Book Hoard Fortune, Bound by a Single Thread

"As soon as my brother Zhou and I arrived in the city and settled down, we tried to inquire about you, but we didn't get much information. Instead, we heard some rumors."

At a roadside teahouse, Luo Jiayun, Zhou Guan, and Qiu Yan sat together, Luo Jiayun looking wistful and deeply moved.

The two were friends Qiu Yan met in Jiannan Circuit. He met Luo Jiayun in Wuxin City and Zhou Guan during the imperial Imperial Examinations. When Qiu Yan went out to study, he invited the two to go with him, but Luo Jiayun got married and Zhou Guan entered Quanyou Academy, so they could not go.

With the imperial Metropolitan Examination just around the corner, the two headed north to Prosperity Capital, where they reunited with Qiu Yan. Both expressed their joy and found a teahouse by the roadside to catch up.

However, this meeting was not a chance encounter. Qiu Yan used Divine Path methods to find out where the two were in advance and came straight to them.

Several scholars who had traveled with Luo Jiayun and the others were sitting at a table nearby, chatting and laughing. As for the two old Daoists, they were at a table with Hu Qi and Dai Guo. They had been traveling for a long time and were exhausted. Now that they had a place to rest, they finally breathed a sigh of relief and were recuperating.

Before Luo Jiayun could finish speaking, Zhou Guan couldn't help but say, "Brother Qiu, you're famous now! After traveling around studying, you've actually been given the title of 'Jiannan's Paragon'!"

"Jiannan's Paragon?" Qiu Yan looked surprised upon hearing this title. "What do you mean by that?"

"What? Brother Qiu, you didn't know?" Zhou Guan looked surprised. "Your reputation is quite influential in Central Passes now. Everyone says you are a rising star in calligraphy. Besides, there are rumors that you once debated with a talented scholar from Jiangnan in Eastern Capital and won the debate. You also talked with many Grand Confucian and were highly regarded. Is that true or false?"

"Indeed," Luo Jiayun nodded. "I've been inquiring about you these past few days, hoping to meet you, but I never expected you to be such a renowned talent. Merchants from Jiannan Circuit Central Passes trade all speak highly of you, calling you Jiannan's Paragon."

"Oh?" Hearing this, Qiu Yan roughly understood, realizing that it was something he had done in Eastern Capital, which had spread to Central Passes by traveling with merchants. "So, I guess I'm somewhat famous now."

At this point, Qiu Yan didn't seem too surprised. When he arrived in Xingjing Imperial City, he already sensed that a small number of people in the city were gathering around him, knowing that his reputation had spread here.

"However, in the eyes of others, my current reputation is merely that of a rising star, nothing special. To achieve a transformation, I either need to spend decades cultivating my literary fame and Cultivating Prestige like Grand Confucian scholar, or I need to rise through the ranks in officialdom and directly connect with the fate of ordinary people..."

With that thought in mind, he stopped thinking about it and stopped pondering it too deeply, because the Imperial Examinations was the Metropolitan Examination at hand and the key to entering officialdom.

Then, Qiu Yan changed the subject and asked about Jiannan Circuit.

Luo Jiayun was clearly prepared. Upon hearing this, he said, "Your uncle's family is safe and well, and is respected by many. There is no need to worry. They asked me to tell you not to worry about home and to focus on the Imperial Examinations. Also, your aunt and cousin have returned to Jiannan. I heard that the eldest son of the Pan Household was demoted and left officialdom to live a life of wealth."

"Aunt went back?" Qiu Yan was somewhat surprised to hear this news. His aunt had been taken away by the Pan Household not long ago to accompany the Pan Household brothers to their new posts, but he didn't expect her to return so soon. "What did the eldest son of the Pan Household do wrong?"

The three Pan Household brothers were as follows: the youngest, Pan Xiang mad, while the eldest and second eldest were both key figures in the New Party. The second eldest, Pan Zhi, had even gone to Jiannan Circuit to oversee military affairs, hoping to build up his power before implementing the New Law in Jiannan Circuit. However, he ultimately failed and returned home in disgrace.

"Does Brother Luo know the specifics of what happened?" Qiu Yan asked again after thinking for a while.

Zhou Guan then took over the conversation. "I've heard a bit about this at the academy. I heard it's related to military affairs. The Pan Household brothers are key figures in the New Party, one in the inner circle and one in the outer. The second brother, Pan Zhi, has always been stationed in the outer areas, holding considerable military power, while the eldest brother remains in the inner circle. A month ago, due to the war in the Northern Frontier, the eldest brother apparently committed a crime, but the second brother performed meritorious service. This back and forth, one advancing and one retreating..."

"Pan Zhi has made a contribution?" Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes, a realization dawning on him. "It seems Pan Zhi is going to be given an important position; perhaps his elder brother is making way for him."

"That's right," Zhou Guan said, his understanding had clearly changed after studying at the Quanyou Academy. "If the eldest son of the Pan Household were also in officialdom, he would inevitably hinder his younger brother's promotion. Moreover, I heard that he has offended someone..." The rest of his words were more like gossip, so Zhou Guan stopped there.

Qiu Yan smoothly changed the subject. "I wonder how Brother Zhang is doing now?"

The "Brother Zhang" that Qiu Yan mentioned was his old friend Zhang Zhen, who was unable to come to Prosperity Capital because he failed the Imperial Examinations.

