Within the palace.
Luo Yan told Luo Ci of the sensation Li Er had caused. "Father, the stir Lord Boyang has caused is truly unprecedented."
Lying in bed, Luo Ci smiled. "In the Academy, reason comes first. Had he not been in the Academy, with Lord Boyang opening his mouth only to refute the Luo Discourses, petty men might well have harmed him outright."
Knowledge was power, and struggles for power were bloody and cruel. Even rulers were murdered, let alone a wise man.
The Academy of Luo State protected these scholars, allowing them to speak freely. Even when they refuted the classics passed down by the ancestors, as long as their arguments were sound, not only would no one oppose them, but their advice would be followed and corrections made.
As for the Sage King.
The Sage King himself had once said that the only constant between heaven and earth was change, and this idea ran through all his writings.
As the two chatted, an attendant suddenly spoke outside the door. "Lord of the State, Crown Prince, Qingyi Dafu, Fu Jie Dafu, Kang Yun Dafu, and Yu Lin Dafu request an audience."
These four were pillars of the Luo State and outstanding scions of the ruling house. They entered the room in wide robes with flowing sleeves, their bearing dashing and their looks exceptionally handsome. All four bowed with clasped hands. "Lord of the State, may you enjoy good health! May all go well for the Crown Prince."
Luo Ci sat up and returned their greeting. "I am well. Please be seated, my ministers."
Luo Yan asked, "Brothers, have you come on important business?"
These four belonged to the same generation as Luo Yan. The Luo State Ruling House had only so many members, so questions of generational rank