Chen Yuanwai, his face unchanged, said, "The Great Qian Kingdom is likely to undergo a transformation. My business relies on the patronage of martial artists. Which martial artist doesn't respect the Marquis of Anguo? After all, he has done so much, and his work in preventing smallpox alone is enough to be remembered for eternity! Moreover, Chuzhou is not without noble families. If I and the Marquis of Anguo had any dealings, it would not be hidden from them sooner or later!"
Lin Ming fell into silence.
Chen Yuanwai did not press him, but instead leisurely sipped his tea.
He did not tell Lin Ming his own considerations.
Originally, he had not intended to go so far. Maintaining a distant, cooperative relationship with Liang Xiao openly would have been fine.
But now he was over seventy, an age when he should have had a house full of children and grandchildren, yet he only had one daughter, who was nearly thirty and unmarried.
After he was gone, if his daughter Chen Xinyue was still unmarried and free from his parental constraints, she would likely still end up with Chen Shaoling. If Liang Xiao did not fall from power, the Chen family would still inevitably lean towards Chen Shaoling's "junior sister's husband," Liang Xiao.
Instead of that, it was better to place his bet early, perhaps even earning a good reputation for future generations, or at worst, making a timely exit!
In any case, he was an old man. Since his daughter, with her chivalrous heart, was destined to take a risky stance, he might as well take the risk himself beforehand. Perhaps he could even become a veteran of the Emperor's and Liang Xiao's faction!
If Lin Ming could also choose a side promptly, that would be even better.
Lin Ming sighed for a long time and said, "Without my teacher's guidance and cultivation, I would not have reached this point today. Opposing the Marquis of Anguo, I also worry that one day I might incur the displeasure of the chivalrous figures of Chuzhou and suddenly lose my head! When the Marquis of Anguo arrives, I will perform my official duties and assist him. After all, he is on an imperial order to inspect Jiangnan and has the authority to take over Chuzhou's military and political affairs. I also do not wish to become the next Duguling..."
Chen Yuanwai could not help but burst into hearty laughter.
Gongyang Clan could never have imagined that the chivalrous figures in the Chuzhou region would so greatly respect the Marquis of Anguo of Great Qian!
Conversely, the villains hated Liang Xiao to the core. This was definitely not a good thing, and it was also the reason for Lin Ming's concern...
He dared not offend the chivalrous figures, but that did not mean he was indifferent to offending villains.
As the two men conversed, a middle-aged man in the Prefect's mansion returned home and ordered his waiting subordinate, "Report to the Grand Tutor in Jinling that after the Marquis of Anguo, Liang Xiao, arrived in Chuzhou, he may have visited the Chen residence, and Chen Yuanwai came to see Lin Ming. Tell the Grand Tutor to be extra cautious; Chen Yuanwai may have already pledged allegiance to Liang Xiao!"
The subordinate quickly departed.
A moment later, a voice came from outside the middle-aged man's room, "Mr. Lin, the Prefect asks you to prepare. You may have to accompany him to meet a distinguished guest this afternoon or tomorrow morning!"
Mr. Lin replied, "Understood!"
After the commotion outside subsided, Mr. Lin retrieved a three-inch-long sheathed dagger from his bedside and concealed it in his embrace, his eyes gleaming with ferocity.
In the Liuyun Temple, Liang Xiao's brush moved with swift strokes, leaving a poem on the paper.
The poem was titled: "Ode to Yi!"
"An object comes into being, with a body it possesses;
Within this body, a universe also resides.
To know all things are complete within me,
And be willing to establish the root of the Three Powers distinctly.
Heaven, in oneness, divides its substance and use;
Man, in his heart, conceives strategies and plans.
How can Heaven and Man have two different meanings?
The Way does not travel in vain, it lies in man."
Everyone gazed at the cursive script in awe.
Liuyunzi, for his part, rarely showed joy, but now his face lit up, and he clapped his hands, exclaiming, "Marvelous! Truly marvelous!"
The others merely applauded, but as they could not grasp the poem's deeper meaning, they dared not offer their own evaluations.
Jian Qinyin could not help but lean close to Liang Xiao's ear, murmuring, "What is so marvelous? I only know that the Three Powers are Heaven, Earth, and Man..."
