Chapter 253

Candle shadows heavy in the painted hall, the young master stands in the courtyard.

The two young masters of the Yu family stood side by side, looking at the lamp fire of the big house, falling into deep thought.

"Eh? Have you noticed, I don't know when it started, they don't take us when they talk." Yu Yuling suddenly spoke.

Yu Qianlou was slightly stunned: "When did they ever take us when they talked?"

Yu Yuling choked: "Uh... that's true. But why don't they let us be present, are we not qualified?"

Yu Qianlou looked at his younger brother blankly.

Yu Yuling's expression was slightly embarrassed, and he said in a low voice: "It seems we are indeed not qualified."

Yu Qianlou turned his head back blankly again.

"Eh? No! I am not qualified, but you are the state registrar, why can't you be present either?" Yu Yuling asked suspiciously.

Yu Qianlou watched the shadows in the house and muttered: "What is a state registrar, what about a state long history..."

"His learning is really too good..." Yu Yuling sighed with emotion and envy.

Yu Qianlou only felt that his brother was only interested in learning, still too simple, and didn't explain much, just said softly:

"His power is not in learning."

Yu Yuling shook his head, carrying his hands:

"You don't understand. Some people understand the world through reading, some people understand reading through the world. The shadow of mountains and rivers is in the management, and the sound of classics is hidden in the taste of the world. The word Dao, all roads lead to the same destination."

Yu Qianlou's eyes shook, looking at his brother in surprise.

Yu Yuling stood with his hands behind his back, maintaining the image of a high man for several breaths, then smiled embarrassedly:

"This is what Wang Yang said when he was lecturing."

Yu Qianlou:...

"Wait." Seeing Yu Yi's eyes suddenly condensed, shooting out clear light: "Is it convenient for the young master to speak clearly. Is letting the young master go on a mission the Prince's meaning, or your uncle's meaning?"

Wang Yang said: "The Prince had this proposal first, and my uncle agreed."

Seeing Yu Yi asked: "How did he agree?"

Wang Yang replied: "Greatly agreed."

Seeing Yu Yi thought silently.

Wang Yang looked at Seeing Yu Yi's expression and continued: "Sir also knows, now is a troubled autumn—"

"Troubled autumn?" Seeing Yu Yi heard this word for the first time.

Wang Yang explained:

"The autumn day is murderous, and all things will be hidden. Now the barbarian chaos is not peaceful, and the barbarian dust is troubled, just like the autumn when grass and trees shake and fall."

"The young master is knowledgeable, I am not as good. This word is... very appropriate for today."

Seeing Yu Yi looked at Wang Yang, his eyes meaningful.

Wang Yang bowed:

"Sir praised me, Yang cannot afford it. Sir travels widely, has traveled through mountains and rivers, your knowledge is broad, how can Yang compare? Yang came today, besides saying goodbye to Sir, is to ask Sir for advice on the route to the barbarians..."

Seeing Yu Yi added tea while saying:

"Let's not discuss the route issue with me. After all, I am a white-clothed person, and an outsider, how can I hear about the mission's affairs? Besides—"

Seeing Yu Yi paused slightly, then slightly increased his tone:

"—It is a troubled autumn now. If there is any mistake on the road of the mission..."

Seeing Yu Yi put down the teapot and smiled apologetically:

"Young master, forgive me, I don't mean that the mission will have mistakes, but..."

"Understand, Sir is talking about the ten thousandth chance..."

Seeing Yu Yi nodded, as if responding to Wang Yang, and as if talking to himself:

"Yes, it is the ten thousandth chance..."

Wang Yang smiled:

"Actually, there is nothing to keep secret. There are a few roads to choose from before Wenyang Gorge, and after crossing the boundary mountain, there is only that one road, which everyone knows. However, I really have a route that no one else knows."

"Then you shouldn't tell me even more."

Seeing Yu Yi stopped looking at Wang Yang, lowered his eyes, and slowly blew on the tea soup, as if he didn't want to continue the topic at all.

Wang Yang thought for a moment and said easily:

"This is actually a route I dreamed of, only I know it, it has nothing to do with the mission, I just think it's interesting and want to ask Sir to refer to it."

Seeing Yu Yi put down the teacup and revealed a smile:

"So it's a dream, then you might as well talk about it, I have some insights into dream interpretation."

"Brother, what do you think they are talking about, not letting us listen?" Yu Yuling looked at the window shadow, sleepiness filling his eyes.

Yu Qianlou said deeply: "Don't know."

"Tsk, still a registrar..." Yu Yuling muttered.

Yu Qianlou couldn't be deep anymore: "What does this have to do with being a registrar???"

Yu Yuling deliberately disdained: "Already a registrar, yet still have the same treatment as me, knowing nothing..."

"Who has the same treatment as you, I know much more than you..."

Yu Yuling succeeded, leaned closer and asked: "What does brother know, tell me."

