Chapter 101: Reversing Reputation

  Huang Wuxian was only thirty years old, with a typical Chengdu appearance of fair and delicate complexion, and had a five-strand long mustache.

  Since ancient times, those who have become famous scholars and great Confucians are all people with outstanding talents and rich learning. Huang Wenhuan is also one of them.

  Yesterday, he accepted five new disciples, all of whom were talented students from various counties in Chengdu. Each and every one of them was exceptionally intelligent. After examining them for an entire afternoon, he felt extremely satisfied.

  This morning, the sky cleared up again, and the bright sunshine made the ground a vast expanse of white. The peach blossoms that were everywhere just a while ago have now completely disappeared, leaving only the dense green and light green intertwined trees.

  Seeing the spring light that can only be seen this year, Huang Wen's mood is extremely good. He sat in the ox cart, stroking his long beard and thinking about the poetry he wrote last night.

  The ox cart was moving along the road, which was often damp on spring days, with a kind of astringent feeling that made one's teeth ache. As the ox cart gradually entered the city center, Huang Wenhuan lifted the curtain and admired the flow of people coming and going.

  Just as he was enjoying the crowd, Huang Wenyuan's eyes suddenly narrowed and his gaze involuntarily fell on a little girl who was getting closer and closer.

  This young girl, wearing a high-quality red-bottomed plum blossom patterned brocade, with a head of jet-black long hair tied up with only one wooden hairpin, and almost no adornments on her body. Yet he felt that the girl in front of him, with skin as white as jade and cold, stern eyebrows and eyes, was exuding an extremely rare and elegant charm.

  This elegant charm is not the kind he occasionally glimpsed in the brothels, but rather the elegance that belongs to literati and refined scholars.

  Such a delicate and tender girl has such an elegant demeanor. It's really hard to take one's eyes off her.

  Just as Huang Wenhao glanced at the girl a few times, after closing his eyes to rest for a while and then glancing up again, he surprisingly found that the girl was walking towards him with a gentle and elegant gait.

  Indeed, the closer you look, the more you see the subtlety of mountains and water in her eyebrows and eyes.

  Just as Huang Wenyuan lowered his head to look at the time, suddenly, this beautifully dressed and elegant woman blocked his ox cart.

  Under the gaze of the crowd, the beauty blocked his ox cart and said with a smile: "I have long heard that Mr. Huang is a renowned Confucian scholar. I am an uneducated woman, please ask Mr. Huang, 'What does it mean to eliminate the leader of the villainous gang, follow the wicked without punishment, and get rid of the old corrupt customs, all in favor of the new?' I have thought about it for a long time but cannot understand its meaning."

  The beauty's voice is clear and cold, like a mountain spring flowing with ice, it's inexplicably pleasant to hear.

  The people of Chengdu have a natural fondness for excitement, and now that they've caught sight of a rare beauty, they can't help but be thrilled to see her stopping a famous scholar to ask about the classics. As soon as the girl's words fell, dozens of people crowded around from all sides.

  Huang Wenyuan is also a person who likes excitement. In the midst of the bustling city, he was stopped by a beauty and asked about his views on literature. For a man of letters, this was indeed a delightful encounter. He stroked his long beard, narrowed his eyes, and replied: "Ah, the meaning of this phrase is to strike at the primary culprits, those who were coerced or lured into doing evil deeds. They can be given lighter punishment or exempt from punishment; those who have been deeply influenced by evil habits but originally had no wicked intentions can also be given a chance to reform."

  "I see." The beauty nodded thoughtfully, tilting her head to one side as she pondered for a moment before asking again: "'Pardon the minor, punish the serious.' How should this be interpreted?"

  Huang Gong raised his voice and replied in a gentle and patient tone, "The meaning of this is that even if the mistake is big, it can be forgiven if it's an accident, but if it's done on purpose, no matter how small, it must be punished."

  "What does 'knowing people is wisdom' really mean?" The beauty blinked her black gemstone-like eyes and continued to ask.

  Huang Wenyuan said seriously: "The meaning of this sentence is that people must have the wisdom to distinguish between good and bad. Girls should know that people are complex, so being able to discern who are good people, who are bad people, who are talented people, and who are mediocre people is a wise person."

  He answered very patiently and in great detail.

  The beauty seemed to have understood, she tilted her head and looked at Huang Wenhuan with a lovely gaze, saying: "I understand what Mr. Huang means. The sage's intention is that if one hasn't thoroughly figured out whether someone has really made a mistake or not, they shouldn't be beaten to death, depriving them of the chance to reform?"

  "That's how it is." Huang Wenyuan replied quite succinctly.

  The beauty's dark eyes sparkled, and she said: "Isn't the saint's meaning that when distinguishing whether a person is good or bad, whether their behavior is improper, one cannot rely solely on rumors, nor can they rely solely on someone's isolated words, right?"

  "Not bad."

  Huang Wenyuan answered very satisfactorily.

  The beauty stepped back a step, bowed to him with a smile, and said slowly: "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Huang. My surname is Lu, and I have a younger brother named Yun. My brother has admired you for a long time, and these few words are also what he wanted me to ask you." She spoke very slowly, so slowly that she allowed Huang Wenhuan to savor her words again and again.

  Finally, Huang Wenhao came back to his senses.

  He stared at the beauty in front of him with his head down.

  Upon closer inspection, he suddenly discovered that this beauty bore a striking resemblance to the young scholar from Hanyang who had come to pay his respects yesterday.

  That scholar seems to be surnamed Lu...

  This young woman said she was here on behalf of her brother Lu Yun to ask questions. The scholar who was driven away by him yesterday is also named Lu Yun!

  Suddenly, Huang Gong understood the purpose of this beauty's visit!

