Chapter 279: Book Academy Matters

Episode Two: The Pool of Undercurrents

It was the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the height of the autumn harvest. Outside Hangzhou city, golden rice paddies, untouched by war, stretched out. Farmers, soldiers, and displaced people toiled in shifts throughout the day, and even at night, the bustling scene around the city's periphery offered no respite. Groups of soldiers set up camps among the fields, watching and patrolling.

These soon-to-be-harvested rice fields had already been divided among the various forces during the city's capture. While it was said that the grain and rice had become common property of the rebel army, in reality, distribution was naturally still based on each faction's strength. As long as Fang La's provisional court took the largest share, the others naturally carved out their portions according to their own power. As for certain fields that should still have belonged to Hangzhou's local good citizens, by this time, they too had already found new owners.

If the sole purpose was harvesting, more hands would naturally be better. But since it involved dividing profits, more participants were not necessarily advantageous. During the day, conflicts and skirmishes were inevitable. At night, it was common for fields to be raided, with other armies or civilians attempting to steal harvests. At such times, torches would spread across the flooded fields and embankments, shouts of battle would shake the heavens, creating a vibrant pattern that illuminated the outskirts of Hangzhou, keeping the city awake through the night.

While order and profit distribution prevailed outside the city, within its walls, everyone had their own concerns. With the Grand Duke's ascension imminent, the city's streets and alleys had become bustling. The most violent and chaotic period had ended, and a new order was gradually taking shape. Anyone with connections was busy working to secure their own interests.

Some shops reopened. Jianghu figures who once roamed the streets or ambushed travelers were now holding "hero conventions." In taverns and tea houses, people of various backgrounds and temperaments often gathered, each assessing and boasting. Those with connections or skills secured minor official positions under various generals. Scholars and literati who were moderately educated but previously unrecognized began tentatively submitting their name cards, seeking patronage or minor assignments.

There were always many people: some who were pessimistic about Fang La's future, and naturally others who harbored ambitions of becoming marquises and were willing to take risks. Society is like this: once there's interaction and a certain trend, a framework naturally establishes itself. Fang La's nascent society thus pieced together its own framework and rudimentary form. For a time, both inside and outside the city, there genuinely seemed to be a bustling, vibrant atmosphere.

Over the past few days, Wenlie Academy remained relatively peaceful. It was morning, and late-autumn sunlight filtered through the trees, accompanied by the lazy chirping of cicadas. It was teaching time at the academy. Ning Yi closed the *Records of the Grand Historian* in his hand, put it away in his desk, and prepared to leave.

At this time, the academy still had significantly more teachers than students. Although divided into four classes (A, B, C, D), there were fewer than a hundred students in total, while thirty to forty teachers were officially registered. Even if some of them belonged to privileged classes and didn't need to attend, the number of teachers was still severely excessive. Every morning, Ning Yi taught *Records of the Grand Historian* for half an hour in Class C. Afterward, he would go to the Headmaster to collect his ration of rice and return to accompany Xiao Chan.

The current Headmaster of Wenlie Academy was named Feng Yongli. His name was rather common, but he was a good person. It was said that he had some schooling in his youth, but due to his family's poverty, he never participated in the imperial examinations. His scholarship was naturally not profound, but he had been with Fang La's army since its inception, thus possessing considerable seniority.

Among Fang La's army, there were also several capable civil officials: Zu Shiyuan was one, and Lou Minzhong was another. Feng Yongli had worked under Lou Minzhong, copying announcements and documents, and upon the capture of Hangzhou, he became the Headmaster of this academy. Naturally, members of the Feng family were also busy accumulating wealth outside, but at least within the academy, he was indeed very favorable to scholars. Thanks to his efforts, the academy had remained relatively harmonious recently.

At that moment, seven people were gathered in the instructors' lounge, mostly teachers who had finished their classes. Some were drinking tea and studying classics, while others conversed quietly nearby. All of them had sought refuge in the academy only after Hangzhou fell, sharing a sense of common fate. At this moment, some of them were discussing the war in Jiaxing.

