Chapter 76

Ye Yu thought this way and acted accordingly thereafter. However, once some things have happened, their subsequent development cannot be controlled by him.

Especially when he was remembered by a very stubborn old man, it was destined that Ye Yu would bear the mark of being Yang Hui's student for the rest of his life.

Yang Hui received a somewhat satisfactory response from Ye Yu and left contentedly. However, Yang Hui did not leave Chuzhou immediately but instead visited his longtime friend, Su Quanzhong. Su Quanzhong had already moved to Lai'an Prefecture, so there was no need for the old friends to travel far to meet.

In Su Quanzhong's home, Yang Hui, while chatting with his old friend, asked more about Ye Yu than about Su Quanzhong's recent situation. Although the copied book already showed that Ye Yu was a talent, and his son Yang Zheng also spoke highly of Ye Yu, Yang Hui still wanted to further understand the character of this nominal student.

Whenever Ye Yu was mentioned, Su Quanzhong seemed to open up, happily recounting stories about him. Even at dinner time, Su Quanzhong was still very enthusiastic. If not for his daughter, Su Yueyun, reminding him, Su Quanzhong might have neglected his duty as a host.

Afterward, Yang Hui also inquired about the mathematics knowledge Ye Yu taught Su Yueyun. After hearing it, Yang Hui was even more astonished. He had thought that the derivation techniques in the book were Ye Yu's best, but the mathematics knowledge Su Yueyun described far surpassed the current level of mathematics.

If a comparison had to be made, the courses taught at the Imperial Academy were the lowest level! This made Yang Hui both surprised and delighted, thinking that he had found a treasure, and a living one at that. He was determined to make Ye Yu his student no matter what.

After dinner, the two men talked for a long time in the study. Under the lamplight, Yang Hui's laughter had a hint of teasing: "Brother Su, you can't stop talking about that Ye Yu today. It seems you either have a hidden agenda or have been bribed by him!"

"Oh, really?" Su Quanzhong, realizing this later, smiled and asked. Seeing that the other had seen through his thoughts, he did not hide it and said seriously: "Brother Yang, to be honest, I have always held this young man in high regard! I once intended to marry my daughter to him, but he declined, citing his career as the reason..."

Su Quanzhong shook his head helplessly, his face showing disappointment. However, upon hearing this, Yang Hui clapped his hands in approval: "It's good for young people to have ambitions. Do you want us to end up like you and me, with nothing to show for our lives even when our hair is white? I think Ye Yu is right!"

"Cough, Brother Yang, you're being unreasonable!" Su Quanzhong, seeing that Yang Hui not only did not support him but also praised Ye Yu, shook his head helplessly: "Of course, I think it's good for him to have such lofty ambitions, but I am old, and you should understand my thoughts..."

"Brother Su, it seems you have set your heart on this son-in-law!" Yang Hui said with a smile, then added slyly: "How about we make a deal?"

"Oh? The Imperial Historian is making a deal?" In Su Quanzhong's memory, his old friend had nothing to discuss except for his research in mathematics.

Yang Hui smiled awkwardly: "This time, I came in person, but the boy only agreed to be my nominal student. You know, I never take on disciples easily except for teaching the students at the Imperial Academy... What do you think..."

"Are you asking me to persuade him?"

"Brother, you have a special relationship with this young man. He will carefully consider your words! Think about it, if he becomes my student, I can just give an order, and he will have to follow. Then you can achieve your wish, right?"

Su Quanzhong suddenly understood and praised him. At that moment, there was a sound from the door, and the two men looked over to see a skirt flash by the corner. They then turned to each other, smiled, and nodded: "Deal!"

The two old men, whose combined age was over a hundred, made a secret deal in the study about Ye Yu. This was something Ye Yu, living by Moonlight Lake, could never have imagined.

Moonlight Lake is a scenic spot in Chuzhou, especially beautiful at night. Ye Yu, who was not usually fond of admiring the moon, had to come to the appointment due to Yang Wanli's enthusiastic invitation.

The boat on the lake swayed gently, the lights flickering, creating a poetic atmosphere. Occasionally, beautiful music drifted over, making one feel enchanted. However, Yang Wanli's banquet was not on the boat but in the Tranquil Water Pavilion on Moonlight Lake.

Ye Yu looked around at the rippling water and praised: "This is indeed a wonderful place for leisure and relaxation..."

"Ha ha! Look at the boats on Moonlight Lake, and you'll know it's a favorite gathering place for scholars and literati in Chuzhou!" Yang Wanli pointed to the boats around them and laughed heartily.

"Sir, why did you summon me?"

The beauty of the lake at night was not enough to raise his spirits. Usually, Ye Yu would not leave home easily at this time. He would sit on a soft stool at home, and Qiulan would massage his crippled legs inch by inch.

This was to prevent muscle atrophy and to prevent the legs from dying due to poor circulation.

In fact, Ye Yu had never given up on his legs. He always hoped that one day he could stand like a normal person. He knew this was a distant hope, but he still prepared for it.

