By the time the Shanhe Academy party arrived, it was still two hours before the dinner began.
By this time, all the officials had arrived and the imperial city was full of people, with palace maids and eunuchs running back and forth in preparation for the dinner to follow.
It was this morning when the Northern Zhou Emperor gave the order for the change, and it was difficult for the palace maids and eunuchs to suddenly host a banquet for the civil and military officials in the space of a few hours. It was a good thing that the banquet was not a big banquet that needed to be prepared at least five days in advance, but at least the dinner could be prepared within a few hours.
After Qing Yu and the others got off the carriage, Ouyang Yan said, “I will go and talk to some old friends, what are you three planning to do?”
Most of the officials in the Northern Zhou dynasty had studied at the Shanhe Academy, and many of the military officials had also graduated from the Academy. It was not surprising that Ouyang Yan had old friends there.
“The student wants to follow you, sir.” Zeng Yue said.
Zeng Yue was about to graduate, after that, no matter whether he entered the civil service or stayed in the academy to teach, as long as he did not go out to study, he would basically have to deal with officials, so it was better to get familiar with them now.
Feng Jiu said, “The student would like to show Meng De around and talk about recent events.”
“Well, that’s fine, then we’ll meet before the dinner, in front of Wanfu Pavilion, with Feng Jiu around, I think you shouldn’t get lost.” Ouyang Yan nodded his head and said.
After saying that, Ouyang Yan led Zeng Yue to leave in the first place.
Feng Jiu looked at their backs and smiled bitterly, “Although I am an imperial son, I am not too familiar with the palace either.”
As an accidental product of the Northern Zhou emperor’s courtesans and a sickly child before that, Feng Jiu had rarely set foot outside his residence before moving out of the palace. If he was allowed to lead the way, he might be taken there.
“It doesn’t matter, just ask the eunuch when the time comes.” Qing Yu said.
“Well. Let’s go to the Imperial Garden first to meet that Sixth Imperial Brother of mine, nowadays, I’m kind of his right-hand man.”
Ever since Feng Jiu started to cultivate, the sixth prince, Feng Chaonan, started to deliberately befriend Feng Jiu. And Feng Jiu, in order to pa*s the development period and to penetrate the Sixth Prince’s power, was also deliberately welcoming.
Both of them are deliberate, so their friendship is naturally a natural progression.
But for half a year, Feng Jiu and the Sixth Prince were as close as if they had been born from the same sibling, and it was completely impossible to tell that they had ever had any minor problems.
And after Feng Jiu refused to hand over the Heavenly Son’s Martial Arts to the Emperor, and thus gained the esteem of the Shanhe Academy, their so-called brotherly love became even greater than before.
In the Sixth Prince’s view, Feng Jiu’s refusal to hand over the Heavenly Son’s Martial Arts to the Emperor was undoubtedly a renunciation of the throne. And to be valued by the Shanhe Academy was also to make Feng Jiu’s value skyrocket.
How could one not befriend such a helper.
The two of them then headed to the Imperial Garden while admiring the scenery of the imperial palace.
The Imperial Garden is located at the northern end of the central axis of the imperial city and is connected to the Harem, as well as to the six palaces in the east and west. The garden is filled with ancient cypresses and acacias, and is lined with strange stones and jade pedestals, golden lions and bronze statues, and potted flowers and stakes.
As Qing Yu walked along, he was able to open his eyes.
However, the further he walked, the more his face, which had been slightly interested, became flat, and in the end, he had no more fluctuations about the beauty.
“What, the beauty of the imperial garden doesn’t reach Brother Meng’s eyes?” Feng Jiu noticed Qing Yu’s uninterested face and asked.
“It’s not that it doesn’t enter my eyes, but that I’m not interested.”
Qing Yu smiled lightly and said, “My curiosity before was actually because I had a slight intention to witness something I hadn’t seen before. After seeing it, this curiosity will naturally be lost.
The beauty of the view is only an accessory to power. And while this imperial garden is a sight to behold in the eyes of ordinary people, in my eyes ——”
Qing Yu shook his head, “Although the scenery is beautiful, it is difficult to hide the man-made Qi. This view is not as moving as seeing a hint of advancement in one’s own power.”
Qing Yu’s “Heavenly Son Lookout Technique” combined with the art of feng shui geomancy, even if he did not deliberately run it, his excellent eyesight could still accurately detect the unnatural places in this imperial garden. Combined with the sensitivity of the “Celestial Reincarnation Technique” to the outside world, it is no wonder that Qing Yu was not interested in the Imperial Garden.
With less mood to enjoy the beauty, the pair’s pace was invariably much faster. In a short time, they had reached a pavilion in front of the lake.
In the not-so-small pavilion, several people were already inside at the moment, but listening to their rather heated words, it was obvious that these people were not chatting and talking.
“Yo, isn’t this Feng Jiu? What, has your springtime at the Mountain River Academy made you forget the rules? Coming and going out of the palace, do you still have father in your eyes?” A young man who looked less than twenty years old said in a strange voice when he saw Feng Jiu arrive.
Looking at the four four-clawed dragons embroidered on his clothes, this young man should be an imperial son. In fact, all the people in the pavilion, except for a young girl in a white dress, should be sons of the royal family.
The men were all dressed similarly to the imperial son who was speaking, and apart from the woman, the other woman, judging from her dress, should also be a princess.
When Feng Jiu heard the young prince’s strange and unpleasant remarks, he snorted coldly and said, “Have you forgotten the respect you should have when speaking to your brother, tenth brother? With such a character, no wonder you couldn’t pa*s the examination for the Shanhe Academy.”
The Shanhe Academy had always provided a certain number of exemptions for the court officials, allowing the disciples of the officials to enter the Academy through the back door. But this exemption quota was offered to officials, but not to the royal family.
It was not that Shanhe Academy did not offer them, but that the royal family did not want them. It was not that the officials did not give it to them, but that the royal family did not want it. It was enough for those fops to enter the academy through the back door, but the royal family could not afford to be ashamed of themselves if they entered the academy through the back door.
Therefore, although the status of the royal family is noble, they need to pa*s the entrance examination to enter Shanhe Academy, just like ordinary readers.
The tenth prince, from what Feng Jiu said, was undoubtedly unable to pa*s the entrance examination and was mercilessly brushed off.
The tenth prince, having his old scars lifted by Feng Jiu, immediately became furious and roared, “Feng Jiu you cheap ——”
The latter word did not have time to be said before Feng Jiu waved her sleeve and lifted a strong wind and lifted her head.
“Tenth brother, wasn’t the last lesson enough? Do I need to educate you some more?”
‘Oh, come to think of it.’ At the side, Qing Yu suddenly remembered this tenth prince.
Shortly after he had just entered the academy last year, Han Wenxin had invited Feng Jiu through Qing Yu to an appointment with the sixth prince, Feng Chaonan. Shortly after finishing his conversation with the Sixth Prince, this Tenth Prince Feng Jie sent a subordinate who condescendingly asked Feng Jiu to pay him a visit.
However, the tenth prince was then given a lecture by Feng Jiu when he sought the opportunity. That should be considered the first time Feng Jiu actually fought someone with his hands after he started cultivating. When you think about it like that, this Tenth Prince was still quite memorable.
