Chapter 555

Count's Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

It was the third month, the spring breeze was growing thick, and the sky was brightening early. Before the Mao hour had passed, the area outside the window lattice was already slightly bright.

Jia Cong lifted the bed curtain and got up, seeing the slender and moving outline of Zhi Shao wrapped in a silk quilt on the couch outside the bed curtain, her ink-black hair piled up in thousands of strands on the jade-colored gauze pillow.

He felt a little strange in his heart. In the past, when Zhi Shao accompanied him at night, she slept very lightly. As long as he moved slightly when getting up, she would wake up and get up to help him dress and comb his hair.

But today, when he got out of bed, Zhi Shao seemed to be still in a deep sleep, so he deliberately lightened his footsteps.

From the purple sandalwood Ruyi hanging cloud clothes rack by the bed, he took a blue-bottomed silver-patterned satin round-collared robe, put it on gently, and prepared to go out to find water to wash.

Just after taking a few steps after getting out of bed, the person wrapped in the silk quilt was startled awake, squirmed tenderly a few times, and then sat up.

Jia Cong saw Zhi Shao's cheeks were slightly pale, and her bright eyes were bloodshot, and said, "Did you not sleep well last night? Your complexion looks bad."

"Just lie down and make up for your sleep. Wu'er and the others must have all gotten up. We'll ask them for water to wash."

Zhi Shao smiled slightly, but didn't lie back on the couch, getting up to dress and comb her hair.

She said, "I didn't sleep soundly last night. I was afraid of disturbing you, so I didn't dare to toss and turn. I only fell asleep at the end of the Yin hour, and now I can't sleep anymore."

Jia Cong asked, "You usually sleep very soundly at night. What happened last night? Is there something on your mind?"

Zhi Shao stepped forward to help Jia Cong tidy his hair and said, "Yesterday, Senior Sister sent someone to pass a message, saying that Master's old illness has recurred these past few days. Her body is a bit uncomfortable, and she hasn't been able to get out of bed for two days."

Jia Cong turned his head and saw Zhi Shao's eyes slightly red. He knew that Zhi Shao had fallen into the water years ago and was saved by Abbess Xiushan to survive, and had practiced in the Panxiang Temple in Gusu for several years. The bond between master and apprentice was deep.

When Abbess Xiushan was at Panxiang Temple, Jia Cong had invited Zhang Youshi, who was staying in Jin Ling, to Gusu to treat her old illness.

Zhang Youshi had excellent medical skills, and after a few doses of decoction and several days of recuperation, he suppressed Abbess Xiushan's illness.

Since Abbess Xiushan and her apprentice arrived in Shenjing last year and moved into the Nimou Courtyard on the outskirts of the city, Abbess Xiushan's condition had been stable for the past few months. He didn't expect her old illness to recur at this time.

Zhi Shao and Abbess Xiushan were connected in heart, and the old nun was of advanced age, so it was no wonder that Zhi Shao would toss and turn all night after hearing the news.

Jia Cong said, "After the New Year, I sent someone to Huaxi Village to send New Year's gifts to Physician Zhang, but the Zhang family servants said that Physician Zhang left Shenjing before the New Year to visit friends and collect herbs."

"I can't find him to diagnose for a while, so why not invite his brother Zhang Youshi to come over and try to diagnose the Abbess first? His medical skills were also taught by his elder brother Zhang Youshi, so maybe it will be useful."

Zhi Shao felt slightly relieved and said, "Cong Sanye, I'll go to the Nimou Courtyard today to see Master and Senior Sister."

Jia Cong said, "I also want to go out for a walk. I'll accompany you to visit Abbess Xiushan."

Zhi Shao's face bloomed with a smile when she heard Jia Cong's words. She felt warm and stable in her heart, and reached out to smooth Jia Cong's long robe.

She said, "Cong Sanye is about to take the Spring Examination, so it's better to spend time reviewing books. Don't waste time for me."

Jia Cong laughed, "Reading books isn't a matter of one day. If it weren't for the Abbess saving you, where would we be today? I can't repay this kindness, so it's only right to visit her."

