On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

Inside the palace, the early summer sun had already become somewhat scorching.

The two walked along the winding gravel path.

By the roadside, tenacious wild grass stubbornly peeks out from between the rocks, swaying gently in the breeze.

Several servants and maids were squatting by the roadside, pulling out these unruly weeds while chatting and laughing in low voices. They were talking about which housekeeper in the mansion had given birth to a grandson, or what jokes the new kitchen helpers had made. The atmosphere was relaxed.

Their laughter stopped abruptly when Lin Zhen and Xiao Hanzhou approached.

Everyone hurriedly stood up, hands hanging, and said respectfully in unison, "His Royal Highness, how are you?"

Lin Zhen did not stop, but his eyes fell on one of the maids who was hurriedly hiding a handful of weeds in her hand behind her back.

He walked up to her and stopped, looking with interest at the few blades of grass that had just been pulled up at her feet, still covered in fresh soil. He asked, "These grasses are so hard to grow, and they're able to squeeze through the cracks in the rocks. It's a real talent. Why do you have to pull them out?"

The little maidservant was frightened by the prince's sudden question and her face turned pale. She quickly bowed and said nervously, "To answer your question, it was the steward Lin An who ordered us to clean up the weeds on the roadside, saying that they were an eyesore."

Lin Zhen frowned slightly upon hearing this, then relaxed his brows. His tone was calm but carried an unquestionable tone of command: "Go tell Lin An there's no need to go to all this trouble. Tell him to hire a few skilled gardeners. Trim these weeds neatly and leave them as decoration. It'll have a unique wild charm. It'll look better than a bare gravel road. Pulling them out all day is a waste of time and effort, and it also damages the earth's energy."

"Yes... yes! I understand! I will report to Steward Lin right away!" The little maidservant responded as if she had been pardoned, and bowed and retreated to the side of the road with the others.

Only then did Lin Zhen continue to move forward.

Xiao Hanzhou followed silently behind, taking in the entire scene.

He felt a little surprised: as a prince with great power in the court and busy with all kinds of affairs, he even had to personally take care of such trivial matters as pulling weeds on the roadside in his mansion, and even give some instructions?

This seems to be somewhat different from the image of a powerful official who is decisive and capable of making strategic plans in his imagination.

But he knew very well that he was a newcomer and of low status, so even if he had doubts, he would not dare to ask any more questions. He just suppressed his confusion in his heart and followed closely.

After passing through several courtyards, we arrived at a quiet and elegant study.

The study door was open, and a faint scent of ink and tea wafted out.

As Lin Zhen walked to the door, a gentle figure came out to greet him. It was Huanbi.

She had obviously calculated the time when Lin Zhen would return. She was holding a mahogany tray in her hand, on which was placed a cup of freshly brewed fragrant tea. The tea soup was emerald green and steam was rising.

"My husband is back." Huanbi had a gentle smile on her face, and her voice was like a spring breeze blowing through the willows.

However, when she saw a strange scholar in blue clothes following behind Lin Zhen, a hint of subtle surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her gentle composure.

"Yeah." Lin Zhen responded, walked into the study, and naturally took the teacup handed to him by Huanbi. It was warm to the touch.

He pointed at Xiao Hanzhou behind him and introduced him to Huanbi, "Bi'er, this is the new top scholar, Young Master Xiao Hanzhou. His Majesty sent him to the palace to learn some practical skills from me."

Upon hearing this, Huanbi immediately knelt slightly towards Xiao Hanzhou and performed a standard blessing ceremony with a dignified and generous manner: "My name is Huanbi, and I am honored to meet Master Xiao."

Although she was a concubine, her status in the palace was second only to Wan'er, so her bearing was extraordinary.

Xiao Hanzhou did not dare to neglect the ceremony and immediately bowed in return, his attitude extremely respectful. "Disciple Xiao Hanzhou, greetings to Madam Huanbi! Madam, I have long admired your name. It is truly a great honor to meet you today!"

He wasn't being polite.

The name Huanbi is almost known to everyone in the official circles in the capital!

