Wen Yan’an arrived in a hurry, still panting heavily, and was immediately led straight to Wen Mao, who was sitting upright.
After bowing in respect, Wen Yan’an asked, “Grandfather, do you want me to participate in the literary competition again?”
Wen Mao smiled and said, “Forget it. It has been cancelled. Catch your breath first. I am taking you to meet someone.”
Wen Yan’an was surprised. This was the first time the old master had taken him to meet a guest. He immediately pressed, “Who is it?”
Wen Mao replied, “You will know when you see them.”
Wen Yan’an had no choice but to drop the matter. The old master still held absolute authority within the Wen clan.
Only after Wen Yan’an had caught his breath did Wen Mao stand up and gesture. Wen Kui immediately gestured for him to follow, saying, “Fifth Young Master, please follow this old servant.”
They exited and walked to a room midway along the corridor. Wen Kui personally opened the door and once again politely gestured for them to enter.
Wen Yan’an barged in without thinking much. His gaze swept past the two guards without registering, but when it landed on the face of a man sitting beside the coffee table, he suddenly froze.
Wen Mao and Wen Kui appeared behind him, observing the scene.
The moment Yu Qing saw Wen Yan’an, he understood the purpose of making him wait here for so long. He suddenly felt it was a waste that he had been beaten black and blue by two senior disciples in the storage yard.
Nevertheless, he stood up. A faint smile appeared on his face as he pretended to remember the other man. In truth, if he had not seen him again within the Wen residence, only heaven knew who this person was.
At first, Wen Yan’an found the man familiar. Then, his eyes slowly widened. Although his reaction was somewhat slow, he finally realised it. He gasped in surprise, “Brother Shiheng, you… how could you be here?”
He quickly stepped forward and bowed with his hands clasped. It was a deep bow. He was not only surprised, but also thrilled, and even somewhat agitated.
In a sense, although many had passed the imperial examination alongside Yu Qing last year, they were truly not on the same level. He was worthy of their admiration, a truly legendary figure among his peers.
Previously, he had never found an opportunity to converse with him. Now that they had suddenly met, Wen Yan’an’s emotions were momentarily overwhelming.
Wen Mao and Wen Kui exchanged a smile. It was settled. There was no mistake. He really was that number one scholar in the world.
At this, Wen Kui waved his hand, ordering the two guards inside to step aside temporarily.
Yu Qing also returned the bow with clasped hands. “Brother Wen, it has been years since we last met. Have you been well?”
“I have been well.” Wen Yan’an nodded repeatedly. Seeing that the other man actually remembered him, he grew even more excited. He stepped closer, wanting to clasp his arm and chat joyfully, but then felt their friendship had not reached that level yet. His hands did not know where to rest, and his mouth could not close from sheer happiness. It was a truly unexpected delight.
Since they had met, he had many things he wanted to discuss with Yu Qing. However, Wen Mao saw that he was agitated to the point of losing his composure and intervened at the right moment. “Yan’an, please step aside for now. I have matters to discuss with the Tanhua scholar first. You can catch up slowly later.”
Wen Yan’an was startled. Despite his excitement, he dared not disobey his grandfather’s words. He could only bow to Yu Qing again with clasped hands. “Brother Shiheng, please attend to your official business first. I will wait for you outside. Since you have come to Ningzhou, you must allow me to fulfil my duties as a host.”
“That can be arranged,” Yu Qing replied with a smile and a bow.
Wen Kui personally escorted Wen Yan’an out the door, while signalling the guards outside to prevent anyone from approaching the room.
Inside the room, Wen Mao was already laughing heartily. “I am ashamed, truly ashamed. This old man has grown muddled and my eyes have failed me. I did not know there was a hidden dragon within my residence.”
Yu Qing bowed with clasped hands. “You are too polite, Old Master Wen. It was I who presumptuously sneaked into your residence. I am truly ashamed and have made a fool of myself before you.”
“Not presumptuous at all. You responded to the recruitment for servants to enter the residence honourably. If anything is to blame, it is the blind eyes of the servants in this house. Kui, change the tea, change the tea.” Wen Mao waved his hand and then gestured for Yu Qing to take a seat.
