Chapter 408

"Wen Chang omen! The State Academy is going to flourish!"

White Academy Chief, together with the professors of the Imperial Academy and the capital's prominent officials and scholars, likewise gazed at the sky, muttering to themselves.

Luo Xuan, Sun Qianqian, Jiang Xiaoyu, and Geshu Daodao, the younger generation, had long been shocked beyond words!

Immediately, everyone's gaze toward Heng Xian was filled with unparalleled fervor and complexity!

A young person's lower couplet can actually resonate from afar with the upper couplet of the ancient Wen Sheng True Person??

It's practically divine skill!

What kind of person is this?

They suddenly fully understood why the Great Zhou imperial family would take such a person as a prince consort!

They even felt a bit moved and envious of the imperial family's vision!

After all, with such a person's existence, the future can secure the Great Zhou's realm for decades!

At this moment, the heavenly omen disappeared.

Zhang Fuyu stepped forward first, bowing deeply to Heng Xian: "Greetings, Lord Shī Shèng, thank you for your holy hand, Lord Shī Shèng!"

Immediately, the densely packed, wide-sleeved scholars and students of the State Academy all bowed down together: "Thanks, Lord Shī Shèng!"

Heng Xian was a bit dazed; his own people know his own affairs—he could do these things purely by coincidence, having nothing to do with his personal ability!

But the State Academy's scholars and students didn't care about that; they all bowed down!

The sight of tens of thousands worshipping a living person in the Hall of Former Sages is truly magnificent!

To the southwest, inside a thatched hut, the old lady sighed leisurely: "I suddenly believe your words; this youngster's sage qi is indeed ancient, actually able to resonate across countless ages with the Wen Sheng True Person!"

"Right, right!" the old man exclaimed happily, "Really, to meet such a little brat is incredibly fun!"

……

"pitter-patter……"

In the light rain, the carriage hurried.

Heng Xian sat in the carriage, feeling a bit numb and itchy.

He did not stay at the State Academy to eat, because having caused the omen at the Hall of Former Sages, he had already been regarded as an idol.

Being treated as a mascot, watched while eating, is really not a pleasant experience!

However, this trip was not in vain; the haul was not small!

He immediately opened the Mysterious Yellow Heavenly Hexagram: "How is this earth vein dragon fruit?"

The hexagram showed: 【Ranked eighth among the lower nine grades of spiritual fruits in the cultivation world, the timing has arrived; it can help the host accumulate the amount of spiritual energy needed for mid-stage Golden Core!】

Heng Xian felt relieved and continued asking: "What about that radiance of the couplet that just drilled into my body?"

The hexagram showed: 【Wen Chang qi fortune radiance; if the host enters the Dao through literary cultivation, there are many benefits, but for the Sword Saint True Body, entering the Dao through the sword does not have particularly great benefits.】

However, it can be used to consume, mend the meridians, assist with the dragon vein fruit; when the opportunity arises, break through to mid-stage Golden Core!】

"All right! This trip to the Great Zhou Imperial Capital was not wasted; it saved me many years of time." Heng Xian leaned comfortably against the soft cushion at the back and let out a breath.

The carriage continued forward.

It was almost noon.

He opened the carriage window and looked out: only to see the streets decorated with lanterns and banners, spring couplets put up, spring lamps hung, adults and children alike changing into new clothes, everywhere a bustling scene!

The New Year atmosphere was already strong!

"Tomorrow is New Year!"

For his New Year celebrations these past years, he either spent them alone or together with his master and senior brothers and sisters at the Tianyuan Sect; in the Great Zhou Imperial Capital he was still not quite used to it.

"Bang!"

At this moment, the carriage jolted violently, as if it had hit something.

Heng Xian sat upright, unmoving, and asked: "What happened?"

The coachman who was seeing them off poked his head in, looking embarrassed: "The carriage collided with another carriage!"

Heng Xian lifted the curtain again and saw outside a luxurious carriage; its pole had broken apart from his own carriage!

In other words, both carriages were broken.

The coachman opposite was an old servant whose leg had been crushed, painfully sucking his lips.

Just then, the opposite carriage's curtain also opened, revealing the face of a girl in her early twenties.

Upon seeing that face, Heng Xian momentarily startled.

Because this face is hard to describe——

Exquisitely delicate, even somewhat bewitching, fragile to the point of pity, yet bearing an austere harshness of one long accustomed to high position, overwhelming power and authority.

This very contradictory combination makes any man who sees it feel a strange urge.

"Uncle, are you alright?"

That girl exchanged a glance with Heng Xian, her face slightly flushed, and hurriedly asked the coachman

The old servant's face was slick with cold sweat: "Miss, I'm fine, the carriage is broken; you, you go first!"

"Alright!" the girl got off the carriage, lifting her sleeves, and actually limped a little as she walked away into the distance.

The State Academy's coachman at this point said to Heng Xian: "Lord Shī Shèng, the carriage is broken; please wait a moment, I'll go find another one to send you!"

"No need, I'll go back myself!"

Heng Xian also jumped off the carriage, bought an oil-paper umbrella at the roadside, opened it, and walked toward the end of the street.

