The author of the book "The Book of the Dead"

Chapter 41 True and False Gods, People of the Future (Seeking Follow-up Reading)

"Langya King Sima Daozi is reopening the Lanting Gathering, you should go too."

Xie Xuan said.

The court finally agreed to let him resign. Today he stepped down as the prefect of Kuaiji and was replaced by his sister Xie Daoyuan's husband Wang Ningzhi.

"Is it okay not to go?" Liang Yue didn't like such events very much.

"I'm afraid it won't work this time. Sima Daozi has come with the imperial edict. How can I let you be an official if I don't go?"

"Alright."

Liang Yue nodded and agreed. At worst, he could just hang out there and keep a low profile while being appointed to an official position.

The next day.

Liang Yue took a carriage to Lanting in Shanyin, Kuaiji.

The scenery is just perfect, with towering mountains, lush forests and tall bamboos; there are also clear and rapid streams, reflecting the surroundings.

There were carriages parked here, and scholars wearing high hats and wide belts, as well as Taoist robes and caps were chatting with each other.

Some are dressed gorgeously and meticulously; some have disheveled hair and are unrestrained and free.

"Haha, Wang Youjun! Mr. Huan!"

"Thank you, Secretary. Long time no see."

"Yu Nei Shi! I have heard of you for a long time!"

"I wish Pushe..."

Liang Yue is like a transparent person here. He seems to be very famous, but only among the people. He usually does not participate in activities where scholars flatter each other, so he does not have much reputation.

"Sanber!"

At this moment, someone called out his name.

Liang Yue looked back and saw that they were the students of Taihu Academy. Five or six of them were surrounding the former principal Lu Qianzhi.

"Mr. Lu, long time no see." Liang Yue stepped forward and greeted him.

Lu Qianzhi looked much older, no longer as cunning and mercenary as before. He smiled calmly and said, "Shanbo, how are you?"

"Shanbo, where have you been recently?" a classmate asked.

"Shanbo is now a master of alchemy and the chief historian of a county." The local people in Kuaiji knew Liang Yue's reputation.

"It's not bad to have a job to make a living."

Most of the children of aristocratic families look down on the eighth-rank official, and some would rather stay idle at home than be a corrupt official.

However, in this occasion where they are considered invisible, as classmates, they feel close to each other and will not say anything to spoil the mood.

"Ma Junwen is doing well. At such a young age, he is already a secretary. This batch of Taihu scholars should look up to him."

As time passed, famous people from the Three Wu regions came here.

"Someone from the Xie family of Chenjun, the Yu family of Yingchuan, the Wang family of Langya, and the Huan family of Qiaoguo has also come?"

In addition, there are second-rank families, or famous celebrities and high-ranking officials.

"Look, Xie Daoyun and his wife!"

Liang Yue looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged woman with an elegant temperament following a middle-aged Taoist priest. As Xie Xuan's sister, this talented woman was probably almost fifty years old.

People gathered in groups of three or four around the pool, chatting, sitting or standing, talking about everything. Literati, talented people, and high-ranking officials from all over the world gathered together.

Quiet and inaction, free and easy, a picture of prosperity.

Liang Yue was standing in a corner of the crowd, watching as if he were an out-of-this-world person.

As Langya King Sima Daozi arrived in carriage, everyone greeted him solemnly.

"Haha!" Before anyone got off the carriage, a hearty laugh came first. The young king lifted the curtain of the carriage and said, "Duke Kangle, Minister Yu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."

Sima Daozi looked at everyone and said, "Sit down, everyone."

Everyone sat around the canal, and the nobles gathered around King Langya. There was a Taoist priest next to King Langya. When they learned that Taoist priest Sun Song was a descendant of the Tianshi Dao, they immediately respected him highly.

Especially after he performed a few tricks of making fire come out of his palms and smoke come out of his fingers, he became even more revered as a god.

"Goddess Sun, can you come to my house for a chat?"

"Immortal Sun, please come to Linhai and sit with me when you have time."

Sun Song remained calm on the surface and said with a smile: "It's just a minor technique, just a small magic trick passed down by the Southern Pole Immortal."

Seeing him act so pretentiously, Liang Yue couldn't help laughing.

This is probably the future Sun family, right? I have to say, the ability to bewitch people is indeed impressive.

Xie Xuan and Sima Daozi, two political enemies, seemed to be talking about the past like old friends who had not seen each other for many years.

Liang Yue did not compete with others for the position of the canal, but sat in the outer corner, holding a plate of fruits and eating.

The open and covert struggles among the scholars, and the intrigues for positions, are quite interesting.

At this time, he saw an acquaintance.

"Uncle Zhu! Are you feeling well?"

Liang Yue called Zhu Gongyuan, Zhu Yingtai's father.

When Zhu Gongyuan saw Liang Yue, he immediately smiled.

"Shan Bo, your medicine is really useful."

Since Zhu Gongyuan took the elixir, his complexion has improved a lot and he no longer needs to apply lead powder.

He glanced at Xie Xuan who was not far away and whispered, "Shan Bo, why don't you go to Xie Kangle? This is a good opportunity, don't miss it."

"It's okay, what is supposed to come will come." Liang Yue said with a smile.

"Okay, let's talk later." Zhu Gongyuan was busy moving towards another group of dignitaries.

