Situ Yilan did not wear her Academy robes today but had on a pair of magenta archery robes instead. The robes would have looked old on anyone else, but with Situ Yilan"s clean and young face with prominent brows, gave off a youthful flair instead. She looked at Ning Que gleefully in the sun. Her smile deepened when she heard what Ning Que had to say.
The expressions of the students were complicated. They did not know what they could say or do to take away the awkwardness and shame they felt. The few students who had been recommended by the Military Ministry appeared and walked up to Ning Que. They greeted him with a bow, hands clasped before them. Their leader, Chang Zhengming, looked straight at Ning Que and said, "We apologize."
Ning Que looked at them in silence.
Chang Zhengming looked at the expression on Ning Que"s face and paused for a moment before explaining, "It is not because you won the compet.i.tion or entered the Second floor. It also isn"t because of your victory over those from the West-Hill as a representative of the Academy. My reason for apologizing is simple. I was wrong. I should not have suspected your moral character before finding out the facts."
Ning Que smiled and answered, "We have both served in the army. There is no need to make things complicated. You have said last year, that you"d give me a chance to prove myself. While I had refused then, I know you meant well. The reason for my refusal is simple as well. I have no need to prove myself. Besides, my moral character had never been excellent."
Chang Zhengming smiled slightly and moved out of his way.
Several students from the Academy followed, each seemingly wanting to apologize. Ning Que did not see Xie Chengyun, but saw Zhong Dajun who looked slightly awkward as well as several students from Grade A Dormitory who had made the loudest ruckus in the days following the semester exam.
He was unwilling to spend any more time on this, and even more unwilling to listen to the half-hearted apologies. He wanted to draw over what had happened in the last six months like running an ink brush on paper.
He wanted these people to always feel the guilt and pressure within them, for he knew that it would make them uncomfortable and unhappy.
He became very happy when he thought of that.
After he bowed goodbye to Situ Yilan and Chu Youxian and nodded at Chang Zhengming and the students recommended by the Military, he turned and walk out of the Academy with Sangsang. He did not even bother looking at the students from Grade A Dormitory.
Zhong Dajun clenched his fist tightly with an ugly look on his face as he watched Ning Que"s retreating figure. He yelled unhappily, "Ning Que, I have nothing to say if you do not wish to accept our apologies. You have indeed made it to the Second floor and hold victory over Prince Long Qing. You"ve used this to shame our misunderstanding. But are you drunk on victory right now?"
Ning Que stopped when he heard that. He turned to look at Zhong Dajun and the other students who wished to apologize. They looked lost and some of them petulant. He said, "Firstly, it wasn"t a misunderstanding. Not every cold jibe can be explained away as a misunderstanding. You might have explained it that way to someone else, but it won"t work on me. I do not accept it."
"Secondly, you"re not worth my shaming. My goal is to enter the Second floor. Prince Long Qing wasn"t even my goal, much less you. But since I have shamed you anyway, I will be glad to accept this fact. Finally, about being prideful..."
"Pride is one of our greatest quality as the people of Tang. I am proud today not because I have beaten Prince Long Qing and made it to the Second floor. Chang Zhengming gave me an opportunity to prove myself, but I have refused then. I have said it before, that is because I do not need to. Why would I need to?"
Ning Que hugged Sangsang close to his chest as he looked proudly at his peers who had conflicting emotions on their faces. He said, "I have always been proud. I did not suddenly become prideful. It is just that you did not understand and still do not understand it. You all do not have enough cla.s.s to understand it."
Ning Que said naught a word more after this prideful statement and walked straight out of the Academy.
The students all looked at his retreating back like carved birds, still and unmoving. Zhong Dajun"s face was red with rage and his fist was clenched extremely tightly, but he refused to say a single word. Chang Zhengming sighed deeply while Situ Yilan shook her head with a bitter smile. Why did he have to slap his opponents" faces if he knew that they had already fallen and felt that they had no cla.s.s?
Ning Que saw two other persons when he walked out of the Academy. He bowed politely to Professor Huang He who had presided over the ceremony earlier. The professor smiled like someone who had seen gold hidden under his bed and nodded several times. Ning Que did not recognize the dirty Taoist priest on the left but could guess his ident.i.ty. He bowed even deeper at the man.
