A thousand-year-old family begins with one fighting against ten thousand.

In the second year of the Kaiyuan era, Li Longji sent people to thoroughly investigate Xue Rengui's past treasonous plot, exonerated Xue Rengui, posthumously conferred upon him the title of Prince of Liangliao, and ordered the Crown Prince to lead the worship ceremony.

In Longmen County, countless people spontaneously came to mourn Xue Rengui, stretching for dozens of miles.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou, officials throughout the court developed extravagant habits, which was detrimental to the recovery of the nation's vitality. Emperor Wu of Zhou eliminated redundant musicians and palace maids, reduced the extravagant spending of the royal family, and destroyed gold, silver, jade and other luxury items in the palace, setting an example to encourage frugality throughout the country.

In the western regions of the Tang Dynasty, a young man, admiring the prosperity of the ancient Nine Provinces, traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains.

The young man's name was Li Bai, and his courtesy name was Taibai.

His first stop in the Central Plains was the legendary Yanzhou, a place where the literary traditions of a hundred schools of thought converged.

He began reading at the age of five, mastered poetry and prose by the age of ten, and had already composed many poems by the age of fifteen, gaining some poetic fame. At the same time, he practiced swordsmanship, enjoyed chivalrous travels, admired Taoist hermits, and loved to visit famous mountains.

Despite his young age, he possessed an air of arrogance, ready to see if the legendary Hundred Families of Yanzhou were merely a name without substance.

He had just stepped into Yanzhou when he bumped into Wei Wen, who was returning home to pay respects to his ancestors.

Li Bai, who was born in the Western Regions, naturally did not recognize Wei Wen. On the contrary, when Wei Wen saw Li Bai, he felt that this young man was extraordinary, and Li Bai exuded a kind of spiritual energy.

Wei Wen walked up to Li Bai and inquired about Li Bai's identity.

Although Li Bai was arrogant, he was of good character. When an elder asked him a question, he would answer honestly and truthfully.

Wei Wen stroked his beard, looking at Li Bai with increasing fondness, and couldn't help but ask for his opinion.

Only after he spoke did I realize that this young man was indeed exceptionally talented.

He had seen many people his age who were more knowledgeable and understood more than Li Bai, but that was more due to their previous education than to their being more talented than Li Bai.

Moreover, Li Bai possessed a talent for poetry and prose that was difficult for ordinary people to match. He had seen countless outstanding talents in the world, but none of them could compare to him.

Not to mention comparing them, they don't even have one-tenth of their talent and spirituality.

Upon seeing this young man, he couldn't help but think of Cao Zhi, the son of Cao Cao, the founding emperor of the Qianlong Emperor.

Cao Zhi, whose talent was said to be as abundant as a bushel of stones, possessed eight-tenths of that abundance.

He was a genius, a rare talent, and his "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" was written when he was thirty years old.

Its elegant wording and ornate language remain unsurpassed for centuries.

Wei Wen became increasingly engrossed in the conversation, asking more and more profound questions, forgetting that Li Bai was only a teenager at the time.

As the questions delved deeper, Li Bai was so intimidated that he began to tremble.

Is this Yanzhou? Is it really that terrifying?

An old man suddenly appeared out of nowhere, yet his knowledge was so vast that it made him feel as if he were in a bottomless abyss.

Li Bai couldn't help but blush with arrogance. There were so many outstanding people in the world, who was he, Li Bai, to compare?

He still has a lot to learn, and he must never underestimate anyone.

Wei Wen, seeing an opportunity, was delighted. "Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Wei Wen asked kindly.

The guards around Wei Wen looked at Li Bai in surprise. They hadn't expected that Li Bai could gain this man's approval, and for a moment they couldn't help but look at Li Bai with envy.

Li Bai naturally noticed the gazes of these people and was curious about the identity of the person in front of him.

Moreover, if one can encounter someone with such profound knowledge upon first entering Yanzhou, then how terrifying must the leaders of the Hundred Schools of Thought in Yanzhou be?

How powerful must the legendary King of Yan, who was said to be above all other philosophers, have been?

The act of taking a master is a very serious matter; a person can only have one true master in their lifetime.

Wei Wen noticed Li Bai's hesitation and smiled, never expecting that he would be rejected when he tried to take on a disciple.

The guards behind Wei Wen couldn't stand it any longer and quickly tried to remind Li Bai.

Do you know who is standing before you?

"Why!"

Wei Wen stopped him, displeased, saying, "Accepting disciples depends entirely on fate; how can we force it?"

"You're here in Yanzhou for study, right?"

Wei Wen looked at the luggage Li Bai was carrying and said with a smile, "Any young person with some talent in the world will travel to Yanzhou to study. I have seen countless people dressed like Li Bai."

"In that case, take a good look at Yanzhou and the world with your own eyes before making a decision."

"If you are still willing to become my disciple at that time, then come to this address to find me."

After Wei Wen finished speaking, he sealed the slip of paper with the address of one of his private residences written on it and handed it to Li Bai.

"If you decide to take someone else as your teacher, then we are not destined to be teacher and student. You don't need to open this letter; just burn it."

Li Bai carefully put away the envelope, solemnly bowed to Wei Wen, and then turned and strode towards Yanzhou.

Wei Wen watched Li Bai leave, stroking his beard, "Go on, if fate allows, we will meet again."

After bidding farewell to Wei Wen, Li Bai finally set foot in Yanzhou.

His first stop on his journey was the legendary Yanzhou Academy, where, according to legend, masters of a hundred schools of thought would teach from time to time, and even the legendary King of Yan would occasionally appear. It was the number one academy in the world, even surpassing the Imperial Academy in the capital.

He arrived at the Yanzhou Academy, presented the letter of introduction from the academy's dean, and was successfully admitted, joining the study of the Xuanmen sect.

Although he was young, he was actually quite interested in philosophical discussions, which was his third favorite thing after poetry and swordsmanship.

Li Bai was naturally gifted, and when he came to the Yanzhou Academy, a sacred place for scholars, he was like a mouse falling into a rice jar, constantly absorbing the essence of the academy.

As he took more and more classes at the academy and came into contact with more and more scholars, a question gradually arose in his mind.

What was the background of the old man he met when he first arrived in Yanzhou?

The more I learn and the more I understand, the more confused I become, and the more I realize how profound the old man's knowledge is.

Before entering the academy, one sees them as a frog in a well looking at the moon in the sky; after entering the academy, one sees them as a mayfly looking at the blue sky.

Especially after he enrolled for several months, he had the good fortune to meet a contemporary Confucian master lecturing at the academy. Through his studies there, he was able to appreciate just how profound the Confucian master's knowledge was.

But he always felt that he was still a bit lacking compared to the old man he had met before.

Late at night, Li Bai couldn't help but take out the envelope with the old man's address written on it.

Although he was called an old man, he was only over forty and did not look old. However, when Li Bai faced him, he always felt as if he were facing his elder, and there was a kind of blood pressure.

This feeling struck Li Bai as extremely strange.

Do you want to open it?

Li Bai was just a teenager at the time, and he wasn't thick-skinned.

Not long ago, he declined the old man's invitation, but now he is eagerly going back to become his disciple, which makes Li Bai a little embarrassed.

Young people are still a bit too proud to admit it.