Pei Zi Yun grabbed the sword that was hanging on the wall. He felt a sense of familiarity with this sword. He felt as though the sword had fused with his hands. This Daoist Qing Song's sword technique was now his.
Holding the sword, he pushed open the door to the courtyard and stood on the green stone floor. With just one swing of the sword, he felt as though the sword had a life of its own, as it automatically adjusted itself to its optimal state. The sword gleamed brightly as it chopped, lifted, hung, poked, poked, smashed, intercepted, and lifted.
The Wan Kingdom played a game of chess, no more and no less, just as it should be.
'The Plum Blossom can not only steal memories, it can steal spirituality. It's no wonder young master Xie was able to become a true immortal. '
'Of course, although I've inherited this sword technique, I can't digest it immediately. That's normal. After all, Daoist Qing Song spent his entire life accumulating knowledge. '
'This was a man known as the Sword Saint. It's a pity that he ended up in a mortal sect. Once he reached the pinnacle, he had nowhere else to go. Although he relied on his wisdom and determination to carve out a path for himself, he died at the age of sixty-one. '
'What's more, there was no suitable successor. If there was a successor, he could follow the path that Daoist Qing Song had carved out. He would then be able to understand the way to become a Yin Master. At that point, he would be able to transform into a Dao sect. '
'If a Dao sect were to reach the pinnacle of Yin Masters, and were lucky enough to find a place to occupy, they would be like Free Cloud Sect. They would become a true Dao sect, and could even be conferred titles by the Imperial Court. '
'That's how Dao sects came to be. However, these rogue cultivators only depend on luck to accept disciples. How can there be outstanding disciples in every generation? '
'This Daoist Qing Song didn't even have a second generation, much less three or four. Now that he's dead, I'm the one who's benefiting from this. It'll take some time for the Imperial Court's matters to be settled. I need some time to digest this. 'Pei Zi Yun thought to himself.
The lantern festival passed, and the Grand Princess did not summon him. As time passed, the weather began to warm up. Some of the peach trees had already started to grow leaves and buds.
The spring rain continued to fall, and the lights of the lamps could be seen. Pei Mansion was clean and tidy, and there wasn't a single speck of mud on the green stone floor. Because it was cloudy, the house was dark. A gust of wind blew in, and the kitchen maid was dressed in old clothes. She smiled, "Luckily I went out early to buy some vegetables. If not, it would have rained again."
The young maidservant had only been resting for half a month and her complexion was much better than before. She was no longer as sallow and emaciated as before. When she heard her mother's words, she hurriedly took the bowl and smiled, "Mother is indeed accurate. What shall we eat today?"
The cook then placed the dishes into the steamer basket to be warmed. There were steamed eggs, spring rolls, ginseng chicken soup, and diced chicken. She then pointed at her daughter, "You can only eat this steamed egg now. I've got an extra bowl. But when Young Master comes out to eat, there will definitely be leftovers. Life is like heaven and earth compared to before."
"Hehe, I know." The little lass scooped a spoonful of egg custard and put it into her mouth.
Quiet Room
A stick of incense was lit, and a red light shone in the darkness. This was the method he had learned from his memories. Seeing the incense burning, and the smoke rising up, Pei Zi Yun drew his sword. With a flash of his sword, the tip of the incense was cut in half. However, the smoke did not move at all. He then stood up, "My sword techniques have reached the level of Daoist Qing Song when he was thirty years old."
As soon as he came out, the kitchen maid welcomed him, "Young Master, do you wish to eat?"
Pei Zi Yun took a whiff of the fragrance and smiled, "With you cooking every day, I've gained weight."
The kitchen maid smiled, "Young Master has given us a place to settle down, it's only right for us to serve you."
It was no wonder he came from an official's family. The way he spoke was indeed different. Pei Zi Yun laughed and was about to speak when someone knocked on the door, "Is Young Master Pei in? The Grand Princess has ordered me to invite you over."