Yu Qianlou suddenly realized, then carried his hands behind his back, his gaze deep, and said slowly:

"The world does not pity talent, beauties often mistake their bodies. This is heaven being unkind. Since it gave spirit and beauty, it makes them fall into the dusty world; since it planted the root of love, it produces a fickle man."

Yu Yuling felt a chill between his teeth, looked at his brother, full of surprise.

Yu Qianlou was deep for a few seconds and then laughed:

"Wang Yang said it."

Yu Yuling's eyes widened:

"How do I not know?! From 'Extracts of Wang Zhiyan's Quotations'? No, I can recite the whole thing, and there is no such sentence in it!"

"This was said by Wang Yang a few days ago when Zhou Qiao was promoted to registrar (department head), and he held a banquet at Tingyun Hall, after the wine was half-drunk, you certainly don't know."

Yu Yuling felt very regretful: "Why didn't Zhou Qiao invite me..."

Yu Qianlou was calm and quiet, slowly saying:

"You are not a registrar..."

Yu Yuling:...

"... Arrived at Tiger Head Beach, suddenly a demon wind, blew me to the east bank—"

"Slow down!" Seeing Yu Yi interrupted Wang Yang, puzzled: "How did a demon wind come out? And blew across the Ju River??"

A trace of playfulness flashed in Wang Yang's eyes:

"This... I can explain it to Sir in detail..."

Seeing Yu Yi was stunned, and immediately said: "It's a dream, a demon wind is very normal. No need to explain!"

Wang Yang said: "Yes, not to mention dreaming, it might be windy even if you don't dream."

Seeing Yu Yi nodded:

"Exactly. It's a troubled autumn, what's abnormal about a wind? Zhiyan, continue talking about the dream."

"Hmm. In my dream, I followed Lao Wu Creek, walked Da Zhu Ridge, walked Bo Gou, passed Blood Wu Forest..."

Seeing Yu Yi sipped his tea and said coldly: "There are wild barbarians in this area, be careful."

Wang Yang smiled: "Yes, and it happened that I was carrying a team of guards in my dream."

Seeing Yu Yi's fingertips swirled slightly on the side of the celadon cup, his smile warm:

"It's good to bring guards."

Wang Yang frowned slightly: "But I am still a bit worried."

Seeing Yu Yi raised his eyes: "What are you worried about?"

"Afraid the guards are not enough."

"Bring more."

"Can't bring many..."

"Wild barbarians are a rabble."

"I like to be prepared."

"How to count as prepared?"

"If someone could lend me some masters..." Wang Yang looked at Seeing Yu Yi, his eyes flashing.

Seeing Yu Yi's tone was difficult: "This... it's not easy to borrow in a dream."

"Outside the dream?"

"It's even harder to borrow outside the dream."

The two talked and talked, their tone silky, like chatting about daily life.

Wang Yang smiled relieved:

"This matter is indeed a bit troublesome, but fortunately, it's a dream anyway... then I will take my leave, and ask Sir for advice when I have a chance in the future."

Wang Yang got up to leave, Seeing Yu Yi suddenly said:

"Actually, you don't need to worry too much, after all, the world is so big, there has never been a lack of knights."

Wang Yang said happily: "Will knights come?"

Seeing Yu Yi stretched his arms, his sleeves hanging like flowing water, calm and composed:

"Zhang Maoxian has a poem saying 'Knights enjoy the secluded and dangerous.' If you really encounter danger, you should."

Wang Yang rolled his sleeves and bowed: "Many thanks, Sir."

Seeing Yu Yi asked strangely: "Eh? What are you thanking me for?"

"It's hard to find the shadow of knights in the empty mountains, the red dust has a heart to save the time. Wang Yang, thanks Sir for interpreting the dream!"

Wang Yang bowed solemnly.

Seeing Yu Yi was stunned for a moment, then—

Smiled.

After Wang Yang left, Seeing Yu Yi immediately went to the desk, unfolded the letter paper, and wrote:

"Cangming Wu Yu, the secluded person bows again to the Xuanlong Jizhu Hermit—"

Seeing Yu Yi finished writing the word "scholar," suddenly stopped writing, his gaze fixed on the letter paper, as if piercing through the ink, looking at a distant place.

After a while, Seeing Yu Yi put down the brush, picked up the letter paper, and brought it close to the candle flame.

One by one, the ink characters curled and deformed in the scorching orange-red, turning into flying ashes, falling into the inkstone, entangled and fused with the thick ink, sinking into a deep black.

Seeing Yu Yi stared at the chaotic ink color in the inkstone that could never be seen through, sat withered for a long time, and sighed:

"The imperial heart is hard to measure..."

——————

Note: During the Southern Dynasty, there was a "menxia official" in the central government and local state governments. Among the state officials, the registrar, west cao, registrar, provincial affairs, record room, etc. were collectively called menxia, headed by the registrar. So Yu Qianlou is equivalent to Zhou Qiao's superior.