The carriage bumped along all the way. Sitting upright inside, Chu Yue felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier, and just as he was about to give up fighting it and drift off to sleep, Mu Qing let out a crisp and ringing shout right beside him, startling Chu Yue awake.
Mu Qing was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old youth with a slender and naive appearance, yet his voice was unexpectedly as loud as a giant bell.
Chu Yue instantly opened his eyes. “What is it, Qing Mu?”
Turning his head and realizing he had startled his young master, Mu Qing quickly covered his mouth and said, “Young Master, I made a mistake again!”
Bewildered, Chu Yue asked, “How did you make a mistake?”
Lowering his head, Mu Qing muttered softly, “I scared the young master again. Please punish me, Young Master!”
“Not at all,” Chu Yue replied with a calm smile, changing the subject. “Why has the carriage stopped?”
The coachman respectfully replied from outside, “Reporting to the Young Master, there are imperial guards blocking the road ahead and refusing to let anyone pass.”
Chu Yue lifted the carriage curtain. Sure enough, a row of soldiers stood outside blocking the road, and judging by their attire, they were members of the palace’s Imperial Guard.
It was not just the Mei family’s carriage that had been stopped; the carriages of other students had been halted as well. Glancing at their location, Chu Yue noted that this place was at most two miles away from the Imperial Academy. He remembered that whenever the Emperor came to the Imperial Academy to lecture, the imperial guards would always seal off the roads.
It looked like the Emperor was coming to the Imperial Academy today. Chu Yue’s heart sank. Truly, whatever you fear most comes to pass; the person he hated most in this life was the Emperor. He wished he could kill him with his own hands, yet he could only harbor a chest full of helpless hatred.
In this lifetime, the person Chu Yue least wanted to see was the Emperor.
Chu Yue took a deep breath. “Mu Qing, let us get out of the carriage.”
“Understood, Young Master.”
Carrying Chu Yue’s book box, Mu Qing followed closely as they stepped down from the carriage.
The master and servant walked along the spacious avenue, flanked by stalwart and upright pine and cypress trees. In this chilly weather, only the pines and cypresses remained verdant and lush.
Chu Yue and Mu Qing walked one after the other when suddenly a handsome young gentleman came over to greet them. This young man wore the same Imperial Academy student uniform as Chu Yue.
Along the way, this young man chatted idly with Chu Yue all the time. Forced to put on a smiling face, Chu Yue chatted along as if they were very close. Since he had no idea who the other person was, he could only mind his words and accompany him with smiles all the way.
Inwardly, he sighed at how long this road was. If they did not reach the end soon, his act as Mei Lingze would come to an end!
Turning the conversation, this young man grew quite interested in the supernatural event of Mei Lingze’s recent resurrection. Seeing that the other meant no harm, Chu Yue recounted what he had seen upon waking up that day, inwardly thanking his lucky stars that they were not discussing other idle gossip, otherwise he truly would have been clueless.
Before they had spoken much longer, several other students gathered around. They all seemed deeply interested in the strange event of Mei Lingze’s resurrection and curiously asked Chu Yue what it felt like to die!
They certainly asked the right person! Chu Yue recounted leisurely, “After a person dies, there is a brief moment of awareness. Of course, that awareness does not last long, and after that, you know nothing at all!”
“You never died, how would you know what it feels like to be dead?”
The voice arrived like a cold current. Chu Yue and the others looked forward to see Xing Li walking toward them in light armor, holding a sharp sword, with a mocking smirk at the corner of his lips and an aggressive aura enveloping his entire body.
Those noble youths were clearly terrified of Xing Li. Seeing him approach, they all timidly walked away.
“It can be considered returning from the dead, surviving by a stroke of luck. I figure that if there had been no stroke of luck, it would have been death, so logically this also counts as an experience of death.”
With a slight curve of his lips, Chu Yue answered composedly, then pondered and asked, “Why is Commander Xing here today?”
Judging by Xing Li’s armor, he was undoubtedly the commander of this group of imperial guards. The imperial guards capable of appearing at the Imperial Academy must be the most elite troops of the Imperial City Bureau; how could someone like Xing Li stoop to serving under others?
