The journey from Daliang City to Luoyang was four to five hundred miles. As they were not busy, the two of them did not ride horses. They walked and stopped. They also toured some of the places of interest and historical sites. Even so, Liu Qingping felt that Mu Weizhou was often troubled. When she occasionally asked, Mu Weizhou would avoid her with the excuse that there was nothing important. The two of them entered the Xuanmen Pass. It was already the end of March when they were about to reach Luoyang.
The two of them had just arrived at Yanshiju, about a few dozen miles away from Luoyang City in the west, when Mu Weizhou discovered two palaces in the direction of Luoyang City that seemed to be floating in the clouds. Mu Weizhou thought it was a mirage and excitedly pointed it out to Liu Qingping. Who knew that Liu Qingping would laugh at him and explain to him as if she had seen a country bumpkin.
It turned out that the Eastern Han Luoyang Imperial Palace was divided into the Southern Palace and the Northern Palace. It was roughly located in the south and north of Luoyang. The middle was seven miles apart and connected by a complex road. When people walked on it, they looked like they were walking in the sky from afar. The main hall of the North Palace was Deyang Hall, which could accommodate nearly ten thousand people. The hall was thirty feet high, and with the foundation of ten feet high, it was much taller than Luoyang's city walls. The mirage that Mu Weizhou had seen earlier was actually the Deyang Palace Hall and the Vermilion Bird Palace. Mu Weizhou listened with great interest and couldn't help but praise from the bottom of his heart. If the scene in front of him was real, it would be amazing. Mu Weizhou couldn't imagine how these ancient people couldn't create such a magnificent building. On second thought, since people could build pyramids and the Great Wall in the early days, let alone two palaces. Mu Weizhou felt that the two palaces in Luoyang were comparable to the Hanging Gardens in ancient Babylon.
Liu Qingping saw that he was so excited that he couldn't help but ask him what he had been doing in the past, as if he had never heard of Luoyang. Mu Weizhou replied with a smile. He had heard of her, but he had never seen her.
Although Mu Weizhou had read some history books, most of them were focused on the characters he liked and were just relaxing his mind. He knew very little about palaces and scenery. Luoyang was the capital of benevolence at that time. It was located in the world at the intersection of the Luo River and the Yellow River. It faced the Luo River and was backed by Beimang Mountain. The transportation was convenient and the land was fertile. It belonged to the territory of Henan Yin. Just like Beijing City and Beijing City now. After the great rebellion during Wang Mang's time, the entire population of Henan Yin was only about a million, distributed in more than 40 cities of various sizes. At this moment, Luoyang City itself was more than nine miles from north to south and six miles from east to west. It belonged to the imperial city and did not have any outer walls. Nearly 400,000 people lived in the city and its surroundings. It was also quite prosperous. There were pavilions, pavilions, corridors, shops, and courtyards. The magnificent northern and southern imperial palaces were in the city. At that time, Chang 'an City and Luoyang City were like two bright pearls in the Central Plains, shining brightly. The famous "Ode to the Two Cities" and "Ode to the Two Cities" in history were the best records of them. Chang 'an and Rome, thousands of miles away from him, were once the only two cities in the world with a population of more than one million. It was because of the war and civil strife that Chang 'an and Luoyang had suffered a lot. It was said that the riots between the two Han Dynasties had caused the loss of more than half of the population. This had to be said to be a kind of destruction to the Han civilization. Therefore, it was very important to maintain peace externally and ensure stability internally.
Mu Weizhou experienced the prosperity of Luoyang. As he listened to Liu Qingping tell him about the various encounters in front of him, he naturally had a feeling in his heart. The two of them passed through more than half of Luoyang City and stopped in front of a house in the southwest of the city. On the plaque in front of the door, the words "Sunset Smoke Hall" were written. They entered the courtyard and were greeted by two children who were sweeping. The two of them were very happy to see Liu Qingping. They called her senior sister and let them into the main hall.
To Mu Weizhou's surprise, other than a plaque that read " Sunset Smoke Hall " hanging above his head, the hall was filled with books. Bamboo, bamboo, bamboo, cloth, piled up, scattered, it was probably not an exaggeration to describe them as filled with sweat. After communicating with the two children, he found out that Liu Qingping's master was not around. He had gone out on a tour a few days ago and would not be back for a few months. The two of them couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but Mu Weizhou still felt a little happy when he saw so many words.
Just like that, the two of them stayed in Sunset Smoke Hall. In the first few days, Mu Weizhou and Liu Qingping went out for a walk, but they never found the Wei Family Class. Later, Mu Weizhou discovered that the Sunset Smoke Hall had a lot of books. He was too lazy to go out, so he decided to stay in the house to read and practice. After Liu Qingping found the Wei family's class, they would go together.
