Chapter 146: Leyou Plain

There are not many students in the Chongwen Academy, only about thirty in total.

During the break, Wei Renshi looked around. The oldest was thirty, and the youngest was himself, at twelve. Most of them were around seventeen or eighteen, but the Crown Prince was nowhere to be seen in the Academy.

However, considering that Li Song had already been the Crown Prince for over twenty years and was no longer young, it would be strange if he spent a lot of time in the Chongwen Academy.

He probably just visited the Academy at regular intervals to encourage the students, or perhaps to discuss current affairs and exchange views with the scholars of the Academy.

Wei Renshi was not in a rush either. Although he had planned to use Li Song to get to know Li Chun, he did not want to appear overly deliberate.

No one is a fool; if he tried too hard, it would only breed suspicion in the minds of Li Song and Li Chun.

Since he had already arrived at the Chongwen Academy, getting to know them was only a matter of time. It was better to let things take their natural course, make the right moves at the right moment, and give that "natural course" just a tiny artificial push.

The house had already been purchased, and Dog Er had been sent back to Luoyang to report the news to his family.

Sun Peng had already converted the money for the estate into flying cash in Luoyang and handed it over to the Jiao family. Wei Renshi felt completely free of debt, making his living situation even smoother and more agreeable.

Since he was not in a hurry to do business in Chang'an, Wei Renshi had nothing much to do every day.

Reading books, listening to lectures, and chatting idly with his fellow classmates made the days relaxing and pleasant.

It would be even better if he didn't have to copy books.

For a person from later generations, classical prose was something one dared not listen to from morning till night, day after day. Even Wei Renshi, a graduate of the Chinese department, could not bear it.

In the Chongwen Academy, what felt interesting at the beginning of each day gradually became just barely comprehensible, and later on felt like endless winding circles. Things that could be explained simply in plain vernacular had to be phrased in obscure, misty ways. It sounded aesthetically pleasing, but was not always practical.

Fortunately, ever since Wei Renshi had transmigrated to the Great Tang dynasty, his past memories had inexplicably re-imprinted themselves in his brain, becoming as fresh as if he were experiencing them for the first time. Moreover, the content lectured by Mr. Liu Zhao happened to be something the modern-day Wei Renshi had touched upon, giving him his own insights and perspectives. As a result, after a period of time, he actually won great favor from Mr. Liu Zhao.

The dull days were quite relaxing, and Wei Renshi actually rather liked the feeling of being a student.

Unawares, several days had already passed in the Chongwen Academy, and the ten-day break had arrived.

"Renshi, make sure not to be late tomorrow!" A fellow classmate instructed Wei Renshi as school was dismissed.

Wei Renshi nodded. "Rest assured, Brother Zhiyi, I won't be late."

His name was Fan Zhiyi, the grandson of General-in-Chief of the Jinwu Guards Fan Xichao, and also one of the students attending Mr. Liu Zhao's lectures. He was a true classmate of Wei Renshi.

Having received Wei Renshi's confirmation, Fan Zhiyi suddenly wore a somewhat embarrassed expression on his face and said, "Hehe, Renshi, could you bring more of those snacks you usually bring?"

Hearing him say this, several other classmates burst into laughter.

"What are you all laughing at? If you have the guts, none of you go looking for wives!" Hearing several people laughing at him, Fan Zhiyi suddenly flew into a rage from embarrassment, turned around, and shouted.

Puzzled, Wei Renshi looked toward the other classmates.

"Brother Renshi came late, so you don't know. Brother Zhiyi wants to take the Du family's young lady as his wife. This is no longer a secret in our Chongwen Academy," said the speaker, whose name was Quan Qiaoqiu, the youngest son of Crown Prince's Preceptor Quan Deyu.

At that moment, another person came over, winking and smiling. "It's a pity the young lady of the Du family hasn't agreed yet! Haha! He must think they taste good and plans to send some for the Du young lady to taste, hoping to win her favor."

This wretched fellow was Gu Pengju, the grandson of the Minister of War Gu Shaolian.

Every single one of them was a scion of a high-ranking court official.

The next day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten at early dawn, Wei Renshi was already waiting at the entrance.

