When it comes to food and accommodation, Fu Xiaoguan finds himself becoming more and more picky.
This is probably why it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance.
After defeating Tang Qianjun, everyone in the Yu Dynasty was extremely excited. Fu Xiaoguan was also very happy, so he instructed Deng Xiu, "Go to the best restaurant in Guanyun City and book it...right now. I'm afraid it's too late to go in the afternoon, so let's book it in the evening. We can all have a good meal there!"
This was of course a great thing, so everyone cheered. But then Fu Xiaoguan said to the hundred students, "Tomorrow, before noon, you need to give me the answers to those two questions. If anyone hasn't, I'll ask you to go back."
"Also, I'll be moving out soon, and Deng Xiu will be coming with me. I won't interfere with your behavior in the Wu Dynasty, but remember, anyone traveling needs to report to Minister Xu of the Ministry of Rites and the embassy officials, or they'll be considered a spy. That's basically it. I'll come over whenever I'm free. If you have any questions about the study of things or commerce, I'll answer them when I get here. As for sacred learning... don't ask me about that; you can figure it out on your own."
Fu Xiaoguan took out a silver note worth one thousand taels and handed it to Deng Xiu. Then, in full view of everyone, he took Yu Wenyun, Dong Shulan, their maids, and of course the three disciples of the Taoist temple. The group packed their bags, got on the carriage and left.
"Where are you going, Master?"
"I don't know. Could it be that Princess Taiping has arranged another place?"
"Could it be that Master has relatives in Guanyun City?"
"I heard that the Second Princess of our dynasty, Her Highness Yu Yu, married the Marquis of Dingguo of the Wu Dynasty. She is the Ninth Princess's second aunt. Could it be that she invited them to live in the Marquis's mansion?"
"Don't speculate. Every action of our Master has a deeper meaning, far beyond the comprehension of you and me. Okay, go back, everyone. Remember to answer those two questions perfectly. If you don't... forget about getting drunk tonight!"
After Qin Wenzhe said this, he turned around and went back to the room. The students thought of their mentor's strictness and dispersed.
…
Jinghu Villa, once a royal property, is now Xianqingju, which is naturally located next to Jinghu Lake.
This place is located south of Guanyun City. There are no other buildings within a radius of one kilometer, making it extremely quiet.
When Deng Xiu arrived at Jinghu Lake with Fu Xiaoguan and his party and got off the carriage, Fu Xiaoguan looked at the numerous pavilions built around Jinghu Lake, shaded by green pines and bamboos, and realized that the one million taels of silver were worth it - this place was many times larger than the Fu Mansion in Nanjing!
"This place was originally run by the shopkeeper Hua of Shili Pinghu as... a brothel. I had no idea your Excellency's father actually bought it..." Deng Xiu looked around and said, "It seems everyone has evacuated now. I wonder if anything inside has been damaged."
A group of people set foot on the bluestone path leading to Xianqingju, and a person came out from inside.
It was a young man with a broadsword on his back and a large wineskin in his hand.
He is Ning Siyan!
He walked straight to Fu Xiaoguan and his group, his eyes falling on Fu Xiaoguan's face.
"Are you Fu Xiaoguan?"
"Are you Ning Siyan?"
The two had never met before, but they recognized each other's identity at a glance.
"I've been waiting here for you. I heard you defeated Tang Qianjun, which is not good news. I'll show you around and hand over all the paperwork. From now on, this place... will be yours. I'll tell you about the mess in Guanyun City later. Come with me."
Fu Xiaoguan frowned slightly. Isn't defeating Tang Qianjun good news?
He suddenly realized that today he not only defeated Tang Qianjun, but also defeated the pride of the students of Wu Dynasty!
The students of Wu Dynasty are proud of their martial arts, but he has trampled on their dignity. They will definitely defend this dignity and will naturally challenge him again!
Damn it, I really didn't think about it at the time. If I had lost to Tang Qianjun, with Tang Qianjun's strength close to that of a second-rate master, it wouldn't be shameful for me to lose. This way, I could give dignity to the students of the Wu Dynasty and save myself from trouble in the future.
But I happened to win, and this victory seemed to be glorious, but in fact it brought endless troubles!
How could this Ning Siyan be the drunkard that Wu Linger mentioned?
This guy is very thoughtful and a talented person!
"If you ask me how many buildings and pavilions there are in this place, I don't know. I haven't lived here for very long. After I learned that Ning Fatian sold this place to your father, I realized that I didn't have many thoughts. This road leads to the main courtyard of Xianqingju. I think this road should be modified. It would be more beautiful if it was built around the lake..."
As they walked forward, Ning Siyan kept talking, and Fu Xiaoguan discovered a problem. This guy never called Ning Fatian "Dad" or "Father", but called him by his name. However, he always called Yan Ruyu "Mother", and his words clearly revealed his dissatisfaction with his father and his longing for his mother.
"This peach orchard was planted by my mother back then. And there's also the pear orchard over there. Actually, there's also an apricot orchard, plum orchard, and so on. You can go and see for yourself..."
"The defense of this courtyard isn't very good. If you plan to stay here for a long time, I suggest you recruit more guards and set up some watchtowers."
"Of course, if these three brothers and sisters from the Taoist Academy can protect you for a long time, then I won't say anything."
The group passed through the forest and came to an open area. They saw a mountain not far away, and on the mountain there was an extremely tall tower.
"That's not a tower, it's the Star-Picking Terrace. It's said that this Star-Picking Terrace is as famous as the Cloud-Observing Terrace and the Flowing Cloud Terrace... Maybe that's true. That place is too high, you can go and see it for yourself later."
Ning Siyan did not take Fu Xiaoguan and his party to the Star Picking Terrace. Instead, they turned a corner and saw a huge courtyard with red bricks and green tiles. He pointed and said, "This is the main house, Xianqingju."
"My mother had been to Jinling before and she liked its architectural style, so Ning Fatian demolished the original building and built this courtyard in the style of your Yu Dynasty's Jinling. Now that you've become the owner of this place, it seems to suit your taste. Perhaps this is God's will."
After walking around the forest path, the group arrived at the front door of the courtyard. The front door faced Mirror Lake. Standing in front of the door, one could see the spring scenery of Mirror Lake at a glance.
Compared with Xuanwu Lake, it is naturally much smaller, and at this moment it reveals the elegant and graceful charm of a beautiful girl from a small family.
Ning Siyan pointed at the Mirror Lake and said, "Once upon a time, there was a pair of mandarin ducks in this Mirror Lake."
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