Master Yan Se looked at the clean-shaven lad before him. With his lively eyes, he did not look as pathetic as he usually did but looked like a doting grandfather instead. He sighed, "You must already know the results. You may learn tothe scrawly handwriting from me when you are free."
It was a great opportunity to study Talisman Taoism with a Divine Talisman Master. Ning Que had found out about the results of the dispute from Chen Pipi and could hardly suppress the excitement bubbling within him when he heard what Master Yan Se had said. He bowed yet again and said sincerely, "It is my honor to be able to study Talisman Taoism with a great master."
Yan Se sighed, "You have just entered the Second floor and haven"t been affected by the pride that seems to affect everyone there. Not bad, not bad."
Ning Que raised his head and looked at the uncouth old Taoist. He hesitated for a moment, but could not suppress his curiosity. He asked, "Master Yan Se, we have never met before that, how did you know for sure that I have the potential to cultivate in the Talisman Taoism? I know I should not have any doubts since I have the opportunity to study with you, but I"m worried that I might disappoint you."
"Disappoint?" I saw the memo you left behind at Dewdrop"s room at the House of Red Sleeves. I had someone check up on you and was really disappointed when I thought you could not cultivate." Yan Se looked at him fondly and continued, "Why would I be disappointed now that you"re able to cultivate and even enter the Second floor? Unless, of course, you have suddenly forgotten how to write."
It took some time before Ning Que recalled letting off some steam after a wild night at the House of Red Sleeves. But what was so special about the memo? How did Master Yan Se deduce that he had the potential for cultivation just by looking at that sheet of paper from the account book?
Yan Se could guess what he was thinking just by looking at his expression. He smiled and said, "I can see your potential from a few chicken scratches on a sheet of paper and you can"t. That"s because I am a Divine Talisman Master and you are a student.
Ning Que understood what he meant, and bowed to receive his teachings.
"We can talk more about all these later. Today, you shall accompany me to the Southern Gates Temple. There are thousands and millions of talisman out there. You are but still a sheet of white paper. If we want to draw the world on it, we have to start with the simplest step in cultivation, which is setting the brush on it. This will be a long journey to undertake, and you"ll have to hold on tight."
Ning Que and Professor Huang He were equally shocked upon hearing Yan Se"s instructions. They asked in unison, "What"s the rush?"
Master Yan Se was silent. The wrinkles on his face told a story of joy at meeting a successor and a myriad of indescribable emotions. He turned to look at Ning Que and said gently, "I"m very old."
Professor Huang He bowed slightly and moved to the side upon hearing this. Ning Que too could hear the sadness, worry, and urgency in his statement. His heart twisted slightly and he nodded his acquiescence.
A completely different voice rang out as Eunuch Lin arrived on the scene and smiled at those present. He said, "Master Yan Se, Ning Que will not be able to accompany you to the Southern Gates. He has to go somewhere with me."
Yan Se startled slightly. He looked at the eunuch and recalled what someone had told him yesterday. The eunuch did not come to the Academy to watch the ceremony but was on an a.s.signment to retrieve someone for His Majesty. Could that person be... Ning Que?
"The court won"t miss him too much should he go with me now." Yan Se said unhappily, "I fought with the Academy for a night and a day just for this student. How would I answer to my junior afterward? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Only Yan Se could ignore commands from the court blatantly as the only remaining Divine Talisman Master of the Southern Gates of Haotian. And only he alone would speak like this to the powerful Head Eunuch. Eunuch Lin did not get angry, but smiled and answered, "You, Master Yan have waited half a day for this student... but the Emperor has been waiting for half a year."
The Emperor had been waiting for him for half a year. This alone rendered those standing in the doorway of the Academy speechless.
The students of the Academy were still milling around on the pavement not far away. The young students thought that what they had done was just a misunderstanding that could and should be forgiven and that Ning Que was being petty by not forgiving them. They complained bitterly about Ning Que"s pride and uncouthness and couldn"t wait to see his downfall. After that, they complained about Chang Zhengming and the students recommended by the Military Ministry and how they shouldn"t have apologized for something that they didn"t do wrong. Didn"t they know how great the pressure was on those who didn"t get to apologize?
n.o.body dared to say anything bad to Situ Yilan who was the beloved daughter of the General, however, she was not spared from dirty looks. Situ Yilan was very irritated by the complaints but was also tickled by her peers who were still trying to find out what was happening at the doorway furtively. She shook her head and was speechless at the antics.
