The mountain chief stroked his gray beard.
"It is a waste of talent to have a dignified Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) come to teach at the academy. Brother Su, there is no need to refuse."
Su Huai-ren stood up and cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you very much, Headmaster. We have just arrived in Laiyang and are facing many difficulties. Headmaster not only gave my two children the opportunity to study, but also agreed to accept me into the academy. I am extremely grateful."
"Brother Su, you're too kind. We get along well, and the academy does indeed need a teacher like you. It's a blessing for the students that you've come to work at the academy."
The headmaster was telling the truth; apart from himself, there wasn't a single teacher in the academy who had passed the imperial examinations.
The page boy poured tea for the two men, and they began to talk about things in the capital.
When Aunt Su learned that her husband could also teach at Linjiang Academy, she was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Mother, Father said the academy's salary is generous, enough to support Ajin and Nannan's studies, and also enough for our livelihood." Su Hui carefully hung the new clothes into the wardrobe.
She originally planned to take on embroidery work to supplement her family's income, but her older sister said that she should just stay with Sui Sui and help her learn to read and write. The clinic was quite profitable, so she didn't need to worry about the family's expenses.
To save money, she often wore cotton clothes at home, so much so that when Nangong Zeyue first saw her in the garden, he thought she was a maid that his uncle had bought for him.
Today, Jiang Shuyue asked Qiuju to go to the street and buy several new outfits for everyone.
Su Huai-ren moved to the academy, but Aunt Su couldn't bear to part with Sui-sui, so she didn't go with her.
The next morning.
Lin Miaoshou brought Shui Sheng to Nangong Zeyue.
His expression was solemn.
"Zeyue, your martial uncle is temporarily entrusting Shuisheng to you. This child is very talented and a good prospect for martial arts. If your martial uncle does not return to Black Pool Valley for a year, this child will be entrusted to you."
"Master, are you abandoning your disciple?"
Shuisheng realized that Lin Miaoshou seemed to be entrusting his son to someone, and he felt very uneasy.
Without his grandmother, his master was about to leave him as well.
Nangong Zeyue knew what Lin Miaoshou was going to do, and he stopped him, saying, "Uncle, think it over. Empress Wei's father is a senior official in the court, and her family is very powerful. Let's go back to Black Pool Valley to discuss it, and then bring our fellow disciples to the capital together. That way, we'll have a better chance of winning."
Lin Miao patted the bundle in her hand: "These are things that Yue'er prepared for me. I'm confident."
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes: "The hatred of wiping out an entire family is irreconcilable. I must personally kill that Wei father and daughter to vent my anger."
Empress Wei's family was not an ordinary official family.
The emperor was incompetent, the empress's grandfather had served the previous emperor, and the empress's father was ambitious. In order to ensure that the empress's offspring would sit on the dragon throne in the future, the Wei family had been raising guards for many years.
On the surface, they were servants, but in reality, they were ruthless executioners.
Lin Miaoshou's father was once a royal physician. He possessed evidence of the Wei family's cruelty towards the royal offspring, which led to his execution.
He had to settle the score with the Lin family himself.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Nangong Zeyue took Shuisheng's hand and said, "Uncle-Master, I will take good care of Junior Brother and will not slack off in my daily training. If you go to the capital and don't have a chance to make your move, return to Black Pool Valley as soon as possible. As long as you're alive, you can always make a comeback."
"Master, you must come back. Your disciple will grow up one day."
"Practice your skills diligently, and your master will return."
Watching his master leave resolutely, Shui Sheng secretly vowed that he would study hard and practice diligently so that he could help his master avenge his enemies in the future.
In the afternoon, more than twenty horse-drawn carts carrying rice and flour headed out of the city.
Nangong Zeyue and Shuisheng rode the same horse.
The streets were bustling with traffic, and the long lines of cars were particularly eye-catching.
Passersby stopped to watch.
"Is this another instance of the Prince of Yannan's mansion sending grain to the refugee village?"
Someone shook their head: "It doesn't seem like it. When the Prince's Mansion sends grain, there are guards to escort it. Look at these carts and horses, they're just street vendors."
“Look, I’ve seen that man riding a horse with a child at Jishetang.”
"Could it be that Jishetang is helping the disaster victims?"
Someone said with certainty, "It must be Jishetang. Everyone says that Miss Jiang from Jishetang looks like a fairy. She is kind and generous, and must be a goddess descended to earth."
Nangong Zeyue delivered the grain directly to the temporary government office where it was distributed.
Officials and their yamen runners are registering and distributing grain according to the roster.
Seeing Nangong Zeyue was like seeing one's benefactor.
"This young master has brought grain again. On behalf of the disaster victims, I kowtow to you."
Nangong Zeyue quickly helped the official up: "Sir, this is not right. The grain here is not just my personal offering. You have records, so it won't cause anyone to receive more or less. I would be extremely grateful if you could help distribute it to the disaster victims."
If he remembered correctly, this handsome young man had delivered grain at least five times, each time with no less than two hundred dan (a unit of weight).
As usual, Nangong Zeyue wrote down how many dan of grain on the official document, and still signed it as "Anonymous".
...
Inside the Prince Yan's Mansion.
Xiao Jingzhao looked at the portrait in his hand, which he had drawn from memory.
He picked up a piece of paper from the table and covered the portrait, leaving only the upper half of the woman's face visible.
Xiangyang's eyes lit up: "Master, it's just like it, so much like it."
Xiao Jingzhao shot him a glare.
"What is the truth? It is either true or it isn't."
Xiao Jingzhao grew up in a military camp and was a man of his word, not particularly agreeing with the so-called Doctrine of the Mean.
Xiang Yang shrank back and asked Xiang Song, "Isn't it similar? Miss Jiang's eyes are even brighter."
Before Xiang Song could answer, Xiao Jingzhao beckoned: "Come here and take a closer look, is it her?"
Xiao Jingzhao himself didn't know why the woman's image kept appearing in his mind these past two days.
Xiang Song looked down at the paper carefully, then moved it up a little, trying to recall Jiang Shuyue's appearance. No wonder she looked familiar.
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