Chapter 13: Shuyu Villa

The next day, the sky was bright with daylight.

When morning light streamed through the window lattice into the room, Lu Beigu had already packed his book satchel.

Pei Yan had risen early and steamed a basket of locust flower cakes, mixing freshly picked locust blossoms with coarse flour; though coarse grain, they were soft and fluffy, and biting into one filled the mouth with the sweetness of spring.

She wrapped the locust flower cakes in oil paper and stuffed them into Lu Beigu's book satchel.

"If you get hungry on the road, eat these to fill your stomach."

Pei Yan smoothed his collar, frowning slightly at the patches: "This robe—"

"It's fine," Lu Beigu smiled. "Everyone at the literary gathering is a scholar; they won't judge by clothing."

Pei Yan opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, turning to pull a small blue cloth bundle from the bottom of the chest, unwrapping layer upon layer to reveal nearly a hundred copper coins.

"Take them."

Lu Beigu pushed her hand back: "Sister-in-law, keep them for household expenses. We won't need money today—I heard the gathering provides meals, and we might even bring back some good food."

Lu Beigu had already explained his destination and companions to his sister-in-law.

The Zhou family, being local gentry from town, made this trip free of safety concerns—no one would trick or kidnap them.

Soon, Lu Guangyu's voice called from outside the courtyard gate.

Since Lu Beigu didn't know the way, he had to rely on this classmate to find him.

Lu Guangyu wore a fresh lake-blue lan shirt, a square cap, and a silk pouch embroidered with orchids at his waist—he'd clearly put on his best clothes.

"Meow!"

Until the white tabby cat "Tofu" suddenly darted out and punched him.

"?"

"I'm greeting you."

Lu Beigu couldn't help laughing: "Let's go."

"Alright, the Zhou family's villa is some distance from town—we must hurry."

The two left Gulin Town and followed a tributary of Anle Creek southwestward.

Two and a half li beyond town, the stone path faded into wilderness, leaving only dirt trails.

At the sound of footsteps, several white egrets startled from the reeds beside the creek, flapping across the water's surface, carving silver arcs in the morning sun.

After walking several more li, Lu Guangyu suddenly pointed ahead.

"Brother Lu, look!"

There, where the creek curved, a stone arch bridge lay like a crescent moon resting on the water.

Beyond the bridge, willows lined the path, and faintly visible on a stone archway were four gilded characters: "Shuyu Biye," shimmering in the morning light.

Hmm, it was during the Song Dynasty that stone archways began to grow popular.

Beneath the stone archway, a young servant in blue robes stood holding a register, bowing as they approached: "Are you gentlemen here for the literary gathering?"

"Gentleman" was, of course, a courteous title; neither had official rank and dared not claim it, so they merely nodded vaguely.

Referencing Lu Guangyu's registration, Lu Beigu wrote: "Lu Beigu of Gulin Town, student of the Hejiang County Academy."

During Emperor Renzong's Qingli era, imperial examination papers were required to feature "elegant, vigorous regular script"; his former self had practiced regular script well enough, and with muscle memory, his writing never faltered.

Such literary gatherings welcomed anyone from nearby villages who held even a scrap of scholarly merit—or simply believed themselves to be scholars.

Of course, there were always those who came just to mooch food and drink without shame.

Hence, the muscles beneath the blue robes of these servants by the archway looked notably robust.

If a visitor's status was nothing, and his calligraphy failed even basic standards, they would politely urge him to leave.

Roughly: "If you don't understand reason, I understand fists."

Lu Beigu and Lu Guangyu, however, appeared scholarly—locals and county academy students, lacking formal titles but still genuine scholars—so they were not barred.

Beyond the stone archway, the scenery suddenly opened wide.

On either side of the stone-paved path, crabapple trees lined the way, in full bloom; layers of blossoms bowed the branches low, forming a brocade canopy over the road.

Servants carrying book chests moved among them, their sleeves brushing petals that fell softly onto the stone slabs, leaving golden water stains on the ground.

"These crabapples—"

He bent to pick up a fallen blossom and saw the petals bore veins like gold thread.

"They say these are specially transplanted 'Golden Thread Crabapples' from Chengdu," Lu Guangyu whispered. "Each tree costs ten guan. Master Zhou hired a fleet of boats to transport them by water."

Lu Beigu stared, dumbfounded, at the crabapple trees before him.

One tree cost four months of his sister-in-law's endless labor—without food or rest—to afford.

And what he saw before him was surely more than a hundred trees!

A poor family's lifetime of toil could not buy the crabapples in this wealthy villa meant only for viewing.

Feeling a pang in his chest, Lu Beigu followed Lu Guangyu onward, when suddenly he heard the murmur of water.

A waterfall cascaded between piled rocks, droplets splashing onto Taihu stones, staining their surfaces with dark green mottling.

Beside the spring stood a lingbi stone over a zhang tall; its natural ridges and hollows resembled an ink-wash landscape, with carved characters on its shadowed face: "Shi Shi Zhen Liu."

Lu Guangyu reached out curiously, fingers about to touch the stone, when a servant boy suddenly stepped from behind the rocks.

The boy said nothing harsh, only warned:

"Gentleman, be careful—this lingbi stone must be wiped daily with orchid water; sweat from your hands leaves white spots."

He sheepishly withdrew his hand, and the two continued on.

Passing through a moon gate, a three-tiered pavilion with upturned eaves suddenly appeared before them—a library.

Before the pavilion, a stone ink pond carved from a single block of Yixing black stone held several crimson carp.

Along the pond's edge stood dozens of pearwood writing desks, each topped with a Boshan incense burner, its smoke curling thick and slow.

Many had already taken seats at the desks; the two found a spot facing the ink pond and sat down.

Lu Beigu scanned the crowd, finding mostly unfamiliar faces; they must be scholars from the surrounding prefectures and counties.

The administrative districts bordering the Luo clan's tributary region are numerous; Guzhen Town to the north is surrounded by the prefectures of Luzhou, Chunzhou, and Zizhou, so it is quite normal that he does not know many of them.

"This is the Shuyu Tower, the library building," Lu Guangyu said, glancing with his eyes at the building opposite. "I hear it houses five thousand scrolls, some of which are rare editions from the previous dynasty."

Just as he spoke, the crowd, who had been whispering among themselves, suddenly fell silent.

A young man in his early twenties and a middle-aged man arrived here, surrounded by a host of servants.

"Today, all the worthy scholars have gathered; this old man is overjoyed," Zhou Squire boomed. "The books in Shuyu Tower are available for everyone to read freely. A literary banquet has been set up in the flower hall at noon; I hope everyone will write with full enthusiasm."

The young man beside him wore a moon-white robe with a jade belt that shone with a lustrous glow; his chin was held high, looking quite proud.

"That is Zhou Squire's only son, Zhou Mingyuan," Lu Guangyu leaned in and whispered. "He has had many tutors since childhood and is willing to study himself; he is especially skilled in Text Exegesis and Moyi, though his poetry and fu composition are a bit lacking."

"Moreover, he passed the prefectural exam the year before last. I hear he has the provincial recommendation spot nailed down this year; he should be able to contend for the Ministry of Rites provincial exam. If the Zhou family truly produces a Jinshi, then they will no longer be a merchant family."

Hearing this, Lu Beigu nodded.

Under the imperial examination system of the Great Song, being able to pass as a Juren at this age does show that he indeed possesses learning and ability; a bit of arrogance is quite normal.

But what does this have to do with him?

He is just here to borrow books and eat for free.

(End of this chapter)