Chapter Fifty: Stealing Leisure Amidst Mingyu Mountain

The mountain path was rugged, and with nightfall descending, the ox cart could no longer proceed halfway through the journey. Everyone disembarked, where more than twenty servants awaited on the left side of the road, each holding a lantern that illuminated the surroundings as brightly as daylight. They bore respectful expressions, bowing slightly to welcome their guests.

Xu You, weak and unable to endure long travel, was helped into a sedan chair by Zuo Wen. It was his first time encountering such a vehicle. In a past life, once climbing Mount Emei, he had seen two porters carrying a similar palanquin—frail and aged, with weary eyes and voices that stirred his pity. He had only given them money but never sat in it. This time, however, the bearers were burly men with chiseled abs like armor, leaving no room for sentimental thoughts.

Clearly professionally trained, these strong men moved with such precision that their torsos remained almost immobile, maintaining absolute balance for the sedan. Bai Hua, still lively and skipping beside him, caught Xu You’s side glance. Smiling, he said, “You’re just a young girl—can you handle the mountain path? Why don’t you ride instead?”

Bai Hua giggled, tilting her head back. “This is reserved for honored guests. What status do we servants have? We dare not overstep.”

“I imagine the lady treats you kindly; she wouldn’t be so harsh, would she?”

“The lady’s kindness to us is boundless, enough to fill the Qiantang Lake with gratitude, but precisely because of this, we must strictly observe our duties. When it’s time to be playful, we aren’t distant, but when it’s time to be proper, we must be even more so than others.”

Xu You did not expect such words from a seemingly carefree girl. Squinting at the distant, misty dusk, he chuckled softly, “You’re quite well-mannered…”

After another hour’s travel along the winding path, the dense canopy gave way to reveal exquisite blue walls and red bricks, and a narrow moon gate of stone connected two distinct realms inside and outside the enclosure.

“My lord, this is Mingyu Residence!”

Xu You stepped down from the sedan, surveying the surroundings with a smile. “Slender bamboo and vines hang askew; wild flowers and grasses grow untamed. The tall woods carry the manner of the wind; moss is smooth, and water flows silent. A fine place chosen by your lord!”

“Indeed!” Bai Hua beamed proudly. “The feng shui here is excellent. Even the nobility of Wuxian desire a home here, offering sky-high prices, but my lord never relents. Hee hee!”

Xu You shook his head with a wry smile. Guo Mian was the wealthiest man in the Three Wus region, the last to lack material wealth—there was no way he would part with such a prized spot.

Inside Mingyu Residence, Bai Hua efficiently arranged their quarters. Xu You stayed in an independent courtyard with three successive chambers. Next to his master bedroom lay Qiufen’s side room; beside that, the wing room for Lishuang. To the left of the courtyard lived He Ru; to the right, Zuo Wen. Several servants resided near the front courtyard, strictly forbidden from entering without summons.

That night passed quietly. The next morning, after breakfast, Xu You politely declined Bai Hua’s invitation to see the waterfall. Instead, he ordered her to gather the twenty literate and eloquent servants for inspection. After observing them one by one, he took up his brush and wrote several large characters:

Heaven and Earth dark and yellow,
The universe vast and wild.
Sun and moon wax and wane,
Stars arrayed in the sky.

Cold comes and heat departs, autumn harvests and winter stores,
Intercalary days complete the year, the pitch-pipes regulate Yang.
Clouds rise to bring rain, dews condense to frost.
Gold is born from beautiful waters, jade comes from Kun Gang.
Swords named Ju Que, pearls called Night Light.
Fruits prized like plums and apples, vegetables heavy with mustard and ginger.
The sea is salty, rivers sweet, scales dive, feathers fly...

As he wrote, Xu You keenly observed the expressions of those around him. He noticed the man standing third from the left in the front row staring unblinking at the swiftly moving brush, mouth slightly agape in astonishment. A faint smile crept upon Xu You’s lips. Setting down his brush, he pointed at the man and said, “You there, read these characters aloud!”

The man immediately straightened his chest, lowered his head, and stepped forward to the desk. In a low voice, he began, “Heaven and Earth dark and yellow, the universe vast and wild...”

“Louder!”

Nervous, sweat beading on his brow, he cleared his throat and spoke in a strong, resonant voice, “Heaven and Earth dark and yellow, the universe vast and wild. Sun and moon wax and wane, stars arrayed in the sky…”

His pronunciation was clear, with a natural rise and fall—a promising candidate with some training.

Xu You nodded. “What is your name?”

“My surname is Zhou. Zhou Qiqiao. The villagers call me Qiao Di.”

“Qiao Di… Your name suggests you are clever. What books have you studied?”

“I have read the ‘Erya’ and the ‘Mao Poetry,’ and I am currently skimming the ‘Gongyang Commentary.’”

Xu You was taken aback. The man looked about thirty, with average features, rough and dark palms, cheeks yellowish and sallow from malnutrition. Clearly from a poor background, yet to have reached the ‘Gongyang Commentary’ required tremendous effort and resources. It was truly impressive.

“Very well, you may step back.”

Zhou Qiqiao had expected praise for his knowledge, especially since it was among the best of the twenty. Yet Xu You’s calm dismissal left him uncertain whether to feel joy or disappointment.

Xu You then called forward several others to read the few dozen characters extracted from the Thousand Character Classic. Some recognized every character, others most of them, and two could only identify a dozen or so. Even with the vast network of the Zhan family painstakingly gathering these people, the literacy rate was evidently abysmally low at the time.

He eliminated the two least literate, and Bai Hua escorted them away to be settled. They would not be allowed to leave before matters were concluded, but life here was comfortable, with food and lodging and no labor—a pleasant assignment.

The remaining eighteen were divided into three groups, with Zhou Qiqiao and two others, the sharpest minds, appointed as small team leaders. Given paper, brushes, and desks, they sat cross-legged. Xu You paced a few steps then stood in the hall’s center. The grand hall momentarily felt like the imperial examination hall itself.

He smiled wryly. What was he thinking? Not to mention that this era lacked the imperial exams, even if it had them, the candidates at the palace exams and those sitting here were worlds apart.

“Listen as I dictate. Write down as much as you can. Neat handwriting is not required, only legibility. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” they answered in unison.

Zhou Qiqiao gripped his brush tightly, palms sweating despite his experience. Judging by Xu You’s demeanor and these proceedings, something significant was about to happen.

His heart pounded wildly.

“Now, the scenery of West Lake is vivid and clear. During the Yongguang era of the Han dynasty, the waters surged mightily, rushing into the western gate. Suddenly, a white deer appeared in the waters. When the flood receded, the deer followed a path to Tianyun Mountain but vanished without a trace. This stirred great excitement among the people of Qiantang, who believed it a divine manifestation. Thus, a temple was erected on Tianyun Mountain called the White Deer Temple. At that time, a Taoist named Suizhen traveled there and admired the mountain scenery. He said, ‘Before Kunlun Mountain, there stands a small peak—one day it suddenly disappeared, having flown here.’ The people disbelieved him, but the Taoist said, ‘I remember the peak before Kunlun Mountain called Tongtian Ridge. In a cave there lives a white ape. Watch as I summon it.’ Sure enough, he called forth a white ape…”

And so the tale unfolded...