Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 207: Please Be the Touchstone
There were seventeen people who requested special tutoring, slightly less than the number of people who had studied in Cuiyun Room, but slightly more than Zhang Shou expected. After all, in addition to Zhang Chen, there were others who came from good families and should not have trouble finding a marriage. And after the initial ridiculous mood passed, he understood the mood of these people.
Just like what he said when he taught Zhu Er, maybe these people didn't really want to marry the princess or the princess to achieve a happy marriage, but they definitely wanted to show themselves in front of the emperor and gain attention. In this way, even if they might not be able to become the royal son-in-law, other families might pay attention to them.
However, Zhang Shou was really helpless. If it was a love guide, maybe he could still use his seemingly rich experience in his previous life to make a cameo appearance. The problem was that it was easy to meet Princess Deyang once, it was also easy to take a look at Princess Yongping from a distance, and it might not be difficult to meet the two princesses, but forget about talking. However, what he was asked to teach now was how to deal with his father-in-law?
At this moment, seeing these noble children skipping the afternoon elective class and begging him to hand over Jiuzhangtang to Lu Sanlang to teach for the whole afternoon, and all crowded into the Xiao family compound, Zhang Shou couldn't help rubbing his temples, and then said unhappily: "Some things can only be understood, not expressed in words. What do you want me to tell you?"
Zhang Lu was the most slick, and was the first to apologize with a smile: "Young Master, how about we do the same as before, and you come one by one and give instructions in private?"
"Okay." Zhang Shou also felt a little awkward facing so many expectant looks, so he immediately accepted it. "Think about what you want to ask, and then come in one by one. I can't guarantee that what I say will be useful to you later..."
He had just said this when Ah Liu's abrupt voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Eunuch Chu is here."
When the three words "Eunuch Chu" were heard by all the civil and military officials in the court, they couldn't help but think about it, not to mention the noble children in the courtyard? For a moment, everyone was busy and panicked, and even Zhang Wu and Zhang Lu begged them to come over for life and death - of course, Zhang Chen, who actually wanted to ask a few questions, was no exception - because he never expected that his mother would report him directly without asking him!
At this moment, they saw Zhang Shou's action with a clear meaning. Zhang Shou pointed directly at the house behind him!
In an instant, Zhang Chen took the lead, and a large number of young masters rushed into the house, listening carefully and curiously to the movements outside. As for those who occupied various advantageous positions such as door and window gaps, they secretly peeked outside.
Soon, they heard a very friendly voice: "Is Dr. Zhang here?"
"Eunuch Chu, you really have great eyesight and hearing. How did you know I was here?" Zhang Shou had already reached the door while he was speaking. Although he knew that with Ah Liu's hearing and vision, he would not report it until Chu Kuan really arrived at the door, but he still wanted to give the young masters inside some time and space to hide. When he saw Chu Kuan getting off his horse and bowing with a smile, he returned the greeting.
"I'm not a clairvoyant or a super-ears person. I went to the Jiuzhang Hall of the Imperial College first and listened to the lecture of the little fat man from the Lu family. After asking him questions, I came here on purpose." Chu Kuan said as he glanced at the low wall calmly, but did not go in. Instead, he sighed and said, "Who would have thought that a man as strong and upright as Liu Shilang in the past would live in seclusion here after retiring."
Zhang Shou knew that Chu Kuan must have said this because he had mistaken the location of this place and the blacksmith shop next door. He was most likely hinting that Zhu Ying's elder brother Zhu Tingfang had known about this place for a long time and was studying here. He immediately laughed and said, "Everyone has their own aspirations, and we can't force them."
Chu Kuan was naturally dissatisfied with such frivolous words. However, this time and place was not a good opportunity for a long conversation, so he could only smile and change the subject: "I am here to tell you, Dr. Zhang. Although the Ministry of Rites has not yet conducted the initial screening, the Emperor saw the list of candidates and said with a smile that the daughters of the royal family have good family education and will not have trouble finding a husband, so he invited Dr. Zhang to come and make the selection."
What does this mean?
Zhang Shou was stunned for a moment. He didn't think that the emperor actually encouraged him to apply for the election, but if Chu Kuan meant that the emperor wanted him to be an interviewer to interview the prospective son-in-law and niece-in-law, what kind of mentality was this? After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help coughing twice: "This... isn't it inappropriate?"
