Great Zhou Wensheng

Chapter 5 Yarrow Runes
After the lesson was over, as the last student stepped over the ebony threshold and left the Xue family's private school, only Master Pei Jingyi remained sitting alone in the hall, holding an ancient book, the "Yin Fu Jing," deep in thought.

The crackling sound of burning bamboo charcoal in the charcoal brazier kept the schoolroom warm and cozy.

A moment later, there was a faint sound of footsteps outside the window.

"Is the Master well?"

Xue Li, the head steward of the Xue family, stood outside the bamboo curtain by the window, dressed in a long silk robe, his hands hanging down. He spoke respectfully and humbly, “The master of the family ordered me to deliver three carts of charcoal to keep the private school warm during the cold winter.”

Also included are millet and various types of yarrow stalk paper. Please inform us of any other needs, Master.

Master Pei put down the ancient scroll in his hand, nodded slightly, and smiled, "There is still a considerable amount of bamboo charcoal, millet, and straw paper in the storeroom, so we are not lacking anything! Steward Xue, you have worked hard. Please convey my regards to the head of the Xue family."

"You're too kind, Master. This is the Xue family's duty."

Xue Li thought for a moment, then cautiously inquired, "I wonder how Young Master Jiang's studies are going lately? The head of the family sent a letter from Jiangzhou Prefecture asking if Young Master Jiang is confident of winning first place in this year's county examination?"

"His boating skills are solid, and he should be among the top five of the three thousand Meng people in this county!"

However, the success of the preliminary examination also depends on the questions set by the chief examiner and how well the other candidates perform on the spot!
Is the Xue family head hoping that Xingzhou will win first place in this year's imperial examination?

Pei Jingyi's expression showed a mixture of surprise and doubt.

Given the power and status of the Xue family in Jiangyin County, and even the entire Jiangzhou Prefecture, it would be no problem for them to guarantee the top scholar in a county's civil service examination simply by issuing a private statement.

There is no need to ask for his opinion.

"The patriarch certainly intends this!"
However, the difficulty lies in the fact that Young Master Jiang is not a direct descendant of the Xue family!

Steward Xue looked somewhat troubled: "If the Xue family insists on helping Young Master Jiang to become the top scholar in the imperial examination, it would be a bit like using their power to intimidate others."

Many prominent families in Jiangyin County, including the Han family (former Vice Minister of Revenue), the Lu family (former Right Chancellor), the Cao family (a prominent family in Jiangyin), and the Xu family (former Minister), would certainly be dissatisfied.

Many of the eldest sons and grandsons of prominent families in this county are going to participate in this year's county examination. How could they possibly back down for the sake of a poor scholar just because of a word from the Xue family?
The newly appointed educational commissioner of this county, Cai Chao, is from the Cai family of Suzhou and will preside over the county examinations.

Jiangyin County Magistrate Li Mo has been frequently interacting with him recently, and it is likely that he is also plotting with Li Yunxiao, the third son of Li Mo, to secure the top spot in the imperial examination.

The head of the household wrote in his letter, "I request that you, sir, pay close attention to this matter. At the very least, ensure the fairness of this county examination!"

Steward Xue lowered his voice slightly.

"Um!

I understand. You may go back now.

On the day of the county examination, I will personally go to the examination hall at the Confucian Temple to prevent cheating!

Master Pei stared at the still-wet ink in the inkstone, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Jiangyin County was a major county for imperial examinations in the Jiangnan region of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with numerous aristocratic families and powerful clans.

The competition for the county-level examination was fierce, especially for the top spot, which was contested by various factions. Countless people were determined to win it.

Since the Xue family is unlikely to offer assistance directly, it would be very difficult for Jiang Xingzhou to win the top spot in the imperial examination based on his own abilities!

As dusk fell, the eaves of the Langhuan Pavilion in the Xue State Duke's Mansion were bathed in a warm, flowing gold light.

