Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Han Zhang's reaction truly gave Pan Taining and the other two guys a good scare.

Even Shen Huaizhi's heart was in his throat, and he couldn't help but press for an answer on behalf of his friends: "Brother Han, what about these three brothers of mine? Just say it quickly, don't keep us in suspense—it's absolutely maddening!"

The three of them also stared at him, looking anxious and expectant.

Only then did Han Zhang seem to snap out of a daze, his eyes lighting up with admiration:

"The ancients really knew what they were talking about! Second Brother, no wonder you got so tight with Brother Zhao, Brother Wu, and Brother Pan—birds of a feather flock together."

"Brother Zhao, Brother Wu, Brother Pan... Who exactly said you were useless good-for-nothings? You're clearly geniuses."

What? G-geniuses?

Pan Taining and the others were both shocked and overjoyed, hardly daring to believe their ears.

They'd only asked because they were jealous that Shen Huaizhi was a "hidden talent"—they knew roughly where they stood.

They never imagined they really were hidden geniuses!

"Really? Brother Han, how exactly are we geniuses? Give us the specifics."

The three grew even more excited, urging him on.

Shen Huaizhi also perked up with curiosity.

Then Han Zhang started to big them up... I mean, he gave a detailed analysis.

He first turned to Zhao Yongchang, in a serious tone:

"Brother Zhao, you said that no matter where you go, there are always young ladies and gentlemen flocking to you, right? Do you know what that means? It means you possess the legendary—Innate Divine Physique."

"Innate Divine Physique? What... what does that mean?"

Zhao Yongchang was both shocked and delighted, pressing for more.

Though he didn't know what it meant, anything with 'divine' in it had to be good.

Han Zhang made it up with a straight face: "It means you naturally have this divine glow about you, giving you an extraordinary affinity with people. Brother Zhao, think back—when you go out, don't most people you meet greet you with smiles? From childhood to now, haven't things gone smoothly for you with almost no obstacles?"

Without waiting for Zhao Yongchang to nod.

Shen Huaizhi and the others beside him eagerly nodded along: "Exactly! Old Zhao has the best connections among us; whenever he steps in, everything goes without a hitch. Brother Han can even tell that—that's some divine insight!"

Han Zhang humbly waved his hand: "Just a trivial skill, hardly worth mentioning. You flatter me, brothers..."

Nonsense—as a member of the Zhao State imperial clan, the ranks were Prince, Commandery Prince, Town-General, and State-Assisting General...

Though State-Assisting General ranked fourth, looking at Zhao Yongchang's luxurious attire, it was clear his family held a high status among the imperial clan—how else could a clan member without real power afford such a fancy lifestyle?

And when a high-ranking noble from the imperial clan went out, which fool would dare to provoke him openly? Wouldn't everyone be all smiles around him?

Han Zhang continued: "With such talent, Brother Zhao, you'd be an excellent candidate for the Court of State Ceremonies (Foreign Ministry). But since you're of imperial blood, you cannot take office as a regular official."

"Still, Brother Zhao, don't be discouraged. Ordinary clan members can't enter the court, but the Director of the Imperial Clan (the role responsible for clan affairs) can. If you can secure that role, you'll definitely shine."

Zhao Yongchang's smile froze instantly: "...But even to become Director of the Imperial Clan, you have to pass scholarly exams."

His scholarly achievements weren't much better than Shen Huaizhi's—he hadn't even finished memorizing the Thousand Character Classic.

Before Han Zhang could console him, Shen Huaizhi playfully smacked his head and urged: "Then study with me under Brother Han! Brother Han said that with our talents, as long as we work hard, we'll succeed."

"Old Zhao, imagine the day we hold our heads high and point at those who called us wastrels, saying: 'Time changes everything—don't look down on a poor young man!' How satisfying would that be?"

When it comes to brothers, we should face hardship together.

That 'time changes everything' line really fired up the young guys.

Zhao Yongchang was instantly thrilled by the imagined scene of payback.

"Alright, Brother Han, I'll join your lessons too!"

The nearby Wu Xuelin and Pan Taining were equally excited, eager to be won over: "What about us? What about us? Brother Han, tell us quickly..."

Han Zhang looked at Wu Xuelin and said: "Brother Wu, you're a smooth talker, sharp, and you nitpick everything. If you go into government, you'd absolutely do great in the Censorate, overseeing all officials and becoming His Majesty's right-hand man."

"Watch over all officials? The emperor's right-hand man?"

Wu Xuelin had never received such praise in his life.

He couldn't help nodding repeatedly, his face flushed with excitement, feeling like he'd already made it to the top.

Brother Han was absolutely right—yes, that's exactly how awesome he was!

Finally came Pan Taining.

Han Zhang patted the chubby, round guy on the shoulder, sighing with a sense of wonder.

"Brother Pan, you've truly been held back. You're clearly a martial arts prodigy, born to be a great general, yet you've eaten yourself into this fat state. No wonder no one saw your talent—if I hadn't looked closely just now, I might have missed it too."

"What? Me, a martial arts prodigy? Born to be a great general?"

Pan Taining's eyes bulged, and he was trembling with excitement.

He had thought his greatest asset was carrying on his uncle's family line.

He never expected to be a general—Brother Han truly had such keen insight!

