The people coming to the street corner were none other than Shanzhang and Mu Yunchuan.
Having Mu Erpang become his disciple is like having another father. Now that Mu Cheng is nowhere to be found, it is reasonable and moral that the eldest brother is like a father, so it is necessary to inform Mu Yunchuan.
It was naturally inconvenient for Shen Cui to go to the academy, so she asked Old Man Shen to go there.
Mu Yunchuan didn't like her stepmother, nor did he like the Shen family, but the men in the Shen family were all quite honest and had no bad intentions.
Especially Mr. Shen, he has a gentle personality and always smiles kindly when he meets anyone. It is precisely because of his honest and amiable character that the Shen family is the head of the Zheng family.
When Mu Cheng was still alive, he would take Mu Yunchuan to visit the Shen family during the holidays.
Of course, Zheng would not give Mu Yunchuan a good face, but Mr. Shen was different. Sometimes he would secretly give Mu Yunchuan a piece of maltose or other snacks, which was considered a favor.
So when Mr. Shen told Mu Yunchuan about this, Mu Yunchuan did not show any unhappiness. He just asked, "Which gentleman was Erlang visiting?"
Old Master Shen said cheerfully, "It's Mr. Lao from the city. I heard that he has some connections with your headmaster. Today, our family has set up two tables on Shuyuan Street. Your mother wants to invite your headmaster to have a drink if it's convenient for you."
Mu Yunchuan's expression changed slightly.
Afterwards, he sent the old man out of the academy and went back to think about the matter for a long time.
He knew that Mu Erpang was studying and was happy to see it happen. He had fully expected that studying required the worship of a teacher.
I just didn't expect that Mu Erpang would be paying his respects to Lao Buyu.
If outsiders knew that the two brothers became disciples of the same master, they might say that they were close relatives.
But Mu Yunchuan knew the grudge between Shanzhang and Lao Buyu, two fellow disciples, so he couldn't help but think too much.
After all, the headmaster was his mentor and had taken good care of him over the years. If he heard about this from other people later and thought that he had concealed it on purpose, he would probably be unhappy.
Moreover, there were many people in the academy and many of them saw Mr. Shen coming. Even if he pretended not to know, he could not escape responsibility.
In half a cup of tea, Mu Yunchuan figured out what was going on and went to ask to see the headmaster.
As the head of the academy, the principal not only has to teach and educate students, but is also responsible for managing this huge academy, which is not something he can easily see.
But Mu Yunchuan was naturally extraordinary as a disciple, so he met the dean very simply.
The headmaster smiled when he saw him finally come out of the school, "I've always said that with your current level, as long as you play normally, the first three games won't be a problem. There's no need to be so nervous. The weather is nice today, so it's nice to go out for a walk."
Mu Yunchuan first thanked him for his concern, and then told him what Mr. Shen had said truthfully.
"Aren't your family members just making a fuss?!" The headmaster, who had been so serious and calm just now, suddenly changed his expression. "My junior brother used to be a scoundrel. He set up a competition in the city a while ago, but he didn't have the serious intention of recruiting students. It's a good thing that your brother is interested in learning, but he shouldn't be so desperate to seek help from anyone."
The headmaster was really worried.
Of course he knew about Mu Yunchuan's family situation - he had thought about this a few years ago when he knew that Mu Erpang had reached school age, thinking that with Mu Yunchuan's natural talent, his younger brother should not be much worse.
It was he and Mu Cheng who suggested that Mu Erpang should also start studying.
It is difficult for a noble son from a poor family to support himself, so it would be great if he had the help of his brothers.
Although Mu Cheng himself has no talent, since he can save money from his teeth to support Mu Yunchuan, he is a far-sighted person.
After returning home, he told this matter to his family, and was strongly opposed by Shen.
Later, while Shen was not at home, Mu Cheng brought Mu Erpang to the headmaster.
However, to the headmaster's disappointment, Mu Erpang was far inferior to his older brother, let alone other children of the same age.
