In the backyard of Leshan Residence.
Watching the Grand Scholar Gu storm into the house, Chong Guang placed a hand on Gu Yuan’s shoulder and asked slyly, "Little Yuanzi, who upset Grand Scholar Gu? Is he here to find our Seventh Master to get revenge for him?"
Still holding a grudge against Chong Guang for incapacitating him earlier, and with Zhan Feiyu refusing to be his disciple because of Yin Wuyan, Gu Yuan angrily shook off Chong Guang’s hand and stood with a stiff face, refusing to speak.
"Grand Scholar Gu is always smiling in court, why is your little attendant so ill-tempered?" Chong Guang laughed heartily and playfully poked Gu Yuan’s puffed-up cheeks.
"Don't touch me!" Gu Yuan glared fiercely and retreated to a corner.
In the inner chamber, Yin Wuyan was reading. Although he was only twenty, the肅殺 (sù shā -肅殺) and cold aura around him made people shy away. If he were to wear the official uniform of the Commander of the Forbidden Dragon Guard, he would surely make officials in the capital turn pale.
Gu Qingzhou gulped down a cup of tea and glared at Yin Wuyan’s face, saying sarcastically, "He’s just a person with a nose and two eyes, what’s so special that that brat is so interested in him!"
Hearing these inexplicable words, Yin Wuyan understood after a moment’s thought. His clear phoenix eyes flickered slightly before returning to their indifferent state.
"I thought that brat was sensible and knew how to judge the situation, but I didn’t expect him to be such an idiot!" Gu Qingzhou snorted twice.
If this got out, those old geezers would laugh him to death! He, the dignified Grand Scholar of the Hanlin Academy, was actually rejected when he wanted to take a disciple!
"She merely has a pure heart." Yin Wuyan’s voice was clear and cold, but inexplicably carried a hint of pride and self-satisfaction. The young girl appeared indifferent and unfeeling, but she was actually the most soft-hearted. She remembered anyone who treated her well, otherwise, why would she refuse to be a disciple because of him?
Gu Qingzhou picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup of tea. He had already regained his usual lazy and carefree demeanor, and shifted the blame, saying, "This matter started because of you, so you go and persuade that brat."
Yin Wuyan raised his eyes and looked meaningfully at Gu Qingzhou, who was sipping his tea, "Is Lord Gu worried about being rejected again and losing face?"
The tea in his mouth suddenly lost its fragrance. Gu Qingzhou placed the teacup back on the table and, with a forced smile, squeezed out through his teeth, "Neither you nor that brat are good people!"
"Why should Lord Gu put on such a pretense?" Yin Wuyan was not fooled at all. He put down the book in his hand and continued indifferently, "If Xiao Yu agrees, I’m afraid the master-disciple relationship would merely be to appease His Majesty."
If Zhan Feiyu could sever ties with Yin Wuyan for the sake of becoming a disciple today, then with greater benefits in the future, she could just as easily betray Gu Qingzhou.
"These words..." Gu Qingzhou laughed in anger. "It is rumored that the Commander of the Forbidden Dragon Guard is taciturn but kills without mercy. Now it seems you talk quite a lot. If you leave the Forbidden Dragon Guard in the future, you can go to the Censorate."
Yin Wuyan’s gaze swept over him lightly. He picked up his teacup and drank tea, not engaging in a war of words with Grand Scholar Gu. After all, the young girl had refused to be a disciple because of him.
Once again, he was choked with anger! Gu Qingzhou raised his teacup and drank it down. Compared to Yin Wuyan, the brat was more interesting. Who wouldn't like a loyal and righteous young girl?
Unaware that Gu Qingzhou had gone to see Yin Wuyan, Zhan Feiyu was at the county school. Half of the students had taken leave today, and Tutor Dou distributed the examination papers amidst a chorus of groans.
"Xiao Yu, you can study on your own," Tutor Dou said as he walked to Zhan Feiyu’s desk, drawing envious glances from everyone.
The seven or eight people in the lecture hall were all scholars who had passed the preliminary examinations. The questions on the papers were for their future provincial examinations, which were a bit difficult for Zhan Feiyu.
Zhan Feiyu looked up and said, "Tutor, I want to write the papers too."
Seeing the diligent young girl, Tutor Dou’s stern expression softened. He placed the papers on the desk, "Alright, you can write them slowly."
