Chapter 82

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In the side hall of the Weiyang Palace, the moonlight shone on the white marble steps, casting a soft shadow.

The young emperor Liu Che, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, stood under the eaves, half of his body in the shadow and the other half in the moonlight. His face was hard to see clearly, but his eyes sparkled with joy.

"Did Liang Xiao really say that?"

"Yes," Li Danghu stood at the bottom of the steps, clasping his hands. He had spent the whole day with Liang Xiao and Dongfang Shuo, witnessing Liang Xiao reduce Dongfang Shuo to speechlessness. In terms of scholarship, Liang Xiao was not even comparable to a finger of Dongfang Shuo, but Liang Xiao seized on Dongfang Shuo's flaws, relentlessly pursuing and ultimately leaving Dongfang Shuo speechless.

Dongfang Shuo's biggest problem was his emphasis on the past and neglect of the present. This was not just his issue but a common flaw among scholars. They always referred to the Three Dynasties and spoke of sages, a habit of scholars and many Han people. However, Li Danghu, being a warrior with limited knowledge, did not exhibit this as severely.

To them, Liang Xiao was clearly an anomaly. He did not focus on the past but on the present and the future. He repeatedly questioned Dongfang Shuo, asking what he had discovered on his own and whether his knowledge could influence the present and the future. Specifically, what problems could he solve?

Dongfang Shuo, despite his extensive knowledge, could not answer Liang Xiao's questions and was eventually left speechless.

After listening to Li Danghu's report, Liu Che became very interested. He temporarily forgot about leaving the palace and repeatedly pondered Liang Xiao's words, becoming increasingly curious about him.

"Danghu, I know why he doesn't want to go to the Prince of Huainan's mansion," Liu Che mused for a long time, then laughed softly. He took large strides towards the hall. "I won't leave the city today. Bring Liang Xiao here; I want to talk to him."

Li Danghu was surprised. He hadn't finished speaking, and the emperor had already moved. He hurried to catch up, smiling bitterly. "Your Majesty, Liang Xiao is not outside the palace."

"Not on duty?" Liu Che waved his hand indifferently. "Then call him here."

"Your Majesty, Liang Xiao... is not yet a Weiyang Lang."

Liu Che was very dissatisfied. "I told you to take him to General Li, how could you forget?"

Li Danghu was speechless and had to recount how Liang Xiao and Li Guang had a disagreement, and Liang Xiao left in a huff. On one side was his father, and on the other was a young man favored by the emperor. Li Danghu couldn't favor either and had to tell the story as it happened.

Before Li Danghu finished, Liu Che's eyebrows raised, and he laughed. "Interesting, interesting. Since that's the case, I'll go find him." He stood up again and walked out briskly.

...

Liang Xiao moved into a newly rented house.

While he was talking to Dongfang Shuo, Li Danghu helped him move. His family, besides a few people, had nothing else. Bringing Liang Miao and Li Rongqing over completed the move.

The courtyard was similar to the one in Guangling, just tidier. Liang Miao still lived in the west room of the back yard, Liang Xiao in the east room, and Tu Niu'er in the east wing of the front yard, also serving as a gatekeeper. With no income, Liang Xiao couldn't afford servants, so Tu Niu'er had to take on the role.

Moving into a new home was a good thing, but for Liang Xiao, it also meant an additional expense, which was a significant problem for him, who was already living off his savings.

After tidying up the rooms, Liang Xiao went to the west room to discuss their future with his mother.

All their possessions were on the bed, almost depleted.

After Liang Miao counted the remaining items, she put them away and hid them under the bed. "Xiao'er, we should buy a loom tomorrow. Li Rongqing and I can weave brocade to supplement our income. Once you enter the government, you'll need to buy horses, clothes, and interact with colleagues, which will be quite expensive."

Liang Xiao frowned. He also found it very challenging. Living in Chang'an was not easy. He had finally gained the favor of Emperor Wu, with a chance to become a Lang, but he didn't expect to have to pay for his own expenses. Indeed, as a Lang, one had to provide their own weapons, horses, and clothes. For the children of officials, this was no issue, but for Liang Xiao, it was a significant expense.

Having his mother weave brocade to earn money was the only solution he could think of. However, he had lived with her for over a year and understood her well.

His mother didn't want to weave brocade anymore. It wasn't because she was unwilling to work hard, but because she feared it would affect him. Living in a melon shed in the southern part of the city, with no neighbors, few knew she wove brocade. Now, living in the suburbs, Liang Xiao would have friends visiting, and if they learned that the Li family relied on her weaving to survive, it would harm his reputation.

"Let's wait. If it comes to it, I'll borrow some from Li Danghu."

"Don't borrow from anyone, especially not Li Danghu," Liang Miao said. "You've only known him for a short time. Borrowing money rashly will make people look down on you."

Liang Xiao was about to speak when Tu Niu'er entered. "Aunt Liang, Xiao'er, Liu Ling is here again."

Liang Xiao was surprised. It was already dark; what was Liu Ling doing here, and wasn't she afraid of causing a scandal? He exchanged a glance with Liang Miao, then stood up and followed Tu Niu'er out to the front yard.

Liu Ling was dressed in men's clothing, standing in the courtyard, admiring the target Liang Xiao had just made. In the Han dynasty, the target was rectangular, but Liang Xiao had creatively made a round one, and he had borrowed cinnabar from Dongfang Shuo to paint ten rings. Liu Ling seemed very intrigued and kept looking at it.

"Lady Liu..."

"Don't call me Lady Liu, just call me Liu Ling," Liu Ling raised her hand, interrupting Liang Xiao, and pointed to her clothes. "I came out secretly."

Liang Xiao then noticed that there was only one carriage and a few attendants outside, with no sign of Lei Bei. The only familiar person was Deng Guobin. He was shocked. "Lady, how can you be so careless? I've heard that the security in Chang'an is not good, and there are often young ruffians who rob passersby."

"With you, the Archer, by my side, who would dare to rob me?" Liu Ling covered her mouth and laughed. "You didn't know, but the story of your competition with General Li has almost spread throughout Chang'an. Many people know that a new Archer has come to Chang'an. In a few days, you'll have visitors non-stop, so I had to come first to leave an impression."

Liang Xiao smiled bitterly. "Who's so talkative?"

"It's not just talk. There are countless young knights in Chang'an, each eager to prove themselves and gain fame. They are willing to step on famous people to achieve this. However, General Li has been famous for many years, decisive and ruthless, with countless people injured by his arrows. Few dare to challenge him. You, a newcomer, challenged him and left unscathed, so becoming famous was expected."

Liang Xiao was greatly alarmed. This was definitely not the truth. He had challenged the Lang officials of the Weiyang Palace, not Li Guang himself. If this news reached Li Guang, would he come with a bow and shoot him through the heart?

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