Nightwatcher

# 45. Big Brother is Too Annoying

Stargazing Observatory, Bagua Platform:

The white haired, white-clothed, and white-bearded Jianzheng was sitting in front of a table, sipping a glass of wine while looking towards the northwest of the capital.

There was a table on his left, which was full of delicacies. In front of the table sat Chu Caiwei, with an oval face, big eyes, delicate features, and sweetness hidden underneath.

While eating, she chattered endlessly, "Master, When could I step into the sixth rank and become a Master of Alchemy?"

Jianzheng smiled and replied, "When you don't care about eating and are willing to practice peacefully, The time will come for you to break through."

Chu Caiwei looked pained, "Looks like it will be impossible in this life."

She swallowed the food and continued to babble, "By the way, Fake silver burns easily and it explodes when thrown in water. It's hard to preserve it. It will be hard to report to the emperor."

Lord Jianzheng said softly, "The emperor has had his fill, tell him to fuck off."

Chu Caiwei stuck out the tip of her tongue, "This Disciple doesn't dare to say this to the emperor. You should speak to him yourself."

The Jianzheng kindly smiled.

"Master, Fourth Senior Brother has been affected by a demon, you should check on him. He always runs out of the city saying that the door of alchemy has opened for him."

"Master, I think it's not good for Xu Qi'an to be a bailiff. Why don't we bring him to Sitianjian? Oh, you may not know who he is, He's the one who solved the Tax Silver Case..."

"..."

"Master, What is grafting?"

The Jianzheng sighed, "Caiwei."

"Yes, master?"

"Why don't you shut your mouth when eating."

"Ah."

A few seconds later...

"Master, why do you always look over there?"

"Caiwei, your teacher has some regrets."

"Master, Tell me."

"Why don't I know the Confucian technique for forbidding speech?"

"Hee hee..." A smug expression appeared on Chu Caiwei's face, until she suddenly found that the food on her table spoiled instantly, giving off an unpleasant smell.

Her mouth shrunk, and her expression shifted to a crying one. She was distressed enough to not breathe, "Master, I was wrong. Please change the food back."

Jianzheng still looked towards the northwest, and said with a smile, "Master will teach you another truth. In Alchemy, most transformations are irreversible."

Chu Caiwei left crying while wiping her tears, "I'll never accompany you, a bad old person again."

...

In the pavilion outside the bamboo forest, Zhao Shou, the dean, said deeply, "It's forbidden to approach within 30 zhang of this location."

While speaking, he waved his sleeves and Qi spread, covering the pavilion and the area 30 zhang around it.

After finishing this, he turned around and looked at the three great scholars who had been summoned there.

Holding a teacup in his hand, Li Mubai said seriously, "I've inquired, and there were no students near the Lesser Sage Courtyard at the time, and we can't find out who had entered there."

"The handwriting on the stele doesn't belong to any student in the academy. I don't think our academy teaches its students to write such bad characters."

Speaking of this, Li Mubai felt anxious. If the culprit wasn't a student in the academy, Which outsider was at the academy except for his cheap student?"

"Tap tap..."

At the same time, Zhang Shen knocked on the table. This great scholar pushed aside all his cynicism and disrespect, and retorted with a deadpan face,

"Handwriting can be disguised. Especially by using bad handwriting."

Chen Tai suddenly asked, “Then, what would be the reason to disguise the handwriting? The monument has stood there for more than a decade. All the teachers and students in the academy have tried to write about it, and they are all willing to be known for this action. They have no motive to disguise their handwriting.

"Also, Xu Cijiu and Xu Ningyan happened to be traveling in the mountains at that time."

The three Great Scholars finished their discussion and remained silent.

Li Mubai took a sip of tea in his cup and sighed,

"*To ordain conscience for Heaven and Earth, to secure life and fortune for the people, to continue lost teachings for past sages, to establish peace for all future generations...* I'm ashamed of myself. I've already given up the thought of having an official career these years and have only thought of being famous to posterity and leaving my name in the history books."

"Brother Chunjing is a man of integrity." Zhang Shen gave him a thumbs up while praising him, and then said, "Then leave the poem for persuading learning to me."

Li Mubai immediately changed his words, "There is no contradiction in being famous in history while doing something for the country and the common people."

Dean Zhao Shou stared at Li Mubai in a daze with shining eyes, and said with surprise, "You are about to establish your Mandate soon?"

"!!!" Chen Tai and Zhang Shen were both startled.

