Chapter 9 Older Man/Younger Woman
Sure enough, after the meal, Old Master Zhang sent someone to invite Xie Yunyu and Old Master Xie to come over together.
The two then went to Songhe Hall.
There was a person standing in the courtyard of Songhetang. Looking from the entrance, one could see that his figure was upright and dignified, like a pine or cypress.
Old Zhang was still sitting in his wheelchair. When he saw the two of them coming, he looked up from the chessboard on the stone table in front of him, and smiled as he saw Old Master Xie:
"Come, come, let's see how this game of chess goes?"
The tall, upright figure that had been facing away from the two people turned around.
Sure enough, the young man was handsome, with a fair face, red lips and white teeth, and his scholarly air was comparable to Xie Yunyu's.
Old Master Xie looked at the young man and sized him up before saying:
"This must be the kid you mentioned yesterday named Heng'er."
Upon seeing Master Xie, Zhang Zhiheng immediately bowed and said:
"Junior Zhang Zhiheng greets the Grand Tutor."
Grandpa Xie waved his hand and said, "Alas, I've retired, so I can't call you Grand Tutor anymore. Just call me Grandpa or Grandfather Xie."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhiheng smiled faintly and said, "Greetings, Grandfather Xie."
"Hmm, not bad, no need for formalities."
Then he turned to look at the arrogant old man Zhang and said:
"You old rascal, you have such a good grandson, and you never even mention him. Keeping him hidden away like that isn't fair."
Old Zhang laughed when he heard this: "Heng'er is definitely a little inferior to your Yunman."
But over the years, I have not seen anyone stronger than him.
Since you say your granddaughter is on par with Yunman, then let her compete against Heng'er on Yunman's behalf.
Zhang Zhiheng had heard his grandfather talk about how extraordinary Xie Yunman of the Xie family was since he was a child.
He had always been unconvinced and had long harbored the desire to compete.
Until last year, Xie Yuntang, the eldest son of the Xie family, took part in the competition and achieved a sixteenth place in the second division.
He was admitted to the Hanlin Academy because of his excellent handwriting, which earned him the emperor's favor.
Zhang Zhiheng immediately felt contempt.
Upon further questioning, Xie Yunman revealed that he didn't participate in the competition because he was afraid that achieving the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations at the age of fifteen was too early.
They also said he was physically weak, saying that a tree that stands out in the forest will surely be felled by the wind.
Zhang Zhiheng was stunned.
Are there people who are afraid of becoming famous too early?
Now there's Xie Yunyu, a young lady. My grandfather says she's on par with Xie Yunman and wants me to have a match with her.
Zhang Zhiheng was even more unconvinced.
Upon seeing Xie Yunyu's face, he was stunned.
The aura emanating from this young lady is so familiar; she's just as good as my fellow students at the academy.
He couldn't help but put away some of his contempt.
Looking at Xie Yunyu's eyes and brows, her starry eyes seemed to hold the vastness of the universe, her face was like a full moon, her nose was delicate and her teeth were white, and her lips were as red as cinnabar.
She stood tall and proud, exuding the air of a woman from a distinguished family.
Zhang Zhiheng thought to himself: What a handsome face and what a great demeanor!
While Zhang Zhiheng was sizing up Xie Yunyu, she also sized up Zhang Zhiheng.
He commented: "A gentleman of modesty and gentleness, as warm and refined as jade."
It's unexpected that such a gentle and refined gentleman exists outside the capital; he's quite pleasing to the eye.
The puppy looks quite good, not bad at all!
Zhang Zhiheng bowed first and said, "I am Zhang Zhiheng, and I greet Madam Xie."
Upon hearing this, Xie Yunyu also curtsied in return:
"Xie Yunyu greets Zhang Erlangjun."
“I have already undergone the coming-of-age ceremony, and my courtesy name is Shenzhi. You may call me Shenzhi.”
Xie Yunyu smiled politely and said, "I am the third child in my family, so you can call me Third Sister Xie."
Zhang Zhiheng pointed to the chessboard on the table and said, "I heard from the Grand Tutor that Third Miss is quite skilled in chess. This game is not finished yet, why don't we play it?"
Xie Yunyu looked at the chessboard and thought of her grandfather's instructions before she came:
This kid has always been unconvinced by your second brother. This time, you should spar with him on his behalf and let him broaden his horizons.
Whether I look down on him or not is another matter; let's go and show him what's what.
So he said, "In that case, please, Second Young Master."
After they finished speaking, the two sat down and began to play chess.
