Chapter 14 History Explanation
Xie Bi'an handed over a note: "Your Highness, this is the only living person in Shijia Town."
Li Chengze looked at the name on it and without hesitation, he crushed it into pieces:
"Chun Wei! I remember that in the original novel, he was the only one who didn't go to high school. Should I care or not?"
This is really a hot potato!
“Forget it, let’s go take a look. After all, it was because of me, Shijiazhen, that the prince was massacred.”
"By the way, Bi'an, go find Fan Xian and ask him to come with me."
"Yes, Your Highness"
…
Li Chengze dressed in elegant student clothes and cleverly disguised himself as an exam candidate. He and Fan Xian quietly blended into the team of candidates who were busy preparing for the construction of the examination room.
On the eve of spring, the Ministry of Rites was nervously and orderly setting up the examination room. One of the special arrangements attracted a lot of attention - candidates who participated in the construction of the examination room would not only receive food guarantees, but also receive bounties.
This move undoubtedly provided a valuable source of livelihood for many poor scholars, allowing them to eke out a living amid the high cost of living in the capital.
However, among this group of people, there are also those who have other thoughts.
They may hope to leave a deep impression on the examiners by participating in the construction with their own hands, so as to add support to the future imperial examination.
For example, at this moment, Hou Jichang saw two new helper candidates. They had fair faces and delicate hands. They were obviously not people who had worked for a long time, and he couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Could it be that they were trying to win the favor of the examiner in this way just like me?
Fan Xian saw this and wittily weaved a lie:
"Brother Hou, how are you? I'm Fan. I'm here to help with the construction and earn some bounty money to support my family."
Hou Jichang and Shi Chanli nodded in response, then turned their eyes to the extraordinary Li Chengze beside them, secretly trying to figure out his true purpose.
Li Chengze smiled slightly and glanced across the crowd, finally landing on Guo Shangshu who was resting under the pergola. He seemed to have something profound to say.
Hou Jichang immediately understood and thought to himself: "It turns out that we are the same people."
He took the initiative to step forward and tried to close the relationship: "Brother Li's charming style will definitely impress Lord Shangshu."
The four people immediately worked side by side and began to move the building materials.
Although Xie Bi'an and others who were waiting on the side tried their best to hide their figures, Li Chengze, a member of the royal family, was surrounded by attendants and guards, so it was difficult to completely avoid attracting attention.
They were worried about His Highness's first attempt at manual labor, and they couldn't help but have many speculations about Li Chengze's true identity - maybe he was a descendant of a wealthy noble family who was experiencing life, or looking for talents for the family?
Hou Jichang was keenly aware of the opportunity for conversation. He took the opportunity to take the slate from Li Chengze's hand and said tentatively with a smile on his face: "Brother Li has an extraordinary bearing. He must be from a famous family. I wonder if you can tell me something about who you are." Which noble man?"
Fan Xian suppressed a smile on the side. He knew that the identity of this "young master from which family" was not simple. He was of true royal blood.
However, Li Chengze responded with humility: "Brother Hou is serious, I am just a businessman from the south of the Yangtze River. Although my family background is decent, I have no official background. The word 'young master' is not true." Dare to do it.”
Hou Jichang couldn't help scratching his head when he heard this, and exchanged a confused look with Shi Chanli, becoming even more curious about Li Chengze's identity.
Do you think what he said is true?
Shi Chanli showed extraordinary insight. He pointed lightly at the edge of the examination room, where several people with strong martial arts skills seemed to be walking around casually, but in fact they were frequently paying attention to Li Chengze from the corner of their eyes. He smiled. Said:
"If Brother Li is not the son of a prominent family in Kyoto, why do you attract the attention of these attendants? Their behavior clearly shows that they regard you as their noble master."
Fan Xian secretly admired this talented historian who looked simple and honest, but was actually very thoughtful.
At a glance, he saw through the subtle relationship between Li Chengze and his attendants, and thought to himself: If this son can be taken under his command in the future, he will definitely become a great leader. Right-hand man.
Hearing this, Li Chengze pretended to smile in surprise and said, "Brother Shi, if I say that they are strangers to me, would you believe it?"
