One time, an old monk’s vanity got the better of him, and he couldn’t resist showing off the peony to others. Once word got out, the powerful and privileged all sought it.
The old monk was powerless to resist and could only watch helplessly as his beloved peony fell into the hands of Xue Ji, the current Minister of the Secretariat and brother of Empress Xue.
For this, the Minister of the Secretariat even ostentatiously threw a grand banquet to celebrate acquiring the rare peony.
It was no exaggeration to say that if a student in the Agricultural Science course at the Academic Palace could cultivate a new and attractive variety of flower, they could not only become rich overnight but might also be excused from future Agricultural Science classes altogether.
The Academic Palace had extremely low tolerance for academic fraud. Bringing in a new peony variety from outside and claiming to have cultivated it oneself was clearly a form of academic forgery. The mention of the Disciplinary Office alone was enough to make Yang Yu choke on his words.
Yang Yu, utterly desperate, pleaded with a woeful face, "Help a brother out, will you?
If I fail the Agricultural Science course this year, I’ll have to retake it next year with the incoming freshmen!"
Retaking a year of the Agricultural Science course would waste a lot of time. Moreover, having to do it with the next cohort of freshmen would be quite embarrassing for Yang Qilang of Chonghua Square.
"I told you, I’m not Doraemon."
Li Ang silently retorted, then said casually, "I don’t know much about improving flowers either, and besides, there isn’t enough time.
Hmm... find some time to go to the East and West Markets and buy some fruit trees—tangerines, oranges, mandarins, that sort of thing."
Yang Yu, trusting Li Ang completely, nodded immediately. "Then what?"
Li Ang said nonchalantly, "Observe any unusual branches that sprout on the fruit trees over time, comparing them with the other branches.
For example, note the size and width of the leaves, whether they have indentations, the length of the petiole, and the size and shape of the fruit.
Collect data, summarize your findings, and write a paper titled ’Differences Between Fruits on Mutated Branches and Normal Fruits.’ That should suffice."
Yang Yu asked incredulously, "That’s all it takes?"
Li Ang said casually, "It’s just a first-year Agricultural Science paper; it doesn’t need to be anything profound."
In fact, the method he suggested was bud mutation selection.
This means somatic mutations occur in a plant’s tissues and organs during cell division. The fruit on the mutated branches then exhibits variations, presenting traits different from the original variety. These traits can be passed to subsequent generations through asexual reproduction.
Selecting and cultivating these mutated branches is an important method in fruit tree breeding, allowing for faster and more efficient screening of potentially superior mutant varieties.
As for why he chose citrus...
Firstly, citrus fruits and apples are most prone to bud mutations.
Secondly, Li Ang had once casually mentioned lemon chicken feet to Chai Chai, a snack Chai Chai had been fixated on ever since.
Pomelos, oranges, tangerines, mandarins, and the like are all citrus plants. A key characteristic is that there’s no reproductive isolation between different original varieties, between hybrid varieties, or between original and hybrid varieties; they can all crossbreed freely.
Wild pomelos crossed with wild mandarins produce oranges; wild pomelos crossed with oranges produce grapefruits; mandarins crossed with oranges produce tangerines; citrons crossed with oranges produce lemons...
Their relationships are incredibly complex and tangled, much like a Greek mythological family tree.
"Thank you, Risheng, you’re a lifesaver!"
Yang Yu clasped his hands together, thanking him profusely. "Next time I pass by your temple, I’ll be sure to burn extra incense for you."
Li Ang firmly waved his hand in refusal. It would be too strange to have a temple built in my honor while I’m still alive. It’d be like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei taking their oath in the Peach Garden by kneeling before a portrait of Guan Gong and swearing to live and die together.
"What are you two talking about?"
Yong Hongzhong approached, carrying a dinner tray. Since he’d stopped stuttering, his whole demeanor had improved considerably, and his eyes were much brighter.
"The latest assignment."
Yang Yu shifted slightly to make room for Yong Hongzhong. "Hm? A leave request form? Hongzhong, are you taking leave this afternoon?"
Yong Hongzhong nodded. "Cien Temple is holding a debate between monks and Daoists today. I’m going to observe and write a report for the Academic Palace newspaper."
Such debates are a traditional Buddhist activity where two monks sit facing each other, citing scriptures to argue different points.
It’s a contest of critical thinking, logical organization in speech, familiarity with scriptures, and even personal charisma.
During the Yu Chu period, debates in Buddhist temples were very popular. Monks would use accessible preaching methods to promote their own philosophies and doctrines.
However, with the diverse entertainment options now available in Chang’an, debates solely within Buddhist temples are no longer as appealing, so they’ve evolved into debates between monks and Daoists.
