Everyone else had left, leaving only Xu Yue behind.
In the garden.
Flowers bloomed in abundance everywhere, their rich fragrances and varied colors densely clustered together in lush profusion, exceptionally delightful to behold.
A winding stream flowed through, its banks lined with elegant orchids bearing slender leaves, exuding a refined charm.
Xu Yue gazed with admiration at the beautiful scene before her. Teacher Feng loved cultivating flowers and plants, without distinction between refined and common varieties, though he professed a preference for the lofty literati’s favorites like plum blossoms and orchids.
He adored the exuberant peonies and herbaceous peonies, as well as jasmine and lilies—Feng Yi could appreciate the lovable qualities of all the flowers in the world.
Feng Yi sat on a stone stool amidst the flower beds, casually watering the plants while speaking to his disciple:
“Each flower has its own nature—some prefer shade, others sun; some thrive in red soil, others in sandy soil. They’re all different. To cultivate them well, the gardener must patiently discern each one’s needs, never applying rigid rules indiscriminately.”
When the watering was done, Feng Yi set down the kettle, turned around, and teased:
“Your teacher here not only uses this method for raising flowers but also for nurturing you disciples. Do you know why I kept only you behind?”
Xu Yue truly didn’t know. After thinking for a moment, she decisively shook her head and ventured:
“Is it because Teacher Feng wants to advise me on some matters?”
Being the youngest at just five years old, it was possible Teacher Feng thought she might act improperly or make mistakes in Hangzhou.
The next second.
A large hand ruthlessly ruffled her hair. The child’s raven-black locks, glossy like fine silk, felt exceptionally pleasant to the touch. Feng Yi inwardly marveled before saying:
“Wrong.”
Before withdrawing his hand, he casually pinched her twin buns and remarked lightly:
“Among my four disciples, you are the youngest in age but possess the highest innate talent, with a temperament exceptionally cautious beyond your years. Yue Ge’er, you are the one I worry about the least.”
Xu Yue was taken aback for a moment, opening her mouth to say something modest, but was interrupted by Feng Yi’s words:
“Ah, Yue Ge’er, there’s one thing I’ve never understood?”
Feng Yi raised an eyebrow, his lowered eyes intently fixed on his young disciple as he asked with a hint of puzzlement:
“What are you afraid of? What is there to fear, what could possibly be worth your fear?”
“Although your family are merely landowners—not as prestigious as Wen Xin’s official background, nor as extravagantly wealthy as He Shun’s family—compared to Xia Yu, your circumstances are much better.”
Under Feng Yi’s gaze, his young disciple, delicate as carved jade, looked tense, her snow-like cheeks tinged with a rosy blush, bright and adorable.
He sighed inwardly, feeling it was a tricky situation:
“Your family is wealthy. In recent years, the Xu family has achieved considerable success in agricultural sericulture, yielding abundant profits. Surely, you have no worries about lacking gold or silver.”
“You were born into the main branch, your only brother is an illegitimate child, and his innate abilities are far inferior to yours—one could say he poses no threat to you at all. The head of the Xu family holds you as a pearl in the palm of his hand.”
If it weren’t for Xu Yue being such a rare gem, Feng Yi wouldn’t have bothered looking into the affairs of a minor landowning family.
He asked with a sigh:
“Given all this, Yue Ge’er, you possess at least seventy to eighty percent of the world’s blessings. The only regret is your birth mother’s early passing, which you probably don’t even remember.”
“Someone like you ought to be proud and self-assured, handling everything with composure. But, Yue Ge’er, do you know how you appear in my eyes?”
Xu Yue remained silent, so Feng Yi answered his own question:
“It feels as if some immense danger has been constantly threatening you. The slightest negligence would cost you everything. That’s why even after catching up with Wen Xin, who is five years older, in your studies, you don’t feel happy. Instead, you feel the need to quicken your pace.”
An immense danger—does being a woman count?
