《记长乐天夜游》An Evening Journey Through Exalting Sanctum

(资料图)

An essay published in the literary review section. There are always wistful people on the Xianzhou who like to write long essays to express their feelings.

Small Talk in Exalting Sanctum: Lifestyle Section

13 November,10th Year of the Star Calendar

Anthor: Huai Min

An Evening Journey Through Exalting Sanctum

On the twelfth of October at the Sleepless Earl, I met my old friend from the Artisanship Commission, whom I had not seen in two or three centuries.

It was odd. I recall that I had a minor disagreement with him and we both vowed to never speak again, yet I instantly let go of all our past grievances when I heard him call out for me in the Sleepless Earl... Little did I imagine that we would sit at the same table and drink tea together again after a few centuries.

It seems the Sleepless Earl is just the kind of place where you always have surprise encounters.

We drank pot after pot of Whale-Tide Spring and called for more hot water. As the tea thinned in its aroma, the daylight started to dim. My friend was assigned to manage ships and equipment in the Cloud Knights and must return to his post according to regulations, and we parted ways unwillingly after exchanging contact details.

As I walked below the lanterns on the way home, I recalled the many memories I shared with my friend. I remembered that I passed the flying test when we were learning how to fly ships at the Sky-Soaring Seas, but my friend didn't. I remembered we did part-time jobs at All Under One Roof for a long time just to get enough money to buy the latest Halcyon Jade abacus... We were once the closest of friends, yet we didn't talk for centuries because of some disagreement I can't even remember.

If my friend and I were not living in the Xianzhou, we might have passed away before we even hit a hundred years old and would have never met again. That would be far too unfortunate.

Maybe I drank too much tea and was too excited - I couldn't sleep even though I laid in bed for a long time, and I decided to take an evening walk. The moon in the delve today was clearer than that of days before and would be a pity to miss. It would be best enjoyed with someone else. Luckily, my student was also awake, and I brought him to take an evening walk with me.

Past the Garden of Leisure and deep in the grass was the ruin of a garden complex built in the old style. It was hidden deep in the grass and yet to be cleaned out. The masonry reflected a gentle white light under the caresses of the moon. A pseudo-ancient stone lion was lying sideways on the grass, napping sweetly in the open as if it was slowly sinking into a pond of moonlight... My student and I held our breath, terrified of possibly waking it.

The other ruins here included stone pillars with lotus capitals and water basins etched with cloud patterns. Unfortunately, there was no complete garden left anymore. Young artists want to revive the old style as "fashion" and build old things every once in a while. I believe they, just like me, are terrified of the endless expanse of time. They always want to remember the past more intensely to prevent the bygone days from being diluted, but all this effort will prove to be futile before time.

The mossy masonry deep in the grass seemed to be breathing. A distant voice was saying:"Don't try to understand it. For tonight, you need only to feel." I, therefore, stopped thinking too much. During that time, my student had already fallen asleep on his feet.

Pedestrians passed the Verdurous Garden every day in the company of moonlight and broken rocks, only this time we have folks of leisure such as my student and I.

《记长乐天夜游》刊载在文学评议板块的杂文一篇，仙舟上忧思感怀之人总是有一些长篇大论。

「闲话长乐天 仙居生活版」

星历癸酉十一月十三日

作者：怀民

记长乐天夜游

十月十二日这天，在不夜侯，我与两三百年不见的工造司旧友相遇了。

说来奇怪，我只记得当初和他一言不合，决定今生今世不再搭理对方。就在不夜侯里，偶然间听到旧友招呼的声音，我便将那些旧时不悦抛之脑后了... 没想到过了一两百年，我们俩又坐在同一张桌案前品茗论茶了。

想来不夜侯就是这样的地方，总是有一些意想不到的奇遇。

鳞渊春一壶接一壶，中途又添了几次茶水，不觉之间，茶汤味寡淡，而天色也越来越晚。旧友被调去了云骑军中负责舰船设备管理，有军纪要求在，必须按时返回岗位。交换了联系方式之后，我们便不舍地离开了。

在回家路上，灯影幢幢，我回想起很多与旧友共事的经历：一同在凌云壁海学习飞舸的时候，我考过了飞行驾照，而旧友没有通过；为了买到最新款的「灵瑞」玉兆，一起到陈其货里做了很久的零工... 曾经无话不谈的好友，竟会因为一件想不起来的小事，两三百年都没能说上话。

如果我和旧友都不是仙舟人，也许不到百岁就会早早离世，就不再有相聚的机会了。那实在是太过可惜了。

也许是茶饮太多，也许是过于兴奋，躺在床上久久未能合眼，我便起了兴致想要夜游。是日洞天月色比往日更加明朗，实在是不能错过。一人独享，又实在可惜，正好我的爱徒也没有睡着，我便带上他一同在长乐天夜游。

穿过悠暇庭，走进草径深处，那是一片仿古的亭台废墟，藏在深草之中，还未来得及清理。月色抚摸之下，这些石构件反射出温柔的白光。一具仿古的石狮子侧卧在草地上，天地为床，睡意正酣，它就像是正在月光深潭之中缓缓下沉...... 我和爱徒屏息凝神，生怕将它吵醒。

这里被推倒的还有莲花石柱，云纹水槽，几乎没有完整的形致，实在是可惜。每过一段时间，总会有年轻人提出复古风潮，折腾出一些古人玩艺。我想，无论是我，还是这些复古艺术家都对漫长的时间心存畏惧，总是尝试用怀旧的方式让过去不再被稀释，但这一切在时间面前终将是无能为力的。

深草区里斑驳的石构就像是有了呼吸一样。一个遥远的声音在说：「不要去尝试理解，今夜只有感受便可。」我便也停下了多余的思考。恍惚之间，爱徒已然站立安眠。

卉萌园每日都有行人走走停停，亦有月光，亦有碎石。只是多了我和爱徒这么闲的人罢了。

仙舟罗浮·地名·中英对照

星槎海中枢 - Central Starskiff Haven

长乐天 - Exalting Sanctum

流云渡 - Cloudford

迴星港 - Stargazer Navalia

太卜司 - Divination Commission

工造司 - Artisanship Commission

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