Crossing the Unknown Country

Chapter 466 The Largest Library

He closed his eyes tightly to hold back his tears, and said to the three Su He brothers: "Since you are Brother Ye's disciples, then I will accept you three as my students. You must study hard and live up to your master's trust."

Although he is now a university scholar, he is still wary of the various forces in the capital. Those are all members of the royal family or have connections, and he might be involved. The emperor is in his prime, and it must be problematic for him to go to the battle team at this time.

The Wen family has been loyal to the emperor for generations and will not participate in any struggle for imperial power. They can protect themselves. As for the experience of the Ye family, they can only express sympathy silently and dare not speak out. They also have a huge family behind them.

Now that I finally have news about him, being able to help his apprentice is also a kind of comfort! I can send him some money. I didn't know the situation over there before, so I didn't dare to contact him rashly. This time, I asked and it was okay. I can still come out to work, so he can't just ignore it.

Su He's father described the situation of Master Ye's family in detail, including the first time he met them, how they settled in the border town, and the current situation at home.

Wen Lan tried to remain calm, but his gradually pale face and shaking hands revealed his inner feelings. He knew that it was not easy to be exiled to the border town. It must have been very difficult for the family, young and old, without medical care and medicine.

As a childhood playmate and a close friend when he grew up, he didn't do anything at that time, and he has always felt guilty. But it is nothing compared to the pain in his heart now, a sense of guilt for not being able to make up for the friendship.

But he is now a university scholar, and after so many years in the officialdom, he can still manage his mood quickly. It is better to actively remedy the situation than to regret. He will help them in the future, and other things will come slowly, but money must come quickly.

Wen Lan calmed down and discussed with Su He's father, asking Su He's brothers to come three times a week. He would give them lessons after the court session, and leave them homework to do at other times. Of course, Su He's brothers had no objection. Master Wen had other matters in the court, so it was impossible for him to give them lessons every day.

Su He and the others took the book list that Wen Lan had written for the three young masters and went to the bookstore to buy books.

After they left, Landy Wen opened the four treasures of the study they sent her and liked them very much at first sight. Each one was a fine product, and it was the best gift for a scholar.

Among them is a fan, which is very beautifully made. The fan bones are polished smooth and delicate, and the fan paper is very delicate and tough. Most importantly, there is a poem on it.

Although it is hard to wash away the sand, gold will be found after all the sand is blown away. The flowing water never stops washing away the sand, and the next wave will appear before the previous wave dies down.

The handwriting is obviously Ye Yanzhi's, with larger and more steady characters, expressing his aspirations in every stroke of the brush. His thoughts are left on the fan through this poem, and everything is in it.

Wen Lan held the fan and looked at it for a long time, and finally a smile appeared on her face. Her brother Yanzhi would come back sooner or later.

He had to wait in the capital. Looking at the three children's behavior, he knew that he should be fine in the border town. These children were not ungrateful people. Since they recognized their master, they would definitely not ignore him.

He read this poem several times in his mind. It was well written! How could such a sentence be written without going through hardships? Good literary talent will never be buried anywhere.

Su He and his friends drove to the bookstore, which was a series of rooms with rows of bookshelves filled with all kinds of books.

Su He looked at the bookshelves and felt deeply moved. The only thing that the Chinese have preserved from ancient times to the present is the bookshelves. No matter when, there are always those tall bookshelves with all kinds of books on them. In the early days, they were bamboo slips, then thread-bound, then printed and bound, and finally machine-bound into volumes.

But no matter what time it is, there will always be this tall bookshelf. People may not have a wardrobe or a bed, but as long as they go to a place where books are sold, there will definitely be a bookshelf.

People regard knowledge as so important that they dare not desecrate it and, fearing that it would gather dust, they put it on shelves.

When I was buying books, I heard that the largest collection of books was in the library of the Kyoto Academy, which was larger than the library of the Imperial Palace, because the scholars of the academy would copy and donate the books that were not in the library.

Then the academy would find students from poor families to copy some rare and good books, and then pay them.

In this way, year after year, day after day, the academy's library became larger and larger, with more and more books, gradually surpassing the library in the imperial palace.