Transmigrated into a Grandpa, Embracing the Laid-Back Life

Chapter 101: Warning

The capital's first snow fell silently and without fanfare.

Overnight, the grey-tiled roof and the quiet courtyard of the Penglai Inn were blanketed in a layer of soft, lonely white.

Outside the window lattice, the world had grown quiet, leaving only the occasional soft rustle of accumulated snow falling from tree branches.

Inside the room, the weak warmth emanating from the charcoal brazier barely held back the chill seeping through the cracks in the doors and windows.

Xu Qing placed an oil paper package on the table containing two still-warm wheat cakes, then sat down himself, spreading open the notebook he never parted with. His brow was knit with the weariness and focus that came after a day spent gathering information outside.

"Brother Su, eat something first to tide you over." He rubbed his hands, reddened from the cold, his voice dropping very low. "Today's harvest was substantial."

He sat down, opened that ever-present notebook, and began reporting the day's results.

"I went to several large bookshops and also mingled at a few teahouses in the southern part of the city, listening to the idle chatter of old, failed Xiucai."

Xu Qing's voice was kept very low, but his speech was rapid, as if reciting a long-memorized essay.

"The chief examiner for this year's Metropolitan Examination is, in all likelihood, Wang Deyou, the Minister of Personnel. This man is of the mature and prudent faction. Having served as an official for decades, he believes 'avoiding mistakes is an achievement in itself' and most detests students whose writing is dangerously eccentric or whose arguments are extreme."He turned a page, pointing to a few names on it.

"Of the capital's three major literary societies, the 'Bamboo Grove Society' belongs to the upright official faction. The 'Western Garden Gathering' mostly consists of scions of meritorious nobles, with the shadow of the Yongchang Marquis Manor behind them. The literary style they champion is one of resplendent diction and majestic momentum, yet the core must align with practicality."

Su Ming listened quietly, occasionally nodding once.

Xu Qing took a sip of cold tea and continued, "I sought out and read their exemplary essays from the past two years. To sum it up, if you want to catch Lord Wang's eye, your essay must be well-balanced and steady. If you want to be appreciated by the other grading officials, your literary talent cannot be mediocre."

He looked at Su Ming, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.

"Brother Su, with your talent and learning, if you just slightly temper the sharp edge of that flood control policy discussion and polish its literary flair a bit more, competing for a top-three position in the First Class is not out of the question!"

Su Ming picked up a wheat cake and slowly chewed it.

"No."

He uttered a single word.

The anticipation on Xu Qing's face instantly froze, turning into bewilderment. "Why? Brother Su, ten years of arduous study are all for that single moment of achieving a place on the golden list and bringing glory to one's family. Hiding your abilities like this, isn't that... tying your own hands?"

"It is Teacher's warning." Su Ming raised the banner of Zhou Wenhai, his tone steady. "Teacher said the waters in the capital run deep, not comparable to Qingshi Town. As newcomers, we should not seek merit, but only seek to avoid mistakes. First, secure our footing, discern the direction of the wind, then plan for other things later."

Hearing it was Zhou Wenhai's instruction, Xu Qing stopped arguing. The confusion on his face slowly dissipated.

Lin Yu was feeling quite content within the ring.

Once the strategy was set, the two began preparing for the long winter ahead.

The prices in the capital made every purchase Xu Qing made feel like a precise calculation.

Following Lin Yu's suggestion, Su Ming spent the majority of their budget on old books.

He didn't buy those popular contemporary essay collections. Instead, he specifically sought out historical records from previous dynasties, discarded legal case studies, and a geographical miscellany titled *Records of Extraordinary Mountains and Rivers*.

In Xu Qing's view, this was to broaden knowledge and strengthen the foundation of scholarship.

He didn't know that Su Ming's true purpose was to search for traces of another world within these piles of old paper.

With heavy snow sealing the doors, Su Ming entered a period of complete dormancy.

room

no longer practiced his own sharp, forceful calligraphy style, instead

utterly devoid of personality,

no one was around, he would sit cross-legged in meditation, circulating

projected spiritual

his own aura, heartbeat, and even every subtle expression reached a whole

become the most inconspicuous lodger

the door was

"Tap, tap, tap."

aura about him instantly became peaceful and ordinary, like a

"Who is it?"

Ji, a student from Jingzhou. I have long heard of Brother Su's great reputation and

fair-skinned, amicably smiling young man

an old acquaintance, chatted about the scholarly

takes to drink half a cup of tea, he shifted the topic, asking as if by chance, "Brother Su studied under Teacher Zhou of Qingshi Town. I too have heard of Teacher Zhou's great name.

Here it comes.

was crystal clear, but his face showed just the

Regarding my teacher's affairs, we juniors truly

passed through Liu Ji's eyes, but he smiled again. "It was presumptuous of me. It's just that I heard

Ming immediately interrupted him, a trace of

Liu, such major court matters, how would a mere commoner like me know of

his teacup, making a gesture

to review my

on Liu Ji's face stiffened for a moment before

to take his leave, flawless and watertight, as

door open right

that man just now, I've seen

saw him getting

Ming nodded,

snorted from within the

with my disciple? You're still too green. Our 'Three Questions, Three Don't Knows' divine technique

at night, in the quiet, Su Ming opened the

pages were filled with annotations left by previous readers, the handwriting scribbled and

the northern frontier called

"Stop! This page!"

text, there was a line of extremely small annotations written

abyss, thunderclaps unceasing, suspected of a demonic creature being executed

Lin Yu's voice carried a thread of excitement. "'Demonic creature being executed by Heaven'—that phrasing sounds just like a cultivator failing a tribulation. Disciple,

his expression, Su Ming used his fingernail to scratch an extremely shallow mark

The New Year approached.

alleys were decorated with lanterns and streamers, filled with a festive

to do with the scholars staying at

the Metropolitan Examination drawing near, an intangible pressure weighed on everyone's hearts, making

the south, feeling they got along well with Su Ming and Xu Qing, pooled some money to set up a table at

a few cups

unclear, the court is still arguing over

Another looked worried.

of successful candidates for this year's special examination seems to be fewer than in previous sessions. Ah,

him something, he would only discuss questions of

meal was eaten with everyone's minds in

incident stirred up quite a ripple

old compiler from the Hanlin Academy, while overseeing the compilation of a historical