Chapter 1: The Miserable Transmigration

  As a chief assistant of the cabinet, Li Dongyang has many things to deal with every day and meets many people every day, so he is very busy.

  But it was because of Zhu Houzhao's words that Li Dongyang made up his mind to get in touch with Jiangxia. As the Taizi Taifu, Li Dongyang had almost watched Zhu Houzhao grow up. When Zhu Houzhao was young, he was clever and well-behaved, completely unlike his current state of debauchery and shamelessness.

  Li Dongyang and the old ministers of the court all thought that this was because Zhu Houzhao had been influenced by Liu Jin, Zhang Yong and others, so he became like this now.

  But even if Zhu Houzhao favored Liu Jin, he still treated him as a servant rather than a close relative. In Li Dongyang's memory, it was the first time he heard Zhu Houzhao acknowledge someone as his friend. Based on this reasoning, Li Dongyang speculated that Jiang Xia had a deep influence on Zhu Houzhao, so he took the opportunity to approach Jiang Xia amidst his busy schedule. Li Dongyang's purpose was simple: he wanted to test whether influencing Jiang Xia would also allow him to influence Zhu Houzhao.

  Li Dongyang temporarily stayed at Qunfang Pavilion after becoming the librarian of Qunfang Pavilion.

  At night, Jiang Xia was alone in the backyard practicing the Eight Steps of Hurrying Cicada. Originally, he went to see Cui Nianslave, but unexpectedly, he was refused at the door and told that she had already fallen asleep. Then, Jiang Xia planned to go find Cui Ruxue to chat with her, but she also said she was sleeping. Of course, no matter what, Jiang Xia didn't dare disturb Yang Jingjing, so he could only practice the Eight Steps of Hurrying Cicada alone in the backyard.

  In the study, a black figure jumped in through the open window. Li Dongyang, who was still doing accounts for Xiangyang Mountain Villa, immediately put down his pen and looked at the man in black, saying: "Jun Yang, you're here."

  Junyang, dressed in black, handed a large stack of scrolls to Li Dongyang. Li Dongyang briefly scanned them and then pulled out a few copies, saying: "Take the rest of these to Cao Yuan for processing, just say it's my intention."

  "Yes!" Jun Yang replied.

  Li Dongyang nodded and waved his hand, and Jun Yang immediately jumped out of the window.

  Li Dongyang thought for a moment, then got up and strolled around the Xiangyang Mountain Villa. He walked all the way to the backyard, just in time to see Jiang Xia practicing the "Eight Steps Chasing Cicadas". Li Dongyang said: "A common man's anger can only splash blood within five steps; an emperor's anger can lead to corpses piling up for miles. What's the use of having good martial arts skills? At most, it's just enough to take on a hundred opponents at once. When facing thousands of troops charging forward, one's power is really too small. It's better to learn literature than to practice martial arts; with wisdom and strategy, one can bring peace to the world."

  Hearing Li Dongyang's words, Jiang Xia stopped in his tracks and turned to face him. He smiled and replied: "If one room is not swept, how can the whole world be swept? If one person is not brave, how can bravery be expected from the whole world?"

  The first sentence is from the "Mencius", while the latter is his own extension. The meaning of the two sentences is very simple, the former says that if one cannot even manage the hygiene of a single room, how can he govern the world? The latter, based on the former's meaning, extends to say that if a person does not dare to be brave himself, how can he expect others to be brave? In short, he is sarcastically responding to Li Dongyang's words, implying that if everyone thinks like Li Dongyang, then there will be no brave people in the world.

  Li Dongyang slightly paused, smiled and nodded: "Makes sense."

  Jiang Xia also smiled and said, "Great wisdom."

  They looked at each other and burst out laughing together.

  "It's a good thing there are only the two of us here, otherwise outsiders would burst out laughing if they heard this. This skill of mutual flattery has probably reached a certain level. However, it's not easy for people to find someone who can mutually flatter each other in life, so let's raise our cups and toast to that. Please sit down, old sir, since you're having trouble sleeping, I'll keep you company and have a couple of drinks with you."

  Li Dongyang nodded and smiled: "Great."

  Jiang Xia laughed again and suddenly felt that this old man was indeed a bit temperamental.

  In fact, Jiang Xia's origin is that of a thousand families, inheriting the military family literary system. So, deep down, Jiang Xia also supports Li Dongyang's theory, and people from the literary system itself look down on those who advocate for the bravery of ordinary men. However, Jiang Xia still debated with Li Dongyang for a moment, which was just due to his character, being used to arguing.

  But Jiang Xia did not expect Li Dongyang to admit that what he said was reasonable without arguing with him.

  There is a trick in this.