Wen Kui quickly poured tea for both of them.
After the host and guest had finished their tea, Wen Mao asked directly. “I wonder why the Tanhua scholar blocked Yin Jizhen, the son-in-law of the Wan family, on behalf of my Wen clan during this literary gathering. Do you have any particular purpose?”
Yu Qing casually pointed towards Wen Kui. “This matter actually started because of Steward Wen.”
These words made both master and servant freeze simultaneously. Wen Mao asked suspiciously, “Why do you say that, Tanhua scholar?”
Yu Qing gave a bitter smile. “Yuwen Yuan wanted to play chess with me. Steward Wen gave his tacit approval. Faced with Yuwen Yuan’s challenge, I felt like playing a trick on him. Who knew Yuwen Yuan…” He shook his head, trusting the other man understood, so he left the unpleasant details unsaid. “I heard that because Yuwen Yuan played chess with me, he could not win glory for the Wen clan. This made me feel quite guilty. Coincidentally, I met Yin Jizhen today, so I decided to make amends by advising him to withdraw.”
Hearing about chess, both master and servant felt a chill. They recalled his extraordinary chess skills once more. They realised the title of number one scholar in the world was truly well deserved. One could see his brilliance the moment he made a move. He was genuinely heaven-blessed, truly remarkable!
In short, the explanation was straightforward. It seemed they had overthought it. Wen Mao stroked his beard and laughed heartily. “So that is how it is. Yuwen Yuan overestimated himself by challenging the Tanhua scholar. He did not lose unjustly, and he has learned a valuable lesson. He should know there is always someone better, and skies beyond skies. It was a good lesson. There is no need for you to blame yourself, Tanhua scholar.” He then raised his tea cup to invite him to drink.
Yu Qing cooperated by raising his own tea cup in a polite gesture.
Wen Mao held his tea cup with both hands and probed further. “Does the Tanhua scholar intend to continue living in seclusion within my Wen clan?”
Yu Qing remained silent for a moment, then spoke bluntly. “Before you, Old Master, I will not hide anything. To be frank with you, I entered the Wen residence as a servant with another purpose in mind.”
Wen Mao had been planning to ask indirectly, but the other party’s directness actually put him at ease. He responded openly. “What is your purpose, Tanhua scholar? Do not hesitate to speak. I guarantee you in my capacity as clan leader of the Wen family that the Wen clan will not hesitate to assist you in any way we can.”
Yu Qing spoke generously. “I came for the Wen clan’s library! I have heard that the texts stored in the ‘Wenshu Pavilion’ span a millennium. Although I have abandoned literature for martial arts, I am still a scholar at heart. I wanted to enter the ‘Wenshu Pavilion’ to browse and look for certain answers. Only after entering the Wen residence did I learn that outsiders rarely gain access. I had no choice but to sneak around like a thief, hoping to slip inside. Yet, I was exposed in the end. Alas, Yin Jizhen broke his promise. We agreed he would not tell the Wan family, but he still revealed me.”
At this point, he knew his time was running out. He had to leave the Wen clan as soon as possible and vanish quickly to avoid being entangled by those with malicious intentions. Therefore, before news of his presence in Ningzhou spread far, he had to enter the Wenshu Pavilion to find his answers. He could not rely on others to work slowly. He could not wait.
In short, since his identity was already exposed, he had no more reservations. He went straight to the point!
Little did he know that his proactive confession actually brought great relief to both master and servant.
Wen Mao laughed even louder. “That the thousand-year scholarly fragrance of the Wen family could tempt the number one scholar in the world to become a thief is a great fortune. It will become a beautiful tale, bringing honour to the ‘Wenshu Pavilion’. It should also remind future generations of the Wen clan what a true family heirloom is! Haha. For an ordinary person, this would be theft. For the Tanhua scholar, it is an elegant scholarly pursuit. It will surely be a delightful story for posterity. I will make the decision on this matter. As long as the Tanhua scholar remains interested, you may enter the Wenshu Pavilion at any time. All texts will be open to you.”
