Confucian and Taoist Cultivation Starting from the Equipment Slot

After hearing this, Gu Qing'e didn't say anything more, but just glanced at Chen Zhuo and left the room.

Chen Zhuo thought it was a pity, but he didn't ask any further questions.

Anyway, this isn't a very important issue; there's plenty of time in the future.

So far, my initial contact with my junior sister has gone very smoothly.

It went much more smoothly than I had imagined.

A moment later, Gu Qing'e changed into formal attire, and the two arrived at the entrance of the county government office.

"I presume it's Mr. Chen and Miss Song, both in the double digits! Dean Song is inside."

The gatekeeper who greeted them was very perceptive, but he probably didn't fully know that Song Zhiyuan's daughter's surname was Gu.

However, these are all trivial matters.

Chen Zhuo straightened his clothes and walked side by side with Gu Qing'e into the county government gate.

Passing through the front hall and around the screen wall, a bright and open space suddenly appears before you.

The banquet hall was set up in the main hall of the county government office, and it was brightly lit.

Two rows of red-lacquered pillars were adorned with silk lanterns, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime.

Servants moved about among them, serving tea and water, creating a lively scene.

Chen Zhuo's gaze swept quickly across the entire room.

Magistrate Wang had already taken his seat in the main position to the north.

He wore a blue official robe, his face was thin, his cheekbones were slightly prominent, and there was a slight smile on his lips, but it gave off no warmth whatsoever.

Two people were seated in the main and guest seats.

One of them was Song Zhiyuan, who was calmly sipping tea.

The other was a stranger, a middle-aged man around fifty years old.

He wore a brocade robe and a jade belt, had a broad face and wide ears, and his eyes were half-closed, as if he were scrutinizing everyone present.

"Young friend Chen, over here." Song Zhiyuan waved.

Chen Zhuo led Gu Qing'e over and sat down next to Song Zhiyuan.

The first seat should naturally be given to Gu Qing'e, after all, they are father and daughter, and I can't compare to them.

Moreover, this position is neither too far nor too close to the main seat, making it a good vantage point for observing the entire venue.

"Father, who is that person? How can they be ranked alongside you?"

As she sat down, Gu Qing'e kept glancing around at the people around her, and finally her gaze fell on the people sitting in the main seats with Song Zhiyuan.

"Wang Zhongting, the representative from the Wang family this time."

Song Zhiyuan's calm voice rang out, as if everything was none of his business.

Wang Zhongting, Chen Zhuo silently memorized this name.

Ten years later, this person no longer exists in Qingshan County. Could it be that something happened during these ten years that caused someone of such high status to disappear without a trace?

His gaze continued to sweep across the area.

A group of people from the Xie family, whose clothes were inscribed with the character "Xie" in small seal script, walked in.

The Xie family members sat at the first table below.

The leader, Xie Anshi, was a middle-aged man in his forties.

Her face bore a slight resemblance to Xie Zhiwei's, but her brows were furrowed, and she cautiously surveyed her surroundings.

Beside him, Xie Zhiwei, dressed in an elegant moon-white dress, without any makeup, sat beside her father with her eyes lowered, like a quiet porcelain doll.

"They actually came," Chen Zhuo thought to himself.

"But why haven't we seen Chen Tiansheng?"

Logically, he and Song Zhiyuan should have arrived earlier.

Just as he was thinking this, Chen Tiansheng appeared out of nowhere.

She sat down quietly next to Chen Zhuo.

Chen Zhuo looked at him and found that his gaze was fixed on the direction of the Xie family.

So he patted him on the shoulder and said in a low voice.

"Keep it under control, it's too obvious! They'll find out!"

Chen Tiansheng turned to look at him, "We are mutually in love."

Chen Zhuo ignored him and simply said, "It is the parents' order and the matchmaker's words."

Chen Tiansheng was speechless.

Chen Zhuo finally turned his gaze to the edge of the banquet hall.

Zhou Wenyuan stood by the pillar, holding a pot of wine, and was pouring wine for several guests.