After Zhi Shao finished washing and changing, Jia Cong asked Qingwen to find Yingchun to arrange it, taking top-quality wild ginseng sent from Liaodong from the warehouse, along with other daily nourishing vegetarian medicines, for Zhi Shao to take to honor her master.

He also asked the steward to take his name card and arrange a carriage and servants to invite Zhang Youshi to spare some time to go to the Nimou Courtyard outside the city to wait for him, and ask him to take Abbess Xiushan's pulse and diagnose her.

After Qingwen took the gifts from the warehouse, Jia Cong asked the steward to prepare the carriage, and then took Zhi Shao to the Eastern Corner Gate.

Just as they arrived at the corner gate, they saw two people walking from not far away. The person in front had handsome eyes and elegant eyebrows, wearing an apricot-red-bottomed flower-branch embroidered cross-collared long jacket, with moist skin and rosy cheeks. It was Seeing Tan Chun.

Following behind Seeing Tan Chun was the maid Shi Shu. They were heading toward the Eastern Corner Gate. Jia Cong discovered that another carriage was already parked at the corner gate, looking like Seeing Tan Chun was about to go out.

Jia Cong waited for Seeing Tan Chun to walk up close and asked, "Third Sister, where are you going so early in the morning? Are you going back to the Eastern Courtyard?"

Seeing Tan Chun's expression was a bit helpless, and she said, "Last night, the Mistress sent someone to pass a message to me. Because last time Lady Xia and the young lady were invited by the Mistress to be guests at the Eastern Courtyard."

"Today, Lady Xia wants to be thorough in etiquette and invite the Mistress to visit the Xia family. Because last time it was Young Lady Xia who came together, the Mistress asked me to accompany her."

Jia Cong saw Seeing Tan Chun's unwilling face. He thought she must be very unwilling to visit the Xia family, but she couldn't reject the Mistress's face, so she was just doing it reluctantly.

He estimated that because he had spoken ill of Xia Jingui twice in front of Seeing Tan Chun, she had developed a resistance to the Xia family.

In his original cognition, the Osmanthus Xia family and the Xue family were closely related, but Lady Xia and Lady Wang should have had no intersection, but now these two were like best friends.

That the two families could bring their daughters to visit each other was an act that only families of generations of friendship would have. When did they become so intimate?

The strange feeling in Jia Cong's heart grew heavier. He thought of the day at the Rongqing Hall when the Daoist priest Zhang from Qingxu Temple introduced young ladies to Baoyu, and one of them was Xia Jingui of the Osmanthus Xia family.

Thinking of the absurdity and strangeness of it, he almost laughed out loud uncharitably...

Seeing Tan Chun saw the strange expression on Jia Cong's face and asked curiously, "Third Brother, what are you thinking about? Why are you acting so strange?"

Jia Cong came back to his senses and said, "It's nothing. Since the Mistress called you for the first time, just go and show your face. If there are similar things in the future, you can find an excuse to decline."

Suddenly he asked again, "Why is the Mistress suddenly interacting frequently with Lady Xia? Do they have a good relationship?"

Seeing Tan Chun replied, "To say that their relationship is deep, it doesn't seem so. They have only known each other for a few months."

"That time the Xia family mother and daughter came to Aunt's house to look, the Mistress and I accompanied them. Although the Xia and Xue families' good things didn't happen, the Mistress became familiar with Lady Xia."

"The Mistress seems to value Lady Xia and the young lady very much. That day Lady Xia and the young lady came to be guests at the Eastern Courtyard, the Mistress not only asked me to accompany them, but also asked Second Brother to come over to meet the guests."

Jia Cong was stunned when he heard this, and even felt a chill in his heart. Lady Wang's behavior looked like she was about to cause trouble...

Seeing Tan Chun saw Jia Cong's strange expression and suddenly her heart moved, asking, "Third Brother told me before that Young Lady Xia is not easy to get along with. Should I go and tell the Mistress privately?"

