Chapter 312 - Formally Acknowledge a Teacher

The tenth lunar month soon passed. On the 21st day of the tenth lunar month, Song Yixiao naturally didn’t go to the Song Family to attend Elder Lady Pang’s birthday banquet. Nor did Jian Xubai. They only sent an ordinary gift to her. The Song Family probably knew their attitude and didn’t send anyone to say anything like they missed Song Yixiao anymore.

In the early eleventh lunar month, the marriages of Gu Tongxu and Qiu Zhiyin, and Wei Yinlian and Ji Mingfei finally settled and were made public.

“His Majesty is truly benevolent.” Although Emperor Xianjia was suppressing the followers of Prince of Wei and Prince of Zhao these days, his intention of showing mercy to them was already very obvious. After these two marriages were made public, all people at the imperial court and the commonalty were not very surprised. They gasped at the emperor’s kindness with admiration like that and then left this matter behind.

After all, the eighth day of this month was the Shengshou Festival for celebrating the Empress Dowager’s birthday, and the fifteenth day was the emperor’s Wanshou Festival. The richer the families, the busier they were. How could they have much time for gossiping?

Unexpectedly, on the eve of the Shengshou Festival, Song Yixiao suddenly got a message from Prince of Hengshan’s mansion that Wei Mengying wanted to see her.

“Normally, I shouldn’t refuse if my mother wants to me.” Song Yixiao couldn’t see through her mother’s thoughts. She tactfully asked if Wei Mengying and her son were in good health and knew they were not ill and didn’t need her to visit them. Then she said with embarrassment, “I’m in my late pregnancy, so my mother-in-law told me not to go out easily two days ago. I…”

Ms. Bo heard that it was Grand Princess Jinguo’s idea and didn’t dare to tell Song Yixiao that she must make a trip, so she told Song Yixiao the reason, “It’s the end of the year. Master Guanyun will receive formal education in the coming new year. Her Highness needs to observe mourning for her mother-in-law and it’s inconvenient for her to go out. So, it’s also inconvenient for her to find a famous teacher for Master Guanyun and she wants you to help her.”

Hearing her words, Song Yixiao suddenly remembered that a few months ago, when she was pregnant, Wei Mengying came to visit her and mentioned that she wanted Lu Guanyun to formally acknowledge Gu Shao as his teacher.

Moreover, she had promised to help.

However, things on the crown prince’s side didn’t go very smoothly for a period of time after they returned to the imperial capital from Cuihua Mountain, and the clamor for selecting another prince as the heir to the throne grew louder and louder. So, Wei Mengying didn’t mention that again.

At the time, the matter about the heir to the throne had been settled, and Gu Shao was bound to be very powerful and popular. Wei Mengying didn’t have to worry that she would have a wrong judgment about Gu Shao, so she mentioned this matter again.

Song Yixiao was speechless about her mother’s action of seeking gains and avoiding harm, but she couldn’t ignore the matter related to his brother’s future. She was in an awkward position to refuse, so she said, “Now, it is inconvenient for me to go out as I am in my late pregnancy, and Guanyun is only five years old. After I give birth to my child and my confinement is over, I will visit Prime Minister Gu and ask for a favor from him.”

However, although she had promised to recommend her brother to Gu Shao, she was not sure whether Gu Shao would accept her brother or not. She thought about it and added, “Guanyun is still young. If Prime Minister Gu has no time for teaching, Guanyun can choose other good teachers. Please bring my words to my mother. I’d like to see what her opinion is.”

Hearing this, Ms. Bo didn’t mean to leave but said with a smile, “Madam, Her Highness indeed hoped that Master Guanyun could formally acknowledge Prime Minister Gu as his teacher earlier, but Master Guanyun was too young and Prime Minister was advanced in years and busy in his high position. She was very worried that even if Prime Minister Gu could accept Master Guanyun for your sake, he wouldn’t have enough time to teach Master Guanyun!”

What she said was true. Gu Shao was busy with a myriad of state affairs every day. Even Commandery Prince Zhongling only got intermittent lessons from him. If he accepted Lu Guanyun as his student, Lu Guanyun would only be his student in name. If it were someone who needed his teacher’s support, he couldn’t get such a position even with 1,000 pieces of gold. The problem was that Lu Guanyun was still young, and he didn’t need support from his teacher at present. What he needed was a real teacher!

So, Gu Shao was not so suitable to be his teacher.

Although Wei Mengying was a profit-seeker, she was not a fool. If Lu Guanyun could be Gu Shao’s student, it was enviable, but it was not good for Lu Guanyun’s long-term development. After all, Gu Shao didn’t have much time to teach him. If he asked someone else to teach him… Gu Shao was so famous. How could ordinary people dare teach his student?

Even if there were other famous teachers, they had their own pride. Who would want to teach Lu Guanyun with the reputation of taking away Gu Shao’s students?

