Nightwatcher

The cultural gathering was held at Luhu Lake in the Imperial City. A pergola was erected on the lakeside to create an area large enough to accommodate hundreds of people.

The late summer sun is still scorching, but the lakeside has a cool breeze.

Originally, the literary conference was held by the Imperial College, and most of the participants were students from the Imperial College.

But when Pei Manxilou stirred up trouble and caused such a big fuss, the people attending the cultural meeting immediately changed. The Imperial College students could still participate, but they were on the outside and could not enter the pergola.

The literary meeting was held at noon, because in this way, the court officials could take advantage of an hour's rest time to participate in a grand manner.

At around noon, the students of the Imperial Academy, wearing Confucian robes and Confucian crowns, were blocked by the imperial guards.

"This is a cultural event organized by our Imperial College. Why aren't we allowed in?"

“How can the relationship between host and guest be reversed?”

"Not only are the forbidden troops controlling the place, but the warlocks from Si Tianjian are also here to guard against anyone with malicious intentions sneaking into the cultural gathering. Could it be that His Majesty wants to attend the cultural gathering?"

Just as he was talking, carriages came and stopped at the square outside Luhu, and a number of nobles and military generals got out of the carriages.

They shouldn't have anything to do with the Wenhui. They all came here to "ask for advice on the art of war."

Not only did they come, they also brought their wives and children with them.

"Look, the princes are here, six ministers, ministers, and great scholars."

"I guessed that there would be big shots coming, but I didn't expect so many to come? Why should a cultural gathering end up like this?"

"Brother, you don't understand this. A cultural meeting is naturally impossible, but behind this cultural meeting, in the final analysis, it is a matter of negotiation. There is no trivial matter between the two countries. The princes are here to build momentum and put pressure."

"A mere barbarian dares to come to the capital to discuss Taoism, but he doesn't know how high the sky is. Let's see how Zhang Shen teaches him a lesson later."

After the generals, there are the princes of the third rank and above, such as the Minister of Justice, the Minister of War, and the great scholars of the palace.

Some of the court officials also brought their female relatives, such as the well-known Wang Simu. She was wearing a light pink lady's dress, with exquisite makeup, and was dignified and beautiful.

"The nobles from the Hanlin Academy are also here. It's interesting. This group of scholars claims to be unparalleled in knowledge. They will definitely attack Pei Manxi Tower later." The eyes of the students from the Imperial Academy lit up.

A group of young officials wearing green robes entered the venue with high spirits.

The Hanlin Academy is a place where academic leaders gather. Although this group of nobles has no power and is young, they are definitely one of the most knowledgeable groups in Dafeng.

They are in their prime, when their memory, understanding, and acuity of thinking are at their peak.

With their admission, the students of the Imperial College are more confident.

After the dignitaries of the Hanlin Academy took their seats, they talked in low voices:

"I've read "Hokusai Daden" and it's of good quality, but it's mixed but not refined."

"To us, it is indeed not sophisticated, but to students all over the world, it is very profound."

"This person is really powerful. We can defeat him in a single field. In terms of the breadth of what he has learned, we are ashamed of ourselves."

"By the way, when it comes to the art of war, no one in our Imperial Academy can surpass Cijiu."

In an instant, one after another looked at the handsome and picturesque young man.

Xu Xinnian was sitting behind the case and clearly noticed that not only his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy, but also dignitaries and nobles not far away came to hear the news.

That's natural, I major in the art of war. Just as he was about to nod, he heard sneers from the nobles: "Pei Man Xilou is asking for advice from the great Confucian Zhang Shen. The teacher can't be worse than the students."

Xu New Year was a little angry and said loudly: "The sage said that the young and the mature should learn first. Who says that students must be inferior to their teachers?"

The nobles and generals burst into laughter, knowing that he was Xu Qian's cousin. Some of them laughed particularly wantonly, with ridicule written on their faces.

There is Xu New Year's knowledge, but apart from being able to curse with one mouth, in other fields, he is not very outstanding in the Hanlin Academy.

He actually said that students can beat teachers, which is extremely ridiculous.

Um? curse?

The noble generals reacted, and their laughter suddenly stopped.

Xu New Year took a sip of tea and stood up reservedly.

Xu Qian, wearing light armor and a standard saber on his waist, followed the carriages of Huaiqing and Lin'an to the venue. The luxurious carriage slowly stopped on the roadside, and Huaiqing, who was wearing elegant palace clothes and a fiery red dress, got off at the same time.

Then, they all raised their hands to block the fierce sunlight.

The princess was afraid that the sun would cover a certain guard, so this sentence popped into her mind, and then she saw the eunuch holding a canopy to block the sun for the two princesses.

Diao Cai turned around and searched the crowd. Her watery peach blossom eyes were filled with confusion. She didn't know who the dog slave was disguised as.

