She is devoted to cultivating immortality

Chapter 5 This girl is not simple!
Fengdu was in chaos from top to bottom.

Orders were spread across the country along with the flying cavalry.

But Xie Lian, the main culprit, knew nothing about it. Although the last words she left were intended to retaliate against Emperor Qian, it was hard for her to imagine that Emperor Qian's reaction would be so great.

Now, she was sitting by the campfire, carefully blowing away the hot air in the bowl, then put it to her mouth and drank the hot water, then wiped her mouth with a look of satisfaction.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhuang... If I hadn't met you, I wouldn't even be able to find a bowl of hot water in this remote place."

A hearty voice rang out from the other side of the campfire.

"Miss, you are too polite. It is fate that we met by chance. If I stand by and watch someone in need of help, I am not worthy of being a disciple of the saint."

"Besides, the girl is a weak woman. It would be very dangerous if she met a bad guy in the wilderness."

The person who spoke was named Zhuang Mochen.

He was dressed in plain clothes, wearing a crown on his head, and a book tucked into his waist that he rarely took off. He was about forty years old, with a gentle look and an elegant temperament.

It is not difficult to see that he is a scholar.

There were two other people traveling with him. One was named Youfu, who was Zhuang Mochen's long-time companion. He had been with him since he was a teenager, taking care of chores around him. Now he was temporarily acting as a coachman.

He was an honest man, who looked very simple and honest. He sat aside and ate a piece of bread, and rarely spoke.

Besides him, there was another little kid, about eight or nine years old, who looked chubby and had bright eyes.

He is Zhuang Mochen's only son, named Zhuang Yan.

A group of three people started from Fengdu and drove a carriage to return home. As a result, they met Xie Lian on the road. Seeing that Xie Lian was alone and seemed to be in trouble, Zhuang Mochen stopped the carriage and lent a hand.

This is a kind person!

Xie Lian felt warm inside, but at the same time he was also somewhat curious. Although Zhuang Mochen was not wearing fancy clothes and was sitting in an ordinary carriage, he still exuded a certain majesty. If anything, he looked somewhat like an executioner.

how to say?

Like official airs.

Xie Lian didn’t know why his mind was so quick. Just by thinking about it, he seemed to have gotten the answer. In order to verify his guess, he simply asked.

"Mr. Zhuang has an extraordinary temperament and a strong scholarly air. I wonder if he has ever taken the imperial examination?"

This kind of inquiry may seem a little offensive, but it is actually very normal. In this world, when scholars meet for the first time, they often ask about the imperial examinations.

It is convenient to build relationships and can better clarify each other's status.

So when Zhuang Mochen heard this, he was not at all dissatisfied, but was a little stunned, but he still said with a smile.

"Of course I passed the imperial examination, but that was more than 20 years ago."

His eyes were deep, as if he was recalling something.

"My master was a top-ranked Jinshi, and served as a counselor."

Youfu, who was eating a cake quietly, suddenly interrupted.

There was light in his eyes, and he was obviously proud of his master's glory.

"The Imperial Counselor... this is a fourth-rank official. Since Mr. Zhuang is an official from the capital, why did he have to return home overnight?"

Xie Lian was somewhat surprised. The Imperial Counselor was an official in the imperial court, responsible for making comments and giving advice to the emperor.

Although this official does not have great power and responsibilities, his rank is still the ceiling in the hearts of countless scholars.

"Haha, young lady, what you said is wrong. Can a fourth-rank official not walk at night?"

Zhuang Mochen's smile grew wider. For some reason, talking with Xie Lian made him feel comfortable, especially when Xie Lian knew his identity and did not become respectful and distant.

Instead of addressing him as "Mr. Zhuang", he continued to address him as "Sir".

This distinguishes us from ordinary people.

He stroked his short beard and said.

"Although the Imperial Counselor is a fourth-rank official, what does a fourth-rank official count for in the capital?"

"There is a king above and a prime minister below. A small official who advises the emperor is no more than an ant."

"Besides, I have already resigned from my post. All the past events are just like smoke and clouds."

Resigned from office?
After hearing this, the long-servant Youfu took a bite of the cake, obviously depressed and puzzled. His son Zhuang Yan was still young and did not know the importance of official position. He was playing with the bonfire with small branches.

"Sir, that's really admirable."

Xie Lian said.

"Why do you admire me?"

Zhuang Mochen asked.

"Although I don't think that official positions are that valuable, it is after all the lifelong pursuit of scholars. It is not easy for Mr. Zhuang to resign and return home, not to mention that he is so free and easy and not discouraged at all... There must not be many people who can have such a state of mind."

Xie Lian said with a smile.

"Oh? How do you know I'm not pretending to be carefree? Maybe I'm just pretending to be so?"

"I have eyes, so I can see it naturally."

Zhuang Mochen was a little surprised. How could a pair of naked eyes see his inner self?

But for some reason, when Xie Lian said this, he suddenly saw the other person’s eyes flicker.

Just like the twinkling of stars, an inexplicable feeling surged into his heart, making him feel that what Xie Lian said was true.

He didn’t know if it was a psychological effect, but he suddenly felt that Xie Lian’s eyes became deep and seemed a little unfathomable.

This girl is not simple!
Zhuang Mochen asked, curious thoughts welling up in his mind.

"The girl already knows my origins, but I still know nothing about her. I only know her name... From her words and actions, she seems to have the demeanor of a scholar. Could she also be a disciple of a saint? But the girl is wearing a Taoist robe, which makes me a little unsure."

My origins?
Xie Lian said with a wry smile.

"It's a long story..."

Since he had traveled through time, there was no need to talk about his past life, so Xie Lian recounted his experiences in this life.

All I can say is, “miserable.”

"In short, I am not a Taoist priest. I was captured and taken to Fengdu just because I changed into a Taoist robe because it was raining. Fortunately, my identity was verified at the last moment, so I was given a way out..."

Xie Lian finally changed his words.

The story of "severed head and reborn" was too bizarre, and too conspicuous to tell it out loud, so she chose to conceal it.

"I see……"

Zhuang Mochen sighed and said.

"The emperor's tyranny has caused the people of the world to suffer. Although it is only aimed at Taoist disciples, everyone is actually in danger."

"Young lady, I'm afraid you don't know that the reason I resigned is because I wrote thirteen consecutive memorials to Your Majesty, trying to persuade him to change his bad policies and stop killing people."

"But my memorials could not be delivered to the emperor because they were intercepted by the central government."

Xie Lian was silent for a moment and then spoke.

"The emperor has gone mad in his quest for immortality. If your memorial is delivered to the emperor, I'm afraid your life will be in danger."

Zhuang Mochen took a deep breath and sighed repeatedly.

"That's true. The Central Government intercepted my memorial because, on the one hand, they didn't want to anger His Majesty, and on the other hand, they did have the intention of protecting him."

"Just now, the young lady said that the lifelong wish of a scholar is to become an official, but I find it hard to agree. As a scholar, are we studying hard just for the sake of high office and generous salary? If we can't do something for the people of the world... it's better not to take this official position."

"So, I decided to resign from my post as I lost interest in my career. I plan to return to my hometown and become the principal of a school. If I can teach a few talented students, then my life will be worthwhile."

Zhuang Mochen had a lot of things on his mind, which he usually had no one to talk to, but today, late at night in the deserted mountains, he opened up and told all the pain in his heart.

Xie Lian was originally just a listener, but at this moment his heart was moved.

Because the bronze tripod in her mind moved slightly after Zhuang Mochen said this, which attracted her attention.

"What is the reason for this?"

Xie Lian was a little confused.

(End of this chapter)