Chapter 8: A Ghostly Encounter

In the days following, Fang Yiai was exceptionally busy, as the carpenters Master Fang Xing brought were incredibly eager to learn. Before long, they had exhausted all the knowledge in Fang Yiai's head.

"Second Young Master, the masters have learned most of what they needed. You won't have to be so busy from now on, right?" Linglong wiped the sweat from Fang Yiai's forehead. Seeing him panting from exhaustion, she felt a pang of sympathy. Fang Yiai took a sip of water, smacked his lips, and smiled bitterly. "I guess so. I hope these old masters will spare me. I'm almost at my wits' end. They're all like a million questions, and I don't know so many things."

Seeing Fang Yiai's pained expression, Linglong covered her mouth and giggled. The Second Young Master was really too harsh, what did he mean by "a million questions"? Indeed, after that day, the masters rarely came to ask questions anymore, and Fang Yiai finally breathed a sigh of relief. The remaining days were peaceful for him. He wandered around aimlessly, and when he had nothing to do, he would play chess with Linglong.

One sunny day in March, the season of spring, with a gentle breeze, green grass, and a fragrant scent in the air, Fang Xuanling returned home from court with a middle-aged man with a long beard. Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and chuckled, "Ke Ming, I didn't lie to you. You'll soon experience how comfortable the reclining chair is."

"Xuanling, hearing you say that, I'm almost eager to try it out. Ha ha!" The man, nearly fifty, laughed heartily. If Fang Yiai were there, he would have been shocked to recognize him as Du Ruhui, the "Du" in the famous duo "Fang's Strategy and Du's Judgment."

Fang Xuanling led Du Ruhui to the courtyard, set up the reclining chair, and invited him to sit down. After a while, he chuckled and asked, "Ke Ming, how does it feel?"

"Xuanling, this reclining chair is a wonderful thing. It's very comfortable, and I don't feel tired at all," Du Ruhui said with a broad smile, not wanting to get up. "By the way, Xuanling, where did you get this reclining chair? I should order one too. It's strange that I've never heard of such a fine item!"

"Ke Ming, I'm afraid you won't be able to buy this reclining chair. It was made by my son, Jun, to show his filial piety. If you want one, you'll have to ask him to make it for you," Fang Xuanling stroked his beard and chuckled. His son, who had always been a troublemaker, finally had something to be proud of.

"Really? This reclining chair was made by your son, Jun?" Du Ruhui was curious. Fang Jun's reputation was always associated with being a playboy, and he had never heard that he knew carpentry.

"Ke Ming, I wouldn't lie to you. My son, who is good for nothing, spends his days thinking of all sorts of mischief. I don't know where he learned this skill," Fang Xuanling said helplessly. He knew his son well; he had never left Chang'an, let alone learned carpentry. So Fang Xuanling concluded that his son must have learned it on his own, a natural talent.

"Ha ha, Xuanling, this is a good thing. You should be happy," Du Ruhui stood up from the reclining chair, patted Fang Xuanling's shoulder, and said happily, "Xuanling, how is Jun's injury? I've been busy with official duties and haven't had time to visit him. Since I'm here, I should at least go see him!"

"Ke Ming, don't mention it. This rascal is fine physically, but he hit his head and lost his memory," Fang Xuanling's face darkened at the mention of it. He had consulted the imperial physician, who said that recovering his memory was up to fate. Thinking about it, Fang Xuanling felt a deep sense of frustration.

"Xuanling, don't be so upset. It's a blessing that Jun is physically fine," Du Ruhui comforted him.

"Ha ha, let's not talk about this. Ke Ming, let me take you to see Jun. I don't know if he's around, but he's been wandering around lately, taking advantage of his injury," Fang Xuanling muttered as he led Du Ruhui to the west wing. When they entered the courtyard, they saw the door to the main room open, and inside, Fang Yiai and Linglong were engrossed in a game of chess. Fang Xuanling was about to call out to Fang Yiai, but Du Ruhui stopped him, curious to see what the young people were so absorbed in.

When Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui approached the table, Linglong and Fang Yiai were so focused on the game that they didn't even notice. Fang Yiai was carefully guarding his general, using all his skills to block Linglong's attack. Unfortunately, he only had a chariot and a horse left, while Linglong had a chariot, a horse, and two cannons. In the end, Fang Yiai's general was tragically cornered, and Linglong checkmated him with a double cannon and a chariot. Fang Yiai looked miserable, "Linglong, can't you let me off this time? I'm losing my confidence!"

"No way, Second Young Master, you're still a man!" Linglong said firmly.

