Chapter 85

Wang Ximeng, seeing the young man before him so intelligent, felt greatly comforted in his heart. He then sat down, as if recalling past events, and slowly said, "I never thought that after being in seclusion for over fifty years, someone would still remember me. You, young one, are truly considerate..."

"Sir, please forgive my impertinence..."

Ye Yu was about to speak but was interrupted by Wang Ximeng's wave of his hand. He then smiled with deep meaning and said, "What do you call me?"

"Um..." Ye Yu was slightly taken aback, then bowed with great joy, "Student, I pay my respects to my teacher!"

As he was about to kneel, Wang Ximeng lifted him with his withered hands, "Enough, I have been in seclusion for half a century. How could I care about such formalities? Since you have a leg injury, you are exempt. As long as we have the teacher-student bond in our hearts, that is enough!"

"Teacher, what you say is true, but I have a question. I wonder if you can answer it for me?"

"Hehe! You want to ask why I retired here at the height of my reputation, don't you?" Wang Ximeng had already seen through what Ye Yu wanted to ask and nodded, looking up to the sky with a laugh.

Ye Yu could only smile awkwardly, tacitly acknowledging Wang Ximeng's guess.

"People say you passed away from illness..."

"Passed away from illness?" Wang Ximeng's face showed a rare sense of loneliness. He sighed softly to himself, "How much of the imperial records can be trusted? Yet, people foolishly believe them without doubt!"

Hearing the word "imperial," Ye Yu was startled. It seemed that the court painter Wang Ximeng's disappearance fifty years ago was not as simple as it appeared.

"I will tell you about this matter gradually in the future! Since I have taken you as my disciple, you must not slack off in your painting practice! I have little time left, and I hope to impart all my knowledge to you in my remaining years..."

"Teacher, you..."

Wang Ximeng waved his hand, signaling Ye Yu to stop, "People over seventy are rare. I am nearly eighty, and I am content!"

In the days that followed, Ye Yu almost spent every day learning painting in the thatched cottage, and Wang Ximeng taught him without reservation. Ye Yu's foundation in painting and his ability to understand things quickly amazed Wang Ximeng.

As Wang Ximeng put it, taking Ye Yu as a disciple in his later years was both a stroke of luck for Ye Yu as a student and an honor for him as a teacher. The meeting of the teacher and student at this time made one feel regretful for not meeting earlier...

Time passed without a trace in the mountains, and the world had already changed. It was now mid-September. In recent days, many scholars had gathered outside the examination hall in Anfu, as it was the time for the results to be announced.

Every day, a large number of students gathered at the entrance of the examination hall, creating a spectacular scene. However, among the anxious scholars, Ye Yu's figure was notably absent.

On a teahouse opposite the examination hall, Ye Mingzhi and Li Mo sat by the window, watching the crowd and chatting leisurely.

"Why haven't we seen Ye Yu recently? Could he be so confident?" Li Mo put a piece of pastry in his mouth and asked jokingly.

Mentioning Ye Yu's name made Ye Mingzhi feel nauseous, and he replied angrily, "Him? A good-for-nothing will always be a good-for-nothing. He wants to pass the imperial examination and become an official? Dream on!"

"Hey, Brother Mingzhi, don't be too complacent. Ye Yu's literary talent is no less than mine. If he passes this year, it's not impossible! But then, Brother Mingzhi, you won't be able to hold your head high anymore!"

"Hmph! I think in Chuzhou, the number of people who can pass the examination can be counted on one hand. You should know that there is an exam without a question in the examination hall! Who knows what the chief examiner means by this..."

Ye Mingzhi took a sip of tea, then frowned and threw the teacup on the table, scolding the waiter, "I won't drink this tea. Bring me a better one!"

"Sir, this tea is made with the best tea leaves in our shop. You..." The waiter stood aside, looking embarrassed.

Li Mo glanced at the angry Ye Mingzhi and waved to the waiter, "Go and change the tea. As long as it's not made with these tea leaves, this gentleman won't mind. Go!"

"Uh, okay! Gentlemen, please wait a moment!"

The waiter picked up the tray and quickly left the room.

"Brother Mingzhi, it's just a pot of tea. Why get so angry? Although this tea is not Longtuan Shengxue, it has a unique flavor when made with Maofeng tea leaves!"

"This bastard not only destroyed the foundation of my family's porcelain business but also used this tea to impact our tea business! How could I drink the tea made by this bastard?"

Ye Mingzhi's words piqued Li Mo's interest, and he asked, "Brother Mingzhi! Why do you often call Ye Yu a bastard? Is there a reason behind it?"

"Um... this..." When asked about this, Ye Mingzhi hesitated for a moment.

