Chapter 1030: Zhuge Yuan Extra 4: Brocade Letter

Chapter 1030: Zhuge Yuan Side Story 4: The Letter

Within a rain corridor of Minglun Hall, Zhuge Yuan walked toward his quarters, his heart heavy with frustration. The old man’s words had stung deeply; no matter how he pleaded, the elder insisted that rules were rules, that everyone had their place, and that one must never overstep their bounds.

He did not mind the labor of a servant, but they taught him nothing at all. Why, then, had he endured such hardship to come here?

It was not merely the lack of instruction that rankled, but the rigid hierarchy of Minglun Hall itself. He found that the world outside was nothing like the one he had imagined back in the mountains.

"No," Zhuge Yuan muttered, clenching his fists. "I cannot let it end like this. I cannot give up so easily."

"But in this situation, how can I break the deadlock?" Standing beneath the eaves, he leaned against a square window, his gaze drifting toward the green lake beyond.

Suddenly, his green eyes, reflected in the water, sparked with realization. "Of course! The Hall is not ruled by him alone. I can go to Li Jinshu!" He recalled the young man who had written the erotic poetry with a lingering impression.

Compared to the old man’s abrasive temper, Li Jinshu’s attitude was far more agreeable, and he had previously suggested that Zhuge Yuan was indeed qualified to enter the Hall.

"Besides, judging by the old man's tone, their status in this stratified place is not so different." With this thought, Zhuge Yuan cast aside his hesitation and turned toward Li Jinshu’s quarters.

Having walked the path that night, he soon arrived at the small bamboo courtyard. As he pushed open the gate, he found the man reclining in a chair, snacking on green bodhi seeds while reading a book.

The man was so engrossed that he did not notice Zhuge Yuan until he was close. Only then did Zhuge Yuan catch the title on the cover: *Rhymes of the Pleasure Quarters*.

"Ah, little brother Zhuge, what wind blows you here? With nothing to do, have you come to study the scriptures of the flesh with a fellow scholar?" Li Jinshu sat up, brimming with enthusiasm as he began to praise the book in his hands as if it were a divine treasure.

"Cough, Senior Yuting, I have come to discuss a different matter." Zhuge Yuan’s face flushed as he averted his eyes from the explicit illustrations in the book.

"Alas, you are still too young to recognize a treasure. Speak, what is it?" Li Jinshu, having barely risen, slumped back into his chair, returning to his reading.

Zhuge Yuan recounted his conversation with the elder and his current predicament.

At these words, Li Jinshu’s eyes widened, and he bolted upright. "What? Not only did they refuse your enrollment, but they treat you as a mere servant?"

"Er... you didn't know?"

"Of course I didn't! After Senior Sigong checked your background and found nothing amiss, he told me he would handle everything."

Zhuge Yuan sighed helplessly. "It seems Senior Sigong had already decided not to let me in. He only said that to keep you at bay."

"Come with me!" Indignant, Li Jinshu shoved the book aside and stood up.

"Where?" Zhuge Yuan asked, bewildered.

"To find someone. This cannot be the end of it." Li Jinshu led him out of the courtyard.

Following his back, Zhuge Yuan saw more of Minglun Hall than ever before. He realized for the first time just how vast it was—vast enough to contain its own small lake.

Through winding corridors and courtyards, they visited various people of different stations. Zhuge Yuan could not discern their roles, but he knew Li Jinshu had his reasons.

Yet, as the hours passed, the confidence on Li Jinshu’s face began to fade.

"You say your master has ties to the masters here, but where is the proof?"

"There is proof! My master wrote a letter, but Senior Sigong took it."

"Words are empty. Bring the letter."

It was as if they had all conspired; everyone demanded the letter before speaking further.

Only then did the two realize that Sigong had held the reins from the start. Since the day Zhuge Yuan handed over the letter, it had never been returned.

"Sigh." Li Jinshu sat on the steps, sighing in defeat. "Senior Sigong has been truly ruthless this time."

"Let us go find him!" Zhuge Yuan felt a surge of anger. This was bullying, pure and simple.

But Li Jinshu grabbed his arm. "What good will that do? If you argue, you will lose even if you are right. Do not forget, this is Minglun Hall, and you are still an outsider. Besides, you have seen his temper. Do you really think you can persuade him to return the letter?"

"Then what do we do?"

"Do not rush. Let me think." Li Jinshu sat on the steps, resting his chin on his knees.

Zhuge Yuan leaned against a wooden pillar for a moment before asking, "Without the letter, is there no other way for the Hall to verify my origins?"

Surely a place of such renown had other means of confirmation.

"They exist, but do you think you are worthy of them using such methods? You are the one begging to enter, not the other way around."

Zhuge Yuan sighed deeply, stopped pacing, and sat down beside him.

"How about you go back and ask your master to write another?"

"Better not. The journey takes months. Besides, I promised to return only after I had made a name for myself. To go back now... how shameful."

After a long silence, Li Jinshu’s eyes brightened. "Wait! I have an idea. We do not need the letter; we can go find Wang Changxu!"

Zhuge Yuan was baffled. "But isn't he long dead?"

"True, he is dead, but his spirit tablet is still enshrined in the Hall." With this, Li Jinshu stood up and headed toward the eaves on the left.

Zhuge Yuan followed, stunned. "Is that even allowed?"

"Of course. Never underestimate Minglun Hall."

Led by Li Jinshu, they ventured deeper into the Hall, where the air grew heavy and secluded. Winding paths, rockeries, and strange trees formed a labyrinthine maze behind high walls.

After walking for the time it takes to burn two sticks of incense, Li Jinshu stopped. "Shh! Stop! Keep your head down!"

Zhuge Yuan froze, pressing himself against a rockery. He saw nothing and heard nothing.

When Li Jinshu signaled to move again, he followed. "Keep your voice low, walk slowly, and do not let them see us!"

Zhuge Yuan whispered, "Senior Li, what are we doing? Why must we skulk like thieves? Can we not walk in openly?"

"Nonsense. Of course not. With so many rules, how could an outsider be allowed to see the ancestral tablets?"

"But it is fine if you are with me. I know every guard and every forbidden path! Keep up!" Li Jinshu hunched his back as low as possible.

Zhuge Yuan glanced back at the path, now shrouded in a thin mist, and began to regret trusting such an unreliable guide.

After more twists and turns, a two-story ancient building appeared. Vines covered the roof, blocking the sun and casting the area into deep shadow.

Li Jinshu pulled open a door and slipped inside; Zhuge Yuan followed.

In the dim light, he could only make out rows of pillars. As he drew closer, he realized the pillars were flanked by rows of bookshelves.

"Almost there. We must pass through the Jiezhi Study," Li Jinshu whispered.

"Senior Li, if you had told me this was forbidden, I would not have come."

"You boy, I am not afraid, so why are you? You are not yet a member of Minglun Hall, so why worry about their rules? Once you are in, you will have plenty of time to follow them."