Liu Qingping also agreed. This was because she had returned to Luoyang this time. Other than looking for the Wei family, she had not seen many relatives and friends, including the emperor's uncle. It was not possible for him to go with Mu Weizhou, so they discussed it and went their own ways. A few days later, Liu Qingping told him that she had heard that Wei Luan and the others were performing around Luoyang. They would return to Luoyang around the Dragon Boat Festival, and they could meet again at that time.
Mu Weizhou was very happy to hear that. He thought that it would take another month, so he asked Liu Qingping to call him. He could use this month to do something that interested him. He happened to find a book list in Xi Yan Hall yesterday. It must have been made by Old Man Xi Yan. He did a count of the books in the Sunset Smoke Hall's collection by category. There were many books in each category, and they were very rich. Only in the last description of " Strange Books " were four books listed. They were " Classic of Mountains and Seas "," Yue Jue Shu "," Qianqiu Pu ", and " Records of State Scholars ". It was also noted that the last two books were missing. Thinking that he could enjoy a month of intensive reading without any pressure, he couldn't help but feel satisfied.
Why did Mu Weizhou suddenly become so focused? This was all thanks to the Xiongnu master. Although that Xiongnu master had almost taken his life, from another perspective, that person seemed to have given him another life. After experiencing the taste of death, not only did he master the Tao Le Sword Art, but he also felt that he had figured out many things at once. What followed was a bunch of questions." Who am I?”，Why am I alive?" What is the meaning of my life?" "Where is this?" "What is this world like?”"What is correct? What mistake?" And so on and so forth, it troubled him all the time. He had these thoughts before, but they didn't bother him as much as they did now. While he was recuperating and on the way to Luoyang, he had been thinking about these things. Gradually, he realized that the books he had read in the past seemed to have helped him. If his questions were riddles, then his past experiences, the words he was reading now, and the words he had read before were like pieces of a puzzle, making his answers clear bit by bit.
Liu Qingping saw that Mu Weizhou had turned into the bewitched look he had when he was practicing swordsmanship in Taole Cave. She knew that he must have encountered some difficulties. However, Liu Qingping had never thought that he was thinking about those things. Because in her opinion, those problems could not be called problems at all.
For the next half a month, Mu Weizhou read like a hungry person, weaving the answers in his heart. In the next few days, Liu Qingping noticed that he seemed to be in a daze for most of the day. She couldn't help but worry.
This morning, Mu Weizhou asked Liu Qingping where the Imperial College was and went out. He even signaled Liu Qingping not to follow him. When Mu Weizhou was reading the Tao Te Ching yesterday, he suddenly fell into chaos, and the chaos lasted for a day. The puzzle in his mind that he thought was gradually becoming clearer suddenly became blurry again, and some places even became darker. The questions and principles that he had thought about a few days ago suddenly felt wrong, and he could not understand it no matter how hard he thought about it. Today, he decided to come out and relax. It was a good opportunity to visit the Imperial College and change his mind. Liu Qingping said that Emperor Ming had strongly supported Emperor Guangwu's restoration of the Imperial College, so many knowledgeable people gathered around the Imperial College. Mu Weizhou had long been in the mood to take a look. He thought that it would be a pleasure to discuss the questions in his heart with knowledgeable people.
Mu Weizhou followed Liu Qingping's directions and left Kaiyang Sect. Not long after, the shops on the street changed from selling daily necessities to selling brush, ink, and books. The pedestrians on the street were also dressed like scholars. Further in, there were three to five people arguing with each other, or hundreds of people sitting around listening to the lecture. There were also more classrooms and doormen on the street. Some of the signboards in front of the door had the words "Poetry ends here", some had the words "Spring and Autumn", etc. There were all kinds of things. Some were lecturers sitting in the hall, while others were reading. Mu Weizhou felt that everything was quite new. He thought to himself, so the Imperial College isn't just a single Imperial College. It looks like an education street.
