[R18] Will drink wine – “About Wine” Chapter 190 [English]

Chapter 184: Talking

It’s rainy in Chazhou in October. As I sit with the curtains drawn, I can hear the sound of rain hitting the plantains outside the window.Luo Mu did not wear official uniforms, but sat at the bottom in Taoist robes.He looked around and found that the teahouse was already overcrowded. The guests came from all over the world, wearing mango shoes and feather raincoats.

It’s past noon, and the incense near the window has burned out.Luo Mu heard the noise, straightened up and looked at the door.I saw the oil-paper umbrella swaying slightly, revealing the dark-colored robe underneath.The large sleeves are hanging on the knees, with a cat lying in the middle. The exposed wrist bones are delicate, which makes the five fingers slender and strong.

Yao Wenyu leaned over the four-wheeled vehicle and said sincerely: “Seniors, you have been waiting for a long time.”

The small wheel rolled on the wooden board, and Qiao Tianya pushed Yao Wenyu inside.Whispers suddenly sounded in the tea room, the leaf hats that had not been taken off before were taken off one after another, and countless eyes were looking at Yao Wenyu.

Yao Wenyu stopped in front of the round window.

“We are gathered here today to attend the invitation from little friend Yuanzhuo.” Qinzhou Mei Lao, who was smoking, puffed on his pipe and looked at Yao Wenyu, “We haven’t seen you for a year, but my little friend is far more charming than before.”

The tea was already served during the dinner, and the incense stick was lit again.

The so-called chatting means oral conversation.When the host and guest sit opposite each other, it has nothing to do with officialdom or civil affairs, but only profound and mysterious things, so Luo Mu did not wear official uniform today.They have to come and go during the conversation, which not only requires those who participate in the conversation to be knowledgeable, but also requires them to have beautiful rhymes.

Yao Wenyu was very good at visiting mountains and rivers, so he was able to respond to his call and sit down in Chazhou to have a conversation.He used to be novel and original in his eloquence. Because he was born in a famous family but did not become an official, he was far more popular among hermits than Hai Liangyi.

Mr. Mei had been waiting at the table for half an hour. After exchanging pleasantries, he no longer wasted time and said, “I see that my little friend has changed.”

Yao Wenyu said: “This body is not my body, and this change is not my change.”

Mr. Mei stopped smoking and said, “I have seen it with my own eyes. If you haven’t changed, then why don’t you stand up?”

Yao Wenyu put down the whisk he just held in his hand and said, “A year ago, my husband and I had a chat in Qinzhou. Was it a standing ceremony?”

Mr. Mei said: “Of course I stand.”

Yao Wenyu said: “Then I am still standing at this moment.”

Luo Mu once participated in informal talks when he was studying in Dengzhou, but at that time they were only discussions among college classmates. Kong Ling was also very capable of sophistry.It’s just that he doesn’t know why, Kong Ling didn’t come today.The conversation continued during the dinner, while the drizzle continued outside the building, and everyone present was calm and focused.

Qiao Tianya leaned against the door, watching the raindrops splashing on the eaves, dyeing the distant mountains slightly hazy.Yao Wenyu’s voice was clear and clear, and he was calm and unhurried in his answers, as if the chess pieces he had dropped in the courtyard were being knocked one by one in the rain.

* * *

Li Jianting sat on his seat and asked Xue Xiuzhuo: “Since talking can bring together all the wise men, sir, why doesn’t the Imperial Academy set up talks?”

Xue Xiuzhuo closed the book and asked: “Who can participate in the conversation?”

Li Jianting said: “There are scholars in the world.”

“No,” Xue Xiuzhuo looked directly at Li Jianting, “He is the most well-fed person in the world.”

