Chapter 5 of 10

Chapter 5

13 min read3,349 words

"Whatever shall we do?" Xu Ning anxiously clasped his hands and said.

"If you come to work for the Gao family, you will be one of us. Marshal Bu and Marshal Ma may be powerful and at the pinnacle of military officials, but if they have designs on you, let them come to me, Gao Fangping, for you." Gao Fangping patted his shoulder and turned to go inside. "Don't rush to answer. Think about it for three days. It's not a difficult decision. Even if you remain a drill instructor, not part of Marshal Gao's personal guard, if my father orders you, can you refuse?"

Xu Ning slapped his forehead and muttered, "That makes sense. Even if I don't work here, if Marshal Gao orders me, I must come."

...

Wandering around the mansion, he encountered a little girl and casually grabbed her.

The little girl's eyes welled up with tears, looking pitiful as if she were saying, "Young Master, let me go buy soy sauce first."

"Do you know where my father's study is?" Gao Fangping asked curiously.

"I know, I'll take you there right away," the little girl said without any surprise. The previous Young Master was uneducated and barely knew a few characters, so it was normal for him not to know where the study was.

Arriving at the study, the little girl asked curiously, "What are you going to do, Young Master? If you want to play tricks, find another place. Father will beat you to death."

"I want to read books and become a top scholar in the future," Gao Fangping said, picking up a book. However, his head started to hurt immediately. Not only were the characters in traditional form, but the classical Chinese was also obscure and hard to understand. Damn, even if the previous owner was a waste, this one might also end up the same.

"That's great, that's great. Young Master is so smart. If you work hard, you can definitely be called out at the Donghua Gate. I'm so happy for you, Young Master," the little girl clapped her hands, forgetting her place.

"Right, why did you kneel and beg for mercy last night? Were you doing something bad behind my back?" Gao Fangping put down the book and asked.

"I didn't take good care of you, Young Master. When the auspicious omen appeared, Father specifically instructed me to watch over you. But when the house shook, you shouted, 'The house is going to collapse!' and ran outside. I couldn't stop you, and then... then you were hit by a tile and knocked down."

Little Duo, being young, spoke without much thought.

"Oh, next time, I'll hang you up and beat you until you cry," Gao Fangping smiled and waved his hand. "Alright, you can leave now. Don't do anything extra. If someone bullies you, use my name. If I bully you, use my name too."

Little Duo was dejected. She had just started to think the Young Master wasn't so bad, but now he was sending her away. In the past, she found him annoying, but he was always around. Fortunately, she heard that this Young Master liked to harm married women, otherwise, the children might not be safe.

Settling down, Gao Fangping laid out the Four Treasures of the Study and picked up a brush, intending to practice calligraphy.

Recalling the little bit of calligraphy he had learned in elementary school, he started to write.

Unbeknownst to him, his father, Gao Qiu, had already stood behind him. He had been there for a while, seeing this waste of a son actually come to the study and pick up a brush, so he didn't disturb him and watched with interest.

After a few strokes, Gao Qiu couldn't help but get angry and slapped his son's back of the head, shouting, "Is this what you call writing!"

Gao Fangping was knocked to the ground, and the brush flew through the air.

Gao Qiu picked up the fallen brush and looked at the few strokes on the paper, which were worse than chicken scratch. He was both angry and amused, "My son, I know you've become smarter after the auspicious omen and want to study and become a scholar. That's a good thing. But... you're not cut out for this. Don't make a fool of yourself. Just be a good playboy, cause less trouble, and spend your free time talking to me. Isn't that better?"

Gao Fangping's eyes darted around, and he burst into tears, pounding the ground, "No, no, I want to become a scholar, I want to be called out at the Donghua Gate!"

Gao Qiu squatted down, patting his head, unsure whether to be happy or sad that his son would be mocked by others.

"I don't care, I want to be called out at the Donghua Gate. Otherwise, I might as well die!" Gao Fangping continued pounding the ground.

Gao Qiu frowned, "You want me to help you harm Lin Chong. Even if I think it's inappropriate, I'll do it because you're my son. But the Donghua Gate isn't our family's."

"Alright... I know it's impossible, and I've embarrassed you, Father. But please don't hit my head again. If you make me stupid again, it will be a problem," Gao Fangping said, no longer being stubborn.

Gao Qiu broke out in a cold sweat. Seeing his precious son become smart and clever, he didn't want to risk making him stupid again. So he gently patted his head, his eyes full of amusement.

"Rolling Yangtze River flows east, what do the waves wash away?" Gao Qiu looked at the chicken scratch and asked.

"Heroes," Gao Fangping said, holding his head.

Gao Qiu repeated it a few times and muttered, "It's a good start, but let's ignore your terrible handwriting. Don't you think you've written some characters wrong? I can understand them because of my deep knowledge, but with these mistakes, how do you expect to be called out at the Donghua Gate?"

