Meet the Gentleman

Chapter 15: The Heavenly Helper
Early morning, mountain stream.

Not long after Feng Qingyan returned to the wooden house, Zhou Chang arrived in a carriage, followed by several craftsmen. He got off the carriage and said hello to Feng Qingyan, then walked around to select a site, and after a while he asked the craftsmen to break ground...

His thatched hut was built not far from the wooden house, about twenty feet away.

"Remember to repair the road. It's best to pave it with blue bricks or stone slabs, otherwise it will be impassable on rainy days." Zhou Chang told the driver when he returned to the wooden house.

At this time, he walked up the steps of the wooden house and shouted, "Brother Feng, the morning class is about to start."

"coming."

Feng Qingyan came out of the study.

"Come on, take my carriage and go to the cottage together." Zhou Chang held Feng Qingyan's hand, looking quite intimate. "I have been in Bocheng for a few days, but I haven't listened to the teachings of Master An yet. This is really wrong."

"Brother Zhou is also going to the morning hall?" Feng Qingyan asked in surprise.

"Why can't I go?" Zhou Chang asked back with a smile, "Confucius said: 'If one reviews the old to learn the new, he can be a teacher.'"

Feng Qingyan couldn't help but smile and got into Zhou Chang's carriage.

Soon they arrived in front of the thatched cottage. They got off the car and walked into the morning hall together. The thatched cottage was still rather deserted at this time, and it became lively only after several children arrived.

The child stared at Zhou Chang with curiosity.

Zhou Chang nodded one by one.

As time passed, many students from Bocheng came to the Thatched Cottage and the banks of Lingshui River.

"Hey, why is Changlong sitting in the morning hall?"

Some sharp-eyed students noticed that there was not only Feng Qingyan in the morning hall, but also Zhou Chang, the prince from the royal city. This surprised the students.

Zhou Chang, whose name was Chang and whose courtesy name was Changlong.

Moreover, they saw that Zhou Changlong and Feng Qingyan were quite close, which made them even more surprised. How could Zhou Changlong, who was full of knowledge and talent, be close to an illiterate commoner and even sit at the same table with him?

If he is just illiterate, it’s not a big deal, just don’t get close to him.

But that person is morally flawed.

Sitting at the same table, isn't it...

Of course, not everyone believed Che Gai's words. Some people spoke ill of him. In fact, there were also people like Che Gai who were jealous of Feng Qingyan's extraordinary and unworldly nature and couldn't bear to see others do well...

After the morning classes were over, a group of students gathered in front of the morning hall.

"Changlong, why are you sitting in the morning hall?" a student asked curiously. Although they respected Dean An very much, they did not have to sit in the morning hall to listen to his teachings.

"Yes, Brother Zhou, why did you go to the morning hall?"

"Brother Zhou, I heard that this person has poor morals. Don't be fooled by his appearance." Someone pointed at Feng Qingyan and reminded Zhou Chang not to be careless in making friends.

"I have also heard that this person appears to be noble, but in fact he is a flatterer and sycophantic person, just trying to curry favor with the scholars and the children of noble families." Someone else stood up and shook his head, intending to remind Zhou Chang not to be deceived.

Zhou Chang quickly reached out his hand to press it, saying, "I am really touched by your kindness. However, you don't know that Brother Feng is not a person of bad moral character or a flatterer. It is really a villain who slanders Brother Feng to destroy his reputation."

The students were furious when they heard this. They never thought that they were being used by a villain. They claimed to be scholars who understood the truth, distinguished right from wrong, and knew good from evil, but they could not see through a rumor...

This really made them feel guilty.

"So that's how it is. I've felt there was a problem for a long time. Otherwise, how could there be so many bad words directed at Brother Feng in just a few days?" someone said with sudden enlightenment.

"I told you that someone would spread rumors to confuse the public."

Some students said that they had already seen through it.

"If that's the case, why did Brother Feng come to the morning hall?" a student asked curiously, "Is it true as the rumors say, that Brother Feng is illiterate? Please don't be offended, Brother Feng, I'm just curious." "How could Brother Feng be an illiterate? Brother Feng's talent and knowledge are beyond my reach." Zhou Chang said with some emotion.

The students couldn't help but exclaimed when they heard this. They didn't quite believe what Zhou Chang said, thinking that Zhou Chang was just being modest and trying to save Feng Qingyan's face.

"Brother Feng is from the north. As he is not good at elegant speech, he sits in the classroom with the children every day and learns elegant speech from Master An," Zhou Chang explained.

After hearing this, everyone finally understood.

It is normal that people in the north are not good at elegant language because they do not have the conditions. It is not uncommon in the north to learn elegant language only now.

"Brother Feng, I almost wrongly accused you for listening to my words. Please forgive me." A student of about sixteen or seventeen years old walked up to Feng Qingyan and bowed.

"This is my fault. What does it have to do with you, brother?" Feng Qingyan said with a smile.

"Brother Feng, I failed to distinguish right from wrong and wronged you. Please forgive me." Another student stepped forward and bowed to apologize.

"Brother, why do you need to blame yourself? It's just that I'm a nasty villain."

Soon, the students dispersed, and Feng Qingyan bowed respectfully to Zhou Chang and said, "Qingyan thanks Brother Zhou. If it weren't for Brother Zhou's help, I'm afraid Qingyan would still be caught up in the rumors."

"Brother Feng, you're welcome."

Zhou Chang waved his hand and said, "It's just a piece of cake. Even without me, Brother Feng can still dispel the rumors."

Che Gai, who was hiding in the dark, turned pale.

If the students knew that he was the one who spread rumors and caused trouble, he would probably be torn to pieces by the students. Originally, he wanted to find an opportunity to perfunctorily deal with it so that Feng Qingyan would forgive him...

But now he was extremely frightened and returned to the inn in anxiety.

When he came to his senses, it was already dark.

He was terrified and his whole body was shaking.

"Zizhi, save me!"

At this moment, Che Gai rushed to Fu Lin's room in panic, his face extremely pale, his whole body lost, no longer his former demeanor, crying: "Zizhi, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, save me, save me..."

Although Fu Lin was angry, he couldn't bear to see Che Gai in such a state.

He opened the door and said, "Baji, the only one who can save you now is you. Do you understand? Master An is the Minister of Literature. How can you think that Master An doesn't know what happened under his eyes? Why are you so stubborn?"

"I understand, I understand. I will go and admit my mistake and apologize to him right now. I will go right now..."

Che Gai murmured, and before he could even climb into Fu Lin's room, he stumbled out on his hands and feet. How could he still look like a scholar at all?

This scene made Fu Lin very sad, and he couldn't help but say sadly: "Eight Extremes!"

"Zizhi, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong, I will go and apologize to him, I will admit my mistake to him now..." Che Gai murmured, and stumbled out of the inn, shouting in a daze as he ran: "I was wrong, I shouldn't have spread rumors and caused trouble, I shouldn't have slandered you maliciously, I am a despicable villain..."

Fu Lin followed closely behind, feeling extremely sad.

When I heard Che Gai shout "I am a despicable person", I couldn't help but cover my face and cry...

When everyone heard what was happening, they became very curious and opened the doors and windows to watch.

When they found out that he was the one spreading rumors and destroying people's reputations, they couldn't help but curse at him and even wanted to spit in his face. No one showed any sympathy for him.

This is all my own fault, I can't blame anyone else.

……

(End of this chapter)