A Visit from the Hanlin Academy

Publicity?

Liu Donghe frowned.

"How do you plan to promote it? Should I write letters to my friends? They might buy some out of respect for me, but would that really be worthwhile for you?" Liu Donghe said, looking at them.

His question went straight to the point.

If Li Qi and Liu Shenzhi intend to sell this item, then going through his channels is not out of the question. If Liu Shenzhi were to request it, he certainly wouldn't refuse.

But is this what Li Qi and Liu Shenzhi wanted?

I'm afraid not. If they really wanted to rely on their parents, what would they be researching? Why would Liu Shenzhi study philosophy Reason Way? He could have directly learned Human Path Confucian cultivation Cultivation Method and, with Liu Donghe's guidance, he might have already reached Liu Junyi's level.

Liu Junyi could break through to the seventh rank at any time; his knowledge had already been thoroughly integrated, and he was just waiting for the right opportunity.

Li Qi then said, "Uncle, it's not like that. We want your help, not for you to take direct action. Rather, we have indeed found a solution, but we have encountered a problem that we absolutely cannot solve on our own."

Liu Shenzhi immediately replied, "That's right, Father. We've thought of many ways ourselves, but this is the best one. You don't need to write us a letter. You just need to compose an essay or a poem. We can handle the rest ourselves. We don't need to do anything to curry favor with you."

The two of them worked together in unison, leaving Liu Donghe completely bewildered.

He squinted at the two, and realized that these two people...

It was premeditated; it was clearly all planned and arranged beforehand.

However, he still did not directly observe their thoughts or read their surface-level thinking.

Liu Donghe would never do such a thing.

A wise person does not pry into other people's private affairs; he never tries to observe other people's thoughts.

"Let the two of us explain this to Uncle," Li Qi said.

Liu Shenzhi followed immediately.

"Okay, I'm listening." Liu Donghe pulled over a stool, sat down, and listened carefully to what the two children had to say.

Li Qi began his narration.

The story details the creation of the Witchcraft Silkworm, the hard work and inspiration over the past six months, and the various problems and solutions encountered.

Liu Donghe listened quietly, nodding occasionally, but remained silent.

Then, the topic quickly got to the point.

The story of Li Qi's promise to the Trumpet Flower God in Baiyue, and the Trumpet Flower God.

Finally, Li Qi and Liu Shenzhi revealed their true intentions.

They have already contacted the Trumpet Flower God, and are just waiting for Liu Donghe to write an article or a poem to help set the stage for the banquet. That would be perfect.

He doesn't need to show up in person; Li Qi and the others can handle the rest themselves.

"That's how it is, what do you think, Uncle?" Li Qi said, looking at Liu Donghe.

To be honest, he wasn't sure if Liu Donghe would agree.

After all, the other party probably wouldn't like anything related to the Flower Goddess, which is why Li Qi had to lay so much groundwork to give this middle-aged man, who was so eager to have a son, some reasons.

However, to Li Qi's surprise, Liu Donghe said with a smile, "So that's how it is. I thought you were planning something big."

"Since that's the case, then come to my study this afternoon to get the articles you want. But other than that, I won't be responsible for anything else."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"Thank you, Father!"

Li Qi and Liu Shenzhi immediately bowed and said this.

It's done.

And, I didn't get scolded!

On the other side of Chang'an, there is the Shangyuan Garden.

Under the clear blue sky, where the blue and green intertwine, the Shangyuan Garden is as lively as ever. People stroll through the garden, participate in activities, or simply come to cool off.

With so many tourists, many of whom come from other places, Shangyuan naturally has many hotels waiting for their arrival, arranging accommodations and food with Shangyuan characteristics for them.

There are themed rooms with different colors and patterns, as well as sky-view platforms with views of performances, or flower banquets, for tourists to choose from.

The Trumpet Flower God naturally lived in such a place, after all... her original residence here was gone.

During this time, she was doing two things.

First, we need to prepare for a new literary gathering.

The Trumpet Flower God has decided that regardless of whether Li Qi's proposal is successful or not, she will hold this literary gathering as scheduled.

She couldn't bring herself to come back and then slink away. Now that she was back, she was going to give it her all.

Preparing for the literary gathering was no easy task, but the Trumpet Flower God was very experienced in it.

By contacting some acquaintances, and amidst exclamations of surprise, she was still able to put together a literary gathering.

Besides, there are many 'old friends' who still remember the flower goddess who once idolized the Trumpet Flower God.

