xymnovel Chapter 61 Showdown
Chapter 61 Showdown
The study is not large, just a table, two chairs and a bookshelf.
At this moment, Shen Ce knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Student Shen Ce greets Master."
Wei Zheng sat upright, nodded to Shen Ce who was bowing meticulously, and casually placed his hand on the silk handkerchief Shen Ce had given him. His hand slid up and down the handkerchief, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face; the silk was of poor quality.
He stretched his neck and sniffed the dried meat on the table, then pouted and said, "Without sincerity, you can't even get beef jerky."
Shen Ce was stunned; he had never expected Wei Zheng to say such a thing.
He had already made up his mind to accept this one-sided offer, but Wei Zheng scolded him, saying that he didn't know how to behave properly, and then even said that his tuition was not good enough.
There was no beef sold in Anping County; Tang law forbade it. Even if there were stray cattle or cattle dragged into the water, they would be sent to the Cui family's kitchen, not sold on the street...
At this moment, Shen Ce was brimming with pride, patting his chest and saying, "Master, don't worry. When we get to Chang'an, my family's ox will surely be so grateful it will die of gratitude. Then I'll make it into jerky and send it to your residence!"
Seeing Shen Ce's serious expression, Wei Zheng shook his head: "The tuition fee is just for show, it's for others to see. As long as the sentiment is there, that's enough."
"Let me be frank with you, I am now an Imperial Advisor. Given my nature, I would never flatter or fawn. If I were to offend the Emperor one day, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my entire family would be wiped out. Have you thought this through?"
Without needing to recall the actual history, Shen Ce had genuinely admired Wei Zheng's character and scholarship throughout his life. Given this opportunity for academic guidance, why wouldn't he seize it?
Shen Ce chuckled: "Kid, it seems that the advice I've given His Majesty these past few months hasn't been very much to his liking."
"Hahaha"
Wei Zheng recalled the blood-stained clothes and painting he had presented and couldn't help but laugh. After calming down for a while, he said, "That makes sense. In the future, we should offer our advice separately, lest my master and I be beheaded by the royal family together."
Upon hearing this, Shen Ce did not hesitate for a moment and bowed deeply, saying, "Disciple Shen Ce greets Master."
From then on, the legendary duo of advisors, whose names would be etched in history, were officially formed, and Li Er, far away in the Xiande Hall, couldn't help but shudder.
Wei Zheng nodded, then took out a short stick from his chest, threw it on the ground, and said expressionlessly, "I don't have anything to give you. I had someone make this short stick yesterday to help you with your studies."
Shen Ce looked closely and realized it was even thicker than the one Duke Su had given him! Is this how literary giants teach people?
Wei Zheng composed himself and asked, "Would you like to have a courtesy name?"
Shen Ce answered truthfully: "The people of the countryside have never been taken."
Wei Zheng rose and paced back and forth around Shen Ce, tapping a wooden stick against his other hand as he pondered for a while before asking, "How is Ziwen?"
He continued to explain to Shen Ce: "The saying 'Reviewing the old to learn the new' has three meanings: first, it's the way to study; second, 'gentle and refined like jade' is the way to cultivate oneself; and third, 'treating others with gentleness' is the way to conduct oneself in the world."
Shen Ce was quite satisfied with the name after hearing it: "Student Ziwen thanks Master for bestowing this name upon me."
Seeing that Shen Ce was very capable, Wei Zheng diligently took out a book from his basket and began to teach him.
"Is it not pleasant to learn and practice what you have learned?" Anyone who studies the Analects must start with this sentence. Shen Ce had a very deep impression of this sentence, just like he remembered that the first word in the English dictionary was "abandon." Even if he forgot the rest, he could never forget this one.
Wei Zheng, with his eyes half-open, tapped the table lightly with a wooden stick and said, "From today onwards, you will study with me for two hours every morning, practice calligraphy on your own in the afternoon, and come back to me in the evening to test your studies."
"At most, there's only a little over a month. There's not enough time to explain everything in detail. Just remember it in your head."
Shen Ce was stunned. The teacher meant well, but had he considered how well he could handle it? Working from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., what was the difference between that and being a senior in high school?
Although the intention was to get him to the required level in a short period of time, he still resisted this cramming-style education.
"Master," Shen Ce said in a low voice, "Could we discuss whether the time could be shortened a bit? I still need to practice martial arts every day."
"Practicing martial arts?"
Shen Ce nodded hastily: "As a student who comes from a military background, I might be selected for the battlefield someday. I absolutely cannot let go of this life-saving skill."
"Hmph, kid, it's not like I haven't seen you practice martial arts before."
He chuckled sinisterly, "A target a meter away, and you're wielding a twelve-foot spear, yet you can't even hit the bullseye? I wonder how you even got into this squad in the first place?"
Seeing that his martial arts skills had been exposed, Shen Ce said without blushing or panting, "This is due to the strain of paperwork."
Seeing that he couldn't escape the daily toil, Shen Ce made a final cry: "The students can no longer kneel; could you please change to tables and chairs with taller legs?"
This time, the rigid Wei Zheng did not refuse and went along with Shen Ce's wishes.
As a result, every day before dawn, Wei Zheng would sit in his study, waiting for Shen Ce.
Looking at the sky, he knew that if he felt Shen Ce was late, he would start beating him without saying a word.
Logically speaking, Wei Zheng's strength was just a tickle to the thick-skinned Shen Ce, but he still pretended to be in pain.
A person in their forties who gets up early every day to teach should be treated with the respect due to them...
During the morning study session, Wei Zheng praised Shen Ce highly, saying repeatedly that he was a promising young man.
But as the sun began to set, Shen Ce picked up his brush and wrote characters on yellow paper that no one could recognize. At that moment, Wei Zheng pulled out a wooden stick and chased Shen Ce all over the courtyard.
He had never seen such ugly handwriting!
Thus, while Cui was sending portraits of the three clan women to Chang'an by fast horse, Shen Ce suffered a double torment of body and soul.
Sitting upright in his study, Shen Ce was momentarily distracted by the noise outside the window. He put down the book he was holding and said softly...
"Master, it must be an angel who has come."
Wei Zheng also put down his book, listened attentively, and remained silent for a long time.
"Ziwen, over the past twenty days, I've seen some progress in your studies. Let's leave the studying for now. If there's an opportunity on the road, you should still read books..."
"There is one thing I don't understand, and I need you to enlighten me."
"Master, please speak."
"You were originally just a ninth-rank squad leader in the Qin Prince's mansion. How did you manage to become a seventh-rank registrar after leaving the Xuanwu Gate?"
"Such a rapid promotion has been rare since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, and there has been no opposition yet. Can you answer me?"
Shen Ce knew he couldn't keep it a secret forever, so he immediately lifted his robe, knelt on one knee, and said, "This student has personally killed the lone Li Jiancheng!"