Chapter 289: Merit lies in not giving up, the sick tiger of the Ministry of Rites!

【Sister Wu Tong's face is full of joy; the young master's studies have finally been resolved.】

【Now, the young master can step into the school and study the way of sages.】

【"The mistress's intention is that by the spring of next year, the young master can go to the school with the young masters of the mansion."】

【"It's just that some collateral relatives of the clan have all begged the mistress, and the mistress couldn't refuse, so she sent all the children of the family to the school in the courtyard, and the enrollment quota for this year is full."】

【"For the young master's studies, the mistress also spared no effort, specifically finding a school for the young master, which was set up by the Li family in Above Bianjing, where there are still vacancies."】

【Sister Wu Tong hears this, a look of surprise appearing on her face, wanting to refute: "But the courtyard clearly..."】

【You have already interrupted, respectfully saying: "Thank you for your trouble, Mother."】

【Handan examines the young man, seeing his expression still calm, and nods slightly.】

【The mistress had already ordered that if Xie Guan showed resentment, this opportunity to study would be withdrawn.】

【"Naturally, the mistress has already prepared the gift of tuition for Young Master Guan."】

【After speaking, Handan's gaze sweeps over the ancestral tablet of the mother placed in the main hall of the courtyard.】

【"Young Master Guan is quite filial."】

【After saying this, she turns and leaves gracefully.】

【Sister Wu Tong's face is already full of anger, hard to hide.】

【"This is truly bullying people too much. In the Xie mansion, there are four or five schools in the main courtyard, which are often not full, and there are constant absences in the school."】

【"People like Young Master Yu and Young Master Yuan are all private tutors hired by the family; why do they need to step into the school? Not to mention the schools run by the second courtyard and the clan, I don't know how many guests and teachers are eating for nothing."】

【"Now, to study, one has to go to the Li family. The Xie family is in the north, and the Li family is in the south, far apart. And if the children of the family don't study in their own family, they will definitely be ridiculed and suspected of having bad character and improper conduct."】

【You don't have much reaction, just quietly savoring the hint that Handan left behind.】

【This Lady Yuan seems to still hold resentment toward Mother?】

【It is clearly you who owe Mother!】

【Sister Wu Tong sees you silent and hurriedly comforts you:】

【"Young Master, don't be too sad. Now the mistress has allowed you to study, and you can participate in the imperial examination in the future to show your ambitions."】

【"Young Master, you are so intelligent, you will definitely stand out in the future and bring glory to the family."】

【You smile slightly and say: "It's a good thing after all."】

【You step into the courtyard again, continuing to practice the "leaning stake" method. This time, you persisted for one more breath, but you were also panting and sore all over.】

【Afterward, you calm your mind and contemplate the "Ghost-Slaying Sword" in your mind. You are dizzy, but you grit your teeth.】

【One day of cultivation, only a slight progress, but you don't feel discouraged. You start slower than others, so you must be able to endure hardship and work hard.】

【A steed's leap cannot cover ten steps; a nag's ten journeys, merit lies in not giving up.】

【Repeating this, cultivation never stops.】

Above Bianjing, this capital of the world.】

Yuheng Street in the east of the city, near the imperial palace.】

Those who can purchase mansions here are all prominent and wealthy people.】

After all, in Above Bianjing, every inch of land is worth an inch of gold, and any suburb is a sky-high price.】

At dusk, the lanterns are lit.】

The restaurants and various authentic snacks of the thirteen states on Yuheng Street are gradually becoming lively, with people's voices boiling and extremely lively.】

This is the first impression left by those who first come to the capital—prosperity and liveliness.】

Teahouses, brothels, mansions of dignitaries, as well as brothels and red-light districts in Chang Le Fang, restaurants are lined up, scales and combs.】

Wait until night falls!】

There is no curfew in Above Bianjing.】

In the brothels, curtains are lightly rolled, and beauties such as Yangzhou thin horses, teaching workshop women, and corner prostitutes appear one after another, attracting young masters holding folding fans to shuttle between them, and the procuress is even more hard-working.】

In addition, there are gambling houses scattered among them, with paper-drunk gold fans on the gambling tables, dice, cockfighting, quail fighting, spreading money, and other gambling games, and the strange skills of the world are gathered here, which is eye-opening.】

Throwing a thousand gold is common in Above Bianjing.】

The most prosperous place at night is not in the east of the city but in the West Wing Building in the west of the city.】

General Sima Ting is alone, watching the oily fragrance floating in the streets and alleys, adults pulling children wrapped in bright red winter cotton-padded jackets, laughing and walking on the bluestone streets.】

Pedestrians come and go like weaving, with martial arts guests walking with knives, young people pulling horses, and groups of two or three scholars enjoying the night flower gathering.】

Seeing this scene, anyone would praise it as a prosperous scene.】

However!】

General Sima Ting once experienced Jiannan Dao and knew deeply how many bones were buried under this prosperity.】