The disguise was pretty good, so she was a little disappointed, because she often saw descriptions like "people who like each other will have a good connection" in story books.

As soon as the two princesses entered the room, they saw Xu Xinnian standing by the table, making emotional speeches, spitting sweet things, pointing at the nobles and cursing angrily.

The noble generals were furious and attacked Xu New Year with each other. The latter was unafraid, quoting classic sentences and speaking sharply.

Many generals have already begun to roll up their sleeves.

The princes drank tea and watched the play leisurely.

Huaiqing frowned and scolded: "Presumptuous!"

Her look when she was angry was full of majesty and was extremely intimidating. Not only did Xu New Year stop cursing, but even the angry generals above him also stopped shouting.

The princes and nobles stood up one after another and bowed and saluted: "I have seen the two princesses."

Huaiqing snorted coldly and took his seat with Dianjia and two guards.

Xu New Year took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and then looked at Wang Simu, who was sitting in the upper left seat. He happened to be looking over as well.

Yesterday, Wang Simu specifically looked for him, hoping that he could show off his talents at the cultural conference, gain a good reputation, and increase his prestige.

Miss Wang did not expect Xu Erlang to kill everyone at the cultural conference and shock everyone.

Because Zhang Shen appears, and Mr. Zhang is Xu Erlang’s teacher, it is enough for him to appear.

Xu Erlang smiled at her, just like Yun Danfeng smiled softly after listening yesterday.

At this time, respectful shouts from students and guards came from the outside: "I have met His Royal Highness, the Third Prince, and the Fourth Prince."

Everyone in the pergola looked sideways and saw the prince supporting an old man with gray hair and a cane, walking towards the pergola along the passage surrounded by the imperial army.

"Master?"

Huaiqing blurted out in surprise.

And Diaochang shrank her head subconsciously. She had been slapped on the palm by this smelly old man since she was a child, and he had been slapped for several years.

The Taifu is not targeting Lin'an, the Taifu is targeting the poor students.

The prince helped the prince into the pavilion.

All the princes stood up one after another and saluted respectfully.

In terms of seniority, everyone here is the junior of the Grand Tutor.

Xu Xinyin saluted in unison with his colleagues and looked at the old man being supported by the prince. Although his hair was white, it was still thick, which was really enviable.

His face has ridges and grooves, his skin is severely sagging, and his eyes are slightly cloudy, but this old man has a very unique temperament.

He remembered that Dean Zhao Shou said that the Taifu was the only scholar in the contemporary era who had developed a righteous spirit.

The three princes of this dynasty are all of the first rank, but they have no real power. The Taifu was expected to take charge of the cabinet, but when his father practiced Taoism and ignored government affairs, the Taifu tried to beat his father with a bamboo stick, but was stopped. After that, he no longer had an official career, so he concentrated on his studies in the palace.

Unexpectedly, even the Taifu came, Xu Xinxin said.

The Grand Tutor snorted coldly, looked at the Imperial Academy's grand sacrificial wine, and said calmly: "I have lived in seclusion for many years, and only then did I realize that the Imperial Academy is not as good as the previous one."

The face was flushed with wine.

The princes who also came from the Imperial College were also a little embarrassed.

The court's face is their face.

A young man from the barbarian tribe is making a splash in the capital. If he is a martial artist, that's it. Barbarians are just vulgar martial artists. He is famous for his knowledge.

You must know that the greatest pride of the human race is culture. Everything is inferior, only reading is superior.

Confucianism is the system of the Central Plains human race, a unique cultural treasure, and a source of pride for countless people.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a little tense, Huaiqing stood up, pushed the prince away from the tutor, helped him sit down, and said in a cold voice:

"Tai Tuo, Pei Man Xilou is amazingly talented. He only talks about the Four Books and Five Classics. He is not weak at the Great Sacrifice Wine. It is so rare to have a person who has learned a lot and is able to be profound. But don't worry, with Zhang Shen coming forward, everything will be safe." of."

The Taifu patted the back of Huaiqing's hand and smiled a little:

"If Your Highness were a man, how would you have the chance to show off your power in the capital city? I came to join in the fun this time because I don't believe in evil. There are many outstanding people in our great service, and there are countless rising stars. There is really no one who can beat him. He is a saint who has learned a lot. A furry barbarian?"

This is, a chuckle came from outside the pergola, with a bit of leisurely retort:

"The sage said that there is no distinction between teachings. The Taifu said something like "barbarian" to the left and "barbarian" to the right. Did he keep the teachings of the sage in mind?"

Outside the pergola, the white-haired Pei Manxilou, with the charming Huang Xian'er, and the cold-tempered boy with vertical pupils, entered the pergola generously.

