Chapter 81: Having Seen the Gentleman, How Could I Not Be Joyful?

When Zhan Wenjun began the process of severing the ties of the Zhan clan, Xu You arrived at the Qiantang County magistrate's office accompanied by Zuo Jun. Having experienced the previous encounter, the guards at the gate no longer dared to show any arrogance. Upon seeing Xu You, they were remarkably amiable. One guard went inside to announce his arrival, while the other bowed and led Xu You past the screen wall and lotus pond, through the side gate and into the main hall. The guard said respectfully, "Sir, the Magistrate is currently hearing a case. If you are not in a hurry, perhaps you would like to wait in the inner hall."

Xu You nodded. Just as he was about to step forward, Bao Xi, having received word, hurried out to meet him. He waved the guard away, bowed, and greeted him, "Master Xu!"

As a commoner of Qi now, Xu You had to be prudent in his conduct. He bowed in return and said, "Chief Clerk Bao!"

"I dare not accept such a salute!" Bao Xi stepped aside and gestured, "Please!"

Following Bao Xi into the inner hall—a place where the magistrate and his aides discussed official business—they entered a simple, three-room structure. The layout was modest yet carried an air of solemnity.

Xu You sat in the guest seat on the east side. A young boy in green robes served clear tea. Xu You lifted his cup in a gesture of respect toward Bao Xi, took a small sip, and set it down gently.

During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the tea culture was beginning to flourish. There was a saying: "Serve tea upon a guest's arrival, and serve soup when a guest departs." This custom was in accordance with social etiquette and the elegant tastes of tea ceremony. Later, by the Song Dynasty, for some unknown reason, it evolved into a practice where tea or soup would be served but not consumed. When the host finally brought out the tea, the servants would loudly announce the visitor's departure. From beginning to end, the tea became a mere prop—the origin of the well-known Qing Dynasty custom of "serving tea to see the guest out."

Bao Xi and Xu You were well-acquainted; he knew that Xu You would not visit without a purpose. Not wanting to beat around the bush, he smiled and asked, "Master Xu, you have come to visit today—is there something you wish to entrust to the Magistrate?"

As Bao Xi was a trusted confidant of Gu Yun, Xu You saw no need to hide anything. "I believe you are aware that the Zhan clan is holding a meeting at Zhibin Pavilion today?"

Bao Xi frowned slightly. "The last time they came to blows at Zhibin Pavilion, had it not been for the Magistrate’s timely arrival, who knows what chaos would have ensued. What are they up to this time?"

Xu You did not believe for a moment that Bao Xi was unaware of the Zhan clan’s gathering. As the Chief Clerk of the county, if he could not keep track of such matters, how could he assist Gu Yun in managing the vast affairs of Qiantang?

"It is said that Madam Guo intends to divide the Zhan clan’s assets among the various branches, and Zhan Ting is included in this..."

"To stop the boiling water by adding cold water is not as effective as removing the firewood from under the cauldron. What a clever plan to extricate oneself!" Bao Xi's eyes flickered as he scrutinized Xu You. After a long moment, he added, "However, if I am not mistaken, this surely could not have been Zhan Wenjun’s own idea..."

Xu You smiled faintly. "Madam Guo is a woman of great strategy, unlike the ordinary sort. The others are mere mediocrities; how could they possibly sway her decisions?"

Bao Xi also smiled. "It seems you hold Zhan Wenjun in high regard!" He picked up his teacup, gently blew away the floating tea leaves, and continued, "Since you already have such a brilliant plan, why come to the Magistrate?"

"A single Zhan Ting is of little consequence; dividing the family assets is enough to leave him stranded and helpless. However, the Celestial Masters are not so easily dealt with. If Xi Yuanda sends a dispatch from the Inspector's office to Qiantang County, forcing the Magistrate to rule that the loss of the venison occurred before the division of the family assets and compelling the Zhan clan to pay collectively, then they will never be able to escape the predicament!"

"That is indeed a complication..."

