Chapter 16

‘Bingxin’ was the courtesy name of his cousin, the only daughter of Prince Mu, who came from a higher background than him. Although she had a clear temperament, she didn’t like to interact with her cousins who were only related by blood.

Later, she opened a bookstore and wrote biographies, becoming a famous figure in the capital, earning herself the title ^[1]“Bingxin Jushi” (冰心居士) means “Lay Buddhist with a Pure Heart.” “Bing Xin” (冰心) translates to “Ice Heart,” symbolizing purity and … Continue reading”Bingxin Jushi.”

Jiang Mengzhen’s courtesy name was “Hengzhi.” In the past, in order to strike up a conversation with this cousin, he wrote some manuscripts according to her preferences and even chose the pen name ^[2]“Mingxin Jushi” (明心居士) means “Lay Buddhist with an Enlightened Heart.” “Ming Xin” (明心) translates to “Clear Heart,” symbolizing clarity and … Continue reading “Mingxin Jushi.”

Jiang Mengzhen had a wide range of knowledge, and writing was just a tool for him to engage in conversation and flattery.

Unexpectedly, he actually achieved some results later on. However, he kindly discussed it with his cousin and kept the true identity of Mingxin Jushi a mystery, so that people thought Mingxin Jushi was also a woman.

Men in this world were judged more strictly, and many people thought that men who didn’t enter officialdom didn’t need to learn so much. While many literati admired Mingxin Jushi, if his identity were exposed, there would surely be more ridicule than approval.

Originally praised for his delicate writing style, it would be criticized as effeminate if it were known to be written by a man, especially considering his unfavorable reputation in the capital.

After reading the letter, Jiang Mengzhen flicked the note and placed it onto the flickering candle flame. The thin paper touched the faint flame, and the pale yellow fire spread out, licking the tail of the paper. In a moment, it consumed most of the paper, and when he let go, the letter turned into a small pile of black ashes.

Hao Cheng was a scholar, but she had sold all her valuable writing materials to bury her parents. Later, when she came, she used finely ground charcoal sticks instead of ink and plain clothes instead of writing paper, never buying paper or ink again.

Before leaving, she even ripped up an old garment and wrote a lot on it. The content she wrote was much richer than the content of Jiang Mengzhen’s cousin, and the tone was sincere.

An image of a timid and lonely scholar emerged on the paper, or rather, on the cloth. But if one were to say that Hao Cheng was really timid, then when she dealt with the broker office and her uncle, she should have endured and let things go. Running away at the last minute was just because she found it troublesome.

There were signs in Hao Cheng’s words and actions, and Jiang Mengzhen should have guessed her intentions earlier. However, due to the sweet aroma of the rice wine yesterday, he had drunk a few too many cups and slept deeply, not even hearing her movements when she got up in the middle of the night.

He lit a fire in the brazier and picked up the piece of white cloth covered with charcoal characters written, holding it over the brazier. Just as he was about to let it drop, he hesitated and reached out to retrieve it.

When the fire in the brazier gradually extinguished, he neatly folded the piece of cloth covered with densely written characters and placed it in the small package that Hao Cheng had prepared for him earlier, which she intended to use to chase him out.

Jiang Mengzhen didn’t like to go out, so not many people in the village knew him. If he wanted to leave, he wouldn’t attract much attention.

Having some free time, he went to the town to exchange the gold leaves for more convenient silver bills. It cost him some silver to persuade those homeowners, and it would cost him more to find out where Hao Cheng went.

With Hao Cheng around, things were still interesting, but without her and without any identification documents, it would be inconvenient to handle various matters. Although having money was good for handling things, without identification documents, he would have to spend several times more money.

He had no source of income, and he wasn’t one to endure hardship. He stayed at the best inn in town for a few days, thinking that it was about time to leave, so he bought a carriage and hired a few people from the escort bureau to escort him.

Hao Cheng didn’t know that Jiang Mengzhen had already left Xinghua Village. He would leave sooner or later. He was a noble son, and even if she passed the imperial examination in the future, and didn’t become an official, they would surely have few opportunities to meet.

When this person mentioned his name, she instinctively felt that he was lying. Someone who wouldn’t even easily reveal their real name surely had some stories behind them that someone like her, from her background, couldn’t touch. Although Jiang Mengzhen was indeed not bad, Hao Cheng couldn’t possibly have any improper thoughts about this person.

This man, who had been saved by her, should not harbor any resentment towards her if he had any conscience. After all, she had waited until Jiang Mengzhen was fully recovered before leaving in the middle of the night.

She left at night, riding in a farmer’s cart. Fortunately, she encountered a merchant caravan, which took her for a ride. The original owner had never left the courtyard, but because she was going to the capital for the imperial examination, she had to pass through the surrounding towns and cities, including Mingzhou.

Mingzhou was probably equivalent to the provincial capital in her world, bustling and prosperous. When Hao Cheng wanted to take the imperial examination, she would have to take it in this city, so settling in this place was a plan she had made long ago.

The man who had been saved by her was just an accident. At most, he could be considered a catalyst for her to complete her plan ahead of time.

After traveling for several days, Hao Cheng finally saw the true face of the bustling city, which was completely different from Xinghua Village. The caravan she had hitched a ride with stopped, and the impatient woman she had clung to said, “We’ve arrived. You can get off now.”

Hao Cheng was awakened from her sleep and rubbed her sore buttocks, which had been rubbed raw by the saddle. Then, she carefully got off the horse with her small package.

When traveling, she kept her valuable items sewn into the pockets of her clothes, and she even sewed them in several places. The small package only contained some scattered silver coins and dry rations.

Fortunately, she had a good character, and the caravan on the road didn’t take advantage of her because of her shabby clothes.

She stood still on the side, took a deep breath of the fresh floral air, and faced the lively and bustling city in front of her. Before she could even get excited, a group of young girls on horseback galloped past, kicking up a cloud of dust in her face.