Chapter 166: Bad Karma in Elders

Kuang Qingwu went out of the teahouse and was helped by his old servant to get in the carriage waiting outside.

Before he got in, he couldn’t help but be stunned. He controlled himself not to say the name that was on the tip of his tongue. It was after the carriage left the teahouse for a little while that he whispered, “Sorry for troubling you again, my teacher.”

The man in a green shirt who got in the carriage before he was a middle-aged scholar. He was elegant with three wisps of long whiskers on his jaws, and he looked particularly impressive.

But he held a cavalier attitude towards Kuang Qingwu, Marquess Zhang’s Young Prince, who even Jiang Yashuang dared not to kill. Since Kuang Qingwu got in the carriage, the man didn’t even look at him. Instead, he was preoccupied with his chess in front of him. Even for now, he was still staring at it without raising his head, “I told you that I would teach you for a while for your breast-mother’s sake, but you shouldn’t address me as your teacher. I have vowed not to accept pupils.”

Kuang Qingwu took the old servant’s handkerchief to wipe his face, and then said respectfully, “My teacher, I owe you a lot. Even if I’m not good enough to be your pupil, I should address you politely as my teacher.”

The middle-aged scholar said indifferently, “Well, you can keep addressing me like this. At most, I’ll just go away as I can’t bear with it.”

Kuang Qingwu looked pale after hearing it. He quickly said with a smile, “Since you don’t like it, my tea… How dare I force you to accept it? I just don’t know how to call you in the future.”

“I call myself Leshan. Just call me Leshan like everyone else.” The middle-aged scholar said indifferently.

Kuang Qingwu sighed.

Leshan’s knowledge was unfathomable. What was more, he was resourceful and decisive, since Kuang Shihan ran into him when he was looking for his relative in the west a number of years ago, and he tried really hard in a crazy manner hoping to take him in.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work for him. Leshan was all alone, proud and clank. Kuang Shihan tried all means but failed. In the end, Kuang Qingwu was luckier, as his breast-mother who took care of him before he grew up had been the neighbor of Leshan’s relative, who he was looking for.

Although his relative was dead, Leshan got to know about it and still decided to return to favor. The breast-mother certainly obeyed her master and asked Leshan to teach Kuang Qingwu. The Kuang Family had their own plan. Although they couldn’t take him in for now, they brought up this request hoping that one day Leshan would listen to them.

Originally, Kuang Qingwu was not happy with his father’s arrangement. After all, he had always resented Kuang Shihan. However, after Leshan showed his ability for a little bit, he was impressed already. Also, Leshan’s unintentional words seemed to have enlightened Kuang Qingwu, making him realize that Xingkang Grand Princess was secretly manipulating him. From then on, he completely accepted this teacher and wanted to follow him.

It was a pity that he wanted Leshan to be him a teacher, but Leshan still refused to accept him as a pupil.

Judging from the fact that he would go away this time, he seriously meant it, and he was definitely not doing so to promote himself.

“Being rebuffed here today, you’ll use the need to stay at home to recover as an excuse so as not to go out until next year’s metropolitan exam.” Leshan said while playing chess, “What about Empress Dowager Gu? Do you need me to teach you what to say to her?”

Kuang Qingwu replied immediately, “I remembered what you told me last time. I didn’t dare to forget it.” Then he hesitated and asked again, “It’s just that I lost a lot today. It is inevitable for Empress Dowager and others to take advantage of it in the future. Even if I want to cool it down, I am afraid that they won’t just let it go easily. This…?”

Mr. Leshan said indifferently, “So I let Zheng take you out humbly.”

And then, he said nothing after saying this. Kuang Qingwu knew it was about the school entrance examination. He pondered for a while, and then hesitantly asked, “So you want me to pretend to be a coward who got scared after Jiang Family hit me.”

“Your father let you come to Jing City to take the metropolitan exam. He didn’t let you stay as a hostage.” Leshan said calmly, “For your safety, he even made a promise to princess Changping. So you must nail the metropolitan exam this time, otherwise Empress Dowager will definitely keep you in Jing City for three years to prepare for the next one. You know the consequences.”