"I heard the war in the north is stalemated. The imperial court dispatched General Tong Guan south with his troops. Fang Qifo has besieged Jiaxing, but after a long struggle, it's hard to say who will emerge victorious...""I heard Grand Councilor Tong commands troops like a god. I originally thought he would lead an expedition north against Liao. This time... sigh, this time the Grand Duke's influence is immense, and he has drawn Tong Guan here. This battle might be difficult.""Hard to say. Rebellions are constant in both the north and south. Song Jiang of Mount Liang, Wang Qing of Huaixi, and Tian Hu of Hebei are already quite troublesome. Especially... since the Grand Duke took Hangzhou this time, and unrest has been continuous in the surrounding area for over a month. Although Tong Guan has moved south, our side here... is also gaining considerable momentum.""Amass provisions, build high walls, and delay proclaiming yourself king... Proclaiming himself emperor this time might have been a bit rushed, drawing Tong Guan here...""Brother Tian, you are mistaken. Tong Guan was drawn here because of Hangzhou. Once Hangzhou was taken, whether or not he proclaimed himself emperor, the court would fixate on this place. It is precisely for this reason that, for the Grand Duke's side, declaring himself emperor became imperative. He... our Grand Duke, can only legitimize his position to attract more support and loyalty, and only then will he have a greater chance against Tong Guan."

The men spoke in low voices, but they were not overly discreet, as the atmosphere had been relatively relaxed in recent days. Although Ning Yi hadn't interacted much with them in recent days, everyone knew he had also arrived only after the city's fall. What they were discussing, on one hand, related to their personal interests; on the other, scholars always had a penchant for critiquing current affairs. Huddled in a corner, discussing privately, they could somewhat feel they were the ones who saw clearly in this turbulent era. As Ning Yi packed his things, preparing to leave, one of them spoke to him.

"Liheng, are you leaving?""Yes, Mr. Liu.""No need for formalities. Since we are all here now, we are colleagues. If you're not busy, Liheng, why not stay and chat with us? Times are tough, but no matter what, there's tea here.""Someone is waiting for me at home, so I can't stay long. When I have time another day, I will certainly seek guidance from you all. Please excuse me.""No problem, no problem..."

The middle-aged man who wished to detain Ning Yi was Liu Xiyang. He had originally been a renowned Confucian scholar in Hangzhou. Now, at this academy, he and another distinguished scholar named Wang Zhizhen were the most highly regarded for their learning. However, Wang Zhizhen was relatively rigid, while Liu Xiyang was more adaptable. Originally, these local Hangzhou scholars were not well-regarded; if the literati who came with Fang La's army had seen them, they would have been casually ridiculed and dared not speak up. Only Liu Xiyang was quite formidable.

Among his students was the son of Liu Zan, one of Fang La's Eight Valiant Cavalry generals at the time. Although the student didn't particularly like the teacher, Liu Zan hoped his son would become a scholar. A few days earlier, Liu Zan had visited, and Liu Xiyang casually mentioned that the child showed considerable talent in understanding the Four Books. Liu Zan then inquired about Liu Xiyang's reputation, learned he was a truly capable great scholar, and since they shared a surname, he quickly had his son acknowledge Liu Xiyang as an uncle. Today, in this lounge, he was also the first to discuss the situation in the north; otherwise, others probably wouldn't have dared to speak up.

After this conversation, Ning Yi bid farewell and prepared to leave. Just then, a neatly and expensively dressed scholar in his thirties entered from outside, scanning the room with a somber expression. The discussions about the war in the lounge ceased the moment he entered. His gaze lingered on Ning Yi for a moment before he asked, "Who is Ning Liheng?"

Ning Yi glanced at him, then cupped his hands and said, "That would be me.""My name is Qu Weiqing," the newcomer said, cupping his hands and lifting his chin. Ning Yi actually knew this man's name beforehand. He was one of the literati who entered the city with Fang La's army, originally serving as an adviser under Wen Kerang. After entering the city, he was nominally assigned to the academy but wasn't required to teach. He would visit every few days. Lacking in literary talent himself, he looked down on the Hangzhou scholars who had sought refuge there, sometimes engaging in sarcasm and ridicule when speaking to them. A few days prior, Liu Xiyang had accepted Liu Zan's son as his nephew, which led to friction between him and Qu Weiqing during one of Qu's visits. Liu Xiyang thus became the leader of the 'Hangzhou faction' within the academy.

Everyone had initially expected him to cause trouble for Liu Xiyang, so they were momentarily confused when he instead sought out Ning Yi. Qu Weiqing then said, "You teach *Records of the Grand Historian*? Why don't you focus on memorization? Instead, in every class, you babble on with colloquial nonsense! The 'Annals of the Five Emperors' that begins *Records of the Grand Historian* is so solemn and grand. You speak as if telling a story, with no respect whatsoever. Do you feel no shame?"

Ning Yi blinked, a slight frown appearing on his face.