The doorway was suddenly silent. The students could not hide their curiosity and all turned to look over.
They did not understand what Eunuch Lin meant when he said that the Emperor of Tang had waited for Ning Que for half a year. Master Yan Se knew what had happened. He was even the one who had proven the incident, it was just that he didn"t think of it just then. Professor Huang He had sequestered himself in the Academy and studied cultivation all day and didn"t know about what happened in the secular world. Both Ning Que and Sangsang were shocked and confused. They looked at each other, and Ning Que asked, Eunuch Lin, what do you mean?"
Eunuch Lin looked at him and smiled, "Did you visit the Imperial study last spring?"
Ning Que had been focused on ascending the mountain and studying cultivation ever since he entered the Academy. He had already forgotten his position as a secret guard of the Tang and the words he had written in the imperial study. His misbehavior in the imperial study had been shoved to the back of his mind, but Eunuch Lin"s word jolted them right to the front.
He kept his expression placid, but his heart thudded furiously. He wondered if someone had discovered his barging into the imperial study and if he was about to be punished. However, the words he had written were so unlike his usual style, how did the court find out it was him? Even if he was about to be punished, it should be done by the bodyguard office, why would someone as important as Eunuch Lin come?
Ning Que thought about many things in that moment. The Emperor was known for his benevolent nature and now that he was a student of the Second floor and of Master Yan Se and had also heard that the Southern Gates thought well of him, perhaps the Emperor wouldn"t behead him? It took him mere seconds that it took for him to think this through, and he answered honestly, "Indeed."
He tried to appear calm and look like he had nothing to hide, but everyone could hear the nervousness in his dry voice.
Eunuch Lin rubbed his smooth jaws and laughed, "It is indeed you, that"s good. It is just that this is a major issue, so I have to make sure before we enter the palace. I have a question from the emperor."
"Please, do ask." Ning Que said.
Eunuch Lin looked into his eyes and said, "His Majesty would like to ask you, what comes after the flower blooms on the sh.o.r.e astride?"
Ning Que replied, "The fish that jumped across the sea."
"What are you waiting for, please, come with me to the palace."
Eunuch smiled and continued, " Master Ning."
It was quiet out at the front doors of the Academy. The students who have gathered around also quietened down and listened to the conversation curiously. However, since they were a distance away, they could only hear the occasional word.
"Master Yan Se is about to accept that lucky sod as his disciple! Why is he still standing there? Which royal household is that Eunuch from? What are they talking about? It seems like they"re going to visit a royal household?" The students guessed wildly.
Jin Wucai looked at the imperial horse carriage outside the Academy and looked slightly hesitant. She repeated the words she heard,"Across the sea... The sh.o.r.e astride? His Majesty has waited for half a year... What does this mean?"
She returned to the doors of the Academy after sending food to Xie Chengyun who had stayed in the dormitory last night. She was about to return home with Situ Yilan, and did not witness the apology nor the prideful words, but this conversation instead.
An incredulous expression appeared on her face as she looked at Ning Que who stood beside the horse carriage. Her voice trembled as she voiced her thoughts aloud, "Could it be... could it be that Ning Que was the one who wrote that piece of calligraphy in the imperial study?"
Her voice was soft but carried to the ears of the other students. There was a deafening silence on the pavement where they stood.
Everyone knew of the calligraphy that Jin Wucai talked about. His Majesty loved that piece no one knew who left behind. It was said that His Majesty would stare at it in a daze when he was worried about the country"s affairs. Everyone knew that His Majesty had once invited many of the world"s greatest calligraphy masters to copy the original work and then granted the ones who did well positions as scholars of the court instead of giving out useless rewards.
It is a fact that everything favored by the Royals would be favored by the people. This happened in the Tang Empire as well. Since the Emperor liked calligraphy, everyone, especially the scholars loved it even more. Since His Majesty loved that particular section of calligraphy, the scholars of the country treated it as an interesting subject. Court officials would talk about it whenever they could no longer hold a debate.
The Grand Secretary would say that His Majesty had granted him a copy, and the High official would say that the copy granted to him was the most exquisite and closest to the style of the original. However, those copies could never compete with the one hung in the imperial study.
