Ji Zichang laughed and pulled Li Guanyi over, took out a wine pot, then pulled out a silk-wrapped bundle, placed it under the tree, and after opening the package, inside were some salted peanuts, boiled eggs, and a little dried meat.
Eight hundred years ago, the Red Emperor planted this tree and founded the Academy.
Eight hundred years later, the Academy is pervasive in the world, Ji Zichang and Li Guanyi drink wine and eat meat under this tree.
Ji Zichang pointed at the eggs, with a hint of self-mockery: "I just realized, these eggs are so cheap, there’s no need for silver to buy them; yet even these eggs, the people of the world gradually can’t afford to eat them."
"Here, I’ll give you one."
He tossed a boiled egg over, Li Guanyi looked at it, charred.
The coloring, Li Guanyi felt familiar, pondered his words, said oddly: "...Did you not pay attention while boiling the eggs, boiling all the water away?"
Ji Zichang’s expression froze, he said: "This, I, cough cough."
He pretended to laugh heartily, waved his right hand forcefully:
Li Guanyi said: "Indeed you can." He peeled the egg shell, took a bite, then took two salted peanuts, leaned against the big tree to enjoy the cool breeze, with the autumn wind blowing, sipping a small drink, as if he could forget the current situation.
"What did Brother Wen say?"
Ji Zichang smiled and said: "Something that can help you."
"That day I watched Mr. Wang Tong discuss the Tao amongst All Schools on the high stage, including the theories of Masters Cheng and Zhu, dozens of large and small factions were scattered, but many scholars were unconstrained, instead they would disperse."
"Chen Country has wealth, Ying Country has land, you, Pharmacist Li, besides a hint of poor smell, what’s left?"
Li Guanyi felt great anger, kicked over.
"Slandering while hitting one’s sore spot, what’s the point!"
"Eat your ten silver taels eggs!"
Ji Zichang laughed heartily.
He said: "You, just arrived, yet I’ve been here for quite some time, so I know the tendencies of All Schools, even without the academic gatekeepers of each faction, among the countries, scholars also have desires."
Ji Zichang held the wine pot leisurely: "Most of the Military School will head to Ying Country, there they’ve got a million strong army, the world’s top Divine General, and three of the top five Divine Generals."
"For any Military School disciple, that place is what they desire, while the Ming Sect and Zongheng School will lean towards Chen Country; Chen Country, what a fine place, teeming with gold and silver aristocratic families, as soon as the Zongheng School and Ming Sect disciples speak, they can rake in wealth and fame."
"Your Jiangnan though..."
"The Mo School and some Ancient Scholars."
"The Buddhist Tao branches, for a while, can’t enter this world yet, but Pharmacist Li, did you know, what the Mo School wants to do are all money-burning matters, I see your underlings can’t even buy grain, instead they have to fight back against the aristocratic families."
"Currently still opening porridge shops to provide porridge, how much money do you have left?"
Li Guanyi’s forehead twitched.
When they first met, Ji Zichang was mild and elegant, but after sneaking and climbing walls together at the end, their relationship suddenly became much closer, Ji Zichang picked up a salted peanut and threw it into his mouth chomping away.
Holding the wine pot and shaking it, pointing his finger at Li Guanyi, grinning:
"Jiangnan holds favor yet has the hidden trouble of aristocratic families."
"And lacking money, this issue, all the people of the world see clearly."
Li Guanyi said: "You have money?"
Ji Zichang paused and said: "I have Central State’s treasury."
Li Guanyi said: "Treasury has money?"
Ji Zichang self-mockingly smiled: "All controlled by the clan, my expenses, a large batch was used by these people before, now after quietly investigating, I discovered, the so-called imperial items, they have long used and no longer use."
"I, the present-day Red Emperor, am nothing but a front in their eyes, that Ji Daochun, didn’t even consider me, honestly, that day on Imperial Path, when you slapped him with the sword, I watched with great pleasure."
"If not for the identity and reputation, I would’ve pushed you away."
This son of the Red Emperor, no longer as at the initial meeting, sitting there upright, even in plain clothes, with stubble beard, still sitting straight-backed, now sitting with legs spread, neck raised gulping wine, pointing far ahead with two fingers, cursing:
"Damn that old fart!"
Li Guanyi was stunned.
"Aren’t, aren’t you related by blood?"
Ji Zichang was silent, thoughtful.
Then cursed: "Selling hooks, that old swine!"
Li Guanyi’s mouth twitched, watching this dignified and courteous Great Emperor pointing at the sky cursing, fortunately there were no scholars here, or else both of them would have had to flee furiously, Ji Zichang took a sip of wine, said: "Speaking of which, that old guy is hurriedly being buried, Pharmacist, come with me!"
"Let’s hit a big score!"
Li Guanyi found this guy somewhat like a rogue thug.
Ji Zichang wiped his mouth, grabbed the silk-wrapped salted peanuts, raised his neck and poured the remaining peanuts into his mouth, chomping away, shaking his hand, even the tastiest crumbs went into his mouth.
Thus Li Guanyi didn’t continue to ask what the gift was.
The two guys directly strolled to the burial site of Ji Daochun, due to changes in the world situation, Li Guanyi felt the clan and aristocratic families troublesome, annoying, yet the externally powerful but internally weak Central State aristocratic families saw Li Guanyi as no less than encountering a fierce mature tiger.