Chapter 277: Taking on Disciples
Fu Tingyun stepped forward to greet them.
Yang Tong turned his face away as he returned her courtesy, while Daoist An squinted his eyes with a smile, examining Fu Tingyun up and down before his gaze settled on the children behind her.
Fu Tingyun quickly instructed the children to step forward and pay their respects to Daoist An and Yang Tong.
Daoist An remained silent with a smile, but Yang Tong took out gold ingots—clearly prepared in advance—to reward the children. Finally, he took Xu Ge'er from the wet nurse's arms and said to Zhao Ling with a laugh, "So this is your second son! He's grown so well."
Xu Ge'er, however, fixed his big, dark eyes on Daoist An.
Fu Tingyun couldn't help but wonder inwardly.
This Daoist An appeared to be around sixty years old—how had Yang Tong managed to coax him into coming to the capital with just a few words? A teacher should lead by example—was this Daoist An even qualified?
Noticing Xu Ge'er staring at him, Daoist An smiled and asked, "What are you looking at?" As he spoke, he walked up to Xu Ge'er.
Xu Ge'er immediately reached out to grab Daoist An's beard.
Fu Tingyun was mortified. She swiftly moved to stop Xu Ge'er while scolding him in a low voice, "Don't be rude to your elders!" But Xu Ge'er was always quicker than her—by the time she intervened, his hand was already in front of Daoist An.
Daoist An seemed surprised but tilted his head slightly, causing Xu Ge'er to miss.
Fu Tingyun let out a sigh of relief.
Setting aside propriety, she quickly took Xu Ge'er from Yang Tong's arms and repeatedly apologized to Daoist An, "The child doesn’t know any better—please don’t take it to heart."
Daoist An's eyes curved even more with amusement.
He gently patted Xu Ge'er's head but then pointed at Xi Ge'er and asked, "Is that your eldest son, Xi Ge'er?"
"Yes!" Fu Tingyun replied with a smile. Though she knew they had come for Xu Ge'er, she didn’t want them to underestimate Xi Ge'er. "Xu Ge'er is lively, while Xi Ge'er is quiet and always gentle in everything he does."
Hearing this, Daoist An smiled and asked, "Has he begun his studies yet?"
Fu Tingyun was taken aback.
Xi Ge'er was only five—most children didn’t start their education so early.
"No," she replied with a shake of her head. "It’s still early for him, though he occasionally learns a few characters with me in his free time."
Daoist An seemed surprised by her answer.
Zhao Ling, who had been standing silently nearby, quickly interjected, "Not yet!" Then, in a gentle tone, he explained to Fu Tingyun, "The Daoist was asking whether Xi Ge'er has trained in martial arts with anyone."
Only then did Fu Tingyun understand.
Boom, boom, boom!
The sound of fireworks erupted outside the window.
Vibrant bursts of color lit up the night sky.
Daoist An chuckled and said, "Zhao Ling, I’ve agreed—I’ll be the martial arts instructor for your two sons." Without waiting for Zhao Ling’s response, he turned and strode out, calling to Yang Tong as he went, "Didn’t you say there’s a Hui-style lamb hotpot place in a hutong on Chang’an Avenue? Let’s go eat lamb hotpot."
Yang Tong hastily agreed, shooting Zhao Ling an envious look before hurrying after Daoist An out of the private room.
Youyou and Xi Ge'er, seeing the guests leave, scrambled onto the Official's Hat chairs, while Xu Ge'er, still in Fu Tingyun’s arms, wriggled and called out to his siblings, "Fire! Fire!"
Fu Tingyun handed Xu Ge'er to Housekeeper Tong and quietly asked Zhao Ling, "What’s going on?"Zhao Ling smiled and said, "Daoist An has been detached from worldly affairs for many years. The best way to persuade him to take Xu Ge'er as his disciple would be to bring the child to Mount Jiugong for him to see. But firstly, I don't have the time, and secondly, Xu Ge'er is still too young to endure the hardships of such a long journey. So I had to ask Brother Yang for help in convincing the old master to visit the capital, giving him a chance to meet Xu Ge'er..." As he spoke, his face brightened with a smile, "Just last night I was wondering how to get Daoist An to teach Xi Ge'er a thing or two as well. Never did I expect he'd take a liking to both Xu Ge'er and Xi Ge'er." He looked thoroughly pleased.
Fu Tingyun, however, seemed somewhat uneasy. "From Daoist An's demeanor, it seemed he knew exactly what you were planning from the start..."
"Of course," Zhao Ling chuckled. "Daoist An has crossed more bridges than we've walked roads. How could our little schemes escape his notice? The reason Brother Yang succeeded in persuading him was precisely because Daoist An, despite his advanced age, still hasn't found a satisfactory successor. Hearing Brother Yang praise Xu Ge'er, the old master would have come no matter what. As for agreeing to be their martial arts instructor," he pondered, "formally entering Daoist An's school isn't that simple. He likely wants to first see if Xi Ge'er and Xu Ge'er can meet his standards, hence he only mentioned being their instructor rather than taking them as disciples."
Seeing Daoist An act with such methodical consideration actually put Fu Tingyun at ease. After some thought, she said, "Why don't you go accompany Daoist An? The children and I will stay here to watch the fireworks, and you can come back for us later."
Zhao Ling considered this and replied, "Then I'll go settle the bill at the hotpot restaurant and come right back."
