Chapter 158 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth 12.

Yu Shiqing followed the old servant to a small courtyard near the bamboo grove of the academy.

After passing the lotus pond and going around a small moon gate, faint laughter could be heard from ahead.

One of them was older and had a higher voice; I had just heard him speak recently—he was Mr. Wen from the painting academy. The other was slightly hoarse, yet extremely unrestrained; his laughter could almost startle the clouds in the sky. He was both unfamiliar and familiar—he was the one who had called him here, Mr. Qiu, a great scholar from Jiangnan, Qiu Jingsong.

He was also Yu Shiqing's mentor in his previous life.

Without his experience of studying at Weiwen Academy and becoming a student of Qiu Jingsong, Yu Shiqing might have passed the imperial examination, though his ranking would likely not have been very high. Born into poverty, no matter how much he learned, saw, or thought, there were still limitations, and he could not break through some invisible shackle.

It's Qiu Jingsong.

He dispelled his confusion, helped him break free from that shackle, and his strategic thinking improved by leaps and bounds, ultimately leading to his passing the imperial examination and becoming a high-ranking official.

Later, as he encountered various deceptions and complexities in officialdom, and the unpredictable nature of human relationships, whenever he was shrouded in confusion, his mentor would guide him like a lantern in the dark.

Master, Master, the same as father.

Yu Shiqing's biological father died early, and Qiu Jingsong, who often stroked his beard with a smile, became almost like a father to him. Qiu Jingsong had many students, but no children of his own. As his youngest and last disciple, Yu Shiqing had long been determined to take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days.

Unfortunately, in the forty-first year of the Tianxi reign, the emperor passed away, and the "demon empress" and her rebellious faction revived, taking the opportunity to wreak havoc in the capital.

By the time Yu Shiqing and Ye Zangxing returned from the distant northern desert, traveling day and night to quell the chaos, Qiu Jingsong, who had been living in the capital for several years, had already been burned to death in his study by someone who had set fire to his courtyard.

Everything was reduced to ashes. Yu Shiqing stood in the heavy snow, sword in hand, not knowing who to seek revenge against. He could only gaze at the desolate, scorched earth and ruined houses for a long, long time.

Even today, the wreckage, ashes, and the vast, gloomy sky remain etched in Yu Shiqing's mind, causing him to feel a deep, unbearable sorrow whenever he thinks of them.

"Scholar Yu, please."

The old servant suddenly stopped and turned back to call Yu Shiqing. It turned out that in just a few steps, the artificial hill in front of them disappeared, and a pavilion was already within reach.

Yu Shiqing calmly pulled himself back to reality, glanced at Qiu Jingsong who was already looking at him, nodded slightly, thanked the old servant, and then slowly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Student Yu Shiqing greets the two gentlemen."

"Alright, alright, young friend Yu, please sit down. The food and wine have just been served, don't be shy!" Mr. Wen said with a smile.

Yu Shiqing agreed and sat down at the lower end of the table.

"Our renowned Confucian scholar from Jiangnan, Qiu Jingsong, Qiu Mengxin," Mr. Wen rolled up his sleeves and began to introduce, "Young friend Yu is also from Jiangnan, surely you know him?"

"I have long admired Mr. Qiu's name. How could I not know him?" Yu Shiqing smiled and looked up, meeting Qiu Jingsong's gaze. "Mr. Qiu is a renowned scholar throughout the entire Great Qi Dynasty. He is knowledgeable in ancient and modern times and has countless students. Even the children on the roadside in my hometown can hum his poems and essays. How could I not know him? It is my great honor to meet Mr. Qiu in person today."

Mr. Wen was stunned upon hearing this, seemingly not expecting that Yu Jieyuan, who appeared to be upright and honest, would utter such a string of fluent flattery.

Turning to look at his old friend again, well, his expression hadn't changed, but the mustache on his lip was practically sticking up!

Could it be that his old friend's little quirk of liking to be flattered by young talents has already spread, and happened to be known by this Yu Jieyuan? Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. No matter how you look at it, this young man doesn't seem like someone who is born knowing how to flatter!