A woman, foolishly dreaming of seizing the honors that millions of men strive for with all their might and ingenuity—
To leave a name in history, praised in the annals.
What does surpassing Wen Xin matter?
Ahead on this path, there are opponents wiser, more diligent, with better family backgrounds, greater luck, older and more deeply accumulated than Wen Xin!
“As for the reason, I won’t be so bothersome as to pry to the bottom of it.”
Feng Yi waved his arms as if shooing flies, then leaned against the stone table, propping his head with one hand. His features were indistinct in the sunlight.
He said firmly:
“Relax a little. An arrow kept drawn for too long either shoots with earth-shattering force or snaps the bow and breaks itself.”
“Yue Ge’er, you are a gem that can astonish the world. Don’t rush to polish yourself too hastily. Take it slow. It’s not yet time for you to shine brilliantly.”
Under the summer sun, the flowers emitted a rich fragrance. Xu Yue felt as if she had been thoroughly steeped in the floral scent just from listening for a while.
And she truly took his words to heart.
Mainly because Teacher Feng had called her a gem that could astonish the world!
Just kidding. Awakened by Teacher Feng’s words, Xu Yue realized that her current state was abnormal—too tense, just as he had said.
Xu Yue bowed respectfully in a disciple’s salute, indicating that she would heed Teacher Feng’s advice.
“Now that’s more like how a child should be.” After saying this, Feng Yi’s expression changed. He winked playfully at his young disciple and said:
“This time when we go to Hangzhou Prefecture, your master has quite a few rivals. Those who couldn’t match my talent and elegance back in the day still refuse to accept it. Now they’ve taken on disciples of their own, dreaming of having their students serve their purpose and outshine you all.”
“Who knows, there might even be one or two shameless old-timers who’ll step in to cause trouble themselves.”
“Don’t blame me for not warning you. If you encounter them and lose, don’t come crying to me afterward.”
Xu Yue: …???
Are you even speaking human words?
Her scalp prickled instantly, and all her melancholy and reflections were cast aside. She hurriedly said:
“You must be joking, Teacher Feng. You have such a good temperament—how could you have many rivals? Surely, you have many friends instead.”
Under her hopeful gaze, Feng Yi spread his hands and said triumphantly:
“Can’t be helped. Those who aren’t envied are mediocrities. That’s the ancestral saying of our school. My master taught me the same before me. So, to avoid being mediocre, I, though untalented, managed to come out on top among my peers.”
Hence, the most envied and resented.
Xu Yue also recalled the words Feng Yi had said to her when she first became his disciple. But now, she felt no trace of emotion—only—
How has this school of thought managed to survive without someone being ambushed and beaten to death?
Thinking this, Xu Yue curiously asked if her grand-teacher, whom she was hearing about for the first time, was still alive. Feng Yi curled his knuckles and gave her another flick on the forehead:
“Your grand-teacher is alive and well, currently serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the court. So, how about it? Haven’t I shortchanged you, have I?”
No, not at all. Not in the least.
The Ministry of Personnel oversees the promotions of all officials in the realm, wielding immense power. It’s known as the Ministry of Heaven.
Xu Yue was overjoyed to learn she had such a powerful backer, feeling not the slightest bit coy about it. Being able to live as a second-generation beneficiary—no, a third-generation one—was absolutely exhilarating.
Seeing his young disciple’s eyes crinkle into fox-like slits from laughter as she clung to him, eagerly asking when they could visit her grand-teacher, Feng Yi feigned annoyance and shooed her away:
“Fine, so young and already learning to curry favor with the powerful. Out, out! You haven’t even earned the title of Juren yet—what does the Vice Minister of Personnel have to do with you?”
Out she went, and Xu Yue skipped away light-footedly.
Left alone amid the flowers and shallow stream, Feng Yi shaded his eyes from the sun and chuckled wryly:
“The little rascal actually listened. Your grand-teacher has long known about you from my letters.”