Chapter 173
Chapter 173
Inside the carriage, Jin Bao nestled in Xie Chengyan’s arms and happily munched on a peach pastry.
Xie Chengyan held a book. After reading for a while, he would wipe the crumbs from Jin Bao’s mouth or hand her a cup of water to soothe her throat.
“Uncle, why couldn’t Daddy come to the academy with us and go to war afterward?”
Xie Chengyan lowered his book and looked through the half-open curtain. Verdant scenery sped past outside.
An almost imperceptible trace of nostalgia entered his voice.
“Because Grandpa Qin at the academy does not like men who lead armies into battle. Your daddy would not be much help there, and he has more important things to do.”
Jin Bao stuck out her little lips. “Why doesn’t Grandpa Qin like Daddy? Daddy is very good to Baby. He’s good to everyone. Daddy is a good person.”
Xie Chengyan laughed. The little girl was certainly protective of her own.
“Grandpa Qin does not dislike your daddy. He dislikes the smell of blood. Once you meet him, you will understand what kind of person he is.”
Jin Bao said nothing more. She yawned and slowly closed her eyes. They had risen too early, and she was sleepy now.
The journey from Jintang Valley to Qingya Academy took five days.
Five days later, they finally stood at the foot of the mountain where Qingya Academy was located.
Jin Bao looked up at the modest mountain. Holding Xie Chengyan’s large hand, she tilted her little head and asked, “Uncle, is this Qingya Academy?”
“Yes. This is Qingya Academy. Decades have passed in the blink of an eye, yet the place remains unchanged.”
Xie Chengyan did not know whether his teacher was still alive and well. As he stood at the foot of the mountain, memories of his youth flooded back, leaving him almost afraid to approach a place that had once been home.
He picked Jin Bao up and boarded the carriage again.
Mount Qingya looked unremarkable. It possessed none of the towering cliffs or strange peaks of other mountains, nor did immortal mists drift around it. There were only green pines and bamboo groves.
The carriage brought them to the mountain gate, where Xie Chengyan helped Jin Bao down once more.
Carriages could go no farther.
Only a footpath continued upward, climbing one stone step at a time.
Holding Jin Bao, Xie Chengyan stood before the gate.
It was a stone archway with three openings and four pillars. The plaque in the center bore four characters meaning “Palace Walls Ten Thousand Ren High.”
Layers of green moss covered the plaque. Wind and sunlight had mottled the stone, displaying the academy’s long history at a glance.
Beyond the gate lay the footpath.
Its broad stone steps allowed four or five people to walk abreast.
The middle of each step had been worn into a shallow depression. For a century, hundreds of feet had crossed this path every day, grinding its center smooth and low.
Dense stands of purple bamboo lined both sides, blocking out the sky. Their leaves swayed and rustled whenever the wind blew.
Stone tablets appeared at regular intervals along the stairs.
Some bore famous sayings, some personal reflections, and others a single character. They varied in age and size, with the oldest dating back a century.
Walking the path felt like reading a hundred-year history of the academy.
At the end of the long stairway, the view suddenly opened.
Halfway up the mountain lay a small crescent-shaped pool. Its water was so clear that colorful carp could be seen swimming leisurely below.
A stone tablet beside it was carved with the words “Pan Pond.”
According to the Book of Rites, the schools of feudal lords possessed a pan pond because they were “half the Imperial Academy.”
In other words, the learning here was half that of the Imperial Academy in the Capital. That did not mean it was inferior by half. The phrase expressed humility.
A three-arched stone bridge crossed Pan Pond. It was called Cloud-Ascent Bridge.
The name implied that anyone who crossed it would rise step by step and soar among the clouds.
Beyond Pan Pond stood the center of the academy: Minglun Hall, where lectures were held.
The three-bay hall had upturned eaves, dark roof tiles, and gray walls.
A plaque beneath the eaves displayed the three characters for “Minglun Hall,” bestowed by Great Xia’s founding Emperor.
The library stood behind the hall, with student dormitories on either side. Beyond those buildings was the rear slope of Qingya Academy, thick with pine trees.
Xie Chengyan remembered a Cloud-Watching Pavilion there. From it, one could overlook the entire academy.
He had once played chess with his teacher in that pavilion, sought guidance on scholarship, and discussed affairs of state. The scenes returned one by one, sending a fierce warmth surging through his heart.
The clear sound of students reciting texts drifted from the lecture hall ahead.
Xie Chengyan knew that beyond the heavy wooden doors sat dozens of students receiving instruction. Like him in his youth, they sat on cushions with eyes eager to absorb everything their teacher could give.
“May I ask whom you are seeking?”
A gentle voice came from behind Xie Chengyan.
He turned and saw a servant in a long robe.
Even the servants at Qingya Academy held at least the preliminary scholar rank.
“I am looking for Headmaster Qin Wenyuan. May I ask whether he is still… at the academy?”
Xie Chengyan’s voice trembled slightly, whether from excitement or fear he could not tell.
The servant inclined his head. “Headmaster Qin is advanced in years and now retains only an honorary position. Qingya Academy is currently managed by Eldest Young Master Qin. May I ask who you are?”
Xie Chengyan took a calling card from his robe and handed it over.
“I am a former student of the old Headmaster and have come to visit him today. Please announce me.”
The servant accepted the card and glanced at it without any change in expression. He had seen too many powerful figures here.
Princes and Heirs Apparent from the Capital, young masters from great families across the realm, even Princesses and princes from neighboring kingdoms had come to this place. Within these grounds, however, they possessed only one identity: students of Qingya Academy.