Because of the auspices of Empress Dowager Gu, Xingkang Grand Princess focused her attention on the Western Army.

Although the position of commander of the Western Army couldn’t be inherited, there were natural advantages for sons due to the unspoken rule set in Darui in the military. Ruan Family and Duke of Xihe could be taken as examples.

Kuang Shihan had spent all his time in the Western Army. Of course he hoped to pass it to Kuang Qingwu instead of princess, his wife and Empress Dowager, his mother-in-law.

However, Empress Dowager Gu could force his own son into a puppet, not to mention Kuang Qingwu, her grandson in name only.

Kuang Qingwu suddenly got an anxious and grave look. He said softly, “Please be assured. I’ll try my best in the examination!”

“I don’t need to be assured.” Leshan said indifferently, “It’s your future and not mine. Why would I worry?”

Although his words were sharp, Kuang Qingwu was not angry at all. He smiled as he thought, “If Leshan wasn’t worried about me, why would he bother to point it out to me deliberately? Also, he came personally to pick me up with Zheng this time.”

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Kuang Qingwu always thought that Leshan only seemed to be arrogant, but in fact he had a very good heart.

After getting back to Marquess Zhang’s mansion, Leshan went into the yard. Zheng parked the carriage in the backyard and took the wound medicine to apply it to Kuang Qingwu.

Seeing that Kuang Qingwu was covered with bruises after undressing, Zheng felt awful as he watched him grow up and always loved him as a junior in his heart. At this moment, he said, “Jiang Family used really vicious means!”

Kuang Qingwu didn’t take it seriously, “It’s just superficial wound. Jiang Yashuang’s men knew how to control their strength. This can be good, too. When people from the palace come again, I have excuses to stay at home.”

Zheng sighed and said nothing.

After applying the medicine, Zheng packed up the medicine bottle and was about to leave, but Kuang Qingwu suddenly stopped him, “Zheng, could you talk with me for a while?”

“What does Young Prince want to say?” Zheng froze.

Before Leshan came to his family, Zheng was the most trusted person of Kuang Qingwu, far exceeding Marquess Zhang and Kuang Shihan. At that time, Kuang Qingwu often secretly confided his troubles and sorrows to him. Although Zheng only listened and said nothing every time, it also a relief of pain for young Kuang Qingwu.

Since Mr. Leshan came, Kuang Qingwu hadn’t confided these troubles to Zheng for a long time.

“Today you also saw the appearance of Commandery Princess Ningyi. Don’t you think she looks like a person?” Kuang Qingwu looked at him, “When I was taken back to the Kuang Family, I once ran into that person’s study to look for things, and I found a painting. Although there were minor differences, the outline was at least 90% similar, right?”

Lao Zheng sighed, “That was a long time ago. You are the master’s most favorite one now. Why did you mention it again?” Kuang Qingwu was rarely willing to call Kuang Shihan “father”, so he generally called him “that person”. It showed how deep the gap between the father and the son was.

“Is that really Princess Ruan?” Kuang Qingwu muttered, “That person was alone and helpless when he was young. He became the man today because General Ruan adopted and cultivated him. He and Princess Ruan spent their time together in their childhood, so he had feelings for her gradually. But General Ruan looked down on him due to his birth, so he made Princess Ruan marry Qiu Zhongyan. That person was not reconciled. He colluded with Empress Dowager to harm General Ruan’s off-springs, and killed Qiu Zhongyan himself. I remember that when I was seven years old, a man executed by him said it before he died.”

He looked at Zheng, “But why did he want Qiu Zhongyan dead? I went to Jing City to inquire about Princess Ruan and her daughter, and I heard they had a very difficult time. It was not until Qiu Jinglan, who got a pseudonym as Ruan Qingyan, came to Jing City three years ago that their conditions got better. But Princess Ruan died before she reunited with her son. Since that person loved Princess Ruan so much that he made me live outside until Princess Ruan got married and even killed her husband, why didn’t he do anything and let Princess Ruan pass away? Does he have a heart?”