Mr. Wen was greatly puzzled.

And that is indeed the case.

Yu Shiqing was not born knowing how to flatter or please people, but Qiu Jingsong loved to hear his disciple praise him as his teacher. So whenever Yu Shiqing came to him with something not too urgent, the old man would always have a long talk with him, listening to him rack his brains and reluctantly say half an hour of nice things before he would lift his sleeves and offer some guidance.

After the old man passed away, even if Yu Shiqing wanted to flatter him, he couldn't find anyone to do so anymore.

Cherishing is easy to say, but it's only when you lose it that you realize how difficult it is.

"This young man speaks quite well, much better than my students who have such sharp tongues!" Qiu Jingsong stroked his beard, beaming with joy.

Mr. Wen silently pointed at him with his hand, "Stop embarrassing yourself in front of the young people!"

Qiu Jingsong shook his head, his smile deepening slightly. "Hey, how can this be considered shameful? Young friend Yu has seen my far more shameful moments."

"Huh?" Mr. Wen was taken aback. "You two, one old and one young, aren't meeting for the first time?"

Qiu Jingsong laughed heartily: "Young friend Yu, do you still remember this old man?"

Having changed clothes and after a long time, Yu Shiqing, who was seventeen years old in his previous life, didn't remember anything. So the boy was teased by Qiu Jingsong for a while before he learned about that short intersection.

But now, Yu Shiqing certainly remembers.

“Last year, Fujian suffered a drought,” Yu Shiqing said. “Many local gentry secretly hoarded grain and sold it at high prices, causing widespread resentment. I wanted to go to the county government office, but an old man in a straw raincoat and hat stopped me, explaining the collusion between officials and merchants and advising me to find another way…”

"You really remember!" Qiu Jingsong laughed. "That's right, that old man was me."

“I was in such a hurry when we parted that I forgot to thank you, sir. Please accept my bow,” Yu Shiqing said as he rose and cupped his hands. “I have benefited greatly from your teachings and words. Although a scholar may have knowledge, conduct is the foundation. If it were not for your help, I would have only had a heart full of enthusiasm, and I am afraid that nothing would have changed.”

Qiu Jingsong stroked his beard, a look of satisfaction in his eyes: "Young friend, your pure heart, humility, and eagerness to learn, your willingness to sacrifice fame and fortune to plead for the people, are rare indeed, though not uncommon. But to put the people first, be flexible, adhere to principles, and be pragmatic in addition to your sincerity and passion, is truly exceptional."

"Among the many civil and military officials, those adorned with crimson robes and purple caps, how many can truly live up to their titles? They are all just ordinary people!"

"You flatter me, sir." Yu Shiqing bowed again.

Mr. Wen, who had been listening nearby, understood most of the situation and laughed loudly, "I never imagined that you two, one old and one young, would have such a connection. Come, come, for such a fortunate encounter, let's have a big toast!"

He didn't care about anything else, raised his hand to pour wine, and the three of them raised their glasses, clinked them together, and drank.

After finishing a cup of wine, Mr. Wen glanced at the two men on either side of him and said, "Now that we've come this far, and since we seem to have hit it off so well, I must ask, young friend Yu, have you taken on a tutor?"

Even though he had already experienced it once, hearing these words still made Yu Shiqing's heart skip a beat and his emotions were hard to calm.

"I have heard from you, sir, that is not the case."

Mr. Wen laughed and said, "Then would you like a teacher who is knowledgeable but has a bad temper?"

Qiu Jingsong immediately grabbed his beard in dissatisfaction: "You old painting fanatic, how dare you talk like that!"

"No one was named, so why are you, you old bookworm, rushing to claim it?"

"Oh dear..."

Seeing that the two old men were about to start arguing again, Yu Shiqing smiled helplessly, stood up, lifted his robe and knelt down, "Student Yu Shiqing greets his esteemed teacher."

The movements were fluid and graceful.

Both gentlemen were taken aback at the sight, then burst into laughter. Mr. Wen clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Excellent! Congratulations, Brother Qiu, on the birth of your beloved disciple!"

