A scrawny horse, an old carriage, and three to five brown-clad followers slowly traveled west along the official road where the snow had not yet melted.
"Sir, in fifty more miles, we will reach the capital,"
said a dark-skinned man, carrying a two-segmented pointed steel spear, who spoke in a low voice beside the carriage.
A calm and powerful middle-aged man’s voice came from inside the carriage, "No need to rush, to travel slowly is fine."
The dark-skinned man replied softly, "We can’t afford not to hurry. Today is already the fifth day of the new year. If you enter the city one day earlier, you can start making preparations for your cabinet appointment one day sooner. By the Shangyuan Festival, the annual promotions and transfers in the court should be settled."
The middle-aged man inside the carriage leisurely responded, ""The Great Learning" says: ’Only when knowing where to stop, can one be calm; only when calm, can one be at peace; only when at peace, can one think; and only after thinking, can one obtain.’
The dark-skinned man pondered for a moment, then cupped his fist in his other hand and said, "This subordinate has learned."
No sooner had his voice faded, when a heavy and rapid footsteps sounded from behind.
The dark-skinned man tensed up, gripped the two segments of the pointed steel spear on his back, and looked back, only to see a figure, like a large black rat, swirling up a cloud of dust as it rapidly rushed toward them.
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Startled, he firmly planted his feet, about to shout, when the figure whizzed past him without looking back, the strong wind it kicked up causing his disheveled long hair to flutter wildly...
"What the heck just sped past?"
"Seemed like a person..."
"Could that thing really be a person?"
The rest of the brown-clad followers were also startled, rubbing their eyes vigorously, looking ahead at the trail of dust with disbelief, hardly able to accept that what passed by was a person.
Even the middle-aged man sitting in the carriage lifted the curtain, curiously peering ahead, "What’s the disturbance?"
This was a scholarly-looking man around fifty, with a thin, square face, a three-inch clean beard, and an aura of tranquility and elegance.
The dark-skinned man responded in an undertone, "Someone just passed by us... a master!"
The middle-aged scholar looked at him curiously and smiled, "Higher than you?"
The dark-skinned man was silent, as though lamenting the absurdity of encountering someone much stronger than himself just by stepping out for groceries.
Seeing his reaction, the middle-aged scholar reassured him with a smile, and was about to lower the curtain when another rumble of footsteps approached.
All eyes looked up to see a figure in front of the carriage come to an abrupt halt, as though reining in a horse, "Happy New Year, fellow travelers! Could you please confirm if this is the way to the capital?"
Upon closer inspection, they saw a youth, excessively young and handsome.
The dark-skinned man who was about to speak was struck dumb by this person.
The carriage driver, seeing the striking young man’s smiling face and pleasant speech, casually responded, "That’s right, just follow this road straight ahead, and in about forty or fifty miles you’ll be at the capital!"
"Great!"
The handsome young man cheerfully fist-saluted, "Thank you, brother. Take your time, I’ll head off first!"
After speaking, he turned and darted off like the wind, kicking up a cloud of dust, and within a few blinks, all that remained was a black dot at the end of the road.
The brown-clad followers suddenly came to their senses and exclaimed, "Are the youngsters of today all so fierce?"
"Not even a prized Ferghana horse could outrun this kid, right?"
"Could that be some kind of travel-oriented Qinggong?"
The middle-aged scholar, who had just peeked out of the carriage and caught a fleeting glimpse, found the young man fascinating and wanted to ask his most trusted follower some questions, but noticed his companion’s unusual expression.
He asked in surprise, "What is it, you know that young man?"
The dark-skinned man thought for a moment, then nodded, "You know him too."
The middle-aged scholar thought for a while and shook his head, "I have never seen that youth before."
The dark-skinned man said softly, "He is Yang Erlang, renowned throughout Jiangzhe as the ’Manifest Sage’!"
The middle-aged scholar exclaimed incredulously, "Is he really so young?"
Upon seeing such astonishment, the dark-skinned man finally showed a slight smile, "He has yet to marry and start a career; how can he not be young?"
The middle-aged scholar stroked his beard, expressing his regret, "Since you recognized him, why didn’t you invite him over for a chat just now? Although his actions are too impulsive and he tends to risk everything on a single venture, his ideas and magnanimity are unmatched in the current court. Having a deep conversation with him is better than traveling a thousand miles, better than reading ten thousand volumes!"
The dark-skinned man shook his head slightly, "Sir, you are entering the capital to prepare for your cabinet appointment; it’s better not to have too much contact with him to avoid making unnecessary enemies."
The middle-aged scholar chuckled and said lightly, "Only mediocrities avoid envy. He has accomplished a great feat in Jiangzhe, with benefits for the current era and glory for a thousand autumns. Just for that alone, he has surpassed all the nobles of the court!"
The dark-skinned man also smiled lightly, "It’s just a pity that heaven envies the gifted. Someone like him is doomed not to last long, and this world needs not a fleeting meteor, but someone like you who can rectify chaos and trace back to the source, a minister capable of governing the age!"
He gave a fist salute, his tone full of conviction.
The middle-aged scholar lowered the curtain, replying indifferently, ""Encouraging Learning" states: ’Without taking the first step, one cannot cover a thousand miles; without accumulating small streams, there can be no sea.’ When it comes to serving the country and its people, there is no comparing who is higher or lower, more or less."
The dark-skinned man bowed respectfully, "This subordinate will take the lesson to heart."
The middle-aged scholar added, "Since you are acquainted with Yang Erlang, after we settle down, why not invite him over? I have some questions and would like to seek his advice."
The dark-skinned man paused, then replied, "Yes..."
...
Basking in the clear sunlight of early spring after midday.