Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 62 is all?

"So many powerful figures," Li Tang muttered under his breath. "This Master Meng must have quite a lot of influence."

Li Che remained calm and led the two to sit down in the back seats.

They didn't arrive early, and the good spots were already taken, but that suited Li Che's tastes perfectly—it's better to keep a low profile.

As soon as Jiang Xun sat down, he noticed a group of scholars sitting not far away, all dressed in tall hats and wide belts, chatting and nodding their heads.

One of the young scholars, with his rosy lips and white teeth, and exquisitely handsome features, was looking around, his gaze occasionally sweeping over them.

Jiang Xun glanced at it a couple more times, then suddenly felt something was wrong.

The scholar was dressed in a scholar's robe and wore a square scarf, but his neck was too thin and his chin too pointed—most importantly, he had two extremely small ear holes on his earlobes.

female.

The woman dressed as a man seemed to notice his gaze, turned her head slightly, and met his eyes for a moment.

In that instant, Jiang Xun saw her eyes clearly—clear and cold like autumn water, yet seemingly hiding something within them, making them unfathomable.

She quickly looked away, seemingly unconcerned.

"What are you looking at?" Li Tang leaned closer and asked in a low voice.

"It's nothing," Jiang Xun shook his head. "I'm just curious, with so many people coming to listen to Master Meng's lectures, do they even understand them?"

"I don't understand either," Li Tang nodded, deeply agreeing.

"Thump—"

A clear chime interrupted their whispering.

The crowd quieted down, and all eyes turned to the high platform.

An elderly man with white hair slowly ascended the high platform and sat down behind the long table.

He wore a plain-colored long robe, had a thin face, and white hair and beard, but was in good spirits, with exceptionally bright eyes.

Meng Huaigu.

He didn't rush to speak, but slowly glanced at the crowd below the stage and nodded slightly in greeting.

His gaze was gentle, yet somewhat somber; wherever it swept over, everyone unconsciously straightened their backs.

"I am deeply honored that you have come from afar," Meng Huaigu said, his voice not loud but clear. "The moonlight is just right tonight, so let's discuss the classics first. I have recently reread the Book of Documents and have gained some insights, which I would like to share with you all."

After saying that, he began to preach.

It's about the "Hong Fan" chapter of the Book of Documents, with all sorts of literary terms like "Five Elements and Five Affairs" and "Imperial Standards and Various Policies."

Jiang Xun felt a headache coming on after hearing just a few words. He felt as if the words were drilling into his ears and then into his brain, where they started fighting.

He glanced around furtively—Li Che was listening intently, nodding slightly from time to time, seemingly taking it all in.

The scholars nearby were completely absorbed, some shaking their heads, some looking devout, and others scribbling notes with pen and paper.

Li Tang didn't listen, but she wasn't idle either. She was looking around at the people around her, her eyes darting around like a curious cat.

Jiang Xun withdrew his gaze and yawned listlessly.

He also began to observe the people in the courtyard.

Huang Hu continued to talk quietly with the middle-aged men, occasionally glancing up at the stage, but his mind was clearly not on the sermon.

Zhang Tao of Baoyue Villa was sitting improperly, twisting his neck and changing his posture, clearly not listening to anything.

The few members of the Jade Cang Sect sitting nearby were sitting upright, but their eyes were darting around, glancing at each other from time to time.

The young man in black in the corner had his eyes closed, as if he were resting.

But Jiang Xun noticed that his ears were twitching slightly—he was listening to the sounds around him.

His gaze returned to the female scholar disguised as a man.

The woman wasn't listening to the sermon; she was observing.

His gaze would occasionally pause as he swept across the crowd, seemingly trying to identify someone.

Jiang Xun noticed that when her gaze swept over the young man in black from the Northern Border, it lingered for an unusually long time.

Jiang Xun's heart stirred.

Could it be that she knows that person?

Another half hour passed before the sermon finally ended.