At that moment, the wooden door connecting the inner hall to the main hall opened, and Gu Yun walked in. Upon seeing Xu You, he was overjoyed. "Weizhi! We agreed to meet again in three days, yet you—you ran off to the Mingyu Mountains with a beauty to enjoy yourself, leaving me here in this filthy place, living each day as if it were a year! How truly vexing!"

Xu You laughed. "Why tease me, Feiqing? If I hadn't offended the dignitaries of the county upon my arrival, how could I have broken my promise to you?"

Gu Yun took Xu You’s hand and pulled him toward the couch in the main seat. Even though Xu You knew that in this era, the couch was essentially the equivalent of a long bench, having two grown men sit together on it felt incredibly awkward.

What was even more painful was that he could not show this discomfort; otherwise, he would lose his sense of refinement and, perhaps, lose Gu Yun as a friend.

"I know all about your affairs, yet you have been dragged into this storm for no reason. Set your mind at ease; no matter what they do, I will ensure you remain safe!"

Gu Yun’s skin was as white as jade, his features delicate and soft; looking at him up close, he truly looked no different from a woman. Furthermore, the fragrance he wore lingered, drifting into Xu You’s nostrils and making him feel lightheaded. Truly, one could hardly distinguish the male from the female.

"Thank you, Feiqing!" Xu You knew that Gu Yun held a secret decree from his superior and would surely do his utmost to ensure his personal safety. On this, he was quite confident. "However, the Zhan clan..."

"The Zhan clan is also pitiable; sitting peacefully at home when disaster strikes from the heavens!" Gu Yun sighed. "The Celestial Masters have gone too far this time. They want to swallow up seven mid-to-lower-tier noble families of Yangzhou over seven pieces of venison. It is truly..."

"Magistrate!"

Bao Xi suddenly coughed several times, interrupting Gu Yun. "Master Xu has come today to inform us of the latest developments regarding the Zhan clan. Other matters can wait for another time!"

Gu Yun glanced at Bao Xi, realizing he had spoken too freely. He apologized to Xu You, "Weizhi, it is not that I intentionally hide things from you, but the details here are far-reaching. The less you know, the less trouble you will have."

Xu You was well aware of what Gu Yun was referring to; he had already learned the details from Li Yifeng. However, he could not show the slightest hint of this. He smiled and said, "Do I look like someone who seeks out trouble?"

Gu Yun feigned a look of scrutiny, squinting at him, and shook his head. "Not at all. You look like someone who is content with fate..."

"He who is content with fate does not worry!" Xu You laughed aloud. "Only you truly know me, Feiqing!"

Gu Yun’s eyes lit up. "Does Weizhi also study the I Ching?"

*He who is content with fate does not worry*—this phrase came from the *Commentary on the I Ching*. Xu You replied modestly, "I know only a little; I dare not claim to be a scholar of it!"

The more he said this, the more curious Gu Yun became. He subconsciously leaned forward and asked, "People today all treat the *I Ching* as a book of divination. What is your opinion, Weizhi?"

During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, the study of the *I Ching* was divided into two schools: the School of Images and Numbers and the School of Meaning and Principle. Simply put, one focused on the concrete forms of the hexagrams, while the other focused on the philosophical ideas within them. Especially after the rise of Profound Learning, the *I Ching* largely became a foundational text for the spiritually void upper classes to seek out immortality and the Way.

Observing his reaction, Xu You smiled. "That is a great fallacy! The *I Ching* speaks of the Way of the Sages; how could it be understood by those who play at sorcery and trickery?"

Gu Yun leaned in further. "How so?"

"The *I Ching* speaks of four ways of the sages: first, observing words; second, observing changes; third, crafting implements; and only fourth, divination. To prioritize divination while neglecting the others is like the man from Zheng who bought the casket but returned the pearls. Is that not a great fallacy?"

This was an argument from the *Ten Wings*. Since Gu Yun was interested in the *I Ching*, he had certainly read it, so he was not surprised. "However, how can the ways of observing words, observing changes, and crafting implements be mentioned in the same breath as divination? Observing words is merely political maneuvering; observing changes is just the doctrine of the Mean; crafting implements teaches one to follow nature. Only divination can communicate with ghosts and gods to seek good fortune and avoid disaster. All four are the ways of the sages, and divination is the foremost. So why is it a great fallacy for people today to treat the *I Ching* as a book of divination?"

