It was early spring in the ninth year of Yuanqing.
Zhou Dynasty, the capital of gods.
"call out!"
A black swift flew over the bustling Chang'an Street, over the prosperous Qingyun Palace, and finally landed on an elegant two-story building in Qintian Prison.
Rainwater fell from the eaves, hit the propped up window panels, and exploded into two pieces.
In the tea room, two figures were playing chess.
"Pa... So, that young man was indeed recommended by the Imperial Master?" The old man with frosty white temples, a goatee, and a light blue Taoist robe looked at the opposite side curiously.
"The letter written by the National Master has been checked and it is naturally correct." The middle-aged man opposite the brown chessboard, holding a white chess piece in his hand, said calmly.
He is wearing a white official robe, with a complex star map outlined with gold thread, and the workmanship is exquisite. His black hair is tied up with a hosta. His face is handsome, with deep-set eye sockets, filled with vicissitudes of life. The fine crow's feet at the corners of his eyes reveal that his true age is far beyond his appearance.
Li Guofeng, one of the five princes of Qintian Prison, is also one of the few "sitting well" monks in the divine capital.
"I don't doubt it, I'm just surprised," the slender old man brushed his beard and sighed, "I didn't expect that the imperial master has passed away, but there are still students coming to court."
"This son said that he is from the countryside of Leizhou. Ten years ago, Mr. You Fang temporarily stayed in his village and held a private school to give lectures. He gave him a letter when he was leaving and recommended him to join Qintian Supervisor as 'Sichen' when he became an adult. I want to come... then... That's the Imperial Master." Li Guofeng recalled with a face.
Chen Daoling praised:
"It is indeed the temper of the Imperial Master... Although Pindao is the elder of Qingyun Palace, and does not follow your Qin Tianjian's 'Star Official' system, the person I admire the most in this life is only the Imperial Master. Looking at the nine states, there are many sects, who knows Can the Great Zhou Dynasty aspire to be the first dynasty in the Central Plains, and the national masters should be the most important?"
The corners of Li Guofeng's mouth were slightly raised, with an expression of admiration.
The entire continent knows that the Great Zhou Imperial Master is the most amazing and talented person in the past five hundred years.
He came from a humble background and was born into troubled times, but he single-handedly assisted the first generation of the God Emperor in establishing the Central Plains. He also created the "Star Official" system and created Qin Tianjian, a holy place of practice in the empire, second only to the Taoist sect of the state religion.
At the beginning of the founding of the country, the world was not stable. The Imperial Master went to the Southern Tang Dynasty alone, went to the Snow Kingdom, suppressed the demons and barbarians, pacified the East China Sea... and guarded the empire for four hundred years and went through five divine emperors.
And the most praiseworthy thing is not these, but that although the national master has unparalleled cultivation, it is said that he walks, sits, lies, laughs and curses like an ordinary person, returning to his original nature.
More than a hundred years ago, Xu Shi was tired of the secular world, and the Imperial Master was in seclusion in Qintian Prison. Very few people saw his true appearance, until he broke out thirteen years ago, claiming that the end was coming, and left in a floating state.
Three years later, the national master's natal wooden sign was broken into pieces, and he died, and the whole country was mourned.
The end of an era.
Unexpectedly, today, more than ten years later, a dusty young man will knock on the door of Qintian Prison with a letter from the Imperial Master.
"Since he was recommended by the Imperial Master, why don't you go and meet him?" Chen Daoling asked tentatively.
Li Guofeng dropped Bai Zi and said calmly: "The Imperial Master has mentored countless descendants in his life. There are some who are amazing and brilliant, but there are even more who are mediocre. To be able to jump from a countryman to the Qintian Prison is already a great achievement for this person. Awesome opportunity."
Chen Daoling heard something else: "This person...has never practiced?"
"No, and it is already past the best age, and the future achievements will be limited. I think he has a calm mind and is suitable for learning. After all, the recommendation of the national teacher is eclectic and never depends on the merits of talent."
This was very tactful. Obviously, he did not think highly of this young man.
And another unspoken truth is even more cruel:
The national master has passed away, and the treatment of the descendants recommended by him will naturally be reduced.
This is the truth behind the so-called tea that cools people when they leave.
Today... after all, it is no longer the era when the Imperial Master rules the Qintian Prison.
Chen Daoling couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He picked up the sunspot and dropped it: "Is that so... By the way, what is that young man's name?"
"The surname is Ji, Ji Ping'an."
…
…
As a doctor as small as dust in the Qintian Prison, Huang He fantasized countless times in his twenty years of life to become one of the countless bright names in the history of spiritual practice.
But contrary to expectations, he studied hard as a supervisor for several years, but was still unable to be promoted to "Si Chen" and get the opportunity to practice. Finally, he became discouraged and chose the position of "Doctor Lu Ke".
If nothing unexpected happens, I will spend the rest of my life in this position. In my old age, I will drink and recall the past, shed tears, and regret it for the rest of my life.
Just like most people.
In the morning, he received the task and went to the gate to pick up a "new student" and bring him into prison.
This made him a little surprised. The Spring Recruitment was about to end and this student had arrived a little late. However, those thoughts disappeared after seeing the young man.
