The light of dusk came in, making it impossible to see who was standing in front of me; I could only vaguely make out a few figures.
Upon noticing the other person's attire, Eunuch Shen immediately lowered his head.
Tang Huan placed one hand on her forehead to shield her eyes from the sunlight before looking over.
"It's him!"
I met them outside Qihuai County. They were the ones who brought Wu Lanxi back from Qihuai County. If I remember correctly, their name should be Zhao Kai.
Tang Huan was somewhat unsure.
After all, so much time has passed, and I didn't pay much attention to so many people back then.
"Young Master Shen, what are you doing out so late?"
Zhao Kai led a patrol team as he approached. He was tall and imposing, looking down at Eunuch Shen with great pressure.
Xiao Shen smiled ingratiatingly, "Greetings, Commander Zhao. His Majesty just met with Lord Tang; I saw him out of the palace."
"So it's Lord Tang."
Zhao Kai ignored Xiao Shen and turned his attention to Tang Huan.
Zhao Kai had also heard about what happened in the capital today, and he also learned that His Majesty valued this county magistrate named Tang Huan very much.
However, as the deputy commander of the palace, Zhao Kai's family background and appearance far surpassed those of ordinary people, and this status was enough to ensure that he would live a worry-free life.
Adding to the minor misunderstandings that occurred outside of Qihuai County, Zhao Kai looked down on Tang Huan.
"I heard that Lord Tang wrote several excellent poems at the poetry gathering, demonstrating his remarkable talent. I wonder how skilled Lord Tang is in martial arts? Perhaps we could have a chance to exchange techniques sometime?"
Tang Huan sensed a hint of hostility, but it wasn't strong.
He smiled and said, "It's just two poems, nothing special. It can't compare to the commander's ability to guard the imperial city. If the commander wants to have a friendly competition, I can have my good-for-nothing subordinate Li Daikui come to see you in the next few days."
Tang Huan remembered something and couldn't help but laugh, "But that kid has a bad temper and can't be provoked. If you're not careful, he'll pull out his useless musket and could easily kill someone."
Zhao Kai's face immediately turned ugly.
That day outside Qihuai County, I was hit in the hair crown by that strange weapon, making quite a fool of myself.
If the blow had been any lower, Zhao Kai suspected his head would have been smashed.
Zhao Kai felt ashamed and didn't want to say anything more to Tang Huan, so he angrily led his guards away.
Once everyone had gone far away, Grandpa Shen let out a long sigh of relief.
"What, are you afraid of him?"
Xiao Shen said helplessly, "In the entire palace, apart from His Majesty, Lady Lin Wan'er, and Chief Eunuch Li, no one else dares to breathe loudly in front of the Grand Commander."
"Not to mention that Commander Zhao has a fiery temper. We little eunuchs dare not say a word in front of him. If we don't lower our heads and be obedient, we will be scolded."
Tang Huan asked, "Will they physically punish you?"
Xiao Shen quickly shook his head, "Although Commander Zhao is short-tempered, he has never physically assaulted anyone. Even if he did, it was because some people had made serious mistakes. He is usually a very good person."
"Then why are you afraid of him?"
Xiao Shen said embarrassedly, "I'm used to it."
Then, he asked curiously, "Does Lord Tang seem to know Commander Zhao?"
"Yes, I met him once before, but at the time I didn't know he was the Grand Commander. We had a minor conflict."
Xiao Shen said knowingly, "No wonder the commander is somewhat hostile to you, sir. But you don't need to worry. Although the commander has many minor flaws, he is still very disciplined. As long as he is within the capital city, he won't cause trouble. You don't need to worry about him causing you any trouble."
Tang Huan smiled and said, "I'm not worried about him causing trouble, unless he wants to quit."
Things are different now. Now it's your empress who needs my help. Anyone who dares to mess around will be punished.
After leaving the palace, Tang Huan bid farewell to Xiao Shen and returned to her residence alone.
As soon as Tang Huan entered the gate, he saw Li Daikui and Qin Yu sitting with several people in the courtyard having a barbecue. The aroma of meat immediately filled his nose, making Tang Huan swallow hard.
"Well, you two scoundrels, you didn't even wait for me to come back and just ate here all by yourself!"
Tang Huan walked over quickly and immediately recognized the man sitting with the two of them.
He sat down and greeted them, "We meet again."
Li Mubai put down the meat skewers in his hand, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Lord Tang."
Then Tang Huan noticed another middle-aged man sitting next to Li Mubai. He was a few years younger than Li Mubai and had a refined appearance.
Who is this?
Li Mubai said, "This is Zhao Shou, the dean of Yunlu Academy. I originally planned to visit you in a few days, but the dean was worried that you might leave the capital at any time, so he made a special trip tonight. We are grateful for your hospitality."
"Greetings, Dean Zhao."
Zhao Shou nodded to Tang Huan in response to his greeting.
Two scholars sat beside him. Tang Huan was not polite or distant at all and casually picked up the already baked food to eat.
Seeing him wolfing down his food, Qin Yu asked curiously, "Weren't you invited to the palace? Didn't the Empress invite you to stay for dinner?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Huan slapped his thigh hard. Yes, the empress didn't even invite him to stay for a meal.
That's not authentic.
In her grief and indignation, Tang Huan ate a few more skewers.
After eating for a while, Tang Huan drank a few more cups of wine before looking at the two people from Yunlu Academy and the three or four scholars who had followed them.
Not only were the dean and Li Mubai sizing up Tang Huan, but the scholars were also very curious, their eyes lingering on Tang Huan and unwilling to look away.
It was as if Tang Huan were a rare species.
"Dean, you've come to see me so late, it can't be just a simple visit, can it?"
Zhao Shouzheng said, “Today, two poems by Lord Tang have been introduced to Yunlu Academy. My friends and I all agree that Lord Tang is exceptionally talented and a rare talent in Daqing. If he can enter Yunlu Academy, it will be a great blessing for scholars all over the world.”
"Your Excellency should know that in recent years, the level of poetry and prose in Daqing has fallen far behind. The young people have lost their ability to appreciate poetry, let alone write it. They have become stupid from reading too much. They are not capable of serving the country in this state."
Upon hearing this, the students standing behind him immediately lowered their heads, their expressions turning grim.
Tang Huan understood Zhao Shou's meaning: "You want me to join Yunlu Academy?"
"Indeed, with Lord Tang's talent, both teachers and students at Yunlu Academy are convinced of his abilities, and even I am convinced. As long as you are willing to teach the young people, Yunlu Academy will be extremely grateful."
Tang Huan looked embarrassed. "The Dean should know that I am the magistrate of Qihuai County, right?"
"I am aware of this."
"Does the Dean know that His Majesty has twice summoned me to the palace, hoping that I will stay in the capital to work?"
"There's more to this than that?"
That's not the point. How come this old guy can't understand the meaning behind his own words?
"Although I would like to help today's scholars, I simply cannot be in two places at once..."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Shou immediately said, "You don't need to stay at the academy all the time. Just visiting once in a while is enough. You are already considered a teacher at Yunlu Academy."
Upon hearing this description, Tang Huan couldn't help but blurt out, "Isn't this an honorary professor...?"
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