Food Fairy Lord

Chapter 546 Surge
Pei Ye certainly had no idea. He didn't know what position he held, nor did he understand what consensus was. He looked up at the woman blankly.

"Zhu Zhezi had no family background and no support. He was able to stand in the Tianli Academy and become the leader of the literati today because of his remarkable achievements in the theory of heaven and man, which was enough to establish a school." Xu Chuo leaned on the backrest and slowly told the young man beside him, "You don't know what happened back then - the literati in the capital were bustling, and countless famous scholars cheered for him. It was not because Zhu Wen needed their support, but because they needed to agree with Zhu Wen to prove that they were knowledgeable people."

"But as you have seen today, he has only accepted one disciple so far." Xu Chuo continued, "If you have a little understanding of the gossip in the literati circle, you should know whether the name 'Zhu Zhezi' is still as prestigious as it was in the past."

"..." Pei Ye had never understood it, but he had heard with his own ears the remarks of the two scholars on the Luhua Terrace that night - not only were they not impressive, they were almost too daunting to be with.

"Even without the current pressure, the name Zhu Wen is already a silent old voice in the scholar community." Xu Chuo said, "Zhu Wen has only stood in front of the scholar community twice in his life, and both times he caused a storm of turmoil. The first time was when he constructed the theory of the nature of man and nature, which amazed everyone with its transcendence, prudence and righteousness. Confucian scholars all over the world followed him and inherited his great wings. At that time, Zhu Wen was a commoner. Whether he entered the Academy of Heavenly Principle or not, he could have retreated to become a Confucian master or advanced to become a purple-robed duke. In a few decades, he would surely become the world's academic leader."

"But Zhu Wen avoided all the floods. He did not refuse all the lectures and invitations, but he simply made himself untraceable and went straight to Tianli Academy, because it was a secluded place." Xu Chuo said, "Although he was not famous, the light of his theory of nature and reason would not be obscured. Countless scholars were blessed by him, and many great scholars also took over the fame and fortune left by Zhu Wen. So far, the scholar community has flourished, which should be the best of both worlds."

"Then Zhu Wen appeared in public for the second time."

Xu Chuo sighed softly, "That was the only time he gave a lecture, and many people responded. He read a written article in a wooden voice on the stage. If you look for it, you can still see it. It's called "Ten Corrections on Nature and Principle."

Pei Ye looked at her in amazement.

"He left after reading it, but the wave he set off rushed to the entire scholar community. In his article, he pointed out ten fatal errors or doubts in previous sexual theories, tearing the foundation of his own life to pieces. What was even more fatal was that... at the end of the article, he said that he was still unable to seek the true meaning."

"..."

Xu Chuo didn't say anything else, and Pei Ye understood.

He sat in the yard, looking at the night sky, and was quiet for a while.

"So you know what kind of person Zhu Wen is." Xu Chuo tapped the table lightly. "He has no intention of arguing with others in the complex and chaotic reality. He believes that truth is truth, and what he pursues is the only truth that must exist in the world. Then, returning to the human world, all problems will be solved. As the saying goes, first understand the principles of heaven and man, then understand the changes of ancient and modern times, and then know where to govern and chaos."

Pei Ye paused for a moment, but then frowned slightly and said, "But isn't this the creed of Tianliyuan? Don't other people think the same way?"

Xu Chuo shook his head: "There are three philosophers left in Tianliyuan, Nanxiu, Lu Chunshui, and Lu Ding. Among them, only Nanxiu adheres to this creed, but unfortunately he goes against ours."

"Why?"

"Because Nan Xiuzhen was the most categorical opponent of the 'Two Heavens Theory', he firmly believed in the basic concept of Tianyi and denounced the 'Two Heavens Theory' as a trick by Xu Xiang for political purposes, which tarnished the spirit of seeking truth from facts."

"..."

"To some extent, his scolding hit the nail on the head." Xu Chuo smiled and sighed, "As for the remaining two people, you are actually not completely unfamiliar with them - the philosopher you saw in Huanlou was Lu Chunshui; and Lu Ding, who is already in his sixties, is the chief priest of the Imperial College. Many of the things you did in the Imperial College, as well as the inquiry about the Four Qi Jade Candle Sword, were handled by him."

"Do these two people...have any other stances?"

Xu Chuo was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Lu Chunshui is one of the pillars of the Lu family today. He is very skilled, and has both the power of aristocratic family and a reputation for purity and beauty. The Lu family has a far-reaching and profound influence in the court, and it is inevitable that they have taken root in Confucianism. And Lu Zhezi is exactly the teacher of Prime Minister Xu."

Pei Ye gradually understood: "They...actually they all pay more attention to the reality in front of them."