Chu Yue was certain that Xing Li was now the commander of the Imperial Guards.
True to form, Xing Li did not deny it, seeming to savor the words Chu Yue had just spoken while turning a deaf ear to his question.
After a brief moment of silence, Xing Li simply walked straight past him as if the person before him were air.
Chu Yue inwardly cursed: You really have no manners, fellow!
Watching Xing Li’s upright figure, Chu Yue turned around, preparing to leave, when a cold voice drifted from behind him: “If you still want to enter the Imperial City Bureau, this general can give you a chance.”
Chu Yue was stunned. So Mei Lingze had always wanted to enter the Imperial City Bureau.
“However, you will still have to rely on yourself. In case you get beaten to death again, this general will not be responsible.”
Without even looking back, Xing Li tossed out those words and strode away in a dashing manner.
Chu Yue stared at Xing Li’s retreating figure, feeling completely bewildered and unable to understand what kind of opportunity that was.
Mu Qing looked ready to cry. “Young Master, please do not go participate in that Imperial City Bureau martial arts tournament again! Last time you were injured like this just in the preliminary rounds, and the upcoming rounds are the finals!”
“The Imperial City Bureau martial arts tournament?” Chu Yue muttered to himself. “Who wants to enter the Imperial City Bureau!”
Chu Yue shot a look of disdain at Xing Li’s retreating back.
Patting his chest, Mu Qing said, “It is wonderful that the young master has figured it out! That Imperial City Bureau is so grueling, how can it compare to the ease of studying at the Imperial Academy?”
“What Mu Qing says makes sense.” Chu Yue did not hesitate to lavish some praise on him.
The lecture hall at the Imperial Academy was Biyong Hall, surrounded on all sides by pools of water with flowing currents symbolizing the continuous spread of education. The architecture inside the hall fully displayed imperial grandeur, and only the sons of officials of the fifth rank and above were permitted to enter and study at the Imperial Academy.
Consequently, everyone who came to listen to lectures at the Imperial Academy was the offspring of high-ranking court ministers.
Entering Biyong Hall, Chu Yue kept his head lowered and his gaze modest, terrified of seeing unfamiliar faces and having them enthusiastically come over to greet them. Given that Lord Mei served as the Libationer of the Imperial Academy, it was only natural for his sole precious son to be popular here; Chu Yue simply blamed himself for not doing any homework these past few days, leaving him unable to even raise his head now.
Guided by Mu Qing, Chu Yue found his seat, sat down promptly, and began studying earnestly, completely detached from all the commotion outside.
“His Majesty has arrived!”
By voice alone, Chu Yue recognized it as Chief Eunuch Wang Jie. After all these years, this old fellow’s physique was still as robust as ever.
Together with a crowd of students, Chu Yue dropped to his knees in unison to pay respect. “Long live our Emperor, long live, long live our Emperor!”
By comparison, the aging Emperor lacked that much vigor. Striding forward with faltering steps and coughing a few times consecutively, the old Emperor sat down before the imperial throne, waved his hand, and said, “Rise, students.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Following the other students through the salutation, Chu Yue kept his head lowered throughout, unwilling to bestow even a single glance upon the Emperor. Beneath his wide sleeves, his hands clenched so tightly that blue veins bulged, and his gaze transformed into a sharp sword that could have practically hacked the desk before him into splinters!
“We have not come to the Imperial Academy to lecture for several months now. I wonder how your studies are progressing?”
As soon as the Emperor uttered these words, the students lowered their heads, not daring to speak. Was the very next sentence going to be a spot check on their studies?
Sure enough, Wang Jie handed over a name roster, and the Emperor scanned it up and down.
“Yu Changfeng, tell us what the instructor has been teaching recently.” The Emperor’s tone was mild yet brooked no lack of majesty. Wielding absolute power over life and death, even if he spoke with a voice no louder than a mosquito, these students, unseasoned by the trials of the world, would still tremble three times over.
Trembling all over, Yu Changfeng stepped out of formation from his seat. Pressing his forehead against the back of his hands, as if wishing he could just collapse flat on the floor and pass out right then and there, he vibrated with a nervous voice, “The teacher lectured on Mencius a few days ago.”
“Oh? And what have you learned from it?”