Everyone agreed with His Majesty"s appraisal of the calligraphy piece once they had seen it in person in the imperial study. They felt that it was a rare piece of art. It would still be considered an excellent work even if the emperor didn"t like it so much. Furthermore, with the excitement surrounding it such as the missing calligrapher and the mysterious appearance of the piece in the imperial study gave this piece a mysterious air.
Secrecy was a curious thing, for more and more people got curious about the calligraphy and its mysterious author. The entire city was ablaze with excitement over it. The students of the Academy would talk about it in their daily lives as well. Jin Wucai and Miss Gao who were children of officials had the opportunity to see it with their own eyes, but who would have thought...
That the calligrapher was Ning Que.
Chen Zixian looked at Ning Que and said cowardly, "I"ve said, when we talked about that section calligraphy last year that Ning Que owns a little calligraphy shop in the Eastern City. He might really be the one who wrote that."
n.o.body answered him as they fell silent. Some were shocked, and others awkward.
There were many from Cla.s.sroom Three who remembered the discussion last year. They remembered how they had talked and laughed about Ning Que behind his back and their sarcastic jibes against him after hearing Chen Zixian"s statement.
But who could laugh now?
Ning Que, who had been thought to be useless at cultivation, and a coward dest.i.tute of virtue for feigning sickness during the exam, had succeeded in ascending the mountain. He had surpa.s.sed all his peers who didn"t think much of him. In fact, he had even beaten Prince Long Qing. To the students of the Academy, this was a lightning strike right through their hearts.
The high and mighty Divine Talisman Master had cared naught of what others thought of him and had used all the tricks he had to poach Ning Que as his disciple. This was the second lightning strike to the students.
Most people were struck silly after the first two strikes. They could only attempt to find a way to escape the hole they dug for themselves.
It was then when the third strike of lightning appeared.
Ning Que was the calligrapher of the famed piece and was about to enter the palace to meet the Emperor. His future was brighter than most present.
When the third strike of lightning flashed, the students were no longer proud, apathetic, innocent, or tried to defend themselves, questioned him, or find any other reason to be dissatisfied with the way things were. They were struck by lightning and looked like several burnt trees, smoking from the top. Their robes were charred and their brains fried.
Their faces burned with shame as they thought of how loudly they had laughed.
The more exaggerated they had laughed back then, the more they felt like digging a hole and jumping straight into it.
They had disregarded him, but could not tear their gazes from him now.
"I heard Ning Que use an interesting expression once."
Situ Yilan said suddenly, "It"s called tired of judging the interesting. I never understood how one could judge interesting things or why it would be tiring. I finally understood today. Once you"ve been shocked enough times, it"d become boring and you"d be numb to it."
Chu Youxian stood beside her and shook his head, "I still think this is awesome."
Situ Yilan smiled and waved her fist around forcefully. She looked at their peers around them and said, "It is indeed awesome."
She looked at Zhong Dajun"s pale face. He turned around subconsciously, not daring to look back at her.
She looked at the student from Yang guan and said, "I remember someone had once said that he would wash Ning Que"s feet if Ning Que was the one who wrote the calligraphy."
The student looked extremely horrified and backed away quickly.
Situ Yilan smiled beatifically and asked, " I can get Ning Que to throw you his shoes. They must smell really bad after climbing the mountain for a day and a night."
The student gave a loud shout before falling over. He seemed to have fainted from the fright.
The horse carriage sped down the wide and straight streets of Chang"an. One would occasionally hear the shouts of the guards yelling at people to give way and the angry replies. The Tang Empire had always been a stickler for rules. The horse carriage that disregarded them blatantly obviously belonged to the palace, but the people of Chang"an did not care.
Ning Que and Sangsang sat in the dark carriage. They did not know what to do in the opulent carriage and would occasionally glance at each other. They have been to several important events and met the owner of a large sum of money. However, they were still nervous about meeting the emperor formally and sitting in a royal horse carriage.
"There"s no need to be nervous, His Majesty loves your calligraphy." Eunuch Lin tried to comfort them.
Ning Que had just left the mountains moments ago and was now entering the depths of the royal palace. It was quite hard for him to wrap his head around it for the moment. He hesitated for a second and asked, "Sir, are you sure His Majesty has asked me to come into the palace because he likes my calligraphy and not for anything else?"
