Chapter 981: The Younger Generation Is Awe-Inspiring
The Yu Dynasty, era name Shenlong.
After parting ways with that Cui Dongshan, Wang Zhu only kept Gong Yan and Wang Qiongju by her side. The other three water mansion attendants—the ghost immortal Yu Daoren, whose Dao name was Huang Man; the Daoist Li Ba, whose Dao name was Cuizhang; and Xi Man, who was an earth-dragon from the land—had all been pressed into service by the Green Firm-Sword Sect. They needed to conduct on-site surveys of the future great river's route and the mountains along the way. After all, they couldn't be the ones doing the work and then have their wages docked for being fools. Wang Zhu and her group were more like tourists, traveling at leisure, stopping only when it pleased the East Sea Water Lord. So the two sides parted ways, agreeing on a time to meet at the Green Accumulation Abbey in Luojing.
Between the palace city and the imperial city of Luojing, there was a street called White Rice Lane. The Green Accumulation Abbey, where the Guardian True Person Lu Bilong served as the abbey's master, was located here.
The abbey's buildings were uniformly roofed with green glazed tiles fired in the imperial kilns. Inside the abbey, ancient pines and cypresses grew lush, their long years ensuring a perpetual shade of green, hence the name "Green Accumulation."
However, Huang Man and the others arrived in Luojing earlier than the carefree trio. They waited at a tea stall by the entrance of a relay station outside the capital. As expected, at high noon under the blazing sun, a simple carriage appeared on the official road. The driver was the young man Wang Qiongju, with a red gourd slanted across his back. Just from his appearance, outsiders could tell he was a cultivator; no ordinary mortal would foolishly carry such an eye-catching large gourd while traveling.
Wang Zhu, dressed in a long snow-white robe, stepped down from the carriage, followed by Gong Yan in splendid brocade clothes. They stopped the carriage to drink tea and sat around a table.
Only the young man didn't qualify to sit at the table for tea; he could only squat by the roadside, holding his tea bowl.
Gong Yan couldn't help but speak up: "Water Lord, are we really going to get involved with this Yu Dynasty?"
She had a very poor impression of the Yu Dynasty. During their journey, almost all the officials they met were focused on empty talk, loved grandstanding, and were eager for accomplishments. Many of the local policies were flashy but impractical.
A decree from the six ministries in Luojing would be passed down layer by layer, but in the end, the common people might only get three points of benefit, while local officials with silver tongues could exaggerate it to eleven points.
In the latest ranking of the top ten dynasties on Tongye Continent, the Daquan Dynasty held the top spot, the Dachong Dynasty was third, and the Yu Dynasty ranked fifth. And this dynasty, whose reputation was already in tatters, had its officials energized as if injected with adrenaline, shouting about defending fifth place and striving for third.
Li Ba said, "The Daquan Dynasty is like deep water, difficult to control. Suppose the Daquan Yao clan's strength is ten, the Yu's is five. Then at most two or three parts of Daquan's strength can be used by our water mansion. But the Yu Dynasty is all five, and willing to give as much as they have. Comparing that, it's naturally more cost-effective for the water mansion to support the Yu Dynasty. The only problem is whether the Yu Dynasty is too unreliable to lift up and ends up bringing trouble to our water mansion."
Huang Man smiled slightly. "In short, Yao Jinzhi is hard to manage. That woman has bones too hard. It's normal, though. If she weren't that stubborn, how could she hold the Daquan throne? I remember the barbarian fiends gave quite good terms to Shenjing City, unique terms. In contrast, that Yu emperor lying on his sickbed is very obedient. He's more out of breath than in, yet still thinking about how to please us. I just wonder what attitude the crown prince, Yu Linyou, has. On this trip to Luojing, Li Ba, you've been a national preceptor before, so you'll have to help us size him up properly."
Gong Yan glared. "Watch your mouth, don't casually call her a woman."
Huang Man laughed silently. Ah Wu, ah Wu, so you've already turned your elbow outward, sharing a common grievance with Yao Jinzhi?
Wang Zhu sneered. "Support? The Yu Dynasty just pays regular tribute to our water mansion."
Gong Yan glanced at the outer city wall of Luojing. The protective grand formation of this capital of the Yu Dynasty was essentially a facade. At best, it could withstand a collision from a Golden Core cultivator. Was it because the Ministry of Revenue wanted to save money, or were they overly reliant on the dharma protection of the Guardian True Person inside the city?
Wang Qiongju immediately took out a money pouch filled with loose silver and copper coins and ran to settle the bill.
Then the group used the Earth-Squeezing Art and directly arrived on the street outside a Daoist abbey. Unlike the usual bustling traffic, the entire wide White Rice Lane was now heavily guarded. Imperial guards were stationed at both ends of the street. It was said that the National True Person was currently in seclusion. The entire Luojing was abuzz with discussion, especially the nobles and elites who were familiar with matters of the mountains. They were eagerly anticipating—could it be that our Yu Dynasty was about to have a Jade Pure realm immortal?!
A beautiful female Daoist, appearing to be in her thirties, wore a jade-green Tai-zhen crown, a pair of "green lotus, white root" immortal shoes, and held a snow-white duster in her hands.
She withdrew her gaze from the relay station outside the capital and slowly descended from the Moon-Viewing Platform, the highest building within the abbey. The platform was paved with two types of fine jade to form a Tai Chi diagram, with the black and white yin-yang fish merging together into a full moon.
She was none other than the current abbess of Green Accumulation Abbey, the Guardian True Person of the Yu Dynasty, National Preceptor Lu Bilong, whose Dao name was "Full Moon."
Lu Bilong's form flickered and vanished, and in an instant, she appeared at the abbey's gate. She ordered the gate-keeping Daoist to immediately open the abbey's central doors.
"Green Accumulation Abbey's Lu Bilong greets the East Sea Water Lord."
Lu Bilong descended the steps, wearing a dharma robe called "Phoenix Marsh." Even faced with an East Sea Water Lord, who held a divine title and the highest rank in the Bright World, this female Daoist, only at the Nascent Soul stage, remained composed. She waved her duster and spoke with a smiling mind voice: "I've already received a secret letter from my master, informing me of your impending visit. I've been waiting for some time. I took the liberty of asking His Majesty to dispatch the Palace Front Imperial Guard to cordon off the area around White Rice Lane, to avoid too much noise near the abbey."
