He Yan's eyes swept over the crowd in the hall, seeing Sima Shi and Xiahou Yuan both looking puzzled, he smiled and said, "Square, the people opposite are Xiahou Taichu and Sima Ziyuan."
"Why don't you explain the reasons for this matter?"
Cui Zan bowed and said, "Taichu and Ziyuan may not know, but now in Luo getting a comment from Zhuge Gongxiu is worth hundreds of Jin!"
Bi Gui, sitting to the left of Sima Shi, leaned in and said with a smile, "That's not understood by Ziyuan, you see."
"Zhuge Gongxiu is the assistant secretary of the civil service department. Any person praised or promoted by him will definitely get a beautiful job within two weeks, no matter how far away it is!"
Sima Shi struggled to suppress his surprise in his heart, and whispered to Bi Gui, "I wonder if Brother ZiLi can tell me why the assistant secretary of the civil service department is so powerful?"
Bi Gui's mouth curled up into a slight smile: "It's just about shooting the arrow first, then drawing the target. How can it not hit?"
After saying that, Bi Gui returned to his original position, sitting sideways.
Smart as Sima Shi, after a few moments, he roughly understood.
Ge Cuan's renowned name in Luoyang was hard to obtain a critique from. Moreover, he held the position of 'Jianjuxuan' (examination and selection official) in the civil service department, which allowed him to know about the inner workings of official transfers...
Ge Cuan praised and promoted those who had been praised by Ge Cuan, so how could they not receive a beautiful job?
Impressive, knows how to play!
After looking at each other's eyes with Sima Shi, Ge Cuan initiated the conversation with a smile, "I didn't have many chances to talk to you before, but today the sun is still high. We should have more conversations!"
Sima Shi bowed and said, "Ge Cuan elder brother is well-known in Luoyang, while I am merely a college student. It's up to you to give me more guidance."
"Ha ha ha." Ge Cuan laughed: "The eldest son of the Sima family, who can handle the important affairs of the world, is it within my ability to teach?"
"Ziyuan, though there is a difference of more than ten years between us, we should treat each other equally as you and Pingfu do. We should have equal conversations."
Sima Shi also smiled and replied, "Brother Gongxiu has been making a name for yourself in Luoyang over the past two months, and you can decide a person's career with just one word. It's better for me to be respectful."
Yuan Kan smiled and said, "I heard that your fame in Luoyang is now known to everyone!"
He Yan interjected, "Ge Cuan is not accustomed to evaluating others? Today I will evaluate Ge Cuan for a while!"
The people in the hall all laughed, and Ge Cuan, with a peculiar expression, bowed to He Yan: "You may speak your mind!"
He Yan slightly raised his head, shook it, and said: "In today's world, the Luange family of the Ge Cuan is very famous. It can be said that: South has its dragon, Wu has its tiger, and Wei has its dog!"
Ge Cuan laughed and shook his head: "He Yan, He Yan, besides your face, your mouth is the most powerful!"
He Yan rolled up his sleeve, extended his right hand, and pointed towards Ge Cuan with his finger: "You openly say I have this face, and I'll take it as an open compliment. But today, I also have something to share with all of you."
The four people who had already joined the Chongwen Guan all had smiles on their faces. Ge Cuan, Yuan Kan, Cui Zan, and Xu Yun, along with Sima Shi and Xiahou Yuan, all seemed to have some misunderstandings in their eyes.
He Yan raised both of his slender hands over his head and clapped them together. From the outside, a row of maidens slowly walked in, each holding a tray in their hands. On top of the tray was a ceramic dish and a jade bowl.
The jade bowl was crystalline, containing nearly three-quarters of a bowl of water. On the ceramic dish were five different colored powders.
Ge Cuan furrowed his brow and asked, "Brother He, what is this? Why is it placed in the dish?"
He Yan slowly stood up, gently shook off his robe, and his sleeves fluttered slightly with the cross-hall breeze.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please look, aren't there five different colored powders on the dish?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
He Yan smiled lightly and said: "Wood, fire, gold, water and soil; East, South, West, North and Central; color of green, red, gold, blue and black; flavor of sourness, bitterness , sweetness, salinity and spiciness; liver, heart , lung , kidney and spleen are all corresponding to each other."
"The East is associated with wood, blue-green in color, corresponding to Zengqing."
Sima Shi looked at the small amount of blue-green powder in the dish and slightly turned it so that the powder of Zengqing faced the East.
"The West is associated with gold, white in color, corresponding to bifeng."
"The North is associated with water, black in color, corresponding to magnetite."
"The South is associated with fire, red in color, corresponding to cinnabar."
"The Central is associated with soil, yellow in color, corresponding to Huangjing."
Yuan Kan asked, "Brother He, what does this mean? I see that there's a dish and a bowl here, are you asking us to take it?"
He Yan smiled and nodded: "Brother Yuan, you don't always ask me how I have such a refined appearance and demeanor. Today, I will take out my treasure and share it with all of you together."
Xiahou Yuan frowned and said: "Brother He, these are stones. How can we eat them like this?"
"Although Taichu is learned, he is not aware of this secret," He Yan explained. "The five elements, five directions, five energies, and five internal organs are all interconnected."
"By taking this five stone powder, one's five internal organs can be harmonious and full, and it is said that it can lead to immortality and attain enlightenment!"
Just as he finished speaking, He Yan returned to his own desk and demonstrated it.
He Yan used his left hand to pour the five kinds of powder from the dish into the water in the jade bowl, and with his right hand, he picked up a jade pestle on the side of the bowl and gently stirred the water.