Jiang Xingzhou returned through the dappled sunlight filtering through the corridors of the west courtyard, startling the swallows dozing under the eaves of the green tiles. The flapping of their wings with a "whoosh" sound shattered the twilight that filled the courtyard.

This library is located in the northeast corner of the west courtyard.

A three-bay square study
It was originally a pavilion where the Xue family ancestors collected rare books from the previous dynasty.

At this moment, many rubbings of calligraphy by famous calligraphers from Jiangnan still stand in the rosewood display case, and the silkworm cocoon paper scrolls are tinged with the yellow ivory of years.

Jiang Xingzhou was, after all, a guest in the Xue family mansion, so he naturally couldn't have a separate main house and courtyard like the Xue family's children.

The head of the Xue family ordered his men to remove the dusty camphor wood chest from the study and add a beech wood couch, and the room became his residence.

The pavilion was filled with a dazzling array of books, making it very convenient for him to read.

At this moment, the setting sun is shining into the study through the latticed windows of Langhuan Pavilion.

The boy brushed the soot and ink dust off his clothes and sat upright at his desk.

The wolf-hair brush rested on the Yue kiln celadon jade brush rest, its tip still stained with the remnants of morning ink.

His gaze suddenly fell on a small stack of goose-white talisman paper in the corner of the desk, the paper as smooth as cream.

"This is... the yarrow stalk paper originally intended for making runes?"

Jiang Xingzhou stared at the small stack of talisman papers on the table.

Suddenly, he recalled the scene of him making talisman paper in the side courtyard of the Xue mansion during the dog days of last year.

The original self was staying at the Xue residence, where food and lodging were not a problem. However, going out to meet friends and exchanging literary ideas always required some expenses.

He was shy and embarrassed to ask the head steward of the Xue family for help.

In the most desperate times, he couldn't even bear to replace the forked wolf-hair brush, only carefully smoothing the tip on the edge of the inkstone. He would also dilute pine soot ink with 30% well water to conserve it.

He then thought of making low-grade runes and selling them at bookstores to earn some silver.

Being a rune artist is a good way to earn a living.

But these talisman papers aren't cheap!

A single sheet of yarrow paper, costing two taels of silver, could cover a poor student's monthly expenses for writing materials.

After much thought, the only solution was to make low-grade talisman paper myself.

The "Essentials of Talisman Making" states: "Only those who have practiced spiritual divination for ten years can receive the essence of literature!"

He then went to the market in the south of the city and bought several bundles of ten-year-old yarrow from Tushan as raw materials for making talismans.

Under the moonlight, the translucent yarrow stalks, as clear as chalcedony, were repeatedly pounded in a stone mortar with a wooden pestle. Water collected from the morning mist and dew was poured into a porcelain urn and soaked for over a month, causing the painstakingly pounded fibers to swell.

Until the stems fibrous into clumps, each one a pale white.

Once the sun climbs up the east wall, the semi-dry yarrow pulp is spread on a bamboo rack and placed under the eaves of Langhuan Pavilion to dry. It takes nine soakings and nine dryings to make talisman paper.

Use a celadon paperweight to repeatedly flatten the paper. The freshly cut yarrow paper still has rough edges, so it needs to be trimmed neatly.

The coarse fibers that were not completely pounded during the Frost's Descent last year condensed into a few amber-colored specks on the off-white talisman paper.

This small stack of goose-white yarrow talisman paper took his predecessor several months to make.

"."

Jiang Xingzhou's calloused fingertips brushed across the surface of the talisman paper, making a rustling sound.

A wave of emotion washed over him.

Those years spent making talismans under leaky eaves have instead tempered his current composure.

"Alright!
As luck would have it, Master Pei asked me to go to the Confucian Temple tomorrow to seek enlightenment at the Mountain of Books.

This mountain of books is somewhat dangerous.

"It would be good to bring a few homemade talismans for self-defense."