Huang Man, the highest in cultivation among the attendants, felt there was something strange about this female national preceptor, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what.
It was as if she lacked a certain human touch.
Wang Zhu narrowed her eyes.
This was actually a porcelain person.
Wang Zhu stepped onto the steps and said, "Tell Yu Linyou and Huang Shanshou to come see me here immediately."
Lu Bilong turned aside and waited for Wang Zhu to ascend three steps before following along. Upon hearing this, she nodded with a smile. "Water Lord, please wait a moment. I'll summon them right away."
The female Daoist reached into her sleeve and took out a piece of folded paper shaped like a green kite. She pinched the kite between two fingers, brought it to her lips, and softly spoke a few words: the East Sea Water Lord had arrived at Green Accumulation Abbey and requested the crown prince and Grand General Huang Shanshou to come here to meet.
Then Lu Bilong gently tossed the green paper kite into the air. It shimmered with radiant colors, flying as fast as a bird taking flight, tracing a beautiful firefly-like arc in the sky.
The female Daoist led the group of honored out-of-town guests into an elegant room, took out a set of imperial tea ware, and knelt down to begin brewing tea.
Wang Zhu sat cross-legged, propping her cheek on one hand while resting her other elbow on her knee. She didn't bother paying attention to the "cuckoo in the magpie's nest" female Daoist across from her, instead turning to gaze at the courtyard outside.
Gong Yan spoke with a smiling mind voice: "I heard that Huang Shanshou is a Far Roaming realm martial artist, barely over forty years old, with no renowned teacher. His martial skills were all honed through life-and-death battles on the battlefield. If the rumors are true, he's broken through three realms in just ten years."
Li Ba said, "A rarely seen great talent in the court. The Yu Dynasty relies on him to hold things up. He lacks none of the Confucian virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. This man's bearing is vast and profound."
Huang Shanshou came from a poor background, was not well educated, and joined the border army as a youth. Back when the continent sank, he didn't follow the old Yu emperor's escape to the Azure Script Sect's secret realm. Instead, he raised a light cavalry force from within the heavy encirclement of the fiend army, sustaining his troops through warfare, severely diverting the attention of a barbarian military camp. They once specifically dispatched a Jade Pure realm fiend to assassinate him, setting multiple traps with bait. But Huang Shanshou seemed to possess a battlefield intuition that allowed him to foresee events, never taking the bait. Until the final phase of the war between the two worlds, his light cavalry never stopped harassing the fiend troops stationed throughout the Yu Dynasty.
Thus, Wen Yu, the new deputy mountain master of Tianmu Academy—a Confucian righteous man with outstanding military achievements—once publicly commented that the military general Huang Shanshou was the jade buried in the outhouse that was the Yu Dynasty.
Wen Yu made no attempt to hide either his praise for Huang Shanshou or his disgust for the Yu Dynasty.
Huang Man extended two fingers, gently twirling a strand of hair at his temple, and said with a grin, "To have reached a level where no further honors can be bestowed before even reaching the age of forty—what else is that but merit overshadowing the ruler?"
Gong Yan sneered, "If not for Wen Yu's words, with the old Yu emperor's suspicious nature, he'd probably have been sent to retire within a few years as grand general."
As it turned out, Huang Shanshou didn't come.
Only the crown prince of the Yu Dynasty arrived.
Sitting next to Lu Bilong, Yu Linyou wore a face full of apology, explaining that General Huang, in addition to overseeing the Ministry of War and concurrently holding the title of Minister of Justice, had just happened to be in an urgent meeting involving all the important officials of two ministries. Hence, General Huang simply couldn't get away.
Lu Bilong gave an ambiguous smile and turned to hand the crown prince a cup of hot tea.
It was a hard position for Yu Linyou, having to come up with such a reasonable excuse for Huang Shanshou.
Wang Zhu still didn't shift her gaze, fixated on a dwarf tree in the courtyard. She said casually, "Since Huang Shanshou is so full of himself, then take the trouble to give him a few more honorary titles, like Crown Prince's Grand Guardian, and let him retire to his hometown. The war's over anyway, what use is a grand general? He might as well return to his hometown in glory, rest well, and focus on martial arts. Maybe after twenty years, he can help your Yu Dynasty produce a Stopping Realm grandmaster to suppress martial destiny."
Yu Linyou's face turned pale. He clutched his tea cup tightly, fingers stiff, and stared speechless.
Wang Zhu straightened up and turned to face the crown prince. "Can't understand human speech?"
Yu Linyou said in a trembling voice, "General Huang is the pillar of our Yu Dynasty..."
Wang Zhu waved her hand. "Then let me say it more clearly. Choose between the throne and Huang Shanshou. When the old emperor dies, one of you can appear in court. Either you, Yu Linyou, sit on that dragon throne, or Huang Shanshou continues to stand at the head of the civil and military officials. I originally called you both here for just this trivial matter. If you hadn't come but Huang Shanshou had, I would have asked him whether he was interested in changing the imperial surname, or else resign and retire."
Yu Linyou's expression shifted uncertainly, clearly caught in a struggle between heaven and man.
Wang Zhu jeered, "Aren't the dragon sons and grandsons born into an imperial family, as long as they have any chance to sit on the dragon throne—even women—supposed to have some imperial heart? Such a simple choice, and you still need to hesitate?"
Huang Man said with a smiling mind voice, "I thought Yu Linyou would fly into a rage and righteously refuse, sacrificing the throne to keep Huang Shanshou's official position."
Li Ba said calmly, "Wait and see. As soon as Yu Linyou leaves Green Accumulation Abbey, he'll immediately send a secret letter to Dafu Academy to appeal to the Confucian Temple."
Gong Yan smiled radiantly. "If the crown prince truly takes such a risk, wouldn't that be seeking wealth through danger, not afraid to completely break with our water mansion?"
Lu Bilong rose to see him off. Yu Linyou left Green Accumulation Abbey in a daze, his heart heavy, silent in his carriage.
