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Translator: Antonia
It was more painful for the little-educated generals to hold a pen than to kill them! They, whining-faced, listened to Xiao Qingyu slowly explaining "Thirteen Effective Tactics to Defeat Enemies", "Cavalry Tactical Rehearsal" … Better to die! They didn"t dare to skip the lectures, because there would be exams the next day. If they failed…, they couldn"t help s.h.i.+vering at the consequences.
At first, the worst was to copy books for and be beat slightly. (Imagine the picture of a bunch of burly men waiting obediently to be punished by a childe.) To their surprise, the naughty Duke Fang proposed an even worse idea!
He suggested Childe to use those who didn"t pa.s.s the exams as punch bags for the soldiers at training filed! Both painful and shameful!
Xiao Qingyu looked at him, speechless. Then, Duke Fang came up with another idea. Or punish them to clean the latrine?
“…?” “…!?” “…!!”
Even Xiao Qingyu couldn"t help making a comment: You were born in the same root. Why try to strangle each other to death!?
Compared with the generals, Duke Fang"s days were both miserable and enjoyable—it was enjoyable because he could spend every day and night leisurely with Xiao Qingyu in ecstasy; it was miserable—why did Zhang Jinya stay around his childe without leaving for a second?!
Our little buddy Zhang Jinya learned poetry, chess, guqin (a Chinese stringed musical instrument) and painting from Childe Wushuang, among which he was most talented at guqin. Even Childe Wushuang praised, “Jinya is born for music and grew with it. Either folk or cla.s.sical music was at his fingertip. The good music lingers long in one"s mind.”
Zhang Jinya flushed, “I"ll be happy if I was one tenth as good as Childe…”
Childe Wushuang smiled, “That"s not true.” Then he closed his eyes to enjoy his performance without talking.
Two days later, Xiao Qingyu suddenly said, “I heard weapons in your tunes. Let me give you a musical instrument!”
Zhang Jinya opened his eyes wide in astonishment and gazed at the wooden piece in Childe"s hand. It was in the shape of a pearl and had four strings.
Xiao Qingyu said seriously, “It"s called "pipa", having a crisp and mild sound but able to produce resolute tune of killing. You"re a talented boy. I hope one day this will help you become a world-renown musician.”
Zhang Jinya saw expectation in Xiao Qingyu"s eyes and momentarily became solemn. He respectfully kneeled to sternly take over the pipa from Xiao Qingyu, then kowtowed three times to finish the ritual towards a teacher, “Thank you for taking me as your disciple.”
On that day, Zhang Jinya officially became one of Childe Wushuang"s disciples.
Fang Junqian was sitting next to them and witnessed this solemn and sweet moment.
From then on, in bitter winter or scorching summer, wind or rain, Zhang Jinya never stopped practicing pipa diligently.
After the decease of Childe Wushuang, Zhnag Jinya travelled around the world and fascinated the world with his pipa, finally becoming the best pipa musician!
When he was asked why he chose pipa out of all musical instruments, he didn"t answer, just smiled.
The world only knew that the pipa in his arms, though worn out, always accompanied him until he pa.s.sed away.
On his deathbed, Zhang Jinya stroked his pipa, tearful, and moaned softly, “My dear…teacher…”
Duke Fang was unhappy. Finally, one day, he couldn"t bear it and complained to Childe Wushuang. Don"t take Zhang with you. A child should learn to be independent. Let him play alone.
This little kiddo stuck around Xiao Qingyu all the time, like a piece of nougat!
Able to make the thick-skinned Duke Fang find it unbearable, our Zhang Jinya had great potential to be a good third wheel!
Xiao Qingyu replied, “You, a duke, can"t bear with a kid? Don"t you feel ashamed?”
Duke Fang didn"t hesitate, “No!”
Xiao Qingyu"s second reaction was, “Duke Fang is indeed the most shameless one. Respect.”
“Qingyu~~” He leaned down, carrying a smile on his lips, “Today it"s sunny. Why waste time sitting boringly in the room? Let"s go out and hang around…and, don"t take the kid.”
Xiao Qingyu sat in wheelchair and caressed the gold threads in his hand, “It"s inconvenient for me.”
“I"ll help!” Duke Fang placed his hands on the handles of the wheelchair and started at once, “Sit well.”
Xiao Qingyu only felt the warm temperature from behind, even through the back of the wheelchair. The warmth wrapped his cold body and heart…
In a fl.u.s.ter for a while, his body turned slightly stiff.
But he still allowed him to push him out of the barracks.