"Father, you don't know. I'm researching a new type of writing, simplifying complex characters. It's called simplified characters and can improve writing and reading efficiency," Gao Fangping said in a scholarly tone.

Calligraphy was one of Gao Qiu's specialties, a skill he used to please the emperor, and a pursuit inspired by his respect for the great scholar Su Dongpo. He couldn't tolerate any disrespect, so he got angry again and raised his hand to hit his son's head, but hesitated, thinking of the auspicious omen.

In the end, Gao Qiu couldn't do anything and changed the subject, "I heard you went to Lin's wife's house today and handled things well. You have some insight?"

"Yes, I feel I've been a scoundrel in the past. Last night, I had a sudden thought: for over a decade, I haven't done anything for the country or the people. Every time I think about it, I feel deep sorrow. So I decided to reform and be a good person," Gao Fangping said. "Grudges shouldn't be held too deeply, and resentment shouldn't be too strong. Excess is as bad as deficiency. So I think we shouldn't make too much of a fuss over Lin Chong."

Gao Qiu smiled, "You've come to your senses. You sense the undercurrents in the court and realize it's not wise to offend Zhang Shunye too much. Although starting something and not finishing it damages my reputation, being smooth and kind is also acceptable. After all, scholars have their pride, but I'm just a jester who entertains the emperor. I don't rely on reputation for my position. If you think it's suitable, handle it as you see fit. I won't interfere for the sake of my face."

"Understood, Father is mighty," Gao Fangping said.

"Although it's a tradition to call your father 'adult,' I prefer you to call me Father," Gao Qiu smiled. "I have some business to attend to, don't disturb me. Go play."

Before leaving, Gao Fangping turned back curiously, "Father, you're just a leisurely person. There's no military business now. What do you have to be busy with?"

Gao Qiu smiled mysteriously, "I'm busy making the emperor happy. Otherwise, if I can't assist in politics or fight on the battlefield, how do you think our Gao family rose to power?"

Gao Fangping chuckled, "I understand. The emperor loves music, chess, calligraphy, flowers, birds, and fish. You're not trying to become a scholar but finding what the emperor likes and catering to his preferences. Indeed, success is not by chance. Being a jester requires effort and talent. In this aspect, no one can match you except Tong Guan. You have to get up earlier and have better stamina to outperform others."

"You can be taught," Gao Qiu waved his hand...

Leaving the room, he encountered the stupid guy with the tattooed arms.

Gao Fangping waved, "What's your name again? I forgot."

Fu An walked over, pained, "Young Master, it's me, Fu An. The Fu An who blocked the flying knife for you at noon, the loyal Fu An. I'm a bit stupid, but my loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon."

Gao Fangping observed him, believing him. This guy was undoubtedly a bad person, but he was different from Lu Qian. His self-assessment was accurate; he was just a bit stupid, but his loyalty was not a problem.

"Truly loyal?" Gao Fangping asked.

"Into water, into fire!" Fu An slapped his chest.

"You have potential. I see a bright future for you. Keep it up," Gao Fangping leaned in. "I have a task for you. Go to the accounting office and withdraw thirty guan. Today, one of Lu Qian's guards died at the Zhang family's. Take the money to the deceased's family and console them. It was an unfortunate accident."

This was a common occurrence, and Fu An was good at handling such matters, so he slapped his chest, "Young Master, rest assured. I'll handle it perfectly."

Gao Fangping nodded, "I believe you'll handle it well, but I estimate you'll embezzle twenty guan."

Fu An broke out in a cold sweat.

Gao Fangping said, "Too clear water has no fish. I understand that. But think about it: someone sends their child to serve in the army, and then the child dies. How would you feel, Fu An? We must have a conscience, right? For example, if you sacrificed yourself to save me from a black hammer, I would give your family a hundred guan, but if Lu Qian embezzled seventy guan, could you rest in peace?"

Fu An, being stupid, shouted, "If that damn Lu Qian dares to do that, I won't let him off even in death."

Gao Fangping nodded, "Good to know. I'll allow you to embezzle five guan. If the family gets less than twenty-five guan, I'll send you to the Western Army under General Xiaozhong to serve the country and fight the barbarians."

Fu An shrank back, knowing the Young Master's ruthlessness. He quickly nodded, "Although I like money, I understand that following the Young Master won't make me lose. I'll learn to have a conscience and won't take money from the dead. This time, the family will receive thirty guan."

"You can be taught. Also, stay away from Lu Qian. I don't tell this to just anyone," Gao Fangping smiled and walked away.

Fu An was moved to tears. Following a good person makes you good. He never thought that doing something not so bad for the first time would give him a sense of honor. The Young Master was truly wise.

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