Chapter 28#
Chapter 28#
The golden light spilled over the stone bricks outside, reflecting like a vast expanse of white snow. For a moment, it was hard to distinguish whether it was sunlight or the color of snow; only the scorching temperature roasting one’s heart over and over again made one realize how much that snowy night was missed.
Su Yang had never felt time to be so long. He rubbed the death-exemption gold token in his hand as if he were rubbing Lin Huaiyu; his longing surged like a wild tide.
That must be Lin Huaiyu; there was no mistake. There could not be another person in this world with so many coincidences.
That must be Lin Huaiyu!
“Your Majesty, Lord Fang has arrived.” De Fu came in from outside, interrupting Su Yang’s thoughts.
“Let him in.”
Su Yang didn’t even raise his eyes, only putting the death-exemption gold token back into his robes and carefully placing it away. When he raised his eyes again, Fang Zhixu had already walked in from the door, holding a bright yellow memorial.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Fang Zhixu knelt on the floor. Although the room was very quiet, the pressure was not as low as before. Presumably, the Emperor did not find the method he proposed for the Jiangnan flood inappropriate.
Thinking of this, Fang Zhixu let out a sigh of relief.
Since returning from the last Qionglin Banquet, he recalled the situation where he ran into Su Yang in the Imperial Garden while drunk and almost scared his soul out of him.
How could he wander around the Imperial Garden? Even if he wandered, how could he run into the Emperor? Even if he ran into him, why did it have to be when the Emperor was in a bad mood?
Such bad luck. Although it was hard to see clearly in the dark, when Su Yang saw him at that time, there was clearly a flash of astonishment in his eyes, and then his face darkened, scaring Fang Zhixu half to death.
The wrath of the Son of Heaven really made one’s back feel cold just thinking about it.
Only, he still hadn’t figured out where he had annoyed Su Yang; likely he really had disturbed the Emperor by having a breeze.
Su Yang glanced at the kneeling person below and said faintly: “Bestow a seat.”
Fang Zhixu said hurriedly: “Many thanks, Your Majesty.”
After he sat down, Su Yang took the memorial Fang Zhixu had handed up and said: “This memorial written by Lord Fang is not bad; the methods for the flood are also very detailed.”
Fang Zhixu smiled bashfully: “Many thanks for Your Majesty’s praise; this is my duty.”
But Su Yang’s praise took a turn: “The methods written in this memorial are likely not the work of a single day. Have you been concerned about the Jiangnan flood for a long time?”
Fang Zhixu nodded. When talking about national affairs, he was not vague at all: “I am a Jiangnan native and have seen many floods. I want to contribute a bit of my humble strength to Great Yong. My concern for the flood is indeed not a sudden whim; I had already thought about this when I was in my hometown.”
Su Yang raised his eyebrows and asked tentatively: “Then, was this memorial entirely your own idea?”
Fang Zhixu didn’t think twice and said immediately: “I am ashamed; some of it was indeed the idea of my teacher. My teacher is a very capable person. I combined my own humble opinions and ideas with Teacher’s and submitted them together to Your Majesty.”
At the end, he added another sentence: “My teacher is aware of this matter.”
Scholars feared being accused of plagiarism the most, especially if it reached the Emperor’s ears; that would be a total loss of face.
Su Yang’s fingertip stayed at the blank lines of the memorial, then he said: “Lord Fang, don’t be nervous. This memorial is written very well. Whether it was your idea or your… teacher’s idea, they both deeply satisfy me.”
Fang Zhixu said joyfully: “It is my honor to be able to contribute a bit of strength for the people.”
Su Yang didn’t want to hear the other’s high-sounding words; he summoned Fang Zhixu into the palace only to test him, wanting to get more information about the other’s teacher. Thus he asked Fang Zhixu about other national affairs: “A few days ago, a memorial was submitted about the matter of taxation, with several points considered somewhat unreasonable. What insights does Lord Fang have?”
Fang Zhixu thought for a moment and began to talk eloquently.
Su Yang listened while observing Fang Zhixu.
Similar, very similar.
Especially when talking about these things, Fang Zhixu’s demeanor and his attitude of being for the nation and the people were identical to Lin Huaiyu’s. That appearance of “the people are of most importance, the state follows, and the sovereign is least” made him miss him immensely.
