The Qingjiangpu in the territory of Huaian Prefecture is one of the main estuaries of the Huai River. During the summer and autumn rainy seasons, the flood peak from the upper reaches of the Huai River rushes over, and the water at Qingjiangpu stretches as far as the eye can see, extending for dozens of miles without end. After the autumn rain season has passed, the floodwaters recede, and Qingjiangpu reveals its true appearance - it is just a group of small lakes connected by waterways. The shallow beaches that were flooded during the rainy season have also become marshlands, and the reed marshes on both sides are more magnificent than those on Xi Sha Island.

  The sun sets with a slanting glow, white pampas grass dances in the autumn wind, and dusk foraging water birds are like dense clouds drifting across the sky.

  This is a rare beautiful scenery that Lin Xiang can see in his later years. Indeed, the scenery of Qingjiangpu at this time is absolutely beautiful.

  Its a pity that Lin Xie didnt have the mood to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Qingjiangpu at sunset.

  No one expected that the only sailor who knew how to sail would break his neck when he was pushed down into the hold. Lin Xie, Fu Qinghe and the other young men didnt know how to sail a boat. Xiao Tao would definitely send someone to the island again to investigate, so Lin Xie and the others practiced sailing on the island for five days before setting off with a southeast wind. They had originally planned to take one day at sea, but ended up drifting for five days before seeing land, thanks to the consistent wind direction over the past few days. Seeing the vast mouth of Qingjiang Bay, they thought it was the main entrance to the Huai River and sailed in, only to run aground on a shallow sandbank within four or five miles of waterway. No one expected that a stretch of water four or five miles wide would be so shallow that even a three-masted sailing ship couldnt pass through.

  Lin tied a pole and inserted it into the water, pulled it up to look at the water mark, compared it with his own height, and found that the water depth was just enough to submerge his head.

  The boat was stuck in the shallow waters of the sandbank, either waiting for the water to rise or relying on a strong northwest wind to blow it out; few of the young men were good swimmers, and there were only a few bamboo poles, nor could they expect to borrow manpower to tow the boat out.

  It was after being trapped in shallow water that Fu Qinghe remembered that this was Qingjiangpu. After entering autumn, the surface of Qingjiangpu looks very wide, but the water is extremely shallow. Not to mention three-masted sea ships, even small two-masted sailboats navigating the waters of Qingjiangpu need to be led by someone familiar with the route.

  However, knowing that it was within the borders of Huaian Prefecture, everyone felt a little more at ease. After all, leaving Ninghai Towns defense zone meant that even if they encountered government soldiers, there would still be room for maneuver.

  Pirates and merchant ships familiar with the waterway would not take the Qingjiangpu Waterway again after autumn, so there were no naval warships coming to patrol the river. Large fishing boats could not go out to sea from here, and small fishing boats would not come around to the mouth of the sea to catch fish. The boat had been stuck in shallow water for half a day, except for wild ducks and water birds, no human shadow was seen; both sides were dense with reeds, and it was unknown how wide the shallow beach on the outside was, and the eyes could not see the end in the dusk. While everyone was at ease, they were also worried about how to get out, and they couldnt just set up camp in the middle of the water.

  "After landing, in addition to avoiding the Ninghai Town defense zone, everyone also had to change their names and surnames, and could not reveal their previous identities in front of outsiders. The three young men, Chen Enze, Hu Qiaozhong, and Hu Qiaoguan, were called aside by Lin Xie, Fu Qinghe, and Su Mei to discuss the arrangements for the next day. "We must cover up all the existing loopholes as much as possible, we dont have another chance to take risks..."

  "What name would be good?" Chen Enze asked.

  "The name doesnt matter, the key is the surname. With so many people, to give you a new identity and register in another place, we need to think of a way," Lin stroked his short mustache thoughtfully and said to Fu Qinghe, "Or Master Fu can take Enze, Qiao Zhong, and Qiao Guan as adopted sons?"

  "How can this be? If you want to take in a sworn brother, it should be..." Fu Qinghe hastily declined. He knew that in the eyes of the young men, Lin Xie was much more important than him, and if anyone were to take in a sworn brother, it should be Lin Xie. But just as he was about to bring this up, he remembered that Lin Xie was still only at the age of weak crown, not yet married, and besides, Lin Xie had an official title, so widely taking in sworn brothers, a behavior typical of powerful figures in the jianghu world, might have an unfavorable influence on him.

