Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 110: Astrology
“Ah ha…” Li Xian stretched widely, “This life is so boring! Clearly, there’s nothing for me to do, yet I still can’t leave the imperial tomb. Here I am, on this entire construction site, not even allowed a sow! What is this all about!”
Song Xing, standing beside him, was trying hard not to laugh.
Standing on the edge of the cliff, looking out, Li Xian suddenly became enthusiastic: “I will ascend to the pinnacle and overlook the mountains small! Ha…”
“Good words!” Ge Zhengfeng walked over slowly, “Young Master Li seems quite leisurely lately.”
“Mr. Ge, please take a seat. Song Xing, serve the tea; this is just a little amusement I’ve come up with while being idle. Brewing tea with melted snow from the mountains has its own unique flavor.
The slight chill from the accumulated ice and snow in the high mountains, after being melted by the sun’s intense rays, gives off a sense of harmonious Taiji.”
Ge Zhengfeng took the teacup, savoring it carefully, and couldn’t help but praise it. “The tea is good, but Young Master Li, you are here to supervise the construction of the imperial tomb, not to bask in the sun.”
“Mr. Ge, you flatter me. I know what I can and can’t do; not causing chaos on the construction site or giving foolish orders is the only thing I can manage.”
“Indeed, indeed. What I admire most about you, Young Master, is this self-awareness. It’s this self-awareness that sets you apart.”
Li Xian was taken aback. Self-awareness? Come on, I’m just being modest here, modest, you know? Looking again at the laughter in Ge Zhengfeng’s eyes, Li Xian finally realized he was being mocked by this old guy! So, in a huff, he said, “Leave the construction matters to you, and I’ll just spend the money.”
“Haha…” Ge Zhengfeng laughed heartily, “Young Master Li, your earlier words were good, but they weren’t written by you, were they?”
“How can you tell?”
“You’re halfway up the mountain.”
“Uh…” Li Xian looked up at the towering peak that pierced the clouds, chuckling, showing no sign of embarrassment.
Ge Zhengfeng didn’t miss the chance to tease Li Xian: “Young Master Li, I see you: tasting fine tea at the cliff’s edge, feeling lazy among the crowd. The ‘lazy’ in lazy, and the ‘clothing’ in clothing.”
“Pfft…” Li Xian spat out a mouthful of tea, choking and coughing; the guards beside him, including Song Xing, were red-faced from holding back laughter but didn’t dare to laugh out loud.
After coughing for a long time, Li Xian finally calmed down, saying, “Mr. Ge, you have a way with words. I’m in awe.”
“Just good to say, but your fame is certainly greater than mine, Young Master Li.”
“Of course! Who doesn’t know the Brilliant Star Trading Company? Who doesn’t know the theory of commerce revitalizing the nation? Who doesn’t know…”
“No, no, no. What I’m talking about is your literary talent, not your business acumen.”
“Literary talent?” Li Xian was puzzled. “What literary talent do I have?”
Ge Zhengfeng replied seriously, “The ocean, ah, it’s all water!”
For a moment, everyone on the mountainside was laughing uproariously, even the sternest guards couldn’t help but chuckle. Only Li Xian’s face turned dark; such news travels fast! His once-great reputation was thoroughly ruined.
Ge Zhengfeng laughed for a long time before finally calming down. “Alright, alright, just a joke. The reason I say you have literary talent isn’t about your writing, but about your viewpoints. Your slogan and perspective of commerce revitalizing the nation have spread beyond the borders of Cai Kingdom. Just the other day, I received a letter from an old friend, stating that our southeastern Qi Kingdom has begun to experiment, and apparently, the results are good.
However, my old friend still has a few points that he doesn’t quite understand and wants me to inquire about from Young Master Li.”
Li Xian immediately shook his head, “Mr. Ge, I am from the Great Xia Kingdom, not from Qi. My heart naturally lies with the Great Xia Kingdom. For this matter, please forgive my inability to assist.”
“Uh…” Ge Zhengfeng didn’t expect such an answer and for a moment was unsure how to respond.
Li Xian personally poured tea for Ge Zhengfeng, the fragrance of the tea wafting through the air. “Mr. Ge, I actually have a question I want to ask about fate.”
Ge Zhengfeng hesitated for a moment but eventually raised the teacup and took a sip. “Young Master Li’s tea is indeed different from others.”
Li Xian chuckled, seemingly oblivious to the underlying meaning in Ge Zhengfeng’s words. “Song Xing, help Mr. Ge pack a pound of Mao Feng, the finest quality.”
Song Xing was quick, and within a few breaths, he placed the packed tea in front of Ge Zhengfeng. The corner of Ge Zhengfeng’s mouth twitched slightly, “Dragons give birth to dragons, and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. Your ability to pretend to be deaf and mute surpasses even your father’s.”
“You flatter me, you flatter me…”
“I’m not complimenting you!”
“I’ll take that as a compliment and jealousy. Come, come, please enjoy the tea, sir.”
“Forget it. Let me simply explain fate to you. This concept has developed from divination, the I Ching, astrology, geographic coordinates, the six realms of reincarnation, luck, and more. It has taken a long time of exploration and refinement, and only in the past few thousand years has it slowly formed a fixed school called astrology.
Astrology believes that there is a corresponding relationship between people and the stars in the sky. There are countless stars in the sky, which can be divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower.
The upper grade consists of the celestial bodies, which include 365 plus one stars. The 365 serves as the foundation, and the extra one is the Ziwei Star. Those who have a Ziwei Star fate tend to rise above others; a very small number of those with the best fates can even achieve great empires and become emperors.
What we commonly know—the Big Dipper, the Twelve Capital Heavens, the Nine Palace Taisui, the Five Elements Stars of Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, the Four Symbols of Zhuque, Xuanwu, Canglong, and Baihu, as well as the Three Realms—are all part of the celestial bodies.
The fate of the celestial bodies can exist independently; that is to say, each has the capability to dominate its own territory.
Because they can exist independently, the celestial bodies are also referred to as ‘Star Lords.’”
The middle grade is known as the Huiyuan Star Group, which consists of 129,600 stars. Unlike the celestial bodies, the Huiyuan Star Group cannot exist independently; what we commonly refer to as the Cowherd and Weaver Girl stars, the Well Star, and the Horse Hoof Star, among others, are all composed of multiple stars and cannot exist on their own. Therefore, they are also called ‘Star Officials.’
Those who possess this kind of fate can also attain wealth and success, but they can only rely on others. If they try to act independently, they are bound to fail and may even face unforeseen disasters!
The lower grade is known as the Hekan Star Group, which is named after the Milky Way, implying countless grains of sand in the river. Those with this kind of fate can find peace in their lives, and that is the greatest happiness. Most people in the world live like this, drifting aimlessly through life without a sense of self.”
Li Xian listened quietly. “Is astrology accurate?”
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“What do you think?” Ge Zhengfeng raised an eyebrow.
Li Xian thought for a moment and suddenly laughed. “Thank you for your teachings, sir. Please enjoy the tea.”
Ge Zhengfeng looked at Li Xian with a half-smile, “Young Master Li, about the theory of enriching the nation through commerce…”
“Ha ha! What wonderful weather we have today! The sun is shining brightly. Ah, lying peacefully on the high hills, leisurely sipping tea, watching the gentle breeze and the white clouds drifting by. Come, come, don’t miss out on this beautiful scenery, sir.”
Ge Zhengfeng was so irritated by Li Xian’s comments about the “fine weather” that his expression twisted in annoyance. Finally, he huffed, “Young Master Li, you can enjoy the scenery yourself. I have business to attend to!”