Chapter 208: Asking Heaven, Saints and People for a Response

Qingping Prefecture, Lingxiu Peak.

This is a little-known mountain that is only known to locals.

It stretches for only fifty miles in total, and the highest point is no more than two hundred feet.

However, there are clear springs surrounding the forest, and the mountains are undulating, with endless pine forests, like blue waves surging in the mountains, and the white clouds opening and closing between the valleys complement each other. It is a favorite place for hermits and musicians.

On the mountainside, there is a Baiyun Temple. This Taoist temple is not big, with one tower, three halls, and dozens of incense and guest rooms. There is moss at the entrance and the morning bell soothes the mind.

Under an ancient pine tree, in front of a stone table with a chessboard carved on it, two people sat facing each other and played chess.

The climate on this mountain is humid, which is the best place to cool down from the heat, so even though this summer is a little hotter than usual, you still need to wear spring clothes in Baiyun Temple.

The man on the left looks old, with white hair and beard with a slight yellow tint. His bun is fixed with a dragon-head wooden hairpin. His eyebrows are so thick that his already small eyes look like a line. He wears a black and white cloth Taoist robe. He is Qingwei Taoist, the abbot of Baiyun Temple.

The man on the right looks to be about 40 years old. He wears a lotus crown on his head and has long flowing beard on his temples. His temples are slightly frosted. He wears a long robe with a white deer offering auspiciousness, and looks like a hermit.

However, his eyebrows were not only sharp like swords, but also flying upwards, destroying the image of a leisurely hermit and giving people a feeling of a dormant dragon. This person was none other than Ke Anran, a blue-robed Confucian scholar who traveled to Qingpingzhou.

When the chess game reached the stage of long deliberation, Taoist Qingwei made a move and said with a smile, "I got another letter from Tianjing, urging you to finish your work. You have some free time, but you are annoying me, a real idler. Why don't you pack up and leave, so as not to disturb my quiet place?"

Taoist Qingwei did not tolerate Ke Anran at all and drove away the blue-robed Confucian scholar who was wanted by everyone in the world to be his guest.

Ke looked at the chessboard sadly, and after he made his move, he spoke, "If it were ten years ago, I would have traveled day and night to Tianjing, but in the past ten years, I have often come to listen to the teachings of the Taoist priest, and I have become more patient."

Taoist Qingwei looked at the chessboard and frowned. He did not have the legendary chess master of Daming Palace who remained undefeated for 200 years. Unknowingly, he had fallen into a losing situation in this game.

He blew his beard and glared like an old naughty boy, and snorted coldly, "If you want to thank me for preaching, you should respect me in this game of chess and give me some points!"

While Taoist Qingwei was thinking, Ke smiled sadly and said, "If we give up this game, won't it be meaningless?"

Taoist Qingwei was about to pick up the chess piece and put it down, but when he heard this, he put his chess piece back into the box.

"Your words remind me of another old friend."

"Who?"

Ke asked sadly.

Taoist Qingwei did not answer, but said, "Leave this game for today, and let me think about it for a while."

Ke smiled sadly, not surprised.

Taking a sip of the tea in front of him, he looked at the mountain mist in the distance that flowed down like a waterfall. Taoist Qingwei thought for a moment before speaking, "Dong Xingshu has ulterior motives in asking you to return to Tianjing this time."

Ke Anran picked up the tea and took a sip, then said with a smile, "Everyone in the world knows what Mr. Dong is thinking. He just wants to use me to strangle the latent dragon of the Zhou family. The world is like a chess game. How can you win if you don't trap the big dragon?"

Even though he knew the relationship between the Zhou family and Taoism, Ke Anran did not hesitate to tell it in front of Taoist Qingwei.

Taoist Qingwei smiled and asked, "Then do you have the confidence to trap the hidden dragon of my Taoism?"

Ke was silent for a while, then looked at the chessboard in front of him and analyzed it carefully, "Mr. Dong is in the middle of the game, so he can't see many things clearly. Even if he can see clearly, he will be pushed around by others in that position, with no room for maneuver. If he makes a mistake, all the steps will go wrong, and now he is losing the game."

"I have observed the situation in Tianjin over the past two months. Although the situation has changed suddenly and one move after another has been made, it has been hard to keep up with the times, but Zhou Tieyi has been able to make a series of clever moves and backhand moves one after another, which have been linked together, and he has been in control of the entire situation. I still have some doubts about this game, so I dare not leave easily."

Taoist Qingwei thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you stay here with me, drink tea and play chess, so you don't have to worry about the affairs of the world."

Upon hearing this, Ke Anran burst into laughter. His hearty laughter penetrated the forest and stirred up waves of pine trees. He asked, "Does Taoist Qingwei want to trap me?"

Taoist Qingwei was silent for a long time, and finally sighed, "Forget it, just go on your own. The principles of this world cannot be understood without explanation, so why should I, an outsider, care so much?"

