Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 368: The search begins, revealing past events.

"what?"

Upon hearing his young master's "favor" towards him, Xu Changqing immediately regretted it!

"Master, this..."

"This...this...this...I think...it's better to..."

"...Let's just forget about it?"

Xu Changqing stammered as he spoke.

In fact, Xu Changqing regretted it as soon as he finished speaking.

In particular, Xu Changqing was startled when he received Sheng Changquan's reaction!
To be honest, he had been following Sheng Changquan for quite some time, so he understood very well what it meant to be a wise man who knows when to yield.

"Young Master, actually..."

In a flash, Xu Changqing expertly slumped his usually upright chest, hunched over, and said with a guilty and "fearful" expression, "...Actually...I...I'm not that good..."

Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around, Xu Changqing appeared quite composed. Although he had secretly swallowed his pride and compromised, his actions were remarkably decisive and efficient.

"It's nothing, I'll stay warm for my own sake!" Xu Changqing silently encouraged himself.

However, to say that Xu Changqing has let go is to underestimate him!

Although he was bowing his head and bending over, his facial expressions were quite rich. Although he may have been trying to appear ashamed, the impression he gave was not like that at all.

His beaming expression made it seem even more like he was...excited!
The excitement of a domineering actor finally getting to act!

"Young master, I was just bragging!"

Xu Changqing pouted and began to explain himself in a low voice: "Young Master, please don't take this seriously. Actually, I'm not a bookworm at all!"

"Moreover, young master, you know that my Xu family, starting with my grandfather, has never been a scholarly family at all. In particular, I am just a brute who knows nothing."

"Forget about studying, my brain just isn't up to the task!"

"..."

To keep his future away from studying, Xu Changqing decisively began to contradict himself.

"is it?"

Without listening to Xu Changqing's verbose explanation, Sheng Changquan merely glanced at his sworn brother in front of him, narrowed his eyes, and scrutinized him closely.

Although Xu Changqing was very burly and taller than the average person, he looked somewhat sleazy at this moment.

After all, at this moment he was slumped over, curled up, looking "timid and hesitant," but on the other hand, he was making faces and acting quite "upright."

The contrast is quite striking, making it seem...

Speechless!

funny!

How funny!

Sheng Changquan couldn't bear to look at Xu Changqing's appearance.

"Really, young master!"

"Young master, look..."

"..."

Xu Changqing didn't care about his image at all and continued talking.

"Ah~"

Sheng Changquan sighed inwardly, "How did this guy become so shameless?"

"I really miss his old, unruly self!"

The moment he first met Xu Changqing flashed through Sheng Changquan's mind again.

Back then, he was quite arrogant. If it weren't for Old Master Xu keeping him in check, he probably would have punched Sheng Changquan on the spot when he heard that he was going to be Sheng Changquan's page!

Alas! The past is too painful to recall!

Sheng Changquan shook his head inwardly and decided to ignore the guy.

After all, during the years he traveled abroad, the two of them had seen each other in their disheveled state, especially Xu Changqing, who often made quite a few jokes. So, what did his appearance matter in front of Sheng Changquan?

"Master!"

"To be honest, I'm not afraid to admit it, but I feel like my head is filled with a stone. I can't listen to any profound words or wise sayings!"

"If it weren't for being by your side, I..."

"okay!"

Just as Xu Changqing was still arguing incessantly, Sheng Changquan finally admitted defeat.

"Changqing, you really are..."

Shaking his head, Sheng Changquan said helplessly, "Alright, let's hurry on our way. Grandmother and my elder sister are still waiting for us at the manor!"

"Hey!"

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan's words, Xu Changqing immediately understood that he had passed this test.

"Young Master, please wait!"

With a huge weight lifted from his heart, Xu Changqing immediately perked up.

"Crack!"

He feinted with the long whip in his hand, then lashed it out in mid-air with a loud crack, instantly making the already slow carriage move even faster.

"We'll be able to go home soon!"

Xu Changqing laughed heartily and swiftly and steadily steered the carriage.

……

Shengfu.

Since Sheng Changbai got married, the large family, which used to be hard to get together, has now gathered together for once.

However, this is only natural. The current emperor is a rare benevolent ruler, at least one who is willing to consider the details for his officials.

Take today's events as an example. Because many officials have sons or relatives participating in the provincial examinations, the emperor specially granted an early leave to those officials who have sons or relatives participating in the autumn examinations.

