Simulation becomes reality, have I ever looked down upon the eternity?

Chapter 299: Books and swords drifting, a banquet for beauties!

【You look outside and it seems like the world has changed overnight. 】

[The phoenix tree outside the house has turned into a pear tree. ]

[The stone table in the courtyard was covered with thick snow, and the large water tank was also covered with a thick layer of crystal clear white ice.]

[Originally, there were no birds chirping, only a vast expanse of white. ]

[Wutong rubbed his hands, the cold air outside hit him in the face, and the cold air he exhaled made his nose red from the cold.]

[You don’t feel that deep anymore, and you don’t feel cold. After practicing martial arts for a month and a half, your body has become much stronger.]

[“Come in quickly, Master. It’s cold outside.”]

[You nodded, walked back into the house, and started to make a fire.]

[Although Wutong doesn't want you to get involved in these trivial matters, she can't help you if you insist.]

[Under the stove fire are dry firewood and black charcoal. When you pinch them with both hands, a flame will emerge between your fingers. This is the magical power of entering the second level of Yuanshen cultivation, "Centering the Mind".]

[In your mind, you use the "Five Dragons Shengyun Talisman" from the Seven Techniques of the Yin Fu Jing. This is a rune that increases the power of the soul. You can already draw it in your mind.]

[When you draw this symbol, the flames between your fingers will instantly increase, and the fire in your heart and lungs will burn like firewood.]

[After a while, the stove fire was blazing, the house was warm, and the tea on the stove began to bubble. ]

[You nodded with satisfaction, sat on the warm kang, picked up the book on the table and continued to study. ]

[Recently, I have been reading the books that Xie Yuan borrowed. The main thing is that I don’t have to spend money. When Xie Yuan comes again, I will just return them unopened.]

[You have a photographic memory, and you finished reading the Confucian classics early on, and began to read through the theories of various schools of thought.]

[During this period of time, the plate of lean meat that Wutong added every day was obviously not enough. Your appetite increased dramatically, and you would eat four or five pounds of meat a day.]

[Four hundred taels of silver, excluding the fifty taels given to Dong Shao. Although the purchase of winter clothes and furniture for the family also cost a lot, the biggest expense fell on your food, which has already cost seventy or eighty taels.]

[Wutong had to go to the compound to help in the morning, so he prepared the meal early and left it in the pot.]

[Wu Tong and your mother learned needlework, and they are very skillful. The ladies of the various courtyards like them, and they are also paid for their help.]

[You are alone in the house, reading with a book, until noon, then you slowly get up and take the braised pork out of the steamer on the stove. ]

[He held the meat with chopsticks in one hand, and wrote on the paper with the other hand. 】

[I didn't pay attention to my image. Comparing it with Mr. Er's calligraphy and Xie Hong's calligraphy, you have made rapid progress in calligraphy during this period.]

[You have the talent of "spirituality in your writing". In a short period of time, you have completely mastered Xie Hong's handwriting. You can write almost the same as Xie Hong, but it lacks some charm.]

【Mr. Er's calligraphy also has 70% form and spirit.】

【But for you, it is still not enough. 】

[Mr. Er's cursive writing is like the words falling from the sky, lofty and elegant, like the writing of an immortal.]

【Xie Hong's regular script is like a pearl in every word. Every word is written with the best brushstrokes and momentum, without any tricks.】

[Mr. Er’s cursive script, Mr. Xie’s regular script.]

[You gradually developed your own style, and your writing has both the agility of Mr. Er and the steady composition of Xie Hong.]

[The characters lie like an old dragon in a pond, move like the cold light of a flying sword, and run like an iron horse crossing a frozen river.]

[After practicing calligraphy, you should visualize the sword that slays ghosts in your heart. You have found a way to achieve twice the result with half the effort. Draw the "slaying ghost sword" that you have realized in your heart. Every time you draw it, your understanding of the sword's meaning will increase.]

[You pick up the brush and slowly paint. A god general with a leopard head, round eyes, curly beard, wearing a majestic red official uniform and a seven-star sword on his waist appears on the paper.]

[It is a picture of "God Capturing Ghosts". ]

[Even without your eyes painted, there is a fierce aura coming towards you. 】

[You incorporate the artistic conception of "Sword that Slays Ghosts" into the painting, and a sword spirit like the moonlight begins to spread in "Picture of God Capturing Ghosts". ]

[It seems that as soon as the finishing touch is made, the god will roar out from the paper and slay ghosts and catch evil.]

【However, you just blow on the paper gently, and all the mysteries disappear, returning to peace.】

[After you visualized the "Demon Slaying Sword", you did not touch the "Demon Slaying Sword" in your heart.]

[Lu Hua's warning is still ringing in my ears. There is still a dragon lurking in Xie's mansion.]