Fu Tingyun nodded with a smile, straightening his collar as she softly said, "Go and return quickly. We'll be waiting here."
Zhao Ling smiled in acknowledgment, gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and hurried off to catch up with Daoist An and the others.
As Fu Tingyun watched the fireworks with the children, her mind wandered to where Daoist An would stay when he came to their home. In no more than two months, the tutor they'd hired for Youyou would arrive. If the tutor used the small study next to the south hall, then Daoist An should be accommodated in the back room. The back room faced the rear courtyard where there was an open space. This would require opening a back door to the back room.
No time to delay—she'd have Zheng San hire a mason to look at it as soon as they returned.
Having made up her mind, she joined the children in admiring the fireworks lighting up the night sky.
Before long, Zhao Ling returned.
"I had a few drinks with them before Daoist An shooed me away," he said with a laugh. "He probably thought it wasn't easy for me to come back this time."
Naturally, Fu Tingyun was delighted by his quick return. She inquired about affairs in Guizhou: "How are the Miao rebellions there? Will you be stationed in Guizhou long-term?""The main issue is the county officials' blatant disregard for the Miao people." Speaking of this matter, Zhao Ling couldn't help but become solemn. "Although I've obtained some policies from the Emperor to pacify the Miao people, implementing these policies effectively will take time and process." He paused slightly before continuing, "You wouldn't believe how difficult their lives are... Some have never even tasted salt in their lifetime; teenage girls without proper clothing; and a child, about the same age as our Youyou, was nearly beaten to death after being mistaken for a thief when accidentally breaking a birdcage at the market..."
Fu Tingyun gradually understood his implication.
She instinctively stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her face against his chest. "Then, I'll give you ten years—will that be enough?"
Zhao Ling was taken aback.
Fu Tingyun looked up into his eyes, which appeared deeper and darker than usual from suppressed anger, and said softly, "You want to leverage your reputation as the Emperor's favored minister to implement those policies, don't you? I'll give you ten years—you focus on your work in Guizhou, and I'll raise our children at home. But after ten years, you must return to me and the children, never leaving our side again... alright?" As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears.
The thought of those lonely nights was unbearable.
Yet she couldn't force him to stay.
Just as geese leave their calls, men leave their names.
Everyone has their own aspirations and dreams in youth.
Since she loved this man, she wanted him to be happy, forever spirited and fulfilled, with no regrets in life.
"A-Jun!" Zhao Ling's eyes also reddened.
He held Fu Tingyun tightly.
"Five years—give me five years," he said emotionally. "No matter what happens, I'll return to you and the children after five years, and we'll never be apart again."
"Mm!" Fu Tingyun nodded, tears glistening on her lashes.
Outside the window, fireworks lit up the sky in brilliant colors.
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Having been away for over half a year, Zhao Ling could no longer delay his departure from the capital.
After settling Daoist An and selecting a tutor named Yan from the candidates recommended by Third Older Cousin's Husband, he returned to Guizhou with Anxin.
Mr. Yan, in his fifties and from Haining, Zhejiang, had been a provincial graduate since twenty-one but repeatedly failed the imperial exams, eventually selling off his family's assets. It wasn't until his son died from illness due to lack of medical funds that he gave up on the exams and focused on teaching to support his family. Initially reluctant upon hearing he would tutor a seven-year-old girl, he changed his mind upon learning the family also had two young sons—five and three years old—and that the pay was higher than average. If he performed well, he might continue teaching the boys, securing at least a decade of employment. Upon arriving at the Zhao household, he was delighted to find the young girl bright, cheerful, and quick to learn, while the servants treated him with great respect. Satisfied, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to teaching her, hoping to secure a long-term position.
Fu Tingyun was also very pleased.Scholar Yan was highly learned and quite perceptive. Daoist An resided in the rear courtyard, where Xi Ge'er and Xu Ge'er trained in martial arts under him. Though the children trembled from holding horse stances until their hands and legs shook, making it hard for them to even grip chopsticks, their perseverance was something she found more precious than anything else. In the evenings, she would help the children soothe their sore limbs with warm towels while offering words of encouragement to keep their spirits up.
A few days passed like this until the Empress's birthday, the Qianqiu Festival. She entered the palace with Madam Wu and Madam Ji to offer their congratulations to the Empress.
Compared to the grand celebrations of the Empress Dowager's birthday, the Empress's Qianqiu Festival was much simpler.
The inner court ladies had longevity noodles at the Kunning Palace, while the outer court ladies paid their respects and each received a few longevity peaches before dispersing.
By the time the Emperor's birthday, the Wansheng Festival, arrived on the twentieth day of the third month, it had even less to do with the outer court ladies. Fu Tingyun enjoyed the leisure, thinking that summer was approaching again, and began making bellybands for the children.
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As Yu Jingxiu hurried out, he spotted Fei Shi from afar carrying a small bamboo basket.
His steps faltered slightly.
Since that day, he had not seen Fei Shi again.
He wondered how she had been faring.
Just as he was debating whether to ask, Fei Shi had already approached.
She seemed surprised to encounter Yu Jingxiu, but quickly composed herself, offering a graceful curtsy with a smile.
Noticing the basket filled with daphne flowers, Yu Jingxiu almost asked why she had gathered so many, but then thought better of it, swallowing his words.
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Blushing, I humbly ask for pink votes...
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(End of Chapter)
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