Jia Cong smiled bitterly and said, "Sister was a clever person in the past, why are you muddled now? You are a young lady of a noble family who doesn't step out of the gate. If you suddenly say Young Lady Xia is bad, how can the Mistress believe you?"

"If you say this is what I said, the Mistress will dislike me even more, and will think I am hiding treachery in my heart, wanting to alienate her and the Xia family's friendship. I fear she will only get closer to them, wouldn't that be counterproductive?"

"And in the future, the Mistress will have another layer of rift with you. I won't let you do such a stupid thing, letting you suffer for an irrelevant person. It's not worth it."

Seeing Tan Chun heard this and felt it made great sense. Ever since Third Brother inherited the Rongguo family business, the Mistress had a deep rift with Third Brother, and she would absolutely never believe anything Third Brother said.

Why should Third Brother and she rush to be villains in vain? Besides, currently, the two families are just interacting, and nothing has happened...

Jia Cong looked at Shi Shu behind Seeing Tan Chun and said, "Third Sister doesn't go out often. How is it enough to bring one maid? Bring Cuimo along, and I'll ask the steward to call another clever and capable Pozi to follow."

After sending Seeing Tan Chun off in the carriage, Jia Cong and Zhi Shao boarded the carriage and headed to the Nimou Courtyard on the outskirts of the city.

Outskirts of Shenjing, Nimou Courtyard.

On the wind and rain corridor of the Buddhist courtyard, Sister Miao Yu carried a basin of steaming warm water, her graceful and moving figure passing through the tree shade and flower shadows in the courtyard, walking toward Abbess Xiushan's meditation room.

She wore a Miaochang bun, a moon-white plain-sleeved jacket, an outer water-field green satin-trimmed long vest, a dark blue silk belt tied around her slender waist, and a water-ink white gauze skirt on her lower body.

A silver-silk whisk was inserted into the silk belt behind her slender waist. As she walked, the thousands of silver threads on the whisk floated and swayed in the wind, revealing a faint and quiet charm.

Sister Miao Yu carried the warm water into Abbess Xiushan's meditation room, wrung out the cotton towel in the basin, handed it to her master to clean her face and hands, and sat by the bed to chat for a while.

The old nun guarding the door outside came to pass a message, saying that the Count of Lord Weiyuan from the city had brought Young Lady Jinghui to visit Abbess Xiushan.

When Sister Miao Yu heard this, a smile couldn't help but appear on her face, like a strange flower blooming, elegant and moving. Abbess Xiushan on the bed looked at this scene with a calm gaze and sighed slightly in her heart.

She said, "Sister Miao Yu, it's inconvenient for me to move around. You go out and welcome Jinghui and the Count of Lord Weiyuan."

Jia Cong brought Zhi Shao to the entrance of the inner courtyard of the Nimou Courtyard and stopped. When he had an experience at the Panxiang Temple in Gusu, the inner courtyards of nunneries were all closed to male guests.

At this time, Sister Miao Yu came out with the old nun who passed the message. She saw Zhi Shao's face blooming with a smile, and said to Jia Cong, "Master is inconvenient to move, so she asked me to invite the Count and the Junior Sister to go in and talk."

Jia Cong hadn't seen Sister Miao Yu for a long time. Seeing her complexion was moist and rhythmic, perhaps because everyone was familiar now, she no longer had the cold and indifferent detachment she had when they first met.

Zhi Shao affectionately held Sister Miao Yu's hand, and the two slender and graceful figures walked through the tree shade and flower shadows in the inner courtyard.

Jia Cong followed behind them, hearing them talking softly, very happy and harmonious. Jia Cong heard Sister Miao Yu's voice was soft, and her mood seemed very good.

Entering Abbess Xiushan's meditation room, Jia Cong performed the etiquette of a junior. Abbess Xiushan smiled, "This old nun is old, and my body is useless. Thank you, Count of Lord Weiyuan, for sending Jinghui back to visit."

Jia Cong laughed, "Abbess is too polite. You are Jinghui's master, so you are my elder. I dare not let you call me Count of Lord Weiyuan. Junior's courtesy name is Yuzhang, please call me directly, Abbess."

