?51: Chapter 48: Ushering in Peace!

    (Seeking First Subscription!) 51: Chapter 48: Ushering in Peace!

    (Seeking First Subscription!) The bronze tripod trembled violently, and for a moment, Li Guanyi thought he heard the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers ringing in his ears.

    He lifted his head and saw clouds converging in the sky, tearing and spiraling into each other.

    In a daze, he saw them transform into colliding rapids, so vast and majestic.

    It seemed as though they were about to swallow Li Guanyi himself.

    Even though it was daytime, Li Guanyi felt as if he could already see the light of the White Tiger Seven Stars.

    The convergence of the scholarly and martial energies seemed to threaten to engulf the White Tiger Seven Stars, and the Inner Qi within Li Guanyi’s body circulated at an accelerated pace unconsciously.

    The voice of Xue Daoyong woke Li Guanyi from such a grand scene.

    “Guan Yi, Shuangtao, what are you dazing for?

    Come and meet Mr.

    Wang.”

    Li Guanyi stepped forward to pay his respects, and the Master smiled and nodded, saying, “You have a spirited appearance, a fine young man.”

    Xue Daoyong laughed heartily, and the Master walked arm in arm with him.

    And naturally, Changsun Wuchou walked alongside Li Guanyi, introducing him to the guest.

    This Literary Meeting in Guan Yi City was indeed worthy of being the grandest event in Chen Country for thirty years, with many renowned scholars, aristocratic families, and great Confucian scholars from various sects gathering here, clustering around Wang Tong.

    Three disciples surrounded Wang Tong, the eldest already in his early twenties.

    One of them was from the Qinghe Fang family, named Fang Ziqiao, with a gentle temperament like jade, the most serene of all.

    Changsun Wuchou smiled and said:

    “The Qinghe Fang is one of the prominent clans in the world.

    Ziqiao is the legitimate son, the future head of the household.”

    “He’s calm and full of strategies, and already has a bit of a reputation.”

    “That seventeen or eighteen-year-old is from the Du Family of Capital in Ying Country, named Du Keming.”

    Changsun Wuchou stretched out his hand and pointed at a young man with closed eyes.

    Dressed in black, with sharp and resolute eyebrows, his entire demeanor was like a swift blade.

    Changsun Wuchou whispered, “Decisive, without hesitation, also a person of outstanding ability.

    Among the disciples of Wen Zhongzi, Ziqiao is strategic, while Du Keming is good at making decisions.

    I’ve heard of the strategist ranking.”

    “Some say that now these two young men are still rather inexperienced alone, with one overly strategic but indecisive, and the other decisive but lacking in strategy.

    Yet, if they were to be combined, they might already rank, perhaps even among the top ten future strategist candidates.”

    “They are sworn brothers who grew up together, and only they can join hands so seamlessly.”

    A young man led the way ahead, saying solemnly, “Honored guests, please take your seats.”

    Li Guanyi and Xue Shuangtao were able to take seats near the front, all thanks to Old Mr.

    Xue.

    Changsun Wuchou made himself at home next to Li Guanyi, picking up two delicate pastries and popping them into his mouth with no restraint, exuding an approachability that made others instinctively warm up to him.

    The literary grandeur of Chen Country surpassed that of Central Plains and Ying Country, not to mention other regions.

    All those scholars and luminaries brought their sons and successors, and Li Guanyi took a quick glance and surmised something.

    Indeed, after tea was drunk and music heard, Fang Ziqiao began to speak:

    “Today, our teacher accepted an old friend’s invitation to come here, Guan Yi City, to meet with all of you, contributing to this grand gathering of literary talent.

    Furthermore, there’s something else.

    Our teacher excels in the Three Doctrines and Nine Streams, having disciples in four schools: strategy, decision, and admonishment.

    All but one ‘force’ have disciples who’ve inherited the mantle.”

    “Today, our teacher has come here to seek that last Disciple to close the gate.”

    The many luminaries shifted their gazes with interest.

    Wang Tong was highly reputed, with numerous disciples, many sons from aristocratic families of Ying and Chen Countries came to study under him.

    For them, this represented a significant resource and opportunity, which is why the elders all rose, leaving the younger generation at the desks.

    Xue Daoyong patted Li Guanyi on the shoulder and said, “Guan Yi, I believe in you.”

    “No need to worry, just give it your all!”

    Li Guanyi looked at the scrolls laid out before him, apparently meant for writing essays.

    His gaze swept over them, and the corner of his eye twitched—

    One· [Vast it is, where the people cannot be named; towering it is, that which has been achieved, bright it is with scholarly works]

    Two· [Water, fire, metal, wood, earth, and valleys are solely refined]

    Three· [Compose to ‘the scholar precedes the understanding of instruments’, obtain the writings]

    Four· [In the moonlit night, donning a palace brocade robe, rowing a boat to gather stones, assign the rhyme ‘view and scoff with such pride, as though no one’s around’].

    Li Guanyi: “...”

    What is this?

    What in the world is this?

    Doomed, it must be sent.

    Although he recognized every character on the surface, when strung together, Li Guanyi was utterly clueless about their meaning.

    At that moment, all the sons of noble families, including Xue Shuangtao, began to answer the questions, focusing on breaking down the sayings of the Saints and applying them to the current situation.

    And using the word ‘essay’ as a rhyme, composing a piece of writing.

    Li Guanyi had to admit something, more than a decade of systematic education for the sons of noble families was not in vain; everyone wrote with zeal.

    The young man sighed, lifted his brush, and on that scroll, he wrote with a flourish, producing beautiful calligraphy.

    Li Guanyi!

    He wrote down his own name.

    Just like how he used to answer questions by writing a character explanation.

    It was a consolation in his heart that it wasn’t entirely a blank paper.

    Then he set the brush aside.

    Sitting there with a straight back, while the rest vigorously penned their thoughts, he alone sat idle, drawing the gazes of Fang Ziqiao, Du Keming, and the leading young man.

    It wasn’t for any particular reason, but simply because it was too conspicuous.

    Du Keming raised an eyebrow and pointed to the scroll.

    Get on with answering, why look at me?

    Fang Ziqiao, in a white robe, approached the youth, leaned down, and asked gently, “Is there some difficulty, Mr.

    Li?

    Why aren’t you writing?”

    The young man answered directly, “I can’t answer it.”

    The gentle gentleman was taken aback and then laughed helplessly.