Zhang Shou let the group of noble children go into the house first to avoid Chu Kuan in order to avoid embarrassment. He did not expect to hide it from Chu Kuan, so he deliberately looked inside the door and whispered, "Besides, there should be many students I have taught among those who have applied for the election. Since the emperor said that he will select them personally, I am just an outsider, which is not quite appropriate..."
He swallowed the word "rules" and said it in a different way: "This is not very reasonable."
Chu Kuan expected Zhang Shou to have such a reaction, so he immediately stepped forward and lowered his voice with a sincere face: "The emperor has asked the Ministry of Rites to set the rules. After the initial screening, eighty people will be kept. Then, together with Chen Shangshu and two vice ministers from the Ministry of Rites, I will look at their appearance, ask about their family background, explore their temperament, listen to their voices and identify their appearance, and keep forty people. The emperor will meet these forty people one by one."
Isn't this none of my business? Zhang Shou was thinking this, but he saw Chu Kuan smiling at him.
"When the Emperor meets them in person, please ask Dr. Zhang to accompany him."
Chu Kuan was stunned when he saw Zhang Shou. Although he felt that the emperor was joking when he told him to do this, he still had to laugh dryly and finish his words: "The emperor said that after seeing a peer like you, Dr. Zhang, who is outstanding in appearance and talent, some people will inevitably try their best to show themselves because of their momentary desire to win, while others will inevitably shrink back because of the excessive blow."
"A person who can remain calm despite being surrounded by precious gems, at least has a good temperament, if not talent."
What pearls and jade are there beside you... So, Your Majesty, you are putting me aside as a touchstone, right?
Zhang Shou was amused and surprised, but he also had to sigh at the emperor's creativity. However, for the nobles who had never seen him, this was indeed very practical, because as long as he sat there, those who saw him, those who thought highly of themselves would definitely want to compare themselves with him, while those who lacked confidence would worry that the emperor would compare them with him, which was a good way to screen people.
But... for those noble children who had been his students for quite some time, his presence beside them was not only not a deterrent, but was definitely an encouragement! Because they had long been accustomed to his presence!
He couldn't help but laugh: "Your Majesty, is this clearly a sign that you want to give the students of Banshan Hall a chance?"
Seeing that Zhang Shou had understood, Chu Kuan couldn't help but chuckle: "Whatever Dr. Zhang wants to think, that's your own business. Of course, after each meeting, the emperor will still ask you about your evaluation and impression of those people. The emperor really wants to test you, Dr. Zhang, what are your thoughts on judging people."
Seeing Chu Kuan finish his words, nod with a smile, and then leave leisurely, Zhang Shou stood there and thought for a moment, then shook his head and smiled. He turned back to the gate of the yard and shouted angrily: "Have you all had enough of peeping?"
As he said this, the two peepers who had torn the door curtain into a mess slipped out first, followed by the others. When they gathered in the yard again, he said unhappily, "Alright, alright, go away!"
When they found out that Zhang Shou had actually overturned his previous promise, everyone's hearts suddenly sank. Zhang Chen was the first one who couldn't help but ask, "What's the matter? Did Eunuch Chu say something to him? He even wants to interfere with your guidance of students, young master?"
"Meeting the Emperor is a very personal matter. I don't even know what the Emperor is asking, so how can I guide you? However, Eunuch Chu did pass on a message just now. The Emperor ordered that when he makes the final selection, I will follow him and do some consultation and evaluation. If you want me to say good things about you, then perform well first and pass the preliminary screening and re-selection first!"
Huh? When they vaguely heard the words "select one" just now, they felt strange. They didn't expect that the emperor would actually choose Zhang Shou to join the selection!
For a moment, everyone was stunned, but when Zhang Lu cheered, the others also reacted, and cheers rose one after another. With Zhang Shou, they would be much more confident when they met the emperor, but it was different for others. With Zhang Shou accompanying the emperor, everyone would feel uneasy when they saw him, regardless of whether they were men or women.
"Keep your mouth shut. Don't let the news spread throughout the city today or the next day. Remember to be honest when you meet the emperor."
"Yes, yes, of course! Everyone should keep their mouths shut. The more people know, the less chance there will be of catching people by surprise when they see the young master later. Everyone should know what the result will be then!" Zhang Lu immediately echoed loudly.
