Top Scholar

Chapter 348 Who bestowed this gift?

After a feast they would never forget, the classmates returned to the east wing and began arranging their books, stationery, and daily necessities. They would be staying here for two months…

Of course, the journey was long, and the things that could be brought were very limited. Su Lu quickly finished... and watched as Xiao Yu'er and Steward Tian finished tidying up.

After the four brothers had settled in their room and were preparing to write an article to maintain their focus, they heard You Muyou shout from the courtyard: "Young master, come out quickly, people from the Prince's mansion have come again!"

"Here we go again?" Su Lu put down the ink stick, walked to the door and said, "It's not dinner time yet."

"This time, they're sending daily necessities." You Muyou said with a look of shock, "Young Master, you've really given us a lot of face."

"What face do I have?" Su Lu quickly took the scholar's cap, put it on, put on his boots, straightened his clothes, and hurried out to greet them.

Then another eunuch in a purple robe led a large group of servants in blue robes, carrying chests and furniture, and filed into the government office.

"Where does Young Master Su live?" the purple-robed eunuch asked.

"Reporting to Father-in-law, the east wing." You Muyou hurriedly pointed out the direction.

"What is going on, sir?" Su Lu quickly bowed and asked.

"Is the young master Su Hongzhi?" The purple-robed eunuch scrutinized him like Eunuch Song.

“I am indeed a student,” Su Lu replied.

"Hmm, he looks quite handsome." The purple-robed eunuch praised, and said with a smile, "Young master, don't be nervous. My master was worried that you might be lacking something after coming from so far away, so he specially ordered me to send some household items to help you settle in and make you more comfortable."

"This is so thoughtful!" Su Lu exclaimed in disbelief.

The other guys who came out with him were just as shocked as You Muyou.

I never imagined my senior brother would be so popular in the provincial capital...

~~
When Su Lu followed the eunuch surnamed Qi back into his room, he couldn't help but rub his eyes hard.

Originally, the room contained only a large bed, a long desk that could seat four people, a wardrobe, a chest, and four chairs.

The original plank bed had been replaced with a huanghuali wood bed with intricate craftsmanship, and the bedding had all been replaced with new silk quilts and woven bamboo mats. Even the pillows had been replaced with luxurious silk pillows.

Beside the bed, the original pine wardrobe has been replaced with an elegant camphor wood double-layer wardrobe. The upper layer is filled with all kinds of brand-new ready-made clothes. The fabrics are the finest Hangzhou silk and Shu brocade, which are light and smooth, and elegant and understated in style. They are all respectable outfits for scholars going to take exams or receiving guests.

The lower shelf neatly folded several sets of plain brown shorts and nightgowns for everyday wear, the fabric soft and breathable. In the drawers of the closet, several leather belts, silk ribbons, and soft towels were also neatly folded, and even spare socks and shoes were prepared, arranged with meticulous care.

The desk was replaced with a rosewood table with upturned corners, and the writing implements on the table were all of the finest quality: Duan inkstones, Huzhou brushes, Huizhou ink, and Xuan paper, needless to say...

There are also paperweights made of Hetian jade, brush washers made of Ru ware, ink boxes made of ivory, and paper cutters made of rhinoceros horn—each a precious item.

In addition, all kinds of toiletries and daily necessities are readily available, and each item is quite valuable.

On a rosewood shelf sits a gilded brass washbasin, its surface even enamel-engraved; beside it lies a gleaming white soap, shaped like a lotus flower and emitting a delicate orchid fragrance. If it weren't placed beside the basin, you would never guess it was for washing your face…

Other expensive daily necessities need no further mention. The most outrageous item was a gilded lacquer box lined with brocade, neatly stacked with a thick, soft sheet of cotton paper with perfectly trimmed edges.

However, judging from the capitalization, it was clearly inappropriate, and none of the brothers could guess its purpose. Only Su Lu recognized it at a glance and blurted out, "Is this toilet paper?"

"Young master has good taste; this is toilet paper for use after relieving oneself." Eunuch Qi had originally intended to impress him, but he hadn't expected him to know. He couldn't help but praise, "It seems the young master was born with a silver spoon in his mouth."

"..." Su Lu thought to himself, "I don't have that kind of fate. It's just that toilet paper in later generations is like this."

Next to the toilet paper box was a small porcelain bottle filled with osmanthus dew. Eunuch Qi told him that if he put a few drops on the bottle before using the toilet, he wouldn't be bothered by the smell of feces...

~~
Su Lu was completely bewildered and knew that refusing was useless, so he silently accepted it.

After seeing off Eunuch Qi and his entourage, the classmates all went inside to explore, touching and marveling at everything.

"This room full of furniture is not only made of top-quality materials, but the craftsmanship is far more valuable than the cost of the materials themselves," Bai Yunshan remarked, stroking the smooth, delicate lines of the bedpost.
"It's true what they say, comparisons are odious. All the things we have are now considered cheap and shoddy."

"You have no one to compare yourself to? Compare yourself to the Prince's Mansion." Lei Jun laughed and said, "What do you mean by being richer than a prince? No matter how rich you are, you can only look like a prince. Besides, this is the mansion of a prince who will live as long as the country."

"Hehe, I was just saying that." Bai Yunshan chuckled awkwardly, "You've really broadened your horizons. Now you know what good stuff looks like."

"That's true." The classmates nodded in agreement. "I'm just afraid that we won't be able to appreciate anything in the future."

"Ah, it really is." Xiao Tingjie pointed to the calligraphy and paintings on the wall and said, "Senior Brother, these are all genuine works from the Tang and Song dynasties..."

"Nonsense, how could the Prince's Mansion give away a fake?" the classmates laughed.

