Chapter 215 “history” (part one)
Exactly 35 years ago, 925 year of the Imperial calendar, a lot of people might have already forgotten the things that took place in that spring.
In their mindsets, the only memorable aspect would have likely been how late the spring season arrived.
In order to prevent the soldiers from freezing to death during the annual spring drill, the military specially rushed an order of thick coats for the soldiers. After a short period of hard labor, the military workshops barely managed to get the coats to the soldiers in time for the drill.
However, that year’s spring is not as simple as that. Towards the people of the capital, there were many things that took place which would eventually have a great impact on the continent’s future.
Exactly in the spring of that year, his Majesty the Emperor Augustine the 6th officially recognized his eldest son as the Crown Prince. In addition to this, the former chief of the Rowling Household passed away and his son Raymond ends up inheriting his title as Count.
In the midst of the young nobles of the Empire, this 20-year old Raymond is of course a rising star. Whether it is his outstanding martial art skills or foresight in military tactics, everyone that believed in him only had this in their minds: military family Rowling Household once again produced an outstanding chief.
At the same time, this young Raymond’s best friend has just been established as the Crown Prince. One is a promising general of the empire and the other is the future emperor of the empire. Together, who would have ever thought the two would face defeat and one would eventually face death in shame?
During this period, they are still young and full of hope for their future.
Like them that are standing in their golden years is the Lister Household’s chief. By using his wits and charm, this famed handsome gentlemen managed to conquer the entire noble circle within one year. Whether it is: music, art, astronomy, divination, history, or dancing… … It looked like there was nothing this Lister chief could not do because even his majesty the Emperor ended up bestowing a knighthood on him.
Though this title cannot be inherited and is of low stature, but since it was from the emperor himself, the status of this Lister chief rose immensely in the ladder.
At the same time, this Mr. Lister is a billionaire with a rich family background. With just these two points, most of the young noble girls were falling heads over heels for this man.
Above all else, the most memorable thing in that year’s spring is the rising of Mr. Blue Ocean.
In everyone’s mind, about a few years ago, a middle-aged man called Blue Ocean came to the capital. No one knows where this person came from, but he was always in his iconic attire: plain cotton robe with unkempt long hair. Living in the southern sector where civilians liked to gather, he would always walk through the busy streets with a smile.
No matter who you are, even if you’re just a bakery owner or a carriage driver, as long as you greet him, he will smile at you and nod.
In the eyes of these civilians, this Mr. Blue Ocean is a well learned man! The reason is because since his arrival in their lives, he had solved many difficult problems for them.
If you are ill and unable to seek a physician, you can find this Mr. Blue Ocean for help. He will concoct a remedy for you using herbs that even professional doctors cannot understand to heal your injuries.
At the beginning, everyone thought this Mr. Blue Ocean was a physician.
Later on when the owner of a neighboring failing grocery store decided to sell their business in order to return to their old home in the countryside, this Blue Ocean only needed one afternoon to go through all the accounts to clear up six years of book keeping.
This time around, everyone thought this Mr. Blue Ocean is an excellent accounting clerk.
Then later on again, a fur businessman decided to bring his entire inventory out for sun tanning in the yard. Seeing this, Mr. Blue Ocean immediately ran to the guy to warn him about the heavy rain in the coming month; of course, the businessman didn’t take the advice because the weather just so happens to be the hottest season of the year.
The result is as Mr. Blue Ocean said. Two days later, the weather turned worse and heavy rain swamped the capital for a whole month without stopping even a day. As such, the fur trader suffered a huge loss in his business.
This time around, everyone thought this Mr. Blue Ocean is probably a fortuneteller.
Subsequently, a seamstress came to him for help after losing the fabric she was supposed to use in an order for a noble lord. Without any difficulty, Mr. Blue Ocean randomly pulled down a curtain and easily created a new gown in a single afternoon. Anyone that saw the robe would instantly compliment how pretty and stylish the robe was.
This time, the citizens were finally shocked with surprise…… Is there anything this Blue Ocean can’t do?
Hence his fame started to spread.
A noblemen’s gardener accidentally caused his lord’s favorite flower to wilt and die. To help the poor guy, Blue Ocean only taught the gardener a few methods. Like a miracle, the wilted flower suddenly resurrected and even bloomed more brightly then before.
