The two of them stopped speaking and walked down the mountain along the trail.
After walking for about three or five li, there was the sound of rushing water ahead. They carried their wooden buckets forward and took turns bowing down by the mountain spring to scoop up water. Li Yuanqing busied himself for a while, and the object hanging around his neck slipped out from the cord.
Bu Fugui glanced at it and immediately said, "Still haven't lost it, then?"
"Lose what? Lose your head?"
"Oh, Master Liaochen said this Ancient Mirror is most likely something used to suppress corpses in a tomb. You carry it on you every day, don't you worry about it being unlucky?" As Fugui said this, he lifted a full bucket of water to the side and added, "Though speaking of which, your item is better; it's not conspicuous at all, unlike my gold-glimmering Token, which was stolen by someone, damn them."
"Bring your hand over here."
"What for?"
"Didn't you say this is a ghostly item for suppressing corpses?"
Li Yuanqing snatched Bu Fugui's hand and pressed it hard against his own Ancient Mirror, scrubbing it vigorously.
Bu Fugui instinctively tried to struggle at first, but after seeing it clearly, he wore a look of disdain and chuckled, "Stop it, it's useless. This mirror only causes dreams if you touch it; I don't dream."
"Dreams are just dreams. At least they aren't nightmares. But it is strange—ever since I came here, whenever I touch this thing during the day, I definitely have dreams at night. Fugui, don't you think that's weird?"
"Not weird. This is a sanctuary of the Buddha, after all," Bu Fugui grinned, took the mirror, and looked at it for a moment. "Brother, look, you've polished this mirror until it's got a layer of grime. It looks hideous. If you carry it on your body all day, it's no wonder you dream. How about this: take this mirror off, find a stone by the stream, and grind it down. If you polish it until it's bright and clean, not only will it be lucky and ward off bad luck, but it will also look respectable."
"Will it work?" Li Yuanqing asked, half-doubting.
"Try it and see. Even if you can't make it bright, you won't regret it; it's not worth much anyway."
Tea farmers from the nearby Longjing tea gardens often came here to draw water, so they inevitably sharpened their scissors and farming tools there. Li Yuanqing searched along the edge of the spring and quickly found a whetstone as large as a basket.
This whetstone was quite interesting. Someone had split it down the middle, leaving it face-up and exposed, as smooth as freshly sliced tofu. Li Yuanqing reached out and touched it back and forth; the stone felt cold and refreshing, very comfortable.
He thought for a moment, then took the mirror, wetted it with some spring water, and began to grind it hard against the whetstone.
After a few rubs, light flickered through the dense, cloud-like patterns on the back of the Ancient Mirror. Li Yuanqing thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, so he scrubbed it back and forth even harder. He then raised the bronze mirror to compare, stared at it for a while, and continued grinding. Fugui, feeling idle, stayed by his side to chat and pass the time.
"In my opinion, your problem of having dreams after touching this mirror is just because you're too idle."
"Too idle?" Li Yuanqing replied distractedly, staring at the mirror before going back to grinding it himself.
"There was a while back when I dreamed a lot too. Think about it: we don't have to study those Monastic Lessons like the bald donkeys. Once we finish our chores, nobody cares if we nap for two or three hours. Actually, it's not just you; I see those guys Kěhuì and Kěnéng, they have plenty of dreams too."
Li Yuanqing did not stop his work, still keeping his head down and grinding carefully.
"Fugui, my dreams and ours aren't the same thing..."
"How are they not the same? I don't believe you've never had a wet dream, never dreamed of a woman."
Li Yuanqing stopped what he was doing and picked up the bronze mirror. Now the item was much brighter, and light flickered and reflected everywhere, casting shadows across the entire hillside of the tea garden.
"Didn't I tell you? For the past few years, I've had the same dream every time. I dream I'm in a cave..."
"Stop, stop, Brother, don't say it. I know you were scared silly by that gang of human traffickers like Old Sun-tou years ago, but how many years have passed since then? Sitting in some cave for a while and finding that a thousand years have passed outside, and everyone back home is dead—those are just ghost stories to scare us. I think this is better: since it's still early, let's head down the mountain, walk around, and clear our minds."
"That's a good idea. Shall we go now?"
"Let's go now!"
"Alright, let's hide the buckets in the old spot and go!"
The two of them didn't hesitate and quickly slipped down West Hill.
Below the Lingyin area of West Hill lay the world-famous West Lake of Hangzhou. The two walked eastward along the lake shore. A gentle breeze rolled in, and they saw row upon row of old willow trees by the lake sprout new green buds. The willow branches were full of vitality, hanging down like waterfalls and dancing gracefully in the wind. In the distance, the lake surface shimmered, and the new willows on Su Causeway were misty and swaying.
On the lake, pleasure boats frequently cut through the water, passing back and forth. Red oars struck the water, creating ripples. People on the boats indulged in pleasure, with the sound of stringed instruments and singing drifting through the air. Amidst the misty waves and spring scenery, the reflections of Su Causeway and Broken Bridge swayed with the water.
