Chapter 82: The Teacher

The abbot said he would personally go to the Zhou family's house to collect the flowers, so Zhou Qing stayed behind to wait for him.

The magistrate exchanged a few words with Zhou Qing and then left with his men.

As soon as the magistrate left, Zhou Qing curiously asked the young monk nearby, "Who is this Benefactor Hu?"

"He’s someone temporarily staying at the temple. He’s very knowledgeable, and my master holds him in high regard."

Zhou Qing frowned slightly.

Knowledgeable but living at a temple and highly respected by the abbot. 

Like Shunzhi, staying in seclusion?

Zhou Qing was pondering this when the young monk sighed. "Benefactor Hu is a pitiful man. He’s full of knowledge, yet he's spent his whole life without finding the right opportunity to showcase his talents. My master says this is fate."

So, he’s not like Shunzhi then.

Full of knowledge, but without opportunities. 

That means Benefactor Hu's current situation isn't too good either.

With this in mind, Zhou Qing started making calculations in her head.

After about the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, the abbot finally returned.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, benefactor. Shall we set off now?"

The Buddha Festival was only two days away, and the flowers would need to be decorated once bought, so the abbot was quite eager. 

In the future, when he met with fellow monks, he could proudly say that Qingquan Temple also used silk flowers for their festival.

Yes, once the flowers were brought back, he would write letters inviting his fellow monks to participate in the festival.

The abbot was ready to leave, but Zhou Qing didn’t move.

"What's the matter?"

Zhou Qing smiled, somewhat embarrassed, "I’ve heard that the vegetarian noodles at Qingquan Temple are quite famous. Master, could I take a bowl home?"

Last time, when she accompanied Shen Li, they didn’t get a chance to eat.

He must still be thinking about it, right?

The abbot waved his hand. "This small matter isn’t worth delaying our time."

Then, the abbot turned to a young monk and instructed, "Go find your senior brother Liu and tell him to bring the noodles, the vegetables, the seasonings, and even the pot. He’ll come with us."

After giving these instructions, the abbot smiled at Zhou Qing. "Benefactor, can we leave now?"

Bringing the pot?

Is he planning to cook at my house?

Master, you are truly something else!

Zhou Huailin took the lead with the first cart, and Zhou Qing, wanting to speak with the abbot, climbed into the abbot's cart.

"Master, is Benefactor Hu feeling better?"

The abbot gave Zhou Qing a deep look. "Benefactor Hu is over forty years old this year."

Zhou Qing was stunned for a moment before realizing.

Does the monk think I’m interested in Benefactor Hu?

Aren't monks supposed to be detached from worldly desires?

"Master, you misunderstand. I heard from the young monk that Benefactor Hu is very knowledgeable. Our village has established an academy and enrolled many students, but we’ve had trouble finding a qualified teacher. That’s why I asked."

Given the abbot’s earlier misunderstanding, Zhou Qing didn't dare to engage in small talk anymore and got straight to the point.

The abbot looked at Zhou Qing with some surprise.

"You mean you want to hire him to teach in your village?"

Zhou Qing nodded. "If he is knowledgeable and has good character, I’d be willing to hire him at a high salary."

Before Zhou Qing could finish, the abbot immediately called out, "Stop the cart."

Stop the cart?

Does this mean you’re not going to buy flowers?

"Go, bring Benefactor Hu along. He’ll come with us to Qingyang Village."

A young monk quickly followed the command.

Once he left, the mule cart resumed its journey.

Zhou Qing furrowed her brow, unsure how to proceed with the conversation.

This abbot…

He’s quite an unusual character.

The abbot, however, acted as if everything was normal. "His knowledge is without question. As for his character, I could say he's good, but you might not believe me. It’s better to bring him with us and let you observe for yourself. If you think he’s suitable, you can keep him. If not, I’ll bring him back."

No one had expected the abbot to personally come to collect the flowers. Once they arrived in Qingyang Village, Zhou Huailin immediately went to the clan leader's house and invited him over.

The clan leader was still in a daze when he arrived at Shen Li's house.

The abbot of Qingquan Temple from the county had personally come to their village!

What a blessing!

When the clan leader arrived, the abbot had already skipped the formal pleasantries and had his men load the ordered flowers onto the cart, covering them with an oilcloth.

Once the business was done, the abbot pushed Benefactor Hu forward.

"This is Hu Yue, a scholar who passed the imperial exam but was unlucky in his career. He’s talented and virtuous, and as you can see, quite dignified in appearance."

Benefactor Hu, who had been pushed forward, glared at the abbot fiercely but said nothing.

After all, as a man full of talent but with no place to show it, teaching in a village academy was the best way to ease his mind. 

It was far better than staying at the temple, brooding in despair.

Previously, he had sought teaching positions at academies, but he had always been turned down.

Sigh...

When Shen Li saw Hu Yue, he was visibly surprised.

The former Minister of War, who once dominated the court, was now this skinny old man.

What Hu Yue? His real name was Hu Wei Yue, the former Minister of War.

Eight years ago, he had been framed by Duke Zhen's faction, and the emperor had been forced to demote him.

After being sent to a faraway place, Hu was framed again by Duke Zhen’s faction and was fully dismissed from his post.

Although the emperor had dismissed him, he still had hopes of reinstating him.

Perhaps…

No later than next year.

This Hu Wei Yue, though truly talented and dignified, had a small, vengeful heart.

Zhou Qing noticed Shen Li staring at Hu Yue and quietly nudged him. "What’s wrong?"

Shen Li shook his head with a smile and whispered, "Nothing. He seems fine. Since the abbot recommended him, there shouldn’t be any issues."

"Then test his knowledge a bit. If you think he’s suitable, we’ll hire him."

Me, test Hu Wei Yue?

When Hu Wei Yue was at the height of his power as Minister of War, I was still wetting the bed!

He was dismissed from court when I was barely ten years old.

How could I be qualified?

But Shen Li couldn’t say this. He could only nod vaguely. "Alright."

The clan leader was overjoyed.

He had originally thought hiring a scholar would be the highest honor for their village.

Now, they had a Jinshi! 

A Jinshi!

Looking at Hu Yue, the clan leader’s eyes sparkled.

It was as if he could already see countless Jinshi graduates coming from Huaishan Academy.

"Would you be willing to teach at our village academy?" The clan leader rubbed his hands together, feeling nervous in front of a jinshi.

"I should be clear," Hu Yue said in a hoarse voice, licking his dry lips, "I was dismissed from office as a criminal."

His face was lined with the hardships and disappointments of many years.

Over the years, he had repeatedly sought teaching positions, only to be rejected because of this very fact.

The academies feared the negative influence he might bring to their students due to his tarnished reputation in the imperial court.

Many court factions were closely tied to these academies.

Students taught by a disgraced official would always be seen as lesser in rank, even if they entered the civil service.

He understood why they rejected him. If he were in their position, he wouldn’t gamble the future of the academy either.

But his old friend, the abbot of Qingquan Temple, had always encouraged him to keep trying.

Upon hearing this, the clan leader froze.

A dismissed criminal...

Seeing the clan leader hesitate, Shen Li quickly interjected, "The ups and downs of officialdom are common. To have been demoted yet not lose your dignity and still be willing to pass on your life’s knowledge shows your noble character. And as a Jinshi, we at Huaishan Academy would be honored to have you. I hope you won’t look down on us."

As Shen Li spoke, he subtly tugged at Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing understood immediately and quickly added, "Yes! As long as you're willing to teach at Huaishan Academy, we would be more than happy to have you."

The clan leader frowned slightly.