Chapter 208: Bian Ji! Bian Ji?
When they arrived at the restaurant, only Li Jingren was squatting at the door eating Chang Te'an.

Seeing Li Xiang coming, Li Jingren waved from afar.

"Hey, brother, would you like a bowl of Changtean?"

"Add an egg!" Li Xiang replied.

Walking to the table, Li Xiang sat opposite Li Jingren, waiting for the chef to cook noodles for him.

"Brother, how come you have so much free time to come here?" Li Jingren asked with a smile.

"I just came out of Lizheng Hall and chatted with Master Xuanzang for a while." Li Xiang shrugged and took the bowl handed to him by the cook.

"Master Xuanzang?" Li Jingren thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Is he the great monk brought back by the caravan? I've heard of him. He's a remarkable man who could actually walk from Guazhou to Tianzhu, and then walk back to the Tang Dynasty from Tianzhu..."

"If you let me go, I'm afraid I'll end up lying on the ground halfway." Li Jingren took a mouthful of noodles.

"He didn't just walk there," Li Xiang said with a bit of subconscious respect, "He debated at every temple along the way..."

“Puff——” Li Jingren turned his face to the side and spit out all the noodles: “What did you say? He…he is so powerful?”

"That's right, otherwise how could I accept the reception from Grandfather?" Li Xiang spread his hands and picked up a bowl of noodles with his chopsticks. "Not only that, Master Xuanzang also drew a map of his journey. He set out from the Tang Dynasty to India, and from India back to the Tang Dynasty were two different routes. I don't need to tell you how valuable this map is, right?"

Hearing this, Li Jingren retreated tactically and stood in awe.

"If that's the case, then Master Xuanzang is truly the greatest holy monk in the Tang Dynasty!"

As he spoke, Li Jingren, who had never believed in Buddhism, actually chanted the Buddha's name loudly: "Amitabha..."

Li Xiang: …

"Is this considered cramming in some sense?" Li Xiang asked while biting noodles.

Since there was a layer of chili oil on the Chang Te'an, Li Xiang didn't dare to slurp it and could only use chopsticks to put it into his mouth.

If you slurp it, the chili oil might choke your throat and you will feel uncomfortable.

"Not really?" Li Jingren thought for a moment and replied with a smile.

Li Xiang stretched his lips and asked again: "Speaking of which, you have been doing business on the grassland for so long, how is the map drawing going?"

"Almost the same. Although not as far as Master Xuanzang, the farthest we went to was Yutian." Li Jingren ate noodles and said to Li Xiang, "The Western Regions are very keen on the goods of our Tang Dynasty caravan, especially salted fish and kelp. Many people there have goiter, and eating kelp will cure them. It's really weird."

He added: "If the goiter lasts a long time, there is no way to treat it with kelp, but it is also very strange."

"It's weird. Kelp is rich in substances that can treat goiter. But the most important thing about this thing is prevention. As for treatment, the effect in the late stage is not very significant." Li Xiang explained to Li Jingren with a smile.

"What substance?" Li Jingren became interested.

"You said you don't know, yet you still ask." Li Xiang gave him a look that asked him to pick up his clothes.

Li Jingren was not happy: "Brother, you really underestimate me. I have traveled a lot and I am well-informed. Which country in the West have I not been to? How could I not recognize that kind of material!"

"Okay, okay, the substance that treats goiter is called iodine. Do you know what it is?" Li Xiang said, dipping his chopsticks in the soup, writing down the chemical formula and electron configuration of iodine on the table, and drawing the structure of iodine for him: "Here, this is iodine, the atomic number is 53, located in the fifth period of the periodic table of chemical elements, and belongs to the halogen family."

Don't say it, really don't say it.

After listening to this, Li Jingren's eyes were circling.

But he also became interested in this thing and asked curiously: "What is this thing?"

"This, this is the electron configuration." Li Xiang smiled and gave Li Jingren a detailed explanation of what electron configuration is and what an electron is, explaining it in a simple and easy-to-understand way.

At the end, he said to Li Jingren with great interest: "If you can study these subjects thoroughly, you will be a first-class meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty!"

"Really?" Li Jingren's body trembled.

"This is one of the studies of the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. Do you think it is important?" Li Xiang sneered, "Besides, have I ever lied to you, brother?"

"Brother, I want to study chemistry!" Li Jingren's expression was the same as Mitsui Hisashi who said to Coach Anzai, "I want to play basketball."