They are obviously foreigners and guests, but they adopt a relaxed posture of strolling in the courtyard, as if they are the masters of the cultural society.

He didn't care at all about the battles of the princes and noble generals, and showed no timidity.

The students of the Imperial Academy, nobles of the Hanlin Academy, all the princes present, and noble generals stared silently at Pei Manxilou, this barbarian with amazing talents and profound knowledge.

No one responded, but they quietly straightened their backs and calmed their emotions, as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

"In the lower Bai Shoubu, the eldest son of the Pei Man family, Pei Man Xilou, has met you all!"

Pei Manxilou used his knowledge to create an image of a brilliant scholar. His goal has been achieved.

At this cultural conference, he planned to push his reputation to the top again and pave the way for subsequent negotiations.

Xu Mansion.

Chu Yuanzhen was sitting in the courtyard, beside the stone table, holding a wine glass in his hand. Next to him sat Lina, Li Miaozhen, and Xu Lingyin.

"Why can he enter the imperial city? What is he going to do? Aren't you afraid that Emperor Yuan Jing will chop his head off?" Chu Yuanzhen said sourly.

He coveted literary skills. As a scholar and a swordsman, he was also the former number one scholar. This kind of pinnacle showdown in literary skills was fatally tempting to Chu Yuanzhen.

But he couldn't enter the imperial city, let alone participate in cultural gatherings in public, all because of Xu Qi'an. If I hadn't helped him in the first place, it wouldn't have been so miserable.

So I came to him for a drink and complained a few words.

Unexpectedly, the instigator himself went in.

Chu Yuanzhen felt as sad as a lemon.

"I want to go too."

Xu Lingyin said crisply.

"Wenhui is just a group of scholars discussing boring things. You don't want to go. This kind of place has nothing to do with us masters and disciples. It's better to eat cakes and drink sweet wine at home."

Lina took the opportunity to teach her apprentice that she was still very good at math, and she hoped that her disciple would gradually become better at math too.

"Master, Wenhui has a lot of delicious food. Last time the big pot fought with the monk, I followed an uncle and ate a lot of delicious food."

Xu Lingyin gave a fatal blow.

"Yeah, why didn't I expect that Wen would have fine wine and fine food." Lina's eyes lit up.

The angle is very tricky. Chu Yuanzhen touched Xu Lingyin's head and thought this silly girl was quite cute. Then he remembered the nightmare tutorial at Yunlu Academy that day.

He quietly retracted his hand.

Li Miaozhen said: "That barbarian has been very arrogant recently. I feel uncomfortable looking at him, and I can't help but want to stab him with a sword."

Just stab whoever is upset, are you really the saint of Tianzong? Chu Yuanzhen felt that the person with the most flaws in the Tiandihui was Li Miaozhen.

The identity of No. 1 is unknown, No. 3 Xu Ci is a gentleman, No. 6 Hengyuan is compassionate, and No. 5 Lina is not smart and loves to eat, but she has no flaws that make people want to spit it out.

Number 7 and 8 have been "missing" for many years.

Taoist No. 9 Jinlian has a gentle temperament and is a respectable elder. He practices meritorious deeds, his character is worthy of recognition, and he has no bad habits.

Only Li Miaozhen is the most helpless. She is a saint of the Tianzong. She is supposed to be aloof and aloof. However, she went down the mountain and practiced for two years, and she just trained herself into a flying swallow heroine who is eager for justice and uproots rape and evil.

"The scholars in the Imperial College are so miserable, we have to rely on the scholars in Yunlu Academy to deal with him." Li Miaozhen said.

Chu Yuanzhen smiled and nodded: "The Six Essays on the Art of War written by Zhang Shen is exquisite. With him coming forward, the barbarian will not be arrogant for long. However, this person can write the "Beizhai Dadian", which is enough to establish a sect and become a generation. Famous Confucian."

Li Miaozhen frowned. She could tell that Chu Yuanzhen was not optimistic about Zhang Shen and said, "Is this barbarian so powerful?"

Chu Yuanzhen nodded.

"If it's compared to poetry, Xu Ningyan should be more powerful." Li Miaozhen asked cautiously.

Chu Yuanzhen sneered.

Li Miaozhen frowned and said, "Ye Xuan?"

Chu Yuanzhen shook his head and laughed: "No, Xu Ningyan's poetic talent is unparalleled in ancient times and today, but the literary meeting is not a poetry meeting. Besides, Xu Ningyan can't attend."

In the market place.

Although ordinary people could not enter the imperial city, they discussed the cultural conference very much and were looking forward to the results.

Even the hard-working peddlers and footmen, sitting at the stall eating a bowl of noodles, can hear the table next to them discussing literary meetings, pointing out the country, and writing passionately.

