Chapter 404: Planting Willows Without Intent

Xue Shao was not a cultivator, nor even a man of the jianghu, so he did not understand their division of combat strength.

It took him some effort to understand that Pan Yun had been chased and struck by lightning because her cultivation had advanced by leaps and bounds, and her hair had been burned clean off.

Xue Shao murmured, "So what my uncle said was true—when one draws infinitely close to the Heavenly Dao, one is in fact going against the essence of being human. It is to act against Heaven, and one will surely encounter Lei Jie."

Pan Yun said in surprise, "Xue Shaoqing even knows about these things?"

Xue Shao came back to himself and smiled. "My uncle knows a great deal. He believes that principle lies within Qi, and takes Qi as the foundation, so by observing Qi one can perceive the essence—it is the most convenient method of seeking the truth."

He looked straight into Pan Yun's eyes and forehead and said, "It is precisely because I studied with him that I learned the method of observing Qi, and only then could I discern fortune and misfortune."

Pan Yun lowered her eyes in thought, then asked, "Then can you also discern loyalty from treachery?"

Xue Shao only smiled and said nothing.

Pan Yun said, "No wonder you are so frank with me—it's because you saw that I am a good person at my core."

Xue Shao said, "... The words are true enough, but I cannot discern loyalty and treachery with a hundred percent accuracy. I have only learned the surface, and I am far behind my uncle."

Pan Yun sized him up from head to toe with her innate gift, and after a moment nodded. "I can see you are also a good person."

Xue Shao said, "Thank you, Daoist Pan Sanzhu."

Pan Yun waved her hand. "No need for such formality. From now on we are allies—you may call me Sanzhu, or Pan Yun."

Xue Shao nodded and asked curiously, "How did you evade the search of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

A person registered on a household register, and yet she could just escape like that, and even stroll back into the capital brazenly.

Pan Yun said, "Faked my death."

Xue Shao wanted to ask more, but the waiter came up with the dishes.

Pan Yun gripped her chopsticks and said, "Don't ask any more about the rest—even if you are a good man, I won't tell you any further."

Xue Shao swallowed the words back and nodded.

The two of them ate lunch in silence.

Pan Yun ate very happily, and Pan Xiaohei also thoroughly enjoyed himself. By the time Xue Shao finished thinking things over and came back to himself, the food on the table had nearly been finished.

Before he knew it, he too had eaten quite a lot.

His belly was slightly distended, beyond his usual habit. Xue Shao felt a bit uncomfortable, stood up and said, "Let's walk around the street to help digest."

Pan Yun refused, saying, "It's getting late, I have to go back. Where are you staying? I'll come find you another day."

"I live in a small alley behind the back door of Top Graduate Lou, the very last house at the end."

Xijin added, "We rented one room with three other scholars—it's cheaper than staying at an inn."

"I've noted it down, I'll come find you when I'm free," Pan Yun said. "I live at number thirteen, Haiyan Hutong, east of the city. If you need anything, you can find me there."

Xue Shao agreed as well.

Pan Yun then picked up Pan Xiaohei, slung the banner cloth over her shoulder, and walked off happily.

Xue Shao watched her leave, and Xijin followed behind watching. When he turned his gaze back, Xijin asked, "Young Master, what do we do about our meals from now on?"

Xue Shao said calmly, "Just earn more. Sell calligraphy and paintings, sell essays, and we can also write letters for people. The rent is already paid for three months, and the money for food can still be earned."

Xijin sighed. "The Master gave plenty of money, and the Hall Master also sealed up a sum for travel expenses—but you spent it all."

Xue Shao said, "From now on, if anyone invites us to a meal, turn them all down."

"Yes."

Xue Shao walked back to the rented room with his hands behind his back, immediately packed up the four treasures of the study, and went out with Xijin carrying a table and a chair.

The roommates, each buried in their studies in their own rooms, saw this and could not help leaning out of the windows to look, asking, "Brother Xue, what are you doing?"

Xue Shao said, "It's stifling inside, my mind has gone stiff from reading. I'm going out to soak up some human energy."

So Xue Shao set up a stall at the mouth of the alley, on the end near Top Graduate Lou, selling calligraphy and paintings, and also taking on miscellaneous jobs like writing letters, wedding invitations, and naming children.

Unfortunately, this street was too bustling, and ordinary commoners did not seem to like coming here to have such things written, so for half a day he did not get a single customer.

Xue Shao was not in a hurry. He took up his brush and unhurriedly added two new lines to the hanging white paper: "Petitions drafted on commission, essays to awaken the mind."

A young scholar of about sixteen walked past him, then stopped, turned back with his servant, stared at that line of characters for a while, then paced forward and lowered his head to look at the calligraphy and paintings displayed on the table.

The youth nodded slightly. "The calligraphy and paintings look not bad. How exactly does this 'essays to awaken the mind' work?"

Xue Shao looked up at him and smiled. "You give me a topic, I write an essay for you to contemplate. How much you grasp depends on your own ability."

The youth's eyes flashed. "Can I take the essay away with me?"

"Of course. You paid for it, naturally you can take it."

The youth happily took two steps. "Good, then write me a policy essay on the topic 'to manifest brilliant virtue and thereby bring the nine clans into harmony.'"

Xue Shao's gaze swept over the ornaments at his waist and the clothes on his body. "Five taels."

The youth frowned. "That's too expensive. But never mind, when can I get it?"

Xue Shao said, "In a moment."

