The weak scholar in the end of ancient times

Chapter 111 Among Scholars
It turns out, such a good thing really does exist!
The study had only been tidied up for a couple of days when someone couldn't wait to move in.

It's just that she seems a bit too young.

Zhao Han took the lead, bringing her page to familiarize herself with the new workspace.

The next main task is printing. It would be inappropriate to place it in Chaohuifang. From the beginning, we planned to place it in Qingyunfang next door, where there are many kilns and a Taoist temple under construction, creating a strong atmosphere of artisans.

The original manuscript for the album has been completed, experienced printing craftsmen have arrived one after another, the equipment is in place, and the printing work is progressing rapidly.

If any issues arise during this process involving the artwork and the finished product, being nearby makes it easier to resolve them quickly, while also allowing for the start of preparations for the next volume's artwork.

Therefore, Zhao Han followed Wen Gu's advice and moved to Jingqing Mansion.

Zhao Han quite enjoyed this feeling, just like those adults with official positions who went to the government office at a fixed time every day and went home at the same time. This gave him a sense of excitement and satisfaction in facing a new environment and new challenges.

He not only enjoyed the feeling himself, but also shared it with his friends.

As a result, several more children of the Zhao family appeared in Jingxingfang.

He Xiaodi was sent by Wen Gu to share some of the work and was in charge of the bookstore's affairs together with Zhao Han.

The staff at Jingqing Public Office were very friendly to these younger colleagues.

Not being required to hold a permanent position was a relief for the low-ranking officials from humble backgrounds.

There is a limit to the number of positions available for civil servants; if one position is filled, their relatives and friends will have one less opportunity.

With no conflict of interest and being members of the Zhao family, the clerks at Jingqing Guild Hall were friendly, addressing these new colleagues as "little gentlemen," showering them with compliments, and occasionally helping with chores.

Every day there are people praising them, providing plenty of emotional support. Besides painting, there aren't many other miscellaneous tasks, and they also have colleagues to keep them company. The junior employees are very happy.

Conversely, Zhao Mu and Zhao Kun and their group of young people were not in a good mood.

"Traitors! They've all gone to work for Wen Gu!" someone criticized.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than another young man, whose younger brother worked in Jingxingfang, countered:
"They're not doing this for Wen Gu, but for the Zhao family! That's a task given to them by the young master!"

People with different opinions and stances started arguing, and it took them a while to stop.

At this moment, someone suddenly said, "I'm thinking, we don't need to build another garden. Since Zhao Han and the others had a smooth trip to the Jingqing Mansion, why don't we just build a few shops in Jingxingfang?"

I had considered it before, but I had concerns that Wen Gu, the neighborhood head, might cause trouble.

Now that someone has taken the first step and found everything safe and without encountering any obstruction from the administrators, it seems that they can also directly enter Jingxingfang!

Furthermore, they now know that building another garden would require a huge amount of money and supplies, which they may not be able to afford.

Perhaps a different strategy would work?
He wasn't the only one with the same idea.

“I went to my grandfather to confirm, and it was indeed the head of the family who asked Wen Gu to help Zhao Han.”

"Now it's proven that Wen Gu really didn't cause any trouble, and he's been helping us all along. If Zhao Han and his gang of kids can get involved, so can we!"

"Right! We don't need to go to that Jingqing Guild Hall. We'll just open shops there! We'll build a few shops, and even if we don't make any money, we'll still annoy the Shen family!"

“We can skip Wanfu Garden, which belongs to the Shen family, but we need to have a place for our own people to stay in Jingxing Lane. We can’t let Jingxing Lane become the Shen family’s territory!”

“He Wenyu is on half a day off today. Let’s call him over to discuss this.”

Actually, they were quite envious of He Wenyu. He Wenyu's mother went to ask the young master for a position, and the young master actually gave it to her! And it was such an important place as the academy!

Unfortunately, their elders weren't supportive enough; they couldn't get what they wanted, and they didn't appreciate what they got.

You still have to rely on yourself!

Before long, He Wenyu, who had originally planned to take a half-day off to sleep at home, was pulled over, suppressing his frustration.

He Wenyu listened to the group discussing "important matters" while yawning, just smiling and not saying much.

Mentioning his and his father's positions, it's not good to spread the word that Wen Gu spoke up for them.

