While walking in the city of Shaoyang, what Li Yu heard most was all kinds of ridiculing remarks about the new state official, Shaozhou Governor Li Ju.
Li Yu went to the government office of the prefecture and saw that the government officials were busy with their duties.
Shaking his head, he left the city.
After looking for people and asking for directions, Li Yu rode a [bamboo-ribbed ox] towards Dongting Lake.
During the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Dongting Lake was said to be eight hundred miles across, with "a vast expanse of ocean and surging floods."
It was mid-summer at noon, with wild geese falling on the sand, dusk snow on the river, clear mist on the mountain and city, sunset on the fishing village and other eight scenic spots in Xiaoxiang. Li Yu didn't look at any of them.
He walked to a sparsely populated area on the shore of the lake, waved his hand, and called out [Snake Lady] and ninety-eight [Hairy Men].
"Explore the bottom of the lake and look for people in the sand. Remember to hide yourself and don't scare anyone."
After Li Yu said this, everyone took orders and jumped into the water one after another.
[Hairy people] all have the characteristic of [living in water]. Entering the lake is like returning to your home. Just counting your breaths, they sink into the water and disappear.
When [She Ji] saw the big lake, she jumped into the water with a cheer. Her snake tail swayed in the water two or three times, and suddenly turned into a small red fish about a foot long.
The fish's tail swung and disappeared.
This transformed fish [Snake Lady] is not Jiang Yaya, but a newly summoned ginger fish using [Red Ridge Stone].
[Flying Fish]: Transformed into a red fish, it can wade in abyss water and soar into the blue sky.
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After everything was arranged, Li Yu looked at the scenery along the lake shore for a while, took out some broken silver from the [pot], and waved to summon an old boatman.
The old boatman asked the man where he was going.
Li Yu threw the broken silver into the boat and said that he could take it on a boat trip to Dongting.
The old boatman picked up the money, bumped it in his hand, put it in his mouth and bit it, then he felt relieved. He welcomed Li Yu aboard with a smile and raised the oar.
In the sparkling waves, the old boatman started talking and asked where the gentleman came from.
Li Yu said that he came from Hebei Province and had heard about the beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River for a long time, so he came here to visit it.
The old boatman smiled and asked, "Have you gained anything, Sir?"
Li Yu said: "Entering the Jiangnan West Road, the water is soft, the mountains are warm, and the scenery is infinite. It is indeed a great harvest. Only a little bit is a fly in the ointment."
The old boatman asked what was missing.
Li Yudao, his surname is Li Mingyu, which means Yu. His parents' official name is "Li Quan" in Shaozhou. The "snipe" in which snipe and clam compete, has the same pronunciation as "Yu" but a different tune.
The old boatman smiled and said, what a coincidence.
Li Yu smiled bitterly, "Well, it's not like I only hear people say "I"".
The old boatman laughed and said nothing.
Li Yu asked Li Cishi if he had ever been to Dongting Lake. The old boatman pointed to the center of the lake and said: "Li Cishi took a boat to go to Dongting. When he arrived at Dongting, he saw the beauty of Junshan Mountain, which was like a 'floating puff of water'. He became very interested and climbed the mountain to enjoy the scenery."
"
Li Yu asked the old boatman to hold up the boat and sail to Junshan.
After leaving the boat, the old boatman asked when he would return. Li Yu said, "We will return when we are done with our excitement," and waved him off.
On Junshan Island, there are many mountains, green bamboos and trees, the scenery is elegant and elegant, and the viewers are like clouds.
Li Yu walked along the shore of the island and found nothing. When the sky got dark and the tourists and boats were gone, he sat on the rocks and patted the water splashes.
After a quarter of an hour, a small red fish flew from the water.
Li Yu raised his hand and the fish fell into his palm.
Li Yu asked if there was any harvest, and the red fish wagged its tail.
"Gather [the long-haired people] together, with Junshan as the center, dig up the sand and dig out the soil, looking for the people in the mud."
After Li Yu finished speaking, the little red fish flipped out of his hand and fell into the water.
For the next five days, I got nothing.
Dongting Lake has many ghost stories.
A child accidentally drowned and had to be lifted out of the water by a "hairy monster".
Someone was diving at the bottom of the lake and saw several houses, with water ghosts coming and going, and dragon girls disappearing in a flash.
…
By the sixth day, Li Yu, who was immersed in studying in [Xianlu], had raised his [Intelligence] to 53. [Sheji] Red Fish finally brought good news.
Or something - a breathing lump of mud.
Three [hairy men] swam from somewhere under the Junshan Mountain, carrying a ball of mud. They arrived at an uninhabited area by the Dongting Lake, and worked together to roll the ball of mud.
Mud balls and bones clattered ashore.
The red fish transforms back into [Snake Lady], and with a stroke of [Stone Sword], the mud ball splits, revealing a ball of water plants.
A human figure is vaguely visible among the water plants.
[Snake Girl] Red Fish slashed out several more swords, and then the snake's tail swept away the water plants, revealing a middle-aged man with a pale face and closed eyes.
Li Yu waved his hand and put [Hairy Man] and [Snake Lady] into the square pot.
I tied my hair into a Taoist bun, took out an old Taoist robe from [the pot], and finally borrowed [Queen Mao]'s pinewood sword.
After doing this, he picked up the pinewood sword and stabbed the middle-aged man's philtrum.
The man was in pain, yelled "ah" and sat up.
At first, the man's eyes were dull. After dozens of breaths, he gradually regained his luster.
"Who are you? Why are you trapped in the mud and grass?" Li Yu asked.
"I...I am Li Que, yes, I am Li Que, the governor of Shaozhou." The man gradually regained consciousness and seemed to finally remember the past.
Li Yu, who was on the opposite side, frowned: "Don't talk nonsense, Governor Li has been in Shaoyang Mansion for half a year. I heard that he was promoted to a director today, but you are not the one who can fake your name."
When the man heard this, he froze on the spot. After a while, his face became frightened and filled with grief and anger, and he asked Li Yu: "May I ask, sir, what time and month is it now?"
"September of the Bingchen year of Kaiyuan." Li Yu replied.
"September?" the man lost his voice, "Half a year has passed!"
Li Yu asked him again: "Who are you?"
The man came back to his senses: "I'm Li Quan..."
Before he finished speaking, Li Yu stood up and left.
The man saw Li Yu wearing a feathered coat, carrying a pine sword, with a formidable appearance and an awe-inspiring appearance. Since he could save himself from the bottom of Dongting Lake, he must be a righteous man, so how could he let him leave.
He threw himself in front of Li Yu and begged on his knees: "Master, save me! Master, save me!"
"Get up and talk." Li Yu helped him up, "I have rescued you from the bottom of the lake, how can I say 'rescue'?"
The man bowed deeply, thanked Li Yu for saving his life, and then told an old story——
The man's name is indeed Li Qu, a native of Dunhuang. Six months ago, he was ordered to go to Shaozhou to take up his post.
When I took a boat to Dongting Lake, I saw the scenery of the lake and the mountains, which were as beautiful as a painting, so I thought of visiting and set foot on Junshan.
However, as soon as he entered Junshan, he suffered from epistaxis like a bloody arrow and fell down in the sand.
Feeling dizzy, he felt his body falling. But his other self stood up in the sand.
His appearance, clothing, and voice were exactly the same as his own.
In the haze, Li Que seemed to hear his wife and daughter arriving, and heard his servants helping "him" leave.
But Li Quan himself was sinking deeper and deeper.
Until the water plants came around and the mud and sand sealed up, he gradually lost consciousness.