Zheng was silent for a while, and said, “After Qiu Zhongyan’s death, the master sent someone to Princess Ruan to convey his marriage proposal. But Princess Ruan said she would always be Qiu Zhongyan’s wife, no matter dead or alive. And she also said if something happened to Commandery Princess Ningyi, she would kill herself. In fact, this is also the reason why Commandery Princess Ningyi lives to the present despite being harshly treated. Otherwise, since Qiu Mengmin and her son hate the bloodline of Old Princess Lian so much, how can Lu tolerate it even though Commandery Princess Ningyi is just a woman?”

Kuang Qingwu sneered, “She sounded like a person of integrity. Why did she look down on that person back then?” He was born because that person had one night stand with his biological mother, who wanted to marry that person so she gave birth to him without telling Kuang Shihan. Kuang Shihan, who only wanted to marry Princess Ruan, was furious and cut her head off by himself.

Even his biological mother’s family was implicated. Several uncles and cousins were killed in the battlefield with the deliberate arrangement of Kuang Shihan.

Kuang Qingwu hated Princess Ruan from his heart. He felt that this woman was indecisive and jealous. That was why he had lived outside for so many years, and his biological mother as well as her family members was treated by Kuang Shihan like that.

However, Zheng’s eyes showed sadness, “Qiu Zhongyan and Princess Ruan were also very close friends at a young age.”

“…” Kuang Qingwu froze and thought for a long time before he said, “You mean, what that person had was one-way love?” He always thought that although General Ruan raised Kuang Shihan, he didn’t think Kuang Shihan was good enough to be his son-in-law.

“I had persuaded the master back then, but he was deeply in love with Princess Ruan. Although he knew that Princess Ruan and Qiu Zhongyan had already promised to marry each other, it was always difficult for him to let it go.” Zheng took a deep sigh, “The master has never returned to Jing City these years. It’s also because he didn’t dare to see Princess Ruan again… In fact, he regretted killing Qiu Zhongyan only a few years after the killing. Now the master is still alive because of you. If you weren’t there, the master… he wouldn’t want to live any longer.”

Kuang Qingwu didn’t appreciate it. He sneered, “Wouldn’t want to live any longer? Right, Princess Ruan died three years ago!”

Zheng said softly, “The master failed you back then, but now you’re all he has.”

After some hesitation, he said, “If the master were here, he wouldn’t agree to let you go through this today. Although this idea was given by Leshan who is the most respectful person of master!”

Kuang Qingwu said lightly, “You have been with me all the time. Don’t you know what Xingkang Grand Princess has done to me? If I was not the only child, she might have killed me already. Has that person ever mentioned it to me?” Before getting Zheng’s answer, he sneered again, “If I was not the only child, I’m afraid I couldn’t have the last name as Kuang now.”

“Alas!” Zheng sighed and said, “The master didn’t say it because he wanted to make you tough. Moreover, Xingkang Grand Princess’s moves were under the control of the master. He knew she wouldn’t kill you. I always heard the master say that he would have done things differently if he knew the results. I don’t want the same happen to you.”

Kuang Qingwu sneered, “He has done too many bad things in his life. Does he think that he can be redeemed by just saying things like that?”

Zheng knew that his grievances against Kuang Shihan came from the grievances of wandering outside in his childhood, and the scars of not being valued and bullied after his first return to the Kuang Family. These feelings were deeply rooted. Persuasion was useless at this moment, and he didn’t really feel disappointed. He stood up slowly, “Young Prince, if you don’t have anything else to say, I’ll leave for now.”

“Find a few reliable ones and keep an eye on the whereabouts of Commandery Princess Ningyi.” Kuang Qingwu was silent for a while, and when he walked to the door, he suddenly ordered Zheng to do this.

Seeing Zheng looking at him in surprise, he coughed deliberately, “Don’t let Leshan know, lest he misunderstands me… addicted to women….”

Zheng said in surprise, “But why would you pay attention to her?”

Kuang Qingwu didn’t say anything. Zheng looked at him for a long time and sighed, “All right. Yes, Young Prince.”