The Ma Family Banquet, Spring and Autumn Arrive

Qiu Yan made a few inquiries in the city and found out the address of the Ma Residence. It was also located in the Inner City, not far from the Han Residence, but its size was smaller than the Han Residence.

Not far from the Ma Residence, Qiu Yan first ordered Hu Qi to take the servant Ma Ling and go around to the back gate to escort the person inside.

After a while, he personally arrived at the main gate of the Ma Residence, presented his visiting card, and was welcomed inside by an acquaintance.

The greeter was named Ma Lin, a descendant of Ma Yang. He had once gone to Qingchang County to organize Ma Yang's collection of books, and thus had met Qiu Yan once. The two had exchanged a few words and could be considered to have some acquaintance.

"Brother Qiu, you've finally arrived!"

"Brother Ma, it's been a long time." Qiu Yan bowed respectfully.

"It's quite a coincidence, I just returned from the north a few days ago," Ma Lin said with a smile in return. "Today, Third Master heard that you were coming and knew that we had a past relationship, so he specially sent me out to greet you. He is in the main hall, waiting for you. Please come with me."

Ma Lin's words, though seemingly ordinary, revealed a great deal of information. They not only identified the person in charge of the Ma Residence but also expressed a hint of goodwill, thus setting the tone for today's meeting.

Thank you for your trouble.

During his reminiscing with Ma Lin, Qiu Yan entered the mansion.

Compared to the Han Residence, the Ma Residence was much simpler, but as an official Aristocratic Clan, the interior furnishings were still far superior to those of ordinary people.

After walking a few steps and passing through the open room, they arrived at the main room. Ma Lin apologized to Qiu Yan, then straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and bowed, saying, "Reporting to Third Uncle, Brother Qiu has arrived."

The next moment, a calm voice came from inside the room. "Then please come in, my dear nephew."

Ma Lin nodded, turned around, and gestured for him to enter. "Brother Qiu, please."

Qiu Yan nodded and stepped over the threshold.

When he came to visit, he considered himself a junior to Ma Yang, so naturally he couldn't let his elders come out to greet him; therefore, he had to take the initiative to come himself.

The main hall was decorated in a manner similar to that of a typical scholar's home. The hall was spacious, with two rows of chairs on either side, where people sat. At the far end hung a painting depicting mountains, rivers, and pavilions, exuding an ethereal atmosphere.

There weren't many people in the room. A man in his thirties or forties sat at the head of the table. His face was slightly pale, and he looked rather thin. He exuded an air of scholarly refinement.

With just one glance, Qiu Yan roughly guessed the man's identity; he should be the Third Master of the Ma Family.

On the way here, Ma Lin had already given a general introduction to this Third Master's identity. His name is Ma Bin, the third son of Ma Yang, and he is nearly forty years old.

In addition, on the way to the Ma Residence, Qiu Yan also heard some things and learned that Ma San had been in poor health since childhood and had been recuperating at home for many years, so he did not enter officialdom like his eldest and second eldest brothers.

Now, Ma Yang and his two sons are all in official positions and rarely return home, so these three sons have become the heads of the household.

"Yuan Ning Qiu Yan greets Third Master Ma." Qiu Yan bowed, handed the Middle Ceremony to the servant beside him, and his eyes flickered as he observed the scene in the room out of the corner of his eye.

Beside Master Ma sat several men, mostly young men and two teenagers. Their gazes toward Qiu Yan were filled with curiosity.

Soon, Qiu Yan spotted a familiar face among them.

This person was Ma Wan. His gaze toward Qiu Yan inevitably carried a hint of hostility, but also a degree of apprehension.

However, Qiu Yan's gaze only lingered on Ma Wan for a moment, noticing her blustering but cowardly nature, before he paid her no further attention. His eyes flickered, noticing a man next to Ma Wan.

The man looked quite young, even younger than Qiu Yan. He was smiling at Qiu Yan, emanating an aura of Heavenly Principle harmony. Although he was sitting there, he seemed to blend into his surroundings, giving people a sense of naturalness.

"This person must be Ma Shou; he carries the aura of the Principle Sect school of thought..."

Noticing the other person's demeanor, Qiu Yan sensed something. Just then, Ma Bin, who was sitting at the head of the table, spoke up, "It's good that Nephew Qiu has arrived. Please have a seat. Make yourself at home here and don't be shy."

The third master of the Ma Family was amiable and his voice was warm and friendly. He didn't intend to make Qiu Yan stand there, putting on airs or establishing his authority. He simply pointed to an empty seat next to him.

This seat was very close to Ma Bin, but there were three seats between us, all occupied by people who looked to be around thirty years old.

Ma Bin smiled and said, "My father has already told me about your situation. He speaks highly of you and cares about you a lot. Now that you've come to the Ma Family, you're my nephew. So, I won't stand on ceremony. These seats are based on age, so don't overthink it. And don't call me Third Master; just call me Third Uncle."

"Since Uncle has said so, then this junior will respectfully comply." Since the other party had said so, Qiu Yan didn't waste any more words, walked over and sat down, and changed his form of address.

Ma Bin nodded and continued, "It's good that you prepared some things since this is your first time here, but you don't need to go to such trouble in the future. You can come anytime you want. After all, the relationship between the Ma Residence and you is different from that of other families." This sentence seemed to have a hidden meaning.

