“Brother Lu!” Zhu Yushan couldn’t hold back.
“Don’t worry, Brother Zhu!”
Lu Zheng patted Zhu Yushan’s hand, comforting him. “You’ve made great progress in your cultivation, and your lifespan has increased significantly. Even if you have to take the exam for another twelve years, it won’t matter much.”
Zhu Yushan, “…”
“Chuckle…”
Li Hanyu and Liu Qingyan were already laughing, clinging to each other.
Zhu Yushan opened his mouth, genuinely wondering if he would indeed need another twelve years to pass the exam. For a moment, he forgot to retort.
Li Hanyu couldn’t bear to see her husband teased. She nudged Liu Qingyan, signalling her to rein in Lu Zheng.
Liu Qingyan understood and kicked Lu Zheng under the table.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, deciding to stop teasing Zhu Yushan. He simply raised his cup and clinked it with Zhu Yushan’s.
“We originally planned to gather after the exam, enjoy some sightseeing, and relax. But with Brother Zhu’s unexpected situation this time, I wonder…”
“I’m used to it. If I didn’t make it, I didn’t make it. I’ll try again next year.”
Zhu Yushan shook his head, saying, “As Brother Lu said, with my cultivation progress, I want to see how many more times this bad luck can hold me back!”
“Good! That’s the spirit!”
Lu Zheng gave a thumbs-up, and Li Hanyu looked at Zhu Yushan with affection.
“Since Brother Lu has come all this way, let me play the host. Yizhou is quite large, and there are some places worth visiting.”
“Then we’ll trouble Brother Zhu.” Lu Zheng raised his cup, smiling. “Let’s have a good time, then get back to preparing for next year’s exam!”
Zhu Yushan, “…”
Li Hanyu, “…”
…
“Not far ahead, among the mountains and forests, there’s a Baishi Wall, actually a smooth, mirror-like cliff with inscriptions from scholars and officials returning from the imperial exams.”
On a stone mountain path, Lu Zheng and the others were being led by Zhu Yushan into the mountains.
“Many students come here in their free time to gather, admire the writings of their predecessors, and exchange knowledge.”
“Also, these peaks are relatively easy to climb. The prefecture has built stone paths for easy walking, and many locals come here in the summer to cool off.”
“There are clear springs and streams in the mountains, bamboo groves, pinecones, and occasionally pheasants or wild rabbits,” Zhu Yushan explained as they walked. “The scenery is beautiful, and from the peaks, you can overlook the prefecture. The view is even better.”
“It’s not far from the prefecture, so there aren’t any large wild animals, right?” Lu Zheng asked.
Zhu Yushan nodded. “There’s a town to the north of these hills. If there were any wild animals in these woods, the hunters from the town would have caught them and turned them in for a reward before the prefecture even noticed.”
“The prefecture is bustling with people and activity. No sensible beast would come near,” Liu Qingyan added.
After a few more turns, apart from the sounds of birds and streams, they heard voices coming from a spot ahead, hidden by large rocks and trees.
“Someone’s there?”
“It’s not summer yet, so the mountains are still a bit cool. Probably scholars who just finished their exams,” Zhu Yushan explained.
As they continued along the path, a wide clearing came into view.
The clearing was relatively flat, with trees cleared away. The western cliff was rugged, with a small stream flowing down its channel, creating a splashing sound due to several drops along the way. The air was misty and humid.
To the east stood a tall, smooth white stone wall, spanning dozens of feet, without a single crack or blade of grass. It was indeed worthy of being called the Baishi Wall.
The wall was covered with poems and inscriptions, some neatly written, others bold and flowing, exuding an impressive aura.
In the clearing, near the western stream, two pavilions had been built, one to the south and one to the north, surrounded by stone tables and benches. At that moment, four scholars were gathered around the northern pavilion, engaged in lively discussion, drinking, and enjoying themselves.
Besides the scholars, there were a few brightly dressed women accompanying them, pouring wine and smiling charmingly. Their every gesture was warm and inviting, their eyes filled with admiration, clearly professionals.
Lu Zheng and his group noticed the others, and naturally, the others noticed their arrival.
“Zhu Yushan? Young Master Lu?”
“Hm?” Lu Zheng narrowed his eyes. Someone here knew him?
“Young Master Duan?” Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow, recognising Duan Xian, a scholar he had met briefly at the Lushui Ferry.
Seeing that Lu Zheng remembered him, Duan Xian smiled and hurriedly came to greet them.
“What brings you all here…?”
“That Scholar Liu is a friend of ours. He feels confident about this exam and expects to pass as a xiucai, so we came here to admire the writings of our predecessors and encourage each other for next year’s autumn exams.”
Lu Zheng looked over and saw a young scholar, about fifteen or sixteen, sitting at the centre of the group, holding a flamboyantly dressed woman, drinking heartily.
“Haha, that’s nice… very nice…” Lu Zheng nodded with a smile.
“Zhu Yushan, is that the famously unlucky Zhu Yushan?” Scholar Liu suddenly realised, standing up and teasing, “Did Brother Zhu take part in this year’s exam?”
Talk about hitting a sore spot!
Duan Xian’s expression changed, about to scold him, but Zhu Yushan waved it off.
He was used to it.
So he shook his head, smiling. “Bad luck. I was in seclusion and lost track of time, missing the exam again.”
“Snort…”
Scholar Liu couldn’t help but laugh. “In seclusion studying and forgot the exam date?”
“Scholar Liu, hush!” Duan Xian immediately cut him off.
“Huh?” Liu was momentarily confused.
What was wrong with teasing a poor scholar like Zhu Yushan?
Lu Zheng glanced at Liu’s slightly pale face, shook his head, and said to Duan Xian, “You carry on with your gathering. Don’t mind us.”
“Good! Good!”
Duan Xian pulled Liu away, inwardly frustrated, thinking this was a good chance to build connections, ruined by Liu.
After sending the scholars off, Lu Zheng and his group toured the inscribed wall, then continued their climb.
At the summit of this small mountain, a few miles from the prefecture, the view of the grand city was truly breathtaking.
However…
Lu Zheng glanced back at the rolling mountains, each peak higher than the last, but he refrained from reciting that famous poem.
…
After half a day of sightseeing, they descended the mountain to return to the city. They didn’t encounter the scholars again on the way down, unsure if they had left early or gone to another scenic spot in the mountains.
Though Zhu Yushan was from Yizhou Prefecture, his home was in a nearby town, so he stayed with Lu Zheng at the Yuelai Inn.
The next morning, the four gathered in the inn’s lobby, discussing where to visit next.
But as they talked, Lu Zheng noticed the inn’s guests dwindling. Whenever the inn’s staff approached a table to check on them, the guests would quickly leave.
Finally, just as the innkeeper and staff were about to retreat to the kitchen, Zhu Yushan and the others sensed something was amiss.
“What’s going on?”
The next moment, several constables swiftly entered, positioning themselves around the room.
A man dressed as a head constable approached the group with light steps, asking in a serious tone, “Zhu Yushan?”
“That’s me?” Zhu Yushan looked up curiously, wondering why constables were looking for him.
The head constable glanced at Lu Zheng and the two women, a flicker of admiration in his eyes, quickly replaced by deep caution. “There’s a case involving you all.”
