Palace Fighting: Naive Concubines' Ascent to Power-Chapter 468: The Unique Tome Drops

Three days later, the examination at the Imperial Academy’s Shanxue Square was already drawing attention from scholars, but from that day on, not only scholars paid attention, but officials and the common people were also keenly interested. Word spread throughout the Capital, causing a stir as everyone prepared to witness the event in three days.

The shrewd small merchants began to ponder, seizing the opportunity to reserve spaces early and planning to sell them when the time came, hoping to make a quick profit.

The second floor of the bookshop across the large road from Shanxue Square had been reserved early on by someone.

Noticing this activity, the staff of the Imperial Academy took measures to disperse the small merchants and reported to the Ministry of Rites.

The Ministry of Rites made arrangements in advance, deploying officers and soldiers to cordon off the area, ensuring the stability of the Imperial Academy, the safety of the public, and the smooth conduct of the examination.

An examination stirred by the Jieyuan candidate from Taiyuan Prefecture swept the Capital, causing a commotion even before the appointed day.

Xue Ping was already aware of this, but initially, he didn’t take the scholars’ disturbance to heart. However, after he heard that the Jieyuan candidate from Taiyuan Prefecture could hold a discourse with Minister Qin and that his reputation in the Capital had skyrocketed, Xue Ping changed his mind. He instructed his servants to prepare for the event, and he planned to attend himself in three days. If the rumors were true, he wouldn’t mind extending an early gesture of goodwill and taking the young man under his wing.

Even Guo Neng heard about the incident. When a servant boy attempted to ingratiate himself by turning the affair into a joke for Guo Neng’s entertainment, asking if he wished to relieve his stresses by watching the spectacle, Guo Neng beat the servant instead, scoffing at the idea that a bookworm was worth watching. With pressing concerns, Guo Neng was preparing a contingency plan for the Guo family and awaiting news from the third batch of people sent to the south; he had no time to spare for a scholar’s examination. free𝑤ebnovel.com

On Lian Bao’s end, he had strategized with Lian Musu before setting off on the possibility of the Guo family discovering them, making detailed plans. Before entering the Imperial Academy, Lian Musu further advised Wu Sheng to relay a message to Lian Bao to relocate his family once again to a place even he didn’t know. He would find a way to ensure their safety and told them not to worry.

Lian Bao, however, had not anticipated the tremendous stir caused by his elder brother’s re-examination, and he felt both joy and anxiety. He had always known his brother was talented and was happy to see him recognized by other scholars.

Yet above all, he was more concerned for his brother’s safety. While having a larger reputation meant fewer people would dare to cause harm, his brother was still assuming a false identity that must be kept hidden. Lian Bao feared that if Guo Neng discovered the truth, he might resort to underhanded means to expose them.

Anxious, Lian Bao sent Uncle Ma and his men to monitor every move of the Guo residence. They were charged to prevent any trouble at any cost, and if prevention failed, they would find a way to rescue his elder brother.

With Lih Qingshu and Qian Chen at home, Lian Bao felt more at ease and could focus on matters outside the house.

Lian Musu himself had not expected such a commotion. He had failed to account for the fact that today was the Imperial Academy’s day off. The students who had stayed behind had seen and heard him debating with Minister Qin, held him in high regard, and could now go in and out at will.

These students either sent letters out or talked about him while gathering with friends, or they discussed him enthusiastically in taverns and teahouses. Word spread from one to ten and ten to a hundred, and within half a day, the entire Capital was abuzz with the news. The rumors further highlighted Lian Mu’s exceptional looks, which piqued the interest of idle onlookers even more.

Meanwhile, Lian Musu felt at ease awaiting the examination within the Imperial Academy, having brought with him his luggage and the necessary books in his book basket, well-prepared in advance.

The students and teachers of the Imperial Academy treated him very well and respected him greatly. Brother Liang, who lived beside him, was also very kind to him. Everything was going well, except for one puzzling occurrence.

For some inexplicable reason, an old man with all-white hair and beard had started to appear in the distance. He would stroke his beard and nod approvingly as he watched Lian Musu, seemingly very satisfied.

That in itself was odd, but whenever Lian Musu noticed and looked his way, the old man would quickly walk off, and each time he did so, a book would fall from his person.

At first, Lian Musu thought it was an accident and tried to call out to stop the man, but since shouting was not allowed in the academy, he couldn’t yell after him. He chased after the old man, who had vanished by the time Lian Musu arrived.

With no other choice, Lian Musu picked up the dropped book and upon closer inspection, found that it was a rare single-copy "Commentary on Dai Shi Tong Yi," a book he had only heard of in rumors, never expecting that it still existed in the world, and was extremely valuable.

Such a treasured single-copy book must have left the old man anxious after losing it, so Lian Musu securely stored it while asking around the academy to locate the old man with the white hair and beard, hoping to return the book.

Try as he might, he couldn’t find any information. Even Brother Liang had no knowledge of such an individual, claiming that no one in the Imperial Academy matched that description.

This white-haired old man seemed to appear out of thin air, leaving Lian Musu very puzzled.

As his search yielded no results, Lian Musu planned to try again after the examination, but the old man appeared once more.

This time, however, when Lian Musu noticed him, the old man did not immediately walk away. Instead, he touched his beard, eyes filled with deep admiration, and appeared full of regret when he saw Lian Musu’s left leg.

Just as Lian Musu was about to stand up and chase after the old man to return the book, the old man "accidentally" dropped another book from his bosom, seemingly on purpose but pretending not to notice. He then hurriedly walked away, so swiftly it was as if, in the words of his younger sister, there were wolves chasing after him.

By the time Lian Musu got there, the old man was gone. Picking up the book, he exclaimed in surprise to see the "Chronicles of the States in the Spring and Autumn Period"—another rare single-copy masterpiece even more precious than the last and a rare ancient text nearly impossible to find in the world.

Holding the book, Lian Musu stood still, the strange feeling inside him growing stronger. It seemed as though the old man had dropped the books intentionally, as if they were meant for him.

However, single-copy ancient texts were incredibly precious. Even replicas were immensely valuable, treasured by great families as heirlooms, passing down through generations and almost never leaked to the outside world.

Having no prior acquaintance with this old man, why would he intentionally drop such invaluable single-copy books for Lian Musu?

No matter how much he pondered, Lian Musu could not unravel this mystery, and was unable to learn who the old man was or what his name was. He decided not to dwell on it, thinking that since the man had appeared twice, he would surely appear a third or fourth time.

And indeed, over the next few days, whether Lian Musu put down a book, finished a piece of writing, or opened a window during his noon rest, the old man would appear as if by magic. Every time their gazes met, the old man would leave immediately, "accidentally" leaving behind another single-copy book each time.

This amused and frustrated Lian Musu, watching the growing collection of single-copy books, he finally understood that the old man was doing this on purpose and would never let him get close. The dropped books were clearly intended for his perusal.

Having these rare books was a test of Lian Musu’s fortitude. With that resolved, he decided not to be self-conscious, and would read them openly. As for the old man’s motives, they would eventually be revealed.

He couldn’t believe the old man would truly part with these treasured single copies!

After many occurrences, Lian Musu had realized how precious these single copies were to the old man. Not only were the books preserved in excellent condition, complete with the scent of Insect Repellent Pills, but each time the old man "accidentally" dropped one, it always fell upon a dry stone bench, thick bed of leaves, and so on—none of which seemed anything less than carefully chosen.