Mu Weizhou asked a passerby about the Imperial College. The person seemed to be very strange. He casually pointed him in the direction and left in a hurry. Mu Weizhou arrived in front of the Imperial College in the direction he pointed. This building was taller and brighter than the surrounding buildings. It was about 120 feet wide and 100 feet deep. Many people were going in and out, and many people were discussing something intensely inside. Mu Weizhou was about to walk in, but he was stopped by two gatekeepers at the door. They asked him for something like an entry permit. Mu Weizhou felt strange seeing so many people coming in and out. They didn't ask for proof, so why did he have to ask for proof? It turned out that Mu Weizhou had been concentrating on his studies for the past twenty days. He did not take care of himself and looked like a recluse. In this world, it had always been " to respect the dress before the person ". The gatekeeper even " looked down on the person ", so how could he not stop him? However, the two gatekeepers could do the same. They told him that the others were familiar with him and knew that they had proof of contact. Mu Weizhou was unfamiliar with them, so he stopped him. Mu Weizhou saw their contemptuous eyes and understood the reason. He didn't want to see them and sighed as he walked around the street.
Unable to enter the Imperial College, Mu Weizhou paid attention to the various discussions and speeches on the streets. What disappointed him was that in his opinion, most of these people were bragging. Some of them were slightly upright, but they also had an arrogant look, which made him feel nauseous. It was rare to see anyone on the street who could speak as logically as Professor Yi. Especially at that time, the study of divination was prevalent. The discussions or lectures that Mu Weizhou saw were bizarre and motley, just like a story conference. The reverence he had when he first arrived had disappeared without him realizing it. The education street had become a storytelling street, and none of them were as good as Professor Yi.
Mu Weizhou looked for someone of insight but didn't meet him, and he was rebuffed in the Imperial College. He felt a little depressed, so he came to a big bookstore in a hurry. Thinking that if he didn't meet anyone of insight, he could just look at the immortals, so he walked in. This bookstore was almost the largest bookstore on the street. There were a few doors to enter and exit, and there were quite a number of people picking books inside. There were a few well-dressed young masters with their servants carrying a few bundles of books as they paid at the counter.
When a shop assistant saw his sloppy appearance, he smiled and politely said that he was free to look around. Then, he returned to the innermost bookshelf and stared at it.
Mu Weizhou saw rows upon rows of bookshelves filled with bamboo slips. In front of the bookshelves stood many people dressed in gorgeous clothes, reading and choosing. Mu Weizhou walked to the row with the most people and flipped through them. He found that they were all about "how to get rich in a day","the ranking of the current wealthy families", and "why the ancestor was so successful". He couldn't help but be stunned. Mu Weizhou looked at the two young people who were fighting for the right to purchase the Secret Records of Tao Zhu and shook his head."The world has always been like this.”
This kind of surprise immediately aroused Mu Weizhou's interest. He hurriedly walked to another row of bookshelves that were more crowded and found that most of the books displayed on it were books such as the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Book of Rites, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. There were also some books such as the Divination Examination. Mu Weizhou walked along the rows of bookshelves and found that there were many types of books on the shelves, ranging from cooking books to geographical records. He walked to the last row and saw that it was a miscellaneous book. Mu Weizhou was very curious. He wanted to see what kind of miscellaneous books were there, but he found that people were quietly browsing through a book in front of the bookshelf. The shop assistant who greeted Mu Weizhou just now was staring at that person without moving. However, that person did not seem to notice it at all.
Mu Weizhou sized up the person. He was about 40 or 50 years old. He was tall and had slightly dark skin. He had a gentle appearance. His clothes were coarse and colorless. He wore black cloth shoes but no socks. Although he was dressed very cleanly, it could not hide his bad luck. Standing in front of him, Mu Weizhou was like a relative. Seeing Mu Weizhou sizing him up, the man smiled at him and moved to the side before continuing to read his book.
Mu Weizhou was surprised to see him smile. That smile gave him a feeling that was completely out of place with his clothes and appearance. It was filled with indifference, confidence, elegance, and sharpness. Mu Weizhou thought that he was being overly sensitive. He looked at the books on the shelf. Most of them were unknown and unheard of, so he had no interest in them. Because there were many books in this shop, and Sunset Smoke Hall had them, Mu Weizhou didn't have any money on him. He looked at the sky and wanted to return to the city. He had only taken two steps when he heard the waiter say,"Old Wang, do you want to buy it? Come here every day to read books. Our books are for sale! Aiya, stop looking, stop looking."
Mu Weizhou turned around and saw that the waiter was throwing a tantrum at the unattractive person from before. That person was not angry. He put the book away with a smile and muttered,"Little brother, don't be angry. I'll leave now, I'll leave now.”
Mu Weizhou smiled brightly at his good temper and continued to walk out of the door. As soon as he left the door, he heard someone say from behind,"Shopkeeper, I wonder if I can borrow an umbrella from you. I'll return it to you when I come over tomorrow.”
"Hehe, Old Wang, you come to my place every day to read books. Not only do you read but you don't buy anything. Besides, it's a sunny day. Why do you need an umbrella?”The shopkeeper said in a bad mood.