For a long moment, no one answered.
Somewhat displeased, the Emperor hummed, “Hmm?”
Pleading for his life, Yu Changfeng stammered, “This student is a dull-witted person!”
Raising his eyes, Chu Yue saw that the trembling youth kneeling on the ground like chaff in the wind was precisely the young gentleman who had conversed with him along the way. Among the court ministers surnamed Yu, the only one Chu Yue knew was Minister of Rites Yu Dazhou. Now looking at his facial features, this student did bear a fair resemblance to Lord Yu.
Shaking his head in dissatisfaction, the Emperor continued scanning the name roster until he stopped at the name of Mei Lingze.
“Mei Lingze.”
Reacting on instinct, Chu Yue raised his head to glance at the Emperor, coincidentally catching the Emperor looking around to find where Mei Lingze was.
Their eyes met, but Chu Yue forcefully crushed the flare of hatred that had just risen. The Emperor’s eyes were aged and dim, so fortunately he did not notice clearly.
“This student is here,” Chu Yue stepped out of his seat in an orderly fashion, knelt, and paid his respects.
The Emperor said, “I heard you suffered severe injuries participating in the Imperial City Bureau martial arts tournament a few months ago. Have you fully recovered now?”
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s concern, this student is already recovered.”
Chu Yue spoke with calm composure, drawing the Emperor’s interest with this seasoned demeanor. The Emperor asked, “Are you not afraid of me?”
Afraid of my foot! Chu Yue thought. The Emperor is the Son of Heaven, and imperial majesty commands awe, so this student feels timid!
“Then why do you not look the slightest bit afraid?”
Chu Yue replied, “Before Your Majesty, this student dares not show any unseemly behavior, and thus is merely putting up a calm front.”
The Emperor burst into laughter. “A good child who understands the grand picture.”
“Then do you have your own insights regarding Mencius?”
Straightening his back as he knelt on the ground, Chu Yue fixed his gaze straight ahead on the floor and said without blinking, “This student is dull-witted and truly cannot comprehend it.”
In truth, he simply could not be bothered to waste words with the Emperor.
True to form, the Emperor’s face turned ashen. With everyone acting like this, would there be anyone usable left in the imperial court for the future?
Closing the roster in a fit of anger, the Emperor hurled it onto the floor and broke into a continuous bout of hacking coughs, gasping for breath. Down below, all the students stepped out to kneel in a large group, crying out in unison: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Guard your imperial health!”
Chu Yue would have been more than happy if he could cough up half a basin of blood on the spot and kick the bucket right then and there.
The Emperor stood up. Without giving the lecture, he turned to leave in a fit of anger, but for some reason sat back down instead. “All of you, rise!”
Thus, the students sat back down again.
Pointing at a student before him, the Emperor commanded, “Chu Yi, you tell us!”
Chu Yue jerked his head up. Who was the person who had just stood up and knelt down if not Chu Yi? It was just that his facial features had matured, shedding his childishness and acquiring a more masculine aura.
His younger brother, whom he had constantly missed and worried about, was right before his eyes. Chu Yue did not dare blink, terrified that if he blinked, the person would vanish.
Why was he here? Chu Yue was both shocked and bewildered. Could it be that the Emperor really let him off? Perhaps to the Emperor, with the Prince of Cheng’an and Chu Yue gone, anyone else posed no threat to his imperial authority.
Forcefully calming his surging emotions, Chu Yue quietly listened to Chu Yi’s reply.
Chu Yi said, “This student has never read Mencius before, but I harbor a deep interest in the Book of Songs.”
This brat doesn’t like to read, Chu Yue thought, the corners of his mouth curving upward as he looked at Chu Yi with profound indulgence.
“You must still thoroughly study the Four Books and Five Classics in the future to understand their principles. Each of you must comprehend the principles of statecraft, because the imperial court of tomorrow belongs to you! The mountains and rivers of Great Wei rely on you to safeguard them. If you all just act like profligate young masters, will you cause the destruction of Great Wei?!”
After venting his anger in a burst of temper, the Emperor left a sea of kneeling students behind once again as they chorused: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger! Guard your imperial health!”
This time, the Emperor truly flicked his sleeves and departed.