The next day.

The sky was turning pale.

Nanxuan school, Dongli cottage, Beiwu.

Zhao Rong blew out the lamp that he had lit all night, stretched out his hand and yawned.

I had two calligraphy classes yesterday afternoon. The last one, held in Zhengyi Hall, ended with a uniform cry of "I am learning from you, sir."

After assigning the same homework of writing book reviews to the students of Zhengyi Hall as he had done in Shuexing Hall, he returned from the foot of Linlu Mountain. He wanted to take a rest at night, but then he thought of the unofficial history he had brought back and could not help flipping through the book all night.

What Zhao Rong found quite coincidental was that this book of unofficial history just happened to come from the dynasty at the foot of the mountain where the scholar in the square scarf lived, and the country was called Nankang. It was a privately compiled history book of the previous dynasty, and according to the eldest brother Zhao of this cousin, it was a remote small country.

However, Zhao Rong read the book with great interest all night long. The landscape of Nankang and the process of dynasty change that he glimpsed from it were quite tortuous and complicated.

So, this should be one of the books sent by the scholar in the square scarf.

Sitting at the desk by the window in the north room, Zhao Rong closed the book that had turned to the last page, let out a long breath, and looked at the pale sky.

This kind of unofficial history written by folk officials in the mountains is so personal that people can't put it down. Most of the unofficial histories are anecdotes that the compilers have heard or seen or heard from others. Although there may be some unfounded rumors, they are definitely more interesting than the boring "Family History of Emperors and Generals".

Moreover, based on his experience of studying ancient literature in his previous life, the details existing in unofficial history are not found in the official history that is concise and to the point, and therefore have their own invaluable value.

Zhao Rong smiled and shook his head. He pondered for a moment, rolled up his sleeves, and added another sentence at the back of a scroll on the table that was filled with densely written small characters in flowing regular script:

'Official history may not be reliable, and unofficial history may not be unreliable. It is up to you to choose... I think this unofficial history is helpful for the compilation of the history of Nankang. I suggest that the library include it in the historical materials of Nankang. This is just my humble opinion, for reference only. - Mochi student, Zhao Ziyu of Ruxingtang. '

Cover conclusion.

Finish writing.

He flexed his five fingers and nodded, looking satisfied.

"Tsk, if you have this much free time, you might as well practice more instead of wasting your energy on these boring things all day long."

In the lake of heart, Gui said unhappily.

Zhao Rong raised his eyelids.

Last night, Gui seemed to be bored again and took the initiative to talk to him. However, Zhao Rong was reading history at that time and was very interested in it. He responded with a few words and then ignored him.

It has been like this since he returned to the academy. He reads by lamplight during the long nights.

There is no other way. There are too many things to learn. I have to read the Thirteen Confucian Classics carefully and make up for some arts that I didn't pay attention to before. Occasionally, I can't help but flip through some of my favorite leisure books and vernacular novels. Sometimes when I miss Qingjun and Xiaoxiao, I will sit in front of the west window and write poems by candlelight and the bright moon.

But Zhao Rong thinks this kind of life is pretty good.

Chatting and the like, he had been wandering around in the messages all day in his previous life, and it felt like he had chatted all the time in two lifetimes. This feeling of quietly doing his own thing in the academy was like curling up in the house on a cold day, taking a sip of warm wine to warm his body.

Besides, Zhao Rong has always felt that good brothers don't need to stick together all day long. They should live their own lives most of the time, and only go to each other when they miss each other occasionally to talk about some inhumane things.

Therefore, Zhao Rong felt that something was wrong with Gui's habit of chatting with him every night, so he had to make things right.

At the desk, Zhao Rong thought for a moment and said:

"Gui, the affairs of scholars... I really have nothing to talk about with you."

Sword Spirit: “…”

After a moment of silence, it suddenly smiled and said sincerely:

"No, please don't. Even if there is something to talk about, Mr. Zhao, please don't talk to me. Go talk to your book. If you have any questions in the future, go ask it."

Zhao Rong reached out and rubbed his eyebrows.