"You want to learn? I'll teach you." Li Xiang said with a smile, "But you still have to master some basics. When I go back, I'll give you the textbook I wrote before. You can study it a little. There is a method for purifying salt in it, which also belongs to the category of chemistry. If you learn it well, you can not only study the principles of heaven and earth, but also make a fortune."

"Learn! You must learn!" Li Jingren's face was solemn. He had been persuaded by Li Xiang.

"Yes." Li Xiang nodded and said, "When I go back, I will gather a few brothers and see who wants to learn. I will teach them together. Anyway, one egg will roll away, and two eggs will roll away..."

What Li Xiang meant was that I am not targeting any one of you, I am saying that everyone present here is a fool.

When Li Jingren wanted to say something, he heard the voice of Princess Gaoyang.

"Hey, little elephant——"

Li Xiang turned around with the bowl in his hand and saw Li Su, who was smiling sweetly.

"Auntie." Li Xiang greeted her in a muffled voice, "Why are you here?"

"Why can't I come?" Li Shu asked with her beautiful eyes wide open and her head tilted.

"It's almost evening..." Li Xiang rubbed his nose.

"I have nothing to do, so I came here for a stroll." Li Su said with a smile, and then he stretched his head to look at Li Xiang's bowl and said with disdain: "Hey, you only know how to eat these spicy things, aren't you afraid of getting acne?"

"Don't worry, I have a good physique." Li Xiang said with a hiss. He had just eaten a piece of chili pepper, which was very spicy. "Aunt, would you like to have a bowl too?"

"I won't." Li Shu shook his head and declined politely, "I don't dare to try this kind of thing. Your uncle ate a bowl of it last time, and when he got home..."

Having said this, Li Shu suddenly stopped talking.

"What's wrong with uncle?" Li Xiang didn't understand.

Li Shu glared at him fiercely and said nothing.

Li Xiang understood immediately, oh, um...

"Um..." Li Su changed the subject and said, "Why are you here instead of staying in the palace?"

"Master Xuanzang has just returned. I just wanted to ask Jingren, and by the way, go to Hongfu Temple with him to find Master Xuanzang and ask for a map." Li Xiang said, spreading his hands.

"Master Xuanzang?" Li Su immediately became interested. "A few days ago, I heard Jingren tell me that he followed our caravan back to the Tang Dynasty. So, does he have any anecdotes?"

She is really a woman. Even though she is a princess, she still wants to talk about some gossip first.

"Not really." Li Xiang repeated to Princess Gaoyang what he had just said to Li Jingren.

After listening to this, Li Su could not help but sigh: "Master Xuanzang is truly beyond the reach of ordinary people. This kind of great perseverance and persistence alone can only be achieved by those with great ambitions..."

"If you go to Hongfu Temple, take me with you so I can also admire the elegance of the great monk."

"Okay, let's go together." Li Xiang spread his hands. One more person wouldn't make a difference anyway, and Master Xuanzang was indeed worthy of admiration. After eating the noodles, Li Xiang took Li Su and Li Jingren with him, and the three of them set off for Hongfu Temple.

However, when he arrived at the gate of Hongfu Temple, Li Xiang suddenly felt as if he had forgotten something.

"What's wrong with you, brother?" Seeing Li Xiang standing hesitantly at the door, Li Jingren asked with concern.

"I always feel like I have forgotten something." Li Xiang said with a frown.

Li Su smiled and said, "If you forgot, it means it's not important."

When Li Xiang heard this, he thought, well, what his aunt said makes sense.

"You're right." He smiled and continued walking inside.

When the Crown Prince arrived, no one in Hongfu Temple dared to neglect him, and of course no one dared to stop him.

He and Xuanzang were old acquaintances, and when he heard that the Crown Prince had arrived, Xuanzang immediately went out to greet him.

"Master, there is no need to be so polite." Li Xiang said, and walked into the house with Xuanzang.

After Xuanzang entered the room, he said to the people inside: "Disciple, go and serve tea to the three donors."

"Yes." A gentle and humble voice sounded. Li Xiang looked up and saw a monk with handsome eyebrows and eyes.

Grass.

Li Xiang's heart skipped a beat. I thought to myself, why do I seem to have forgotten something?

Bianji! This is...

Bian Ji was a disciple of Master Xuanzang and a famous monk in Chang'an City.

But he became famous in history not because of Master Xuanzang, but because of his aunt, Princess Gaoyang.

However, Li Xiang always felt that this matter was pure fabrication by Ouyang Xiu. After all, there was no record of such an incident in "Old Book of Tang" and "Tang Huiyao".