"Oh? He's finally here. The examination must have ended, and the suspicion has been averted. " Pei Zi Yun left the room and walked to the entrance of the courtyard. He then saw an imperial guard knocking on the door. Behind him was a horse carriage. Pei Zi Yun looked at the carriage and followed it.
Grand Princess' Mansion
The horse carriage alighted, and the imperial guard led Pei Zi Yun in through the side door. This time, he was much deeper into the mansion. The sky was clear and bright, and the paths were lined with flowers and pebbles. The trees were dense and dense. The huge mansion had green tiles and white walls, and the pavilions were all hidden within.
Along the way, the sounds of birds chirping could be heard. The peach blossoms were in full bloom, and the fragrance of the flowers permeated the air. Pei Zi Yun sighed in his heart, "The Grand Princess' Mansion lives up to its name. I've been studying hard for ten years, and even if I brought honor to my ancestors, and drank fine wine, it would not be as luxurious as this."
Just as he was deep in thought, he reached a door. There were two rows of armored imperial guards standing guard. The imperial guard stepped forward and handed over his token. The guards then inspected the two of them, and removed their weapons before letting them pass.
The imperial guard then said softly, "Young Master Pei, the security is strict. It's for your own protection, please forgive us."
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head in understanding. However, he was a little surprised, "Even if it's the Grand Princess, why would the security be so strict? Just now, even I shivered."
Thinking about this, he followed the imperial guard into the mansion. Only then did he realize the difference between the inside and the outside. The walls were tall, and the temperature within the walls was much higher. The peach blossoms were still in full bloom, and there were many bees and butterflies flying around the peach trees. It was a very lively scene. Pei Zi Yun thought to himself, "Perhaps there's a hot spring in the middle of the courtyard."
He had only taken a few steps when he felt something was wrong. A strong pressure was pressing down on him. Pei Zi Yun's expression changed. In this environment, which was filled with vitality, he felt like a fish in mud. Every step he took was extremely difficult. It was as if his entire body was shackled, and his breathing was suppressed. He could not even use his Dao arts. He then understood, "This must be a forbidden area, but the Grand Princess is definitely not at this level. Could it be?"
The imperial guard continued walking. After turning a corner, he saw a young lady sitting under a peach tree, swinging on a swing. Every time she swung, a peach blossom would fall from the tree.
The imperial guard acted as if he did not see anything, and continued to lead Pei Zi Yun forward. As he passed by the young lady, he heard her say softly, "The Emperor's uncle said it's a pity that this kid has already entered a Daoist sect."
Pei Zi Yun had already passed by the young lady, but when he heard her voice, he paused. He looked at the young lady, and saw that she was dressed in a silk robe, embroidered with gold threads. Her hair was adorned with a hairpin, and she looked extremely elegant. When Pei Zi Yun looked over, the young lady raised her head. She had big eyes, and when she saw Pei Zi Yun, she smiled, as if she had known Pei Zi Yun for a long time.
Both of them did not speak further. Pei Zi Yun could only vaguely remember this young lady, but he could not recall anything. The imperial guard urged him to follow, and Pei Zi Yun followed.
The imperial guard led Pei Zi Yun along the green stone path. When the scenery changed, a palace hall appeared in front of him. There were elite soldiers standing around the hall, guarding the entire area.
Inside, there was a banquet table, which was filled with officials. There were dishes and wine on the table, and the banquet had not started yet. At a glance, he could tell that these officials were all fifth or sixth ranked, and were dressed in official robes.
"Ai, it seems the Grand Princess wasn't the only one who summoned you." The imperial guard invited Pei Zi Yun to take a seat.
As soon as Pei Zi Yun sat down, a fat official came up to him and whispered, "Young Master, which house or Marquis are you from? Why have you been invited to join us? "
Seeing that Pei Zi Yun was dressed in his usual robes, the surrounding officials were taken aback, and leaned closer to listen.
