Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 219 Two Images of Positive and Negative
Shangtang River, wharf.

Since Xu Xuan came to this world, he has never been on a proper boat, or rather, he has never been on a proper boat.

The movement trajectory of the pleasure boat is primarily designed to create an atmosphere and maintain secrecy.

Normal transportation has always relied on horse-drawn carriages or walking.

In terms of speed, walking is much faster, and if one learns some cloud-climbing techniques, one might not even need to walk.

Taking a boat on a long trip is quite a novel experience.

As we approached the dock, I relaxed and listened to Ji's boasting from behind.

I snapped out of my reverie after hearing just a few words; it was utterly unbearable to listen to.

Upon arriving at the dock, we could see the academy's ship from afar.

Even by modern standards, one has to marvel at its magnificence; it truly deserves to be called a weapon of war.

The tower ship, a type of warship with a multi-story superstructure, has a history dating back to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

The breakthroughs in human technology have always been linked to war, and ancient times were no exception.

At this point, the pressure to survive forces people to find ways to use external resources to help win the war.

In the war in which the Jin Dynasty destroyed Wu, the warships played a crucial role.

In order to contend with the Wu Kingdom on the Yangtze River, the Jin Emperor dispatched more than 200,000 troops to attack Jianye, the capital of Eastern Wu, in several routes.

The navy led by Wang Jun, the governor of Yizhou, mainly consisted of warships, and advanced eastward down the Yangtze River.

These large ships were not only massive, capable of accommodating more than two thousand people, but also ingeniously designed, giving the Jin army an advantage in naval warfare.

The academy's tower ship was modified from a warship, but the fangs of the water fortress were removed, and its scale was much smaller.

It has three floors, and each floor has a clearly defined function.

The first level is called "Lu", the second level is called "Fei Lu", and the top level is called "Que Shi", which is the lookout tower on the ship.

All kinds of rooms are available, and students and teachers of Jintian and Chongqi Academy can be arranged to have spacious single rooms.

Boatmen, sailors, and attendants also had their own spaces.

At this moment, supplies are being continuously transported up the dock, serving both as ballast and resupply. These include a massively heavy chariot and several warhorses.

Xu Xuan looked at the object closely, as if he were seeing a novel toy.

Not only Xu Xuan, but other students, whose families also didn't all own boats, especially such large ones, were also curiously watching.

At this moment, another group of carriages arrived, and Yu Gong got off.

"Instructor Xu is also from Qiantang, so he must have seen quite a few large ships."

Mr. Xu's answer was watertight, and he also subtly elevated his own topic.

"I am simply amazed that man-made objects can possess such a magnificent presence. I wonder what this ship will look like in a few hundred or a few thousand years."

The two began to talk at length about this topic.

The old man was very impressed with this kind of craftsmanship, and his final conclusion was that more ships capable of killing people might be built in the future.

Your prediction was quite accurate.

This time, Jintian Academy also selected ten people. Since the students from both sides had exchanged ideas before, they were not too unfamiliar with each other.

There was also a social tyrant named Ji Hanqing, who always brought up topics that everyone liked to hear. Naturally, while he said things like "What kind of behavior is this?", he listened with great interest.

Looking at the student who had left a deep impression, Yu Gong said in a heavy tone, "Chongqi's student is truly courageous. Let him make the most of his time in Bailu."

He was somewhat looking forward to seeing if Old Shen would stumble.

After all the supplies and luggage were loaded onto the ship, the final process began.

People saw them off.

This is a matter of convention; seeing someone off has always been one of the most beloved scenes for literati and scholars.

If there is reluctance, worry, and sadness, then there will be inspiration and subject matter, and one can write some famous works.

The real study abroad experience began at the Qiantang Wharf.

The scene at Yu Gong's place was lively, but it was just a spectacle; not many people dared to come forward to see him off, as their lack of rank would only make them a laughingstock. So Professor Gu, who came to see the Chongqi students off, temporarily took on that role, taking the opportunity to mock the other party's connections.

Then Yu Gong laughed and hugged her, and another heartfelt scene ensued.

Xu Xuan was equally impressive; everyone respectfully gathered at the dock to support their friend.

Magistrate Song stepped forward to see them off and presented them with gifts.

The best gift to give when a person is to leave is a timeless masterpiece, something he certainly couldn't do.

The second-best gift is public support, which he cannot achieve for the time being.

The third category involves breaking off willow branches and climbing flowers to express feelings through objects. Drinking wine to bid farewell and holding a farewell banquet are intended to pray for a safe journey.

Magistrate Song, under the watchful eyes of everyone, naturally wouldn't take out any gold, silver, or valuables.

I took a clever trick and gave him a bottle of old wine, a treasure I'd shoved from Lei Huan last time.

Xu Xuan was delighted upon hearing the value of the item, thinking, "My wise brother understands me."

After a brief chat with Master Li and a few other acquaintances, he said goodbye.

After completing the procedures, board the ship.

Xiaoqing and Master Mao waved goodbye on the shore. They both knew that the owner of Baoan Hall was willing to return to Qiantang overnight, but at this time they still had to observe some workplace etiquette.

These words were spoken by Xiaoqing and the Taoist priest, and Xiaoqing officially took over as the second-in-command at this moment.

Little Green King arrogantly waved his hand at Xu Xuan, who was standing by the boat.

Seeing the second-in-command's composure, Master Mao felt at ease.

In truth, the little monster was still quite uneasy. Despite the remote command, the weight of taking on this responsibility still made the monster anxious.

'Scholar and monk, may you have a safe journey.' And, come back soon.'

At this moment, Master Mao suddenly thought of something, took out a brocade pouch and handed it to the temporary leader.

"Young Master Xu asked me to give it to you after he sets sail."

Xiaoqing raised an eyebrow. Was she worried about me?

Upon opening it, I found a wooden plaque with some things engraved on it, perhaps a divination symbol?

can not understand.

The Taoist priest let out a soft exclamation upon seeing this.

"This is a divination, but divination is about change, so why would it be carved on a wooden plaque?"

"May I take a look?"

After the Taoist priest took over the divination, he looked at both sides of the hexagram and frowned, repeatedly saying that it shouldn't be like this.

"The front side features the character 'Lei Tian Da Zhuang,' symbolizing the loud sound of thunder and the bright sky, representing righteousness and integrity. The back side features the character 'Tian Shan Dun.' With mountains above, the sky recedes. Yin grows and Yang diminishes, the petty man gains power, the virtuous man retreats into seclusion, wisely protects himself, and waits for an opportunity to save the world."

"The alternation is... from intense to restrained, which is hard to understand."

Xiaoqing understood that this was not a pure divination.

I recalled a phrase used by a scholar-monk to describe himself: "A reckless and cowardly coward."

This is to remind oneself that when it's time to be reckless, one should be as decisive and violent as thunder, and when it's time to be timid, one should be as patient and patient as the earth beneath a mountain.

If you ever act impulsively in the future, you can observe this object to understand the situation before taking action.

A beautiful smile curved at the corners of her lips.

"That's quite thoughtful."

Actually, there was another person seeing me off today, but they were several miles away.

Standing atop Leifeng Pagoda, the young woman gazed towards the dock with an unusual brilliance in her eyes.

She didn't want to come, but her heart was stirred and she left West Lake anyway.

Watching the humanoid figure formed by the convergence of cause and effect slowly move away from Qiantang, I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

(End of this chapter)