"This reminds me of last year's fight. What a sensation it was. In the end, we, Xu Yinluo, stepped forward and turned the tide." A salesman in a blue coat said loudly as he took a bite of pasta.

"The literary meeting is not a battle of skills. Unfortunately, Xu Yinluo is not a scholar and cannot help." His companion responded regretfully.

The noodle stall owner uncovered the hot pot, cooked the noodles, and started chatting with each other, saying angrily: "The scholars at the Imperial College are really useless. They lost to a barbarian. I even blush for them."

The diners at other tables couldn't help but say: "It would be great if Xu Yinluo was a scholar."

In the eyes of the people, Xu Yinluo is an omnipotent hero, a legend of Dafeng, and a truly conscientious big shot.

Therefore, he has blind worship and believes that Xu Yinluo is omnipotent. But reason told them that Xu Yinluo was not a scholar, and his knowledge was definitely not as good as that of the barbarian.

Therefore, I can only sigh with emotion: It would be great if Xu Yinluo was a scholar.

The noodle stall owner handed the noodles to the customers and said with a smile: "But this barbarian dares to challenge the great scholar of Yunlu Academy. He simply doesn't know the heights of heaven and earth."

All the diners laughed.

In the palace, in the bedroom.

Emperor Jing of the Yuan Dynasty sat lazily on the couch, reading the Taoist scriptures. The sound of footsteps came, and the old eunuch returned in small steps and whispered:

"There is news from the Wenhui that Pei Manxilou and the Hanlin Academy adults discussed classics, policy, people's livelihood, farming, and history without falling behind."

"If I don't fall behind, my Dafeng will be disgraced." Emperor Yuan Jing said expressionlessly.

Seeing the emperor's expression, the old eunuch knew that he was unhappy.

In the final analysis, Pei Manxilou shows off his majesty in such a way that the king of a country is most embarrassed.

"Is there any discussion on poetry?" Emperor Yuan Jing said suddenly.

The old eunuch shook his head.

"He is self-aware." Emperor Yuan Jing sneered. As soon as he started laughing, he suddenly turned serious and snorted coldly.

After a pause, Emperor Yuan Jing said, "Zhang Shen hasn't come yet?"

The old eunuch lowered his head: "Mr. Zhang will come."

Emperor Yuan Jing nodded slowly: "Don't worry, the literary meeting hasn't gotten to the point yet. Although the scholars at Yunlu Academy are annoying, they never disappoint in terms of knowledge."

He looked quite relaxed.

What is the topic of the conference?

It was a war, a war in the north.

Among the representatives of the Imperial College, a student stood up and made an indignant speech:

"The barbarians have been harassing the border all year round, killing the people of our Dafeng, causing far-reaching disasters. Now they are being crushed by the iron hoof of the Northeast Jingguo, and they shamelessly come to our Dafeng to ask for help.

"Barbarians are barbarians, shameless."

The surrounding Imperial College students responded one after another, angrily scolding the barbarian for being "shameless".

Huang Xian'er smiled and cared nothing, twirling her temples with her fingers.

The boy with vertical pupils was full of anger, trying his best to suppress the cruel and bloodthirsty nature of snakes. He glanced at the student with a cold gaze.

Pei Manxi's expression did not change, he even laughed and said:

"The Wushen Cult dominates the northeast of Jiuzhou, and there are only three states adjacent to Dafeng. With Dafeng's population and military strength, they can be blocked outside the three states at a certain cost."

He paused for a moment, and seeing the expressions of approval on the faces of the princes and generals, he continued:

"But if the territory in the north is also occupied by the Wushen Cult, the Jingguo cavalry can go south and attack the capital. Kangguo and Yanguo will attack from the east again, echoing each other. Wouldn't Dafeng be in danger?

"As we all know, there are endless grasslands in the north. If Jingguo gets the northern territory, it will be able to raise more cavalry. By then, even if Dafeng has artillery and crossbows, he will not be able to stop this group of "invincibles" on land.

"So, when Dafeng sends troops, he is not helping our God Clan, but helping himself. Our God Clan has a difficult time reproducing and has a low population. Even though it sometimes disturbs the border, it does not have the troops to go south, so the threat to Dafeng is limited. But the Witch God Sect is different. ah."

No one argued back.

The top academics in the Hanlin Academy, the students in the Imperial College, and even the princes in the court actually recognized his words.

The Northeast controlled by the Witch God Cult is rich in products and can be used for both hunting and farming. The farming civilization has the most prosperous population.

The population of Wushen Cult is far behind that of Dafeng. That’s because the area is limited.

If the northern territory falls into the hands of the Wushen Cult and some of the population is moved to the north, the population of the Wushen Cult will double, or at least double, within twenty years at most.

Pei Manxilou said in a deep voice: "At that time, the future of our God Clan will be the future of Dafeng."

Xu New Year watched silently.