In a trance, Su Yang stared at Fang Zhixu, thinking he had returned to the time when Lin Huaiyu was still by his side. At that time, Lin Huaiyu also always discussed these national affairs with him. Lin Huaiyu always had many ideas; if he thought a bit biasedly, Lin Huaiyu would inevitably scold him a few times.
Fang Zhixu didn’t dare, but it was enough to make Su Yang fall into memories.
After listening to Fang Zhixu’s eloquent talk, he opened the memorial and asked: “Your ideas are very good, but why were there two or three blank lines left at the end of this memorial?”
While asking, he raised his eyes to stare intently at Fang Zhixu, and a sense of pressure instantly spread in the room.
Fang Zhixu thought he had done something inappropriate and said: “Your Majesty, please forgive me. When my teacher writes articles, he always leaves two or three blank lines at the end. I unknowingly learned this habit; I will surely pay attention in the future.”
Su Yang subconsciously tightened his fingertips pinching the memorial.
Hearing Fang Zhixu mention that teacher, he imperceptibly led the topic over: “That teacher of Lord Fang’s has such talent yet refuses to come to the capital; it’s truly a pity.”
Mentioning his teacher, Fang Zhixu was proud from the bottom of his heart: “Teacher is the most capable person I’ve seen, and the one who most cares about the common people. If his health were a bit better, he would probably be willing to come to the capital.”
Hearing this, Su Yang’s gaze was shaken, and his throat felt tight: “You say your teacher’s health is not good?”
Fang Zhixu nodded: “Teacher is weak and often ill. The courtyard is full of the scent of medicine, and his body is also full of the scent of medicine, so there’s simply no way to come to the capital.”
Su Yang slowly frowned: “Do you know what illness he has?”
Fang Zhixu shook his head: “Teacher didn’t say. There’s a physician by his side who has always been taking care of him, but that physician hasn’t been able to completely cure Teacher either.”
Su Yang lowered his eyes slightly, not knowing what he was thinking for a moment. The late Emperor was dead, and those brothers who had competed with him for the throne had also lost their lives. The poison on Lin Huaiyu was truly untraceable. Too much time had passed, and only now did he know…
Su Yang closed his eyes, swallowed the metallic taste surging in his throat, and calmed the feeling of heartache: “There are Imperial Physicians in the capital; I can summon famous doctors for him far and wide.”
Although Fang Zhixu didn’t know why Su Yang valued his teacher so highly, he still shook his head: “Teacher is indifferent to fame and wealth and doesn’t like the prosperity of the capital. The Imperial Physicians of the capital wouldn’t be able to cure him either.”
Su Yang’s heart sank, and he asked Fang Zhixu alertly: “Since your teacher has never been to the capital, how does he know the Imperial Physicians here wouldn’t be able to cure him?”
Fang Zhixu didn’t dare to meet Su Yang’s gaze and could only say with his head lowered: “Teacher said that the physician by his side is already the most capable famous doctor in this world. If even he can’t cure it, then no one in this world can cure his illness.”
Su Yang’s gaze focused. There weren’t many people with such medical skills in this world. A poison that even Zhou Li was helpless against—that person could actually treat it?
He had a calculation in his heart, let out a light laugh, and asked as if inquiring: “You said your teacher is a Jiangnan native; is he a born and bred Jiangnan person? Does he have even a bit of a capital accent?”
Fang Zhixu always felt that Su Yang seemed to have been testing him all along—no, to be precise, testing his teacher. But he hadn’t heard that Teacher had any old friends or enemies, nor had he heard Teacher say anything about having connections with the capital?
It couldn’t be… that Teacher was an old acquaintance with the Emperor?
This was also a bit too absurd; if they were old acquaintances, how could his teacher’s life and death be left to fate in a small Jiangnan town?
Thus he said: “Teacher is a Jiangnan native and has never been to the capital; naturally he doesn’t have a capital accent.”
Su Yang’s tone was slightly cold: “Do you know the consequences of deceiving the sovereign?”
Fang Zhixu hurriedly knelt and said: “I know; Your Majesty, please see clearly.”
Su Yang looked at him quietly, saying nothing more.
Lin Huaiyu stayed in the capital for so long and never picked up a capital accent. Every time he scolded him, he had a bit of a soft southern tone, which sounded exceptionally pleasant. Moreover, with Lin Huaiyu’s temper, even if it was a scolding, he wouldn’t say anything harsh.
