Chapter 75

As soon as the words were spoken, Ye Yu's pen stopped, and he raised his eyes to look at Gong Hong, then nodded and said, "Alright! Have Uncle Sun pay you another ten thousand strings of cash! As for the skilled craftsmen in the Ye Mengxin porcelain kiln, take as many as you can! As for their wages, tell them it will be doubled!"

Gong Hong was instantly delighted and said, "With such generous terms from Young Master, I guarantee I can take away ninety percent of the craftsmen! After all, these old craftsmen once followed the late master! After the second master took over the kiln, many of their hearts were still unsettled! Now that Young Master intends to start anew, they will naturally be eager to follow!"

"Hmm! You did well with the purple clay teapot last time, which shows that these ceramics and pottery are of the same origin. With these people joining, you won't be a lone general in charge of the Chinese pottery kiln anymore!"

"Thank you for your trust, Young Master! I will be loyal to you with all my heart and soul!"

Ye Yu waved his hand indifferently, "Save the empty promises. I want to see results! Go!"

"Yes! I understand!"

Gong Hong repeatedly agreed and bowed out of the study. Just as he was about to leave, Ye Yu suddenly called him back. Gong Hong turned around and asked respectfully, "Young Master, is there anything else you need?"

"If possible, I hope that after you leave the kiln, the Ye family kiln will no longer exist! Do you understand?"

Upon hearing this, Gong Hong was taken aback. On the side, Uncle Sun suddenly knelt down and trembled, pleading, "Young Master, you can't! That was the late master's heart and soul! If it is destroyed, how will the late master rest in peace?"

"My father was too kind, which is why he ended up like this! The mysterious circumstances of his sudden death, Uncle Sun, you should see more clearly than I do! It's been so long, and there's no way to investigate..."

At this point, Ye Yu's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and he said coldly, "But Uncle Two took what should have been mine and left me in this state. How can I let it go? When my father was alive, he could coexist with Uncle Two, but I cannot! The most direct way is to destroy him! Gong Hong, if you can, do it decisively!"

"Yes! I know what to do!"

"Hmm! Uncle Sun has no children, and you are his only relative. If you have free time, visit him more often! Go!"

"I will take my leave!"

After Gong Hong left the study, Ye Yu looked at Uncle Sun, who was already in tears. He then turned his wheelchair around the desk and came closer, consoling him, "Uncle Sun, think about it, when has Uncle Two ever been kind to me?"

As Ye Yu spoke, he gestured for Uncle Sun to look at his legs and continued, "If I hadn't strived hard, I might have starved to death in Qingliu County two years ago! Do you think it's fair for him to treat me like this? Even if the reason Uncle Two expelled me from the Ye family was true, wasn't it cruel for him to do so?"

"Young Master is right. Old Sun is too soft-hearted. Young Master is a man of great ambitions..."

Uncle Sun's chapped lips trembled for a long time, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he sighed and said with a sigh.

Seeing that Uncle Sun finally understood him, Ye Yu breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject, "This Gong Hong is quite good, Uncle Sun, you have a good nephew!"

Mentioning his nephew Gong Hong, Uncle Sun managed a slight smile, "Old Sun thanks Young Master for giving him this opportunity!"

"Ah! Opportunities are not given, but earned through effort! Your nephew is a promising talent, with a bright future ahead..."

Although Uncle Sun was very pleased, he only smiled, thinking that Young Master was just flattering him. However, he didn't know that in just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Ye Yu had already tested Gong Hong three times.

Ye Yu's hearing was excellent, so when he used the excuse of practicing calligraphy, he could sense that Gong Hong's breathing, though suppressed, was very steady, indicating that Gong Hong had good psychological resilience.

Whether in ancient or modern times, being nervous when meeting a superior or giving a speech is a sign of poor psychological resilience. When Ye Yu asked, "Can I trust you?" Gong Hong did not respond directly but answered very decisively later.

From this alone, Ye Yu saw that Gong Hong was someone who could be entrusted with important tasks. If Gong Hong had responded directly, Ye Yu would have thought him too eager and not steady enough, making him seem like someone who is overly ambitious and impatient.

After making the decision, he answered very decisively, showing that Gong Hong was someone who acted cleanly and decisively, without hesitation once he had a clear direction. Although Ye Yu did not observe Gong Hong at the time, he could analyze this from the tone of his voice.

The last test was when he ordered the destruction of the kiln. Upon learning of Ye Yu's decision, Gong Hong was only slightly surprised but did not hesitate, nor was he moved by Uncle Sun's plea.

This showed that Gong Hong was decisive and somewhat cold-hearted. If not handled well, it could hurt himself. From Gong Hong's early intention to leave the kiln to his eventual betrayal to help Ye Yu, this was evident.

Ye Yu saw this and kindly reminded Gong Hong to visit Uncle Sun often, which was also a subtle reminder and a way to build a closer relationship.

