Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 106: Searching for a Person in the Imperial Ceremony
For the people who were watching the trial at Shuntian Prefecture Yamen, perhaps the death penalty for more than 20 people and the caning and life-long hard labor for several others were enough to satisfy them. However, for Zhang Shou, who was also watching the trial today, it was really lackluster.
There was no robbery of the court... Oh, that's not right. There was no incident of anyone brazenly breaking into the courtroom and then any earth-shattering reversal.
No criminal would confront the prefect in court, and one side would become furious and torture the other side, while the other side would remain unyielding and refuse to confess until death.
There was no sudden arrival of a messenger from the palace to bring indescribable changes to the trial.
In short, for him, the excitement was completely lost. He even expected that Ding Hai, who was a villain but a lot of talk in Cui Yun Jian, could make some achievements in court, but in the end, he honestly pleaded guilty, and the legendary Wang Fuyin did not pursue the mastermind behind the scenes.
Therefore, when he saw the runners sent by Shuntian Prefecture to loudly announce the result and the onlookers gradually dispersed, he could not help but yawn quietly.
Chu Ying, who originally thought that he was lucky today and had run into a student with good qualifications and could try to take him as his apprentice, felt extremely uncomfortable. When he stood up, he saw Zhang Shou also stood up, bowed and thanked and apologized gracefully, and said goodbye. He couldn't help but said, "I live in Yangrou Hutong, Dongcheng District. Come to my place often when you have nothing to do."
Qi Jingshan couldn't help but laugh: "Old Chu, I just lent Zhang Shou a small house, and Old Ge almost became irreconcilable with me. If he heard that you wanted to kidnap his apprentice, wouldn't he fight you to the death?"
"Hmph, I don't care!" Chu Ying said it toughly, but looking at Zhang Shou's clean and refreshing face, just like Ge Yong's in the past, he couldn't help but stepped forward and gently patted the boy's arm. "The Imperial College's mathematics department has been declining until now. It's rare that the emperor is willing to revive it. You, a doctor of mathematics, must work hard! When the Jiuzhang Hall is repaired, as long as you are willing, Lao Qi and I can go and give a few classes!"
Zhang Shou's face immediately lit up with smiles, and he bowed again, "Then I would like to thank you two gentlemen in advance on behalf of those lucky mathematics students in the Imperial College!"
Seeing Zhang Shou happily saying goodbye to Qiao Hu and Yang Hao, Chu Ying walked slowly to the window and suddenly turned his head to his old friend beside him and said, "Even if it was Lao Ge, even if it was you and me, we all liked to study the ten arithmetic books when we were young, but we still wanted to be good officials first, and then teach what we know to carefully selected students. But I seem to feel that Zhang Shou doesn't care about being an official?"
Qi Jingshan was slightly stunned, then chuckled and said, "Because he is the future son-in-law of Duke Zhao and a student of Grand Tutor Ge, and we old bones who hope to see the day when mathematics flourish will also support him. He doesn't have to fight in the officialdom like Old Ge to inherit the Ge family, nor does he have to do his best to move up first like us."
"When people have no worries, some will indulge in pleasure and sensual pleasures; but some will concentrate on studying what they like, wholeheartedly, and enjoy it. Zhang Shou... maybe he is the latter, just like the Princess Chang'an's husband back then."
Chu Ying's frown relaxed immediately, and he breathed a sigh of relief: "You are right. If you have no worries in life, you can naturally pursue your interests for life. Although you and I didn't have that ability back then, fortunately we have a long life and can still study mathematics that we have loved since childhood. Alas, it is also because of our incompetence over the years, otherwise the Jiuzhang Hall of the Imperial College would not have ended up like that."
Qi Jingshan also sighed, then smiled and said, "By the way, are you interested in going to Old Ge? The three of us didn't figure out the mystery of the thirteen letters, but a junior figured it out first. Why don't we go and figure it out now?"
"Hahaha, we can only be considered as helping. Didn't you see how anxious Minister of War Lu Wan was? Let's go and see if old man Ge has verified the calculations clearly. Humph, a teacher may not be as good as a student!"
When the two old men, who had worked hard to be officials in the first half of their lives and to study in the second half of their lives, went to Ge's Mansion on a whim, Zhang Shou, who left Zhigong Tower and continued to wander around the streets of the capital, found a place to take the two little ones to taste some famous Beijing snacks for lunch, and then unknowingly rode their horses to Dong'anmen Street in the east of the imperial city.
This was a main road leading into the palace. Soldiers in bright armor stood like stakes on the roadside, lined up neatly all the way to Dong'an Gate. What surprised him was that along this street, in addition to government offices such as Guanglu Temple and Siyi Hall that appeared on old maps of the Ming Dynasty, there were also some government offices that he had never expected.
