Chapter 152: Han Yu's Visit

Having had an audience with the Crown Prince Li Song, Wei Renshi’s days resumed their usual rhythm.

It seemed that this dialogue with the heir apparent had produced no direct or immediate outcome.

Yet Wei Renshi knew full well that he had already caught Li Song’s attention.

For the present, that was more than enough.

Passing his days idly and jokingly at the Chongwen Academy remained an easy and pleasant routine.

Except for Fan Zhiyi, who was somewhat annoying, frequently coming every couple of days to beg Wei Renshi for snacks.

"Brother Renshi, could you bring me some of that chicken popcorn stuff again tomorrow? Miss Du said those are so fun and tasty to pop into your mouth while watching a play!"

True to form, no sooner had the academy lecture ended than Fan Zhiyi came pestering Wei Renshi.

"My family doesn't make those things every single day!" Wei Renshi pushed him away with a look of distaste, saying, "Although it’s not too much trouble to make, eating too much upsets the stomach. Now listen, Brother Zhiyi, you can't just pour your whole heart and soul into Miss Du, fulfilling every single whim of hers. Can you even tell if she is deliberately ordering you around? What if Miss Du asks for the moon in the sky? Would you try to pluck it down for her too?"

Despite being brushed off and scorned by Wei Renshi, Fan Zhiyi merely shook his head and said, "Brother Renshi, you don't understand. Miss Du is truly wonderful, she is genuinely and wonderfully good. She is definitely not ordering me around on purpose; I can at least tell that much."

"Oh?" Wei Renshi looked at him and asked, "How can you tell?"

Fan Zhiyi shook his head again and replied, "Miss Du... she saved my life! Right here on my neck..." Fan Zhiyi touched the lower part of the back of his neck and continued, "These foot-long scars on the back of her neck were left when she saved me. She doesn't care about them herself, and probably looks down on someone like me. But I can never let her down."

Pausing for a moment, he added, "Brother Renshi, the first time you brought those chicken popcorn pieces for us to taste, I brought some to her. Afterwards, she said they were delicious, but since I don't know how to cook them, I have no choice but to keep asking you."

"There's a backstory like that?" Wei Renshi looked at Fan Zhiyi in surprise. "Go on, continue your story."

"What story?" Fan Zhiyi was stunned.

Wei Renshi spread his hands. "How on earth did Miss Du save your life and end up getting hurt?"

"That year, when our group went hunting, I was a bit overconfident and ran too far ahead, never expecting to run into a giant tiger. The beast lunged at me, and Miss Du shot it with an arrow, blinding one of its eyes, so the beast turned and went after her instead. Before she could dodge in time, she was clawed on the back by the tiger," Fan Zhiyi recounted. "She was just passing by! She could have simply run away!"

"Miss Du knows how to archery?" Wei Renshi was even more astonished. When he had met her that day at the Leyou Plain, she had completely embodied the image of a gentle and soft-spoken maiden; he truly could not picture her galloping furiously on horseback, drawing a bow and letting fly an arrow.

Fan Zhiyi nodded. "She is a very accurate shot. Brother Renshi, consider this a favor to me. I'll owe you one, alright?"

"Oh, come off it, we're brothers, what favors are we talking about," Wei Renshi said. "Still, while your intentions are good, your approach is all wrong."

"What?" Fan Zhiyi blinked. "What approach?"

"Miss Du likes eating those snacks, and you want to please her. That part is right," Wei Renshi said. "But what you're doing is wrong. Brother Zhiyi, why haven't you thought about learning how to make them yourself, and then preparing them with your own hands for her? Little brother thinks that if Brother Zhiyi were to present Miss Du with snacks made by your own hands, wouldn't that move her even more?"

Fan Zhiyi froze. Suddenly, as if struck by a sudden flash of enlightenment, his expression turned intensely excited. He grabbed Wei Renshi by the shoulders and cried out eagerly, "That's it! Why didn't I think of learning how to make them myself and cooking them for Miss Du with my own hands! That day when Miss Du roasted meat for me with her own hands, I was so elated I wanted to mount a horse and gallop for miles!"

Ah, youth at seventeen or eighteen!

Wei Renshi smiled, pointed at his own carriage, and asked, "Shall we go?"

"Let's go!" Overjoyed, Fan Zhiyi immediately threw an arm around Wei Renshi and laughed heartily, "Brother Renshi! From now on, you are my best brother!"

Wei Renshi chuckled, took Fan Zhiyi back to his home, and personally taught him—the family cooks had not yet been trained by him in these modern recipes, so for certain things Wei Renshi had to do the cooking himself.

Sigh, this dish required deep frying, consuming a massive amount of cooking oil. Without being from an aristocratic or immensely wealthy household, one truly could not afford such snacks.

In the past, let alone frying food in oil, even being able to boil some vegetables in water would have counted as a rare luxury.

Fan Zhiyi stayed studying at Wei Renshi’s house until nearly the time of the evening curfew before hurriedly taking his leave.

Having seen Fan Zhiyi off, Wei Renshi prepared to turn in early.

Just as he was getting ready to wash up, the gatekeeper came running to report that Han Yu was outside knocking on the door.

Puzzled as to why Han Yu would come calling alone at this late hour, Wei Renshi nevertheless invited him in.

"Visiting in the middle of the night and intruding unannounced, I hope the young gentleman will not take offense," Han Yu said with a smile as he stepped inside.

"What is Mr. Han saying," Wei Renshi replied with a smile. "We are all such old acquaintances now, please make yourself at home."

Han Yu nodded, and turning to the servant, instructed of his own accord, "Go brew a pot of tea for me, please; it is truly freezing outside."

As the two of them sat beside the coal stove, Wei Renshi asked, "What brings Mr. Han here at this hour?"

Han Yu shook his head and said, "I am merely entrusted by someone else, and had no choice but to come over. Consider it just going through the motions; once I warm myself up a bit, I shall take my leave."

"Ah!" Guessing the purpose behind Han Yu's visit, Wei Renshi nodded and said, "Very well, then Mr. Han can head back after having some tea. If you find it too cold, or worry about running into the night patrols of the Wuhou, you are welcome to spend the night here."

Han Yu was taken aback. He had expected Wei Renshi at least to ask what the matter was, but he never imagined that Wei Renshi would not ask a single extra question.

He shook his head with a wry smile and said, "You truly are a clever man, Young Master Wei. A single sentence of yours has completely tied my tongue—even if I'm just going through the motions, I still need to deliver the message so I can report back when I return."

Wei Renshi laughed. To leave Han Yu—the literary giant destined to revive the declining literature of eight dynasties—at a loss for words before him was quite an achievement in its own right!

With a smile, he guessed aloud, "Was it Ju Wenzhen who sent you?"

Han Yu was utterly startled, then broke into another wry smile. "There's no point in keeping up pretenses now. When Young Master Wei mentioned Reader Wang in front of Brother Mengde and the others that day, I suspected that Young Master Wei might also know the inner servant Ju. It seems my guess was correct."

Hearing this, Wei Renshi had his confirmation. Historically, because Han Yu had a relatively close relationship with Ju Wenzhen, he had embellished Ju Wenzhen quite a bit while compiling the *Veritable Records of Emperor Shunzong*. It seemed that was indeed the case.

"Such a lofty and powerful figure as Inner Servant Ju is actually paying attention to a lowly county baron like myself?" Wei Renshi asked with a smile. "I am actually quite interested to hear what message he asked Mr. Han to bring me."