Entering the Prince of Liang's Residence

The King of Huainan the Wenying Pavilion, while Suiyang had the Liang Garden.

Liangyuan valued skills and treated those skilled in them with great respect.

The King of Huainan would bind many of his retainers, making it difficult for them to leave, but Liangyuan did not bind its retainers; they could come and go as they pleased.

As long as one is qualified to enter Liang Garden, Liang Garden will not only provide free food and lodging, but will also give money based on the guest's contributions, and even some heavenly materials and earthly treasures and Law Artifact.

Sima Xiangru ate his free meals here.

If Zhang Xuezhou were to look for Sima Xiangru, he wouldn't need to search far and wide; he could simply go to Liang Garden and he would surely find Sima Xiangru.

If he were to be noticed by Liang Yuan, Zhang Xuezhou could even freeload at Liang Yuan's place.

He was overjoyed and led his horse steadily toward Suiyang City.

This city is indeed better than Shouchun. Shouchun has a strong martial spirit, with groups of martial arts heroes, while Suiyang has many scholars and refined people. Even among the local residents, there are many who wear wide robes and long sleeves, and some of them compose poems and write essays, while others play musical instruments.

Although the sounds of string and wind instruments may be jarring, the fact that a city can inspire people to pursue a spiritual life only proves the city's prosperity.

Only when people are well-fed and clothed will they pursue things beyond basic survival needs.

Clearly, Suiyang City possesses this level of expertise.

This was the only area among the many cities Zhang Xuezhou had passed through that showed such a scene. Even the common people of Chang'an City, whom he had only briefly visited, were busy making a living. Only officials and the wealthy could afford to pursue such things.

He led his horse for nearly half an hour before Zhang Xuezhou finally saw the magnificent palace complex.

One plaque reads "Liang Wang Mansion," while the other reads "Liang Garden."

At this time, people were coming and going in the Liang Prince's Mansion, and some people in Liang Garden were also peeking and looking into the Liang Prince's Mansion.

Some people were playing musical instruments outside Liangyuan Garden, while others were reciting from bamboo slips.

Compared to ordinary people, the people in Liangyuan were obviously more well-informed.

Zhang Xuezhou glanced at the guards standing at the entrance of Liang Garden, then looked at the few heads peeking out from inside the garden.

After failing to find Sima Xiangru among those heads, Zhang Xuezhou had no choice but to step forward and question the guards.

"There have been at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, trying to find Young Master Xiangru using this excuse," the guard laughed. "Everyone claims to know Young Master Xiangru, but it would take Young Master Xiangru to know you all!"

"We really do know each other. I'm still friends with Sima Xiangru," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Come up with a fresher excuse," the guard shook his head. "Your excuse has been used by at least five hundred people."

"Can't you Sima Xiangru to the door?"

"Hey girls over there, do you also want to call Sima Xiangru here!"

The guard didn't reply to Zhang Xuezhou, but instead waved towards the east side outside Liang Garden, which caused the dozen or so girls gathered there to wave in unison.

Yes, yes!

"Lai Xiao Er, why don't you invite Young Master Xiangru out so we can have a look at him!"

"We want to learn the piano too!"

"I want to be Xiangru's concubine!"

The girls screamed, while the guard, Lai Xiaoer, shrugged at Zhang Xuezhou.

Being a guard at Liangyuan was clearly a good job. Lai Xiaoer was very patient and also indicated that Zhang Xuezhou's approach wouldn't work.

"If you really want to get in, then go to the Prince's mansion and present a token of your respect, and show off your talents. That will definitely work better than trying to persuade me," Lai Xiao'er said. "If you came here specifically to see Sima Xiangru, then you should wait a few days. If he's in the mood, he'll still leave Liang Garden."

"What, does he usually stay holed up in Liang Garden and never come out?"

"He's so engrossed in studying the zither that he doesn't have much free time to spare," Lai Xiao'er waved his hand and said, "Don't even mention you, I'd love to hear Sima Xiangru play the zither!"

Even a master cultivator at the True Self Realm cannot resist the allure of Sima Xiangru, it has its limits. Technique Method are forms that are difficult for ordinary people to see, but musical skills can be heard with the ears.

If we add Sima Xiangru's handsome appearance to that, it's no surprise that Sima Xiangru was popular with the public.