They still don't understand why the Trumpet Flower God would leave in a fit of anger, but that doesn't matter. Most of these people miss the past, so they are happy to hold such a literary gathering to celebrate the return of the former Flower Goddess.

As for the second thing—

That means waiting for news from Li Qi.

The highlight of this literary gathering was always Liu Donghe's writing.

Even during this brief moment of rest, she kept an eye on the messages on the terminal.

However, at that very moment, the terminal issued a message notification.

The Trumpet Flower God immediately opened her terminal and carefully read the new message.

She smiled happily before she even finished reading.

It's done!

She finally felt relieved.

Liu Donghe is willing to write an article praising the Trumpet Flower. Although it's not a work of great care, I can get it this afternoon, and I expect to send the original text over tonight.

That's the original text!

Liu Donghe's handwritten letter!

Even if he had just written the two characters "canteen," let alone an article, it would have been enough to be printed and used as a signboard.

This matter has finally come to fruition; a long-cherished wish spanning hundreds of years will be fulfilled in the next few days.

Even though she was already a fifth-rank official, she took a deep breath and felt a wave of weakness in her hands and feet. She retreated and sat on the edge of the bed.

After taking several deep breaths, the Trumpet Flower God finally calmed down.

Good news, good news...

After so many years, finally something good has happened.

However, at that moment, there was a knock on the door.

The expression of the Trumpet Flower God immediately turned serious.

She didn't use Technique Method to spy on the people outside, because they would sense it anyway, so she simply asked, "Who is it?"

"I am Bai Zhang, here to pay my respects to... the Trumpet Flower God." A voice came from outside.

"Bai Zhang?" The Trumpet Flower God had never heard of this name, but the other party was clearly prepared.

So, the Trumpet Flower God Creeper got up, walked to the door, and opened it.

But there stood a young scholar at the door, about twenty years old, with a fair complexion and clean clothes, looking very particular.

"May I ask who you are?" The Trumpet Flower God did not act arrogantly, but instead looked her over and asked.

"My name is Bai Zhang. I currently work at the Hanlin Academy. I happened to hear that the Flower Goddess of the Trumpet Flower God has returned to Chang'an. I have long heard of the Flower Goddess, but she had long since fled, and I could only regret that I could not meet her. Now that I have learned of this, I have come here to pay my respects," said the scholar named Bai Zhang.

The Trumpet Flower God immediately frowned, her expression turning gloomy.

The famous scholar who once wrote a poem criticizing her, known as "Layman Tianle," was working at the Hanlin Academy.

The Hanlin Academy in the Tang Kingdom had no official positions or ranks, so it could not be considered an official position.

The Book of Arts and Literature records. "Wherever the Hanlin Academy is located, there will be scholars of literature and classics, as well as those skilled in divination, medicine and arts. They are all placed in a separate courtyard to prepare for audiences. This place is where those who are summoned by the world for their arts and skills reside."

It means that it is a place to house people with expertise in literature, classics, divination, medicine, Buddhism, Daoism, calligraphy and painting, chess, and other specialties. Their duty is to serve the emperor and go immediately when summoned.

They are roughly similar to an advisory group.

After all, even a human emperor is still a human being, and Human Path emperors in general don't live long, so their accumulated experience may not be as great as those of these people.

Human emperors are notoriously short-lived. While High Antiquity sorcerer gods still exist today, human emperors have come and gone, with hundreds having been emperors to date.

Each generation has only one emperor, which means there have been over a hundred emperors in total.

The previous emperor died more than two hundred years ago during a great rebellion, and the current emperor has just succeeded to the throne.

Leaving aside the current emperors, even in High Antiquity times, the emperors Yao, Shun, Yu, and even Zhuanxu, who separated humans from gods, severed the connection Severing Heaven and Earth, and completely separated the paths of humans and shamans, all of these emperors died young.

However, survival was difficult in High Antiquity times, and various demons, monsters Innate Spirits were not very friendly to Human Race. It is understandable that the human emperors of that time had short lifespans.

But the current emperor remains the same, and no one knows why.

Because of this short lifespan, the emperor was not actually an all-rounder, which is why he needed Hanlin scholars to serve as his advisors.

Experts from all fields, covering almost all known industries, would consult the scholars when the emperor felt his wisdom was insufficient to understand these industries.

Although this is still highly questionable.