"The words of the sages are profoundly deep; one must read them a thousand times before their true meaning becomes apparent. As teachers, we should guide students to diligently study and comprehend, not directly interpret and explain with shallow words. You are so young, probably haven't even finished reading the Four Books and Five Classics. You use children's playful minds as bait, turning the classroom into a storytelling session at a tea house. Others might tolerate you, but I, entrusted by General Wen, will not turn a blind eye. I ask you: 'Of farmers, nine in ten; officials are granted hereditary salaries; customs offices criticize but do not levy taxes; fishing and hunting in swamps and forests are unrestricted; those guilty of crimes are not punished with their families...' Where is this passage from, and what does it mean?"

Ning Yi rubbed his forehead. "I don't know," he replied.

Hearing Ning Yi's direct reply, Qu Weiqing paused slightly in surprise. He had expected Ning Yi to at least answer this question, but he had prepared arguments regardless of the answer. After a brief hesitation, he asked a few more questions, then proceeded to lecture on how one should teach and behave as an instructor. After an uninterrupted torrent of words, he finally said, "Our Yongle Dynasty is currently on the rise and in need of talent. You are young; if you humble yourself and apply yourself to study, you might yet achieve something. I am not the Headmaster, so I will not punish you, but if you dare to teach like this again, I will not tolerate it. I will ensure you are expelled from the academy. You had better watch yourself."

He spoke for a long time, but Ning Yi's expression remained calm; he offered no rebuttal. Once he finished, Ning Yi humbly cupped his hands, bid farewell, and simply walked away. Qu Weiqing was stunned for a good while, looked at the others in the room, and then finally turned and left. After he left, the men in the lounge began to whisper amongst themselves again, this time naturally about Ning Yi.

In the past, when Qu Weiqing ridiculed people, it wasn't usually this excessive. However, the scholars present, while not openly refuting him, clearly showed their disapproval on their faces. People strive to preserve their dignity, even if they have to bite their tongue; but today, Ning Yi claimed to know nothing and said so directly, making everyone feel that such a scholar was truly losing face. In fact, some had already noticed Ning Yi's teaching style in recent days.

"I heard he tells stories in class; the children seem to like it...""Deliberately currying favor with students—where is the authority of a teacher?""He doesn't even know words from Mencius...""It's a wonder Brother Liu even invited him to chat. Even if he came, he probably wouldn't offer any profound insights.""Ah, we are all from Hangzhou. In this current situation, we should unite."

As Liu Xiyang spoke, it wasn't long before other teachers finished their classes, and more people learned about what had just happened. Many expressed disdain when Ning Yi's name came up. Truth be told, no one really knew much about the young man's background. Ning Yi had been like air in the academy these past few days; hardly anyone paid him any attention. Furthermore, his youth implied a lack of deep scholarship, and this incident seemed to confirm it. Just then, however, one person said doubtfully, "Listening to you all, it's clear that Ning Liheng was just toying with him. How could you think he doesn't understand the Four Books..."

This person was Yan Deming, the only one who had greeted Ning Yi a few days ago, and he was quite knowledgeable in Hangzhou. When he spoke this way, Liu Xiyang asked, "Deming, why do you say that?"

Yan Deming replied, "Before the Hangzhou earthquake, Ning Liheng composed a *ci* poem at the Beginning of Autumn poetry gathering that stunned everyone present. It was only due to numerous subsequent events that this matter did not spread widely. The poem began: 'The Southeast's strategic advantage, the metropolis of the Three Wu, Qiantang has been prosperous since ancient times...' Yan Deming took out paper and brush and wrote out *Wang Hai Chao* line by line. Liu Xiyang and the others stared, somewhat dumbfounded. Yan Deming said, "How could someone capable of writing such a *ci* poem be as you describe? This Ning Yi was originally the foremost scholar of Jiangning! How could he not understand the Four Books and Five Classics? He probably didn't want to cause trouble and held utter contempt for Qu Weiqing, which is why he deliberately acted that way.""

After he said this, the others were half-skeptical, then suddenly enlightened. Of course, at this moment, they gained a somewhat new understanding of Ning Yi, but they didn't find it too exaggerated. Hangzhou had already fallen, and scholarship here was, after all, not particularly astonishing. Whether he was the foremost scholar of Jiangning or Hangzhou, he was trapped here like any ordinary person, simply seeking refuge in the academy. Recalling Ning Yi's low profile in recent days, they presumed he had probably encountered many disheartening experiences, no different from anyone else. For a time, this was the general perception of him among the academy's residents.

It wasn't until a series of events unfolded two or three days later that everyone realized Ning Yi's current situation was, in fact, vastly different from what they had imagined...

To switch gears, Qu Weiqing's sudden decision to seek trouble with Ning Yi was not due to any grand, justifiable reason.