Gong Yan smiled and asked, "What was that about?"
Wang Zhu said casually, "Bored, just messing around."
It didn't sound like a joke.
Huang Man lay back on the ground, pillowing his head with both hands, legs crossed and swaying. "Oh my Water Lord, why bring trouble on yourself? The Confucian academies are so broad in their scope these days, especially Deputy Mountain Master Wen Yu from Tianmu Academy. He's a famous thorn in the side. Don't provoke anyone else, but especially not Wen Yu."
Wang Zhu's expression was indifferent. "I'm just a passing traveler through the Yu Dynasty. I had the fortune to meet the crown prince by chance at Green Accumulation Abbey. We had a pleasant conversation, drank some tea, and I offered a personal suggestion. If Yu Linyou doesn't accept it, so be it. I can't do anything to the Yu Dynasty. From now on, our paths diverge."
Huang Man didn't want to argue with Wang Zhu about this. If only it were that simple.
But the powerful Water Lord always acted and spoke like this—acting on whims. They, her dragon-supporting ministers, were used to it.
Teach her to "be human"?
Don't forget, Wang Zhu was a genuine Flying Ascension realm grand cultivator, and the only true dragon in the world!
Not to mention that Mistress Dan Dan, Dao name "Green Bell," owner of Lushui Pit, who governed the land water transport of an entire world.
This Flying Ascension realm great fiend, suddenly risen to prominence, after being formally titled by the Confucian Temple's Second Sage, had her Dao name "Green Bell" elevated to a divine title on the gold and jade register. Compared to the South Sea Water Lord Li Yihou, with the divine title "Bright Moon," and the West Sea Water Lord Liu Rouxuan, with the divine title "Green Water," Mistress Dan Dan actually carried quite a bit of airs. Although their divine ranks were the same in the Confucian Temple, Mistress Dan Dan had essentially established her own mountain, thus subtly standing half a head above her colleagues. However, when she met Wang Zhu, she was like a maidservant suddenly enriched meeting a true young lady. Dealing with Wang Zhu, she was all amiability and soft-spokenness—not just respectful, but fawning.
Privately, Huang Man and the other water mansion attendants speculated whether Mistress Dan Dan, who had a very long Dao age, had some leverage held by Wang Zhu's ancestors before the Dragon-Slaying Campaign. After all, three thousand years ago, the unruly dragons and jiaos, as meritorious officials in the ancient Heavenly Ascension Campaign, had occupied the entire water transport of the Bright World. Later generations of qi refiners who practiced water techniques, regardless of origin—mountain spirits, water monsters, or human qi refiners—always had to show respect and yield somewhat to these water transport masters who commanded clouds and rain.
However, no one dared to ask Wang Zhu about this.
A dragon has its reverse scale.
Absolutely true.
Wang Zhu looked at the porcelain person, indistinguishable from a real human. "Where has the real Lu Bilong gone to hide now?"
"Lu Bilong" smiled and replied, "To report to the Water Lord: The one whose true name is Long Gong, a registered qi refiner of the Wanyao Sect, is currently drinking tea at Tianmu Academy."
Huang Man's eyes lit up. He loved to watch a good fuss and sat up, asking curiously, "Is that the Wanyao Sect with the Three Mountains Blessed Land? I recall the sect leader is called Han Jiangshu, rumored to be a very formidable Immortal, especially skilled in talismans, with many killing moves."
Wang Zhu didn't care much about an Immortal realm cultivator. No matter how many or how high-level his techniques, he was still just an Immortal—a local snake on Tongye Continent.
Even as a Flying Ascension realm cultivator at the peak of the Bright World, Wang Zhu didn't hold many in high regard. That was both arrogance and confidence.
Besides, even the Fourteen Realms—what of it?
She could be one too. And it wouldn't take long. That was the only reason Wang Zhu had agreed to become the East Sea Water Lord. When she later entered seclusion, having this identity would make things more stable.
Her only mortal enemy was one person.
The sword cultivator Chen Qingliu.
During the Dragon-Slaying Campaign, Chen Qingliu had once temporarily rested at Lushui Pit and had a marvelous sword-forging session where he swallowed the water transport of the East Sea.
Of course, Mistress Dan Dan had been forced by circumstances at the time, compelled to open Lushui Pit's prohibitions and "actively invite" that sword immortal inside.
But now that Wang Zhu had regained her identity as a true dragon, who cared about such "helpless" so-called hardships?
Moreover, unlike Li Yihou and Liu Rouxuan, Mistress Dan Dan was of fiend origin and practiced water techniques, so she was naturally suppressed and restrained by a true dragon.
But that was fine. Except for Wang Zhu, and during the last Confucian Temple meeting when she encountered a few "chatting" enlightened beings—Fire Dragon True Person, Talisman Yu Xuan, and Dragon Tiger Mountain's Grand Heavenly Master Zhao Tianlai, who made Mistress Dan Dan tremble nervously—aside from those, she still cut a very imposing figure when touring her jurisdiction in the Central Plains Divine Continent nowadays.
However, there was one more piece of undeserved trouble that made Mistress Dan Dan, as the saying goes, "eat bitter gourd in silence," leaving her completely unable to say a single harsh word in front of Wang Zhu.
In ancient times, the Dao Ancestor had planted a gourd vine that bore seven "Sword-Nurturing Gourds."
The Eastern Sea's Guan Dao Abbey, the fire-tending boy of the Azure Cavern Lord, possessed one called "Measuring Volume," a large, golden-yellow gourd slung across his back.
That stinky old Daoist, before heading to the Azure Mystery World, had done something that profoundly affected the water transport of the Bright World. This was also what angered Wang Zhu the most. The old abbey master had issued a dharma decree for the boy to carry the "Measuring Volume" gourd and either invite or capture almost all the jiao-dragons of the Eastern Sea and stuff them into the gourd. This was also why the Resting Dragon Stone under Lushui Pit's jurisdiction had seen not a single jiao-dragon resting in recent years.
Additionally, the old Daoist, using heaven-defying techniques, tilted the sea's surface, making the northwest high and the southeast low, pouring it into the "Measuring Volume."
Based on Wang Zhu's estimation, that stinky old Daoist had taken away at least a tenth of the entire Bright World's water transport.
