Ficool

Chapter 26 - Chapter 26: Giving Gifts

"Is everyone gone?"

"They're all gone. The last one too."

"Phew, that's good."

In Security Hall's main hall, Li Ang sighed deeply and collapsed tiredly into a chair. Chai Cuiqiao, who had been peeking through the crack in the front door, hurried over and gently patted Li Ang's shoulders.

Earlier that day, after Li Ang had completed the procedures to withdraw from the examinations, he had almost fled Yizhou State School. However, the moment he returned to the entrance of Security Hall, he found dozens of carriages blocking the entire street. Everywhere he looked were neighbors, acquaintances, wealthy merchants, and gentry coming to deliver gifts and offer congratulations.

Some brought eggs, others white liquor; some carried a bushel of rice, and a few brought two chickens tied with red string.

Ceramic ware, rouge and bracelets, books and ink, famous calligraphy and paintings, fine horses and saddles, land deeds and property deeds...

All sorts of people, with boxes filled to the brim, turned the west bank of the Yishui River into a festival-like market.

As soon as Li Ang appeared, he was recognized by the neighbors and nearly surrounded. Thankfully, Aunt Song intervened in time. She paused business at Lansheng Building and had its four employees act as temporary doorkeepers for Security Hall, attending to everyone who came with gifts and greetings.

She loudly announced all the gifts brought, while also meticulously compiling a list, noting down everyone's names, identities, and the gifts they offered.

Valuables such as land deeds, property deeds, expensive horses, coral, and Sea Pearls were explicitly rejected.

Preposterous requests, such as marriage proposals or offers of servants, were diplomatically refused.

And ridiculous requests, like asking for Li Ang's calligraphy or for household items from Li Ang's house to gain good fortune, were also politely declined—if they had agreed to everything, nothing would have been left in Security Hall.

After two exhausting hours, they finally managed to disperse the local residents and the various gentry and merchants.

"This is more tiring than extracting a Medina Dragon Worm..." Li Ang lay in his chair, his face drained of energy. "It's comparable to when Fan Jin passed the imperial examinations."

Chai Cuiqiao tapped his shoulders, the pressure varying, and curiously asked, "Fan Jin? Who's that?"

"Some old, impoverished scholar who went mad with joy after passing the provincial examinations," Li Ang replied nonchalantly.

"Mad with joy just for becoming a scholar?" Chai Cuiqiao scoffed. "It's been years since Yizhou produced a genuine student from the Academic Palace, let alone one who secured a recommendation letter in advance. Didn't you hear earlier today? The Lu Family from Yizhou City was just an ordinary cloth merchant a decade or so ago. They became a wealthy and influential family shortly after one of their clan became an Academic Palace Disciple."

"Heh, I bet my teacher and Senior Brother Cheng are secretly laughing now, seeing me in this mess," Li Ang shook his head and smiled bitterly. "The Governor Mansion really overdid it this time, posting the list so early. Aren't they just making me a public target?"

"Ordinary families don't have the privilege of knocking on the Governor Mansion's door, so naturally, they come here instead," Chai Cuiqiao rolled her eyes. "Bringing portraits and horoscopes for marriage proposals is one thing, but some people actually said, 'Doctor Li has no one by his side,' and wanted to send dozens of servants over. Didn't they even consider if Security Hall could accommodate so many people?"

"Ha, what's wrong? Are you jealous?" Li Ang teasingly tilted his head up and lightly poked Chai Cuiqiao's chin.

"Not at all!" Chai Cuiqiao huffed, lowered her head, and let out a little growl, pretending to bite Li Ang's finger.

"Can't catch it. Heh." Li Ang withdrew his finger and glanced at the large heap of gift boxes and chests piled in the corner, his headache returning.

It wasn't just the main hall; the second floor and backyard of Security Hall were filled with these items. Even the backyard of the neighboring Lansheng Building was packed.

Furthermore, it was predictable that more gifts would arrive in the coming days—the local well-wishers had made their rounds, but there were still river merchants and Sea Merchants from out of town.