Shi Chanli and Hou Jichang looked at each other and smiled, both shaking their heads in disbelief. At this time, Yang Wanli appeared at the right time, breaking the delicate atmosphere with his unique bluntness. He reminded everyone: "The purpose of our trip is to contribute to the construction of the examination center. This is a major event, so don't be distracted by chatting. "
Hou Jichang heard the words, his cheeks were slightly red, and he was speechless for a moment.
Shi Chanli nodded in agreement, then gathered his mind and focused on the bricks in his hands.
Li Chengze and Fan Xian each carried baskets filled with stones. For martial arts practitioners, this weight is nothing.
However, Hou Jichang insisted on sharing the burden for Li Chengze. He moved the stones in Li Chengze's basket into his own basket and said with a smile: "Brother Li is a talented man from the south of the Yangtze River. How can you do such rough work yourself? I should do it." Do it for me.”
Li Chengze declined with a smile: "Brother Hou has good intentions. Although I am weak, I am not incapable of restraining a chicken."
Hou Jichang laughed in a low voice and said: "Brother Li, don't worry, I will return the credit to you when you are in front of Lord Shangshu."
Li Chengze had no choice but to let him go, but he had a deeper understanding of Brother Hou's tact. He silently observed the three candidates and made a secret judgment in his heart:
Hou Jichang is good at observing people's emotions and has a sophisticated understanding of people. It is indeed a pleasure to get along with him, but this pleasure is based on the exchange of interests and lacks sincerity.
"This person is good at flattering the powerful. Once his master loses power, he will probably get worse."
Looking back at Shi Shanli, he not only has keen observation, but also his sobriety and self-awareness that are rare.
Although he was also aware of Li Chengze's extraordinary status, he did not have any intention of following others. Instead, he chose to complete his work down-to-earth, maintaining an appropriate distance and respect for Li Chengze's status.
"This is a trustworthy and loyal person who can handle things and knows how to advance and retreat."
Li Chengze silently praised Shi Chanli in his heart, and then turned his attention to Yang Wanli, who was working silently and rarely talked to others.
This student may be regarded as a "nerd" in the eyes of the world. He only immerses himself in studying and is not familiar with worldly affairs. He even seems a bit lonely.
However, Li Chengze saw the rare wisdom and foolishness in it.
"Although this man may not show off his talent, he hides profound wisdom."
Chengze thought to himself, and at the same time quietly observed this cooperation, selecting talents who might be his helpers in the future.
As for the legendary Cheng Jialin, I have only heard of his name but never seen him. He seems to have various reasons to avoid everyone, which adds to the mystery.
While everyone was busy, Shi Chanli accidentally discovered the subtle differences between the raw materials and substitutes while transporting materials. He quickly summoned other students, and Li Chengze and Fan Xian also heard the news. Hou Jixian noticed the situation and curiously asked the reason.
Shi Chanli felt a little bit of Hou Jichang's rudeness, but he didn't show it. Just as he was about to speak, Li Chengze had already taken the lead and said in an approving tone:
"Brother Shi has a really sharp eye, and he can see the secret at a glance."
When Shi Chanli heard this, he was secretly proud of himself, but remained calm on the surface. He turned to explain to Hou Jichang, who looked confused: "The golden nanmu and gold bricks that were originally supposed to be used have been secretly replaced by Cheaper materials, much lower quality.”
Li Chengze nodded in agreement: "Indeed, golden nanmu is a precious material in the north and rare here, but it was replaced with ordinary wood and slate. Not only did the cost drop significantly, but it also seriously affected the durability and safety of the examination room. "
After Hou Jichang heard this, he quickly expressed his kindness to Li Chengze out of embarrassment: "Brother Li is so knowledgeable and talented that I can't match him. I will ask for more advice in the future."
Although Li Chengze felt that Hou Jichang's flattery was a bit flattering, he still kept a smile on his face.
At this time, Shi Chanli cast a scrutinizing gaze, seeming to be curious about Li Chengze's ability to identify golden nanmu so quickly: "Brother Li, as a southerner, you are not familiar with golden nanmu, a specialty of the north. It’s so admirable to be so familiar.”
Li Chengze's heart changed, and he immediately replied in a relaxed tone:
"Haha, I just have a wide range of hobbies. I occasionally read some miscellaneous books and happened to remember them."
These words not only resolved Shi Chanli's doubts, but also demonstrated his knowledge and humility.
(End of chapter)