We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1034 The Last Moments (Part 2)

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, just when everyone was almost convinced that the spell had failed, Qian Bin's previously slight chest heaving suddenly became more pronounced.

Color slowly returned to his pale face, and his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Then, under everyone's gaze, Qian Bin's eyelashes trembled a few times, and he opened his eyes on his own.

This time, his eyes were no longer cloudy and lifeless, but had regained some of their former clarity.

Qian Bin looked at the top of the tent with a blank expression, then his gaze shifted and landed on the bed.

Seeing Li Che's concerned and anxious face, and then noticing the elegant and ethereal old man beside him, Qian Bin's eyes flashed with surprise.

He tried to move his lips; the sound was still weak, but much clearer and more coherent.

"Your Majesty, this old minister seems to be... feeling better."

When Qian Bin slowly woke up, his eyes regained their clarity, and he began to speak coherently, the heavy atmosphere in the room suddenly eased.

Li Che was overjoyed and quickly stepped forward, but dared not touch her, only asking repeatedly, "Teacher, are you feeling unwell?"

Qian Bin shook his head slightly, his gaze lingering on Xu Jiezi for a moment, a hint of gratitude flashing across his face.

He then looked at Li Che and said in a gentle voice, "Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state. There is really no need for you to waste your time on an old man like me."

Seeing this, Xu Jiezi knew that there was no need for him to stay in the room.

He nodded slightly to Li Che, then cast a respectful glance at Qian Bin on the bed before quietly leaving the room.

Li Lin, Qiu Bai, and the others understood, silently bowed, and then led the imperial physicians to the outer room.

Everyone reserved these last precious moments for the deeply affectionate master and disciple.

The room fell silent again, leaving only the master, disciple, and ruler.

The light outside the window seemed to brighten a bit, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.

Li Che sat down again on the stool by the bed, ignoring Qian Bin's words about going about his business. He gently grasped his teacher's hand, which was no longer so cold: "Teacher, I have indeed been quite tired lately. I haven't been able to rest properly in Lishan, and I've been constantly thinking about it."

"Now is the perfect time. I'd like to take a few days off and stay here to chat with my teacher. It'll be a good opportunity for me to rest and recuperate."

Qian Bin knew his disciple all too well. Looking at the dark circles under his eyes, he understood his intentions perfectly.

I was really tired, but I really wanted to spend time with my teacher.

The old man didn't refuse again, but simply shook hands with him, everything was understood without words.

The next three days felt like a tranquil moment, a slice of time carved out from the river of time.

Under the stimulation of the Xu Jiezi's extraordinary needles, Qian Bin's body actually recovered some strength.

The next morning, he was able to get up shakily with Li Che's help and walk slowly around the house.

Although still weak and requiring constant care, she is a far cry from her previous state of being unconscious and bedridden.

Li Che felt both joy and sorrow. He knew this was like a final burst of energy before death, the last glimmer of light in his teacher's life.

He cherished every moment, turned down all official duties, and stayed by Qian Bin's side without leaving his side.

He did not confine his teacher to his sickbed. On the third day, the weather was fine, and Li Che ordered people to prepare a carriage, lay out thick soft cushions, and personally helped Qian Bin sit inside.

"Teacher, I will take you out for a walk and show you the capital city."

The carriage moved slowly through the streets of the capital, the curtains of the windows slightly lifted.

Qian Bin leaned against the soft pillows, gazing out the window.

The streets were clean and lined with shops. Pedestrians came and went, their faces mostly peaceful. Occasionally, children would run by laughing and playing, bringing with them a string of silvery laughter.

Faint sounds of laughter and conversation drifted from teahouses and taverns, while rhythmic sounds of labor echoed from the distant workshops.

"Living in peace and contentment." Qian Bin murmured softly, a look of satisfaction in his eyes. "This is what a peaceful and prosperous era should look like."

Li Che followed his gaze and was filled with mixed emotions.

"Teacher, this is the result of your joint efforts, those of your ministers, and the people of the world."

Qian Bin smiled with satisfaction: "Don't be too modest. You did very well, better than your father, and even better than all the emperors of the past."

They also visited a newly expanded government school, without disturbing the teachers and students, simply standing at a distance under the eaves.

Inside the school, the young students sat upright, their clear and melodious voices reciting their lessons.

There were also special math classes, where a young teacher was explaining the Pythagorean theorem on the blackboard, and the students were all frowning and deep in thought.

Qian Bin's gaze lingered on those focused, youthful faces, as if he were seeing the 'Sixth Prince' sitting in the corner many years ago.

“Good…good…” He nodded repeatedly, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face. “The inheritance of knowledge is a great fortune for the nation.”

After returning to his residence, Li Che made a decision.

He invited Qian Bin to a quiet room where some of the essential manuscripts he had brought back from Yunmeng Mountain were kept.

"Teacher, there are some things I've always wanted to tell you." Li Che's expression became solemn. He dismissed everyone around him, leaving only the two of them in the room.

He revealed the secret that he was not a person of this world, and recounted the origins of the Ghost Valley lineage of Yunmeng Mountain.

He had only told this secret to the late emperor and Xu Jiezi, and now he was telling it to his most respected teacher.

Qian Bin was initially shocked, then realized what was happening, and finally felt a deep sense of emotion.

Especially when Li Che presented those mathematical and physical classics to him, the old man, who had been obsessed with mathematics all his life, had a childlike, pure and ardent light in his eyes.

"What...what is this?" He pointed to the diagrams and formulas for 'functions' in the book, his fingers trembling slightly.

“This is ‘calculus,’ the study of change and accumulation,” Li Che patiently explained.

"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful!"

Upon seeing the ingenious deductions in solid geometry, Qian Bin couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, completely forgetting his physical weakness.

In the time that followed, Qian Bin seemed to have rediscovered his youth.

He devoured those books, from basic algebra to function graphs, from plane geometry to solid analysis...

He watched with such focus, sometimes lost in thought, sometimes calculating in a low voice.

Li Che stood by his side, explaining things in his own words. The two of them seemed to have returned to their school days, only with their roles slightly reversed.

Seeing his high spirits, Li Che worried about his health and couldn't help but gently remind him, "Teacher, you've been reading for a long time, would you like to take a break? These books are right here, they won't run away."

Qian Bin looked up from a pile of draft papers, his voice somewhat apologetic: "These subjects are so profound and subtle. I just feel that my days are numbered, and I want to read more and understand more."

"So this is how the principles of heaven and earth can be expressed, and how the path of mathematics can be extended to this extent... If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening. This is truly not deceiving me."

Looking into the teacher's earnest eyes, Li Che felt a mix of sorrow and gratitude, and could no longer utter any words of dissuasion.

He nodded, his voice gentle: "Alright, teacher, you may watch for as long as you wish. I will stay here with you."