Gou Zai Xianwu Wenjing Search for Opportunities

His deputy, Master Fan, was from Wushan County. He was well-versed in the Taoist classic "Xinxiang Jing" and was skilled in physiognomy. He was an important retainer of the Third Master.

In addition to these two, the three stewards of the Li family's ancestral home will also be involved in this matter.

The main branch of the Li family has four houses. According to the Li family rules, the eldest son enters the clan to cultivate Taoism, the second son inherits the title, the third son enters officialdom, and the fourth son manages the business.

The Earl of Lishui Pavilion is from the second branch of the main lineage, inheriting the title of Earl.

The Third Master was from the main branch of the third house. He was rated as a superior scholar by the Immortal Temple in Lizhou. If he entered the court, he would become a third-rank official. Even with the Li family's influence, they could only recommend one superior scholar. Not every legitimate son of the main branch had such an opportunity.

Li Yuan, the eldest son of the Third Master, could not inherit the highest rank without being a legitimate heir. He could only enter a Taoist temple as a disciple and later leave the temple to pursue a mid-ranking official career.

The third steward is from the fourth branch of the family and manages the family's businesses in various places.

Third Master's arrangements this time were very thoughtful. The three-person team consisted of Li Yuan, who could represent Third Master, Old Fan, who had expertise in physiognomy, and the third steward, who was well-versed in the local situation.

It seems that this Third Master was very keen on buying the authorship rights to the Six Cao Commentaries, and clearly liked the book very much.

Lin Yuan felt that there was some chance this time, and since it was a chance, he had to give it a try.

Before the two had even left the house, a boy, barely out of school, strode in and said, "Grandpa, your grandson has come to see you."

It was Xu Shan's eldest son, Xu Bin, who usually studied at the Bofu School. The Li family's Bofu was located in Linyuan County, while the Li family's ancestral home was in Taoli Township. Therefore, he did not usually return home except for holidays.

The school at the Bofu Academy was full of children from the main branch of the Li family. The grandson's education was secondary; the main thing was for him to play with the Li family children from a young age. Therefore, Master Xu gave up personally teaching his grandson and sent him to the Bofu Academy to study from a young age.

Lin Yuan met Xu Bin once when he paid New Year's respects to Master Xu after the New Year, but the two were not familiar with each other.

It seems that Master Xu must have notified Xu Bin in advance to return from the county town. It appears that after learning that Third Master wanted to buy the authorship rights to this book, Master Xu planned to send his grandson to Lin Yuan Immortal Temple.

Lin Yuan had to admit that Master Xu was always very decisive at crucial moments and never hesitated.

"Mo'er, quickly greet your Uncle Lin." Master Xu took Xu Bin's hand.

Xu Bin was the first to bow and greet him, his demeanor composed and measured: "Greetings, Uncle Lin."

"Don't be so polite, Mo Lang," Lin Yuan said, addressing him by his childhood nickname.

Master Xu led Xu Bin by the hand in one hand and Lin Yuan by the other, and together they boarded the donkey cart.

The three arrived at the Li family's ancestral home and walked to the main hall.

Li Yuangao sat in the main seat, followed by the three stewards, and then Elder Fan.

When the three men entered, the third steward quickly ordered tea to be served.

Li Yuan, dressed in a Taoist robe, possessed an air of refinement and spoke in a clear voice: "Mr. Xu, please have a seat. And who are these two gentlemen?"

The master married a daughter from a collateral branch of the Li family. Li Yuan didn't pay much attention to this distant relationship and therefore didn't refer to her as a relative.

Master Xu didn't dare to pay attention and first introduced Xu Bin: "This is my eldest grandson, Xu Bin. He is studying at the Earl's Mansion School. He is ten years old and is well-versed in Taoist classics..."

After showering his grandson with praise, he introduced Lin Yuan: "This is my beloved disciple, Lin Yuan, who has studied with me since childhood. He is currently practicing martial arts at the Li family's outer martial arts hall. He is fourteen years old and has reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, just one step away from becoming a Martial Master..."

Master Xu finished praising the two men in one breath, without blushing or skipping a beat, his breathing steady. Then he winked and said, "You two, why don't you quickly pay your respects to Master Li, the Third Steward..."

"Greetings, Master Li." The two bowed and greeted him, then also bowed to the three stewards and Elder Fan.

Li Yuan simply hummed in agreement: "Young Master Xu and Young Master Lin are both promising young men, and Mr. Xu has provided excellent guidance. I wonder if the three of you have made up your minds before coming here?"

The third steward recognized Lin Yuan and had privately inquired about his background from Li Shi. With Li Shi and Master Xu's strong recommendation and their positive words for him, he smiled and nodded at him.

Old Fan nodded slightly. He was over fifty years old, with a completely white beard, but his eyes were bright and deep as he kept looking at Lin Yuan and the other two.

The master remained silent in thought, and Xu Bin glanced at his grandfather before doing nothing.

Lin Yuan knew it was his turn to play the bad cop, so he immediately rose from his chair, bowed and greeted the court, and said in a calm and unhurried manner: "Lin Yuan has admired the Immortal Temple since childhood and looks up to Master Li's demeanor. If I could enter the Lin Yuan Immortal Temple to serve Master Li, I would be content."

