Chapter 431: Human Face

Wang Rong bowed smoothly without any pause:

"The little one is the newly appointed Dongyuan Sizhuan, paying respects to the lady."

The old lady suddenly realized and ordered:

"Today A-Rong is out of school, you tell the kitchen to make more delicious food, there must be crispy chicken cakes, stone lamb meat, abalone juice braised white fish slices, and square brocade rolls."

"Yes. However, the young master sent word that he would be back later, so why don't you have a meal first, and wait until the young master comes back—"

"I'm not hungry, I'll wait for A-Rong to come back and eat together."

This time the old lady was very firm, and Wang Rong tried several ways to persuade her, but none of them succeeded.

Just as he was about to try another trick, a servant came in and whispered that Wei Zhun had arrived. Wang Rong was happy and ordered Wei Zhun to be brought here quickly.

Before long, Wei Zhun walked into the pavilion quickly in the scholar's robe of the Imperial Academy.

(Do you still remember Wei Kuang who ran away after the couplet? This is his older brother. Chapter 176 "Couplet (Middle)": Liu Cheng said: "Zhonghan is a high talent in the Imperial Academy, and he and his older brother are both appreciated by Xie Xuanhui and Xie Sheren, who personally approved the eight words 'The two sons of the Wei family, the divine sharpness is especially handsome.'")

When the old lady saw Wei Zhun, she was overjoyed:

"A-Rong!"

Wei Zhun was stunned.

Then he saw Wang Rong give him a wink.

Wei Zhun immediately understood, stepped forward and knelt on one knee:

"Mother."

The old lady smiled and took "her son's" hand, carefully tidying his cuffs:

"Why are you so early today? Are you cold? What did the teacher teach?"

Wei Zhun was also a smart person, and he spoke up without any stage fright:

"Mother, don't worry, it's not cold outside. Today school ended early, and the teacher talked about 'On Sound Having No Sorrow or Joy'."

The old lady was very surprised:

"You've already learned 'On Sound Having No Sorrow or Joy'! Then tell A-Mu, what do you think of 'Harmony and Image Having No Sound'?"

Seeing the mother pulling Wei Zhun to ask about his well-being, looking at him with full love, Wang Rong felt envious in his heart.

Wei Zhun was facing a great enemy!

Discussing learning in front of this mother and son, he didn't dare to be the slightest bit careless!

He immediately gathered his twelve spirits, treating this as an examination of the Imperial Academy:

"My son believes that Ji Zhongsan's theory of 'Harmonious Sound Has No Form' was intended to correct the flaw of the Han era's 'Sound Has Form.' Han Confucian scholars discussing the Book of Changes always wanted to attach everything to 'form,' directly comparing all changes in hexagrams and lines to diagrams. Consequently, the arts of hexagram-Qi, line-stars, and the Na-Jia and Na-Yin systems emerged in confusion. Thus, in the Han and Wei eras, those who spoke of sound mostly claimed it 'had form.'"

"The so-called image is not just a description of pictures, but that the sound and rhythm are all verifiable. Therefore, people's shape, spirit, emotion, ambition, sorrow, and joy, as well as customs, good and bad luck, and the rise and fall of national politics, are all contained in the sound. The listener gets the image because of the sound, and knows the emotion by following the image. This is to push the Confucian purpose of 'music to symbolize virtue' and gradually become a mysterious theory. The 'Book of Rites' says that music is born from the human heart. Therefore, the music of a governed world..."

Wei Zhun gathered his spirits here and displayed his learning! He was afraid of being a laughing stock!

But he didn't know that Wang Rong had no intention of listening, only thinking about his mother not eating yet, and wanted to give Wei Zhun a wink.

But Wei Zhun was focused on his work and had no time to look at Wang Rong!

The old lady listened carefully, with a smiling and loving appearance, praising her son and discussing with him:

"... Ji Zhongsan's purpose is slightly the same as Wang Fusi's 'getting the meaning and forgetting the words', wanting to remove the talk of verification and disaster and good luck in music, and return to its natural and harmonious foundation. Since the way of sound and music can be clarified, the emotion of ritual and music can also be re-interpreted. This is his clever place."

