Chapter 8: Yushan Academy

Just as Elder Qin was thinking that Ning Yi likely possessed some talent and felt pity for his perceived lack of ambition, given his status as a son-in-law in a merchant family, Ning Yi was already entering Yushan Academy, bathed in the morning sunlight, to prepare for a whole morning of teaching the Analects to a group of children.

Yushan Academy was not located in a place called Yushan. It was a private school run by the Su family, and while it accepted a few outsiders with connections, it wasn't large, mainly because not many people came to study there. Yushan, on the other hand, was the name of a mountain in the Su family's ancestral hometown.

Yushan Academy was situated on a quiet street not far from the Su family's mansion, avoiding the bustling commercial areas. Enclosed by grey-tiled roofs and white walls, with a small bamboo grove, and a sign bearing the name "Yushan Academy"—written by a renowned scholar—it certainly exuded an academic atmosphere.

The academy currently had forty-nine students and seven teachers. This ratio indicated strong teaching resources, especially considering the Dean, Su Chonghua, was among them. Su Chonghua himself was a member of the Su family, had passed the imperial examination in his early years, and served as an official for several years, though unfortunately without much achievement. There were even rumors that he had committed some offense. Additionally, two other teachers were experienced former officials hired at high salaries. Besides teachers and students, there were also several servants, including cooks and handymen.

The Su family had put a great deal of effort into this academy. Unfortunately, whether due to unreliable teachers or unusually dull students, the academy had never achieved significant academic success. Most students who realized that a career through the imperial examinations was hopeless eventually ended up working in the Su family's businesses, making the academy seem more like a vocational school. Families truly intending for their children to pursue an official career through the imperial examinations would typically transfer them to better academies before the age of twelve.

Ning Yi had been teaching here for three days. Su Chonghua treated him well, not bothering to make things difficult for him due to his status as a son-in-law; seasoned individuals who had long navigated society had no need for such trivialities. Given Ning Yi's perceived lack of talent—as everyone said—he was assigned to teach a class of sixteen recently-enlightened children, aged between six and twelve. Among them were even two young girls with braided hair, relatives of the Su family, who were sent to learn basic literacy. The previous teacher had finished teaching the Classic of Filial Piety and had begun the Analects. Ning Yi taught them every morning, with afternoons being more flexible, covering subjects like rituals, music, archery, charioteering, and mathematics—primarily mathematics, with the rest depending on the teacher's mood and ability.

In a better, more formal school, these subjects would be more standardized and detailed, but Yushan Academy clearly lacked such conditions. For Ning Yi, teaching the Analects was quite simple. While he couldn't recite the entire text from memory or pinpoint the exact location of every sentence, merely requiring him to read it and provide simple explanations was an incredibly easy task. Any modern person with a high school education could, with a little time, offer a plausible explanation of the Analects, albeit in modern vernacular.

Although in ancient times, true great scholars studied the Four Books and Five Classics quite profoundly, delving into exceptionally complex interpretations—a classical text written by a renowned courtesan, for instance, could put a modern professor to shame. However, most scholars did not have the opportunity to receive such deep education; they might not even be able to find a copy of Mencius after finishing the Analects. The minimum standard for a teacher, however, was simple: put plainly, they just needed to be able to teach literacy. Ning Yi's predecessor was precisely like this: he taught a group of children to read with rhythmic swaying, and when inspiration struck, he would provide the most basic explanations of the text. After a while, he would require students to strictly memorize or dictate a passage, which served as a test. Those who failed would receive a caning.

Things were quite simple! Ning Yi didn't plan to change much. For the first hour, he had the students sway their heads while reciting the Analects—though reading continuously for two hours was painful for Ning Yi, the children were accustomed to it. For the subsequent two hours, Ning Yi would spend the first half explaining a chapter's content, then freely diverge, incorporating stories and real-life anecdotes, which also served as a way to relax the children.

These children were very easy to teach. Even after just three days, Ning Yi could clearly sense the profound respect for the teacher in the classroom. These children had no discernible individuality; children who didn't act out were the most endearing. They cherished the opportunity to study, were not mischievous or rebellious, and if you spanked them for a minor offense, they took it as a matter of course. It was truly a teacher's paradise. Ning Yi taught very comfortably; in just three days, the children were immensely satisfied simply by hearing a bit of scripture and a few stories each day. To teach these things, Ning Yi didn't even need to prepare lesson plans; he could just go with the flow.

That day, Ning Yi began explaining a passage from the Analects concerning "Wealth and honor are what people desire..." He lectured on methods of acquiring wealth and the principles of commerce, interspersed with sayings and explanations like "A gentleman loves wealth but acquires it righteously." In his previous life, Ning Yi had specialized in this field; disregarding classical literary style, if he merely wanted to express an insight, he could have lectured PhD students at a modern university. However, facing a group of children under twelve, he only touched on a few points casually without elaborating, instead offering some lighthearted examples. Then he spoke of the six interconnected boats at the Pujiang poetry gathering, and subsequently the Battle of Red Cliffs, beginning to recount the story of Red Cliffs to the children.