The lines were all discussed with Master Xu in advance.

Lin Yuan knew he didn't have much leverage in negotiations. Being able to sit at the negotiating table was already a favor from Master Xu, so even if he had to play the bad cop, he had to do his job well.

Li Yuan wasn't too surprised. Instead, he calmly looked at the third steward and Elder Fan, and the three exchanged glances for a moment.

The third steward had known Master Xu for a long time and was unlikely to object, since it wasn't his own money to bleed.

After observing the appearances and behavior of Master Xu, Lin Yuan, and the other two, Master Fan, in accordance with the "Heart Sutra" which states that appearance reflects the heart, and that by examining the heart and observing actions, one can predict fortune and misfortune and judge character, formed a general assessment in his mind. He then smiled slightly at Li Yuan, giving him a moderate evaluation, neither particularly good nor extremely wicked.

The core principle is simple: don't seek merit, just avoid mistakes.

Seeing that neither of them explicitly objected, Li Yuan began to try and lower the price: "You both know what kind of place Lin Yuan Immortal Temple is. It's not a place you can just walk into. Even for us scions of noble families, it's difficult, let alone for you..."

After a long and scathing speech, the atmosphere in the hall immediately became tense. Master Xu quickly stood up and played the good cop, scolding Lin Yuan: "Do you think you can just walk into that Taoist temple like that? Quickly apologize to Master Li."

Although Master Xu was reprimanding, the meaning behind his words was as if he were saying, "What do you want?"

"Lin Yuan acted rashly in a moment of panic, please forgive me, Master Li!" Lin Yuan immediately apologized and continued to play the good cop. He glanced at Xu Bin, who was sitting still. It was good to have a powerful father to protect him. He could just sit back and wait to reap the rewards.

"It's only natural for people to strive for higher positions, just as water flows downhill. Please sit down," Li Yuan said, trying to ease the tension. "However, it's not entirely impossible for you to enter the Immortal Temple. I'll ask my father to speak on your behalf, but whether it will be successful depends on what the Immortal Temple says. But have you decided how many of you will go, and what kind of disciples you wish to become?"

Seeing that he wanted something in return, Master Xu took the initiative to say, "I am old now, so I will let my eldest grandson Xu Bin and my beloved disciple Lin Yuan enter the Immortal Temple together. As for which disciples they become, it is entirely up to Third Master and Master Li to decide."

Master Xu immediately gave the two of them a meaningful look.

Xu Bin then stood up with Lin Yuan and bowed to express their gratitude to everyone: "Thank you, Third Master; thank you, Daoist Li; thank you, Third Steward; thank you..."

Li Yuan hummed in agreement and nodded: "Then I'll give you two one recommendation spot and one spot for the Qiu competition."

Master Xu's heart skipped a beat. Only one of his grandson and his student could be recommended for admission, meaning the other would have to participate in the Autumn Competition. After thinking for a moment, he decided to plead for leniency: "Master Li, would you be so lenient?"

Li Yuan sneered, "This temple isn't owned by my Li family!"

Lin Yuan knew that the solutions to the six difficult problems were compiled and implemented under the guidance of the Master, and that he was only playing a supporting role. He could not possibly claim the credit. Since he had to choose between the two options, he could only participate in the Autumn Competition to serve his disciples.

Fortunately, an opportunity arose, and he was willing to give it a try: "Master Li, my mentor, the Third Steward, Elder Fan, Lin Yuan wishes to participate in the Autumn Competition!"

Master Xu didn't stand on ceremony and immediately nodded to his grandson. Xu Bin quickly stood up and bowed to Lin Yuan, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Lin!"

"In that case, let's do it this way." Li Yuan made the final decision, and then said to the three stewards, "Uncle Zhou will take care of the rest of the trivial matters."

After saying that, Li Yuan picked up his teacup and looked at the three people below him.

Master Xu quickly led the two away to take their leave, and then waited outside for the third steward, Li Zhou, to come out.

The three stewards led the three men to a side hall for a short rest, and comforted Master Xu, saying, "Young Master Yuan has been cultivating Taoism in the temple for a long time, so it's inevitable that he speaks with a bit of detachment. But ultimately, the outcome is good, so please don't take it to heart."

"No, no, thank you for your help this time!" Master Xu was the kind of person who would swallow a slap in the face, so why would he care about this?

"We've known each other for many years, no need to stand on ceremony." The third steward nodded, then whispered a warning, "This matter is settled! From now on, these six essays will be under Yuanlang's name. The three of you mustn't let it slip!"

Master Xu immediately declared that the book would belong to the Li family from now on, and that he, Lin Yuan, and Xu Bin would not say a word more.

After the three formally expressed their opinions, the third steward looked at Lin Yuan and Xu Bin and said, "There is something I need to explain to you two. Whether it's recommending or arranging for the selection of disciples, the county government must write a recommendation review. So you two must also have one, and not only that, it must be a good review."

Fake positive reviews?

Lin Yuan couldn't hold back, so does the world need to give him positive reviews?