"That's right." Xu Chuo nodded. "They are actually concerned about the fate of the Tang Dynasty. Just like Zhu Wen and Nan Xiu, one wants the Tang Dynasty to be stable, so he stands on 'heaven'; the other wants the Tang Dynasty to last long, so he stands on 'people'."

Pei Ye nodded in sudden realization: "So, Zhu Zhezi and Lu Zhezi stand on the side of the 'Two Heavens Theory'; Nan Zhezi and Lu Zhezi stand on the side of the 'One Heaven Theory'. But the positions and goals of these four people are completely different. If we change the issue, the cards may be reshuffled..."

He murmured, feeling quite amazed for a moment.

Xu Chuo looked at him with a smile: "But even so, the four of them must have openly admitted one thing very firmly, and that is exactly why we can revise the theory of heaven - do you know what it is?"

Pei Ye looked up at her.

"The laws of nature are objective and supreme. Reality needs to correct itself according to the laws of nature." Xu Chuo said slowly.

"..."

Pei Ye understood at once.

Because even if Lu Chunshui and Lu Ding’s real purpose is political game or the Tang Dynasty’s line, and they only use Tianlun as a weapon in their hands...then the first thing to be maintained is the authority of Tianlun itself.

If Lu Chunshui reveals that all he wants is the Five Families to govern the country and doesn't care about Haotian's will at all, then the first thing to collapse will be the current Tang Dynasty system.

Only then did Pei Ye truly understand the game that was going on in Tianzi City. No matter whether he was a student in the Imperial College or a swordsman in the Sword Training Academy, he would never have such a clear view. The winter night was very quiet, and he was quiet for a while too.

He subconsciously glanced at Xu Chuo twice. This woman was still as beautiful as ever. She had the calmness of a hero but also the fragility of a scholar. She was also gentle and elegant. She was so beautiful that it was easy to be obsessed with her.

However, Pei Ye believed that he was not that kind of person. He felt another kind of charm at this moment - he had always heard that Xu Chuo was busy, and only now did he know what she was busy with. He felt that this woman was like a chess player in this huge empire. He didn't know how many amazing long-term plans she had hidden in her mind, and how many lines had already been laid out.

Somehow I had the good fortune to sit behind and watch.

"Why are you peeking at me?" Xu Chuo raised his eyebrows.

"..."

Pei Ye didn't say anything, but lowered his head and hooked the chin of the kitten in his arms.

From Xu Chuo's perspective, the boy was like a black cat that was sometimes fierce and sometimes good. This metaphor made her smile. She couldn't help but think that when she first met him, she treated him with all sincerity and regarded him as a paranoid killer. Now he seems to be much more easy-going than she imagined. She can tease him more in the future, and he won't get angry...

"Um, when will "The Swing" be written?" The humanoid kitten suddenly raised its head and looked up at her.

Xu Chuo raised his eyebrows: "When are you going to write it? I have already finished writing it and handed it in."

"...?"

"What's that expression? I don't know when you'll be back. I'll be busy tomorrow too, so I don't have time to wait for you." Xu Chuo lowered his head and flipped through a book, saying calmly, "I'm busy these days anyway, let's talk about it next time."

Pei Ye stared, feeling the helplessness of being stood up. He was silent for a while, then stretched out his hand and said, "Let me see it."

"I didn't keep any backup." "Huh?"

"Why should I copy another one? It's available everywhere in the newspaper anyway. You can just buy a copy and read it yourself when the time comes."

"I want to read it now. I've been waiting for a long time." Pei Ye frowned, "There's no manuscript...but don't you still remember it in your heart?"

"..." Xu Chuo was silent for a moment, "...Do you want me to tell you a story?"

"..." Pei Ye paused, "No need."

Xu Chuo lowered his head and continued to flip through the book.

After a moment of silence, the woman said, "Actually, I didn't just start writing this story, and I didn't write it alone."

Pei Ye was stunned: "What?"

"If you have some free time, you can go to the library and look through it. There should indeed be a manuscript there, but it is incomplete and was left behind a long time ago." Xu Chuo said, "There are two characters in the story, and a friend and I are trying to figure out their mental states... I asked you to come because I actually wanted you to take her role."

She looked at him and said, "You happen to be a man, and you seem to have some potential for infatuation, so you are suitable."

Pei Ye stared, but before he could say anything, he heard a shrill, tender cry like a baby coming from the room, which made his eyes widen even more.

But Xu Chuo put down the book with a normal expression and said, "Okay, I'll go talk to Xiye, you can find a room to sleep."

Pei Ye stood up blankly. At this moment, he frowned and wondered why he didn't go back to Xiujianyuan to sleep since she didn't want to write "Swing Rope" with him. But before he could figure it out, he was stopped by the woman behind him.