Despite Zhang Xuezhou's eloquence, he couldn't compete with Lai Xiaoer and his group, who had seen far too many people Sima Xiangru Zhang Xuezhou searching for Sima Xiangru.

"I'm going to the Liang Prince's residence to deliver the memorial!"

After thinking it over for a long time, Zhang Xuezhou finally decided to go for the interview.

As long as he passes the interview and gets into Liangyuan, it doesn't matter whether he seeks out Sima Xiangru or not.

With food, drink, and lodging provided, plus guards for security, Zhang Xuezhou felt this was his ideal home.

"Dongfang Shuo, the manager of the Ping'an Merchant Guild in Shu County, what's wrong? You're no longer working for the guild?"

"Liangyuan offers good benefits; who would want to be a manager if they could just get in!"

"Then you'd better be pretty good!"

"I actually have some skills!"

It wasn't difficult to submit a "bandit's token," and Zhang Xuezhou Zhang Xuezhou wasn't the only one coming every day hoping to make a living; there were dozens of people ahead of him in line.

What he had seen earlier, with people coming and going from the Liang Prince's residence, was that they were conducting interviews.

Regardless of whether their talents would catch the eye of the Liang Prince's mansion, everyone approached it with a try-it-and-see attitude.

If you fail the test, it's not a big deal; if you pass, you've found your long-term meal ticket. Anyone would do that.

Zhang Xuezhou waited patiently in line for nearly half an hour before he heard someone from the Liang Prince's mansion call his name.

This prompted Zhang Xuezhou to quickly run inside.

What skills do you have?

Entering the palace, walk along the garden for dozens of meters, then turn through the passage under the eaves into an open space made of gray and white marble, where several interviewers sit on mahogany chairs to conduct the assessment.

Seeing the dejected face that greeted him, this guy had clearly failed his interview.

When the interviewers spoke, Zhang Xuezhou quickly agreed.

"Sir, I can hold my breath, at least for fifteen minutes," Zhang Xuezhou said, patting his chest.

Practicing the Water-Avoiding Technique is truly amazing, especially after yesterday's test during his escape, Zhang Xuezhou was able to hold his breath for a full fifteen minutes with ease.

"Holding your breath?" The interviewer pondered for a few seconds before asking, "Fifteen minutes is quite good, but some fishermen can do that. Do you have any other skills?"

"I can go three days without eating or drinking," Zhang Xuezhou said after a few seconds of thought.

"Anything else?" the interviewer asked, pursing his lips.

"Does my ability to refine pills count?" Zhang Xuezhou asked.

The interviewer became slightly more interested and then asked, "What kind of elixirs can you refine?"

"I can make a three-day Grain Avoidance pill, a five-day Grain Avoidance pill, and if the ingredients are good enough, I can even make a seven-day one," Zhang Xuezhou said. "Besides that, I can also make Origin-Nurturing Pill!"

"Aside from a slightly lower standard, your abilities are quite good," the interviewer said. "I hope you can improve your abilities further; the gates of the Liang Prince's Mansion will always be open to you!"

"Next..."

The interview was a clear failure, and as the other interviewer was about to call on the next person, Zhang Xuezhou quickly raised his hand.

"I also have another skill," Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed.

"Oh? What skills do you have?" the interviewer asked in surprise.

"Watch me perform my magic!"

Zhang Xuezhou was helpless when his abilities were looked down upon, after all, that was all he could do, and he didn't have many things to offer.

After pondering for a few seconds, Zhang Xuezhou muttered to himself and drew a line on the ground with his hand.

The marble surface was immediately crisscrossed with grooves. Zhang Xuezhou cast a spell for more than ten seconds, and when he withdrew his Law Power, he blew it towards the ground.

"I love Prince Liang?"

The lime was blown away, and the interviewer looked at the four fist-sized characters on the marble surface, then glanced at Zhang Xuezhou.

The opponent's strength is neither particularly strong nor particularly weak.

Among the interviewers who had seen tens of thousands of people, few could match Zhang Xuezhou's mastery of carving words on stone with such Technique Method.

Zhang Xuezhou was arguably the first person to so blatantly flatter someone since the Liang Prince's mansion began its recruitment process.