The Human Emperor did not live long, but he lived longer than most people. Moreover, his wisdom far surpassed that of these experts. He was also very quick to learn. What the experts studied in a lifetime, the Human Emperor could probably learn in two or three days.

But no matter how suspicious it may seem, the existence of the Hanlin Academy is genuine, and the Emperor does indeed summon them—this is beyond doubt. Therefore, one should always show some respect to the people of the Hanlin Academy.

The Trumpet Flower God stepped back a few paces, making way for someone. "Since you are here at the Hanlin Academy, please come in. However, you are far too young... You must not have taken up your post yet and are still in your probationary period, right?"

Trainees are simply observing and learning from the sidelines; they have no real duties.

Of course, the Hanlin Academy did not have official ranks or grades, so they only had titles and no official positions to support them. Therefore, they did not have any "important duties". They were only responsible for going to chat with the emperor whenever he needed them.

Bai Zhang, who had been prepared, seemed a little embarrassed by this remark, but he quickly replied, "The Trumpet Flower God truly lives up to her title of 'Flower Screen,' she is indeed knowledgeable and experienced, and you can't be fooled."

"However, although it's an internship, it's a certainty that I'll get a full-time position," he explained.

As he spoke, he turned around, preparing to close the door.

But the Trumpet Flower God interrupted him, saying, "No need, just open the door and say what you have to say."

Bai Zhang revealed a slight hint of anger.

This is quite a strong statement, basically meaning they are unwilling to accept this person into the family.

For the Trumpet Flower God, the reason was simple: the people from the Hanlin Academy certainly didn't come with good intentions; there was animosity between the two sides.

"Isn't the Trumpet Flower God a bit too heartless? I came to support you because I knew you were going to hold a literary gathering. How come I get such treatment?" Bai Zhang said to the Trumpet Flower God with dissatisfaction.

"The sarcastic remarks I made to you by the Hanlin Academy still echo in my ears. After all, I am a woman, and it is normal for me to be a little narrow-minded. I hope you will not take offense," said the Trumpet Flower God with a smile.

I am a woman, and I am narrow-minded.

You're a man, you can't get angry about this, can you?

With just a few words, the Trumpet Flower God silenced the Bai Zhang before her.

"Spirit Fruit, she's a seasoned veteran of the world, and quite sharp-tongued. Never mind." Bai Zhang shook his head, his polite demeanor vanishing as he straightened his chest and stared directly at the Trumpet Flower God.

He said, "How dare those who seek to curry favor with others insult the flowers again?"

The Trumpet Flower God sharpened her gaze, and an invisible wave emanated from her body.

But the next moment, the surrounding streets seemed to come alive—

The streets, houses, and even flowerbeds of Shangyuan came to life in that instant!

An invisible precept manifested itself here, and the Trumpet Flower God immediately felt a terrifying sense of oppression, which made her groan and her face turn slightly pale.

She was injured.

In the Shangyuan area, violence is forbidden; this is a written rule. And as everyone knows, the writings of both the Human Path calligraphers and the Confucian scholars are powerful.

Having stayed in the Baiyue region for so long, I've become so accustomed to acting arbitrarily that I've forgotten this fundamental point.

The Tang Kingdom rules that no matter how high one's cultivation level is, one cannot act recklessly. Even if this Hanlin Academy intern is so despicable, she cannot punish him.

If one is truly dissatisfied, the only recourse is to write a complaint and file it with the government for them to handle.

"Having stayed in this Savage Wilderness land for so long, the Flower Goddess seems to have forgotten the rules. Perhaps she has forgotten about the abalone market?" Bai Zhang said.

Moreover, before Trumpet Flower God could refute, he said again, "Alright, we didn't come here to talk about these things. But since we've already torn off the pretense, I won't bother with any more formalities."

"We do not wish for the Trumpet Flower God to return to the Imperial Garden, but we cannot break the rules of the Imperial Garden. We have come here to ask for some invitations. When the literary gathering is held, the people of the Hanlin Academy will come to support us. The Flower Goddess does not mind, does she?"

The Trumpet Flower God took a deep breath, suppressing her injuries, and said with a smile, "Of course not. How can we refuse guests when holding a literary gathering? However, invitations are indeed unnecessary. This literary gathering is not a private event, so there is no such thing as an invitation. All the scholars can come directly to our door."

Bai Zhang cupped his hands in greeting. "In that case, I'll take my leave."

After saying this, he turned and left.

Brothers, if you have some free time, please help me promote this book; my subscriptions have been dropping for ages.