In those days, stories about the Three Kingdoms primarily came from Chen Shou's *Records of the Three Kingdoms*. Ning Yi, who hadn't read it, recounted the narrative of *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, further embellished by various modern literary works, making it highly engaging and imaginative. From Cao Cao's eighty-thousand-strong army marching south to Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai, the linked ships, and borrowing arrows with straw boats—the children, who rarely heard many stories, had flushed faces, brimming with excitement, interjecting frequently, "Teacher, teacher, what happens next...?" They only quieted down halfway through when Dean Su Chonghua walked to the side of the classroom, standing there expressionlessly with his hands clasped behind his back. Even so, it did not diminish the excited expressions on the children's faces.

Since Ning Yi had already started, he naturally wouldn't be distracted by such a small matter and continued his narration. He only finished recounting the burning of the linked ships as noon approached. Su Chonghua remained standing outside, listening the entire time, though it was hard to tell what his expression was. After Ning Yi finished the story, he wrote down Du Mu's *Red Cliffs*, a poem he particularly liked, on Xuan paper:

A broken halberd, buried in sand, its iron still unworn;I polish it myself, recognizing an ancient dynasty.If the east wind had not favored Zhou Yu,The Qiao sisters would be locked deep in the Bronze Sparrow Terrace.

Teaching without a blackboard made writing very inconvenient. Ning Yi, now feeling some passion for teaching, thought as he wrote that he should "invent" a whiteboard or something similar; writing with charcoal on it would be better than a sand tray. After he finished writing, the students busily copied it onto their papers. As Ning Yi stepped out, Su Chonghua approached, a smile appearing on his otherwise expressionless face.

"Nephew, your talent is truly remarkable. You have such profound knowledge of the history of the Three Kingdoms and Wei-Jin dynasties. That story just now, I presume, was taken from Chen Shou's *Records of the Three Kingdoms*?"

If Elder Qin had been there, he would undoubtedly have scolded Ning Yi, accusing him of fabricating tales and misleading students. In reality, the true *Records of the Three Kingdoms* was not nearly as dramatic; for instance, the "borrowing arrows with straw boats" incident actually involved Sun Quan taking a boat out for a tour and getting shot with so many arrows on one side that the boat nearly capsized. Sun Quan then ordered the boat to be turned around so the other side could take the arrows, thus balancing the vessel and allowing it to sail away. Ning Yi had only seen TV dramas based on *Romance of the Three Kingdoms*, and Su Chonghua hadn't read *Records of the Three Kingdoms*. Su Chonghua had been listening to Ning Yi's story as if it were a performance by a professional storyteller, thoroughly enjoying it. Now, he came over to praise Ning Yi's vast knowledge and captivating storytelling.

However, after offering a few compliments, Su Chonghua subtly advised Ning Yi not to be so lenient with the students. If Ning Yi had been a scholar in his fifties or sixties, Su Chonghua likely wouldn't have said this. But since Ning Yi appeared to be only in his early twenties, barely grown, he needed to be stricter with the children to uphold the dignity of a teacher. Su Chonghua was clearly displeased that Ning Yi taught about the Three Kingdoms during an Analects class, especially given how vividly he told the stories, almost like a storyteller in a tea house. Ning Yi nodded, acknowledging the advice humbly and respectfully, but then turned his head as if he hadn't heard a word.

Afterwards, Su Chonghua invited him to have lunch at the academy. Generally, common households ate two meals a day, and some couldn't even afford that. However, the wealthy Su family provided an extra meal at noon, though it wasn't formal and sometimes consisted of pastries. Ning Yi politely declined the invitation, went home to change his clothes, and then handed them to Xiao Chan, intending for them to be washed and returned to Elder Qin. He didn't tell her about falling into the river, so as to prevent her from making a fuss and finding a pile of medicines for him. During the days Ning Yi taught at the academy, Xiao Chan no longer accompanied him everywhere; her mornings were free to attend to other matters.

In the afternoon, he went to play chess by the Qinhuai River again. In fact, Elder Qin was also an eccentric. Ning Yi had long suspected he had once been an official, and his visit to Elder Qin's home that morning had solidified this belief. Many of the furnishings and stylistic elements in the house could not possibly belong to an ordinary person, and combined with his conversation and perspective, it was indeed strange that such a man would run a chess stall by the river every day.

When Ning Yi arrived today, another elder was already there playing chess with Elder Qin. This elder, surnamed Kang, was similar in age to Elder Qin and came from a wealthy background, carrying himself like a patriarch. When he went out, he dressed splendidly, accompanied by two young manservants and two maids clearing the way. He had a stern appearance and a rather biting tongue, but his chess skills were exceptionally high. Whenever he saw Ning Yi, he would criticize his chess moves as "downright vulgar," "lacking a gentleman's demeanor," "how can one cling so tenaciously," or "detestable junior." Yet, he would then turn around, absorb Ning Yi's strategy, slightly modify it, and use it in a grand battle against Elder Qin. In truth, Elder Qin was even more skilled; he would absorb a new idea and refine it until it completely lost any hint of its original source.

