Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 42 Conflict
Tang Yin was in a very bad mood these days. He always believed that Chen Ce's death was related to himself.

When the earthquake occurred that night, he called everyone to run out, but forgot about Chen Ce who was still sleeping. When he wanted to go back, the house had collapsed.

During these nights, Tang Yin would always drink to drown his sorrows. These scholars did not have to squeeze into the shantytowns with the victims, but could find an uncollapsed house to continue living in.

During this period, Tang Yin met Xu Jing, a fellow villager from Nanzhili.

Xu Jing invited him to drink tonight. Neither Xu Jing nor Tang Yin was the protagonist. The protagonist was a young man from a Juren family sitting next to them, who looked to be no more than seventeen or eighteen years old.

This is Lin Mianzhi, the youngest son of Lin Qi, the chancellor of Shuntian Prefecture. He passed the imperial examination at the age of seventeen or eighteen and had a bright future.

Seeing Tang Yin lose his composure, the others sobered up a little and couldn't help asking, "What the hell?"

Tang Yin was also awakened by the shock. He ignored Lin Mianzhi's question and walked towards Chen Ce tremblingly. When he got to Chen Ce, he asked in fear, "Teacher, you, you are not dead?"

Chen Ce smiled and shook his head, saying softly, "I'm not dead. I wasn't at the residence that night."

Tang Yin was stunned, his nose felt a little sore for a moment, and he burst into tears of joy.

However, Xu Jing quickly came over, pulled Tang Yin aside, and asked Tang Yin in a low voice: "Bo Hu, don't talk nonsense, what teacher? How can he be your teacher?"

Tang Yin was unwilling to conceal the fact and told Xu Jing that Chen Ce had taught him the art of painting.

Xu Jing didn't take it seriously and said, "I just shared the composition with you, but I didn't teach you how to paint. How can I be called a teacher?"

"Mr. Lin and the others are here, don't talk nonsense, or people will look down on you."

Tang Yin's teacher could be a famous scholar, but he could be a teacher in a county school. The only thing he couldn't be was a disaster victim who had to live together with the common people and receive help from the government.

As a classmate and fellow townsman, Xu Jing felt that he had an obligation to remind Tang Yin.

Tang Yin said "oh" without commenting, then came to Chen Ce's side, smiled and introduced to everyone: "Everyone, let me introduce you."

"This is my Danqing teacher, his name is Chen Ce."

Xu Jing's expression changed slightly. He stood not far away and watched the scene. In the end, he just sighed and shook his head.

He thought Tang Yin would listen to him.

After hearing what Tang Yin said, several scholars could not help but be slightly shocked. They looked at Chen Ce again, seeing that he was wearing a simple blue shirt and long coat, they could not figure out Chen Ce's specific identity for a moment.

However, the fact that he was so young and could teach Tang Yin to paint was enough to show that this seemingly weak young man was not simple!
Tang Yin's paintings were famous in his time! What about his teacher?
Everyone bowed to Chen Ce in compliment, and Chen Ce also bowed casually in return.

"Why is Mr. Chen here?" Lin Mianzhi asked Chen Ce suspiciously.

Chen Ce said casually: "I live here."

Lin Mianzhi's face showed even more suspicion, and he said, "My father is in charge of the shantytown affairs. If you need help, you can tell me. Bo Hu's friends are my friends."

Chen Ce shook his head and said, "Don't bother, it's nice here, everyone lives here."

Lin Mianzhi took a look at the crowded shantytown, where people were lying all over the place, just like the morgue in a charity cemetery. How could people live here?

He frowned slightly, but said nothing more.

Tang Yin smiled and said to Chen Ce: "Teacher, please come with me to the residence. I will make the arrangements."

Chen Ce smiled and shook his head, saying, "You go and get busy. I'm going back to sleep."

In any case, seeing that Chen Ce was safe, Tang Yin was in a good mood. After watching Chen Ce leave, Lin Mianzhi asked, "Bo Hu, is he the candidate for the imperial examination this year?"

Tang Yin shook his head.

"Scholar?"

Tang Yin also shook his head.

Lin Mianzhi asked, "Then why do you want to recognize him as your teacher?" Tang Yin took out the painting in his arms and boasted, "This painting that everyone admired just now was created by my teacher."

Lin Mianzhi was stunned for a moment, then said, "That's why I always feel that this painting is a little strange."

"Yes, I was too embarrassed to say it just now. Now that I appreciate this painting again, I feel that it is rich in content, but also disorganized. I can't grasp any key points. Although it is remarkable, it is not excellent."

Chen Ce seemed to have heard their conversation. He paused for a moment, then shook his head.

There is no point in arguing about this matter. What difference does it make if you win? What difference does it make if you lose? It just hurts your energy.

Tang Yin was about to argue when Xu Jing came over with a smile and said, "Aren't we here to relax our talents with wine?"

"What's the point of discussing paintings?"

Xu Jing knew that Tang Yin was going to refute, so he deliberately came over to interrupt Tang Yin and prevent him from continuing the topic.

"Haha, that's right!" Lin Mianzhi took a sip of wine from the wine jug, looking at the dim lights in the shantytown. Human figures were stuck on the paper windows, and the reflections of an old woman with two young children appeared on the paper window.

So he got excited and said, "I'll ask the question: one sheep leads two lambs."

Everyone looked towards the shantytown, then burst into laughter, and took a few gulps of wine, feeling very happy.

"Brother Lin's question is so vivid and wonderful!"

"Brother Lin is very eloquent. It won't be a problem for him to get into high school this year."

Lin Mianzhi has a good father, and almost everyone around him compliments him like a star.

All the scholars in the Ming Dynasty were like this. They always had a natural sense of superiority and did not care about the emperor at all. It seemed that only by criticizing the emperor could they prove that they were loyal subjects!

So, what are the victims in the shantytown? They are just a kind of reading for fun.

But these are three generations of a family who survived the disaster after losing their son, their daughter-in-law, and sacrificing their entire family!

Chen Ce stopped, walked back slowly with his hands behind his back, and said to Lin Mianzhi with a smile: "I can answer that."

He generally doesn't cause trouble and is afraid of trouble, so no matter what happens, he always looks indifferent, as if this world is incompatible with him.

Everyone sweeps the snow in front of their own door, and don't care about other people's frost.

When Madam Wu was arguing with someone else, Chen Ce just expressed his concern and he didn't try to help her. It's the same principle.

Hearing that Chen Ce could match his pair, Lin Mianzhi became interested and said with a smile, "You say."

"I heard from Bo Hu that you haven't taken the small test yet. If you are right, I think the small test will be a piece of cake."

Chen Ce was silent for a moment, looking at the group of people laughing and joking, and said lightly: "A group of pigs share the same trough."

As he laughed, Lin Mianzhi couldn't laugh anymore, and the teasing tone he had just used became a little colder.

Tang Yin was embarrassed. Teacher, you scolded me too...

Xu Jingmo stood aside silently and pulled Tang Yin slightly.

"I want to hear what other questions you have for me. I can answer them all. I know a thing or two about couplets."

Without waiting for the other party to speak, Chen Ce said hastily: "A horse is stuck in the mud, does the little beast dare to step out?"

Lin Mianzhi's eyes were red, his face was twitching, and he pointed at Chen Ce and said, "How dare you scold me?!"

Chen Ce looked confused: "What? Isn't it a couplet? How did you say I was cursing? Your question for the first couplet was so good, can you give another one?"

(End of this chapter)