Deputy Supervisor Wang seemed a little bit unbelievable. After all, no one had paid attention to the Imperial Observatory for so many years. He knew that this new number one scholar, Liu Cifu's disciple, who was hand-picked by the emperor, had a promising future. How could such a young talent be interested in the art of spirit writing? Although he was puzzled, Deputy Supervisor Wang hurriedly welcomed Yu Qizhe into the hall to talk.
The interior of the Imperial Observatory was extremely simple, with tables, chairs and benches all missing parts. However, Yu Qizhe did not care and sat down on a chair with mottled paint.
Vice Supervisor Wang was a little embarrassed by the simplicity of the hall, and bowed his waist and said, "Please sit for a while, I will go and make tea."
Yu Qizhe knew that there was only one old man left in the Imperial Observatory, Deputy Wang. Others who had connections found them, while those who didn't had spent money to transfer out of the Imperial Observatory, a place that was not well received. Deputy Wang didn't even have a senior official under him.
He called out to Deputy Supervisor Wang, "You don't have to work. Do you have a pen and paper?"
Deputy Supervisor Wang nodded quickly, "Yes, yes. I'll get it for you right away."
Deputy Supervisor Wang hunched over, took out writing brush, ink, paper and inkstone from a bookshelf covered with a thick layer of dust, and placed them on the desk.
Yu Qizhe raised his hand and rolled up his sleeves, while grinding ink, he said, "I heard that you entered the Imperial Observatory during the 40th year of Jingyuan. Now that it is in such a state, why are you still staying here?"
Deputy Supervisor Wang bent over and coughed, then smiled bitterly, "When you get old, you don't want to bother anymore. I don't have much talent, and if I go somewhere else, I'll just be a useless person."
Yu Qizhe smiled slightly, ground the ink, dipped the brush in it, and began to draw on the paper. He asked calmly, "Does the deputy supervisor still remember Li Jianzheng?"
Deputy Supervisor Wang was slightly startled, and his dim old eyes seemed to suddenly focus. He subconsciously looked at Yu Qizhe, and after a while he said, "Yu Shidu...what do you mean by this?"
Yu Qizhe wrote without stopping, and did not look at Deputy Supervisor Wang, and replied, "I heard that Li Jianzheng of the Imperial Observatory was extremely accurate in calculating the calendar and solar terms, and was also good at yin and yang fortune-telling. I am a little curious about this Li Jianzheng, but I have no other intentions. Deputy Supervisor Wang does not need to make a fuss."
Upon hearing this, Vice Supervisor Wang's face relaxed slightly, and he lowered his voice and said, "Since I know Li Jianzheng, I should know that the emperor dislikes the Imperial Observatory because of Li Jianzheng. The Imperial Observatory is now in name only, otherwise it would not be in such a dilapidated state. Li Jianzheng has been dead for many years. Even if you are curious about his affairs, it is better not to ask too much, so as to avoid the emperor being jealous of you."
Yu Qizhe paused with his pen, looked at Vice-President Wang, and said sincerely, "You don't know that I am often summoned by His Majesty to Fengtianzhai to listen to Taoism. With the guidance of kind people, I know a little about what happened to Li Jianzheng in those years. The mind of the emperor is unpredictable. I was born in a poor family and had no one to help me in the previous dynasty. I have to be careful about everything. I came to you today because I am afraid that I will say something wrong in front of His Majesty in the future and cause His Majesty's anger. Vice-President Wang, please teach me a thing or two. I will be very grateful."
After hearing this, Vice Supervisor Wang sighed and said hesitantly, "There is nothing much to say about Li Si. As long as you don't mention this person in front of His Majesty, you won't get into trouble."
After Yu Qizhe finished the last stroke, he took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his hands. "I heard that you, the deputy supervisor, were quite close to Li Jianzheng in the past. The solar term calendar that is still in use today was revised by you and Li Jianzheng. You have stayed here for many years. Isn't it because you miss the old times?" He glanced at the bookshelf and pointed. "Most of the books on this shelf are covered in dust, but these few manuscripts are very neat. I think they must have been left by Li Jianzheng."
These words were indeed quite sharp, and Deputy Supervisor Wang's expression changed slightly.
Yu Qizhe smiled slightly and said in a gentle voice, "I just want to hear some old stories so that I won't make mistakes in the future. Deputy Wang Jian doesn't need to be so wary of me. The matter of Princess Huaiyang has been over for so long, no one will bring up those old accounts. I am a curious person, so just treat me as someone who comes to listen to storytelling."
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