Yang Wanli pretended to be displeased: "What, can't I invite you for a drink and a chat if I have nothing to do?"

"Ah! Sir, don't misunderstand! It's just that I am of low status, and being invited by you makes me feel uneasy..."

"Although I don't like associating with merchants!" Yang Wanli stroked his beard and looked at Ye Yu, then smiled: "But you are an exception. The painting of 'All Beings Doing Good' you created on Mount Langya made me reflect deeply!"

Hearing this, Ye Yu was somewhat taken aback, thinking that Yang Wanli was blaming him for embarrassing him in public. He bowed respectfully and apologized: "That was just a casual sketch, and its purpose was to counter Master Shi's challenge, not to target you, sir. Please understand!"

Yang Wanli, seeing that Ye Yu had misunderstood him, waved his hand: "Ye Yu, you misunderstood me. Your painting of 'All Beings Doing Good' did indeed make me reflect deeply!"

"That is an honor for me!"

"I invited you for a drink, but I'm not the only one!" Yang Wanli looked at Ye Yu meaningfully, a smile on his lips.

Hearing this, Ye Yu felt puzzled and was about to ask when a painted boat approached the Tranquil Water Pavilion. In a moment, it had arrived. Yang Wanli pointed to the boat and smiled: "Here they are!"

At that moment, the curtain of the boat opened, and a woman with a lute walked out. She was dressed in a green robe, and the breeze made her appear ethereal. Ye Yu looked at her, and it seemed as if the lights on the lake dimmed. When the woman reached the pavilion, Ye Yu saw her face and felt a sense of familiarity.

"Miss Chulian greets Sir and Master Ye..." The woman with the lute bowed to both of them.

"Chulian... First Love?" Hearing this name, Ye Yu was momentarily lost in thought, as it reminded him of his past life and the emotions he once felt.

Yang Wanli, seeing Ye Yu lost in thought, smiled knowingly: "Miss Chulian heard of your talent in painting, so I invited you to meet her! Ye Yu, you are indeed fortunate!"

"Ah, ha ha! Sir, you flatter me!"

Chulian, seeing that Ye Yu did not look at her directly, spoke up: "Master Ye, have you forgotten Chulian?"

Ye Yu looked at the charming Chulian and thought, "I won't forget my first love, but I don't remember you, Miss Chulian." He shook his head regretfully: "Miss Chulian, this is our first meeting, so how can we be old acquaintances? I think you must have mistaken me for someone else..."

"Master, you once showed deep affection for Chulian, but now you treat me like a stranger..." Chulian stood by the lute, her pitiful expression making one feel sympathetic.

"Is that true?"

Ye Yu touched his forehead, trying to recall his past. However, after the memories of his past and present life merged, some things were still blurry and hard to sort out. He did not know if the words of the woman named Chulian were true, but he did feel a sense of familiarity when he first saw her.

"Ha ha ha! One does not live a full life without experiencing romance. Ye Yu, you don't need to worry. Let the past be the past! The Idle Cloud House is known for its three famous flowers: music, chess, and calligraphy. I have already seen the talents of the chess and calligraphy flowers..."

Yang Wanli, turning to Chulian, smiled: "Miss Chulian, I have invited your old lover. Will you fulfill your promise and let me hear your beautiful music?"

"Miss Chulian will comply!" The word "old lover" made Chulian's cheeks turn red. She bowed and went to the lute stand to prepare to play.

A slightly melancholic tune flowed from her fingers, filling the Tranquil Water Pavilion.

Yang Wanli closed his eyes in appreciation, but Ye Yu was not in the mood to listen to the beautiful melody. He was thinking about who this Chulian was and why she was so vague in his memory.

The Idle Cloud House was a famous brothel in Chuzhou, known for its three famous flowers: music, chess, and calligraphy. Ye Yu had heard of this. He pondered the words of Yang Wanli and Chulian, wondering if he had often visited brothels in the past.

In the end, Ye Yu could not piece together his fragmented memories and decided not to think about it anymore. After all, the past was the past, and there was no need to deliberately recall it.

The music ended, but the lingering notes still resonated, leaving a lasting impression. Yang Wanli clapped his hands and nodded in satisfaction: "The warm breeze of dawn breaks the green lotus, the flower's intention still low, the white jade face. A smile is not easily given, how can the fragrance spread throughout the world?"

"Thank you, sir, for your praise. Your talent is boundless, and I am in awe!"

Hearing Yang Wanli's poem, Ye Yu thought, "Isn't this the famous 'White Magnolia'?"

When he had understood this poem in the past, he had always thought that the great poet Yang Wanli must have written it in summer because it mentioned lotus flowers. However, tonight, during the transition between spring and summer, Yang Wanli had written this poem.

Clearly, the lotus flower in the poem referred to the woman named Chulian, not the summer lotus. This made Ye Yu sigh at the tragedy of people in the future.

Many people in the future would talk confidently and even write books to explain the deeper meanings of ancient poems and novels. However, they did not realize that what they thought was the correct interpretation might not be what the ancients truly meant.