Chapter 208 The Lightness of the Boat Is the Lightness of the Heart (asking for monthly tickets)
Chen Yi was well aware of how many people had their eyes on him.
You can figure it out by counting on your fingers.
Among them were Chen Yunfan, Cui Qingwu, and Fang Hongxiu, a centurion of the Criminal Investigation Department, who had been drugged and rendered unconscious by him.
The Xiao family's secret guards whom he saved, as well as the Xiao family's patriarch and Xiao Jinghong, are also looking for him.
There were also hidden guards like Lou Yuxue.
Fortunately, his identity has not been exposed yet, so he doesn't have to worry about being targeted by those people for the time being.
Therefore, he was able to practice the Four Symbols Technique in peace during the afternoon.
He is now not far from the upper stage of the sixth rank, and he estimates that he will be able to break through in another day or two.
It should be able to be completed before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
After understanding his own cultivation progress, Chen Yi summoned the light screen to take a look.
Skipping over the various arts and corresponding techniques and levels of skill in chess, calligraphy, medicine, and martial arts, our gaze falls on the last one:
[Chance: 488]
"488... The higher the Dao realm, the more opportunities are needed."
"Except for the sword path, which is still at a minor level, and the calligraphy path, which has already broken through to the perfect level, all other paths are at the major level."
"To advance to the next level of perfection, one needs a thousand opportunities."
Chen Yi shook his head inwardly. Relying solely on opportunities to improve, how long would it take him to elevate all his Daos to perfection?
The quickest way is still through sudden enlightenment, just like in calligraphy.
However, enlightenment requires a specific opportunity, which is rare and cannot be forced; it is not something he can control.
"You still need to cultivate more before you have a chance."
Chen Yi looked out the window at the rain falling under the dim sky and sighed softly.
Although Xiao Jinghong is not in the prefectural city now, Xie Tingyun is still in Jiaxing Garden.
His practice of fist techniques, spear techniques, and knife techniques was so loud that it was impossible for him to hide it from the senior sister of the Tianshan Sect.
"It seems we need to have Wang Ji find another secluded house tomorrow, specifically for practicing martial arts."
With these thoughts in mind, Chen Yi elevated his swordsmanship to the highest level.
The profound and boundless Dao of the sword surged into his mind like a mighty river, gradually settling down.
After a brief moment of reflection, Chen Yi smiled.
"If I can master these profound mysteries before fighting Liu Lang, I can test my sword against him then."
"I'm sure his expression at that moment must have been priceless."
After laughing, Chen Yi shook his head, putting this somewhat wicked idea out of his mind.
He knew exactly where the "madness" in "Knife Maniac" came from.
If Liu Lang knew that he had also mastered the art of swordsmanship, he would probably pester him for duels every day.
Just then, footsteps came from downstairs.
Xiaodie knocked on the door and said, "Young master, Miss invites you to have dinner at Jiaxing Garden."
Chen Yi replied, "Coming right away," changed into a light long robe, and headed straight for Jiaxing Garden with Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die.
During the meal.
Xiao Wan'er took out the booklet she had supplemented that afternoon and asked Chen Yi for his opinion.
Chen Yi flipped through it once, and naturally, he praised it the most.
"At present, the charter of the Medical Academy is already very comprehensive. The rest can be adjusted after the relevant physicians are in place."
Xiao Wan'er smiled, carefully put the booklet away, and said, "I'll go talk to Grandpa later and see if he agrees."
"The old man is magnanimous and will surely not refuse."
"I hope so. I'm just afraid I'm not well prepared and will be stumped by Grandpa's questions. Actually..."
Chen Yi understood her meaning, thought for a moment, and shook his head, saying, "The entire charter of the Medical Academy was compiled by my eldest sister alone."
"If the old master asks some detailed questions, just answer truthfully. Reasonable answers will be added to the regulations, and unreasonable ones..."
He paused, then looked at Xiao Wan'er encouragingly, "I believe you have a way to persuade the old master."
Xiao Wan'er met his gaze and hesitated before saying, "I'll give it a try."
Chen Yi nodded and said with a smile, "There's no harm in gathering opinions from various sources while that academy is still in its early stages."
"Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened."
"If we can't find a suitable medical expert in the future, eldest sister can temporarily take on the role of dean so that the academy can start operating."
Xiao Wan'er, who already lacked confidence, shook her head repeatedly upon hearing this: "No, no..."
She blushed and said, "I only have a superficial understanding of medicine. How can I serve as the dean and mislead students?"
Chen Yi said more seriously, "The main reason for appointing a master of medicine as the dean is to better attract students who are interested in medicine."
"Most of the teaching-related tasks are handled by the instructors."
"Take Mr. Yue Ming of Guiyun Academy as an example. He is good at academics, but he is not good at music, chess, calligraphy and painting. He doesn't know how to teach people to read according to their aptitude."
"If he can be the dean, why can't my older sister?"
Xiao Wan'er couldn't help but laugh when she heard him speak of Mr. Yue Ming like that. As if realizing it was inappropriate, she quickly suppressed her laughter and said:
"Mr. Yue Ming is indeed learned; otherwise, why would so many scholars be vying to become his students?"
"His knowledge is so-so... never mind him, anyway, could you consider my suggestion as an alternative?"
"If there really isn't a renowned medical expert to oversee the academy, it wouldn't be good to leave the dean's position vacant."
After much persuasion, Xiao Wan'er nodded gently, "That's a matter for later. Let me ask Grandpa's opinion first."
After saying that, she seemed to have thought of something and looked at Chen Yi, saying:
"If this works out, I'm afraid I won't be able to take care of the pharmacy anymore."
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, realizing she was referring to the expansion of Baicaotang.
"With a few pharmacies guarding this part of the city, and those tea drinks available, they should be able to guarantee a steady income regardless of drought or flood."
"As for the expansion of Baicaotang, it shouldn't need the mansion's help in the early stages; that Mr. Chen can handle it."
"Only when there are problems that cannot be solved will the manor need to step in, and then Eldest Sister will make the arrangements accordingly."
After a pause, Chen Yi continued, "If you're worried, you can send someone to accompany Baicaotang. I think the previous managers were all quite quick-witted."
Xiao Wan'er thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "Brother-in-law is very thoughtful, but..."
She glanced at Chen Yi, but didn't continue. Instead, she called to the others, "Let's eat first, and we'll discuss this later."
She initially wanted to suggest that Chen Yi cooperate with Baicaotang, but then she thought again and worried that Chen Yi would find it troublesome.
In addition, the pharmacy business was neither too big nor too small, and it affected the Xiao family's finances, so it was necessary to ask the old master for confirmation.
Fortunately, Chen Yi was unaware of her thoughts, otherwise he certainly wouldn't have enjoyed the meal.
After all, he is Chen Yu, and Chen Yu is him.
Having him cooperate with "Chen Yu" is like having his own two hands fighting each other, with him playing two roles at once.
Just thinking about it makes me tired.
Seeing that the two had fallen silent, Xie Tingyun began to wink at Chen Yi.
Son-in-law, how's that matter going?
Chen Yi gave her an affirmative look. Without a doubt, the disciples of the Tianshan Sect would definitely be a great help to the expansion of Baicaotang in the short term.
Xie Tingyun immediately beamed with joy. After shoveling down a few mouthfuls of rice, he stood up straight, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said:
"Miss, old... I have a favor to ask of you."
Xiao Wan'er smiled and nodded: "Tingyun, there's no need to be so polite. Just say what you have to say."
Then, under Shen Huatang's astonished gaze, Xie Tingyun said in a serious tone:
"Since the old demon Jia of the Illusionary Sound Sect has died outside Canglang Town, Tingyun wants to return to the Tianshan Sect first."
"Firstly, I wanted to send Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to my master and the others, and secondly, I wanted to take some people down the mountain for training. They wrote to me a while ago explaining this."
"After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Tingyun will return to Shuzhou to await orders."
After listening, Xiao Wan'er naturally did not refuse and asked, "Are the gifts enough? Do you need the household to add some more?"
"That's enough. I bought quite a lot with Pei earlier. On the way back, I'll buy some more wine, cosmetics, and other items to give to Master and Mistress as appropriate."