Yet the Confucian Temple had not prevented this from start to finish.
The Azure Mystery World originally had thin water transport, far inferior to the Bright World. If the stinky old Daoist poured out the seawater from his gourd there, the Azure Mystery World could increase its water transport by thirty percent.
Mistress Dan Dan felt that the old Daoist from Guan Dao Abbey's actions had nothing to do with her.
But earlier on the ferry that went through Guixu to the Barbarian World, Wang Zhu had specifically asked her why she hadn't stopped it.
Mistress Dan Dan had nearly collapsed on the spot. She felt a belly full of bitterness but dared not shake it. Ah, my little mistress, how could you expect me, a Flying Ascension realm cultivator, to stop a Fourteen Realms being who loves to arm-wrestle with the Dao Ancestor out of sheer boredom?
Wang Zhu stood up, walked outside, and looked up at the sky.
A new Three Teachings Debate was coming soon.
On the Bright World side, the Five Mountain Lords of the Central Plains and the Four Sea Water Lords were all eligible to attend as observers.
The dispute among the three teachings would be a seated debate on the Dao.
The Bright World's Confucian Temple, the Western Buddhist Kingdom, and the Jade Capital of the Azure Mystery World would all send exemplary gentlemen, Dao seeds, and Buddha seeds to participate in the debate.
On the Confucian side, the young mountain master of the Horizontal Canal Academy, Yuan Pang, the last disciple of the Second Sage, would almost certainly participate.
On the Azure Mystery World side, the Dao Ancestor's last disciple, the young Daoist with the Dao name Mount-Side Green, would most likely also participate.
The number of participants each teaching could send to the debate usually ranged from three to nine, with no fixed rule.
This "argument" wasn't a brawl; the number of participants didn't matter. In fact, throughout the long history of the Three Teachings Debates, it had been proven that having more people was completely useless.
But sending only one person was also extremely rare. In nearly ten thousand years, it had only happened three times.
The most recent two times:
Once, the Azure Mystery World sent Lu Chen, who had left his hometown and later became the Third Patriarch of Jade Capital.
In that debate, Lu Chen spoke first, and no one spoke after him. The "scholars" and monks of the other two teachings directly conceded.
Once, the Confucian Temple sent an unknown scholar with only the "cultivated talent" title to participate in the debate. That person was the later Confucian Literary Sage.
In that debate, that surnamed Xun scholar spoke last, and his words directly caused multiple Dao seeds and Buddha seeds to convert to Confucianism.
Thus, there was now a common speculation among high-ranking mountain and river deities and top sects who had received the Confucian Temple's official gazette.
For instance, would the Confucian Temple send the last disciple of that old scholar to participate in this debate?
——
A mountain lord of tall stature and revered status stared, wide-eyed, at a thin, old scholar.
The height difference between the two was immense—a full head. So the old scholar had to stand on tiptoe, clutching two pots of verdant, dripping sweet rushes under his arms.
Bah! Was that stealing? It was called taking.
The true name of the Jiuyi Mountain Lord was Ning Yuan, Dao name Jade Flute, divine title Cangwu.
Ning Yuan blocked the Confucian Literary Sage's path, his face stern. "Do you think this is appropriate yourself?"
"I think it is appropriate."
The old scholar nodded. "If you let me take another pot and I can't spare the hands, that would be inappropriate. Brother Cangwu, don't be so particular. Who are we to each other? With our relationship, there's no need for all these pretenses. Being polite with me is unnecessary. Two pots of sweet rushes are more than enough."
Ning Yuan's face darkened. "Surname Xun, that's enough! My temper isn't much better than Zhou You of Suishan Mountain!"
They had just been drinking and chatting pleasantly, and the old scholar had bid farewell. But soon, the Director of the Literary Fortune Department had rushed over, saying that the Literary Sage had taken two pots of Literary Fortune sweet rushes, swaggered out of the garden, and told everyone he met that the mountain lord had gifted them.
The old scholar thought for a moment, then began to appeal to reason and emotion. "Cangwu, a man shouldn't grow in height but not in conscience. Tell me yourself, where did the most impressive calligraphy on Jiuyi Mountain come from? Huh?"
Jiuyi Mountain was covered in stelae and ancient monuments, second only to the Central Mountain Suishan among the countless famous mountains of the Bright World in terms of historical sites.
Moreover, Bai Ye had never left poem inscriptions on Suishan, yet he had written several at Jiuyi Mountain. This was because Bai Ye had once climbed the mountain with Liu Shiliu. It was said that under Liu Shiliu's suggestion, Bai Ye had been so generous with his brush and talent. And the reason Liu Shiliu did that was simply because Jiuyi Mountain's deity Cangwu not only held the gentleman's learning in high esteem but also—most crucially—the gentleman had once personally revealed a matter: He said that Ning Yuan had extremely insightful views, praising the gentleman himself as "extremely austere in character, hence his writings most ancient and lofty." That was nothing special. Nowadays, the gentleman had some small fame, and such flattery could be picked up anywhere on the street. But one of Ning Yuan's insights had substance: He said that this old scholar's writings were like the sun, moon, stars, and constellations, weaving the fabric of heaven and earth, so all sentient beings could look up to their brilliance. But his first disciple, the Embroidered Tiger Cui Chan, was different. His Way was like the primal energy, moving through chaos, with the myriad things arising from it without knowing it.
The gentleman was always like this. He never minded others praising his students, even if the praise surpassed himself.
If you praised this old scholar himself, he'd be happy and let it go. Whoever takes it seriously is a fool. But if you praised his students, and sincerely at that, then this old scholar would take it seriously!
Ning Yuan said helplessly, "At least leave one pot."
The old scholar let out a belch from the wine.
Ning Yuan said gloomily, "I'll trade you a different pot at worst. It's not three thousand years old, but it's at least two thousand."
