Chapter 195: Where the Dao Resides

Silver beast incense burner, fragrance filling the sleeves.

In front of Xiao Baoyue was a gilded incense box, with dense grids inside, either holding incense pills or incense cakes, and there were also scattered incense like broken snow, incense paste in the shape of cloud clusters. As for the flower petals, cloves, and lavender, they were dazzling and everything was there.

Baoyue was focused, her left thumb and index finger picking up an incense pill the size of a parasol tree seed from the grid, gently adding it to the incense burner, waiting for a while, and asked: "Young Master, how is it now?"

Wang Yang still closed his eyes, leaning and lying down to rest, and said indifferently: "Still too strong."

Xiao Baoyue gritted her teeth, resisted the urge to smash the incense burner onto Wang Yang, and added a little white atractylodes powder and dried holly tree seeds.

Trying the incense several times, her slender hands were warm, her moth eyebrows frowned, and her cheeks were cold.

"How about now?" Xiao Baoyue stared at Wang Yang and asked.

If he dared to nag again, I would...

"It's okay now." Wang Yang opened his eyes.

Xiao Baoyue didn't even realize she had let out a sigh of relief.

"Please Young Master, speak about the Party Prohibition disaster." Xiao Baoyue cheered up.

"You tell me first how you see the Party Prohibition disaster." Wang Yang picked up two waxberries to eat.

Xiao Baoyue thought for a moment and said:

"Wang Mang usurped the government, and scholars competed to offer omens to take titles, flatterers, looking at the wind and accepting the decree, to invite worship and salary. The corruption of customs can be seen here.

By the time of Emperor Guangwu's restoration, he re-established integrity to teach the world. He cultivated classics and rituals, and sharpened the scholar's style.

Moreover, the imperial court's observation and recruitment mostly took scholars by reputation. Therefore, scholars competed to cultivate virtue and establish names to show their integrity, and then there were so-called 'famous scholars.'

Famous scholars established high names, took the world as their own responsibility, and hoped to control the government.

However, Emperors Huan and Ling trusted eunuchs, blocking the path of famous scholars upward.

And eunuchs had no learning and little virtue, and were also despised by famous scholars, thinking that those who ruined the country were all this generation.

The indignation arose, supporting each other, and the eunuchs accused them of forming a party. Although history calls it a slander, it is actually not a slander.

However, the Emperor's handling of affairs was also inappropriate. Emperors Huan and Ling trusted eunuchs completely, prohibited party members, started major prisons, and scholars died like cattle and sheep, and the world was in misery.

The vitality of the scholar's style was also injured from this. Who else was harmed besides the Eastern Han generation?

Since the Party Prohibition, and then to the Gaopingling disaster, the famous scholars of the Eastern Han changed, becoming the famous scholars of Wei and Jin.

Lao and Zhuang rose, emptiness was supreme, and scholars in the world competed to ancestor vanity, not thinking about state affairs, which made the Five Hu take advantage of the opportunity to enter, and the Divine Land sank.

Pushing to the beginning of the chaos, it was all started by the Party Prohibition!"

After Xiao Baoyue finished speaking, she spat out a turbid breath in her chest, looked at Wang Yang, and waited for his comments.

Wang Yang put down his wine cup and said slowly:

"To read history and want to read it brilliantly, there are two points that are particularly critical: one is historical learning, and the other is historical knowledge.

Historical learning is the learning of history. If the learning is not enough, one will be ignorant of the changes in official positions, military systems, geography, and state affairs. Reading history can only read stories, and not know anything else.

Moreover, learning is not limited to the history department. If learning is broad, then what one sees is broad. As for a poem or a word, it can be verified with history. For example, if sword technique reaches the extreme, then grass, trees, bamboo, and stones can all be swords.

Like reading *Records of the Grand Historian, Annals of Xiang Yu*, the sentence 'Yu, Yu, what can I do?'—the reading method without learning sighs at the beauty of the rhetoric, Xiang Wang's heroic end, and at most questions its authenticity.

And the reading with learning can see the habits of writing history at that time, the style of Chu songs, the popular aesthetic themes of the Han Dynasty, and the development of poetry. That is, the four characters 'Annals of Xiang Yu' have a lot of articles in them.

Reading with learning, with ten books in the belly, reading one volume in one book, so reading one volume can be used as ten books.

Reading without learning, reading one book is just passing through the words, so reading one book is only reading one volume in this book.

The size of what one sees depends on the depth of learning..."

Xiao Baoyue was fascinated, and even her breathing was unconsciously lightened.

"Historical knowledge is insight.

Historical events are complex. If learning is profound, what one sees will be more chaotic.

With insight, one can climb high and look far, exhausting the eyes of a thousand miles.

Distinguishing primary and secondary, identifying truth and falsehood, understanding principles, and observing human hearts are all due to insight.

Like Emperor Wu of Jin taking many concubines, ordinary people see it as lust, those with insight see it as wanting to expand foreign relatives to solidify himself.

Having insight without learning, one loses in shallowness;

Having learning without insight, one loses in narrowness.

Your argument just now, learning is slightly not deep..."

Xiao Baoyue was suddenly a little unhappy.

Wang Yang paused and said: "And insight is not bad."

Xiao Baoyue calmed down.

"First, you can pick out the section on the change of scholar style, and second, you are not limited to the right and evil theories of history books. It is rare..."

Xiao Baoyue heard Wang Yang say "rare" sincerely, and was a little proud again.

"However, it loses in shallowness..."

"You!"

