Chapter Thirteen: From Whom Did Young Master Chen Study?

It was evident that Chen Xiaofu’s first two sentences startled the old man. They also drew the attention of the twelve whispering young scholars standing behind him, who now fixed their gaze on Chen Xiaofu’s back.

The old man halted, turned around, and faced Chen Xiaofu. His slightly dimmed old eyes looked upon Chen Xiaofu’s fair and refined face. Furrowing his brows, he stroked his long beard and recited again:

“To sleep until the second or third watch, all worldly honors become illusions; to think a hundred years hence, both young and old will be but ancients...”

“May I ask, young sir, how old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“Seventeen... Chen’s words carry deep artistic conception and philosophy. I have never heard such before. From where do they come?”

Chen Xiaofu scratched his nose and gave an embarrassed smile: “It was a sudden inspiration. Please forgive my impertinence.”

A sudden inspiration? That means he had just come up with those words when asked what he sought. This boy’s literary foundation was profoundly solid, and his wit remarkably quick! But why choose to be a salted fish then?

The old man’s expression grew serious:

“Though your words harbor poetic depth and philosophy, their meaning urges one to abandon attachments, saying all attachments are illusions.”

“To discern attachments at your age is wisdom, yet to me, it also signals decadence!”

“You said, ‘What I seek is self-reflection, self-action, and self-awareness; no hindrance today, no worry tomorrow.’”

“As for that pursuit, I cannot yet agree.”

“To me, in a lifetime, one pursues many things, but ultimately cannot escape the four words: fame, fortune, profit, and rank.”

“Of course, there are those learned and noble in character, like drifting clouds or wild cranes, but they are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns... Hence, I often ponder whether seeking or not seeking truly matters—that is the contradiction I have yet to resolve.”

“If I were young, I would surely debate your pursuit, but now... I still believe youth should have youthful recklessness; as for ‘no hindrance today, no worry tomorrow,’ that perhaps suits someone of my age better.”

“As for being a salted fish... I understand it as a cured fish, which is a dead fish.”

“In the prime of life, yet motionless like a dead fish—isn’t that a waste of such splendid youth?”

“What say you, young Chen?”

Chen Xiaofu pondered for a moment and nodded:

“Your words are reasonable!”

It was his true feeling. Having come to this world for over two months, without worry for livelihood or future, he indeed had become somewhat of a salted fish. Completely unlike the self who never ceased striving in the past life.

Perhaps he was tired then; now he quite liked living as a salted fish for life.

Regardless, the old man’s intentions were kind, and kindness deserved acknowledgment.

Whether to change or not, he and this old man were mere passing acquaintances; once within the academy’s gates, their paths would diverge, never to meet again.

Change or not was no concern of his.

Chen Xiaofu bowed:

“Thank you for your enlightenment, which has illuminated my heart!”

“Flowers do not bloom twice, and youth does not return... indeed, it must be cherished!”

The old man’s eyes brightened instantly, clapping his hands:

“What a fine saying: ‘Flowers do not bloom twice, and youth does not return!’”

“For Chen to so swiftly leap from the negativity of ‘all honors become illusions’ to the positivity of ‘flowers do not bloom twice, youth does not return’—this alone sets you apart!”

“I admire you!”

“May I ask, who is your teacher?”

Chen Xiaofu was momentarily stunned. He could hardly say he was self-taught.

A name flashed through his mind—

“My master is Old Scholar Jiang of the Lin’an Academy.”

The old man’s eyes widened, his face breaking into a joyful smile:

“Jiang Yuzheng, the Old Scholar Jiang?”

“Indeed... do you know him?”

“Hahaha!”

The old man laughed heartily, patting Chen Xiaofu’s shoulder:

“No wonder you have such talent; it turns out you’re the disciple of that old fellow Jiang Yuzheng!”

“Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!”

“Jiang Yuzheng and I were classmates for three years at the Wenchang Academy in Jiqing when we were young—indeed, close friends!”

