Chapter 1 The Beginning
Shenyang City, the Duke's Mansion, the small courtyard where Li Tai resided.
Fang Er and Wang Xuance sat opposite each other, while Li Tai, turned sideways, faced both of them.
The three were playing Dou Dizhu. The reason for Li Tai's posture was rather amusing: he had a stiff neck!
Old Sun had been summoned early that morning by Li Tai's personal guards for a massage and felt only slightly better; otherwise, his neck would have been too stiff to move.
"My Lord, there's a situation at the academy!"
Lai Yifa rushed over, reporting to Fang Er.
"Many scholars from Jinan Prefecture, Bian Prefecture, and Hejian Prefecture have arrived and are blocking the academy entrance, refusing to leave. They insist on being admitted to study."
"However, it's still two months before the enrollment period, and they are not registered residents of Shenyang. Thus, Ma Zhou passed the message to me."
Fang Er frowned, "Why didn't he use the walkie-talkie to report to me?"
Lai Yifa said awkwardly, "He did, but he couldn't reach you."
Fang Er looked surprised and took the walkie-talkie from his waist. After fiddling with it for a while, he discovered it had run out of battery.
He casually tossed it to a personal guard in Li Tai's courtyard, "Take this to charge. It's a gift for you."
"Hehehe, thank you, my Lord, for the gift." The personal guard quickly took the walkie-talkie and ran into the house to get a solar charger.
"Alright, no more playing. You rest well. Xuance, come with me to the academy!"
Fang Er put down the cards on the table and left with Wang Xuance and Lai Yifa.
The personal guard connected the walkie-talkie to the solar charger and placed it in the courtyard to charge. The bored Li Tai stared blankly at the blinking walkie-talkie.
After a long while, he suddenly slapped his forehead and looked at the personal guard.
"Thirteen, do you know what my ambition is?"
The personal guard, addressed as Thirteen, quickly nodded, "I know. The world is vast, and you wish to see it."
"Then why haven't I set off yet?" Li Tai pressed.
Thirteen scratched the back of his neck obsequiously, "Hehehe, isn't that simple? Riding a horse, you can't travel far in a day. As for tractors and airplanes, once you leave the Great Tang, there's no fuel supply. You're waiting for the gas stations to be set up before you depart."
Li Tai nodded slightly, then pointed at the solar charger that was charging the walkie-talkie. "You say, if I used this thing to build an airplane, wouldn't it not need oil and could travel around the world as long as there's sunlight?"
The personal guard froze, following his gaze to the solar charger. After a good while, he murmured, "It seems, that's the logic?"
"Stop staring. Go into the house and get me paper and a pen. I need to draw!"
Li Tai's lips curved into a triumphant smile as he urged Thirteen.
After the paper and pen were brought, he turned sideways and began sketching on the paper.
After much sketching and discarding, with crumpled papers littering the floor, he looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction, "It should be like this! Let's go catch up with the Mountain Chief!"
With a goal, he no longer cared about his image and, with Thirteen, hurried after Fang Er.
By this time, Fang Er had already arrived outside the academy.
A dense crowd of scholars, numbering at least a thousand, had gathered at the entrance. As the three of them appeared, someone from the crowd ran over.
"Subordinate Wen Zhongzi, Head of the Eastern Depot in Jinan Prefecture, pays respects to my Lord!"
Many in the Eastern Depot were unfortunate souls with no families. After Lai Yifa took them in, he renamed them according to the Three Character Classic. People like Zhi Zhuchu from Bishan City and this Wen Zhongzi were all named this way.
Fang Er looked at him doubtfully, "Head of the Eastern Depot in Jinan Prefecture, you've returned at this time. Did something happen there?"
Wen Zhongzi quickly explained the reason for his return.
As the old saying goes, what you fear will come.
The Murphy's Law of later generations also stated that if something has the potential to go wrong, it will, no matter how small the possibility.
The discussions among the scholars at the City God Temple in Jinan Prefecture eventually reached the ears of the Eastern Depot operatives, so Wen Zhongzi accompanied them to Shenyang.
Along the way, he meticulously recorded the scholars' words and actions on paper.
After reading the booklet he handed over, containing the dialogue of the scholars, Fang Er smiled, his smile filled with contempt.
"Let's go! Let's go meet these bookworms!"
He waved his hand and led the group towards the scholars at the academy entrance.
"I am Fang Anzhi, and I am unaware of the reason for your gathering here?"
Wang Xuance and Lai Yifa parted the crowd. Fang Er walked to the main entrance of the academy, turned around, and smiled at the scholars.
Hearing this, the scholars instinctively took a few steps back, looking at each other.
Finally, someone replied, "We have all come here to seek knowledge by reputation, but the academy refuses to admit us. Please, Duke Anguo, give us an explanation."
"That's right, that's right! Everyone says that Shenyang Academy enrolls students regardless of family background or age, teaching all indiscriminately. But why have they rejected us?"
"The person who claimed to be the Dean before used the enrollment period as an excuse to fob us off; that explanation is too absurd!"
"Live and learn, and I have never heard of seeking knowledge having to be done according to a schedule."
"Has Anguo, who overturned Confucianism with one hand, not allowed us to switch to Fang School?"
The scholars, emboldened by their numbers, voiced their dissatisfaction in a cacophony of words.
Fang Er's smile remained undiminished as he raised his hands and gestured downwards towards the crowd.
"Everyone, please calm down!"
"Fang has never said that Confucian scholars are not allowed to learn other things, and Fang School has always been open to everyone!"
"According to the academy's regulations, to maintain the uniformity of teaching progress, enrollment only takes place in August each year."
"However, since you have traveled all this way, it would indeed be disheartening if the academy were to ignore you."
"If you wish to study at Shenyang Academy, you may. But I have heard that many of you cannot even solve the problems related to Erguotou, so you are only fit to be placed in the kindergarten class and re-learn from the beginning."
"Furthermore, as you are not Shenyang residents, a certain tuition fee for temporary study will be charged, ten strings of cash per person per year!"
Upon hearing this, the scholars immediately became displeased.
"Why! The common people of Liaodong are admitted to the academy, and not only are they not charged tuition, but they are also provided with a meal. Why do we have to pay ten strings of cash per year?"
"Exactly, exactly! I heard that there are many students from various Turkic tribes in the academy, and they are not charged tuition either. Why do you charge us money?"
"This is unfair! Unless Duke Anguo has ulterior motives, and intends to win over foreign tribes, wanting to..."
*Bang!*
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. Fang Er stared coldly at them, "Who just spoke? Step forward and identify yourself!"
The scholars were startled by the gunshot, but no one stepped forward to admit it.
"Opening fire at the slightest disagreement. The rumors are indeed true!"