Awaken Chapter 60

“Brother Xu say it straight, if I can do it, I will never refuse, but if I can’t, I won’t try to be brave.”

Although he did not know what Xu Qingnian’s second matter was.

But Li Xin inexplicably felt some difficulty, after all, Xu Qingnian spoke with some sense of wanting to say something but then stopping.

“That’s fine, since Xiandi has opened his mouth like this, my brother won’t cover anything up.”

“When I met this Cheng Lidong, my brother was just a mere magistrate, but he was staring at me.”

“I believe that Cheng Lidong is not only trying to plant evidence to frame me, but also has other purposes.”

“I am afraid that he might harm me, so I am going to ask my brother to fetch something for me.”

Xu Qingnian stated his second purpose.

“What is it?”

Li Xin said without thinking.

“The scroll.”

“The dossier of the fugitives from the Southern Yufu.”

Xu Qingnian spoke out, stating the second thing he had requested Li Xin to do.

“The dossier?”

Li Xin was a little surprised.

“Is it hard to do?”

Xu Qingnian asked directly.

“No, not really.”

“If you just want a dossier, it’s easy.”

Li Xin was surprised not because it was hard to do, but it was too good to do.

A dossier was a prisoner file, and for someone outside the system, it was a difficult thing to get a dossier.

But for Li Xin, it was a breeze.

To say that it was handy would not be an exaggeration.

“Seriously?”

Xu Qingnian asked.

“Naturally, I’m serious.”

Li Xin nodded, taking a dossier was just a matter of taking a dossier, it was nothing.

“Then I’ll be grateful to Xiandi.”

“However, don’t talk to your father about this matter, I want to investigate secretly, if my brother can clear his suspicions, this kindness will be remembered and I will not forget Xiandi in the future.”

Xu Qingnian said seriously.

At the same time, he added some promises to it.

The words were a blank cheque, but there were two kinds of blank cheques, one that was useless and one that was useful.

It depended on who was saying it.

If Xu Qingnian said this, then the blank cheque was not only useful, but it was as good as a treasure to Li Xin.

“Brother Xu, don’t worry, my humble brother knows how to be discreet and also believes in the character of my elder brother, he will definitely not go to cultivate foreign arts.”

“Cheng Lidong, this person is eager to attack and planted evidence to gain credit, he is really an evil person.”

Li Xin acted very excited, what he wanted most now was Xu Qingnian’s approval, to become Xu Qingnian’s best friend was no longer a matter of future or not.

Rather, it was a matter of fame.

He was Li Guangxin’s son, the son of the ruler of the prefecture, so naturally his future prospects would not be any worse.

If he was lucky, he might be able to become a prefect, but if he was unlucky, it would be a bit of a struggle.

However, if Xu Qingnian becomes a great scholar and joins the Hanlin Academy, he will at least be a second or third rank official, holding real power and not needing Xu Qingnian to ask.

There are plenty of people at the court who want to be in his good graces.

This is what Li Xin cared about.

Li Xin’s thoughts, Xu Qingnian actually fully understood, he did not have any slight resentment.

Because this was the reality, any friend was linked to interests, that kind of gentlemanly and light friendship was rare, most of them were friends with interests.

“There is no need for Xiandi to get excited, but the dossier does not need to be given to me directly, a copy will be fine.”

Xu Qingnian smiled blandly and patted Li Xin’s shoulder.

The latter nodded, and then followed Xu Qingnian as he continued on his way.

It did not take long to catch up with Wang Ru’s pace.

In the streets, the three of them walked parallel to each other, and people on the way would occasionally throw a few beams of glances, but they only swept over for a glance.

The whole of South Yufu had heard of his name, but not many people really knew him, and even among the scholars, only a small percentage had seen him.

“Brother Qingxian, now that the government exams are over, these fifteen days are relatively free, what does brother Qingxian have in mind?”

After seeing Xu Qingnian and Li Xin talk in secret, Wang Ru opened his mouth and asked Xu Qingnian what his plans were these days.

“Nothing in mind, a few days rest and a stroll around the Southern Yufu, that’s about it.”

For the time being, Xu Qingnian did not intend to go to Changping County in these two days, as Cheng Lidong was still secretly following her.

It would be better to relax and unwind in these few days.

Wu Yan had said that it would be good as long as it could be delivered within three months.

Now that a month hadn’t even pa*sed, there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

“Since it’s fine, do you want to go to Wenxuan House?”

Wang Ru smiled.

“Wenxuan House?”

It sounded inexplicably familiar.

“Brother Qingnian has no idea, this Wenxuan Lou is an elegant building, a major feature of my South Yufu.”

Hearing the Wenxuan House, Li Xin spoke up, his face also full of smiles.

“A special feature?”

Xu Qingnian remembered that the two brothers, Yang Hu and Yang Bao, seemed to have mentioned the Wenwu Building before.

“Yes, this Wenxuan Lou is different from ordinary flower houses.”

“Every girl inside is clean and beautiful, and they are not said to be proficient in everything from the piano and chess to calligraphy and painting, but they each have their own skills.”

“And to get the favor of these girls, you need to pa*s three levels in a row.”

Li Xin said so.

Tell about the interesting thing about this Wen Lou.

“This first level, the Qing heralds of the Wen Lou, will write couplets, and if they can match them, they can be seated, but the couplets written need to be approved by them for ten taels of silver once.”