It is precisely because of this that Sheng Hong and his son Sheng Changbai were able to appear at the same time and place.

Inside the room, Sheng Hong and Madam Wang sat high on the throne. To their left were the brothers Sheng Changbai and Sheng Changfeng, and opposite them, in front of Madam Wang, were Hai Shi, Mo Lan, Ru Lan, and the youngest Ming Lan.

As for Old Madam Sheng, she was still chanting scriptures in front of the Buddhist hall in the mansion, praying for her young grandson and hoping to obtain some divine blessings for him.

Lin Qinshuang, on the other hand, used the excuse of feeling unwell to avoid appearing in the room and waiting for Sheng Changquan's news.

"My lord, look how late it is, why hasn't Quan-ge'er returned yet?"

As expected of the most impatient woman in the mansion, Madam Wang was immediately anxious when she saw that Sheng Changquan had not yet returned.

"Is it possible..."

"Shut up!"

Before Madam Wang could finish speaking, Sheng Hong interrupted her in a deep voice.

"What do you know, you woman!"

Sheng Hong said irritably, "Once the autumn examination is over, there will be a huge crowd of people participating. It's understandable that Chang Quan returned a little late. How could the kind of thing you described happen!"

"Long hair, short on brains!"

Because the whole family was there, Sheng Hong only muttered his last complaint quietly.

However, while he saved face for his wife, Madam Wang didn't appreciate it.

"thing?"

"What is it?" Madam Wang glared at her, immediately denying it: "Did I say anything about it?"

Although Madam Wang was worried about Sheng Changquan, she became angry immediately after hearing Sheng Hong's words!

She was even more furious after glancing at the situation in the hall without realizing it!

Nothing more than Mo Lan, sitting below, secretly smiled.

"you……"

"Mother!"

Just as Madam Wang was about to "lose her temper," Sheng Changbai took the initiative to speak.

As the eldest brother of the Sheng family, Sheng Changbai has had a tough time.

He first called out to Madam Wang in a deep voice, and then said, "Mother, I know you are worried about Seventh Brother."

Since Sheng Changquan had already participated in the provincial examination and was an adult, Sheng Changbai usually addressed him by his proper name on formal occasions. However, since it was in front of family members, his address was still quite affectionate.

As for "Xiao Qi," that's still the name the two brothers use in private.

Sheng Changbai didn't pay much attention to the expressions of his brothers and sisters below the hall, but still spoke in a steady and upright manner.

"However, Mother, have you forgotten that Seventh Brother was the top scorer back then?"

"Even in the provincial examination in Bianjing, I think my seventh brother is almost certain to pass."

Compared to his humility during his own examination, Sheng Changbai was now quite boastful, which was only because he was too composed. Even in his own residence, he only said this much.

Otherwise, it would be quite funny if he said, "My brother has the potential to be a top scholar."

At this moment, not only did the Sheng Hong couple in the hall put down their argument, but even the several Lan girls below the hall, each with their own thoughts, listened attentively and took their second brother's words to heart.

Even Sheng Changfeng, who was standing to the side with a slight smirk and seemed somewhat disdainful, couldn't help but brighten his eyes and interject, "Second brother's words are not wrong."

"With Xiao Qi's abilities, this provincial examination will definitely not be difficult!"

To be fair, Sheng Changfeng quite admired his half-brother. Although his birth mother, Lin Qinshuang, had some opinions about him, feeling that Sheng Changquan had taken away a lot of the fatherly love that should have belonged to him, Sheng Changfeng still had his own reasons for this.

Besides the favor from his father Sheng Hong, Sheng Changfeng also had considerable advantages from having a younger brother like Sheng Changquan.

Putting aside everything else, just look at how he "dominates" poetry gatherings outside. As long as it is said that he is the older brother of "the gentleman of books" Sheng Changquan, who wouldn't look up to him?
Just to receive a handwritten letter from "Shu Junzi"!

"The Calligrapher" was a nickname Sheng Changquan used outside, mainly because of his excellent calligraphy.

Combining the essence of his past and present lives, Sheng Changquan innovated and achieved profound attainments in calligraphy, already on par with contemporary masters. In fact, due to the differences in their experiences, Sheng Changquan's calligraphy is even more sought after by the world.

Because he is still young, even with his own private efforts, his reputation is at most among the top in the world, still far behind those of the top masters.

