The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 029 My Junior Brother Is Very Good-looking
The sound of the qin gently echoed through the lush, flourishing trees in the garden. From a distance came the sound of voices, with Fu Wei's intentionally stern scolding: "Early in the morning, where did you go to slack off again? You little rascal, am I too old to discipline you now? Tell me, where did you go to nap?"
A crisp young voice replied, "Sir, you're wronging me! How could I slack off? I went to find music sheets for Wang xianggong!"
"Oh, daring to use Zi Feng as an excuse? I'll have to ask him if that's true!"
Fu Wei walked into the garden with the page boys Wen Shu and Fu Qin.
These two page boys looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, their small statures making them appear much shorter beside Fu Wei. Seeing Wang Zhen sitting in the pavilion playing the qin, Fu Wei stepped onto the wooden corridor and entered the pavilion. The two page boys stayed outside, waiting without entering.
Fu Wei immediately said, "Zi Feng, did you send Fu Qin to find music sheets for you?"
The moment his teacher entered, Wang Zhen had already stopped playing the qin. He stood up, making room for Fu Wei to sit down. Upon hearing this, he lifted his eyes to glance at the page boy Fu Qin outside the pavilion. The boy, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, nervously blinked at him, almost in tears. Wang Zhen smiled slightly, "There might be some truth to that."
Fu Wei: "..."
After a moment, "Really?"
"Really."
"..."
"You, Wang Zifeng, helping that boy instead of your teacher. This life is unbearable!"
Wang Zhen didn't respond. Instead, he said to the two page boys outside the pavilion, "Pour a cup of biluochun for sir, the tea I brought back from Jiangnan a few days ago."
"Got it!"
The two page boys seized the opportunity to slip away, leaving Fu Wei fuming. He pointed a finger at Wang Zhen, about to scold him as an ungrateful student, but just as he uttered the first word, Wang Zhen turned to look at him, his gaze clear and calm. Fu Wei immediately lost his steam and chuckled, "Zi Feng, that biluochun you brought back from Jiangnan is indeed excellent, very fragrant!"
Wang Zhen asked, "Have you played with birds and watered flowers today?"
Fu Wei: "Not yet. I still haven't found that book, ‘Tales of Weijing.' By the way, when did you arrive? You didn't notify me in advance. Why did you suddenly want to play the qin? Oh, this qin... Isn't this the jade qin I recently acquired at great expense after searching for it in Jiangnan for six months?"
Wang Zhen replied, "It's a good qin."
Fu Wei: "..."
Fu Wei said, "Zi Feng..."
Wang Zhen looked up at him, “En?"
Fu Wei: "You, you, you... This life is unbearable!"
Fu Wei felt quite aggrieved. If Tang Shen were still here, he would have been greatly surprised by Fu Wei's current state. Sitting in the pavilion, Fu Wei petted his precious jade qin with a heavy heart. Clad in white, Wang Zhen took some fish food and stood by the pond, feeding the fish. These two didn't look like a teacher and student. When the two page boys brought the biluochun tea, Fu Wei vented his frustration.
"Wen Shu, Fu Qin, look at this Wang Zifeng. Is he still..." Is he still human? He didn't dare say that out loud and changed his words: "Is he still my good student? I just acquired this qin, and he took it out to play. Wait a minute, wasn't this qin stored away? How did Wang Zifeng get it?"
The two page boys looked up at the sky.
Fu Wei: "..."
Ungrateful student, ungrateful page boys!
This life is unbearable!
After drinking the tea, Wang Zhen's page boy entered the garden and handed him a sheet of music. Wang Zhen said, "Sir, would you like to continue sitting here drinking tea, or do you want to hear me play the qin?"
Everyone knew that Wang Zifeng of Langya excelled in all the arts, including music, calligraphy, and painting. However, Fu Xiru, known for his qin playing, was still angry with Wang Zhen. He snorted, "Do you think you play better than me?"
The page boy Fu Qin thought: Just who's better? Don't you have a clue?
Wang Zhen said, "I just found 'Guangling San' yesterday. Today, I came specifically to play it for you on the jade qin."
