A few days later.
It was only dawn when Qingchen woke up; the sky was just beginning to lighten.
She put on a coat, walked to the door, and opened it a crack. The cold autumn wind immediately blew in, making her shiver.
Fortunately, the wind wasn't too strong and the roads were dry, which put her at ease. It wasn't raining or snowing; it was perfect weather for going out. She figured her trip to Tongzhou with her teacher would go smoothly.
Today is Qingchen's day off. Before this, she wrote to her second uncle to ask for a day's leave, and also said that since she was not teaching consecutively, she could not accept this month's salary. She has not yet received her second uncle's reply.
Her father was still asleep. After washing up, Qingchen went to start a fire and cook. She was going to be away from home for the day, so she needed to prepare her father's meals in advance. Last night, she had already prepared some cornbread, some for herself to take on the road and some for her father. But her father was getting old and couldn't just eat dry cornbread. She needed to cook some porridge for him and ask Mingxiang to help look after him.
While the porridge was cooking on the stove, Shen Qingchen also began packing her bags.
Winter was approaching, and the nights in the capital were especially chilly after the sun had set. Following her teacher's instructions, she packed some warm clothes. Her teacher also mentioned that she might have to stay overnight, but she wasn't sure if it would be convenient for a woman like her to cleanse herself. Qingchen hesitated for a moment, then wrapped some clean undergarments in a cloth.
Later, she stuffed two more books, writing brushes, ink, and cornbread into the bundle before tying it up. She then hid all the sharp tools, tinderboxes, and other potentially dangerous items in the house.
The porridge was ready, and Qingchen extinguished the fire on the stove. She quickly ate some porridge with cornbread to fill her stomach. Just then, her father woke up, so she served him a meal as well.
A moment later, Mingxiang knocked on the door from outside, "Brother Qingchen, are you awake?"
"She's awake." Qingchen picked up his bundle and went to open the door for her.
In the courtyard, it was already dawn. The morning light of late autumn was shallow, and the roosters nearby were crowing in bursts.
Since it was inappropriate for a man and a woman to be together, Qingchen didn't feel comfortable inviting her into the house, so the two of them sat in the courtyard.
"Brother Qingchen." Mingxiang, dressed in a thick shirt and skirt, handed over a sesame seed cake she had made herself. "This is for you to eat on your journey."
"No need, I've already prepared some cornbread, you can keep it for yourself." Looking at the still steaming flatbread, Qingchen's heart stirred slightly, "I'm already very grateful that you have to take care of my father today."
Mingxiang smiled slightly, her smile as beautiful as an apricot blossom amidst the frost. "Brother Qingchen, there's no need to be so polite with me. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. We're neighbors, so we should look after each other... I made these sesame cakes early this morning, so they probably can't compare to Brother Qingchen's skills. Does Brother Qingchen think mine aren't good enough...?"
Qingchen immediately shook her head. How could she possibly dislike it? It's just that she didn't know how to repay this care and thoughtfulness in the future.
"Then take it with you." Mingxiang smiled and stuffed the sesame seed cake into Qingchen's bundle, tying it into a pretty knot.
Just then, a carriage drove up from the alleyway. Perhaps afraid of disturbing the people who were still sleeping, the carriage moved slowly, and even the sound of the horses' hooves was very soft.
Through the thin ray of dawn, Qingchen couldn't see clearly, so she stood up to take a look. Only when the carriage stopped in front of her courtyard gate did she realize that it was indeed Teacher Song's.
"Mingxiang, my teacher is here to pick me up, I have to go." She slung her bag over her shoulder and said with a hint of guilt to the kind girl beside her, "Thank you for your trouble, Father..."
Mingxiang glanced at the carriage, then at Qingchen, her eyes dark yet bright. "Brother Qingchen, go quickly. Don't keep your teacher waiting. I'll keep an eye on things, don't worry."
"Okay. You should go home too, it's cold outside."
Qingchen left the courtyard and glanced back as she reached the carriage. She saw Mingxiang still sitting in the courtyard, her chin resting on her hands. Upon seeing her turn around, Mingxiang immediately waved and smiled broadly at her.
When the coachman saw her approaching, he got out of the carriage to greet her and lifted the curtain for her. "Young master, please get in the carriage. Lord Song is waiting for you inside."
Actually, he felt somewhat guilty towards this young master. That day at the Song residence, when Lord Zhou Shiping inquired about Lord Song's whereabouts, he didn't suspect anything. However, after telling him, Lord Zhou's expression clearly changed, and it wasn't a pleasant look. Before leaving today, Lord Song instructed him not to mention his companions to others, which further convinced him that he had done something wrong.
It's a wonder Lord Song treated him so well; how could he be so stupid, letting someone trick him into revealing everything so easily? He should be like that horse, putting a bit on himself too.
"Thank you," Qingchen said, then got into the car with her bag.
Peeking through the curtain, I saw Song Yue sitting inside. He was wearing a sky-blue silk robe, which looked elegant and refined in the early golden light of the sunrise. His profile was deep and handsome, as if carved by a knife and axe.
Seeing her arrive, Song Yue made room for her, saying, "Come on up."
Qingchen agreed, and sat down next to the teacher with her small bundle in her arms. There was almost no distance between them.
The carriage drove away from the alley and headed towards Tongzhou, leaving only the clatter of hooves and a blurry silhouette gradually disappearing into the distance for Mingxiang, who was still gazing into the distance.
