The courtyard where the elegant party was held was filled with a faint fragrance. Chu Mo stood in the courtyard in a moon-white brocade robe, his black hair tied up with a jade crown, a perfect smile on his lips, and was surrounded by a group of students in Confucian robes.

"Brother Chu's commentary on the Lanting Preface is truly brilliant, especially his insight into the saying 'life and death are also profound', which is truly unprecedented!"

"I heard that Brother Chu could compose poetry at the age of seven. Seeing today, I believe his reputation is well-deserved. I wonder if I could learn a thing or two from him?"

Compliments came like a tide, and Chu Mo responded calmly.

In sharp contrast, even flying insects rarely visit the rosewood round tables where the students sit.

Even though they performed well in the first few levels, didn't they still lose to Chu Mo in the end? So Chu Mo is still the most powerful.

The title of the most talented person in Juzhou should belong to a gentleman like Chu Mo, not to those peasants who came out of some remote village.

Oh, at this time they had forgotten the harsh words they had used to tease Chu Moshi's concubine.

Gu Yuhe's face instantly turned the color of liver.

He suddenly crossed his arms over his chest, his knuckles turning white from the exertion, and uttered a heavy, cold snort from his throat: "A bunch of snobs!" He turned and glared at Gu Yuchuan, the flames in his eyes almost bursting out: "Second brother! That area problem is obviously not difficult. Even Chu Yan could solve it. How could you lose to Chu Mo?"

Everyone's eyes suddenly focused on him, some with confusion and some with curiosity.

Gu Yuchuan raised his hand, bent his knuckles, and tapped Gu Yuhe's forehead lightly. The force was not strong, but it was filled with undeniable calmness. His eyes were calm, and there was even a faint smile. "Why so many whys? You have to believe that there are always people who are better than you. Chu Mo is indeed good, and his solution is very clever."

"But..." Gu Yuhe wanted to argue, but Zhang Chuyan quietly pulled his sleeve.

He pushed a piece of peach blossom cake in front of him. The bright red petals dotted on the cake were still wet with dew, and the sweet fragrance instantly dispelled some of the hostility. "Okay, the results are in. There's no point in arguing anymore. Try this quickly, it looks delicious."

The competition is only the most important part of the Lanting Gathering. There will be a banquet after the competition for students to exchange knowledge and develop personal connections. It also allows the prefect to get closer to the students under his jurisdiction.

He was right. All the dim sum at the banquet came from Mingrenju. The layers of peach blossom cake melted in your mouth, its sweetness tinged with a slightly sour floral aroma. It was a new spring limited edition created by Mingrenju's chef.

Today, Mingrenju has long been a legendary place in Juzhou.

If any banquet does not include their snacks, the host will be laughed at for being stingy; if they can invite the chef from the store to serve at home, they can show off to their relatives and friends for half a month.

But not everyone can get this respect.

Since last winter, Mingrenju has issued a rule: home service is only open to members.

This threshold not only did not turn away customers, but actually increased the number of members.

Although they are all members, there are differences between them.

For example, the daughter of the prefectural government has the highest level and is a unique member of Mingrenju, so whenever Mingrenju releases a new product, the prefectural government is always the first to receive it.

And whenever the prefectural government held a banquet and needed Mingrenju, the best chefs from Mingrenju would come to provide door-to-door service with their bags, and they would also design cakes with unique meanings according to the different banquets.

This earned the magistrate's wife a lot of face.

Just like the desserts on today's table, next to the peach blossom cake is the uniquely shaped "Lanting Inkstone Pastry". The inkstone pattern is outlined on the ink-colored cake with icing sugar. It is obvious at first glance that this is a style specially made for the prefect's mansion, which earned the prefect's wife, who was responsible for hosting this banquet, a lot of praise.

Gu Yuhe's attention was indeed drawn to the Yantai Pastry. He poked the candied petals on the pastry and muttered, "The chef at Mingrenju has come up with something new? I must try it."

Seeing his cheeks bulging as he chewed, Zhang Chuyan breathed a sigh of relief, the strands of hair at his temples wet with sweat.

He turned to Gu Yuchuan and saw him stirring the wine in the glass with a silver pick. His brows were slightly furrowed, unlike usual. He asked softly, "Second brother, have you noticed something wrong?"

Gu Yuchuan raised his eyes when he heard this, and a hint of approval suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth.

This young disciple was indeed perceptive. He set down his wine glass, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it hit the table. "Nothing. If someone asks you to discuss knowledge later, remember to conceal your shortcomings."

"Okay." Although Zhang Chuyan was full of doubts, he nodded in agreement. "Do we need to tell Zhaodi and the others?"

"Tell Zhaodi and Meng Ziqi." Gu Yuchuan picked up the wine glass and drank it all. The amber wine slid down his throat, but his eyes swept across every corner of the banquet hall like an eagle.