Having spent time here, Ning Yi had met many people: ordinary folk, uneducated children, or those with some education but rigid thinking. Whether one called them pedantic or simple-minded, their perspectives and ways of thinking were indeed not as flexible as modern people's. However, at the higher echelons of society, they were no worse than modern people. For instance, Elder Qin, though saying little aloud, would naturally internalize new things he found novel, pondering their ideas and principles. Elder Kang, on the other hand, spoke endlessly of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and morality, but when he actually played chess, he was ruthless and unscrupulous. Of course, without people like Ning Yi and Elder Qin, one might not notice his ruthlessness; he was only slightly inferior to Elder Qin but still far superior to ordinary people.

Elder Qin and a few chess friends had recently been studying Ning Yi's chess moves; after all, encountering such novel tactics suddenly made them worth analyzing. Ning Yi had little intention of deferring to the elders. Sometimes he would ignore Elder Kang's huffing and puffing, and at other times, he would retort, "You old man, you say one thing and do another; you're not a good person." Or, "You dare make this move? Go ahead! Try it!" Ordinarily, no junior dared to talk back to Elder Kang. The two would have small arguments by the chess stall, while Elder Qin would laugh on the side. If Elder Kang was playing against someone else, Elder Qin would say, "Liheng makes a good point," but if Ning Yi was the opponent, he would join in condemning Ning Yi's move as too underhanded.

However, even when they argued, there was no real malice between them. Elder Kang initially indeed treated Ning Yi as an ignorant junior to be lectured, but he soon realized that Ning Yi was a worthy opponent, and that Ning Yi naturally didn't see himself as a junior either. Regardless, Elder Kang always brought a pot of good tea whenever he came. He would have his servants bring the tea set, tea leaves, and water, and the maids would brew it at a nearby tea stall table. Ning Yi would then unceremoniously take a cup for himself, pull up a stool to the chessboard, and after a moment, take a sip of tea: "Oh, Elder Kang is about to lose."

The old man was calculating moves in his mind, and his eyebrow twitched: "What do you, a beardless boy, know about winning or losing, daring to say such things while drinking my tea... Humph, I already have a brilliant move..."

He raised his hand to make a move, but Ning Yi let out a light cough, and the old man's hand instantly froze. He eyed Ning Yi suspiciously for a few moments before retracting his hand. Ning Yi took another sip of tea: "This cup of tea is worth about this much... Hmm, what kind of tea is this?"

"You ignorant boy, truly wasting a precious thing! Have you never heard of Zisun tea?"

Elder Qin was also sipping tea nearby, and he chuckled, "Guzhu Zisun, excellent tea. It's a bit of a shame to brew it here on the street, though. If I'd known he was bringing this tea today, we should have played this game at home."

Elder Kang, however, didn't mind. At this moment, he finally decided on a move, extended his hand, and placed the piece: "Tea is meant to be drunk. Our shared passion for chess is strong, and we are kindred spirits, so drinking this tea together is what matters most. Tea is merely an inanimate object, created to please you and me. Its value lies in whether we find it palatable. What is there to regret?"

"Elder Kang, that's quite a magnanimous thing to say, like a great man."

"What great man, I..."

"Elder, you've lost."

"Uh..."

Ning Yi patted his shoulder, smiled, and stood up. The scenery by the Qinhuai River was pleasant then. He walked away with his teacup. Behind him, Elder Qin was already placing a piece with a smile, and Elder Kang exclaimed, "How could this be..."

"Haha, seeing that you, my esteemed friend, brought such good tea today, I had originally intended to play a few careless moves and let you win this game. But those words of yours just now were truly grand and inspiring. It is only proper for gentlemen to interact in such a straightforward manner, so I, an old man, will no longer be pretentious. Hahahaha..."

Elder Kang was clearly displeased about bringing tea only to lose the game, but having lost, he acknowledged it. He called Ning Yi over, and they all reviewed the game. Afterwards, Elder Kang and Elder Qin continued to play. During this time, Elder Qin recounted the amusing incident of Ning Yi falling into the river that morning while trying to save someone, and then getting slapped. Ning Yi couldn't escape Elder Kang's gleeful mockery. After that, he listened as the two old men discussed the recent invasions by the Khitans in the north.

The late autumn sun was still bright, but in the afternoon, a wind began to blow over the Qinhuai River. When the chess game finished, it was already late, and everyone went home.

Due to being exposed to the wind for half the afternoon, Ning Yi woke up the next morning feeling a bit groggy, unsure if he had caught a cold.