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Chapter 166 There's a very clever fox demon, and she's your nemesis! (Please subscribe)

Unlike Niu Jun's previous life.

The profession of fortune teller is still very popular in the True Realm.

Because there really are gods and immortals and extraordinary powers in this world, even if we don't say that every fortune teller is a master who can make accurate predictions, at least one out of ten has real skills.

Especially in the area of ​​Kyoto Kaifeng Prefecture during the reign of Emperor Daimatsu.

Those who can set up fortune-telling stalls here generally have their own unique skills, making it less likely that they are scammers.

Not to mention, not just anyone can do fortune telling at a street stall.

In the Great Song Dynasty, if you want to become a fortune teller and set up a stall in Kaifeng, you need at least a Taoist certificate. Otherwise, you are not even a Taoist priest, so how can you be qualified to set up a stall in Kaifeng to tell fortunes?
Therefore, not just anyone can be a fortune teller.

At least in Kaifeng, not just anyone can be a leader.

Niu Jun entered Kaifeng City with a painted banner in his hand. After only glancing around briefly, he headed towards the Zhuangyuan Inn.

Zhuangyuan Inn.

The name is quite common, but that's why the candidates who come to Kaifeng like it.

Because the Zhuangyuan Inn has been established for over 1,800 years in the Great Song Dynasty, more than 400 top scholars in over 600 imperial examinations stayed in this inn before passing the examination.

Rumor has it that this inn was blessed by the God of Literature, and is full of literary energy. It is said that the candidates who stay here will receive the blessing of the God of Literature and be imbued with a trace of literary energy.

Therefore, most of the wealthy candidates who came to Kaifeng for the imperial examinations would stay at the Zhuangyuan Inn.

Zong Zimei, who was not short of money because she married Chang'e, was one of them.

The imperial examinations had already ended by then.

However, the results have not yet been released.

So the candidates who came to participate in the spring examination had not yet left, and Zong Zimei was still staying at the Zhuangyuan Inn.

What Niu Jun had to do was to act like Jiang Ziya fishing, letting those who were willing take the bait.

“Money is an external thing, and I don’t value it very much.”

"How about this? Since we are so destined to be together, for just 734 taels of silver, I'll calculate your destiny. What do you say?"

In front of the Zhuangyuan Inn, Niu Jun set up his fortune-telling stall, and soon a scholar came to ask about his marriage with his cousin.

Niu Jun accepted all comers, but his prices were a bit high.

After all, he's a dignified immortal who tells fortunes; he can't just ask for a few taels of silver, can he?

When word got out, people thought he was doing charity work.

As for why it was priced at 734 taels of silver, with both whole and odd amounts, why?
Because this was all the money the candidate had.

Seeing that the scholar was reluctant to take the money, Niu Jun sighed and said, "You must understand, I don't want your money, but I want to use your money to do your business. If you do this, I will be in a very difficult position."

When the scholar heard Niu Jun's asking price, he was startled and realized that he had truly encountered a master.

After all, how could he, as the person involved, not know how much money he himself had?

The fortune teller in front of him was demanding money directly from him. Either he had bad people around him, or the master in front of him was really skilled and could even calculate how much silver he had.

Just to find out if he and his cousin are destined to be together, he wants all the money he has on him. Isn't that asking for his life?

After all, the imperial examinations had just ended and there were still several days before the results were announced. If they gave all their money to the fortune teller, wouldn't they have to borrow from their classmates and friends to cover the remaining time and the cost of returning to the city?
So it wasn't that his relationship with his cousin wasn't strong, or that he was reluctant to spend the money; rather, he genuinely didn't want to trouble his classmates and friends.

Think of this.

The scholar immediately made a decision and said directly, "Forget it, marriage is predestined, so I won't trouble you, Master."

After saying that, he got up and left without lingering.

Niu Jun didn't stop him and let the scholar leave.

After all, when Mr. Niu does business, he believes in fairness and impartiality, and he never forces anyone to buy or sell, or puts others in a difficult position.

This scholar Luo came to Kaifeng with ten thousand taels of gold and silver to take the imperial examination. Now he only has seven hundred and thirty-four taels left. If you ask where the rest of the money went,

Niu Jun could only say that the room rate at the Zhuangyuan Inn was a small part; the brothels and entertainment venues next door were the real problem.

You spent a fortune on the courtesan of the Heavenly Immortal Pavilion without batting an eye, yet you're unwilling to spend 734 taels on your own marriage with your cousin. You say your love for your cousin is stronger than gold, but that's just a lie.

No sooner had Luo Shusheng left than a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar approached Niu Jun's fortune-telling stall, looking expectant. "Master, I would like to have my fortune told about my marriage with Miss Tu."

Miss Tu?
Upon hearing these three words, Niu Jun couldn't help but look up at the middle-aged scholar.