After walking not far, he discovered that the girl who had just gotten off the carriage had no umbrella, limping toward the distance, her slender, fragile back evoking pity.

After thinking, he walked up behind her, picked up the umbrella, and sheltered half of her.

The girl lifted her head, glanced at him, her face slightly flushed: "Thank you!"

Heng Xian looked ahead: "May I ask your esteemed surname?"

Men and women should not be intimate; sir, is it improper to ask a maiden's name?

The girl said softly:

Thus: 【61】 The girl said softly: "Men and women fundamentally should not be intimate; young master, you still ask a maiden's name—is that not improper?"

Check: we kept all info.

Heng Xian said: "We're already not intimate; what does it matter if I ask your name?"

The girl paused: "I—I'm surnamed Xu; you can call me Zhuzhu; how about you?"

Heng Xian said: "Heng Xian!"

The girl said: "I've heard of you; you're Shī Shèng!"

Heng Xian exclaimed in surprise: "Shī Shèng is that famous?"

The girl chuckled: "Who among poetry lovers hasn't heard the name Shī Shèng these days? 'Please, sir, temporarily ascend Lofty Pavilion; if a scholar, then Marquis of Ten Thousand Households'! Sir, you truly are a great talent."

Heng Xian sighed: "I've been copying; I simply can't write poetry; I've been faking it enough these days—it's satisfying but sickening."

The girl might not have grasped the meaning of "showing off", but she understood "plagiarism", and exclaimed: "No way? Plagiarism?"

Heng Xian nodded: "It's plagiarism!"

The girl smiled, eyes narrowing: "I don't believe it, and nobody would, because these past days you've produced poetry; someone already went to your hometown, searched all over Chu region, found no trace of these poems—clearly, they're all your own work!"

Heng Xian said: "I'm plagiarizing from another world!"

The girl laughed "hee-hee" nonstop.

Heng Xian said: "You don't believe me?"

The girl said: "Of course I don't believe you; that excuse is really lame!"

As they spoke, they came to a secluded residence ahead.

The girl's face flushed red, she pointed inside the residence: "Meeting is fate; Shī Shèng sir, why not come in with me?"

By the time she finished, her face was completely red, stirring imagination.

Not good!

Heng Xian looked at her and said: "I also don't believe you; someone like you from the palace would pretend to be a rustic woman, deliberately bumping into my cart to extort me, and lure me here! If I go in, I might not be able to get out!"

The girl's shyness faded a little: "I don't understand what you're saying."

Heng Xian said: "First, the road is wide enough for four carriages, yet your carriage just happened to crash into mine!"

The girl said: "Maybe my carriage just happened to break down?"

Heng Xian said: "The carriage may be broken, but the horses pulling it aren't startled, and the coachman is alive; he could completely stop at the roadside, instead of ramming into another carriage!"

Heng Xian said: "Second, your carriage was heading east, but after you got off you walked west—this is clearly illogical; you just wanted to walk with me, right?"

Heng Xian said: "Finally, no matter how you disguise yourself, the refined etiquette and elegance of a palace lady-in-waiting can't be hidden! Are you treating me like a fool?"

Saying that, he turned and strode away.

The girl stood frozen in place.

Until Heng Xian's back vanished from sight, a group of black-clad women suddenly rushed out of the residence, all cupping their fists: "Xu Wen Shi!"

"Get lost!" the girl lightly rebuked.

The group of black-clad women immediately retreated back into the residence.

The girl looked toward the direction Heng Xian left, unconsciously playing with the hair by her ear, lightly laughing: "Interesting!"

…… -> We need to output the ellipsis as is? Probably just "……". We'll output: …… (three dots). We'll keep as is.

Boring!

Heng Xian sneezed, walked on foot to the outside of the Princess's Mansion gate.

However, before he could enter, a group of female officials and Mulan hurried out from inside: "Master Heng! People from the palace have arrived, they've been waiting a long time!"

Just as his words fell, a group of eunuchs ran out of the courtyard, led by Jia Gonggong; seeing Heng Xian return, he sighed in relief and opened the imperial edict: "Heng Xian, receive the edict!"

Clatter—

The Princess's Mansion female officials, servants, and Mulan knelt all over the ground.

Damn!

The legendary receiving of the edict??

Heng Xian glanced around: "Should we set up an incense table, add some ceremonial feel, or something like that?"

Jia Gonggong wryly smiled: "No need, His Majesty said you come from the Deep Mountain Sect, no need to kneel, just listen to the edict!"

Heng Xian had no choice but to clasp his fists.

Heaven follows the times, receiving this sacred command, Chu person Heng Xian……receive the edict!

Jia Gonggong recited a bunch.

Heng Xian only understood a few words, he appointed himself as Remonstrant, immediately entering the palace!

Heng Xian received the edict: "What rank is a Remonstrant? If it's too low, I won't go!"

Jia Gonggong's cheeks twitched: "It's rank four! Master, you've directly jumped ten levels! Moreover, why bother about office? After marrying the princess, the Prince Consort position is certain; later, just earn some merit and you'll become a marquis, imperial kin and nobility!"

(End of chapter)