Volume 2: Residence in the Capital Chapter 81 I want to be the head monk!
After a home-cooked meal, Zhang Shou did not follow Wu's nagging and go to bed early, but let Ah Liu accompany him out of the house and headed for Cuiyun Room. He knew what kind of dandy boys were like - after all, he had been a dandy boy who didn't know his place - so he believed that when he was around, those people would still abide by the rules, but when he was not around, they would probably go crazy.
Anyway, Cuiyunjian was in the bamboo forest, and the villagers would not know what they were doing. When he left, he did not ask the villagers to go over there to have a look, because he thought it would be useless to look there. Could it be that Yang Laoguan could keep an eye on Lu Sanlang and Zhang Chen?
At this moment, he followed Ah Liu, walking on the path that led directly to Shuibo Buxing Pavilion. The moon in the sky was still bright white, but it was impossible for it to be round, as it was missing a large piece. The bright moonlight sprinkled through the gaps between the bamboo leaves, and with the lantern in Ah Liu's hand, he could barely see the road under his feet.
When he finally saw the bamboo house in front of him , Zhang Shou saw Ah Liu suddenly turn around. Under the light, his face, which had no particular features, seemed to be somewhat unpredictable, like an actor under the light on the stage.
"Master, do you want to turn off the lights?"
Zhang Shou couldn't help but laugh when he heard Ah Liu ask such a ridiculous question. Then he felt as if he was watching a teacher checking the dormitory in the middle of the night. He smiled and shook his head, saying, "No need. I don't intend to make an example of them. I just came to take a look and talk to them. As long as they didn't set the house on fire, it's fine..."
At this moment, Zhang Shou suddenly heard a loud cry like a broken gong: "The fire is breaking!"
I'm not really such a pessimist, am I? This is the second time!
Zhang Shou was stunned. Then, he saw Ah Liu scurried out like a rabbit, taking the lantern with him! It took him a while to react. He hurried forward, but he couldn't catch up with the boy in front of him. When he arrived at Shuibo Buxing Pavilion, he smelled smoke. This time, he couldn't help but say, "Oh no!"
You know, there were no high-pressure water guns these days, and a fire would often burn a large area!
These bastards wouldn’t really go so far as to burn down this bamboo house and this bamboo forest, would they?
However, when he hurried to the noisy place, he did not see any fire, but only saw thick smoke and heard earth-shaking coughs. He pushed people aside without saying a word and squeezed forward. The people he pushed aside were very unhappy at first, but when they turned their heads and saw him, they shut up immediately. Finally, Zhang Lu, who reacted quickly, shouted hurriedly.
"The little gentleman is here!"
In an instant, the crowd dispersed, and Zhang Shou felt that the road ahead was suddenly clear. He hurried to the front and saw two people coughing and covered in dust on the ground. They were Zhang Chen and Lu Sanlang.
Knowing that these two people had always been at odds, he couldn't help but feel more confused. When he looked up at the house where thick smoke was coming out, he saw Ah Liu with his face covered by a black scarf, carrying a basin and walking out of the door. There was still thick smoke coming out of the basin.
"What's the matter?"
When Lu Sanlang looked up, he found Zhang Shou coming. He wanted to explain, but his throat was unable to speak. Just when he was getting anxious, he heard Zhang Shou say in a bad mood: "Are you trying to set the house on fire? Do you know that most people in a burning house are not burned to death, but smoked to death? It's not cold enough to warm yourself by the fire, is it?"
Lu Sanlang and Zhang Chen were unable to answer for a moment, but Zhang Lu on the side rushed to say, "Young sir, Brother Chen and Fatty Lu made a bet on reciting a book. Whoever can't recite it will burn the book and drink the ashes with water. They are just joking!"
What kind of bet endorsement? It was clearly a game of mahjong, and the bet was that whoever lost would eat all the mahjong cards… Zhang Chen lost and refused to admit it, so Lu Sanlang lit a fire and burned all the mahjong cards. Zhang Chen was so angry that he poured wine into the fire. Anyway, in the end, it looked like the game was about to catch fire!
Zhang Wu opened his mouth, wanting to expose this trick, but before he could say anything, Zhang Shou stepped forward with a sullen face, used the stick that Ah Liu handed over to hold the lantern to rummage through the ash basin, and found a few mahjong cards that were not completely burned. Knowing that he didn't need to offend others by talking too much, Zhang Wu immediately shut up.
After finding the remaining cards, Zhang Shou chuckled, stood up, returned the stick to Ah Liu, and then clapped his hands.
"This is the first time I know that Mahjong can be called a book." He glanced at the guys with different expressions around him, and then he looked at Lu Sanlang and said, "Lu San, I have only been in Beijing for two days. I handed over Cuijun Room to you. Are you here to manage things just to play Mahjong?"
