As the Crown Prince's tutor, Zheng Shanzhang was dismissed and sent back to his hometown to take over the Nanxiang Academy after the Crown Prince's incident. Wasn't he just thinking of making a comeback and paving the way for the Crown Prince?
Lu Yanzhao understood the reasoning behind it. He wanted to climb the social ladder and gain a foothold in the capital, and he needed to rely on Zheng Shanchang's remaining influence to do so.
There is genuine affection between teachers and students, but more often than not, there are conflicts of interest.
Chu Luoxun returned to the martial arts school and sent people to investigate Lu Yanzhao. The results should be available soon.
Zheng Shiyi walked in and bowed to Chu Luoxun, saying, "Sixth Master, the martial arts school is full. Do you want to recruit more students?"
"Of course! But we need to recruit some beggars around ten years old, teach them martial arts for free, and provide them with food and lodging. I'm sure many people will come."
Zheng Shiyi hesitated for a moment and said, "Where would we get so much money to support beggars these days?"
"Don't worry about the money, we have a way." Chu Luoxun wasn't worried at all. He knew exactly how much silver the Bai family's saltpeter mine had earned.
As the Crown Prince's brother-in-law, the Bai family could not sever ties with him. Now that he had been framed, even Bai Luochen's maternal grandfather, Zheng Shanchang, had been implicated. Yet the Bai family remained standing, not only because of its deep-rooted foundation, but also because of its astonishing wealth.
Chu Luoxun has more than one powerful backer. Now he is hiding in a small county town, biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike decisively when he returns to the capital and catch his enemies off guard.
As the sun sets in the west, the rosy glow of the sky paints the earth with a golden hue, creating a dreamlike and dazzling effect.
Lu Xiaomei wiped the sweat from her forehead. She had been practicing horse stance all day and was really exhausted.
Before leaving, Lu Xiaomei went to find Chu Luoxun. She wanted to find out why he kept making her practice horse stance and didn't teach her anything else.
Looking up, Chu Luoxun stood there quietly, blending into the afterglow of the sunset, as if coated with a layer of light, giving people a noble feeling.
Lu Xiaomei wondered if this martial arts master was a reclusive master, hiding his identity and living in anonymity. Or perhaps he was a high-ranking martial arts leader who, tired of worldly strife, hid here to live a life of seclusion.
Lu Xiaomei's random ideas all came from the storybooks circulating in the streets. Ever since she learned to read, Lu Xiaomei discovered the fun in reading storybooks.
She would always secretly buy martial arts novels, yearning for the female knights-errant in them who robbed the rich to help the poor.
Noticing the gaze, Chu Luoxun snapped out of his daze and realized that a little kid was staring at him.
"Lu Wanning, school's over, why aren't you home yet? Otherwise your sister-in-law will come knocking on your door."
Lu Xiaomei stopped her reverie and came back to her senses: "My sister-in-law went to the capital, and my mother is busy celebrating for my brother, so no one cares about me." After saying that, Lu Xiaomei pouted and gave Chu Luoxun a somewhat resentful look: "I've been practicing horse stance for a month, when are you going to teach me martial arts? When will I be able to fly to the sky?"
Facing the furious Lu Xiaomei, Chu Luoxun said calmly, "You haven't even mastered the horse stance, yet you dare to dream of instant success?" He walked straight past Lu Xiaomei and then suddenly turned back, "Continue practicing the horse stance tomorrow. It's getting late, let's go home first."
"What? We have to keep practicing horse stance tomorrow?" Lu Xiaomei protested, running up to Chu Luoxun and blocking her way. "Teach me martial arts tomorrow, or I'll ask for a refund!"
"what ever!"
Chu Luoxun strode away, leaving his younger sister alone, bewildered in the wind.
Forget it, let's continue with horse stance tomorrow! A refund is out of the question. If she stops learning and then goes home to do music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, she won't stand for it!
...
Back at Meiweizhai, Lu Xiaomei ate two bowls of rice and let out a satisfied burp.
Sister Wang collected the bowls and was about to leave when Lu Xiaomei grabbed her arm: "Sister Wang, where's Teacher Ying? I can't find her."
Sister Wang put down her chopsticks and leaned close to Lu Xiaomei's ear mysteriously: "Let me tell you, Teacher Ying hasn't come over these past two days. It seems that... that Lin... Lin something bullied her. She's your brother's classmate, I forgot what Lin something is."
"Lin Ji?" Lu Xiaomei blurted out. Her brother only had one close classmate whose name was Lin Ji.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
"How did Lin Ji bully her?" Lu Xiaomei's gossip-loving nature suddenly ignited.
"Oh dear, the two of them stayed at Meiwuzhai for one night, and Lin Ji just left without a word. You know, a man and a woman alone in a room, isn't that... a secret rendezvous? I didn't expect to be caught by us. Master Ying is too shy, and he's been hiding and hasn't gone out since."
Sister Wang's words were a jumbled mess, and Lu Xiaomei was completely confused, but she roughly understood the meaning!
"You bastard Lin Ji, you bullied my teacher and just walked away like that. I'll go find him tomorrow and make him take responsibility for Teacher Ying."
Sister Wang: "..."
She didn't say anything random; she just recounted what she had seen. Who knew that Lu Xiaomei would interpret it this way?
