And along the way, regardless whether it was the ones in front opening up a path, or the ones following closely behind, all pretended to be deaf and mute, expressing that they didn’t hear anything at all, and further won’t leak a single word outwards, no matter who, all won’t dare, not even to their close family. However, a bunch of male comrades all inwardly expressed in their hearts, to want to curry favor with wangfei and obtain better prospects, one at the very least absolutely must not be fickle in love.
Just, Yu Zhong Qing and Sir Shi’s gaze towards the living Enma was a bit profound. In the capital, when it comes to being lustful, Jin Qinwang definitely bore the brunt of the force. The rest, no matter what, all couldn’t come anywhere near him. Raising an entire villa of beauties, that was all genuinely true. Could it be that it was just putting on appearances, completely just decorations? Or perhaps, it was actually that Jin Wangfei’s charm was truly too great, causing Jin Qinwang from hereon completely curbing his heart, viewing the beauties of the world all as dried up bones, only having one in his eyes?
This kind of a situation, getting known by the people of the world, nine out of ten will have to pin Jin Wangfei with a title of a ‘calamitous beauty’.
However, this had nothing to do with them.
Just, along this way, they encountered more and more people, especially young scholars.
Li Hong Yuan rather didn’t say anything at all, just carrying a blank face, appearing exceptionally cold. For the most part, all would voluntarily make way, and won’t go forward to invite trouble.
Just, towards the matters that happened atop the Immortal Gazing Lookout, everyone was still exceptionally curious inside.
Jing Wan and them switched to another place. It was Kaiming Fu’s library. In reality, this library actually belongs to Kaiming Academy. In fact, it’s even a part of the Kaiming Academy. However, one of the later deans opened this library to the outside, and to avoid disturbing the students’ daily learning in the academy, it was just separately partitioned out.
This Kaiming Library not only contained the most detailed historical record of Kaiming Fu, the book collection inside was also very abundant, even including some forbidden books. Of course, these were stored in a special area, and ordinarily, simply unable to be accessed.
Kaiming Library’s book collection, ninety percent were opened to Kaiming Academy’s students free of charge, while thirty percent were opened to the outside free of charge. These books were placed in different buildings, and numerous buildings were scattered all over the vast courtyard. All of the books, other than to Kaiming Academy’s students, towards the others, all won’t be lent out. However, they make a copy of it while inside. As such, the people in this courtyard were very numerous, regardless whether it was reading or making a copy, and moreover, it was practically this way every day.
Jing Wan and them were bit many, so to just ‘swarm’ in like this seemingly was a bit not too fitting. Thus, they just separated outside.
Since it was opened to the outside, then aside from those that were dirty all over, for the most part, all can enter inside. But even so, the ones to come here were still for the most part all scholars. The range of ages was enormous, with only a few women mixed in. Surveying the distance, everyone for the most part were all quiet. Even if mutually communicating between one another, it was also in a soft whisper.
The atmosphere appeared very good. Truthfully speaking, Jing Wan quite liked this place.
Jing Wan’s target was Kaiming Fu’s history. The other books, as long as she wanted, she naturally was able to obtain.
However, seeing this scene, Jing Wan rather wasn’t in a hurry, preparing to stroll around.
Along the way, they actually encountered some ‘familiar people’. Although Jing Wan said that she didn’t want to be disturbed, but when directly running into them, and they greet her, Jing Wan would still smile and nod her head in response. As for Li Hong Yuan, he just stood by Jing Wan’s side, not uttering a single word, appearing particularly aloof. Although good looking, that presence was just too terrifying, so naturally not that many approached.
Jing Wan just continued smiling.
After strolling around halfway, Jing Wan discovered a small problem. Here, a great majority of the people were all wearing various kinds of clothes, but there were a group of people wearing the same kind of clothes. The number of people weren’t considered many, yet they occupied the most optimal places in this entire courtyard, entirely different from the others. After randomly asking the others, turns out, they were Kaiming Academy’s students.
This was Kaiming Academy’s territory after all, so as Kaiming Academy’s students, being a bit special seemingly was also very normal. Moreover, it was also just occupying some of the better areas, that’s all.
