radicalducati #484 - Hundreds of schools of thought!
#484 - Hundreds of schools of thought!
Perhaps it was due to the unique social atmosphere of the Northern Song Dynasty, or perhaps it was because Emperor Renzong was particularly beloved by the people.
On the occasion of his birthday, not only people from the Three Religions and Nine Schools like Liang Yue were present, but also many commoners from the capital were allowed to enter the imperial city to celebrate and observe.
Therefore, the guards at the gate did not appear too strict when checking the banquet invitations.
However, this doesn't mean that the invitation cards in the hands of Liang Yue and the others were useless.
Those without this card, even if they were allowed into the imperial city, could only wander and observe on the periphery. Those with invitations could directly go to the inner hall for the banquet and meet the emperor.
Soon, Liang Yue and his group, led by several eunuchs, passed through the gate of the inner courtyard of the imperial city and arrived at a side hall.
Although, in terms of their composition, the group of people around him were all considered Jianghu experts, they didn't have much to talk about with each other.
Therefore, the process was mostly silent.
It was as if there was some kind of insurmountable barrier that naturally existed between them.
Of course, not everyone was silent and uncommunicative.
Besides the few people who occasionally ran into acquaintances, some small circles divided by sect or status would whisper a few words to each other.
The origins of these small circles were probably based on the affiliations of the Three Religions and Nine Schools.
Since ancient times, the Three Religions naturally referred to Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, the three sects with significant influence on the land of China.
The Nine Schools, generally speaking, referred to the various schools of thought represented by Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Legalism, the School of Names, the School of Diplomacy, the School of Agriculture, the School of Logicians, and the School of Yin-Yang.
To be more specific, it seemed that they could be further divided into the Upper Nine Schools, the Middle Nine Schools, and the Lower Nine Schools, which was quite complex and diverse.
However, according to the middle-aged man from the Imperial City Division, almost all of those invited to the palace today were grandmaster-level figures in the Jianghu world.
Therefore, the intricacies here were even more confusing.
Some schools that clearly belonged to the invited ranks would not necessarily be invited if they didn't have a grandmaster-level figure within their ranks. Conversely, the same principle applied.
Therefore, although Liang Yue looked very young on the outside, in this team, the younger a person was, the more they would be valued and even feared.
Thus, imperceptibly, Liang Yue was quietly observed by people because he was too young…
No way, a young grandmaster, huh?
Although Liang Yue didn't yet know the standards used to evaluate a grandmaster, if it was just in terms of cultivation realm, he had some confidence.
This was his foundation. As long as he had enough martial strength, he could remain calm and collected at any time.
However, compared to before he came here, Liang Yue now felt a faint sense of confusion in his heart.
"Chaos, it's too damn chaotic…"
"This is completely different from my previous expectations of this public world."
"Weren't the Water Margin supposed to be a paradise for heroes? How come the Nine Schools of Thought have appeared now…"
"Or is it that the world before the Yuan Dynasty was like this?"
…
Just like that, Liang Yue muttered to himself while following behind several old men who were clearly dressed as Taoist masters, and soon arrived at the venue.
This was a very large side hall, but its construction and layout were not as magnificent as the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Compared to the palace of the Ming and Qing emperors, which was almost entirely gilded, this hall initially appeared somewhat plain and simple, but the details were still meticulously crafted and extremely realistic.
At a glance, it would make people feel very comfortable and approachable.
Anyway, after entering this hall, Liang Yue felt very relaxed and didn't feel any sense of oppression.
The eunuch attending to him quickly led him to the corresponding seat according to his invitation card.
Unexpectedly, Liang Yue's seat was very close to the front, although it wasn't in the row closest to the aisle in the center of the hall, it was definitely a VIP seat.
He didn't know if he was simply benefiting from the Taoist identity or if some people had intentionally arranged it.
Some snacks and candied fruits had already been prepared on the table in front of him, and there was even a palace maid standing next to each seat to provide service.
It seemed that the current emperor attached great importance to this birthday banquet…
Liang Yue and the others were naturally not the first guests to arrive, nor were they the last.
Moreover, judging from the layout of the venue, the guests attending today were definitely not limited to the Jianghu people from the Three Religions and Nine Schools.
Because, at this moment, the seats where Liang Yue and the others were located were only on the left side of the hall entrance, and there were still a large number of empty seats opposite them, far from being full.
On one side of the hall, a team of musicians was playing an ancient melody.
The music was simple, but very pleasant to listen to.
Even the women who were watching the live broadcast through the village exchange platform were full of praise for it…
Unfortunately, probably due to the restraint and aura of the grandmaster-level figures.
Even with the music in the hall, the atmosphere didn't seem very lively. Except for those who happened to meet acquaintances in the adjacent seats, most of the people present still seemed somewhat silent and rarely communicated with each other.
Most of them closed their eyes to rest or maintained a solemn expression.
Only occasionally, under the pretext of drinking water or tea, would people raise their eyes to quietly observe the crowd within their sight.
Of course, there were also some who were unrestrained, probably due to differences in their professions or affiliations.
As before, perhaps due to his young age, Liang Yue was still one of the focal points of the venue.
The reason why he had become one of the focal points was because, in addition to him, there were also some other "young grandmasters" present.
At this moment, they were sitting opposite the crowd.
That is, they didn't belong to the group of the Three Religions and Nine Schools present.
Although these people had tender faces, their clothes and appearances were unique and varied.
Some seemed to be from families of generals, even on this occasion, they wore silver armor and a jade-inlaid square scarf, with a heroic air.
Some were dressed in luxurious clothes, with extraordinary bearing, and possessed a rare demeanor at a young age.
Some looked like mischievous children, unkempt, even if their clothes were formal, they could still wear them with a free and unrestrained air.
There were also some who, although not very old, were already born with unparalleled beauty, with charm hidden within their bones, as if they were a natural beauty, full of amorous feelings between their glances and eyebrows.
In short, they didn't look like simple people. Liang Yue even found someone dressed as a man among them~
But no matter what, it was difficult to associate these young people with the word "grandmaster."
Although they might already be very outstanding at their current age, compared to the group on the side of the Three Religions and Nine Schools, whether it was their inner cultivation or the natural aura they exuded, they were much inferior.
…