Song Yue glanced at Qingchen's bundle, noticing the shape of books and writing implements visible through it. It seemed Qingchen didn't want to waste a single moment. Song Yue wondered if he had brought enough warm clothes and asked, "Have you brought enough clothes?"
Qingchen nodded. "That's enough."
"Have you had breakfast?" he asked again.
"I've already eaten. I got up early today, and I had breakfast with my father."
"Um."
Song Yue had actually guessed it. She was a diligent person; taking care of her father meant she would inevitably get up early to cook and fill her stomach. Although she appeared delicate, she was a positive and proactive person who managed her life very well. She must have been a very sensible and worry-free child since childhood.
The carriage traveled onward, gradually moving away from the bustling inner city.
Two rows of tall ginkgo trees lined both sides of the road, their gray-brown branches already showing signs of winter. Large swaths of golden leaves were blown down, fluttering and dancing in the air. Birds occasionally flitted up and down among the trees, emitting melodious chirps.
Song Yue and Qing Chen each looked out the window through the curtain.
Qingchen felt a faint joy in his heart, though he couldn't quite explain why. Perhaps it was because they were on the road, traveling together. He hadn't felt this way in a very long time.
Perhaps moved by the beautiful scenery, the driver in front of the carriage began to sing a local folk song in a straightforward manner. His melodious and simple voice fell into the morning light and the mountains and forests.
Song Yue turned to Qing Chen and said, "His hometown is in Tongzhou. When we have our gathering, he can go home to visit, so he's quite excited."
Qingchen smiled understandingly, "No wonder he started singing a folk song; it turns out he's eager to go home."
"Hmm." Song Yue looked at her full head of black hair illuminated by the sunset and said lightly, "Is it because it's your first time at the gathering? You're a little nervous. I noticed you haven't been saying much today."
Qingchen lowered her head slightly. She was indeed a little nervous, and also excited about the new knowledge and new friends she was about to encounter. But more than anything, she felt a little joy at being alone with her teacher after a short separation, a sense of peace and happiness that she couldn't quite describe.
"Don't be nervous," Song Yue comforted her. "Most of them are like you—young, quick-witted, and willing to accept newcomers. They're easy to get along with. The disciples of the School of Mind don't gather for personal gain, but rather because they share common views and ideals on governing the world. So the gathering is simply a discussion of knowledge. Everyone gets together to learn from and encourage each other, and to share their experiences and feelings. If you have any insights or questions, you can speak freely."
Hearing her teacher's words, Shen Qingchen nodded with relief. Then, as if remembering something, she took out a booklet from her bundle—Wang Yangming's *Instructions for Practical Living*. To ensure she wouldn't be unable to understand during the assembly, she had been diligently studying and comprehending its contents these past few days.
Qingchen opened the book, turned to the marked page, pointed to a sentence, and asked, "Teacher, this sentence, 'In later generations, the study of conscience is not understood, and people in the world use their private wisdom to compete and fight...', does it mean that because there are people in the world who lack conscience, they all use power and schemes, compete and fight, and persecute each other...?"
Song Yue moved closer, lowered his head to look at her notes, and then said, "That's right. All the struggles in this world, in the final analysis, are nothing more than psychological battles. Just like how those in power print all kinds of books to consolidate their power and spread all kinds of ideas that are conducive to their rule, so that people can learn them from birth. These ideas seep into people's hearts little by little as they grow up, but they may not be suitable for everyone, nor are they all correct."
Qingchen thought for a moment and added, "So the philosophy of mind advocates 'unity of knowledge and action,' which means starting from the heart, learning and practicing at the same time, while correcting what has been learned. Zhu Xi's philosophy advocates 'knowing before acting,' which means learning from books before acting, but these books have been selected by those in power... This is the difference between the two schools of thought."
Qingchen got so excited that her thigh moved and accidentally touched Song Yue's leg. She immediately pulled her leg back a little and lowered her head.
Song Yue's gaze was gentle and lingering as he looked at the student whose expression had suddenly changed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
He took the book from her hands, closed it, and stuffed it into her bundle, saying, "I'm tired. I don't want to teach you today."
Qingchen was stunned for a moment, somewhat unable to believe his ears. Was his teacher being so... willful today?
Then she heard a gentle voice beside her ear, "You don't need to study anymore, take a break."
Qingchen looked up at him and saw that his features were still refined and noble, but his eyes held a hint of stubbornness and gentleness. She wasn't sure if she was seeing things. "Okay, teacher. I won't look anymore."
He hummed in agreement, peeked out from behind the curtain, then turned back and said, "It'll be a while before we arrive. If you're tired, take a nap." Sunlight fell on his face, turning his eyelashes golden, his face flawless.
Qingchen shook her head, unwilling to sleep at all. "Teacher, I'm not tired. I... I'll just sit."
The carriage continued its journey, and along the way, more and more fields and farmhouses came into view, with chickens and ducks occasionally crossing the road, and the last crop of corn of the autumn drying on the ground.
The carriage swayed back and forth, and Qingchen's arm occasionally brushed against Song Yue's, allowing her to vaguely feel the strong muscles in his upper arm. The quiet atmosphere made her feel a little awkward.
Just as she was hesitating whether to sit further away from him, she saw Song Yue turn his head, look at her for a moment, and then gently turn her head and take a ginkgo leaf that had blown in through the window from her hair.
His movements were very light, and a pleasant scent of soap wafted from his sleeve, causing Qingchen's heart to race.
He handed the leaf to her and said softly, "There's a beautiful leaf in your hair."
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