Chapter 33 The Ancient Scholar Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 33) The Only One Left...

The only one who is somewhat ambitious is his fifth apprentice, Liu Shao, who is now in the capital and serves as the Vice Minister of Rites. He is also the one who runs the fastest after get off work at the Ministry of Rites.

As Chu Nanfeng walked, he listened to Xie Zi'an tell him what he had found out. Although he learned some of it, he didn't know the details.

Now that I understand my sect's way of doing things, I finally understand the Emperor's meaning.

Lin You chimed in at the opportune moment, "So the Emperor said all that before because he was afraid you'd be corrupted by your sect and run away on strike too?"

When Chu Nanfeng became an apprentice, there weren't many people watching the ceremony. Besides his two senior brothers in the capital, there were also two acquaintances, the two scholars who had lent him pen and ink at Wuyin Temple.

After he respectfully kowtowed, offered tea, and presented the six gifts, Li Daru returned the gift and said some words of encouragement. Thus, the ceremony was considered complete.

After the fourth senior brother gave a gift, the fifth senior brother naturally gave one as well, which was also a handwritten booklet detailing the unspoken rules of officialdom.

And how to slack off at work and refuse to work overtime.

Chu Nanfeng: ...Okay, this is definitely not treating him like an outsider.

After chatting with my senior brother for a while, I also struck up a conversation with two scholars I had met once before. We exchanged names and discovered that both of them shared the surname He and were Li Daru's cousins.

The older one was named He Sicheng, and the other was named He Sixin. Lin You watched the three chatting animatedly, calling each other brothers, and it was rare for them to be as quiet as chickens.

Isn't this He Sicheng the father-in-law of Chu Nanfeng mentioned in the story?!

The woman Han Qige deliberately snatched away, the historically famous talented woman He Ruyue, was this man's daughter!

The girl was quick-witted and intelligent. After realizing that Han Qige had rebellious intentions, she secretly instigated her favored concubine to make a scene and then used words to force her to send the concubine away. In the end, Han Qige was so angry that he wrote her a letter of divorce.

While informing her father and brothers to avoid disaster, she used the evidence she had collected to expose Han Qige's schemes, and then sacrificed her life to protect the He family.

However, in the original historical trajectory, she and Chu Nanfeng lived a harmonious and loving life together, sharing joys and sorrows, and left behind many poems and articles that have been passed down to later generations.

Now that Han Qige has turned to ashes, such a talented, courageous, and loyal girl should be her brother's wife.

She probably doesn't need to get involved in this matter. He Sicheng has been observing Chu Nanfeng several times, but Chu Nanfeng only thought that he was observing her character on behalf of his master and didn't think anything of it.

Lin You didn't remind her, but instead rested her chin on her hand and began to calculate her own little savings, thinking about what kind of gift to prepare for her sister-in-law.

Thanks to Xie Zi'an's promotion, Chu Nanfeng no longer needs to sell paintings in her study. Many people come to her door asking for paintings, and the fee for each painting is never less than fifty taels of silver, half of which she receives.

In addition, Chu Nanfeng also gives her pocket money every month. She and her younger sister each receive five taels of silver a month, and she has now saved more than five hundred taels of silver.

"Sister, why aren't you saying anything? Is something wrong?" Chu Nanfeng hadn't heard Lin You speak or leave for a while, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing." Lin You, who was already thinking about whether Chu Nanfeng's first child would be a boy or a girl and what to name him, snapped out of her reverie and gave a perfunctory reply.

"Sister?" Chu Nanfeng called out again, still worried, finally pulling Lin You back from her reverie.

"It's really nothing. It's just that you call me Brother He. Call me that a few more times if you want, because I probably won't have the chance to do so again."

Lin You's tone was a little strange, a teasing tone that suppressed laughter. Chu Nanfeng was already used to her occasional eccentric behavior and didn't take her words to heart.

Aside from having a few more families to visit, life after becoming an apprentice wasn't much different.

As the leader of the slacking-off team, Li Daru acted like a hands-off boss, giving a few books as homework and then handing over his newly recruited apprentice to Ye Yizhou.

The reason is simple: since you two work together, when you have nothing to do, you can teach your junior colleague a lesson.

As for why Ye Yizhou, despite having a job, would still have nothing to do, well, isn't that common knowledge already?

