The boy looked no more than ten or so, with the childishness still on his face. His clothes appeared plain, but the fabric was exquisite. One glance told Chen Cuo he was the son of an Aristocratic Clan.
Chen Cuo remembered that on the day he first arrived, the boy had accidentally knocked down a number of books, prompting Bao Gan to go over and reassure him.
At the thought, he smiled and asked, "What position do you hold, young sir? I've seen you here quite often these past few days."
The boy tensed. "I'm a Collation Gentleman too."
Chen Cuo paused and looked him over again. He extended a thread of Divine Sense and found that a dense mass of Human Thought clung to the boy, faintly giving off a weighty, ancient aura. Chen Cuo began to understand.
At that age, even members of the Imperial Clan, like his predecessor Chen Fangqing, might not have received an official post. Yet this young boy was already a Collation Gentleman.
The boy pointed to a stack of books on the table. "My grandfather compiled New Songs from the Jade Terrace. I've seen you read quite a bit of it these past few days, Lord. What do you think of it?" As he spoke, his face reddened a little.
Chen Cuo followed his gesture and looked at the stack.
In later generations, there was some debate over who had compiled the book, but here the answer was clear. It was Xu Ling of the Eastern Sea Xu Clan, a renowned literary master of the age who had been called a prodigy since childhood. Even Chen Fangqing had heard much about him. Xu Ling had compiled New Songs from the Jade Terrace during the previous dynasty, and The Emperor still held him in