fame is not very obvious, and her temperament is cold. Among the Three Beauties of the Imperial Capital, she has the least information."

There are quite a few rumors; some say she has a chronic illness, so she rarely attends banquets; some say she lives luxuriously, so she is not liked by the Marquis of Xichang, who forbids her from going out; others say she rarely goes out because she stays at home reading books; Duke Wang Wenxian once admired her erudition—to be honest, this is exaggerated, actually I have always wanted to verify it, but Duke Wenxian has already passed away, but I can find..."

Listening to Le Xiao Pang talking about various anecdotes and rumors with great interest, Wang Yang slowly curled his mouth into an arc.

Xie Xie Niangzi Xiao, is it?

Hehe,

Caught you.

——————

Note: ① At that time, the Vice Minister of the Secretariat was also called Prime Minister, so although Xiao Luan hadn't become the Minister of the Secretariat yet, he already had the name of a Prime Minister. Those interested in the titles of Prime Ministers in the Southern Dynasties can refer to Mr. Zhu Zongbin's "Research on the Prime Minister System of the Two Han, Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties".

② Xiong Huizhen's commentary on "Commentary on the Water Classic": "'Chuxueji' cites 'Jingzhou Record': 'Henshan County produces hot springs.' It also cites Yuan Shansong's 'Yidu Mountain and River Record', Henshan County has a hot spring flowing into the big stream, it is only warm in summer, but very hot in winter, there is always mist on it, and long-term illnesses are mostly cured by entering this water." ("Commentary on the Water Classic · Yishui")

Li Xian's commentary on "Book of the Later Han" cites "Jingzhou Map" saying: "West of Yiling County there is a hot spring. According to ancient legends, this spring originally produced salt, and today the water has a salty smell." ("Book of the Later Han · Records of the Southern Barbarians and Southwestern Barbarians")

At this time, Yiling and Henshan counties were both under the jurisdiction of Yidu Commandery in Jingzhou, so Xiao Pang said "Yidu Two Springs", where "Tang" means hot spring.

Mr. Chen Yinke said in "Notes on Yuan and Bai Poetry": "The custom of hot springs for healing was originally popular among the nobles of the Northern Dynasties. The construction of the Hot Spring Palace in the Tang Dynasty was nothing more than inheriting one of the customs of the Northern Dynasties." This theory is very popular in academia. Therefore, there are academic achievements specifically discussing Northern Dynasties hot springs, but no one pays attention to Southern Dynasties hot springs.

But in fact, there are quite a few Southern Dynasties hot springs, and there is also the concept of healing. For example, the Henshan Spring mentioned by Xiao Pang earlier. It's just that the quantity is not as large as in the Northern Dynasties, and the literature is not concentrated, so it appears scattered and unsystematic.

Ps. Some readers might be curious, why do I cite historical materials in the chapter notes and 【Author's Say】 sometimes by indirect citation? For example, "Book of the Later Han" cites "Jingzhou Map" and so on, why not just say "Jingzhou Map" says so, why add "Book of the Later Han"?

There are three situations for indirect citation of literature:

First, the literature is now lost and can only be passed down through other books, such as "Chuxueji" citing "Jingzhou Record". "Jingzhou Record" can no longer be seen now. The "Jingzhou Record" we cite is preserved in "Chuxueji", so the version we cite now is the indirect version of "Chuxueji", not the original version, so the source must be stated for easy verification and comparison. This is not hiding its origin.

Second, senior scholars have conducted academic summaries, such as Xiong Huizhen's commentary on "Commentary on the Water Classic" citing "Chuxueji" citing "Jingzhou Record" and so on. Since we have seen it, we cannot pretend we haven't seen it and turn to cite "Chuxueji" directly ourselves. This is hiding the senior scholar's merit and using it as one's own. Although it doesn't count as plagiarism, it is close. So the source must be stated from which scholar's book it was cited. This is not hiding their merit.

Third, ancient books cite a certain book, such as "Yuanjian Leihan" citing "Huangming Zhengyao" and so on. Because we don't know if "Huangming Zhengyao" exists now, or it is inconvenient or we are lazy to verify the original text of "Huangming Zhengyao", so we cite it indirectly. Although it is slightly lazy, it is honest and maintains the transparency and honesty of academic citation. This is not hiding its source.

The citations involved in the chapter notes of this book are either the first or second case. 【Author's Say】 specifically lists ancient literature, so the indirect citations involved there are all the first case.