Walking with the scholar for a while, the places we passed were all simple houses. We passed through a rare area with few people in the capital. We only saw a simple hut. It could be said that we were embarrassed. The two of them walked in. , there are only a few pieces of furniture made of cypress wood that can be seen everywhere. There is a half-burned oil lamp and a bowl of leftover rice on a table. Next to it is a bed with a thin cotton bed on it.
Zhang Ling took the only stool and sat down outside the room. He looked at the scholar's shabby appearance without ridicule, and even felt a trace of pity in his cold heart. Zhang Ling said doubtfully: "You live here, and Lu Qingci doesn't care." Don’t you know if we can arrange some better accommodation for you?”
As early as the second day after Zhang Ling entered Luoxia Cave, she got to know him because of an article she read called "Feihua Xu", which recorded some marriages between men and women. There were few good stories and many tragedies, and various comments were made. The reason why there was a separation between life and death, the cruel reality was written word by word, and every word hit the heart. Zhang Ling also specifically asked who did it, but the two just looked at each other from a distance at that time, but Zhang Ling already knew the other party's name at that time. Zhang Ling also went to the library to find the documents he had written. Among them, he read a book called "Han Mang", which recorded the sowing and harvesting of grains in the four seasons and listed the twenty-four solar terms one by one. It is used as a reference to the growth of grains, and it also describes more than a dozen methods to avoid or reduce natural disasters. If it were placed in the court, it would definitely be highly praised. However, the language in it is also very disrespectful. If it is reported, it may be criticized by people with serious intentions. Those who went to Luoxia Cave to study only knew the prophecies of saints, and lost interest after reading a few pages of this classic work. They had no idea of the powerful writings in it. By the time Zhang Ling got this book, it was already covered in dust. .
Ren Pingsheng asked Zhang Ling to sit a little closer, and after sitting down, he replied: "I chose it myself. Children from poor families should be respectful in everything. Of course I don't think so. It's just for Lu Qingci to see. If he encounters difficulties, In his eyes, a talented scholar with a humble character is worthy of his help."
Zhang Ling said with a smile: "You can endure what ordinary people cannot do and seek great things in the world. It seems that you have great ambitions!"
Ren Pingsheng corrected: "It's not very big, it's magnificent."
Zhang Ling suddenly put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it slightly, which made him feel pain. Zhang Ling chuckled and said: "Come on, call me brother, you can also think that I am bullying you like those dudes." , call me brother and I’ll let you go.”
Ren Pingsheng forced a smile: "Brother."
Zhang Ling let him go and added insult to injury: "Those three guys bullied you earlier. Why didn't you just give in? How do you know the truth now?"
Ren Pingsheng said calmly: "A man who can bend and stretch will naturally bear the humiliation. It's just that Li Yuan wants me to be his retainer, but he doesn't have the qualifications. When he becomes an official in the court, he will have plenty of opportunities to deal with those maggots."
Zhang Ling took out the book from his body and whispered: "You are confident. I heard that there have been no scholars in the academy for a long time. The academy's literary examination is held together with the imperial examination. This is your book. In fact, if it had been submitted to the court officials earlier, You can definitely become an official directly, why do you just let it get dusty?"
Ren Pingsheng took the book and looked at it. He didn't answer Zhang Ling's question and smiled from the bottom of his heart: "You know? You are the first person who is willing to read my book."
He stood up, clasped his three fingers in the sky, and said loudly: "Zhang Ling will be my eldest brother in this life, and I will only recognize him as one person in my life. Even if I become successful and famous, he will remain so."
Zhang Ling was still sitting and said with a smile: "No, why are you swearing like a lover when he deceives a girl?"
Ren Pingsheng looked back, smiled brightly, stretched out a big hand towards Zhang Ling, and said with a smile: "Since I have called you eldest brother, seeing that my little brother is living in such a tight situation, wouldn't eldest brother be willing to take care of you?"
Zhang Ling stood up, patted him on the head, and scolded: "What you call me big brother is really valuable! How about I tell Yu Chang and you move to Yu Mansion?"
