Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 187 Extra: Yan Mingzhang (4)

The two were locked in fierce combat, while Yan Mingzhang stood quietly to the side, watching without uttering a sound.

Just then, a rustling sound came from the doorway, and a fluffy little head peeked out. It was a little girl of about three years old, with a round face, wearing a pale yellow silk dress, and her hair was styled in two buns. She clung to the door frame, peering inside with bright, unusually clear eyes.

Yan Mingzhang looked up and met the little girl's eyes. The little girl quickly gave him a sweet smile, put her finger to her lips, making a gesture to be quiet, and then tiptoed up to Mr. Rong's back.

Mr. Rong and Yan Lizhe were engrossed in their battle and had no idea that a mischievous little guy had appeared behind them.

"Grandpa~" The little girl jumped up and pounced on Mr. Rong's back.

The sudden force caught Mr. Rong off guard, causing him to stumble forward and crash into the chessboard, scattering chess pieces all over the floor.

Knowing she had made a mistake, the little girl quickly stood at attention, looking at everyone timidly with teary eyes, appearing pitiful.

When Mr. Rong saw that his beloved granddaughter was frightened, he quickly hugged her and comforted her, "It's alright, it's alright, our Yin'er is not afraid, Grandpa is just playing with your Uncle Yan!"

Rong Wanyin pouted, tears welling up in her eyes but not crying out: "Uncle Yan, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, can you forgive me?"

Yan Lizhe knew that this little girl was deeply loved by Mr. Rong, and with such a soft and cute little child looking at him with such a wronged expression, it was naturally not good to make trouble for her. In addition, Yan Lizhe was a kind-hearted person, so he said kindly, "Yin'er, don't be afraid, it's alright."

Rong Wanyin obediently squatted down to pick up the chess pieces, and Yan Mingzhang also squatted down to help.

Mr. Rong stood up and said, "I'm feeling quite tired. How about we have a cup of tea and some snacks together?"

Seeing that Mr. Rong hadn't mentioned taking on any disciples, Yan Lize didn't press the matter. He simply replied with disappointment, "It seems our time hasn't come yet."

The servants brought tea and snacks. Mr. Rong sipped his tea and chatted idly with Yan Lize and Madam Wang, never mentioning the matter of taking on apprentices. The couple were quite disappointed.

The two children were having a great time playing nearby. Rong Wanyin handed the chess pieces to Yan Mingzhang one by one. Yan Mingzhang took them with both hands, smiled slightly, nodded his thanks, and then placed them on the chessboard.

Mr. Rong watched the two children playing happily and laughed, "Mingzhang can actually play with our little devil. It's already a miracle that our little girl doesn't bully others, but today she even passed chess pieces to someone else!"

Yan Lizhe and Wang Shi were also very excited. The child actually smiled, and more than once!
Little did anyone know that Rong Wanyin had sharp ears. She pouted and retorted, "Who told those people to not have as handsome a smile as this brother! Also, Grandfather, stop calling me a troublemaker. I'm not! I'm your precious darling!"

Mr. Rong laughed heartily, "Good, good, good! You really are our precious darling!" Everyone smiled in agreement. Suddenly, Mr. Rong stopped what he was doing, stared intently at Yan Mingzhang's movements, put down his cup, slowly stood up, and walked over.

Yan Lizhe and his wife also got up and went over.

Mr. Rong was increasingly delighted as he looked at the boy, his eyes filled with joy. He stepped back and said in a low voice, "Li Ze, you're an extraordinary child!"

The Yan couple, puzzled, also carefully examined the chessboard. What they saw shocked them: Yan Mingzhang was reviewing the entire game! He wasn't simply recreating the final board position; he was alternating moves according to the exact order in which the black and white pieces had moved. In other words, he had been observing the game and memorized the entire sequence of moves!
Before long, Yan Mingzhang had restored the chessboard. Mr. Rong exclaimed, "Li Ze, this child is extraordinary! I'll take him in! He has a photographic memory! He's a promising young man! Starting the day after tomorrow, come to the Rong residence every other day. I'll teach Zhang'er one day and teach this rascal of mine the other... my precious darling. I want to see if I can teach him to become another top scholar!"

Upon hearing this, the Yan couple beamed with joy and finally breathed a sigh of relief, repeatedly expressing their gratitude.

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Because Mr. Rong taught Rong Wanyin and Yan Mingzhang separately, the two children had no contact after meeting that day. Only occasionally would Yan Mingzhang find a few crooked calligraphy copybooks on Mr. Rong's desk, as well as a little turtle that would suddenly appear on his own completed calligraphy copybook.

The little turtle's eyes were wide open, glaring angrily, which was very lifelike. Yan Mingzhang couldn't help but laugh. He thought the turtle was extremely cute and looked just like the little girl. He put the calligraphy copybook away, wrote another one, and handed it to his teacher.

Yan Mingzhang came from the Langya Yan clan, a prestigious family with a strict family tradition and rigorous upbringing. Being young, he had never encountered such a situation before and found it amusing.

That day, Yan Mingzhang was reading when a little head peeked in through the doorway. She cautiously looked inside, and seeing that her grandfather wasn't there, she boldly entered. With her hands behind her back, she grinned and proudly showed off her treasure: "Little brother, guess what delicious food is behind me?"

Yan Mingzhang glanced at the red syrup on the little girl's lips, understanding what was going on, but still remained silent.

The little girl glanced at him, ignored him, and wasn't angry. She held up the two strings of candied hawthorns behind her: "Look! Candied hawthorns! Grandpa has something to do today, so he doesn't have to practice martial arts. I came to play with you... Big brother, I know a really fun place, it's my secret base! I'll take you there!"

Rong Wanyin reached out and tugged at Yan Mingzhang's sleeve. Her hands were covered in sticky red syrup. Yan Mingzhang was startled and took a few steps back.

Rong Wanyin didn't expect Yan Mingzhang to react this way. Not noticing the syrup on her hand, she felt a little wronged and pretended to cry: "Big brother, aren't you going to play with me?"

Three-year-old Rong Wanyin is cute and adorable, and her crying is even more heartbreaking. She just pouts and doesn't cry loudly, but tears fall one by one, making her look extremely aggrieved.

Yan Mingzhang panicked and looked around, but there were no servants with her. He quickly waved his hand to indicate that he didn't mean it that way. He was about to speak when his mother's last words before she died suddenly echoed in his mind: "Zhang'er, hide well and don't make a sound! Don't make a sound!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, appearing out of nowhere. Long-buried memories surged forth like a tidal wave, flashing back one horrific scene after another. He remembered the scene of his parents' deaths, their cries, the blood dripping from the knife, and the chaotic clash of swords. Yan Mingzhang stood there, stunned and grief-stricken. He had forgotten the scene of his parents' deaths! And the reason he couldn't speak was because his mother had instructed him not to make a sound!