Chapter Eighteen: Beautiful Shadow

  Just as he was about to head towards the meeting hall after passing through the reception hall, Tan Yankai saw an old man with white hair and a white beard wearing official attire walking towards him. Liu Renhui, who was beside him, gently pulled on his sleeve and said: "The Governor is personally coming to greet you, you should quickly go forward to welcome him!"

  Without Liu Renxi reminding him, who else could be walking so dignified in the official uniform of the Viceroy's Mansion except for his own father-in-law? Moreover, the badge on the Viceroy's official uniform is quite different from that of other officials. Tan Yankei has not worn an official uniform before, but Tan Zhonglin had told him what kind of clothes officials wear in the official circle. He himself had seen it many times when accompanying his father to receive guests at the Zhejiang and Fujian Governor's Mansion. This is indeed the official uniform of the Viceroy. It was during the 14th year of Guangxu that Tan Yankei saw his father-in-law in Lanzhou, but five or six years had passed in a flash, Fang Ruyi's appearance hadn't changed much, only looking somewhat older.

  Tan Yanjin hastened forward with quick steps, bowed and said loudly: "Yanjin pays his respects to Shibo!" After finishing speaking, he knelt down to pay his respects to Fang Ruyi.

  Fang Ruyu smiled and stepped forward to support Tan Yanqing, who was about to kneel down to pay his respects, saying: "No need for such courtesy, Uncle Shi has been waiting here for a long time, it's like we've finally welcomed you!"

  Tan Yanxin bowed and said: "It's hard for Shibo to worry about it, I'm really sorry!"

  "What's the point of saying these things to our own people? There are too many people here, it's not convenient to talk. Qian Rong, quickly take Tan Yanqing to the reception hall in the backyard, we'll talk slowly later!" Fang Ruyi grasped Tan Yanqing's arms and carefully examined him up and down before smiling and saying.

  Tan Yanqian naturally understood Fang Ruyi's arrangement. The old man wanted to change out of his official uniform, and the ceremony they had just put on was only for the officials at the Fan Tai Fu to get a good look at their future son-in-law's demeanor, as well as to test Tan Yanqian's temperament. Now that the formalities were over, there was no need for them to be so stiff and formal when speaking among themselves, so Fang Ruyi had Liu Renxi take Tan Yanqian to the backyard first.

  "Maybe my future wife is peeking at me from some corner!" Tan Yanqian followed Liu Renxi through the mansion, his father-in-law was a refined person. Although the entire mansion couldn't be described as magnificent, the garden scenery had its own unique charm, reflecting the owner's elegant taste. As Tan Yanqian walked through it, he wasn't interested in these carefully designed gardens and began to daydream, suddenly thinking that his fiancée might be hiding somewhere like a character from ancient times, observing him secretly - behind the trees, behind the fake hills, or maybe during meetings in the hall with a large screen, where would she set up her peeping point?!

  Although Tan Yanqing's idea was despicable, he was indeed deceived by it. Fang Rongying had been trying to find a way to see what her future husband was like since she knew that Tan Yanqing had arrived at the mansion. When they met in Lanzhou, Gansu five or six years ago, they were both young and didn't leave a deep impression on each other. Now it's just a vague shadow. What could be more important for a woman of this era than her lifelong event? So Fang Rongying begged her mother to allow her to choose a place where she could see Tan Yanqing and take a good look at what her future husband looked like now.

  At this moment, Fang Rongyi was like the young lady in "The West Chamber", with a maid following her and hiding behind a fake mountain where Tan Yanqian must pass. When she saw Liu Renxi bringing a handsome young man from the corridor, she knew that the young man was her fiancé. For both of them, Fang Rongyi paid more attention to Tan Yanqian than he did to her. After Tan Yanqian passed the imperial examination as a juvenile at the age of 15, she felt proud of him in her heart - it was rare for someone to pass the exam at such a young age, even in the southern region where talented people gathered. The name "child prodigy" had been circulating in Huxiang for a long time. Later, Tan Yanqian followed his father to Fuzhou, and his behavior in the governor's mansion was also passed on to Fang Rongyi's ears. Until recently, the staff in the provincial government were passing around a copy of "On Encouraging Learning", which she only knew through her father that it was written by Tan Yanqian. She admired Tan Yanqian's talent even more, but unfortunately did not know what kind of person he had become now. Although it was just a distant observation, at least it made her feel more at ease in her heart.