A sharp sword is sharp but can easily hurt oneself, but if handled properly, it can be even more lethal to the enemy!

...

In the afternoon, a guest arrived at the large residence where Ye Yu lived. This guest made Ye Yu feel somewhat helpless, as it was none other than Yang Hui, who had come from Lin'an.

When they were in Qingliu County, County Magistrate Yang Zheng had once discussed with him about Yang Hui taking on students.

At that time, Ye Yu learned that Yang Zheng's father was none other than the famous mathematician Yang Hui, whose "Yang Hui Triangle" he remembered vividly from his middle school textbooks.

If Yang Zheng had not mentioned it, Ye Yu would never have known about their relationship.

When Yang Zheng asked for permission to copy the mathematics book, Ye Yu thought Yang Zheng's father was just an old scholar who loved mathematics, so he did not take it seriously. He did not expect the old man to be the Astronomer Royal of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau and a mathematics professor at the Imperial Academy.

However, after careful consideration, Ye Yu politely declined the offer to become a student of Astronomer Royal Yang Hui. It was not because he was arrogant or ungrateful, but because joining the Imperial Astronomical Bureau was like becoming a eunuch in the palace.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau, also known as the Imperial Observatory, was a place where officials could not be transferred to other positions, and their descendants had to continue the family business. They could not be promoted or retire without special imperial orders. If there were vacancies, they were filled by the next in line within the bureau.

Spending all day in a special place studying and calculating dry mathematics, and even if one reached the pinnacle of this field, one would still be just a scholar of mathematics! Because it was clearly stipulated that they could not be transferred to other positions, and their descendants had to continue the family business!

Good grief, being trapped in mathematics for life and having one's descendants do the same! When he asked Yang Zheng, he confirmed this. If Yang Zheng did not have an older brother to carry on the family business, he would not have been a county magistrate but would have entered the Imperial Astronomical Bureau directly!

Although Ye Yu wanted to serve in the government, this shortcut was clearly not suitable for him. He would rather never serve in the government than have his descendants be mathematicians with no future!

The atmosphere in the living room was somewhat strange. Although Yang Hui, who had traveled a long distance, looked a bit tired, his eyes were particularly bright as he scrutinized Ye Yu. However, this scrutiny made Ye Yu, sitting in the lower seat, feel very uncomfortable.

Because since Yang Hui entered the living room, he had been scrutinizing him for the time it took to drink a cup of tea. This kind of scrutiny, which was not normal, would make anyone feel uneasy.

Finally, Ye Yu could not hold back and said respectfully, "Your visit today, Sir Yang, truly brings honor to my humble abode!"

"I am here today to ask if you are willing to be my student!" Yang Hui stroked his beard, nodded in satisfaction, and then came straight to the point.

Uh!

Yang Hui's straightforwardness surprised Ye Yu, who then responded respectfully, "Being a student of Sir is naturally an honor for me, but my aspirations lie elsewhere..."

"Then are you aspiring to be a merchant? You should know that even if you are as rich as a king, you are still just a merchant! Ye Yu, with your talent, it would be a waste to bury it in a lifetime of commerce!"

Yang Hui knew before coming that taking on this student would be difficult, so he was prepared for a long battle, hoping to persuade Ye Yu with reason and emotion. For him, Ye Yu was more important than the Imperial Academy.

Ye Yu did not argue but sighed, "How could I not know, Sir? Among the four classes of society, merchants, though more favored in this dynasty, are still looked down upon by many."

At this point, Ye Yu pointed to his legs and sighed, "If I were physically fit and could participate in the imperial examinations, I would not be so determined to be a merchant!"

"As the Astronomer Royal and a professor at the Imperial Academy, if you become my student, when I retire, I will recommend you to the emperor to take over my position! This way, wouldn't it fulfill your wish to serve in the government?"

Yang Hui always referred to himself as "old man," showing no official airs, which deeply moved Ye Yu. Seeing that Yang Hui had spoken so much and had traveled from Lin'an, he felt it was too much to bear.

Ye Yu pondered for a moment and then said, "Sir, how about this: I will be your nominal student for now, and when you think the time is right, you can take me on as a full student! This way, if I do anything out of line in the future, it won't tarnish your reputation!"

"Uh... Very well! I don't like forcing people!"

In fact, Yang Hui wanted to say that the time was right now, and he would not regret anything Ye Yu did in the future. But thinking that haste makes waste, and since this young man had shown some willingness, he did not need to force him. There would be plenty of time in the future.

After Ye Yu spoke, he felt a bit bitter. He wanted to tell Yang Hui his true thoughts but was afraid that bluntly criticizing the Imperial Astronomical Bureau would be disrespectful to this sincere old man.

So he swallowed his words and chose a compromise. Being a nominal student was only being half a student, and if anything happened in the future, it would not be his responsibility.

At worst, he would not show his mathematical knowledge in the future, and this old man Yang Hui would lose interest in him...

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