As Liang Xiao was about to answer, Liuyunzi spoke first, "In this world, all things possess form, embracing Yin while holding onto Yang. To grasp the law of Yin and Yang opposition and unity, which both the heavenly way and human affairs follow, then one can govern the heavens and orbit the earth, meeting no obstacles. Each person is a Taiji, each thing is a Taiji, which also perfectly aligns with the thought of our Taiji Dao."
"How can Heaven and Man have two different meanings? The Way does not travel in vain, it lies in man! The Way does not travel in vain, it lies in man, haha..."
Liuyunzi clapped his hands repeatedly, as joyful as a child, as if returning to simplicity.
Everyone's gaze was fervent, nodding with delight.
In truth, they still did not fully understand... but that did not prevent them from admiring Liang Xiao.
Jian Qinyin and Yue Lian held Liang Xiao's arms, their faces filled with pride.
They had personally witnessed Liang Xiao answer the three questions posed by the abbot of Bodhi Temple, Hongren, and even wrote a Buddhist verse for Hongxiu!
It was one thing that he understood Buddhism, but he also grasped Daoist philosophy!
Coupled with those ingenious tools and his military strategies...
Looking across the Great Qian Kingdom, was there anything he did not understand, from all three teachings and nine schools of thought?
At this moment, Li Jinyu was the most profoundly shocked.
Only someone of her generation could understand what kind of person Liuyunzi was, otherwise, the Emperor would not have specifically arranged for the Imperial Guards to protect him.
He had been a general, a martial artist, governed Chuzhou, engaged in business, conceived the idea for the treasure known as the Liuyun Gauntlets, and was recognized by the Taiji Dao as someone who had surpassed its founder...
Such a person, if he truly desired fame, could establish his own sect, yet he preferred to hide away in Liuyun Temple and amuse himself!
However, Liuyunzi had not praised anyone's intellect in decades, at most he would praise the Three Sages of Great Qian and Zhuo Zifang, and others.
"This poem, I will have it inscribed on a stone tablet at the entrance," Liuyunzi said, taking the poem with a chuckle, and then handed it to Jian Qinyin.
"Why is grandfather giving this calligraphy treasure to me..." Jian Qinyin asked in confusion, but still took it obediently.
"Your dowry."
Liuyunzi's reply almost made Jian Qinyin fall into Liang Xiao's arms.
Here it comes again... so happy!
Liang Xiao merely smiled and watched Liuyunzi, his admiration growing even stronger in his heart.
This poem, in the Great Qian, would in the future be worth more than ten thousand taels of silver. Liuyunzi had not chosen to keep it; for him, the content of the poem was the true treasure, and the medium was of no importance.
Indifferent to fame and fortune!
The poem quickly spread throughout Liuyun Temple, and the old and young Taoist priests rushed to pay their respects to Liang Xiao, thanking him for his enlightenment.
Two chests of White Dragon Gold and one chest of Silver Dragon Gold were all given to Liang Xiao by Liuyunzi.
When Liang Xiao took his leave, as Liuyun Temple served only simple fare, Liuyunzi did not detain them for a meal but had the Taoist priests see them off.
Standing on the balcony on the second floor, watching Liang Xiao's receding figure from afar, Liuyunzi hid his hands within his sleeves and muttered to himself.
"Only nineteen years old... it's simply incredible. Could he truly be sent by Heaven to save our Great Qian? I wonder if I will live to see the Great Qian Kingdom undergo its transformation."
The elderly Liuyunzi found it difficult to shed tears, yet he could not help but sigh with emotion.
The reason he had distanced himself from the imperial court in his youth was his weariness of the constant scheming and infighting there.
Even Zhuo Zifang could not tolerate that atmosphere and chose to retire.
Inside the carriage, Liang Xiao, wearing the freshly cleaned Liuyun Gauntlets, held Jian Qinyin, who was blushing, with Yue Lian sitting to his left and Zhuo Xun to his right.
"Young master truly likes these gauntlets," Yue Lian said joyfully.
"Mm, they feel good, I can wear them often," the person said calmly.
Jian Qinyin merely cast a resentful glance, not daring to utter a word.
They feel good? Clearly, this fellow had been using the Liuyun Gauntlets to play with her hand!
Everyone returned to the inn and found Chen Shaoling and his wife, along with Chen Xinyue, already waiting there.
Chen Xinyue said respectfully and gratefully, "Thank you, Marquis of Anguo, for bringing us together! If it's convenient for the Marquis of Anguo, my father can bring Prefect Lin to pay his respects later."