She was one of Lin Zhen's earliest and most favored concubines. She was gentle and virtuous, and was in charge of the palace's internal affairs. What was even more rare was that she came from a humble background and was once a maid, but she was deeply trusted by Lin Zhen and had a stable position.

In the eyes of poor students like Xiao Hanzhou, Huanbi's experience itself has a legendary color, which makes him dare not underestimate it.

Lin Zhen walked to the rosewood armchair behind the desk and sat down, taking a sip of the fragrant tea. His eyes fell on Xiao Hanzhou, who was still standing respectfully in front of the desk.

The bright light in the study illuminated the handsome yet weathered face of the young top scholar more clearly.

"Han Zhou," Lin Zhen put down his teacup and spoke in a calm voice, with a hint of an elder testing his junior. "How old are you this year?"

Xiao Hanzhou bowed his head slightly and replied respectfully, "Your Highness, I just had my coming-of-age ceremony this year."

"Oh? Twenty years old?" Lin Zhen's eyes flashed with approval. "At the tender age of twenty, you've already surpassed all the other contenders and won the title of the top scholar in the first class. You're truly a young and promising talent!"

He paused, then changed the subject. "But the title of top scholar, after all, is based on book knowledge: the classics, history, and poetry. These things are certainly important and form the foundation of one's life. But can one truly govern a country with only these?"

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharpening as if to see through Xiao Hanzhou's heart. "So, I really want to know. You've given up the easily accessible position of a distinguished Hanlin scholar, willingly forsaking that bright future, to come to my palace, claiming you want to study. What exactly do you want to learn? Or rather, what exactly do you want to do? What are your ambitions?"

Lin Zhen's tone was not harsh, but it carried an invisible pressure.

He needed to know the young man's true thoughts and find out his background and ambitions.

The trip to Hu County is of great importance, and he must not leave anyone with weak will and unclear purpose by his side.

Xiao Hanzhou felt the scrutiny in Lin Zhen's eyes. He did not dodge, but raised his head and met Lin Zhen's gaze.

In those clear eyes, there is a flame that is almost pious at this moment. It is the desire for knowledge and the persistence for ideals!

"Your Highness, I understand!" Xiao Hanzhou's voice was filled with a subtle excitement, yet he remained calm. "I come from a humble background and understand the suffering of ordinary people. After ten years of hard study, I was fortunate enough to be ranked number one. For me personally, this is a great honor for my family and I have no regrets in my life!"

He changed the subject, his tone becoming heavy and resolute. "But! Students know better than anyone else that bookish knowledge is dead! Poetry and songs can express one's feelings and aspirations, but they can't fill the stomachs of the hungry. Classics, history, and miscellaneous writings can enlighten people about principles and righteousness, but they can't remedy flooded rivers, save people infected with epidemics, or stop the wars of the Northern Yan and Southern Barbarians!"

His voice gradually rose, carrying a heartfelt pain and longing: "I have seen it with my own eyes! I have seen the floods that left thousands of miles of land marshy, with corpses of starving people everywhere. I have seen plagues run rampant, leaving nine out of ten houses empty and good doctors helpless. I have seen powerful people annex and displace the people, leaving them with no recourse. I have also seen the borders blaze with war, soldiers bleeding, only to die on the battlefield due to lack of food and fodder, and neglected military preparations!"

He took a deep breath and looked at Lin Zhen with burning eyes, like a believer looking up to a god:

"I don't want that! I don't want to be just a noble poet who spends his whole life in the Hanlin Academy studying classics and reciting poems about the wind and the moon. What I seek is true knowledge that can be applied to the world, practical knowledge that can develop water conservancy projects and control river disasters. Skills that can improve agriculture and increase grain production. Strategies that can strengthen the army, enrich the country, and resist foreign aggression. The art of criminal law that can discern the smallest details and enforce the law impartially. Economic methods that can understand business and prosper the market!"