This scholar's love life was unusually difficult; he was already thirty-four or thirty-five years old and still had not married or had children.

This was undoubtedly unimaginable for a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations.

After all, people in the Great Pine Dynasty married young. Men were sixteen and women were thirteen when they reached marriageable age. Unless a family was particularly poor, men and women were considered old and unmarried at the age of twenty.

The issue is.

Those scholars who were qualified to come to Kaifeng for the imperial examinations were basically all Juren (successful candidates in the provincial-level imperial examinations). In the local area, they would be well-known Juren officials. Even if their families were dirt poor before passing the examinations, after passing them, mountains of gold and silver would flow into their homes.

in other words.

None of the scholars who came to Kaifeng to participate in the imperial examinations were poor.

Especially those candidates who could stay at the Top Scholar Inn were wealthy and had no shortage of money.

However, there is such a eligible bachelor who not only holds the title of a scholar but also has a fortune of millions. As a result, he is thirty-four or thirty-five years old and still has not married or had children.

This is no ordinary bizarre matter.

Niu Jun was curious, did some calculations, and then fell silent.

The story of the middle-aged scholar and Miss Tu reminded him of a story from his past life.

In ancient times, a young lady seeking shelter from the rain encountered a poor and destitute scholar. She discovered that the scholar was exceptionally talented, and the two fell in love at first sight. So they spent the night together.

The next day, when the young lady saw the scholar off, she wiped away her tears and said to him, "If you pass the exam, you must not let me down."

The scholar vowed, "If I pass the exam, I will repay you double."

Then they continued their studies for the exam.

After watching the scholar walk away, the young lady asked her maid to write down the scholar's name in a small notebook. As the maid wrote, she said to the young lady, "This is already the 50th scholar."

The young lady sighed helplessly, "There's nothing we can do. Someone has to pass the exam."

That's right.

The Miss Tu mentioned by the middle-aged scholar is the young lady who invested in the scholar in the story, and the middle-aged scholar in front of him is that scholar.

However, this Miss Tu is not only not human, but her methods are also far more sophisticated.

That fox demon was quite cunning.

Three to five months before the start of the imperial examinations every three years, he would stay on a mountain road leading from Jinzhou to Kaifeng.

While selecting talented scholars, she would arrange for her men to rob them. Only when the candidates were in despair and helpless would she appear as a beauty rescuing the scholars, riding in a luxury carriage with a troop of servants, to save them from their predicament.

Finally, they would also invest their emotions and gold and silver in the scholars they had specially selected.

In less than ten years...

The fox spirit then washed herself clean and went ashore, married a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, and is now the wife of a prefectural governor.

As for the middle-aged scholar in front of us?

He was one of the investors in Fox Demon's company. More than ten years have passed since the incident, but he still misses Fox Demon dearly and is extremely affectionate. He vowed never to marry anyone other than Miss Tu.

He was completely unaware that everything that had happened was a scheme orchestrated by the fox spirit, and that he was merely one of many backup options she had invested in. Now...

The fox demon has already cleaned up her act and gone ashore; why would she remember a scholar surnamed Zhou?

Niu Jun looked at Zhou Shusheng with pity and sighed softly, "How about this, the divination fee is one thousand taels, and I will tell you about Miss Tu's current situation. If you want to continue to divine the marriage between the two of you, add another one thousand taels."

Because I felt some sympathy for the scholar Zhou in front of me.

So Niu Jun gave him a friendly price, only asking for half of the silver he had.

Just as he told Luo Shusheng, he wasn't looking at money when he did fortune-telling, but at fate. If there was no fate, let alone a thousand taels of silver, even a hundred thousand taels of gold wouldn't be enough to see him.

It's quite a coincidence that the scholar met him while he was fishing this week, so he'll just take half of the money he has.

"no problem!"

Zhou Shusheng was clearly enamored with Miss Tu. Upon hearing Niu Jun's offer, he did not hesitate at all and immediately took out a thousand-tael silver note from his person and placed it on the fortune-telling stall.

Niu Jun didn't stand on ceremony and put away the silver note. He then said indifferently, "Miss Tu was married eight years ago. She is now the wife of the Prefect of Xishan Prefecture and has given birth to a son and a daughter for him."

He didn't tell the truth about the beautiful Miss Tu saving the scholar; he only told Zhou the scholar about Miss Tu's current situation.

After all, although he looked down on Miss Tu's methods, he never intended to be the villain and create karma with others for no reason.

Even if he didn't care about this cause and effect at all, and didn't take it seriously.

"You got married?"

"No, this isn't true, it can't be true."

"You're lying to me, aren't you?"

Upon hearing this answer, even though he had been prepared, Zhou Shusheng still felt completely empty, as if he had lost his soul, and found it difficult to accept this fact.

