On the street!
Xia Qian was startled, somewhat unclear why the Young Master would be interested in a student from the Imperial College.
Could it be that this Imperial College student offended the Young Master?
But he did not ask, secretly committing the name Xu Xingchen to memory.
Xia Chen's main purpose for attending the literary gathering this time was actually to meet Fang Zhiru and Xu Xingchen.
But he didn't expect that neither of them came.
Although Xia Chen had been drinking earlier, he had actually been paying attention to the movements at the literary gathering, wanting to see if Xu Xingchen was there. According to what he understood, Xu Xingchen was passionate about court politics, and with Yaoguang hosting a literary gathering, such a good opportunity, he should have come to participate.
Unexpectedly, he never appeared.
“As expected, these top talents, though not yet in power, all possess a certain amount of Luck. They aren't that easy to recruit.”
Xia Chen knew that those people were still in dormancy, biding their time and concealing their brilliance, waiting for the right moment!
But this literary gathering was not without Gains, he met Xuan Zhenzi and Tianhai, especially Tianhai, who had already been hooked by the bait he threw out…
Perhaps there will be gains in the future!
Thinking of this, Xia Chen walked into a restaurant. It was already past two in the afternoon. Only drinks and snacks were served at Yaoguang Mansion, and his martial arts had been progressing rapidly recently, so his appetite was growing larger and larger.
“Young Master!”
Not long after Xia Chen entered the private room, someone knocked on the door.
A young Young Master, dressed in a scholar's robe, stood at the doorway, smiling at Xia Chen.
His lips were red, his teeth white, and his eyes shone like stars, yet still restrained, but that confidence emanated from his very bones.
“The main hall outside is already full. When I entered, I saw that only two people entered this private room, so I boldly came to ask if we could share a table!”
The young Young Master was very polite, but as soon as he spoke, he wanted to share a table.
Before Xia Chen could speak, Xia Qian frowned and stood up. Although they were not overbearing, nor did they bully the weak, and lacked the bad habits of the capital's aristocratic children, how could they casually accept sharing a table?
Moreover, the reason they booked a private room was for peace and privacy, as their Young Master's identity was no longer ordinary.
“We won't…”
“Of course, you can!”
Xia Qian was about to refuse, but Xia Chen smiled and spoke, even standing up.
Xia Chen's smile was incredibly bright. As the ancient saying goes: Jiang Taigong fishes, those who wish to be hooked will be hooked. Now, this fish… has thrown himself into the net!
This person was Xu Xingchen, the one Xia Chen had asked Xia Qian to find.
This was a great talent, and in the years to come, he would be known as the ‘Twin Stars of Confucianism and Dao’ with Fang Zhiru of White Deer Academy!
His talent was unparalleled, and he could scheme for the world!
He was a top talent with truly world-shaking abilities!
Xu Xingchen stood at the doorway, a smile on his lips, but his eyes were constantly scrutinizing Xia Chen, observing him with extreme seriousness.
“It's quite boring for just two people to eat, and moreover, such a large private room, for just the two of us, is a bit wasteful. Brother, please!”
Xia Chen performed a Confucian bow, his movements so standard, and the scholarly aura about him made it impossible to tell that he was a martial artist from a military family.
“Thank you, Brother!”
Xu Xingchen cupped his fists, and a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes as he looked at Xia Chen.
This Consort came from a noble family and was a fourth-rank official at a young age, yet he carried no arrogance. Even his attendant was not overbearing; although he had initially wanted to refuse him, he did not speak ill of him.
His appearance here was certainly not an accident, nor was it because he truly lacked a table and wanted to share one!
He was somewhat curious about this Consort who had recently risen to fame in the capital. He had been in the capital for seven years and had evaluated many figures in the capital in his heart.
But he hadn't expected to misjudge this son of Lord Antong.
Especially after learning about what he did at the literary gathering today, he wanted to come and see this person with his own eyes.
Xia Chen did not believe that Xu Xingchen was truly just here to share a table. He had just left the literary gathering, and the other party followed right behind him.
How could it be such a coincidence?
Although there was still some time before Xu Xingchen's rise, he also didn't believe that someone as nearly demonic in intelligence as Xu Xingchen wouldn't pay attention to major court affairs.
