Da Tang: Father, can I resign?

Chapter 409 My students all have unique skills
"Student greets Mr. Kong."

Under the leadership of "His Majesty the Monkey King", the little monkeys of Li Ming's "primary school party" saluted Kong Yingda in an orderly manner.

This time everyone was here, not only Changsun Yan, Fang Yize, and Yuchi Xunyu who were in Tangzhou, but also children like Di Renjie who had been staying in Chang'an.

This was the first time that the members of the elementary school had gathered together since Li Ming dropped out of elementary school and came under the one-on-one close supervision of his father in Lizheng Hall.

The past when this group of little rascals climbed up the roof and caused chaos in the classroom is still fresh in my mind (this is not an exaggeration).

In the blink of an eye (indeed, not much time had passed), some students have grown into important officials of the court and pillars of the country!

Looking at the earnest students, Kong Yingda gradually let down his initial vigilance, and hot tears slowly moistened his dim eyes.

"Ah, yes, that's great..."

The students have grown up and have a promising future. What could make a teacher more gratified than this?

"You are... Hou Baolin? I haven't seen you for a long time. Have you grown so big?

"I remember that time, you couldn't even speak clearly, had snot hanging from your nose, were often bullied by your classmates, and followed Li...hid behind His Majesty wherever he went."

With the support of Li Ming, Kong Yingda looked at the faces of his students one by one, and the past events (not long ago) came to his mind one by one.

Although not all are good memories, these are minor issues and can be ignored.

"Oh, I was still young at that time, Mr. Kong, please don't say anything..."

Hou Baolin scratched his head shyly.

After Hou Junji fled to Liaodong, his eldest grandson Hou Baolin followed him.

From then on, the boy's genes seemed to awaken. His height grew rapidly like bamboo shoots in spring, and he soon surpassed his brother Ming.

In this battle between Ming and Tang, he took the initiative to ask to accompany Aong to the battlefield.

Although I did not go to the front line in person, I still experienced the tense and exciting military life in the military camp in the rear.

After returning from Shuozhou, the young boy became more mature.

"I hardly recognize you. You've grown older, and I've gotten older..."

Kong Yingda was filled with emotion. He walked in front of the other little adult and was stunned.

The little adult's face was even paler than that of the real old man. Only the bloodshot eyes had a hint of red in them. His face was expressionless.

The whole person was shaking, like a dead branch in a typhoon, which could be broken and blown into the air at any time.

"Who is this……"

Kong Yingda felt very strange. It had not been long since they last met, and his students should all be in their prime, so how did a short adult get in?

It’s just that the facial features of this “little adult” seem a little familiar…

"Oh, Mr. Kong, you are such a forgetful person. This is Fang Yize." Li Ming introduced Kong Yingda enthusiastically.

The pale "little adult" nodded slightly, his tone calm:

"Yes, I am Fang Yize, meeting Mr. Kong."

"You are...Yize???" Kong Yingda was completely shocked.

Am I really old and useless, so forgetful that I can't even remember what my students look like?

wrong.

He knew very well what Fang Yize had done in the past!
He was one of the “problem children” who formed a team to bully Hou Baolin.

Because of this, he was punished by Emperor Li Ming several times.

The past events are still vivid in my mind, and there is nothing wrong with my memory.

The problem lies with Fang Yize himself!
Old Kong looked at him carefully for a long time before he vaguely saw the shadow of the young man in the past in the facial features of the "little adult".

He barely recognized him. He was indeed the same person. His appearance wouldn't have changed drastically in just a few years.

What changes is the whole temperament of the person.

From the youthful vigor in the past, it has turned into the hopelessness of life today.

That's why he didn't recognize it at first sight.

"Yize, what's wrong with you? Have you ever been seriously ill? Why do you look like this?" Kong Yingda asked cautiously.

"Nothing, I'm just a little busy lately." Fang Yize still had a blank expression on his face, as calm as a still pond.

The corner of Kong Yingda's mouth twitched.

In the few short years since they separated, he really couldn't imagine what kind of overtime hell poor Fang Yize had gone through.

How can he transform from a naughty and naive young boy into a depressed adult who has seen through life?
Speaking of the troubled teenager who bullied Hou Baolin...

"Where is Changsun Yan?" Kong Yingda looked around.

How could Chang Sunyan be missing in the bullying of Hou Baolin? Chang Sunyan was the mastermind behind the classmates' collective isolation of the snotty kid.

However, no matter how hard Kong Yingda looked, he could not find the handsome young man in his memory, the nobleman with long flowing hair and a gentle manner like jade.

All he found was a little old man who was as dark as Yuchi Xunyu and as experienced as Fang Yize.

"Oh my, Mr. Kong!"

The weathered old man showed a very friendly smile and shook Kong Yingda's hands warmly.

"You are... Chang Sunyan?"

Kong Yingda was so surprised that he could hardly believe his eyes.

