Hearing that this top-ranking nobleman greatly admired him, Teppei Ito was naturally very pleased. As a commoner artist, he rarely had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of such a person. So he immediately went to the Makuranshain with Takano Takayuki to pay his respects to Fujiwara Tomohito.
When Teppei Ito entered the Mulan Academy, he was taken aback. In Shanghai, a modern metropolis where land is incredibly valuable, there was such a grand building.
Along the way, the continuous pavilions and towers, all with blue tiles and white walls, and the dragon and fish-bodied guardian beasts on the roof ridges, are all in the Japanese style.
The pavilions are surrounded by flowers and shaded paths. The entire building is elegant and simple, yet it also has a magnificent atmosphere.
All of this left Itō Teppei speechless with astonishment. Even within Japan, few noble families could afford to build such a large-scale landmark building, demonstrating Fujiwara no Tomohito's prominent position and profound cultural heritage in Shanghai.
After walking for quite some time, they finally arrived at Fujiwara no Tomohito's private courtyard. After reporting their arrival, they waited there for Fujiwara no Tomohito's summons.
Teppei Ito couldn't help but whisper to Takano Takayuki, "How did Mr. Fujiwara know my name? And why did he specifically ask you to introduce me? I'm really a little nervous!"
Seeing Ito Teppei's uneasy expression, Takano Takayuki smiled and comforted him, "Ito-kun, don't be too nervous. Fujiwara-kun has always been kind and approachable. Don't let his noble status fool you; he loves literature and art just like us, especially calligraphy, in which he is extremely accomplished. No one in the Mokuran Academy can compare to him; he is definitely a master of our time. This time, he took the initiative to ask to see you. It's a rare opportunity, so you must seize it!"
Teppei Ito nodded and said, "Thank you for your introduction. I have also heard about Mr. Fujiwara from my teacher. It would be wonderful to be able to get to know him."
Just as the two were talking in hushed tones, Kimura Maki walked into the living room, gestured for them to enter, and said with a smile, "Takano-kun, the chairman invites you both to the study for a talk. Please follow me!"
Takano Takayuki and Ito Teppei nodded slightly, and followed Kimura Maki through the hall to the study. They opened the door and invited them in.
"The president will be there shortly, please wait a moment!"
"Thank you for your help, Kimura-kun!"
Kimura Maki left, and a short while later, Ning Zhiheng, dressed in a kimono, pushed open the door and entered. Ito Teppei and Takano Takayuki quickly got up to greet him.
Ning Zhiheng, beaming, quickly walked a few steps into the room and stood before the two men, laughing heartily, "Takano-kun, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. This must be Ito-kun? It's been a long time since I've heard so much about you!"
"Fujiwara-kun!"
"Mr. Fujiwara!"
The two quickly returned the greeting. After exchanging pleasantries, they took their seats. Ning Zhiheng spoke first, saying, "Mr. Ito, you are both Mr. Kanda's prized students and the most outstanding sculptors in our country, whom I have always admired. Please be sure to get to know me well during your visit to Shanghai and don't stand on ceremony!"
Ito Teppei quickly bowed and replied respectfully, "I am truly ashamed that my humble name has been honored by your favor!"
"Ito-kun, you're being too formal!" Ning Zhiheng waved his hand, his smile becoming even more friendly. "Speaking of which, Ito-kun and I are family, just one of us being the legitimate heir or a concubine's son. Let's not be so formal. We'll be spending a lot of time together in the future, so just call me Zhiren!"
The family Ning Zhiheng mentioned wasn't entirely without basis; the Ito surname originated from a branch that separated from the Fujiwara family.
The Fujiwara family was a prominent clan for a thousand years, during which many branches broke away. One of these branches moved to Ise Province and adopted the name Ito, meaning "Ise" and "Fujiwara". However, as time went by, the Ito clan gradually declined and eventually became just another ordinary family, no longer considered part of the nobility, and had little connection with the Fujiwara family.
Ning Zhiheng brought this up specifically to try and bridge the gap between himself and Ito Teppei.
Upon hearing this, Ito Teppei understood the implication. He knew that Fujiwara Tomohito was lowering himself to deliberately express his closeness, and his heart warmed. He quickly nodded and agreed, "Thank you for your kindness, Fujiwara-kun. I look forward to your continued support!"
He certainly wouldn't be so arrogant as to actually call Fujiwara Tomohito by his full name. The title "Tomohito" was reserved for elders and very close friends. So, like Takano Takayuki, he addressed him as "Fujiwara-kun."
Ning Zhiheng laughed heartily. He could tell that Ito Teppei was extremely respectful to him and his words and actions were very measured, which pleased him greatly.
Throughout Chinese history, there have been many talented scholars and literati who were arrogant and unruly, disregarding the powerful and wealthy. However, such a thing would never happen in Japan. This is also related to the extremely strict class system in Japanese society. Commoners like Ito Teppei were aware of the difference in status from a young age, and even if they had achieved something, they still dared not overstep their bounds in the slightest.
The three sat facing each other and talked intimately. Ning Zhiheng inquired about Ito Teppei's recent situation and the domestic situation in Japan. Ito Teppei answered in detail. After talking for a while, Ning Zhiheng said to Takano Takayuki, who was sitting next to him, "Takano-kun, didn't you say some time ago that you wanted to find some good stones? I just happened to get a few pieces of excellent Hetian jade these days. You can go and choose some."
Upon hearing this, Takano Takayuki immediately understood that this was a private conversation with Ito Teppei. He wasn't surprised at all; Fujiwara Tomohito's request to introduce him to Ito Teppei was already somewhat abrupt, and now it seemed that he indeed had something to discuss with Ito Teppei. He quickly nodded in agreement, saying, "Thank you so much. I was just worried about the materials. Since Fujiwara-kun is so kind, I won't stand on ceremony!"
After saying that, he got up to take his leave and went out. Led by Kimura Maki, he went to select materials, leaving only Ning Zhiheng and Ito Teppei in the room.
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