Xue Xiuzhuo has participated in talks, but only a handful of times.The so-called free talk is empty talk in the eyes of courtiers such as He and Jiang Qingshan. These people neither discuss state affairs nor civil affairs.Chatting was most popular in the Thirteen Cities of Juexi, followed by the Eight Cities of Qandu. The reason why Pan Lin and other aristocratic family members particularly respected Yao Wenyu was because Yao Wenyu had rarely been involved in political affairs before, which was a good thing.However, this kind of good demeanor must be based on the premise of having no worries about food and clothing. Plain talk disappeared after the Xiande Year of Zhongbo. Is it because there are no educated people in Zhongbo?The reason is that there is no longer a well-fed person in Zhongbo.

Li Jianting thought for a moment and said, “In that case, what’s the use of Yao Wenyu inviting people from all over the world to be well-fed and worry-free today?”

Xue Xiuzhuo was silent for a moment, turned his eyes and looked at the banana trees swaying in front of the window. The rain was falling so fast, it seemed like the day he and Yao Wenyu were playing chess.

* * *

It was already dark outside the teahouse, and the conversation was not over yet.Mei Lao is old and tired from sitting now.What he and Yao Wenyu were arguing about was “change or no change”, and they drank several cups of tea to soothe their throats.

Mr. Mei cleared his throat and said: “The change I’m talking about is that the body in front of me has changed. Not only that, you have changed, time has changed, and the world has also changed. You are no longer the person you were just now, and you are no longer the person you were a year ago.”

Everyone looked at Yao Wenyu, waiting for his answer.But Yao Wenyu slowly lowered his sleeves, saluted Mr. Mei on the four-wheeler, and said, “Sir, you are right.”

As soon as this statement came out, there was an uproar everywhere.This discussion is clearly not over yet.They came all the way here just to hear the argument. Unexpectedly, Yao Wenyu gave up and admitted defeat.

“The prosperity of the Yongyi period has never been restored, and the Great Zhou Dynasty has declined. Nowadays, foreign enemies in the Northeast are invading, and officials and businessmen in the Southwest are colluding. How many places in the world are left where we can talk freely about the mysteries of the universe?”

After hearing this, a quarrel broke out immediately during the dinner. Mr. Mei threw down his pipe with a clang, covered his mouth and nose with his sleeves, and said angrily: “Stinky! Stinky! Stinky! The smell is unbearable, and the vulgarity is unbearable! How did Yao Yuanzhuo become Hai Renshi!”

The coffee table was shaking, and someone had already stood up.Luo Mu quickly stood up and wanted to dissuade him, but he heard Yao Wenyu laughing at the window.He laughed louder and louder, and said: “The situation of the eight cities usurping people’s fields is so serious. Meeting people dying of hunger on the road is no longer an empty talk in dreams – I have changed, and the world has also changed. How long can I stay the same, sir, if I am in this world?”

Mei Lao originally wanted to leave the table, but after hearing this, he could not hold back and said: “All things will be destroyed if they are not born. There are arrangements for change and immutability. You have changed your ways and fallen into the dust net. Do you also want to be a gentleman like Qi Huilian and Hai Liangyi?”

Yao Wenyu said: “What changed me today was none other than Mr. Shi Shijian.”

Mei Lao didn’t lift it up in one breath, but held the tea table and said: “Governing by doing nothing, Tao follows nature! What has Qi Huilian changed? What has Hai Liangyi changed? You have stepped into their footsteps, Yuanzhuo, Yuanzhuo! This is useless!”

Yao Wenyu’s expression calmed slightly and said: “Since the Tao is natural, then the day will change and the world will be chaotic. Sir, you can continue to stand by and watch. I have abandoned my Tao and will enter this troubled world.”

Mr. Mei stamped his feet anxiously and shouted like a child: “No, come back! Come back!”

Xue Xiuzhuo believes that if the world is righteous, he will die for the righteousness. If there is no righteousness in the world, he will die for himself. 1Taifu Qi believed in this statement, and so did Mr. Haige. Among them, only Yao Wenyu did not.But Yao Wenyu’s move today obviously broke his past habit of letting things take their own course. This means that he will abandon his original identity and become a man of the world from now on.