“This second level, if you are admitted, you will have to give a poem, and if you give a good poem, it is considered the third level, and you can drink with them at the same table and talk about life.”

“And this third level, is the wish of both, if both sides hit on each other, it is a moment of spring, if not, a simple chat and then you can leave, but you have to pay for the wine, twenty taels of silver once.”

Wang Ru hurriedly explained and told the three levels.

When this was said, Xu Qingnian smacked her lips a little.

“Sending a couplet is ten taels of silver.”

“Drinking some wine is twenty taels of silver.”

“If the other party doesn’t see eye to eye, that’s thirty taels of silver… With such a high fee, there would still be business?”

It wasn’t that Xu Qingnian didn’t understand.

The main reason was that after reading so many books, Xu Qingnian’s understanding of the recent times was one word.

Poor.

So poor that it was outrageous.

The waiter was paid one tael a month, and the county magistrate was paid two taels of silver, so there was a little bit of grey income, but definitely not too much.

To send a couplet to someone, it costs ten taels of silver, which, when compared, is one year of one’s salary.

This is not to say that if you send it to someone and they want it back, then the ten taels of silver will be lost.

“Haha, Qing night brother this does not understand, although the Wenxuan House charges expensive, but value for money, even say value for money.”

“Half of those clean herders are clean bodies, and the rest are relatively clean, definitely not a hooker kind of place.”

“Moreover, they have grown up in Wenxuan House since they were young, they have been taught to play the qin, chess, calligraphy and painting, and they have been using pearl powder on their faces since they were young, so they all have clean features and are pleasant to look at.”

“If you are lucky, you may be able to take them as your maids, and take them as concubines if you want to give them a name.”

“What’s a mere thirty taels of silver? Some wealthy people would even ask a talented man to write a couplet for them, and a hundred taels for each word is not even too much.”

Wang Ru spoke with great interest, his eyes full of expectation.

But after these words were said.

Xu Qingnian’s face did not show any eagerness, nor did he look very interested.

Regarding this aspect of men and women.

Xu Qingnian has always been more sensible.

If one’s career is a success, how can one settle down?

Moreover, although it sounds like this Wenxuan House is full of literati, but in reality?

In the end, it was just a plaything for this group of people who thought they were flirtatious.

From what Wang Ru has just said, if they take a fancy to them, they will take them as maids or concubines.

The fate of most of these women is pitiful.

Xu Qingnian was not a saint and could not do anything to convert the world, but he did not like this kind of thing, not at all.

Perhaps sometimes joking and verbally flowering, but character-wise Xu Qingnian would not allow himself to do such things.

Nor would he touch such things.

The feudal ideology was not formed in a day or two, but accumulated over time, affecting generations of people.

If you can’t change it, Xu Qingnian won’t try to be brave.

But going with the flow is not Xu Qingnian’s nature either.

In the eyes of others, Wenxuan House was as beautiful as a painting, but in Xu Qingnian’s eyes, it might be full of sorrow and suffering.

“Brother Wang Ru, although this Wenxuan House is good, not everyone likes it, like Brother Chen seems to dislike it.”

Li Xin was good at observing faces, and he could sense that Xu Qingnian was not interested in such things, so he immediately spoke out, telling Wang Ru not to continue.

The latter also sensed this, so he smiled sarcastically and didn’t say anything more.

Hearing what Li Xin said.

Xu Qingnian also understood that the two were being careful with their words, so he shook his head and said.

“Two brothers, Senior Brother Chen indeed doesn’t like this very much, and I, Xu, am not very fond of the Flower House either, but it doesn’t stop others.”

Xu Qingnian explained.

It was his own business if he didn’t like it, and it would be pointless to involve others and easily affect his feelings.

“Brother Xu has high moral character, it is also worth learning from us.”

Wang Ru quipped, and Li Xin nodded along with him.

It was also at this moment that, out of nowhere, two figures quickly approached.

“Sir Li, there is something important.”

The two men stood not far away and bowed towards Li Xin, then opened their mouths, informing him of an important matter.

“Wait a moment, two kind brothers.”

Li Xin did not know what was going on, but went over first.

After a while, Li Xin’s expression changed, followed by a nod, allowing the two to retreat.

After the two men had left, Li Xin turned around and came to Xu Qingnian.

“Brother Qingnian, there is someone who wants to meet you.”

Li Xin spoke out and uttered these words.

“Want to see Brother Qingnian? Who is it? Brother Qingnian is now a great talent in the Southern Yufu, so it’s not just anyone who can meet him.”

Wang Ru spoke first, asking who it was, and at the same time kind of reminding Li Xin that if Li Xin’s friend wanted to see Xu Qingnian, it was best not to ask.

After all, Xu Qingnian was now the great talent of the South Yufu, if anyone wanted to see Xu Qingnian, Xu Qingnian would go to see him, how humiliating it would be.

“Yongping Shizi.”

Li Xin replied indifferently.

In an instant, Wang Ru shut up.

Oh, it’s Yongping Shizi.

That’s fine.

The son of a county king, it was still worthy to meet Xu Qingnian.

“Meet me?”

At that moment, Xu Qingnian was a little curious.

Yongping Shizi?

The Sheriff King?

The county lord?

Wait …… County Lord?

In a flash, a thought surfaced in Xu Qingnian’s mind.