The leaves of the phoenix tree rustled and swayed. Lu Liangsheng dropped the dead leaves in his hand, raised his hands and bowed deeply to the old man in front of him.
"Liangsheng has met his mentor."
"Why are you being so polite? Come and sit down."
Wang Shuhua stood up and supported Lu Liangsheng, looked him up and down for a moment, his hair and beard relaxed, nodded with a smile, and said a few words.
"Okay, okay..."
Lu Liangsheng felt a little embarrassed. He put the gift on the table and sat down on a stone bench nearby. The old man in front of him looked less energetic than a few months ago.
On the stone table was a copy of "Feicui Annotations", which was originally in Zhou Zhen's residence and Lu Liangsheng had read part of it. It was originally three books, one was "Guangnan Travel Notes", the second was "Lingsan", and the third was called "Lu Shi", all of which were written by ancient sages.
"Teacher is also reading this book?"
Unable to find a topic for a while, Lu Liangsheng took the book on the table and started talking.
The old man opposite poured a cup of tea, handed it to me, and said with a smile:
"I was originally planning to leave the city, but when I came back last night, I heard from Manager Li that you were coming to the capital, so I put the plan of leaving the city aside for the time being. I will wait for you in my spare time and then take a look at this."
After a pause, Wang Shuhua put down the purple clay teapot, shook his sleeves, and said, "I haven't congratulated Liangsheng yet."
"Teacher!"
Lu Liangsheng quickly stood up and stepped aside, waving his hands and saying, "How can this be done?!"
"Sit down, sit down. Why are you standing up again? Although we are teacher and student, don't be too restrained." The old man waved his hand for the scholar to sit down again, picked up the teacup and took a sip.
"I thought you would come to Tianzhi only in winter, but I didn't expect..."
At this point, Wang Shuhua blinked his eyes, and suddenly smiled at the scholar: "Liangsheng, you used magic to travel faster, right?"
Lu Liangsheng also laughed.
"The student did use magic, but he saw injustice and saved two men, one woman and a child. He then stopped using magic and just walked along the way."
He didn't want to hide anything from the teacher in front of him, and this kind of thing was not something shameful. After hearing this, the old man stroked his white beard and laughed out loud.
"Hahaha!!"
Then he nodded and looked at the scholar.
"Shan, as scholars of our generation, we should inherit the teachings of the saints and have the heart to save the world. You are doing the right thing."
"That child, whose surname is Chen and given name is Jing, came to the capital with a few mysterious people to pick him up. Master, do you know which family he is from in the city?"
Lu Liangsheng kept smiling as he poured some hot tea for his mentor. He also wanted to know who was saved.
"Chen?"
The old man frowned and thought for a while, then smiled and shook his head: "Master, I don't know, but to kill a child, I think it is also related to the struggle for succession and the throne."
The smile faded and the tone became serious:
"Liangsheng, you have already achieved fame and honor, so don't get involved. Your master now hopes that you will come later, or leave now. This capital is not peaceful, and it is different from what I expected before I came."
"Is it because of the Dharma Master who protects the country?" Lu Liangsheng's smile faded.
The old man was stunned for a moment: "You know that too?"
"Um."
The scholar responded softly, but he was hesitating whether to tell the old man in front of him Pu Du Ci Hang's true identity. After all, telling it or not would have completely different results.
Given my mentor’s personality, if he revealed the identity of the monster in front of everyone, I’m afraid he would not only die...
… Pudu Cihang uses the royal dragon energy to practice, so he still has time to make steady progress.
Inside the small courtyard, both the old and the young fell silent. The morning breeze blew through the parasol trees, and fallen leaves scattered all over the ground, covering the moss on the ground.
After a long while of listening to the rustling sound of falling leaves, the old man spoke first, breaking the silence, slapping his knees and starting to curse.
"This evil monk has deceived the emperor, causing unrest in the imperial court. The people in the capital are in a state of panic, and they are busy building a ritual altar. Damn it!!"
He cursed again and stood up from the stone bench.
"When I left Beijing, the country was prosperous and the people lived and worked in peace. I never expected to see this when I came back! Damn this evil monk!!"
Lu Liangsheng frowned, stood up and walked over: "Master, did you and Minister Min come back to Beijing this time just to deal with Master?"
"Not entirely." The old man exhaled and waved his hand: "... Liangsheng, don't worry about these things. You just need to concentrate on your studies and do well in the Spring Examination. Okay, go back and pack your luggage, leave early, and come back in January next year. Anyway, you have magic, so you should be able to catch up."
Hearing this, Lu Liangsheng felt a little worried.
"Teacher, why don't you come with me? I also want to go to the northwest. There has been a severe drought there for nearly a year..."
Before he could finish, Wang Shuhua turned his head and waved his hand with a smile on his face.
"I can't go with you."
Lu Liangsheng was also a little anxious: "Why?"
The old man shook his head, took two steps forward with his hands behind his back, and looked at the courtyard outside the crescent-shaped gate in the side yard.
"I have made a name for myself in my life with my knowledge, and I have known Minister Min for many years. We share similar interests. Now that he is stuck in this quagmire, how can I get out of it? If I do not stand up and appeal for help during this evil monk's riot, then wouldn't it be like reading all those years of sage books would have been in vain?"
"Liangsheng... The writings of saints and sages not only establish their own words and conduct, but also set an example for others. If things cannot be done, they will withdraw and live a carefree life. If everyone learns to do this, then how can we talk about our country? How can we talk about the trust of our relatives and friends? Therefore, this time when the evil monk is causing chaos, your master cannot leave. Liangsheng, don't worry. There have always been a few people who bring disaster to the country and the people in every dynasty. Sooner or later, they will be dealt with."
The morning light filtered through the gaps in the trees and fell on the old man's silver hair. He turned around, still smiling.
"Just now you mentioned the northwest. They really need people there. It's good for you to go there. It's far away from here, so you don't have to get involved. You can also gain some experience there. Wait until next spring, when you pass the Ministry of Rites exam, and you can truly enter the official career. By then, you can have the idea of helping me."
well…
Lu Liangsheng sighed inwardly. Facing his mentor who was knowledgeable and experienced, he could not be shaken. After hesitating for a moment, he could only sigh, said a few words to the old man in the courtyard, and then stood up to say goodbye.
"I originally wrote in the letter that I would host a welcoming party for you, but unfortunately I can't do that. I will make it up to you after the Spring Examination!"
"Master, you're joking."
Soon, Lu Liangsheng left the side yard, and the small yard became quiet. Wang Shuhua returned to the tree, and someone came out from the inner room and sat next to him. They looked at the empty crescent-shaped door together.
It was Min Changwen who was supposed to attend the morning court.
"He is so lucky to have such a teacher."
The old man didn't say anything, just smiled, raised the teacup and took a sip.
…
After leaving the Shangshu Mansion, Lu Liangsheng rubbed his cheeks, looked back, and left quickly.
After crossing the deserted streets and returning to the inn, the waiter came over to greet him attentively, but the scholar, who was in a bad mood, declined. He returned to the room on the second floor, where the Taoist priest sat in front of a round table, holding the Yuelong Sword, touching and looking at it.
Toad sat in front of a small wardrobe, picking and choosing. There was a pile of small clothes next to him. From time to time, he asked the female ghost Hong Lian to help him see which one would fit him.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned around and saw Lu Liangsheng lying down on the bed with his head resting on his head.
The three of them looked at each other.
Without waiting for them to ask questions, the scholar looking at the ceiling of the bed blinked his eyes, suddenly sat up and looked at Toad, Sun Yingxian and Nie Honglian.
"Pack your bags, we're heading to the northwest."