These idiots have unknowingly taken the initiative by the other side. What you want to discuss shouldn't be about asking for chips. How can we discuss the necessity of sending troops? We must send troops. There is no doubt about it. Discussing chips seems to be What needs to be done at the negotiation table is the business of everyone, and it is indeed not appropriate to discuss it at this time.

The core of this cultural meeting is actually that Dafeng wants to destroy Pei Manxilou's image and his strong character.

But the situation is not very optimistic. This guy is eloquent and eloquent, and he also occupies the "great cause" of having to send troops.

Xu New Year turned his eyes and found that many generals were eager to try and seemed to want to say something, but in the end they frowned and remained silent.

They are still self-aware, but these generals are careless in cursing and debating? Even if they have rich experience in leading troops, they can't defeat Pei Manxilou, bah, vulgar warriors

"Aren't all the ministers sharp-tongued and sharp-tongued in court? When the master slapped the palm of my hand, wasn't he eloquent? He didn't say anything at all." Piedant said anxiously.

"How could the Taifu end up? He is a highly respected senior. There is a big difference in seniority. Even if he wins, it will be disgraceful. People will only say that I am a great minister and bully the younger ones. The same is true for all the gentlemen. Moreover, if the gentlemen In the end, I can guarantee that Pei Manxilou will take the initiative to compete with them in knowledge."

Huaiqing rarely said a lot of words to explain to his stupid sister:

"Except for a few great scholars, the knowledge of all the princes has been wasted."

Diaoyang opened her eyes wide and murmured: "What should I do? I'm so angry."

The faces of the Imperial Academy students were heavy, and the top students of the Hanlin Academy also looked like they were facing a formidable enemy, and their expressions were not good-looking.

Wang Shoufu sighed: "Pei Manxilou's talent is amazing, it's really surprising."

The young officials of the Hanlin Academy were full of confidence when they entered, but there is a clear gap between the silent and serious posture now.

Wang Simu looked at Xu Erlang frequently, expecting him to stand up and perform.

Wang Shoufu noticed his daughter's eyes and said, "Why is Erlang so silent today?"

Wang Simu frowned.

Just when everyone was speechless and thinking hard about countermeasures, a clear light flashed above Luhu, and Zhang Shen, wearing a Confucian robe and a Confucian crown, appeared out of thin air.

Then he fell toward the lake.

There was another flash of clear light, and Zhang Shen appeared in the pergola, with a little fear still in his expression.

What he was bragging about must be: My place is not Yunlu Academy, but in Luhu. So she almost fell into the lake. Xu Qian complained like crazy in her heart.

"Zhang Daru is here."

"Mr. Zhang finally arrived. I knew that Mr. Zhang would not be absent."

The students on the periphery cheered, feeling relieved.

The princes laughed, and people who were friends with Zhang Shen spoke one after another: "Brother Jinyan, you are here."

Zhang Shen nodded calmly, and immediately saw the Taifu and bowed hurriedly: "Student Zhang Shen, I have met the Taifu."

The Taifu said "hmm", and his always straight face finally showed a smile: "Zhang Jinyan, this young man from the Bai Shou Department wants to ask you for advice on the art of war. Please give him some advice."

In the pergola, the atmosphere suddenly became high.

Zhang Shen looked around and looked at Pei Manxilou, who had hair as white as snow, and said, "Are you the Pei Manxilou who wrote "Hokusai Dadian"?"

Pei Manxilou stood up for the first time, bowed and said, "Students have met Mr. Zhang."

Zhang Shen waved his hand: "No need to be polite, do you want to compete with me in the art of war?"

There was silence in the shed, and everyone was looking forward to it.

Huang Xian'er sat up slightly, squinted her eyes, and stared at the scholars at Yunlu Academy.

The boy with vertical pupils restrained his arrogance. This fourth-grade master of the Confucian system was Brother Pei Man's "enemy" in this literary meeting. Although he looked down on scholars, the scholars of Yunlu Academy were not in the range of contempt.

Even though the Confucian system has declined for many years, it still retains its prestige.

"The student is not very talented and has little knowledge. I would like to ask your teacher for advice." Pei Manxilou smiled warmly and had a plan in mind.

Zhang Shen rolled his eyes:

"Aren't you being a hooligan? I haven't led an army for more than 20 years, and I have almost forgotten what it's like to sleep next to each other. I'm still talking about the same thing for more than 20 years. What kind of military art are you discussing with me?

"Why don't you discuss the art of war with Wei Yuan? This old boy is sitting in the court, and his secrets are all over the world. He has been strategizing for twenty years without stopping, just waiting for the day when he can accumulate more and more information."

Pei Manxilou smiled and said, "Sir, aren't you just trying to be a hooligan?"

