Jiang Luofu frowned slightly: "What kind of look is that?"
“An appreciative look, haha.” Zuan chuckled awkwardly.
"Hmph, if we weren't on pretty good terms, I would have been much more polite when you looked at me like that," Jiang Luofu said coldly.
Zu'an was a little annoyed: "Sister, you weren't angry when those students were talking about you on the way here, so why are you angry with me now?"
Jiang Luofu glared at him: "Those people are just appreciating beauty and indulging in empty talk, but you want to actually do it."
Zuan: "..."
"You could tell that?"
"Your eyes are wrong," Jiang Luofu snorted and walked away on her own.
Zuan gave a wry smile and hurriedly followed.
As the two walked up the mountain, seeing the increasingly serene scenery around them, Zu'an couldn't help but exclaim, "The Grand Master's taste is truly exquisite. Every blade of grass and every tree around here seems to have a subtle pattern, yet upon closer inspection, it is so close to nature that it is impossible to discern any clues."
Jiang Luofu's expression softened slightly: "This place is called Dong'e Fish Peak, the highest peak of Jade Spring Mountain. It was the place of seclusion personally chosen by the Grand Master back then. Every plant and tree here was arranged by him when he was young, and it echoes the academy's protective array..."
The two chatted all the way and unknowingly arrived at the top of the mountain.
Zuan also noticed the beautiful lotus pond and couldn't help but take a closer look. The lush green lotus leaves in the pond were refreshing and instantly swept away the fatigue from climbing the mountain. The colorful lotus flowers on it were the finishing touch, making people subconsciously want to pick one and hold it in their hands to play with it.
“I advise you not to even think about picking flowers,” Jiang Luofu said hastily, as if she had seen through something. “Many years ago, my eleventh junior brother picked a lotus flower and was whipped by the teacher all the way from the top of the mountain to the bottom. His cries of agony echoed throughout the entire academy.”
Zu An's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly withdrew his hand: "Am I the kind of person who spoils the mood? I just felt a sense of enlightenment looking at these lotus flowers."
"What insights?" Jiang Luofu wasn't so easily fooled and immediately asked.
"Rising from the mud yet remaining unstained, washed by clear ripples yet not becoming seductive." Zu An thought to himself that he was lucky to have received nine years of compulsory education, otherwise he would have really been stumped by this woman's question.
At that moment, in the courtyard in the distant pine forest, an old man let out a soft exclamation.
The elegant woman sitting opposite him was somewhat surprised: "What's wrong, High Priest?"
The old man smiled and said, "It's nothing, it's just that I haven't heard such touching words in a long time."
These two were naturally Chen Si, the Imperial Chancellor, and Bi Linglong, the Crown Princess.
Seeing that he had no intention of continuing, the Crown Princess wisely refrained from pressing him for details and instead continued the previous topic: "For this year's Crown Prince's examination, does the Chancellor have anything he can teach us?"
The Grand Master said calmly, "The Crown Princess should know that I have never participated in court disputes."
The Crown Princess looked distressed: "The Crown Prince was harmed by villains since childhood, which has damaged his mind. This major examination was unfair from the start, so I shamelessly came to ask the Chancellor for guidance."
"It was caused by a villain..." the Grand Master smiled and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to worry. Although the Crown Prince is a little dull now, he is blessed with good fortune and will naturally be able to turn misfortune into good fortune."
The Crown Princess was naturally not satisfied with his ambiguous statement, knowing that she was tired of hearing such words in the Eastern Palace.
Unfortunately, no matter how she inquired, the chief priest remained silent with a smile. She sighed inwardly, knowing that he was unwilling to get involved in the struggle between the emperor and the Prince of Qi, and could only take her leave helplessly.
Jiang Luofu, standing by the lotus pond, heard Zu An's two lines of poetry and couldn't help but reveal a strange look in her eyes: "I didn't expect you to have some literary talent. If my third senior brother met you, he would definitely consider you a close friend."
"Isn't Third Senior Brother the Sword Immortal? Why would he consider me a confidant?" Zu An was a little curious. Although he could drink, he didn't have any particular fondness for it. As for swords, he could use them, but since the other party was known as the Sword Immortal, his swordsmanship might not be up to the other party's standards. Of course, if it was about using cheap tricks, he was no less skilled than anyone else in his life.
Jiang Luofu explained, "My third senior brother has a bad habit. He claims to be the master of poetry, wine, and swordsmanship, ranking first in poetry, second in wine, and third in swordsmanship. But those of us who know him well know that the poems he writes are nothing more than street doggerel, yet he's still very proud of them. In our opinion, he should be first in swordsmanship, second in wine, and his poetry... is mediocre. But poetry is his favorite subject, so after you meet him, just based on those two lines, he'll consider you a confidant."
"It's quite interesting to hear you talk about Third Senior Brother." Zu An thought to himself, these direct disciples of the Chief Priest are all problem children. Tsk tsk, I don't know how he taught them.
“Come on, let’s go see the teacher together.” Jiang Luofu beckoned to him and then walked straight into the quiet pine forest.
On the way, Zuan couldn't help but ask, "By the way, the climate on this high mountain is cold and not suitable for lotus flowers to grow."
Jiang Luofu nodded: "Back then, the teacher personally set up an array nearby, which forcibly changed the climate of that area, thus cultivating such a beautiful pond of lotus flowers."
As she spoke, her tone was full of admiration, clearly indicating that such a work could be described as a masterpiece.
Zuan asked curiously, "Then why would he go to the trouble of cultivating lotus flowers in a place that is not suitable for growth? Is it to show off his extraordinary abilities?"
“Of course not,” Jiang Luofu frowned. “My teacher is not the kind of person who values empty fame. This is definitely not to show off. We are very close to my teacher’s residence, so you should watch your words so as not to offend him.”
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