For example...the Imperial Household Department?
Why did the Imperial Household Department come outside the palace?
The two sides of Dong'anmen Street were not part of the imperial road, and there were still ordinary people walking on the street. Although there were two soldiers in front of the gates of government offices such as Guanglu Temple and Siyi Hall, the guards were not strict. However, there were no soldiers in front of Silijian, not even a gatehouse, and passers-by all took a detour. Looking at the scene, Zhang Shou unconsciously thought of the notorious factory guards.
Out of curiosity, he took Qiao Hu and Yang Hao, who were also from the countryside, and walked slowly over to the gate of the Imperial Household Department and looked inside twice. Even so, no burly man came out of the gate to yell or curse, and there was no movement at all, as if it was just a deserted place.
Thinking of the request Chu Kuan had made in Yuehua Tower before, he thought that he had already taken office as the doctor of the Imperial College, but Chu Kuan still had no answer for the student's matter, so he simply walked to the high threshold, leaned out and called out: "Excuse me, is there anyone there?"
Hearing no movement from inside the door, Yang Hao and Qiao Hu looked at each other. The two little guys, who had just drunk a lot of tea and snacks in the teahouse and were full, immediately rushed forward.
"Young sir, are you looking for someone? Do you want us to go in and ask around for you?"
"My voice is loud, I'll call for help!"
Whether it was the pedestrians on the road or the soldiers in the nearby government offices, everyone couldn't help but look at him sideways. Where did this country boy come from? How dare he approach this deserted place without knowing the sky and earth, and even make a fuss? However, when they saw Zhang Shou's face clearly, most people couldn't help but feel annoyed. Just because he is good-looking, he can go and provoke the outer government office of the Silijian that everyone avoids?
Although Zhang Shou stopped the two energetic kids in a bad mood, the noisy movement finally alarmed the people inside. After a while, a middle-aged man in a gray-brown robe appeared in front of them. This man had a plump round face and small eyes. At first glance, he looked like a wealthy man. After meeting Zhang Shou, he smiled and spoke.
"Who are you looking for, young master?"
The people who were secretly watching this place held their breath, waiting for the famous smiling tiger of the Imperial Household Department to suddenly turn hostile after hearing the answer. However, they were all stunned in an instant.
"I'm looking for Eunuch Chu. Is he here?"
The eunuch Lu Chan, who smiled most of the time but was more ferocious than a ghost when angry, was also stunned. He stared at Zhang Shou from head to toe for a long time, and finally realized what was going on.
"Oh, it's you! My ancestors were just talking about you! What a rare guest! Please come in, please come in!"
Seeing that the young man who was previously considered to be reckless and ignorant was actually invited into the Imperial Household Department with great courtesy, many people dropped their gazes. Soon, the news spread like a tornado to all the nearby government offices.
The second prince who had been confined in the palace by the emperor was finally released and had already entered the outer court of the Imperial Household Department!
Why the Second Prince? Isn't that nonsense? It is said that the Second Prince is handsome, dignified, and kind to others, but he seldom leaves the palace, and when he does, he never goes through the Dong'an Gate, so they don't see him very often. But those descriptions alone match the appearance of the young man just now.
Besides, if he wasn't the second prince, would the smiling tiger Lu Chan be so respectful to others? And he said that his ancestor, the eunuch Chu Kuanchu who would become the number one figure in the Silijian in the future, was talking behind his back?
After Zhang Shou entered the Imperial Household Department, he took a quick look at the simple but not shabby houses on both sides. He asked the middle-aged man who was leading the way with a curious tone: "Uncle, do you recognize me? May I ask your name?"
The other person spoke in a strong voice, and a few whiskers could be vaguely seen on his chin, which was different from the Chang Ning he had seen before, who claimed to serve Concubine Yu. If he really wasn't a eunuch, he would call him "eunuch". It wouldn't matter if he made a fool of himself, but it would be more troublesome to offend people.
Anyway, he comes from an era where men are called handsome guys and women are called beauties. Without knowing the other person's background, calling him uncle won't be a loss.
Uncle… Lü Chan couldn't help but pause. From Little Lü or Little Chan when he entered the palace, to Eunuch Lü and General Manager Lü, few people called him that, except when he occasionally went to the market in casual clothes and those hawkers who didn't know the truth would enthusiastically call him once or twice.
But it's rare to hear this title, and it's more intimate than father-in-law or steward...
Therefore, Lu Chan was stunned for a long time, and then he smiled and said: "Dr. Zhang's appearance is so good that you can't find him in the whole capital. How can I be an exception? I am Lu Chan, the attendant of the Imperial Household Department. Eunuch Chu is my ancestor. He often mentions you! He is not on duty in front of the emperor today, but happens to be here. You are lucky to come here!"
