The disgraced official I took care of was actually Zhu Houcong's childhood friend.

Especially at noon, when the sun is blazing, many passersby choose to seek shade at roadside tea stalls.

The area around the capital was already bustling, attracting numerous merchants from all over the country.

Therefore, tea stalls were very common along the official roads.

Zhou Chu had been walking for most of the day and was getting thirsty, so he sat down at the tea stall.

"What kind of tea would you like, sir?"

The waiter from the tea stall came over carrying a towel and a teapot.

What kind of tea do you have here?

Zhou Chu glanced at the tea stall and asked.

At this moment, there were a few people besides Zhou Chu in the tea stall.

Among them, a man who looked to be in his forties had the most unusual mannerisms.

"In response to the guests, we have Maojian tea, Longjing tea, and Gao Sui tea."

The best-selling tea at tea stalls is always broken tea.

Cheap and thirst-quenching.

You can drink your fill for just one penny.

Of course, each tea stall also has a few relatively high-end teas.

This kind of tea is not something that ordinary customers would consume.

For example, the middle-aged man that Zhou Chu had noticed before had a tea bowl with a different color than the others.

"Brew a pot of Maojian tea and have some pastries."

Zhou Chu said casually.

"Okay, wait a moment."

Upon hearing this, the waiter immediately beamed with joy.

A pot of Maojian tea is worth half a day's worth of Gao Sui tea.

At this moment, the middle-aged man also noticed Zhou Chu and nodded politely to him.

"Is the old gentleman not a local of Beijing?"

Zhou Chu returned the greeting.

"Young man, you have a good eye. I am from Jiangxi, and my name is Yan Song."

The man introduced himself.

Zhou Chu was startled when he heard this. He never expected to run into this person while stopping for a cup of tea.

"So it's Mr. Jiexi. I've long admired your name."

Zhou Chu looked surprised.

"Oh? Young man, you know me?"

Yan Song asked with some curiosity.

"Of course I know that Mr. Jiexi is a man of exceptional talent. He passed the county examination at the age of ten, the provincial examination at the age of nineteen, and ranked second in the second class of the imperial examination fourteen years ago. He is full of ambition and is not afraid of powerful people."

Zhou Chu recited them as if they were his own treasures.

At this time, Yan Song was not the same Yan Song who would become twenty or thirty years later.

At this time, Yan Song still harbored ambitions to govern the country.

Back then, I was full of passion and ambition, but unfortunately, the last thing the imperial court needed was ambition.

As a result, Yan Song was constantly suppressed and ostracized by his colleagues.

Later, he was forced to resign and return to his hometown because he offended Liu Jin.

That departure lasted for more than a decade.

Zhou Chu learned all of this over the past few years.

Zhou Chu was well aware that there were many discrepancies between the world he was in and the history he knew.

So I did a lot of research.

Yan Song's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this.

He never imagined that, after more than a decade, someone would still remember him, even though he was just an insignificant editor back then and had no notable achievements during his official career.

Yan Song was instantly deeply moved and wished he could consider Zhou Chu a close friend.

"Young brother, you flatter me. I am ashamed to say that when I was an official, I was unable to do anything practical for the court or the people."

Yan Song said he felt ashamed, but the smile on his face betrayed him.

"That can't be helped. In today's court, how many of the officials are truly for the Ming Dynasty, how many are truly for the people? Someone like Mr. Jiexi is naturally out of step with them and can hardly move an inch."

Zhou Chu spoke eloquently.

Yan Song's eyes lit up even more when he heard this.

He simply moved to sit on Zhou Chu's table.

He felt that no one had ever understood him as well as the young man in front of him.

"I see that you are quite distinguished in your speech and knowledge. May I ask your name?"

Yan Song was eager to drink and chat with Zhou Chu at this moment, his face full of enthusiasm.

"The boy's name is Zhou Chu. He's just a merchant in the capital and of no great use."

Zhou Chu said modestly.

Yan Song shook his head upon hearing this.

"Young man, your future is definitely extraordinary."

"I wonder what brings Mr. Jiexi to the capital? Although I am just a businessman, I have some friends in the capital. If I can help Mr. Jiexi, that would be wonderful."

Zhou Chu changed the subject.