  Yes, her three questions, although asking him to explain, were also ridiculing and blaming him for not understanding the situation when scolding people, relying on one-sided words to completely deny a person's character and ruining that person's future!

  This matter, if viewed from a minor perspective, is merely him reprimanding an unvirtuous junior. However, if viewed from a major perspective, it reveals that he fails to distinguish right from wrong, lacks discernment in evaluating people, and is unclear in his arguments. Before even understanding the underlying circumstances of the situation, he hastily denies someone, which indeed deviates from the saintly virtue of tolerance.

  Huang Gong was a clever and decisive person. At this time, he nodded his head and said seriously: "What the young lady said is very reasonable. Let your younger brother come to my mansion tomorrow."

  One of his servants standing beside him nodded.

  At that time, the servant took a wooden sign representing an invitation and handed it to Lu Xuan. Then, with a soft shout from the servant, Huang Wenhao's ox cart passed by Lu Xuan and slowly drove away into the distance.

  As Huang Wenyuan passed by Luyan, he turned his head to glance at her and thought to himself: This little girl is indeed cleverer than ordinary people!

  With his intelligence, he naturally understood. If it weren't for this young woman dressing up so gorgeously and blocking the car in front of everyone, he wouldn't have been so patient as to stop the car and discuss the words of saints with her.

  And every one of the sacred words she spoke was through his own mouth, advising him. She told him that he had been deceived and had believed in the words of petty people, and that he was a guilty person. As a great Confucian scholar of the time, he should also give people a way to live. Moreover, he did not even investigate the matter clearly?

  What's most important is that this young woman made a series of subtle and indirect remarks. Each sentence awakened him, yet didn't hurt his dignity in the slightest, nor did it arouse any suspicion from onlookers, nor would it lead to any gossip.

  Really clever beyond others.

  Unconsciously, Huang Wenyuan also developed some good feelings towards Lu Yun.

  Lu Xiangming saw Huang Wenhuan off and then turned around to head back home.

  She was a bit tired, and in order to get news of Huang Wenyuan, she spent over ten pieces of iron money.

  Lu Yun came back in the evening.

  As soon as he saw Yuanzi, he hung his head.

  Lu Xuan gave him a glance. Neither scolding nor persuading.

  Busy cooking and boiling water, almost done, waiting for her sister Lu Yun to ask, she said with grievance: "Sister. They all say I."

  Pouting. Lu Yun was about to cry, "Someone scolded me... pushed me..."

  Lu Xuan turned her head and looked at him.

  In the evening sunlight, her eyes had a hint of coldness, which made Lu Yun, who was crying with his face down and his head hung low, freeze. Staring at him, Lu Yue asked faintly: "A great man can yield and stretch. What does it mean?"

  Lu Yun lowered his head and quietly wiped away the tears from the corner of his eyes.

  At this time, Lu Xun asked again: "Why did Han Xin endure such humiliation in the past? Why didn't he cry loudly or hide in a corner to lament?"

  Lu Yun's head hung even lower.

  Lu Xuan stared at him for a moment before slowing down his tone, "Do you know where you went wrong?"

  Lu Yun lowered his head and after a while whispered: "Sister, I'm a man, from now on I won't cry or get angry again."

  Lu Xuan grunted and pulled out the wooden slip from his bosom, handing it to Lu Yun, saying: "Huang Gong said that he wants you to go to his place tomorrow."

  What?

  Lu Yun quickly lifted his head, looking at his own sister in disbelief. Slowly, the corners of his mouth rose higher and higher. He vigorously wiped away tears with his sleeve, and Lu Yun said with a red face, "Sister, I...I won't do it again."

  Lu Yu nodded and said, "Tomorrow when you go to Huang Gong's mansion, make sure to go with a big fanfare, the more people who know about it the better. When leaving, make sure that Huang Gong sends his steward or personal attendant to see you off. Remember, no matter what method you use, whether it's provoking him or negotiating terms, or even offending Huang Gong, in the end, you must get his steward or personal attendant to send you off with courtesy."

  Looking at Lu Yun, she explained: "This way, those who scold you will understand that Huang Gong has intentionally withdrawn the words he said yesterday, and his attitude towards you has changed." Of course, if Huang Wenhuan is willing to apologize publicly to Lu Yun, it would be best, but according to Lu Xue's thinking, apologizing is probably not easy.

  Lu Yun nodded, and Lu Yue continued: "If possible, you can also try to probe Huang Gong to see who is behind your back." However, she estimated that this would be very difficult. Lu Yun was definitely not open in front of Huang Gong, nor did he dare or was good at probing. But no matter what he could do, Lu Yue wanted to force him a bit.

  Lu Yun nodded again.

  Lu Xuan looked at his unusually obedient younger brother, while serving the dishes, and said: "Let's eat first. I've already found a great scholar to be your teacher."

  As soon as the words came out, Lu Yun looked up at his sister with a silly expression. He wondered: Did my sister say she had taken a fancy to a great Confucian scholar? Where did my sister get that kind of connections and influence, to actually take a liking to a great Confucian scholar, and even have that great Confucian scholar accept him as a disciple?

  Recently, how many students have come to Chengdu? All the students want to become a great Confucian scholar's disciple. However, everyone knows that it is extremely difficult. Moreover, Lu Yun was once scolded by Huang Gong, so he didn't even need to think about it to know how difficult it would be. His sister said it with such certainty, could it be? Thinking of this, Lu Yun suddenly opened his eyes and thought: Could it be that my sister wants to get in through that noble person?

  It's the end of the month, asking for pink tickets, asking everyone to help Feng Yue become the second place in the new book list. The chapter I owed you yesterday, I have written it down and will pay it back when the time comes.