On the east side of Lulin Town stood an old wooden archway, tall and weathered by time. It had been there for over two hundred years. The words carved on it—"Good Weather for Crops"—were already fading, barely readable. Weeds had crept into the cracks in the stone, fresh green leaves stretching out toward the morning sun.
Sunlight filtered through those leaves and landed on a young man named Lin Xi. He looked to be about seventeen or eighteen, with a quiet, handsome face. His expression was lazy, almost carefree, but somehow... he gave off a strange feeling, like he had already been through a lifetime of things.
Standing in front of him was a young girl, maybe fifteen or sixteen. She was pretty, with two long ponytails and big, serious eyes. She was a bit thinner than most girls her age, and no one in town knew where she came from. But she had already asked Lin Xi a bunch of questions. Even though she looked young, she spoke like someone much older.
"I'm just standing here because I'm bored," Lin Xi said casually, almost like he was answering a school question.
The girl nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "But why do you keep staring at that archway? Is there something special about it?"
Lin Xi smiled and pointed up. "Not really. There's just a bird's nest up there. I think it's going to fall soon. There are two little chicks inside. If I catch it in time, I can give them to my little sister. She'll be really happy."
He said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.
The girl didn't respond right away. She just nodded politely, turned, and walked away—like her mission was done. She passed under the archway, walked through three narrow alleys, and came to a quiet road outside the town. A black carriage was waiting there, pulled by two gray horses.
She climbed up onto the driver's seat like she'd done it a hundred times before, took the reins, and flicked the whip gently. The horses began to move.
Inside the carriage, a woman's voice spoke—cold, distant, but beautiful.
"Did you find out?"
"Yes," the girl answered quickly. "His name is Lin Xi. He's from the west side of town, the Lin family. He's eighteen. He has a seven-year-old sister. The townspeople call him 'Second Young Master Lin' because he's a bit strange. They say he started acting weird after getting very sick two years ago."
"Is his mind damaged?" the woman asked, her tone calm, but sharp.
The girl thought for a moment. "He talks clearly, and he seems smart… but his words are really odd. He even asked me if I was here to check his household records. I didn't know what that meant. He told me even if he explained, I wouldn't understand. And about that bird's nest—he said it might fall soon, but I looked at it, and it seemed perfectly stable. I couldn't even tell if there were birds in it."
There was a long silence.
Then the woman inside the carriage said softly, "Even if he's strange, Qingluan Academy might still be interested in him."
The girl looked surprised. "You want him to take the entrance test?"
"Yes," the woman said with a small smile. "Tell Li Xiping to arrange it. The timing should be just right."
The girl's voice trembled a little. "But why? Just because of something he said?"
The woman smiled again—this time with a trace of warmth. "My grandfather once told me a story about a man who shouted about storms and lightning on a clear day. Everyone thought he was crazy. But later… that man became someone who changed the world."
The girl's eyes widened. "You mean… Dean Zhang?"
The woman's voice turned cool again. "Who else would my grandfather talk about so often?"
She paused, then added, "Also, tell Li Xiping to get rid of Zhang Zhendong, the officer in this town. A commoner with seven houses? He's gotten too bold. Send him to guard the northern border for three years. If he makes it back alive, let him keep three of the houses."
The girl nodded. "Anything else?"
"No," said the woman. "Li Xiping will know what to do. Just one more thing—don't let anyone know it was me who recommended Lin Xi."