The original black and white pieces on the chessboard had only been placed a few times and had not yet formed a significant position.
Zhang Zhiheng played white, and Xie Yunyu played black.
The two players went back and forth, and the situation on the chessboard suddenly became tense.
The two old men inside the room were initially flipping through books, occasionally turning their heads to look over.
As he looked at them, Old Zhang remarked, "Tsk tsk. You know what, these two actually look quite well-matched."
When Grandpa Xie heard this, he looked over. A man and a woman were sitting on either side of the stone table in the courtyard, their expressions focused as they stared at the chessboard.
A gentle breeze blew by, causing the light gauze ribbons to sway slightly, and yellow leaves slowly fell, landing in the late autumn air and on the two people's clothes.
The visuals are beautiful, tender, and pleasing to the eye.
Grandpa Xie glanced at it twice but made no comment.
He had promised Xie Yunyu that he wouldn't interfere with her marriage, and even if the two seemed very harmonious, he wouldn't care.
He glanced sideways at Old Master Zhang and said, "Are you still going to do the research or not? Aren't you afraid of dying again?"
Mr. Zhang suffers from a severe leg ailment, which is what is now known as rheumatoid arthritis.
Years of illness have made it impossible for me to travel.
Two months ago, he suffered another stroke, his mouth and eyes were crooked for half a day, and he was barely saved.
As soon as her condition improved, she wrote to Grandpa Xie, saying that her time was coming to an end and she wanted to see him one last time.
Actually, he wanted Old Master Xie to take Zhang Zhiheng as his disciple and grand-disciple, so that he could make arrangements for the future of the Zhang family.
As expected, Grandpa Xie arrived, and the two of them were discussing how to treat the wind disease.
"Fear, fear, fear! Let's continue our research."
Xie Yunyu and Zhang Zhiheng finished their game in a draw.
They agreed to play another game the next day.
In the afternoon, after her lunch break, Xie Yunyu leisurely read storybooks in her courtyard.
Gu Yu sat beside her, helping her with her needlework. She threaded a new end of thread through the needle, glanced up at her mistress, and asked:
"Miss, how did you feel about meeting the second young master of the Zhang family today?"
Xie Yunyu looked at the book in her hand, and said without looking up:
"He's handsome and refined, quite good-looking."
Gu Yu stopped what she was doing, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Xie Yunyu and asked:
"Besides being good-looking, what are your skills?"
"Your chess skills are also quite good; you drew with me."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yu put down what she was doing, stood up, and went to Xie Yunyu's side, saying:
"Miss, you didn't deliberately give way, did you?"
Xie Yunyu shook her head.
"To be able to draw with Miss, then this Second Young Master Zhang's chess skills should not be underestimated."
Xie Yunyu turned a page of the book and said, "We played the game using the half-finished chess piece on the table."
"Oh, that's hard to say. Wait a couple of days and you'll see who's better. Play another game then."
After speaking, she returned to her position and continued her work as a seamstress.
After a while, Gu Yu asked again, "Miss, it seems to me that the Zhang family is trying to associate Zhang Erlangjun with my Xie family."
Xie Yunyu put down the book in her hand and looked at Gu Yu with a smile.
"Your little brain has become so sharp now?"
Gu Yu laughed upon hearing this: "Miss, I was thinking that the old master has already said that you should decide your own marriage."
But I still want you to meet that Zhang Erlangjun, and I also want you to represent our second young master to spar with him.
I think this isn't just a typical matchmaking between men and women; there's more to it than that.
Xie Yunyu laughed upon hearing this: "You're right, there's another meaning behind it."
"Old Master Zhang is getting old, and the highest official position his descendants can hold is only the prefect of Wu County, not even reaching the central government."
So he chose Zhang Zhiheng, a person who seemed very promising, and wanted my Xie family to mentor him.
Although my grandfather was no longer the Grand Tutor, he still had countless students.
Whether it's my grandfather taking him as an apprentice or usurping a marriage alliance, it will be beneficial and harmless to the Zhang family.
Gu Yu was displeased upon hearing this.
"So they're trying to cling to the Xie family, and we can't let them have their way."
Xie Yunyu looked at the sulking Gu Yu and laughed:
“Silly Guyu, this matter mainly depends on your grandfather.”
My grandfather and Mr. Zhang had quite a history, and it was this history that made my grandfather go to great lengths to come back from Beijing to see him.
Taking on a disciple or grand-disciple is a small matter for the grandfather.
If Zhang Zhiheng later becomes an official in the court, he can also be of help to my Xie family, so it won't be a loss."
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