  At this time, Tan Yanxin, who was walking in the corridor, might have been caused by someone's gaze, which triggered his reaction. He looked towards the direction of the fake mountain while walking, and vaguely saw a figure there. The shape should be a woman, but unfortunately, the hurried glance back could not see the other party clearly, but he had an idea in his heart - that figure should be his fiancée Fang Congqin.

  "Fang Congyi? This name has a poetic and artistic feel to it, even if it were used a hundred years later, it would still be a great name, much better than something like 'Lan Er'... just hearing it makes one think of someone who is understanding, gentle, and virtuous... hehe... what will our future be like?" As soon as Tan Yanqin thought of his fiancée's name, he couldn't help but feel a little amused, and some of the changes in him were caught by Liu Renxi, who also smiled slightly and didn't deny it.

  When Tan Yanqin came to see the fake mountain, Fang Cong was so scared that he almost froze, and only instinctively withdrew his head: "His eyes are really bright, as if they can see through the fake mountain..." Fang Cong thought with a "unsettled soul", but in his heart, a sweet feeling surged up, and his cheeks turned bright red.

  The path to the back garden living room wasn't very long, but Liu Renxi intentionally slowed down his pace, asking Tan Yanke about the situation along the way. Although they differed in age, and possibly because Tan Yanke could write "On Encouraging Learning", Liu Renxi didn't put himself in a senior position, instead interacting with Tan Yanke as an equal.

  "Mr. Jie'an." Tan Yanqian stopped in his tracks and said, "Look at my memory, Mr. Jie'an, I'm afraid there's still something that needs to be properly arranged by you."

  "It doesn't matter what you say, if it's something I can do, I won't decline!" Liu Renxi had just been chatting with him and was very happy, so he was also very generous towards Tan Yanqing's request. After all, after becoming the son-in-law of his own master's family, he could be considered half a member of his own family, so if there was anything he could help with, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

  "Mr. Jie An, this time I came to Jiangxi by land, and on the way, I also encountered many bandits blocking the road and robbing. This time, I caught three evil bandit leaders, and I already have concrete evidence that Fujian's Governor He Yin has a deep connection with these thieves hiding in eastern Fujian. He Yin even dared to accept their bribes... This time, I came from Fujian all the way here, because I had some things to bring, so He Yin took advantage of me and informed those thieves ahead of time. If it weren't for my well-trained bodyguards, I'm afraid I wouldn't have made it to Nanchang!" Tan Yanqing said with some indignation.

  "How can this be?!" Liu Renxi was shocked, he had also heard that Tan Yanqing had defeated several bands of thieves in Fujian on his way here. The task of welcoming Tan Yanqing at the door earlier was something he had asked Fang Ruyi for, just to see if the bodyguards of the Zhejiang and Fujian Governor's Office who were said to be able to pass five gates and behead six generals were really as fierce and terrifying as rumored.

  The number of the Imperial Guard was not large, but in Liu Renxi's eyes, it was still quite impressive - he had seen foreign troops after all. The uniforms looked similar to those of Western armies, and everyone carried a Type 93 rifle on their shoulders, which he had never seen before. Moreover, each soldier wore a box-shaped pistol at his waist, although he had no idea what its power was like, but it must not be just for show.

  "There's a guard escorting him, no wonder Tan Du is so at ease. It seems that the rumors from Fujian about the third young master sweeping through Fujian and killing bandits without mercy are not exaggerated after all!" Liu Renxi thought to himself, he really hadn't expected that this 16 or 17-year-old youth was actually capable of taking lives, no wonder they had been able to travel smoothly ever since entering Jiangxi, it turned out that the bandits in Jiangxi had already been intimidated by what happened to their counterparts in Fujian!