Fu Wei suddenly stood up, "Is it the complete score of the 'Guangling San' that has been lost for over thirty years?"
"It is."
"Hahaha, so that's why you took the jade qin. Zi Feng, you truly are my good student!"
In the pavilion, Wang Zhen played the qin while Fu Wei listened with his eyes closed. Outside, page boy Wen Shu, skilled in qin playing, was immersed in the music, while page boy Fu Qin, not as adept, tried his best to learn by watching but was left bewildered. After Wang Zhen finished playing, he could only struggle out three words, "It's really good!"
Talent truly leaves one without a choice.
Fu Wei's mood improved. Wang Zhen tossed the remaining fish food into the pond, preparing to return to his post at the Ministry of Revenue. Fu Wei had never thought about how Wang Zhen, who was supposed to be on duty, managed to come here specifically to play the qin for him. Before leaving, he had a page boy give Wang Zhen a box of pastries, saying, "This is a specialty from Gusu brought by your new Junior Brother."
Wang Zhen paused, "Student of Liang daren, Tang Shen from Gusu?"
"Yes."
"He's an interesting person."
After Wang Zhen left, Fu Wei was still in a daze. He said to the page boy beside him, "Interesting, what kind of evaluation is that? When did Zi Feng meet Tang Shen?"
The two page boys silently looked up at the sky: If you ask us for the answer, we need to have known first, right?
Tang Shen had no idea that after he left, the specialty from Gusu he brought was given to Wang Zhen by Fu Wei. After leaving Fu Residence, Yao San, recalling the music he just heard, asked in confusion, “Little boss, I'm a simple man. I don't understand. Since you knew he wasn't the page boy Fu Qin but your Senior Brother, why did you still go into the pavilion and address him as Fu Qin?"
Tang Shen replied, "Brother Yao, if I had directly said that I recognized him, what do you think would have happened?"
"Huh? What else could have happened? Little boss, you've already apprenticed under Fu daru. You and Wang xianggong are fellow disciples. Meeting by chance, what else could happen?"
"Exactly, nothing would have happened."
Yao San was even more confused.
Tang Shen said, "This Senior Brother of mine is no ordinary person. Leaving a strong impression on him is never a bad thing."
Yao San scratched his head, "You’re right."
Tang Shen curled his lips, thinking that perhaps this time, what he said might not be entirely correct.
In the letter left by Liang Song, he told Tang Shen that he wanted Tang Shen to study under Fu Xiru, not just for Fu Xiru's reputation as a teacher but also for Wang Zifeng. Although Fu Wei had once been the Right Minister of the Palace Secretariat and a current court official, he was now old, had retired from active duty, and spent his days tending to birds and flowers as the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy.
Tang Shen wanted to climb high and far, which was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Unlike Wang Zhen, who was born as the eldest son of the prestigious Langya Wang clan with the support of an entire family, Tang Shen was an outsider in this vast capital of Shengjing. Not to mention having the power of a player, he didn't even have the qualifications to be a pawn.
Liang Song hoped he could conspire and fight alongside Wang Zifeng, and more importantly, he hoped Tang Shen could seize the opportunity to build a good relationship with Wang Zifeng and then use him to pave his own way.
Wang Zhen was the only court official Tang Shen could currently approach and the best target for him to use.
"I hope the impression I left on him today isn't a bad one," Tang Shen thought. He even considered that Wang Zhen might have already seen through his little schemes. But he didn't mind. If Wang Zifeng were a narrow-minded and suspicious person, it would be extremely difficult to advance through him, and it would be better to give up early.
After returning home that night, Tang Shen pondered deeply and finally concluded: "He knows who I am."
Tang Shen suddenly regretted his rash contact with Wang Zifeng, but he had no way back now. After thinking all night, Tang Shen went out alone the next morning, first heading to the Imperial College. He handed in his card, met with the scholar responsible for student records, and after getting his confirmation, he went to the Fu residence.
Fu Wei was a bit surprised to see him, "Why have you come today? Did you encounter difficulties in Shengjing?"
Tang Shen nodded, "Exactly. Sir, I just arrived in Shengjing, and my student record is still registered at the Jiangnan Academy. Now it's already spring, and I have to participate in the xiangshi examination in August. I'm not familiar with Shengjing and have no connections. Could you help me transfer my student record to the Imperial College as soon as possible?"