"Don't worry, young sir. We will keep it to ourselves and never tell anyone, or they will laugh at us later!"
So, under Zhang Shou's drive again, everyone dispersed happily. Zhang Shou breathed a sigh of relief and went back into the house. When he arrived at the east room, he saw Xiao Cheng still practicing calligraphy seriously. It was obvious that the little guy had not stopped writing in such a noisy and messy environment.
He stood behind the man and watched for a while. He saw that the handwriting was very similar to the handwriting of Zhu Ying's elder brother Zhu Tingfang, who he had seen before. He patted his shoulder thoughtfully. It was not until the man came to his senses and turned to look at him in surprise that he asked, "Xiao Cheng, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"
Xiao Cheng, who still held the brush in his right hand, did not answer, but the fingers holding the brush could not help but tremble slightly. After a long while, he whispered, "I want to be a general like Brother Zhu... I want to fight behind him in the future!"
This is really an ambition born from admiration and imitation...
Zhang Shou sighed in his heart, then touched his chubby head and said word by word: "Work hard, I will tell the Madam later to ask the person who taught you Brother Zhu to teach you martial arts, and you will definitely achieve your wish!"
Xiao Cheng suddenly turned around and saw Zhang Shou striding out. He couldn't help biting his lips tightly, feeling indescribably complicated. He didn't know who Brother Zhu was before, nor did he know where to ask or who to ask, but now he gradually understood. It turned out that Brother Zhu was the eldest son of the Duke of Zhao who had led troops to attack but disappeared, and who was talked about by countless people on the streets!
But he didn't believe that Brother Zhu would lose the battle, he would definitely return safely!
Although Zhang Shou had never met Zhu Ying's eldest brother, whether it was Zhu Ying's or Zhu Er's attitude towards their eldest brother, or the lady's trust and expectations for her eldest grandson, as well as the information he had heard in recent days, he already had a general impression that the eldest son of the Duke of Zhao was a capable and ambitious person, extremely self-disciplined, and hated evil.
However, even though the Madam had confirmed that the situation on the Duke of Zhao's side seemed to be good, Zhu Tingfang was still missing. He had to consider the worst, and he woke up Zhu Er for this reason. It was rare for a prodigal son to turn over a new leaf and become a genius, and Zhu Er was not someone who had that kind of talent and luck.
Therefore, marrying a royal family girl who the emperor is willing to officiate at is a good choice. Obviously, the lady also thinks so, otherwise, Zhu Er's name would not appear on the list of the Ministry of Rites.
Since Xiao Cheng was unwilling to move to the Duke of Zhao's Mansion, the Lady Dowager and Jiu Niang discussed it and decided to pick a mature cook in her early thirties from their home. They had originally planned to pick two more servants, but after Zhang Shou's persuasion, they finally agreed to let Yang Hao and Qiao Dang, two teenage country boys, accompany Xiao Cheng, but they also sent several guards with good martial arts to look after the house.
One is to protect the child that Zhu Tingfang also values, and the other is to help Zhang Shou look after the blacksmith shop next door. Zhang Shou didn't know that if the blacksmith shop he just bought through Lu Sanlang had not been removed and had not been doing daily business recently, the lady and Jiu Niang would have used their secret relationship to bring him big business.
Since the class had already been given to Lu Sanlang, Zhang Shou was not in a hurry to return to the Imperial College. He first went to see the progress of Luo Xiaoxiao, Zhao Si and Guan Qiu. He saw that Zhao Si had further improved and enriched the details of the drawings in his abstract style and was ready to start trial production. Luo Xiaoxiao had also obtained a lot of steel materials of different sizes from Zhang the blacksmith, while Guan Qiu seemed to be not doing his job properly.
There were several wooden racks in front of him, with different , which were swinging at different heights. Seeing the young man staring at these simple pendulums with almost the same speed with red eyes, as if trying to figure out the principle, Zhang Shou couldn't help but sigh softly.
"Don't try again. Ideally, if the pendulums are the same length, their periods will be the same."
Guan Qiu looked back blankly, but his eyes, which had been slightly sunken, suddenly began to shine with a different light: "Doesn't that mean that using something like this can also accurately calculate time?"
Facing the expectant gaze, Zhang Shou smiled immediately: "That's right."