Eunuch Lin paused for a moment. He did not know if he should cry or laugh and said, "Your "Flower blooms on the sh.o.r.e astride" has made its rounds around the entire city of Chang"an. Did you not know about this all this while?"
Ning Que could finally relax. He smiled and replied, "Other than cultivation, I like being recognized and getting rich the most. If I had known His Majesty liked my calligraphy and was searching for me, I"d jump right into the trap... no, I would bring the most exciting writings I have written and barge into the royal palace screaming all the way that I wrote them. Haha, I"m just afraid that the bodyguards would beat me up."
Eunuch Lin laughed at Ning Que"s slightly silly and interesting statement. He ruminated over it before saying, "The Yulin Royal Guards would never let you in if you barge into the palace with your writings. But why would the bodyguards beat you up?"
Ning Que"s heart stuttered.
Eunuch Lin smiled and continued, "You entered the palace and imperial study without permission. Do you think we won"t check the incident before allowing His Majesty to meet you? I know you are a secret guard and your relations.h.i.+p with Chao Xiaoshu."
Ning Que remained silent.
Eunuch Lin sighed, "Even though the Eastern City might be slightly less well off and the people rarely talk about this, but you own a calligraphy shop and should know about the discussions amongst your peers. What have you been doing? You were in the dark for almost a year."
"I rarely get together with my peers. And as for this half a year... I was busy studying."
Ning Que thought of the Old Brush Pen Shop and it"s quirks and smiled. He suddenly thought of an important thing, and the smile slid off his face. He asked Eunuch Lin for permission to return to Lin 47th Street to clean up.
Eunuch Lin was very displeased upon hearing the request. His Majesty had waited for Ning Que for almost half a year and yet Ning Que was in no hurry to give thanks but wanted to go home and wash up. What was this? Did he not tell him the rules clearly? They would definitely allow him to wash up in the palace before meeting the Emperor.
However, Ning Que was very obstinate about the matter and insisted on returning to the Lin 47th Street. Eunuch Lin could do nothing about it and decided that since His Majesty thought so well of this student, he would acquiesce to his request without making things tense.
Lin 47th Street looked extraordinarily beautiful in Spring. Cherry blossoms emerged from inside the walls of the Ministry of Revenue"s warehouse, peering curiously at the shops across the street.
Last night at dusk, Li Qingshan, the Master of Nation had visited the street along with other officials to check on Ning Que"s calligraphy. They entered the Old Bush Pen Shop rather violently and the shop"s door had been pushed opened so forcefully, it had fallen off its hinges. The scene looked rather disastrous.
Ning Que"s heart sank when looked at the gaping hole that once held the shop door. He leaped off the horse carriage and charged in.
The lady boss of the fake antique store next door said loudly, "Why are you in such a rush, nothing was lost. I guarded the shop the entire night."
Ning Que turned back to look at her and suddenly felt that the woman, who had a thick layer of foundation caking up her face, never looked so beautiful. He gave her a most pa.s.sionate hug and said happily, "Aunty Wu, thank you so much, thank you so much!"
The boss of the shop looked at the scene rather unhappily, "Do you have to hug her even if you"re grateful? She"s my wife!"
Ning Que smiled, "Of course I know she"s your wife, she"s your only wife."
The boss smiled proudly and took a sip of his tea before saying, "Who knows?"
The woman was about to get angry when Ning Que stopped her, saying with a grin, "Aunty Wu, don"t worry. I"ll remember what you"ve done for me today. If he dares marry a second wife, I"ll take care of him."
Aunty Wu smiled and agreed.
Mr. Wu said angrily, "You little thing. Who are you to poke your nose into my business?"
Ning Que pointed at the royal horse carriage behind him and grinned, "Can I poke my nose in it now?"
Mr. Wu finally saw the imperial seal on the horse carriage. He was frightened silly just thinking about how miserable his life would be from now on.
Ning Que did not get Sangsang to boil water for his was.h.i.+ng up when they entered the dark Old Brush Pen shop. Instead, the first thing that he did was to lock up the shop and remove all the calligraphy hanging on the shop.
He handed the pile of papers to Sangsang and said seriously, "From today on, you have to guard what I write on with your life, just as you guard the big black umbrella."
Sangsang"s eyes widened and asked curiously, "We live when the papers live and die when they die?"
"These are not just papers."
Ning Que caressed the papers in her hands and said happily, "This, is money."