The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 414 - 344, The Great Scholar lectures, the Princely Heir enters the capital_2

"Go, after secluding yourself in the mountains, set out and travel, it's time for you to step into the Worldly Realm."

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One evening, on Linfeng Road.

On the official road leading to the Capital.

In a wind-sheltered hollow of a mountain, a line of carriages came to a halt.

A man over fifty years old and seven chi tall, dressed as a scholar named Zhao Douan, hopped down from a carriage, beginning to loudly direct the house servants in setting up the camp for the night.

Then, the ex-candidate who had had dealings with Zhao Douan in Taicang Prefecture approached the convoy almost eagerly and came to a modest yet distinctive carriage, saying respectfully,

"Sir, night has fallen, and we cannot reach the village ahead, so we must stay overnight here."

The twenty-something scholar driving the carriage lifted the curtain, and a middle-aged man dressed in a Confucian robe, draped in a large robe, and wearing a square hat, with a beautiful beard under his chin, walked down from the carriage.

The moment the middle-aged man appeared, all the scholars of varying ages coming from behind approached and saluted in unison, "Master!"

Such an impressive sight drew the attention of strangers nearby who were also preparing to camp out, stirring their curiosity.

Upon learning that this was "Mr. Zhengyang from Yunfu Road," they were greatly surprised.

Zhao Douan, the ex-candidate, was not at all surprised by this; he lifted his head and looked towards the end of the convoy.

He saw that behind Mr. Zhengyang's carriage followed dozens more, many of which were carts pulled by donkeys or oxen, each large enough to seat several people.

This was not to mention those riding horses or those who were attempting to follow on foot and had not yet fallen behind.

They were a swarming crowd, adding up to more than a hundred people.

Zhao Douan had learned after a few days of Zhao Douan's departure that his mentor, Mr. Zhengyang, was traveling north and would pass through Linfeng.

As a disciple of the Zhengyang Sect, Zhao Douan immediately greeted him with grand pomp and then found out that Mr. Zhengyang had come from Yunfu Road, intending to enter the Capital.

The man known as "the greatest recluse of Great Yu," with a literary reputation almost equal to that of the Grandmaster Dong Xuan, and even greater in the south, where he was casually referred to as "Zhengyang of the South, Dong of the North," was nearly a saintly figure in Yunfu.

He spent many years guarding his elder brother's tomb, writing books, sorting out, and clarifying the views of historic Confucian saints, to the extent that examiners for the imperial examinations often consulted his commentaries.

It could be said that he was universally recognized by Great Yu as the only candidate to succeed Dong Xuan as the next pillar of Confucianism.

Despite his seclusion in Yunfu, he attracted scholars from all over to pay homage, and whenever he lectured occasionally, his words, through his disciples, reached the imperial courts.

Mr. Zhengyang, who had not left the mountain for ten years while guarding the tomb, headed north to the Capital as his first stop after descending.

The news sparked the attention of countless scholars.

When Mr. Zhengyang left Yunfu Road, he had only a young scholar by his side.

By the time he met with Zhao Douan, dozens of followers were already by his side.

Zhao Douan considered himself fortunate to witness such an event, unable to resist the temptation to carve a place for himself in history. He left behind his family business to follow his teacher north.

Now with the Capital in sight, he already had hundreds of followers.

Along the way, countless scholars and gentlemen watched with awe, and he could imagine what a sensation their arrival in the Capital would cause.

"Let's all rest."

Mr. Zhengyang greeted everyone with a hand gesture, and they all responded with the disciples' salute.

Then, all set about making camp in a very orderly fashion, many scholars rolling up their sleeves to gather twigs and fallen leaves into piles.

As daylight faded, twilight dispersed, and night arrived, blanketing the sky with a myriad of stars.

In the mountain hollow centered around the middle-aged man, clusters of fire were lit.

These disciples, who had once heard Mr. Zhengyang teach, dispersed across the lands, but now gathered to follow their teacher, each pulling dry food from their bags to cook and eat.

Zhao Douan, with family resources, had brought servants, so there was no need for him to do the chores and he could serve his teacher.

Holding a warm meal, he passed by the fires, approaching Mr. Zhengyang, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, deep in meditation, and said,

"Sir, please have some food."

Mr. Zhengyang, clad in a Confucian robe and draped in a large robe, with a beard under his chin, lifted his eyelids to glance at his disciple and did not refuse his generosity.

Taking the warm earthenware pot in hand and picking up the chopsticks, he did not rush to eat but said,

"In a few days, we shall enter the Capital, and you should all disperse by then."

Zhao Douan, shocked, exclaimed, "Sir, you..."

Mr. Zhengyang, appearing only a generation older than Zhao Douan but with a superior air, smiled and said,

"A thousand miles of accompaniment must eventually end. I am entering the Capital at the behest of the Mu Prince to support the correct teachings and dispute the rituals and laws with that hen that crows like a rooster, the Empress.

In doing so, I am being greatly disrespectful, and for me, the Capital is a Dragon Pond and Tiger Cave; you should not be implicated because of me. You have shown enough care by escorting me here; I shall proceed on my own from here."

At these words, not only Zhao Douan but also the scholars sitting nearby were agitated.

They all declared their willingness to follow him to the death, refusing to leave.

Mr. Zhengyang, albeit helplessly, shook his head and said no more.

Zhao Douan, seeing the mood turn somber, said, "Sir, please enlighten us once more on the teachings of moral principles."

The eyes of everyone around him lit up; this was the knowledge they never tired of hearing.

Mr. Zhengyang didn't refuse, and despite being in a desolate mountain hollow by the campfires, he did not neglect his teaching duties,

"What would you like to ask?"

One person said, "Sir, please expound further on the concept of 'ge wu zhi zhi' (the investigation of things to attain knowledge). I still don't quite understand it. 'The Great Learning' states that one should follow the sequence of the investigation of things, the extension of knowledge, the sincerity of the will, the rectification of the heart, the cultivation of the personal life, the regulation of the family, the governance of the state, and the tranquility of the entire world.

The latter steps are easy to understand, but why must one first investigate things to extend knowledge before one can be sincere and rectify the heart? The concept of the investigation of things to attain knowledge appears only once in the saint's texts and is not further explained elsewhere; how should it be interpreted?"