Fu Wei said, "So that's it. I forgot to mention it yesterday. This is a simple matter. Since you are a gongsheng who received the honor of sanyuan, transferring to the Imperial College is not difficult. I can write you a recommendation letter. However, transferring the student record from Jiangnan Academy might be a bit troublesome."
"Is it difficult?"
"Not really, but it requires some effort and might delay your studies."
Fu Wei, as the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, managed the academy but was known for not attending to his duties and spending his days drinking tea and admiring flowers at home. To handle this, he would probably have to go to the Imperial College himself, or it would take at least half a month through normal procedures to transfer Tang Shen's student record from Jiangnan Academy.
Suddenly, Fu Wei remembered his proud disciple's comment about something "interesting" yesterday and chuckled to himself.
Busy the student, not the teacher!
Fu Wei calmly said, "In that case, I'll have Wen Shu take you to find your Senior Brother. Such backdoor matters are easy for him; he deals with them every day."
Tang Shen was delighted, not expecting to see Wang Zhen again by coming to Fu Wei today.
Tang Shen asked, "Is it Senior Brother Wang Zhen?"
"Just call him Zi Feng. Wen Shu, Zi Feng should still be at the Ministry of Revenue. Take Jing Ze to find him and get his student record transferred today."
"Yes."
Tang Shen followed Wen Shu to the Ministry of Revenue.
Outside the imposing gate of the Ministry of Revenue, two armored guards stood with spears. Wen Shu walked up confidently, and the guards seemed to recognize him, allowing him to pass without obstruction. After a whispered conversation, Wen Shu returned dejectedly, "Tang gongzi, I knew it. Wang xianggong isn't at the Ministry of Revenue! He's gone somewhere today. If you're willing, we can go to the Minister Residence to find him?"
Tang Shen thought for a moment and said, "Alright."
They then headed to the Minister Residence. As they approached the gate, they saw a sedan chair bearing the minister's lantern being carried into the residence from a distance. Wen Shu's eyes lit up, and he shouted, "Wang xianggong!"
A clear voice came from the sedan chair, "Stop the sedan."
A white jade fan with calligraphy motifs extended from the sedan, gently lifting the curtain. Wang Zhen turned to look at Wen Shu and then shifted his gaze to the young man standing beside him, Tang Shen.
The young men from the capital and the young men from Jiangnan had a distinctly different appearance. He stood straight in the noisy street like a proud and fragile lotus, making people want to look at him.
A thought flashed through Wang Zhen's mind: The young boys from Jinling and the young boys from Gusu are also different. At least, none of his younger brothers looked as clear and handsome as this Junior Brother, nor did they have as many thoughts. But it was quite interesting.
Pretending to meet Tang Shen for the first time, Wang Zhen got out of the sedan and asked Wen Shu, "Does sir need something from me?"
Wen Shu said, “Sir said Tang gongzi needs to transfer his student record from the Jiangnan Academy to the Imperial College, and he wants you to help, preferably today."
Wang Zhen raised an eyebrow, "Today?" He glanced at the sky, "The Imperial College is about to close."
Tang Shen suddenly said, "Tomorrow will do too."
Wang Zhen looked at him for a moment and then said, "Let's do it today. Wen Shu, you can go back. I'll take my Junior Brother over."
Feeling that he had completed his task, Wen Shu was reassured to leave Tang Shen with Wang xianggong.
Wang Zhen quietly looked at Tang Shen without saying a word, just watching him.
Tang Shen lamented internally, "I didn't know it was Senior Brother yesterday and mistook you for a page boy. I was wrong."
Wang Zhen said, "Mistaken?"
Tang Shen didn't hear clearly, "What?"
Wang Zhen smiled, lifting the sedan curtain with his white fan, "The Imperial College is quite far. Let's take the sedan. Junior Brother, come up."
AN: Neighbor Wang: Look at my Junior Brother, as beautiful as a little lotus flower.
Little Tang: ...I have a feeling that using Wang Zifeng to climb the ladder might be the worst decision of my life!