My older brother said I'm invincible.

Chapter 11
"Sanlang, Sanlang!"

Duan Niang rushed into the house in a great hurry.

Li Xuanba groggily got up, rubbed his eyes, and asked, "Is Mother back?"

"No, no, someone came to visit, they want to see you."

Duan Niang seemed exceptionally excited. Early this morning, a servant came to inform her that someone had come to visit, looking for Sanlangjun. Duan Niang was stunned, not knowing who would come to see Sanlangjun. She asked a few more questions and was told that it was a classmate from Zheng's School.

Duan Niang was overjoyed. Xuan Ba ​​rarely went out due to his health condition and didn't have many friends, except for his two brothers.

Duan Niang was always worried that he would continue like this, but unexpectedly, he made friends at the school.

She then hurriedly woke Xuanba up.

Upon hearing this, Li Xuanba knew who the visitor was. After getting dressed, eating a few bites of food, and taking his medicine, he was about to go see his 'friend'.

Seeing Xuanba, who was clean, neatly dressed, and full of energy, Duan Niang was happier than anyone else.

"Get along well with others and avoid arguments, but don't be afraid of people either, and don't let yourself be bullied."

After giving him many instructions, Duan Niang finally let him go to see his friend.

When Li Xuanba arrived at the gate, Zheng Yuanrui and Zheng Xuanfan had been waiting for him for a long time.

Because it was an official residence, the two of them were not allowed to go inside to wait. Currently, only Li Jiancheng's friends could enter without hindrance; the other children did not have this privilege.

"Please forgive me for keeping you both waiting."

Li Xuanba paid his respects.

Zheng Yuanrui smiled and returned the greeting, "We are the ones who have troubled you. We shouldn't have come so early, but the banquet starts too early, so we had to come. We hope Mr. Li won't take offense!"

Zheng Xuanfan quickly added, "This time, Lord Li can't refuse again. We can't possibly have to ask him three times before he'll come out of seclusion, can we?"

"Hahaha."

The group chuckled, and Li Xuanba accepted their invitation without further refusal, preparing to attend the banquet.

The three of them boarded the carriage together, and the carriage then began to move. This carriage was much more spacious than the carriages the three brothers had ridden in before.

Zheng Yuanrui was quite unpretentious. He smiled and said, "Actually, I've wanted to befriend you for a long time. Your elder brother is also a remarkable and intelligent man; he's your younger brother."

"Cough cough."

Zheng Xuanfan cleared his throat, and Zheng Yuanrui stopped talking and continued, "In any case, we are classmates and study under the same teacher, so we should visit each other and study together."

“We often host banquets, and the location is different each time. It's a gathering of like-minded friends in the city to talk about classics and current affairs.”

"It's not enough to just read books; one must also know what's happening in the world. And progress in classical studies requires mutual debate."

“My elder brother had previously instructed me to associate more with the gentlemen of the Li family.”

"I genuinely befriended you back then; it wasn't for your brother."

"Cough cough."

Zheng Xuanfan cleared his throat again, and Zheng Yuanrui gave a wry smile.

Li Xuanba said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "The elders of the Zheng family have a very good relationship with my father. My father also told us to get along well with them. Master Zheng has also taken great care of us. We are all very grateful."

"As for many things that happened before, I don't think it's all my brother's fault."

“Although we come from the frontier, we are not of the barbarian origin that some of your clansmen claim. Our ancestor was the Han general Li Guang. Our ancestors were good generals for generations. How can we be shamed by being called barbarians? Besides, my family is not only skilled in riding and archery, but also knows principles and etiquette.”

“Your ancestor was once Chongxuan. Don’t you know that Xuan also has the surname Li?”

Zheng Yuanrui paused for a moment before replying, "You're right, sir. I will keep those people in check and prevent them from speaking recklessly again."

“I will also tell my younger brother not to cause any more trouble.”

Zheng Xuanfan laughed, "That's more like it. Let's not dwell on the past, and just get along well from now on, right?"

Zheng Yuanrui looked at the guy in front of him again.

This guy usually looks quiet and unassuming, not saying much, and seems introverted and reserved. I didn't expect him to be so talkative!
The three's destination was quite far from the Li residence, but it was surprisingly located in the south of the city.

The Zheng family had many branches, each with its own residence. However, regardless of the branch, all the branches were very wealthy and owned mansions in various places.

When they arrived at their destination, before they even got out of the car, they heard faint singing.

This is a large mansion surrounded by artificial hills and lush greenery, with an extremely pleasant environment. Many carriages are parked here, and warriors guard the entrances on both sides, preventing others from entering or leaving.

They walked in for a long time, and the scenery inside was quite different, with all kinds of rare and exotic plants, some of which Li Xuanba had never seen before.

Their banquet was held in a pavilion at the very center, surrounded by water on all sides, and it looked extremely exquisite.

There were more than ten people here, half of whom were Zheng's peers and Li Xuanba's classmates, while he did not recognize the rest.