[Just as you are about to go out and practice martial arts in the courtyard, you should continue to practice even in the cold weather. ]

[Two heavy footsteps came from the far door, stepping on the snow, making a squeaking sound.]

[You suddenly guessed the identity of one of them based on the sound of footsteps.]

[Open the door! ]

[You went out to greet them, and saw Zhang Yuanlai and He Xiaozheng walking side by side in the courtyard, both of them holding boxes of cakes and four treasures of the study.]

[There was also a piece of venison wrapped in red paper with the word "Fu" written on it.]

[Zhang Yuanlai was smiling and looked normal, obviously a regular visitor, while He Xiao seemed a little reserved. After reading for you that time, he never set foot in this courtyard again.]

[You smiled and welcomed them into the house. They placed the gifts at the door. They both wore thick coats and fur hats to protect themselves from the sudden cold.]

[On the steps outside the house, they shook off the snow and mud on their feet, then walked slowly into the inner room.]

[The fire in the house is burning brightly, creating a warm atmosphere, which is in stark contrast to the severe cold outside and makes people feel refreshed. ]

[“The weather in Bianjing is really unpredictable. In one day, heavy snow fell.” Zhang Yuanlai greeted him in a familiar manner, with a hint of apology in his tone, “Master Guan, I have been very busy in the past half month. Today, I finally have time to visit you.”]

[You smiled and nodded in response: "I was planning to have Wutong go to pay New Year's greetings to Mr. Zhang in a few days."]

[You turn your gaze to He Xiao and say with a sincere smile: "Mr. He, it's been a long time since we last met. How are you?"]

[A hint of complexity flashed across He Xiao's eyes, but he immediately returned to normal and quickly bowed and said, "Master Guan, I haven't seen you for a few days. You look better."]

【Zhang Yuanlai also nodded in agreement, his gaze lingered on you for a moment, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.】

[The young man in front of me has a simple hairpin on his head, his black hair falls down on his shoulders like a waterfall, and his face is as handsome as jade. ]

[Compared to her previous elegant and quiet temperament, her face is now rosy and white, she looks more energetic and less frail.]

[If it weren't for his rather shabby clothes, he would really look like a young man raised by one of the nine great families.]

[The two of them sat down on the kang! ]

【Zhang Yuan picked up the kettle and boiled water to make tea, not forgetting to prepare a cup for He Xiao. 】【He also paid attention to He Xiao's expression. Brother He, who was usually good at dancing and talking and laughing, seemed a little embarrassed at this moment. 】

[Zhang Yuanlai naturally knew the reason behind this.]

【Thinking back then, Xie Guan was blind, and he and He Xiao took turns reading to him. This was a rare good relationship. 】

[However, He Xiao was a shrewd man who liked to calculate gains and losses. He felt that the illegitimate son of the Xie family was just an insignificant character and was not favored by the mistress, so it was not worth him spending too much effort to make friends with him.]

[Therefore, after Xie Guan regained his sight, he gradually distanced himself from this relationship and just regarded it as a stranger.]

【Unexpectedly! 】

[More than a month ago, Su Yun held a poetry gathering at Yuehuaxuan, and the last poem to appear was the incomplete poem of this young master Guan, which has been widely circulated during this period.]

[Especially the line "When fame is not well known, the heart is immortal, and I will read articles by candlelight", which aroused the emotions of countless frustrated talents, and they competed to recite it. ]

[“Peng flies to the north sea, Feng flies to the sun, and they carry their books and swords on the vast road”, which makes people yearn for it. Many people want to add the following text to continue its meaning. ]

【Xie Guan's name has gained some fame in the West Wing.】

[Of course, not everyone praised it. There were also people who mocked it, especially several poetry societies that were at odds with the Caotang Poetry Society. They spread the word:]

[“One or two sentences are like the leftover juice and soup, which are just defective products fired in the kiln and cannot be used in a formal occasion.”]

【But amidst all this controversy, a phoenix critic named Jin Zitan, who was hanging around in Xifeng Tower, praised: "Looking at the handwriting that Xie Guan copied, it actually has some of Mr. Er's style."】

【For a moment, Xie Guan's name was mentioned again.】

[They began to wonder who this Xie Guan from Xie Mansion was, and they had never even heard of his name.]

[After much inquiry, it was discovered that Xie Guan was just a bastard of the Xie family, a young man who had not yet reached adulthood, which caused many people to look down on him.]

[Even worse, some people exaggerated rumors about Xie Guan, saying that he was just a student in the courtyard, had never been to a school, and was regarded by the Xie family as a "bastard with no moral integrity" and was sent to the Li family school instead of studying in the clan.]