Immediately, the seven or eight classmates cast looks of admiration at Zhan Feiyu. Their junior sister had actually taken the initiative to write the papers; they were ashamed of themselves.
"Hurry up and do the problems!" a scolding voice rang out. Tutor Dou’s stern gaze swept across the entire hall. "If any of you were as diligent as Xiao Yu, you wouldn't have to worry about the provincial examinations!"
Zhan Feiyu also began to concentrate on the papers and answer the questions. There were three questions on the Four Books, each requiring over two hundred characters; four questions on the Classics, each requiring over three hundred characters; and one poem in five-character eight-line regulated verse.
...
Meanwhile, after County Magistrate Chen sent an urgent dispatch to Officer Zhang of Nanxuan Prefecture, Officer Zhang presented the dispatch to his subordinates after the morning court the next day, content to wait and see.
In less than two hours, the news that the merchant Sun Fu had attacked the tutor and several students at the entrance of the county school with his retainers spread throughout Nanxuan Prefecture.
Tong Residence.
"Master, why are you back so early today?" a charming voice rang out. The woman who approached with small steps, holding up her skirt, had wrinkles around her eyes, but her melon-seed face, willow eyebrows, and fair, tender skin made her look at least ten years younger.
Although Madam Sun was from the secondary branch, she had given birth to all three sons of the Tong family. Therefore, her status in the residence even surpassed that of the principal wife, Madam Yu. Moreover, she was beautiful, and was more favored than the concubines in their late teens and early twenties.
Tong Tongzhi looked coldly at the charming Madam Sun and slapped her fiercely.
"Ah!" Madam Sun’s face was turned to the side by the slap. She stumbled and fell to the ground. The bracelet on her wrist shattered, her hair bun became dishevelled, and her exquisitely made-up left cheek was red and swollen with finger marks.
The surrounding maids and servants were stunned and froze. The master had actually slapped the second madam!
"Master?" Tears immediately flowed down. This time, Madam Sun was not acting, but was truly hurt and resentful.
Looking up at the dark-faced Tong Tongzhi, Madam Sun trembled in fear, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
"You, come with me!" Tong Tongzhi shouted angrily and strode past Madam Sun on the ground towards the main hall.
A moment later, Madam Yu, the principal wife, who had received the news, also arrived at the main hall. Similarly, Tong Xu, the eldest son of the Tong family, who was studying hard in the study, also rushed over.
"Why is Master so angry?" Madam Yu looked coldly at Madam Sun, who stood to the side with a completely swollen cheek, and sat down in a round chair to the right of Tong Tongzhi.
"Father, Mother." Tong Xu, who had just entered, calmed his breathing before speaking, "Father, may I know what offense concubine has committed?"
The coldness in Tong Tongzhi’s eyes was unconcealed. He was so fierce that he seemed to want to flay Madam Sun alive. His silence made not only Madam Sun and Tong Xu greatly uneasy, but even Madam Yu frowned.
After a long silence, Tong Tongzhi suddenly grabbed a teacup and smashed it at Madam Sun.
With a "crack," the crisp sound of porcelain shattering on the ground echoed. The tea was no longer hot, but even so, Madam Sun, with tea and leaves all over her head and face, looked extremely disheveled.
"I ask you, where is your brother Sun Fu?" The questioning voice, accompanied by the sound of slamming the table, erupted simultaneously. Tong Tongzhi, thinking of what Sun Fu had done behind his back, wished he could kill both the Sun siblings.
Madam Sun’s face changed in terror, her lips trembled, but she dared not speak.
Normally, no matter how favored Madam Sun was, she dared not disrespect the principal wife, Madam Yu, in public. Tong Tongzhi, as a fifth-rank official, would be in trouble if he was accused of favoring a concubine over his wife.
And compared to the rules of wife and concubines, Madam Sun’s mistake this time was even greater: she had secretly read Tong Tongzhi’s secret letter!
"Speak!" Tong Tongzhi roared, his eyes blazing with fire.
"Concubine, quickly speak!" Tong Xu stood by, anxious, not understanding how his mother, who usually knew his father’s mind best, had angered his father so much this time.
With a "plop," Madam Sun knelt down. She raised her head, and her swollen left cheek was slightly turned to the left, so that Tong Tongzhi could only see her tender, fair, tear-streaked right cheek.