Abbess Xiushan smiled and nodded. Jia Cong saw that although her face was full of illness, her eyes were bright and spirited, her gaze moist and transparent, and her divine light seemed to be able to see through people, feeling a slight pressure in his heart.

Jia Cong knew that Sister Miao Yu's master, Abbess Xiushan, was an enlightened Buddhist nun, rumored to be proficient in innate divine numbers, able to deduce the past and future of others, though whether it was true was unknown.

But he remembered the day Sister Miao Yu entered the Count's Mansion to chant scriptures to relieve the heart of the sick Daiyu. Because Jia Cong was curious, he had listened outside Sister Miao Yu's quiet room.

Sister Miao Yu's light and pleasant chanting of scriptures was clean and flawless, clear and peerless, and seemed to linger in the beams.

It made him, a listener outside the hall, have thoughts of transcendence, and the hidden worries and oppression in his heart quietly dissipated with the chanting of scriptures. It was very miraculous, making Jia Cong unforgettable to this day.

It also made him, a person from later generations, have many emotions. Although the ability of Buddhist and Daoist mantras was not clear in its principles, hearing it with his own ears, he knew it was not a delusion.

Sister Miao Yu was just a disciple of Abbess Xiushan who practiced while keeping her hair. The disciple already had such cultivation foundation, so the master was naturally deeper and harder to fathom...

Abbess Xiushan looked at Jia Cong for a few times and said, "Last month Jinghui came to visit and said that Yuzhang is in the year of the dance of the elephant this year?"

Jia Cong replied, "Abbess is right. After March 21st, I will be of the age of the dance of the elephant."

Abbess Xiushan seemed to be slightly stunned when she heard Jia Cong's birth date, but this fleeting expression, even though Jia Cong was a shrewd person, didn't pay attention to it, and Zhi Shao to the side didn't notice it at all.

Only Sister Miao Yu had followed Abbess Xiushan for more than ten years and knew her master's abilities and temperament well, so she captured the strange expression on her master's face.

Abbess Xiushan asked again, "Last October, I heard that your father passed away, which is sigh-worthy. Life, death, and human relations are always barriers that mortals cannot escape. I don't know what year your father was born?"

Jia Cong felt a bit strange when Abbess Xiushan suddenly asked about Jia She, but when Jia She passed away, Abbess Xiushan had sent several nuns to the mansion to chant scriptures and mourn because of the relationship between Zhi Shao and Jia Cong, to fulfill the etiquette.

In Jia Cong's imagination, Abbess Xiushan was of advanced age and had been suffering from old illnesses, so she was more concerned about life and death, which was why she mentioned it in casual conversation.

Since the elder asked, Jia Cong naturally had no reason not to say, and it wasn't an important matter anyway.

Jia Cong replied, "My father was born on September 17th, the 15th year of Hongxuan."

Abbess Xiushan nodded slightly when she heard this and didn't ask anything else...

Jia Cong chatted with Abbess Xiushan for a while, and the old nun guarding the door outside came to report that a Physician Zhang had been invited by the Count of Lord Weiyuan to come and diagnose the Abbess.

Jia Cong hurriedly explained the reason to Abbess Xiushan, because diagnosing in the meditation room required quiet, and it would be noisy if too many people moved around.

Zhi Shao returned to the Nimou Courtyard as if returning home, but Jia Cong was a distinguished guest. Abbess Xiushan was thorough in etiquette, leaving Zhi Shao to serve, and asked Sister Miao Yu to take Jia Cong out to serve tea.

Jia Cong followed Sister Miao Yu out of Abbess Xiushan's meditation room, the two walking one after another in the quiet inner courtyard of the Buddhist hall, the road full of lush flowers and trees, with quiet shadows and fine fragrance.

Walking to the door of a meditation room, Sister Miao Yu let Jia Cong into the room, and she went out to give instructions to the servants sweeping the courtyard before coming in to entertain guests.

Jia Cong saw that this meditation room was exceptionally clean. A cloth curtain hung on the left door. The breeze moved the curtain, and the bed inside could be vaguely seen in order. He thought it must be Sister Miao Yu's bedroom.