A lavish spread of food was laid out before them, flanked by numerous maids and even two Hu musicians, creating a lively atmosphere. Upon Zheng Yuanrui's arrival, the crowd greeted him warmly. Zheng Yuanrui returned the greetings before introducing Li Xuanba to them, and then proceeded to introduce each of the people before him to Li Xuanba.

The reactions varied; some smiled and returned the greeting, while others remained indifferent, and some even showed disdain.

The Li family was a powerful noble family and an important member of the Guanlong Group. However, it was an ancient tradition for the powerful families in the Central Plains to look down on the powerful families on the frontier. This had been the case since the Han Dynasty. Later, this antagonism gradually turned into an antagonism between the Shandong gentry and the Guanlong nobles.

Coupled with the previous conflict between the Northern Zhou and Northern Qi dynasties, the antagonistic sentiments between different parts of the country were also quite high.

Li Xuanba didn't mind. After greeting everyone, he sat down. As soon as he sat down, some classmates came up to him.

"Li Jun, what you said yesterday really amazed us all, even the teacher praised you highly!"

"Truly brilliant! Mr. Li is a man of great talent!"

As soon as he spoke, the others followed suit and began to flatter him.

They were extremely enthusiastic and full of flattery, so Li Xuanba quickly declined their offers modestly.

The scholars outside the Zheng family's residence were all somewhat bewildered at this moment.

Why are we being so polite to a guy from the northern nomadic tribes?

"Li Jun, the teacher said you have grasped the essence of scholarship. Could you tell us what that essence is? And how do you answer the question about 'transmitting but not creating'?"

Zheng Yuanrui quickly inquired about the important matter.

This was their real purpose in inviting Li Xuanba. The Zheng family was different from the Li family. As a large family that passed down the study of classics, their ability in studying classics was paramount. Although they were an extremely large family, their resources were limited. To obtain resources, they had to demonstrate sufficient talent.

A talent for classical studies is also a very important factor. After all, the emergence of classical scholars played a significant role in enabling the Zheng family to reach this point.

If Master Zheng were to value any of them, the benefits would be self-evident.

Looking at their eyes, Li Xuanba roughly understood why they had invited him. However, it didn't matter. If they wanted to know, he would tell them. Closing the door wouldn't lead to any progress.

He said earnestly, "Actually, I only heard it from others. Someone told me: Master Zheng was fond of metaphysics, so it needs to be interpreted with metaphysics. The content of the classics itself is not important; what matters is how to interpret them in one's own way. You all come from the Zheng school, so naturally you should use Zheng's theories to analyze the classics. It is not the classics that guide us, but rather we who annotate the classics."

"If we set aside the literal meaning of the words and look at it from a metaphysical perspective, then it means that principles and rituals originate from nature, not from human creation, but merely imitation."

Li Xuanba explained earnestly for a long time, and then said, "However, I don't quite agree with this view yet. I think that classical studies are definitely not just used as tools; they must have other uses as well."

Zheng Yuanrui quickly nodded, "Yes, yes, Mr. Li is absolutely right, but could you elaborate on what we were talking about earlier?"

Even those who were not from the Zheng family looked at Li Xuanba seriously at this moment, no longer daring to be as arrogant as before.

Li Xuanba explained it to them again, this time in a simpler and easier-to-understand way, which made everyone quite happy.

After saying this, Li Xuanba looked at the crowd and said, "What do you all think? Isn't this idea too extreme? I've heard that the Zheng family has many books on this subject, and I think you all probably know more about it."

But when it was their turn to speak, they started making small talk.

"maybe."

"Not entirely."

"possible."

They seemed to regard their thoughts and knowledge as treasures that could not be revealed to others, keeping them tightly hidden, and not one of them dared to stand up and speak their mind like Li Xuanba did.

If I tell you, you'll all learn it, right?

Seeing their expressions, Li Xuanba stopped talking and quietly began to eat his meal.

The crowd quickly shifted their focus from classical studies to world affairs, commenting on events happening in various regions.

"Have you heard, my two brothers?"

"Wang Yuanxing in the west of the city has taken another concubine!"

"Huh? Another one? How many is that now?"

"This time is different. You didn't see it, but that concubine is... well, she's huge."

"Have you heard? A prostitute from the south of the city has arrived."

They ate and drank, talking about these absurd things. The maids poured wine for them, and they pretended to be drunk, occasionally touching the maids.

"Sister."

Li Xuanba suddenly turned around and looked at the maid beside him.

The maid trembled and looked at him warily.

Li Xuanba pointed to the food in front of him and said in a low voice, "I really can't finish it. My mother doesn't allow me to waste food. Can I take this with me?"

The maid was taken aback, then quickly began to tidy up for him.

Whether they saw it or not, everyone was chatting enthusiastically and no one paid any more attention to Li Xuanba.

Li Xuanba didn't disturb these people. He took the wrapped bowls and walked out with the maid.

Upon reaching the door, Li Xuanba said, "Thank you, elder sister. I will send someone to return the bowl."

The maid gave a sincere and kind smile. "No need, you can take it."

The boy thanked him again, picked up his things, hummed a happy song, and walked into the distance.

The sun is just right.

It was sprinkled on his path forward.

(End of this chapter)