Chapter 92
When Luo Shenyuan walked out of the Taiji Hall, there were layers of white marble steps outside, and further away were yellow glazed tiles. Under the vast gray sky of winter, there was a sense of royal solemnity.
He looked at the gray sky in silence.
His companions congratulated him. The newly crowned top scholar, hand-picked by the new emperor and bestowed with the title of Imperial Academy Compiler, was now the center of public attention. Yet, he appeared young and understated, dressed in a blue robe. His tall stature and thick eyebrows gave him a somewhat gloomy air.
There were still officials chatting with him, speaking politely, but looking at this newly crowned number one scholar, they secretly laughed, fearing that he would be paraded through the streets in three days and be watched by onlookers again. He was indeed a handsome and outstanding man.
Sun Jie came forward to greet him. "You're out just in time. Lord Xu just sent a message."
Lord Xu was the current Vice Minister Xu Wei, who had nominated Luo Shenyuan for the imperial examination, and who was now considered Xu Wei's student. Sun Jie and Lord Xu were good friends, both belonging to the Qingliu faction, and had long intended to recommend Luo Shenyuan to Xu Wei.
Luo Shenyuan nodded and smiled, "I have accepted the favor from Master Xu and was just about to go visit him."
As the two of them were talking as they walked down the stairs, they saw a sedan chair coming out of Chengqian Gate lightly. The sedan chair was made very low-key, but there were many guards behind it.
Sun Jie's face turned cold when he saw the sedan chair. He whispered, "This old scoundrel... now he rides in and out of the palace in a sedan chair, isn't he afraid of being scolded by the censors?" Because Wang Yuan had killed Liu Gelao, a respected figure in the Qingliu faction, everyone naturally felt uncomfortable with Wang Yuan. Moreover, Liu Gelao was innocent... At the ripe old age of seventy, he had toiled for the people his entire life, weathering every storm. He had even survived the bloody coup of the previous emperor, yet now, when he should have been enjoying his retirement, he met his end at the hands of Wang Yuan.
"Of course, we won't go along with him," Sun Jie said. "Nowadays, many people in the court look up to him. Just wait and see. If you walk too much at night, you're bound to run into ghosts."
Luo Shenyuan just responded and looked at Wang Yuan's sedan without saying anything.
He raised his head and followed Sun Jie out of the palace. Xu Wei's residence was not far from the imperial city, and it only took a moment to get there by sedan chair. Lord Xu came to greet him personally. Lord Xu was of medium build and had a kind face. Luo Shenyuan knelt down and saluted, calling him Lord. He helped Luo Shenyuan up and said with a smile, "I accept your gift. From now on, you can call me teacher."
A man standing nearby, dressed in moon-white clothes, said with a smile, "I came to drink tea with Lord Xu and saw the new number one scholar. Does the number one scholar still remember Cheng?"
Luo Shenyuan smiled and said, "Lord Cheng was quite impressive. I'll certainly remember him." He ignored Cheng Lang and spoke to Xu Wei. After Luo Shenyuan and the others left, Xu Wei was enjoying his tea when one of his staff members asked, "I see you really appreciate the number one scholar. He's certainly talented. I've read his articles on craftsmanship. They're sharp and insightful, a rare talent."
Xu Wei sighed and said, "Since you've read his writings, you know what kind of person he is. He advocates harsh official laws and is quite decisive and ruthless... I know some of his deeds. He is indeed a talented person. But I'm afraid that if I don't use him well in the future, I might end up creating another Wang Yuan. In that case, you and I will be sinners for all eternity."
The staff member said, "Then... you don't plan to promote him?"
"Of course I'm going to promote him. Not only that, but I'm going to do it faster than anyone else," Xu Wei said. "We're weak right now, and we need people like him. I know a few things about him, and I'm afraid he's not just a simple person... It's people like him who are at the forefront of the storm that make us feel at ease. If someone else were in this position, they wouldn't be able to hold up. The editor position is just a sinecure. I'll make my proposal to the emperor in two months... The court is short of talent, and the emperor is anxious right now."
After listening to this, the staff thought for a long time and poured more tea for Xu Wei.
Luo Shenyuan and Cheng Lang left Xu Wei's house together, and Cheng Lang talked to him.
"Come to think of it, the last time I was teaching cousin Yining, I discovered that her calligraphy skills were inherited from you, and she'd grasped some of your essence. I'm afraid she'll need your guidance the next day."
Luo Shenyuan listened and just smiled slowly and said, "My sister forced me to practice for many years, and now I should have some charm."
Cheng Lang looked at him and smiled again: "I'm looking forward to watching the grand parade of the top scholar, but I have to leave first today." He waved to the carriage waiting for him nearby and got on first.
After he left, Luo Shenyuan also got on the carriage next to him, leaned back on the cushions and closed his eyes. This Cheng Lang was really amazing. What on earth was he trying to test?
It’s been a while since I last saw her... I don’t know if she was angry last time.
He gently stroked the mutton-fat jade Pixiu in his hand.
Three days later, the three members of the first group paraded through the streets, and as expected, the streets were deserted and it was very lively.
Yi Ning longed to see it; she had never seen a parade before. Wei Ling had sent guards to watch over her, but they wouldn't let her leave Yujing Hu. All Yi Ning could see was a sea of people, the procession carrying the top scholar past, so crowded that she couldn't even see Luo Shenyuan. Across the alley, a ladder stretched out, and two little girls huddled on it, laughing.
In February, the apricot blossoms on the branches were in full bloom. Yining watched the apricot blossoms fall to the ground, her lips curled slightly.
The third brother should be the center of attention and he should be admired.
She wouldn't dare climb the ladder! Yi Ning thought. The guards were watching her carefully, fearing she might make a mistake and cause them trouble.
When Yi Ning went to pay her respects to Old Lady Wei, she was still very happy and walked very lightly. Old Lady Wei smiled and pulled her aside: "It's just to watch the parade, and you are as happy as a little girl!"
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