tallest building

Chapter 141 Going through the back door

"So many people! It's almost like the autumn imperial examination results are being announced." Feng Tianzhu looked out the car window and couldn't help but gasp.

"My God! We still have to find a way to squeeze in!" Qiao Ziyu said, jumping out of the car. "The selection of disciples by the Sanjing Academy is much harder than the autumn imperial examination results!"

Gong Chang'an and the others also got out of the car, saying they wanted to squeeze in and watch the excitement, but it was easier said than done.

They wanted to squeeze in, but didn't others want to too? In the pushing and shoving, they were ultimately too small and weak, and despite being covered in sweat, they couldn't get in.

"This won't do. Let's go to the back! If all else fails, we can climb over the wall," Xu Mang said, tugging at his clothes.

"Yes, yes, let's go to the back! Our young master can't be squeezed in here." The page of the Duke of Feng's mansion hurriedly said. Feng Tianzhu was ill, and he couldn't bear the responsibility if he had a relapse.

The group then moved to the back.

There were indeed few people in the back alley, but the wall was more than ten feet high, so getting up there would be no easy task.

"Really, we're too late. If we had come earlier, we definitely could have squeezed in," Qiao Ziyu said regretfully. "What a pity!"

The others were also disappointed. At their age, they were at the most curious and eager to join in the fun. They had come all this way with great enthusiasm, only to be unable to get in. No wonder they weren't happy.

Just as everyone was looking at the high wall and sighing helplessly, an old horse turned into the alley, with a thin old man sitting on it.

A middle-aged servant, as thin as a bamboo pole, led the way, holding the horse's reins.

The children didn't pay much attention at first, but when the old man arrived nearby and dismounted, his attendant took out a key and unlocked the door.

Gong Chang'an and the others had seen the door before, but it was locked by General Suo.

Seeing the old man stride inside, the group rushed forward to stop him.

"Please wait, sir!"

The old man stopped, his legs trembling as he turned to look at them and asked, "What are you little rascals doing?"

"We're not mischievous children; we just want to follow the old gentleman inside to admire the demeanor of the teachers at the Sanjing Academy," Qiao Ziyu said with a smile. "I wonder if that's permissible?"

"No, no, you mustn't," the old man said as he continued walking inside.

But these children were unwilling to give up. Xu Mang and Feng Tianzhu pushed the door open, preventing it from closing.

"Outrageous!" the old man exclaimed angrily. "Is this a place you can just come and do as you please? This is utter nonsense!"

"Please calm down, sir. These children are truly deeply admiring of us and did not mean to cause trouble," Gong Chang'an hurriedly said. "Please, do us a favor!"

"Yes, sir, I have some silver here. You can keep it to buy some wine." Qiao Ziyu said, taking out his money pouch and stuffing it into the old man's hand.

"Get this filthy thing away, it's dirtying my hands." The old man's beard bristled with anger. "Look at you all dressed in fine silks and satins, you must be rich spoiled brats! You're so young and already reek of money, it's unacceptable!"

"You old man, we've said so many nice things, but you still won't let us in! We kindly offered you money, and you still dare to curse us!" Xu Mang, true to his name, was extremely impulsive. He felt they had been polite enough, but the old man was simply unmoved by either soft or hard tactics.

"Guards! Throw them out of here! This is outrageous!" The old man stomped his feet in anger.

"Chang'an, hurry up and go in!" Qiao Ziyu pushed Gong Chang'an. "You have great talent and insightful abilities; you might be chosen!"

Gong Chang'an was pushed inside. Without thinking twice, he took off running towards the front yard.

The old man and his entourage were entangled by Xu Mang and his men and couldn't break free for a while. But then several more people came out to arrest Gong Chang'an.

He shouted, "Stop right there! You're really breaking the rules!"

"Stop running around! How can you take responsibility for disrupting the selection process?"

Just as those people were about to surround Gong Chang'an, someone walked over from the covered walkway.

Gong Chang'an spotted him immediately and rushed over.

"Lord Zhu, save me!" he gasped, grabbing the man's sleeve.

"You?!" The man stared intently at Gong Chang'an and couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here?"

"I...I came from the school to see what was going on," Gong Chang'an said, pounding his chest. "I couldn't squeeze in through the front, so I went around to the back door. I met an old gentleman and tried to persuade him to let us in. But the old gentleman was very stubborn and refused to agree, so I just ran in on a whim."

"You really have guts." A rare smile appeared on the man's face.

"Lord Zhu, you must save me this time." Gong Chang'an knew that this was not a place to act recklessly. Although it was not an official matter, the prestige of the Sanjing Academy should not be underestimated.

It turned out that this person was none other than Zhu Hui, a man of unwavering integrity and unyielding character in the imperial court.

Gong Xu was implicated in Yu Fengchen's embezzlement case and imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice. Zhu Hui was in charge of presiding over the case.

In order to rescue Gong Xu, Wen Mingqian once took Gong Chang'an to visit the Zhu family.

Gong Chang'an thus came to know Zhu Hui.

"You want me to plead for you?" Zhu Hui asked Gong Chang'an.

"Now we can only rely on you. Please also help my brothers!" Gong Chang'an said pitifully.

Zhu Hui is a die-hard, with no parents, no children, no brothers, and no wife.

People say he is cold-hearted and that he has lost all sense of human emotions and desires, and therefore does not understand the warmth or coldness of human relationships.

But when faced with Gong Chang'an's plea, he actually agreed.

"Come with me!" he said, taking Gong Chang'an's hand and leading him to the old man's side. He cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Senior Brother Kang, these children are just being mischievous. Please don't take it to heart. They're doing this because they have a heart full of ambition. Let's grant their wish!"

"You actually pleaded for them?" The old man seemed to have seen the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Heavens, am I dreaming?"

"Senior brother, you're joking!" Zhu Hui said. "I'll treat you to drinks later."

"Oh my! Has the sun risen in the west? You actually invited me for a drink. You stingy old man have actually plucked some feathers." The old man's eyes were wide open, staring at Zhu Hui like two glass balls.

"Lord Zhu, may I ask who this old gentleman is...?" As Gong Chang'an listened, he felt that something was amiss.

"This is Master Kang from the Sanjing Academy, who is well-versed in calendar systems and water management," Zhu Hui introduced. "You little rascals have no idea how great he is."

Gong Chang'an and the others quickly straightened their clothes and bowed respectfully to Master Kang.

"Mr. Zhu, are you also from the Sanjing Academy? Otherwise, why would you call him senior brother?" Gong Chang'an asked hurriedly, as he had never heard that Zhu Hui was a student of the Sanjing Academy!