Several great scholars of the Confucian School escorted Mengzi to Luo State together, which alone showed how much importance the school placed on Meng Ke.
Many leading figures in the Confucian School believed Meng Ke was one of the key figures in bringing about another great flourishing of their school.
No one in the past century had understood the Way of the King more deeply than Mengzi. The Luo Clan favored the Way of the King, so Mengzi's emergence could prompt Luo State to increase its support for the Confucian School.
Luo Hong finally met this genius whose writings he had read but whose person he had never seen.
He was indeed very young. Unlike those Confucian scholars who observed every rule and rite, Meng Ke strode forward with a radiant bearing and the soaring confidence of someone who held the whole world in his palm.
Luo Hong was very pleased. Someone capable of writing about the great way of righteousness ought to be just like this. The very moment he saw Meng Ke, Luo Hong began considering which noble daughter of the Ducal House he should marry to him.
The sages and worthies before him had all been rather too old. Now that he had encountered the still-unmarried Mengzi, he had to bring him into the fold, then begin advancing Mengzi's standing within the Confucian School.
"Crown Prince, may you live for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, in joy, peace, and health."
Meng Ke bowed sincerely to Luo Hong. Many of his theories were modeled entirely on Luo State; what he wanted to do was spread Luo State's way throughout the world.
Luo Hong helped Mengzi up, held his hand, and said with a smile, "May the Sage King be with you!"
This was the highest blessing