Chapter 103: Monsters Run Rampant

Page (1/3)

Weiren Shi suddenly recalled the man’s name—it was Cui Huiyuan.

“Everyone, I really did come to find someone. Let’s part ways here,” Weiren Shi said, noticing that the others were ignoring him.

“No!” The man grabbed him tighter, and several others came to block his way.

Cui Huiyuan pondered for a moment, then said, “Very well, let’s bring him along for now. If the scholar asks, just say we’re letting him see the world a bit.”

After speaking, he turned to warn Weiren Shi, “Little liar, I’m telling you, this matter concerns the entire Fuchang County Academy. If you disrupt things, your offenses won’t just be the poems you had someone else write to deceive others. Your path into the academy will be completely closed off—don’t even think about passing the county exam again! So be clear-minded and don’t try to be clever!”

Weiren Shi looked helplessly at the surrounding students.

Even in later generations, surrounded by a group of seven or eight young men, all around seventeen or twenty years old, Weiren Shi might not have been able to get away. With his small frame now, it was even less possible.

Reluctantly, he was pulled along by them.

Following them to the back courtyard, from a distance he saw a pavilion where several people were seated.

As he approached, he heard Fang Xuezheng addressing the others, “Gentlemen scholars, these are currently the most outstanding students of Fuchang County Academy. All are promising talents. Today, with the permission of Scholar Wang, they have come to the Jixian Hall Academy to browse the books and experience the atmosphere here, to spur their ambitions. Since you scholars are here, why not put them to the test?”

After speaking, Fang Xuezheng suddenly froze.

He stared at Weiren Shi, then glanced at Miao Yuanqi.

Miao Yuanqi subtly shook his head; Fang Xuezheng frowned but said nothing.

“Heh heh, looking at them, they are truly outstanding among men,” Scholar Wang said with a smile as he swept his gaze over them. “I once served as the head of Fuchang Academy. You students here naturally have some connection to me. Very well, I shall test you.”

He glanced around and suddenly focused on Weiren Shi. “Ah! This little boy looks too young to have entered the county academy, yet he was selected to be here. Could he be a prodigy? I once heard Meng Dongye speak of a child prodigy from Changgu, only twelve years old, surname Li, named Changji. Are you he?”

Fang Xuezheng hadn’t expected Weiren Shi to show up here again, and felt uneasy. Seeing Scholar Wang single out Weiren Shi first, his heart sank further and his expression darkened.

The other students also changed expressions, showing some surprise. They had deliberately kept Weiren Shi at the back, yet he was singled out first.

Amid their panic, Cui Huiyuan gritted his teeth, stepped forward suddenly, and said, “Reporting to Scholar Wang, Li Changji is someone else. This young junior is also gifted. Although his knowledge is shallow and he is not yet a county academy student, as he studies more in the future, he will surely succeed. That’s why he has come along to see the world.”

Page (2/3)

Though Cui Huiyuan had spoken hastily in a moment of impulse, his words were airtight.

Not only did he let Scholar Wang know that Weiren Shi’s knowledge was insufficient for testing, but he also gave a reasonable excuse for Weiren Shi’s presence.

Even Weiren Shi thought that, despite the impulsiveness, Cui Huiyuan showed some quick wit.

But truly, I came to find someone! I even have a bottle of wine in my hand!

Yet these scholars seemed unwilling to let Weiren Shi go. Hearing this explanation, they grew more interested. Another scholar asked, “Oh? Gifted, you say? What subjects have you studied? Tell us, and I will test you on what you have learned.”

Weiren Shi was even more helpless. He stepped forward and said, “Respectfully, scholars, I came to Jixian Academy today only to find someone. The senior students in front mistook me for sneaking along to see the world and feared I would disturb you, so they brought me along. I am not here to be tested but truly to find someone!”

Hearing this, the students and Fang Xuezheng all turned pale and thought, “This is bad.”

“You’re not with them?” Scholar Wang asked awkwardly.

“I came to visit Scholar Zhang but met a few seniors from Fuchang halfway. They thought I was sneaking in to see the world and worried I would disturb you. To prevent you from blaming the scholars, they brought me here. The seniors meant well, but I really am just here to find someone,” Weiren Shi said helplessly, lifting the wine bottle as proof.

“Please, scholars, allow me to take my leave and visit Scholar Zhang,” Weiren Shi said respectfully.

The scholars in the pavilion exchanged glances, half amused, half exasperated, then waved their hands. “Very well, go ahead.”

Weiren Shi bowed again and left.

Passing by the students, he caught their eyes filled with worry and fear. Yet when they saw him, their gazes turned to anger and resentment, glaring at him as they watched him leave.

Arriving at Scholar Zhang’s residence, he found Zhang seated in a wooden pavilion in the courtyard, reading a scroll. Seeing Weiren Shi approach, he said, “I allowed you and Li Changji to visit me here at Jixian Hall because of your youthful talent. I answered a few of your questions as support for the scholars behind the Confucian forest. But if your heart is no longer here, why do you come so often? I want to drink some white wine; I will buy it myself.”

If Weiren Shi had not already seen through Scholar Zhang’s character, hearing this might have made him ashamed enough to leave quietly.

But Weiren Shi merely nodded, hiding the wine behind his back. “Oh, then I’ll just take this wine back to keep for myself.”

Zhang reached out his hand. “Enough talk, hand it over!”

Weiren Shi handed him the wine and said, “I have come to seek your guidance, Scholar Zhang!”

Page (3/3)

“Oh? What is it you’re puzzled about? Speak.”

Zhang smiled and asked.

“I want to ask Scholar Zhang how to repair the river embankment outside Luoyang city so it will be stronger,” Weiren Shi said.

Zhang glared at him and said, “I knew it. You brat have no interest in studying. I thought you had finally settled down! What business is the Luoyang river embankment to you?”

“My family’s Yimeng Tower is responsible for repairing the Luo River embankment outside Luoyang city, but we truly don’t know how to do it properly. That’s why I came to ask you for advice,” Weiren Shi said.

“Repairing the embankment is the prefecture’s business, and it has nothing to do with you…” Zhang’s tone trailed off as his face darkened. “Did the prefecture make merchants pay for the repairs themselves?”

Weiren Shi nodded.

Zhang’s face turned grim. He snorted coldly, then said, “You’ve come to the wrong person. My official rank is low; I’m not in the favor of the Henan Prefect. I can’t help you.”

“I’m not asking you to negotiate with the prefecture,” Weiren Shi sighed. “The embankment is an extremely important matter affecting countless people in Luoyang. Since I’ve taken it on, it must be done well. But there is no one who truly understands how to build and strengthen embankments. After much thought, only the Metropolitan Water Supervisor would have such experts.”

Zhang frowned deeply, his cheeks clenched. After a moment of silence, he sighed long and said, “I will return to Chang’an in a few days and don’t know when I’ll come back to Luoyang. Three mornings from now, send someone to follow me to Chang’an to bring back an embankment inspector.”

Shaking his head, he muttered, “Ghosts and goblins run rampant…”

After sighing, he stood up and left immediately.

Weiren Shi was about to follow when he suddenly heard a guard’s voice outside: “Reporting to Scholar Zhang, someone claiming to be Liu Mengde from Luoyang wants to see you.”

The guard had been rotated and hadn’t met Liu Yuxi before, which was normal. But upon hearing that Liu Yuxi had come to Luoyang, Weiren Shi’s heart leapt with joy.

Scholar Zhang turned and went back into the pavilion, looking at the wine. “Now I can enjoy a few drinks.”

He then said to the guard outside, “Let him in.”