On the other side, Sima Daozi stopped and said to everyone: "This time I came, in addition to reopening Lanting, to read the imperial edict of the court." After that, the historian took out the imperial edict.

"Please also invite Lord Kang Le, Xie Qing... Liang Yue to come forward."

Hearing Liang Yue's name, everyone from Taihu Academy and Zhu Gongyuan looked over.

"This kid...hid very well."

"Liang Yue?"

"Heaven has sent down an auspicious sign, and Kuaiji has been greatly governed. You have made contributions to the country, and I grant you the title of Grand Tutor Xie Xuan... Marquis of Changle Pavilion of Liangyue, and the title of Sixth-Rank Assistant Minister of the Imperial Guards!"

Marquis of Changle Ting?

Liang Yue was surprised that it was Ting Hou.

After the imperial edict was read, everyone congratulated.

"Congratulations, Shanbo-kun!"

"Congratulations to Lord Shanbo on being promoted to the title of Marquis. You can add the word 'Lord' to your title in the future."

Liang Yue returned the greeting calmly, his attitude of ignoring fame and fortune made people nod secretly.

"This kid is really capable, as he remains calm even when the sky is falling. " Zhu Gongyuan thought to himself. He had just laughed at this guy for not knowing how to make use of Xie Xuan to make friends with celebrities, but he didn't expect that this guy had real abilities, which made him look too vulgar.

Sima Daozi glanced at Liang Yue and did not take him seriously, but instead interacted with other noble families.

Liang Yue returned to the corner again.

"The secular way of protection, the magic way of protection, this is - the historical way of protection!"

After the Lanting Gathering.

Liang Yue's reputation as a writer of agricultural books and expert in farming must have overshadowed his reputation as an alchemist.

There was a young man standing in the corner just now. He was about the same age as me, wearing simple clothes, and seemed to not like communicating with others.

"Mr. Shanbo, you don't seem very excited?" asked the young man.

"I have no desire for a title of nobility, I just hope for peace at sea." Liang Yue's words were sincere. If this was an era of peace, why would he go to so much trouble to seek stability.

There will be countless more chaos in the future.

When the young man heard these two sentences, he murmured to himself excitedly, "Brother Shanbo is truly a close friend of mine."

"Who is your Excellency?"

"I am Tao Yuanming."

"I've heard a lot about you. Come to Liuzhuang when you have time."

"Hmm? Long time no see?"

While the two were talking, someone else came over.

This man looked very good, with an air of an immortal. He was none other than the Taoist priest Sun Song who had just been there.

"Mr. Shanbo, I heard that you also like Xuandao?" Sun Song smiled gently.

Liang Yue was alert in his heart, thinking that this might be a member of the Sun family, so he said: "I specialize in farming and have long given up seeking immortality. The path to immortality is elusive and cannot be grasped by mortals like us."

"You don't know the great way. When you see a true immortal, you will find that worldly fame is nothing more than this."

"I have indeed never seen an immortal. Perhaps it is because mortals do not have the same fate as Immortal Sun."

Sun Song was a little disappointed. This kid was so stubborn. He thought that after seeing his magic tricks, he would be eager to become his disciple.

However, it was not easy to communicate in this situation, so we left after exchanging a few words.

Soon, the banquet officially began.

A group of talented people are complete, and a few years old are collected together.

Sima Daozi was a romantic and dashing man.

The scholars left behind excellent works, the talented woman Xie Daoyuan also left behind famous articles, and her husband Wang Ningzhi wrote calligraphy.

Even Xie Xuan took out a short poem.

Liang Yue seems very low-key. He has already achieved success and does not need to become famous.

Amid the noise in his ears, Liang Yue closed his eyes, feeling the mystery of the magic and the circulation of his true energy.

Who knew that he had the secret to escape from the world and achieve immortality?
He is pure in heart and has few desires. He seems to belong not to this world but to the future.

The sun sets in the west and the sky is filled with red clouds.

The great painter Gu Kaizhi finally finished painting a picture of a group of talented people. The scenery in the painting is quite artistic, and the characters are lifelike with lively expressions.

More than 30 years ago at Lanting, Wang Xizhi left his first running script.

There are also excellent works handed down today.

Everyone gathered around the portrait and admired it. Liang Yue was prominently depicted in a corner with just a few strokes.

While Liang Yue admired the exquisite painting, he couldn't help but sigh, and an inexplicable feeling surged in his heart.

In the near future, Xie Xuan, Sima Daozi and others have passed away, and the scene of today's literary grand event will be passed down to the world through paintings.

Perhaps after several years, future generations will talk about today's grand event, lamenting the regret that elegance is always beaten down by wind and rain, reading Xie Daojun's poems, looking at Xie Xuan, the defender of Jiangzuo's clothing and etiquette, and yearning for the scene of the grand event many years ago.

Perhaps they don’t know that the man in the corner of the painting, a person who has long been judged by history books, is still continuing his magnificent life.

"She travels across the eight poles in a cloud, her face is already frosted. Watching the waves wash away all heroes is also a beautiful sight in the world. You can seek immortality, and you are not alone."

Liang Yue took a sip of the liquor and indulged himself wildly.

So cool!

Tao Yuanming was filled with longing after watching it.

A true friend doesn't need too many words.

(End of this chapter)