Chapter 287: Chapter 264: Surprising Wind Flutters Under the Bright Sun

“I won’t go to Luoyang! I won’t go to Luoyang!”

“Go to Luoyang! Go to Luoyang!”

…

As time flew and years elongated, little Tuoba grew up day by day, learning to speak, crawl, walk, and before long, he was able to toddle and run around.

However, what was strange was the power struggle between Empress Dowager Feng and Tuoba Hong, or rather the covert confrontation between Rong Zhi and Tian Rujing, never truly escalated or resulted in a conclusion.

Chu Yu didn’t understand nor intend to learn about the specifics within the Imperial Palace or the court, but she was acutely aware of the situations at home. The several people in her household presented a subtle stance. Despite not getting along well, they maintained a superficial peace, preventing any outbursts.

Huan Yuan naturally left early and returned late, devising strategies and even formulating political policies for Emperor Tuoba Hong of Northern Wei. Being a counselor for Northern Wei wasn’t an easy task, as the dynasty was transformed from nomadic tribes. Despite their earnest efforts to learn the customs of the Han people, many aspects were still lacking. Reforming a social system is an arduous task; Huan Yuan produced and revised plan after plan, adapting to practical circumstances.

Although he wouldn’t admit it, Huan Yuan indeed contributed to the sinicization endeavors for the Alien Clan people.

The other two at home, Amman and Hua Cuo, spent their days practicing martial arts in the yard. Not only did Hua Cuo train diligently, but Amman also started training proactively after Rong Zhi’s arrival. Every time Chu Yu passed their courtyard, she could hear the incessant clanging of metal, and looking inside, she would see the glint of swords and shadows, which somewhat seemed menacing towards Rong Zhi.

Several times, Hua Cuo and Rong Zhi crossed paths at home. Yet, Hua Cuo really had the patience to hold back, perhaps knowing the difference in strength between them, he refrained from acting rashly until he was sure he could handle Rong Zhi.

Perhaps this was maturity, but was such maturity truly what Hua Cuo desired?

As for Chu Yu, she and Rong Zhi could be considered the most idle people at home. Rong Zhi, though holding an official title, took advantage of being the Empress Dowager’s relative and “fell ill” at home all day. He barely left home for more than four or five days a month, not much different from the genuine idler, Chu Yu.

When Rong Zhi didn’t go out, he would set up two soft couches in the bamboo forest for rest, prepare some snacks, brew a pot of tea, and then invite Chu Yu over to give him lessons.

After learning about the main function of Tian Rujing’s bracelet, Rong Zhi was not satisfied and requested to know all the knowledge Chu Yu possessed. Thus, after teaching Tian Rujing English in the Southern Dynasty, Chu Yu had another opportunity to resume her old profession, with Rong Zhi as her student, and the curriculum was comprehensive.

Before starting the classes, Chu Yu was prepared to be shocked. She knew Rong Zhi was intelligent and would learn things quickly; it wouldn’t be surprising if he memorized everything at a glance. However, even with such preparation, she was still astounded by Rong Zhi’s absorption and comprehension abilities when teaching officially started. It wasn’t just a simple case of not needing to be taught something twice, but he had reached the realm of hearing one part and understanding two, three, ten more: for instance, if she taught him a formula, he would deduce several additional related formulas based on what he had learned before; the same went for teaching him an English word–its different forms and related vocabulary were almost self-taught.

Fortunately, Chu Yu only taught him for seven and a half minutes a day; otherwise, she would have been completely overwhelmed on the very first day.

This was no longer a human-shaped learning machine, more like a black hole.

They had lessons for seven and a half minutes each day, as requested by Rong Zhi. Initially, Chu Yu found this timing unbelievable. If she taught only seven and a half minutes each day, how long would it take to go through what she had learned during more than ten years of studious effort? However, once the lessons actually began, she realized Rong Zhi’s consideration was too thoughtful–he took into account not only his learning speed, but also her mental resilience.

Their daily routine went like this: in the morning, Chu Yu would first enjoy a lie-in. Once she felt refreshed and had washed up, an attendant would be waiting outside, ready to escort her to Rong Zhi’s courtyard. By the time she arrived, Rong Zhi was usually already waiting. They would have breakfast together, and if they got up later, they might as well have lunch together.

After eating and drinking their fill and resting for a moment, it was time for a brief, half-seventh-and-a-half-minute teaching session. After the half-seventh-and-a-half-minute session that left them reeling, it was back to the pleasant leisure time. Chu Yu would occasionally talk about the 21st century, and Rong Zhi would listen with great interest, occasionally chiming in with a joke or two.

In this world, even though Tian Rujing was the first to know about Chu Yu’s knowledge that transcended the limitations of the era, the person who could truly understand Chu Yu’s thinking was, paradoxically, Rong Zhi.

At the Princess Mansion, Rong Zhi had his ulterior motives, and Chu Yu had her secrets to keep. That was when their misunderstandings and estrangement were at their peak, with mutual distrust and reservations. In Luoyang, when Rong Zhi disguised himself as Guan Canghai, the deception was one-sided, and Chu Yu also kept her distance from him.

…Until now.

Not until they reached Ping City and engaged in a transaction that at least both parties agreed to–superficially equal at least–did they truly, for the first time, become honest with each other.

Having clarified a joint goal, with no conflicting interests between them, their conversations became much easier. Chu Yu didn’t have to worry all the time about revealing anything in her speech, since there wasn’t much left for her to reveal to Rong Zhi. She could talk about her life before time-traveling quite casually.

And Rong Zhi, although he still hid one important matter, his time with Chu Yu was the most honest he had ever been. When they discussed certain matters, he no longer concealed his real thoughts but candidly expressed his ideas. Sometimes, they were surprisingly in complete agreement, but at other times, they were starkly opposed.

When they spoke of the Emperor, one from the 21st century where the imperial system had been abolished and the other who held himself higher than everyone else, one indifferent, and the other utterly carefree–the two would look at each other and burst into laughter.

But often, their views were diametrically opposed, such as in the case of teaching little Tuoba. While Chu Yu was adamant on raising Tuoba in accordance with the ‘Four Haves’ principles of good citizens, Rong Zhi spent his days filling the head of a three-year-old with notions that one must act ruthlessly for self-interest, or be destroyed by heaven and earth.

“Discipline? Ideals? Culture? Morals? For an Emperor, morality is the most superfluous, and his ideals can only be for his own country.”

“Alright, teaching him the future ‘Four Haves’ standard of a new citizen might not be quite normal, but you teaching a kid not even four years old how to use power to kill and how to scheme–is that supposed to be normal?”

…

Just over this matter alone, they had quarreled countless times, storming off in a huff after each argument, only for Chu Yu to turn up the next day as if nothing had happened, to eat. Whether the post-meal activities would consist of pounding the table to continue arguing or changing the topic to talk about something else depended on the weather or their mood at the time.

Those truly were extremely joyful days, even the quarrelling was immensely pleasurable, many times more joyful than the false harmony maintained in Luoyang.

However, both Chu Yu and Rong Zhi knew in their hearts that such days would ultimately come to an end.

They didn’t speak of it, but that didn’t mean the matter didn’t exist.

And that day came in the year Tuoba turned four.

The swift wind scattered the daylight, and the times swiftly flowed to the west.

Time seemed to grow invisible wings, and in the blink of an eye, it had swiftly flown by.