Actually, the last time the Confucian Literary Sage had his Confucian Temple shrine restored, the Jiuyi Mountain deity had visited the Grove of Merit to congratulate him and had presented a thousand-year Literary Fortune sweet rush. It wasn't that Ning Yuan wasn't willing to give a better gift, but being in the landscape officialdom, there were certain considerations. Otherwise, given Ning Yuan's private friendship with the old scholar, giving a three-thousand-year sweet rush at that time wouldn't have been a problem. It was like giving a monetary gift in the marketplace: if all the congratulatory guests of similar means gave one tael of silver, and one person insisted on giving ten taels, it would be a slap in the face.
However, the female deity of Yanzhi Mountain had no such scruples. Her gift had been the most valuable of all, and she had her own reasons.
The old scholar complained, "At the wine table, one fears being urged to drink; in life, one fears being petty. In my impression, Brother Cangwu, what breadth of mind and spirit you had! If you continue to be so hesitant today, I'll look down on you!"
The Cangwu Deity laughed angrily. "I wouldn't let your beloved disciple climb the mountain earlier. Outsiders don't know the truth and think I'm putting on airs. But you, old scholar, are pretending to be dumb with me?"
All this fuss from the old scholar was, at the root, because he was nursing a grudge and being unreasonably protective. Earlier, Jiuyi Mountain hadn't allowed Chen Ping'an to climb. The disciple had just suffered a setback, and the teacher had come to pick a fight.
The old scholar asked with feigned confusion, "What truth?"
"Don't play dumb with me."
The old scholar feigned anger. "If you insist on saying that, then I don't want to hear it. Let me reason it out with you properly."
"It was the Supreme Sage's intention. Don't pretend to be dumb."
"Then you call the Supreme Sage over! Let me confront that old man face to face and verify the truth!"
Cangwu was full of bitter smiles. Are you really going to be this unreasonable?
Then someone pressed down on the old scholar's shoulder. "How about a confrontation? Tell me."
The old scholar turned his head to look. Oh, it was the Supreme Sage.
He shifted his shoulder, twisted his foot, and was already turning around, standing beside the Supreme Sage, still clutching two pots of sweet rushes under his arms. He spoke nonsense with a straight face: "The Cangwu Deity wanted to give me three pots of sweet rushes. I said no need, but Brother Cangwu wasn't happy and blocked the road, not letting me leave..."
Ning Yuan made a bowing salute to the Supreme Sage.
The Supreme Sage smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, then started to walk. The old scholar immediately scurried after him.
Ning Yuan hesitated for a moment, but the old scholar turned and signaled to him with his eyes: Don't just stand there, follow.
The Supreme Sage asked, "Any plans?"
The old scholar said awkwardly, "Better forget it."
The Supreme Sage chuckled. "At least you have self-awareness."
He didn't recommend Chen Ping'an for the Three Teachings Debate.
The old scholar said, "After all, he's still young, and he's busy now. Let's not keep bothering him on our Confucian Temple side."
As he spoke, he handed the two pots of sweet rushes to the Cangwu Deity, asking him to hold them for now.
The old scholar rolled up his sleeves, striking a fighting pose. "If it absolutely must be won, let me do it."
Cangwu was full of confusion. The Three Teachings Debate had rules: those who had already attained the fruit of the Dao—Confucian sacrificial sages, Daoist celestial immortals, Buddhist permanent arhats—were not allowed to participate.
Then they heard the old scholar say, "Anyway, having my shrine removed wouldn't be the first time. Once I win the argument, I'll move it back."
Ning Yuan took a deep breath.
The Supreme Sage couldn't be bothered to respond.
The old scholar sighed. "Over in the Five Colors World, I talked to that little monk twice. His Buddhist teachings are indeed profound. I don't think any of the young scholars in the Bright World can argue with him."
The Supreme Sage said, "What if Li Xisheng were to participate in the debate?"
The old scholar rubbed his chin and gave a fair assessment: "Slightly inferior to when I participate, where victory is certain."
The Supreme Sage smiled. "Take a walk with me to Shaozhou."
The old scholar suddenly grabbed the Supreme Sage's arm. "No rush, no rush. Let's go later."
The Supreme Sage patted the back of the old scholar's hand, signaling him to let go.
It didn't work. Completely useless.
The Supreme Sage raised his hand as if to slap down.
The old scholar still didn't let go; instead, he tightened his grip.
In ancient music, there was "Shao." Confucius said: It is perfectly beautiful and also perfectly good.
The Supreme Sage said in exasperation, "Surname Xun, don't make me curse."
The old scholar let go, his face full of melancholy, murmuring, "The scholars of the world, we scholars, have never needed a high, imposing clay statue. We need someone with a cool eye and a warm heart to watch all our mistakes and corrections!"
The Supreme Sage smiled. "The younger generation is awe-inspiring. How can we know that future generations will not be equal to us?"
The old scholar rubbed his chin, nodded, and said quietly, "Too much praise. It's a bit embarrassing. Better not let the Ritual Sage and Second Sage hear it."
Then the Cangwu Deity heard the Supreme Sage utter a certain... three-character scripture.
——
It seemed this was Chen Ping'an's first time setting foot in this prefectural city of Chuzhou.
Chuzhou included Baoxi Commandery and Pingnan County, with the prefectural and county governments sharing the same city. The Baoxi Commandery office had a horizontal plaque with black characters on a gold background.
It was clearly a calligraphic work by the head of the Tianshui Zhao clan. The regular script carried a hint of the divine charm of ancient steles.
At first glance, it seemed stern and precise, meticulous. But upon closer inspection, within the rules, there was freedom.
Chen Ping'an had come to visit a friend he had not known for long, Jing Kuan, the new commandery governor of Baoxi, formerly a director in the Ministry of Personnel in the capital.
A friend's friend might not become a friend, but Chen Ping'an felt honored to become friends with a true scholar like Jing Kuan.
In the new officialdom of Chuzhou, all offices, large and small, had no door guards. There were two theories about the origin of this tradition. One said it started with Yuan Zhengding's office when he was the commandery governor of Longquan. Another said it began with Cao Gengxin's kiln supervision office in his tenure. According to the drunken supervisor, ordinary townspeople could wander around as they pleased as long as they didn't dry grain on the office grounds to block the officials' path. If they brought wine, that could be negotiated! Once, a child's kite string broke and fell into the office, and Supervisor Cao himself returned it to their home. But others said it was because the little boy in open-crotch pants had an older sister who was very attractive. Supervisor Cao had ulterior motives.