Li Mubai stroked his beard while smiling, "I understood everything in a flash of insight, and enlightened on my Mandate."

The other two Great Scholars instantly became jealous.

After it was pointed out by Dean Zhao Shou, the two could also notice a subtle change in Li Mubai's Qi.

The third realm was the realm of Mandate Formation, which was the realm for finding one's life goals. Some people study for fame, some for profit, and some to help posterity... Everyone has their own mandate.

Dean Zhao Shou's Mandate was to create a new school of Confucianism and to break the shackles of thought to find a new path for the scholars in the world.

Therefore, He couldn't break through until the day he achieved his goal.

The others didn't ask for Li Mubai's life goals, since he only had a hazy impression of them at the time.

Zhang Shen and Chen Tai looked at each other, and secretly decided not to end their retreat at the Lesser Sage Hall unless they enlightened on their Mandate.

"As of today, Students are forbidden from entering the Lesser Sage Hall." Zhao Shou's eyes, sparkling with light, swept across the Great Scholars present, and he said, "The matter isn't allowed to be circulated outside. I want to speak with the three of you."

The three Great Scholars looked at each other and nodded slightly.

Zhao Shou focused his *dantian*[^1] and gathered his qi at the tip of his tongue, "A Gentleman should keep silent."

...

The two riders galloped very fast. When they approached the capital, the brothers slowed down and let the horses trot on the road.

They had rented lowly riding horses, which were only a bit better than pack horses. Their advantage was that they were cheap, and their disadvantage was that they weren't physically strong.

They couldn't keep running at high speed for a long time.

If the horses ran to their death, they would have to pay more than a dozen taels of silver. The two brothers were very conscious of the contents of their wallets.

Xu Xinnian let out a turbid breath, and finally showed his doubts, "Shouldn't you explain, Brother?"

He was referring to the astonishing axiom.

"What do you want me to explain?" Xu Qi'an asked back.

"Brother is only literate, how could you say such shocking words?" Xu Xinnian raised his head proudly.

"These words could only be spoken by a scholar."

*Look at what you're proud of... Everything except Scholarship is vain, right... I've got nine-year compulsory education and have graduated from the police academy... And I'm also a senior keyboard warrior who's proficient in keyboard culture. What if I know a little?... If you want to compete in the depth of knowledge, all of you scholars can only be regarded as children in front of me!*

Xu Qi'an wanted to speak out these words.

He pondered for a moment, and changed his words, "Cijiu knows that there are some problems with contemporary Confucianism. But, when I asked you what a scholar should do, you had given me an answer that matched the present consensus of scholars."

Xu Xinnian pondered on the statement.

"This is the limitation of thought. All you scholars are influenced by certain kinds of thoughts, and over some time, you are all influenced by it. Even if you realize something is wrong, You find it hard to jump out of it." Xu Qi'an eloquently said.

Describing it in another way, "Thought Imprisonment, ideological shackles."

"Ideological shackles..." Xu Cijiu murmured and repeated these two words.

“The dean of Cloud Deer Academy was also imprisoned by his thoughts and was influenced by Cheng's philosophy. He wants to break through and form a new school. How could he lead the world's scholars out of the vortex when he himself is inside the vortex?

“The only ones who can do this are the ones outside the vortex.

"Maybe it's because your big brother hasn't read too many books, I can take a slanted path, be unconventional as well as not imprisoned by Cheng's Neo-Confucianism."

*Of course, I also have shackles in my thought, but they originate from the 21st century. But no one has influenced them ...* Xu Qi'an thought.

To say it bluntly, Ideological Shackles were equivalent to Three Views, and Three Views were influenced by the times. If you were in a certain era, you didn’t see a problem with them. Only when a significant amount of time has passed could we find problems from a better position.

Xu Cijiu didn't speak for a long time and thought for some time, when he radiantly looked at Xu Qi'an.

"Big Brother's words made me suddenly see the light."

*My elder brother is amazing.*

*His perception is pretty strong...* Xu Qi'an was evaluated mentally, but he didn't express any seriousness over it and showed a mocking look.

"It's a pity. You didn't inherit the fine genes of my Xu family but inherited your talent from the Li family."

*Big Brother is too annoying...* Xu Cijiu suddenly didn't want to talk to him anymore.

*If mother had heard those words, she would have slapped the table in anger again, cursing “This rascal is just trying to rebel at every opportunity!”*

---

[^1]: 丹田, qi focus flow centres, important in qigong and TCM

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