The boy with vertical pupils couldn't help but interrupt, snorting coldly: "Why don't you let Brother Pei Man fight with Jian Zheng?"

This time, Pei Man Xilou did not scold the young man and asked with a smile:

"Then I won't ask for advice on the art of war. In fact, students have admired Mr. Ming's art of war for a long time. I heard that he is proficient in the art of war. His "Six Essays on the Art of War" has been widely circulated and praised by everyone.

"I am a young scholar, but I also wrote a military book. This book took several years. It not only incorporated the Central Plains military art, but also the military art of the barbarian cavalry. Please give me some advice, sir."

As he spoke, he looked at the boy with vertical pupils beside him.

Xuanyin opened the small wooden box at his feet and took out a thick book: "Hokusai Soldiers Scroll"

Everyone on Dafeng's side looked at each other in shock. They really didn't expect that this man was not only proficient in the art of war, but he also wrote military books?

Scholars pay attention to writing and writing biographies. Even highly knowledgeable people are very cautious about books. It takes many years for a book to be revised and revised before it is published to the world and widely publicized.

As for some essays and notes, they cannot actually be called "books" at this time.

For example, the "Collected Questions of the Great Zhou Dynasty" that Xu Qian read at Yunlu Academy was just a note, not a book.

Therefore, everyone was dubious about Pei Manxilou's words.

The Taifu's face visibly darkened.

The faces of Wang Shoufu and other senior officials also became solemn, and they had a bad feeling.

Out of respect for the book, Zhang Shen took it with extremely serious hands. The breeze from the lake blew, and the pages of the book rattled as he flipped through them quickly.

Zhang Shen's expression changed, and everyone in the venue saw it. They were shocked at first, then appreciated, and in the end they were excited.

Pei Manxilou asked: "Sir, what do you think of this book?"

Zhang Shen did not answer immediately. He pondered for a moment and sighed: "Wonderful."

"The book is divided into three volumes. The first volume, The Art of War, discusses what the art of war is and what war is. Even people who are not familiar with war can understand what war is by reading it and giving a clear outline.

"The second volume discusses strategy. Soldiers are unpredictable, and water is unpredictable. It's so well described. The twelve strategies of attack are amazing.

"What's even more rare is the third volume, which carefully researches the formation of troops and provides many types of formations for the cooperation between warriors and ordinary soldiers, which greatly maximizes the usefulness of ordinary soldiers."

Pei Manxilou was indeed an extremely talented scholar. He was defeated by Zhang Shen in the art of war. Confucianism emphasized the importance of having clear thoughts, but he could not do such a thing as a stubborn person.

Besides, after losing the Wenhui, the biggest embarrassment was Emperor Yuan Jing and the imperial court. Yunlu Academy had long been expelled from the imperial court, so there was no need for him to go against his will for the sake of the reputation of the losers in the Imperial College.

Zhang Shen sighed: "My "Six Essays on the Art of War" is really not as good as your "Hokusai Art of War", so I'm willing to give up."

"It is said that the scholars at Yunlu Academy have noble character and live up to their reputation."

Pei Manxilou smiled heartily.

Why did he choose Zhang Shen as a stepping stone? There are three reasons: Zhang Shen is famous enough; Zhang Shen has lived in seclusion for more than 20 years; Zhang Shen is a scholar at Yunlu Academy, speaks his mind directly, and has guaranteed moral character. As long as his military skills can convince the opponent, he will not suppress him without conscience.

This is why a gentleman can be deceived.

There was silence in the pergola, and everyone lost their expressions.

Xuan Yin, a boy with vertical pupils, laughed hissingly: "It is said that the prosperity of Dafeng is due to the seeds of reading. It seems that it is not as good as my eldest brother Pei Man. Brother, when you return to the north, you will be the Xu Yinluo of our God Clan. .”

He was referring to how Qi'an was equally loved.

Hearing this, the Imperial Academy students outside the pergola were ashamed and angry. They wanted to refute the curse, but they felt ashamed to speak. The curse would only make them more embarrassed, so they gritted their teeth in frustration.

The top students in the Hanlin Academy looked embarrassed.

In other academic fields, they can still have back-and-forth discussions and debates. In the field of war, the top academics have never even been to the battlefield and have no say. Talking about war on paper will only make people laugh.

Huang Xian'er smiled delicately, and she didn't know whether she was happy or laughing.

"This literary conference is not interesting at all. If I had known it, I wouldn't have come." A female family member complained.

They came with expectation and enthusiasm. What they wanted to see was that the barbarians were defeated, not the Yangwu Yangwei who defeated the great scholars.

Huaiqing sighed, she was a girl, it was not easy to end up in this situation, otherwise it would be a slap in the scholar's face, and she had only read some military books on the art of war.

Pei Manxilou is the young master of the Bai Shoubu. He has been through many battles and has rich experience. His level must be much higher than hers.