Even Sima Guang, who has always been a man of no scruples, marked the end as possibly fabricated...

But Ouyang Xiu spread this obscene rumor, which became more and more serious and even more popular than Yin Zhiping's. Li Su became the representative of unfaithful Tang princesses, and Bian Ji became a famous silver monk.

Li Xiang looked back cautiously, but found that his aunt was not staring at Bian Ji who was going away, but was staring at Master Xuan Zang.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was okay...

It seems that Ouyang Xiu really was the one who fabricated the obscene rumor.

Thinking of this, Li Xiang felt his fists harden.

Damn your fucking Bian Dynasty, they have thrown so much dirty water on our Tang Dynasty, damn you.

As for Li Su staring at Xuanzang, Li Xiang didn't think it was a big deal, after all, Li Jingren was also staring at Master Xuanzang.

"Master, I came here this time because I have a request for you." Li Xiang said straight to the point.

"Your Highness, just say it. As long as it can be done, I will do my best to help you." Xuanzang chanted the Buddha's name loudly.

"That is... Master, can you draw another map of the route you traveled and the topography of the surrounding countries?" Li Xiang asked tentatively, "The Tang merchant caravans have been afraid to go deep into the Western Regions because they don't have a map..."

"This is easy to discuss." Xuanzang clasped his hands together and bowed.

Just at this moment, Bian Ji came in with tea and served it to the three people.

"Disciple, go get some pen and ink," Xuanzang said to Bian Ji.

Bian Ji quickly prepared the pen and ink. Xuanzang took it and, without any pause, drew a map on the paper and handed it to Li Xiang personally.

Li Xiang took the map and was surprised to find that this map was exactly the same as the previous one.

"I have had a photographic memory since I was young," Xuanzang said calmly, "I naturally know this map by heart."

"Thank you, Master." Li Xiang thanked sincerely.

"I am not doing this for Your Highness, but for the Tang Dynasty and for the people of the Western Regions, so that they can suffer less from hunger and disease." Xuanzang said with a compassionate face.

"The master has a heart of great compassion, just like a living Buddha." Li Xiang said sincerely.

Regardless of whether Xuanzang thought so or not, he drew the map and gave it to Li Xiang, and this is the purpose of this map.

Don't underestimate the caravan's capabilities...

After staying in Hongfu Temple for a while, Li Xiang said goodbye as it was getting dark.

On the carriage, Li Su suddenly sighed: "Master Xuanzang and his disciple Bian Ji, it's really a pity for them to become monks."

Li Xiang suddenly became alert and asked, "Aunt, what do you mean?"
He asked tentatively: "Aunt, do you feel pity for Master Xuanzang or for Master Bianji?"

"It's a pity for both of them." Li Su sighed: "Master Xuanzang has great wisdom. If he had entered the government, he would at least be worthy of the position of prime minister; and that Bianji, who was accepted as a disciple by the master, must have outstanding abilities."

"Besides, I also think he is quite handsome." Li Shu said this with a nonchalant smile.

Hearing this, Li Xiang's heart was filled with alarm.

"Aunt, do you really think Bian Ji is handsome?" Li Xiang asked tentatively.

"Yeah, what's the matter?" Li Shu said nonchalantly, "He may be handsome, but he's just a shell."

"I think my uncle is much more handsome than that monk." Li Xiang tried to save Fang Yiai's face a little.

"Come on, your uncle... looks silly, how can he be called handsome?" Although Li Shu said this, there was a smile on the corner of his lips when he mentioned Fang Yiai.

Hearing Li Su say this, Li Xiang felt relieved.

Judging from her expression and listening to her words, it is obvious that her relationship with her uncle is still very sweet.

Li Xiang smiled and said, "Of course it's because my uncle's name contains the word 'Jun'! Hahahaha..."

Well, Fang Yiai, whose given name is Jun and whose courtesy name is Yiai...

"Hahaha, you little elephant, actually making fun of your uncle..." Li Shu covered his mouth and chuckled. After thinking about what Li Xiang said, he couldn't help but smile.

This little elephant is so smooth-talking and funny, no wonder Xueqing loves him to death.

Li Xiang also put this matter behind him. He now understood that, putting aside whether it was unofficial history or not, the customs of the Tang Dynasty were actually not as feudal as when Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism was in vogue. It was normal for young sisters to get together and discuss which man was more handsome.

(Sleep first, finish today's work, and update tomorrow)
(End of this chapter)