"Master, this concubine knows her mistake!" Madam Sun confessed, tears streaming down her face, sobbing, "This concubine accidentally saw Master’s letter. This concubine only wanted my brother to help Master solve his worries. I beg Master to investigate clearly."
Tong Tongzhi thought about it and realized it was a few nights ago. He was enjoying himself at the time when the secret letter from the capital arrived.
After reading it, he immediately returned to bed because he was about to act. The secret letter was only placed in the drawer, not burned directly as usual.
Tong Tongzhi laughed in extreme anger. He looked at the usually clever Madam Sun and sneered, "Sun Fu is not helping me solve my worries; he is sending me to the execution ground at Caishikou to be beheaded!"
As soon as these words were uttered, not only Madam Sun trembled in fear, but Madam Yu and Tong Xu also turned pale. What had happened?
Tong Tongzhi, furious, no longer concealed anything and said directly, "Sun Fu took four guards to Shangsi County School and openly injured the tutor and more than ten students. He has already been arrested and imprisoned by the County Magistrate of Shangsi County!"
"Chen Weibin sent an urgent dispatch to Officer Zhang last night. This case has already spread throughout Nanxuan Prefecture. Those scholars will not blame Sun Fu; they will only condemn me! To death!"
Tong Tongzhi could imagine how much influence this case would have if manipulated by Officer Zhang and the Kong family. The Censorate would definitely impeach him at the morning court. Let alone his official position, to appease the anger of scholars throughout the land, his life might not be saved!
"How could this happen?" Tong Xu’s legs went weak, and he sank onto the chair. He had passed the preliminary examination at the age of eighteen. As a scholar, Tong Xu naturally understood the gravity of the matter.
All professions are inferior, only scholarship is superior! Scholars have been noble since ancient times, let alone those with academic titles. Yet Sun Fu was merely a merchant. Among scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, the latter were ranked last.
"Master, this concubine did not know my younger brother would injure people!" Madam Sun wailed on the ground.
She had secretly told Sun Fu the news, thinking that Zhan Feiyu, a young girl, held some important formula. The secret letter used the words "benefiting the country and the people."
Once Sun Fu obtained the formula, the Sun family might soar to become imperial merchants, not only earning a lot of money but also further enhancing her status in the residence.
How could Madam Sun have imagined that Sun Fu not only botched the job but did so terribly? Not only would he go to jail, but he would also implicate Tong Tongzhi, jeopardizing his official position.
"Shut up!" Madam Yu’s head ached from her crying. She cursed and looked at Tong Tongzhi, "Master, since things have come to this, what should be done?"
Tong Xu also looked resentfully at the sobbing Madam Sun. His future was ruined by this ignorant woman!
"Someone, drag Madam Sun away and lock her in the woodshed!" Tong Tongzhi ordered coldly, his eyes devoid of any affection. He did not kill her because the matter had not yet been resolved; he would settle the score later.
Grabbed by the arms by the servants who entered from outside, Madam Sun struggled violently, crying out tragically and fearfully, "Master, no... Master, for the sake of giving you three sons..."
Alas, her cries gradually faded, and the main hall once again fell silent.
A moment later, Madam Yu hurriedly got into a carriage and left the Tong residence for her maiden family, the Yu family. Although the Yu family was in decline, there was a third-rank paternal uncle in the court.
Tong Xu also left an hour later, riding a fast horse with his men. The direction indicated Shangsi County.
...
In the evening, the sun was still high in the west. Students left the county school in twos and threes, while those living in the county school headed towards the dining hall.
"Reporting to Tutor, 'Zi Yue: Does one not govern?' I have written about this topic before," Zhan Feiyu explained. Her essay was only at the introductory level, and her speed this time was faster only because she had written it before.
After reading the entire essay, Tutor Dou did not analyze how to break the topic and develop it like Tutor Lin. Instead, he explained the historical background, "During the reign of Duke Ding of Lu, the Ji clan usurped power, and Yang Hu rebelled. Confucius refused to take office to govern the state, hence these words."
The Master said: The Book says: Filial piety! Only filial piety, brotherly love; this extends to government.
Zhan Feiyu smiled. Confucius not only did not answer directly but used the words from the Book of Zhou about filial piety to imply that one could govern even without holding office.