Facing the door in the outer hall against the wall, an incense table was set up, with a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva enshrined in the middle, fruit plates on the incense table, and sandalwood curling up in the bronze incense burner.

Beside the incense burner were also wooden fish, sound cymbals, Buddhist dusters, and other items, each exquisite and clean, revealing a clear and transcendent atmosphere. This should be the place where Sister Miao Yu chanted scriptures and practiced.

On the wall beside the offering table, a piece of calligraphy was also hung, which was the full text of the Heart Sutra that Jia Cong had written and gifted to Sister Miao Yu last time.

Jia Cong's gaze swept over and saw that in an inconspicuous place beside the offering table, two smaller divine tablets were also enshrined. The wood and paint had already mottled and faded, thinking that it had been a long time.

One divine tablet was engraved with the position of Chen Shi Wuyang, and the other was engraved with the position of Chen Men Xu Shi.

A small white porcelain burner was placed in front of the two divine positions, with a stick of soul-clearing incense lit inside, revealing a strange loneliness and solemnity.

Jia Cong felt a bit strange in his heart. Sister Miao Yu enshrining the statue of Guanyin in the meditation room was within reason, but enshrining two secular divine positions was somewhat unusual.

Being able to be enshrined in her meditation room and accompany her day and night, they were mostly her close secular relatives.

But the handwriting on the two divine positions was simple. Not only did they not leave their names, but even their honorable names were not written clearly, and he didn't know what relationship they had with Sister Miao Yu.

But Jia Cong thought again, although Sister Miao Yu was in a Buddhist nunnery, she was practicing while keeping her hair and hadn't been tonsured or ordained. Half in the Buddhist gate and half in the red dust, it wasn't strange to enshrine the divine positions of secular elders in the room.

At this time, the servant who had been sweeping in the courtyard brought in a clean water jar, and Sister Miao Yu took the clean water and began to cook tea.

Jia Cong had always known that Sister Miao Yu was proficient in tea art. Seeing her taking water, putting in leaves, burning fire, scalding cups, and arranging tea, every move was natural and quite pleasing to the eye.

Sister Miao Yu said, "I haven't moved to the Nimou Courtyard with my master for long. There is a spring at the foot of Qingding Mountain nearby. The water quality is quite clear. I took a jar yesterday and let it rest for a night. It's just right for cooking tea."

Jia Cong saw her words were harmonious and moist. Although she didn't show sorrow or joy, her demeanor was natural and her expression was relaxed.

When he took Zhi Shao away from Gusu years ago, the estrangement and coldness she had toward him because she lost the junior sister who was compatible and accompanied her had long since vanished.

The sun outside the meditation room was long, and he estimated that it would take a lot of time for Zhang Youshi to take Abbess Xiushan's pulse, diagnose, and prescribe medicine.

Sister Miao Yu cooked tea with peace of mind, occasionally chatting casually with Jia Cong, and the atmosphere in the meditation room was comfortable and peaceful.

After a pot of tea was cooked, Jia Cong saw her slender hands serving the tea cup to him, which was still the familiar green jade bucket...

Sister Miao Yu was said to come from an official family, having learned full of poetry and literature since childhood. Over the years, she had traveled to many places with her master and had some knowledge, which was somewhat different from ordinary young ladies.

Jia Cong was also a person who had seen the world. The two chatted casually. Although there were no waves, it was surprisingly interlocking and not boring at all.

And although Sister Miao Yu's temperament was somewhat strange and cold, her words did not lose their simplicity, and she often had some blunt and wonderful words. People at the time might feel it was abrupt, but Jia Cong felt it was interesting when he heard it.

After two rounds of tea, the old nun in the courtyard came to pass a message, saying that Physician Zhang had finished diagnosing the Abbess, had already prescribed the prescription, and had sent a proper person to the city to get the medicine.

Jia Cong and Sister Miao Yu returned to Abbess Xiushan's meditation room. After sitting and talking for a long time, Jia Cong and Zhi Shao said goodbye and left.

