Prologue 2, the lament of Xuezheng

Min'an Fang, located at the northwesternmost corner and the area closest to the palace city, is surrounded by ancient pines and cypress trees. Even in the cold winter months when the ground is covered in white snow, the entire estate, spanning over a thousand acres, remains lush and green. The red gates, blue tiles, white walls, and green trees exude an air of ancient nobility.

This is the residence of the Duke of Lai, a family renowned for its military achievements during the founding of the Dayin Wu Dynasty

Fortunately, your grandfather passed away early, and your father may have already died as well; otherwise, seeing you in such a state would surely have driven him to his grave.

Lu Jun leisurely read out the annual exam results of the clan's young members. Those young members, whether direct descendants, collateral relatives, or outsiders, each stepped forward to receive the exam papers from Lu Jun's hands, some beaming with joy, some grinning playfully, some with furrowed brows, and others indifferent as they returned to their seats

Lu Zhen's gaze was as serene as cold ice, with a gentle smile on his face. He quietly bowed to Lu Jun and then turned to walk back to his seat

The great snow blankets the land, enveloping the capital in a shroud of white

My legs, my legs, legs, legs... why is this ground so slippery?

The classroom suddenly fell silent

It is already the twelfth month of the lunar calendar, approaching the Little New Year. The courses of the family study for the year have come to an end. From today onwards, there will be a winter vacation lasting for a month

The few rows seated in front, along with a few ambitious young individuals, do not require his concern

Where, Lu Shen, up and down

Lu Zhen picked up the paper on the ground, rolled it into a cylinder, and held it like a stick, gently tapping his thigh

The banquet was not yet over, and as in the previous two years, Lu Zhen politely declined due to his inability to handle alcohol and quietly left the table

In the middle of the classroom, a dozen or so direct descendants, dressed in silk and satin, with young attendants by their side, were sprawled across their seats like a pile of pork, racking their brains to ponder where to go next, whom to find, and what interesting pastimes to engage in.

Lu Zhen lightly coughed and stepped forward slowly

This year's examination results are generally comparable to those of previous years

In the last few rows of the classroom, specifically those adjacent to Lu Zhen, some young men from the collateral branches, who possess a certain degree of wealth and influence, along with a group of relatives and friends who had come to the clan school to audit classes, were all making silly faces and communicating with each other using secret signals known only to themselves

In the spacious room below, a fire dragon was burning, and even in the depths of winter, the house remained warm and steamy.

Because of you, I went out drinking with my peers, and it turned out to be quite embarrassing

The Duke of Lai's residence allocates a substantial amount of silver each year to the clan school, employing several well-known scholars. Any direct descendants of the Duke of Lai, as well as relatives and friends, may send their children to study at the clan school once they reach the age of five.

Lu Jun casually tossed the paper in his hand forward, allowing it to fall to the ground

He did not dare to manage the direct sons of the nobility.

Two days ago, the ethnic studies organization conducted the year-end evaluation, and today is the day the results are announced

He smiled and continuously nodded at Lu Jun, saying, "It is the gentleman who is to blame."

You must remember that the wealth and honor attained by our ancestors were not easily won; it is essential to diligently pursue knowledge and not to tarnish the illustrious reputation of the Lu family of Jingyang and the Duke of Laiguo.

If you are reluctant to part with the silver and grain distributed by the clan school each month, why not simply report to the master and go out to earn a living? Wouldn't that be better than wasting time here?

Fortunately, Lu Jun had some connections with several direct descendants of the Duke of Lai in the Duke's residence. He also possessed a certain degree of literary talent, so he reluctantly entered the clan school, taking on the important responsibility of educating the descendants of the Duke of Lai and nurturing talent.

In my view, you no longer need to study

Several sturdy and well-structured tiled houses have been built here, all featuring floors made of finely polished blue bricks, walls covered with pristine white paper, and ceilings woven from fragrant thin wooden strips. The natural grain of the wooden strips has been arranged to create a large image of a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

Lu Jun is burdened with a massive amount of debts; unless he fills the gap, he will have no hope of recovery for the rest of his life

The ancient city of Gaokjing, renowned for ten thousand years, is the capital of eighteen dynasties. Among all the cities in the world, none is more esteemed than it, and none is more charming than it.

In the vast city of Haoging, with so many prominent families, which family has a scholar like you who has been rated as a fool for four consecutive years?

Behind the desk, seated on a row of stools, were the young members of the Duke of Lai's lineage, aged between fourteen and eighteen. The classroom was spacious, with ample space, and nearly two hundred young members of the Duke of Lai's lineage of appropriate age were all seated in this classroom

No matter how well-groomed and handsome you are, if you cannot produce sound reasoning, it is of no use

The Duke of Lai's residence has pardoned Lu Jun's crime, but will not fill the void for him

In the late hours of the night, Lu Jun, who was thoroughly intoxicated, left his seat, rejecting the assistance of the young lady beside him. Staggering, he made his way outside to change his clothes.

Occasionally, one can hear their soft laughter and whispers.

For example, 'the small peach-red bosom', 'the small willow-green powdery bottom', 'which old woman has good waist strength', 'which large teapot raises a good big turtle', and so on

Lu Jun read each name one by one, and by the end, he shook the last paper in his hand and changed his expression: "Lu Zhan, next. Compared to the past two years, you have made no progress whatsoever. Look at your last and most important essay; you have once again missed the point and spoken nonsense."

