Chapter 810: 500 chapters, that was nothing but a beautiful dream of youth

500 chapters, that was nothing but a beautiful dream of youth.

5oo chapters, that was nothing but a beautiful dream of youth.

――――a red apricot branch protruding over the wall.

Zhao Wen Wang spent seven days selecting, from across the country, 1oo fencing masters, and then had these fencing masters, chosen from all over the nation, line up with swords in the palace, preparing to duel with Zhuangzi.

Everything was ready, and Wen Wang sent the Chief Eunuch to deliver the order: 'Quickly summon Zhuangzi to the palace to duel with the swordsmen.'

The Chief Eunuch repeatedly agreed, turned around, and went to summon Zhuangzi to the palace.

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Before entering the palace, Crown Prince Hui repeatedly urged Zhuangzi: 'Sir, you must be careful; your hold the fate of millions of Zhao State's people, the future of Zhao State, victory or defeat hangs in this one move. First of all, I have already prepared celebration wine for you; when you return victorious, I will still listen to your stories.'

Zhuangzi heard the Crown Prince Hui's words and was deeply moved.

Everyone knows Zhuangzi is most easily moved; he cannot tolerate kind words from others—just three kind words from someone and Zhuangzi would lay down his life for them. Zhuangzi also has a strange habit: whenever he is moved, he mutters verses, composing poetry; if he cannot compose a poem on the spot, he will randomly recite others' verses, or utter confusing, garbled words that others cannot understand.

Zhuangzi stepped forward and took Crown Prince Hui's hand, speaking confidently: 'Crown Prince, rest assured, I will strive and not disappoint you. I have trained diligently in swordsmanship for twenty years; I am thoroughly versed in all sword techniques under heaven. Ordinarily, though I possess this martial skill, I suffer from lacking a stage to display it. I often encounter envy and slander from the world. My life has no settlement, my existence no security, wandering everywhere, displaced like a homeless dog. In this displacement, I have seen through the good and evil, beauty and ugliness of the world. I also know that I cannot measure time and space with my own language. I have come to understand what is past and what is future.'

'What is the past?' Crown Prince Hui asked.

'The so-called past is merely a period of time that has passed and cannot return. Everyone wishes that the night of their twentieth year could come again; everyone wishes they could turn back the clock and live once more. Is that possible? Hence someone said, 'Those who abandon me cannot be held by yesterday's day.' You cannot keep it, try as you might. What is the past? The past is like smoke and clouds, drifting off to unknown places.' Zhuangzi said emotively.

'And the future?' Crown Prince Hui asked.

Although Crown Prince Hui holds the position of crown prince, he is still a person. As a person, he naturally concerns himself with his future and its fate. Especially someone like Crown Prince Hui, he is even more attentive to his future. For his future consists of authority, honor, nobility, wealth, and beautiful women…

In short, everything before him seems good, beautiful, and pleasing—but is that really the case? That is nothing but a beautiful dream of youth. Can such a dream replace reality?

'The future is a place I cannot reach in the present. But now I understand: the present moment contains all of time, including everything that is anticipated, achieved, and proven within it…'

Zhuangzi cannot open his talk box; once he does, it flows out like a river, endless streams of thousands of words. Among those thousands of words, some are borrowed from others' vocabulary, some are his own creations; some are ancient words, some are contemporary. Some are brilliant, some are dull. This temperament of his he can never change—this Zhuangzi.

Zhuangzi and Crown Prince Hui were here just chatting, while the Chief Eunuch and others waited impatiently, saying: 'Zhuangzi, you brat, can't you say a few less words? Hurry up and come with me to see Wen Wang; Wen Wang is still waiting for you to duel with the swordsmen.'

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(Heart with the disaster area, Flirting with the disaster area: wish peace, courage, confidence, strength to be with and accompany the people of the disaster area! To accompany!)