He waved his hand, let Fang Zhixu get up, and asked again: “Has your teacher always been teaching in Jiangnan?”
Fang Zhixu shook his head: “I’m not clear about this either. I only know that the people in the town all know Teacher and are very familiar; he should… have always been there.”
Su Yang narrowed his eyes and said in a heavy voice: “I’m asking you; since you remember things, have you known this teacher?”
Fang Zhixu knew he couldn’t deceive the sovereign; he couldn’t bear that great crime. But he now faintly felt that this Emperor was inquiring about things related to his teacher, and maybe he really did know Teacher.
Zhao Xiangyi said he was like the late Chancellor Lin Huaiyu, and the person the Emperor was looking for was also that Chancellor Lin. It couldn’t be… that his teacher was Chancellor Lin?!
Fang Zhixu was startled by his own guess. That Chancellor Lin had already died in the fire; even if he really escaped, he must have been burned beyond recognition by the fire. His teacher was so beautiful; how could he be the Chancellor Lin who escaped from the fire?
Surely not…
Fang Zhixu then said: “Since I remember things, I hadn’t heard of Teacher; perhaps at that time Teacher… wasn’t teaching yet.”
Su Yang let out a sneer and ignored Fang Zhixu further.
His heart throbbed with pain wave after wave. He could almost be certain that Fang Zhixu’s teacher was Lin Huaiyu!
He had finally found news related to Lin Huaiyu!
Su Yang’s eyes turned red instantly, but Fang Zhixu was still here, so he couldn’t show too much; the feeling of joy had already surged from his chest.
Lin Huaiyu was still alive. Lin Huaiyu was indeed deceiving him. That fire was only to cover up the fact that Lin Huaiyu wanted to escape the capital and escape him. Escaping through a fake death—what a clever cicada shedding its skin!
He wanted to ask Lin Huaiyu why he was so heartless to abandon him. But when he heard Fang Zhixu say just now that Lin Huaiyu’s illness still hadn’t improved and the poison was still not cured, he thought again: how could he help Lin Huaiyu share those pains?
Thinking back and forth, his heart was a mess.
He wanted to see Lin Huaiyu; he wanted to see Lin Huaiyu right now!
Su Yang at this moment wished he could grow wings and fly to Jiangnan.
He put down the memorial and said to Fang Zhixu: “Go back and pack; tomorrow you will go to Jiangnan with me to handle the flood matter.”
Fang Zhixu was stunned. Although he had doubts in his heart, he didn’t dare to show them at this moment, only saying: “Yes.”
Why did the Emperor suddenly want to go to Jiangnan personally?
No, why did the Emperor ask about his teacher just now?
Does this have anything to do with going to Jiangnan? Could it be that the Emperor is doing this for his teacher?
Although his teacher was indeed brimming with talent, for the Emperor to come personally… uh… it seemed there was nothing impossible about it. After all, there were always some strange people around Teacher. Last time he even heard a Chu accent; it seemed there were people from various countries.
Thinking this way, for the Emperor of Great Yong to come personally wanting to invite his teacher to come out was nothing strange.
Fang Zhixu walked out of the Imperial Study, always feeling the sunlight outside was exceptionally bright.
He could still see the sun; it was good.
But then his expression was stained with a trace of worry. May his guess be wrong, may Teacher truly not be Chancellor Lin, may Teacher not be an old friend from the capital, and not the person the Emperor was looking for.
His back became smaller and smaller among the red walls of the palace.
Su Yang looked at De Fu and suddenly asked: “Where is the former Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, He Qingli, now?”
De Fu didn’t know why Su Yang suddenly asked about He Qingli. He thought back frantically and after a long while said: “In reply to Your Majesty, Lord He retired and returned to his hometown long ago.”
He Qingli was the Director of the Imperial Academy of Medicine when the late Emperor was still around. Not long after Su Yang ascended the throne following the late Emperor’s death, he retired to his hometown.
Su Yang’s fingertips tapped the desk, his gaze deep: “Where is he from?”
De Fu seemed to also realize what Su Yang wanted to ask and said hurriedly: “Uh… it seems he is also a Jiangnan native.”
The corners of Su Yang’s lips instantly curled into a smile.
Lin Huaiyu, I’ve found you.