The other person's skin was darker than the old farmer's, his voice was deep, and his hands were rough and strong, so rough that they hurt him. Probably because he smiled too much, the corners of his eyes were covered with crow's feet.

What surprised Lao Kong even more was this man’s scalp.

The hairline has receded more dramatically than the banks of the Yellow River. The hair on the front half of the body is almost bald, with only a few sparse hairs left.

Are there any similarities between this strange and friendly "little old man" and the noble boy named "Chang Sun Yan"?

Absolutely not!

"Ahem." Looking at the teacher's puzzled eyes, Li Ming took the initiative to explain.

"Mr. Kong, this is indeed Chang Sunyan. Compared to the past, he has matured a lot in the past few years."

"Hahaha~ No, no, I'm still very green at doing things, and it's all thanks to Your Majesty's appreciation and cultivation." Chang Sun Yan finished the conversation very smoothly.

"Really...are you really Changsun Yan?" Kong Yingda's facial muscles twitched slightly.

Even with His Majesty's royal warrant, he still couldn't believe it.

It cannot be said that there is no connection between the down-to-earth "Chang Sun Yan" in front of him and the cold and elegant young man in his memory, but it can also be said that they are completely unrelated.

Boys change a lot when they grow up, even more exaggeratedly than Fang Yize.

Fang Yize's temperament has only changed drastically, but if you look closely, you can still discern some of his former "charm" from his appearance.

Chang Sun Yan had a complete physical transformation from his temperament to his appearance.

Mr. Kong was afraid to recognize him.

Lao Kong felt that this was not his problem.

"No... Why are you so tanned? And why are your hands so rough, like a farmer's?"

"Oh, this? I took these when I went to the fields and visited the people." Chang Sunyan smiled cheerfully.

"Agriculture is the foundation of the world. Compared with the hard work I put in to support the farmers of the world, what is this?"

This answer was a perfect score, leaving Kong Yingda speechless.

He looked at Chang Sunyan's worrying hairline again and pointed at his scalp.

"Your hair..."

"Hmm? Ah, this..." Even an experienced person like Chang Sun Yan was stumped by this soul-searching question. After hesitating for a moment, he answered haltingly:

"I... I've also been to the Northeast to research the local situation. The local Mohe people like to shave their hair like this. In order to blend in with them, I..."

"Okay, okay, teacher, I asked the wrong question. Stop talking, stop talking..." Kong Yingda patted Changsun's shoulder sympathetically.

I would rather consider myself a barbarian if I cut my hair than admit that I am losing my hair. Men also have their own persistence...

"You all... have grown a lot."

Kong Yingda sighed again, this time with a more complicated tone.

They grew up so fast that they were almost precocious, especially Chang Sunyan and Fang Yize.

Although they behave differently, they are all the same kind of pitiful people at heart.

Forced to grow up quickly under the harsh training, the gentleman changed drastically and became a greasy and precocious adult.

It’s just that one appears to be a taciturn technocrat, and the other appears to be a smooth-talking administrative talent.

And who is the external force that drives them to grow so fast and "hammers" them with an iron fist?

Kong Yingda felt a chill on his back and glanced cautiously at Emperor Li Ming beside him. The fear in his eyes was far greater than when this guy threatened to pee in his hat.

Otherwise, it is better to follow the story of Fang Xuanling and retire to your hometown as soon as possible, so as not to be targeted by this Li Baopi.

The dirt has covered his eyebrows, and he doesn't want to continue to shine at this age...

Li Ming still had a smile on his face, not realizing that he had scared the teacher at all, and continued to introduce his party mates to Mr. Kong.

Kong Yingda did not dare to disobey this terrifying emperor, and took the hand of the next student with an awkward smile:
"Haha, hello... uh, who is this classmate?"

After that, I met another student whose name I couldn’t remember.

The student had a wretched face and liked to hunch his back and shrink his shoulders, with an attitude of fawning and flattering, but his pair of shifty eyes kept rolling around.

A textbook villain.

Oh my God, which innocent student has His Majesty Li Ming forced to become a smelly adult?
"Lai Junchen! How did you get in here? Go away, go play somewhere else, you have nothing to do here!"

Li Ming waved his hands at the wretched stranger in disgust, like he was shooing away a fly.

The wretched fake student who sneaked into the crowd of students and held Kong Yingda's hands was Lai Junchen.

He showed his usual obscene smile:

"Hehe, Brother Ming, I have never been to school since I was a child, and I also want to get some of Mr. Kong's scholarly spirit..."

Having said that, he immediately put down his dirty hands and obediently stepped aside.

Oh, fortunately, he is not my student, I thought... Kong Yingda muttered to himself, and suddenly thought of something. He felt that the name "Lai Junchen" sounded a little familiar.

After all, people with the last name "Lai" are rare...

