Fang Yun sat in the carriage just like when he came.
Zhang Jingan sat at the front of the car, reluctant to move.
"What are you standing there for? Why don't you catch the bus?" Fang Yun asked.
"Let me take it easy. My mind is a mess right now." Zhang Jing'an seriously supported his chin with his little hand, looking like he was thinking hard, and his big, bright eyes blinked.
"It's getting dark. If we don't go back now, we won't even have dinner." Fang Yun said.
"Then I'll drive the carriage now." Zhang Jing'an seemed to be afraid of being hungry, so he immediately picked up the whip and whipped the horse on its butt.
"drive!"
Fang Yun closed his eyes and recalled the battle just now. Finally, he shook his head gently. Recalling the past after the battle has become a habit, which can help him achieve great growth. But Gou Zhi was too weak. Fang Yun recalled it repeatedly, but he could not learn anything. Instead, he found countless flaws in Gou Zhi.
"There is indeed a big gap between the scholars in the literary world. His talent is indeed at the level of a Seventh Palace Hanlin, but judging from his use of verbal sparring and grasp of the timing of battles, he is at most at the level of a Fifth Palace Hanlin. However, even if I can't learn anything, it can at least let me know not to make the same mistake as him." Fang Yun thought.
"Zhang... that guy, young master... ahem, let me ask you a question, how did you become so powerful? Killing a Hanlin with one sword, even my grandfather couldn't do it when he was in Hanlin. Of course, when he became a university student, he could do it easily." Zhang Jing'an said.
"Have you forgotten what you said before?" Fang Yun asked sternly.
“I…that…” Zhang Jing’an blushed immediately and hesitated.
"Forget it, don't scream if you don't want to." There was a hint of coldness in Fang Yun's voice.
Zhang Jing'an felt aggrieved. After all, he had been scolding Zhang Longxiang since he was old enough to understand, while Zhang Hua only said good things about Zhang Wankong and rarely mentioned Zhang Longxiang. So many years had passed, and it was difficult for him to say anything aloud.
Fang Yun said: "Are you hungry now?"
"Not hungry yet."
"Well, let's go home first. Find someone to clean up the house first." Fang Yun said.
After a while, Zhang Jing'an whispered, "You haven't answered my question yet."
"I have been in prison for ten years and recited countless scriptures, so my achievements are naturally extraordinary. If you are like me, you can do nothing in prison and can only read and study in your mind, then your knowledge will naturally improve. How many years have you been in school?" Fang Yun asked.
Zhang Jing'an said in a low voice, embarrassed, "I only studied for one year."
"That won't work. From today on, you have to start studying seriously," Fang Yun said.
"I... don't want to study." Zhang Jing'an said.
"Don't want to study? Are you only going to stand behind your father and stare with your eyes wide open? Are you going to be laughed at by your peers every time you go out on the street?" Fang Yun's voice became increasingly harsh.
Zhang Jing'an's eyes turned red, and he whipped his whip hard, complaining in a low voice: "You don't know anything! Anyway, I just won't go to school! I won't go even if you kill me!"
"I think you are being too thick-skinned!" Fang Yun imitated some parents he had met before.
"You can say whatever you want. I wasn't brought up to be scared! Over the years, I've been through wind and rain. Whenever those hooligans in the south of the city mention Zhang Jingan's name, which one of them doesn't give a thumbs up?" Zhang Jingan raised his head proudly.
"Then why were you chased and scolded while driving?" Fang Yun said with a smile.
"You...how can a dignified marquis expose the shortcomings of a child? Besides, our marquis's mansion is in the East City, not the South City. Which child we meet along the way doesn't have a few acquaintances in the court? I haven't asked you yet. Are you a traitor?" Zhang Jing'an asked back, with a bit of petty arrogance.
"How dare you! How can you talk to me like that?" Fang Yun raised his voice.
Zhang Jingan answered stubbornly: "Before I had no father, I didn't know how to talk to him. I will pay attention next time!"
Fang Yun was angry and laughed: "You are quite reasonable!"
"That's right! Don't change the subject. Are you a traitor? I tell you, my grandfather is not a traitor. He is a great hero. He killed countless monsters in Liangjie Mountain! Come on, tell me about your story." Zhang Jing'an said.
"What else can I say? I was a good Jinshi in my life. What could have happened? You are dissatisfied with your father, and I am dissatisfied with mine too! If he had not been suspected of treason, how could I have been imprisoned for ten years?" Fang Yun replied unhappily.
"You... don't say that about my grandfather! My grandfather is not a traitor!" Zhang Jing'an said angrily.
"Why do you have to deceive yourself? My father was imprisoned at that time, and I also had resentment towards your grandfather. But I didn't hate him for being suspected of treason. I hated him for taking everything on himself and not saying a word! That resentment has now turned into regret." Fang Yun sighed softly.
"Why?" Zhang Jing'an asked curiously.
"Because I still don't know what happened back then."
Zhang Jing'an was silent for a moment, then said, "Actually... I know you're worse off than me. I've had a hard time these years, but whenever I couldn't survive, someone would secretly help me. Even after Grandpa Hua passed away, I was desperate and got into trouble everywhere, but in the end no one killed me. Unlike you, you've been in a dark prison for ten years, and you're suffering more than me."
"I'm glad you can say that." Fang Yun said, feeling quite emotional. Although Zhang Jing'an looked like a naughty kid, he was not a villain.
"Before Grandpa Hua died, he told me about you and told me not to hate you. He said that you are more unlucky than Grandpa and him. You had a bright future, but it was interrupted." Zhang Jing'an said.
Fang Yun's eyes moved, and he said, "I'll ask you something when we get home."
"Um."
When the father and son arrived home, the sun had already set.
Unlike before, there were already many people standing at the door of Zhang's mansion, but most of them were dressed as servants, and at most were some older students or scholars, but none of them held high positions.
These people were holding gift boxes in their hands, wrapped in red silk and tied with ribbons, which were very pleasing to the eye.
When Fang Yun got off the car, these people rushed over.
"Congratulations to Lord Zhang for being acquitted. My name is He Chan. I wonder if you still remember me. It's a pity that my master left for Xiangyang this morning, otherwise he would have visited me in person to congratulate me..."
"Congratulations to Lord Zhang for getting his injustice done..."
These people had warm smiles on their faces and introduced themselves and offered congratulations.
Zhang Jing'an watched coldly, unmoved at all.
Fang Yun greeted these people with a smile, but he was clear in his mind that he had just been released and no one knew the specific situation. Most families were waiting and watching. Only some people with whom he had a good relationship in the past sent people to give gifts, but none of them came in person.
Fang Yun had no complaints in his heart. After all, Zhang Longxiang was suspected of treason in the past, and Zhang Wankong's affair was still unclear. They were already under tremendous pressure to be able to send people to deliver gifts.
The little Zhang Jing'an was not as tolerant as Fang Yun. No matter who greeted him, he would remain cold and silent, and even deliberately glare at the person. Many people could only smile awkwardly.
As the news of Zhang Longxiang killing Gou Zhi with one sword spread, more and more people came, and Fang Yun and Zhang Jing'an became a little impatient.
Several of the visitors had very good relations with the Zhang family, so Fang Yun was not polite and asked them to help record the gifts and find someone to clean the Zhang family's house. He then acted as a hands-off manager and took Zhang Jing'an to where he usually lived.
"Father has something to ask you."
.(To be continued.)