His movements were unhurried, and his face wore a perfectly respectful smile.

With each pour of wine, he would bow slightly, as if serving or observing.

Most of the guests didn't even look at him properly, treating him as just an ordinary county official.

However, Chen Zhuo noticed that half of a calligraphy brush was sticking out from inside Zhou Wenyuan's sleeve, and the brush handle had been used until it was shiny.

He was taking notes.

Record the words, expressions, and actions of everyone at this banquet.

"What a cunning old fox! Zhou Wenyuan's appointment as county magistrate ten years later was definitely not just luck."

Chen Zhuo thought to himself, silently raising a sense of vigilance.

"Gentlemen—"

Magistrate Wang stood up, pressed his hands together lightly, and the commotion in the hall gradually subsided.

"Today we are hosting a banquet to welcome Dean Song back and celebrate his journey home."

"Dean Song is exceptionally talented and comes from Shengtian Prefecture. His esteemed presence in Qingshan County is a great honor for Qingshan Academy and for Qingshan County as well."

He raised his glass, beaming, and said, "Come, everyone, let's drink to Dean Song."

Everyone raised their glasses.

Song Zhiyuan rose to return the greeting, neither humble nor arrogant:

"Magistrate Wang, you are too kind. I am new to this place and I need your help."

His words were perfectly watertight.

They accepted the other party's kindness but did not make any promises.

Chen Zhuo nodded secretly, not expecting that Song Zhiyuan, who was such a kind-hearted person ten years ago, would remain so ten years later.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Wang Zhongting put down his wine glass and spoke with a smile:

"Dean Song is new to Qingshan. What are your thoughts on the local cultural heritage?"

To my shame, Qingshan Academy has suffered a decline in talent in recent years, and several deans have failed to revitalize it. Dean Song, you must be quite confident in your abilities now that you've come here.

That's a tricky question.

On the surface, it was a request for advice, but in reality, it was a test to see what Song Zhiyuan had up his sleeve.

Even more insidiously, he deliberately mentioned that "several deans have failed to revitalize the area."

This was clearly an allusion to the previous dean's fate, prompting Song Zhiyuan to reconsider his own position.

Song Zhiyuan smiled slightly and calmly wiped the corner of his mouth.

"Mr. Wang is absolutely right. Qingshan Academy has indeed been in decline for a long time."

Song has been walking around the College of Arts these past few days and has noticed that while there are many students, most are of mediocre talent, and very few are truly capable of entering the field.

He paused, then his tone suddenly changed:

"However, Mr. Song did discover an interesting phenomenon."

"Although the library of the Faculty of Arts is dilapidated, it preserves many precious ancient books and rare editions."

"Among them are several rare books on landscape literature, which are hard to find even in Shengtianfu."

"It is evident that although Qingshan County is located in a remote area, its cultural heritage is not shallow; it is just that its pearls are covered in dust and are waiting for someone with a discerning eye to discover them."

Song Zhiyuan's reply was brilliant.

On the surface, he was talking about the library's collection, as if it were just casual conversation.

But those who are observant can hear that "a pearl is covered in dust, waiting for someone with a discerning eye to discover it" expresses their attitude without specifying how to do so.

What Wang Zhongting wanted to ask was what action he would take, but Song Zhiyuan cleverly evaded the question with a metaphor.

Chen Zhuo noticed that Wang Zhongting's eyes darkened slightly, but he quickly regained his smile.

"Dean Song has a keen eye for talent."

Wang Zhongting picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "The Wang family has been operating in Qingshan County for many years and has accumulated some wealth. If Dean Song is willing, the Wang family is willing to fund the renovation of the Wenyuan Academy, which can be considered as contributing our modest efforts to the local cultural heritage."

This is clearly an open attempt to win them over.

The renovation of the academy was funded by the Wang family.

Once the academy is completed, the Wang family's name will naturally be engraved on the record of merit.

If Song Zhiyuan refuses the Wang family's interference in the affairs of the Academy, he will be seen as ungrateful.

As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes were on Song Zhiyuan.

Everyone on the field was eager to know his thoughts.