In this way, Lu Guanyun had the reputation of the student of a famous teacher but couldn’t get the education he deserved. Even if he had good natural endowments, he would become mediocre eventually. However, in this case, others would only laugh at him for failing a good teacher and doubt that he was slow-witted or not attentive in study, and would only look down on him. Even Gu Shao and Commandery Prince Zhongling might think they were disgraced by accepting him.

After all, if you wanted to be recognized and respected by people, especially the dignitaries like Gu Shao and Commandery Prince Zhongling. Status was secondary, and the most important thing was that you must have true skill and genuine knowledge.

Therefore, after thinking about it carefully, Wei Mengying decided to give up making his son Gu Shao’s student and find another teacher for him. “Mr. Helou is talented and outstanding and has a job of leisure. It’s said that you and your husband have a sort of connection with him. Could you talk to him to sound out his opinions about accepting Master Guanyun as his student?”

“Mr. Helou?” Song Yixiao was slightly surprised when she heard this. She didn’t expect Wei Mengying to change her goal, and she even took a fancy to the No. 1 Scholar.

Of course Helou Duhan was of great learning since he could be the No. 1 Scholar.

Song Yixiao knew what kind of person Wei Mengying was. So, the problem was that how could Wei Mengying value the other side’s learning most when she chose the teacher for her son? For her, power and status certainly came first!

Helou Duhan entered the political stratum as the No. 1 Scholar. Under normal circumstances, he would have a good future.

However, compared with Gu Shao, he was much inferior. Moreover, in the previous fight for the title of heir to the throne, although he was close to Jian Xubai because he wanted to marry Pei Yourui, he didn’t really take the crown prince’s side, which meant that he wouldn’t get many benefits after the crown prince ascended the throne.

How could such a person attract Wei Mengying’s attention?

Song Yixiao was surprised. After a little meditation, she agreed, “After Xubai comes back from work, I’ll tell him to talk to Mr. Helou.”

After she promised that, she asked how everyone was in Prince of Hengshan’s mansion and learned that everything was all right. After they exchanged some pleasantries, Song Yixiao asked Jinxun to prepare some cakes and other food and asked Ms. Bo to take them back to Wei Mengying and then sent her away.

After Ms. Bo left, Song Yixiao frowned and asked the maids around, “Did you hear any rumors about Mr. Helou in the imperial capital recently?”

The maids looked at each other for a moment. Then Jinxun said, “I heard some rumors, but I’m not sure if they are true. Mr. Helou is still unmarried. Several noble families wanted to betroth their daughters to him, but he declined all of them. Recently, it’s said that he has some kind of unmentionable disease.”

“That’s not the reason!” Song Yixiao thought that if Helou Duhan had some kind of unmentionable disease, it wouldn’t be an honorable thing. How could Wei Mengying want him to be Lu Guanyun’s teacher?

But…

“He declined the marriage proposals of many noble families?” Song Yixiao couldn’t help recalling that Helou Duhan made several attempts to propose marriage to Pei Yourui. She thought to herself, “Is he still thinking about Yourui? However, Yourui hasn’t shown any intention of accepting his proposal. Why is my Mother sure that he can marry Yourui? Even if he can marry, Yourui’s identity is ‘Grand Princess’s beloved daughter’ at most. But this identity can’t tempt my mother, can it?”

After all, Wei Mengying already had the identity of the mother-in-law of the son of Grand Princess Jinguo.

Song Yixiao thought for a long time without figuring out anything, so she stopped thinking about it and waited for Jian Xubai to come back from work. After Jian Xubai came back in the evening, she told him that Ms. Bo visited them with that purpose. Then Jian Xubai was slightly stunned, “Mother is so well informed!”

“What does that mean?” Song Yixiao asked with a puzzled look.

Jian Xubai loosened his collar, walked behind the screen, and took off his official robe, saying, “Do you know where Helou Duhan is from?”

“Jiangnan… Wait, Prime Minister Gu has been living in Jiangnan all these years?” Song Yixiao said with surprise, “They?”

“They are teacher and student,” Jian Xubai changed into regular clothes and laced up his clothes while walking out. He nodded, “To teach Helou Duhan, Prime Minister Gu was resident in Jiangnan and never went back to his old mansion in Hongzhou over the years!”

Song Yixiao was surprised, “Prime Minister Gu really dotes on his student!”

Although some teachers were resident in schools, teachers who were like Gu Shao would only be followed around by their students. Even Commandery Prince Zhongling who was the descendant of the royal family couldn’t put on airs in front of Gu Shao because he was the emperor’s grandson!

So, the fact was that Gu Shao was resident in Jiangnan for Helou Duhan, not that Helou Duhan followed him to Hongzhou with him for his studies. There was only one reason that could explain that. Gu Shao was doting on Helou Duhan very much and was willing to accommodate him.

However, Song Yixiao still had some doubts. Helou Duhan didn’t look like a willful and thoughtless person. How could he let his teacher be parted from his family for him?

“It’s not just that he dotes on Helou Duhan.” Sure enough, Jian Xubai shook his head and said, “It involves Prime Minister Gu’s private affairs. I can’t talk much about it with you without his permission. Anyway, it is a sad thing for Prime Minister Gu.”

