Chapter 67

After sharing a room with the urn in the Xu residence for days, Lin Nanjie finally had a good sleep in the guest house. The next day, he woke up refreshed and ran into Bai Zhang as soon as he opened the door.

Lin Nanqie was in a good mood and greeted him: "Mr. Bai...Mr. Bai, good morning!"

Bai Zhang had dark circles under his eyes and forced a smile: "Morning."

Then, Lin Nanjie saw another person coming out of Bai Zhang’s room, and it was Fang Wenjue.

[What a good family, the father-in-law and son-in-law sleep in the same room, their relationship... is so good! ]

Fang Wenjue and Bai Zhang looked at each other, deep regret revealed in their eyes.

How come I came back to the house drunk last night? I got kicked several times!

Lin Nanjie asked politely: "Master... Fang?"

Fang Wenjue quickly interrupted Lin Nanjie, stepped forward and patted his shoulder kindly: "Just call me Uncle Fang."

Lin Nanjie hesitated for a moment.

【Call...Uncle?】

Fang Wenjue noticed his hesitation, stroked his beard and said, "When you go out, you have to keep a low profile. You have to have an identity. According to our age, it's only appropriate for you to call me uncle."

Lin Nanjie thought: [That’s right.]

He put aside his doubts and shouted openly, "Good morning, Uncle Fang. Uncle Fang is really thoughtful."

Bai Zhang looked at his father-in-law suspiciously. Why was his father-in-law so attentive to Eunuch Lin today?

Never mind!

My father-in-law is already an uncle, so it’s not too much for him to be a brother!

Bai Zhang immediately put on a smiling face and looked at Lin Nanqi: "Why don't you just call me Brother Bai? It's always Young Master, it's too distant!"

Lin Nanqie followed suit: "Brother Bai."

Wang Hui came out of the box yawning. When he heard the conversation between the people, his first reaction was that something was wrong.

How could an official of the imperial court be related to a eunuch?

But then he thought again, thinking back to Lin Nanjie's behavior at Xu's house, which was full of sorrow and self-sacrifice, and he suddenly felt that he was being narrow-minded.

Not willing to be left behind, he stepped forward and said, "Come on, call me Uncle Wang."

Lin Nanqi said respectfully, "Hello, Uncle Wang."

Lin Nanjie was flattered. It turned out that the gentlemen were so easy to talk to?

There was a noise coming from Li Chenghuan's room next door. Lin Nanjie, as a eunuch, was well-trained and said to the adults, "Uncle Fang, Uncle Wang, Brother Bai, I will go in and serve you first. Excuse me."

Fang Wenjue smiled and said, "Okay, okay, go ahead and do your work. We'll go downstairs and see what delicious food we can find."

The few of them separated on the second floor, and Lin Nanjie went forward and knocked on Li Chenghuan's door.

"Come in."

Lin Nanjie pushed the door open and saw Li Chenghuan getting dressed with dark circles under his eyes.

[It's strange, why do the adults and the emperor seem to have not slept well? 】

Lin Nanjie stepped forward, took the outer robe and was about to help Li Chenghuan put it on.

Li Chenghuan hesitated for a moment, then took the outer robe and put it on himself.

Lin Nanqi was ready to help Li Chenghuan wash up.

Li Chenghuan asked him to stand aside and wash himself.

Lin Nanqi: [Hmm?]

Li Chengqian cleared his throat and said, "The waiter has brought over some breakfast snacks. Please try them first."

As expected, Lin Nanjie saw a sumptuous breakfast on the table, with various soup buns and snacks, all of which were still steaming. His stomach immediately growled.

He swallowed, his eyes were upright and stern: "I am not hungry, I will serve the emperor dinner."

[Eunuch's professional qualities: If the emperor doesn't eat, how can the servants eat? ]

[Am I living a crooked life? ]

[But the food in this inn does look good. After I finish serving them, I'll go downstairs to meet Uncle Fang, Uncle Wang, and Big Brother Bai. Hmm... this soup dumpling looks delicious~]

Li Chengqian's eyes dimmed.

Uncle Fang, Uncle Wang, Brother Bai?

Li Chengqian coughed lightly and said, "The store gave me too much. I order you to eat here."

Although it was an order, the words were gentle.

Lin Nanqi sat down readily, picked up a bun and was about to eat it.

Suddenly his eyes turned horrified.

