"Haha, Father, do you still remember the letter you received at the beginning of last month?" Zhao Hao asked with a smile.

"Is that true?" Zhao Shouzheng scratched his head and said, "I have no recollection of this at all. This shows how focused my father was on studying."

"Yeah." Zhao Hao was completely immune to Zhao Shouzheng's serious talk. He nodded and said, "These things, including the poem, are all written in that letter."

But what Zhao Hao said was half true and half false.

That mysterious letter did mention that Shao Fang was a pimp for Zhou Jijiu and Zhu Taiyu, and the poem was also mentioned in the letter.

But the letter also said that Shao Fang had contact with too many people, from ministers to peddlers, and he had social contacts every day. Therefore, it was not yet clear what Shao Fang wanted Zhou Jijiu to do.

However, for Zhao Hao, the two key names of Shao Fang and Zhu Taiyu were enough. Because a piece of unofficial history during the Longqing period mentioned that the Duke of Wei had sought help from the great hero Shao in order to depose the eldest son and establish the youngest son. The great hero Shao then found the famous Qinhuai prostitute Zhu Taiyu to win over a certain high-ranking official in Nanjing. Although Zhao Hao did not know who this high-ranking official was, it did not prevent him from making bold assumptions and seeking confirmation.

Sure enough, the truth was revealed in just one sentence. The person that Shao Da Xia was begging for help was Zhou Jijiu!

Of course, in order to reduce the trouble of explanation, Zhao Hao gave all the credit to the letter.

"Oh, that's how it is." Zhao Shouzheng couldn't help but be very interested and asked hurriedly, "Do you know who wrote the letter?"

"I don't know." Zhao Hao shook his head. "There is no signature, and it is written in a woman's handwriting."

"Female handwriting?" Zhao Shouzheng pondered for a moment, and suddenly his eyes lit up and he asked, "Could it be Miss Ma?"

"How is it possible..." Zhao Hao rolled his eyes and said, "She plays the piano at Weijixian all day long. How can she find out such high-level secrets?"

"That's right. She's a prostitute and can't get involved in this kind of situation." Zhao Shouzheng touched his chin and said, "Who is it then?"

"Father, don't worry about it. It's more important to concentrate on preparing for the autumn examination." Zhao Hao patted Zhao Shouzheng's arm.

"Oh..." Zhao Shouzheng nodded, and it took him a while to understand. He couldn't help but asked in surprise, "Zhou Jijiu won't interfere?"

"He dares?" Zhao Hao sneered, and said to Gao Wu who had just turned back: "Go tell Fatty Tang that I will treat him to cold noodles at noon tomorrow."

Gao Wu nodded, turned around and left the yard again.

~~

Zhao Hao had double happiness today, he made a fortune from collecting silk and also helped his father to qualify for the provincial examination. Naturally he was in a good mood and decided to take a holiday.

He didn't plan to write a book in the evening, so he called the Fang siblings and the Gao father and son to go to the Gulou Street night market to have fun.

Wang Wuyang also wanted to go, but Zhao Hao sent him back home to study. There was still more than a month before the Autumn Examination, so how could the candidates just hang around?

After seeing off his master's carriage with resentment, Wang Wuyang walked back to the courtyard where he lived in a depressed mood.

The place that Zhao Hao rented for him was only a hundred steps away from the Zhao family.

As soon as I arrived at the door of my house, I saw a man standing there holding a lantern.

Wang Wuyang was startled and shouted, "Who is there? Is it a human or a ghost?"

"Sixth brother, it's me." The man responded with a wry smile and walked forward. It was the Mr. Hua that Xuelang had entertained before.

"Oh, it's my brother-in-law." Wang Wuyang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He took out the key to unlock the door and asked affectionately, "Have you passed the entrance exam?"

"It's a trivial matter that is not worth mentioning. Why mention it?" Young Master Hua smiled faintly, showing disdain for this easy exam.

"That's true. No matter how ruthless and impartial the Inspector is, he will not lose face for Grand Tutor Hua and Alliance Leader Wang." Wang Wuyang opened the door, led the visitor in, and lit the oil lamp on the table with his lantern.

"Yes, some people relied on Alliance Leader Wang's face and were exempted from the test." Young Master Hua retorted with a smile.

"Hahaha, it seems like neither of us can look down on each other." The two young men from aristocratic families smiled at each other, both looking like they deserved a beating.

Under the light, the blue robe on Mr. Hua's body was glowing. What was even more magical was that the hibiscus flowers that were still blooming during the day had all closed their petals. I don't know what the magical principle was... In fact, he changed his clothes.

Master Hua looked at the simple and shabby furnishings in the room, the moldy walls, and the dusty bedside... Wang Wuyang lived and worked at Zhao's house and only slept here. He was a gentleman who could humble himself to serve his master, but he couldn't take care of his own little nest.

