Chapter 285: To Have Faith

"Today, I want to share something with you. Yesterday, I witnessed an execution on the east side of the city. I saw an old man named Qian Xiwen.

I learned about him because a couple of days ago, Ru You mentioned some things that prompted me to go and see. I wasn't very familiar with Qian Xiwen before, though we had met a few times. He was a man who deeply understood power dynamics and human nature. A few years ago, in the Hangzhou area, if anything happened, a single word from him could be decisive. Today, I want to tell you about this old man."

Amidst the swaying tree shadows and the lazy chirping of insects, the young teacher's voice resonated in the academy classroom. Though it was ostensibly a lecture, by this point, it had, as usual, turned into storytelling. Inside the classroom, there were dozens of students of various ages, and outside, behind the windows, five or six more students were gathered. Some leaned on the windowsill, others squatted on the ground counting pebbles, but all were listening to what was being said inside.

Ever since several conflicts arose at the academy concerning Mr. Ning Liheng, the students had split into several factions. There were those who wanted to get rid of him, those who were close to him and wanted to protect him, and, naturally, a larger number of indifferent neutrals. Regardless of their personal feelings, once word spread that Mr. Ning's lectures were engaging, many were willing to come to Class C to attend his 'Records of the Grand Historian' lessons.

In a traditional school of old, students who roamed freely like this would likely have been severely punished. But at the current Wenlie Academy, few teachers dared to truly discipline students. By this time, roughly forty-odd pro-Ning and neutral students gathered daily for the 'Records of the Grand Historian' class in Class C. As for those crouching suspiciously outside the windows, they were mostly anti-Ning students looking for trouble. They claimed to be gathering intelligence, following the principle of 'know your enemy, know yourself, and you will not be defeated.' However, being children mostly around fifteen or sixteen, they often listened with great interest when Ning Yi's stories were engaging, only feigning disdain once the story concluded.

However, the story being told today made the atmosphere inside and outside the classroom feel a little strange.

"'The Qian family was originally a prominent and wealthy family in Hangzhou, having produced many high-ranking officials. There's an interesting little story about Qian Xiwen... A few months ago, when I first arrived in Hangzhou, I went to visit him at the Qian manor with a letter from an elder. I encountered two young men chasing and fighting, and then I picked up a red coral brush holder... I ended up getting ten strings of coins for it, not banknotes, but actual copper coins strung together... A full ten strings, which were quite heavy to carry. I later found out that this coral brush holder was one of Qian Xiwen's most prized possessions...'"

The story about Qian Xiwen began with the coral brush holder incident, then gradually touched upon the famine years ago, the Autumn Equinox Poetry Gathering, and so on. A slight commotion arose throughout the classroom. The students were children, but they could generally grasp the story's stance. They supported Ning Yi because they believed he had sided with the rebel army. Talking about Qian Xiwen now caused some of the children to waver.

As the story continued, two academy teachers appeared in the corridor outside. Perhaps sensing the unusual atmosphere inside, they stood there and listened for a few moments before expressions of surprise and doubt appeared on their faces: "Is this man insane?"

"I don't think so... Is he acting with impunity?"

The two listened in astonishment for a while. Then, another teacher approached, listened for a few sentences, and also exchanged surprised glances with his two companions. They were all scholars originally from Hangzhou and naturally knew Qian Xiwen's name. But speaking of such things in Fang La's territory at this time – wasn't that simply seeking death?

Just as they were pondering this, a young man in a black short-sleeved shirt strolled along one side of the long corridor, glancing left and right as he approached. Although he was an unfamiliar face, there were guards outside the academy. Given his demeanor, anyone allowed in at this time was likely a martial artist, probably even a general in Fang La's army. Indeed, as soon as he appeared, one of the children playing outside the classroom was visibly startled, shrinking back several steps before seemingly consulting with his companions about leaving.

The three scholars exchanged glances, then lowered their heads and departed. The young man watched their backs, then cast a sidelong glance at Ning Yi's classroom. He pondered for a moment, then sat down on the corridor railing about a zhang (approximately 3.3 meters) from the classroom, pulling a blade of grass to chew on, seemingly settling in for a rest. From that distance, he couldn't see the goings-on inside the classroom, but he could clearly hear both sides of any conversation. Before long, the young man understood what they were talking about.

"'The so-called 'defending the Way' means dying at the opportune moment to show others. That's what the old man said. There are many clever people in this world; even I think that if he had wanted to do more, he wouldn't have had to die here, wouldn't have had to return. This old man was also clever. Yet, what he feared was that if everyone acted so cleverly, when people spoke of righteous sacrifice, there would be no suitable examples to cite. People would say, 'Although you teachers constantly talk about integrity, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness, why did everyone run away when the enemy attacked?' He stayed. People will say, 'There was a Qian Xiwen here who did such a thing.' What he achieved in his lifetime through his scholarship would then not be false.'"

"'He and his family died yesterday.' Mr. Ning Yi paused, then continued: 'I hope you can remember this story and remember that such a person existed. My lecture for today is complete. You may now share any thoughts you have.'"

He had barely finished speaking when a child indignantly raised a hand and stood up: "Mr. Ning, are you saying that the imperial court's side are the good people? Are you saying we are bad people?" Others immediately chimed in. Ning Yi watched calmly from the front, waiting for the clamor in the classroom to subside before speaking.

