Yu Qing gave a sly laugh. “It may not count as mockery. It might just be a misunderstanding of the gentleman.”
Mr Ming slammed down his teacup. “Stop speaking to me in that sarcastic way. Say what you have to say straight. If you have a fart, let it out quickly.”
Yu Qing continued with a chuckle. “What can one say about you? Whatever is said, the gentleman can probably guess it himself. Some say the gentleman has spent years indulging in flowers and wine without any teacherly virtue. In my view, that is just jealousy. Others say the gentleman has sat the imperial examination for nine sessions. Alas, better not speak of it. The words are quite unpleasant. They dared to insult the gentleman. In a fit of anger I had the Zhong residence lock the man up, yet he still refused to submit and kept shouting. Alas, forget it. There is no need to bother with such a petty person.”
After speaking, he reached into his sleeve, pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it over. “Gentleman, please take a look at this.”
Mr Ming observed his expression for a while before taking the paper. He shook it open and recognised Yu Qing’s handwriting at once.
After getting to know him these past days, there was one thing he had to admit. Yu Qing really did write excellent characters. His writing had a natural charm and rhythm between movement and stillness.
After reading the content on the paper, he looked up and asked, “What does this mean?”
Yu Qing chuckled. “I have been with the gentleman for nearly half a month but have never properly asked for instruction on learning. Today I suddenly felt inspired and specially prepared a few questions to seek the gentleman’s guidance. I wonder if the gentleman can answer one or two of them and allow this student to broaden his horizons?”
Mr Ming gave a cold laugh and shook the paper. “Are you testing me?”
“How could I dare?” Yu Qing cupped his hands in a pleading gesture. “I simply wish to ask the gentleman to leave behind some precious ink so that this student can ponder and study it in his free time.”
Mr Ming glanced at the content on the paper. “The questions cover policy essays, classics and history, rhapsody, and poetry. These four questions follow the standard format for the imperial examination at the Jin State level. Especially this rhapsody question, which touches on the relationship between a scholar of the state and the monarch. The person who set the question has quite a broad vision. Did you really come up with these questions?”
Hearing this, Yu Qing muttered to himself that they might truly be imperial examination questions, but on the surface he laughed. “Yes, I made them up casually. There is no grand vision involved.”
Mr Ming casually tossed the paper aside and scoffed. “Answering these four questions properly would take more than an afternoon. There is no need to trouble myself like this.”
Yu Qing picked up the paper and presented it with both hands again. “Gentleman, an afternoon is enough. Just answer them casually.”
Mr Ming looked unwilling and turned away to arrange his pillow, preparing to sleep.
Yu Qing held up the questions once more and earnestly requested, “Gentleman, I remember clearly every word you said when you first arrived. It is still ringing in my ears. You said that when you teach, you teach those who are willing to learn, but it is useless to teach those who are unwilling. Now this student sincerely wants to learn, so I hope the gentleman will not break his word.”
Mr Ming’s hands paused. After a long pause he put down the pillow, turned around and stared at Yu Qing for a while, then snorted. “It is not that I am breaking my word, but answering these four questions requires a lot of energy. I did not rest well last night and my energy is low. This is not the best state for answering questions.”
What Yu Qing wanted was exactly this state where the man had been drained by wine and women and lacked energy. If the other party had been in full form, he would not have dared to ask him to answer. He quickly said, “How could I trouble the gentleman to exhaust himself? Learning even a tiny bit from the gentleman would be enough. Please do not delay any longer. Just give simple answers. Simple ones will do.”
After that it was no longer a request. Yu Qing directly took action. He grabbed Mr Ming’s arm, pulled and pushed him to sit behind the writing desk, arranged the questions, laid out the paper, and even personally ground the ink beside him.
Looking at the brush placed in his hand, Mr Ming felt speechless. He gave a cold sideways glance at the attentive Yu Qing and did not believe for a moment that these were questions Yu Qing had set himself.
He suspected they were set by that so-called arrogant servant to test him.
As he had said, the person who set the questions had a high vision, which explained the bold words.
Yu Qing had told him to answer casually, but Mr Ming secretly gathered his spirit.
He held the brush, his gaze fell on the questions, and the scene felt familiar. Time and space seemed to blur for a moment. He felt a brief trance, as if he had returned to those years.
Facing the questions, a surge of impulse rose in his heart. The long-lost feeling that had disappeared amid wine, flowers, debauchery and self-abandonment began to stir again.
The brush in his hand did not fall for a long time. He stared at the questions and pondered deeply. Later he even slowly put the brush down.
Yu Qing thought he was still unwilling and was about to persuade him again when he noticed something. He saw that Mr Ming had entered another state and quickly fell silent.
Mr Ming slowly stood up and paced back and forth in the study with his hands behind his back. Sometimes he lowered his head, sometimes he raised it with eyes closed, sometimes he walked, sometimes he stopped.
Yu Qing immediately retreated to a corner to avoid disturbing him and allowed him to think.
After about half an hour, Mr Ming suddenly strode back to the desk, sat down, picked up the brush, dipped it in ink and began to write. He first copied the questions, then wrote according to the proper format. The brush tip danced and flew across the paper, sending characters and lines speeding out.
Yu Qing quickly helped by continuously grinding the ink so that Mr Ming could keep the brush moist and write without interruption.
This writing session was intense. He wrote without stopping.
After finishing one question, he pulled over fresh paper for the next and wrote rapidly again.
He kept writing as time passed little by little.