Hearing that Taoist Qingwei had no intention of trapping him, Ke Anran breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Master, aren't you curious about when I'm going to set off?"

Taoist Qingwei looked at the chessboard and sighed, "This is not difficult to guess. The stronger the Tao, the more its power will be exhausted. If Zhou Yulong's son knew this truth, he would turn from hardness to softness, guard the female and cherish his body. No matter how powerful the game he set is, as long as he does not jump out of this chessboard, it will eventually come to an end. If he does not plan early, he will regret it. I guess he must have started thinking about how to get out now. When he gets out, he will be at his weakest."

Ke smiled sadly and said, "This chessboard of Tianjing is the chessboard of His Majesty. It is not easy to escape."

He thought about it seriously, "Although I still can't guess how he escaped, I can roughly guess the time he chose to escape."

"Oh, how did you guess that?"

Taoist Qingwei asked curiously, even with his ability of deduction, he could not deduce the future of Tianjing.

Ke bowed to Taoist Qingwei and said, "This is all thanks to the theory of Yin Yang and the Five Elements that the senior taught. News came from Tianjing that the two sons of the Zhou family have practiced the [Five Emperors' Treasures], and Zhou Tiege has condensed the images of the Four Emperors. I have a bold inference."

"What inference?"

"When Zhou Tiege was at Sunset Pass, he was the Zhou family's appointed commander of the army. He didn't need to cower in Tianjing like Zhou Tieyi, and there was no need for him to hide his [Five Emperors' Treasures] method."

“So Zhou Tiege must have learned the Five Emperors’ Treasures after entering Tianjing. However, judging from his talent shown in the past, even if it is amazing, it took him more than two months to comprehend the Four Emperors’ Images…”

Ke sighed sadly, "There is probably only one person in the world who can do this, and Zhou Tiege is not one of them."

"But he did comprehend the Four Emperors."

Taoist Qingwei retorted.

Ke smiled sadly, "Then the problem has been solved, right?"

"Zhou Tieyi is the key to comprehending the [Five Emperors' Treasures]. Even compared to his mother Zhou Yulong, he is the most suitable person in the world to practice the [Five Emperors' Treasures]. In the early spring, his fortune flourished, and he took Mei Qingchen's son as his disciple. He borrowed my Confucian fortune and should have comprehended the image of the Blue Emperor. Then in late spring and early summer, he crossed the river and borrowed the emperor's fortune. He broke the heart of my Confucian sages and climbed Yujing Mountain overnight. His song became famous all over the world. This was an opportunity to comprehend the image of the Red Emperor. Now he should have comprehended the image of the Yellow Emperor, or he is practicing the image of the Yellow Emperor..." Having said this, Ke paused sadly, with doubts in his heart, because he did not analyze whether Zhou Tieyi had comprehended the image of the Yellow Emperor. He tended to believe that he had comprehended it, but he could not find factual evidence to prove it like he did just now.

Taoist Qingwei also heard Ke Anran's confusion and laughed, "As smart as you are, there are times when you can't see the situation clearly. No wonder you don't dare to intervene!"

Ke Anran was not ashamed to be angry, and said self-deprecatingly, "How dare I, a stray dog ​​who was driven out of Tianjing, claim to be extremely smart in front of Zhou Tieyi?"

"But I am sure that he has already cultivated the image of the Yellow Emperor. Therefore, Zhou Tiege was able to use the weapon forging method to help his brother forge his natal weapon, and took the opportunity to comprehend the true meaning of the Five Emperors..."

Having said this, he paused again.

Because brothers are attracted to each other, it makes sense that Zhou Tiege can comprehend the true meaning of martial arts through his brother, but this is the true meaning of the Five Emperors after all. Isn't this process too easy? Otherwise, Zhou Yulong would have helped both children comprehend the true meaning of the Five Emperors long ago. Why wait until now? Or is this the calculation of this Taoist Yulong?

There are many doubts, and it involves the fortune of the Five Emperors and the changes in Taoist fortune. It is natural that I cannot calculate all of it.

Taoist Qingwei looked at Ke Anran seriously. He regretted having agreed to this agreement just now and would not force Ke Anran to stay.

Ignoring this doubt, Ke continued his analysis dejectedly, "Zhou Tiege has led troops at Sunset Pass for six years. He has good talent, and with the luck of the three emperors above him, plus the luck of the Zhou family, it should be easy for him to comprehend the White Emperor statue. But Zhou Tieyi is different. So I am basically certain that he should stay at the level of the Yellow Emperor statue."

"Now that it is early summer, he should be thinking of a way to perfect his Yellow Emperor statue. In early autumn, when the world is at its most bloody, it is the time for him to comprehend the White Emperor statue. I am going to the capital now, just in time for him to have the strongest plan. Isn't that going against the will of heaven? How can I defeat this world's top talent?"

Taoist Qingwei sighed and said, "Why don't you join my sect? I will inherit my lineage from now on."