"As for the argument that sound has no emotion, but the listener's sorrow and joy meet, its reason is still beyond the image, and all things get their place. If the eight sounds are made, they are all due to the natural rhythm of the law, and they are not formed by emotion and falsehood. Then the operation of heaven and earth is also like this. This is his big focus, and it must be observed."

"The family learning of the Langya Yan family has a unique place in this theory. Yan Tengzhi once wrote a special discussion, which is quite insightful. It's a pity that A-Mu doesn't have your ability to never forget what you hear, and cannot recite it all. However, I am an old friend with his daughter. I will write a letter to Jiankang and ask her to help me copy a copy, and wait for it to be sent over before you look at it."

The old lady was vigorous and resolute. She said she would write a letter, and immediately wanted pen and ink.

Wei Zhun was moved by the old lady's talent, no wonder she could give birth to such a peerless talent as Wang Zhongshu. Hearing the old lady ask for pen and ink, he remembered to look at Wang Rong and asked for instructions.

Wang Rong made a silent gesture of eating.

Wei Zhun understood. After the nervous thoughts of answering learning just now went away, his IQ re-occupied the high ground. He didn't persuade the old lady to eat, but said:

"Mother, the son is hungry."

The old lady immediately ordered the meal!

The big maid standing by the door first retreated to the corridor and tapped lightly. Once the applause fell, a group of maids waiting in the corridor acted separately, each doing their own thing. The little maids entered one after another, holding silver basins, changing hot towels, and setting jade chopsticks.

Between the coming and going of shadows, only the skirts were seen, but no messy sounds were heard.

The plates were arranged, the chopsticks were in pairs, the food was rich, and the whole case was fragrant.

Wei Zhun helped the old lady to her seat.

The old lady said to everyone:

"You all go down, let us mother and son talk."

Everyone retreated as ordered, and Wang Rong had to follow, but before leaving, he pointed to a plate of glutinous rice cakes on the case, waved his hand, and made a mouth shape to Wei Zhun, meaning don't let the old lady eat too much.

Wei Zhun nodded silently.

The old lady saw Wang Rong lingering and frowned:

"Why don't you retreat yet?"

Wang Rong retreated as ordered.

The old lady glanced in the direction Wang Rong retreated and whispered to Wei Zhun:

"This newly appointed Dongyuan Sizhuan has a problem."

Wei Zhun was stunned for a moment before reacting. The so-called "newly appointed Dongyuan Sizhuan" refers to Wang Rong! He asked in amazement:

"What's the problem?"

The old lady chewed the glutinous rice cake slowly and pondered:

"This person looks respectful but has many thoughts, his actions are smooth and his intentions are free, he is in a low position, but he has the intention of taking things in his eyes, not like someone who is at peace with his position. Later, send him to guard the corridor."

Wei Zhun:...

Wei Zhun accompanied the old lady to eat, slipped into the garden, and then came to see Wang Rong.

Wang Rong was using a fine brush dipped in lacquer to trace his ghost face mask.

The red brush slowly wandered along the cracks of the mask, as if to re-awaken the dried bloodstains. Hearing Wei Zhun's account of the old lady's evaluation of him, he laughed dumbly:

"Knowing the son is not as good as the mother..."

He put down the brush, listened carefully to Wei Zhun's detailed report on the old lady's situation, and smiled warmly, like a jade son. And that half-new, half-old ghost face mask was placed in front of him, ghostly and ferocious, with cold air invading his eyes.

Ghost face and human face, between inches, the shape and spirit are different. One warm and one cold, like clouds and mud.

Wei Zhun hesitated for a moment and said:

"Didn't the teacher say that Li Jingxuan hinders the master and will sooner or later be a chaotic step? Since he cannot be used, sending him to the Prince of Badong to help his dangerous heart can be considered as getting his place."