Mr. Hua couldn't stand the musty smell in the room, so he took out a handkerchief, covered his nose with it, and said in a muffled voice: "Why do you live in such a shabby place?"

"This is a humble room, but my virtue is fragrant." Wang Wuyang smiled faintly, quickly fetched water and boiled it, saying: "I originally wanted to let you stay for one night, but it seems that I can't."

"Not only do I have to go, you have to go with me too." Young Master Hua stood beside Wang Wuyang and saw him light the fire with great skill. His eyes turned red and he almost cried out of heartache: "Sixth brother, how much money do you owe them?"

"Ah?" Wang Wuyang looked at Master Hua in surprise, not knowing what he meant.

"Today I saw you massaging the legs and fanning that kid. If you didn't owe any debts, how could you, the descendant of the Wang family of Taicang and the son that your father-in-law has the highest hopes for, do such rough work that only servants do?" Young Master Hua sighed.

"I don't owe any money." Wang Wuyang laughed.

"So they are threatening you with force?" Young Master Hua gritted his teeth and said, "I will send a letter to Shangyuan County right now and ask them to arrest him immediately!"

"What are you talking about?" Wang Wuyang had just finished his work, stood up and said with a wry smile: "I came here willingly to become your disciple. Isn't it natural for a disciple to serve his master?"

"You..." Master Hua was dumbfounded and said, "Are you really here to become my disciple? When I heard my father-in-law talk about it, I thought you were deliberately acting with a kid to get angry with him."

"What does this have to do with my uncle?" Wang Wuyang said sternly, "I have already become Master's disciple. If you continue to disrespect Master, don't blame me for beating you up!"

"Beat me?" Young Master Hua looked at Wang Wuyang in disbelief. The two had always been close friends, but he never expected that he would turn against him because of a kid. "What kind of magic did your master cast to make you so obsessed?"

"When I see you today, I think of myself yesterday." Wang Wuyang sighed softly, looked at Master Hua with sympathy and said, "Arrogant, arrogant, and impetuous, you are actually just a pitiful frog in the well."

"You said he was your master, so what did he teach you that made you admire him so much?" Now Master Hua was curious.

“Master, um…” Wang Wuyang was about to show off, but suddenly he said in a disappointed tone, “Master taught me to sweep the courtyard, serve tea, massage shoulders and back, and wash and pick vegetables…”

"Isn't this just treating you like a nanny?" Young Master Hua said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry: "Wake up, Sixth Brother, you are a descendant of the Wang family of Taicang, don't bring shame to your ancestors."

"No, Master is tempering my character, making me calm down and not impetuous." Wang Wuyang shook his head and said with renewed vigor, "My Master is well-versed in ancient and modern times, and is a scholar of heaven and earth. No one in the world is more knowledgeable than him. Although he has not formally taught me yet, I have learned a lot just by listening to Master's conversations and helping him record."

"Oh, why not tell me about it?" Young Master Hua didn't believe it, and said with a cold smile: "I want to see what kind of wild fox Zen can make you, Sixth Brother, so obsessed with it."

He was the son of the great Grand Tutor Hua, the beloved son-in-law of the literary leader Wang, and his vision and knowledge were even higher than Wang Wuyang's. He just didn't believe that a child of fourteen or fifteen years old could have any insights that he admired.

"Haven't you liked arithmetic since you were little?" Wang Wuyang picked up a handwritten copy of "Elementary Mathematics" from his bedside. "Take it and read it, then tell me."

This book "Elementary Mathematics" had been memorized before Wang Wuyang came. Wang Wuyang stayed at Zhao Hao's house all day, so he had seen this book. After studying it, he felt that this book was easier to understand than "Elementary Physics" and "Elementary Chemistry", so he asked his master if he could copy a copy to study at home.

The reason why Zhao Hao took the trouble to copy these textbooks from 400 years ago was that according to historical records, the Ming Dynasty scholars loved science and had a strong desire for knowledge. In just a few decades in the late Ming Dynasty, they translated hundreds of scientific works from the West and covered all kinds of natural sciences.

His purpose was very simple, which was to spread this scientific knowledge in Ming Dynasty as soon as possible, and naturally he would not keep it to himself.

Therefore, Zhao Hao readily agreed to Wang Wuyang's request and encouraged him to share and discuss with others. It would be great if he could arouse the interest of others.

Of course, all this must be done without delaying your studies.

"Okay, let's take a look. Can you make me obsessed with it?"

Young Master Hua took the booklet and sneered.

ps. The first update on New Year’s Eve is here, and there will also be a rich special edition tonight. Please vote, comment, and collect it!