The raindrops rolled down, flying down from Qiao Tianya’s eyes, and dripped into the puddles. The water splashed slightly, creating ripples.A small fish with fine scales jumped out from the ripples, was caught by Kong Ling near the pond, and was thrown back.

Fei Sheng held an umbrella, Kong Ling and Shen Zechuan wore bamboo hats and fished by the pond.

Kong Ling threw the hook out again and said: “After today, all people with lofty ideals should flock to Cizhou.”

Shen Zechuan held the fishing rod and said, “If all people with lofty ideals are so good, how could my husband and I have accidentally made a mistake?”

Kong Ling laughed, avoided answering, and just sighed: “Yuanzhuo’s move is to ‘change the path’, and it is also to ‘accept the path’. It is to explain to the world that the legacy of Mr. Haige still exists in Cizhou, and he is no longer the he he used to be.”

“The pen and ink of Shenwei has been put in place,” Shen Zechuan said, “Whether Yuanzhuo’s reputation can be restored in the hearts of students all over the world depends on the lyricism of this piece of paper.”

Yao Wenyu was initially attacked by students in the Taixue turmoil because of He’s birth. However, now He has parted ways with Mei Lao and others. With Gao Zhongxiong’s highly eloquent pen, those broken legs can become a manifesto.Not only that, but the ensuing questions will definitely include why did he come to Cizhou?If he is a guilty person, why hasn’t the court sent someone to arrest him for so long?If you think about this issue further, you can see that Zhongbo has been divided.

“Due to the death of Emperor Tianchen, this year’s Spring Festival was canceled. Later, the old man Hai Ge died to remonstrate, and the Imperial College besieged the officials of the poor family. Many of them resigned. Qudu still needs to maintain the stability of the three parties this winter,” Shen Zechuan shook the fishing rod. “Xue Xiuzhuo has already stepped into the cabinet with half a foot of relying on the crown prince. For this reason, the Queen Mother must suppress the hard-working faction headed by he, and cannot let him become the real regent. Then heWhen will the promise to Taixue be fulfilled?He and Yuan Zhuo have an old relationship. Now that Yuan Zhuo has joined me, there must be something hidden.Besides, it has been known to everyone that Li’s misconduct has not been eliminated, and there are many imitators.Xue Xiuzhuo has no way to fight back. This winter, he will only be beaten in every aspect.”

“The trap created by the noble family is too big,” Kong Ling said while holding the fishing rod and shaking his head. “The Queen Mother is unwilling to delegate power, the cabinet has lost all support, Xue Xiuzhuo has not yet fully matured his wings, and the three parties are stuck in a stalemate. The issue of the eight cities occupying people’s land will not be resolved. The longer this is delayed, the more beneficial it will be to the Lord.”

Just as they are talking about here, a few days later, Gao Zhongxiong’s article was circulated.Hai Liangyi’s legacy has no end at all. As long as he speaks sincerely, he can arouse sighs.The content of Yao Wenyu’s talk in Chazhou is no longer important. What is important is that even students with different backgrounds must face up to one thing.

That is, in just half a year, Qudu has completely lost the ability to maintain stability in the world.The person Yao Wenyu took refuge in was called Shen Zechuan, and Shen Zechuan was a criminal who defected from the capital together with Xiao Chiye half a year ago. However, instead of being executed, they are rising.

The Queen Mother could not move the Qidong garrison, so Han Cheng went out again and asked the Eighth Battalion to send troops to annihilate Shen Zechuan who was far away in Cizhou.However, the Ministry of War declined on the grounds that there was nothing to do.The meeting was unpleasant, and as the New Year approached, the relationship between the three parties became increasingly tense.

When it snows, the number of refugees seeking refuge in Ci and Cha Prefectures increases.While Tantai Hu was recruiting garrison troops in Dunzhou, Jinyiwei was also recruiting new members. Shen Zechuan wanted to put Hairigu and Jinyiwei together.By the time Shen Zechuan came to his senses, it was already December. Just when he was preparing for the New Year’s ceremony, Libei ushered in an unprecedented heavy snowfall.

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1: “Mencius”