The Emperor moved swiftly, managing to completely divide the Aristocratic Clans, laying a solid foundation for the later scenario of the clans fighting among themselves like dogs.
Speaking of which, at this time, Xue Ping was extremely anxious, having sent out his men and waiting nervously in his mansion, constantly praying in his heart that Xue Changgui would be slow with his hands and feet and that it was still possible to stop him.
However, things did not go as he wished. By the time the people he sent arrived, it was too late. Xue Changgui had cleanly killed Zhao Zhong’s son and buried the body, and as for Xia Lei’s relatives, it was unclear whether they sensed the impending crisis or something else, but they were nowhere to be found before Xue Changgui arrived.
At that time, Xue Ping still did not realize that from the very moment Xue Changgui left the mansion with his men, he was being followed by someone who had been watching him secretly for a long time.
Soon after, a mother and son were brought into the Punishment Bureau.
The Xia Lei, who was exposed by Xiao Shunzi and sent a message to Xue Ping the next day but was captured cunningly and refused to surrender, saw this mother and son and his expression changed dramatically.
He finally betrayed them, his jaw slackening in the crucial moment, confessing all the spies in the Harem that he knew about, and also confessing all the acts Xue Ping had made him commit in the Harem over the years, all in exchange for sparing the lives of that mother and son.
With this, the Emperor unearthed all the spies that Xue Ping had been hiding deep within the palace for many years and gained possession of much evidence of the crimes Xue Ping had committed in the Harem.
Let’s set aside these matters for now.
Returning to the incident on the street with the strange man Lian Musu met.
This odd, thin old man, brimming with excitement and trembling with glee, expressed his admiration excitedly.
When Lian Musu asked who he was, the thin old man suddenly came back to his senses and responded incoherently, "No, no, no, I recognize you, but you do not recognize me, that day, outside Shanxue Square, I saw your portrait. Today, the results were announced, congratulations, congratulations, I have read your ’Public Opinion’; truly, it is a peerless masterpiece, peerless, absolutely peerless!"
Upon finishing, the old man started dancing and gesticulating excitedly, exclaiming his luck, and began to enthusiastically discuss the admiration and thoughts he had about that examination paper endlessly.
After much discussion, Lian Musu finally understood that, strictly speaking, the old man did not know him.
The old man had visited Shanxue Square just once during Lian Musu’s repeated examinations, arriving just as the event was ending, and had recognized him by the portrait he had seen by chance. His eager and confused words arose from his excitement upon recognizing him.
Lian Musu felt a sense of helplessness within, as he had specifically chosen a less crowded path; yet, he had heard that his reputation had become significantly acclaimed in the Capital, with many people wishing to meet him, some even calling him the Top Scholar.
The common folks were somewhat better; they were just looking for excitement and some were attracted by his appearance, greeting him.
But scholars were a different story altogether. According to Liang Qi, his examination papers had sparked a fervor among the scholars, being repeatedly read and recited, and if they saw him, they would undoubtedly chase after him.
Liang Qi also warned him that the students from Taiyuan Prefecture who had caused trouble with rumors could not take exams for twenty years, almost certainly ending their careers, and they might transfer their resentment to him, advising him to be particularly careful.
He also had to watch out for the relatives of these people in the Capital, who might attack and slander him.
Patience listening to the thin old man’s long talk, Lian Musu gradually became interested.
Some of the old man’s views coincidentally matched his own.
The two began talking on the street.
Lian Bingcheng was very excited; when he first went to Shanxue Square, Lian Musu had already handed in his papers early, and he had not seen him in person, which he felt was a great pity.
The second time, which was today, he received the news late and only learned about the significant event when he whimsically decided to take a stroll outside. By the time he had read the papers and, with restrained excitement, headed to the exterior of the Imperial Academy, the crowd had already dispersed; it had just dispersed, and he had missed the moment when Lian Musu came out to persuade the people.
It seemed he was fated not to meet this extraordinary young man.
Feeling utterly disheartened, he found it exceedingly regrettable.
Unexpectedly, as he was on his way back home, luck turned in his favor, and he met the person. How could he not be thrilled?!
People of talent often possess a certain haughtiness, but the man before him not only lacked any pedantic pretension, he was also approachable and engaged in conversation with him, and even occasionally humbly asked for his advice, filling him with a sense of springlike warmth.
He joyfully exclaimed that the man was not only talented and had an outstanding character but that it made sense for him to produce such writings. His Majesty had acted rightly in severely punishing those troublemakers from Taiyuan Prefecture, barring them from taking imperial exams for life to prevent those with ill intentions from becoming officials and causing harm to the common people.
Lian Musu shook his head and chuckled, without comment.
He looked at the sky and took leave, saying, "I felt an instant rapport with you, sir, and greatly enjoyed our conversation, but it is getting late, and I need to head back home. Let’s talk more another day."
Lian Bingcheng was left wanting more. He looked up at the sky; it was indeed not early.
He solemnly performed a standard Confucian salute, "Talking with you today is better than reading thousands of books. I apologize for the intrusion. I am merely a Scholar and not deserving of the title ’sir’ like a Jieyuan. You are just a bit older than me..."
At this point, Lian Bingcheng became somewhat embarrassed. His old habit of forming connections whenever he met someone he got along with kicked in, alike to how he had become acquainted with Lian Changhe in the past.
He hesitated for a moment but couldn’t suppress his inner desire. Finally, he brazenly asked, "Perhaps... perhaps you could call me Brother Lian?"
After all, "Lian" sounds quite similar to "Lian"; perhaps they were from the same family five hundred years ago.
He had a reason for this thought; his family lineage originated from the surname Lian.
"Talent is not judged by one’s official rank." Lian Musu smiled faintly and returned the gesture, feeling a fondness for the elderly man before him.
He said, "Your surname is Lian, may I ask which Lian you are?"
This address as "Brother Lian" delighted Lian Bingcheng, who hastily responded, "From the lines ’No one visits the waterside pavilion on a windy day, leaving the lotus to bloom freely.’"
Upon saying this, he thought of his niece Xiao Hua and could not hide his smugness.
This introduction cleverly included his niece Xiao Hua’s full name; it was a poem chosen specifically for her, intending to show off when he eventually met Xiao Hua.
Lian Musu suddenly froze, the smile disappearing from his face as he stared, taken aback, at the thin old man before him.
The surname Lian was extremely rare, with very few people bearing it in the world.
Very long ago, his ancestors had borne the surname Lian, not Lian.
The family records noted that during a severe drought when the land was littered with corpses from starvation, his ancestors had to migrate. Blinded by hunger and barely able to hold on, they stumbled and fell in a dry pond.
At the brink of death, the ancestor discovered that what had tripped him was a piece of a lotus root, protruding slightly and resembling dead wood, overlooked by all as if fate had a hand in it, waiting to save his ancestor’s life.