832 Old Schoolmates (1/2)
It was early summer in Chang'an. Though it wasn't that hot, the rich had already set ice pots in their rooms. The breeze flowed across the rooms, leaving coolness in the room, making it feel like winter.
Master Chu was sweating, and he kept his shirt open. He couldn't stop waving the cattail leaf fan in his hand, because he felt so hot after hearing the news; it felt that even his heart was burning.
”Is it true? Really?” He stared at Chu Youxian, asking in a low and mysterious voice, ”Don't say it if it's inconvenient for you. Just give me a wink.”
Chu Youxian looked at his father, then he sighed and face-palmed because he didn't know how to answer it. Though the rumor had been spreading in the house recently, he simply couldn't admit it.
Master Chu had read the answer from his reaction. His wrinkles stretched. Then he laughed while patting his son on the shoulder excitedly, saying, ”I was wondering why I didn't see you at home or in the House of Red Sleeves. I wasn't expecting you could start a new life. Now you've become an official. That's nice. I was right earlier to have paid the high tuition fee of yours in the Academy.”
Master Chu was the well-known rich man in Chang'an. And it was his life's wish for his descendants to have high positions in the government. Chu Youxian's position might not be that high, but it was crucial for the imperial court. Master Chu then had every reason to be pleased when hearing the news.
He looked at Chu Youxian and warned, ”You should be clear about how you've reached the position. Your grades at school were such a mess, and you had no outstanding working abilities. You have the position only because Mr. Thirteen cherished your friendship. You should never let him down. Be cautious, and don't get dizzy from success.”
Chu Youxian couldn't bear it any longer when he heard those words. He waved his arms and shouted angrily, ”Who's getting dizzy from success anyway? Who? I am a secret guard, a fact that cannot be disclosed to anybody! Why did you have to pay a thousand taels of silver to have me investigated? Now that you've found out, how can I continue my job? Will you spend more to shut people's mouths? Why do you have to make everything so troublesome?”
Master Chu was lectured but he couldn't talk back, because he had indeed acted inappropriately. He flushed and paled, then he said, ”I won't say a word about you from today on.”
Chu Youxian stood up. He was about to leave in anger.
Master Chu had been as humble as he could, but his son wouldn't buy it. He was seriously irritated and shouted, ”I can still beat you even if you're an imperial official now! Where are you going? It's so late at night.”
Chu Youxian said, ”There's a party at the House of Red Sleeves tonight, I have to go.”
Master Chu said angrily, ”I haven't been there for ten days, who do you think you are to be there now?”
Chu Youxian said annoyedly, ”It's the reunion party for schoolmates in the Academy. I won't go if you don't let me.”
Master Chu was going to say ”what if you don't go” before it occurred to him that Mr. Thirteen was also a schoolmate of his son's. So he swallowed the words back and said, ”Just go and come back early.”
In early summer, Chang'an was covered by green trees. People could see the large green area even if looking at the city from far away, the scene was so comforting.
The most beautiful scenery would be boring if people looked at it for too long, just like the Headmaster felt the world was so boring after he had watched it for over a thousand years, so he wanted to visit somewhere else; or like the Empress who had lived more than ten years in the city, she had felt bored for long without being accompanied.
Ning Que came up with two people when he was standing on the city wall, looking at the woods and lakes in the city. Then he remembered the words Ye Hongyu said by Yanming Lake.
”You will be trapped in Chang'an City till you die, being an angry prisoner.”
He went outside of the city for the Qingming Festival, so it had been days after the last time he went outside of the city. He was bored, but not yet angry. He knew he had already become a prisoner.
A warm breeze blew gently on the city wall. Early summer, together with late spring, were the two warmest and most beautiful seasons of Chang'an. Eldest Brother was still in his cotton jacket.
Ning Que was sure, that Eldest Brother's cotton jacket hadn't been washed since he met him on the day in the 13th year of Tianqi. He always looked dusty yet felt so clean, why?
”Because my heart is clean.” Eldest Brother said slowly.
Ning Que smiled and said, ”I heard that a tranquil heart isolates people from the crowd around, and yet I've never heard that a clean heart keeps the body clean, you're just being unreasonable.”
Eldest Brother walked to him slowly, and looked down at the streets and alleys under the city wall, saying ”A tranquil heart isolates people from the crowd around... that's interesting, what a pity that you can't keep your heart in tranquillity.”
If one's heart could reach absolute tranquility, his mind would be able to experience the whole world, even when he was being physically trapped. Ning Que clearly knew clearly about what Eldest Brother meant, but he couldn't feel the tranquility now because of the current situation.
Eldest Brother looked at him sympathetically and said, ”If your heart isn't a tranquil one, then just try to move.”
Ning Que thought it over, and replied, ”The risk is too high.”
Eldest Brother said, ”The God-stunning Array is still working, and it can resist for quite a while even if I am not here. You can't just waste your life while for nothing here.”
Ning Que pointed at pedestrians in the streets and alleys, then he said, ”Their lives and their future all depend on me, I can't take the risk of losing them.”
Eldest Brother said, ”You're now the guardian of the city and its citizens, but if you can't get out of the city ever again, it will be the citizens who would be protecting you instead.”
After a long silence, Ning Que said, ”I get it.”