"No, no!" Lu Sanlang quickly stood up and explained hurriedly , "Zhang Chen refused to obey, so I had to make a bet with him..."
Zhang Chen was immediately furious. What do you mean I don't obey discipline? Why do I need you to discipline me? However, his voice hadn't recovered yet, so he could only glare at Lu Sanlang. It was obviously you who cheated, and you forced me to drink water mixed with ashes from the burned Mahjong tiles, and now you blame me!
Before Zhang Chen could utter a word, Zhang Shou said calmly, "The weather is going to get cold. Although you have renovated the Cuijun Room, by that time, it will be too cold to live in the bamboo forest. So, it's time for you to return to the capital!"
Lu Sanlang was shocked. Others might just want to get the reputation of being a disciple of the Ge Sect, but he really liked what Zhang Shou taught him. Therefore, he immediately shouted without thinking: "How can this be possible!"
However, almost in unison, Zhang Chen objected: "How can this be possible!"
Zhang Shou was finding it interesting, but in a flash the two of them were glaring at each other again. Lu Sanlang cursed him as a parrot, while Zhang Chen got so angry that he shouted, "You're clearly imitating me."
Seeing that the two men were about to grab each other's collars, he could only scold in a deep voice: "Is that enough? The two of you who don't want to go back to the capital, stand aside first, and the rest of you talk one by one!"
Everyone knew that Lu Sanlang was doing well here, but most of the dandies had never expected that Zhang Chen would not want to go back and live a carefree life. At this moment, everyone looked at each other, all hesitant and unwilling to express their opinions.
They had known for a long time that they had no hope of marrying the eldest daughter, but compared to Zhu Ying's previous attitude of disdain towards them, they could hold on to the support of the Duke of Zhao's Mansion. And they did not intend to give up the halo of being a disciple of the Ge Sect, otherwise, why would the guys who had sneaked back to help Ge Yong print books come back specially?
In the silence, Zhang Shou saw that Zhang Wu seemed to want to speak, so he looked at this guy who had been the first to flatter him and stopped him. Then he said calmly, "It doesn't mean that you will no longer be disciples of Ge Men when you return to Beijing. I forgot to say that the reward for my visit to Beijing that night to capture all the rebels has come down, and I have been awarded a small official position as a doctor of the Imperial College."
"As for your rewards, I guess we have to go back to Beijing to get them. I heard from the teacher that you are all students of the Imperial Academy? Well, after you return to Beijing, you should come to the Imperial Academy and study hard, leaving Zhang Chen and Lu Sanlang to sit in the Cuiyun Room and blow the northwest wind!"
Originally he didn't want these students, but now he has changed his mind. If he keeps these children of noble families with good backgrounds, at least he will have a team!
A minor official who got a doctorate from the Imperial College...
A bunch of dandies wanted to kneel down after hearing this. The rules set by Emperor Taizu were that the children of meritorious officials and officials could enter the Imperial Academy to study as long as their elders held high enough official positions. However... you had no choice but to study!
Although the rules are not so strict now, and they may work for three days and rest for two days and often take leave, they are still students. When they want to have fun, they will definitely avoid academic officials like the Doctor of the Imperial College.
Just like Xie Wanquan, the head monk, could criticize Zhang Chen for being unlearned and unskillful, they had also been subjected to such scolding many times!
And they had to endure it, and dared not say a word when they returned home. Because those who could become doctors in the Imperial College were all literary rookies valued by the bigwigs at the level of Grand Secretary and Shangshu in the court, and they would be future high-ranking officials. When their family elders knew that they were scolded, they would only praise them for the scolding!
In this tense atmosphere, Lu Sanlang actually laughed out loud, then he stepped forward and said with a very flattering smile: "Young Master, this visit to the Imperial College is really a way to clear up the past. I will definitely go to the Imperial College every day! However, young master, you always need one or two close friends. I want to be the head of the dormitory. Do you think it's okay?"
Hearing this last sentence, Zhang Shou couldn't help but smile, remembering the time in his previous life when he volunteered to be the class monitor. He said calmly, "Sure, as long as you can get the first place in the math test on the first day of class, I'll let you be the class monitor!"
Lu Sanlang may not be good at other things, but he is really good at mathematics! Could it be possible that he will really be made the head of the dormitory?
The problem is that the six halls of the Imperial College should all be full. Which hall will Zhang Shou be in charge of in the future? Which hall will Lu Sanlang be the head of?
This time, there was a sound of people gasping for air all around. At the age of seventeen, Xie Wanquan was already the youngest head of the Imperial College in history. Seeing that Lu Sanlang, the representative of the unlearned and unskilled children of the nobles in the capital, could break the record?
But then, many people suddenly realized that Lu Sanlang was nothing, Zhang Shou was the one who broke the record of the youngest doctor of the Imperial College! Remember that the youngest doctor of the Imperial College in the Imperial College is at least 24 or 25 years old!