From then on, the headmaster knew the inside story of the Mu family - his stepmother Shen was stupid and his younger brother Erlang was foolish.
Although he was disappointed, he felt that it was not a big deal, because such shallow people were the easiest to deal with.
Even if she won't be a help to Mu Yunchuan in the future, it won't ruin his future.
But now that stupid kid wants to become Lao Buyu’s disciple. He may not be able to learn good things, but wouldn’t it be easy for him to learn bad things?
What if he really learned the same thing as Lao Buyu did back then?
Just as unrestrained, just as unruly, just as holding others back!
Moreover, the dean also has some understanding of his junior brother Lao Buyu. Although he is not a very decent person, he has extremely high vision.
Why would he accept Mu Erpang, a guy who is looked down upon by everyone? Don’t you have any bad intentions!
He has failed in this life because of his junior brother Lao Buyu, and his most valued student must not follow in his footsteps!
Therefore, after the dean finished speaking, he immediately took Mu Yunchuan out of the academy and went straight to the small restaurant on Shuyuan Street where the Shen family was holding the banquet.
As soon as the headmaster arrived, everyone who had been talking animatedly just now fell silent at the same time. Especially the scholars and literati, they all bowed and saluted.
Lao Buyu just looked like a quail being roasted over a fire, dejected and listless. He looked back in the direction of everyone's gaze and happened to make eye contact with the headmaster!
As soon as he saw the dean, he straightened his chest and raised his head, put one hand behind his back, and said calmly, "Why are you here, senior brother?"
Although the two brothers lived in the same city and were only fifteen minutes apart, they seldom interacted with each other.
The headmaster had not expected to encounter such a lively scene when he arrived. He valued his reputation, so many things were not convenient for him to say directly in front of others. He and Lao Buyu nodded slightly as a greeting, then he looked around the crowd and first recognized Mu Erpang, who was much rounder than his peers. Then he looked at Chen Cui who was standing next to Mu Erpang and said, "Madam Mu, have you thought it through? Do you really want your Erlang to become my disciple?"
At this moment, Chen Cui pretended to be unaware of their past disputes. She smiled and nodded at first, then looked carefully at the headmaster's solemn expression, and asked tentatively with a puzzled look, "Yes, my Erlang has already offered tea to Master Lao. But what does the headmaster mean by this?"
The tea offering to the master has just been completed, which means that the whole ceremony has not been completed. It's not that there is no room for maneuver.
“My junior fellow apprentice…” The dean paused here, finally giving Lao Buyu some face, “He is unruly and eccentric. He has not accepted any students for many years, and has no experience in teaching others. I am afraid he will mislead the students. If your Erlang wants to learn, why not…”
Having said this, the headmaster paused again.
Mu Erpang's talent is definitely far from meeting the admission standards of Qingzhu Academy, but the current situation is special. The dean pondered for a while and then said, "Why don't you come to our academy as an auditor and take part in our unified assessment next year. If you pass, you can become a formal student of the academy."
This is undoubtedly a huge temptation. In this county, or even as far as the provincial capital, which scholar would not want to enter Qingzhu Academy?
Of course, Chen Cui definitely didn't want that. She knew the intention of the headmaster very well. He was simply afraid that Mu Erpang, as Mu Yunchuan's younger brother, would bring trouble to Mu Yunchuan in the future.
Even if Mu Erpang became a student of Qingzhu Academy, as long as his brilliance could not surpass Mu Yunchuan, the dean and the people in the academy would not look at him seriously and would only regard him as an accessory.
Of course, Shen Cui would not watch Mu Erpang live under the glory of his big brother all the time, but what she thought was one thing, and what appeared on her face was another.
There was a light of surprise in her eyes, as if she couldn't imagine that such a good thing would happen to her. Her lips trembled slightly, and she was about to agree without hesitation.
Lao Buyu was reluctant just now, but now he took a step forward and blocked Mu Erpang behind him, saying at the same time: "Today is the day I accept students, this Mu..."
