Li Wei said earnestly, "I guessed from your age and a few words with the student. I didn't expect to be right." Actually, he wasn't just guessing. As for age, the Tenth Prince was only twenty-three, but he was strong and stoic. The person in front of him, who spoke somewhat cunningly and was full of energy, was definitely not the Tenth Prince. The Fourteenth Prince was only sixteen years old, and this difference was easy to see. Therefore, Li Wei guessed that the person in front of him was the Thirteenth Prince.
This time, the Thirteenth Prince no longer underestimated Li Wei. After looking at his resume again, he said to the palace servant beside him, "Take this scholar to the Fourth Prince!"
Upon hearing this, Li Wei knew he had guessed correctly, and immediately bowed deeply to the Thirteenth Prince, saying, "Thank you, Thirteenth Prince!"
When he heard the thirteenth prince refer to him as "fourth brother," his heart skipped a beat. He suppressed his joy and followed a palace maid out of the room.
The Thirteenth Prince looked at Li Wei's figure and said slowly, "This person is quite interesting."
As for Li Wei, he followed the young eunuch, winding along several cobblestone paths and passing through a few houses adorned with carved dragons and phoenixes, until they arrived at a pavilion overlooking the water. Along their journey, people resembling scholars were frequently led out of the houses and seen off.
The palace servant raised his hand and knocked on the door knocker, which resembled a tiger tally holding a pearl. After hearing a voice from inside say "Come in," the servant pushed open the octagonal carved wooden door with both hands, then stepped aside and said to Li Wei, "Go in."
Li Wei straightened up and silently told himself: "Li Wei, whether you rise to prominence or return to farming is up to you. The Fourth Prince is meticulous, decisive, and strong-willed—isn't he exactly the master you've been waiting for?"
With these thoughts in mind, Li Wei stepped into the doorway, and the door behind him was immediately closed by the palace servants standing inside.
Li Wei slowly walked to the Fourth Prince, who was sitting in the main seat, and bowed deeply, saying, "Student Li Wei greets the Fourth Prince!"
The Fourth Master was reading an article left by a student and did not look up at the person who had just left. He then said, "You have a quarter of an hour. Just finish what you have to say within this time."
Fourth Master still did not raise his head.
Li Wei glanced at the Fourth Prince, composed himself, and said, "What I want to say to the Fourth Prince is about 'forming cliques for personal gain'."
Upon hearing these four words, Fourth Master finally raised his head and sized up the student before him. Li Wei also finally saw Fourth Master clearly, and a look of shock appeared on both of their faces.
"How could it be you!" Fourth Master naturally recognized the man in front of him as the one who had helped Lanqin capture the thief a few days ago.
Li Wei's determination to join the Fourth Prince's faction intensified, and he respectfully said, "The Fourth Prince of the current dynasty is a man of his word, which I will never forget."
The Fourth Prince smiled and said, "Alright, considering we've known each other, I'll give you half an hour. Begin."
Li Wei bowed again and began to speak eloquently about the words that had been hidden in his heart for a long time. Fourth Master had been silently watching Li Wei, who noticed that Fourth Master's face remained gloomy, and that Fourth Master still did not utter a word even after he finished speaking the last sentence.
Li Wei bowed and said, "I have finished speaking. Please give your instructions, Fourth Prince."
Fourth Master stared at Li Wei and said in a deep voice, "Li Wei, would you be willing to be my advisor?"
Li Wei lowered his head in fear, concealing the joy in his heart, and bowed again, saying, "Li Wei is of limited talent and learning. If I can gain the appreciation of the Fourth Prince, it would be my great fortune. I am willing to serve the Fourth Prince with all my might in this life!"
The Fourth Prince raised his hand in a gesture of support and said, "However, I do not intend to introduce you to Father Emperor, because Father Emperor does not need someone like you right now. Are you willing?"
Although Li Wei did not understand the Fourth Prince's meaning, he had come here hoping to join the Fourth Prince's faction. As for the current emperor, he already had many senior officials who were over forty years old by his side, so losing Li Wei would not make a difference.
"Your Highness, I am willing," Li Wei replied truthfully.
Fourth Master nodded, casually picked up a piece of paper from the table, took out a brush from the pen holder, and began to write a letter. In no time, a letter was finished.
"Take this letter to the capital and hand it directly through the gatekeeper. Someone will arrange everything for you. I, Your Highness, must continue my inspection of the Yellow River's Ankou with Father Emperor and am currently unavailable. It would be inconvenient for you to accompany me at this moment." The Fourth Prince folded the letter and placed it in a cowhide envelope, handing it to Li Wei, who was standing in front of him with his head bowed.
Li Wei quickly accepted the letter from the Fourth Master with both hands. This letter was crucial in determining his future career.
"Thank you, Fourth Master! I will return immediately and set off to await you in the capital!" Li Wei said, bowing.
After the Fourth Prince ordered his men to take him out, Li Wei couldn't believe that he had already been taken in as a staff member by the Fourth Prince. So when he came out of the side door and heard the pedestrians coming and going on the street, he suddenly woke up from his daze.
"Li Chuang!" Li Wei immediately rushed from the side gate to the main gate. When he arrived at the main gate, he saw that there were even more people than when he had been waiting outside.
He squeezed through the crowd toward the spot where Li Chuang was, but he was nowhere to be found!
Li Wei had no choice but to squeeze through the crowd again. Not knowing where Li Chuang would emerge from, he hurried towards his friend's house. Their lodging in Jinan Prefecture was at his friend's house; if Li Chuang couldn't find him, he would likely return. He needed to immediately tell his younger brother the good news. Although Fourth Master hadn't said he could bring men, Li Wei had never considered being separated from Li Chuang. He planned to take his brother with him first, and then recommend him to Fourth Master when the opportunity arose.
Li Wei rushed back to his friend's house, almost running, but Li Chuang hadn't returned. He had no choice but to wait patiently inside. When his friend saw him return, he came over and asked, "Brother Li, where's your brother? Why didn't he come back with you?"
Li Wei said, "He should still be over there. I was worried he wouldn't be able to find me, so I came back beforehand."
His friend nodded and asked if he had seen Emperor Kangxi. Li Wei shook his head. His friend thought he had failed the selection and sighed. But he found that Li Wei's face showed no disappointment, but rather a look of joy.
So his friend asked, puzzled, "Brother Li, why do you look so happy?"
Li Wei then recounted his first meeting with Fourth Master and everything that had happened that day.
Upon hearing this, his friend immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother Li, your luck has finally turned!"
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