Then Pan Taining began beating his chest and stamping his feet: "I knew it—I'm definitely a genius. It's all my parents' and uncle's fault for being too cautious, thinking I was the only son, afraid I'd get hurt. From childhood, they forbade me from doing this and that, and just kept feeding me rich food to fatten me up. And I'm such a glutton..."

"Alas, if I hadn't gotten this fat, someone would have discovered my martial talent long ago. Now my body's already set in its ways—how can I still train to be a general?"

"Father! Mother! Uncle! Spoiling a child is ruining him—you've really ruined me!"

Shen Huaizhi, Wu Xuelin, and Zhao Yongchang also nodded gloomily: "Brother Pan, don't even mention it—our talents have been wasted too..."

When in doubt, blame others—a wastrel never takes the blame.

The group sighed and groaned.

Seeing the look on their faces, Han Zhang knew he'd reeled them in. He kept sweet-talking them... I mean, he encouraged them with passion:

"Brother Zhao, Brother Wu, Brother Pan... don't lose heart. What makes a genius a genius is being different from ordinary people. Gold always shines through. Though you've wasted some years, your natural talent is still there. As long as you're willing to put in the effort to polish yourselves, you'll surely achieve great things in the future."

"You don't need to worry about being out of practice and not being able to handle tough times. Since you are close friends with Second Brother Shen, you are my friends too. I'm happy to give you a hand."

"In my view, you gentlemen not only possess exceptional talent, but also intelligence, ambition, loyalty, and righteousness... If one day you enter the court as officials, we could work together, serving the court with our knowledge, creating a prosperous era, and leaving our names in history—that would be a true joy in life!"

Han Zhang described a grand vision of brothers striving together and basking in boundless glory.

Who in this world doesn't dream of earning their own chapter in the family history and harboring such heroic ambitions?

It's not just men—women and young lads alike may cherish such aspirations.

Shen Huaizhi and the others listened, their hearts surging with excitement and their faces flushed red, as if they already saw themselves leaving a glorious mark in history, becoming a brilliant chapter in their family's legacy. They were so exhilarated they nearly fainted.

Deep down, they knew Han Zhang was laying it on thick.

Smooth talk is always easy to get carried away with.

Throughout history, how many wise emperors have fallen for flattery and turned into despots? So for Shen Huaizhi and these few hot-headed young idlers, how could they resist such praise?

The men beamed, unable to hide their grins, feeling Han Zhang was their one true kindred spirit.

"That's right—we're that awesome. If we don't become officials, it'd be the court's loss and the empire's tragedy! Come on, Brother Han, a toast to you! From now on, let's cheer each other on and make our mark!"

For a moment, the table grew lively, filled with laughter.

With just a few words, Han Zhang had them in stitches.

They tried to keep it down, but when they got excited, they forgot their manners entirely.

—

The laughter drifted into a nearby private room where Emperor Taixuan, traveling incognito, and the Crown Prince sat and heard it. Curious, the father and son glanced over.

The Crown Prince spotted Zhao Yongchang among them and shook his head with a grin. "Father, it's that scamp Yongchang."

"So it's that kid. With his personality, he actually came to a literary gathering? The sun must be rising in the west today."

Emperor Taixuan chuckled teasingly, his tone indulgent.

Zhao Yongchang wasn't very accomplished, but he had a silver tongue and knew how to charm people, which made him one of the few younger members of the imperial sidelines that had won the emperor's favor.

The emperor, with a sharp memory, pointed to a young man in blue and said with a smile to Eunuch Pan beside him, "Pan Fu, if I'm not mistaken, that young man in blue is your nephew, isn't he?"

"Your Majesty is spot-on. That's indeed my worthless nephew, Taining. He and Young Master Yongchang get along well and usually spend time together. Today, the Ink Fragrance Teahouse is hosting a literary gathering with prizes, so they must have come to join the fun," Eunuch Pan replied respectfully, but inwardly he was groaning.

His nephew was indeed a spoiled brat. It was fine if he fooled around on normal days, but today, with the emperor in disguise, he prayed the little troublemaker wouldn't stir anything up in front of His Majesty.

"I've heard for a while that your nephew and Yongchang are two peas in a pod. Now I see it myself, hahaha."

Emperor Taixuan stroked his short beard and laughed heartily, then suddenly stopped—

Because Han Zhang had been facing away, but when he turned to give instructions as a waiter brought tea and snacks, the emperor saw his face and recognized him as the scholar from the lantern riddle contest at the temple fair.

"What a coincidence, running into that scholar again..."

The Crown Prince asked, curious: "Father knows him?"

"This is the scholar I mentioned earlier from the temple fair lantern riddles. Didn't expect to run into him again. Seems like fate..."

Emperor Taixuan gave a warm smile.

Eunuch Pan caught the hint at once, bowed, and said, "This servant will look into it right away."

Emperor Taixuan did not stop him, still wearing a kindly smile.

After thinking a moment, he told another attendant eunuch: "Since fate brings us together, I'll test him. Go and deliver a challenge for me..."

Then, remembering that Han Zhang had only cared about the prize last time and not about showing off, he added: "Say the prize is a hundred taels of gold plus a green-gold cloud-pattern mutton-fat jade pendant."

Just in case the prize wasn't enough to lure that interesting scholar into coming forward.