He clasped his hands together and bowed deeply to Lin Zhen, his voice filled with pleading and immense determination:

"I've heard that His Royal Highness is a truly exceptional scholar, unconventional in his approach! The Royal Academy's teachings encompass a wide range of practical knowledge that benefits the nation and its people. I yearn for it! I earnestly request Your Highness to take me in, allowing me to study diligently alongside you. I seek no fame, but rather to achieve academic success, so that I can contribute my skills to the service of the court and benefit the people! This is my sincere advice, and heaven and earth will bear witness! Please grant my wish, Your Highness!"

What a powerful statement!

No fancy words, no hypocritical courtesy, only sincere ideals and pragmatic pursuits!

It expresses vividly the plight of poor students, their dissatisfaction with the status quo, their desire for the future, and their yearning for the new academic path represented by Lin Zhen!

There was silence in the study.

Huanbi stood aside, looking at the fire burning in the eyes of the young scholar and his innocent heart, and a trace of emotion flashed in her eyes.

Lin Zhen listened quietly, with no expression on his face.

Only after Xiao Hanzhou finished speaking, while maintaining a bowing posture, did he slowly stand up.

He walked up to Xiao Hanzhou and stared deeply at this top scholar who was much younger than him but had clarity and ambition far beyond his peers.

After a while, an extremely rare smile, one filled with sincere appreciation and satisfaction, slowly blossomed on Lin Zhen's face.

"Good! Well said!" Lin Zhen's voice was filled with a rare hint of excitement. "Don't seek fame, but seek practical knowledge! Care about the people and aim for the country! Xiao Hanzhou, your ambition is excellent! Very good!"

He stretched out his hand and patted Xiao Hanzhou's shoulder hard, with such force that Xiao Hanzhou's body shook.

"I, Lin Zhen, never accept disciples." Lin Zhen's voice became solemn and serious. "But today, considering your pure heart and your lofty ambition to serve the country and the people, I will make an exception!"

Xiao Hanzhou suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with incredible ecstasy!

The immense happiness instantly overwhelmed him like a tide!

He was so excited that his whole body was shaking slightly, his lips were trembling, and he couldn't speak for a while!

"thump!"

Without any hesitation, Xiao Hanzhou's knees softened and he knelt heavily on the cold golden brick floor!

He raised his head and looked at Lin Zhen, his voice choked with emotion and trembling: "Master! Disciple is willing. Disciple Xiao Hanzhou pays homage to Master!"

He leaned over and hit his forehead heavily on the floor tiles, making a dull sound!

Lin Zhen looked at him, who was so excited that he could hardly control himself, and the smile in his eyes deepened.

He did not let him get up immediately, but stretched out his right hand, and gently placed his broad and warm palm on Xiao Hanzhou's head, which was trembling slightly with excitement.

"If you join my sect, you must abide by my rules." Lin Zhen's voice was low and clear, with unquestionable majesty, like a brand engraved deep into Xiao Hanzhou's soul:

"First: Respect your teachers and be loyal to them! Do not betray your teachers or ancestors, and do not betray your trust!"

"Second: Apply what you learn, integrating knowledge and action! Don't just talk about it on paper, don't let empty talk harm the country!"

"Third: Keep the world in your heart and be honest and upright! Do not be arrogant and conceited, and do not exploit the people!"

"These three are our iron laws! Can you do them? Remember them?!"

Xiao Hanzhou felt the warmth and heavy weight coming from above his head, and an unprecedented sense of belonging and mission surged in his heart!

He kowtowed again, his voice firm and resolute, with incomparable piety and determination:

"Disciple will remember Master's teachings! The three sect rules, disciple will remember them in heart! In this life, I will never forget them! If I violate them, I will be punished by heaven and earth!"

"Okay!" Lin Zhen withdrew his hand with satisfaction, a relieved smile on his face, "Get up."

Xiao Hanzhou then stood up, his eyes red with excitement, looking at Lin Zhen as if he was looking at the brightest lighthouse on the road of life.

Lin Zhen smiled at Huanbi who was standing beside him and said, "Bi'er, give the order to have a banquet tonight! I want to formally accept Xiao Hanzhou as my disciple! Let's make the house lively and lively!"

Huanbi also had a gentle smile on her face. Looking at the excited Xiao Hanzhou, she nodded and said, "Yes, husband. I will arrange it right away."