  Li Dongyang acknowledges that Jiang Xia's words make sense, not acknowledging Jiang Xia's martial arts. So this also indirectly proves Li Dongyang's words, that martial arts are indeed inferior to wisdom. This is also why Jiang Xia would call Li Dongyang "great wisdom", because he too had turned two circles before understanding the subtlety.

  The kitchen of the Xiangyang Manor provides meals at any time throughout the twelve hours, and soon after Jiang Xia walked out of the courtyard and instructed a guard, a servant brought over wine and dishes. It must be said that the kitchen of the Xiangyang Manor is a reliable enterprise in terms of quality, and even a few random dishes are made very delicately. This delicate dish might only make Jiang Xia feel appreciative, but Li Dongyang understood that this was an effect that could only be achieved by the imperial chef, it seems that the emperor had put a lot of thought into this place.

  The dishes were served, and Jiang Xia first poured a cup of wine for Li Dongyang, then raised his own wine cup to Li Dongyang and said: "Sir, I'd like to toast you with this cup."

  Li Dongyang raised his wine cup and took a sip with Jiang Xia. He was unexpectedly touched in his heart. The taste of this wine was very familiar to him, it was the royal wine "Thousand Year Drunkenness" from the palace. Ordinary people would never have the chance to drink it, even Li Dongyang himself could only taste it when he was invited into the palace for a banquet during holidays. But unexpectedly, Jiang Xia could drink it anytime.

  He drained his cup and Li Dongyang said: "At this moment, it's just the two of us. If we drink without any rules, it would be dull. Why don't we make a drinking game instead?"

  "Drinking game?" Jiang Xia's eyes lit up, and he nodded: "Alright, sir, please give the order. To be honest, I used to be known as the King of Drinking Games."

  "That's a good idea. Let's make it like a guessing game, each of us writes a poem with a hidden word puzzle, and the other has to guess it. If you guess correctly, the other loses; if not, you lose yourself. How about that?"

  "That's great." Jiang Xia said in Li Dongyang's tone.

  Firstly, Li Dongyang asked a riddle. He thought for a moment and said: "Round when painted, square when written, short in winter, long in summer."

  Li Dongyang looked at Jiang Xia, and Jiang Xia pouted: "Sir really looks down on me, actually coming up with something so simple. This is a 'day' character."

  Li Dongyang nodded and took a sip of wine. It was Jiang Xia's turn to ask a riddle, and he said without much thought: "Two forms as one body, four branches with eight heads. Four eights make eighteen, flying springs flow upwards."

  Li Dongyang smiled and nodded slightly: "It's good for young people to know how to return favors, this is a 'well' character."

  Seeing Li Dongyang guess so easily, Jiang Xia understood that this time he had met his match. He picked up his wine cup and drank the wine down, "Sir, it's your turn."

  Li Dongyang didn't hesitate, nodded and immediately asked: "Three mountains are three mountains, the mountain is upside down. One month after another, the months are still connected. The left and right wings are arranged in pairs, and the two rivers are listed vertically and horizontally. The whole family has six mouths, but two mouths are not reunited."

  The question was a bit more difficult, and Jiang Xia tilted her head and thought for a moment before answering: "Could it be the character 'use'?"

  Li Dongyang smiled and picked up his wine cup to take a sip, indicating that Jiang Xia had answered correctly.

  Jiang Xia was just about to go test Li Dongyang, when Li Dongyang waved his hand and said: "Alright then, let's change the rules of the game, and raise the stakes a bit."

  Jiang Xia looked at Li Dongyang with interest and said: "I wonder what the gentleman wants to bet with me?"

  Li Dongyang said: "Let's bet on the reputation of our respective schools. If I lose, I'll acknowledge you as my master and learn martial arts with you; if you lose, you must acknowledge me as your master and learn literature with me."

  Jiang Xia suddenly understood that Li Dongyang still had not let go of the previous dispute between Wen and Wu. He thought for a moment, then said: "Alright, I'll make a bet with you. But the rules have to be set by me."

  "Alright." Li Dongyang nodded.

  "Sir, let's play a brand new drinking game today. This game is called 'Brain Teaser' in my hometown, and it's very simple. Let me give you an example, the question is: 'Winter melon, cucumber, watermelon, and pumpkin can all be eaten, which melon cannot be eaten?' The answer is 'foolish melon'. Do you understand, sir?"

  Li Dongyang thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, I understand, let's play this then."

  "Alright. You can also come up with questions, we'll each ask three. Best two out of three, if it's a tie in the end, I'll consider myself defeated, how about that?" said Jiang Xia.

  Li Dongyang stroked his chin whiskers with a smile and said, "Very fair, it's settled then."

  "Alright, sir, listen to this." Jiang Xia said: "One person can do it, I can do it, everyone can do it; one person can do it, but two people cannot do it together. What is it?"