Li Mo, seeing this, became even more curious and pretended to be displeased, "It seems that Brother Mingzhi still treats me as an outsider. If you don't want to say, it's fine!" He then picked up the teacup and moved away, no longer looking at Ye Mingzhi.

"Brother Li, don't misunderstand. This is not a secret. I can tell you!" Ye Mingzhi paused for a moment and continued, "When my uncle was alive, he was over forty but still had no children. Even if I don't say it, Brother Li should know the reason, right?"

"It is said that Aunt Ye was a fierce woman who did not allow my uncle to take a concubine, and she had no children for many years. In the end, she went to the temple to pray for a child, and that's how Ye Yu was born..."

"Cough! You said that's what people say!" Ye Mingzhi lowered his voice and leaned close to Li Mo, "That was just to save face. My uncle made Aunt Ye bear the name of a fierce woman to cover up his inability to have children. When my uncle and aunt went on a trip for a year, Ye Yu came back with them when they returned!"

"Perhaps your uncle met a high person during the trip who solved his fertility problem. Aunt Ye could have given birth after ten months. Being infertile doesn't mean he couldn't have children..."

Ye Mingzhi smacked his lips, seemingly convinced by Li Mo's argument, but then insisted, "Anyway, Ye Yu's birth was very suspicious. He must be a bastard!"

Li Mo secretly smiled coldly, thinking that this was an excuse to take over his uncle's estate. Although he thought this, he nodded in agreement, "Brother Ye, you are right!"

"Let's get back to the topic. Today is the day the results are announced. I wonder if I can pass!" Ye Mingzhi looked out the window at the examination hall, his previously relaxed demeanor now showing signs of anxiety.

Just as they were talking, the gate of the examination hall slowly opened, and a middle-aged official holding a yellow list appeared before the crowd. Two guards cleared the way, and the crowd held their breath, making way for him.

The official looked around and walked to the posting area, pasting the large list. As soon as he left, the crowd surged forward, surrounding the list!

The list showed the names of twelve people, causing the crowd to draw in a sharp breath. In previous imperial examinations, at least twenty people from one state would pass. Now, only twelve people passed, making the competition even more intense!

"Ha! I passed!" A voice cried out in the crowd.

"Who's shouting? Where?"

"Look there! Tenth place!" A middle-aged man, about forty, pointed at the list with great joy.

As soon as the middle-aged man spoke, another voice cried out from another corner of the crowd, "Ha! I passed too! Third place! Ha! I've been in the examination hall for decades, and now I'm finally in the top three..."

"Hey! Old man, old man..." After the cry, the crowd was shocked because the old man, over sixty, fainted due to the excitement.

A small incident did not affect the crowd's enthusiasm for the list. People were constantly praising and rejoicing, while others left the crowd in disappointment.

Although one can become famous overnight, the years of hard study have made many people suffer!

Outside the examination hall, a carriage was parked. Inside, Qiulan and Su Yueyun were sitting. Su Yueyun seemed nervous, often poking her head out, waiting for something.

Seeing Su Yueyun so restless, Qiulan giggled, "Hey, Sister Yueyun, just wait a bit longer. Ah Kuan will be back soon with the news!"

"Does Ah Kuan know how to read?" Su Yueyun was still worried and asked a very practical question.

"Don't worry. Although Ah Kuan doesn't know many characters, he remembers the young master's name clearly!"

Seeing Qiulan looking at her mischievously, Su Yueyun scolded, "You little brat, it's already the day of the results, and you're still so relaxed! Just like your young master, who hasn't been seen all morning..."

"Ha ha ha! The young master said, 'As long as everything that should be done is done, the result is not important. Besides, it can't be changed. I have done my best, and even if I fail, I won't regret it!'" Qiulan mimicked Ye Yu's manner, lowering her voice to imitate him.

"You little rascal, I really can't do anything about you..." Seeing Qiulan mimicking Ye Yu, Su Yueyun couldn't help but laugh, covering her face.

At this moment, a hurried footsteps were heard outside the carriage, followed by a voice, "Sister Qiulan..."

Qiulan immediately poked her head out and asked Ah Kuan, who was running towards the carriage, "Ah Kuan, did you see it?"

"Y-Yes..." Ah Kuan ran to the carriage, panting heavily.

"Quick, is the young master on the list?" Su Yueyun couldn't wait and poked her head out, disregarding her dignity as a young lady, and pulled Ah Kuan, asking anxiously.

Ah Kuan, a fourteen-year-old boy, had been a book boy in the study since Ye Yu expanded the family estate. He was familiar with Qiulan. Being pulled by the unfamiliar Su Yueyun made him feel embarrassed.

Whether it was due to running or his shyness, Ah Kuan looked awkward and said, "He's on the list!"

Su Yueyun's expression relaxed, and Qiulan, overjoyed, asked anxiously, "What place is the young master?"

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