Lu Jun remained unmoved by Lu Chen's smile, and his reprimands became increasingly sharp, caustic, and even somewhat malicious

The closest to Miyagi are the four major districts of Fengdiao, Yushun, Guotai, and Min'an. Within these four districts, there are grand courtyards and red doors, and the residents are either royal relatives or founding heroes.

Whether it is the son of the public office or those distant or close relatives, everyone raised their heads to look at Lu Zhen, who stood nearly nine feet tall, more robust and spirited than the average person

However, the current emperor is an extraordinary individual who places great importance on wealth and is exceptionally skilled in managing and accumulating riches

Where, Luxun, above above

Due to the connections with the Duke of Lai's residence, Lu Jun was not convicted, but he did lose his official position

Sitting upright at the podium was the academic head of the clan, Lu Jun, a close relative of the Duke of Lai's family, who was nearing forty years of age

In recent years, the descendants of the Duke of Lai's family have largely been unremarkable, showing signs of decline. However, the foundation built by our ancestors, who risked their lives for it, remains intact; even if there is some deterioration, the grandeur of this prestigious family has not diminished in the slightest.

Here is the ancestral school of the Duke of Lai's residence

In the study of clans, those young masters of the Lu lineage, along with the mischievous collateral branches and relatives, all pointed at Lu Zhen, laughing and joking, fully cooperating with Lu Jun to mock him

Within the city of Gaogong, there are a total of forty-nine artificial canals that crisscross in all directions, dividing the square-shaped city into more than two thousand square blocks of varying sizes.

Lu Jun stared at Lu Zhen, who was slowly standing up, and said sternly: "In this world, disciples of literature and education are the most esteemed. Studying and pursuing knowledge is the true path to a bright future. All other pursuits in academia are merely foundational; only the discourse on the Dao is the great path to the heavens"

Lu Jun forcefully knocked on the podium, pointing sternly at the expressionless Lu Zhan and reprimanding him: "You were like this the year before last, you were like this last year, and you are still like this this year. If you continue like this, can you justify the monthly subsidies of silver and rice from the clan?"

Where, Lu Qian, is in the middle.

Upon seeing Lu Zhen in such a state, Lu Jun's reprimand was even more incessant than the flowing river, nearly erupting into a torrent of curses.

Ten years ago, Lu Jun was recommended by the Duke of Lai's residence for his filial piety and gained an official position, enjoying a period of great prestige. However, the good times did not last long; during his tenure, there was a significant financial shortfall in the treasury, yet he had no idea where the treasury's funds had gone. Lacking the power to fill the gap, when the matter came to light, he nearly lost his life.

After the banquet, Lu Jun and several gentlemen called upon friends and went to the Mingyue Pavilion near the Anle Building to have a delightful time.

He is too lazy to manage those unworthy collateral descendants and outsiders

The Palace of Gaogong, the residence of the current emperor, is situated amidst the four canals that encircle the northern part of the city

Lu Zhen had long hair tied in a large ponytail, wearing a loose-fitting blue cloth button-up cotton coat, with both hands tucked into the baggy sleeves. Sitting in the corner of the last row of the room, she gazed through the crystal window at a few sparrows hopping back and forth on the eaves of the opposite classroom.

Lu Jun's scolding grew increasingly intense, with spittle flying far and wide

Lu Jun, who was quite handsome and refined, with slightly graying temples, could not be bothered with the antics of the rascals below.

In the front rows of the classroom, those young men from the collateral branches of the Duke of Lai's family, who still possess a bit of ambition, are nervously watching the academic dean standing behind the podium.

He pointed at Lu Zhen, his tone growing increasingly intense as he shouted: "Year after year, year after year, there is no progress to be seen, it is evident that you are a worthless seed, nothing but a filthy disgrace to the Jingyang Lu family."

In a large tiled house, rows of desks are arranged neatly, with various books piled on top and the four treasures of the study placed upon them

In the northeast corner of the Duke of Lai's residence, next to the ancestral hall, a large square plot of land has been enclosed.

The four walls of the large house are adorned with clear, transparent crystal windows, through which the daylight streams in abundantly, ensuring that the room does not appear dim in the slightest

Suddenly, a mournful howl rose to the sky, and Lu Jun's cries echoed throughout the Mingyue Pavilion

On that night, all the students of the Duke of Lai's family academy pooled together some money to hold a year-end teacher appreciation banquet at the largest wine estate, "Gentle Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion," located in Anlefang, east of Min'an Fang, separated by an inner city canal. They invited the esteemed teachers of the academy, as well as the academic director Lu Jun and several family supervisors, to enjoy a grand feast.

With a lazy sigh, Lu Jun picked up a small purple clay teapot and took a sip of aged white tea. He leisurely pulled out a water buffalo leather book pouch from beneath the podium and retrieved a thick stack of examination papers.

Your presence in the clan studies not only brings shame upon yourself, but also implicates the Lu clan studies, subjecting them to ridicule

Faintly, someone exclaimed: "This, this is the third time! Brother Lu, what terrible luck you have?"