Because he was truly head over heels in love with Miss Tu, and his infatuation with her was extreme.

Looking at Zhou Shusheng, who seemed to be going crazy and couldn't accept reality, Niu Jun only glanced at him, and Zhou Shusheng immediately shuddered and became obedient.

Niu Jun's gaze was terrifying, cold and ruthless, like a bucket of ice water in the dead of winter, which chilled Zhou Shusheng to the bone.

Threatened by the instinct for survival.

The infatuated scholar Zhou immediately became obedient.

"I've already told you everything, do you still want to continue divining your marriage?"

Niu Jun withdrew his gaze and asked calmly.

"Calculate!"

Zhou Shusheng thought of the vows he and Miss Tu had made under the moonlit flowers, and took a deep breath before speaking.

Because he still held onto a sliver of hope, believing that Miss Tu still loved him and that her marriage was due to pressure from her parents.

Even in his mind, the despicable scenes of the Xishan County Prefect abusing his power to force him to marry his beloved still surfaced.

His love for Miss Tu was stronger than gold.

Compared to this.

What is a mere thousand taels of silver?

Niu Jun accepted another thousand taels of silver notes, and then said leisurely, "You and Miss Tu are destined to be apart. Miss Tu's fate is not good and is incompatible with you, which is why you have failed to pass the imperial examination for ten years."

"If you continue to harbor illusions, you will never have the chance to become a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) or enter officialdom in this lifetime."

This is not something Niu Jun made up.

Instead, the man who married Miss Tu was one of the candidates from Jinzhou who had taken the imperial examinations with the scholar Zhou.

Although the candidate's talent was not as good as Zhou's, his luck was far superior. He passed the imperial examination on his first attempt and became a Jinshi.

Despite being a low-ranking scholar who failed the imperial examinations, he managed to obtain an official position through his family's connections and immediately went to the Tu family to propose marriage. From then on, his official career flourished, and in less than ten years, he became a prefect of a prefecture.

Miss Tu's preferential treatment of Zhou Shusheng.

Her husband naturally knew this, and later learned of Zhou Shusheng's vow to marry no one but Miss Tu, as well as Zhou Shusheng's infatuation.

Given all this, it's no wonder that Miss Tu's husband couldn't stand it. So he had someone secretly interfere with Zhou Shusheng's life, preventing him from having the time and energy to continue his studies.

Therefore, Niu Jun's statement that Miss Tu was incompatible with Scholar Zhou is absolutely true.

Miss Tu's husband would never allow someone who still longs for his wife to rise to power.

"My fate is unfavorable, and it brings me misfortune?"

"Will I never be destined for the imperial examinations or an official career in this lifetime?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shusheng was first taken aback, then his expression changed drastically, and he asked almost without thinking, "Master, do you have a solution?"

Niu Jun said, "This matter is simple. You just need to let go of your feelings for Miss Tu and get married and have children as soon as you return. Once you are married and have children, that person will no longer make things difficult for you."

Zhou Shusheng was not stupid; he immediately understood the meaning behind Niu Jun's words.

Thinking back on all these years, my family has had a series of misfortunes, as if I had offended some powerful figure, which has left me entangled in daily chores, mentally and physically exhausted, and unable to concentrate on my studies.

Little did they know that the Prefect of Xishan County already knew about them and was therefore suppressing them in secret.

This made Zhou Shusheng, who was filled with resentment, quickly make a choice.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master. After I return home this time, I will immediately marry and have children, and I will no longer covet the Prefect's wife."

Zhou Shusheng said with gratitude, but he was also still feeling lingering fear. He made up his mind that after returning home this time, he would immediately get married and have children, and would no longer dare to hope for Miss Tu.

no way.

Love is precious, freedom is even more valuable, but for the sake of life, both can be given up.

Compared to the lives of his own family, Miss Tu's life seemed insignificant.

After calming down, Zhou Shusheng quickly made a decision.

Niu Jun nodded and said nothing more.

can only say.

A story is a story, and reality is reality.

Where do all these lovesick men and women come from in this world?

If everyone could give up their freedom and life for love, the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai would not have become a myth and spread widely throughout the world.

Zhou Shusheng's infatuation was nothing more than a longing and obsession with what he could not have.

He had only met Miss Tu once and spent less than two days with her.

You call this love?

That would be a joke.

After Zhou Shusheng left, Niu Jun received several more guests, earning more than three thousand taels of silver. As the candidates spread the word, the name of the "Hanging Immortal" also became known in the Zhuangyuan Inn.

in this way.

As dusk falls and the sun sets.

Zong Zimei, who had spent the whole day in the Tianxian Pavilion enjoying his literary pursuits, only then heard about this matter and hurriedly came to Niu Jun's divination stall.

(End of this chapter)