Having said that, he spread out a sheet of white paper, lifted his brush and began to write. "The one who set the topic is testing you on the way of ruler and minister—just write along those lines."

The youth's eyes went blank. "What does this have to do with the way of ruler and minister? Isn't it saying that noble virtue can bring the nine clans into harmony? That should be the essence of how a sovereign governs the realm, right?"

Xue Shao looked up at him and smiled. "That's not wrong to say either. Then what is the essence of how a sovereign governs the realm?"

"It is to manifest brilliant virtue."

Xue Shao shook his head slightly. "It is the harmony of the nine clans." "What?" The youth was bewildered for a moment, then grew a little angry. "Do you even know how to analyze a topic and write an essay? The harmony of the nine clans is the result."

Xue Shao said, "'When the nine clans are harmonious, the common folk are set in order. When the common folk are clear and bright, all the states are brought into concord.' Bringing all the states into concord is the result."

He said, "A sovereign may cultivate brilliant virtue, but if the ministers below are unwilling to be harmonious, he still cannot achieve the effect of ordering the common folk and bringing all the states into concord."

The youth asked, "Then what is to be done?"

"Then you must find a way to make the nine clans harmonious. If manifesting brilliant virtue cannot be accomplished, other means must be employed."

The youth listened, stunned. "This, this is not what my Mr. said."

Xue Shao gave him a slight smile, and within two quarter-hours had written out a policy essay for him.

He blew on the ink to dry it, then handed it to him.

The boy quickly took it, skimmed through it at a glance, then read it carefully twice, exclaiming, "What an excellent essay!"

He immediately turned back to the person behind him and said, "Zhang Yong, give him silver."

!. Read

The servant behind him responded with a clever, gentle tone, immediately pulling out a five-liang silver note and handing it to him.

Xi Jin immediately took it, his face nearly blooming with joy.

Xue Shao said, "If you ever need to contemplate essays in the future, just come here and find me—I'll give you a better price next time."

The boy happily agreed and walked off, delighted.

He headed straight toward the northern part of the city; Xue Shao watched him go, not turning back even after he vanished from sight.

Xi Jin happily tucked away the five-liang silver note, noticed his master was still staring, and leaned over curiously to ask, "Master, is there something wrong with that man?"

"Nothing wrong," Xue Shao said slowly, "I just sensed an unusual aura on him. I regret Pan Yun isn't here."

Xi Jin wasn't foolish; his eyes flickered, and he lowered his voice to ask, "Master, could he be the young Emperor?"

Xue Shao glanced at him and said, "No."

Xi Jin looked disappointed.

"Though not him, he's still connected," Xue Shao frowned slightly. "The fact that he's troubled by an essay proves he isn't—he's already Emperor. Why would he still be sweating over writing an examination essay?"

Xi Jin thought about it and nodded. "If he's not the Emperor but connected to him, then he must be a eunuch."

He suddenly understood. "No wonder I thought they all seemed weak and delicate, their voices softer than others'—it's because they're eunuchs."

Xue Shao: …

He simply tapped Xi Jin on the forehead and scolded, "Stop guessing. Quickly clean up the table—we're going home."

"Master, it's still early before dark. Aren't we setting up again?"

"We've already made the money. Why set up again?" Xue Shao said. "Five liangs will cover our food for a month. Go back and study first—we'll come again tomorrow if we have time."

The master and servant moved the tables and chairs back.

The roommates, who had been reading in their own rooms, had already gathered in the courtyard, arguing fiercely. At the sound of the door opening, they all turned to look.

"Xue brother, have you finished absorbing the qi?"

Xue Shao nodded. "My heart is calm, my qi balanced—I can now focus on studying, so I came back."

The next noon, Xue Shao's heart was again unsettled, his qi discordant; he carried the table out to absorb qi again.

This time his roommates finally realized. They stared blankly. "Is Xue brother short on money?"

"Not likely—he doesn't seem poor. Two days ago, a pair of brothers dragged their mother on a cart to the clinic, got turned away, and he gave them three liangs for her treatment."

"I saw that too. The older brother looked only eight or nine, the younger barely five or six—they could barely lift the cart."

"Yesterday morning, a beggar child approached him for food—I saw him buy two buns and give them to the child. So he's clearly not short on money."

"Not short on money? The spring imperial examination is coming. Everyone's cramming. Yet he goes out every day to sell calligraphy and paintings, write letters for others—what else could this be but poverty?"

"Maybe he really is absorbing qi?"

"I heard from a neighbor that someone paid him five liangs for an essay yesterday."

"Buying and selling essays?" Several frowned—this was the behavior they hated most.

Even if Xue Shao was selling essays rather than buying them, it was still detestable.

"What's the difference from selling a child?"

At this moment, Prince Cheng entered the palace with his copied "child" and handed the essay directly to the Emperor. "Your Majesty, what do you think of this essay?"

The Emperor reached out, took it, glanced casually—and suddenly paused, his gaze locking onto it.

After reading it, he asked directly, "Second brother, who wrote this essay?"

Prince Cheng smiled innocently. "You noticed? I bought it from a scholar on the street."

The Emperor laughed. "Do you think I don't know? Even if I locked you up for another month, you couldn't write this."

He shook his head. "If you submit this essay as your own, the Grand Tutor will know it's not yours. Rewrite it—use the same ideas but rephrase the sentences. I'll tell you this: even when you cheat, you must blend in three parts truth to make it seem real."

Prince Cheng stared, bewildered. "Then… how do I rewrite it? How long will it take?"

Good night

(End of Chapter)