A businessman in trafficking animals was cheated by his opponent and ended up buying a thousand bad horses. In the face of a huge loss, he went to ask Blue Ocean for help. There wasn’t any immediately solution this time around, but Mr. Blue Ocean picked out two pregnant horses and told the merchant what to do in the future.
As a result, the two pregnant mares actually produced two fine horses! Two years later, the two horses were trained to be first class colts and were then sold for more than what the merchant lost in the first place.
The most amazing event was the story of the thief sneaking into Mr. Blue Ocean’s home. Who knows what happened that night, but by daybreak, this thief had already changed into a servant’s attire and was then on a faithful servant by Blue Ocean’s side till this day.
Blue Ocean’s fame began to spread across the capital which caused some of the civilians to ask him to be their children’s teacher.
After three years of coming to the capital, this Blue Ocean had already become a well-known scholar. Even though he only lived in the commoner sector and only ate common bread, everyone still respected him and would always greet him as “Sir”. Of course, some of the other scholars in the capital didn’t take this kindly and thought Blue Ocean’s existence is an offense to their own.
Being a scholar, how can they mingle in the common sector? From rumors, this Blue Ocean would just walk out barefooted….. This is just too shameless!
Therefore, a number of scholars began to knock on his door to challenge him in a discussion of knowledge…… But without exception, every troublemaker would leave in shame. Despite this glamorous record, Blue Ocean would always lug around in a rocking chair under the tree in his yard to sun tan.
At this point, his fame began to spread to the ears of some nobles. In the beginning, these nobles believed this Blue Ocean is like those traditional scholars that would suck up to them, but they were wrong!
Whenever he received an invitation from these noblemen’s, Blue Ocean would always turn them down.
The move made of his made him out to be called a “country bumpkin” in the eyes of the nobility.
As fate would have it, in the imperial year 925, this Blue Ocean surprised everyone by participating in the annual scholar conference.
This is a gathering of the capital’s most famous scholars because it is the perfect opportunity to spread ones fame across the empire.
But this time around, everyone’s glamor was overshadowed by Blue Ocean.
In the midst of a large group of scholars dressed in luxurious clothes, Blue Ocean waltz in barefooted without shame. Under the crowd of mocking eyes, he raised three questions.
First question: when a person is first born and is a baby, why aren’t they ashamed of themselves? Yet, after growing up, why should they be ashamed of being naked?
The second question, he asked: For a beast’s life and a human’s life, they only know how to mate, fight, and hunt. If so, what is the difference between the two?
The third problem is even more interesting. He invited the most famous scholar at the time to hold a flower. Then disregarding everyone’s surprised look, he picked up the excrement of a cattle and took the flower from the famed scholar’s hand and stabbed the flower into the excrement. Letting out a laugh, he asked: “May I know what your thoughts were while the flower was in his hand and in mine?”
This single crazy action caused everyone to be shocked.
Despite gathering nearly every named scholar in the empire, no one present could completely answer Blue Ocean’s question.
After a heated discussion, Blue Ocean casually announced his own answer:
First question: He told them the clothing you are wearing is not to hide your body, but your own shame. The reason a baby isn’t ashamed of its own naked body is because a baby has no shame.
For the second question, none in the audience can answer it either: the biggest difference between man and beast is the ability to think. We are able to think about this issue here while a beast can’t.
For the last question, it was even more interesting. Holding the cow dung in his hand, Blue Ocean then asked the famed scholar what was in his hand.
Using a mocking tone, the famed scholar replied: “I see a cow’s dung.”
Blue Ocean didn’t get angry, instead, he very elegantly said: “I only see the flower that was in your hand.”
Just when the famed scholar thought Blue Ocean was about to yield to him, the next words that came out of Blue Ocean left him speechless.
“The reason your eyes can only see a cow’s dung is because your heart is thinking of something dirty. I can see a flower is because my heart is thinking of a flower….. Sir, this is the difference between us.”
Blue Ocean ingeniously used these three issues to deride these hypocritical scholars. The first question is to mock their sense of shame, the second question is to mock their inability to think…. And the last question is to mock their dirty hearts.
After finishing all his words, Blue Ocean left the party with a faint victorious smile.
After only a day, Blue Ocean’s fame became rock solid after leaving a hundred famed scholars speechless. In some cases, those with enough shame even left the capital to never return again.