"Argh, this is so annoying!" Li Ang clutched his head and sighed. No wonder Pu Liuxuan and Cheng Juxiu chose to hide their identities; otherwise, just dealing with the endless stream of relatives, acquaintances, and opportunistic visitors would be enough to drive them mad.

"I can only leave these matters to Aunt Song. Alas, debts of social obligation are indeed the hardest to settle," Li Ang rubbed his temples. Listening to the sounds from next door at Lansheng Building, it seemed Song Shaoyuan's celebration had also concluded. Li Ang obtaining a recommendation letter was a matter of great pride for his distant cousin as well.

If they could both enter the Academic Palace, two neighboring households on the same street, both with Academic Palace Disciples, would undoubtedly become a celebrated tale.

"By the way, Young Master," Chai Cuiqiao picked up the visitor list from the table and said, "the governor's daughter also received a recommendation letter, but I didn't see anyone from their household delivering a greeting card today."

"Well, he is the governor of a prefecture; he has to maintain a certain decorum," Li Ang said casually. "Anyway, Zhai Yiming has already given me their invitation to a formal gathering."

"Are you going then?"

"Probably," Li Ang said with a troubled expression. "Lansheng Building still needs to do business in Yizhou City in the future. Even for Aunt Song's sake, I can't skip the governor's banquet. Alright, go pour a pot of tea for me. I still need to read."

The townsfolk have already delivered their congratulatory gifts. It would be terribly awkward if I went to Chang'an and then failed the Academic Palace entrance examination.

"Right away." Chai Cuiqiao retrieved the "Shangqing Linggan Chapter," poured a pot of fresh tea, and lit a new bronze oil lamp. This lamp, also a gift from the townsfolk today, was ten inches tall, well-fueled, and its flame burned brighter than the old one.

"Remove fatigue to absorb the true essence, clear the mind to forget strife... Follow the flow to the cave's root, reside alone in a secluded room... Abstain from grains and pungent foods, with bland flavors ascend to the high heavens..." Li Ang skillfully recited the obscure text. Through his recent efforts, he had memorized the entire "Shangqing Linggan Chapter," but he still barely understood the meaning of its words and phrases.

"Why can't it be written more clearly? Specify which organ to extract Spiritual Energy from, which blood vessel or fascial plane it should pass through—simple and clear, to avoid all this guessing and endless contemplation," Li Ang muttered after a while, sighing lightly. He put down the "Shangqing Linggan Chapter" and picked up another pamphlet.

This booklet was written from memory by Pu Liuxuan and given to him previously. It contained some basic information about the Academic Palace, to prevent him from being utterly clueless upon arriving in Chang'an.

"Now this is more interesting," Li Ang said, opening the booklet and reading with relish.

The Academic Palace is the largest and highest-ranked comprehensive institution of learning in the world, located at the foot of Xia Mountain, west of Chang'an.

The head of the Academic Palace, known as the Mountain Master, is responsible for managing the entire institution.

The Academic Palace offers dozens of courses, with subjects taught including, but not limited to: Talismans, Magic, Sword, Mind, Body, Yu Country Law, national history, Agricultural Science, National Children's School, Military Studies, Mathematics, Engineering, Astronomy, Herbal Medicine, Divination, and Hundred Beasts Studies.

Among these, Yu Law, national history, National Children's School, Agricultural Science, Mathematics, Hundred Beasts Studies, and Engineering are compulsory subjects that all students must study.

Hundred Beasts Studies not only teaches about common species such as insects, poultry, domestic animals, wild animals, birds, river fish, and sea fish; it also involves gathering rare and dangerous creatures from all over the world, including demon beasts.

The Academic Palace serves as a solid wall between ordinary people and bizarre entities. Its disciples bear the responsibility of protecting the common people. They must recognize the demons that could pose a significant threat to Yu Country's citizens, understanding their habits and weaknesses.

As for Engineering, it is an applied discipline, encompassing areas such as mineral mining, civil construction, weapon manufacturing, craftsmanship improvements, urban drainage, and bridge construction.

In this era, the magnificent Chang'an Heroic City, with a permanent population of two million and a transient population of over one million, stands as a marvel created by the Engineering of the Academic Palace.

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