A young man wearing a bamboo hat and white robes was waiting quietly next to the stone lion at the door. Perhaps it was because of the angle. It was clear after the rain, and the golden light tore through the gray clouds in the sky and hit him, making it extremely bright. .
Extremely peaceful.
He slowly walked towards Huang He, his eyes were clear and peaceful, and there was a warm smile on his lips, which made Huang He inexplicably recall the portrait of the Imperial Master on Lingyan Pavilion, which was painted by the master of painting.
"Are you here to pick me up?" the young man said softly, politely and peacefully.
Huang He was stunned for a moment, and nodded instinctively. His body straightened subconsciously, and he became nervous as if he was being inspected. This emotion came suddenly and passed in an instant. He was surprised and annoyed in his heart, thinking that he had not interacted with others for too long. ?
Why is it so cramped?
At the same time, he also discovered that although the robe under the student's bamboo hat was clean and tidy, it had been washed too many times and the fabric was white and cheap. Who in prison did not wear new clothes?
The boots are stained with dust and mud, and they look dusty from travel. Did they come to the divine capital from other places? Poor family? No wonder I'm late...
"Excuse me, can I go in?" The young man smiled sheepishly, "I came all the way from Leizhou and slept in the open, so I am really tired."
"Of course." Huang He smiled and raised his hand, motioning for him to follow him. The two passed through the vermilion door and walked around the screen wall.
A vast and stretching group of ancient buildings spreads out into the distance along the streets paved with bluestones, as if it is not a "yamen" but a royal garden.
Everyone who sees this scene for the first time will be shocked and speechless.
"During the previous dynasty, the Qintian Prison only had one large yamen, which was responsible for formulating calendars and observing astronomy. It was not until the Imperial Master took charge that it expanded to its current size, with four departments, six courtyards, a lake, and three palaces..."
Huang He rolled up his sleeves and introduced the basic situation of Qintian Prison in a proud tone.
One of the responsibilities of Dr. Lu Ke is to explain this to the new "astronomy students" and "yin and yang students". These two types of supervisors come from many sources, including recommendation, selection, and selection. They enter the prison after the "spring examination" After several years of study, those with spiritual talent or outstanding achievements can be promoted to "Si Chen", corresponding to the "inner disciples" of Qingyun Palace, and step into the avenue of spiritual practice.
Further up, there are Si Li who corresponds to "deacon", Jian Hou who corresponds to "elder", and Qin Tian Jian Zheng who is in charge of this place.
The rest either entered the "Four Ministries" and served as officials, fulfilling the traditional responsibilities of Qin Tianjian, or became "Doctors of Lu Ke" to teach and manage students.
Supervisor, Doctor, Si Chen, Si Li, Supervisor Hou, Supervisor...the hierarchy is clear.
Huang He didn't know the origin of the young man and had a preconceived idea that he was the lowest-level student.
According to experience, students from small places are always cramped and nervous at the beginning, either too reserved to speak, or looking around excitedly, but this time... it seems to be a little different.
Behind him, the hem of the dusty young man's robe swayed regularly, with exactly the same amplitude every time.
He admired everything with great interest, his pace was neither hasty nor slow, and he did not feel nervous at all when arriving for the first time.
Suddenly, Huang He heard the latter's footsteps stop. He turned around and saw the young man wearing a bamboo hat casting complicated eyes towards a stone wall covered with ivy not far away.
Huang He looked respectful and raised his hands: "This is the 'Xilin Wall', which is the gate of the original site of the Qintian Prison in the past. The line of text above was inscribed by the Imperial Master himself. Although the sentence structure is a bit weird, it is profound and meaningful. It has served the country well." The Master’s admonition should be remembered by future generations of star officials.”
Those two lines are like this:
There are only two things in the world that can deeply shock people's hearts. One is the lofty moral law in our hearts, and the other is the brilliant starry sky above our heads.
The young man looked a little weird. He recalled how he felt when he was shamelessly harassed by the first generation God Emperor and asked for an inscription. His head twitched and he casually copied down Kant's famous quotes. He wanted to say something:
"Actually... you may be thinking too much..."
However, they did not speak after all. The two of them walked around the west forest wall and continued forward, and soon arrived at the entrance of the registration hall.
There is a table in the entrance of the hall, with pens, inks, paper and inkstones placed on it. A middle-aged man wearing a black official robe embroidered with star charts sits and waits.
"Pei Sili, why are you here?" Huang He was greatly surprised and hurriedly bowed and saluted.
Normally, the person responsible for registration is just an ordinary official. After all, the person reporting is just a poor rural wild worker, and he will definitely not disturb such a big shot who has real power and can decide whether he, a little doctor, will live or die.
When things go wrong, there must be a monster, and he doesn't understand.
"Are you Ji Ping'an? The person recommended by the Imperial Master?" Si Li in black ignored him and said with a complex expression, "The Lord Superintendent ordered me to register you. I will be awarded the position of 'Si Chen' and will be trained in the prison."
The young man nodded gently, with a smile like the warm winter sun on his face, and said sincerely: "Thank you."
Si Chen... Recommended by the Imperial Master... Huang He's mind was buzzing, and he realized that he might have missed something in the first place.
(Mengxin seeks collection)