(Think about Wang Tai's line again. Wang Tai used a counter-espionage plan but didn't expect to directly cause the Prince of Badong to react and decide to rebel. And Li Jingxuan was the earliest planner. So pushing the Prince of Badong to rebel, one inside and one outside, both lines came from one person's hand.)

Wang Rong wiped his hands with a white towel:

"There is no unusable person in the world, only an unusable time."

"If the time is not right, Feng Tang is easy to get old, and Li Guang is difficult to seal."

"When the time comes, selling silk and slaughtering dogs can also become a merit."

"'Alas, you don't meet the time!'"

"Time is the premise."

"If the time is right, as long as the mind is enough and the means are high enough, any kind of person can be used, let alone a genius like Li Jingxuan?"

"I have never accepted a disciple, but Li Jingxuan counts as one."

"If the general trend is in hand, I will definitely use this person!"

"It's a pity that the time is wrong, so I can only abandon him."

"However, the Prince of Badong is like a fierce tiger, restless and likes to fight;"

"Li Jingxuan is like a poisonous snake, cunning and likes danger."

"The two are attached to each other, and they will definitely borrow each other to rise and show their ferocity together."

"In name, they help each other, but in reality, they kill each other;"

"At first they are noisy together, and in the end they die together."

"The Prince of Badong is full of resentment, often unhappy, acts extremely, and his nature is perverse. Even without Li Jingxuan, he would sooner or later be a disaster."

"To be honest, I am really not afraid of the sword light and sword shadow of the Donggong, coming and going. I am afraid that the Badong Tiger will go crazy at some point and suddenly give you a blow, messing up the whole situation."

"This tiger is not enough to accomplish things, but it is enough to ruin things. If it is at a critical moment, it is easy to mess up my overall situation."

"Li Jingxuan accelerates the rupture of the ulcer, and the early ulceration is not only to make me feel at ease, but also to remove a harm for my dynasty."

"Can this be considered another kind of 'use'?"

Wei Zhun sighed and bowed.

Wang Rong had doubts in his heart.

The move of inciting the Prince of Badong to rebel actually had another use.

According to his expectations, regardless of whether the Prince of Badong believed Wang Tai or not, the new hatred and old grievances, the first target should be the Crown Prince. After raising the army, there should be a manifesto to denounce and blame the Donggong.

So this should have been a plan to kill two birds with one stone!

But why has it been so long, only hearing the sound of soldiers, but not seeing the manifesto?

This neither conforms to common sense nor the Prince of Badong's personality.

There are variables in this, but where are the variables...

"Did you bring the book?"

Wang Rong asked suddenly.

Wei Zhun almost forgot, and hurriedly took out the book Wang Rong asked him to find from his sleeve.

This is a work on Confucian classics.

Book title—

"Flaws in the Modern and Ancient Texts of the Book of Documents". ===== CHAPTER 432 =====

This tiger is not enough to accomplish things, but is enough to ruin them. If we are at a critical juncture, he could easily disrupt our entire situation.

If Li Jingxuan's abscess bursts quickly, letting the pus drain early, it will heal sooner. This not only puts my mind at ease but also removes a scourge for our dynasty.

Could this also be considered another kind of 'use'?"

Wei Zhun sighed in admiration and bowed.

Wang Rong, however, felt apprehensive.

The move of inciting the Prince of Badong to rebel actually had another purpose.

According to his calculations, regardless of whether the Prince of Badong believed Wang Tai or not, given their new grudges and old grievances, the primary target should be the Crown Prince. After raising troops, there should be a manifesto denouncing him and laying the blame on the Donggong.

So, this should have been a plan to kill two birds with one stone!

But why, after so long, do we only hear the sounds of war and see no manifesto?

This conforms neither to common sense nor to the Prince of Badong's personality.

There must be a variable in this, but where is the variable...

"Did you bring the book?"

Wang Rong asked suddenly.

Wei Zhun had almost forgotten; he hurriedly took from his sleeve the book Wang Rong had asked him to find.

This was a work on the classics.

The title—

"Pointing Out Flaws in the Modern and Ancient Texts of the Book of Documents."