The study room in Qin Zhao's home is simply decorated.
The desk is divided into two parts, one part is filled with books for the imperial examination, and the other part is filled with colorful notebooks. The two types of books placed together seem a bit abrupt. However, the owner of the house has kept it clean and tidy, so it doesn't look messy.
Behind the desk is a rather crude bookshelf, on which are neatly stacked some Confucian classics and medical books, most of which are hand-copied and look a bit old.
"Master Deng, please take a seat." Ah Qi poured him a cup of tea and placed it next to the chair at the side.
Deng Tianyou retracted his gaze, sat down as he was told, and asked casually, "How do you know my identity?"
Ah Qi paused.
When Deng Tianyou came, he only said that his last name was Deng, and did not introduce himself. The name Ah Qi gave him away.
After all, the latter had followed Qin Zhao for many years, so he was not panicked when faced with things. He said calmly: "When the first round of the provincial examination was over, I went to the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall to pick up my teacher, and I met you once."
Deng Tianyou was not surprised to hear this, he just nodded: "So that's it."
"I heard that Jie Yuan was ill in bed, and I was very worried. I came to visit you. I hope I didn't disturb you."
Ah Qi: "I don't dare."
"But the champion still wrote a poem for me even though he was ill. I am very pleased." Deng Tianyou took out a piece of paper from his sleeve, put it on the small table beside him, and asked, "Is this the poem you sent to the government office?"
Ah Qi replied, "Yes."
“…Did he write this poem?”
Ah Qi fell silent.
Deng Tianyou lowered his eyes and looked at the note on the table, and said leisurely: "Eleven years ago, the current emperor ascended the throne, and the reign was called Yanguang. However, because the emperor was young, he appointed a prince of a different surname as regent. In the third year of Yanguang, the regent personally selected the first batch of Jinshi of the dynasty. Afterwards, the number one scholar wrote a poem at the Luming Banquet and presented it to the regent to express his gratitude for his recognition."
He pointed to the piece of paper on the table and said, "This is it."
Ah Qi lowered his head and still did not answer.
Deng Tianyou's eyes darkened and he asked coldly, "Who is Qin Zhao?"
It is no secret that this poem was written by Deng Tianyou eight years ago. However, due to the long time since it was written and the fact that this poem is not a masterpiece, it has not been widely circulated.
But Deng Tianyou will never forget.
It was a taboo to misappropriate other people's poems at the Luming Banquet, not to mention that this poem was written by Deng Tianyou. Deng Tianyou didn't believe that this person who was unanimously rated as Jieyuan by all the Hanlin scholars would make such a mistake.
There is only one possibility.
This person did it on purpose.
"Why don't you just ask me directly? Why do you have to bully my people?" A voice came from outside the door, and Deng Tianyou was stunned.
Qin Zhao slowly stepped into the room.
The night in late autumn was slightly chilly, and the man wrapped in a windproof robe made him look even thinner. The candlelight in the room reflected half of his handsome face. When he saw the face clearly, Deng Tianyou felt that all the blood in his body rushed to his brain, making his ears ring. He sat slumped in his chair for a long time without being able to speak.
Qin Zhao raised his hand and motioned Ah Qi to go out first.
Ah Qi closed the study door when he left. Qin Zhao walked to the desk and sat down, then asked softly, "Master Deng came to visit so late at night. What's the matter?"
He indeed looked like someone who had not recovered from a serious illness. His face was pale and he was much thinner than before. The change was so great that he was almost unrecognizable.
Deng Tianyou stared at him in a daze: "You...what are you doing..."
"How come you're still alive?" Qin Zhao smiled. "Why do everyone ask me this question when they meet me? Do you really want me to die?"
"Of course not!"
Deng Tianyou stood up suddenly, seemed to realize his loss of composure, and lowered his head.
He had mixed feelings about this guy.
This man had chosen him as the top scholar, and took him in as his disciple, teaching him attentively. In terms of personal feelings, Prince Rong was a mentor who had shown him great talent and taught him everything he knew.
But for the sake of public affairs, he witnessed with his own eyes how Prince Rong killed innocent people indiscriminately, and was finally executed by His Majesty for plotting. He should naturally sever ties with such a traitor.
In fact, before Prince Rong died, Deng Tianyou had already stopped associating with this man because of their political differences.
This is also the reason why His Majesty still values him after Prince Rong's death.
But why, why didn't this person die
Why does he appear here
"Strange, you didn't guess this possibility before coming here?" Qin Zhao asked with a smile when he saw him losing his composure.
Deng Tianyou did not answer.
His eyes fell back on the poem and he asked in a hoarse voice, "Why did you give me this poem?"
"You have already excused yourself from the Luming Feast today due to illness. If you avoid this time, you don't have to meet me. At least before you go to the capital, no one will know your identity." Deng Tianyou paused and said, "But you chose to use this poem."
He could obviously avoid meeting Deng Tianyou, so why did he deliberately use this poem to lure Deng Tianyou to see him
"Why did you bring me here?" Deng Tianyou asked coldly.
"Of course it's because I want to see you." Qin Zhao said frankly, "You have been an official in the capital for many years, and I haven't been back to the capital for a long time. You are a useful person to me, and I need you, it's that simple."
"You're going back to Beijing?"