【So, the people who had originally "praised" Xie Guan "dispersed in a hurry." 】

【But what I didn’t expect was! 】

[Another half a month later, Xie Guan’s words, “Peng flies to the north sea, Feng flies to the east sun, and once again I carry my books and swords on the vast road.” somehow made it to the academy after many twists and turns and reached the ears of Mr. Er.]

【Mr. Er even wrote it after this sentence.】

[“Peng Beihai, Feng Chaoyang, carrying books and swords on the vast road, until now the books and swords are drifting.”]

【This matter was reported back to the West Wing! 】

[For a time, a single stone caused a thousand waves, and the news of the second gentleman's supplementary lyrics spread throughout the court and the country in Bianjing. ]

[It is said that after hearing this, Prime Minister Su sighed and asked for Xie Guan's name. That night, he summoned the Minister of Rites Tang Ziang to play chess with him until dawn.]

【The name of Xie Guan is still well known in the West Wing today.】

[He Xiao personally witnessed this incident, and the second master added the remaining words, "Until now, the book and the sword are drifting away." When Su Xiang mentioned his name, it was enough to make him famous.]

[He Xiao's visit today is a gesture of friendship.]

【Zhang Yuanlai then told you about the disturbance at the Caotang Poetry Gathering in the past few days, with admiration in his eyes.】

[He has been in Bianjing for many years, and has been running around for many years, but in the end he is still a mediocre and unknown person, not as good as the poems written casually by the young man who studied in the academy.]

[As a person in the bureau, you have been staying at home in your small courtyard, concentrating on studying, and you don't know much about what is happening outside the Xie Mansion.]

[Su Yun came to visit in person a few days ago, but left in a hurry before he could say a few words.]

[Wutong is a maid, so naturally she doesn’t know these things.]

[After you heard about Mr. Er's completion of the poem, you were surprised.]

[You seem to have a deep connection with this second master of the academy. You received his legacy in the lake and also got his calligraphy.]

[Although I have never met Mr. Er, I have already received his kindness.]

【Zhang Yuanlai laughed and said jokingly: "Now many girls in the West Wing are eagerly waiting to see Master Guan."】

[You shook your head and didn't respond to the question. You noticed that Mr. Zhang seemed a little different from usual. He had never mentioned the woman in the West Wing before.]

[He Xiao saw that you didn't seem to care about it. After all, it was like "making up for lost time" and "burning the stove after the sheep have been stolen."]

[“Master Guan may not know that Brother Zhang recently met a singer at Yuehuaxuan. The two fell in love at first sight and are now in love.”]

[Zhang Yuanlai blushed when he heard this, and waved his hands quickly, saying, "This isn't even a plan yet, Brother He, don't talk nonsense."]

[You joked: "Mr. Zhang, it seems that you are still in great demand."]

【Zhang Yuanlai hurriedly said: "Master Guan, please stop teasing me. We just met."】

[He Xiao laughed and said, "Brother Zhang, you are going to marry a beautiful wife and concubines soon. You will be the envy of others. But you may need to ask Madam Zhao for help."]

[He Xiao was also really envious. After all, he had seen that singer before. She was well-mannered and well-educated. She was considered the second-best singer in Yuehuaxuan.]

[He Xiao was also puzzled as to why such a woman would be attracted to Zhang Yuanlai, a man with neither an official position nor money.]

【The facts are in front of us! 】

[You nodded. All the women in Yuehuaxuan had signed indentures with Yuehuaxuan. In addition to the money needed to redeem themselves, they also needed a guarantor from a wealthy family. Yuehuaxuan would not release them without the intervention of the Xie family.]

[It is not uncommon for women from Yuehuaxuan to redeem themselves. Many of the ladies from the nine major surnames are the top courtesans in the West Wing, so naturally they will not be laughed at.]

[It is still a romantic affair worthy of praise. ]

[As if he was afraid that He Xiao would mention this matter, Zhang Yuanlai did not sit for long before leaving in a hurry.]

[Before Zhang Yuan left, he said that this year's banquet for beauties in the West Wing was a grand occasion. Not only did the scholars of the academy and the ministers of the Great Qi Dynasty, the concubines and princesses in the harem, but even the Great Sui Dynasty and the Southern Buddhist Kingdom had delegations coming to Bianjing to attend the banquet.]

[“Master Guan, this banquet is far better than the previous ones. Don’t miss it.”]

[You looked at Zhang Yuanlai and nodded gently. He Xiao was about to say something, but in the end he didn't. He could only sigh and leave silently.]

[You are outside the door, watching Zhang Yuanlai and the other person walking on the snow, gradually going further away in the vast whiteness.]

[You put your hands in your sleeves and whisper to yourself:]

[“A banquet for all the beauties?”]

[“Is this what you all came for?”]

(End of this chapter)