Chapter 166 The Powerful Minister Returns to His Youth 20.

On another day of rest, Yu Shiqing went down the mountain to Huailiu Residence to visit his teacher.

Two days ago, the academy's ten-day exams just ended. Yu Shiqing defeated the top examinee of Weiwen Academy for the past two years, crushing all the other examinees and winning first place. He was the talk of the town.

But this was purely "bullying the weak," and winning was not honorable. However, not bullying was not an option either, because he had also achieved the top score in his previous life. Although the little princess who was suspected of being reborn might not know this, Yu Shiqing still tried to maintain the status quo in these matters as much as possible, just to be on the safe side.

Of course, it's impossible to be exactly the same as the original article or painting.

However, the reborn person has already stirred up the river of fate, and it seems reasonable that the river's trajectory has changed somewhat.

Yu Shiqing was cautious, but he also believed that change leads to progress, while stagnation leads to death.

This time, he came down the mountain to Huailiu Residence with his exam papers and new policy essays, under the pretext of seeking guidance, to test his teacher.

Since returning from the dock that day, when Bao Shaojie told him that Qiu Jingsong had apparently been the Crown Prince's tutor, Yu Shiqing recalled the past and began to vaguely connect things in his mind, trying to find a "change".

In his previous life, Yu Shiqing was Qiu Jingsong's last disciple. He only came into contact with his teacher at this point in his life.

Even though his teacher accompanied him to the capital, due to the passage of time and the long gap in their lives, Yu Shiqing had not heard much about Qiu Jingsong's affairs in the court.

All he knew was that his teacher was the top scholar in the imperial examination thirty years ago, in the seventh year of the Tianxi era. He entered the Hanlin Academy and enjoyed a period of great favor, being promoted to lecturer and serving in the emperor's court. Unfortunately, his good fortune did not last long. About five years later, in the eleventh year of the Tianxi era, he was demoted to Lingnan for making a mistake in his remonstrance.

Later, his teacher resigned from his official post and devoted himself to studying and teaching his disciples. Over the course of more than ten or twenty years, he gradually gained a reputation and became a famous Confucian scholar of the "practical learning" school in Jiangnan.

Although the teacher's disciples were scattered throughout the country, and many of them held important positions in the imperial court, he himself had served as an official for too short a time and had not achieved much, so very few people would mention that past event.

They only talked about his books, his theories, and his disciples; no one cared about the trivial matters he handled during his time as an official.

But now, upon reflection, the period during which he served before the emperor coincided with the seventh to eleventh years of the Tianxi reign. This is quite subtle. Furthermore, in my previous life, when Emperor Tianxi passed away and the capital was ravaged by the wicked empress and her rebellious faction, there was that fire—said to have been accidentally started by rioters—that burned down the Qiu residence.

Yu Shiqing didn't want to think about it, but he had no choice but to.

Yu Shiqing had naturally investigated the Empress Dowager's rebellion, but they only made their appearance when Emperor Tianxi passed away. Otherwise, whether it was the rebellion of Prince Yong or the assassination of Ye Zangxing, they were nowhere to be found.

But now, new clues have emerged in this life, and looking back at the events of the past life, things no longer seem so simple.

"Was there truly no connection in the previous life, and it changed in this life, or was this connection always there, but it was just hidden from my eyes?" Yu Shiqing pondered, various guesses swirling in his mind.

Suddenly, the old servant's voice rang out, filled with a friendly smile: "Young Master Yu, we've arrived."

"The study is just ahead, and the teacher is reading in the room."

Yu Shiqing paused, raised his eyes, and, slightly lost in thought, followed the old servant through the flowers and willows to the front of the main study of Huai Liu Residence.

"Thank you for your trouble," Yu Shiqing said, bowing with his hands clasped in thanks.

“You are now the master’s disciple, which is equivalent to being the young master. It would be disrespectful of me not to call you ‘young master,’ so how could I dare to trouble you further? Please don’t be so polite,” the old servant said with a smile.

Little Master.

This term isn't unfamiliar.

In his previous life, Qiu Jingsong died, but the old servant escaped the calamity because he was away on business. For many years afterward, he was unwilling to return to his hometown or serve anyone else. Instead, he lived in the capital and guarded Qiu Jingsong's tomb.

Yu Shiqing would occasionally visit him, and he would hear him call him "Little Master." The man explained that the master was no longer alive, so "Young Master" was now "Little Master." This matter, in retrospect, was quite poignant.