  Li Dongyang stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "It should be just a dream."

  Jiang Xia was slightly startled, he didn't think Li Dongyang would actually understand the brain-twisting puzzle so quickly, and almost without thinking, he gave out the answer.

  Jiang Xia said: "Sir, then you set the questions."

  Li Dongyang thought for a moment and said: "A study room is famous for collecting all the books in the world, but I think there must be one book that has not been collected. What book is it?"

  Jiang Xia was taken aback, and then he was taken aback again. If this question were a brain teaser, it wouldn't be that difficult, but what surprised Jiang Xia was that he really would come up with a brain teaser? Jiang Xia tried to answer: "Do you think the books not collected in the study are... posthumous works?"

  Li Dongyang looked at Jiang Xia with some surprise and smiled: "I thought the question I asked was very difficult, but I didn't expect you to guess the answer."

  "What the... What do you mean? I'm a 23rd-century person, and I've been in contact with this for several hundred years earlier than you. You actually look down on me." Jiang Xia took a deep breath and said: "What kind of people will make the road narrower after meeting?"

  Jiang Xia is full of confidence, this question must be one of the more difficult ones, I believe this old man will absolutely not guess...

  "Enemies will meet and roads will narrow because... enemies make roads narrow."

  "My goodness! A superior person indeed." Jiang Xia looked at Li Dongyang in surprise, and he couldn't help but ask tentatively: "Sir, do you know about the transmigrator?"

  "Is this a problem?" Li Dongyang asked Jiang Xia back, Jiang Xia's expression was not intentionally pretending to be stupid, and he let out a sigh of relief, confirming that Li Dongyang was not someone who had traveled through time from the future.

  Li Dongyang thought for a moment and said: "Now it's my turn to ask the question. What is the difference between Confucius, the Sage of Kong, and Mencius?"

  Jiang Xia thought for a moment and said: "The two books written by them are 'Analects of Confucius' and 'Mencius', right?"

  Li Dongyang shook his head and corrected: "The Analects is a collection of the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples, not written by Confucius himself."

  "Isn't it this distinction?" Jiang Xia tried to answer again: "Is it that the two have a difference in height? Or is there a difference in their birth month? Or is it that the two have different surnames, one named Kong and the other Meng?"

  Jiang Xia gave several answers in a row, but they were all vetoed by Li Dongyang. In the end, Jiang Xia racked his brains and couldn't think of an answer. He gritted his teeth and said: "Then please, sir, announce the answer. If your answer can convince me, I will acknowledge you as my master."

  Li Dongyang smiled slightly, and this smile made Jiang Xia feel extremely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before. If he carried a mirror with him every time he succeeded in being mysterious, and took a glance at Jiang Xia, he would understand that the smile was the one he often wore himself.

  Li Dongyang said: "Listen carefully. The difference between Confucius and Mencius lies in the fact that the 'zi' of Confucius is on the right, while the 'zi' of Mencius is above."

  After hearing Li Dongyang's answer, Mr. Jiangxia was stunned for at least ten seconds and almost vomited blood.

  What is called a brain teaser, this is called a brain teaser. Li Dongyang said the question in one breath, but didn't think that the question would lead Jiang Xia to another place. The correct way to distinguish Li Dongyang's question should be read like this: "What is the difference between Confucius and Mencius?"

  There should be a comma after the word "Meng", meaning "Confucius and 'Meng', what is the difference between the two 'zi' characters." So the answer is: "The 'zi' character of Confucius is on the right, while the 'zi' of Meng is above."

  I'm convinced, delighted and obedient.

  Jiang Xia looked at Li Dongyang and called out in a dejected tone: "Master."

  "Huh?" Li Dongyang shook his head and said: "So you don't understand etiquette?"

  Jiang Xia let out a long sigh and asked Li Dongyang: "Can wine be used instead of tea?"

  Li Dongyang nodded slightly.

  Jiang Xia picked up a cup of wine from the table, then knelt down on both knees and saluted Li Dongyang with respect: "Master is above, please accept the disciple's bow, a cup of wine is offered, please Master drink."

  "Alright." Li Dongyang took the wine cup and drank a mouthful, then pulled out a 10-tael silver note from his bosom and handed it to Jiang Xia: "This is our first meeting, I didn't prepare any gift, this is just a small token, take it for now. If your studies go well in the future, I'll naturally give you another better gift."

  "Thank you, teacher." Jiang Xia almost cried out in frustration. What was going on? How did he get hoodwinked into becoming an apprentice without even realizing it? The plot twist was too fast for Jiang Xia to keep up with, and he couldn't figure out when he had fallen into Li Dongyang's trap, step by step.

  "What a super scam." Jiang Xia muttered silently in her heart.

  But willing to admit defeat, Jiang Xia also resigned herself to her fate.