  "Master Fu, dont be modest... Enze, Zhong, and Guan will still need Master Fus guidance in martial arts. Once a teacher, always a father figure. Master Fu deserves it." Lin said with a smile, patting Chen Enzes shoulder. "Why dont you pay your respects quickly? From now on, youll be called Fu Enze. If others ask, just say youre all disciples of the Fu family." He then turned serious and said, "One day, you will return to Chongzhou, reunite with your families, and regain your original identities."

  Chen Enze, Hu Qiaozhong and Hu Qiaoguan all knelt down to pay their respects to Fu Qinghe. Fu Qinghe thought that taking care of these young people was also his inescapable responsibility, especially those who were only twelve or thirteen years old, still children, with no home to return to, and unable to recognize their relatives. He no longer pushed them away, accepted their greetings, and helped the three young men stand up to talk: "What I can teach you is really limited, what can truly teach you is still Master Lin..."

  "Yes, yes, you all have to call Lin Ge a master from now on." Xiao Man chimed in from the side.

  Lin Tie saw the three young men about to pay their respects again, and waved his hand, saying: "Forget it, were all survivors of a disaster, no need for so much etiquette. As they say, three people traveling together must have my teacher among them, I still want to learn archery from Master Fu..."

  "Lin Gongzi has a broad and profound talent; Su Meis vision is shallow, they all say that Jiangning is a place where dragons and tigers lie in wait, but no one has seen anyone with Lin Gongzis extensive knowledge... Why doesnt Lin Gongzi go to Yanjing to take the imperial examination?" Su Mei asked, she was puzzled as to why Lin Xie didnt seize the time to study, yet had the mood to learn archery from Fu Bo.

  "Are you going to take the imperial examination to become a scholar?" Lin Xie shook his head and smiled, saying, "I know myself how light or heavy my own bones are. Such a small opportunity is really not worth taking a gamble."

  Even if the children of a prestigious family are not good at studying, they can still become officials through imperial examination or hereditary privileges.

  Lin Xie was just a collateral descendant of the Lin family in Dongyang, wanting to make a name for himself, like the Han clans descendants, taking the imperial examination was the best way out. Although passing the provincial exam would qualify him as an official, most appointments were low-ranking officials, and to truly make a name for himself through the imperial examination, passing the metropolitan exam in the capital city was the last leap of the carp turning into a dragon.

  Su Meng didnt understand why Lin Xie wanted to give up the opportunity to go to Beijing for the meeting. At this time, she no longer thought that Lin Xie was lacking in knowledge, and instead looked at him with a tilted head, puzzled and perplexed.

  Su Mengs eyes were bright and clear in the twilight, with a pure and innocent gaze that seemed to capture peoples hearts. Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes like a painting, and her charming beauty and elegance couldnt be completely hidden by her coarse clothes. Lin Xuan habitually touched his nose, avoiding Su Mengs gaze, and for a moment he didnt know how to explain his intentions to her, fearing that he would unknowingly get lost in her eyes.

  Su Meng saw Lin Xie hesitating and not speaking, and asked in doubt: "There is a nursery rhyme that says: The water of the Tsanglang River is clear, it can wash my hair; The water of the Tsanglang River is turbid, it can wash my feet... Master Lin, could it be because of this that you gave up attending the imperial examination?"

  "I understand what youre saying, Miss. You explained it to me before: a gentleman should serve when the times are peaceful and hide when they are chaotic - so Brother Lin wants to be a hermit." Xiaoman chimed in excitedly from the side, her small body leaning against Lin Xies as she unintentionally brushed her hand against his arm, which was rolled up with his sleeve. The young girl felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart, and the feeling was quite strange. Looking at the fine hairs on his arm, she couldnt help but want to touch it again, but her maidenly shyness took over, and she awkwardly shifted away, turning her face aside to see that Lin Xie seemed oblivious, and only then did her heart slowly calm down.

  Lin Xuan had no idea what the little girl was thinking, and even if he did, he couldnt have any improper thoughts about a fourteen-year-old girl. Although in this era, it was common for girls to get married at the age of 14 or 15, Lin Xuan still couldnt fully adapt to this era.

  Locally, military and government officials were arrogant and corrupt; the rebellion of the wealthy family in Jinan lasted for seven or eight years without being pacified; the Eastern Hu people in the north repeatedly raided the border; Jiangzhou, Shanzhou and other places ignored the suffering of the people, officials ignored the peoples suffering, and from time to time provoked popular uprisings; bandits and thieves frequently appeared everywhere; imperial power was declining, and factions among courtiers in the two capitals were numerous and at odds with each other - all these are signs that a chaotic era is approaching.