"'Good people and bad people are not so simple to define. I cannot tell you who is good and who is bad; I can only tell you how to be human. Why do your parents send you to this academy today to study the Four Books, Five Classics, and history? Haven't those people in the imperial court also spent their lives reading these same texts? You stand on different sides, yet you learn the same things. I tell you, what you need to learn is found in what this old man did. As your teacher, I believe that if you truly wish to learn well, you should not miss his example.'"

"'Regarding right and wrong, it's not simply that if one person stands on the good side, another must be on the bad side. When corrupt officials impose exorbitant taxes and levies, like the 'Flower and Rock Tribute,' causing immense suffering among the people, and you rise up and kill them, that is a good deed. What your studies should teach you, or at least what I intend to teach you, is precisely this. What that old man did was also a good deed. I am telling you his story so that you remember there was an old man who studied Confucianism, who had his own 'Way,' and who acted to such an extent. In the future, you too must have your own convictions and not lose to him... Will you lose to him?'"

Children and teenagers, after all, possessed a spirited zeal. When Ning Yi posed that question, they immediately shouted, "Of course not!" The voices rose and fell, infecting even the children outside the windows. Still, someone foolishly wanted to ask about simple right and wrong. Ning Yi paused, then looked at them all, "If you were children born in times of peace, I wouldn't need to discuss figures like Tian Yuchang or Chen Qiu with you... Some of you are still too young; I shouldn't teach you such complex rights and wrongs too early, as you might not understand. But you are not children born in times of peace. Most of you have probably experienced it: there's war, your fathers are fighting. Just like Yu Sihe, you've already been to the battlefield, haven't you?"

One of the boys, about fifteen or sixteen, raised his head.

"'Then you should know that the war is far from over. I hope you won't have to go to the battlefield again, but you are children of military families; you must be prepared. On the imperial court's side, there are many corrupt officials, many incorrigible individuals who only care about power and profit, disregarding the lives of the common people. But there are also some who are like this old man. I don't want you to become part of that group of corrupt officials who only care about lining their pockets, not even a small part.'"

"'Since you are studying here and call me teacher, I hope you all become like that old man. In your lives, you must have conviction. When you pick up a blade, remember why you pick it up: if corrupt officials are tyrannical, you overthrow them; if the world is in chaos, you restore order. You must remember that you take up arms to make what you see around you better. Those who grew up in peaceful times, they enter schools to learn how to become officials, or to learn to read and write so they can have a skill for copying documents in the future. Your parents send you to school to become successful, but I don't want this success to merely mean learning political intrigue and seeking official positions through manipulation. If you gain conviction, then your studies will be meaningful; then you will have truly learned what is taught in these classics and histories.'"

After these words, a silence fell over the classroom. Naturally, some of the children vaguely understood, but the younger ones could, at best, only vaguely memorize the words. Many years later, they might remember that someone once said such things, but for now, they could only look at their peers, feeling a little bewildered. One nine-year-old child raised his hand and timidly asked, "Then... Mr. Ning, was it wrong for us to kill that old man?"

"'No, it wasn't wrong to kill him.' Ning Yi shook his head. 'In the future, you must learn to respect your enemies and learn from them, but never try to sympathize with them, especially someone like him. He would never surrender, so he had to be killed. On the battlefield, if there's an enemy who is a skilled fighter, everyone thinks he's formidable, and you also say he's truly formidable. But if, when you're fighting him, you also think, 'He's amazing, I can't bear to kill him,' then you're doomed. You must have your own conviction. The more powerful or formidable your enemy, the more effort you should put into killing them. However... if you have time, you can arrange for the old man's burial and offer some incense to him.'"

Ultimately, the children couldn't fully grasp such a complex view of good and evil. The younger children mostly felt the old man was good and that his death was a pity. Only when Ning Yi mentioned burial and offering incense did they begin to nod.

On the corridor railing outside, the young man in black spat out the blade of grass he was chewing, furrowed his brow, and then casually strolled away.

Nothing major happened at the academy, but Ning Yi's lecture about Qian Xiwen created a stir throughout the entire academy over the next day or two. While people were moved by Qian Xiwen's tragic heroism, they also engaged in various discussions about Ning Yi. Some admired his courage, while others thought he was simply tired of living. However, his later remarks left many wondering which side he truly stood on.

In this atmosphere, apart from his interactions with a group of students, Ning Yi became the most isolated person in the academy. Some admired him but dared not associate with him, while others disliked him but merely quietly observed what fate awaited him. Outside the academy, his lecture that day also had a certain degree of impact.

The remains of the Qian family were subsequently given a relatively formal burial. The arrangements were handled by a general named Yu Kaitai, who was Yu Sihe's father. He was unaware of Ning Yi's background, merely thinking, 'That teacher taught my son quite well.' Some who heard Ning Yi's words felt he deserved to be executed, but they did not take any rash actions afterward, as if someone had secretly prevented them.

Then, starting from the sixth day of the eighth lunar month, a series of auspicious dates commenced. Hangzhou City became abuzz with activity, including a gathering of numerous martial arts heroes, the 'Greenwood Assembly.' Its purpose was to elect Fang La as the Alliance Leader of the Southern Martial Arts World and, incidentally, to nominate a deputy leader. With official support, the event generated considerable momentum.

This was followed by parades, festivities, and 'tributes from all corners of the land' sent by various rebel strongholds and mountain camps. Finally, it culminated in Fang La's enthronement ceremony.

In fact, all of this had been decided half a month prior. The imperial court's structure was largely in place, and the news had already been disseminated. However, it was only now that the establishment of the Yongle Dynasty was formally proclaimed to the world.