Xiao Wan'er nodded and said no more.
Chen Yi watched Xie Tingyun sit down to eat with a happy expression, and couldn't help but think to himself that his wish had come true.
He had originally planned to have Wang Ji find a suitable place to practice martial arts outside, precisely because he was worried that Xie Tingyun would find out.
That's good now.
Xie Tingyun went back to fool... well, he went back to visit his fellow disciples of the Tianshan Sect, which gave him a few days to recover.
At this moment, seeing that everyone was eating with their heads down, Shen Huatang couldn't help but nudge Xie Tingyun and ask:
"Senior sister, how come I didn't know that someone in the sect was going down the mountain for training?"
"As for Xiao Liu and the others, they wrote to me specifically, cough cough... saying that they are ignorant and need to be trained."
Xie Tingyun changed the subject, saying perfunctorily, "I will be setting off back to Tianshan tomorrow. Junior sister, please take good care of Miss."
"You don't need to tell me."
Shen Huatang replied, but her eyes remained fixed on her senior sister.
I have a feeling that this person is up to something unreliable again.
Thinking back to the flirtatious exchanges between Xie Tingyun and Chen Yi, Shen Huatang felt suspicious.
Senior sister and second son-in-law...
One is unreliable, the other is even more unreliable, and when these two are put together...
Hopefully, she's overthinking it.
We've had dinner.
Chen Yi returned to Chunhe Garden to continue practicing the Four Symbols Technique.
Xiao Wan'er took the booklet containing the regulations of the Medical Academy to Qingjing Residence.
Explain your purpose.
The old man pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "It is indeed a matter that benefits the country and its people."
Xiao Wan'er's face lit up with joy. "Grandpa, you agree?"
"It's rare that you've thought of everything so thoroughly. Just go ahead and do it."
"My granddaughter will certainly do her best."
Upon hearing this, the old man waved his hand, a slight smile appearing on his aged face, and gave the instructions:
"Take care of your health and don't overwork yourself."
Xiao Wan'er nodded and said with a smile, "Granddaughter has remembered."
"Thanks to Dr. Ma's medicine, my granddaughter's health has improved a lot recently."
"That one from Jishi Pharmacy?"
"It's him."
"It's all thanks to Mr. Chen from Baicaotang. If it weren't for his approval, a doctor as skilled as Dr. Ma wouldn't have come to our pharmacy."
At this point, Xiao Wan'er remembered something.
"I've heard that Mr. Chen Yu is a renowned physician."
"That Dr. Ma must have learned from the same source as Boss Chen, no wonder his medical skills are so superb."
Upon hearing this, the old man's expression shifted slightly, and he asked, "A master of medicine?"
Xiao Wan'er hummed in agreement, then asked hesitantly, "Grandpa is worried that Boss Chen's identity might be questionable?"
The old man shook his head and said, "His identity is not a problem, but..."
"However, he's rather elusive, like a dragon whose head is seen but not its tail, haha."
Xiao Wan'er had no doubts and nodded with a smile, saying, "Boss Chen does indeed rarely show his face."
"Originally, my granddaughter wanted to ask Mr. Chen to temporarily take over as the dean of the Medical Academy, but she heard from her brother-in-law that Mr. Chen made a grand vow when he went down the mountain to travel around and save people."
"So he spends most of his time treating patients and saving lives outside."
Upon hearing this, the old man's cloudy eyes flickered slightly. "I see."
"It seems I should go and meet this Mr. Chen someday."
"If Grandpa is interested, I'll ask Boss Chen later if he's still in Shuzhou."
"No rush..."
After chatting for a while, Xiao Wan'er noticed that it was getting late and prepared to leave.
The old man rose to see her off, reminding her to rest more, and finally said:
“Our family is not short of money for the time being. Once you have chosen a place in the academy, Grandpa will give you the money.”
Of the 300,000 taels of silver obtained from Xiao Dongchen, excluding the 50,000 taels that Xiao Jinghong took away, the old master still had 250,000 taels in his possession.
He wasn't bothered at all about allocating a portion of the funds to build the medical academy.