The servant returned the card to Xie Chengyan with both hands.
“Senior Xie, please wait here. I will report to Teacher at once.”
Xie Chengyan nodded.
Meanwhile, Jin Bao wandered curiously around the courtyard and peered through a crack in the doors.
Dozens of people sat inside, listening intently to a teacher’s lecture. A middle-aged man occupied the place of honor behind a long table. He wore a blue robe, with his hair gathered beneath a cloth cap.
A portrait hung behind him.
Jin Bao did not recognize the person in it, but the face looked vaguely familiar. She thought she might have seen it at Second Brother’s place.
After watching for a while, Jin Bao grew bored and wandered elsewhere with her hands clasped behind her back.
Before long, the servant returned.
“Senior Xie, please follow me.”
Xie Chengyan quickly beckoned to Jin Bao.
She did not ask to be carried. Instead, she followed behind him, looking around as they trailed the servant through the lecture halls and behind the library.
Directly behind the library stood the residence of the Headmaster’s family.
It consisted of three connected courtyards.
The servant led them to the entrance of the first courtyard, then departed.
Xie Chengyan knew the place well. Everything remained almost exactly as it had decades earlier, as if time had left only faint traces here without touching a single plant or tree.
He squeezed Jin Bao’s little hand and looked down at her curious face.
“Jin Bao, be good when we go inside. Remember to greet the grandpa we meet, all right?”
Jin Bao nodded obediently. “Uncle, Baby is a very polite child. Baby remembers.”
Xie Chengyan smiled and nodded. After straightening his clothes, he held Jin Bao’s soft little hand and stepped over the threshold.
The courtyard was small, surrounded by covered walkways. A little flower bed occupied the center, and a pine tree grew in one corner.
Beneath the pine stood a stone table and several stone stools.
A reclining chair had been placed nearby. An elderly man with snow-white hair and beard rested on it.
His eyes were half closed. Sunlight fell through the open shaft above and illuminated him perfectly.
Xie Chengyan softened his steps and stopped several feet away.
“Teacher, your student has come to see you. Is your health still strong?”
The old man slowly opened his eyes.
He began sitting up in the reclining chair.
Xie Chengyan hurried forward to support him.
“Slowly, Teacher.”
Only then did Qin Wenyuan examine Xie Chengyan carefully.
“Are you Yan’er? Why do you look so different? Older, thinner, and darker… Yet you do possess the bearing of a great Chancellor now.”
The breath Xie Chengyan had been holding finally escaped. His eyes reddened instantly, and his voice choked.
“Teacher, your gaze is as keen as ever.”
He wiped the corner of his eye and moved directly before Qin Wenyuan.
“Teacher, your student is ashamed that so many years have passed without a visit. This student pays his respects.”
Lifting the hem of his robe, Xie Chengyan dropped to both knees and bowed deeply three times.
Qin Wenyuan lightly raised a wrist.
“Yan’er, get up. Play another game of chess with your teacher. Let me see whether you have improved.”
Xie Chengyan quickly rose and pulled Jin Bao forward.
“Jin Bao, greet him.”
Jin Bao had been watching the old man from the side. He gave off such a gentle feeling that she could not help wanting to approach him. Was this Uncle’s teacher?
He seemed like a very nice grandpa. Then why did he not like Daddy?
“Hello, Grandpa. My name is Xiao Jinru.”
Jin Bao waved obediently at Qin Wenyuan.
He studied her closely. Her features bore some resemblance to Xie Chengyan.
“Is this the daughter born to you in your later years?”
Xie Chengyan immediately explained with respect, “Teacher, she is this student’s niece, the only child of my own younger sister.”
Qin Wenyuan’s peaceful face twitched slightly, and a sharp gleam flashed through his clouded eyes.
He gave Xie Chengyan a meaningful look, then Jin Bao. In the end, he said nothing and merely pointed toward the chessboard already arranged on the stone table.
“Sit.”
Xie Chengyan helped Qin Wenyuan into his seat before sitting opposite him.
Jin Bao was bored and looked curiously around. Qin Wenyuan glanced up at her.
“Little girl, if you are bored, go walk around and explore. Your uncle lived here for several years.”
Jin Bao looked at Xie Chengyan. Only after he nodded did she dash outside.
Once Jin Bao left, Qin Wenyuan asked, “Why does the girl bear the surname Xiao?”
Xie Chengyan’s lips moved as he considered whether to tell him about Xiao Che.
His teacher valued legitimacy above all else and guarded his reputation carefully. If Qin Wenyuan learned that Xiao Che was an exile who intended to fight his way back to the Capital, would he throw Xie Chengyan out as well?
“What is it? Is the matter difficult to explain? Why do you still hesitate before me? Is there some hidden complication?”
Xie Chengyan quickly lowered his head.
“This student would not dare. The girl took the surname of her adoptive father.”
The two men each held their stones and continued playing while they talked.
In the end, Xie Chengyan revealed everything about Xiao Che.
He stole a glance at his teacher. Qin Wenyuan showed no emotion, but that very stillness made him even more afraid.
A layer of cold sweat had formed on his forehead, and his palms were damp.
“Your skill at chess has not improved much. Have you gone so long without playing because you devoted yourself to officialdom? Chess requires concentration. It seems you have forgotten your teacher’s instruction.”
Xie Chengyan looked down at the board and discovered that his stones had been forced into a hopeless position. Qin Wenyuan’s moves appeared gentle, yet every step concealed killing intent and left him no path of escape.
Xie Chengyan knew he had lost again.