  "Here, we have all the evidence and witnesses. The many letters that He Yin wrote to the leaders of the bandits are also here. Three of the most heinous bandit leaders are being held in custody in the convoy. I was wondering if you could find a more secure prison cell to hold them, as I still need to return to Hunan for the imperial examination. If we have to travel long distances with them, it's likely that there will be some oversight on the road, so please make arrangements accordingly." Tan Yanxin said.

  "This is no problem, Jiangxi Prefecture has prison cells, I will make arrangements for you later!" Liu Renxi agreed in one breath.

  Tan Yanqian nodded and smiled: "Then this matter will have to trouble Jie'an, but these people are involved with Fujian's Huaiyuan He Ying, I estimate that he also knows the fate of these bandits, and it's hard to avoid him taking a risk. My father's impeachment memorial has already been sent to Beijing, if there is no problem, I estimate that by the end of the month He Ying will be punished, and these evidences will become important evidence for He Ying's punishment, who knows what his accomplices will do to rescue He Ying..."

  "Don't worry, Zong An, this prison cell is for serious offenders. With just one word from Governor Fan, no one would dare to approach this cell, let alone try to kill someone and silence them. You can rest assured, Zong An. In the future, either Director Tan will send someone to take him away or we'll send him over ourselves. I guarantee nothing will go wrong!" Liu Renxi said with a smile.

  After the two finished speaking, they walked together towards the rear courtyard reception hall. Along the way, Liu Renxi also took the opportunity to ask Tan Yanqing about his academic foundation. In the imperial examination era, there was a saying that "don't talk about fate under the window, don't discuss literature in the examination room" and "first wealth, second fate, third wind and water, fourth accumulated virtue, fifth reading books". Looking at it this way, one can see that fate comes first, and literature comes second. Originally, during the imperial examination era, as long as one could pass the provincial exam and dare to take the metropolitan exam in Beijing, they were naturally "ten years of cold windows, grinding away with an iron inkstone", possessing true talent and learning. Their academic levels were not far apart, and because the scope of the exams was narrow, the element of luck was even greater.

  Liu Renxi was able to become the leader of Fang Ruyu's government, and his own learning was not bad. He was also a jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) by birth, but unfortunately, he failed due to fate. Helpless, he turned to Fang Ruyu to display his talents. This situation was not unusual, as Tan Yanqian had also encountered several people with jinshi titles in the Fujian-Zhejiang Governor's Office. At most, it would only make Tan Yanqian sigh. Liu Renxi asked him about his learning, which was certain. Even if he didn't come, Fang Ruyu had other capable people who could test him in various ways to understand the true level of his future son-in-law and put his mind at ease when marrying his daughter to him.

  Tan Yanxian's "Exhortation to Study" was a shocking work, and the Empress Dowager and Emperor Guangxu's edict to widely disseminate it was an unprecedented event in recent years. Some people even fabricated that Tan Zhonglin wrote it and had Tan Yanxian take credit for it. Liu Renxi did not believe this rumor, while Fang Juyou firmly stated that it was not Tan Zhonglin's handwriting. However, as someone who assisted Fang Juyou in managing the customs office, he was more familiar with Western affairs and his questions to Tan Yanxian were more targeted. Tan Yanxian himself had anticipated such a possibility when writing "Exhortation to Study" and responded fluently to Liu Renxi's inquiries, which involved some Western matters. His insights even made Liu Renxi exclaim in admiration, dispelling any remaining doubts, and secretly thinking that the master had found a good son-in-law.

  When Fang Ruyu walked into the living room, Liu Renxi and Tan Yanqing were still discussing "Quan Xue Pian" with great enthusiasm. This also made Fang Ruyu feel surprised - Liu Renxi was his chief aide, and his vision was naturally beyond that of others. However, facing Tan Yanqing's enthusiasm, it wasn't just because Tan would become his son-in-law.

  Liu Renxi's appreciation for Tan Yanqian made Fang Ruyu feel quite relieved. After a long time, the relationship between the staff and the employer had transcended their employment relationship. Liu Renxi had followed Fang Ruyu for ten years, which was not a short period of time. They treated each other as friends and spoke very candidly. Only at this stage could the relationship between the staff and the employer be considered to have reached its peak.