Last year, Jiannan Dao suffered a severe drought, and Youzhou even had a tragedy of people eating people, and demons were rampant, causing people to suffer.】

Jiangnan Dao was no exception, with weeping sounds coming every night, new graves and old mounds intersecting, and it was impossible to tell them apart.】

He came from Jiangnan Dao, and along the way, he saw the Yellow River changing its course, disaster victims everywhere, and sorrow everywhere.】

Bones exposed in the wild, no chickens crowing for a thousand miles, one in a hundred people survived.】

General Sima Ting sighed lightly, walked slowly through Yuheng Street, and finally stopped in front of a seemingly inconspicuous mansion, knocking lightly on the door knocker.】

The gate of this mansion is not spacious, and there are no stone beasts at the door, appearing quite simple.】

In the east of the city, most are locals of Above Bianjing. They have a sense of superiority that transcends other states, often calling themselves "Jing Ye," walking birds, fighting crickets, and throwing a thousand gold is not a

Therefore, the residences in the west of the city often have high thresholds and grand layouts, with entrances decorated in a magnificent and opulent manner to highlight the status and position of the owner.

However, even so, people in this area would not dare to act presumptuously in front of this seemingly "shabby" residence.

The reason is simple!

This Tang residence is the home of Tang Tang Ziang, the current Minister of Rites.

He is also General Sima Ting's mentor.

The door opened slightly, and an elderly man with a sturdy build, dressed in coarse cloth, poked his head out. Upon seeing it was General Sima Ting, he was immediately surprised and said:

"General General Sima, why have you come?"

General Sima Ting smiled and greeted him:

"Uncle Chen, long time no see." Afterward, he walked into the residence with an unhurried gait.

The furnishings inside the residence were equally simple, with no precious items; it was hard to imagine this was the home of a first-rank court official.

General Sima Ting's gaze swept across the residence, and he suddenly noticed Uncle Chen's aura, causing him to exclaim in surprise:

"Uncle Chen, have you already reached the Sixth Realm?"

Upon hearing this, a hearty smile bloomed on Uncle Chen's face.

"We old bones can't compare to you young people. I've followed the Master and lived to seventy before touching the threshold of this Sixth Realm. I can't compare to the General, who is as vigorous as a dragon and a tiger, having entered the Upper Three Realms before the age of thirty."

"In the blink of an eye, the limit for a martial artist is almost here. I'm afraid I won't have the chance to see the scenery above again." His tone was quite sentimental.

For a martial artist, ninety years is a great lifespan; this barrier of longevity stands like a natural chasm before all martial artists in the world.

General Sima Ting did not pick up on this slightly heavy topic and instead asked:

"Where is the old master right now?"

"Oh, the Master is in the study right now, and those officials from the Secretariat are all there too," Uncle Chen replied.

General Sima Ting frowned slightly upon hearing this, and his footsteps paused involuntarily.

For the officials of the Secretariat to remain at his teacher's residence so late, it was likely not for ordinary matters. Thinking of the recent thorny issue of Yellow River management, he already had some guesses in his heart.

"Don't rush to report yet, let them finish talking," General Sima Ting pondered for a moment and said, "Uncle Chen, take me to the kitchen to grab a bite. I went to the Xie family today, and with young ladies present, I didn't dare to eat much, fearing I might scare them."

Upon hearing this, Old Chen showed a knowing smile: "I wonder which young lady caught General General Sima's eye; she would truly be blessed."

Old Chen was once just a page boy serving under the Master; General Sima Ting had known him since he was a child and had even received pointers from him on martial arts.

Mentioning that Master, General Sima Ting felt not only deep reverence but also an unspeakable mystery hidden in his heart.

Having accompanied him since childhood and listened to his teachings, the older he got, the less he could see through this teacher.

Between the Master and the Fourth Gentleman, they were both teacher and student, and also close friends.

What was particularly strange was that the Master seemed to be just an ordinary person, having never stepped onto the path of martial arts, nor did he understand the methods of spiritual cultivation, walking through the world merely as a mortal.

Yet, years ago, a powerful martial artist of the Upper Three Realms attempted to carry out an assassination.

Inside the carriage at noon, with no way for the outside to peek in, only a flash of finger light was seen, and the martial artist's head burst like rotten wood under that light tap.

With his plain clothes, the teacher was able to sit firmly in the court for sixty years through wind and rain, and no matter how the world changed like a new game of chess, he remained unmoved.

As night fell and after dinner, General Sima Ting waited quietly in an antique study within the Tang residence, his state of mind peaceful, showing no signs of impatience.

He touched the insights on "benevolent people and men of high ideals" written for him by Xie Guan, thinking that his teacher would also be pleasantly surprised.

After about an hour, two figures walked in slowly. General Sima Ting stood up immediately, his tone extremely respectful:

"Teacher!"

"Yiju, you've come!"