After practicing for several months, Xie Zian became noticeably more composed and meticulous in his work. Even without Xu Wuchen as his partner, he could handle things on his own.

The emperor praised him with great satisfaction for a while, and then listened to the boy boast about the various questions that Brother Chu had given him.

Although it was inevitable to struggle with the questions, the results were really good. Even Xie Zi'an himself could feel his progress.

At least now, when he argues with Xu Wuchen, he has the upper hand about half the time.

The emperor specifically asked for the exam paper to take a look at, and then looked at his honest but not very shrewd son beside him, and suddenly made a decision.

The emperor, who already enjoyed chatting with Chu Nanfeng when he was on duty, came even more frequently, each time with a little tail following behind him.

Sometimes when the Emperor was busy with official duties, he would leave his son to Chu Nanfeng, saying casually, "Minister Chu, you don't need to worry about this kid. He just comes over to play when he has nothing to do. If he disturbs your work, you can beat him up as you please."

Not only did the emperor say that, but he also gave Chu Nanfeng a ruler as a punishment. As a result, the only prince in the palace inexplicably started following Chu Nanfeng and began to perform the disciple's rites.

Although he hadn't formally become an apprentice, Li Yi, who was already a hidden prince, addressed him as "Master" very affectionately.

He was very satisfied with the doctor his father had chosen.

Mr. Chu wouldn't make him memorize classical Chinese texts or write large characters every day. Instead, he would tell him stories in his spare time, which was very interesting.

Sometimes, with the Emperor's permission, he would be taken out of the palace to play. Although there would be guards following him, he was much more at ease than before.

Mr. Chu would sometimes take him shopping to observe the local customs and talk about the current prices, which items had increased or decreased in price compared to before.

Sometimes I take him to the countryside for a walk, to see the scenery and fields, and then we talk about the harvest and what constitutes good weather.

Some would take him to see the prefect of the capital prefecture adjudicate cases, taking the opportunity to explain some of the current criminal and legal regulations to him.

Even his homework consisted of sharing his thoughts based on what he had seen and heard that day. The already diligent prince's enthusiasm for learning increased significantly.

Chu Nanfeng didn't find it troublesome to teach his child to be shrewd. Anyway, he planned to teach his older sister a little, and the little prince wasn't arrogant, so he could just have another student to listen in.

They taught him until late summer and early autumn. After he turned nine, the little prince was already able to help the emperor handle some simple memorials.

Not only have they become more worldly-wise, but they've also become more professional in their work. They've not only become more shrewd, but their childlike innocence has remained unchanged.

The Emperor was overjoyed. Although he did not promote Chu Nanfeng's official rank again because of the short time that had passed, he continued to bestow rewards upon him.

Officials with even a little bit of inside information knew that the third-ranked scholar in this imperial examination was highly favored by the emperor and had a close relationship with the only prince, so he was sure to rise rapidly in the future.

The Chu family suddenly received a flood of invitations, and baskets were placed at the gatehouse. Before Chu Nanfeng could make a move, the person delivering the invitations was warned by Xie Zi'an.

After Brother Chu started working at the Hanlin Academy, he didn't have much free time, and he himself became busy. Now, he's lucky if he can go out with Brother Chu once a month.

These days, officials in some remote corner of the country want Brother Chu to personally attend their mother's birthday celebration, their son's wedding, and their grandson's one-month celebration. What kind of pipe dream is that?

If it were someone who liked to scheme and plot, they would probably hate Xie Zi'an with a passion, but Chu Nanfeng genuinely disliked such social engagements and was happy to enjoy his leisure time.

The young prince's learning progress is indeed quite good, but unfortunately Lin You is still the same Lin You, her scheming and plotting cannot penetrate her heart at all.

Chu Nanfeng didn't expect her to learn how to scheme against people. He was just glad that she could learn more and avoid being schemed against herself.

The emperor was in poor health, and the harem was very simple. The concubines had no other children and did not need to compete for the emperor's favor, so there were naturally fewer conflicts.

As for the infighting among the eunuchs and palace maids, it was unlikely to cause any deaths. After confirming that the palace was not as dangerous as he had imagined, Chu Nanfeng stopped keeping Lin You under control.

The place where the Hanlin Academy was on duty was also inside the palace, not far from the Imperial Study. When Lin You accompanied Chu Nanfeng to work, she would wander around the palace to play when she got bored.