  "Zu An, the idea of 'Chinese learning for fundamental principles and Western learning for practical applications' you proposed in 'Quan Xue Pian' is truly admirable. No wonder you received praise from both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor. Brother Wen has a son like you, it's really delightful!" Fang Ruyu said with a smile.

  "Isn't Tan Du's son also the son of Fan Tai? Then you can be even more at ease!" Liu Renxi said with a smile.

  Tan Fang's two families had agreed to an engagement, and the news had spread long ago. Tan Yanqian was a young man who had obtained the title of Xiucai, which attracted everyone's attention. Although he had not appeared in Hunan, many local celebrities in Hunan wanted to marry their daughters to him. However, Tan Zhonglin rarely returned to Hunan as an official, so there was basically no way for this to happen. Liu Renxi's words made Fang Ruyi laugh with great pleasure, while Tan Yanqian felt somewhat uncomfortable all over his body.

  "Uncle, my father has a letter for you, and he instructed me to hand it over to you in person!" Tan Yanke hastily pulled out the letter that had been prepared beforehand from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Ruyu with both hands.

  After Fang Ruyu carefully read the letter, Tan Yanqing knew that this letter was a letter to postpone his marriage with Fang Congqian. The letter written by Tan Zhonglin was particularly polite, not because Fang Ruyu was a high-ranking official, but because he really wanted to make this marriage happen, and the union of the two families would also be very helpful for Tan Yanqing's future career. As for this matter, Tan Yanqing basically had no opinion - not that he didn't have an opinion, but he simply couldn't take charge of this matter, unless his father-in-law suddenly went crazy and rebelled, otherwise this marriage was irreversible. Moreover, even if this marriage fell through, he could guarantee that another prestigious marriage would be born in Tan Zhonglin's hands the next day, and as the protagonist, he could only be manipulated by his elders like a puppet.

  Fang Ruyu looked at the letter very seriously, and the living room was quiet without a sound. Tan Yanqian and Liu Renxi were watching Fang Ruyu with great concern - Tan Yanqian hoped that this marriage could be delayed for a while, if possible, he would rather take the imperial examination until the outbreak of the Xinhai Revolution, but that was impossible, as far as Tan Yanqian knew, the imperial examination ended in the early 1900s. Moreover, letting him take the exam once was enough to make him suffer, and if he took it for twenty years, he would go crazy. Liu Renxi secretly guessed the content of the letter, if there was no mistake, the content of the letter was probably about Tan Yanqian's marriage to Miss, it was unlikely that Tan Zhonglin would decline this marriage, nor had anyone heard that Tan Zhonglin was a snob who looked down on the poor and loved the rich. It was estimated that only the daughter or sister of the emperor could marry into the Tan family, but the current Guangxu Emperor did not even have any children, let alone sisters.

  The three people in the living room each had their own thoughts, and for a moment they were all entangled by Tan Zhonglin's letter. Fang Ruyi carefully folded the letter and put it on the tea table after reading it, smiling and saying: "Wenyang has already made things very clear in the letter, but don't worry, this is a matter between our elders, you can rest assured and focus on taking the imperial examination, with your talent, passing the exam will be easy, as for what's next, let me think about it and discuss it with Wenyang again."

  It's probably because this letter expressed the impact of postponing the wedding, Fang Ruyu and Tan Yanqian didn't have much to say, but Liu Renxi and Fang Ruyu also didn't let him off easy. For over an hour, they took turns bombarding him with questions, almost exhausting all the classics and historical books left behind by Confucius and his disciples. The old father-in-law had been a scholar-official, and Liu Renxi was only unable to pass the imperial examination due to bad luck. Without a doubt, their mastery of classical literature had not declined with time, but instead became more refined. However, this was not a good sign for Tan Yanqian. After this explicit and implicit interrogation, he was finally allowed to leave, and after resting in his room for a while, everyone gathered together for a "lively" dinner, which served as a welcome feast for him who had come from afar.