So Xu Xingchen definitely knew him.
“Why is he approaching me? To observe me, or does he have another purpose?”
Xia Chen fell into deep thought.
Both young men had bright smiles on their faces, but their hearts were as cold as ice, and their brains were working at high speed.
Meanwhile, Xia Qian rubbed his head, a bit stunned at the side. What was going on? He couldn't quite understand it!
“My name is Xu Xingchen, courtesy name Changye. I am a student of the Imperial College. May I ask your name, Young Master?”
After Xu Xingchen took his seat, he proactively introduced himself. He did not hide his name, because there was nothing to hide. He was extremely low-key in the capital; few people knew him.
What Xu Xingchen didn't see was that Xia Qian, standing behind him, heard the three characters “Xu Xingchen” and his pupils contracted slightly. He scrutinized Xu Xingchen with extreme seriousness, then glanced at his own Young Master, who had a very warm smile on his face.
He instantly understood why his Young Master had suddenly acted strangely and allowed the other party to come in and share a table.
Wasn't this the person his Young Master had asked him to investigate earlier?
Had the other party delivered himself to their doorstep?
Xia Qian looked at Xu Xingchen, his gaze becoming somewhat peculiar.
“My name is Zhang Sheng!” Xia Chen played along, using a pseudonym.
Xu Xingchen smiled and nodded, but in his heart, he began to evaluate.
“He is magnanimous and approachable, yet also cautious. He dislikes revealing his identity when out and about!”
Xu Xingchen never thought that Xia Chen knew him. He had extraordinary talent, and precisely because of this, he knew that he should not be high-profile in the capital, nor was there any need to gain reputation or fame.
To remain low-key, he didn't even attend this literary gathering, cautiously having his fellow students gather information for him.
Therefore, in the capital, besides his classmates, very few people knew his name, which is why he used his real name.
He studied The Way of the King, and his goal was to find a true Dragon. Before meeting a wise ruler, he could not be too flamboyant. He was quietly biding his time; as long as he chose a wise ruler, he could instantly soar ninety thousand li, and his name would shake the world!
To find a wise ruler, he secretly met the Crown Prince, as well as the Third Prince, Fourth Prince, and others in the dark.
But in the end, both of them were rejected by him.
This made him incredibly disappointed. The direct imperial line of the Great Wu Dynasty, this generation, actually had no heroic ruler. Yet, from his analysis of the world's situation, the Great Wu's end to the chaotic world and the general trend of unifying the world had already taken shape.
This made him once fall into self-doubt, feeling that his analysis of major world affairs might be wrong.
When this thought appeared, he once wanted to leave Wu Country and go to Great Feng and Qing Country to search for the true Dragon destined by heaven.
But some time ago, by chance, he heard the name of Princess Yaoguang.
This caught his attention, and the more he observed, the more excited Xu Xingchen became, because this was the person he wanted to find, someone with the demeanor of a wise ruler who could realize his The Way of the King.
But what confused him was, why was it a woman?
There had never been a female emperor in the world!
Xu Xingchen once again fell into confusion, so he decided to observe Yaoguang for a while longer…
And this literary gathering was a large event hosted by Yaoguang, so he naturally had to observe closely. But at this moment, Xia Chen also entered his sight.
So, he came. He wanted to observe up close!
The two young men, each with their own intentions, sat at the dining table, both calculating and observing each other.
…
【Xu Xingchen, courtesy name Changye, possessed extraordinary talent and intelligence that bordered on demonic.
One day, Xingchen went to a restaurant for a meal, but the seats were already full, with no empty tables. It happened that the Grand Ancestor (Xia Chen) also arrived there. The Grand Ancestor was magnanimous and enjoyed making friends. Seeing Xingchen without a seat, he invited him to share a private room and eat together, not looking down on Xingchen for his humble status.
Xingchen was moved by the Grand Ancestor's demeanor and admired him. He judged that the Grand Ancestor was by no means an ordinary person, possessing the qualities of a ruler, and would surely achieve great things in the future.
From then on, Xingchen's friendship with the Grand Ancestor grew stronger day by day.
—Xia History, Volume 13, Biography of Xu Xingchen, Chapter 17】