He kept writing and no one knew how much time had gone by.
He wrote until Mr Ming’s hand began to tremble.
He wrote until his cheeks flushed, gradually turning a deep red as if drunk.
The feeling of writing was something Yu Qing had never seen on this decadent gentleman. It was a very special feeling, as if the man had entered a state of wildly dancing and running alone in ice and snow, singing loudly even if he froze to death.
Yu Qing could not help but sigh and shake his head inwardly. He truly was a madman living wildly, which explained why he had ended up like this.
The sky gradually darkened and the light in the room dimmed. Yu Qing noticed and quickly helped light the lamps, turning on every lamp available so the room was as bright as day.
When he went to other rooms to fetch more lamps, he saw servants outside the courtyard gate poking their heads in to deliver a meal. Yu Qing waved them away repeatedly and told them to leave so as not to disturb. The servants had no choice but to withdraw.
Before long, Squire Zhong and Steward Li also arrived.
The east courtyard always used studying, learning and exam preparation as an excuse to keep outsiders from entering and disturbing. No one really knew what was happening inside, and they had always felt uneasy. This time it gave them an opportunity and an excuse. The two quietly entered the east courtyard to investigate.
They saw the study brightly lit with lamps. The two exchanged a glance. How many lamps had been lit?
When they reached the door and looked inside, they saw seven or eight lamps placed on the desk, bookshelves and around Mr Ming. At this moment Mr Ming truly lived up to the name “Bright Mister”, even his back was illuminated.
Of course none of that mattered. What mattered was that Mr Ming was fully focused and writing furiously while Yu Qing helped grind ink beside him.
It was a perfect scene of teaching and learning.
This sight allowed Squire Zhong to breathe a sigh of relief. Looking at the sky outside, he showed an approving expression.
Squire Zhong and the steward were not sneaking around. Their footsteps did not escape Yu Qing’s ears. When Yu Qing turned and saw them, he immediately signalled for silence and gestured for them not to enter or disturb.
Squire Zhong, who had wanted to go in and see, understood at once.
Since Mr Ming would not end the lesson even when it was time to go home, and the student was earnestly seeking knowledge, what more could he say? Seeing this made him feel gratified. He immediately took Steward Li and quietly left.
After the two left the small courtyard, Squire Zhong stroked his beard and sighed. “I had heard rumours that this Mr Ming might not be very dedicated to his work. Only after seeing him today do I know those were false. It is nearly dinner time. We cannot let the gentleman go home hungry. Tell the kitchen to add a few more good dishes. I want to treat Mr Ming well.”
“Understood,” Steward Li replied.
Not long after the two left, Mr Ming at the desk pulled over a sheet of white paper and focused on the final question, which was a poetry question.
The theme was just two words: Merit and fame.
It required the writer to compose a poem or lyric based on the meaning of “merit and fame”.
Since it was poetry, Yu Qing thought he would need more time to consider it. Who would have guessed that Mr Ming only glanced at the topic before writing rapidly again? He wrote the title “Facing the Heavenly Palace” in large characters, then added the poem with dots of ink.
When good timing arrives, purple energy brings much cultivation.
Studying classics until white-haired, seeking merit and fame.
One day entering the monarch’s hall,
Fulfilling the name before and after life.
It was completed in one breath. The final line seemed to exhaust Mr Ming’s entire life. He leaned back weakly, slumped in the chair with a poor complexion, breathing heavily in gasps. His hand holding the brush trembled and his gaze was scattered as if recalling something.
The last exam question was finished so simply? Yu Qing felt speechless. He tilted his head and examined the four lines of poetry on the desk.
It probably meant that good fortune comes from hard work, studying until one’s hair turns white just to seek merit and fame and make a name for oneself. Once established in the court, one must do this and that.
Whether it was written well or not, he did not understand. He could only roughly grasp the meaning. What Mr Ming wrote was probably about himself. Especially the last line gave a sense of the gentleman’s feelings. Some things the gentleman was not as indifferent to as he appeared on the surface. In fact he wanted to give himself an account both in life and after death.
With a clatter, Mr Ming could no longer hold the brush. It fell to the ground.
Yu Qing turned and saw that his complexion was off. The man looked exhausted in both energy and spirit, his face as pale as death. Yu Qing was startled. If answering a few questions killed the man, it would be impossible to explain. He quickly took out a medicine bottle from his person, poured out a small pill and put it into Mr Ming’s mouth.
As soon as the pill entered, its medicinal energy cleared the mind. It left a sweet aftertaste in the mouth and quickly produced saliva on the tongue. The slightly awakened Mr Ming realised it was a medicine to nourish qi and blood. He subconsciously swallowed it into his stomach.
The medicinal power gradually spread through his limbs and body. His cheeks began to flush again. The whole person slowly came back to life, his breathing grew stronger and he began to sit up properly.
At the same time Yu Qing, who was checking his pulse, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He released his hand and asked, “Gentleman, if these were imperial examination questions, do you think your answers now would be enough to pass?”
This was truly touching a sore spot. Mr Ming’s old face reddened. He did not dare say in front of the student that he could pass and replied vaguely, “I wrote it all in one go without reviewing or refining it. Let me take it back, examine it carefully and then revise and polish it.” With that he reached out to gather the answers and take them away.
But Yu Qing was faster. In a few quick moves he snatched all the draft papers. He laughed. “No need to revise, no need to revise. This is fine. As agreed, just answer casually. I would not dare trouble the gentleman to expend more effort.”