"Brother Zhang has been studying diligently every day since he received the book you gave him, and he has made great progress. He's almost certain to pass the next Imperial Examinations. However, his father recently arranged a marriage for him, and judging from the situation, we'll be attending the wedding banquet soon." Zhou Guan said, then laughed.

"That's good news." Qiu Yan smiled and looked at Luo Jiayun. "Speaking of which, it hasn't been long since Brother Luo got married. I thought you would wait until the next imperial examination to Metropolitan Examination."

"Three years at a time, how can I give up so easily?" Luo Jiayun shook his head. "Besides, my mother and wife are both very understanding people. They have done so much to allow me to focus on my exams. How can I let them down?"

Luo Jiayun was originally somewhat frail and had a poor complexion for many years, but upon their reunion, Qiu Yan found that he had a rosy complexion and was in good health. It seemed that he had passed the imperial examination and become a Juren, which greatly enhanced his status in the clan. With no more worries, he could now focus on his studies.

After saying a few more words, Luo Jiayun said, "We've already caught up, it's time to introduce some talented people to Brother Qiu." As he spoke, he glanced at the table next to him, where several scholars sat and came over to greet Qiu Yan.

"My name is Cao Hanqi from Qi-Lu."

"My name is Xu Wanren from Two Huai."

"I am Southern Sea from Lingnan."

"I am Yu Xun Jiangnan."

"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you..."

After exchanging names and a few words, the group became quite familiar with each other and then sat down around a table.

These four scholars were acquainted with Luo Jiayun and his companion after they arrived in Prosperity Capital. They were also candidates for the imperial examinations and stayed at the same inn, which is why they became familiar with each other.

"I've long admired Brother Qiu's name. When Brother Luo and the others first mentioned it, I was a little skeptical, but I never expected it to be true..." Cao Hanqi was rather lively, while the other three were all very calm and composed, similar in temperament to Luo Jiayun. No wonder they got along so well.

After exchanging a few words, Zhou Guan remembered something. "By the way, Brother Qiu, have you found an inn to stay in? If not, why don't you come back with us? The inn we're staying at is reasonably priced for this city, and there were two rooms available when we left."

"Oh? That's best. Staying at the same inn means I can ask you gentlemen for advice anytime." Qiu Yan nodded.

Zhou Guan was delighted upon hearing this, but after glancing at Hu Qi and the others, he frowned and said, "Are these two Daoist priests friends of Brother Qiu? I'm afraid we'll have to trouble them, since there are only two rooms." His words were somewhat veiled, but they contained a deeper meaning. He wanted to remind Qiu Yan not to get too close to people from outside the secular world, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble.

Qiu Yan has some reputation now, and if rumors spread about him, he could very well suffer in the Imperial Examinations.

"I met the two Daoist priests on the road. They are both highly accomplished Daoist masters and are naturally going to stay at the Prosperity Capital. They won't compete with us for rooms."

Qiu Yan's words startled the Golden Crow Elders, but they quickly realized that Qiu Yan must have placed some kind of restriction on them, making it impossible for them to escape his control, and that it wouldn't matter much where they were.

This is, after all, the capital city. No matter how powerful the Golden Crow Dao is, it would be difficult for them to come here in a big way to search for someone.

"So that's how it is..." Zhou Guan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

Then, as they talked, the topic turned to academics.

Qiu Yan could tell that Cao Hanqi and the others were actually somewhat dissatisfied with their reputation. They were subtly probing him, but he didn't expose them or hold back his knowledge. He answered their questions one by one. Eventually, the four of them forgot their original intention and sincerely asked for his advice.

Not only them, but also Luo Jiayun and Zhou Guan were astonished, feeling that Qiu Yan had changed a lot since then, and they gained a lot from Qiu Yan's words.

After a while, Zhou Guan patted his forehead. "We were so busy talking that we almost missed our time. There are so many people in the Imperial City today. If we go too late, there might not be any rooms left in the inn. Let's hurry back and have a long talk tonight!"

"That makes sense." The others were clearly still unsatisfied, but they knew that Zhou Guan's words were Correct Principle, and they all expressed their agreement.

Without further ado, the group paid their bill and headed towards the inn.

Walking and stopping, they slowly approached the south city gate. Along the way, they could see many peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders, with drums tucked into their waistbands. They smiled at everyone they met. Qiu Yan naturally realized that these were peddlers doing their sales.

The shops along the street were decorated with all sorts of signs.

This kind of signboard is an advertising tactic of this era with a long history. It has been recorded in Han Feizi and Spring and Autumn of Master Yan, and there are different types such as banners and flags.

Their destination was indicated by several signs outside, including banners and wooden plaques, all bearing the four characters: --

The Book Hoard Inn.

"The name of this inn has a certain meaning." Reaching the inn's entrance, Qiu Yan stopped, narrowed his eyes, a cold glint in them, and said meaningfully.

At the same time, he clearly sensed that when the scholars who were traveling with him arrived at the inn, each of them released a bit of their Fortune, which combined with the inn, giving off a faint feeling of exploitation and oppression!

"Hey, gentlemen, you're back from your city tour?"

Inside the door, the waiter greeted them with a smile. (To be continued. Please search for the novel for better and faster updates!)