However, these people seemingly appeared to faintly have a kind of ‘a cut above others’ attitude. But carefully looking into it, this seemingly was also understandable. After all, these people were all outstanding students that came from all over the country, and moreover, in terms of age, the average was on the low side, with the oldest no more than thirty, so for them to mentally feel a sense of superiority, it also couldn’t be more normal.
Jing Wan was just about to pull Li Hong Yuan to leave, when she saw a familiar figure. Similarly wearing the clothing of a Kaiming Academy student, if not the poor scholar from that day at Kaiming Crisp Restaurant, then who else. She’d only learned afterwards that his surname was Wang, his name Zhen Xing. It can be seen he had his family’s hopes and expectations entrusted onto him. Precisely as the saying goes, ‘people relied on clothes’, and majority of the times, this wasn’t false. Just like, for instance, this person here, his entire person appearing much more spirited, but also perhaps it was because he’d obtained something he didn’t dare think of in the past, so his entire presence was all different. As such, he appeared exceptionally distinct.
(T/N: His name Zhen Xing ‘振兴’ is literally just the word for ‘to revive’.)
However, shortly after, Jing Wan discovered, Wang Zhen Xing seemingly was being shunned by others. Although residing in the circle of the Kaiming Academy, he nevertheless was nestled in the most cornered place all alone by himself. Generally speaking, encountering this kind of situation, one’s mentality might have problems arising, but after carefully looking, very good, no problem at all.
Jing Wan’s eyes suddenly got covered. It goes without saying who it was. Towards that bit of possessiveness of his, Jing Wan also didn’t want to go correct. Whatever, it was just not looking anymore.
Suddenly, three other students went forward. The two in the back clearly were headed by the person that was a step ahead of them. That person, at a glance, just appeared to also be an existence that was a cut above others in Kaiming Academy.
“Heard your luck was good, running into Jin Wangfei standing up for injustice, helping you out, even having you sent into Kaiming Academy?”
The comprehension one should have, Wang Zhen Xing obviously also had, although from his subtle facial expression, one could tell, he actually possessed the annoyance of having been disturbed by someone. Getting up, he first bowed, “Indeed.”
“It’s not that Kaiming Academy doesn’t have students that have entered due to special circumstances, but it was all on court academicians or renowned great scholars’ recommendations. In terms of talent and learning, perhaps a little inferior, but in terms of moral conduct, it’s nevertheless first class. Setting aside your moral character, you nevertheless entered thanks to one of Teacher Luo’s name card, but who knows how this name card was obtained?”
“Are you calling her Highness Wangfei into question?” Wang Zhen Xing’s brows tightly creased, appearing very displeased. Even earlier, when getting disturbed, he all was never like this.
“I’m not questioning anyone, just, the people of the imperial family, wanting a name card, how easy, yet someone relied on this to break the academy’s rules.”
Very good, Jing Wan also understood from hearing. The reason these people shunned Wang Zhen Xing wasn’t because of him as a person, but rather because of the recommender. The recommender forcibly broke the rules with strong power. Speaking of which, was her name card obtained through strong power? This was considered breaking the rules? Moreover, “Ah Yuan, how come I feel this person seemingly has a very big complaint towards the imperial family.” Jing Wan softly whispered.
“There are plenty of people that have complaint towards the imperial family, especially in the south.” Li Hong Yuan very apathetically said.
Moreover, Li Hong Yuan didn’t control his volume, so the people that should hear, all heard, including the people that were originally just spectating, all successively looking over.
T/N: I forgot to mention, the title of this chapter is an idiom meaning ‘failing to recognize someone familiar’, or ‘a dispute between two people who failed to recognize each other’. The Dragon King in chinese mythology is known for ruling the waters, so water flooding his temple is a bit of an irony. It’ll make more sense in the part.
Also I’m like about over a week into using wordpress’s block editor, and honestly it makes me want to set my laptop on fire. I like the classic editor so much, the block editor just makes everything so much more difficult than it needs to be. I do everything in html layout and the code editor for it is a nightmare to use. I’ve really dreaded updating on wordpress, I’ve even felt remorse for calling patreon’s post editor shit, I was obviously too naive.
Some good news tho, I have reached chapter 300 on patreon, I’m almost halfway through translating this novel. I’ll do another roundup of my progress at the end of the year, to see how far I can get next year. This year has been pretty productive, really thanks to all my patrons that I can live a hermit life of translating.