  Lin Xie certainly didnt have the idea of "hiding when encountering chaos" or "the muddy water of the river can wash my feet", which sounds noble but is actually just a turtle shrinking its head. He smiled wryly and said, "Im not as noble as you think, what I said earlier was the plain truth."

  "Its really meaningless to take the imperial examination," Fu Qinghe said with a smile, "If Master Lin doesnt pass, its fine, but if he does, wont I be worried to death?"

  Lin Xie smiled and said: "Yes, yes, we cant let Master Fu bear all the troubles alone."

  The imperial examination, also known as the spring trial, was held in Yanjing three months after the spring. To participate in the meeting, one had to enter the capital to prepare, and besides reviewing books, they also had to build connections. If they didnt pass, it wouldnt be a big deal; but if they passed and became a jinshi (a successful candidate), except for the top three winners who would be directly appointed as officials, all other second-class jinshi and those with the same background would have to stay in Yanjing to study at the Hanlin Academy for three years before being officially appointed... If Lin Xian were to pass the imperial examination with high honors, unless he could become one of the top three winners, he would have to stay in Yanjing, and these young men would all be entrusted to Fu Qinghes care.

  Su Mengs heart was clear that taking care of these young people was difficult, without identity and with many people, but she still felt that Lin Mous personal future was important, saying: "Si Ze and the others, we can take care of them with some hard work, we cant delay Mr. Lins career..." It was actually a bit resentful that Fu Bo spoke too bluntly, how could he leave more trouble for others?

  Fu Qinghe laughed and didnt explain, nor did he reveal that Su Mei was overly concerned about Lin Xies personal career. For the first half of his life, he was a martial artist, and in the past decade, he had been hiding in Jiangning, also learning to read and write, cultivating himself, but ultimately superficially, unable to recognize any exquisite literature. However, in his lifetime, he had met countless people and only believed that there were still a few parts of discerning eyes. Although previously dim-witted and underestimating Lin Xie, after a month of daily interactions and shared struggles, Fu Qinghe thought: How could a mere scholar like Lin Xie calm his mind?

  Lin Mou said that he wanted to practice archery, but Fu Qinghe knew that he had discerned his military background from the details and, in addition to teaching the young men, also discussed military matters with him - learning to govern the army was his true intention. Fu Qinghe didnt think he had any exceptional abilities in governing the army, but having followed Hou Ye for many years, he had gained some experience that could be passed on to others. He thought to himself, Hou Ye liked to promote younger generations, if he were still alive and saw Lin Mou, would he consider him a precious treasure or deeply suspect him?

  Fu Qinghe suddenly remembered something and asked Lin Xie: "Lin Xie, are you also going to use a different name?"

  "All right," Lin Xie nodded, drew out his waist knife, and carved the two characters "Tan Zong" on the deck with the tip of the knife. He then put the knife back in its scabbard and said, "If were in front of outsiders, lets have En Ze and Fu Ye call me that from now on."

  Many places are in a state of war and chaos, but the prefectures and counties of Jiangdong, Huaiyang, and Zhejiang are still relatively stable, with strict household registration management. Young people cannot openly reveal their identities, which means they have no registered identity. In this era, even vagrants and beggars have registered households; most of those who abandon their original identities and become unregistered individuals are actually villains who fear implicating their families and clans, so they change their names and surnames to avoid trouble. Lin Xie has a reputation to uphold, and if it were discovered that he was secretly in contact with unregistered individuals, his reputation would be stripped away regardless of whether he was guilty or not. Even if they wanted to find a way for the young people to register in another place and change their identities, its not something that can be accomplished overnight. Caution is essential, especially since the young people will inevitably come into contact with outsiders even if they are hiding in the countryside; changing their names is absolutely necessary.

  As for Fu Qinghe, Lin Xie suspected that Fu Qinghe was just a pseudonym.

  Fu Qinghe looked at the two words carved on the deck by Lin Xie, and praised: "Good name!" He had no idea what this name meant to the young man in front of him.

  Lin Xie gazed out at the distant sky, where the last remnants of sunset lingered. The matter of his reincarnation was something that even if he spoke of it, no one would believe. He had originally thought that in this era, he could only live as Lin Xie. When Fu Qinghe mentioned changing his name, he didnt hesitate to carve the two characters "Tan Zong" onto the deck.

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  P.S: Collect and forward, please!