His mother also said not to bring up the past.

What could I do? I could only smile and remain silent.

When the conversation turned to the young master's recognition and encouragement of Zhao Han and the others, the group in the room became excited.

Zhao Kun pounded the table excitedly: "So, the patriarch and the young master still have expectations for us. It all depends on whether we can prove ourselves! We have to take the initiative!"

Others chimed in, "Yes! That must be it!"

He Wenyu's lips twitched: "...Is that so...?"

Someone passionately suggested, "Send someone to Jingxingfang first and ask Wengu to allocate a piece of land for us immediately!" The room suddenly fell silent.

There was a long silence among them.

Someone else tentatively asked, "Who's going?"

The people in the room looked at each other, then turned to Zhao Mu, the initiator of this internal meeting…

Zhao Mu's face turned green.

He had tried to undermine Wen Gu's territory before but failed. He couldn't gain the upper hand when he met the Zhao family in Zhaohuifang. How could he possibly offer his face to be beaten when he went to their territory?
"Find someone else!" he said decisively.

Zhao Mu looked at He Wenyu and, before the other could refuse, said, "Wenyu, you hold an important position now, you go!"

He Wenyu: ...

Fuck you!

Don't throw out such an insurmountable problem so lightly!

He Wenyu shook his head vigorously: "I can't! I can't! I won't go! What important position do I hold? I'm just an employee, my voice carries no weight!"

He jumped up as he spoke.

"It sounds like my mom called me home, so I left first!"

Quickly distance yourself from dangerous topics and go back to catch up on your sleep.

With He Wenyu absent, the others continued their discussion.

Since we have this idea, we need to act quickly. There isn't much vacant land left in Jingxingfang, and we might even have to pay extra to buy it from others. If we're slow, we'll have to spend even more money and supplies.

"Then let's go together!"

Use force to suppress others!

So, an hour later.

Zhao Kun and several young men stood outside the Jingqing Guild Hall with stern faces, not following them into the courtyard.

Zhao Mu and the others felt that they didn't seem friendly enough, so in order to get the matter done as quickly as possible, they asked them to wait outside.

"Hmph! He's just a bookworm and a better pretender!" Zhao Kun said, annoyed.

Meanwhile, in a writing room in the public office.

On one side were the Zhao family scholars, led by Zhao Mu, who all appeared to be refined and cultured.

On the other side were Wen Gu, as well as clerks like Cheng Zhi and He Xiaodi who handled the documents.

The atmosphere was harmonious.

What was supposed to be a land purchase negotiation turned into a discussion of poetry, calligraphy, and painting, with both sides frequently quoting classical texts and sayings of sages. So elegant, so incredibly elegant!
After two cups of tea, the matter was also completed in a refined manner.

The young members of the Zhao family left with a document in their hands, thinking to themselves: Wen Gu is actually quite easy to talk to!
Wen Gu not only gave them advice on choosing a location, but also discussed future plans. He didn't try to fool them; he showed the planning maps to Young Master Zhao and made annotations.

In their excitement, the ambitious young members of the Zhao family bought several more plots of land.

Both parties were very satisfied with the transaction, and when they left, they even performed a very refined farewell ceremony.

This refined and cultured atmosphere made the scholars from the Zhao family feel even more favorably toward Wen Gu.

He thought to himself: We scholars are just different. Letting Zhao Kun and the others stay outside was definitely the right decision!
I sincerely watched them go.

The involvement of the Zhao family will inevitably lead to disputes in the future, but in the long run, it is actually safer for both Wen Gu and the Shen family.

The two brothers from the Shen family have begun to develop the idea that "Jingxingfang is the Shen family's territory." What Wen Gu needs to do is to break this mindset before it gets stronger.

The figure at the door had already walked away and disappeared. Wen Gu looked out at the snow.

The snow outside has begun to melt, but the temperature may fluctuate in the coming period, and it may snow again.

When the snow has completely melted and temperatures are about to rise across the board, that's when the whole state will switch to a state of preparedness.

However, it will take another month or two for the snow to completely melt. Before that, it will be the active period for caravans, and presumably some caravans have already started moving around.

"Let people pay attention to the movements in the outer city and see who the first caravan to arrive after the New Year is."

(End of this chapter)