Yu Qing’s eyes lit up. “Is that true?”
Wen Mao replied, “It is exactly what I wish for!”
Yu Qing stood up immediately and bowed deeply with clasped hands. “Thank you, Old Master.”
He felt deeply moved in his heart. If he had known this earlier, he would have been direct from the start. He had wasted a month doing servant chores, taking orders from everyone.
Seeing his genuine happiness and gratitude, both master and servant could not help but smile. They realised that becoming the number one scholar in the world was not a matter of luck, but a certainty. Just his willingness to secretly serve as a servant for the sake of reading books showed an extraordinary dedication to learning!
Wen Mao sighed inwardly. It was a pity that not a single descendant of the Wen family possessed even half of such scholarly dedication. Otherwise, why would he, as clan leader, have feared anything during the literary competition?
After learning why he had blocked Yin Jizhen and why he had sneaked into the Wen residence, Wen Mao did not ask about anything else.
He did not ask why he had injured Zou Yunting, nor did he inquire about the other two intruders.
Some matters were not suitable to be asked face to face. Some things others were unwilling to reveal might not yield the answers he wanted even if asked. It was better to keep some cards in reserve, observe calmly, and then decide whether to ask.
The host and guest chatted casually for a while longer. Then, following Wen Mao’s suggestion, they returned to the Wen residence to prepare a banquet to entertain their distinguished guest.
Yu Qing complied with the host’s arrangements.
Wen Kui hurried to arrange the carriage. He knew clearly in his heart that the master was likely eager to have the Tanhua scholar move out of Yuyuan before the news spread widely.
“Oh, Miss, come look quickly. The clan leader, A Qing, and the Fifth Young Master…”
Xiao Hong, who had been leaning against the window watching outside out of boredom, suddenly turned around in surprise and called out.
Wen Xin and Song Pingping, who had been sitting or standing inside the room, immediately hurried over. They squeezed together at the window to look outside.
A carriage was parked downstairs. It was precisely the Wen clan leader’s carriage. Wen Mao was helped into it first. Yu Qing, who was chatting and laughing with Wen Yan’an, boarded the leader’s carriage afterwards. Wen Kui was the last to get on.
Guards cleared the path. The carriage, accompanied by a dozen riders, slowly departed.
“Is the clan leader not attending the literary gathering anymore? Miss, was A Qing not a spy? Why is he chatting and laughing with the clan leader and the Fifth Young Master? And why is he sharing the clan leader’s carriage?”
Xiao Hong scratched her head as she asked, feeling her brain was not working properly. She hoped to find answers from the other two.
Song Pingping was also clearly bewildered. She watched the departing carriage with a look of complete confusion, muttering, “Was he not a spy? How could he have such great face to share a ride with the Wen clan leader?”
Wen Xin watched the carriage leave with a sense of profound loss. She knew clearly in her heart that such a situation could only mean one thing. A Qing’s true identity had been revealed!
She could even guess that Yin Jizhen’s withdrawal was also A Qing’s doing.
Moreover, she could feel the reason why A Qing had done this. He had helped the Wen clan repel Yin Jizhen for her sake.
That feeling was very strong. At Biqiao, she had seen it clearly and unmistakably in Yu Qing’s eyes, yet it could not be spoken aloud.
She also sensed the aura of impending departure in his gaze.
Suddenly, she turned and walked quickly towards the door. She told the guard at the entrance, “Prepare a carriage. I am returning to the mansion!”
“Going back? You are not watching the literary gathering anymore?”
Song Pingping walked over with a look of curiosity. Normally, this lady loved such literary festivities so much that she would even dress as a man to attend.
Wen Xin silently bit her lip and said nothing. Her heart was suddenly filled with anxiety.
It suddenly occurred to her that with A Qing’s identity exposed, he could no longer stay in Yuyuan. After leaving, they might never see each other again in this lifetime. The moment A Qing returned to Yuyuan to pack his belongings might be their last chance to meet.