Although Song Yixiao was curious after hearing her husband’s words, she didn’t want his husband to go back on his promise in order to satisfy her curiosity. She said, “So, only a few people know the relation between Mr. Helou and Prime Minister Gu?”

She figured out why Wei Mengying wanted Helou Duhan to be her son’s teacher. Helou Duhan was young and strong, and his current job was easy. He had enough energy and time to teach Lu Guanyun. As Gu Shao’s student and the No. 1 Scholar, he was certainly valued by Gu Shao!

If Lu Guanyun could be his student, he was the official student of Gu Shao’s student. Lu Guanyun’s promising future and impressive academic achievement could be assured. It was an action of getting two results from one effort!

“I guess so.” Jian Xubai thought for a moment and said, “Let me put it this way. In addition to Uncle and the crown prince, Prime Minister Gu probably only told me about that. He probably has told your father!”

In fact, he knew that because Gu Shao thought he was very suitable to be an “opponent” of Helou Duhan and Gu Shao gradually revealed the secret shortly after Gu Shao made that move to remind him and test him.

Song Yixiao was surprised, “My mother has been observing mourning for her mother-in-law for more than half a year. Even if she hadn’t been doing that, the emperor and the crown prince were not accessible to her. If I hadn’t asked about it today, you wouldn’t have even told me and you certainly wouldn’t reveal it to my mother. My father hates my mother over the years. It’s impossible for him to tell her such a thing. It can’t be that Prime Minister Gu told my mother by himself, right?”

“There is no such thing as a secret in the world. The main reason why Prime Minister Gu concealed his teacher-student relationship with Helou Duhan before was that he didn’t want to get him involved in the fight for the title of heir to the throne.” Jian Xubai pondered and said, “Now the fight for the title of heir to the throne is over and we’ve seen the result. Prime Minister Gu doesn’t mind that his relationship with Helou Duhan is known to others. Maybe that’s why they had frequent contacts recently, and your mother happened to know that?”

It was possible, but Song Yixiao still felt strange. Why would her mother keep an eye on Gu Shao and Helou Duhan?

It was understandable if she kept an eye on Helou Duhan. Gu Shao was the prime minister and came from the Gu Family in Hongzhou. How could he not have several capable people protecting him? Wei Mengying was just a princess consort who had married twice from an ordinary official family. The subordinates she could mobilize were limited. She was not afraid that her little trick would be found by Gu Shao, and then anger him?

However, Jian Xubai was not interested in where his mother-in-law obtained such confidential news. After asking about his wife’s pregnancy, he said frankly, “It’s about my brother-in-law’s future. How can I not help with it? Tomorrow is the Shengshou Festival. If I meet Helou Duhan at the celebration banquet, I will talk to him about this matter. I guess he won’t refuse!”

“Guanyun is still very young.” Hearing this, Song Yixiao also thought about her brother’s teacher-acknowledging thing and felt a little uneasy, “With his temperament, he might not be able to concentrate and study hard. Although I don’t think it’s a big problem, he is still very young after all and I guess Mr. Helou won’t bother about appeasing him.”

After all, Lu Guanyun was not Helou Duhan’s brother. Although he was young, he was a famous No. 1 Scholar. Many people wanted to acknowledge him as teacher. Why should he coax his student?

Jian Xubai said meaningfully, “Although Helou Duhan is Prime Minister Gu’s favorite student, he didn’t contribute to the previous fight. Prime Minister Gu is now a respectable prime minister. So, he has to avert suspicion of pulling the strings for his student. Although I am not as powerful as him, it is not difficult for me to help Helou Duhan get a promotion!”

Song Yixiao took a tumble and said, “In this way, Helou Duhan will not refuse.”

If Gu Shao wanted to pave the way for his student, he had many tactful ways. However, Jian Xubai was not only a relative of the royal family but also the most important subordinate of the crown prince. He was in his prime, young and several years younger than Helou Duhan. Gu Shao must be happy to see Helou Duhan close to him.

She thought for a moment and said, “I just hope he is willing to teach Guanyun seriously!”

“Helou Duhan is of a sober and steady type.” Jian Xubai comforted her, “Besides, our favor is not for free. Teaching Guanyun is just a piece of work for him. If he doesn’t want to pay such a small price, even if he is Prime Minister Gu’s beloved student, he won’t get a chance to get along all right in the court in future!”

According to his private agreement with Gu Shao, he would need to help Gu Shao get promoted. At present, it didn’t matter a lot even if they got along with each other. After all, he was still young and inexperienced, and couldn’t pose a threat to the crown prince.

Several years later, when the bonding they had when they were young was worn out by the passage of years, and the peculiar suspicion of emperors arose, he needed a rival so as to reassure the emperor.

Wei Mengying wanted to pave the way for her youngest son, which was exactly what Jian Xubai wanted.

As for how Wei Mengying learned this undisclosed secret…

Jian Xubai lowered his eyes and covered the ridicule and indifference that flashed across the bottom of his eyes.