Officials like Supervisor Cao probably didn't leave behind many clear governance achievements worth recording in local gazetteers, but for the common people, it gave them a different, positive impression of officials from the Great Li Dynasty. After that, the practice spread from the top down, starting from the Huaihuang County office, and over time became a customary rule in the entire old Longzhou officialdom. The former regional inspector, Wei Li, had no objection.
Of course, being allowed to enter an office freely didn't mean one could freely wander among the official chambers.
Upon learning that it was the Mountain Lord Chen Ping'an of the Downfall Mountain who had come to call, someone immediately reported to Governor Jing.
Burdened by a mountain of documents and files, Governor Jing Kuan, still in his official robes, rubbed his eyes and put down a document about canals and water defenses within his jurisdiction. He quickly walked out of his office chamber. When he saw Chen Ping'an, the commandery governor simply clasped his hands in greeting without exchanging pleasantries, but there was a fair amount of smile on his face.
Chen Ping'an raised both hands and said jokingly, "I came to pay homage at the mountain with empty hands. Later, when Governor Jing visits Downfall Mountain, I'll first punish myself with three cups of wine."
Jing Kuan quickly waved his hand. "There's no problem with visiting Downfall Mountain and drinking tea. Please don't mention wine to me now, Mr. Chen. Last time at Cattail River, it was unbearable. I've been drinking so much that just the smell of alcohol gives me a headache."
Chen Ping'an said, "I just came to take a stroll. I won't delay your official business, Brother Jing, will I?"
Jing Kuan said, "If I'm to speak politely, as the chief official of a commandery, spending the whole day accompanying Mr. Chen on a leisurely tour would indeed be part of my duties. But to be honest, the office's hospitality is inadequate. Snatching a quarter of an hour in the midst of busyness, however, shouldn't be a problem."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Then how about showing me around the office? A quarter of an hour is enough."
Jing Kuan was a little surprised, but it wasn't a big deal or a breach of protocol. To be honest, no matter how many identities Mr. Chen had, at his core, he was still a Confucian disciple.
Although they had only met twice and shared one meal of wine, Jing Kuan was very certain of this feeling.
After that, Jing Kuan led Chen Ping'an through many chambers of a commandery office. Along the way, Chen Ping'an asked about many details regarding school management, sacrificial rites, postal relay, and so on. Fortunately, Jing Kuan was an extremely diligent official who liked and excelled at investigating minute details; otherwise, he might not have been able to answer those rather tricky questions on the spot. With questions and answers, the quarter-hour quickly passed. Chen Ping'an had also wandered through the entire office. He then took his leave, only saying that he invited Brother Jing to visit Downfall Mountain for a little wine when he had time. He would cook himself and wouldn't force drinks on the table. He also asked whether the new county magistrate of Pingnan County, the first county under Baoxi Commandery, was named Fu Hu, who came from the Express Mail Office under the Carriage and Driver Department of the Ministry of War in the capital. Jing Kuan nodded and said yes, and also said that this man was the younger brother of the former Baoxi commandery chief Fu Yu. Since the prefectural and county offices shared the same city, Jing Kuan often met with this subordinate, but he couldn't yet see the merits or demerits of this chief county official's governance.
Chen Ping'an then left the office. Fu Yu, the former Baoxi commandery governor, was a capital scion. He was one of the earliest Great Li officials to enter the Lizhu Cave Heaven region, having come with Wu Ying early on. Last year, he went to the capital for a performance review and was promoted to Lesser Chamberlain of the Crown Prince's Household, in charge of the Left Spring Office—a highly esteemed and prestigious position.
Unfortunately, Fu Yu was not a jinshi graduate of the civil examinations, nor had he served in the Hanlin Academy or thrown himself into the battlefield like Liu Xunmei and other general sons. Lacking these two types of experience was a moderate obstacle to Fu Yu's future advancement.
In Pingnan County, a river wound its way through. On the river, a boatman punted and fished. When the mountain bamboo shoots began to sprout, the spring tide raised the water level to the surface of the fields.
Today, Fu Hu had just finished handling a piece of official business. Not in a hurry to return to the county office, he told a few assistant officials and clerks to head back first, then sat alone by the riverbank to fish—he had prepared everything before leaving the house.
His elder brother, Fu Yu, was exactly one zodiac cycle older than Fu Hu. As the eldest brother, he was like a father, and given Fu Yu's smooth and rapid official career, Fu Hu was very afraid of this brother who was always stern and unsmiling.
After all, the head of the Express Mail Office was only a seventh-rank official, a minor office with no real power. Compared to the Nanxun Ward, where directors were as common as weeds, it was a world apart.
Fu Hu held the fishing rod in one hand and a mutton-fat jade plaything in the other, gently rubbing it in his palm.
This time, leaving the capital to serve as an official, leaving the Maodai Hutong where he thought he would stay for many more years, was a lateral transfer. However, Chuzhou was already a superior prefecture of Great Li, and Pingnan County was a superior county of the Great Li Dynasty. Becoming the parent official of such a county was naturally a promotion. Fu Hu, along with the county magistrate of Huaihuang County, could even raise their voices a bit at the regional inspector's office or when speaking with a few commandery governors. Earlier, when the official document reached the Express Mail Office, Fu Hu, who had been idling away there, was completely baffled. At first, he mistakenly thought his father or elder brother Fu Yu had secretly pulled some strings to get him this real vacancy.
But after a New Year's Eve dinner, while staying up late with Fu Yu to greet the new year, Fu Hu mustered the courage to ask about it. His brother shook his head and said it wasn't his doing or the family's. He frankly said that as a Lesser Chamberlain, he didn't have the power to decide the appointment of a superior county's chief official with just a few words. In the end, Fu Hu came to Pingnan County in Chuzhou in a daze to take up his post. The jurisdiction had many mountains and bamboo groves.