"I've been rambling on," Meng Huaigu nodded slightly. "If any of you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I will do my best to answer them."

As soon as he finished speaking, several scholars eagerly raised their hands.

Next came the Q&A session.

The scholars asked questions about the classics, such as "the mutual generation and restraint of the five elements" and "the difference between the Supreme Ultimate and the Doctrine of the Mean." Meng Huaigu answered them one by one, explaining them in simple terms, which made the scholars nod in agreement.

Jiang Xun still couldn't understand what he was hearing, as if he were listening to gibberish.

One person asked a question after another, most of which were trivial and not particularly profound.

Until a young scholar stood up.

The scholar was in his early twenties, with a handsome face, wearing a slightly worn blue robe, and exuding an air of scholarly refinement.

He rose with composure, and spoke in a clear voice: "Master Mencius just spoke of 'The Way of the Supreme Being lies in moderation and righteousness,' and I have a question. Moderation and righteousness are certainly valuable, but in all matters of the world there are principles and expedient measures. If one blindly adheres to moderation and righteousness, how will one cope with changing circumstances? For example, the Book of Changes says, 'When things reach an extreme, they change; change leads to progress.' How should one choose between this principle of flexibility and the principle of moderation and righteousness?"

Upon hearing this, many scholars in the audience showed thoughtful expressions.

Meng Huaigu stroked his beard and smiled, nodding: "Good question. What's your name?"

"Student Liu Wen is from Jiangning."

"Liu Wen..." Meng Huaigu hesitated for a moment, "was he a student of Master Tang Wenyuan of Jiangning?"

Liu Wen was slightly taken aback, then cupped his hands and said, "Indeed. Master Meng actually knows my teacher's name?"

"I have met Master Tang several times, and I have always respected his character and scholarship." Meng Huaigu looked at him with a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You have asked this question, which shows that you have truly learned from him. Very well, I will try to answer you—"

He gave a speech, the gist of which was that impartiality is fundamental, while flexibility is useful; the two are not contradictory, but rather mutually supportive.

After listening, Liu Wen nodded thoughtfully, then bowed and sat down.

Meng Huaigu then looked at the crowd: "Who else?"

A voice rang out: "The students also have questions."

Jiang Xun was taken aback—it was Li Che who spoke.

Li Che rose, bowed respectfully without being humble or arrogant, and then said, "This student dares to ask the Master—you just spoke of 'The Son of Heaven is the parent of the people, and the king of the world,' which is the teaching of the sages. But how should a king cultivate himself and manage his family so as not to fail this responsibility?"

This question is well-chosen; it neither disrespects the words of the sages nor does it stray from the principles of governance.

Meng Huaigu glanced at Li Che, his gaze lingering on him for a moment, and slowly said: "The Great Learning says: 'If you wish to manifest your bright virtue to the world, you must first govern your state. If you wish to govern your state, you must first regulate your family. If you wish to regulate your family, you must first cultivate your personal life. If you wish to cultivate your personal life, you must first rectify your heart.'"

This is the order of importance, the sequence of events. Only by rectifying one's heart can one cultivate one's character; only by cultivating one's character can one regulate one's family; only by regulating one's family can one govern one's state; only by governing one's state can one manifest one's virtue to the world.

Li Che listened attentively, then cupped his hands and said, "I will keep your words in mind, Master."

He sat back down, his expression calm, as if he were simply asking for advice.

But Jiang Xun noticed that a few people lingered on Li Che for a few more seconds—an old man in gray next to Meng Huaigu, several people from aristocratic families, and the scholar disguised as a man.

The scholar, in particular, glanced at Li Che, as if he were pondering something.

The questioning continued for a while before finally coming to an end.

Meng Huaigu clapped his hands, and dozens of servants filed in carrying dishes.

Jiang Xun had expected that the great scholar would be hosting a feast of delicacies, but what was served was a bowl of white rice, a plate of green vegetables, a plate of tofu, and a plate of pickled radishes.

That's it?