Qin Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, "Do you think I'm just taking the exam for fun?"
"Deng Tianyou, I thought you knew me well enough." Qin Zhao said, "I never do meaningless things."
Deng Tianyou's face turned pale and he looked away: "But I don't know if what I know is the real you."
He was selected as the top scholar at the age of ten, the youngest top scholar since the founding of the dynasty. Prince Rong thought highly of him when he was young, and he once regarded him as his pursuit and goal. However, as this man was in power for a longer time, they gradually disagreed on political views and eventually fell apart.
Looking back now, Deng Tianyou had no idea whether the person he recognized was the other person’s true face.
"No rush, we still have time. We can have a cup of tea and talk slowly." Qin Zhao's attitude remained calm.
"No need, just say it directly." Deng Tianyou didn't waste time with him, "Why did you call me here?"
On the desk was the tea that Ah Qi had just brewed. Qin Zhao took a sip and brought up another topic: "How did this poem come about? Do you remember?"
"At the Luming Banquet after you passed the imperial examination, I knew you came from a poor family, so I asked you why you wanted to take the imperial examination. I said it was to improve your situation. You said no."
"You said you were doing it for the peace of your country and the well-being of the people."
"You were afraid that I would think you were bragging, so you wrote a poem to express your intentions. You said that if you ever go against what you said in the poem, I would take your life. Do you remember how I answered you?"
Deng Tianyou closed his eyes and recalled what the other party had said.
"You are courageous and have integrity. You are worthy of being a talent that this king values!" The man was dressed in gorgeous clothes and should have been superior, but he did not put on airs in front of the young Deng Tianyou.
After listening to his poem, the other party even came down from the main seat and brought him a glass of wine: "I will always remember what you said today and your poem. God bless you, don't let me down."
Until now, Deng Tianyou still gets excited when he recalls the scene of that year. The appreciation in the man's eyes is not fake, and Deng Tianyou is willing to believe that, at least at that time, the man and his ambitions were the same.
But what happened later
Money and power blinded his eyes. He began to kill innocent people indiscriminately and eliminate dissidents. Gradually... he was drifting further and further away from what Deng Tianyou was pursuing.
Deng Tianyou asked: "What do you want to say?"
"I think this poem is enough to prove everything." Qin Zhao said calmly, "Whether you believe it or not, I have never forgotten what I said that year."
This is also the reason why Deng Tianyou was still willing to come alone even though he knew that Qin Zhao was deliberately setting a trap for him.
If this person really wanted to rebel, he would not have participated in the imperial examination so openly, nor would he have deliberately used a poem to meet him when he had a clear opportunity to avoid him, the governor.
Well, is there another possibility that what happened last year was actually a misunderstanding
No... This person is not what he thought
I have to admit that the moment I saw the poem, this possibility occupied all of Deng Tianyou's thoughts.
Or rather, he was willing to believe this possibility.
Even if it's only one in ten thousand.
Deng Tianyou did not answer, but Qin Zhao saw the hesitation in his eyes.
He still looked relaxed, and raised the teacup in his hand leisurely: "It seems that we can continue to drink this cup of tea?"
It's late at night.
No one knew where Ah Qi had gone. A small koi fish jumped across the corridor and slid silently into the drainage ditch beside the yard.
He leaned his head forward, but could only see the flickering candlelight in the study from afar, and could not hear what was being said inside.
Why haven't we finished talking yet
Jingli wagged his tail anxiously.
Qin Zhao had been chatting with the governor for almost an hour. Even the little fish, who wanted to wait until his father came back to tell him stories, fell asleep hugging his quilt, but the man still didn't come back.
If it was fine in the past, but Qin Zhao's fever had just subsided, how could he withstand such a ordeal
What on earth was that Deng guy talking about with Qin Zhao
Jing Li was getting impatient waiting in the room. He didn't dare to come over and disturb the other party who was talking about business, so he could only change into his original form and sneak over to take a look.
He waited in the yard for half an hour and saw the door of the study being opened.
Qin Zhao was the first to step out of the room and said, "You and I know what happened today, so don't tell anyone else."
"I understand, don't worry." Deng Tianyou nodded.
Qin Zhao seemed to have talked too much tonight. When the wind outside blew, he bent over and coughed repeatedly.
The distinguished governor beside him quickly helped the man to steady himself, and said humbly, "Your body... I know a few famous doctors. When we get to the capital, I'll ask them to take a look at you."
"We'll talk about it later." Qin Zhao stopped coughing after a while and waved his hand, "I've already taken a risk by bringing you here to meet him. The current situation is not suitable for any more complications."
Deng Tianyou sighed heavily: "That's right, I'll do as you say."
Qin Zhao sent Deng Tianyou to the door, watched him leave, then closed the door and walked back. Just as he passed the courtyard, he accidentally saw a familiar figure in the ditch.
A small koi fish lay there, looking up at him quietly.
Qin Zhao paused.
There should be no expression on the face of a small fish, but Qin Zhao suddenly felt a hint of coolness.
He just said something right...right
"Little...little fish?"
There was a rare hint of guilt in Qin Zhao's voice. The next second, the little koi fish swung its tail, jumped out of the ditch, and headed towards the backyard without looking back.
Qin Zhao: “…”