Among the literati who entered the city with Fang La's rebel army, some, like him, did not take their academy duties seriously. Others preferred to ingratiate themselves with the young family members of the generals. For instance, Guo Peiying, whom he knew, was originally an adviser. After being nominally assigned to the academy, he dedicated himself to teaching. Guo Peiying valued long-term interests: once the Yongle Dynasty truly established itself, these children would likely become imperial relatives. Becoming their teacher now was indeed an excellent opportunity.

Qu Weiqing knew this, but rather than becoming a teacher to imperial relatives, he preferred to become an imperial relative himself. With court factions still unsettled, his career under Wen Kerang was quite promising; he might well secure a direct position of influence in the future.

But of course, one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket, so he would occasionally visit the academy, taking pleasure in ridiculing the prominent scholars. He had little regard for these great Confucian scholars. Scholarship did not mean one could tame these children who had come from the countryside and had even seen bloodshed. The traditional methods of disciplining students were useless here, because among these students, some were already fourteen or fifteen years old, robust and tall, and had even killed people with their own hands. They hadn't yet grown into true pampered scions; their families told them to study for a promising future, and they dared not disobey, but they had no respect for their teachers.

The more profound the scholar, the less they might be able to adapt to these circumstances. Having upheld the hierarchy of Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Kin, and Teacher for so long, they believed in it themselves and would never stoop to ingratiating themselves with students. In contrast, people like Guo Peiying, even if their scholarship wasn't as deep, at least didn't put on airs when teaching and thus more easily earned the students' favor. The reason he suddenly picked on Ning Yi today was that Guo Peiying had overheard some student conversations and then told Qu Weiqing about them.

Those comments were mostly about the new "Mr. Ning." In just a few days, people were saying his lectures were interesting and captivating, far more enjoyable than those of any other teacher at the academy. The two of them called students over to inquire closely, only to learn that the young Mr. Ning was utterly unscrupulous. It sounded like he had simply adopted the demeanor of a storyteller to win the students' favor.

Of course, had he listened in person, he might have realized that Ning Yi's teaching was not quite as they imagined. Having been a teacher in Jiangning for so long, his lectures, though imaginative and unconstrained, still covered the necessary material. Naturally, at this time, Qu Weiqing and the others felt no need to take a young man too seriously. Once an impression was formed, they simply stuck to it.

They had no real grudge against him, but the sudden appearance of someone so much more "likable" as a teacher felt like someone reaching into their basket to take their eggs. Guo Peiying was more reserved, so Qu Weiqing went directly to scold Ning Yi. The next day, on a whim, he inquired with the Headmaster and found out something interesting: Ning Liheng's identity was that of a prisoner.

The Headmaster didn't know much about this matter either; Feng Yongli couldn't inquire about certain things with higher authorities. He did know that Ning Yi lived behind the academy, even with a maid accompanying him; both were under supervision and their fate was yet to be decided. However, knowing this, Qu Weiqing felt even more unrestrained. That morning, he pulled Guo Peiying along to listen to Ning Yi's class. He felt that given Ning Yi's status as a captive, his attitude yesterday had been too impolite. If he didn't change today, Qu Weiqing would make him pay.

The two went to the side of the classroom and listened for a few moments. Inside the main room, Ning Liheng was indeed still telling a story. It was nearing its end, and as he paused slightly, Qu Weiqing wanted to rush in. Just then, one of the students in the room stood up and asked a question, his voice booming.

"Hey, Mr. Ning, I went home yesterday and asked my dad. He said you helped the government troops defeat thousands of our men in Huzhou. Is that true?"Qu Weiqing and Guo Peiying were both stunned. A slight silence fell over the classroom, then someone shouted, "Are you a bad guy!?"Another child then said, "I asked too! When I mentioned Mr. Ning's name, my uncle said Mr. Ning led a small remnant force in Huzhou and defeated five armies led by An Xifu. Just by himself, Mr. Ning defeated three forces: General Lu Qiao, General Yao Yi, and General Xue Dounan. General Yao and General Xue were both killed by Mr. Ning! General Yao always opposed my uncle, and my uncle said it was good he died. My uncle also said Mr. Ning knows martial arts and is very powerful, known in the Jianghu as 'Bloody Hand Butcher.' Mr. Ning, do you dare to fight Qi Dazhuang? He always says he's the strongest in the world and bullies us..."

Qu Weiqing, standing at the front, was practically at the threshold, about to rush in. Upon hearing the brutal nickname "Bloody Hand Butcher," he instinctively recoiled slightly...