Xiao Baoyue really couldn't help it, patted the table and pointed, she felt Wang Yang was doing it on purpose!

Wang Yang didn't even lift his eyelids, as if nothing had happened, inserted a piece of melon with a bamboo stick, and said indifferently: "Listen or not?"

Xiao Baoyue stared at Wang Yang hatefully, thought about it, put her hand down, and said unhappily: "Listen."

"In a bad mood, not talking."

Xiao Baoyue couldn't bear it anymore and shouted: "Someone!"

Four sword-wielding martial maids rushed out from the side hall and surrounded Wang Yang.

Wang Yang had no waves in his face, raised his eyes, and said coldly:

"Although you and I haven't set a teacher-student name, I have told you so much these days, which can be considered as half a teacher.

The wise kings of ancient times, when extending teachers, must be respectful and polite; the rulers of the declining world also know humble words and thick gifts. Therefore,

In ancient times, when the Son of Heaven asked for instruction, he would stand facing north, alternating as host and guest with his teacher. When Yan Zhu met King Xuan of Qi and said, "King, come forward," there arose the debate over who was more noble, the King or the scholar.

Although I am not talented, what I speak of is my Dao.

You cannot see it in books, and you cannot ask it of others.

Although there are many talented scholars in the world, within the vastness of heaven and earth, my Dao can only be spoken of by me, Wang Zhiyan!

Today, if you ask me about the Dao with sincerity and humble request, and if I am in a good mood, it is not impossible for me to resolve your confusion.

But if you use force to coerce me or threaten me with cold steel, then even if you were to cut out my heart and liver, I would not open my mouth to say a single word!

Not for any other reason,

but simply because where the Dao exists, the teacher exists!

Although my Dao is small, it is also something that cannot be insulted!"

All the maidservants were shaken!

They only felt that this refined young master, sitting there without rising, his voice not even loud, possessed an invisible aura that made people feel awe and respect, not daring to slight him!

Xiao Baoyue was also deeply moved!

Previously, she had only felt that Wang Yang was slick and cunning, with deep thoughts. Although she later saw that his learning was broad and his insights were outstanding, she had only borrowed his knowledge for her own use. Added to that was their mutual tug-of-war, each using their own schemes; the thoughts of confrontation, maneuvering, and manipulation between them were truly significant.

She believed that Wang Yang was intentionally grinding and teasing her in order to control the relationship, dominate it, and exert influence over her actions. And she had tried her best to go along with Wang Yang, merely to make him hide less and share more genuine things.

But now, Wang Yang suddenly displayed a spirit that did not fear life or death, protecting the Dao with his own body. Even though he was alone and in the hands of the enemy, he remained calm, fearless, and spoke with righteous indignation. His voice was not high, yet every word was resonant, truly possessing the demeanor of an ancient man of virtue and high aspirations!

What was even more rare was that this man was overflowing with talent, with a myriad of images in his chest; it was truly impossible not to admire him.

She waved her hand to dismiss the martial maidservants, stood up, smoothed her robes, composed her expression, and bowed to Wang Yang: "My rudeness just now was my fault. I hope the young master will forgive me."

Wang Yang breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

The scene of Xiao Baoyue resorting to force just now was something he had anticipated as early as when he began "training" her.

Although he agreed that "there are things more detestable than death," he hadn't reached that point yet; when it was possible not to die, it was better not to die. Furthermore, he still preferred to use wisdom to solve problems rather than stubbornly resisting with his life.

The reason he dared to stand firm just now was a rational choice made after figuring out Xiao Baoyue's bottom line and his own value, not because he truly viewed death as returning home. However, although he had calculated that Xiao Baoyue would not kill him, he also inferred that with her intelligence and way of doing things, she wouldn't truly resort to force against him in the current situation.

But if she were truly enraged to the point of losing all rationality, then it would be hard to say. If it reached that point, Wang Yang would only be able to bring out his hidden backup plan, but he was still unwilling to use this backup plan lightly.

Fortunately, it was a close call.

Wang Yang knew that after passing this hurdle, he could finally truly stand firm in front of Xiao Baoyue, and would no longer be seen as a person with talent but no conduct, or as someone slick and treacherous.

Sigh, there's no help for it; this entrance of pretending to be someone else and his subsequent series of confrontational tactics were, in Xiao Baoyue's eyes, truly not well-behaved. So, in order to save his life, he could only adopt this method, moving step by step, and playing psychological warfare with her. Psychological warfare is something that, even if the other party realizes a part of it, is hard to resist; it is a form of psychological suggestion, emotional tug-of-war, and mental guidance. I admit to being deep in schemes; if I weren't deep, how could I play with a little brat like you? If it were anyone else, even if they reached the point of teaching, seeing you suppress your anger and ask for instruction, they would have lost their vigilance.

But Wang Yang had always been very clear-headed.

He wasn't leisurely playing in a zoo, but sitting next to a tiger, giving the tiger a lecture. Although this tiger was more beautiful than any other, it was still a tiger that could devour people.

If his thoughts weren't deep enough, he would have been eaten long ago.

But as for being slick and treacherous... that's called being clever and adaptable, alright!

Although he had now established himself in front of Xiao Baoyue, he was still quite a distance away from a one-hundred-percent guarantee of safety.

The road to maneuvering is long and arduous!

Wang Yang said calmly: "I accept this bow of yours; let this matter be over."

Xiao Baoyue bowed again: "Please, young master, continue your instruction."

Wang Yang picked up his wine cup, took a sip, slowly set it down, looked at Xiao Baoyue, and spat out one word: "Very well."