Xiao Wan'er pursed her lips slightly and bowed slightly: "Granddaughter thanks Grandpa for his support."
"Of course."
"Thanks to you for taking care of the family all these years, Grandpa should support you both publicly and privately."
"Besides, how can you bear such a great thing that will make our Xiao family famous in history?"
"So go ahead and do the things at the Medical Academy, do it big and do it well."
Xiao Wan'er felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, "Granddaughter will remember."
The old man laughed heartily, offered a few words of encouragement to comfort her, and then watched her leave.
Wait until the surroundings quiet down.
The old man pondered calmly for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Could he be the one who saved you?"
Xiao Jing, dressed in black, walked out from the inner hall and hesitated, saying, "I can't say for sure."
"But his attitude toward his subordinates and the Marquis's mansion, as well as his status as a medical master, all match the characteristics of that person that night."
"Then let's examine it more carefully."
"A renowned physician has helped my Xiao family so much; I should invite him to come and have a talk with him in person."
Xiao Jing nodded in agreement, "I will have someone keep a close eye on Baicaotang later, and I will personally go to confirm any news."
After listening, the old man said nothing more, leaned on his cane, returned to the hall, sat down, and asked:
"How is the border situation near the Liu family's place?"
"After meeting you, Liu Hong stayed in the Provincial Administration Commission."
"Liu Yu, who left last night, returned to the city this afternoon. It is said that he will bring Liu Wen's body back to Jingzhou tomorrow."
Xiao Jing looked up at the old man and continued, "And Liu Zhaoxue doesn't seem to be planning to leave."
"Oh? Her second brother died, and as the eldest daughter of the main branch, isn't she going back to mourn him?"
"Your subordinate has not yet determined the cause."
"But according to reports from below, Liu Zhaoxue has been looking for a suitable shop all day, probably still intending to expand Xinglinzhai in Shuzhou."
The old man hummed in agreement and pondered, "Ignore her, keep a close eye on Liu Hong."
"This time, I used Liu Wen's matter to force the Liu family to return several times the amount of money and benefits lost in the summer grain harvest in Tiebi Town."
"In addition, Liu Wen and Liu Jing of the eldest son's family both died in Shuzhou."
The old man paused, a hint of murderous intent flashing in his cloudy eyes, and coldly snorted:
"They won't let this go!"
...
The following day, the dark clouds over Shu Prefecture dissipated somewhat.
Although it was still gray, it wasn't as gloomy anymore, and the rain had drizzled down in small amounts.
Fresh air permeated the entire Shuzhou region.
Travelers no longer gathered to whisper about yesterday's events, and merchants went about their business as usual.
Meanwhile, the city guards, yamen runners, and officials from the judicial department were even busier.
Especially in the western part of the city.
Because Xiao Jinghong led his men to eliminate many evil spirits and heretics, the constables who usually dared not come here began to go from street to street, searching for the remaining villains.
Some conflicts will inevitably break out during this period.
However, with the cooperation of the chief magistrate and the city guards, the remaining scoundrels were no match for them.
In just half a day, dozens of people were arrested.
The onlookers cheered, and the judicial authorities and other government offices were proud of themselves; it was a lively and bustling scene.
It only fermented for one day.
The hustle and bustle will eventually give way to calm.
Especially after the details of the burning of summer grain in the three border towns reached the prefectural city, everyone in Shuzhou, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people, learned the full story.
First, some of the summer grain in Tiebi Town was burned.
However, the exact figures have not been released and are mostly speculation.
Some say 100,000 shi, some say 200,000 shi, and some even say one million...
Finally, the claim that a million bushels of grain were burned has been debunked.
The second piece of news concerned the villains who went to burn the summer grain—they were all evil cultists from Mingyue Tower.
The secrets hidden behind Liu Wen, Xiao Dongchen, and others have not been leaked at all.
Even the financial backer of Mingyue Tower was rumored to be a "barbarian" behind the scenes.
This is probably the most reasonable explanation for this farce.
The last piece of news was about Xiao Jinghong—this general of Shu Prefecture is now a top-tier martial arts expert.