Then, his gaze shifted to one spot. "Zi Fu, apologize to Shen Zhi. You're such a grown man, yet you're still acting like a child. If word gets out, won't people laugh at you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Wan reluctantly stood up, walked up to Qiu Yan, and bowed apologetically. "Brother Qiu, I was misled by a villain before and misunderstood you. Please don't take it to heart."

"Brother Ma, you're too kind." Qiu Yan stood up and returned the greeting.

After the two finished speaking, Ma Bin continued, "I've heard the whole story from Brother Han Zhuo. Although Ma Ling was partly to blame, ultimately it's my fault for not disciplining him properly. I can't shift the responsibility to the servant..."

He then introduced everyone present one by one.

Those sitting in the room were all members of the Ma Family, some of the main family bloodline and others of collateral branches. However, the atmosphere among them was quite like that of brothers and sisters.

As Qiu Yan had expected, the young man who caught his attention and exuded an air of Heavenly Principle grace was indeed Ma Shou, whom Chen Jing had mentioned.

This step should have been done before Ma Wan apologized, but it was only done now, which shows that the Ma Residence still values resolving Qiu Yan's resentment.

This is simply a way of showing respect for Qiu Yan.

After saying a few words, Ma Bin looked tired. Seeing this, many of the Ma Family members spoke up, urging Ma Bin to go back and rest and take care of his health.

After listening to the advice, Ma Bin smiled apologetically at Qiu Yan: "I'm not feeling well, so I won't spoil the fun here. You all get together and get to know each other better." After saying that, he said to the Human Path on his left, "Qi Xuan, please prepare a banquet for me later and have Shen Zhi eat at home."

"Don't worry, Third Uncle, I understand." The Ma Family member quickly replied. This man was the eldest grandson of the Ma Family, Ma Yu, Qi Xuan was his courtesy name.

Then, Ma Bin did not insist. With the help of a servant, he slowly got up and left the hall.

Watching the man's departing figure, a thought flashed through Qiu Yan's mind.

"I don't know what's wrong with this Master Ma's health. I can't tell from his appearance that he's weak, but I can tell from his complexion that his bones and Qi and Blood are not in good condition."

As Qiu Yan was still thinking, someone called out to him, asking him to move to the backyard.

In a large hall in the backyard, the banquet had been set out, the table was full of food, and the food was steaming hot. When the group arrived, they took their seats immediately.

At this moment, without the Third Master of the Ma Family presiding over things, the emotions of the Ma Family members at the table changed slightly. No longer suppressing their feelings, their attitudes towards Qiu Yan became apparent.

Although they were all polite on the surface, a closer look revealed subtle clues in their words and actions. Some were genuinely trying to make friends, while others were just going through the motions. Similarly, the hostility that Ma Wan and the person beside her harbored towards Qiu Yan could not be hidden from him.

"It seems that the matter with Ma Wan still leaves some problems that can't be resolved in a short time. However, there's no need to worry. Once the Metropolitan Examination is over next year and you achieve higher rank, these trivial matters will naturally be resolved."

Qiu Yan's visit to the Ma Residence was out of respect for Ma Light Side. He had only lived to experience Human Path and had little interest in fame or fortune. Being without desires makes one invincible, so he didn't need to worry too much.

Thinking this to himself, Qiu Yan did not show it. Instead, he drank his wine with a normal expression. Ma Shou sat next to him, frequently offering him wine. Then, he and Qiu Yan scriptures and principles, and they seemed to get along very well.

"Brother Qiu, I wasn't here that day to Heavenly Principle Debate Heaven and human desires. I only learned about it afterward from others' accounts, and I've always regretted it. Brother Qiu, your views on the principles of Heavenly Principle and Human Desires have given me great inspiration..."

After a few rounds of drinks, a person suddenly walked in from outside.

The man's arrival was abrupt; he barged in without being announced by his servants, which seemed impolite. However, upon seeing the newcomer, the many members of the Ma Family put down their cups and chopsticks, rose from their seats one by one, and although they did not bow, their eyes revealed respect.

As Ma Shou stood up, he tugged at Qiu Yan's sleeve, and the latter immediately understood his meaning.

"Who is this person? Why is the Ma Family reacting like this?" Qiu Yan stood up and looked at the person who had come, his heart filled with doubt, and he vaguely felt that the person was related to him.

The newcomer was tall and appeared to be around forty years old. He wore a blue robe and exuded a sharp aura, like a drawn sword.

"Mr. Zheng." Ma Yu, the eldest grandson, stepped forward and asked.

Mr. Zheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, sharp as a sword, before settling on Qiu Yan: "This must be Young Master Qiu, right? I've come to invite him to the Spring and Autumn Academy; the academy's Book Elder wishes to see him."

"What? Book Elder wants to see Qiu Yan?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's faces showed varying degrees of surprise.

Qiu Yan frowned. It wasn't surprising that the other party could recognize him. Judging from his reaction just now, this Mr. Zheng clearly had a close relationship with the Ma Family and knew many of the Ma Family members. After eliminating them one by one, he could also guess his identity. However, the mention of the Spring and Autumn Academy by the other party made him feel puzzled.

"The Spring and Autumn Academy is quite famous in the Eastern Capital and has existed for a long time. I heard that even the Chancellor Ma studied there when he was young. So why would he come to find me? I have never had any contact with this academy before."

Just as Qiu Yan was wondering, Mr. Zheng walked over and said, "Young Master Qiu has come to Eastern Capital for the Apricot Altar Dao Discourse. The Book Elder invited you over, and that is related to this!"

ps:

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