"Hel me back!"

The master held the crutch, paused three times, and growled.

The old man looked disappointed.

In the bedroom.

The old eunuch ran in quickly, with a worried look on his face.

The curtains were hung low. On the couch, Emperor Yuan Jing glanced at him but said nothing.

The old eunuch whispered: "Zhang Shen, I surrender."

"Snapped!"

Emperor Yuan Jing threw the book on the old eunuch's face.

On the bank of Luhu Lake, in the pavilion.

Pei Manxilou bowed to all directions, with a gentle smile and an attitude of not being arrogant in victory but not discouraged in defeat: "Thank you all for your advice. Dafeng is indeed a place where culture and education are prosperous, which makes people yearn for it."

These words sounded like a mockery to everyone's ears, no, this was a mockery.

The Taifu's face was as dark as water and he quickened his pace.

All the gentlemen stood up one after another and left the case silently, planning to leave.

"Tuk!"

The sound of the wine glass being placed on the table was a little heavy, attracting the attention of the people around him.

Xu Erlang stood up gracefully and said loudly: "My eldest brother has a poem: I can't bear to see my child become a new rich man, and then I get angry and go to the ring before taking action."

The sound spread.

The master stopped and looked back.

The princes and noble generals looked over.

The students from the Imperial College looked over.

Pei Manxilou looked at this provocative young official of the Hanlin Academy in astonishment.

Xu New Year looked at the white-haired barbarian and said calmly: "I will discuss the art of war with you."

As soon as this statement came out, there was an uproar everywhere.

"Goodbye!"

His colleagues in the Hanlin Academy used their eyes to signal him not to be impulsive.

Xu Cijiu had a good reputation in official circles, which was accumulated during the Chuzhou Massacre and when he was blocked at the Meridian Gate and scolded King Huai.

This reputation is hard-earned, and it would be a shame if it were destroyed by a moment of anger or impulse.

"Mr. Zhang is his teacher. Even he lost. Xu Cijiu thought he could win?"

"Why bother to embarrass yourself anymore? Even Zhang Daru was ashamed of Pei Manxilou's military book and praised it greatly."

"We are also indignant, but this resignation is too reckless."

The Imperial Academy students were talking a lot.

Pei Manxilou suspected that he had heard wrongly, and stared at Xu New Year for a moment, and suddenly remembered that this was Zhang Shen's disciple.

It’s just that the teachers have lost, but the students still want to win back the situation?

Xuan Yin, a boy with vertical pupils, had a sneer on his face, while Huang Xian'er played with the wine glass in boredom and said lightly: "It's boring."

Wang Simu's eyes widened in astonishment. She didn't expect that Xu New Year had been holding back for a long time, just for this moment?

Motivated! Wang Shoufu was furious.

"Master Xu, have you ever practiced military training?" Pei Manxilou asked with a smile.

Xu New Year shook his head.

"Have you been on the battlefield?" Pei Manxilou asked again.

Xu New Year still shook his head.

The scholar who was born into a barbarian tribe shook his head slightly and said, "Although you major in the art of war, you only talk about war on paper. How can you discuss the art of war with me?"

Xuan Yin, a young man with vertical pupils, laughed and said, "Could it be that you also have some military skills and want to take them out to compete with my elder brother?"

Seeing Xu New Year being laughed at by the barbarians, everyone felt embarrassed.

Zhang Shen looked at his proud disciple in surprise and thought, is this kid confused? I feel ashamed to be a teacher, so why did he jump out? Revenge me?

However, no matter how hard it was for him to suffer a setback, Xu Cijiu was too smooth. No matter in terms of family background, education, or officialdom, he had never suffered any major setbacks.

Xu New Year raised his chin and said proudly: "Yes, I do have a military book here. Please give me some advice from Brother Pei Man."

"!!!"

Everyone, including Zhang Shen, stared blankly at Xu Xinnian with extremely blank eyes. Like Pei Manxilou, they suspected that there was something wrong with their ears.

Xu New Year ignored everyone and took out a thread-bound book with a light brown cover from his arms.

Pei Manxilou saw four words written on the cover: Sun Tzu's Art of War.

As a man who has read many poems and books, he has no impression of this name. It is not a military book circulated in the world, nor is it a military book just revised by the imperial court and given to him with the same old tune.

But he is a book lover, and he will not underestimate any book because of its title. He will pick it up and read it with a smile.

"Soldiers are important matters of the country, the place of life and death, and the path to survival. We must observe them."

The opening chapter is not bad, simply stating the importance of war, which is quite to the point.

Read on:

"Therefore, the scriptures are based on five things, which are corrected by calculations and their emotions: the first is called Dao, the second is called Heaven, the third is called Earth, the fourth is called General, and the fifth is called Dharma."

