Chapter 56: No Poetry (Sixth Update)

Walking along the bluestone path of Qing Garden, Chen Xiaofu felt that this place was rather pleasant.

Although situated by the West Lake, it was quite far from Crucian Carp Alley.

The hour was still early, and the cicadas had not yet begun to chirp, lending the surroundings a profound serenity.

Guided by the pageboy all the way to the Willow Pavilion by the Lake, Qian Shilin and Ge Zijian had already risen to their feet.

Qian Shilin glanced at the four of them with a faint smile, his gaze ultimately resting on Chen Xiaofu's face.

"Young Master Chen, this old man's legs and feet are somewhat inconvenient, preventing me from greeting you from afar. I hope you will be so kind as to forgive this oversight!"

Chen Xiaofu hastily bowed in greeting:

"Elder Sir, you honor me far too much! To receive an invitation from you fills this humble one with both surprise and trepidation. It was simply that some pressing matters required my attention, causing a delay of two days and keeping you waiting for so long. It is I who should ask for your forgiveness!"

Qian Shilin stroked his graying beard and laughed heartily:

"You rascal... Come, please take a seat inside quickly!"

"The lass from the Manor of the God General Yaoguang is growing more and more like her mother."

"Then this young lady must surely be An Jingwei's granddaughter, An Xiaowei."

"As for this young man..."

Before Chen Xiaofu could make the introduction, A Lai offered a Daoist salute: "This poor Daoist is A Lai, a priest of the Wuji Temple, and currently... Young Master Chen's carriage driver and bodyguard."

"Elder Sir, pay no mind to me. My duty is to protect Young Master Chen's safety, so I shall simply stand watch right outside."

Qian Shilin did not stand on ceremony. He waved his hand in an inviting gesture, ushering Chen Xiaofu and the other two into the pavilion, before pointing toward Ge Zijian:

"This is the Prefect of Lin'an; you may simply address him as Brother Zijian."

The two exchanged formal greetings once more, and after everyone was seated, Ge Zijian resumed the task of brewing tea.

Chen Xiaofu could not help casting a few extra glances at the Prefect—

Ge Zijian was rather stout, appearing to be in his forties.

Instead of attending to official business at the Prefectural Yamen, he was here personally brewing tea in this secluded spot.

This suggested that he must have been an official promoted by Qian Shilin back when the latter held the prestigious post of Senior Grand Secretary.

Qian Shilin had long since retired from official life, living in reclusion here for sixteen years...

They say that in official circles, people grow apart the moment a leader steps down, but it seemed this Prefect Ge still valued loyalty and knew the meaning of gratitude.

"Ji'an, this old man enjoyed a profound friendship with your grandfather."

Qian Shilin turned his gaze toward the veiled An Xiaowei: "This old man also shared a deep friendship with your grandfather."

"In our youth, we all studied at the Wenchang Academy in Ji'an, though I was somewhat older than the two of them, making me their senior."

"Later... we served as officials in the same imperial court, and we all established our homes in Jiqing City. In our leisure time, we would sit together just as we are doing now—drinking tea, playing chess, and chatting leisurely."

"Following Her Majesty the Empress's ascension to the throne, the imperial capital was moved from Jiqing in the south to Jicheng in the north, and the grandfathers of the two of you—and all three of you—moved their households to Jicheng as well."

"The once-bustling Jiqing... seemed to lose a vast number of its people almost overnight."

"I did not go."

"Some said that I still harbored the late Emperor in my heart and held deep prejudices against Her Majesty ruling as a woman..."

"Absurd!"

"Others said that I was merely unwilling to assist Her Majesty, consumed by my own lofty pride... Utterly absurd!"

"In truth, the very proposal to move the capital northward to Jicheng was put forward by this old man."

Chen Xiaofu was instantly startled. "Why did Elder Sir suggest moving the capital to Jicheng?"

Qian Shilin smiled proudly: "Her Majesty asked me the exact same question back then."

"The Jiangnan region is the heartland of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Not only is commerce flourishing here, but it is also a gathering place for brilliant minds and culture."