Out of the corner of his eye, Fu Hu noticed a man in a blue robe with a jade hairpin, carrying a fishing rod and a fish basket at his waist, walking slowly. The man chose a neighboring fishing spot, seeming to borrow a nest—a sign of an experienced angler. Fu Hu didn't mind; all anglers under heaven were family. As long as this guy didn't get jealous of his catch and throw rocks into the water, it was fine. The man seemed to be a half-bucket—after casting and scattering bait for a long time, not a single fish took the hook. He had jerked the rod too hastily a few times, so it was no wonder he lost the fish. The man put down his rod, moved to squat by Fu Hu, stretched his neck to look into the fish basket, then exchanged a glance with Fu Hu. They both understood instantly, without needing a word. They tacitly agreed: later, Fu Hu would take a few fish from his basket and give them to this chance-met but unskilled fellow angler.
That way, the man could go home and avoid a scolding. As long as he didn't return empty-handed, he could blame the poor fishing conditions rather than his skill.
The man started making conversation. "Brother, your knot-tying is quite distinctive. I've never seen it before. Were you targeting a thirty- or fifty-pound black carp from the start?"
Fu Hu smiled. "Want to learn?"
The man nodded. "If you're willing to teach, I'm willing to learn."
Fu Hu put down his rod and began explaining the trick of the knot in detail. The man nodded eagerly, "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm," seemingly having learned it.
After Fu Hu cast his line back into the water, he noticed that the man showed no sign of returning to his own fishing spot. He couldn't help but laugh. "Brother, don't worry. When I pack up, I'll definitely let you pick a couple of larger fish. But staring at me like this—what's that about? Afraid I'll grab my basket and run? That won't happen."
The man squatting beside him smiled. "There are three realms of fishing: liking to fish but not catching anything; catching a full basket every time; and fishing just for the sake of fishing, not seeking the catch. There's one more realm above that, rare and hard to come by, depending on the angler's talent."
Fu Hu laughed. "Oh? An even higher realm? How does that go? Tell me, brother."
The man said with a straight face, "Compared to fishing, I prefer watching others fish."
Fu Hu gave a thumbs up and laughed heartily. "Beating around the bush to praise yourself. Not bad, brother."
Among the capital's young masters, there were those who were arrogant and overbearing, and there were also those like Fu Hu who were genial and easygoing. In Fu Hu's words, he was just earning a living based on his ancestors' merits. Spending his days bullying ordinary people would be beneath him.
The man asked, "From your accent, brother, you don't sound like a local."
Fu Hu nodded. "I'm from the capital. Here doing a little business, just muddling along. And you, brother? Where are you from?"
"Huaihuang County. Visiting relatives here."
"Huaihuang County? That's not too close to our Pingnan County."
"It's nothing. I used to work in a kiln, often going up the mountain to cut firewood and burn charcoal. Walking this few steps doesn't even make me short of breath."
Fu Hu smiled. "Brother, you're definitely better at chatting than fishing."
The man had a good temper as well. When teased like that, he just crouched there grinning foolishly.
Fu Hu felt that this guy was someone he could get along with.
Fu Hu asked, "My surname is Fu, as in 'kiln master Fu.' And you, brother?"
The man replied with a smile, "My surname is Chen, with the left-ear radical 'Chen.'"
Fu Hu's family background wasn't good enough to afford him personal attendants. Naturally, the family had employed cultivators, but they weren't at the level where Fu Hu could have one. Even his elder brother Fu Yu, unless on a long journey, didn't have a qi refiner following him around in the capital every day. Besides, here in Chuzhou, Fu Hu was at least a seventh-rank official—what was there to fear?
So why would he act arrogant? Those who truly had the right to throw their weight around were people like Cao Gengxin and Liu Xunmei. When they walked on Yizhi Lane or Chier Street, even the elders didn't put on airs in front of them. As for Fu Hu, he liked any pastime that killed time, like fishing or pigeon whistles—a typical case of being "neither high nor low," with no great ambitions.
Chen Ping'an said, "Our Chuzhou is a good place for easy promotion. The older generation always says this place has strong official fortunes, that it produces high officials, and most have good reputations."
Fu Hu curled his lip. "They say the old Longzhou, now the new Chuzhou, has capable and intelligent officials at all levels. From what I see, it's true, but... heh."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "But?"
Fu Hu waved his hand. "Let's not talk about that. Brother, you're a commoner; I'm a merchant stinking of money. Why would I bother with such idle matters? Have I got too much time on my hands?"
Chen Ping'an said, "I guess Brother Fu's general meaning is that you feel the officials of Chuzhou know too well how to be officials. Deep down, they take being an official too seriously. They do things, and they do them better than officials elsewhere, but the flavor of officialdom is heavy, and their official authority is strong deep down. It leaves people feeling something's off. Hmm, it's like that fishing knot you taught me—interlocking rings."
Fu Hu turned to look at this visiting relative man. He had a few white hairs, but his face still looked young, making it hard to determine his real age. Fu Hu smiled and replied noncommittally, "I suppose if it weren't like that, they wouldn't be able to have such smooth official careers, right?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "It's a pity someone like Brother Fu thinks this way but didn't become a county magistrate."
Fu Hu hesitated, then said, "Brother Chen, we get along. Let me be honest with you. I lied to you a bit earlier. Actually, I work in the county office. Being from the capital, that part wasn't a lie. My last job was in a place called the Express Mail Office, sitting on a cold bench. You've never even heard of it, right? Ha! A clean-water office, literally as small as a fart—if anyone farted loudly, the whole office could hear it. The biggest official hat was only seventh rank. A sesame seed official, as they say in the plays."
Speaking too openly with a new acquaintance was a taboo everywhere.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Brother Fu has a sense of humor too, as good as your fishing skill."
Fu Hu said lazily, "I don't dare to hope to be a good official. But a clean official? I dare say that with my hand on my conscience."
But then the local named Chen spoke a few words that made Fu Hu's scalp tingle.