[Dog Emperor, why are you so nice to me lately? 】

After discovering this, Lin Nanjie felt something was wrong.

【First, he was transferred back to Yuzen after the spring hunt was over. 】

[You saved me again in Xu's house. ]

[He also personally helped me tie and untie my belt.]

[Now, he is so kind as to let me eat first.]

Lin Nanjie looked confused: [I'm just a little eunuch. ]

Lin Nanjie's goal to save his life is, first, to keep the secret of the fake eunuch, and second, to avoid being a corrupt eunuch and leave the palace as soon as possible.

[How about... taking this opportunity and never coming back again. ]

Li Chenghuan listened to Lin Nanjie's heartbeat and raised the corners of his lips at first. When he heard the words "never come back", his eyes suddenly sharpened.

Want to run again.

Lin Nanjie thought about it for a long time, and was extremely hesitant. He struggled to put down the buns, stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I have been delayed in Hangzhou for a few days. I... must bid farewell to Your Majesty and go to Qianzhou first."

Li Chengqian felt his teeth itching and changed his mind:

"I am also going to Qianzhou. Instead of going alone and encountering danger, it is better for you to accompany me."

Lin Nanjie was indeed terrified at the thought of being arranged to marry someone in a ghost marriage.

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's just that my father is seriously ill, and I'm afraid I won't be able to treat him in time."

Li Chengzhen said quietly, "Hangzhou is a long way from Qianzhou, and things have been uneasy lately, with pirates and refugees everywhere. If you run into them, what are you going to do?"

"It has rained recently. If there is a flood, do you know where to hide safely?"

"I'm not holding you back, I'm just worried that your father will die before his time."

After finishing speaking, Li Chenghuan quietly looked at Lin Nanjie's expression.

Seeing that his expression had relaxed and his eyes were filled with distress, he slowly drank a sip of tea.

Lin Nanjie touched his neck: [Yeah, I don’t want to die yet. ]

Li Chengqian had already considered this: "I'll have Liao Baifan send some people there first. They are all martial artists, have fast speeds, and are officials who can do things easily. They will definitely be able to rescue your father."

"Besides, you have been away from home for decades and are unfamiliar with the place. My people can seek medical advice based on their status, which is better than you relying on your luck everywhere."

Lin Nanjie's mind moved slightly: [That's right, Lord Liao's men are all capable soldiers and generals, so it will be easier for him to find a good doctor. ]

[Besides, if I meet a bad guy again, I can still keep you company. ]

Li Chengqian almost choked on the cup of tea.

Lin Nanqi said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will write a letter back now."

Li Chenghuan nodded modestly.

-

Recently, another earth-shaking event occurred in Hangzhou Prefecture.

Mr. Gushan has come out to give lectures!

Mr. Gushan was a well-known scholar in Jiangnan. When he was young, he won the top three places in the imperial examinations and became an official in the court. Later, he became disappointed with the court, retired to the mountains and traveled around the world. His collection of poems and essays is regarded as a literary treasure by people all over the world.

As he grew older, Mr. Gushan lived in seclusion in the mountains of Hangzhou, which he called Gushan, and he never went out.

This lecture caused a sensation in Jiangnan. Many people made a special trip to Hangzhou to attend the lecture, and some even came from thousands of miles away.

The forum was held at Gushan Academy, and many people checked out the venue in advance, some even living nearby, just to get a good seat on the day.

However, when they saw the notice posted in front of Gushan Academy, they were stunned for a moment.

"This lecture is open to both men and women, women are given priority."

Women first???

These people were all dumbfounded.

"Women first? How can a woman understand Mr. Gushan's knowledge?"

Someone threw his bag on the ground and said, "What bad luck! I came all the way here to attend the forum, but women are given priority."

"That's right, they can barely read. Mr. Gushan is really stupid. He actually teaches exclusively to girls."

"This is child's play!"

The news spread quickly throughout the streets and alleys of Hangzhou.

Mr. Gushan opened a women's lecture forum specifically for women!

It's unprecedented!

Jiang's family in the east of the city.

Jiang Yan, the youngest son of the Jiang family, rushed in from outside with great momentum and knocked over the servant at the door.

In the hall, Jiang Mingde, the head of the Jiang family, sat in the main seat. He was over fifty but still well-maintained. He drank tea leisurely while listening to the steward's report on the store's situation and giving some pointers from time to time.