General Sima Ting, courtesy name Yiju, was a name personally bestowed by the Master, with profound meaning.

Responding to him was an old man with an ordinary temperament, dressed in common clothes, with slightly sparse hair and sallow, sagging skin, but upon closer inspection, one could still see that he must have been a handsome man in his youth.

The old man's eyes looked listless, and he walked slowly with his hands behind his back.

Tang Tang Ziang was already in his eighties, approaching his hundredth birthday.

Tang Tang Ziang was also known in the Great Qi court as the "Sick Tiger" or "Sick Tai Sui," not because he was ill, but because he always appeared listless in the court.

In recent years, he had rarely offered political advice, and even the power of the Ministry of Rites had been gradually handed over.

"Greetings, General General Sima!"

Behind Tang Tang Ziang followed a middle-aged man dressed as a Confucian scholar; although he did not wear official robes, his Confucian gown was worn with dignity.

His figure was somewhat thin, and his complexion was sallow, seemingly left over from a serious illness in his early years, with half of his face looking quite stiff, though his expression was steady.

General Sima Ting naturally knew this person; he was Chen Lu of the Secretariat, currently serving as an inspecting official.

In recent years, Chen Lu had risen to fame, promoted several levels in a single year; he came from a commoner background, quite similar to the background of his teacher, Tang Tang Ziang.

Especially at the beginning of this year, his "Memorial on Governance" addressed the livelihood issues of Great Qi, proposing reforms in current politics in a document of tens of thousands of words. Although Prime Minister Su did not fully adopt it, this memorial was still circulated in the Cabinet, attracting everyone's attention.

Could it be that he had become a student of his teacher?

Otherwise, they wouldn't be talking until this hour; one must know that in Above Bianjing, there is the Cabinet's "Suspended Mirror Division."

It is a secret service organization specially set up by Prime Minister Su, and the daily movements of officials in the court are almost all recorded.

This kind of secret service organization served the royal family in ancient times, but now that imperial power has declined, it is used by Prime Minister Su.

With Chen Lu at the teacher's residence today, Prime Minister Su must already know.

However, Chen Lu's expression at this time was extremely sorrowful, a far cry from the steady and capable image he usually projected.

General Sima Ting's doubts deepened; he remembered that a few days ago in court, regarding the war in the west, Chen Lu's proposal to send troops to Zhuya Commandery had been adopted, and he should be "riding high" these days.

Tang Tang Ziang was already sitting in a chair, smiling as he looked at General Sima Ting and Chen Lu, and slowly said: "It's all for the sake of managing the Yellow River. Our Official Chen here has been arguing endlessly with several big shots from the Nine Great Clans, almost coming to blows."

"If it weren't for my quick hands and feet, our master and student would be visiting him in the prison of the Suspended Mirror Division tonight."

Upon hearing this, Chen Lu showed a helpless expression and said: "Old Master, please don't mock me like this. It's just that these Nine Great Clans are out of touch with reality; they simply don't understand the suffering of the people."

General Sima Ting found a seat and sat down; he had been busy getting papers approved for his marriage in court these past few days, so he didn't know about this twist in the court.

He wasn't very close to Chen Lu, but he admired Chen Lu's character.

This person extremely disliked people from the Nine Great Clans, and although many among the Nine Great Clans valued his future and were willing to befriend him, even sending gold and silver by carriage, he turned them all away.

He even put up a sign at his door that read "Closed for a Year," which became an interesting anecdote in Above Bianjing for a time.

Tang Tang Ziang teased:

"Our Official Chen is a tough guy today. The Nine Great Clans have huge influence in the court; with you confronting them like this, I'm afraid you'll be in the spotlight again tomorrow."

"As it happens, the person sitting opposite you is the third son of the General Sima family of the Nine Great Clans."

Chen Lu glanced at General Sima Ting and shook his head.

"I have long heard of the achievements of General General Sima in Jiannan Dao. He is by no means someone who only cares about private interests and family gains, ignoring the lives of the people."

"As a court official, Chen Lu should naturally prioritize the well-being of the people. If I were to disregard the lives of the people for the sake of personal glory and wealth, what face would I have to stand in the court?"

"Now, the situation of the Yellow River flood is more urgent than the war in Great Sui, but Prime Minister Su seems to have always kept his attention on the west. How can this not make people anxious?"

General Sima Ting recalled that this Chen Lu had lost his family during the flood in Jiannan Dao, with only him surviving out of ten.

Hearing this, a flash of sharpness appeared in the old man's eyes.

Chen Lu sighed deeply.

"Today, the second son of the Li family publicly opposed the management, saying that the Yellow River changing course is because the local people are unfilial, and this is a natural disaster that should happen."

"The Empress Zhuge family is even more sinister. They claim that if the Yellow River is to be managed, the disaster victims must be concentrated. In this way, with many people and great power, once someone raises a call, wouldn't it incite rebellion across the world? Such malicious intent is truly hair-raising."

(End of chapter)