Su Man asked Su Lu softly, "What should we do now? It's such a valuable thing, it would be a waste to use it."

“Simple. Can’t our soothing studies solve this problem?” Su Lu had already thought of a solution: “Put away all the consumables like bedding, soap, toilet paper, and pens, and replace them with your own. Use the rest that won’t break for now, and return them to us when we leave.” “Hmm, that makes sense.” Su Man said with a sigh of relief, “Looks like I still need to study soothing studies properly.”

“Learning has no end. Keep learning, there’s a lot to learn.” Su Lu nodded.

~~
For the next few days, the Prince of Shu's residence continued to deliver a lavish lunch every day, and in the evenings, they would send various sweet soups and desserts, as well as summer fruits such as watermelon, grapes, and lychees...

It has never stopped even once.

This aroused great curiosity among the classmates about the person who gave the gift. That evening, after finishing their studies, everyone sat around the stone table under the tree, eating refreshing cherry jelly while speculating about the person's identity and motives.

There are all sorts of guesses... Some people guess that it means the prince spent a fortune to buy a horse's bones, wanting to establish himself as someone who cherishes talent just like his father.

Some speculate that the essay "The Difficulty of Finding Beauty in the Book of Calligraphy" deeply moved the esteemed person, hence the generous reward given to the author.

Some even speculated that perhaps the King of Shu had taken a liking to his own senior brother because of his affection for the man he loved…

"Don't talk nonsense!" Su Lu felt a chill run down his spine and glared at Li Qiyu, who was spouting rubbish. "Don't make jokes like this in the provincial capital!"

"Hahaha, you've all guessed wrong!" Zhu Zihe laughed loudly and said, "I bet the gift-giver is a woman!"

"What do you mean?" everyone asked in unison.

“It’s very simple.” Zhu Zihe raised his index finger and said confidently, “Because that noble person provided food, clothing, lodging, and other necessities, but not a woman to my elder brother!”

"..." Su Lu thought to herself, what kind of logic is this?

Several young men agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "Indeed, how can a young master read at night without a beautiful woman by his side, unless the person giving the gift is herself a beautiful woman?"

"Nonsense!" Su Lu laughed. "We live together, how can I have a beautiful woman by my side?"

“That’s the second reason,” Zhu Zihe said, raising a second finger. “If that nobleman were a man, he would have invited our eldest brother to stay in the Prince’s mansion long ago. Why would he have to send him here again and again?”

"Yes, that's true. It's only inconvenient if the other person is a woman." This convinced even more people.

"..." Even Su Lu remained silent.

"Can you guess which noble lady from the Prince's mansion it is?" the scholars asked. Men are just as gossipy as women.

Zhu Zihe, true to his reputation as a quick learner, immediately said as if reciting a familiar story: "I've heard that the current King of Shu is an only son with only one sister. So this noble lady is either the Grand Princess, a Princess, or a princess."

He smiled and looked at Su Lu. "Which one would you like, brother?"

“I don’t want that either.” Su Lu coughed, ending the topic, “They send us good food and drinks every day, not so you can eat and drink your fill and then gossip about them.”

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more." Zhu Zihe quickly surrendered to avoid his senior brother starting another lecture. He said with a grin, "Anyway, the literary gathering at the Prince's Mansion is tomorrow, and we'll see then."

"Haha, I hope there's a good show to watch tomorrow." A bunch of bastards who love to stir up trouble.

~~
The next day, after breakfast, Su Lu and the others dressed neatly and went to Xiqing Academy with their invitations to attend the literary gathering of the Prince of Shu's residence.

Although Xiqing Academy is called an academy, it is actually part of the Shu Prince's Mansion. Its predecessor was the 'West Hall' established by Zhu Chun, the first Shu Prince, during the Hongwu era.

Before Zhu Chun took up his post in Chengdu, he built the West Hall in Fengyang to read and entertain himself, and invited many famous scholars to discuss classics and history.

After taking up his fief, he brought this tradition to Chengdu and established the Xiqing Academy within the Shu Prince's Palace. Besides serving as a school for his children, it was also used to compile and proofread various books. All books published by the Shu Prince were finalized and printed here.

Su Lu and the others followed the path they had taken that day, arriving at the main gate of the Shu King's Palace, the Duanli Gate. The palace gate was about three zhang high, with 63 gilded nails embedded in its vermilion panels. Above the gate tower hung a plaque with three large golden characters: 'Shu King's Palace'!

On either side of the palace gate stood two teams of brightly armored guards from the Shu King's Palace, holding long spears and with piercing eyes, watching everyone who approached the palace gate.

If it weren't for the literary gathering today, Su Lu would have been arrested by now.

After showing their invitations and undergoing a search, the group, along with other scholars from the same province attending the literary gathering, followed the guide, a young fireman, and entered the solemn and majestic Shu King's Palace through the west gate.

Then, passing through the second archway, Chengyun Gate, you will see the magnificent main hall of the royal palace, Chengyun Hall!

Unfortunately, no one dared to look up or dart around. They could only silently follow the fire-bringer around to the back of the hall and onto the west side of the inner court. There, they saw a white marble archway with four pillars and three bays. The four characters "Xiqing Academy" on the archway were written in a vigorous and powerful style. The inscription was written by Zhu Chun, the Prince of Shu, a hundred years ago, and the characters had not faded despite the passage of time.

"The literary gathering will be held inside. Gentlemen, please come in." Xiao Huozhe stopped and watched Su Lu and the others enter the academy.

Then he beckoned to another servant and ordered, "Quickly go and inform your prince that someone has arrived!"

"Thank you, brother!" the young man said, then quickly went to the inner palace to deliver the message.

P.S.: Posted half an hour early. I'll revise later, please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)