Monks, Daoists, Confucian scholars, Jingjiao priests, Zoroastrian Deacons—
all compete on the same stage, eager to refute their opponents with passionate eloquence.
The entire debate assembly lasts for several days. When debaters get particularly heated and no one can convince the other, physical fights sometimes break out. These altercations can lead to feuds that last for years, even decades.
The intensity and excitement far surpassed tedious scripture lectures, attracting large crowds from Chang’an every year.
Yang Yu asked, "What’s this year’s theme?"
"Vegetarianism," Yong Hongzhong replied. "The question is whether a vegetarian diet brings benefits."
Li Wei exclaimed in surprise, "That’s debatable?"
"Why not? This is actually one of the more interesting topics."
Yang Yu pursed his lips. "In previous years, topics included ’Is meditating for mental purity putting the cart before the horse?’ and ’Should temple incense burning be elaborate or simple?’
I really suspect that when they run out of topics one year, they’ll consider debating whether soft pillows are better than hard pillows."
Yang Yu’s family had originally been devout believers in Haotian. However, after Yang Yu entered the Academic Palace and his horizons broadened, his reverence and piety diminished.
Besides, his friend had become the Wen Qu Star and Medicine Immortal, a Giver of Children Immortal who had descended to the Human World, supposedly overseeing childbirth in tens of thousands of families.
Scripture debates, huh...
Li Ang considered it but felt no particular interest.
After he had introduced the blood type theory, he had secretly visited the Jing Temple in Yining Square to keep it under surveillance.
The Jing Monk who had predicted a "blood calamity" for them was indeed in the temple,
but after Li Ang observed for some time, he hadn’t detected anything unusual.
"Risheng, you’re not going?"
Yong Hongzhong looked somewhat disappointed. Defeating high monks and Great Scholars at the debate assembly was the quickest way for young scholars to gain fame.
Two hundred years ago, Su Zi, then merely a Disciple of the Academic Palace, had famously argued that "monks not marrying and having children would lead to humanity’s decline," debating three high monks so fiercely they reportedly vomited blood on the spot. His name became renowned throughout the land.
Li Ang’s internal database didn’t include various scriptures and classics; attending would just be for casual listening.
Unless he went up and passionately expounded on the idea that "Buddhism originated from Daoism," he’d likely infuriate the venerable high monks and great sages enough to make three Buddhas manifest and five Buddhas ascend to heaven, while the Daoists, on the other hand, would be so ecstatic they wouldn’t know which way was north.
As it turned out, Li Ang had somewhat underestimated the fervor of the monk-Daoist debates.
After classes at the Academic Palace ended for the day, Li Ang took a horse-drawn carriage home.
Along the way, he saw numerous citizens heading towards the Buddhist temple, as well as monks from clearly different sects, bickering as they hurried along.
"Why do you see the speck in another’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own?"
"Purity brings its own light; the supreme naturally leads to ultimate truth. If you harbor resentment in your heart, everything you see will naturally be tainted by it."
"Must you walk the exact same path as I am?"
"Where darkness treads, light must surely follow."
The verbal gunpowder was thickening, and Li Ang suspected the two might come to blows before even reaching the temple.
Not long after Li Ang arrived home, Li Leqing’s carriage arrived. She was there to pick up Chai Chai for a trip to the inner garden at Qujiang Pool, where a few new exotic beasts, tribute from the tribal nations, had recently arrived.
After Li Leqing and Chai Chai left, Li Ang was alone in the Golden City Mansion.
Hmm... a house this big does feel a bit empty.
Muttering to himself, Li Ang activated his Telekinesis, summoning a broom and dustpan, and began to clean the room.
His aptitude for Mind Study was even stronger than for talismanic study. Although his total Spiritual Power wasn’t exceptionally high, his precision was excellent, and he was capable of multi-tasking.
He could lie on the couch and use his Telekinesis to clean the room, light a fire for cooking, and wash clothes.
No wonder most Mind Doctors, apart from Xi Yangyu, tend to be rather corpulent—they hardly need to move at all in their daily lives.
Just as Li Ang was enjoying the conveniences that cultivation brought to daily life,
The side door of the mansion was knocked upon, and voices sounded from outside.
"Is Young Master Li at home?"
Li Ang frowned, rose from the couch, walked into the courtyard, and opened the door.
Outside stood two men, the metal plaques at their waists identifying them as Judges of the Town Suppressing Office.
"You are Young Master Li?"
The two garrison officers said respectfully and humbly, "We received a report. A woman from a pleasure house claims she saw you before Jiao Cheng disappeared.
We were wondering if Young Master Li might have some time to come to the garrison for a brief interview."