As Zhao Douan began to popularize physics,
at the deepest part of the Heavenly Master Mansion, within a quiet and serene courtyard.
Under the banyan tree, the Empress of Great Yu, dressed in the attire of the Kun Dao today, also t with one of the legendary figures of Great Yu, a Daoist Heavenly Master with the deepest experience and the most mysterious realm.
Zhang Yan Yi.
"You've co."
Tall and slender, with narrow eyes and a warm smile, Zhang Yan Yi had been waiting for a long ti, sitting under the banyan tree and gesturing for the Empress to take a seat.
Beside him, Jin Jian was also present, her role today being that of a master's attendant child.
Now departing from her usual lively temperant, she dutifully carried over a tea table and poured tea for them.
"It's been a long ti since we last t, Heavenly Master, you look even more distinguished than before."
Xu Zhenguan, trailing her long gown, stepped to the empty bamboo chair, gracefully seated herself, a serene smile on her face.
Zhang Yan Yi quietly observed her, sighing:
"It's been a long ti, Your Majesty. The imperial aura grows stronger with each day, while the cultivation spirit diminishes just as much."
Xu Zhenguan's smile held a touch of bitterness:
"Heavenly Master, you still speak so bluntly, but with so many state affairs, I thought it would be easier with soone to share the burden... yet the rebels remain restless..."
Zhang Yan Yi waved his hand to cut her off, closing his eyes and saying:
"I don't understand the affairs of court, Old One. I still miss the days when Your Majesty would co by, discussing the Dao and the heavens."
Xu Zhenguan fell silent, understanding well why the Old Heavenly Master held such an attitude.
She rembered clearly that when she was the Third Imperial Princess, during her stay at the Heavenly Master Mansion, Zhang Yan Yi couldn't stop praising her talent for cultivation.
He had claid that if she devoted herself to cultivation, Xu Zhenguan might have had a chance to catch up with the Grand Ancestor Emperor.
Because of this admiration, he had spent considerable effort ntoring her. However, in the end, Xu Zhenguan ascended to the throne.
State affairs hindered her cultivation.
In the eyes of a reclusive expert like the Old Heavenly Master, worldly matters were insignificant compared to the Dao.
Therefore, he felt it was quite regrettable that Xu Zhenguan had given up her cultivation.
Out of regret ca slight annoyance, but after all, it was a personal choice.
Though Zhang Yan Yi lanted it, he wouldn't truly be angry, rely grumbling a bit.
Seeing the Empress not answering, he took the initiative to start several topics of conversation.
After all, he still cared about her cultivation.
But as their paths diverged with different legacies, the higher they went, the more different their challenges beca.
Their so-called conversation was just a dabbling.
However, for Jin Jian, who was sitting on a small stool, the sentences casually spoken by the two Heavenly Human Realm Great Cultivators were already obscure and hard to understand.
Thus, the girl had to hug her knees and stretch her neck, her lips slightly parted in a display of focus, though her gaze was unfocused and her mind wandered.
If she babbled thoughtlessly a few tis, she would be no different from a senseless child.
When Jin Jian ca back to her senses, she found that the two had finally stopped discussing cultivation.
"When I entered, I saw that a new couplet was placed upon the second gate's arch. May I ask who wrote it?"
Xu Zhenguan sipped her tea and asked casually.
Jin Jian snapped back to attention, focusing her gaze and looking warily at her, then at her master.
"Heh, it was an unexpected discovery by a priest below. I thought it was good, so I replaced it," Zhang Yan Yi said shalessly.
Jin Jian was quite impressed, thinking the master's words were well put.
No lies, just omitting key information.
Xu Zhenguan's eyes flickered briefly.
Though curious, she did not pursue further, rely uttering an "Oh" and saying,
"The Heavenly Master Mansion is indeed full of talented people."
This remark, rely polite conversation, but in the ears of the master and disciple, it sounded off.
Combining this with the Empress suddenly ntioning the couplet and asking about its origin, Jin Jian looked towards her master, thinking:
Could it be that Her Majesty has learned sothing and has co to subtly confront us?
Zhang Yan Yi was also a bit uncertain.
