On the pier of Dan Harbor, two medium-sized passenger ships sailed into the harbor at the same time. After the rigging was set up, two white-haired old men came down from the ships. After the two of them stood still on the pier, they looked at each other. Then, they raised their sleeves and bowed to each other.
"Yu Gong."
"Kuang Gong."
Both of them were over a hundred years old. They had become Tianxia's "scholars" sixty years ago. It had been forty years since they had set foot in Ruiguang. This time, they were here to participate in the next year's "scholar meeting".
Yu Gong greeted them and joked, "I didn't expect Kuang Gong to really participate in the meeting. I thought you would be the same as before. Everything is just talk."
Kuang Gong glanced at him and said, "If you can come, why can't I?"
"Who are you calling old?"
Yu Gong was angry, "You're one year older than me!"
Kuang Gong said matter-of-factly, "Isn't that right? If I'm old, how can you not be old?"
Yu Gong glared at him and said, "You hurt yourself by hurting others. You're still so shameless!"
Kuang Gong chuckled and patted his cheeks, saying, "Well, we still need our face. With our old faces, we can at least cover our juniors for a bit."
Yu Gong mocked, "Old man, don't think too highly of yourself. Who would remember your face if you didn't set foot in Ruiguang for forty years?"
Kuang Gong didn't care, "It doesn't matter if you don't remember. Although your face is not as handsome as it was when you were young, your brain is not muddled. You can always give the younger generation some bad ideas."
While the two of them were mocking and insulting each other, a large group of people came out from the docks to welcome them. Among them, there was no lack of officials who held high positions in the government. An old man dressed in plain clothes stepped out from the crowd and came forward to greet them. His face was filled with excitement as he said, "Teacher Kuang, Teacher Yu, this student greets the two teachers."
Yu Gong looked at him and said, "It's Liu Zhan."
Liu Zhan said, "Yes, teachers. This student has ordered my son to prepare a banquet in the residence. I hope the teachers will come."
Kuang Gong looked at him and said, "I know your son is the director. There's no need to bring it up."
Liu Zhan was a little embarrassed and said, "Master Kuang, that's not what I meant."
Yu Gong waved his sleeve and said, "Don't pay attention to him. This old fellow loves to ridicule people the most. He's unreasonable and unreasonable. It just so happens that I'm hungry, so I'll go to your residence to disturb you. At the same time, I'll take a look at how Ruiguang is doing."
Liu Zhan hurriedly stepped to the side and said respectfully, "Teachers, please."
Time flew by, and soon it was the 30th of December.
Auspicious Light City was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. On this day, Taiyang Academy had gathered all the teachers and instructors of the academy and arranged a banquet on the Moon Embracing Stage. The banquet lasted until the end of the banquet.
After Zhang Yu finished participating in the banquet, he rejected the invitation of his colleagues to dance and returned to his residence alone. He went to the top floor and looked at the distant Auspicious Light City with his sleeves behind his back. He could hear the sound of firecrackers in the distance and watched the sparks fly into the sky.
Miao Dan Lord came to his feet and looked at him. Then, he squatted down beside him.
At this time, a loud voice suddenly came from below, "Brother Zhang, are you here?"
Zhang Yu turned around and walked to the edge of the top floor in a few steps. He looked down and said, "Brother Liu, why are you here?"
Liu Guang stood below, holding a celadon wine pot in his hand. He raised it and said, "Brother Zhang, the rules of the clan give me a headache. It's quite boring to spend the old year alone, so I thought I'd come here to drink a few cups with you."
Zhang Yu cupped his hands and said, "Brother Liu, please come up."
Li Qing He immediately went down to open the door. Teacher Liu followed him to the top floor and greeted Zhang Yu. The two people sat down under the canopy.
Liu Guang looked at the distant Auspicious Light City shrouded in lights and put down the wine pot. He smiled and patted it gently, "Don't worry, I know you don't like to drink. I'll drink this pot of wine. You just have to drink the tea."
Zhang Yu said, "It's fine to drink a few cups today." He ordered Li Qing He, "Go and get the wine pot in the cellar."
Li Qing He complied and left.
Liu Guang's eyes lit up, "Brother Zhang, it seems you have good wine here!"
After a while, Li Qing He carefully walked up with a wine pot in one hand and a wine set in the other. He placed the wine pot on the lacquer table with a cushion and opened the seal. At first, he couldn't smell anything, but after a while, he felt that the courtyard was full of a strong fragrance, intoxicating.
Liu Guang closed his eyes and sniffed. His cheeks flushed red and his body couldn't help but sway. He opened his eyes in surprise and asked, "What wine is this?"