He turned around and saw Xu Chuo standing in front of the steps and said to him seriously: "Cui Zhaoye's 'sword state' is very precious. I will call her to help you tomorrow. The tide has been getting more and more turbulent these days. You must not slack off on your sword. I have taken care of everything else, but in the end, I will only rely on you."

Pei Ye was stunned in front of the courtyard gate. The woman stood quietly in the candlelight under the eaves, holding a warm cloak in one hand in the cold wind. He pursed his lips and said, "Okay."

……

……

After the seventh life, the need for sleep became less and less. After Pei Ye got up, the old house was still quiet. It seemed that Xu Chuo had not gotten up yet, and Cui Zhaoye did not come over at this time. He went out and ate a steamed bun on the street nearby, then went to Tianliyuan in the morning breeze.

At this time of winter, there were indeed fewer people on the street, so Pei Ye was naturally not so enthusiastic about sitting and reading. He walked leisurely on the street, thinking about the two new sword styles he had just learned in his mind, and then flew to the new realm mentioned by Cui Zhaoye.

He stared into the empty space and thought like this until the noise around him became more and more disturbing. He came to his senses and looked forward in a daze. It turned out that it was not because the weather was warm that there were more people, but that he had arrived at the territory of Shengqianfang. The whole street he stepped on was almost crowded with young people in military uniforms.

For a moment he seemed to have entered a strange world. He first heard a hoarse cry, the words of which were torn and unclear, probably saying "killing people and breaking the law, where is justice?"

There followed a thunderous uproar, with many broken and fierce words in the noise, mixed with many names he did not recognize.

But this was only a small part in front. The crowd on the entire street had formed a long dragon that frightened Pei Ye. Similar shouts were happening in every place. It was stirring angrily and wildly, as if it was about to collapse at any moment, and as if it was about to smash something before dying.

Pei Ye had no idea what was happening in front of him, but this was indeed his way to Tianliyuan. He frowned and walked forward, gradually seeing more shocking things - some people's robes were covered with incomprehensible cursive calligraphy, some were barefoot, some were crying and shouting, and more had faces flushed with anger and many held up scrolls with words.

"Open my way to speak"

"Clean up the court and eradicate the treacherous"

"Return the King's Law to the Tang Dynasty"

"There is no joy in this world, being born as a slave of five surnames."

"..."

They were not wandering around the streets, nor did they seem to have a unified organization. Instead, they were constantly joining in from the surrounding streets and alleys, and heading towards the same destination.

Pei Ye even saw several Imperial College uniforms inside. He held a student's hand at the edge and whispered, "Brother, what happened?"

The man's eyes were red, and he was stunned. He raised his hand and bowed, then said hoarsely, "Mr. Qi in the courtyard was whipped to death in the street for scolding Wang Jiazi for riding a horse... He had many students all over the world, and he was an upright person with clean hands... Who would have thought that he would end up like this..."

Pei Ye did not hold his arm, and the man continued to move forward with the team in silence. Pei Ye was stunned for a moment, then he also followed forward with his sword in hand. The team gradually arrived in front of the imperial city.

Pei Ye had been following for two quarters of an hour at this time, but still had not been able to effectively disrupt the team. He looked to both sides, wondering why the city guards reacted so slowly - the next moment he suddenly realized... Di Jiu was now the head of Jingzhao Prefecture.

They passed the Imperial College, which was already crowded in front of the gate. This world's most prestigious institution seemed to have lost its ability to function today. Pei Ye clearly saw some familiar faces, including many lecturers...

The team in front finally stopped.

From afar he saw a scholar with a white scarf on his head standing on the stone tablet in front of the imperial city. He held a scroll of book high in his hand and shouted something that was not clearly audible. But within just a few words, the whole crowd was excited.

At the end of the street, there was silver shining armor; that was the Jinwu Guards who had been transferred over - this was actually something Pei Ye had expected. He had actually seen several stopped carriages along the way. Now that these people were crowded here, at least half of the officials in the Southern Yamen might not be able to enter.

With the blessing of [Tongshilu], the majestic voice of the general Wei has spread throughout the street, and soldiers and horses are pressing in like an iron wall. Many people saw this scene, and the soldiers began to make a disturbance.

Some figures began to disperse, while some shouts became louder and louder. Pei Ye was keenly aware that certain emotions were rising. He knew that something was about to explode, but he had never experienced anything like this... But the next moment he was startled and suddenly looked up and forward.

The blasphemous figure standing on the stone tablet lit the scripture in his hand, shouted loudly, turned around and slammed headfirst into the sharp edges of the stone tablet.

The gray and silent winter, the dim morning, the crowded gray and white uniforms... Among all the cold colors, the bright red that was wiped off was almost shocking.

The surging waves of people overwhelmed him.

(End of this chapter)