And her favorite place to go, of course, is the imperial kitchen.

The current emperor is quite frugal. Although a table full of dishes is laid out for a meal, it is much simpler than the 108-course Manchu Han Imperial Feast in the TV series of her previous life, where each dish is eaten in just three bites.

However, the imperial chef is indeed an imperial chef; his skills are among the best in the country. Even the radish flowers served on the plate are carved to a crystal-clear and exceptionally beautiful degree.

Lin You even felt that for a chef, becoming an imperial chef was probably not much different from the difficulty of passing the imperial examination.

The imperial kitchen was still bustling with activity and full of life. Lin You looked around and finally stopped in front of the roast suckling pig stove.

The suckling pig, weighing fifteen or sixteen pounds, was washed until it was snow-white and cleaned until there wasn't a single hair left. After the spine was removed with superb skill, it was marinated in sauce and then sent to the oven to roast.

This stove was far superior to the ovens of later generations. Even the wood used for the fire was carefully selected pine branches and fruit wood, and the cook who tended the fire was also highly skilled, controlling the heat with great precision.

Soon, the roast suckling pig began to sizzle and drip oil onto the fire, sparking a few small bursts of sparks. The skin and meat, which had been marinated to a dark brown color, gradually turned golden brown.

Watching the master chef brush another layer of honey glaze onto the suckling pig, Lin You couldn't help but swallow.

Back in the real world, my second sister once received a large sum of money, and she took her younger brother and sister to eat roast suckling pig at a well-established restaurant. One pig cost more than 800 yuan.

She and her younger siblings couldn't help but feel sorry for the money, but her second sister laughed heartily, saying that she was now quite successful in her career and would never let them worry about money in the future.

Lin You still clearly remembers her second sister, slightly drunk, hugging her neck and saying happily, "Youyou, don't worry about tuition fees. Study hard for the exam. I've already saved up ten years' worth of study funds for you. Even if you go for a master's or a doctoral degree, we can afford it!"

Now, however, he doesn't know where the others are, or whether they, like him, have entered the Time and Space Administration.

While Lin You was distracted, the roast suckling pig quickly turned an enticing brownish-red color as it was roasted. The fire in the oven had shrunk considerably, and after a while, it was taken out of the oven.

The chef's cleaver gleamed coldly as he swiftly sliced ​​the roast suckling pig into even pieces. The skin crackled as the knife cut through it, a sound that spoke volumes about how tempting it was.

The plates in the palace were small to begin with, but a single roast suckling pig, after the bones were removed, was divided into more than a dozen plates.

Because of the Emperor's poor health, besides Consort Wu, the birth mother of the princes, and Consort Min, the birth mother of the princesses, there were only two low-ranking concubines left in the harem.

The extra dishes were naturally given as a reward to the ministers who were still working in the palace. Those who received the reward were extremely honored, and Chu Nanfeng, who was favored by the emperor, would definitely get a share whenever he was on duty.

Besides the roast suckling pig, Chu Nanfeng's food box also contained a stir-fried three delicacies dish, a bowl of white fungus soup, and a bowl of rouge rice. The food box was wrapped in a brocade quilt and was still steaming when it was opened.

Of course, not everyone receives such treatment. Servants in the palace are treated differently depending on who they are. Being constantly looked after by the Emperor and princes, Chu Nanfeng was the most comfortable one in the palace.

Time passed unnoticed, and by the time the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms once again filled the streets and alleys, the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching, and Lin You had been in this world for a year.

Now, the Emperor's favorability rating is close to fifty. Ever since he learned that Chu Nanfeng's chess skills are comparable to those of the abbot of Wuyin Temple, it has become a daily activity for the Emperor to ask him to play chess.

The task of playing a game of Go has naturally been completed long ago.

"Minister Chu's chess skills are becoming increasingly unpredictable." The Emperor placed a piece on the board, and the game was now decided.

Chu Nanfeng cupped his hands in greeting, "I was merely lucky."

The emperor laughed heartily. He enjoyed playing chess and was quite skilled at it, but he only truly enjoyed the game when he met a worthy opponent.

As the emperor, those who dared to beat him could not, and those who could beat him dared not. Now, finally, Chu Nanfeng has emerged, and the emperor is increasingly satisfied with him.

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Author's Note: [Owl emoji]