However, as the saying goes, "You can bully the old but not the young," Sheng Changquan's age is a given, and barring any natural disasters or man-made calamities, his calligraphy achievements are certainly first-rate!
Therefore, owning a genuine work by Sheng Changquan is absolutely a risk-free investment.

Not to mention, Sheng Changquan himself was a prodigy in the imperial examinations, achieving considerable success in his official career. Therefore, he was even more admired by the world.

Of course, this was also partly due to Sheng Changquan hiring people to hype things up.

"Well, that's true!"

Seeing his two children speaking like children, Sheng Hong couldn't help but stroke his short beard and proudly echoed their sentiments.

"This time, it will definitely be successful."

The words that Master Zhuang had once said flashed through Sheng Hong's mind, and he pondered, "I just don't know if Brother Quan will be able to get another top scholar this time?"

Sheng Hong had great ambitions. He not only wanted Sheng Changquan to pass the exam, but he also hoped that he would continue to win the championship and become the top candidate in the provincial examination in the capital.

"First place?"

Hearing Sheng Hong's thoughtful words, everyone blinked in surprise, and a strange sense of unease rose in their hearts.

"If it were the top scholar in the provincial examination, I'm afraid it would be difficult!"

Everyone remained silent, except for Sheng Changfeng, who said foolishly, "Xiao Qi's writing is quite good, and her academic foundation is no less than mine. However, there are many hidden talents in the capital, so I'm afraid it's uncertain!"

Hearing Sheng Changfeng's inexplicably confident words, everyone was stunned, seemingly wondering why he was so "confident".

"just you?"

Of all the people, it was Madam Wang who disliked him the most. Hearing his arrogant words again, she immediately started to criticize him: "Changfeng, what you're saying is truly arrogant!"

"You barely passed the exam after several attempts, and now you still have the nerve to say you can compare to Xiao Qi?"

Taking this opportunity, Madam Wang decided to vent all her pent-up frustrations.

"Putting everything else aside, when Master Zhuang accepted Xiao Qi as his disciple, weren't you also eager to become his apprentice?"

"But what's the result?"

"Old Mr. Zhuang doesn't think much of you and refuses to accept you!"

"With this, you still have the nerve to say you're not inferior to Xiao Qi?"

Madam Wang, with utter contempt, brought up an old incident, directly hitting Sheng Changfeng where it hurt.

"Madam, you..."

Upon hearing Madam Wang recount her embarrassing past, Sheng Changfeng was immediately rendered speechless.

"What? Am I wrong?"

Madam Wang rolled her eyes at her illegitimate son, looking quite pleased with herself.

"Madam!"

"Back then, it wasn't just the third brother who wasn't chosen; the second brother wasn't chosen either, was he?"

Seeing her older brother red-faced and furious from being cornered, Mo Lan immediately stepped in to save the day.

"Hmph, that was because my Bai'er didn't want to become an apprentice!"

Madam Wang replied somewhat guiltily, but didn't say anything more after that.

However, it's not that Madam Wang was lying, but that's just how things were.

However, while Sheng Changfeng was rejected when he went to become an apprentice without knowing when to advance, Sheng Changbai saw through Mr. Zhuang's intentions and did not go to become an apprentice at all.

In truth, Sheng Changbai was far more worldly-wise and knew how to advance and retreat than Sheng Changfeng.

"Oh? Is that so..."

"Cough cough!"

Seeing that the conversation was about to take a turn for the worse, Sheng Hong, who was in the hall, cleared his throat and interrupted the flow.

After all, the purpose of today is not to argue. The main character hasn't even returned yet, so what kind of drama is this?
"Alright, Dongrong!"

Sheng Hong waved his hand and instructed the servants outside, "Send someone to check outside the mansion. Why hasn't the Seventh Young Master returned yet?"

"Yes!"

Dong Rong responded and immediately ran outside.

but!

"Seventh Young Master is back!"

Before Dong Rong could take a few steps, a shout suddenly rang out from outside.

"Ok?"

Sheng Hong was overjoyed and immediately said to Minglan beside him, "Ming'er, quickly go and tell Mother that Quan-ge'er has returned, and the whole family is waiting for her to have a meal!"

It turns out that the whole family gathered together to take this opportunity to have a meal together.

"Yes, father!"

Minglan suppressed her urge to go out and see her younger brother, and hurriedly got up and walked towards the Buddhist hall, feeling both happy and worried.

"I wonder how Xiao Qi fared this time?"

……

(End of this chapter)