Hu Yiming Was Truly Shameless
Zhou Wanwan touched her nose and said:
What kind of person does Lord Shen take me for?
I just went to see if White Deer Academy was as good as the rumors said.
Don't make me sound so bad.
Shen Congrong raised an eyebrow and said:
"That would be perfect, but don't fixate on the White Deer Academy."
It is no longer as prosperous as it once was, while Songyang Academy and Yingtian Academy are now thriving.
"They're definitely a step ahead of White Deer; you should definitely consider these two."
Dongshan Prefecture is truly a place where hidden talents abound. It boasts three major academies, which is why many young men from Jiangnan flock to Dongshan Prefecture.
Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "Let's see! Let's see!"
It's not that she absolutely has to go to the White Deer Academy!
It was her family's old retainers who insisted that she go, saying how wonderful White Deer Academy was, and she couldn't refuse.
It's said that you can learn the most at the White Deer Academy, but actually, for her, it's all about the same.
White Deer Academy will not be open to students for another ten days. Even if Hu Yiming hadn't come to see her today, she was already planning to resign from her job with Nie Shi'an.
But Hu Yiming is truly shameless.
Hu Yiming was also furious at this moment. He returned home and looked at his advisors, saying:
"Everyone says they haven't seen Wen Jingshan. Could it be a ghost?"
Now Wen Jingshan's house is empty, and he's disappeared. What are we going to do?
The advisor stroked his beard and said:
"No rush, we need to stabilize the situation now. Let's think about the coal mine and the black oil issue!"
Recently, someone has been planning to buy these things in large quantities, especially black oil. They said they'd take as much as possible.
Hu Yiming asked with a look of delight, "Oh? How about the price?"
The aide quickly replied, "The price is extremely high, and the goods only need to be delivered to the outskirts of the city; they will send someone to pick them up."
Hu Yiming squinted at him and asked, "Who exactly are you?"
The aide cleared his throat and said, "The Snow Khanate has extremely cold weather there, and they desperately need coal in the winter, so they offer very high prices."
Hu Yiming laughed heartily:
"Sell them! We'll ship all our stuff over there and sell it tomorrow."
Once we had money, we bought large quantities of salt, ironware, grain, and cotton cloth.
News came from the Hu Clan that there might be another drought next year, so we need to prepare early.
Those powerful and influential families would keep some talented and extraordinary people in their homes, and the Hu Clan was no exception.
These people usually spend their days observing the celestial phenomena at night and calculating the climate and years. They can predict in advance whether there will be a severe drought or flood, whether the harvest will be good or bad, and whether the grain will be plentiful.
The wealthy families supported them so that they could plan ahead. If they anticipated a drought, they would stockpile grain and water early on and arrange for tenant farmers to switch to drought-resistant crops.
If the year's harvest is predicted to be stable, then one can confidently purchase land, engage in business, and stockpile goods.
They can not only predict natural disasters, but also help families choose auspicious days, assess feng shui, and predict good and bad fortune.
They usually advise aristocratic families and help them avoid disasters; they are properly kept in the household as advisors.
The aide smiled and said, "Will next year be another drought year?"
Hu Yiming nodded and said, "You know about those sorcerers we employ. They've made a lot of money for the Hu Clan over the years. Their predictions are usually accurate."
The aide nodded and said:
"Those sorcerers are indeed quite skilled."
They sent you to Dongshan Prefecture to develop your business back then, and sure enough, you're now rolling in money."
Hu Yiming lowered his head and said, "However, a sorcerer recently urged me to return to the capital as soon as possible."
The aide looked surprised and said:
"This is a great situation; Dongshan Prefecture is about to improve."
Why are you being asked to go back? It's so sudden.
Hu Yiming said with a wry smile, "Take a look at this letter. It says that if I stay in Dongshan Prefecture any longer, I will be in danger."
The advisor took the letter, read it for a long time, and pondered, "You have hundreds of assassins under your command. What kind of danger could you possibly face?"
Hu Yiming frowned and said:
"Originally, I didn't want to get involved, but Wen Jingshan's matter has given me a wake-up call."
Wen Jingshan led more than 5,000 men, but in one night, the entire army was wiped out, with no one surviving.
"How incredibly talented must someone be to do something like this?"
The advisor whispered, "Could it be that our location has been exposed?"
Hu Yiming thought for a moment and said:
"The person who could kill Wen Jingshan so quietly must not be an ordinary person; I suspect it must be a member of the imperial family."
So I plan to get rid of those things and then return to Beijing.
The aide quickly nodded and said, "I'll go arrange it right away."
Zhou Wanwan was sitting in the yard eating watermelon when Liu Su'e took her hand and said:
"You say you're busy all day long, you're probably the busiest person in the family."
At only six years old, he's already taking charge of quite a few things.
What are you busy with?
Zhou Wanwan quickly comforted her, "We just went to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office for a few days!"
Liu Su'e said helplessly:
"I have no idea what kind of friends you've made; they're all either this official or that official."
Don't you find those officials terrifying?
Zhou Wanwan thought for a moment and said, "I don't think they're scary! I think they're pretty good."
Zhou Fusheng, holding Zhou Wanwan's hand, said, "My dear girl! Don't you think that Lord Nie is a fierce and menacing man? And that Madam Nie is no better."
Zhou Wanwan nodded in agreement and said, "That Madam Nie is really a scoundrel, I don't like her either."
Liu Su'e quickly nodded and said:
"I always felt that these officials' wives were particularly difficult to get along with, and the officials themselves were even more difficult to deal with."
Wanwan! How about we stay away from them and go back to the mountain stronghold?
"Life is still more comfortable in our Black Wind Stronghold."
Zhou Wanwan looked at them and said:
"Life at Black Wind Stronghold is indeed quite comfortable, but we can't stay Black Wind Stronghold forever, can we?"
Besides, our brother is getting married soon, and we always need to socialize."
They could indeed stay on the mountain their whole lives, but then they would have no way to interact with the outside world.
Liu Su'e frowned and said, "But I always feel uncomfortable living in the city; it's better up in the mountains."
Zhou Wanwan looked at Liu Su'e and said, "If you miss home, go back and visit. You can also stay at home for a while."
Zhou Fusheng sighed and said:
"I'm also planning to find an academy now. Our Black Wind Stronghold teacher said that I can go to the academy to study now."
"I'd also like to see what an academy is like."
Zhou Wanwan looked at Zhou Fusheng and said, "Then let's all take the entrance exam for the White Deer Academy this time! It's said that White Deer Academy is different from other major academies."
They don't care about background or money; they only value literary talent and character.
The other two academies have very high entry requirements, exclusively accepting children from aristocratic families and wealthy merchants.
Even if a student from a poor family is extremely talented, they cannot get in if they lack money and connections.
But White Deer Academy is different. The rules set by Old Master Zhu apply regardless of whether you are a farmer or a poor scholar from the mountains.
As long as one writes well and has a good character, one is qualified for admission.