With virtue

Inside the main room, Zhao Yunshu and the young master had not yet taken their seats; they were simply chatting about some things.

"So that's how it came about. But... the Eastern Capital Heavenly Palace Temple should be quite famous, with many people viewing the visualization paintings. How come it seems to only depict a monkey?" Zhao Yunshu asked. "Even if it's more difficult for a monkey to attain enlightenment, with so many people watching, surely someone will be able to discern the true essence, right?"

"Haha, how can such a visualization diagram be allowed to be viewed by just anyone? Wouldn't that be a waste of a precious resource? Now that Dongdu Temple is heavily guarded, only a handful of people can appreciate such a masterpiece. That's only fair. If such a treasure could be viewed by everyone, from the nobility to the common people, wouldn't the world be in chaos?" the young master laughed.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yunshu chuckled and began to argue: "Huang Chao probably doesn't think that way."

These words caused the atmosphere to suddenly turn cold.

In the past, Chang'an was just like this. The powerful and wealthy families intermarried and were deeply entrenched, known as the "Five Surnames and Seven Families." Even the emperor could not suppress their ambitions. The Cui, Lu, Li, and Zheng families had been officials for generations, monopolizing prestigious and prestigious positions. Meanwhile, poor scholars, who devoted their lives to studying the classics, could only obtain a minor post such as county magistrate or registrar, spending their entire lives in the selection department without ever making any further advancement.

A contemporary proverb said: "Passing the imperial examination doesn't require studying; marrying a wife only requires seeking a woman from one of the five noble families."

Emperor Taizong established the imperial examination system with the intention of giving scholars from humble backgrounds a path to the highest ranks. However, by the middle of the reign, although the system remained, the original intention had been lost, and it was of no use.

As a result, the equal-field system collapsed, and powerful families crisscrossed the land, taking over all the fertile lands for themselves, with servants as numerous as clouds and retainers in large groups.

In contrast, small farming families, with able-bodied men exhausted by corvée labor and grain and silk consumed by taxes, resort to selling land and children in times of drought or flood. The rich own vast tracts of land, while the poor have no place to stand.

During the reigns of Emperors Yi and Xi, natural disasters occurred frequently, and there was a severe drought in Guandong. Officials did not provide relief and continued to collect taxes in the summer and autumn. The people were forced to eat wild wormwood and locust leaves to survive, while the upper-class families became increasingly extravagant, spending thousands of gold coins a day on cockfighting and horse racing. As a result, the country was in uproar. Huang Chao and his followers raised their arms and called for action, and the whole country responded like a marketplace.

At that time, starving people flocked to the area, and bandits followed like clouds. Wherever they went, they plundered and killed. Chao led his troops on a campaign that traversed thousands of miles, eventually entering Luoyang, breaking through Tongguan, and capturing Chang'an. He created a scene where "the bones of officials were trampled on the streets, the imperial treasury was burned to ashes, foxes and rabbits roamed the Hanyuan Hall, and not half of the mansions and red gates remained."

Upon hearing Zhao Yunshu's words, the young master's face hardened, and he slammed his folding fan down on his palm!

He was chatting and laughing just a moment ago, but now he looks rather serious.

But he said solemnly, "So Huang Chao was ultimately defeated at Wolf Tiger Valley in Mount Tai and beheaded. Now that the Tang Dynasty has fallen, isn't it still powerful families like mine who hold sway over the world?"

He said this with an air of self-righteous arrogance in his eyes.

After all, the rise and fall of the world is ultimately a matter of a few powerful families taking turns in power. Those who rise up in rebellion are nothing more than a few mudslings in the history books, and they will never amount to anything.

Zhao Yunshu did not refute.

He knew, of course, that this was the way of the world. In desolate villages, bones lay unclaimed, while people like Chief Sun kowtowed to the powerful and wealthy. Many people sold their children for a meager bowl of porridge.

He was just making a fuss; indeed, the military governors of the country today are all from powerful and influential families, and most of them are of military background.

He mentioned Huang Chao, but he was only somewhat dismissive of him, so he made a sarcastic remark. In reality, he didn't have any major objections, so he didn't continue the conversation.

He walked directly to the table and sat down, picked up the chopsticks and twirled them between his fingers, then asked, "Young master, what shall we have for lunch today?"

The young man in white was about to speak again, but Zhao Yunshu cut him off with the question, "What are we having for lunch today?"

His prepared words were stuck in his throat, causing his lips to twitch slightly.

He stared at Zhao Yunshu for a while, and saw that the young Taoist priest was sitting calmly in the chair, showing no intention of continuing to argue with him.

Finally, he couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing. He quickly opened his folding fan, waved it, and said, "You Taoist priest are quite a character. I thought you were some kind of cynical person."

He closed his folding fan and placed it on the table, saying, "Since I'm the host, I naturally can't neglect my guests. Although Dingzhou City can't compare to the Eastern Capital or the Western Capital, it still has a few decent dishes."

"I've already ordered a mutton feast. Their sheep are fat-tailed mutton from beyond the Great Wall, freshly slaughtered and roasted. The roasted lamb chops are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and when dipped in minced garlic, they're rich but not greasy. There's also soup noodles made with lamb bone broth, the soup is milky white, the noodles are chewy, and the aroma is irresistible. There's also roasted lamb, braised lamb trotters, and lamb offal, served with two pots of fine Shaochun liquor. I invited you to drink last night, but you didn't get to, so I'm making up for it today!"

"Alright, it's been a while since I've had mutton," Zhao Yunshu said with a smile, then changed the subject and asked, "By the way, since we're on the topic, may I ask your name, sir?"

The young man unfolded his folding fan, shook it, and smiled, saying, "My name? Ha, I can't tell you my name, but I can tell you that my surname is Wang, and I am a cousin of Wang Chuzhi, the military governor of Dingzhou. I came to Dingzhou this time because of this matter."

He paused here, looked Zhao Yunshu up and down, and then smiled, "Speaking of which, the silk dress you wore last night was made in my hometown."

"Your hometown? Shu?" Zhao Yunshu asked.

Although he didn't know where the clothes were made, the young master had already said yesterday that they were Shu brocade.

"Exactly." Young Master Wang nodded without saying much, but his eyes held a scrutinizing look, as if waiting for Zhao Yunshu to respond.

Zhao Yunshu remained outwardly calm, but his mind raced.

The Wang family of Shu? He racked his brains, but found that his impression of the powerful families of Shu was almost completely blank.

His memories of Sichuan were limited to things like the difficult roads, the land of abundance, and plentiful produce. He had no recollection of any prominent families, powerful clans, or influential forces there.

The Wang family of Shu? What kind of power are they?

Damn it, I don't remember, damn it!

Why the hell didn't I study?! I really want to take a copy of the Records of the Grand Historian with me when I travel through time!

But that's definitely not going to work right now, so he could only sigh and look at the other person.

This young master Wang, since he dares to claim to be a cousin of the military governor of Dingzhou and owns the Lianyun satin industry in Shu, must be no ordinary person.

Moreover, he said he came to Dingzhou because of "this matter," but what matter? A ghost general? A demonic monk? It can't all be just a tourist trip.

"Young Master Wang, I won't hide it from you, I am indeed here to arrest Zhou Heng."

"I have definite news; he's on a mountain near Dingzhou," Zhao Yunshu said.