Lai Junchen, come... Damn, isn't this the legendary Lai Junchen, the spy chief under Li Ming, the leader of spies who secretly monitored all officials, and who used inhumane interrogation methods to make Chang'an officials and prisoners tremble in fear!
Kong Yingda's back felt even colder and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He always felt that the pair of wretched eyes were looking at him with ill intentions, calculating the value of his intelligence in his heart, what illegal things he had done, what things he knew that he shouldn't know, and how to torture him to get the truth out...

"Mr. Kong." Another gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.

Kong Yingda gathered his thoughts that were running like wild horses and focused his gaze on the young man in front of him.

"Di Renjie..."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, this is a student I can recognize.

Di Renjie is still the same as before, a gentle and somewhat timid young man.

Li Ming patted Di Renjie's shoulder enthusiastically:

"Thank you for your hard work in Chang'an during this period."

Di Renjie was stunned, with a look of shock and fear on his face. He moved his lips but said nothing. Finally, his attitude became respectful, and he shouted clearly:
"His Majesty!……"

Li Ming seemed to shudder - I knew that there was a sadly thick barrier between us...

"Ah, why are you so polite? Didn't we call each other brothers before? Let's keep it as before: Brother Ming!"

Li Ming was a little annoyed.

Under His Majesty's repeated urging, Di Renjie spoke awkwardly:

"Your Majesty, Brother Ming..."

Li Ming: "...Forget it. Since you are lurking behind enemy lines, I won't bother with your hypocrisy."

Lai Junchen on the side was unhappy and interrupted:

"Brother Ming, Chief Steward Di was under house arrest in Yuchi Jingde's mansion during the war!
"It's me who's running around outside and doing the hard work!"

As soon as he smelled the scent of "competing for favor", Di Renjie changed his timid attitude and immediately retorted:
“Since I am the chief steward, it is my responsibility to sit in the rear and coordinate the operations.

"Even if you're not under house arrest, you're still the one running around outside, but that doesn't mean I haven't contributed."

"You are...quibbling!" Lai Junchen was at a loss for words.

After all, he is just an uneducated young man. When it comes to verbal battle, he is no match for Detective Di Renjie.

"Hey, why are you two arguing? You are both my wings~"

The scumbag Li Ming held Lai Junchen with his left hand, patted Di Renjie with his right hand, and came out to mediate with his arms around him.

"During the war, you have performed outstanding feats in newspaper opinion and intelligence work.

"Lai Junchen, you have traveled far and wide, collected a lot of important intelligence, and made great contributions to our country's great victory and the reunification of the world.

"Di Renjie, our public opinion intelligence agency can still operate smoothly behind enemy lines in Chang'an, far away from the Ming mainland, and it is inseparable from your unified command and dispatch.

"Both of your achievements are recorded in history, and the people will never forget you."

A bunch of conciliatory words prevented the two subordinates from falling out in public.

But just when Emperor Li Ming and his ministers were interacting enthusiastically.

Kong Yingda, who was standing by, felt his heart go cold when he heard this.

What? The good student Di Renjie is actually the boss of Lai Junchen, the hated spy?
Oh my god, you can’t judge a person by his appearance. Di Renjie can disguise himself without leaving any trace...

Kong Yingda was really sweating profusely.

He recalled carefully in his mind whether he had inadvertently offended this extremely cunning student.

Tangzhou has a lot of tricks, he wants to go back to Chang'an...

…………

However, Kong Yingda's fear was just a small episode in this team-building event.

The banquet was filled with cheers and the atmosphere was lively. It ended smoothly in the joyful atmosphere.

After Li Ming finished greeting everyone, he sat back at the seat of honor.

On his left side, although Fang Xuanling still looked weak, his complexion was obviously rosier than at the beginning.

I don’t know if it was because of the excitement of meeting an old “friend”, or if the high-quality red meat protein in the banquet had the effect of “replenishing blood”.

On Li Ming's right hand side, although Changsun Wuji's face was still very dark, the frown on his brow had relaxed a lot.

The new force of cattle and horses (crossed out) from Chang'an has officially arrived. We can share the pot (crossed out) and work together with them to build the feudalism with Ming characteristics.

Li Ming nodded slightly and glanced around the hall again.

The generals and ministers who originally belonged to opposing camps have now eliminated their initial barriers and become friends again with their old colleagues (extended meaning).

This banquet was not without gain.

Li Ming let out a sigh of relief and cleared his throat.

It was as if the pause button was pressed, and the banquet hall, which was bustling with people toasting and drinking just a moment ago, suddenly became quiet.

The ministers are worthy of being ministers, they are all well-trained.

"On this Dragon Boat Festival... the full moon, on this memorable day, I would like to say a few words..."

When His Majesty Li Ming said this, even the well-trained ministers could no longer hold their breath.

How simple is this "just a few words"...

It’s already very late and I have to go to work tomorrow...

"Tonight's banquet is a gathering of unity and victory..."

Li Ming just started to sing, but suddenly stopped and listened attentively.

There were hurried footsteps outside the corridor, as if many people were running in a panic.

"what sound?"

(End of this chapter)