These words stirred the curiosity of several people present.
How could there possibly be a note inside a fish's belly?
The plump scholar seemed quite pleased with the effect he had caused and continued, "The heavy rain the night before last sent mountain floods crashing down the western foothills of Mount Ming, and a stone stele was washed out. Guess what was written on it?"
"A stone stele? A monument?" Everyone grew even more astonished.
The plump scholar smiled smugly. "You surely can't guess. What was written on it concerned Junior Guardian Lu Chen, who lives in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan."
"It concerned that Junior Guardian who lives in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan?"
At those words, the woman in white raised her eyes as well.
The beautiful married woman on the long bench also looked over.
Seeing this, the plump scholar grew rather carried away and could not help clearing his throat.
The saber-wearing man standing at the entrance was also somewhat curious. What could be related to Junior Guardian Lu Chen?
The old man stroked his beard and urged with a smile, "Young friend, stop keeping us in suspense."
After the two had played chess and the others had chatted idly, they had learned that the two scholars were Cultivated Scholars from a neighboring prefecture. They were heading to Kyoto for the examinations. It was late summer, early autumn, and they intended to sightsee along the way; there was still plenty of time.
The old man's surname was Zou. He had once served as an official in Kyoto, but had resigned and retired into seclusion many years ago. This return to Kyoto was because the current Emperor wished to compile an outline of the Great Qing Kingdom's national history. As a great Confucian scholar of his generation, he had