After all, with his stature, to court the Empress's partisans was indeed unflattering.
"Ahem,"
The Old Heavenly Master adjusted his posture, exuding the aura of a sage, seemingly casually saying:
"Under Your Majesty's command, talent also erges in multitude. Although I sit withered in my courtyard, I have also heard... for instance, Jin Jianer has ntioned a certain... "
"Zhao Douan."
Jin Jian murmured under her breath with a twisted mouth.
His mind thought the master was shaless, even pretending not to recognize her, showing no embarrassnt.
"Correct, Zhao Douan,"
Zhang Yan Yi said with a chuckle, "You've even brought your business to the Heavenly Master Mansion."
He was testing the waters, wanting to confirm whether the Empress knew that he was undermining her.
Heavenly Master Zhang actually knew him... Was it Jin Jian who ntioned him?... Xu Zhenguan was slightly surprised and smiled,
"This man is indeed sowhat clever, and he has also accompanied this ti, waiting outside. If the Heavenly Master is interested, why not call him in to see?"
Her words didn't carry much aning.
However, to the master and disciple, it was as if they were facing a great enemy.
Disaster... did Your Majesty know?
Or did she suspect?
So she deliberately brought him along to test him, to make the master embarrass himself in person... Jin Jianer's little face was stern.
Anxiously, she looked towards Zhang Yan Yi, wanting to see how the master would handle Her Majesty's challenge?
But Zhang Yan Yi just looked aningfully at the Empress:
"Jin Jianer, since Her Majesty has spoken, go outside and ask. If that person is there, bring him in to have a look."
"...Oh."
Jin Jian didn't know what dicine her master was selling in his gourd, but obediently went out.
It wasn't long before she ca back.
The girl had a strange expression:
"Master, sothing... happened outside."
The Empress and the Old Heavenly Master both looked at her with puzzlent:
"What happened?"
Thinking of what she had heard when she went out, Jin Jian still found it hard to believe:
"They said that Zhao Douan was invited away by Fifth Brother, and then... sohow, he started giving a lesson to Fifth Brother... Now, a lot of priests have rushed over to see what's happening, and they've completely blocked the place."
Xu Zhenguan was stunned, her face showing disbelief.
Zhao Douan?
Giving a lesson to Gongshu Tianyuan?
She couldn't help but look searchingly at the Old Heavenly Master and saw that Zhang Yan Yi was just as confused.
In the next second, the Old Heavenly Master suddenly picked up the teacup from the tea table and casually splashed the tea water into the air.
Splash!
In an instant, the tea water in the air ford a dynamic "screen" of cascading water.
Within the water screen, it was clear to see the thoroughly blocked courtyard and, upon zooming in, the ssy room inside.
There stood Zhao Douan, in front of a white board, giving a lesson.
Gongshu Tianyuan, along with several other magicians of the Artisan God, had moved stools to sit in front of him, listening intently.
At that mont, Zhao Douan's voice ca through from the water screen:
"...That's why, to understand why lenses can distort images, you must first comprehend the refraction of light."
"What is refraction?"
"It's when light enters another dium at an angle and changes its direction of propagation, causing the light to bend at the interface between different dia."
...
...
"dium?"
In the room, as prim and proper as a schoolboy, Gongshu Tianyuan asked, oblivious to the magicians who had crowded around in the courtyard:
"May I ask, Lord, what is a dium?"
Zhao Douan didn't answer right away, but swept an exasperated glance through the window at the dense crowd of faces almost pressed against the glass.
Gongshu Tianyuan said anxiously and nervously:
"Lord, are you worried they will learn the secrets of scholarship? Don't worry, I will drive them away right now..."
"...No need," Zhao Douan sighed.
He just didn't understand why so many people had inexplicably gathered.
What if Her Majesty was looking for him... Well, let's finish the lesson quickly and not delay anything.
With this thought, he cald himself down and said:
"What is a dium? It's a good question. Well, to put it in a more tangible way, it's the substance that allows water waves, sound waves, light waves, to propagate from one place to another."
...
...
ps: This chapter is a bit short, but it's almost midnight, so I can only update for now. The next chapter will definitely finish this segnt.
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