Looking at the old servant's smiling face, Yu Shiqing paused for a few breaths, then bowed again: "You flatter me."

The old servant found the young scholar to be exceptionally polite, and his smile softened even more. He announced his arrival inside, then turned and led Yu Shiqing through the door.

A person's true character can be best revealed in their study.

Qiu Jingsong is upright and principled, but not entirely conventional. Occasionally, his actions reveal a free spirit that is somewhat averse to constraints. His study reflects this, generally moderate and ordinary, not unlike that of many learned scholars. However, in certain places, his carefree nature is evident.

For example, there's cursive script on the wall, a precious bow on the table, miscellaneous books piled up by the window, a bunch of messy, disorderly papers hanging by the bedside, and a pot of unnamed flowers and plants that seem to have a spark of inspiration.

"Old Huang mocked me, saying that when you came, you would laugh at me for being unrefined as a teacher, for not having a proper 'study.' But now I see that you appreciate it very much!" Qiu Jingsong had just finished writing a piece of calligraphy, put down his brush, looked up, and saw Yu Shiqing looking at the study without any hesitation. Instead of being annoyed, he laughed.

Upon hearing this, Yu Shiqing shifted his gaze from the flying paper and flowers, and replied with a smile, "Like teacher, like student. What the teacher loves, the student also loves. Otherwise, how could they 'enter the same school'?"

"Hahaha, absolutely!" Qiu Jingsong's eyes lit up, and he stroked his beard, laughing heartily. He then beckoned, "Come, come, Danzhi, come and see the calligraphy I just wrote. I admired your 'Old Friends, New Autumn' painting; the brushstrokes were fluent and the spirit was elegant, truly excellent! Calligraphy and painting are interconnected; you must also have some knowledge of calligraphy..."

Yu Shiqing naturally wouldn't refuse his teacher's invitation.

The two looked at the words and talked about the paintings. In no time, they broke through the last bit of awkwardness and chatted happily.

Afterwards, Yu Shiqing took out the exam papers and essays he had brought and asked Qiu Jingsong to review them. Qiu Jingsong cared a lot about this disciple and had already sent someone to Weiwen Academy to get the exam papers to review. Seeing them again now, he couldn't help but sigh at the sight of them.

"Although I heard you mention last time that you had a deeper understanding of the provincial examination and current affairs, and that you are expected to pass the imperial examination next spring, I thought you were just young and arrogant. But when I received your policy essay a couple of days ago, I realized that it was actually me, your teacher, who was arrogant."

"Such an article is sincere, concise, and incisive. It discusses current problems directly and hits the nail on the head. It is bloody and vivid. Compared with the provincial examination a little over a month ago, it is more than a hundred times more mature."

Qiu Jingsong stroked his beard: "You are only seventeen years old, yet you have such insights. Many of your strategies have the potential to be implemented. You are better than many ministers who have been in the court for decades."

"If I hadn't come to see you, I wouldn't have made any difference whether you worship me or not. I originally wanted to help you rise to prominence, but now it seems that I, your teacher, am the one who needs to benefit from your influence."

Yu Shiqing smiled bitterly.

Although he has toned down his writing now, he has, after all, held a high position for many years, and many of his writings are unparalleled by ordinary people. However, this is something that Yu Shiqing, who is over forty years old, possesses. When Yu Shiqing was seventeen, he was also quite talented in writing, but he could never reach this level of "insightful and penetrating" writing, and he often engaged in empty "grand talk".

He felt truly ashamed to accept such praise. "It's undeserved."

"Teacher, you flatter me," Yu Shiqing said. "Teacher's knowledge is far beyond what I can achieve. Recently, I have only gained some improvement because my travels, my own thoughts, and my past learning have become quite integrated with my own."

Qiu Jingsong laughed: "Have you ever heard the saying, 'A humble mind is the foundation of extraordinary pride'? Hahahaha!"

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Come, look here. If this were written on a memorial to the throne, it would be excellent, but in an examination, it's a bit too 'practical' and lacks the beauty of language..."

Seeing this, Yu Shiqing listened attentively.

Learning is an ongoing process. He is not proud of his past life's knowledge, but only wishes to live this life better.

As noon approached, Huai Liu Ju had set out lunch in advance, with half a student per meal. Yu Shiqing naturally stayed to eat as well.

Qiu Jingsong also disliked being waited on, so apart from the master and apprentice, there were no other people at the dinner table.

Qiu Jingsong disregarded the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping. During their casual conversation, under Yu Shiqing's subtle guidance, the topic naturally veered towards the path of officialdom.