The managers below were very cautious, fearing that something might go wrong.

Jiang Yan rushed into the hall with a gloomy look on his face: "Dad! The situation in Hangzhou is really outrageous now!"

Jiang Mingde raised his hand and waved, and several managers immediately retreated: "A gentleman does not show his joy or anger on his face, so why are you angry?"

Jiang Yan's chest rose and fell. "Father, that Gushan teacher hasn't come out to teach for ten years. This time he came out to teach women!"

Jiang Mingde frowned: "Is this true?"

Jiang Yan: "Really! Now everyone in Hangzhou is talking about it."

Jiang Mingde's expression was uncertain: "Ridiculous! Teaching a girl is unheard of!"

Jiang Yan stepped forward and said, "Every year my father went to invite him out of seclusion, but we never saw him. Now, he has been out of seclusion for ten years just to teach women. It's simply a joke. What knowledge can those women understand?"

"Not to mention, my father would be ridiculed as being inferior to women."

"During this year's imperial examination, my second brother was caught cheating, which was already a disgrace to the Jiang family. Now, Mr. Gushan's move is not to go against us..."

Jiang Mingde's face darkened: "Shut up!"

Jiang Yan immediately fell silent.

Jiang Mingde's well-maintained face turned livid, and veins appeared on the back of his hands: "I know about this."

On the other side, the ladies of Hangzhou Prefecture stopped discussing cosmetics and perfume, and gathered in groups of three or five, lowering their voices, their voices secretive and excited: "What do you think is going on with this forum?"

"Although I can recognize a few words, I don't understand the academic content."

"I really want to go, but you don't know that my brothers and sisters have heard the news. They have been talking about women's virtues if they are not talented, and have warned me not to go."

"The more I am forbidden to go, the more I want to go. Why can men of these countries study and learn to read with a clear conscience, but we women are considered virtuous for our lack of talent?"

"But……"

Just as they were arguing, a clear and pleasant voice suddenly came: "Are you girls talking about Mr. Gushan's women's forum?"

A few people looked in the direction of the sound and saw a handsome young man.

The girl who wanted to go just now stood in front: "So what?"

Lin Nanjie was surprised and said, "Have you heard that not only will women be given priority in this lecture, but women who attend the lecture will also receive ten kilograms of rice."

"It's a pity that I'm a man, otherwise I would have to go and get it."

"Can we still get rice?" Several girls' eyes lit up.

"Well, I'll go. There are many people in my family and the food is just enough to make ends meet. If I can get rice, I can have two more full meals."

"Then I'll go too! I'll go too!"

The news spread quickly, and everyone heard that women who went to listen to Mr. Gushan's lectures could receive food!

Those who originally said such frivolous things only regretted that they did not have daughters in their families, otherwise they could also go to collect food. The rest even urged their wives and daughters to go ahead early.

And those dissatisfied men sighed and lamented.

Others denounced: "What a petty profit! These women don't know any real knowledge, they are just after food."

Ten kilograms of food, ten kilograms!

It’s not worth much money, but it’s free!

On the day of the lecture, the sky was clear and the sun was bright. Hangzhou was bustling with activity, and the road leading to Gushan was so crowded that it was impossible to pass through.

The third daughter of the Xu family and Yan Lang walked in the crowd, their eyes flickering: "I never thought that this day would come."

Yan Lang held her hand tightly and said, "I am a rough man and don't understand these things. I support whatever you want to do, Madam."

Xu San smiled and looked at the women around him: "I just hope that women can live better in the future."

Gushan Academy was packed with people, a huge crowd gathered, all looking forward to the appearance of Mr. Gushan.

"I don't know how long the lecture will take. When it's over, we must rush to the front of the line to receive it."

“That’s right!”

Finally, an old man with silver hair appeared with a peaceful face: "So many people have come. I am overwhelmed by the favor."

"I'm sure many of you are here to get free food. Old man, can I just say a few words?"

Mr. Gushan spoke in a peaceful and humble tone, which made many people feel embarrassed.

"Sir, please talk more. It's okay for us to wait a little longer."

"It's just... I'm afraid I won't understand and will make the teacher laugh."

Mr. Gushan smiled and said, "Don't worry, everyone. Today we are explaining it in a simple way. I'm sure everyone will understand."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment: "What do you want to say, sir?"

Mr. Gushan said: "Today we are talking about equality between men and women!"