Seeing that Zhan Feiyu seemed to understand, Tutor Dou continued to analyze deeper, "The main point of this topic is to elaborate on Confucius’s unspoken intention of not taking office, and that he could only use the excuse of the words in the 'Jun Chen' chapter of the Book of Zhou. In the future, no matter what topic you encounter, whether you agree or disagree, you must never commit a taboo."
Tutor Dou was worried that Zhan Feiyu, being young, might impulsively express her true feelings. However, he knew that some things could be said, and some things could not. He gave an example: "Cai Tingsong, a great talent of the previous dynasty, was the top scholar in the preliminary and provincial examinations. If he had also been the top scholar in the metropolitan examination, he would have achieved the triple crown. The policy question of the metropolitan examination was set by Emperor Min, but unfortunately, Cai Tingsong committed a taboo."
Zhan Feiyu had read many books in Wenxing Study, so she knew about this matter. "Emperor Min valued agriculture and suppressed commerce, while Cai Tingsong's policy question clearly stated the importance of merchants and even proposed that Emperor Min should raise the status of merchants."
"You have read Cai Tingsong's policy questions?" Tutor Dou was somewhat surprised, as it was a matter from the previous dynasty, and the county school did not include Cai Tingsong's essays. However, there was a collection of his poetry.
Zhan Feiyu nodded. "In his policy questions, he wrote: In ancient times, officials and the people were one family; agriculture and commerce were one matter. The superiors and inferiors helped each other, the rich and the poor communicated. When the people suffered, they sought help from officials; when the state suffered, it was supported by the people. Commerce relies on agriculture to stand, and agriculture relies on commerce to proceed. Seeking to complement each other, not to harm each other, then why would good laws and benevolent intentions not be implemented throughout the world?"
Although Emperor Min was foolish, he was not a murderer. Unfortunately, Cai Tingsong had contradicted the emperor in front of civil and military officials, and was dragged out to be beheaded. This policy question, which led to his death, was somehow leaked.
"This is the principle of speaking cautiously and acting prudently." Tutor Dou paused and looked at Zhan Feiyu with a complex expression, recalling the scene where she had held a knife to Sun Fu’s throat that day.
Feeling guilty, Zhan Feiyu quickly changed the subject, "The reason Confucius answered in this way was that he was a minister to Duke Ding of Lu at the time, and according to ritual and law, he could not criticize the misgovernance in the early years of Duke Ding of Lu."
Half an hour later, Tutor Dou looked at Zhan Feiyu, who was packing her belongings to go home, and could not help but admonish her, "Do not be rash when encountering matters. Since you are a student of the county school, no matter what happens, the tutor and instructors are here. You must not act recklessly again in the future."
"Yes, Tutor, I remember," Zhan Feiyu nodded her head like a pecking chicken.
After a while, Zhan Feiyu, carrying a large satchel, ran out of the study with short legs, for fear that Tutor Dou would catch her and lecture her again.
"This girl!" Tutor Dou shook his head and smiled. In the end, she was still a child who had not grown up.
Uncle Hu had been waiting outside the county school gate. Zhan Feiyu was often kept by the tutor for private instruction, so Uncle Hu was used to it. Seeing the little figure running over, he couldn't help but smile, "Xiao Yu, don't rush, don't fall."
"Uncle Hu, let's go to Tai Fu Restaurant," her clear voice was exceptionally cheerful.
Zhan Feiyu got into the ox cart and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Fortunately, she ran fast, otherwise, Tutor Zhao and Tutor Niu would have taken turns lecturing her soon.
The waiter at Tai Fu Restaurant had been looking out from the entrance. Even though it was the busiest time for the restaurant, the manager still asked him to wait at the door, for fear of neglecting Zhan Feiyu.
"Manager, the ox cart is here," the waiter called back, and then greeted her with a smile, "Little Scholar Zhan, my master has prepared a meal. We will discuss further after you have eaten."
"Thank you for your kindness, Master," Zhan Feiyu replied after getting off the ox cart. She did not refuse and followed the waiter to the second floor.
This visit was because Tai Fu Restaurant, in addition to various vegetables, also planned to purchase village fruits, vegetables, chickens, ducks, and eggs. Although it was fine to negotiate with Zhan Wencheng, Master Xie wanted to do Zhan Feiyu a favor, as the successful negotiation would further enhance her status in the village.