The man looked calmly at the river and began to speak unhurriedly: "Merits and demerits should be counted separately. The former regional inspector, Wei Li, did have his failings. Not in matters of administration, but in education. Matters of clear judgments, household registration, postal relays, capturing thieves, water channels and roads—as the chief official of a prefecture, Wei Li naturally had to manage them well. That was his duty. But according to Great Li law, the governance of a prefecture also includes the duty to propagate customs and educate the people. This is precisely the aspect that cannot be quantified in the capital inspection or local evaluations. Perhaps through the number of provincial graduates and jinshi within a prefecture, some clues can be glimpsed, but it's far from enough. A commandery governor seems to be an official close to the people, but in reality, he is not. The regional inspector, as a frontier minister, is even less so. Throughout the year, they see very few commoners. While their duty lies in supervision, guidance, overall coordination, and harmonization, the operation of a court office, from top to bottom across the three levels of prefecture, commandery, and county, should not be such that everyone only focuses on being an official. If you ask me, the more capable officials and efficient an office is, the better it is at hiding and covering up mistakes. It becomes stealthy and unnoticed. In places where officials are harsh, if the common people are wronged, at least everyone knows they've been wronged. Bystanders see it clearly. But in this Chuzhou, or maybe the future Chuzhou, things won't be so simple. It's like a carriage passing by; someone naturally follows behind to smooth over the tracks. If the chief official doesn't want people to know, they won't know. Neither the court above nor the common people below will know. Only among fellow officials and between superiors and subordinates is there a tacit understanding, just like when you and I exchanged a glance earlier and understood the 'rules.' So I can assert that if the future Great Li court becomes a bigger version of Chuzhou's officialdom, there will be big problems. In this regard, the former Regional Inspector Wei Li left an invisible mess for Wu Ying."
Fu Hu was speechless.
What shocked him wasn't that the man casually referred to Wei Li and Wu Ying by name, or even the views themselves.
To be honest, in the capital's official circles, especially in the Express Mail Office where he was the head, everyone gossiped behind closed doors. So what if they cursed a few ministers? Empty words, nonsense, big talk—the smaller the office, the more there was among trusted colleagues every day. Fu Hu himself used to love chatting about these things with that quiet Lin Zhengcheng.
So what truly shocked Fu Hu was that this man's words exactly hit upon a worry Fu Hu had, finally making him understand what felt wrong.
Not long ago, an official from the regional inspector's office in charge of education had gathered all the county instructors from within the prefecture. The general idea was that the regional inspector attached great importance to this matter and had set aside an entire afternoon to invite everyone to the office for an informal chat. The inspector had said everyone could speak freely, talk about problems, offer opinions, and express dissatisfaction... That wasn't the issue. What made Fu Hu, who was also present, feel uncomfortable was the official's concluding remark: "This kind of opportunity is rare in past years and in other places. You are all scholars. You should cherish this chance. When you meet the inspector, keep your words concise. Avoid irrelevant matters. The inspector is busy with official duties..."
Fu Hu didn't doubt the goodwill of that fifth-rank local official; there was certainly no malice. But precisely the "official flavor" in that person, the ingrained sense that official rank and hierarchy were everything, made Fu Hu, a scion used to seeing court magnates and the authority of high officials in the capital, feel extremely uncomfortable.
It took him a while to come back to his senses. Fu Hu gave a wry smile. "Mother! Brother Chen, you mustn't say things like that casually. And if you have said them, then let it be. It's just us two brothers here. You said it, I've heard it. Let's pretend nothing happened. Absolutely don't spread it!"
You, a "commoner," might not care, and I don't know if you're just bold or like to spout nonsense after reading a few books.
But I, Fu Hu, am a proper county magistrate. Even if I certainly wouldn't be punished for speaking, if my official colleagues heard about this, wouldn't I be given a hard time all year round?
Seeing the man smile, Fu Hu's heart beat even faster. Could he be from the mountains? After all, there were indeed quite a few immortals cultivating on the mountains within Chuzhou.
Fu Hu said, "That said, Brother Chen, given your insight and boldness, if you were to become an official, being a county magistrate would be an underuse of your talents. You should start as a prefect!"
Chen Ping'an smiled faintly. "Brother Fu's eyesight is even better than your fishing skill."
Fu Hu couldn't help but laugh, no longer so tense.
Then he saw the man squatting, hands tucked into his sleeves, saying softly, "Brother Fu, I think this is wrong. It's far from good enough. What do you think?"
Fu Hu sighed. "Brother Chen, you're still at it?! Then I really have to advise you!"
The man picked up the thread. "Mind your own business? Thinking like a chief minister of a ministry while being a commoner?"
Fu Hu burst out laughing and reached out to pat the man's shoulder. "Exactly! Glad you understand."
"Brother Fu, have you ever heard of Nanfeng Xiansheng?"
Fu Hu shook his head. He had never liked reading miscellaneous books as a child; dealing with the classics for the examinations was already exhausting.
"Then let me recommend a few essays by this old gentleman. I think you'll like them. 'Account of Zhao Gong's Disaster Relief in Yuezhou' and 'Record of the County School in Yihuang County.' In my opinion, these are the best works of morality and literature under heaven. But that's just my personal view."
Fu Hu said helplessly, "Alright, alright. I'll look them up when I'm free."
Why are you being so persistent with me?
Then this man surnamed Chen, without being polite, grabbed Fu Hu's fish basket and started "transferring" the fish.
Right. He was probably just some poor scholar who hadn't been lucky in the examinations—a sour scholar!
And here I was thinking he might be a cultivator from the mountains.
Fu Hu couldn't help but tease, "Brother Chen, now that Wei Li is a high official in the capital, and the new Regional Inspector Wu Ying is even more formidable, if you ever have the chance to see them, would you dare to say these things to their faces?"
The man in the long gown and cloth shoes had already walked to his own spot, holding his fishing rod and securing the basket at his waist. He smiled. "It's just that we get along, brother. Even squatting and chatting is a joy."
"Now if it were Wei Li and Wu Ying, I'd speak these truths sitting down, and they'd have to listen standing up."
Fu Hu was speechless again, then gave the man a thumbs-up.
Wow, look how proud you are! Your surname's Chen—why not just call yourself Chen Ping'an?!
In the art of talking, I, Fu Hu, am thoroughly convinced. Brother Chen, you're on a higher level.
"Welcome to Downfall Mountain as a guest. My home has a Huanghu Mountain. The fish are even bigger."
The man waved goodbye to Fu Hu and said with a smile, "By the way, my name is Chen Ping'an. 'Chen' as in the left-ear radical. 'Ping'an' meaning peace and safety."