Sister Miao Yu sent them to the temple gate and watched their carriage go far away for a long time. A flash of light moved in her brain, remembering the strange expression on her master's face when she heard Jia Cong's birth date, so she returned to Abbess Xiushan's meditation room.

When the Count's Mansion carriage passed through the west of the city, Zhi Shao hadn't slept well last night, and the carriage was bumpy on the way, so she had already fallen asleep leaning on Jia Cong.

Jia Cong reached out to hold Zhi Shao slightly and half-lifted the carriage curtain to watch the scenery outside.

The carriage was passing through the noisy section of the west of the city, and the speed of the carriage slowed down. There were many inns and shops on both sides of the road, and scholars in green shirts and square scarves often passed by on the street.

Jia Cong thought that there were many inns on this road, which must be because there were many scholars staying there for the examination.

It was now approaching noon, which was the usual time for dining. The eateries on both sides of the street were filled with the fragrance of dishes, and the sound of pots and pans colliding was full of the fireworks of the market.

In those eateries, there were often scholars taking the examination calling friends and companions, drinking and dining in groups of three or five, talking loudly, which made Jia Cong remember some past events and laugh knowingly.

Suddenly, amidst these noisy sounds, he suddenly heard someone say, "Brother Yichun, these past few days, you must be studying hard behind closed doors again. This year's Spring Examination, you will definitely be on the list..."

This kind of polite greeting was probably the most common auspicious words among scholars taking the examination, and it wouldn't be strange at all to hear it.

But when Jia Cong heard the name Yichun, his heart moved slightly. The name Yichun was somewhat elegant and not easy to duplicate.

The reason Jia Cong paid attention to this name was because he had seen this name in the name cards of the scholars who came to visit.

The reason this name left a deep impression on him was because the owner of the name card was Lin Zhaohe, the Jieyuan of Hangzhou Prefecture, courtesy name Yichun.

Hangzhou Prefecture was a place where the imperial examination was prosperous. Being able to win the Jieyuan in the provincial examination meant his talent and luck were not ordinary, which was why Jia Cong remembered this name.

He lifted the carriage curtain a bit more to carefully examine the source of the sound, wanting to see what Yichun looked like, but people were coming and going on the street, and the sound was noisy.

The sound of the person calling was like a sudden start, and it disappeared without a trace. Where could he find the source...

Shenjing, Hongxiang Inn in the west of the city.

This inn was an old shop in the west of the city, occupying a large area with many guest rooms. Because of its long-term operation, business was booming, and the room price was considered affordable, which was highly favored by scholars coming to the capital for the examination.

There was an independent small courtyard on the south side of the inn, which was rented by three scholars from Hangzhou Prefecture, who lived there to study and wait for the Spring Examination.

But for this period of time, except for Lin Zhaohe in the east wing, who was still studying with peace of mind, his two fellow villagers went in and out every day, busy attending literary gatherings and visiting famous scholars and high officials.

Lin Zhaohe came back after lunch and saw two people coming out of the two rooms opposite.

One was slightly fat, in his twenties, with an ordinary appearance; the other was thin, with a slight beard under his jaw, and was over thirty.

Lin Zhaohe saw that both of them had changed into new clothes, and their appearances had been groomed. They came back very late last night and slept until the sun was high today.

Now they were ready to go again, and they must be going out to visit friends again, so he couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.

The young man with an ordinary appearance saw Lin Zhaohe coming back from outside and said, "Yichun, I got up last night, and the candle in your room hadn't been extinguished. You wouldn't be studying until midnight again, would you?"

"I thought you would get up later today, but I didn't expect you to get up earlier than us. Since you're up, why not wash up and go visit a senior with us."

The scholar over thirty also laughed and said, "Yichun, the so-called 'worldliness is all literature.' During the Spring Examination, visiting famous people is quite beneficial. Who knows, they might be your teachers in the future."

Lin Zhaohe laughed, "Two brothers, the Spring Examination is approaching. The examination field still depends on daily desk work. It's better to study with peace of mind for a few days. After the examination, it won't be too late to visit friends."

