Following the direction Xu Rurong pointed, everyone looked towards the outside of the yamen with some skepticism.
As dawn broke, a few golden rays pierced through the thin mist and fell on the smooth bluestone ground at the entrance.
A group of several people were walking slowly towards them.
The elderly man at the head of the group was dressed in a simple blue linen long gown, his hair was neatly combed and held in place by a single, slightly worn wooden hairpin.
He had a lean face, but his eyes were bright and piercing, and he exuded a calm and refined demeanor as he walked.
Despite his simple attire, he could not conceal the refined character that came from his profound knowledge and learning.
Behind him followed five men of varying ages.
Judging from his attire, he appeared to be a scholar, with a respectful expression and a deliberate, measured demeanor.
“That’s…” A sharp-eyed young student in the hall was the first to recognize it and exclaimed in surprise.
"Mr. Murong!"
"It's the great Confucian scholar Murong!"
These words shocked everyone in the room!
Those Confucian scholars who had previously maintained a haughty demeanor now disregarded all decorum.
They all craned their necks and stood on tiptoe, eager to confirm.
Master Zhou was startled, and the teacup in his hand almost slipped from his grasp.
He rubbed his eyes, stared intently, and muttered, "It really is Murong. How could he be here?"
You should know that the reason why this group of people were so angry and hurled insults outside the palace gates earlier was because...
It was because he had heard that the great Confucian scholar Murong Xun had angered the emperor by speaking frankly.
As a result, he was framed and persecuted by treacherous officials, and his whole family was exiled!
They spoke out for Murong Xun, denouncing the court for its incompetence and the presence of treacherous officials.
But to their utter surprise, this was the great scholar Murong, whom they thought was far away and suffering greatly.
It actually appeared alive and well in this desolate county at the foot of the barren mountain!
"What... what exactly is going on?" Confucius was also filled with disbelief.
Before everyone could recover from their shock, Murong Xun, along with his five disciples, strode into the main hall.
His gaze swept over everyone in the hall. He paused for a moment, then a knowing smile appeared on his face.
He gently cupped his hands to Xu Rurong and said, "Magistrate Xu, I am late."
Xu Rurong stood up with a smile and returned the greeting: "Mr. Murong, you are too kind. You have come at just the right time."
Meanwhile, the group of Confucian scholars and students below the hall could no longer contain themselves.
"Mr. Murong!"
"It really is you!"
A large group of people swarmed around them, chattering excitedly.
One of the elderly men, whose hair and beard were white and who looked even older than Murong Xun, was in tears.
He rushed forward, bowed deeply to Murong Xun, and choked out, "Master! You, you have suffered so much!"
His address of "Master" left the surrounding young students speechless.
This man is a renowned scholar of the time, and was once a disciple of Murong Xun!
Upon seeing this, Murong Xun quickly reached out to help him up, waving his hands repeatedly with a look of mixed amusement and exasperation on his face.
"Hey, Wenhe, please get up! What are you talking about suffering? I'm perfectly fine here, I've never felt so comfortable and at ease!"
His voice was loud and clear, full of energy, and his complexion was ruddy.
Where is there even a trace of the haggardness and desolation one would expect from an exile?
"Huh?" The old scholar, known as Wenhe, was taken aback, stopped his tears, and looked completely bewildered.
The others looked at each other, filled with doubt.
"Master, weren't you... weren't you exiled here?" Wenhe asked cautiously, afraid of touching on his mentor's painful past.
"Exile?" Upon hearing this, Murong Xun was taken aback at first, then stroked his beard and burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! That's not true. I was indeed exiled before, but not anymore! I came here willingly, inspired by the Mountain Goddess, to seek the ultimate truth of heaven and earth and bring blessings to the people!"
He looked around at the astonished and bewildered faces and couldn't help but sigh.
"Fellow practitioners, and young lads," Murong Xun's voice calmed down, carrying an indescribable infectiousness.
"I know you have many questions in your hearts. Very well, I will explain them to you!"
"Tell me what I have seen and witnessed on this desolate mountain over the past few months."
He paused, his eyes gleaming even brighter.
"At first, I was indeed framed and even hunted down by strange and unusual people sent by Emperor Liang! Later, the Mountain Goddess sensed this and sent her followers to save me and my disciples!"
"I will never forget your life-saving kindness. I originally wanted to be an ordinary schoolteacher here and live out my life here."
"But who would have thought that such profound knowledge, capable of turning decay into wonder, was hidden within these desolate mountains! Even after a lifetime of studying the classics, I have never witnessed anything so miraculous!"
Murong Xun's voice was not loud, but every word was clear and reached everyone's ears.
"Have you ever considered that without human or animal power, machines could spin yarn and weave cloth on their own, producing the equivalent of the work of hundreds or thousands of people in a single day?"
"Have you ever considered that stubborn rocks and mud, after being tempered by fierce fire, can be transformed into indestructible bricks and tiles, or crystal-clear glass?"
"Have you ever considered that those seemingly ordinary plants and minerals, guided by the knowledge of the barren mountains, can be refined into all sorts of miraculous elixirs, saving countless lives?"
With each word he spoke, the eyes of everyone in the hall widened one more.
Those scholars who had previously been somewhat arrogant now put aside their disdain and became solemn and focused.
The students of the Imperial College listened with rapt attention, as if a magnificent and epic painting was unfolding before their eyes.
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