Ma Weilong led a few family servants and had already loaded the items prepared by Wei Renshi onto the carriage.

Wei Renshi himself got onto the carriage as well, and following the sound of the drums, led Ma Weilong straight toward Leiyou Plain.

There were few people on the road early in the morning, so the carriage traveled fast, and Leiyou Plain was not too far away, meaning they arrived without spending much time.

From a long way off, a large crowd could already be seen, with a fellow in white clothes, white robes, and a white horse standing out particularly prominently in the middle.

As they got closer, seeing him riding a horse while holding a folding fan in his hand, he looked as flamboyant as a peacock. Taking a closer look, it turned out to be Fan Zhiyi.

This contrast was rather stark compared to his demeanor in the Chongwen Academy. Wei Renshi grinned; over the past few days, he had already figured out that despite looking well-behaved in the Academy, Fan Zhiyi was actually a complete prodigal son, and belonged to the ringleader type at that. This trip to frolic at Leiyou Plain was his proposal, and he was the one shouting back and forth to gather people.

These prodigal youths were all riding horses, accompanied by quite a few carriages. Inside them were people from the Chongwen Academy familiar to Wei Renshi, as well as many unfamiliar faces.

When the carriage drew near, Wei Renshi jumped down from it. Fan Zhiyi spotted him first, spurred his horse over, and as soon as he opened his mouth, no ivory came out of a dog's mouth: "Haha, why is Renshi still taking a carriage? Those are only for women. A real man like me should gallop freely on horseback to be truly exhilarating!"

Wei Renshi was not annoyed; he chuckled, pointed at the carriage, and said, "Since we're out to enjoy ourselves, what could be more fun than a picnic? If we can hunt a few game animals and cook and eat them on the spot, that would be truly magnificent. I'm not riding a horse because I brought the ultimate artifact for outdoor barbecue—if you have the guts, don't eat any later."

"Outdoor barbecue? Ultimate artifact?" Fan Zhiyi was completely dazed, having no idea what Wei Renshi meant.

Soon, everyone had arrived. Looking at them now, there really were quite a few prodigal youths.

Quite a few of them had brought their families along, and there were also many faces unfamiliar to Wei Renshi.

The group headed up Leiyou Plain together.

Although the scenery was extremely magnificent, it did not seem particularly astonishing to Wei Renshi. However, being able to ascend Leiyou Plain held an extraordinary significance for him.

"Feeling unwell in the late evening, I drive my carriage up the ancient plain. The setting sun is infinitely good, it is just near dusk." This was a masterpiece of through-the-ages famous to almost everyone in later generations. The ancient plain written in this poem was none of other than Leiyou Plain.

Leiyou Plain got its name during the Han dynasty, when it was called Leiyou Park during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han. Once, Emperor Xuan went out on an excursion here with Empress Xu, becoming so infatuated with the brilliant scenery that he "forgot to return in his joy." Later, a Leiyou Temple was built here, and Leiyou Plain took its name from the temple.

Leiyou Plain was the highest point of Chang'an City, with high, flat, and open terrain, making it the best scenic spot for climbing high and taking in distant views. Moreover, Princess Taiping had once added pavilions and built the Princess Taiping Manor, the largest private residential garden of that time, right here. Just one of the gardens on Leiyou Plain, after being confiscated due to Princess Taiping's treason, was divided and bestowed upon the four princes of Ning, Shen, Qi, and Xue, which was enough to show the massive scale of Leiyou Plain back then. Later, the four princes greatly expanded and built upon it, turning Leiyou Plain into a natural scenic resort surrounding Chang'an City.

With its lofty terrain, looking out into the distance from the plain offered an expansive view in all directions. Inside the capital, looking down made it seem as small as the palm of a hand, and the scenery was delightful. People coming to Chang'an all came here to sightsee in an endless stream. Especially "every Third Day of the Third Month and Ninth Day of the Ninth Month, gentlemen and ladies would play games, gather here for purification rituals and mountain-climbing, with tents spreading out like clouds and carriages and horses blocking the paths."

Being able to personally ascend to the place described in his favorite poem was a very interesting thing for Wei Renshi.