Chapter 511: Chapter 511: Leaving
At this mont, the crowd beca restless, for Lian Mu, who sat as still as a pine, finally moved!
Even if he was only eating lunch, they were eager to watch, as it was far better than him staying motionless!
A young lady covered her chest and whispered lowly, “How can there be such a person, who even eats a pancake so beautifully.”
“Like a gentleman upon a path as warm as jade, a peerless and graceful young master, this humble girl has truly experienced it today, it is indeed a trip well worth it.”
“Miss, your mother asked you to co back earlier.”
“Wait a little longer before returning…”
Various hushed murmurs ca from around.
The Emperor paid no attention, as his sole purpose in coming down was to get closer to see people more clearly.
Watching from above, his sense of strangeness grew increasingly strong, as if sothing intangible was pulling him downward.
However, it was hard on Zhang Qing, for there were too many people and they could not clear the area, he had to struggle, successfully guarding one side but not the other.
Fortunately, it might have been His Majesty’s appearance that played a role, or perhaps the authority he carried had an effect, for anyone who turned and saw His Majesty, without exception, made way.
Especially the young ladies, who one mont were still eyeing the exam candidate, but upon discovering His Majesty the next mont, their gaze could no longer shift, heads lowered, wanting to look but not daring to.
In such a manner, the Emperor arrived in front of the crowd smoothly, and the people around him consciously made a small clearing, with Zhang Qing and others protecting him on either side.
His gaze landed on the man.
He saw the man with a calm expression, his deanor unhurried, still eating his pancake, seeming to be contemplating sothing, unaffected by the noise around him, as though amidst the rolling dust of the world, he remained like a clear breeze and a bright moon.
Just for that alone, the man was worth a few more glances from him.
The Emperor examined the man closely, his brows and eyes much clearer to see up close than from above; from a distance the face seed similar, but up close not quite.
Especially the temperant he bore, which was starkly different from that of his Little Concubine, one being composed, the other being impulsive.
In a situation like today’s, if his Little Concubine had been stared at in this manner, she would have undoubtedly felt uneasy all over, her face possibly flushing red, her voice becoming much softer.
But from where did that familiar feeling stem?
The Commander of the Imperial Guard, stationed in the inner circle, was greatly surprised. The commotion in the crowd could not escape him, and given that the Emperor was much taller than the average person, he noticed him even before he approached.
He wondered how His Majesty ca to be here and what he should do.
True to his experience with important affairs, the Commander of the Imperial Guard did not raise an alarm, well aware that the Emperor was on an incognito visit and it would not be wise to cause a stir, which might provoke chaos instead of preventing it.
When the Emperor reached the front of the crowd, he silently moved to that side, slightly bowed his head, and with bent fingers gave a gentle tap.
The Emperor spared him a glance, gave a slight nod, and then continued to observe the man in the center of the gathering.
Although the young man’s answer sheet was still blank, the state of deep concentration that he had entered left a strong impression, living up to the ordeal he faced today in terms of poise and resolve, especially after Minister Fan shared what he had seen, which reinforced his thoughts.
Today, his journey had not been in vain, for he had seen what he wanted to see.
Minister Jia still stood nearby, watching over the crowd to keep it from causing too much of a disturbance. Even if there were a flood outside, it seed it wouldn’t affect his brother Lian Mu; nevertheless, he still wanted to make a contribution.
He walked around the periter ford by the soldiers and looked towards the Emperor, surrounded by a crowd as if the stars were surrounding the moon, and he was suddenly taken aback. When had such a personage appeared in the Capital, one whom even he dare not look at directly?
Although Minister Jia had never seen the Emperor, he had frequent dealings with high officials and noblen and had seen many aristocrats, so his perspective naturally could not be compared with that of ordinary citizens.
In the eyes of ordinary citizens, the Emperor had an imposing nobility, was unapproachable, and had an indescribable aura that made people dare not get close.
In Minister Jia’s eyes, he had never seen such a presence in any young man before—despite being amidst the noise, he seed to be in a place where no one else existed, like soone accustod to a high position. The first thing that caught one’s attention was not his good looks but the domineering authority that hit one squarely in the face.
He was secretly alard, knowing that the person was extraordinary, yet he couldn’t guess his identity.
Just then, a round white fatty weaved his way forcefully through the crowd from outside, extrely nimble despite his girth, his face beaming with joy and speaking pleasant words. Without bumping into anyone much, he made his way to the young man.
The crowd instantly beca sowhat chaotic. The murmur of low private chatter beca louder, with so complaining that the big fatty was blocking their view and others wondering if their positions had been shifted.
Overall, the arrival of this fatty caused the already sowhat restless crowd to beco even more unsettled.
Minister Jia furrowed his brow, intending to go over and call for quiet, but before he could speak up, the Commander of the Imperial Guard stopped him, shaking his head tensely at him as if alert and on guard.
The young man heard a few words from the fatty and his expression changed imdiately; his aura suddenly beca sharper.
The Emperor glanced at the Commander of the Imperial Guard and promptly strode away.
Hu Miaomiao led the way in front, Zhang Qing and the others ford a protective circle around, and the group quickly made their way out of the crowd.
The Commander of the Imperial Guard felt a chill in his heart, knowing there was trouble, and he hurriedly left Minister Jia with a quick ssage, “Please watch over this place for , Minister Jia; I will be right back.”
Minister Jia, swept by the Emperor’s gaze, was so shaken that he had no ti to react before the Commander of the Imperial Guard hurried away.
He stood sowhat dazed, knowing that ordinary people rarely had such a strong presence. The Commander of the Imperial Guard had gone after just one look; could it be that sothing serious had happened?
Had the Commander of the Imperial Guard perceived sothing critical?
If so, he had to guard this place even more carefully, prevent anyone from causing trouble. Those scholars from Taiyuan Prefecture who had jointly signed a petition were especially keen on making trouble for his brother Lian Mu when he perford poorly in exams. He couldn’t let them succeed.
As Minister Jia thought this, he began pacing left and right with his hands on his hips, commanding silence wherever he went.
Lian Musu, on the other hand, was lost in his own thoughts, shedding so of his usual gentle deanor, his expression turning sowhat stern.
The word “public” was indeed too vast and broad, encompassing many things, yet none that fit with what was in his heart.
The way of the Dao is to be public for the sake of the world, known as the Great Unity. The world belongs to all the people, striving for equality in every place, where everyone is close and equal—that is the idea of the Great Public.
However, in the present and throughout history, in every dynasty, it has never been applicable. In a society with established aristocratic clans and clear social hierarchy, achieving such a state is impossible, and without the foundational conditions and systems, such a world cannot be created.
Equality and saness for everyone are just ideals of publicness. To forcefully demand such publicness would only lead to self-destruction.
For instance, comparing the people born in infertile lands with those from rich lands is inherently unfair, but such inequality is decreed by nature, not caused by laws or human intervention. If one were to forcefully demand such equality, it would surely lead to mutual devastation.
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