His swordsmanship has reached perfection; he can sweep across a hundred feet with a single sword strike, easily slaying generals and killing enemies.
This news naturally excited those who were interested in such things.
"It seems the barbarians suffered considerable losses when they were driven back five years ago."
"Otherwise, they wouldn't be resorting to such underhanded tactics to cause trouble for the Dingyuan Army."
"We've heard that there's internal strife among the barbarians. The old barbarian king is seriously ill, and the eldest and third princes are vying for the throne. It will be difficult for them to head north anytime soon."
"Under these circumstances, how dare they plot to burn down the summer grain crops in the three towns?"
"They're probably worried that our Wei army will take advantage of their internal strife to march south."
"That makes sense..."
Those who pay attention to current affairs are mostly scholars, who can always deduce seemingly plausible things from fragmented clues.
News of the barbarian rebellion was brought by the bandits from Vaishsa.
The news of the burning of three towns came from the Xiao family and the government office.
Some of it is true, some is false, but they can tell it in a very convincing way.
It only makes those in the know laugh.
However, with the dust settled on the burning of the summer grain in the three towns, a piece of news from Guiyun Academy completely shifted the focus of everyone's attention.
"Chen Yi, also known as Chen Qingzhou, the son-in-law of the Xiao family, has already perfected his calligraphy, and he even uses a new style of characters called—Running Script!"
"Mr. Yue Ming said that the so-called 'xing' has the meaning of flowing clouds and water, and the feeling of exquisite brushwork, vivid spirit and natural composition."
"Chen Qingzhou's running script calligraphy is full of imagery, and its unrestrained and elegant style transcends thousands of miles."
"Mr. Yue Ming also said that after the Mid-Autumn Festival, Guiyun Academy will exhibit some of Mr. Qingzhou's calligraphy works, including the calligraphy work 'Thoughts After the Rain' which is a perfect example of running script."
Some people believe it, while others don't.
But Shuzhou Prefecture is only so big, and Mr. Yue Ming, Mr. Zhuo Ying, and others are all Confucian scholars with families and households, so someone will always be able to find a way in.
Confirm the authenticity of the message.
"Is this true?"
"Could it be fake?"
"It is said that when Mr. Qingzhou delivered the calligraphy copybook at noon, there were also people from Yuelu Academy in Yanzhou."
"At that time, one of the boys ridiculed Mr. Qingzhou's calligraphy. It wasn't until he saw the poem 'Thoughts After the Rain' that he regretted it and wanted to become Mr. Qingzhou's student to learn calligraphy."
"It's a pity it's too late."
"Don't let Mr. Qingzhou's young age fool you; he has the integrity of a scholar. How could he accept such a rude young man?"
"That's how it should be."
The scholars on Kangning Street, taking advantage of their proximity, not only learned about the specific situation of the exhibition hall, but also inquired about the poem "Thoughts After the Rain".
"I left Baidi City amidst colorful clouds at dawn, and returned to Jiangling a thousand miles away in a single day."
"The cries of monkeys on both banks could not stop the light boat from passing through ten thousand mountains."
As soon as the four-character quatrain was recited, the scholars on Kangning Street fell silent.
Scholars who are not good at poetry are somewhat better off.
The more skilled a scholar is in studying poetry, the more they will admire this poem and admit their own inferiority.
"Mr. Qingzhou's masterpiece, 'Departing from Baidi City amidst colorful clouds at dawn,' is beyond human capability. I admire it greatly."
"Like 'departing from Baidi City amidst colorful clouds at dawn,' even soaring through the air and riding the wind couldn't be more impressive, could it?"
"Not only that, the last two lines, 'crying uncontrollably' and 'already passed,' are even more exquisite, conveying the speed with incredible precision."
"And the words 'light boat'..."
Being scholars, they exchanged a knowing smile and offered their interpretation:
"It has the meaning of 'the lightness of the boat reflects the lightness of the heart,' and also indicates the gentleman's name. The two characters 'light boat' are the finishing touch."
Compared to his previous poems, Chen Yi's "Thoughts After the Rain" has attracted more attention this time because of its perfect artistic expression.
