12dz Chapter 4: As you all know, "Lunyu"
Chapter 4: As you all know, "Lunyu"
Lu Yuan likes to drink tea.
Only the old servants who took care of him knew about this matter within the entire Lu family.
During this period, almost every day.
He would go out alone at specific times.
He would take a fishing rod and go deep into the dense forest outside the city, where he would stay for several hours.
Then he came back carrying a few crucian carp.
Every time I pass by Zhuque Street, I turn into Yuelai Teahouse.
Order a pot of tea and two plates of snacks, and sit for a while by the window on the second floor.
The old servant simply took it as the behavior of a young boy.
Lu Youde heard about Lu Yuan's habits during this period, but didn't take it to heart.
Geniuses always have some unique quirks.
Today, as usual, Lu Yuan carried his fishing rod to the teahouse.
He was also carrying two crucian carp in his hand.
The shopkeeper already recognized Lu Yuan and, without being told, brewed a pot of the finest Longjing tea and brought it over.
Another plate of osmanthus cake was added.
"Young Master Lu, please enjoy your meal."
Lu Yuan nodded, hung the crucian carp by the window, and poured himself a cup of tea.
The tea soup was emerald green and had an irresistible aroma.
He took a sip and squinted his eyes contentedly.
Then he heard his own name called.
"Lu Yuan? That's the young master from the Lu family who lifted the cauldron?"
The sound came from the lobby downstairs.
The second floor of Yuelai Teahouse has private rooms and elegant seating areas, while the first floor is the main hall, separated by a screen.
People upstairs can hear conversations downstairs, but people downstairs can't see upstairs.
Lu Yuan put down his teacup and looked down through the gap in the screen.
Several scholars dressed in long gowns sat in the center of the hall; judging from their attire, they appeared to be students of the Qingzhou City Academy.
The speaker was a thin man in his thirties wearing a blue robe.
He had a sheet of Xuan paper covered with writing spread out in front of him, and he was surrounded by several people.
"It is him." The man in the blue robe pointed at the Xuan paper with his finger.
"This article has now spread throughout the academy."
"What article?"
"The 'Questions and Answers on the Meaning of the Classics' is said to have been passed down within the Lu family. It contains Lu Yuan's answer to the question 'Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me.'"
The man in the blue robe cleared his throat and recited, "Among three people walking together, one of them must be my teacher. But if none of the three are my teachers, then there is no teacher. However, since there must be one who is my teacher, there must be a teacher among them. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that there is no teacher among the three."
After he finished reading, he looked up and glanced around.
The lobby fell silent for a moment.
Then a burst of laughter erupted.
"What...what utter nonsense is this?!"
"Among three people walking together, there must be one I can learn from," meaning he should humbly seek guidance! He's turned it into a complete mess!
"It's more than just a tangled mess, the logic is simply... simply..."
The person speaking couldn't continue laughing and was panting heavily, slapping the table.
The man in the blue robe slammed the Xuan paper on the table and sneered, "I heard that Lu Yuan lifted a cauldron with one hand in the martial arts arena, and the deacons of the Iron Bone Sect all praised him highly."
"Now everyone in Qingzhou City is saying that he is a martial arts genius who comes along only once in a century."
"But look at this article... it's even worse than what a child just starting to learn would write!"
"Brother Sun, you are mistaken."
Another scholar shook his head.
"He's just a kid who only knows how to practice martial arts, all brawn and no brains. What kind of good articles do you expect a lousy martial artist to write?"
"That's not how it works. Miss Qin Zhao from the City Lord's Mansion is only sixteen years old, yet she is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and excels in poetry and prose. This Lu Yuan... is probably not even as good as one of Miss Qin's fingers."
"Miss Qin comes from a family with a long tradition of scholarship, and was personally taught by the city lord. Lu Yuan is merely an adopted son of Lu Youde; how can he compare?"
"So, a warrior is just a warrior. No matter how strong he is, he'll just be a brute in the end."
The man in the blue robe crumpled the Xuan paper into a ball and casually threw it on the ground.
"I originally thought that since a 'genius' had emerged from Qingzhou City, he must have some extraordinary abilities." His words were full of contempt.
"Ha, I didn't expect him to be such a fool who can't even understand the Analects. Even if he joins the Iron Bone Sect, he'll just be a mere martial artist and will never amount to anything."
"Brother Sun is right. He's just a warrior."
"Just a brute."
Several scholars chimed in, their laughter unrestrained.
Lu Yuan held his teacup, his face expressionless.
Just a brute?
He has been in this world for three years.
Over the past three years, he has gradually cultivated his image as a genius.
But in this world where martial arts reign supreme, the label of "genius" can only conquer martial artists.
Those scholars who read the classics still looked down on him.
Because their standard for judging people is not fists, but pen and ink.
Lu Yuan drank the tea in his cup in one gulp.
Then he laughed.
Literary circles.
He had indeed overlooked this aspect before.
The cheat ability absorbs the "cognition" of others, and there is no rule that the source of cognition can only be martial artists.
Writers are also human beings, and their knowledge can also be transformed into terms.
Moreover, what are scholars best at?
spread.
The anecdotes from teahouses and taverns, the stories from academies, were even turned into folk songs and sung in the streets.
These were all things done by intellectuals.
If he can also gain recognition within literary circles, the reach of his entries will more than double.
As for whether their approval is positive or negative.
unimportant.
Cognition is cognition. If it's strong enough, it can be transformed into a term.
Since the character has already been established as a martial arts fanatic, why not make this character a pillar?
Lu Yuan stood up, straightened his clothes, and carried his fishing rod and crucian carp downstairs.
"Ha, it's just discussing the Analects, isn't it? Nobody knows the Analects better than me!"
Inside the main hall, several scholars were still engaged in lively discussion.
The man in the blue robe was getting into the swing of things, spittle flying everywhere.
Lu Yuan walked up to their table and stopped.
The man looked up and saw a boy standing in front of him.
He wore a dark gray cloth coat with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, and carried a fishing rod and two crucian carp in his hand.
The face was unfamiliar.
"Who are you?"
"Lu Yuan".
The noise in the lobby suddenly stopped.
The man in the blue robe froze on his face.
Those scholars who had been so unrestrained in their mockery just moments before froze, their teacups hovering in mid-air, forgotten to be put down.
Lu Yuan leaned the fishing rod against the table and pulled over a chair to sit down.
His movements were casual, as if he were at home.
"Just now, I overheard a few people discussing my article..." he said in a calm tone.
"What...you think your limited knowledge is beneath our judgment?"
A scholar blushed and shouted.
"Of course, I'm sure you are all learned individuals. I have benefited greatly from your insights."
"However..." Lu Yuan changed the subject.
"Since you gentlemen are so knowledgeable, and I happen to have some new insights recently, I would like to ask for your guidance."
The man in the blue robe twitched at the corner of his mouth. He was about to say something, but Lu Yuan clearly didn't intend to give him a chance to speak.
Confucius said: "Since you have come, make the best of it."
"I wonder what you all think means?"
He read very slowly, pausing between each word.
"Everyone says you're ignorant and have no knowledge! You don't even know this! This means that since you've brought people from afar here, you must settle them properly. This embodies the sage's philosophy of governing the country and pacifying the people with benevolence and virtue."
Lu Yuan smiled dismissively.
"No!"
"I think the sage meant, 'Since you're here, let's bury you here!'"