Pei Manxilou nodded slightly and put away some of the scorn and scrutiny in his heart. To be able to write this sentence, the person who wrote the book did have some real ability.

When he saw "Soldiers are crafty," he was finally moved and his pupils shrank slightly: "Wonderful, wonderful! This is a wonderful statement."

Pei Manxilou read eagerly, gradually immersed in the ocean of knowledge, lingering, ignoring everything around him.

This book has twelve chapters, with extensive and profound content. It not only describes war theory and experience, but also summarizes the laws of war.

This book has gone beyond the scope of strategy. The things explained in the book are not limited to simple strategies and tactics, but something more macro and higher level.

For example, the book says that politics is an important factor in determining the outcome of a war. The level suddenly increased, and Pei Manxi Tower felt like he was enlightened.

The barbarians fought only for plunder. Pei Manxilou also believed that a war was a war. Factors outside the battlefield were important, but the victory or defeat of the war was ultimately determined by the gap in combat power between the two sides.

There are not many words in the military book, which makes it extremely crude compared to his thick book. But every word in it is precious, and every sentence is worth pondering for a long time.

On the other hand, I transcribed each battle and worked hard to analyze the details with words. Summarizing the various camps and emphasizing the importance of soldiers is ridiculous.

Of course, this book also has flaws. For example, it does not mention the role of martial arts and how to use martial arts throughout the whole article.

After a long time, Pei Manxilou finally broke away from the immersive reading and sighed with satisfaction: "I have benefited a lot, I have benefited a lot."

Then, he noticed that the people around him were looking directly at him.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The series of changes in Pei Manxilou's expression just now fully demonstrated to them words such as "ecstatic", "astonishing" and "hungry".

It makes people extremely curious as to what is written in the book that makes such a talented person react like this.

Pei Man Xilou glanced at Xu New Year, then at Sun Tzu's Art of War in his hand, hesitating, struggling, and finally sighed and bowed deeply:

"Master Xu, I lost.

"I have nothing else to ask for. I just want to ask Mr. Xu to let me copy this book. I would like to treat you as a disciple and call you sir."

This book is indeed far better than "Hokusai's Art of War" written by him. There is no point in speaking harshly.

Xuan Yin, a young man with vertical pupils, his eyes widened: "Brother, you, you"

The charming and enchanting Huang Xian'er, at this moment, her pretty face finally lost its lazy and casual self-confidence, and her beauty changed slightly.

There was an uproar, as if a pot was exploding.

Pei Manxilou gave up and felt ashamed.

Moreover, in order to copy Xu Cijiu's military book, he did not hesitate to pretend to be a student.

The nobles and generals stared directly at the military book in Pei Manxilou's hand, as if it was the most tempting thing in the world.

Wang Shoufu looked deeply at Xu Erlang, his eyes and expression frozen.

Wang Simu's heart was beating wildly, and she looked infatuatedly at Xu Erlang, who was standing proudly in the field.

The Taifu took two steps forward with his crutch, squinted his eyes, looked up and down, then tapped the crutch twice, stroked his beard and laughed:

"This is my Dafeng scholar, this is the real rising star."

The third and fourth princesses looked at Xu Cijiu, their eyes sparkling.

"The Xu family is really a double elite. Xu Qi'an is already extremely dazzling, but Xu Cijiu is not inferior in the slightest." Someone said with emotion.

Zhang Shen took the military book from Pei Manxilou's hand and read it with deep confusion.

His expression changed exactly like Pei Manxilou just now.

By the time he finished reading it, he was stunned.

"No, no, who wrote this military book? Who wrote this book?" Zhang Shen asked excitedly.

Would he not know the level of his disciple? Xu Cijiu was outstanding in the art of war, but it was absolutely impossible for him to write such a world-class military book.

The author of this military book is someone else.

Zhang Shen couldn't wait to know who the original author was, and that there was such a person in Dafeng.

Xu New Year nodded slowly: "This military book was indeed not written by me."

The whole hall was in an uproar. Everyone looked at him blankly and confused, and then at Zhang Shen.

Gradually, I came to think of it. This military book that impressed Pei Manxilou was written by someone else?

"It's Wei Yuan, is it Wei Yuan?" Zhang Shen asked again.

Eyes fell on Xu Erlang.

Wei Yuan and Pei Manxilou murmured to themselves.

Wei Yuan! Everyone suddenly realized.

"What does this have to do with Mr. Wei?"

Xu Erlang frowned, a little displeased, glanced at everyone, and raised his voice: "This is a military book written by my eldest brother."

In an instant, inside and outside the pergola, by the bank of Luhu Lake, one could hear the quiet sound of a needle dropping.

PS: I really wish to write a 10,000-word chapter every day, but my mind says: No, you can’t do it.