There is a god in the sky

Chapter 165 Jifeng Study 8

Fu Qingyan asked for water as soon as he entered the door.

He asked excitedly, "Miss Shen, what brings you here to be the manager? You're no longer a coroner?"

"It's just a part-time job."

Seeing that he was full of energy, Shen Lan guessed that nothing serious had happened to Marquis Pingyang.

Before she could even finish thinking that, Fu Qingyan mysteriously told her what had happened at the Marquis's mansion and even complained about his own father.

“My father is really stupid. He’s being led by the nose without even realizing it. If you and my cousin hadn’t reminded him, he would have been taken back by the Ministry of Justice for questioning right now.”

Shen Lan joked, "You seem to be gloating a little."

"Haha, I'm so happy! He used to always criticize me, thinking I was a failure and that he was very capable."

See? These days we still need the younger generation to remind us, otherwise we'd suffer a huge setback.

"The person behind the scenes is very clever. They have a plan to take advantage of the unsuspecting, so it's normal for the Marquis to suffer a loss."

This batch of gunpowder was originally given to Marquis Pingyang by Xiao Ji, but he did not warn Marquis Pingyang about the difficulties he might face.

It's clear that Vice Minister Lai was used as a pawn to kill someone else. Now, just by looking at who's vying for the position of Right Vice Minister of War, we can figure out the outcome.

"I originally wanted to see my cousin today, but the Xiao family wouldn't let me in, so I came to find you."

Fu Qingyan sat down next to Shen Lan, picked up a stack of manuscripts, and asked, "What is Miss Shen doing?"

"Look at the manuscripts and see if there are any stories that could be big sellers."

Fu Qingyan raised an eyebrow with a smile, "That story about the serial murders is really well-written, is it your work?"

"Young Master Fu thinks too highly of me."

Who wrote that?

"Guess?" Shen Lan snatched the manuscript from his hand and arranged it in order to avoid messing it up.

She tilted her head and asked, "Did you study diligently after returning home, Young Master Fu?"

"Yes, yes, I read everything according to the plan you wrote for me. My mother felt sorry for me when she saw it."

Shen Lan nodded secretly; Fu Qingyan did indeed possess the resilience of a scholar.

“My mother also said that if I really wanted to take the imperial examination, she would recommend that I study at Yishan Academy.”

Shen Lan had heard of this academy; poor students who came to the bookstore to read books would always mention it.

She remembered something.

Liu Xianyang seems to be at Yishan Academy. Could it be that he brought Shen Qing to the academy?

If that's the case, then perhaps Shen Qing left suddenly that night, which is why he couldn't keep the appointment.

Is Yishan Academy a place you can go to whenever you want?

"Of course not. Headmaster Tong is very strict in accepting students, but my mother should have some connections."

Shen Lan looked at him and asked, "Can I go visit relatives?"

Fu Qingyan thought she wanted to visit him at the academy, and scratched his head shyly.

"I think... I guess so. Miss Shen is still the best to me."

Shen Lan pondered for a moment, wondering if she should go and find out if Shen Qing was at Yishan Academy.

He's always hanging around the Liu family, his motives are definitely not pure, I'm really afraid he'll do something stupid.

Calculating the time when the court session ended, Fu Qingyan left; he had to go back and check if his father had been punished.

Before leaving, he bought ten books on serial cases, saying he wanted to give them to his friends.

Shen Lan received more than a dozen manuscripts, but the stories were all rather mediocre.

These days, scholars write stories with ornate language, meticulous word choice, and numerous allusions, yet they can't tell a good story.

"Do you buy books here?" a ragged little beggar asked from the doorway.

Without a second thought, Xiao Ding waved his hand and said, "No, no."

The little beggar looked dejected, touched his chest, and turned to leave.

Shen Lan asked him, "What book is it? Can I take a look?"

The little beggar immediately nodded, "Yes, this book was passed down from my ancestors. If I weren't forced by circumstances, I definitely wouldn't sell it."

Xiao Ding whispered to Shen Lan, "Shopkeeper, he's probably lying. Maybe he stole the book from somewhere."

"Shh..."

Seeing the little beggar reminded Shen Lan of the girl she had met on the way.

It's a pity she died so unjustly. Even now, she still regrets it, wishing she had gone out with them that night.

The little beggar walked in cautiously, not daring to touch anything. He took out a cloth bag from his pocket and carefully opened it.

It was a very, very old book; you could tell it was quite old just by looking at the cover.

He asked nervously, "Some pages are damaged, can we still sell it?"

Xiao Ding chuckled, "You didn't use it to prop up the table legs, did you?"

Shen Lan nodded. "I need to check if the content is useful first."

Turning to the first page, the four large characters that catch the eye are: Chen Family's Unique Skills.

She thought it would be a martial arts manual.

If that's the case, then it's probably impossible to collect them.

Scrolling down, you find a prescription, with even drawings of herbs in the corner.

Shen Lan immediately became excited.

She looked at the prescription carefully. It was a very ordinary prescription for treating colds, and the medicines used were also ordinary, but they were all very practical and easy-to-find herbs.

"Were your ancestors doctors?"

"That's it."

It is indeed damaged, and some of the writing is blurry and illegible, but the flaws do not detract from its overall beauty.

She read through all the prescriptions; they were all for illnesses she knew how to treat, but the medicinal ingredients used were very different from what she used.

"I'll take this book. How much are you willing to sell it for?"

The little beggar looked both happy and reluctant.

He held up one finger and tentatively asked, "One tael of silver?"

Shen Lan put the book away and took ten strings of cash from the counter to give it to him, saying, "Keep these safe, the transaction is complete."

The little beggar was surprised by the female shopkeeper's generosity, so he quickly took the money and ran away, afraid that she would change her mind.

Xiao Ding asked, puzzled, "Did the shopkeeper give him so much money for the horse because he felt sorry for him?"

"No, this book is worth it."

Any one of these prescriptions can save a life.

She instructed Xiao Ding, "Ask who has time to copy books and have them copy this book for me."

This is a small matter; someone will be willing to copy it for just a hundred coins.

Shen Lan continued reviewing the manuscript, unaware that her reputation for generosity would soon spread.

In the following days, many scholars submitted their works, and we received quite a few submissions.

When the three-day deadline was up, Manager Zhou came to inspect the goods.

Shen Lan not only gave him a complete set of books, but also gifted him three sets of deluxe edition books.

The hardcover edition has a beautiful illustration and even the title is handwritten, making it look exceptionally expensive.

"These deluxe edition books are limited in quantity and are only given away, not sold. Manager Zhou can keep them for himself or give them away, but they cannot be sold for money."

Shopkeeper Zhou was also a book lover and extremely fond of it. "How could I bear to sell such a beautiful book?"

He was so enamored with it that he immediately signed a copyright transfer agreement and paid one thousand taels of silver.

Shen Lan specifically instructed him: "This set of books can be sold in Jiangnan, but it's best to avoid Tanzhou."

"Why?"

Shen Lan smiled and offered no explanation.

The story's prototype is in Tanzhou. Although the name and background have been changed, the people of the Zheng Prince's Mansion will definitely be able to tell the difference.

We should still avoid it.