Why do I feel like something is getting more and more wrong? I can even compete with the book...

"Um..." He opened his mouth to speak.

Gui interrupted, "Okay, I won't bother you anymore. Take a good sleep these few days, and don't bother me... But if you are about to be beaten to death, please let me know so that I can come out and see which hero did what I have always wanted to do."

Zhao Rong said hesitantly, "This... this is not good, let's not sleep."

Gui Lengzhan, "Why? You can't bear to leave. Oh, weren't you still a student immersed in study just now?"

"No." Zhao Rong shook his head and said with a worried look: "The old technique you mentioned before..."

“…”

Gui said angrily: "Why are you in such a hurry? Come back to me when you get to Fuyao."

Zhao Rong was relieved and smiled happily, "Okay."

"You, huh."

Gui took a deep breath and snorted coldly.

Zhao Rong waited for a while and called it, but there was no sound again. It was probably asleep.

He shook his head, then tidied the table and casually stuffed the reading notes and detailed summary of the book into the unofficial history book.

Zhao Rong looked at the sky outside and prepared to go out. He had no classes this morning and happened to have an appointment with a woman as beautiful as Lan.

He was going to go to Yilanxuan and drink a cup of hot orchid tea in the morning, a special orchid tea. If nothing unexpected happened, he would stimulate his meridians again in the next two days. After the stimulation of the belt meridian, he had recuperated for so many days and should have recovered almost completely. With the addition of the fifth cup of water from the Zhengguanjing well...

Zhao Rong stood up, paused slightly, thought for a moment, then rolled up the unofficial history he had just read, held it in his hand, and took it away.

Anyway, I had already finished reading it, and it happened to be on my way to Yilanxuan, so I returned it to the library first and exchanged it for another book.

In the early morning, Zhao Rong was in a good mood and felt that everything was going well. Besides being busy for so many days, he was able to drink a cup of well water to clean his meridians, which brought him one step closer to "suppressing" his wife's Fuyao realm.

There is another reason.

That means the ten-day holiday is coming again.

Zhao Rong walked out briskly, and while Brother Teng Ying was still awake, he "stole" some fresh fruits and vegetables, mixed with morning dew and morning light, and tasted them carefully, and headed all the way to Yilanxuan...

The days in autumn are short. It was just dawn before Zhao Rong went out. When he arrived outside Yilanxuan, the sun had almost reached the zenith, lighting up the world.

Zhao Rong glanced at the familiar couplet neatly posted on the gate of the courtyard and was silent for a while.

I don't know what he was thinking about, he chuckled and shook his head.

He raised his hand.

Boom boom boom——

The knock on the door broke the morning tranquility of the quiet courtyard in this most beautiful place for orchids.

Then it was quiet.

Then, the sound of footsteps gradually grew louder from far away, then faster and faster, and finally, the footsteps seemed to stop suddenly at a very close distance, just a board away.

Squeak——

"Who is it?"

Along with the sound of the door opening came the familiar crisp voice of a little girl.

Zhao Rong hid his hands in his sleeves and looked down.

I saw that the courtyard door had been opened inward, revealing a little head wearing a blue page boy's hat. However, at this moment, the girl in blue looked quite strange. The hat, which was slightly larger than her little head, was tilted to one side. She was holding the right door handle with one hand and a small shovel with wet black mud on it in the other.

If he had a ferocious expression and this look, he would most likely be a bandit out to rob...

"……ah……"

At this moment, as if she saw clearly that he was a visitor who came early in the morning, her mouth remained slightly open, her movements paused, and the words that came out of her lips gradually became smaller.

"You, who are you looking for?"

Jingzi opened her eyes slightly and subconsciously took a step back. She followed Zhao Rong's gaze and looked at the shovel she was holding. She quickly hid the shovel behind her and blinked at him.

The corners of Zhao Rong's mouth twitched slightly.

Who are you looking for?

It must be your husband. Could it be that he is looking for a little girl like you?

He said softly, "Good morning, young lady. Is Ms. Zhu here? I made an appointment with her a few days ago and came to visit her today."