A moment later, Lu Xiaomei returned to her small courtyard in the county town.
She knocked on the door, but there was no response. Fearing that Yingniang might do something drastic, Lu Xiaomei kicked the door open.
She wanted to save Master Ying and learn from the female knights in storybooks.
Yingniang was startled by the loud bang of the door. She put down the account book in her hand and looked at Lu Xiaomei.
Before Yingniang could speak, Lu Xiaomei said indignantly, "Teacher, I heard that Lin Ji bullied you. He was alone with you in a room in the middle of the night and didn't take any responsibility?"
Yingniang's face flushed red. She turned her face away, somewhat embarrassed, "Don't talk nonsense. He didn't bully me..." After saying that, she realized that her face was even hotter. Yingniang quickly covered her cheeks with her hands, afraid that Lu Xiaomei would see her blushing face.
To Lu Xiaomei, Yingniang's behavior looked like she was crying with her face covered. Lu Xiaomei was furious. She hated this kind of heartless and ungrateful man the most and vowed to give Lin Ji a good beating.
Lu Xiaomei turned and left angrily, and Yingniang quickly called out to her, "Where are you going?"
Lu Xiaomei paused. She had wanted to go find Lin Ji, but it was getting late and she couldn't go out. She could only say, "I'll see if Mother and my eldest brother have returned yet."
Yingniang felt her face wasn't so hot anymore, and tugged at Lu Xiaomei's sleeve, saying, "Let's go to Meiweizhai together. We haven't settled today's accounts yet, I need to go check them out."
Lu Xiaomei was very pleased that Yingniang was able to go out. Her teacher was good in every way, and quite talented, but she was too pedantic. She never left the house, never showed her teeth when she smiled, and never showed her knees when she sat.
Although things have changed a lot recently, Yingniang has been staying indoors for the past two days, which Lu Xiaomei finds hard to understand.
If you're willing to share a room with Lin Ji, then get married. If not, then quickly explain yourself; what's the point of hiding?
...
The next day, after Lu's mother returned, Lu Xiaomei went to find Lu Yanzhao to ask her brother Lin Ji where he lived.
Lu's mother informed her younger sister, Lu Yanzhao, that she had gone to Yuzhou to meet the Prefectural Governor.
Lu Xiaomei was feeling a bit dejected and was about to go to the martial arts school when Lin Ji happened to come over.
Lin Ji was depressed for two days, but then he cheered up again. Today he came specifically to congratulate Lu Yanzhao and, incidentally, to pour out his troubles.
As soon as I arrived at the entrance of Meiweizhai, I was greeted by Lu Xiaomei's broom.
Lu Xiaomei slapped him while cursing: "You heartless and ungrateful scholar, you ruined my teacher's reputation and you're not even going to take responsibility. I'll slap you."
Lin Ji was beaten and had to hide everywhere. Lu Yanzhao's sister was only ten years old but was already so fierce. He couldn't fight back, otherwise he would be accused of bullying a child.
Exhausted from beating her, Lu Xiaomei tossed aside the scattered broom head and asked Lin Ji menacingly, "Tell me, when did you marry Master Ying? If you dare to shirk responsibility, I won't let you off the hook!"
Lu's mother was bewildered. What had happened while she was away?
Lin Ji was even more confused. She straightened her hair and disheveled clothes and said, "No, little sister, why should I marry Master Ying? What responsibility?"
"You still won't admit it?"
Hearing the commotion, Yingniang rushed over, and upon seeing this scene, her face flushed red again.
She grabbed Lu Xiaomei and said sternly, "Xiaomei, what are you doing? How did your teacher teach you? How can you do this... How can a woman hit someone?"
"Lin Shusheng and I are not what you think, it's not about marriage or anything like that."
Lin Ji then realized what was happening and quickly bowed to Yingniang in apology: "Fairy Sister... um, Teacher Ying, I'm so sorry, I was drunk that day..."
Lu's mother's imagination was just as vivid as Lu's younger sister's. Afraid that Lin Ji would say something he was drunk about, she quickly tugged at Lin Ji's sleeve before he could finish speaking: "Don't say such things in public, it would be bad if someone heard you."
Lin Ji was thus pulled into Meiwuzhai and surrounded by the people there.
Sister Wang and the others joked, "Oh dear, I think you and Mr. Ying are a match made in heaven. Why don't you choose a day to get married?"
Mother Lu: "Yes, we can't shirk our responsibilities. You've read so many classic books."
Lin Ji didn't even have a chance to interject, and thus, in a daze, with Lu's mother acting as guarantor, he was to marry Yingniang the following month.
Yingniang blushed deeply and was about to cover her face and run away when Lin Ji grabbed her arm.
When Lin Ji asked, "Fairy Sister, would you be willing to marry me?" Yingniang nodded without hesitation.
Lu Xiaomei was taken aback: Huh? What happened to your reserved demeanor?
Lin Ji was overjoyed. He was already disappointed by failing the imperial examination, but he never expected to marry the beautiful Ying Niangzi. It was truly a great joy in his life. As the saying goes, when God closes a window, he opens a door. Although Ying Niangzi had a somewhat bumpy life, she was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was well-educated, polite, and beautiful.
For Lin Ji, a poor scholar, to be able to marry such a beautiful woman was truly a stroke of luck.
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