After receiving a large number of orders from the military, Lu Chen and his workshop became busy again.
This time he went to the Ministry of Works in person and selected twenty or thirty skilled craftsmen.
At the same time, Li Zhuo spoke again and granted Lu Chen another large piece of land. Seeing his territory and subordinates growing, Lu Chen became more and more satisfied.
Has he gradually become an indispensable part of the entire Great Qi court?
There are no secrets in the court of Da Qi. What happens will spread throughout the capital in less than an hour.
The magical skills that Lu Chen displayed in the hall in front of civil and military officials have become the hottest topic in teahouses and restaurants.
In addition, the little prince's education and Lu Chen's attitude towards Confucianism as a whole have also caused many scholars to discuss.
"Master Lu is worthy of the ancestor's stature. He is truly well-versed in both ancient and modern knowledge, and he also has some understanding of our Confucian classics."
"Some people have been saying before that Immortal Master Lu is a demon who will bring chaos to the court, but look at what he has said and done. Not a single one of them has not benefited the country and the people. Now he even demands that the young prince must study the teachings of Confucianism. With such a noble character as Immortal Master Lu, who has completely abandoned the views of other schools, I am convinced that he is an immortal."
"Bah, have you all been drugged by him? He just said a few nice words, but you really think he's a close friend of our Confucian school? I think he's harboring evil intentions. I don't know what he's up to!"
"Brother, what you said is wrong. As the saying goes, a gentleman judges deeds, not intentions. Master Lu has certainly done great things that benefit the country and the people. You are making groundless speculations and maliciously slandering Master Lu. This is not the behavior of a gentleman."
"Who knows if you guys have accepted some benefits from him and are just advocating for him here!"
"You rascal, you're slandering me. Do you really think my fists aren't strong enough?"
"Master once sought guidance from the founder of the Taoist school. Honestly, our two schools do share a certain connection. Now that you're all targeting Immortal Master Lu, aren't you the ones with the most filthy hearts?"
"That's right! Besides, Master Lu invented glasses. As far as I know, they are like magical tools to many old gentlemen. With glasses, they can read and write again. For this reason alone, Master Lu has done a great favor to our Confucian school. You are slandering Master Lu so much. Don't you really use glasses when you are old?"
"They're just some craftsmen's items. What's there to brag about? Besides, we all paid for them. It's a fair deal. How can you say it's a favor?"
"I'm ashamed to be a fellow scholar like you. I think Lu Xian is right about some things. Before you can learn anything, you must first learn how to be a good person. The sage books you read are really useless!"
"How dare you talk nonsense, you brat? Take my fist!"
There have been many fights like this in the capital in the past two days, and the government offices in the capital have been extremely busy.
From this point, it can be seen that the views of the literati and the Confucian school on Lu Chen have split.
Song Lian's house has been crowded with people these past two days. Many old friends have come to visit him. On the one hand, it is because the news that the little prince wants to continue studying under him has spread, and everyone wants to find out from him whether the little prince and Lu Chen's attitude towards Confucianism is really as rumored outside?
Another aspect is that many people want to see what is so magical about the pair of glasses that the little prince gave to Song Lian?
After all, at Song Lian's age, most of his friends also have presbyopia.
Hu Shiming is one of them. He and Song Lian are from the same hometown and have been close friends for many years.
Unlike Song Lian's situation, Hu Shiming actually loved being an official. Unfortunately, he failed the imperial examinations repeatedly and eventually became discouraged and could only devote himself to studying.
Hu Shiming fiddled with his glasses, taking them off and putting them on again. After repeating this for a long time, he exclaimed in amazement, "Just two thin pieces of glass, yet they can produce such a miraculous effect. It truly must be the work of an immortal!"
Song Lian poured Hu Shiming a cup of tea and said with a smile, "From what I know about Master Lu, he doesn't like others classifying his various magical methods as immortal methods. This is the true style of an immortal!"
Hu Shiming sighed, placed his glasses on the table, and said, "The more enlightened a person is, the less they care about such false reputations. Only those who are half-baked will publicize their relationship with the immortals."
Song Lian took a sip from his teacup and said, "Yes, from my observation, Master Lu is truly a man of profound knowledge, both ancient and modern. It's no exaggeration to say he knows everything from astronomy to geography. The more such a person is, the more humble they are. I heard from the young prince that Master Lu once said that the more one understands the world, the more one realizes one's own ignorance. A true master always has the heart of a student."
"Alright, alright, although Master Lu is a Taoist, his every word and action hints at some of our Confucian principles. Just based on this sentence, we should understand everything! Unfortunately, there's no wine, so let's have tea instead!"
After clinking their glasses, the two smiled at each other and drank the tea in their hands.
After putting down the teacup, Hu Shiming told the purpose of his visit.
"Actually, the main reason I came this time was to say hello to you. You're well aware of Mr. Zhu's current situation. He's old and can't see clearly. There wasn't much we could do before, but now that Master Lu has invented this magical artifact, we, the younger generation, naturally have to pay more attention to this matter."
"Mr. Zhu is old and has difficulty moving around. Could you please ask Master Lu to come over and get him a pair of mirrors?"
The Mr. Zhu mentioned by Hu Shiming is named Zhu Zishou. According to seniority, he is one of the best in the entire Confucian school.
Even the six ministers and the emperor had to treat such a big shot with respect and etiquette as a disciple.
Whenever this old man has any needs, his disciples will naturally do their best to fulfill them.
But Song Lian was quite embarrassed when he heard this: "Of course I have no choice but to take care of Mr. Zhu's affairs, but Master Lu's status is also here. I really want him to go there in person, but I'm afraid it's not appropriate."
Hu Shiming understood the logic behind this, so he lowered his voice and said, "Master Zhu said that everything Mr. Lu does benefits the country and the people. He also thinks that Master Lu has a noble character. Moreover, if he can see again, he will be happy to teach the little prince himself."
Upon hearing this, Song Lian took a deep breath. Is Mr. Zhu planning to endorse Master Lu?
He knew very well that with Zhu Lao's words, Lu Chen would be able to walk sideways in the entire scholar community. And the little prince was no longer the little transparent person he was before.
With an immortal master and a great scholar standing behind him, the little prince's life would be much easier.
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