"Oh, yes." Jingzi's expression changed, and she nodded like pounding garlic, "Sir, please follow me."

Her mood and expression were both a little awkward, but she didn't think much about it and just stepped aside to make way for Zhao Rong. After Zhao Rong stepped in, she closed the door, put the small shovel behind her back, and trotted in front of Zhao Rong to lead the way.

The two walked all the way deeper into the courtyard.

The fragrance of flowers becomes stronger.

There was just a short girl in blue and a tall young scholar walking one after the other, and there was silence between the two for a while.

So the atmosphere was a little awkward.

But it's also true that if it weren't for the conflict outside the academy gate, the two would have nothing to talk about and probably wouldn't have been able to deal with each other, so there's no acquaintance without fighting?

After all, how could a little girl like her appreciate the handsomeness of a human man...

While Zhao Rong was lost in thought, he followed Jingzi and passed by the flower garden where Zhu Weirui was writing the last time Zhao Rong met her.

The two turned onto a flower path.

Zhao Rong looked around curiously. There were quiet flower paths, gurgling springs, and in the distance, a few exquisite buildings with carved beams and painted rafters were visible among the leaves.

Maybe she noticed his doubts, or maybe she felt that the atmosphere was a bit awkward.

Jingzi tilted her head to look at the orchids on both sides of the flower path, and whispered casually, "The master is writing in the study, not far ahead."

Zhao Rong smiled and replied, "I see."

Soon, the two of them reached the end of the flower path. Jingzi's eyebrows suddenly raised, and she stopped immediately, left the flower path, and walked to a small clump of orchids on the side of the road.

Zhao Rong also stopped and turned to look.

The girl in blue walked to a few orchids with unhappy flowers, squatted down, held the spade in her hand, carefully dipped into the soil, stirred it gently, and loosened the soil. She stared at the soil under the orchids, biting her lip and saying nothing.

After a while, Jingzi exhaled softly, put away the spade, stood up and returned to the flower path. She did not look at Zhao Rong, but lowered her head slightly and continued to walk forward, "Sorry to have kept you waiting, sir, follow me."

Zhao Rong glanced at her, then looked at a few orchids, "It's okay."

The two continued to move forward, but when they passed by several flower bushes with shriveled petals, Jingzi's steps would slow down slightly, but she didn't go there again. Instead, she quickened her pace and focused on leading Zhao Rong. However, the little girl's brows were slightly frowned, and she looked around, and no one knew what she was thinking.

Zhao Rong had been watching this scene from behind. When he passed by a bush of poorly growing orchids again, he thought for a moment and suddenly spoke to the small figure leading the way in front.

"These orchids have aerial roots... well, that is, roots that need ventilation, and they need more contact with air."

Jingzi paused slightly, but did not turn around. She nodded, and waved the spatula in her hand with her hands behind her back.

Zhao Rong looked around and said, "I think it's not a good idea to loosen the soil for each of them with such great effort. We should start from the root."

Jingzi was quiet for a while, then looked back, looking at Zhao Rong's expression with her big black eyes, and she tilted her head slightly.

Zhao Rong smiled, "It's just a humble opinion. The soil in your Yilanxuan is of high quality and fertile. It's more than enough to grow some magical flowers and rare herbs from the mountains. However, the air permeability is not good. If it were any other season, it would be fine. But in this dry autumn, the soil... is too stuffy."

Jingzi looked down at the wet black dirt on the shovel and scratched her forehead.

"I know, Xiaolan needs more fresh air... I know how it feels to be stuck in the soil, it's really uncomfortable. But the soil in the yard right now is the best we can find."

Zhao Rong nodded slightly, then shook his head slightly.

Jingzi had a puzzled look on her face. She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before turning around and bowing.

"No need to be polite." Zhao Rong waved his hand and said directly:

"Too much is as bad as too little. This orchid is a flower that can grow even in dangerous places. It doesn't need such good fertilizer. Any soil will do. Of course, this soil has its own requirements... Why not try bamboo root mud? This soil is loose and breathable, and can drain water. Although it is not very fertile, it is very suitable for orchids to live in."