"I accept your sincere congratulations," Qiu Jingsong said, patting Yu Shiqing's shoulder with a broad smile. "Come on, get up first. In a couple of days, I'll have Old Feng come to pick you up. We'll go to my house for the formal apprenticeship ceremony. You must bring all six traditional gifts for the tuition, and it would be best if you also brought a pot of good wine!"

When his knees touched the ground, Yu Shiqing didn't have many thoughts, but when Qiu Jingsong looked over with a smile and his old hand fell down, he seemed to be hit by something and was momentarily dazed.

An elderly man with gray hair sat in front of a bamboo forest as green as a sea, while a young man in his prime knelt on the sun-drenched floor tiles. Years have passed, but the teacher is still the teacher, and the disciple is still the disciple.

"What are you standing there for? Get up and eat," the hand that was pressing on your shoulder changed to helping you up. "This table is full of good wine and food, which I managed to squeeze out of Old Man Wen's purse. We can't waste it!"

"You old man, you're very cunning!" Mr. Wen said with a laugh.

Yu Shiqing rose with the help of his teacher, sat back down at the table, and drank and ate with the two jovial and unconventional gentlemen.

Because he still had matters to attend to at the dormitory in the afternoon, Qiu Jingsong did not keep Yu Shiqing for long. After finishing his meal, he had someone escort him back. As he left, Yu Shiqing looked back once more.

Qiu Jingsong and Mr. Wen were still drinking together, carrying wine jugs.

He smiled, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Lover, teachers, friends—a rebirth, seemingly without reason and like a dream, brought back everything he had lost long ago. Who could be so lucky?

But is simply returning enough?

If he cannot hold on to it, then regaining what he lost will only be a prelude to an even more painful and desperate loss.

Therefore, no matter what, he must protect them well.

Now that he has met all the people he needed to meet and obtained the necessary identities, with the preliminary preparations complete, he is ready to take real action and investigate the Yongwang Rebellion, a catastrophe that has been a devastating disaster for the entire Great Qi Dynasty.

In his past life, he had naturally investigated this calamity; in fact, he had some power at the time and his investigation was more in-depth and comprehensive. However, for some reason, most of the clues and answers he found seemed superficial, and he had a feeling that something crucial was missing.

Now, with eyes that see the future, he has returned to a time before anything happened. Perhaps, this will give him the chance to see more...

"Hey, old Qiu, let me ask you something," seeing that Yu Shiqing had already left and disappeared, Mr. Wen grabbed Qiu Jingsong and leaned closer, "didn't you say yesterday that this disciple you had taken a liking to had been involved with both the Sixth Prince and the Prince of Yong, and that you were already hesitant and didn't want to take him in? Why did you suddenly change your mind today? Just now at the table, if I hadn't reacted quickly enough, I wouldn't know what you were thinking!"

Qiu Jingsong stroked his beard: "Yesterday is yesterday, and today is today. How can we generalize? Whether it's Prince Yong or the Sixth Prince, they can only make me hesitate, but they can't make me truly give up my love for talent!"

"If there really is some political turmoil or succession struggle in the future..."

"What else can we do? We just have to keep moving forward," Qiu Jingsong replied, then paused and added, "However, from my observation, Prince Yong, though he is thoughtful and suspicious, cherishes his family and friends; the other, though he is cautious and reserved, is extremely loyal and devoted. They are siblings from the same mother, and neither seems like the type to turn against their brothers. But the struggle for the throne has always been a way to devour people's hearts, and no one can predict what the future holds..."

Mr. Wen sighed, "Alas, I can only hope that a crown prince will be established as soon as possible."

Qiu Jingsong shook his head and closed his eyes: "I'm afraid His Majesty has some ulterior motives. His sons are growing up, and things are too harmonious. His Majesty is not old yet..."

Mr. Wen frowned, sighed again, and said nothing more. He simply raised his hand, filled the glass, and drank another cup.

Author's Note:

Two new chapters have been added to the stockpile. Before this or the next stockpile runs out, the author should have already run away from this awful, crappy class [please!].