"Hmph, Linglong, I'm only fourteen, I'm just a boy, not a man!" Fang Yiai retorted.

"..." Linglong said, "Second Young Master, you're being unreasonable!"

Just as Fang Yiai and Linglong were having a staring contest, a voice came from the side, "Brat, I've been standing here for a while, and you didn't even notice. Do you plan to keep me standing?"

Hearing the voice, Fang Yiai and Linglong jumped off their stools. Linglong clutched her dress, not daring to look up, "Master, I'm sorry, I won't do it again!"

Fang Yiai, though curious about the man next to his father, knew it wasn't the right time to ask questions. Seeing Linglong admit her mistake, he quickly said, "Father, it was me who dragged Linglong into the chess game. You know my nature; I can't sit still. Linglong was just trying to keep me company. Once we started playing, we got so absorbed that we didn't notice you come in."

"Alright, no need to make excuses. I'm not angry with you. Jun, do you remember who this is?" Fang Xuanling waved his hand, dismissing the minor issue, and pointed to the man beside him with a smile.

Fang Yiai looked carefully but shook his head, smiling bitterly, "Uncle, I'm sorry, but my head is a bit messed up, and I can't remember who you are."

Du Ruhui shook his head and said nonchalantly, "Jun, there's no need to feel guilty. You have amnesia, so I won't blame you. If you can't remember, it's fine. We can get to know each other again. My name is Du Ruhui, and you can call me Uncle Du."

Fang Yiai was thoroughly confused. What was going on? Du Ruhui died in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, as clearly stated in history books. He rubbed his forehead hard, confirming that everything was real, and muttered fearfully, "What's going on? Du Ruhui is supposed to be dead. How is he alive? Am I seeing a ghost?"

Hearing this, Fang Xuanling's face turned dark. What was this brat up to, cursing his old friend? He raised his hand to teach his son a lesson, but before he could, Linglong grabbed his hand and pleaded, "Master, please forgive Second Young Master this time. His head was injured, so please don't blame him."

"Linglong, let go of me. I must teach this brat a lesson today. If you don't let go, I'll punish you too," Fang Xuanling's face was livid, showing his genuine anger. But Linglong, undeterred, bit her lip and refused to let go, tears streaming down her face. Seeing this, Du Ruhui said calmly, "Xuanling, you're too hasty. I believe Jun didn't mean to curse me. Why not hear his explanation?"

"Ke Ming, since you're speaking for him, I'll listen to his explanation. I want to see what he has to say," Fang Xuanling sat down on a high stool, still fuming. Fang Yiai, realizing the situation, thought for a moment and said sheepishly, "Father, I would never curse Uncle Du. A few days ago, I met a fortune-teller on the street. He told me that Uncle Du would die in the fourth year of the Zhenguan era. Since I have amnesia, I believed him. But when I saw Uncle Du alive and well just now, I was naturally shocked."

"Ha ha, I told you Jun didn't mean to curse me. The fortune-teller wasn't wrong. In the fourth year of the Zhenguan era, I did face a great calamity. I almost died from anger, but fortunately, I met Daoist Sun, who saved my life," Du Ruhui said with a wistful smile. Hearing this, Fang Yiai felt a bit queasy. It seemed that Du Ruhui's son, Du He, wasn't much of a good person, almost killing his father with anger. If it came to being a troublemaker, Du He would definitely be first, and Fang Yiai second.

"Understood. I was indeed rude just now, Uncle. Please forgive me. I apologize," Fang Yiai bowed deeply.

"Jun, there's no need for such formality. I wouldn't blame you. Besides, I consider you like my own child, so I wouldn't hold it against you," Du Ruhui said kindly, waving his hand.

"Hmph, you have a point. By the way, what's the name of that fortune-teller? I'll have the governor of Jingzhao arrest him for spreading false information," Fang Xuanling was still angry. If he couldn't punish his son, he could at least go after the fortune-teller.

"Father, I don't know his name, but he called himself Xugu Zi," Fang Yiai lied off the top of his head.

"Xugu Zi? Where did he come from? Ke Ming, have you heard of him?"

"Xuanling, I'm afraid he's a fraud, probably a con artist. I doubt Xugu Zi is his real name," Du Ruhui shook his head and smiled. Fang Xuanling, hearing this, could only nod helplessly. He vowed that if he ever met Xugu Zi, he would make him pay.

Seeing that he had passed this test, Fang Yiai breathed a sigh of relief. He winked at Linglong, who was still teary-eyed, and made a funny face, making her laugh.

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Fang Yiai, having successfully navigated the situation, felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He winked at Linglong, who was still wiping away her tears, and made a silly face, making her laugh.