The momentary hesitation when Chu Mo was solving the problem, the flicker in the academic administrator's eyes when he announced the result, and the deliberate instigation of several unfamiliar faces in the crowd...

All of this was like an invisible net, tightening towards them.

Who is behind this?

"Brother Gu." Chu Mo's voice suddenly sounded behind him, interrupting his thoughts.

Gu Yuchuan turned around and saw Chu Mo, cupping his hands and smiling softly. The dark patterns on his brocade robe glowed softly in the setting sun. "I'm discussing the Zhoubi Suanjing with a few friends. Seeing that you have some understanding of it, I'd like to invite you to join us. Would you be willing to do me the honor?"

"Okay. Please." Gu Yuchuan stood up quickly, and his wide robe swept across the chair.

Instead of guessing here, it is better to take the initiative.

Whether you are a human or a ghost, you will always reveal your true colors.

The next two hours were filled with the singing of poetry as the cups were exchanged.

The few "friends" brought by Chu Mo seemed to be discussing academic matters, but they were always inadvertently asking about the teaching methods of Qiushi Academy, especially the textbooks written by Gu Jiayue.

Gu Yuchuan was neither humble nor arrogant. Sometimes he quoted from classics, and sometimes he laughed and said, "It's just a country trick." He never let the other party catch him.

The Lanting elegant party, which lasted for a whole day, finally ended at dusk. If it were not for the curfew in Juzhou, many students who were drunk would have dragged others to the brothel to continue the party.

After leaving the government office, Chu Mo held Gu Yuchuan's hand and bowed. The moonlight shone on his face, making him look particularly sincere. "Brother Gu, it is a great honor for me to meet you today. If there is a chance, I will definitely have a candlelight chat with you at night."

"Brother Chu, what you said is very true. I, Gu, feel the same way." Gu Yuchuan took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him. "To be honest, Brother Chu, I plan to stay in Juzhou to participate in the provincial examination in ten days. This is my temporary address. If you are free, you can come to me anytime to discuss the essay."

Chu Mo's eyes flashed with surprise when he took the plain paper, and he quickly put it into his sleeve: "That's great! I will definitely come to visit you someday."

"No problem, Gu will definitely prepare a bed for you."

After parting with Chu Mo, everyone boarded the carriage parked at the corner. As soon as the curtains were lowered, Gu Yuhe couldn't help but ask, "Brother, are you going to take the provincial exam? Why didn't you tell me before? Are you not going back with us?"

"Well, you guys go back tomorrow." Gu Yuchuan leaned against the car wall, tapping his knees lightly with his fingertips. "I'll be staying at Kangzi's place for the next few days. It's a good opportunity to meet some scholars."

After passing the county exam in February, Master Du and Gu Jiayue advised him not to rush and to wait for the provincial exam next year, but he was always very uneasy inside, always feeling that something big was going to happen.

This feeling kept urging him to walk faster and climb higher.

So he didn't dare to waste any time.

Besides, he was very confident in his abilities. It was just a provincial examination and it was not difficult for him.

When the carriage was halfway there, Gu Yuchuan got off at a fork in the road and switched to another carriage that Kangzi had already prepared.

At this time, Kangzi was the head manager of Mingrenju, and he also held the exclusive distribution rights of hot pot restaurants and bamboo paper. His business spread from Juzhou all the way to the surrounding prefectures.

When ordinary landlords met him, they would politely call him "Boss Kang". After all, anyone who wanted to get the distribution rights of these three stores had to look at his mood.

Kangzi's residence in Juzhou had also changed a lot.

At first, he only rented a small courtyard with one entrance, but last winter he moved into a large courtyard with three entrances. The courtyard not only had a special study and accounting office, but also hired a group of servants including cooks, waiters, and nannies.

If one didn't know his background well, no one would have thought that this splendid boss Kang was once the most inconspicuous servant in the marquis's mansion.

"Second Young Master, please come this way." Kangzi led Gu Yuchuan through a corridor lined with green bamboos. "Hearing that you would come to stay temporarily, I specially had someone clean up the innermost quiet courtyard and prepared all the books and writing materials. If you have any instructions, feel free to find Xiaoye who is waiting over there." He pointed to the clever servant standing under the corridor.

Gu Yuchuan nodded: "Thank you very much."

"I don't deserve it. It's my duty." Kangzi bowed slightly, his tone still respectful.

Even though Gu Jiayue had already returned his indenture contract, he still considered himself a member of the Marquis' Mansion in his heart - as a human being, one should always be grateful, right?

The moonlight passed through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, casting mottled shadows on the bluestone slabs. Gu Yuchuan looked at the warm yellow light coming through the window of the quiet courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief.

In the next few days, it will be time for the real show to begin.