Chapter 874: Chapter 874: Where Is the Lian Family?
Once these matters are settled, Lian Musu will first go to Divine Doctor Huang to treat his leg. After the leg is completely healed, it will be around springtime, and he will then depart for another place.
At this moment, he found Minister Jia, those scholars, Old Lady Wu, and others in the crowd, formally thanked each of them, and then took Lian Wanzhen and Wu Sheng to Minister Fan’s residence.
Minister Fan, the old fox, was in low spirits at that moment. What use was it to win a verbal battle with the officials? He couldn’t pass His Majesty’s test, and couldn’t even protect the status of his favored disciple. He would be delayed for several more years, and what face would he have to accept disciples?
Though Lian Musu achieved Jieyuan at the age of twenty-six, quite remarkable, how many years can a peerless minister afford to waste? Three years is a chasm, especially now that the court has punished many people, leaving many vacancies, it’s an excellent opportunity to fill them.
He was too complacent and self-satisfied, focusing on debating with those stubborn officials, but neglecting the Emperor’s will. Smart for a lifetime, foolish for a moment, he’s older and duller now, alas, alas.
When Lian Musu sought an audience, he saw Minister Fan sighing heavily.
He stepped forward to pay his respects. Minister Fan, upon seeing him, was first surprised by someone coming so early, comforted in his heart, but his expression quickly darkened, losing the spirited vitality he once had, sincerely saying he couldn’t protect him.
Minister Fan spoke despondently about how the matter of apprenticeship was his insistence from the start, whether it counts or not is up to them. He had tested Lian Musu, so they are somewhat a teacher-student pair. In the future, any rare ancient texts in the Fan Residence could be read freely, without worrying about formalities.
Lian Musu said, though the student only formally met Minister Fan once, his guidance was profoundly enlightening. The annotations from rare books dropped by Minister Fan before were highly admired by the student. The hesitation in accepting an apprenticeship was due to concerns about implicating Minister Fan. Now that matters on himself are settled, if Minister Fan does not mind the student’s current status, he asks to be accepted as a student.
Upon hearing this, Minister Fan was overjoyed, repeatedly saying good, filled with happiness, warmly calling Musu by name.
Lian Musu was straightforward, directly kneeling for the apprenticeship. The servants promptly brought a cup of tea, and Lian Musu personally offered it.
After Minister Fan drank it, he personally helped him up, thus officially performing the apprenticeship ceremony.
Filled with joy and delight, he then asked Lian Musu if there was a matter, as he wouldn’t come in such haste, with the case just resolved.
Lian Musu nodded, first apologizing, as he needs to travel elsewhere after the New Year and doesn’t know when he’ll return, fearing he won’t often serve before the teacher, asking for understanding.
Minister Fan, understanding the seriousness, quickly dismissed the others from the Fan Residence, while Lian Musu also had Wu Sheng and Lian Wanzhen wait outside.
With only the two left inside, they began their first confidential teacher-student conversation.
When Lian Musu left with Lian Wanzhen and Wu Sheng from the Fan Residence, it was the time when stars began to appear. They went in as three, but came out with an additional ten-year-old boy, Minister Fan’s great-grandson, and also with a stack of thick books, all personally selected by Minister Fan for Lian Musu.
The Fan Family boy was intelligent and courteous, had read many books, and his manners were quite proper. But at his age, being Minister Fan’s most valued great-grandson, with carefree living and outstanding among peers, it formed a somewhat proud and self-satisfied personality, unaware of folks’ hardships, carrying a bit of stubbornness and willfulness.
Minister Fan saw this clearly and tried to correct him, but in the unchanging environment of the Fan Family, it was hard for his mindset to change. Externally he received education, keeping his pride away in front of his grandfather, respectful, but internally not convinced.
These couldn’t escape Minister Fan’s discerning eyes.
Uncut jade cannot be made into a vessel; unrefined men cannot become talents.
Therefore, Minister Fan resolved firmly, entrusting him to Lian Musu. Knowing that Lian Musu was to treat his leg, he let the Fan Family boy serve as a student by Lian Musu’s side, adhering to the teacher-student etiquette, leaving all teaching methods to Lian Musu, implying to refine Fan Family boy’s temperament.
Lian Musu understood Minister Fan’s intentions, readily agreeing.
Minister Fan was his teacher, experienced in the court’s storms, and with today’s conversation, his teacher was utterly generous, providing him with immeasurable benefits and numerous inspirations.
As for the apprenticeship, he had already communicated with the Emperor, who did not oppose it. Minister Fan had been in the court for decades, making him a perfect mentor for Lian Musu, and regarding Lian Musu’s upcoming matters, the Emperor did not expressly prohibit mentioning them to Minister Fan.
Some matters, especially in officialdom and political affairs, without personal experience and insight, cannot be imagined from afar. Minister Fan’s personal teaching was to make up for Lian Musu’s shortcomings, facilitating his future endeavors.
While Minister Fan had his own motivations, accepting Lian Musu as a student was entirely sincere and genuine. During Lian Musu’s healing period, he was quite concerned, visiting Lian Musu every few days, eager to impart all he had learned in life.
This moved Lian Musu deeply, yet shamed him, as the teacher’s kindness was monumental, and given the teacher’s advanced age, after apprenticeship he couldn’t serve the teacher, instead causing the teacher worry, which was indeed inappropriate.
Minister Fan said, it’s merely a teacher’s responsibility, can’t take on a student and teach nothing, no need to fuss about gains and losses between teacher and student.
Later, before Lian Musu’s departure, Minister Fan had hidden worries, and handed him a token along with a letter, instructing him to seek the person mentioned in the letter in case of emergency when beyond the reach of the Capital.
These are matters for later.
Speaking of the Lian Family case, shortly after the trial concluded, from outside a certain residence in Southern City, came the crackling of firecrackers.
The crackling sound echoed around, one batch after another of firecrackers exploded, littering the ground with crimson paper scraps, looking tremendously festive.
A person approached, face covered in dust, asking along the way: "Where is the Lian Family?"
Nearby neighbors pointed the way: "The house with sounds of firecrackers is the one; are you one of those admirers of Top Scholar coming?" Saying this, they became wary, trying to persuade the person not to disturb.
The Lian Family case garnered attention in the Capital, and many knew where the Lian Family lived, hence there were those who gave directions to the person asking, leading them here.
Lian Changhe and others sometimes found it quite troubling, as the Shuntian Prefecture held public trials, examining consecutively for days, they had to stay potentially summoned by government officers. Over time, many learned their whereabouts.
Citizens and scholars were overwhelmingly enthusiastic, particularly the scholars, cautiously peeking, pretending to meet by chance, and many young ladies were similarly well-intentioned, reassuring them things would improve.
The Lian Family members felt deeply touched, but gradually, some reached a point where they had seven to eight encounters a day, even had wall-climbers, which became distressing. Lian Wanzhen and Qian Chen had to toss more than ten wall-climbers out each day, exhausted by it.