My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 254 Trip to the Imperial College

Lin Ziping met up with Fan Ji and the others, and Fang Zhili led them to a courtyard. They each chose a room, had a quick dinner, and then went back to their rooms to rest.

After a good night's sleep, Lin Ziping got up early, pushed open the door and went out. The sky was still dark, with only the first hints of white appearing on the horizon.

Lin Ziping stretched and yawned, causing a layer of mist to rise in the air.

After stretching a little, I walked towards the yard.

In the candlelight, it was clear that there were already people in the courtyard.

Lin Ziping walked closer and saw that the person was Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen stood in a horse stance, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead.

"Good morning, Xiao Chen!" Lin Ziping greeted him.

"Brother Ziping." Xiao Chen stood up and clasped his hands in a salute.

Lin Ziping waved his hand and said, "When did you arrive? Did you sleep well last night?"

Xiao Chen replied, "I haven't been here long either. Perhaps it's because I'm in a different place, I'm not sleeping very well. Plus, I got up a little earlier than usual last night for some reason."

"What happened last night? When? I didn't hear anything?" Lin Ziping asked while doing warm-up exercises.

"It seems to be the Fang family's main courtyard, but it's too far away, so I didn't hear it clearly," Xiao Chen said, mimicking Lin Ziping's actions.

"Maybe something happened." Lin Ziping didn't seem to care much, and demonstrated the warm-up exercises, saying, "Xiao Chen, you should warm up your muscles like this before you start moving, otherwise you may easily strain your muscles."

"What kind of meat is muscle?" Xiao Chen asked.

……

"Muscles are flesh, haha, let's not talk about that anymore. Before Lao Fan and the others arrive, let's spar a bit," Lin Ziping said with a laugh.

“Brother Ziping, I… how can I compare to you?” Xiao Chen waved his hands repeatedly.

"What are you afraid of? We haven't even competed yet, let's give it a try." Before he could finish speaking, Lin Ziping attacked Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen stepped back and said, "Brother Ziping, then I'll have to offend you."

The two remained silent, exchanging blows, and in the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than ten moves.

"Boom-thump-thump-"

Three distant chimes rang out.

As soon as the bell rang, the sound of reading aloud rose and fell.

"Ziping, Xiao Chen, you two got up early! It's only Mao Shi (5-7 AM), and you're already practicing?" Wu Xudong said with a smile.

Fan Ji said, "Judging from their appearance, they've probably been here for a while."

"The early bird catches the worm, brothers, stop chatting and come help me out," Lin Ziping said, turning his head to speak.

"Haha, Ziping still has the energy to talk to us. Xiao Chen, it seems you're not as good as Lord Lin." Wu Xudong said.

“Since Ziping said so, let’s go have some fun together and see if he’s slacking off,” Fan Ji said with a smile.

The group exchanged glances and then joined Xiao Chen in attacking Lin Ziping.

Lin Ziping cursed the men under his breath and focused on fighting them.

The group chatted back and forth, their laughter and chatter filling the courtyard, creating a lively atmosphere.

"Clap clap-"

Upon hearing the sound, Lin Ziping and the others stopped what they were doing.

Before anyone knew it, dawn had broken, and Fang Zhili stood at the courtyard gate and began to applaud.

"Zhili, when did you arrive?" Lin Ziping wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Young Master Zhili," Fan Ji and the others greeted him with clasped hands.

Fang Zhili casually cupped his hands in greeting to the group and walked towards Lin Ziping: "I've been here for a while now, and Shao Ying's martial arts skills are even better than before."

"I am no match for Yue Zheng in even a fraction of his prowess," Lin Ziping replied.

"You must all be hungry. Let's tidy up and have a meal." As soon as Fang Zhili finished speaking, a servant came over with hot water and towels.

Fan Ji and the others clasped their hands in thanks again, saying, "Thank you for your help, Young Master Zhili."

Lin Ziping said, "You should all go back to your rooms and wash up."

The group took the basin from the servant, nodded slightly to Lin Ziping, and went back to their rooms.

After the group left, Fang Zhili said, "Your followers are not bad; they are much more disciplined than Yang Jiadian back then."

Lin Ziping glared at Fang Zhili, said nothing, and turned to go back into the house.

Fang Zhili said, "You're all packed. We'll go to the Imperial College together today."

Lin Ziping turned to Fang Zhili and said, "I am escorting the Imperial Concubine to her family home, and I must protect her at all times."

Fang Zhili rolled his eyes dismissively: "Come on, your aunt doesn't need your protection at home. Besides, doesn't she have her own group of followers?"

"But……"

Fang Zhili interrupted Lin Ziping: "There are no 'buts'. This was arranged by Grandfather yesterday, and Aunt agreed. So don't dawdle. Remember to change into the clothes that were sent to you."

Alright, let's go. Lin Ziping also wants to see what the highest institution of learning in the Great Zhou Dynasty is like.

Lin Ziping told Fan Ji about his trip to the Imperial Academy, arranged for them to protect Fang Qingmiao after dinner, and then planned to return to his room.

Outside the house, two servants were waiting at the door, one carrying hot water and the other holding new clothes.

Lin Ziping opened the door, took the hot water and clothes, closed the door, and began to wash up.

The style of the clothes is somewhat similar to the clothes worn at Moshan Academy before, but the workmanship is much more exquisite.

After changing his clothes, with a sachet and jade pendant at his waist and a jade crown to tie his hair, he was truly a handsome young man.

It had been a long time since Lin Ziping had dressed like a scholar, and he was still a little unaccustomed to it. He tugged at his clothes, spun around, and blew a kiss to himself in the water.

He composed himself and walked out of the room with a serious expression.

Two servants were still waiting outside the door. When they saw Lin Ziping come out, one of them quickly draped a cloak over him and asked, "Sir, be careful not to catch a cold. Is there anything that doesn't fit you?"

As Lin Ziping adjusted the cloak draped over his shoulders, he replied, "The clothes fit well, thank you for your trouble."

The servant breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "This is the size that the Imperial Concubine gave us. It's a bit smaller than regular clothes. We were worried that it wouldn't fit you, sir."

Lin Ziping paused, then replied gratefully, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Please make the room ready."

The two servants quickly replied, "We wouldn't dare."

"Excuse me, gentlemen, where is the Imperial Concubine?" Lin Ziping asked.

The servant who stepped forward to drape a robe over Lin Ziping said, "Her Highness is staying in the Misty Pavilion, but we can't get in. If you wish to pay your respects to Her Highness, you can go to the ladies Shishu and Shihua; they are in the Qingfeng Tower."

"Thank you, but how do I get to Qingfeng Tower?" Lin Ziping then asked.

"Sir, you can have the guards at the gate escort you when you go out," the servant replied.

"That's wonderful, thank you both very much." Lin Ziping clasped his hands in a fist salute and then left.

As expected, two guards were standing at the gate when Lin Ziping arrived. He explained the situation, and one of the guards readily led him to Qingfeng Tower.

After walking for about ten minutes, the two saw a two-story building with a plaque that read "Qingfeng Tower".

There were guards at the entrance as well. Lin Ziping repeated what he had just said, and the guards told him to wait at the entrance while they went in to inform them. A short while later, Shishu came out with the guards.

"Lord Lin, please come with me." Before Lin Ziping could say anything more, Shishu led him away to the Misty Pavilion.

Shi Shu brought Lin Ziping directly to Fang Qingmiao. Through a thin veil, only a faint outline could be seen.