After the five kinds of powder were evenly mixed and suspended in the water, He Yan picked up the jade bowl, raised it to his mouth, and drank it all in one gulp.
Everyone held their breath and watched He Yan attentively.
He Yan knelt and sat on the mat, closed his eyes, and remained motionless.
Sima Shi, sitting opposite He Yan, clearly saw that He Yan's body seemed to slightly turn red, and his chest rose and fell more quickly.
Under the gaze of everyone, He Yan suddenly opened his eyes after a while, and the luster in his eyes was several times brighter than usual.
At this moment, He Yan let out a long scream and startled everyone in the hall. Rising to his feet and looking towards the others, He Yan walked slowly with a slight shake of his body. The waves on his blue robe had an airy feel to them.
Among the people present, He Yan and Ge Cuan were the oldest. Ge Cuan could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, "Brother He, how do you feel after taking this powder?"
He Yan turned back quickly yet softly, looking at Ge Cuan with slightly wide eyes: "Ge Cuan, I feel incredibly alert now, as if I could almost ascend to heaven!"
Seeing that Bi Gui, Deng Yang, Li Sheng, and Ding Mi had all started to grind the five stone powder in their jade bowls and shake them, Ge Cuan no longer hesitated. He copied He Yan's previous example, mixed the five stone powder evenly, and drank it all in one gulp.
Sima Shi and Xiahou Yuan also followed suit and took the five stone powder, closing their eyes and kneeling on the mat like He Yan.
As the mixed substance entered his mouth, Sima Shi felt a surge of hot liquid flow into his abdomen, almost instantly stirring in his chest and abdomen. But strangely, he didn't feel any discomfort; it was as if his internal organs were being massaged.
After a while, Sima Shi felt hot all over his body, but not a drop of sweat came out.
His mind also became clear and thorough, as if the Analects he had studied for a long time had become clear at once. His whole person was mentally enlightened and more excited. Moreover, the lower abdomen also seemed to be stirring up, hardening like an erection even during the day.
All the limbs and bones felt a strange sensation of warmth, coolness, and numbness.
Ge Cuan opened his eyes and said, "Brother He, you've done a great deed! Such a precious item, why did you only give it a try today?"
He Yan shook his sleeves relentlessly, as if it were too hot: "Ge Cuan, don't laugh. I have tried multiple times in succession to select this dosage."
"If I took the amount myself, it should be at 1 a.m. to rest, at 3 a.m. to take it, and by 5 a.m., the power of the five stone powder should dissipate."
"The five stone powder, the five elements, and the five internal organs all need to be adjusted according to appropriate times to have a sense of transcendence beyond the world."
Ge Cuan smiled at He Yan: "Brother He, can this five stone powder be used as..."
Before Ge Cuan could finish, He Yan endured his laughter and nodded, saying, "Of course it can, but it needs to be a little less."
After speaking with Ge Cuan, He Yan turned to face the others and said: "The five stone powder is my secret, not to be shared. If you all want to try it again another day, come to my residence and take it together at 3 a.m."
"Don't let it out, or don't blame me for being harsh."
Sima Shi looked up and his gaze met that of Ge Cuan across the table.
Ge Cuan smiled and nodded at Sima Shi, who also smiled and nodded back, indicating that they would go back. Sima Shi of course understood what Ge Cuan had said earlier.
He Yan was clearly unwilling to give away the five stone powder. However, in a few days, if it's possible to ask He Yan for some, it's better to try and maintain some dignity.
However, when Sima Shi turned to look at Xiahou Yuan, seeing him in a state where he didn't know whether to sit or stand, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
...
Several days later, Sima Zhi returned to Luoyang in a state of dust and exhaustion.
The caravan entered through the West Gate of Luoyang City and went directly to the southern gate of the Northern Palace.
For several months, Sima Zhi first rode in his carriage to Qiankouyu, then took a boat to Wuhan and then to Xiangyang, and finally returned to Luoyang by carriage.
After such a long journey, even though Sima Zhi had been quite robust, his body felt strained.
Upon hearing that Sima Zhi had returned to Luoyang, Cao Ruili quickly called Sima Zhi into his study.
"Sima Marquis has returned? I have been waiting for you for quite a while," Cao Ruili smiled at Sima Zhi and said: "Please take a seat!"
Sima Zhi replied, "Thank you, Your Majesty! I was delayed in Wuhan for a longer time than expected, so I arrived a few days late. Please forgive me."
Cao Ruili smiled and said, "No need to worry, no need to worry. How did the mission go?"
Sima Zhi had already written the report on the way, so he took it out of his chest, raised it with both hands, and Zhang Yu who was standing in the corner walked over to take the document and presented it to Cao Ruili behind the desk.
"Tell me while you're reading, I'll be listening," Cao Ruili softly instructed.
"Following Your Command."
After Sima Zhi had presented the details of the mission in a concise and well-structured manner, Cao Ruili slowly put down the document in his hand.
Cao Ruili said: "In fact, the outcome of Sima Marquis's visit this time is quite similar to what Your Majesty originally expected."
"If we can't cross the river militarily, then I won't be able to threaten Sun Quan's life personally for the time being. It's only natural that he doesn't want to formally submit again."
"However, the gifts that Sun Quan has sent me are almost as much as he presented when he was first made King of Wu," Cao Ruili said.
Cao Ruili chuckled lightly: "Is Sun Quan trying to bribe me?" (End of Chapter)