Ren Pingsheng shook his head: "No, it's quiet here and reading is more suitable."
Zhang Ling took out a roll of banknotes from his sleeve and stuffed them all into his hand without hesitation. Ren Pingsheng accepted it without any courtesy. It was only natural that the eldest brother should take care of his younger brother.
It was just that Ren Pingsheng looked at the book he had written in his hand, and later remembered that there were many shortcomings in it, and then threw it aside into the mud without hesitation. Zhang Ling was a little puzzled: "Why did you throw it away?"
Ren Pingsheng smiled: "This is just what I wrote in the past. Isn't it more so myself? Then what I wrote in the past is worthless."
Zhang Ling expressed his approval while speaking wildly in front of him, and then asked: "It's not too late now, why don't you go put out a lantern?"
Ren Pingsheng nodded, and the two of them first walked in the direction of Song Linjie. After passing through several alleys, they saw a mess on the street. They only saw a group of officers and soldiers surrounding three people. Through the officers and soldiers, they saw Song Linjie and Yu Zhang Ling, a brother and sister among them, asked Song Linjie, "Where is Liu Yuancheng?"
Song Linjie scratched his head and said helplessly: "Liu Yuancheng and I were still fighting, but the guy ran away as soon as he saw the officers and soldiers."
Yu Lianwu saw that the leader was wearing armor, and he was probably just a night watchman. He said: "I am Yu Lianwu, the son of Yu Chang, the captain of the Ancestor Army. This is a guest of Yu's house. What happened today is indeed his fault. I The Yu family is willing to compensate."
When the leader heard that he was the son of the captain, his attitude immediately softened and he asked: "I saw someone fighting with him just now. Who is that person?"
Ren Pingsheng, who was blocked outside, squeezed in, raised his hand and said respectfully: "That person is Liu Yuancheng, a disciple of Chengdao Academy. Please investigate carefully."
Suddenly a soldier came out of an alley and whispered into the corps commander's ear. The corps commander's eyes suddenly widened, and he carefully looked at the young people in front of him. He suddenly died in his heart. It seemed that his trip was in vain. Really? He waved his hand and all the soldiers left with him.
Song Linjie looked puzzled: "What's going on? They suddenly withdrew their troops."
Ren Pingsheng explained: "It is estimated that the three corpses were found."
Yu Lianwu looked at Song Linjie and asked, "What happened? Why is someone dead?"
Zhang Ling explained the whole process to the two of them in detail. After hearing this, the Yu family brothers and sisters also took a breath, but they calmed down when they knew that Zhang Ling and the other two were not the killers. Even if the captain wanted to find a replacement The sinful lamb would not dare to find the Yu family.
Song Linjie asked: "Will Liu Yuancheng be okay?"
Ren Pingsheng said softly: "Don't worry, no one in the entire Chen Kingdom dares to touch the academy, and the academy is sensible and will not hand him over. Besides, Li Yuan's hands may not be clean. If Li Shilang knows the general situation, he I probably won’t be willing to investigate further.”
Song Linjie smiled reassuringly. It was rare to find an opponent who could compete with him. Now he felt at ease that nothing was wrong, and he would spar with him again later.
After everyone had completely talked things over, they continued to put out the lanterns. Zhang Ling took two lanterns from Yu Wanqing and handed one to Ping Sheng. The two borrowed a pen from someone, and Ren Pingsheng wrote the word "成", There are many things that can be accomplished, as long as you have the will to do it, Zhang Ling wrote the word "quiet" after much deliberation. But in terms of meaning, he himself couldn't explain why he wrote this word. The five people put the lanterns into the river at the same time and pushed them gently. In the distance, except for Song Linjie's dark lantern dyed with ink, everything else is the same. Looking from the sky above Jinyu City, a long shining river runs through the entire city.
Zhang Ling turned away from the others and saw Yu Wanqing looking at him from time to time, her eyebrows relaxing and frowning slightly.
Just a lantern, a river of lights, nothing more.