Watching the picturesque scenery, the two slowed their pace. They heard a pleasure boat rocking not far away on the lake, where a beautiful woman was singing softly to a group of rich men, accompanied by music:
"Outside Yongjin Gate lies Little Yingzhou, even more romantic during the Cold Food Festival.
Red boats fill the lake with songs and pipes, and high towers rise beyond the flowers.
Sunlight is warm, light mist floats, indulging in play,
Three thousand beauties, twelve railings, a piece of cloud..."
As they listened, the two walked along the shore. After walking for a while, they gradually arrived at a temple.
In front of the temple hung three large characters: "Temple of King Yue." On both sides was a couplet with gilded characters shining brightly in the sun:
"Thirty years of fame are like dust and earth,
Eight thousand miles of clouds and moon."
Li Yuanqing peered inside through the doorway and saw a stone wall in the center inscribed with the four characters "Serve the Country with Total Loyalty." Since he was a child, he had heard his grandfather tell the story of Yuè Fēi resisting the Jin, and he greatly admired this hero in his heart. Just as he was thinking this, two men approached from the opposite direction.
These two were of similar age; the one on the left was dressed like a businessman, while the one on the right was dressed like a scholar.
This scholar was clad in fine silk and satin Hangzhou fabric, wearing a scholar's cap. His pitch-black eyes were filled with smug satisfaction and sparkled. Looking closer at his brow, Li Yuanqing realized it was Liu Haoran, the scholar who had visited his home many years ago. Li Yuanqing felt vaguely that the man was familiar; it seemed as if he had been to his home many times. Then he heard the businessman greet the scholar.
"Master Juren, this is the famous Temple of King Yue outside our Hangzhou city."
Scholar Liu glanced at the Temple of King Yue and smiled slightly, turning his head.
"Boss Hu, don't we have an agreement? Don't call me Master Juren anymore. Since we have sworn brotherhood, just call me Brother Liu, or you can call me by my name, Liu Haoran."
"Haha, I forgot for a moment, excuse me, excuse me. Brother Liu, look at these two lines: 'Thirty years of fame are like dust and earth, Eight thousand miles of clouds and moon.' Judging by this 'Man Jiang Hong' written by Yuè Wǔmù back then, if it were placed today, it would certainly be enough to win a Juren status like yours!"
"Oh, you! Brother Hu, you flatter me indeed! How could I dare to compare myself to King Yue?"
"Haha, Brother Liu, don't be too humble. Look at what is written on that wall."
"Serve the Country with Total Loyalty... wait, that's not right..."
"How so? Does Brother Liu see something?"
"This character for 'country'—is it missing a dot?"
"Hahaha, Brother Liu has sharp eyes. It is said these four characters were the ones tattooed on King Yue's back by his mother. The reason the 'country' character is missing a dot in 'Serve the Country with Total Loyalty' is because the land had fallen and the nation had not yet been unified."
"Oh, so that's the explanation behind it."
As they spoke, the two men walked inside.
Finding it novel, Li Yuanqing pulled Bu Fugui along, and the two pretended to be incense-offering pilgrims and followed them in.
This Temple of King Yue was not large. The main hall held a solemn statue of Yuè Wǔmù, and behind the main hall was the tomb of King Yue and his son, Yue Yun. Kneeling before their tomb were statues of Qin Hui. Liu Haoran walked past and spat on the face of the statue.
"Hahaha, Brother Liu, well spat! But do you know why Emperor Zhào Gòu insisted on killing Yuè Fēi?"
Liu Haoran paused and slowly turned his head back.
"I don't know that. I haven't read much history."
"Oh, Brother Liu, since you passed the Juren examination, why haven't you read more history books?"
"Brother Hu, many Juren and scholars who pass the exams don't know history. Didn't the previous dynasty have a joke about a Hanlin scholar not knowing who Cao Cao was? So, I believe the Four Books and Five Classics are enough for scholars of the world to benefit from for a thousand years. These are the teachings left by the Sage Zhu Xi. Besides, the Imperial Examination doesn't test any miscellaneous books, so what's the use of reading them?"
Boss Hu smiled: "Brother Liu, there is more knowledge in this world than just the Four Books and Five Classics. For example, take Yuè Fēi, King Yue. To wash away the humiliation of the Jingkang Incident, he campaigned under the banner of bringing back the two emperors, Huizong and Qinzong. He didn't stop to think: if he really brought back Song Huizong and Song Qinzong, where would that leave Emperor Zhào Gòu on the throne?"
Liu Haoran had never thought of that level and opened his mouth in shock, staring at Boss Hu.
"King Yue also had a saying: 'If civil officials do not love money and military generals do not fear death, the world will be at peace.' However, if a person neither loves money nor lust, what does he want? Among the four generals of the Southern Song restoration, Liu Guangshi bought land, Zhang Jun loved money, and Han Shizhong loved women. Only Yuè Fēi was as clean as water, neither accumulating property nor taking concubines. When a person like that has no flaws at all, could Zhào Gòu not be suspicious of him?"
Having chatted for a while in front of Yuè Fēi's tomb, the two men exited the temple and continued walking south along West Lake.