Now that we've gotten to this point, Qiu Jingsong's seven-year career as a Beijing official is inevitably brought up.

"Teacher, you've been in the Hanlin Academy for seven years. Have you never thought about being sent out to a different region?" Yu Shiqing asked.

Qiu Jingsong didn't notice anything amiss in the question. Taking a sip of his drink, he replied, "I've thought about it, but firstly, there hasn't been a suitable opportunity, and secondly... although I value 'practical learning,' I'm not exactly cut out for practical work. I'm fine as a teacher, but I lack the confidence to be a local official. I'd rather focus on educating and nurturing students..."

“Speaking of teaching,” Yu Shiqing said with an unwavering expression and a smile, “Teacher just mentioned that you are a lecturer. I’ve heard that in addition to explaining the classics to His Majesty, the best lecturers can also teach and enlighten princes. Did you have that back in your day?”

Qiu Jingsong paused, his expression slightly somber: "There are also..."

"Eleven years before the Tianxi era..." Yu Shiqing pretended to recall, "At that time, there were only three princes, right? The three who died in the chaos caused by the empress in the tenth year of the Tianxi era..."

As he spoke, Yu Shiqing kept an eye on his teacher's expression and noticed a subtle change.

He immediately asked, "Teacher, have you ever met these three princes? And what are the inside stories behind the chaos caused by the Empress Dowager in the tenth year of Tianxi?"

Yu Shiqing asked in a low and mysterious voice.

Qiu Jingsong paused for a moment, then glanced at his student.

Upon seeing this, Yu Shiqing immediately pretended to cover his mouth: "Student is talking nonsense. If the teacher cannot answer, then it is as if the student did not ask!"

Qiu Jingsong frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed his brow.

He was a seventeen-year-old boy who had never left the South or been to the capital. Although he had met Prince Yong and the Sixth Prince, their relationship was not close. He was very discreet and only showed curiosity about the past.

"It's not a matter of what can or cannot be said," Qiu Jingsong put down his wine cup, his eyelids half-closed, and sighed softly, "It's just that many things, once you know them, will only bring trouble upon yourself and bring no benefit, so why bother to seek out and know them?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Shiqing's expression turned solemn: "This student has no intention of doing so, but is merely curious. However, although the Empress Dowager and her rebellious faction occasionally show traces of themselves, they are ultimately like rats crossing the street. What harm could there be in discussing these old matters?"

Qiu Jingsong gave a wry smile and shook his head, saying, "The Empress Dowager's rebels are indeed not that powerful. The Liang clan was wiped out, and even if some of the remaining forces have strength, how can they contend with the imperial court? But the key is not them, but the so-called treasure and the so-called people who have connections to heaven."

"Danzhi, I know you are a smart person, which is why I have explained it to you so clearly. In the future, whether you are doing academic research or entering the court, you must avoid talking about the chaos caused by the empress, or about that empress, the concubine, and the three princes."

A treasure and a powerful figure?

Yu Shiqing vaguely understood something, which coincided with some of his previous guesses.

The Empress Dowager's faction has limited power; they wouldn't be able to sit at home and be struck by disaster from the sky. So who has such power to do that?

The answer to this question is self-evident in today's world.

“I have no intention of causing trouble,” Yu Shiqing said. “This matter cannot be discussed further. What about those insignificant little stories? To be honest, teacher, when I am acquainted with Xuan Shu, aside from poetry and songs, I always want to talk about other things. But a prince and a commoner from the countryside, we have little to talk about. The Yong Prince’s villa is also next to your Huai Liu Residence. Xuan Shu often visits you. When the results of the provincial examination were announced, he even left your address for me to come and find. I thought you must have something to talk about with him…”

Upon hearing this, Qiu Jingsong's brows relaxed even more, and he laughed and scolded, "So you've come here to learn from me!"

Yu Shiqing blushed.

Qiu Jingsong cleared his throat.

Yu Shiqing understood and immediately raised his hand to pour wine for his teacher.

Qiu Jingsong picked up his wine cup, took a slow sip, and, slightly tipsy, said, "When the Sixth Prince came to see me, he mostly talked about scholarship and rarely asked about the past. He didn't even mention what you were curious about."

"However, as for short stories, I do have a few..."

Qiu Jingsong gazed at the wine, a look of reminiscence on his face.

"To put it bluntly, that was probably the first student I ever taught..."

Author's Note:

Late but here it is!