Some of the students who were originally students of Guiyun Academy even went to see Mr. Yue Ming and others and saw the calligraphy copybook with their own eyes.
For a time, few people on Kangning Street paid any attention to the summer grain harvest in the three towns or the barbarian instigation.
This situation was clearly welcomed by both the Xiao and Liu families.
But for some individuals, their thoughts are difficult to understand.
Inside the shop on Kangning Street, which is very close to Guiyun Academy.
While directing two Iron Flag Officers disguised as shop assistants to set up the shop, Lou Yuxue kept an eye on her surroundings.
She naturally heard the voices of the scholars discussing and saw the crowds coming and going at the entrance of Guiyun Academy.
My mood was somewhat strange.
"What's so special about this? It came to me without any effort at all?"
Before leaving, Eagle Ge Laosan had instructed that he should explore the calligraphy realm of the fledgling bird.
Before Lou Yuxue could even find a moment to spare, the story of the fledgling calligrapher had already become common knowledge.
"The Way of Calligraphy at its Perfect Realm."
"That fledgling bird has only been in Shu Prefecture for three months, yet its calligraphy skills have advanced repeatedly; it's truly..."
"The hawk has a really good life."
Lou Yuxue roughly understood Ge Laosan's mission, which is why she felt somewhat envious.
After all, the progress in calligraphy was the fledgling bird's own talent, and had nothing to do with Ge Laosan.
However, the result and the sensational effect will all be attributed to Ge Laosan.
I reckon he won't be punished, and might even be rewarded by Lord Jinqi.
"Fortunately, the summer grain in Iron Wall Town was burned this time. Even if the Pavilion Master is not satisfied, he should not punish us."
"However, the outcome of the negotiations between the Xiao family and the Liu family was somewhat unsatisfactory."
Lou Yuxue knew that the fact that news of Liu Wen's appearance in Tiebi Town had not spread was enough to show that the Xiao and Liu families had successfully reached a peace agreement.
If those two families break up in negotiations...
Liu Wen, Xiao Dongchen, and even that "sugar daddy" will be spread around by the Xiao and Liu families.
The situation in Shuzhou City will be several times more chaotic than it is now.
Thinking about all this, Lou Yuxue instructed the people in the shop to continue preparing, and went back alone to the inner hall to find a copy of the play "The Story of the Mandarin Duck Tower".
He pondered for a moment.
She then wrote a secret letter on a small piece of paper, referring to the play "The Story of the Mandarin Duck Tower".
It not only describes the ins and outs of the burning of the summer grain in the three towns and the person of Liu Wu, but also includes the Xiao and Liu families, the current situation of Shu Prefecture, and the writing style of the fledgling bird.
There were more than ten messages in total.
After writing it down, Lou Yuxue confirmed that it was correct, then stuffed the note into the talon of a falcon and released it.
She watched the falcon fly away before turning and going downstairs.
"With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Xiao Jinghong will return to the prefectural city for a temporary stay, so I'm afraid it's not advisable for me to make any further moves in the short term."
"And then there's Mingyue Tower..."
The eagle with white feathers on its head clearly ignored these mortal thoughts.
It took two hours to deliver Lou Yuxue's secret letter to Guangyuan County, the northernmost part of Shu Prefecture.
After a brief stop, it headed straight for Kyoto Prefecture.
Two days later.
A bald eagle landed on the top of the "Fūgetsu-ro" (Wind and Moon Pavilion), south of the Imperial City of Kyoto Prefecture.
A White Tiger Guard dressed in a black robe and wearing a plain white mask arrived and took the letter box from the eagle's foot.
Deciphered, confirmed to be correct.
Then a White Tiger Guard in red robes and white face, carrying a letter, swiftly and silently arrived at the deepest part of the third floor and gently knocked twice on the wooden door.
"Lord, a letter has arrived from Shu Prefecture."
Today is the 15th, the last day for the monthly pass lottery.
The vote count ends at midnight tonight. Let's try to get a round number, maybe 2,500 or 3,000 votes.
Thank you all for your support.
The lottery results will be announced tomorrow night.
(End of this chapter)
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