The *I Ching* was profound and vast, with countless commentators from antiquity to the present. Everyone had their own reasoning, which gave rise to countless schools and followers. Where there were schools, there were debates. In this era of flourishing "Pure Conversation," noblemen often discovered arguments within the *I Ching*, then sought evidence to support them, and finally conducted their debates. If they were born in a later age, they would surely have scored perfectly on their essay examinations.

"The *Yi* (Change) is change itself, changing according to the times to follow the Way. It is meant to align with the principles of life, understand the mysteries of the unseen and the seen, exhaust the nature of all things, and reveal the way to open up the world and accomplish tasks. The sages' concern for future generations is evident. That is why I say the *I Ching* is a book of anxiety. Only when one understands the principles can one understand the images, and only when one understands the images can one understand the numbers. To understand the principles first and the images and numbers later is the true way to seek good fortune and avoid disaster. To ignore the principles and discuss only images and numbers is nothing more than the deceitful talk of geomancers!"

Xu You had come today for a purpose and really did not want to engage in empty talk with Gu Yun. But since the people of the time considered "Pure Conversation" an elegant activity, a direct refusal would appear vulgar. Thus, he simply plagiarized the theories from Cheng Yi’s *Commentary on the I Ching* to shock Gu Yun.

However, the Cheng school completely discarded the essence of the old Daoist traditions of images and numbers, replacing them with secular ethics and human sentiment, with the ultimate goal of regulating social moral behavior. To be honest, Cheng Yi’s approach was a bit of an overcorrection; although he was a great Confucian scholar, he was not someone Xu You particularly admired.

Gu Yun jolted, staring down at a speck of dust on the floor. "The *I Ching* is a book of anxiety..." He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with fascination. "Weizhi, tonight you and I shall share a couch and talk through the night. I shall not let you leave, no matter what!"

Xu You was torn between laughter and tears, but he had no choice but to agree. He then spoke of the Zhan family’s division of assets. Gu Yun smiled. "No matter. If the Inspector's office sends a dispatch, I will simply stall them. Such matters are subjective; how one judges them depends entirely on one's own heart. Weizhi, give me the truth: do you really want to help Zhan Wenjun? If you say the word, it would not be difficult for me to forcefully rule that Zhan Ting must pay for the venison himself. As for the Celestial Masters and the Inspector's office, I will deal with them myself..."

Seeing Bao Xi covering his mouth and preparing to cough again, Xu You politely declined. "Feiqing, as the shepherd of Qiantang, you must uphold justice, show diligence to the people, protect the orphaned, nourish the foundations, and cultivate human virtue. You are the parent official of the county, not merely a friend to me alone. If I were to ruin your reputation for the sake of my own private interests, I would be unredeemable even with a hundred deaths. If you can merely delay things within the bounds of the law, I would be eternally grateful!"

Gu Yun smiled slightly, unconcerned. He turned to Bao Xi and said, "Look, this is a true friend, my very own Xu Yuan!"

During the Three Kingdoms period, Lu Dai, the Grand Marshal of Wu, had a close friend named Xu Yuan. Whenever Lu Dai made a mistake, Xu Yuan would argue with him based on reason, even criticizing him in front of others without the slightest hesitation. Lu Dai did not take offense; instead, he rejoiced at hearing his own faults. After Xu Yuan passed away, Lu Dai wept bitterly, and the story became a celebrated tale of the time.

Xu You quickly scanned his memory, confirming that this Xu Yuan was not an ancestor of the Xu clan; otherwise, Gu Yun’s analogy would have been quite embarrassing.

Just then, the sound of weeping drifted from the main hall. Bao Xi asked in confusion, "Magistrate, how is the case in the front hall proceeding?"

Gu Yun flicked his sleeves and exclaimed, "Since I have seen a gentleman, how can I not be happy? I had completely forgotten about that! Sir, this case is highly troublesome, and I specifically came to seek your counsel..."