Facing this world's best Taoist tradition, Ke looked at the beautiful mountains dejectedly. After a long while, he said, "I feel unfair. Even if I stay, I will only ruin the beautiful aura."

After saying that, he stood up and bowed respectfully to Taoist Qingwei, "Master, please let me go."

Taoist Qingwei thought for a moment and did not directly answer Ke Anran's question. Instead, he analyzed along the lines of what he said, "Kill in autumn and hide in winter, which is also the time when the White Emperor turns into the Black Emperor. At this time, the highest good is like water, and Zhou Tieyi must have thought of retreating. He should have planned a retreat and made proper arrangements... but you intervened at this time..."

Ke replied sadly, "I am only advancing on my own due to the Taoist's kindness. I will not block his retreat, but will help him retreat."

Taoist Qingwei thought for a long time and sighed, "Okay."

"Since you have this intention, I will not stop you. However, after listening to your analysis of the world situation just now, although I cannot see the world clearly, I do have some predictions about your fate."

Ke Anran was filled with awe and bowed again, "Please give me your instructions, Taoist Master."

Taoist Qingwei suddenly smiled like an old naughty boy, and without saying anything profound, he said directly, "You said you are not suitable for my Taoist tradition, but you will come back to Baiyun Temple eventually!"

After saying this, he turned into a gentle breeze and dissipated before the chessboard, leaving no chance for Ke Anran to ask or answer.

Ke stood there dejectedly, thinking for a while.

Then he smiled and sighed, "This Taoist Master Qingwei is a wonderful person."

With this last sentence, he was not sure whether the other party deliberately left a flaw in his mind, or whether he really saw the secret.

Looking at the chess game in front of him, Ke waved his sleeves calmly and returned to his guest room.

Walking through the moss-covered steps, the sound of birds singing in my ears made the woods seem even quieter. Layers of tree shadows blocked the sunlight, and once I entered the door, the room became a little dim.

Ke dimly lit a lamp, sat at the desk, picked up a pile of letters beside him and read them again and again.

Since Dong Xingshu wanted him to go to Beijing to stop Zhou Tieyi's troops, he naturally told him all the information he could collect.

Ke Anran finally took out two articles and placed them on the desk.

These are the two memorials that Zhou Tieyi submitted to discuss the matter.

One is "Requesting the Imperial Edict to Issue a Policy", and the other is "Requesting the Public Opinion to Issue a Policy".

These two strategies, one above and one below, already have the potential to change the world, and this is a plan for the country.

If Zhou Tieyi's reputation in Confucianism was not so bad, if Zhou Yulong had followed his original idea and let his youngest son become a Confucian, Confucianism would have to help Zhou Tieyi build momentum now, and there would be no chance for a Confucian scholar like himself to go to Beijing.

"The world is changing, the Taoist fish and dragon can't see clearly, the Confucian Simin can't see clearly, how much can I see clearly?"

Ke smiled sadly, then read the two policy papers again. When he was satisfied, he pushed the two papers aside and started grinding ink himself.

When the ink was ready, he smiled and said, "Tao gave birth to one, one gave birth to two, two gave birth to three. This is the ultimate truth in the world. Since you want to be water, I will use you to move forward. This is in line with the Taoist principle of following the flow."

"There are two principles of heaven and earth, but the principle of the three talents is missing. This is not beautiful at all."

He put pen to paper.

"Asking the Saints of Heaven and the People for the Response of the Three Talents".

"Heaven is above, nurturing all things, while the people are below, making decisions according to the seasons. In ancient times, there was a sage emperor who lived between heaven and people, regulating the weather and wind and rain above and governing the good and evil of the people below. Therefore, thunder, lightning, rain and dew all came from the emperor's grace. He ruled the country for 500 years and brought peace to the world."

"Later, during the chaos of the Five Kingdoms, hundreds of families stole divine artifacts to claim their own, and fought against each other with swords and spears, causing chaos in the world. The gods and evil revived because the upper world did not obey the will of heaven, and the lower world did not respond to the people."

"Since the Holy Dynasty, the five kingdoms have been unified in times of chaos, and people have been able to recover and prosper. Your Majesty, please follow the example of the Holy Emperor and establish your mind for the world..."

Having written this, Ke Anran's pen paused. There were still many things he wanted to write, such as abolishing the laws of the Hundred Schools of Thought, establishing new Confucianism, incorporating the teachings of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and stabilizing the hearts of the people throughout the world.

But the timing is not right now. If it were put on paper, not only would the Hundred Schools of Thought oppose it, but the Confucians behind him would also disagree.

He picked up the newspaper run by Zhou Tieyi and read it carefully. After seeing the vernacular text on it, he compared it with the criticism of Zhou Tieyi by hundreds of famous scholars in the Confucian "Xingshi Bao" and said with a smile, "It seems that our paths are different but we have the same destination. I just don't know who will make it to the end."

(End of this chapter)