Jiang Xingzhou stood quietly at his desk, grinding ink in the inkstone.

"Adding some fire sand to the ink can increase the power of the fire-based incantation runes by 30%!"

The boy took a ceramic jar from the display shelf, rubbed off the wax seal, and the red sand inside made a soft crackling sound like burning charcoal—this was expensive fire sand that ignited when exposed to wind.

When cinnabar is added to ink and ground evenly, the ink gradually develops a reddish luster.

He picked up the wolf-hair brush, dipped the tip lightly into the ink, and saturated it with pine soot ink.

"fire!"

Jiang Xingzhou paused for a moment, then spoke softly. Before the words were even finished, his wrist was already hovering over the paper, and the tip of his pen lightly touched the yarrow stalks.

His talent poured forth from his pen, like a burst of mist.

In an instant, the brush tip spontaneously emitted rosy light, like a swimming dragon, flashing with crimson firelight.

Every stroke and line is imbued with intense heat, gradually outlining the shape of the character "fire".

The Huainanzi states: "The accumulated heat of Yang generates fire."

As the final stroke fell, the character "fire" on the talisman suddenly lit up, and a three-inch-long burst of crimson flame erupted, shooting out brilliant sparks as if it were about to ignite.

However, the flames were instantly sealed into the runes, seemingly locked in place by an invisible force.

The light quickly subsided, and the intense heat in the study dissipated as well.

"The fire talisman is complete!"

The boy put down the wolf-hair brush and gently blew on the still-wet runes.

The character for "fire" on the yarrow paper resembles a red lotus bud about to bloom, with a faint, intense light shining through its petals.

He examined it closely, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, and an indescribable sense of accomplishment welling up in his heart.

One character is one symbol!
This rune is in good condition; the fire energy it contains is condensed and does not dissipate, and there is a faint red halo flowing around it!
A [fire] character of this quality is probably worth a bushel of top-grade green rice.

He breathed a sigh of relief, put away the talisman, and carefully placed it into the celadon box beside him.

"One [Fire] spell rune consumed ten strands of my talent energy."

"It seems that the talent stored in Meng Sheng's body is only enough to unleash ten literary spells before it is exhausted!"

Runes, in terms of power and effect, are no different from the spells that scholars directly cast.

Unless you add some precious materials such as cinnabar and ice crystals to the ink, it will not gain additional power.

However, the greatest function of runes is to store talent and literary skills in advance for unforeseen needs.

It should be understood that when two students of the same level are fighting, their internal energy is roughly equal, and they will often be exhausted very quickly.

If you have pre-made runes, it's like having an extra spell to use, which can instantly tip the scales of victory.

"Make a few more runes for later use!"

As night deepened, the candlelight in the study flickered, illuminating the boy's profile and making him appear exceptionally calm and focused.

Jiang Xingzhou crafted a [Fire] character rune. His understanding deepened, and his cultivation level increased by 10 points.

[Jiang Xingzhou, crafted one [Water] talisman, increasing his Taoist cultivation by +10! His Taoist cultivation is improving daily, further increasing his talisman-making proficiency!]

Jiang Xingzhou, creating the character [雷]...

As midnight approached, silk lanterns gradually lit up at the side gate, and the distant sound of the watchman's clapper at the third watch echoed through the courtyard wall.

The boy seemed not to hear.
When the lamp is lit,
Fang felt some soreness and swelling in his wrist.

He let out a long sigh, got up and pushed open the window sill. The evening breeze carried the aroma of freshly steamed millet from the Xue family's kitchen.

At this moment, seven single-character incantation runes were neatly arranged inside the celadon box.

Each rune radiated a different color: the [Fire] rune emitted a crimson glow, the [Water] rune was icy blue, and the [Cloud] rune was like white fluff with a pale light. The most exquisite was a [Thunder] rune, with a wisp of purple lightning dancing within its patterns, bursting into tiny sparks the size of rice grains.

(End of this chapter)