At the Jiang residence on Guixiang Street, Gao Mu and Cang Yun pasted a pair of gilded couplets and hung a pair of large red lanterns under the gate tower.
A burst of firecrackers rang out, and the scholars from Qingyunzhai across the street all looked over.
"Reborn like a hundred phoenixes dancing gracefully, tempered by fire and reborn, the heavens are clear."
A scholar standing at the door read aloud the words on the couplet.
A scholar leaned out of the window, pointing to the mansion across the street and shouting, "Look, that mansion has a new owner, the head of the household is surnamed Jiang."
Scholars who frequented Qingyunzhai knew that a wealthy merchant family used to live across the street. Unable to tolerate the court's rampant taxation, the family moved away from the capital.
Some say that the family moved to the neighboring state of Liang.
Seeing everyone looking out the window, a scholar braced himself on the desk and leaped to the other side. "Brother, where are the words you were reciting? I didn't see them today..."
Before the scholar could finish speaking, his gaze followed everyone's eyes, and he was so surprised that he forgot to continue.
"This, this is a couplet?"
"Wow, what a genius! I never knew couplets could be written like this."
“That’s right, but I like it.” A scholar said, turning around and picking up a pen to copy down the couplet.
In an instant, several scholars turned around, grabbed their brushes, and with swift, flowing strokes, copied down all the couplets on the gate of the Jiang residence.
Zhen Jingxiu, the eldest grandson of the Grand Scholar, happened to be in the study as well.
The sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy, with his black hair tied up high, stared intently at the couplet.
Du Shizheng, the eldest son of the Du family, stepped forward and patted Zhen Jingxiu on the shoulder. “Brother, you are very knowledgeable. Is there anything strange about the couplet on the other side? It doesn’t look like an ordinary couplet to me. It has a bit of a rebirth from the ashes.”
Although the eldest son of the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was not as well-educated as his father, he was not a good-for-nothing either.
However, in terms of knowledge, he was far inferior to Zhen Jingxiu, who was a few years younger than him.
After the firecrackers were set off on the other side, the vermilion gate closed again, and the scholars swarmed around Zhen Jingxiu.
"Brother Jingxiu, your literary talent is outstanding. Please explain to us the meaning of the couplet at the Jiang residence across the street."
"Yes, yes! Other people's couplets contain wishes for blessings and peace, but this couplet is strange, it doesn't seem to have any meaning."
"That's right, that's right. My mother is hoping that I will pass the imperial examination next year. Our family's couplet is 'May your name shine brightly on the list of successful candidates, and may your family's achievements be as beautiful as the moon.'"
Everyone chattered amongst themselves, but Zhen Jingxiu seemed oblivious. He pursed his lips tightly, his brows slightly furrowed.
A scholar pushed aside another scholar in front of him, craned his neck and asked Zhen Jingxiu, "Brother Jingxiu, is that couplet written incorrectly? Look at the handwriting, the strokes are delicate, it's clearly the work of a woman."
Zhen Jingxiu shook his head. "That handwriting is not something a young lady with ordinary skills could write. It must be true."
Zhen Jingxiu pushed through the crowd, "Everyone, please continue. I'll go back and think about it before discussing it with you all."
Seeing Zhen Jingxiu stride out of the study, the scholars joked, "Brother Jingxiu is becoming more and more like a true scholar; he never utters a single nonsense."
Zhen Jingxiu was walking too fast and bumped right into Yang Mao, who was walking towards him.
Yang Mao stumbled from the bump, and Zhen Jingxiu quickly reached out to support him. "Brother Yang, please don't be offended. It was Jingxiu's rudeness."
"Young Master Zhen, you're too kind. I was so engrossed in our conversation in the study that I didn't pay attention to where we were going," Yang Mao said with an embarrassed smile after regaining his footing.
Zhen Jingxiu never put on airs, and he was friendly to all the scholars who frequently visited Qingyunzhai.
He treated everyone equally, regardless of whether they were born into official families or from humble backgrounds, regarding them as classmates.
Under his influence, the young masters of the major families in the capital would not easily put on airs when they came to Qingyunzhai.
After watching Zhen Jingxiu leave, Yang Mao limped into the study.
"Brother Yang, come and sit here." A scholar patted the bench next to him.
Yang Maochao, the scholar, nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Brother Jiang. We've had such a pleasant chat. Which of you has composed such a fine poem?"
Yang Mao will never be able to enter an official career in his life, but he just loves the atmosphere of this study.
The young master Jiang helped him sit down and raised his chin, saying, "Brother Yang, look at the couplet across the way; it's really strange."
Yang Mao looked up and gazed across the street.
The two large, gilded characters of "Jiang Mansion" made him tremble.
Yang Mao's face turned deathly pale, his eyes widened, and he only managed to stop trembling so badly after clenching his fists.
"Brother Yang, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Yang Mao's expression startled the scholar beside him.
Yang Mao suddenly realized he had lost his composure, took a deep breath to compose himself, and gave a wry smile, saying, "No, maybe it's because it's about to rain, my ankle joints are a little sore."
"Brother Yang, you could try your luck on Huanhua Street in the north of the city. I've heard that the medicine from that nameless pharmacy there is very effective."
Yang Mao rubbed his knee. "I've seen countless doctors for this leg, and they all say the bone is dislocated and incurable. Thank you for your concern, Brother Jiang."
The scholar enthusiastically advised, "Brother Yang, why don't you give it a try? The doctor there is eccentric; he often keeps his door closed, and there's a cloth banner hanging in front of the door with the word 'medicine' written on it."
Yang Mao sat in his study for half an hour, watching other scholars discussing articles in small groups, while others buried themselves in their books.
He stood up and silently walked to the gate of the Jiang residence.
He resisted the urge to knock on the door and stood there for a moment before limping away.
As he walked, he thought to himself, "Impossible. There are so many people with the surname Jiang in the capital. It's just a coincidence. I must have been seeing things that day."
Inside the high walls, Jiang Shuyue had no idea that the couplets she had written by hand had attracted the attention of the scholars.
She listened attentively to Qiuju and Lan'er's suggestions.
Sui Sui looked at her mother with a bewildered expression and said in a childish voice, "Mother, can I really not call you Mother anymore?"
Jiang Shuyue picked up her son and placed him on her lap, saying softly, "Son, please bear with it. Your father's identity is special. If people with ill intentions find out about your identity, it will bring danger."
The child is still young, and she can't possibly tell him the whole story.
Qiuju quickly chimed in, "Young Master can just call me Mother in our Xingyue Courtyard. There's no one else here."
Sui Sui blinked her eyes with a wronged look on her face. "I understand, I'll call my mother aunt when we're outside."
"Miss, the human traffickers have arrived with their men."
Hearing Mei'er's call, Jiang Shuyue put Sui Sui down on the ground, "Go to Shaohua Courtyard to find Uncle Nangong, Mother has a lot of things to do."
Upon arriving at the outer courtyard hall, they saw Gao Mu and Cang Yun leading human traffickers, with a group of girls around thirteen or fourteen years old standing on one side of the hall.
Seeing Jiang Shuyue leave, Gao Mu cupped his hands and said, "Miss, these are all young ladies; the men are waiting outside."
The slave trader was slightly taken aback when he saw Jiang Shuyue, not expecting that the person in charge of this grand courtyard was a young and beautiful girl.
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