“I came to Lin’an Academy today hoping to see that old friend, but unexpectedly met his disciple here... How is Jiang Yuzheng’s health?”

Chen Xiaofu was dumbfounded!

That Old Scholar Jiang had indeed taught his previous life for three years starting when he was nine.

Alas, the renowned Old Scholar Jiang spent three years teaching his previous self only thirty characters!

That was likely the most shameful chapter in Jiang’s life.

Likewise, Chen Xiaofu was probably the disciple Jiang least wished to acknowledge.

He never expected this old man from Qi State to be Jiang’s youthful classmate... Such coincidence was the stuff of stories.

“Um... the master’s health is still rather robust.”

He hadn’t heard of Jiang’s passing; as he was still teaching here, describing his health as ‘rather robust’ seemed appropriate.

“That’s good, that’s good!”

“Old friends have fallen ill or passed away; gradually, one stops seeking news of them, out of fear!”

“Not knowing leaves hope; knowing means the inevitable end.”

“Thus, when I said I could not agree with your pursuit, I said ‘cannot agree’ temporarily—because of the contradictions in my current state of mind.”

“To seek ‘no hindrance today, no worry tomorrow’ at your age is unnecessary; at mine, it is a luxury.”

“Sigh...”

The old man waved his hand:

“Enough of this.”

“Come, let us enter. You and I will go meet your master together!”

Chen Xiaofu found no excuse to refuse.

He thought to himself he would find a chance to slip away once inside.

Meeting Old Scholar Jiang was no cause for fear; he worried only that appearing before Jiang and claiming disciple status might exasperate the old man to death!

After all, Jiang had once told his grandmother not to mention his tenure as a teacher in Ji’an to outsiders.

That revealed his deep disappointment.

The group proceeded towards the academy.

Inside the academy,

Today, Lin’an Academy was somewhat different from usual.

Thousands of scholars were not in their classrooms but gathered in groups of three or five on the vast courtyard outside the academy buildings.

They whispered among themselves and eagerly gazed towards the bookish path leading to the plaza.

Yesterday, the academy’s director had announced that Xu Zizhou, the great Confucian scholar from Qi State, would arrive today with his twelve disciples!

This was a momentous event!

Xu, the great Confucian scholar, and his disciples were here to participate in the Book Mountain Literary Gathering to be held next autumn in the imperial capital.

He had arrived over a year early to stay briefly at Lin’an Academy.

Though it was termed a brief stay, the director’s expression was grave.

He said the visitors bore ill intent!

All were scholars, and encounter was bound to spark a contest of talents.

This was no different from a warrior issuing a challenge.

The Lin’an Education Commissioner took this very seriously.

If the Education Commissioner treated it as a grave threat, the academy director dared not take it lightly.

In the Commissioner’s eyes, this seemingly trivial matter concerned the dignity of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

For the academy director, it concerned the centuries-old honor of Lin’an Academy!

Hence, today the Commissioner himself had come.

The director also selected twelve outstanding disciples from thousands of scholars days ago.

These twelve stood by the director’s side now.

Among them were three hailed as the three great talents of Lin’an.

Their learning was exceptional.

At last year’s Spring Literary Gathering held across Jiangnan Circuit, these three defeated the scholars of Guangling and Pingjiang Academies, taking the top three places!

The champion was the director’s pride, Li Sanqiu.

Li Sanqiu now gazed forward, wearing a slightly stiff smile, feeling both anticipation and nervousness—

Anticipating defeating the geniuses from Qi State to prove himself the true prodigy!

Nervous about the shadow of their fame; Xu Zizhou was the most renowned of Qi’s four great scholars!

His twelve disciples, personally selected and trained, representing Qi’s literary world at the Book Mountain Gathering... they were no rabble!

Li Sanqiu unconsciously clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and his gaze grew resolute.

Suddenly, a voice came to his ear—it was the Education Commissioner’s:

“Where is Old Scholar Jiang?”