Old Wang knew that Mu Weizhou was unwilling to lend it to him, so he smiled and did not say anything else. He walked into the city and nodded with a smile when he brushed past Mu Weizhou. Mu Weizhou already felt that this person was strange, and when he heard that he wanted to borrow an umbrella on a sunny day, he felt even stranger. Seeing that he was also returning to the city, he followed him from a distance.
Mu Weizhou had just arrived at the Mizar Gate when the sky suddenly turned dark, and bean-sized raindrops fell. Mu Weizhou saw Old Wang, who had just entered the city, run back to the door to avoid the rain. He muttered,"This rain is still falling. Fortunately, we walked here. Otherwise, we might have been drenched.”Someone next to him said,"Old Wang, you're so busy. You must have stolen a lot of books today, right?"”
The old king laughed." How can I say that I'm greedy? You measure books with gold and silver, while I compare them with delicacies. So, I'm not greedy. I'm just trying to satisfy my appetite."”
"Old Wang, others are studying, so you should study too. People are using light chariots and dogs, but you can't even afford books.”Another person mocked.
"It is the duty of a scholar to not let go of his desires when he is at ease and to be tireless when he is in poverty. This brother, there is a saying that calumny hurts good, blue flies pollute white, leave virtue in your mouth, leave virtue in your mouth.”Old Wang answered with a sharp tone.
It was unknown whether the person who mocked him just now did not understand or did not care, but he continued with a knowledgeable look,"I think your knowledge is still lacking. Now study divination, learn modern text as a common understanding, you do not know the general situation, must learn Huan Tan. Two benefits weigh each other to choose the most important, two evils weigh each other to choose the least. Haven't you seen the skeletons of the Huan family?"
Old Wang listened to him and said seriously,"Brother, you're wrong. We study hard and do our best. If you don't look at the past and present, it's not true to talk about things. If this is the case, let alone in action? Therefore, those who are not virtuous cannot be alienated, and those who are not talented cannot be widely recognized. How can all kinds of things in the world be explained in this article? The Analects of Confucius says,"Zi rarely talks about profit, fate and benevolence."'Brother, are you a gentleman and a scholar? Are you a scholar?" The other people in the gatehouse who were hiding from the rain all applauded when they heard him say this, while the person who laughed at him had a face full of shame and anger.
Then what exactly happened just now? It turned out that in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, because of Liu Xiu's preferences and political needs, the study of divination was popular. The courses inherited from the Imperial College of the Western Han Dynasty were mainly focused on the Book of Changes, the Book of Songs, the Book of History, the Book of Rites, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. They were mainly written in official script and were called the "Jinwen Jing." Later on, he discovered some lost classics, which were called the "Ancient Scriptures". In the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the people who studied these three aspects slowly formed a three-pronged situation. The three sects fought against each other for the position of orthodoxy, because that represented benefits and benefits. The people who challenged the Old Wang supported the Divination and the New Text, and the Huan Tan he mentioned opposed the Divination and supported the Ancient Scriptures. Old Wang used classical Chinese to counter his thoughts. Actually, he could have said it in ordinary words. The reason why he used classical Chinese was very clear. The meaning behind his words was that since he wanted to be arrogant, he would be arrogant to the end. What he meant was that the purpose of reading was to deal with practical problems. Whether it was modern or ancient, we should understand everything. Otherwise, when we think about something, it might be biased. If there was bias when he thought about it, it would be even more troublesome when he did it. Then, he retorted sarcastically that if a person did not have good moral character, they would often be short-sighted and unable to see things that were too far away. And people without talent should not expect to be knowledgeable. This was actually scolding the person who spoke without using vulgarities for being narrow-minded and mediocre. Then, he used the words of Confucius, who was revered by that person, to say that Confucius rarely talked about interests, but more about fate and benevolence. And fate had the meaning of divination. Even if he used divination to say that Confucius had learned divination and Jinwen, it was inevitable that he was a half-baked fool. Finally, he added a sentence from Confucius, asking him if he was a gentleman's scholar? Or is it the Confucian of a villain? It was obvious that he had been gathered into a group of little people. Therefore, if a true expert wanted to scold someone, they didn't need to swear at all, but they could make the person being scolded stand in the most awkward position.
Mu Weizhou was originally curious about the foresight he had when he borrowed the umbrella from the bookstore. He only roughly understood what he meant. However, when he saw that the people around him were cheering for this Old Wang, he felt that this person was even more magical. He could not help but want to get close to him. He walked up to him and cupped his fists." Elder brother, I am Mu Weizhou. May I know your name?"”