"This place has no need for an emperor!"

"The place where the Great Zhou truly needs an emperor to guard and pacify is the north!"

"Her Majesty possesses immense courage; she heeded my advice and truly relocated the imperial capital to the bitterly cold Jicheng."

"As for why I did not go... it is simply because these old, cold-weather aching legs of mine cannot endure the northern chill."

"As for why I did not choose to remain in Jiqing to enjoy my twilight years... it was because having children and grandchildren filling the house is simply too noisy!"

"Having served as an official in the imperial court for so many years, I had more than enough vexing matters to deal with. When old age arrives, people say one should enjoy the happiness of family... but after enjoying it for half a year—"

Qian Shilin shook his head and waved his hand: "I couldn't stand it!"

"A whole flock of grandsons and great-grandsons chattering away endlessly like sparrows! It wears down the mind!"

"Therefore, I asked Lord Ge to have this Qing Garden built here, and then I moved in with just one of my young grandsons."

"Living here is wonderfully carefree. I wake up whenever I please, eat whatever I fancy, and realizing this was the life I truly needed, I forbade my children and grandchildren from visiting without good cause."

"Many people do not understand, but I care little whether they understand or not."

"Having lived to the age of seventy-two, for the remainder of my life, I wish to live for myself."

"I tell you all this simply so you understand why I live here in seclusion, and I hope you will not harbor misunderstandings toward my children and grandchildren; they are, in truth, very filial."

"Very well, I have finished speaking simply of my own affairs. As for the reason I invited you here, I presume you already know."

"In these recent days, you are the person attracting the most attention in Lin'an City."

"In a few days' time, you will be the person attracting the most attention in the entire Great Zhou Dynasty."

"This old man is exceedingly fond of your poetry, but today we shall not speak of poetry..."

Qian Shilin took a small sip of tea. "This old man simply wishes to chat idly with you... consider it curing my boredom."

Chen Xiaofu was slightly taken aback.

He had initially assumed that this elder had also grown fond of his poetry and had invited him to Qing Garden precisely to discuss poems and essays.

He certainly had not expected the old man to play completely outside the conventional rules!

He broke into a grin:

"Very well. This junior was actually dreading that Elder Sir might want to discuss poetry; idle chatting sounds wonderful."

Ge Zijian poured more tea, casting a few extra thoughts toward Chen Xiaofu, silently reflecting that the young man possessed commendable modesty.

Having achieved such immense renown, he had not yet allowed success to turn his head.

"This old man has pondered carefully over these past few days. Regarding your beating of Pan Bufu's grandson, your grandmother Zhuang Qingdie naturally will not sit idly by. With her intervention, Pan Bufu at least will not dare to openly do anything to you."

"However, behind the scenes is another matter entirely! Especially since you will undoubtedly journey to the imperial capital."

"The poetry you composed at the Lin'an Academy will reach the imperial capital in two months at most, and that is a good thing."

"Her Majesty cherishes talent; she will certainly issue an imperial decree summoning you to the capital to attend the Mountain of Books Literary Gathering next autumn."

"Your grandmother naturally attaches great importance to your trip to the imperial capital, so... your safety will not encounter any major problems."

"As for the Grand Madam of the Manor of the God General Kaiyang, she actually holds a deep dread of your grandmother! Therefore, you need not worry about that side either."

This left Chen Xiaofu somewhat bewildered.

At this rate, it sounded as though he would face absolutely no trouble whatsoever—wasn't all his worrying completely in vain?

Suddenly, Qian Shilin shifted the conversation, posing a question:

"A young man of your talent, blessed with your grandmother's protection, possessing the Huaxi Courtyard in Lin'an along with thousands of acres of fertile farmland, not to mention a stunning fiancée..."

"If you wish to live a life of carefree leisure, your best choice is naturally to remain in Lin'an."

"However... your grandmother is advanced in years; she cannot protect you for a lifetime!"

"After your grandmother passes on, should someone covet your courtyard, seize your farmland, or even seek to plunge you, your wife, and your children into mortal peril... how would you handle it?"