Pei Zi Yun had a confused look on his face as he whispered, "Your excellency, what banquet is this? I've been invited by the Grand Princess, but I don't know why she arranged for me to be here. "
When the official heard that Pei Zi Yun had been invited by the Grand Princess, he paused.
Ever since the Grand Princess's Prince Consort had died in battle, her personality had become strange. It wasn't strange for her to throw the person she had invited here. After all, there were things that were even more ridiculous than this.
However, to be invited by the Grand Princess, his status must not be ordinary. Although he didn't explain in detail, he knew that it would be a good idea to interact with him. This official, who was trembling with fats, whispered, "Today is the Spring Banquet. Every year, after the Lantern Festival, the Emperor would gather all his officials and hold a banquet in all four corners of the country.
Hearing this sixth ranked official explain in a low voice, Pei Zi Yun finally understood. So this was the Spring Banquet. He had long heard of the Spring Banquet, but in his previous life, he hadn't even heard of it. It was normal that he didn't know much about it. No wonder the Peach Garden was protected, and the Emperor had to be in this hall.
Pei Zi Yun didn't think much of it. The banquet, the officials, the Grand Princess summoning him, all these thoughts flashed through his mind. Perhaps the host of the banquet wasn't the Grand Princess, but someone else. He fell silent, and his heart was burning with passion. Perhaps the reward he had obtained for his sect was in this hall.
Taking a closer look, the hall was wide and spacious. It was very quiet, and nobody would be able to sneak in. Listening closely, he could hear the sounds of bells and flutes being played.
Although Pei Zi Yun hadn't been inside before, many of the Grand Scholars had been here before. One look and he could tell that it was the Music of the Sage. This was the music of a king.
"According to etiquette, the Princes, Princes, Prince Consort, and the Imperial Guards are the closest to the Emperor."
"The Prime Ministers, Ministers, and Ambassadors can also be close to the Emperor."
"Outside the hall, the Counts, the Princes, and the Men are all surrounded by the three ranks of civil and military officials."
"Those who are of the fourth rank and above can have a corner within the hall. The banquet outside the hall is much more relaxed. Of course, no matter how relaxed it is, it has to be at least of the fifth or sixth rank. Those below the sixth rank do not even have the right to participate."
"I am here because of the Grand Princess's special invitation. It's not that special. In order to celebrate with the people, the banquets outside the hall are attended by the people. However, these 'people' have to at least have some achievements. I am a High Scholar, and can barely be considered qualified."
"Since it's a Spring Banquet, it won't be a simple ceremony. There must be something important. Since I've already entered a Daoist sect, I don't think they want me to speak in front of the officials. It must be a poem. I have to think about it, and be prepared."
At this point, the praising of the Sage was almost completed, and the sound of the banquet starting could be heard.
Pei Zi Yun looked around and saw that everyone was eating. The fat official picked up a pair of chopsticks and started eating, "Young Master, the food for this Spring Banquet is not bad. Especially for the Grand Princess. The ingredients are all high quality, and it's hard to eat them. Look at how many people are starving."
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he understood what was going on. Seeing that some of the officials were hungry, their eyes lit up as they started eating and drinking to their heart's content. They even started chatting amongst themselves.
Pei Zi Yun laughed to himself, "The officials are only so-so!"
He then thought, "The officials should be of the third rank and above. Should they be considered as a minor official here?"
He lowered his head and looked at the pot of noodles in front of him. There were several pieces of meat that looked like crystals. The fat official used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat and threw it into his mouth. He then ate it happily and sighed, "This crystal meat is of the highest quality. It's hard to forget."
Seeing that there were such gluttons in this world, Pei Zi Yun laughed and continued eating. There was wine on the table, and yet not a single official was drinking from it. Just as he was feeling strange, he heard a eunuch's voice, "His Majesty has decreed that the sixth ranked official, Chen Zhi, has an audience with him."
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