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A small mountain path wound its way along the slopes, and halfway up the mountain, a waterfall cascaded down, its droplets shimmering with a rainbow-like glow in the sunlight.
Above the waterfall, a large stone platform jutted out, on which a small octagonal pavilion had been built. Inside the pavilion, two elderly men were playing chess and chatting, while a young boy outside was busy brewing tea.
The pavilion was perched slightly over the edge of the rock, so that when sitting inside, one side faced the towering mountain, while the other overlooked the rushing waterfall. It felt as though one was suspended in mid-air, making it a perfect spot to enjoy the natural scenery.
"Good, truly good! Master Pang, residing here amidst the coiling mountains and winding waters, with clouds rising and mist swirling, it's as if nature itself has crafted this scene!" Sima Hui, known as "Mr. Good," smiled so widely that his eyes narrowed into slits, his words carrying a deeper meaning as he addressed Pang Degong.
"If you seek it casually, how can it be nature's craftsmanship?" Pang Degong replied casually, placing a chess piece on the board, completely ignoring the implied meaning in Sima Hui's words.
The last time the two had played chess was on Yuliangzhou, where Pang Degong had once lived. He had moved to Lushan only a year or two ago, and now, thinking back, it felt like many years had passed.
Seeing Pang Degong make his move, Sima Hui glanced at the board but didn't immediately respond. Instead, he said, "Good! What heaven bestows, man can also attain. Such is the natural way of the Dao."
Pang Degong followed the teachings of Huang-Lao, and Sima Hui naturally approached the conversation from the same perspective.
Pang Degong didn't mind that Sima Hui hadn't made his move. Both men understood that the chess game was merely a pretext; the real exchange was happening beyond the board.
Sima Hui's implied meaning was clear to Pang Degong, but it was the same old argument. So Pang Degong said, "If you find it good, then it is yours to enjoy."
Sima Hui sighed helplessly and fell silent for a moment. Then, as if changing the subject entirely, he said, "…The "Zhengjing" has been published."
This caught Pang Degong's attention, and he straightened his posture, frowning. "When did this happen?"
"Earlier this year."
"…Annotating the "Fei Yi" while discarding the "Shi", "Meng", and "Liangqiu"; annotating the "Gu Shang" while discarding the "Ouyang", "Da Xia Hou", and "Xiao Xia Hou"; annotating the "Mao Shi" while discarding the "Qi", "Lu", and "Han"… And now annotating the "Jing"—what a grand endeavor…" Pang Degong couldn't help but sigh deeply. Indeed, these achievements were impressive, even to someone like him. However, this also meant…
Sima Hui, no longer in the mood to say "good," narrowed his eyes slightly and said with a hint of gloom, "Moreover, his disciples include talents like Zhao Zixie, Cui Jigui, Gongsun Xiangzhi, Wang Boyu, Guo Zini, and Xi Hongyu. How many do we have? Sooner or later, the north will all bear his name!"
At this point, Pang Degong fully understood Sima Hui's concerns. After all, they had been friends for many years, and it was rare to see Sima Hui so troubled that he couldn't even bring himself to say "good."
The current situation had truly pushed this "Mr. Good" to his limits!
Although Sima Hui resided in Yingchuan and was a well-known figure there, he was still connected to the Sima family of Henei. Naturally, he was aware of the developments in Luoyang, as well as in Ji and Yu provinces.
Sima Hui's worries were not unfounded. Indeed, based on the current situation, it was possible that within ten to thirty years, his predictions might come true…
Sima Hui pressed further, "Master Pang, you reside here in comfort, but I feel as though I'm sitting on pins and needles." As he spoke, he subtly glanced around, his implied meaning clear.
Pang Degong couldn't help but chuckle. This old fellow really had a sharp tongue, still holding a grudge over Pang Degong's earlier retort. However, Sima Hui's points were valid, and the possibility he raised was indeed significant.
"I am old. Even if I had the will, I lack the strength," Pang Degong said. Although he understood Sima Hui's concerns, his stance remained the same. Moreover, given the average lifespan during the Han Dynasty, Pang Degong was already considered quite elderly.
"Good! If the master has matters to attend to, the disciples can take up the task," Sima Hui said with a smile. With this statement, half of his goal for today had been achieved. The other half, of course, would depend on…
Pang Degong's eyes widened. So this was Sima Decao's plan all along!
Just as Pang Degong was about to refuse, Sima Hui quickly added, "The Imperial Academy in the north, and the Lumen Academy in the south. With Master Pang's esteemed reputation, how can you not contribute? Moreover, I've already discussed this with Xu, Han, Shi, and Meng. Will Master Pang begrudge just one person?"
Pang Degong pointed at Sima Hui and shook his head helplessly. "Each person has their own aspirations; one cannot force them." Although he said this, Pang Degong knew in his heart that once this door was opened, it might be difficult to close later…
"Good!" Sima Hui was naturally delighted. With Pang Degong's words, the next steps would be much easier!
At that moment, the young boy outside finished brewing the tea and brought it into the pavilion on a wooden tray.
He first respectfully presented a cup to Sima Hui, then another to Pang Degong, before standing quietly to the side.
As Sima Hui sipped his tea, he carefully observed the boy, who was said to be Pang Degong's newly adopted nephew. His skin was slightly dark, his face small, but his eyes were quite large, giving him a somewhat unusual appearance.
However, appearances aside, since Pang Degong had taken him in, he must be an exceptionally intelligent young talent. Someone as shrewd as Pang Degong wouldn't adopt a dull-witted child.
Thus, Sima Hui smiled as he glanced between the boy and Pang Degong, saying, "Truly good tea! The tea is excellent, but the person is even more so!"
Pang Degong quickly interjected, "He's still young, still young!"
"Good!" Sima Hui laughed, seeing Pang Degong's nervousness. "Not young, not young at all!"
The young boy stood to the side, listening to the two old men's cryptic conversation, feeling utterly confused. Were they talking about me?
Just as Pang Degong was about to say something, a servant approached the pavilion and handed over a name card, saying, "Someone from the foot of the mountain just delivered this name card…"
The young boy quickly stepped out of the pavilion, took the name card, and handed it to Pang Degong.
Pang Degong examined the name card and murmured, "Fei Qian from Henei? I've never heard of him. Who is this person?" He then opened the name card and found a letter inside. Upon reading it, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Huh? A letter from Imperial Attendant Cai!"
Sima Hui, who had also been paying attention, was momentarily puzzled. But upon hearing "Imperial Attendant Cai," he blurted out, "Good! It's him!"
Pang Degong, still reading Cai Yong's letter, asked, "Does De Cao know this person?"
"Good!" Sima Hui then recounted what he knew about Fei Qian, concluding with, "I don't know what this person is like, but he must be quite remarkable to earn the favor of Cai Bojie and Yuan Zhuo!"
"Interesting! Truly interesting!" Pang Degong didn't hide the letter and, after finishing it, handed it to Sima Hui.
Sima Hui quickly scanned the letter and also remarked, "Good! Truly interesting!" Then, remembering something, he pointed to the letter and said, "This time, he's not too young, is he…"
"Well… Each person has their own aspirations; one cannot force them…"
"Good! Understood, understood!" Sima Hui clearly knew what Pang Degong meant and agreed readily, taking the opportunity to jab at Pang Degong once more. After all, they were used to bantering with each other…
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A/N: Did any of you figure out the riddle and the banter between the two old men in this chapter?