The scholar named Xiwen was also from Hangzhou Prefecture, surnamed Wu, named Liang, courtesy name Xiwen. Although he was not the Jieyuan of the provincial examination like Lin Zhaohe, he was also a talented person with a small reputation in the local area.

The other scholar in his thirties was from Huizhou, surnamed Zhou, named Yan, courtesy name Brother Bao Kun. He met Lin Zhaohe and Wu Liang on his way to the capital for the examination.

Zhou Yan and Wu Liang were very compatible in their words, so the three of them formed a friendship. After arriving in Shenjing, they rented an independent courtyard in the Hongxiang Inn to live.

Wu Liang came from a wealthy family and had some talent in studying for the examination, but compared to Lin Zhaohe, he lacked stability and had a few more jumps and sophistication.

He held a blue-covered booklet in his hand and said, "Yichun doesn't know, the two seniors we are visiting today are both popular figures on the teacher's list."

"Xu Liangxiong, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites."

"That Minister Xu holds a high position and is extremely difficult to see. I submitted a recommendation letter from the academy teacher yesterday, and he was willing to spare some time to see us today."

Lin Zhaohe was also a bit surprised when he heard this. Both of them came from the Wansong Academy in Hangzhou Prefecture, and their teacher was a famous Confucian scholar in Zhenan, but he had never heard that the teacher knew Xu Liangxiong.

He thought that the teacher didn't mention it usually. His classmate was quite talented, eloquent, and enthusiastic, and was quite liked by the teacher usually.

He didn't know what means he used to actually make the teacher, who was always strict, write this recommendation letter for him.

Lin Zhaohe thought of this and couldn't help but smile. His classmate was truly omnipotent.

He asked again, "Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is also a senior in the literary world. I heard that he was the second place in the palace examination in the 19th year of Yong'an, and has quite a reputation in officialdom and academia."

"Why would he see you, a junior? Did you also get some recommendation letter?"

Wu Liang laughed, "There is indeed a recommendation, but it's not entirely so. There is another reason for it."

Lin Zhaohe heard Wu Liang's words, and even though his temperament was stable, he was very curious in his heart. Wu Liang could even associate with such a figure as Huang Hongcang, which was too supernatural.

Wu Liang laughed, "Minister Huang is from Mingzhou Prefecture. When my father was young, he studied in Mingzhou Prefecture and was a classmate and good friend of Minister Huang. Later, they were in the same year, and their relationship was very close."

"They haven't seen each other for ten years. When I set off for the capital, my father wrote a personal letter, asking me to visit this uncle. No matter how high the threshold of Minister Huang's mansion is, he won't stop me, his nephew."

Lin Zhaohe was also quite surprised. Wu Liang's father resigned and returned home fifteen years ago, and since then he had been leisurely in the mountains and forests, acting low-key. He had never heard that he still had origins with high officials in the capital.

Lin Zhaohe said, "Yesterday, an essay was stuck, and I couldn't write it smoothly. Today, I have some inspiration, so I want to ponder and finish writing it. I won't go to visit."

Wu Liang and Lin Zhaohe had been classmates for many years, so he naturally knew his temper well. This wise brother of his was talented, and in the last imperial examination, he won the Jieyuan of Hangzhou Prefecture in one fell swoop.

Don't look at his peaceful and indifferent appearance, he was very confident in his own talent inside, and didn't pay much attention to visiting and making friends, feeling that he could be on the gold list by relying on his own talent.

Therefore, after arriving in the capital, he rarely participated in literary gatherings and visits, and reviewed and pondered the classics and essays in his room every day.

Therefore, Wu Liang didn't feel surprised when he heard that he wanted to ponder his article behind closed doors, so he greeted Zhou Yan and went out.

After Wu Liang and Zhou Yan left the courtyard, Lin Zhaohe returned to his room alone, took out the essay he had written half of yesterday, thought for a moment, and then wrote quickly.

Just after a cup of tea, suddenly the inn's shop assistant came in to pass a message, saying that someone outside was looking for Master Lin... (End of chapter)