Jingzi exclaimed softly, and she tapped the small bag with her finger, her eyes gradually brightening, "You mean... the sandy soil under the bamboo? How did you know this, young master? Have you also raised orchids?"

"I've read some in some miscellaneous books." Zhao Rong smiled, but in his heart he remembered a friend in his previous life who liked to tinker with flowers and plants. He still remembered that boy saying that the city was too boring, like being buried in this kind of soil full of fertilizer, so he went to the mountains to teach. The last time he contacted him, he heard that he had tinkered with a garden...

Zhao Rong came back to his senses and said, "Just now I passed by Zunjing Pavilion and saw a bamboo forest on the right side."

"Young Master, you know everything, you are amazing." Jingzi's eyes sparkled, and she looked eager to try. The next second, the little girl turned around and pointed at a house with a plaque in the center among several buildings in the forest not far ahead. "

"That's Lanxuan's study. The master is inside. Just remember to knock before entering. But the master may be engrossed in writing. Just wait a moment. I... I'm going to collect mud. Bamboo root mud, bamboo root mud. The sandy soil must be breathable. There are bamboo leaves piled up underneath as fertilizer. It should be enough. Oh, why didn't I think of it before? I'm so stupid..."

After Jingzi gave the instructions, she muttered to herself.

Zhao Rong was slightly stunned and nodded.

The girl in blue ran away in a hurry, skipping and disappearing on the flower path where she came from, to find a 'new home' for her sisters.

Zhao Rong looked back and smiled silently.

Then he turned around and continued walking along the flower path in the direction Jingzi had just pointed.

Soon, they arrived outside Lanxuan's study. Zhao Rong straightened his clothes and raised his hand to knock on the door.

After a while, no one answered.

He glanced at the door, thought for a moment, and in order to avoid witnessing any embarrassing or melodramatic scenes of people taking a bath or changing clothes, he raised his hand and knocked on the door a little harder.

Boom boom boom——

After a while, there was still no one.

Are you obsessed with writing and immersed in it?

To be on the safe side, Zhao Rong turned a corner and went to the west window on the side of the study.

I saw that the west window was open, and there was usually a desk next to the window in a study, which was a common arrangement.

Zhao Rong didn't have much concern and looked directly into the room through the open window.

Sure enough, in front of a desk not far away, there was a woman in Confucian clothes, bending over to write, facing Zhao Rong, with her upper body pressed against the desk. Her face was full of concentration, her eyes staring straight at the copybook on the table, and her slender hand holding the brush wrote with dragons and snakes.

But...when Zhao Rong first took a few glances at this scene, he always felt that something was wrong, and the picture seemed a little unharmonious.

Hey, what's wrong, what's not coordinated, what went wrong?

Zhao Rong frowned and took a closer look... The next second, he suddenly realized something, but he couldn't move his eyes away. His eyes were attracted by the place where Zhu Yourong's bent upper body was "touching" the desk. This was not "touching", this was clearly "pressing"! The pressure was like a mountain pressing down on one's head.

Mr. Zhu, how come you have some extra things?

The magnificent scenery that Zhao Rong had never seen before and had only existed in his imagination at most appeared before his eyes without any preparation. Just looking at it felt like a heavy weight pressing on the desk.

This is true'Without any precautions or hesitations, you just appear like this...'

Still came across some strange scenery.

For a moment, Zhao Rong's eyes were blank, but his instinct told him to slip away as if nothing happened and he saw nothing. So he did so, his footsteps moved under the window sill, his body gently moved to the left, praying in his heart, "It can't be that, it can't be that, it can't be such a coincidence."

At this moment, it seemed as if God was against him. What he feared came to pass. In front of the desk, as if he felt someone's gaze, or perhaps was attracted by someone's blocking of light and swaying shadow, Zhu Yourong frowned and suddenly tilted his head.

In an instant, the air between the two people inside and outside the west window became quiet.

"..."Zhao Rong.

“!!!” Zhu Yourong.