As he spoke, his eyes glanced at the notice posted at the door, and he finally remembered Mu Erpang's name, "Mu Hanshan is only halfway through the ceremony to become my official student, so how can it be my senior brother's turn to snatch him away? Besides, doesn't my senior brother already have a favorite student? Why are you trying to snatch someone else's?"
Lao Buyu looked at Mu Yunchuan who was standing behind the dean, and his words sounded a little sour.
To be honest, Lao Buyu was not the disrespectful Lao Buyu he is now.
Earlier, he had indeed thought about recruiting a disciple, teaching him carefully, and cultivating him into a talent, and then making him better than the students taught by his senior brother and those in Qingzhu Academy!
But when he got here, he found out that his senior brother had already recruited a genius named Mu Yunchuan.
Poems and articles written by Mu Yunchuan occasionally circulated from the academy, and Lao Buyu found a way to get them and read them.
Not to mention, not to mention compared to others, even compared to what their fellow brothers wrote when they were young, it is not much worse.
With such an example in front of him, Lao Buyu, who was competing with the headmaster, naturally looked down on others. As the competition to recruit students went on, he didn't know when it went wrong and became a means for him to make money.
Mu Yunchuan, Mu Hanshan... Without waiting for the headmaster to answer, Lao Buyu suddenly realized and asked, "Are these two people from the same family?"
There was nothing to hide, Shen Cui continued: "Yes, Yunchuan is our Erlang's biological brother."
After these words were spoken, Lao Buyu became even more excited!
He said that he felt that he had been framed for no apparent reason. It turned out that it was the Mu family that had defeated him!
Just like what the headmaster thought back then, Lao Buyu suddenly felt that since his elder brother was such a genius, his younger brother must be no worse! No wonder his senior brother came out of the academy eagerly to snatch the person from him!
Thinking of this, Lao Buyu looked again at Mu Erpang who was standing on the other side with his head bowed respectfully, and he became more and more satisfied.
Although the little guy was a little chubby, he had a fair face and bright eyes. He was the most well-proportioned little fat boy he had ever seen.
The headmaster had no idea what had happened to his junior fellow disciple so suddenly. How could he accept a student here without even recognizing him? But this junior brother was not used to being reliable, so the headmaster did not think of him, and just looked at Chen Cui and said, "What do you think, Madam?"
Chen Cui looked like she was in a dilemma, and Lao Buyu interrupted her like a machine gun: "Madam, please think it over. As my senior brother said, I really have no experience in accepting students. But Hanshan is my only student, and I will definitely teach him everything I know without keeping anything from him. If he enters Qingzhu Academy, with dozens or even hundreds of students together, can my senior brother take better care of him than me? My senior brother and I are from the same school. Although I was not as prominent as him when taking the imperial examination, I am no worse than him in terms of real talent and knowledge!"
Seeing that Lao Buyu was really anxious, Chen Cui stopped pretending. She sighed with regret and said, "Thank you for your kindness, but my Erlang has just presented Master Lao with a tea in public. Everyone is watching. Although I haven't read much, I know that the most important thing for a scholar is reputation. It's not good to do something like becoming a disciple and then regret it."
The headmaster himself was a man who attached great importance to his reputation. After hearing this, he said nothing more. He just looked at Mu Yunchuan and asked him with his eyes what he thought.
Mu Yunchuan, like before, hoped that Mu Erpang would study, and his stepmother Shen, as he expected, no longer showed her stupid and greedy side as recklessly as before, but began to care about her reputation.
As for what the headmaster is worried about, whether Mu Erpang will be led astray by Lao Buyu, is indeed another thing worth worrying about.
The teacher and the student were arguing with each other, but Lao Buyu didn't care about them. He pulled Mu Erpang over and made him kneel down in front of the portrait of the Great Sage. Then he picked up the brush on the table and put a red dot on his forehead. In the blink of an eye, the last part of the apprenticeship ceremony was completed, and no one else had the right to interfere!
"You! You..." The headmaster pointed at Lao without saying a word, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Lao Buyu laughed triumphantly, as if he had picked up a huge bargain!
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