Seeing that he was quite polite, Old Wang bowed back and said,"I dare not. I am Wang Yuanchong of Kuaiji. Little brother, why are you looking for me?"
When Mu Weizhou heard Wang Chong's name, he felt that it sounded familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where he had heard it from. He continued,"Ah, just now, after listening to Old Brother Wang's words, I felt that Old Brother Wang's talent was extraordinary. I admire you very much, and I wonder if I have the opportunity to make friends with you.”
Wang Chong looked at Mu Weizhou and said,""Little brother, you flatter me. You don't know, if he were to say that I'm fine, but Huan Tan was my friend and he's already dead, but that person didn't say anything. I can't stand it.”
When Mu Weizhou heard this, he felt even closer to him. Because Wang Chong was like him. If others insulted or misunderstood him, he would most likely not care, but if the target was his close relatives or friends, he would definitely stand up for them.
The summer rain came and went quickly. While they were talking, the sky had already cleared up. Mu Weizhou looked up at the sky and then at Wang Chong. Then, he began to search his body up and down, inside and out. After busying himself for a while, Mu Weizhou said to Wang Chong sadly,""Brother Wang, I wanted to treat you to a drink and find a quiet place to ask you for advice. Unfortunately, I came out in a hurry and didn't bring money.”
Wang Chong heard this and smiled." It seems that little brother has just arrived in Luoyang. It's not easy for you to find a place to talk in the Mizar Sect." Follow me."
The two of them didn't walk far into the city before they arrived at a restaurant called "Lantaiju". Mu Weizhou followed him into the restaurant. The waiter quickly poured a pot of tea and left without saying anything.
After Wang Chong washed the cups, he poured half a cup for each of them. After drinking two cups, they said,"Little brother, this place belongs to a friend of mine. We often drink and gather here. If there were any problems, just tell me, as long as it wasn't about money.”He laughed dryly.
Hearing this, Mu Weizhou did not stand on ceremony and brought up some of the problems he had encountered in his studies during this period. Wang Chong was obviously very interested in his questions. Not only did he patiently answer them, but he also asked some in-depth questions. Mu Weizhou listened to his eloquent explanation, explanation, preaching, and questions. He was especially happy. Unknowingly, the sun had already set, but the conversation had not ended. The two of them had agreed to come here tomorrow to continue the conversation.
It wasn't until the two of them parted that Mu Weizhou realized that he hadn't eaten anything all day. Presumably, Wang Chong was the same. For some reason, Mu Weizhou believed that Wang Chong could answer his questions. He was also surprised that Wang Chong could accept his sudden appearance.
Mu Weizhou returned to the Sunset Smoke Hall and happily told Liu Qingping about what had happened today. He asked Liu Qingping if she knew Wang Chong, but Liu Qingping couldn't remember for a long time. Mu Weizhou then told Liu Qingping what they had talked about. Liu Qingping also felt that Wang Chong's talent was extraordinary. However, it was strange that such a talented person did not serve the court. After dinner, Mu Weizhou hesitantly borrowed some money from Liu Qingping and went to bed.
The next day, Mu Weizhou woke up early. After breakfast, he was going to Lantai for a gathering. After taking a few steps, he returned to his room with a lot of food and ran away. When they arrived at Lantai Gathering, it was still early, so there weren't many customers in the restaurant. Mu Weizhou found a good seat on the second floor, paid the waiter for tea, and waited for Wang Chong. Before Mu Weizhou could finish his cup of tea, Wang Chong arrived. The two of them exchanged a few polite words and started chatting. Compared to yesterday's conversation, Mu Weizhou's questions were no longer limited to the confusion he had encountered in his recent studies. Many of his own questions were naturally raised along with the conversation. Knowledge, attitude, interest, current situation, etc. When they talked about speculation, the two of them laughed heartily as if no one was around, attracting the attention of the diners. In short, Mu Weizhou was still playing the role of a teacher. At noon, Mu Weizhou treated Wang Chong to a drink, and Wang Chong did not stand on ceremony. He acted as if he was paying for it, and Mu Weizhou enjoyed it very much. After lunch, the two of them continued to talk. In the evening, the two of them had dinner at Lantai Gathering. They were slightly tipsy before they went their separate ways. They agreed to see each other tomorrow.
After Mu Weizhou went back, he told Liu Qingping about the situation today. Liu Qingping saw that he was happy, so she was also happy. She also told Mu Weizhou about her visit to her friend's house. She didn't expect that Mu Weizhou would fall asleep on the table after a few words, making Liu Qingping pout.
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