Zhang Yu said, "The spirit wine given by Xuanfu. I've never drunk it."
Liu Guang couldn't help but be interested. He rubbed his hands and said, "It turns out there is such a good wine. This time, it's thanks to Brother Zhang." While speaking, he hurried to get the wine cup.
Zhang Yu stretched out his hand and stopped him, "Wait."
Liu Guang cast a puzzled look.
Zhang Yu said sincerely, "Brother Liu, you're not a cultivator, so this cup of wine of yours needs to be mixed with warm water. Otherwise, you'll be drunk before you even take a sip. You won't be able to wake up for a few days."
"Mixed with water?"
Liu Guang's eyes widened. He couldn't help but sniff the smell again. He shook his head helplessly, "Too careless, too careless."
Li Qing He took a wine cup and poured half a cup of warm water. Then he picked up the wine pot and tilted it slightly. A sparkling jade line flowed down and fell into the cup. After a while, clouds of mist floated near the mouth of the cup, like ice and spiritual dew, condensed and didn't disperse.
Liu Guang waited for Zhang Yu to pick up the wine cup in his hand before reaching out and taking the cup in front of him.
At this time, he thought for a while and looked down at the bright lights of Auspicious Light City. He sighed with emotion, "The sun and the moon pass through the sky, the auspicious light comes out. After today, the people of Tianxia will have established themselves on this land for a whole hundred years …"
Speaking of this, his expression became serious. He raised the wine cup with both hands and said, "This cup, I hope that 'Tianxia lives forever, and the people live in peace'!"
Zhang Yu also raised his sleeve and raised his cup, "Tianxia lives forever, and the people live in peace!"
The two of them toasted each other and drank. Then they raised their sleeves to show the cup and put it down again.
Boom boom boom …
In the distance, there was a continuous muffled sound of cannons coming from outside the harbor.
Liu Guang looked and said, "This is the Protectorate's fleet firing cannons to celebrate the New Year.
Zhang Yu nodded.
Almost half an hour later, the rumbling sound of cannons stopped. But this sound seemed to be just the beginning. After a while, the sound of firecrackers could be heard in every corner of the city. Then, the whole of Auspicious Light City began to set off grand fireworks, accompanied by the sound of explosions, blooming in the sky above the city.
Liu Guang sighed, "After today, it will be the 374th year of the Great Xuan calendar. I don't know when the Protectorate will return to Tianxia."
Zhang Yu said, "It shouldn't be too far away."
Liu Guang's eyes lit up, his body moving forward a little. Looking at him, he said, "Why does brother Zhang say so? But is there any news from Xuanfu? "
Zhang Yu said, "The reason why the Protectorate and Tianxia are at an impasse is because of the turbid tide. Now that the turbid tide is in the process of subsiding, I believe that it won't be long before the obstruction above the border weakens to the minimum."
Liu Guang could not help but feel excited, "So, after the turbid tide completely subsides, the Protectorate can light up the fire beacon …" Just as he said this, a cold wind blew over. He quivered and sobered up a little. His voice could not help but pause, and he shook his head and said self-deprecatingly, "I drank too much." He picked up the wine cup and downed it in one gulp. "Then there's no harm in getting drunk."
Zhang Yu looked at him drinking cup after cup, and did not try to persuade him. Those who could see clearly knew that after the battle of the Hong River sixty years ago, the obstruction to light the fire beacon had never been the turbid tide.
Liu Guang's alcohol tolerance was not bad. After drinking ten cups in a row, he could not hold on any longer and collapsed on the table. However, his mouth seemed to be muttering something.
Zhang Yu did not drink again, and only silently looked into the distance. Miao Danjun came to his side and called out to him softly. He reached out and touched him.
At this time, there was suddenly a grand sound of bells and drums on the platform, reverberating above the entire Auspicious Light City. It then passed to the surface of the sea, following the waves and spreading into the distance, constantly reverberating there.
The old year had passed, and a new year had begun.
He poured the wine in his cup to the ground, as a toast to himself and the people of the past.
He raised his head, watching the rising flames that bloomed and extinguished in midair, but continued to rise, always illuminating the night sky.
The turbid tide had always existed in the dark thoughts of some people, but the fire beacon was rooted in the hearts of millions of people. As long as these flames had not been extinguished, then there would be a day when it could be lit.
With a thought, the Xia Sword flew over and landed in his hand in an instant. He reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword. With a clang, he pulled out the sword. The blade was raised high, reflecting the stars in the sky. He recited, "Crossing the sky, returning to the torch, the heart surpasses the vast ocean, higher than the clouds. With a move of the profound principle, thunder rises, the sword cleaves ten thousand li, breaking the tide!"
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